Harm that good strongmen can do
Narendra Modi is a shining example of the harm that ‘good strongmen’ can do — those who are elected to rescue a country from the doldrums it has fallen into, but instead take it deeper into the hell-fires Modi, the humble tea boy, who climbed from the very bottom rungs of the ultranationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak [...]
There was no ethnic identity in his politics
Dr. Abdul Cader Shahul Hameed was a member of the Parliament from June 1960 to 1999, representing the predominantly Buddhist electorate of Akurana which was later constituted as Harispattuwa. He passed away on September 3, 1999 after a short illness. During his unbroken 39-years in Parliament, he enjoyed his political career, virtually taking part in [...]
Sirimavo Bandaranaike as Foreign Minister
The Ceylon Constitution of 1948 mandated that Defence and Foreign Affairs should be subjects assigned to the Prime Minister. This arrangement lasted until 1972. Even when the new constitution was introduced, the arrangement lasted in practice until 1977, when the system of parliamentary government was abolished. During these thirty years, there were many Prime Ministers [...]
Theravada Buddhism and Islamic Sufism: An ‘I’ less state
Buddhist Abhidhamma is found aplenty in the mystic passages of the Qur’an and simultaneously is unfailingly in the Bible. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth are certainly far removed from the mysticism that the Qur’an offers leaving one to believe that some of its chapters such as Bakara have been [...]
Kalasuri honours for broadcaster and cricket commentator Palitha Perera
Palitha Perera, a renowned professional radio and television broadcaster and a pioneer of Sinhala cricket commentaries in Sri Lanka, has been awarded Kalasuri honours by President Maithripala Sririsena in recognition of his special contributions to the development of arts, culture and drama. The honours were conferred on him at the National Honours ceremony held at [...]
Please help Ashen to undergo urgent liver transplant
Ashen Charuka is six years old and suffers from a rare condition of the liver. The young child needs an urgent liver transplant, which has to be performed in Chennai, India at a cost of Rs. 7.5 million. The young parents, living in Niwandama Jaela, are unable to afford this enormous cost and are reaching [...]
Kelaniya Uni Alumni Association AGM
The annual general meeting of the University of Kelaniya Alumni Association Forum will be held today at Indra Reception Hall in Kadawatha from 9.00 a.m. onwards. The chief guest will be the Kelaniya University Chancellor, the Most Ven. Welamitiyawe Sri Kusaladhamma Nayaka Thera, and Vice Chancellor Prof. D.M. Semasinghe Dissanayake. At the meeting, new office [...]
The lifesaving power of sex education
NEW YORK – When I was a bright-eyed eighth grader in my native Sri Lanka, I couldn’t wait for my first sex education class. In our early teens, my classmates and I were as curious as we were clueless about sex and sexuality. Yet, instead of receiving reliable answers to pressing questions about our bodies, [...]
Gamperaliya programme in Borella
Under the government’s Gamperaliya programme, assistance was provided to residents of Borella recently. The UNP’s Borella electorate organiser Jayantha de Silva is seen here handing over roofing material to a resident.
Get to know all about making the right choices in life
Throughout life you are faced with the dilemma of choice – what field to study, what career to pursue, whether to marry or not, whom to marry etc. If you make the right choices you will be happy and successful in your endeavours. If not you will be bored and miserable. Learn how to make [...]
Ambassador Asirwatham meets Belgium Foreign Secretary
Ambassador-designate to Belgium Grace Asirwatham met the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belgium, Bruno van der Pluijm on Wednesday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Brussels. The Ambassador-designate expressed the desire to further strengthen bilateral relations and it was agreed that Bilateral Consultations between the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs [...]
A legendary artist’s autobiography
Namel Weeramuini’s compelling autobiography was launched on his 85th birthday, before a large audience at the Namel Malini Punchi Theatre yesterday. We live in a global village where the main road has many forks and takes us on many incredible journeys. It is increasingly difficult to know the final destination of these journeys. It means [...]