e-Con e-News

Posted byee ink.November 30, 2024Posted inUncategorizedTags:asia, China, politics, sri-lanka, travel

blog: eesrilanka.wordpress.com

‘Before you study the economics, study the economists!’

e-Con e-News 24-30 November 2024

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‘I also ask him to examine the Central Bank,

another institution that has been exercising influence over

the economy of the country. The body of John Exter has been

removed from the territory of Ceylon, but his soul is still

marching on in the Central Bank of Ceylon, & the sooner that

soul is also buried, the better for the economic independence of Ceylon.’

– Pieter Keuneman, Parliament, 1956.

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‘Southern poverty is not only continuing but exponentially growing

despite almost the entirety of the world opting for

‘market reforms’ or capitalist-led growth.’

– see ee Economists, Continuing relevance of Gamani Corea’s thinking

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‘No way for Govt to break

guardrails of IMF program’

– IMF’s Peter Breuer

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guardrail | ˈɡärd ˌrāl | noun

a rail that prevents people from falling off

or being hit by something

– Oxford English Dictionary

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‘When we assumed office, the discussions on debt restructuring,

which had been ongoing for more than 2 years, were in their

final stages. At this juncture, debating whether the proposed

restructuring plan is good or bad, advantageous or disadvantages,

serves no purpose. This is the reality we are faced with. Based on this,

we have reached a common understanding regarding bilateral debt.

We are now prepared to quickly formalise agreements with individual

countries accordingly. On the other hand, about international sovereign

bonds & commercial market debt, we have reached a preliminary agreement.

We anticipate that this process will be completed by the end of December.

Consequently, we believe that the debt restructuring program with the IMF

can be successfully concluded before the end of this year. Additionally,

we expect to secure staff-level agreement for the 3^rd review of the program this

week, which will provide a credible foundation for rebuilding our economy.’

– AKD, Sunday Times (see ee Sovereignty)

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‘IMF to closely discuss upcoming budget with Sri Lanka’

– EconomyNext (see ee Economists)

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‘Sri Lanka has regained political stability’

– CBSL Governor & (Non-medical Doctor) Nandalal Weerasinghe

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Central Bankers come and go, but the zombie ghost of the Central Bank of Ceylon’s first US governor John Exter still haunts and rules the land, still laying down the dictat of the US Treasury. IMF Chief Missionary Peter Breuer cannot divulge what the US has threatened the JVP with, that will ‘hit’ them if they do not stay with the ‘guards’. Breuer has been illegally scampering in & out of Sri Lanka, before, during & after elections. They will now be allowed to police the budget (tho this is not new). ‘The IMF is keen that [the budget] is in line with the program objectives. He cited the primary surplus, the revenue & the quality of fiscal measures as the important guardrails… Responding to a query about the announcement by the previous government to lift the ban on vehicle imports, he said it was discussed and would be a very important source of revenue for the government in the year ahead. So, after all that talk of ‘Chinese debt trap’, it turns out the US & so-called ‘local banks’ who are actually importers of crap machinery, and in fact are controlled by the World Bank etc, ‘own’ over 50% of Sri Lanka’s debt. Is it any surprise that the US Treasury Secretary is part of the US National Security Council? (see ee Random Notes).

     Who Holds the Wheel? – A ‘Steering Committee’ of a so-called ‘Ad-Hoc Group of Bondholders’ own about 40% of $12.55billion of defaulted bonds, while a ‘Local Consortium of Sri Lanka (LCSL)’, with 11 members including banks, have around 12%. The Steering Committee is made of funds managed or advised by Amundi Asset Management, Barings, BlackRock & its subsidiaries…(to see the rest of the suspects, see Random Notes)…

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‘The current funding arrangement for digitisation of television in Sri Lanka

is a ‘soft loan‘ from the Japanese government, & it is tied up in ‘one bundle’

with loans for other projects… based on the premise that

the deployment of the Japanese digital television standard,

Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting-Terrestrial is mandatory.’

– ee Industry, Japanese Digital Television Project announced after meeting AKD…

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‘Conduct a detailed debt audit on foreign loans obtained

by the governments to ensure transparency & accountability

in public financial management and to take legal action

against those who have misappropriated such loans.’

– NPP policy document: A Thriving Nation, A Beautiful Life.

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Indeed, we do not wish to add to the NPP’s heavy load, but their audit of debt could list which corporations & banks import which industrial goods, naming the makers & financiers of such imports. They could also demand, like Indonesia has just done, that certain goods sold domestically need to contain at least 40% of parts manufactured locally in Indonesia (see ee Industry).

     And a note to a supine merchant media: When news items declare, ‘ADB approves $200mn Sri Lanka loan for battery storage, grid upgrade’, instead of being pom-pom wielding cheerleaders, they could also list which US & Japanese corporations, for whom the Asian Development Bank is a front for, would supply such industrial goods for ‘battery storage’ & ‘grid upgrades’.

     We should also note that the merchant media’s economists & foreign thinktanks are firmly opposed to state-owned enterprises (SoEs), whether they make money or not, and staunchly against any ‘local content’ laws &  ‘import-substitution’. Their main interest is high interest rates for their financial finagling, & imports of their industrial products, & export of our natural resources, including workers  – the sum total of their slave economics.

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• Not so Peaceable Coercion – Dhananath Fernando, a smart ‘poor’ Koralawella boy (these are his backers’ own patronizing words), has been groomed by Catholic Action and the US government, to front as the grand-sounding ‘CEO’ of the US thinktank Advocata Institute (tho behind him reigns the real power – Borah importer & Advocata Chair Murtaza Jafferjee – CEO, Chair… such bureaucratic corporate hierarchies, but never mind). Fernando had this to say in a recent Financial Times column:

‘As James Madison, one of the great thinkers behind modern democracy, once said:

‘If men were angels, no government would be necessary.

If angels governed men, no checks would be needed.

But because governments are made up of people,

we must create systems that control the government itself’.’

(see, ee Economists, New era of hope & responsibility)

So, so, so, who is ‘we’ who will create these systems to control people? Robots? The ‘business as usual’ merchants & moneylenders & their foreign overlords?

     Good Liberals, Mass Rape & the Ideal Commodity – Now let us see who the real James Madison is – what the US embassy will never teach Fernando. According to The American Slave Coast: a History of the Slave-Breeding Industry by Ned & Constance Sublette, Madison was fully part of ‘the brutal story of how the Anglo-US slavery industry made the reproductive labor of the people it referred to as ‘breeding women’ essential to the young settler-state’s expansion. The ‘Captive African Americans in the slave nation were not only laborers, but merchandise & collateral all at once. In a land without silver, gold, or trustworthy paper money, their children & their children’s children into perpetuity were used as human savings accounts that functioned as the basis of money & credit in a market premised on the continual expansion of slavery. Slaveowners collected interest in the form of newborns, who had a cash value at birth and whose mothers had no legal right to say no to forced mating.’

     The Sublettes’ story describes power struggle between the rulers of Virginia, the slave-raising ‘mother of slavery’, and South Carolina, the massive importer of Africans – a conflict that was central to US politics from the making of the Constitution through the debacle of the Confederacy. Virginia slaveowners won a major victory when Thomas Jefferson’s 1808 prohibition of the African slave trade protected the domestic slave markets for slave-breeding. (continued in ee Random Notes)

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• In the aftermath of the 19^th century US war between their industrial north & the agricultural south, Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels & eminent US jurists declared that slave masters should never be allowed political rights again! Well, the failure to comprehend the true nature of a triumphant white-settler state, despite its social-media-driven virtue signalling, has led to widespread indignation among US-embassy-liberals in Sri Lanka that such a leader as Don ‘Let’s Make a Deal’ Trump could emerge in their promised land. Yet brain-dead Joe Biden was just as bad, 2 sides of a printed US dollar, which baldly declares, ‘In God we Trust’. So what will Trump bring to our table?:

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‘Trump will have a 2-year window before the midterm congressional elections,

during which he will have a certain freedom to push his policies through

the Senate & the House of Representatives. After that, his decisions could

face resistance both domestically & from US allies.’

