D L O Mendis
August 28, 2010 (compiled in USA) Ray and I became special friends at the time I was working in the Ministry of Planning and Economic Affairs between December 1969 and December 1978. That friendship grew with the passage of time, but at the time of his passing away, my wife and I were far away in USA, and he could communicate with us only in a spiritual dimension. Inevitably we recalled the statement hanging outside the door of his ‘den’ situated above his large garage, accessed by a flight of steep steps: “Old flyers never... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 03/09/10)
Email - Ray Wijewardena speaks to D L O and Agnes Mendis-
I was then about 8, and beginning to feel my ‘wings’. I had long indulged a romance with flight, and with anything capable of flying…mainly butterflies, birds, dragon-flies and bats. I just longed to be flitting about the skies with them. Not constrained to walking the earth on legs ..or even through water… the St.Thomas’College swimming pool having recently come into my life. It was then still ‘pre-WW2’, and I had been taken to see a Charlie Chaplain film at the Regal Cinema. I do not recall... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 03/09/10)
චන්ද්රසේන පණ්ඩිතගේ විසිනි.
ඉතිහාසයේ කිසිඳු දිනක හිට්ලර් “මව්බිම නැත්නම් මරණය“ යන සටන් පාඨය ඉදිරිපත් කර නැති අතර, එසේ ඉදිරිපත් කිරීමටද ඔහුට අවශ්යතාවයක්ද නොතිබිණ. ඒ ඔහු සැබෑ ලෙසම ආකමණිකයා බවට පත්ව, ලෝකයේ අනික් රටවල් හඹාගොස් අල්ලා ගත් බැවිණි. හිට්ලර්ගේ ආක්රමණයන්ගෙන් වඳවිඳි ආක්රමණයට ගොදුරුවූ රටවල් අතරින් ඉහත සඳහන් සටන් පාඨය පෙරදැරිකරගෙන සටන් කල රාජ්යය වූයේ සෝවියට් සමාජවාදී සමූහ ආණ්ඩුවයි. හිට්ලර් ගෙන් සිය මාතෘභූමිය නිදහස් කර ගැනීම උදෙසා සටන් කරන ජනතාවට උරුමව තිබුණේ මව්බිම උදෙසා සටන් කර එය මුදා ගැනීම හෝ මරණය වැලඳ ගැනීම යන දෙකරුණයි. ඒ අනුව සෝවියට් ජනතාව ලෝකයේ අනිකුත් දේශප්රේමී ජනතාවගේ සහයෙන් මේ ලෝකය පැසිෂ්ට් වාදයෙන් මුදාගත හැකි විය.... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 03/09/10)
By Charles.S.Perera
UNP was never a progressive party. Progress came to Sri Lanka only after SWRD Bandaranayake broke away from UNP to set up a new political party of the people. When UNP came to power once again under the leadership of JR Jayawardhana, it was digression from the path of progress delineated by the MEP. JR is responsible for the present dilemma of Sri Lanka with the 13th and the 17th amendments. After him the R.Premadasa government attempted to trace a new path of progress, which was jagged with potholes, and led to his own destruction. . It... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 03/09/10)
Dr.Reffai
Today's report in Daily Mirror that there was a judgment to the effect that the mother can't leave the children and go abroad should be welcomed whole heartedly. I wish there is a law to prohibit mothers from leaving young children and going for jobs abroad, specially if the husband is alive. Rather it is better to send the husband and for the mother to stay back with the children. Even better, of course is for both parnts to stay together and look after the children. Islam preaches that the provision of a person is written in his... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 03/09/10)
Dr.Reffai
The recent news about the nailed woman is - to say the least - atrocious. But have we wondered what we are going to do about it? That is other than shouting about Saudi. Saudi, of course since it is a Muslim country comes under fire. But we must realize it is not the country which did the nailing - but a person there. Any country can have Mervin silvas, sakvithis and lalith kothalawela. Does not mean the country is promoting it. Not that Saudi always is right. No country is. But the problem is totally ours -... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 03/09/10)
By A. Abdul Aziz, Press Secretary, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, Sri Lanka.
