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Narendra Modi left for India after his visit to Anuradhapura, his aircraft flying over the Palk Strait, (Adams Bridge or Ram Setu) as the low islands and reef sholas between the two countries are known. He was headed from Sri Lanka to Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu to launch several new projects there.

“On the way back from Sri Lanka a short while ago, I was blessed to have a Darshan of the Ram Setu. And, as a divine coincidence, it happened at the same time as the Surya Tilak was taking place in Ayodhya. Blessed to have the Darshan of both. Prabhu Shri Ram is a uniting force for all of us,” Mr.Modi wrote on his X handle with a short video of him on board his aircraft looking down at the Adams Bridge.

These grabs from the video posted on social media by Premier Modi shows viewing the Adam's bridge or Ram Setu from his Rameshwaram-bound aircraft

As it was daytime he would not have spotted the hundreds of Indian fishing boats poaching in Sri Lankan waters below.

Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority took the unprecedented step of designating the Sri Lanka Air Force airfield as an international airport effective for one day (April 6) to facilitate the departure of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a separate aircraft from Anuradhapura to Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu.

The relevant gazette notification on Friday designating Anuradhapura airport as an international airport for emigration clearance of the Indian Prime Minister and his team.

It’s Pharmacopoeia, not Pharamacotia: Health minister proves FSP’s diagnosis wrong

The signing of several memoranda of understanding during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit last week still remains a mystery for many, as the contents have yet to be made public.

While this has given rise to speculation, the Frontline Socialist Party’s (FSP) Pubudu Jagoda claimed that the MoU for the health sector was signed with an Indian institution known as ‘Pharamacotia’, and it was to import drugs.

During the post-Cabinet news conference, a journalist posed a question to the Cabinet spokesman and Health Minister, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, about this claim. He clarified that the accurate term was ‘pharmacopoeia’, which refers to a book or official compendium that lists and describes drugs and other substances, providing standards of strength and purity for therapeutic drugs.

Accordingly, he said India too has its ‘pharmacopoeia’, which the government has decided to accept and which will serve as a guide in the purchase of medicines. Dr Jayatissa was likely expecting a question on the subject, as he was armed not only with the Indian ‘Pharmacopoeia’ but also a couple of other bulky publications from other countries.

MoUs with India: Govt. backtracks on pledge to reveal content

In and out of Parliament, opposition parties have been calling on the government to disclose the contents of the MOUs signed with India last week. A few weeks ago, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, during a TV show, said that the contents will be out in 48 hours after the signing of the agreement.

On Tuesday, the same question was raised in Parliament when Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath was addressing the sessions. Minister Herath said that anybody who files a Right to Information application could get the copies of the MoU.

SJB MP Mano Ganesan was quick to suggest to the minister to “table all the agreements the government signed with India to Parliament so that the whole country knows about them.”

“You said they are not agreements but Memoranda of Understanding. Fine, table them. By doing this you can have the whole country win your confidence.”

“You also said that some parties in the opposition are accusing you of betraying the country by making agreements with India. Mr. Minister, we never say that. It is your party that accused us of betraying the country when we tried to make the same agreements with India in the past.”

After Mr. Ganesan’s intervention, Minister Herath got up and said he would respond by tabling the MoUs in a couple of days.

SJB uses JVP tactics, calls for tabling of deals with India

Samagi Jana Balawegaya Parliamentarian Dayasiri Jayasekara on Wednesday followed up on a question by claiming that opposition MPs had been deprived of receiving information on the MOUs with India, and therefore they should be tabled in Parliament.

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and a few others too demanded that the MOUs be tabled. It seemed a better way of getting the documents into the public domain, as the NPP/JVP members, while in the opposition, have often demanded the disclosure of documents and agreements.

Lanka rolls out  trade diplomacy, seeking tariff relief from Trump

There’s been a flurry of activity in the government since US President Donald Trump announced the 44% tariff on Sri Lanka, with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake writing to his US counterpart.

Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath met US Ambassador Julie Chung while a Sri Lankan delegation headed to the US for talks with trade representatives there.

Like Sri Lanka, other countries too have been rushing delegations and making contact with US authorities to see if they can get the tariffs reduced or removed altogether.

Trump, though initially standing firm, relented on Wednesday and announced a 90-day reprieve, emphasising the pause was an opportunity for countries to negotiate tailored trade deals.

Stuck in a train due to Modi, passenger cites ‘unlawful detention’ and marches out

During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit last week, understandably, there were several restrictions placed on the movement of traffic in the capital. However, some of the restrictions appeared to be meaningless and could have been better managed.

On Sunday morning Prime Minister Modi had arrived in Anuradhapura to visit the Shri Maha Bodiya. Around the same time the train from Colombo Fort carrying a large number of passengers had arrived at the Anuradhapura station.

The passengers were told that they would have to remain at the station as the Prime Minister would be coming to the station in the next half an hour and they would be allowed to leave only thereafter.

The passengers had stayed for two hours inside the railway station and were told they were expecting the visiting Prime Minister at any moment. The passengers needed only to cross the road to move on to their destinations.

Unable to stay on any longer, one of the passenger’s walked up to a police officer and pointed out that the police action amounted to an ‘unlawful detention’ and would amount to a violation of fundamental rights. The police officer reacting quickly led some of the passengers out of the station.

Driver discipline: Complainant under the bus

Police and transport authorities have been trying their best to instil discipline among private and state-run bus drivers, but it seems that has been a losing battle. Part of the problem, however, is bribery and corruption.

Last week a bus operated by the Kelaniya depot was heading to Colombo with the driver manoeuvring the steering wheel for nearly three kilometres with one hand while holding the phone with the other.

Suddenly, the bus stalled, and upon investigating the issue, it was discovered that the vehicle had run out of diesel. The driver then realised that he had forgotten to refuel before starting the journey. One of the passengers called the Kelaniya depot and provided the bus number, but he soon learnt that the authorities could do little or nothing to discipline the driver.

Postponement of LG polls: Some happy for reprieve from spending spree

The Local Government elections in some of the councils, including the one for the Municipal Council in Colombo have been postponed at least till after May 16.

Some parties believe that it was a disadvantage for them and preferred if the elections were held on the same day as many of the others. But, there are at least a few candidates who believe they would benefit from the postponement.

This is because they can avoid not only those coming to collect funds to have their area ‘Avuruhu’ celebrations, but also stay away from those groups who may come to collect funds to put up pandals and have ‘dansal’ to mark the Vesak celebrations on May 12 and 13.

“We have the benefit of now delaying our campaigns and saving some money,” one of the candidate’s contesting for a seat in the Colombo Municipal Council said.

What’s on tariff man Trump’s menu?

Last week, U.S. President Donald J. Trump announced a new wave of reciprocal tariffs, which came into effect on April 9, only to grant a 90-day reprieve to all countries except China.

Among the nations caught in the economic crossfire was Sri Lanka, which was slapped with a 44% tariff.

The first tariff announcement took place on April 2 in Washington,
D.C., where the U.S. president unveiled the rates while holding tight to a printed board due to a strong breeze.

While the tariffs made headlines globally, it was the image of the president and the wind-wrestled board that captured the internet’s imagination.

In Sri Lanka, one savvy fast food chain seized the moment with creative flair. The brand cleverly edited the viral image, keeping President Trump in the frame, now holding up a board not with tariffs but with items from their menu.