– Andrey Sushentsov, Russia Foreign Ministry’s MGIMO International Relations Dept dean

(see ee Sovereignty, A defining moment in the Ukraine war)

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‘Industrial policy for me, free trade for thee…’

– see, ee Focus

• Thisee focuses on ‘the challenges of a Trump presidency’, with a yet more expensive US dollar placing inflationary pressures on import-dependent countries like Sri Lanka, which will further impact the foreign debt burden. Shiran Illanperuma notes how the theories & policies propounded by neoliberal thinktanks like the Atlas Foundation-affiliated Advocata Institute & the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, have little to no influence in their own countries of origin. He concludes that Trump offers a ‘Window of Opportunity’ and insists that ‘for an underdeveloped country like Sri Lanka, no industrial policy tool should be off the table. Well, tell that to the traders!

     ee Focusalso reproduces Dhanusha Pathirana’s insistence that it is ‘evident’ that the Sri Lankan government’s deal with the USA ‘has been influenced by corrupt interests’. He concludes ‘Sri Lanka’s debt crisis is a stark example of the destructive power of predatory lending’, and calls for holding ‘these lenders accountable for their role in exacerbating the debt crisis in the third world’

     Finally, ee reproduces Part 2 of Bram & Howard Nicholas’ ‘Poverty of CBSL’s Monetary Policies’. They too point out, ‘High domestic interest rates on Government debt, combined with the absence of Central Bank intervention to purchase newly issued debt, will escalate the domestic debt servicing burden.’ Such interest rates will have detrimental effects on investment & economic growth. They call for ‘the establishment of development banks (where have we heard this before?) to provide concessional finance for specific sectors. Though they conclude, ‘However, these too are unlikely to sufficiently offset the negative effects of elevated & volatile medium- & long-term real interest rates’. (see ee Focus)

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• A purported ‘mafia’ (aka cartel) of rice millers & rice importers have been dominating the mafia cartel of newsmakers, while winds & rains heralding the northeast monsoons, buffet & inundate the homes & fields of the land. We should recall the Great Uva Rebellion, the first war of independence against English colonialism, took place in such intramonsoonal conditions from October to November in 1818. Also, the failure to complete that independence with the weakening of the ‘independent’ state, especially over its control of agriculture, hijacked by such English multinationals as Unilever (Liptons), ICC-CIC, Ceylon Tobacco Co, has led to various fissiparous tendencies. This is most symbolic in LTTE leader Prabhakaran who was born through such elements in November 1954, and who was propelled to power especially after JR Jayawardena’s fake ‘Open Economy’, which told Jaffna cultivators to sell their onions wherever they pleased – Colombo likewise was going to import them onions too. A portentous month is November, indeed! Then again, all months are… in a Sri Lanka still under siege after 500 & more years of invasions.

     The media portrays a battle between rice millers & rice importers, with all manner of ranting & raving, gnashing & grinding of editorial false teeth. But the central issue remains the uneven application of rural labor, and the failure to organize the whole society & rural industry in particular on the basis of the rhythms of rice cultivation – the primary agricultural pursuit. The English destroyed canals & irrigation systems and village industries, particularly iron & steel making. This was done to destroy the solidarity of the ancient village councils, whose unity was based on the management of the irrigation systems. As noted by a reader in the last ee, failure to keep up one’s share of the canal system, could result in being whipped, with the guilty having to also pay for the cost of being whipped. SBD de Silva in his last years focused his research on the urgent need for rural & agricultural industrialization: He noted the control of the village economy by Colombo merchants of imported goods, & related moneylenders, and their control over the media (led by Unilever) prevent such issues from even being broached: eg, he noted the failure to monetize & commercialize the rural economy, with fundamental economic relationships dominated by the pre-capitalist barter of harvests for industrial goods, which could just as easily be made in villages (ask the Japanese ambassador!). De Silva always recalled how the oncoming Japanese kamikazes post-1939 forced the English to give peasants a fixed price, and workers a fixed wage. Indeed, Silva also noted that such price controls required rationing.

     Rice rationing was introduced during England’s WW2, and people had to be taught how to use the rice ration book. This period of shortages of essential goods resulted from the non-arrival of merchant vessels due to war. The rationed commodities were then distributed through co-operative societies established throughout the country.

     After the end of the white war on Korea led to the end of ‘the export boom’, the terms of trade grew even more unfavourable – due to the refusal of imperialist powers, particularly the USA, to pay a fair price for tea & rubber. The World Bank (IBRD) agreed to ‘rescue’ the economy, according to certain criteria. The US Governor of Ceylon’s Central Bank advised the Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake, who had just won an election, to seek an election before imposing the World Bank’s stringent conditions. Sound familiar?

     ‘Shortages’ then led to pressure on the government for an increase in the price of rice. At the behest of the World Bank‘s first mission to Sri Lanka, Finance Minister JR Jayewardene increased rice prices from 25 cents a measure to 72 cents. ‘Workers’ parties’ campaigned against the increases, by collecting and submitting hundreds of signatures to parliament, joining national protest against the cutting also of the rice-ration by a 1/4 measure, and the increase in flour price by 15 cents.

     Calls for the conclusion of a Rubber-Rice Pact with the People’s Republic of China to solve the rice shortages were strenuously opposed by a US lobby within Sri Lanka, led by (another ‘former Marxist’!) JR Jayewardene, resulting in his nickname, Yankee Dicky, with the proponent of the pact within the government, RG Senanayake, being dubbed China Dicky.

     Rice rationing was again introduced in 1974, on the ground that rice was not purchasable for any love of money on the world market… The UNP gained from this total failure of the United Front Government, and especially of the discrediting of the LSSP & CP…. Sound familiar…?

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Contents:

JVP in the Open Prison: Peaceable Coercions & Forever Wars in the Age of Trump

by Garvin Karunaratne 

A Statement by Advisor Duminda Hulangamuva tells that our President Anura Kumara Dissanayake  has decided  to delay the implementation of the IMF’s decision that Imputed Taxes should be taxed. (EN: 2/12/24)

Our President has to be congratulated for this decision.

This is a minor decision but it is important to note that it is a decision by the IMF that has been varied in the interests of our Motherland.

I must mention that it is the decision of the IMF to impose the Structural Adjustment Programme provisions on our country in 1977 when President Jayawardena requested the IMF for help that has proved detrimental to the development of our country. 

It is hoped that our President will also consider implementing a programme to create employment opportunities for our people in the process of producing  what the country requires. Such a programme will alleviate the poverty in people as well as produce items that are now being imported.

This can be implemented with no additional staff costs as the staff- members of the Administrative Service and the Clerical Service are already available. They do have the ability and the experience as they did once implement similar programmes like the Divisional Development Councils Programme in the days of Prime Minister Sirimavo. 