Given below is an excerpt of the Friday Sermon of Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad,(Ameer-ul-Mumineen) Supreme Head of the world-wide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Islam, delivered on 27th August 2010, at ‘Baithul Futhuh’, London, U.K., gave a discourse on Laylatul Qadr, (the Night of Destiny) and the last ten days of Ramadan. His Holiness began by recitation of Surah Al Qadr. The translation reads: In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Ever Merciful Surely, We sent it down on the Night of Destiny. And what should make... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 03/09/10)
H. L. D. Mahindapala
Two landmark events projecting the political landscape in the coming years occurred almost simultaneously last week. First, President Mahinda Rajapakse reached the highest peak of his political career. If the defeat of Prabhakaran won the hearts and minds of the electorate at large, enthroning him as the unrivalled leader in the political arena, the silent parliamentary coup that took him across the critical line into a two-thirds majority last week has entrenched him as the constitutional monarch of all what he surveys. News reports stated that the new deal clinched with the SLMC includes support... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 02/09/10)
Upali S - USA
The TAMILS wherever they are, Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia, to name three countries where they live in substantial numbers are not a happy race. They have never been and they never will be. They do not realize nor admit that they are a minority in all three of these countries. Since Sri Lanka was more tolerant than the others and the Sinhalese majority of Sri Lanka have been more gentle and kind to their somewhat noisy but hardworking neighbors from South India for almost 1500 years as well as to Portuguese, Dutch and the British... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 02/09/10)
Susantha Wijesinghe
To HIS EXCELLENCY MAHINDA RAJAPAKSE Dear Your Excellency, 1st September 2010. I see an article wherein you have instructed the IGP to arrest all those who are engaged in illicit Sand Mining. There is a very simple deterrent. By an ACT of parliament please promulgate the following LAW:- All vehicles used in the process of illegal activities as specifically listed and reflected below, would be confiscated, and handed over to the Armed Forces, or to the Police for their use, and those who have engaged in such activities to be severely punished, including the Owners of such... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 02/09/10)
Susantha.
QUOTE:- UNTIL A POLITICAL SOLUTION IS FOUND FOR THE TAMILS' ISSUE, THE DIASPORA WILL NOT GIVE A CENT FOR DEVELOPMENT IN THE NORTH, UNP MP SWAMINATHAN. UNQUOTE. MP Swaminathan, Iam reluctantly compelled to tell you that your utterence is tantamount to stercus tauri. Whom are you threatening ? Is it only the Tamils in the North, or is it the Sri Lankans, or is it the Government ? Let me set the Record straight. You say the Diaspora will not give a cent. WRONG. You are back in the old business of misleading the god fearing, beautiful TAMILS IN SRI LANKA.... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 02/09/10)
Dr RuwanM Jayatunge
Bedwetting or nocturnal enuresis is involuntary urination while asleep after the age at which bladder control would normally be anticipated. A large number of young children and teenagers wet the bed every night. It is an agonizing problem to the both children and to their parents. Children feel agitated sometimes depressed over bed wetting and they often have low self-esteem and low self confidence. By five years old, most children have successfully stopped wetting the bed without any intervention. Among those children who still wet the bed after the age of six, most will complete... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 02/09/10)
Herold Leelawardena
As has been always, the sole aim of the BBC is to discredit MR government. No wonder BBC chose to send a LTTE sympathizer with a Nelsonian eye as their special correspondent to report on the plight of IDPs returnees. It is sad that BBC correspondent emphasises the suffering of only a section of our community (Mannar Tamils or returning IDPs) for homelessness. I must say, regardless ones race or creed, I too pity for those that suffer for being homeless. Homelessness of some unfortunate people shouldn't be a political football. Take for instance, estate Tamils... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 01/09/10)
By Shelton A. Gunaratne ©2010 professor of mass communications emeritus, Minnesota State University Moorhead.
