Dilrook Kannangara The anti-Rajapaksa camp has a distinct advantage at presidential elections than in parliamentary elections. On the other hand, the Rajapaksa camp has a clear advantage in parliamentary elections than at presidential elections. Given this fact, it is unwise the empower the president at the expense of the PM. What should happen is the […]

Dilrook Kannangara USA has announced economic sanctions on a number of Chinese companies and other companies that deal with them. Among them are Chinese companies involved in the Port City, Hambantota Port and Mattala Airport. This is obviously a US attack on China’s one belt one road” initiative. The impact on Sri Lanka will be […]

Dilrook Kannangara It is pointless responding to CV Wigneswaran who seems to find relief in false beliefs to comfort the sad realization that Tamils do not have a nation of their own. Craving for a nation of their own is just and fair. But it must not be on someone else’s land. His claims are […]

Dilrook Kannangara Another way to look at the MCC is to consider how USA helped Sri Lanka progress towards its development goals in the past 200 years of close relationship” between the two countries. Can anyone name a port, airport, any major road or bridge, conference hall, power station, a dam or irrigation scheme, boat […]

Dilrook Kannangara India imposed 13A to the Constitution in 1987 at the height of the Cold War. 13A is living testament that Sri Lanka’s non-aligned” policy failed (and the same policy of India failed too!). The northern and eastern provinces were merged and India appointed all councilors for the North in 1988. Only councilors for […]

Dilrook Kannangara It is obvious the present Constitution is a mess (in local proverbial terms a salad mix of a lunatic – pissige palaa malla”). It contains many contradictory provisions that often require court interpretation. The country cannot move forward without a seamless Constitution that ties back to history, leverages the present and envisions a […]

Dilrook Kannangara At long last Mangala Samaraweera has decided to end politics. Assuming it is true, a wise decision, albeit too late. Mangala was a regressive force in Lankan politics contributing nothing much positively. He earned the wrath of the people in whatever ministerial portfolio he held – media, construction, foreign, finance, etc. He played […]

Dilrook Kannangara President Sirisena was the president, commander in chief, defence minister and the head of the national security council when the Easter Sunday terrorist attack happened. That is a very long list of highly responsible positions concerned with national security. He must take responsibility for the lapse in security provided to the people and […]

Dilrook Kannangara This is very dangerous. These people are known to align with a certain political ideology that in my view is not in the best interests of SL. Moragoda was the foreign minister under Ranil’s 2001 to 2004 regime that is known to be the most treacherous. They presented a National Security Strategy for […]

Dilrook Kannangara China-bashing has raised its ugly head again. A section of Sri Lankans displays their anti-China hatred at any given moment. The twitter account of the Chinese embassy in Colombo was not functioning for some time and it was made into a China-bashing event. To their misfortune and for the fortune of most Sri […]

Dilrook Kannangara The pandemic has proven how disastrous the western open economic system is without checks and balances. This is the perfect time to invest in a local production of food, transport, storage, and retail. The government must get back to the business of food. In order to do so, the government must have large […]

Dilrook Kannangara Bankrupt political losers of November 2019 are pushing for elections when no country in the world hold elections during the COVID-19 pandemic! They don’t even bother hiding their desperation and greed for power. Sadly, no national politician caught Coronoavirus and as a result, they don’t care for the plight of the nation. Looks […]

Dilrook Kannangara The cremation/burial drama seems to be a distraction from the real issue – Tablighi Jamaat. The event held in New Delhi from March 13-15 by this group is the super spreader of the Coronavirus in India. 34 had participated from Sri Lanka too. An Introduction quoted from senior Indian bureaucrat, diplomat and politician […]

Dilrook Kannangara In Islam, a martyr need not be buried to go to heaven. Muslims who die in the COVID-19 epidemic, for no fault of theirs, must be considered martyrs by the Muslim community. If terrorists including suicide bombers can be treated as martyrs, why not innocent Muslims who died from COVID-19? Therefore their dead […]

Dilrook Kannangara Sri Lankan soldiers sacrificed much more than what everyone knows. Arms, legs, limbs, eyes, blood, sweat and life are not the only sacrifices. They sacrificed their time, marriage, family time and safety. Most soldiers being Buddhists believe in good deeds and bad and their inevitable consequences. Taking life, right or wrong, is a […]