Such a move will also bring great credit and prestige to the present Government of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

Over to our new President, Please Consider

Garvin Karunaratne

GA Matara 1971-1973

02122024

රජිත් කීර්ති තෙන්නකෝන්

නවක මන්ත්‍රීවරුන් 168 ක් සහින පාර්ලිමේන්තුවක් තේරී පත් වී ඇත.  ආයතනයක් නවකයින්ගෙන් පිරෙන විට ‘සාම්ප්‍රදායට’ අගයක් ලැබීම අනිවාර්ය ප්‍රතිඑලයකි. මන්ත්‍රී ඇඳුම ගැන කතාව වැදගත්වන්නේ ඒ නිසාය. ‘පිරිපුන් අංගසම්පූර්ණ ඇඳුම’ සංකල්පය අහසින් කඩා පාත්වූවක් හෝ එංගලන්ත පාර්ලිමේන්තුවෙන් ගෙඩිය පිටින් ආනයනය කළ හෝ දෙයක් නොවේ. ඡන්දය දුන් මහජනතාවට ගෞරවයක් ලැබෙන ලෙස, නියෝජිතයින් සභාවට ගෙන්වා ගැනීම සඳහා සැකසුණු රීතියකි. 

සමගි පෙරමුණු ආණ්ඩුවේ දකුණු කොළඹ මන්ත්‍රී බර්නාඩ් සොයියා ටයි පටිය නොමැතිව, ෂර්ට් – කලිසම සහ කබාය ඇදගෙන පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ සභාවට පැමිණි විට කතානායකවරයා ඔහුට සභාවෙන් ඉවත් වෙන ලෙස දැන්වීය. මෙයින් ටික කලකට පසුව, දෙවන වරටත් වෙනත් මන්ත්‍රීවරයෙකුත් එවැනිම සිද්ධියකට මුහුණ දුන් විට,  1973 නොවැම්බර් 14 දින පැවති පක්ෂ නායක රැස්වීමේ දී  කතානායක ස්ටැන්ලි තිලකරත්න ඇඳුම ගැන දැනුම්දීමක් සිදු කළේය. 

ජාතික ඇඳුම, සාම්ප්‍රදායානුකුල ඇඳුම (පූර්ණ යුරෝපීය ඇඳුම), කලිසම හෝ රෙද්ද සමඟ බෙල්ල දක්වා පියවන ලද අත් දිග දිග ටියුනික් කොලරය සහිත කබාය, පිළිගත් ආගමික විශ්වාසයන්ට අදාළ වන තොප්පිය, භාවිතයට පැමිණියේ ඒ අනුවය.  මේ මුලික නිර්ණායකයට මන්ත්‍රීවරුන් සෑම විටම ලා පැහැදි ඇඳුම් ඇඳිය යුතු යැයි ද, තද පැහැති/වර්ණවත් හෝ ඉරි සහිත/චෙක් ඇඳුම් පාර්ලිමේන්තු සභාවට ඇඳිමෙන් වැළකිය යුතුය යන නියෝගය ද ලැබී ඇත. (ඊ – අමුණුම)

මුල් යුගයේ (පිරිමි) මන්ත්‍රීවරුන් ජාතික ඇඳුම (ආර්ය සිංහල ඇඳුම) හෝ පූර්ණ යූරෝපීය ඇඳුමෙන් පාර්ලිමේන්තුවට පැමිණියෝය. පසුව, ටියුනිප් කොලරය සහිත අතර මැද ඇඳුම, නැත්තම් කපටි සූට් එක මුලින්ම ඇන්දේ කලවාන මන්ත්‍රී සරත් මුත්තෙට්ටුවේගම යැයි අදහසක් ඇතත්, ලලිත් ඇතුලත්මුදලි ද එයම කළේය. පසුව ජනතා විමුක්ති පෙරමුණේ සමාජික මන්ත්‍රීවරුන් බහුතරයක් ඇන්දේ ඒ ඇඳුමය.

1956 දේශපාලන විප්ලවයත් සමඟම යුරෝපා ඇඳුම වෙනුවට, ජාතික ඇඳුම අදින පිරිසක් පාර්ලිමේන්තු ආවේය. එයින් බහුතරය බණ්ඩාරනායකයන් අනුගමනය කරමින් ජාතික ඇඳුම ඇන්දේ ජීවිතයේ පළමුවරට යුරෝපා ඇඳුම හැඳ එය තමන්ට නොගැලපෙන බව වැටහුණු විටය. සරළව ෆුල් සූට් ඇඳ කෙලින් ඇවිදින්නට බැරි නිසාය.  1956 පැමිණි සැලකිය යුතු පිරිසක් 1960 මාර්තු ඡන්දයෙන් ද, 1965 ඡන්දයෙන් සම්පූර්ණයෙන්ම වාගේ ගෙදර ගියෝය.  

1970 පාර්ලිමේන්තුව පිරුණේ බුලත්විට කන, සෙරෙප්පු දාන, යුරෝපා ඇඳුමත් නොවන ජාතික ඇඳුමත් නොවන එදිනෙදා සමාන්‍ය ජනතාව ඇඳින වේට්ටිය, කමිසය කලිසම අඳින ගුරුවරුන්, විදුහල්පතිවරුන්, රජයේ මධ්‍ය මට්ටමේ රැකියා දැරූ ලිපිකරුවන්, කේෂ්ත්‍ර නිලධාරීන්, වෛද්‍යවරුන්, වෙද මහත්වරුන්ගෙනි. 1970 දෙසැම්බර් 29 මන්ත්‍රී විශ්‍රාම වැටුප පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ සම්මත වූ වේ මේ අහිංසක, නිර්ප්‍රභූ මන්ත්‍රීවරුන්ගේ ජීවිතයේ සැදෑ සමය වෙන අයෙකුට අත නොපා ජීවත්වන්නට පාර කපන්නය. 

වත්මන් කතානායකවරයා අදිනු ලබන්නේ 2000 වසරේ දී අනුර ප්‍රියදර්ශන බණ්ඩාරනායකට එංගලන්ත පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ කතානායකවරයාගේ නිල ඇඳුම් සපයන්නා විසින් කැපුම් කොට මසා දුන් ඇඳුමයි  (Robe).  එහි රෙද්ද, බොත්තම්, ලේස් සහ අනෙකුත් දැ එංගලන්ත ප්‍රමිතියටම සකස් කර  තිබුණි. (a roge of black satin damask trimmed with gold lace, a mourning rosette (also known as a ‘wig bag’) and grogs with full bottomed wig.)

වෙනත් කතානායකවරුන් විසින් ඇඳින ලද ඇඳුම් ඇඳීම අනුර විසින් ප්‍රතික්ෂේප කළ බැවින්, පාර්ලිමේන්තුව විසින් අනුරගේ මිම්මට නව ඇඳුම මස්සවනු ලැබීය. එතෙක් අනුර මුල් පුටුවේ සිටින විට ද ඇන්දේ ජාතික ඇඳුම පමණී.  අද පාවිච්චි කරන කතානායක සිල්ක් එක (හිස් පළදනාව) ද මුල්වරට අදිනු ලැබූවේ අනුර විසිනි.  

අනුර සෑම විටම පාහේ කතානායක හිස්පලදනාව මගහරින්ට උත්සහ කළේය.  පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ උත්තරීතර බව දැක්වෙන,  ඔහුගේ අති උද්කෘෂ්ඨ තීන්දුව ප්‍රකාශයට පත් කළේ ද, හිස් පලදනාව රහිතවය. ආනන්ද තිස්ස ද අල්විස් කතානායක හිස්වැසුම තබා කතානායක ඇඳුම් ආයිත්තමය අදින්නට පවා කැමති වූවෙකු නොවීය.