Minnesota (pop. 5.23 million) is known as the “Land of 10,00 Lakes.” Therefore, it is no wonder that Minnesotans like water sports such as boating, canoeing, fishing and water skiing. Weekend trips to family cabins on Minnesota's numerous lakes are a way of life for many Minnesotans. This also explains why Minnesotans would make an extra effort to introduce their foreign friends to these sports. Bowers used boating to break cultural barriers and become a lifelong friend of mine. He and I both had to... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 01/09/10)
Embassy of Sri Lanka Kuwait.
The annual Ramadan celebrations jointly organized by the Sri Lankan .Embassy and the Sri Lankan Manpower Welfare Association ( SLMWA ) of Kuwait was held at the Embassy premises amid a gathering of over 1500 devotees belonging to all ethnic and religious denominations. The program of activities commenced on 27th evening continued till early hours of 28th morning which included special prayers, religious discourses, breaking - fast, Ifthar, Suhoor etc. The SLMWA members under the guidance of its President, Mr. Nelson Christopher made excellent arrangements for the occasion while staff of the Embassy volunteered... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 01/09/10)
Dr.P.A.Samaraweera, Australia
On the 25th of August a group of Buddhist monks had protested against an animal slaughter ritual in the Munneswaram Kali Kovil in Chilaw. It is alleged that around 400 goats and a countless number of fowls had been inhumanely slaughtered at this ritual. Hinduism promotes non-violence and vegetarianism. There are many sects of Hinduism and this ritual is performed by a sect of Kali worshippers. Shivan Kovil which is also in Chilaw condemns animal sacrifice. On the other hand, some Sinhala Buddhists partake in this ritual for 'religious favours' from God Kali. Those who are against animal sacrifices treat it as an... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 31/08/10)
Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent ., Gloucester . Ontario . Canada
August 30, 2010 The Editor (Letters) THE OTTAWA CITIZEN Sir: You reported that "More to be done, Obama says", and this is five years after the Gulf Coast was hit by Hurricane Katrina. People are still waiting to be sent to their homes and children are still attend classes in trailers, "and there are too many New Orleanians...who haven't been able to come home", Obama said. What, is this for real? I thought the Americans new it all when they wanted puny Sri... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 31/08/10)
Written by M Rizvi.
Dear Editor, I thank Lankaweb and Mr Kumar Moses for the opinion piece titled - The Dangerous Possibility of Islamic Terror in Sri Lanka. It contained many new insights to a subject matter that is rarely taken up in the open though media around the world talk about it at lengths. As a Muslim hailing from Sri Lanka I think it is appropriate for me to add my two cents on the subject. As anybody would know Muslims have been a fairly peaceful community in Sri Lanka. A number of Muslims fought alongside Sinhala and Tamil... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 31/08/10)
Dr. Tilak Fernando
Several positive feedbacks to my article, ‘We need to get the act right’ (published on August 2) prompted me to write an addendum to it in the hope that we all, as patriotic Sri Lankans, expect and wish that Sri Lanka’s aim in promoting tourism in an excellent scale meets with the anticipated targets by 2012. The Ceylon Tourist Board metamorphosed to become The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) under Section two of the Tourism Act (No. 38 of 2005). Its commitment is to ‘transform Sri Lanka to be Asia’s most important tourism destination’. President... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 31/08/10)
Wick. Gankanda
August 23, Monday 2010 To: Marcus Brauchli - Executive Editor, Donald Graham - Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and Ann McDaniel - Senior Vice President Washington Post Company 1150 15th Street, NW Washington, DC 20071Dear Mr. Brauchli, I am writing to expose glaring misrepresentations in your article 'Sri Lankan asylum-seekers deserve hearings' published on Monday, August 9, 2010. The information stated on that letter is 100% incorrect and aims to mislead the world, including your readers about what’s really happening on the ground. James McDonald of Amnesty International is plain wrong in even suggesting that smuggled Tamils on... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 30/08/10)
Ahmed
The Tamils of Sri Lanka, throughout history, have attempted to categorize the Sri Lankan Muslims as belonging to the Tamil race. This has been mainly for selfish reasons in a bid to eliminate the minority Muslim community from having its own unique identity. The Government of Sri Lanka, however, treats the Muslims as of Arab origin and as a distinct ethnic group from the Tamils. Fr. S.G. Perera in his book -History of Ceylon for Schools- Vol. 1. The Portuguese and Dutch Periods, (1505-1796), Colombo (1955), The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd., p 16, writes, -The first mention... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 30/08/10)
