April 6, 2015 · 11:40 am

Two Tributes in Appreciation of Anne Abayasekara

ONE. Ranmali Ponnambalam: “Amma, we thank God for your life”

It is with a heart full of thanks to God for our beloved Amma that I write today on behalf of our family. Ever since Amma passed away on January 4, after a brief illness, the tributes have poured in from near and far from family and friends Annette Aurelia Ameresekere was born on April 3, 1925 to a humble family -Justus and Frances Ameresekere, in the village of Madampe where she spent the first few years of her life. Her parents struggled to make ends meet and moved to Colombo with her and her older brother when she was still a little girl, and opened a boarding house in Colombo.

Anne Abayasekara Continue reading →

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April 3, 2015 · 5:44 am

Emotional Turmoil and Rumour-Mongering: World Cup Defeats, Pogroms & Elections

Michael Roberts

Though hardly surprising,** Sri Lanka’s ignominious exit from the World Cup in ODI cricket this year has inspired some ridiculous criticisms of team selections from cricket enthusiasts who have not evaluated the difficulties posed by a series of unfortunate injuries or the questionable alternatives facing the Selectors in every instance of player position/selection. Such waves of criticism are not uncommon from fans of particular sides in many parts of the world. However, the Sri Lankan story this time round is reminiscent of the malicious rumours swirling around the World Cup selections before and after the final match at Mumbai in the World Cup 2011 (some concocted by Rajapaksa-haters and/or opponents). It is therefore appropriate that I reproduce the essay*** that I penned on that occasion and place it within a political space — not least because it dwells on the horrendous crimes inflicted in 1915, 1958 and 1983 upon minority communities who were Sri Lankan through and through. Continue reading →

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April 1, 2015 · 11:34 am

Science Nay-Sayers in the West and their Cultural Counterparts in Sri Lanka

Chandre Dharmawardana, Ottawa, Canada

Galileo nearly got burnt at the stake for heresy when he claimed that the Earth orbited around the sun instead of being the fixed center of the God-created Universe. At that time most people were science Nay-Sayers. A century before Galileo, when Christopher Columbus defiantly sailed  West seeking Eastern India, most people  believed that the Earth was flat, as was evident to the eye. This view was common to almost all cultures, be it Hindu, Buddhist, Chinese or Hebrew. Today many of us happily believe that people are well informed in this age of the internet and Google.

flat_earth motis.blogspot.com

Amazingly, the very opposite  is also true. Rich counties like the USA  or the Oil Kingdoms are not educated societies. Fundamentalist religions remain powerful and science Nay-Sayers are well funded and articulate. While the Western nations spend billions on scientific research, the average citizen prefers to use the fruits of science (i.e., technology) while refusing to come to terms with  what he/she finds incomprehensible, counter-intuitive and often going against traditional beliefs and practices. Instead of expecting to build an improved world using science, Science Nay-Sayers take a very distopian view of   modern knowledge.  They, like their counterparts during Galileo’s times,  seek  to find solace in returning to “traditional ways”, even though Humpty-Dumpty cannot be be put back, with some 22  million new people ( population of Sri Lanka!) added to the global population every two months! Continue reading →

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April 1, 2015 · 9:47 am

Quaint Tit-Bits about Colombo & Environs in Dutch Times

Courtesy of Asoka Kuruppu

Do you know the best residential area in Colombo during the Dutch times?  Yes it was ‘Grandpass’ :  (from Grande Passo) Some old Dutch houses and even a Dispensary are still there.

Other interesting names that still survive from those days:

Main Street: (Roa Direto).   The Dutch remembered one of their governors – Hulft who died during the siege of Colombo, with Hulftsdorp and recalled some of their native place names like Leydenand Delft.   The Dutch named

Maliban Street to identify the fashionable promenade in Pettah – Maliban meaning the Mmall.   Kayman’s Gate refers to ‘kayman’ – crocodiles that were found in the area where the rivulet entered the sea.   Wolvendaal meant the dale of wolves.   Bloemendahl is a vale of flowers.

Korteboam means short trees.   Beira (mythology), the mother to all the gods and goddesses in the Celtic mythology of Scotland.   There was a time when Kollupitiya was known as Baradeniya. It was a beautiful rustic village with coconut gardens and cinnamon trees that grew wild and narrow cart-tracks which connected the few villas and homes here with the rest of the country.  For the purpose of postal services `Colombo 03’ consists of Kollupitiya.

