By Sena Thoradeniya The death of Ngugi wa Thing’o on 28 May 2025, the great Kenyan writer and the greatest among the East African writers, towering giant in African Literature brings a profound personal grief to me. Reasons are many. I have translated Ngugi’s classic, A Grain of Wheat” (first published in 1967) into Sinhala […]

By Sena Thoradeniya 1. Introduction In our essay titled, Have the Tamil Voters in the North and East (and in the Plantation Regions) Rejected Separatism, Racism and Politicians that Advocated Separatism, Racism?” posted on November 30, 2024, we have stated that it has become an amusing pastime of a plethora of Colombo-based journalists who write […]

By Sena Thoradeniya (Continued from April 28, 2025) 1. Fairy mistress”, wicked witch or monster-mother? Different types of magical femininity? In summary, we state that US Ambassador Julie Chung is a master in Public Diplomacy”,  euphemism for espionage, information gathering, psychological warfare and propaganda, reaching out to targeted sectors, using persuasion or soft power”, establishing […]

By Sena Thoradeniya Julie Chung continued in meeting with Sri Lankan politicians without interruption. On 19 March 2025 she lured Dilith Jayaweera of Sarvajana Balaya, as a part of her cross-party outreach to hear perspectives on political and economic developments and seek way to continue strengthen US- Sri Lankan ties”.  It is worth noting that […]

By Sena Thoradeniya Three days have passed since Trump’s declaration of tariff hike; but Julie Chung once busy pampering NPP poodles while preaching economic reforms and growth goals”,” Sri Lanka’s recovery”, Sri Lanka’s economic future” remains silent. Trump wanted to Make America Great Again (MAGA). Chung emphasized shared goals”, shared priorities”, shared prosperity”, shared commitment” […]

By Sena Thoradeniya Julie Jiyoon Chung (aka Chung Ji-yoon), the Korean- American US Ambassador to Sri Lanka is unperturbed  and carrying on regardless (reminding us the 1961 British comedy film Carry on Regardless”), even after the recent events in America:  viz. President Trump’s executive order  curtailing USAID aid, Elon Musk’s remarks on the USAID and […]

By Sena Thoradeniya A senior journalist, sharing with this writer, an X message posted by Julie Chung in her X account after her meeting with an NPP Minister added: All are under control”.  Who are these ALL” mentioned by the said senior journalist? This article explores those NPPers who were fallen into Chung’s pocket. Following […]

By Sena Thoradeniya 1. Lumpen Elites” Another myth propagated by the capitalist press, NGO coterie and deplorably by some activists in the nationalistic movement who have not severed their umbilical cord with the old JVP womb yet, is that the voters have rejected elite politics and transferred power to a non-elite political camp at the […]

By Sena Thoradeniya (1) Economic Crisis: Then and Now Founding father of JVP, Patabandige Don Nandasiri Wijeweera (later baptized as Rohana, to signify his Southern roots and victorious armies of ancient Rohana Rata), began his famous panthi paha” (five classes or lessons) in 1965, with Economic Crisis of Lanka”, an imaginary crisis he has invented […]

By Sena Thoradeniya [The writer began compiling this essay immediately after the Presidential election, but could not complete it as he was indisposed. Although its title may sound rather outdated its contents are still valid and new developments what were not originally thought of makes it more current.]   With apologies to Marx and Engels […]

By Sena Thoradeniya This is the first article we are contributing to LankaWeb after the recently concluded Presidential Election. Instead of writing a requiem as we thought of before the election, things are in abundance needing analysis in a different perspective. We begin with a quick glance at a few captions selected from some foreign […]

By Sena Thoradeniya (Continued from September 7, 2024) 1. Obstacles of an Anura Kumara/ NPP victory Since Anura Kumara acts as the Son of God” who was sent by the Almighty as his Messiah, to purify Mother Lanka from all evils and some think that  all other politicians were responsible for the present decay and  […]

By Sena Thoradeniya (Continued from August 25, 2024) Beginning from November I, 2023 we have posted 13 articles about the NPP, and now it is time to recapitulate what we have discussed. We begin this two part article under the following sub-headings: (1) NPP as the Largest and the Richest NGO in Sri Lanka: Its […]

By Sena Thoradeniya (Continued from August 17, 2024) Modi’s recent electoral setback is a lesson for all election predictors of this side of Palk Strait. Modi managed to retain power with the help of a coalition of regional parties. BJP which held 201 rural constituencies was able to retain only 126 of them according to […]

By Sena Thoradeniya (Continued from August 3, 2024) 1. Ranil’s Strategic Maneuvers   A. RW- masquerading as the savior RW was offered the Premiership by GR in April 2022, Finance portfolio in July 2022, made President by the majority of Pohottuwa MPs in July 2022; it was GR and Pohottuwa who jointly created a Frankenstein, […]