රාජක්ෂ පවුල කුරහන් සාටකය දමාගෙන පාර්ලිමේන්තු ආවේ කෙසේ දැයි නවක මන්ත්‍රීවරයෙකු විමසා තිබුණි.  1947 ඩී.ඒ.රාජපක්ෂ ගේ සිට මහින්ද, චමල්, බැසිල්, නාමල් යන සියළුම හම්බන්තොට රාජපක්ෂවරු කුරහන් පාට සාටක පැලදියේය. මොණරාගල ශෂින්ද්‍ර රාජපක්ෂ ද පසුව ඒ ලැයිස්තුවට එක් විය.    

එස්.ඩබ්ලිව්.ආර්.ඩී. බණ්ඩාරනායක, එස්.ජේ.වී.චෙල්වනායගම්, සී.සුන්දරලිංගම් වේටිටිය ඇඳ සාටකයක් දමා පාර්ලිමේන්තු පැමිණි මුල්ම පරම්පරාවේ උදවියයි. ඔවුන් පාර්ලිමේන්තුවට සැරසී ආවේ  ‘ඕෆ් වයිට්‘ (රත්තරං පාට නූල් සහිත සුදු) සාටකයකි.  යාපනයේ ද්‍රවිඩ ජනතාව උත්සව අවස්ථාවන්ට අදින වේටිටිය හා එහි බෝඩරය ඔවුන්ගේ අනන්‍යතාවයයි.  අනුරාධපුර තිස්ස කරලියද්ද, ත්‍රිකුණාමලයේ එම්.කේ.ඩී.එස්.ගුණවර්ධන නිල් පාට සාටක පැලඳියේය. එජාපයෙන් පැමිණි ගාල්ලේ හේමකුමාර නානායක්කාර කොළ පාට සාටකයක් පැලැන්දේය. මේ ව්‍යවහාරය නිසා සාටකය පාර්ලිමේන්තු ඇදුමේ පිළිගත් අංගයකි.    

බණ්ඩාරනායකයන් ශ්‍රීලනිප දේශපාලන කටයුතු සඳහා නිල් පැහැති සාටකයක් පැළදි නමුත් පාර්ලිමේන්තුවට ඇන්දේ සුදු රත්තරං පාට බෝඩරයක් සහිත සාටකයකි. අනුර බණ්ඩාරනායක විපක්ෂ නායක තනතුරට පත් වූ පසුව ජාතික ඇඳුම සමඟ රත්තරං පාට කුඩා තීරු දෙකක් සහිත සුදු සාටකයක් ඇන්දේය. අනුර විපක්ෂනායකවරයා ලෙස මුලින්ම ඇන්දේ නිල් පැහැති තීරු දෙකක් සහිත සුදු සාටකයකි.  (1950 – 1977 විවෘත ආර්ථිකය දක්වාම සාටකය ආර්ය සිංහල ඇඳුමේ අංගයකි)

සිලෝන් පබ්ලික් සර්විස් හි අනුරාධපුර හා පොලොන්නරුව දිසාපතිවරුන් වූ නිශ්ශංක විජේරත්න හා සී.පී.ද සිල්වා ද පාර්ලිමේන්තුවට ආවේ මෆ්ලර් එකක් දමාගෙන ය. මාලිගාවට යන විට සුදු පාට මෆලර් දැමූ විජේරත්නයන්, පක්ෂයේ වැඩවලට කොළ පාට ද, පාර්ලිමේන්තුවට එදා ප්‍රංශයෙන් ගෙන්වා ගත් ලා පාට එකතුවෙන් මෆලරයක් ද තෝරාගත්තේය. 

මන්ත්‍රීවරුන්ගේ පුහුණු සැසියට සෙරෙප්පු දමාගෙන පැමිණීම ගැන සමාජ මාධ්‍ය වාර්තා පළ කර තිබුණි.  වැලිමඩ මන්ත්‍රී එස්.ඒ.ආර්. මද්දුම බණ්ඩාර, විදුර වික්‍රමනායක, එම්.කේ.ඩී.එස්. ගුණවර්ධන පාර්ලිමේන්තුවට ආවේ සෙරෙප්පු නැතිවය. සෙරෙප්පු දමාගෙන පාර්ලිමේන්තු ආ මන්ත්‍රීවරුන් නොමැති තරම්ය.

1994 හම්බන්තොට ලැයිස්තුවට පිටින් පත් කළ ප්‍රගතිශීලි පෙරමුණේ මන්ත්‍රී නිහාල් ගලප්පත්ති දිවුරුම් දෙන්නට පැමිණියේ තද රතුපාට අත් දිග කමිසයක් ඇඳගෙනය. එය නැවත සිදු නොකරන ලෙස දැන්වීමෙන් පසුව ඔහු සුදු කමිසය අදින්නට පටන් ගත්තේය. මෙවර හරිනි අමරසූරිය අගමැතිනිය ද මේ සිද්ධිය දැන හෝ නොදැන පාර්ලිමේන්තුව විවෘත කිරීමේ අවස්ථාවට පැමිණියේ තද රතු සාරියකින් සැරසී ය.

හිටපු පරිසර අමාත්‍යවරියක වූ ශ්‍රීමනී ඇතුලත්මුදලි උදරය ආශ්‍රිත සැත්කමකට භාජනය වීම නිසා සාරිය ඇදිය නොහැකි තත්වයකට පත් වූ විට දිගු ගවුමක් අදින්නට වෛද්‍යමය හේතුමත කතානායකවරයා අනුමැතිය ලබා දුන්නේය. පරිසර අමාත්‍යාංශයට අදාල ප්‍රශ්නයකට පිළිතුරු දෙන්නට ගවුමකින් සැරසී පැමිණි ඇය, තම වගකීම නිම වූ වහාම සභාවෙන් පිටවිය.  බ්‍රිතාන්‍ය අගමැතිනි මාග්‍රට් තැචර් ලංකා පාර්ලිමේන්තුව අමතනු ලැබූවේ ද, ගවුමකින් සැරසීගෙන ය.

ජවිපෙ නියෝජනය කරමින් ගම්පහින් පත් වූ අන්ජාන් උම්මා හිජාබ් ඇඳුමෙන් පැමිණි එකම මන්ත්‍රීවරයාය.

අන් සියළුම කාන්තා මන්ත්‍රීවරු ඇන්දේ ඉන්දීය හෝ උඩරට සාරියයි. පවිත්‍රා, සුදර්ශනී, තලතා, ගීතා ඉන්දීය සාරියට කැපී පෙනුනු අතර සිරිමා, චන්ද්‍රිකා, සුමිත්‍රා ප්‍රියංගනී, සීතා අරඹේපොල, රෝහණී කවිරත්න උඩරට සාරියට කැපී පෙනුනෝය.  උඩරට සාරිය ද, සාරි පොට සකසන ආකාරය අනුව, ඔසරිය සහ ඔහොරිය යැයි කොටස් දෙකකි. සාරි පොට මැදින් නමා අඳින, සාම්ප්‍රදායික උඩරට ඔහොරිය පාර්ලිමේන්තු අඳින එකම මන්ත්‍රීවරිය රෝහිණී කුමාරි විජේරත්න ය.   වැඩියෙන්ම මේකඅප් ආලේපන දමා පාර්ලිමේන්තු ආවේ ගීතා කුමාරසිංහ සහ ඩයනා ගමගේ ය. සිරිමා මැතිනිය සමඟ 1989 පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ සිටි සුමේධා ජයසේන, හේමා රත්නායක සහ සුමිත්‍රා ප්‍රියංගනී සිව් දෙනාම ආලේපන දැම්මේම නැති වුවත් ඇට මාල දැම්මෝය. සමාන ඇඳුම් විලාසිතාව නිසා ඔවුන් ආච්චී සමඟ යන මිණිබිරියන් ලෙස පෙනුනි.    