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March 31, 2015 · 1:47 pm

Chinese Interests in the Indian Ocean–A Sober Evaluation in 2013

From The Economist, 8 June 2013, where title is “China’s growing empire of ports abroad is mainly about trade, not aggression”

FROM the ground, Colombo’s port does not look like much. Those entering it are greeted by wire fences, walls dating back to colonial times and security posts. For mariners leaving the port after lonely nights on the high seas, the delights of the B52 Night Club and Stallion Pub lie a stumble away. But viewed from high up in one of the growing number of skyscrapers in Sri Lanka’s capital, it is clear that something extraordinary is happening: China is creating a shipping hub just 200 miles from India’s southern tip

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March 31, 2015 · 1:05 pm

An Indian Twist to China-Lanka Relations

 Debasish Roy Chowdhury , in the South China Morning Post, where the title is “Passive investor to partner in crime: How China lost the plot in Sri Lanka”
Chinese investments got sucked into the vortex of Sri Lanka’s local politics and were left high and dry when a friendly regime was swept away (Lanka-e-News- 30.March.2015, 11.30PM) The sprightly 30-something engineer at Hambantota port reels off the benefits of this port-industrial complex on the southeastern tip of Sri Lanka about 240km from the capital Colombo. “There’s massive demand for transshipment of vehicles and it’s increasing by the day. Once companies set up their production lines here, we’ll get much more ships,” gushes Chaminda as he gives a tour of the port. Hambantota could use more ships, there are none in sight. The port, which started operations in 2010 and was supposed to challenge Singapore, received all of six ships in 2011 and 18 in 2012. The government finally had to ask ships carrying vehicles to offload their wares in Hambantota rather than Colombo. Continue reading →

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March 31, 2015 · 12:35 pm

The New Government’s Vendettas & Misguided Measures are Squandering Sri Lanka’s Future Prospects

NEIL KARUNeil Karunaratne, courtesy of the Daily Mirror, 30 March 2015, where the title is “Holding Back Development.” 

Ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa in a message read in a political rally held in Ratnapura, last week alleged that the current administration has stalled
development in the country. I cannot help, but agree, though grudgingly. This government has held back the country’s development. That is already
reflected in the projected growth numbers: The Asian Development Bank now says that the country’s economic growth would dip to 7 per cent this year,
from 7.4 per cent, last year. As recently as two months back, the ADB projected 8 per cent growth for 2015 and 2016. It however assures that the economy would rebound in 2016 to 7.4 per cent, still short of previous estimates. Continue reading →

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March 30, 2015 · 3:52 am

Appreciating and Remembering M. J. Perera

Senaka Weeratana

MJ Perera profile

M. J. Perera was a founder member of the Lanka Dhammaduta Society which was founded by Asoka Weeraratna on Sept.21, 1952 ( later re- named as German Dharmaduta Society on May 8, 1957). M.J. Perera was elected as a Vice – President of the Society at its inaugural meeting held on Sept. 21, 1952. Subsequently he was elected as the President of the German Dharmaduta Society (GDS) in 1957 and functioned in that capacity for many years. He was a member of the Board of Trustees of the GDS from 1966 – 2000.

He was introduced to Asoka Weeraratna in 1952 while he i.e. M,J. Perera, was the first Director – General, Radio Ceylon, by the late Austin de Silva who was the Editor of the ‘ Buddhist Opinion‘ magazine and dedicated Buddhist Worker. Austin de Silva was also elected as a Vice – President of the GDS at its inaugural meeting in 1952. ……    see also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._J._Perera Continue reading →

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March 30, 2015 · 3:31 am

Sigiriya as Miniature Mount Meru — An American Extravaganza!

SEE YOU TUBE  by so-called US scientists= https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?tab=wm#inbox/14c68577e7fb081f?projector=1

SL – VIDEO – Sigiriya – “Discovered” by British…..”Built” by Aliens…..per History Channel. History Channel lies from the start…..”Discovered” by British Army Officer in 18th century….BS….History of Sigiriya is written in the Mahawansa……the history of the Sinhala people…
to some so-called Western “Experts”….all man-made wonders of the NON-Western World…..Asia – Africa – Americas…..are “created /
built” by Aliens….eg….Pyramids – ( Egypt )Machu Picchu –  ( Peru) Nacza Lines – ( Peru ) Angkor Wat – ( Cambodia )Borobudur – (
Indonesia )Palanque – ( Mexico )Chichen Itza – ( Mexico )Tikal  – (Guatemala )…etc – etc – etc…. to these “Experts”….Only Western Civilization……eg starting with Greek – Roman……were by humans….. Continue reading →

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March 29, 2015 · 1:22 pm

Forging New Paths in Sri Lankan and Colonial History

NIRA W-picNira Wickramasinghe’s  Metallic Modern. Everyday Machines in Colonial Lanka, Oxford/New York, Berghahn Books, 2014 ISBN 9781782382423… 192 pages, 20 illus., bibliog., index

ISBN  978-1-78238-242-3 $70.00/£44.00 Hb Published (January 2014) ….  ISBN 978-1-78238-243-0 eBook

“This is a most engaging book from a well-known author… a timely contribution concerning an important subject that is attracting renewed and sustained interest from historians of late….” · Crispin Bates, University of Edinburgh

“This book is academically rich, analytically sophisticated and full of insightful interpretations that make it a valuable sourcefor scholars and students from multiple disciplines. It will also be a pleasant read for those who are simply curious about the dusty machines that sacredly and majestically occupy a small corner of their grandparents’ homes, still covered with a cloth.” · The International Institute for Asian Studies Newsletter … SEE IIAS-review-Metallic Modern for full version of review by  Shyamika Jayasundera  Continue reading →

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