By Charles.S.Perera
The LSSP remnants Tissa Vitharana and Wasudeva Nanayakkara still hanging onto the Government as a sad reminder to a great political party that dominated the then political arena of Sri Lanka, had said that they oppose the Executive Presidency. Marxism opposes parliamentary system of government ….” In explaining the class nature of bourgeois civilization, bourgeois democracy and the bourgeois parliamentary system, all Socialists have expressed the idea formulated with the greatest scientific precision by Marx and Engels (Engels Introduction to the The Civil War in France), namely, that the most democratic bourgeois republic is no more than... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 30/08/10)
Sarath Wiesinghe LL.M ( London) Solicitor– Sri Lankan Ambassador to United Arab Emirates
Ship Sun See was initially sailing towards Australia with 490 Sri Lankans allegedly seeking Asylum in some country with resources and a comfortable life. Anybody fleeing the birthplace in fear of persecution will be prepared to go to the closest safe haven, if they are genuine refugees defined in the refugee convention of 1951 and the protocol still in force though thoroughly outdated as the United Nations itself which is 61 years old and needs reforms as early as possible. These Asylum seekers need either Australia... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 30/08/10)
Jayantha Ahangama
Mr. Sunil Vijayapala, writing on Aug. 24, correctly called Anuradhapura the capital. Then he apologized. Why did you apologize, Sir? Anuradhapura was the ruling capital when we were a dignified nation. When people become dignified, Anuradhapura becomes the capital. The capital is in our minds. For all self-respecting Lankans, the capital *is* Anuradhapura. When the numbers of self-respecting Lankans grow, but if it *really* does grow, because there are lot of cowards especially on the English speaking flank, the nation becomes self-respecting and the *official* capital would go to Anuradhapura. Anuradhapura is the spring of Sinhala civilization... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 30/08/10)
Dilrook Kannangara
It was recently reported that the President has secured the desired number of seats (150) for Constitutional change. Although there is a quantitative advantage it comes at a loss of quality. When national traitors are accomodated to get the two thirds, their anti-national demands also must be given. The calibre of these opportunists is such that they don't anything good for the country without extorting anti-national favours from the government. Rauf Hakeem has been a traitor of the nation state of Sri Lanka all along. His MoU with the LTTE leader hit headlines. (Link - http://www.spur.asn.au/Hakeem_Prabha.jpg) In... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 29/08/10)
By Noor Nizam, Sri Lankan Peace Activist & Political Communication Researcher, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada,
Friday 27th., August 2010.The leader of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Rauff Hakeem said on August 27th., Friday evening that they have decided to support the UPFA government to make the necessary amendments to the existing constitution. When asked whether SLMC is ready to extend their unconditional support to the present government by becoming a partner of the UPFA Govt., he said that has to be discussed deeply within the party before making any comment. The party hierarchy was summoned to the... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 29/08/10)
By Dr Ruwan M Jayatunge
The word autism was coined by the Swiss Psychiatrist Eugine Bleuler in 1910. In 1938, Hans Asperger of the Vienna University Hospital adopted Bleuler’s terminology and in 1981 the Clinical Community widely recognized Autism as a separate diagnosis. Autism is classified as a Pervasive Developmental Disorder affecting young children and adults in which impaired development in communication, social interaction and behaviour are more pronounced. The degree of autism can range from mild to severe. According to the DSM4 (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) the essential features of Autistic Disorder are the... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 29/08/10)
ALI SUKHANVER
Suppression and oppression give birth to depression; the worst of all psychological diseases. Most of the time violence is a result of depression. When someone feels that he is being deprived of his basic human rights and finds himself unable to raise a voice against that deprivation and injustice, he turns to violence. Unfortunately this resultant violence is being given the name of terrorism, in case of the Muslims all over the world. Militancy, extremism and fundamentalism; all are different forms of reaction born out of injustice and suppression. The so-called terrorism is nothing but an out... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 29/08/10)
By Dr M D P DISSANAYAKE.