මුස්ලිම් ජාතිකයින්ට අනන්‍ය වූ තුර්කි තොප්පියෙන් කල්මුණේ මන්ත්‍රී එම්.එස්. කාරියප්පර් ද, සමන්තුරේ මන්ත්‍රී යූ.එල්.එම්. (තොප්පි) මොහිඩීන් ද සභාවට ආවෝය. මැද කොළඹ ශ්‍රීමත් රසීක් ෆරීඩ්  තුර්කි තොප්පිය ද, කබායේ ගැසූ ඕකිඩ් මල ද සිය අනන්‍යතාවය කරගත්තේය.  ජාතික ලැයිස්තුවෙන් පැමිණි මුස්ලිම්  කොන්ග්‍රසයේ මන්ත්‍රී එන්.එම් බුහර්දීන් ද රතු පාට තොප්පියක් ඇන්දේය. ලංකාවේ මෙන්ම තවත් රටවල ද ආසියානු මුස්ලිම්වරුන්ට සිය සංස්කෘතික අනන්‍යතාව දැක්වීමට තොප්පිය පැලදීමට අවසර දී තිබුණි.  1989 පාර්ලිමේන්තුවට පැමිණි ඒ.එච්.එම්. අශ්රොෆ් වසර දෙකක් පමණ මුස්ලිම් ජාතිකයින් පළදින සුදු තොප්පිය පැලඳුවේය. වන්නි දිස්ත්‍රක් මන්ත්‍රී එස්.එස්.එම්. අබුබකර් ද සුදු මුස්ලිම් තොප්පිය දැම්මේය.

පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී ධූරයට පත් වූ විට එම මන්ත්‍රීවරුන් ඇඳිය යුත්තේ කුමන ඇඳුම ද යන්න පිළිබඳ දේශපාලන පක්ෂ නිර්දේශ කරන අවස්ථා ද නැතිවා නොවේ.  

වියත්මග වෛද්‍ය උපාධිධාරීන් තොග පිටින් 2020 පාර්ලිමේන්තුවට පැමිණි විට වෙද නලාව පාර්ලිමේන්තු ඇඳුමේ අංගයක් විය හැකි බව උපහාසයට කියවුනේ පොහොට්ටුවේ වියත්මග කැම්පේන් ඒක වෙද නලාව සමඟම දියත්වූ නිසාය.  මෙවර කැලණිය හා ජයවර්ධනපුර උපාධිධාරී සටන නිසා කැම්පස් කලර් ටයි – කබාවලින් පාර්ලිමේන්තුවට යා හැකි යැයි විහිළු කතා කියන්නේ ද ඒ නිසාය. තම ඉස්කෝල ටයි පටියෙන් පාර්ලිමේන්තු ආ මන්ත්‍රීවරුන් ද වෙති.

1989 බදුල්ලේ එඩ්වින් වික්‍රමරත්න ඇතුළු පිරිසක් තමන්ට ආරක්ෂිතව නවතින්නට තැනක් නැතැයි කියමින් පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ පැදුරු දමා නිදාගත්තේය. පසුවදා ඔවුන් ඒ ඇඳුම් පිටින්ම සභාවට පැමිණීමට උත්සහ දැරූ නමුත් වේත්‍රධාරී එය වැලැක්වීය.  මන්ත්‍රීවරුන්ට තැබ්‍රොබෙන් හෝටලයේ ද, ශ්‍රාවස්තියේ ද නවාතැන් ලැබුනේ ඒ අනුවය. භිෂණය නිසා ගම් රටවලට යා නොහැකි මන්ත්‍රීවරුන් ඇඳුම් මාරුකරගෙන ඇන්ද බව ද, එස්.බී.දිසානායක ගේ රතුළුණු, උම්බලකඩ, අමුමිරිස් බයිට් එක ‘ජාතියේ පාර්ලිමේන්තු බයිට් ඒක’ බවට පත් වූවේ ද එහි ප්‍රතිඑල ලෙසිනි.  අවසානයේ මාදිවල කම්කරුවන්ට සකස් කළ නිවාස සංකීර්ණයක්, මන්ත්‍රී නිවාස බවට පත් වූවේ ද එඩ්වින් ලා ගේ විප්ලවය නිසාය.

උතුරෙන් තේරී පත් වූ දෙමළ මන්ත්‍රීවරුන් ‘සෆාරි ඇඳුම’ යැයි ප්‍රකට වූ සාක්කු හතරක් සහිත අත්කොට කමිසය හා  කලිසමින් සභාවට පැමිණීමට උත්සහ කළ නමුත් එයට අවස්ථාව ලැබුණේ නැත.

ජාතික ඇඳුම ද, ආර්ය සිංහල ඇඳුම ද යුග දෙකක ටියුනිප් කොලරය සහිත හා රහිත ලෙසින් පැවතුණි. ද්‍රවිඩ ජාතිකයින් ද, කුරුණෑගල යූ.බී.විජේකෝන් වැනි අය ද, ඇන්දේ කොලරය රහිත, අත මැනික් කටුවෙන් විවරව පේන ජාතික ඇඳුමකි.  ආර්ය සිංහල ඇඳුමේ අත මැනික් කටුව අසල තිබූ ලොකු විවරය, පාර්ලිමේන්තු ඇඳුමේ දී අත අග බොත්තමක්, පිත්තල හෝ සුදු යකඩ බොත්තමක්, කෆ්ලින්ස් සවි කිරීමෙන් වසා දැමුණි. පසුව ජාතික ඇඳුමට බෙල්ල වැහෙන ටියුනිප් කොලරය අනිවාර්ය වූවේය. දැන් නම් අතේ මැනික් කටුව පෙනෙන සේ අත් සහිත ජාතික ඇඳුම කිසිවෙකු අදින්නේම නැත.

යාපනය දිස්ත්‍රික් මන්ත්‍රී සී.වී. විග්නේෂ්වරන් මහතා පාර්ලිමේන්තුවට පැමිණියේ තුන්නූරු ඉරි තුන සහ රතු තිලකය තබා ය.  කොවිලක සාමාන්‍ය යෙන් ගාන තුන්නුරු වලට වඩා පැහැදිලි හා දීප්තියෙන් යුතු හා රතු තිලක ඔහුගේ කැපී පෙනුණි.  එයින් මතු වූයේ යාපනයේ බ්‍රාහ්මණ ප්‍රභුත්වය යි.

ද්‍රවිඩ ජාතිකයින්ගේ ජාතික ඇඳුම — ‘දෝතිය‘ හැඳ කිසිම මන්ත්‍රීවරයෙකු මේ දක්වා පාර්ලිමේන්තු පැමිණ නැත.

අලි සබ්රි රහීම් මන්ත්‍රීවරයා 2021 දී කළු පැහැති මෝස්තරයක් සහිත කමිසයකින් සැරසී පාර්ලිමේන්තුවට පැමිණි විට ඔහුට සභාවෙන් ඉවත්වීමට බල කරනු ලැබීය.

විමල් වීරවංශ හා අනුර කුමාර දිසානායකගේ ටියුනිප් කොරල් කමිසය හා ඒවා ඇඳිය යුතු ආකාරය ගැන වි.ජ.මූ. ලොකුබණ්ඩාර කතානායකවරයා දෙවරක් අදහස් දක්වා තිබුණි. අනුර කුමාර මන්ත්‍රීවරයා මුල් කාලයේ උඩ බොත්තම විවර කර කතා කරන්නට කැමති වූ බව සජීවි විකාශන නැරඹූ අයට රහසක් නොවේ.

