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Caught in the melee: Chang seen extreme left

A protest aimed at the military based in the north, opposing the acquisition of private lands in extent of 617 acres, seemingly to extend a naval base in Vadduvaakal, Mullaithivu, took an ugly turn on Thursday when locals came to know that a ‘foreigner’ also has ownership of 49 acres in that plot.

The so-called foreigner turned out to be none other than Y. C. Chang, a former Sri Lanka national rugby player and former President of the Asian Rugby Football Union (SLRFU). During his tenure as SLRFU President, he hosted the Rugby Asiad at the Sugathadasa Stadium in October 1990.

Earlier, an acquisition notice was issued to the landowners for 617 acres for the “Gotabaya Navy base”— the public purpose being national security.

Local residents, backed by area politicos mistakenly identified him as a ‘Chinese individual’ and demanded that he should leave the protest site immediately. When villagers learned that Mr Chang is willing to sell his property to the government, they were furious.

The protesters stopped the land surveyors, declaring that they will not allow them to carry out surveying the land that belonged to them.

Mr Chang had to leave the premises to avoid a tense situation when the police intervened to control the protesters who were trying to stop vehicles carrying officials entering the navy base.

Later, Mr Chang, who is fluent in Tamil spoke to the local media to clear the misconception that he had nothing to do with China and that he is very much a Sri Lankan citizen. He said he had no issues with his plot being acquired by the government but demanded that he should be compensated for the value of the land and the rent for using his property for eleven years.

Giving a little spice to their lives

Considering the skyrocketing cost of living in the country, the Labour Department amended the special allowance for those who engage in cocoa, cardamom and pepper growing and manufacturing trade.

Based on the Cost of Living Index (CLI) number published every month on the trade, the department gazetted the special allowance to be given in a day. Accordingly, for the month of May (CLI-146.4), it has been fixed as Rs 887.19 while for April (CLI-148) it is Rs 899.25.

Drowning fishermen take their woes to northern navy chief

Tired of complaining to local authorities many times about the ongoing illegal bottom trawling by Indian fishermen, the fisher leaders approached the person who can take action -not those who make mere statements.

A group of fishermen leaders, assisted by Assistant Director of Fisheries in Jaffna met the Commander northern naval area, Rear Admiral Priyantha Perera to ask him to stop the Indian fishermen coming into Sri Lankan waters, engaging in bottom trawling and damaging the fishing nets of local fishermen.

The fishermen also explained to the Rear Admiral the difficulty in securing their livelihood as the Indians have been poaching millions of rupees worth of fish resources from the Sri Lankan side for three days a week, for several years. The Rear Admiral assured the group that he would look into the issue and said he will take tough action, but the group lamented that they have heard this tough talk before to no avail as the Northern Provincial Council and the central Government in Colombo kept mum due to Indian pressures.

The group’s leaders also told the Rear-Admiral that they are planning to stage a protest in front of the Indian Consulate in Jaffna against Indian poaching in Sri Lankan waters.

He bid adieu on a pre planned musical note

Artists, are a unique breed. They are equally strange in their ways, and love being that. They are very subtle about certain things in life. That includes how they present themselves, the persona they carry around, and in some even their own funeral.

Karalage Jeyatissa from Boosa, Galle played many roles– artist, astrologer, and dubbing artist in the past. He passed away this week at the age of 50. Even in death, he had made sure how his funeral would be played out.

According to his wishes, following the funeral rites conducted by a Buddhist monk, his friends and family organised a musical event to sing his favourite songs at the funeral. For Jeyatissa, it was his final curtain, in absentia though.