By Sena Thoradeniya (Continued from July 5, 2024) 1. The dress rehearsal: JVP/NPP behavior during the crisis in 2022 How JVP/NPP behaved during the crisis in 2022 is well-documented by many writers; this writer’s Galle Face Protest: Systems Change or Anarchy? Politics, Religion & Culture in a Time of Terror in Sri Lanka” (2023) gives […]

By Sena Thoradeniya Courtesy Island Inessa and Lenin Revolution, Romance, Femininity and Music”: A response Having read about Inessa Armand in the sixties, who was laid to rest in Kremlin Wall Necropolis in the Red Square Moscow in 1920, the first woman revolutionary to receive this honour, I never thought that she would reappear in […]

By Sena Thoradeniya (Continued from June 20, 2024) [As a typographical error appeared in sub-heading 1, paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part IV (posted onJune 20, 2024) of this series, the error 1989 is being corrected as 1994. Para 2, line 5 should be read as: Janith Priyantha Vidyatilaka Vipulaguna who obtained the highest number […]

By Sena Thoradeniya (Continued from May 25, 2024) [The previous version of Part IV of this essay and background material for the remaining parts were lost beyond retrieval due to a technical mishap. As a colleague said that it was good and recreation may make it better, the writer attempted to recreate it; but found […]

By Sena Thoradeniya (Continued from May 18, 2024) 1.Personal Attributes of GR Though he failed as a President due to various factors and had to abdicate his presidency, there were many personal attributes favourable to GR. These personal attributes profoundly augmented his victory at the Presidential Elections. He was hailed and acclaimed as a hero […]

By Sena Thoradeniya (Continued from April 09, 2024) 1. Introduction- Economic, Political, Socio-cultural Factors Influencing Polls In our earlier essay posted on April 09, 2024, we invited our readers to forget arithmetical calculations and predictions based on absurd statistical computations and to pay attention to economic, political, socio-cultural factors influencing polls, in relation to Sri […]

By Sena Thoradeniya 1. Introduction In this essay we do not intend to discuss the (i) surge of NPP/JVP activities in recent times  displayed by its public rallies and reality of such activities (ii) Anura Kumara’s visits to some foreign countries (iii) visits of foreign envoys to NPP headquarters (iv) election forecasts of US funded […]

By Kanishka Hevavisenthi – Courtesy Sunday Island of 31 March 2024 (Sena Thoradeniya’s Latest Work: Dumbara Rata: Volume I: Foundation Essays) * Returning to Kandy in 1949 Minnette de Silva set up practice, away from Colombo but at the heart of traditional Lanka – the home of lacquer work, Dumbara mats and religious & feudal […]

By Sena Thoradeniya 1. How the Speaker Was Pressured? Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena deserves plaudits of all anti-imperialist, anti-fascist, anti-hegemonic, anti-anarchist Sri Lankans for the bold statement he made immediately after the No Confidence Motion of the joint opposition on 21 March 2024. He revealed for the first time foreign powers (it is obvious who […]

By Sena Thoradeniya Ex-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa (GR) has written a book, The Conspiracy to Oust Me from the Presidency”. We have not read it yet. Our critique of the book can wait. In this essay we thought of bringing into the notice of GR and his ghost writer about a publication titled, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa […]

By Sena Thoradeniya US Ambassador Julie Chung was very busy welcoming Liz Allen, US Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, (on February 17), Afreen Akter, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs (Feb. 21), Lindsey Ford, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of  Defense for South and South East Asia […]

By Sena Thoradeniya Anura Kumara Dissanayaka was in India. Media reported that it was on an invitation by Indian Government. According to Indian media reports this visit was organized by Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) affiliated to the Ministry of External Affairs and the delegation was accompanied by Eldos Mathew Punnoose, Counsellor at the […]

By Sena Thoradeniya A dog is smarter than its tail, but if the tail were smarter, then it would wag the dog”. 1. Relationship Between NPP and JVP Even for the political analyst it is problematic to comprehend the concrete and organic relationship that exists between the Jathika Jana Balavegaya (National Peoples’ Power – NPP) […]

By Sena Thoradeniya Julie Chung, the Korean – American ‘Viceroy’ of Sri Lanka having climbed Sri Pada, with pilgrims and fellow adventurers appreciating the natural beauty”, enjoying the magnificent views at sunrise” on 19 January 2024 (how Chung saw a dissimilarity between ‘pilgrims’ and ‘adventurers’ is the biggest question! She does not bring Lord Buddha, […]

By Sena Thoradeniya Julie Chung the Korean – American ‘Viceroy’ of Sri Lanka, in her X message posted on 11 January 2023 had revealed some interesting information which we ordinary Sri Lankans are not aware of. Her message says: Today I met with Bhante Piyaratana a Buddhist Chaplain of Sri Lankan origin working with veterans […]