ශ්‍රීලනිප මහ ලේකම් දයාසිරි තම පක්ෂයේ පාට නිසා දෝ ලා නිල් පැහැති ජාතික ඇඳුමින් සභාවට පැමිණි අතර, බතික් ඇමති කාලයේ බතික් ඇඳුමකින් පාර්ලිමේන්තු ආවේය. මහ ලේකම් ධූරය ද, බතික් ඇමතිකම ද අහිමි වූ පසුව දයාසිරිගේ ඒ විලාසිතා නැති විය.

වත්මන් කතානායක රන්වල මෙන්ම 1977 කතානායක ධූරයට පත් ආනන්ද තිස්ස ද අල්විස් ද මුලින් කතානායක ධූරයට පත්ව දෙවනුව මන්ත්‍රී වූ පුද්ගලයින් ය. මාගේ මතකය නිවැරදි නම් ආනන්ද තිස්ස ද අල්විස් කතානායක විග් (සිල්ක්)  එක දැමූවේ නිල අවස්ථා කිහිපයක දී පමණී. ඔහු කතානායක නිල ඇඳුම ඇන්දේම නැති තරම්ය. විග් ඒක දැම්මේම නැත.  

සී.වී.ගුණරත්න හා කිංස්ලි වික්‍රමරත්න යුරෝපීය ඇඳුමට තද රතුපාට ලේන්සුව පැලදීම නිසා පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ කැපී පෙනුණු මන්ත්‍රීවරුන් ය.  වරක් ඒ.එච්.එම්.අස්වර් හා සී.වී.ගුණරත්න පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ පැටළුණු විට සී.වී. සභාව හිනස්සමින් අස්වර්ට කිවේ ‘රතු පාට ලේන්සු දැක්කාම ගොන්නු කොහොමත් කලබල වෙනවා කියාය. කිංස්ලි කබායේ පාටට ගැලපෙන ලේන්සුවක් සාක්කුවේ දමා සිටියේය.

මන්ත්‍රී සුරේන් රාගවන් ‘බෝ ටයි’ එක පැලද සභාවට පැමිණි විට විපක්ෂය එයට විරෝධය පළ කළ නමුත් ‘බෝ ටයි එකට වඩා රටේ ප්‍රශ්න ඇතැයි’ එය ලිස්සා ගියේ පසුගිය සභාවේ දී ය. 

සරම, උඩ රත්තරං පාට පියවන බොත්තම දැමූ කමිසය, කෝට් එක සමඟ සභාවට ආ අයි.ඩබ්ලිව්. ප්‍රනාන්දු (කොණ්ඩ වෙදමහත්තයා) පැරණි සමාජයේ වෙද පරම්පරාව නියෝජනය කළේය.

ජේ.ආර්.ජයවර්ධන පාර්ලිමේන්තුවට ඇන්දේ තමාමට ආවේනික ලෙස සකස් කරගත් ඉණ ට පොඩ්ඩක් උඩින් සාක්කු දෙකක් ඇති අමුතුම ජාතික ඇඳුමකි. අගමැති රත්නසිරි වික්‍රමනායක ද එම ඇඳුමේ ආරයට සැකසූ ඇඳුමකින් පාර්ලිමේන්තු ආවේය.  

පාර්ලිමේන්තුවට පමණක් නොව පළාත් සභාවට ද, දිස්ත්‍රික්ක සංවර්ධන සභාවට ද සුදුසු යැයි සම්මත ඇඳුමක් විය.  කොළඹ දිස්ත්‍රික්ක සංවර්ධන සභාවට ජවිපෙ උපතිස්ස ගමනායක ඇතුළු පිරිස සම්පූර්ණ ඇඳුමකින් සැරසී නොපැමිණි විට ඒ බව වීරසිංහ මල්ලිමාරච්චි අමාත්‍යවරයා විසින් පෙන්වා දෙනු ලැබීය.  ජවිපෙ මන්ත්‍රීවරුන්ට විහිළුවට මෙන් තමන්ට එවැනි ඇඳුම් නැතැයි කී නමුත්, ඔවුහු සුදුසු ඇඳුම් සම්ප්‍රදායට වහා අනුගත වූවෝය.

අලුත් පාර්ලිමේන්තුවට ක්‍රමය වෙනස් කරන්නට ජනවරමක් තිබේ. පළමු දිනයේ ඔවුන් කතානායක ඇඳුමේ සිට රතු සාරිය දක්වා බොහෝ දේ වෙනස් කළේය. පුහුණු සැසියේ දී මන්ත්‍රී ඇඳුමේ බොහෝ සම්ප්‍රදායන් උඩ යට හැරවී තිබුණි. ක්‍රම වෙනස මන්ත්‍රී ඇඳුමෙන් ඇරඹී හැකි නමුත්, ඉක්මනින්ම ආණ්ඩුකරණය ද, රටේ ප්‍රශ්ණ විසඳීම ද එයට පෙරම ඇරඹිය යුතුව ඇත.  

රජිත් කීර්ති තෙන්නකෝන්

ආචාර්‍ය සුදත් ගුණසේකර. අගමැති සිරිමාවෝ බන්ඩාරනායක මැතිනියගේ හිටපු ස්ථිර ලේකම් සහ ශ්‍රී ලංකා පරිපාලන සේවා සන්ගමයේ හිටපු සභාපති (1991-94)

 විධායක ජනාධිපති ධුරය අහෝසි කිරීමේ කටයුතු ආරම්භ කෙරේ (2024. නොවැ. 24 ඉරිදා සිලෝන් ටුඩේ පුවත්පත)

                  The National People’s Power (NPP) has called on the highest echelons of the Government to abolish the placed Party sources revealed. Executive   Presidency as promised and the discussions in this regard have already been initiated, highly- The NPP has always criticized the current Executive Presidency, introduced by the 1978 Constitution, which consolidates significant power in the hands of the President, often bypassing legislative checks and undermining democratic governance.

Under this system, the President holds control over critical areas, including Executive decisions, Military Commands, and sometimes Judicial and Parliamentary functions.

Critics argue that the overconcentration of power has led to political instability, corruption, and weak institutional oversight.

The NPP, therefore, views the abolition of the Executive Presidency as part of a broader effort to decentralize power, foster democratic reforms, and restore parliamentary sovereignty, Government sources said.

However, they said the implementation of this change will require significant constitutional amendments, as the Executive Presidency is entrenched in the current Constitution.

The NPP policy statement, under 4.1 ‘A new Constitution – A united Sri Lankan nation’ also mentioned these points: ‘Introducing a new parliamentary electoral system, limiting official presidential residences to one and abolishing the pensions and special privileges given to retired presidents and their families’.

(2024. නොවැ. 24 ඉරිදා සිලෝන් ටුඩේ පුවත්පතේ පලවූ ඉහත සඳහන් ප්‍රවෘතිය හා බැඳේ).

ආචාර්‍ය සුදත් ගුණසේකර. අගමැති සිරිමාවෝ බන්ඩාරනායක මැතිනියගේ හිටපු ස්ථිර ලේකම් සහ ශ්‍රී ලංකා පරිපාලන සේවා සන්ගමයේ හිටපු සභාපති (1991-94)

2024. 12.2.

ශ්‍රී ලන්කා ප්‍රජාතන්ත්‍රවාදි සමාජවාදි ජන රජයේ ජනාධිපති තුමා

ජනාධිපති කාර්‍යාලය,

කොළඹ.