A Legal Luminary has provided one of troublesome political theoretical analysis in trying to compare our President with Rt. Hon. Jim Hacker who was the Minister of fictional Department of Administrative Affairs (in the BBC series Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister), and later the became the Satirical British Sitcome Prime Minister of Britain. The principal characters in the fictional series are: Minister/Prime Minister: Jim Hacker- JH (played by Paul Eddington), Permanent Secretary Sir Humphrey Appleby –HA(played by Nigel Hawthorne), and Private Secretary Bernard Wolley –BW (played by Derek Fowlds). The Prime Minister... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 28/08/10)
Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . Canada
August 27, 2010 The Editor (Letters) THE OTTAWA CITIZEN Sir: Canada's fight on terrorism has amazed me once again. You reported that RCMP Chief Serge Therriault, head of criminal operations for the capital region said that an RCMP-led national security investigation employing about 100 joint-forces officers for the past year was forced to move on the suspects this week to prevent "financial support" going to international terrorists for weapons to attack western coalition forces. So it is OK for the Tamils in Canada... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 28/08/10)
By Charles.S.Perera
If “Foreign Unis will stop JVP hanky-panky”(news head line in Lakbima), is the reason why the Minister of Higher Education Mr. S.B.Dissanayake wants to set up International Universities in Sri Lanka, it has to be emphasised that it is not at all a wise decision . The boycotting of lectures, going on strikes, and factional fist fights announce a sad depreciation of the system of university education in Sri Lanka. From an interview the Minister of Higher Education Mr.S.B.Dissanayake gave to the Lakbima, one gathers very little about his idea of foreign universities he intends to establish... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 28/08/10)
Sarath Wijesinghe LL.M (London) Solicitor-Attorney-at-Law – Ambassador of Sri Lanka in the United Arab Emirates)
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER -Knowledge is power which is derived from Education. Education is any act or experience that has a formative effect on the mind, character or physical ability on an individual. In Sri Lanka parents invest on children by educating them. As a result education has become so competitive that there are instances where children attend private tuition classes day and night by making major contributions to “Tuition Culture” created by overenthusiastic misguided parents duped by attractive advisements of errant tuition masters and... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 28/08/10)
CHENNAI: Chennai-based Shriram Group has firmed up plans for tapping the wind energy potential in overseas markets. Orient Green Power (OGPL), an associate company of Shriram EPC (SEPC) is setting up wind power ventures in Sri Lanka and Eastern Europe. T Shivaraman, CEO & MD told ET OGPL has picked up 87% stake in Power Lanka (the rest held by a local partner), which will commission and operate a 10.5-mw wind power project. Work on the `80-crore venture at Puttakulam will commence shortly. Power purchase agreement has been signed with the Sri Lankan government for a price of `10 per... -Full Story- (Times of India - 28/08/10)
By CARLOTTA GALL
SUKKUR, Pakistan — Men waded waist deep all week wedging stones with their bare hands into an embankment to hold back Pakistan’s surging floodwaters. It was a rudimentary and ultimately vain effort to save their town. On Thursday, the waters breached the levee, a demoralizing show of how fragile Pakistan’s infrastructure remains, and how overwhelming the task is to save it.... -Full Story- (nytimes.com - 28/08/10)
Reuters/Colombo
Rajapakse’s ruling party gets more than the two-thirds majority required for a constitutional change Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse yesterday secured the two-thirds parliamentary majority he needed to change the constitution after an opposition party with eight legislators pledged its support. “We will not join the government, but we will support the proposed constitutional amendments,” Basheer Segu Dawood, the chairman of the ethnic minority party Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, told Reuters. The president’s United Peoples Freedom Alliance won a sweeping majority in an April parliamentary poll after Rajapakse’s re-election to the presidency three months earlier.... -Full Story- (Gulf Times - 28/08/10)