Anagarika Dharmapala, the Buddha-Gaya temple and the campaign he launched
September 17 is the 157th birth anniversary of Anagarika Dharmapala, founder of the Maha Bodhi Society. At the turn of the 20th century, he launched a campaign to have the holiest of sites of the world’s Buddhists be brought under the managerial control of Buddhists. Jairam Ramesh, an Indian MP and former Union Minister, refers [...]
How did D.B. Wijetunga become the Executive President of Sri Lanka?
Dingiri Banda Wijeunga (born 19th February, 1922), hailing from Pilimatalawe, Udunuwara was one of the most popular politicians at that time and endeared himself to others by his stark simplicity and affable manners. The people were so fond of him that his initials DB were used by people to call him Dearly Beloved and even [...]
No time to die, live, laugh or cry?
The James Bond quote “No time to die” is the rallying call of an international TV channel in its effort to make humans fight back the virus killing them on a global scale. Perhaps, those who are surviving and seeing decent human beings falling victim to this killer and seeing their beloved being dispatched at [...]
Will the Taliban emirate occupy UN seat
UNITED NATIONS (IPS) – When the high-level segment of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly opens September 21, the new Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is unlikely to occupy a much-coveted seat in the world body. But still, it is expected to eventually wind its way to the Assembly Hall later this year– provided [...]
Rotary joins hands with GAVI and COVAX
Rotary International (RI) global Covid-19 Task Force Chairman K R Ravindran (a former global President of RI ) of Sri Lanka announced that the Rotary Foundation and Gavi (the vaccine alliance) have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding confirming a collaborative arrangement globally to further Covid-19 vaccine coverage through social realisation advocacy and demand generation [...]
Prevention of Corruption: The system fails
Prevention of corruption has become the latest call under law and order. And, law and order cannot prevail without prevention of corruption. The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) is the instrument to prevent bribery or corruption. Since 1994, prevention of corruption has come alongside detection of offences, a substantive task of [...]
Support Ahmad Massoud and the Afghan Resistance
PANJSHIR, AFGHANISTAN – While the international community abandons Afghanistan, veteran warriors in the struggles against the Soviet Union and the Taliban are gathering in their old base camps deep in north-central Afghanistan’s Panjshir Valley. Although some of the towns of Panjshir have fallen to the Taliban, a National Resistance Front, similar to the one that [...]