ගරු ජනාධිපති තුමනි,

මේ රටට හූනියමක් වූ ඉහත සඳහන් විධායක ජනාධිපති ක්‍රමය අහෝසි කිරීම සහ තදානුබද්ධ  මේ රටට ගැලපෙන නව ව්‍යවස්ථාවකවක් සම්මත කොට ගැනීම,මැතිවරණ ආසන ක්‍රමය මත  පදනම්වූ නව පාර්ලිමේන්තු මැතිවරණ ක්‍රමයක් හඳුන්වාදීම, ජනාධිපති මන්දිර  එකකට පමණක් සීමාකොට කොළඹින් පිට ඇති සියල්ල රටට ප්‍රයෝජවත් වෙනත් කටයුත්තකට යොදාගැනීම සහ විශ්‍රාමික ජනාධිපතිවරුන්ගේ විශ්‍රාම වැටුප් ක්‍රමය අහෝසිකිරීම යනාදිය වෙනුවෙන් විධායක ජනාධිපති ක්‍රමය හඳුන්වාදුන් 1987 සිටම සටන්කළ කෙනෙකු වශයෙන්, ඉහත සඳහන් එඩිතර හා කාලීන තීරණයට ප්‍රථමයෙන්ම මාගේ පෞද්ගලික ප්‍රසන්ශාව මෙන්ම ජාතියේ ඉමහත් ප්‍රශාධය මින් පළකරමි.

1994 සිට වසර 30 ක් පුරා ජනාධිපතිවරුන් 5 දෙනෙකුම පොරුන්දු වුවද ඒ එක් අයෙකුට හෝ ඉටුකිරීමට නොහැකිවූ, ඊටත් වඩා බලය ලබාගැනීමෙන් පසු එහි රස දැනුනුවිට උවමනාවෙන්ම ඔවුන් ඉටු නොකළ, විධායක ජනාධිපති තනතුර අහෝසිකිරීමට ඔබතුමා කටයුතු ආරම්භ කොට ඇතිබව දැකීමෙන් මම මහත් අමන්දානන්දයට පැමිනියෙමි. එසේම එම ප්‍රවුර්තියෙහි සඳහන් සෙසු තීරණ සියල්ල ගැනද මගේ ප්‍රශන්සාව මින් පලකරණු කැමැත්තෙමි. තවද මෙයවූ කළී වසර 30 ක් පුරාම හුදු ආත්මාර්ථය නිසා ඇද ඇද සිටි, කිසිදු ජනාධිපති වරයෙකු ඉටුනොකළ ජාතික වගකීමකි.

කෙසේඋවද රට බෙදීමේ සහ මේ රටේ ඊළම පිහිටුවීමේ පදනම වෂයෙන් ඉන්දීයාව විසින් බලහත්කාරයෙන් අප හිස මත පැටවූ 1987 රජිව්/ ජේ. ආර් ගිවිසුම සහ ඉන් උපන් අවජාතික දරුවා වූ 13 ව්‍යවස්ථා සන්ශෝධනය අහෝසි නොකොට විධායක ජනාධිපති කම අහෝසි කිරිම ඉතාමත් භයානකය. එමනිසා පළමුවෙන්ම දැනටන්මත් ඒකපාක්ෂිකව ඉන්දියාව විසින්1987 ගිවිසුම උල්ලන්ගණයකොට ඇති බැවින් පළමුව 1987 රජිව්.ජේ .ආර්. ගිවිසුම අහෝසිකළ යුතුය. මන්ද රට බෙදීමේ සහ මේ රටේ ඊළම පිහිටුවීමේ පදනම වෂයෙන් ඉන්දියාව විසින් බලහත්කාරයෙන් අප හිසමත පැටවූ 1987 රජිව්/ ජේ. ආර් ගිවිසුමෙන් ශ්‍රී ලන්කා රජය පිළිගත් උතුරු නැගෙන හිර ඓතිහාසික දෙමල නිජබිම බව පිළිගැනීම ඇතුළු පහත සඳහන් සියළු පාවාදීම්ද අහෝසිවණු ඇත.  එනම් 13 වන ව්‍යවස්ථා සන්ශෝධනය ලන්කාවේ සිටින සියළුම ඉන්දීය සම්භවයක් ඇති දෙමළ ජනයාට ලන්කා පුරවැසිපනතේ සියළුම කොන්දේසි උල්ලන්ඝනයකොට රුපියලේ මුද්දරයක් මත සමාදාන විනිස්චයකාරයෙකූ ඉදිරියේ අත්සන්කල ලිපියක් මත පමණක් ලන්කා පුර වැසිබව දීම,  දෙමල භෂාවද මේ රටේ රාජ්‍ය භාෂාවක් වශයෙන් පිලිගැනීම, උතුරු නැගෙනහිර ඒකාභද්ධ කිරීම ,පලාත් දෙකක් හෝ වැඩිගානක් ඒකාබද්ධ කිරීම, ඉඩම් අධිකරණ සහ පොලිස් බලතල පලාත්වලට දීම සමඟම පලාත් පරිපාලනය ස්වාධීන කීරීමෙන් රට කැබෙලි 9 කට කැඩී යාමේ තර්ජනය ආදි පාවදීඉම් සියල්ල අහෝසිවිම.

එසේම එම ගිවිසුමෙන් උපන් අවජාතික දරුවා වූ 13 ව්‍යවස්ථා සන්ශෝධනය අහෝසි නොකොට විධායක ජනාධිපතිකම අහෝසි කළහොත් මේ රට සින්හල දෙමළ වශයෙන් බෙදීමේ 1799 සිට සුද්දන් දුටු සිහිනය ඉතා කඩිනමින්ම සැබෑවී මේ සින්හල බෞද්ධ රාජ්‍ය අවසන්වන බැවිනි. 

ලන්කා ඉතිහාශයේ මීට වසර 484 කටපෙර අවසානවරට කෝට්ටේ V1 වන පරාක්‍රමබාහු රජු 1540 දී යාපාපටුන ජයගෙන ලක එක්සේසත් කිරීමෙන් පසු යලිත්  (මා නොපිලිගන්නා) 1948 ඊනියා නිදහස ලැබීමෙන් වසර  76 කට පසු 2024 දී යාපනයද ඇතුළු මුලු රටම ජයගෙන ලක් රජය  එක්සේසත් කිරීමෙන්ද, උඩරට කඳුකරයේ, ඉන්දීය ව්‍යාප්තිවාදයේ දිගුවක් වූ තොණ්ඩමන්ලාගේ වැඩවසම් වහල් රාජ්‍ය බිඳ දමා මේ රටේ භූමිපුත්‍රයින් වන සින්හලයින් සමඟ සහජීවනයෙන් එකාබද්ධව කටයුතු කිරීමට හැකි අම්බිකා නමැති නව කාන්තා නායකත්වයක් ද වතුකරයෙන්ද බිහිකොට මෙතෙක් උඩරට රාජධානිය පුරා  ව්‍යාප්ත වෙමින් පැවති ඉන්දීය ව්‍යාප්ත වාදයේ කොඳු නාරටියද බිඳදමා මේ රටේ අභ්‍යන්තර කටයුතුවලට සිදුවූ  කුමන්ත්‍රණකාරී  බලපෑමද අහෝසි කිරීමට පදනම දැමු ඔබතුමාට, 1940 ගණන්වල සිටම මේ රට ඉන්දියාවේ ප්‍රාන්තයක් වියයුතුයයි තමන්විසින් කරණලද යෝජනාව අනුව  යථාකාලයේදී මේ රට ඉන්දියාවේ ප්‍රාන්තයක් කිරීමේ ජාතිද්‍රෝහී, දේශද්‍රෝහී අරමුනින් ඇමෙරිකානු හා ප්‍රන්ස  දෙබිඩි රාජ්‍යපාලන ක්‍රමය මේ රටට හඳුන්වා දෙමින්1987 ජූලි 29 රජිව් ගාන්ධි/ජේ.ආර් ගිවිසුමෙන් හා ඒ තුලින් උපන් 13 වන ව්‍යවස්ථා සන්ශෝධනයෙන් ඊනියා පලාත් සභා නමැති හූනියමක්ද රටපුරා පැලකොට කොට  ජේ.ආර්. මේ රටේ රාජ්‍යපාලනය අවුලෙන් අවුලට පත්කරණලද විධායක ජනාධිපති ක්‍රමය අහෝසිකිරීම කිසිසේත්ම අපහසු දෙයක් මෙන්ම තවත් අතපසුකළයුතු දෙයක් නොවන බව මම තරයේ ප්‍රකාශ කරමි.මන්ද 46 වසරක් පුරා  1987 ව්‍යවස්ථාවෙන් සහ විධායක ජනාධිපති ක්‍රමයෙන් මේ රටට, ජාතියට,  රාෂ්ට්‍රපාලන යාන්ත්‍රණයට හා ජාතික ආර්ථිකයට සිදුකොට ඇති විනාශය වහාම නතර නොකළහොත් වැඩිකලක් යාමට පෙර  වසර 2566 ක ප්‍රෞඩ ඉතිහාසයක් ඇති මේ සින්හල බෞද්ධ රාජ්‍ය මේ මිහි පිටින් මැකීයාම  නියත බැවිනි. 