Dilrook Kannangara The president must be commended for pardoning Sunil Rathnayaka. It’s the right thing to do. Those who howl foul about it are missing the point. They are wrong on many counts. Sunil committed no war crime. Some half-baked reporters say Sunil was in prison for a war crime. No such accusation or charge […]

Dilrook Kannangara Muslims and Sinhalas have contributed heartily to the battle against COVID-19. Big and small hoteliers have given up their hotels to be used as quarantine centres, etc. Other Sinhala and Muslim businessmen have contributed millions each financially. Yet others have distributed masks in tens of thousands free of charge. It was reported that […]

Dilrook Kannangara WHO declared COVID19 a pandemic. A pandemic is a global epidemic. Apart from a very few countries including Burma, nowhere is safe from the infection. Within 2 days SL recorded at least two patients. The health system is wholly inadequate to face this challenge. Infrastructure within hospitals is insufficient and the government does […]

Dilrook Kannangara It has been the dream and demand of all those who love Sri Lanka since 1987 to abrogate 13A. But it is never going to happen. No one has the courage or patriotism to do it. The worst option is to dream of no-13A while living with 13A. Each year that passes with […]

Dilrook Kannangara Quoting UK’s defence attache to Sri Lanka in 2009 Anton Gash, Lord Naseby presented a case to the British parliament on the absurdity of war crimes allegations against Sri Lanka. His reports were comprehensive and clearly annul allegations of war crimes leveled against Sri Lanka’s military. Their usefulness was harped by various patriotic […]

Dilrook Kannangara At long last Team Sri Lanka managed to win a short version of cricket in a stunning display of aggression amidst glorious uncertainties of cricket. Excellent start by the openers was quickly lost down the batting order until Wanindu Hasaranga steadied the ship. He joins the team as a bowler but his batting […]

Dilrook Kannangara The government has taken a courageous decision to halt the establishment of Sainthamaruthu Urban Council. Even though it is temporary, it is a good decision that must be appreciated. It takes courage to admit one faulted and quickly correct it. No damage was done. Previous presidents simply continued their wrongs fearing the public. […]

Dilrook Kannangara Sainthamaruthu is the Sri Lankan equal of Kandahar of Afghanistan and Idlib of Syria – the Sunni extremist capital. It was the safe haven of Zaharan and his band of terrorists and his birth place. Creating a separate Urban Council for Sainthamaruthu will only accelerate extremist activities and remove all grassroots level checks […]

Dilrook Kannangara After a brief lapse the US government has restarted their hilarious and unsubstantiated war crimes allegations against the Sri Lanka army. A US government spokesman has stated that they will not give visa to the army commander who has not even attempted to get US visa! This comes in the context of a […]

Dilrook Kannangara A basic Hajj pilgrimage including food and necessities costs upwards of $4,500 from Sri Lanka. Almost the entirety of this goes out of Sri Lanka as foreign exchange. 2,850 pilgrims is the existing quota per year as at Hajj 2019. Registered Hajj Operators – Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs If 2,850 […]

Dilrook Kannangara A battle fought in own country will bring untold sufferings to own population making the war unpopular. However, a war fought over another country saves own population and the battlefield can be devastated with any weapon that is available. This has been the case with many proxy wars in Iraq, Syria, Libya, Afghanistan, […]

Dilrook Kannangara MCC agreement’s land issue is the very same matter that ITAK, India and USA have been demanding since 1955 since Ceylon ended the Anglo Ceylon Defence Partnership Agreement resulting in expelling USA and UK from Trincomalee. Since then India and their agents have been trying their best alienate land around Trincomalee port area […]

Dilrook Kannangara It cannot be a bigger powerplay than this. Very senior representatives of all three superpowers will be in Sri Lanka on the same date obviously to push Sri Lanka to comply with their foreign policy agendas. Needless to say, they rival each other. US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and […]

Dilrook Kannangara Sri Lanka’s Constitution is far outdated. It still allows tribal personal laws of the 7th century and 18th century to discriminate against its citizens. They include Thesawalamei, Sharia, Mukkuwa and Kandyan laws. All these must be removed for the progress of the nation. All individuals must have equal individual rights. There is no […]

Dilrook Kannangara In late 1970s and early 1980s JR Jayawardane held talks with the US for allowing US use of the Trincomalee port mainly for civilian use by US commercial entities and the US military’s transport (non-military) operations. However, it irked India so much that India openly and brazenly supported Tamil separatists to split the […]