එබැවින් මෙම සමස්ථ ක්‍රමයටම ආරම්භයේ සිටම දැඩිසේ විරුද්ධවු කෙනෙකු වශයෙන් සහ විධායක ජනාධිපති ක්‍රමය අහෝසිකළයුතු බවට උග්‍ර සටනක යෙදුනු අයෙකු වශයෙන් ද ඔබතුමාගේ එම ඓතිහාසික කටයුත්තට උපකාර වීම සඳහා අවසන් වරට මවිසින් ලියා ප්‍රසිද්ධ කරනලද ලිපියේ පිටපතක් මේ සමඟ එවමි.

වර්තමානයේ මේ රට මුහුණපා ඇති දේශපාලන ආර්ථික හා සමාජ අර්බුධවලින් නිදහස් වීමට තිබෙන හොඳම උපාය මාර්ගය වෂයෙන් මවිසින් කර ඇති මෙම යෝජනාව අනුව ක්‍රියා කිරීම සඳහා පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ 2/ 3න් සම්මත කරගැනීම සඳහා අවශ්‍ය බලයද දැන් පාලිමේන්තුව තුල ඔබ සතුව ඇත. එසේම අනතුරුව ජනමත විචාරනයකදී රටෙන්ලබාගත යුතු බලයද පැහැදිළිවම ලබාගත හැක.දේශපාලන කබල රත්වී ඇති මෙම අවස්ථාවෙදීම කඩිනමින් කළහොත් ඒ සඳහා ජනතා සහාය ලැබෙන බවට කිසිදු සැකයක් නැත

However, they said the implementation of this change will require significant constitutional amendments, as the Executive Presidency is entrenched in the current Constitution”

               මවිසින් පහතින් දක්වා ඇත්තේ ඉහත දැක්වෙන ඡේදයේ සඳහන්වන මෙම ගැටළු සියල්ල මඟහැර ඉතා කෙටි කාලයකින් විධායක ජනාධිපති ක්‍රමය අහෝසි කිරිමේ යොජනාවක් සහ ප්‍රායෝගික ක්‍රියා මාර්ගයකි. එම යෝජනාව අනුව ක්‍රියාකිරීමෙන් පසු 1972 ව්‍යවස්ථාව යටතේ රට පාලනය කළහැක. ඒ අතර ජාතියේ අපේක්ෂාව වන මේ රටට ගැලපෙන ව්‍යවස්ථාවද සකස්කොට පාර්ලිමේන්තුවෙන් සම්මත කට ගත හැක.

මේ වූකලී කණකැස්බෑවා වියසිදුරෙන් අහස දැකීම වැනි අතිශයින්ම අදුර්ලභ අවස්ථාවකි. එමනිසා හැකිපමණ කඩිනමින් ඔබ තුමාගේ බලාපොරුත්තුව ඉටුකර ගැනීම සඳහා මෙම පියවර ගැනීම උපකාර වනු ඇතැයි මම විශ්වාස කරමි.

ඉහත සඳහන්කරණලද මගේ ලිපිය

ආචාර්‍ය සුදත් ගුණසේකර. අගමැති සිරිමාවෝ බන්ඩාරනායක මැතිනියගේ හිටපු ස්ථිර ලේකම් සහ ශ්‍රී ලංකා පරිපාලන සේවා සන්ගමයේ හිටපු සභාපති (1991-94)

2023. 11.24.

1 කොටස

අද මේ රටේ පවතින තත්වය යටතේ ඔබගේ මැතිවරණ ප්‍රකාශයේ සඳහන්වන නව ව්‍යවස්ථාව සම්මත කරගන්නා තුරු රට ජාතිය ආරක්ෂාකරගැනීම, රාෂ්ඨ්‍රපාලනය කිරීම, ජනතා සේවය සහ ශුභසෙත සැළසිම යන ත්‍රිවිධ කාර්‍යයන් සඳහා තිබෙන කෙටිම, වියදම් අඩුම එසේම හොඳම දේශපාලන උපක්‍රමය හා විසඳුම 1978 ව්‍යවස්ථාව වහාම අහෝසිකොට 1972 ජනරජ ව්‍යවස්ථාව යළි බලගන්වා, මේ රටේ ශිස්ඨාචාරය මත පදනම්වූ නව ව්‍යවස්ථාවක් සකස්කොට සම්මත කරගන්නාතුරු, 1972 ඒ යටතේ ළකිසුරු වරයෙකු පත්කරගෙන රටේ පාලනය කරගෙන යාමය.

1978 සිට 46 වසරක් පුරා මේ රට පෙළු, මේ රට ජාතිය  විනාශකළ, රටට හා ජාතියට ඉමහත් ශාපයක් වූ, එසේම මේ රටේ දේශපාලනය, පරිපාලනය මෙන්ම ආර්ථිකයද  ඉන්දියන් සාගරයේ පතුලටම බස්වා, 1948  වන විට ආසියාවේම පොහොසත්ම රට, එසේම 1977 වනවිට පිට රටකට ශතයක් හෝ ණය නොතිබුණු මේ රට අද ආසියාවේම හිඟන රට බවට පත් කළ, විධායක ජනාධිපති ක්‍රමය මේ රට හඳුන්වාදුන්  ජේ.ආර්ගේ,  ගෙදරදී ලිවූ කිසිම ජනවරමක් නැති, පාර්ලිමේන්තුව මත බලයෙන් පැටවූ, 1978  ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාව නමැති හූනියමෙන් රට, ජාතිය බේරාගැනීමට ඇති හොඳම ක්‍රමය 78 ව්‍යවථාව දැන්වත් අහෝසිකොට,   රටේ පූර්ණ ජනවරමක් ඇතිව සකස්කොට ජාතික රාජ්‍ය සභාවෙන් ප්‍රජාතන්ත්‍රවාදීව සම්මත වූ, එසේම  මේ රට 1815 න් පසු පළමු වරට, ව්‍යවස්ථාදායක,විධායක සහ අධිකරණ  බලතල සහ  ජනතා පරමාධි පත්‍ය සහිත  පූර්ණ නිදහස්, ස්වඉරී ජනරජයක් බවට මේ රට පත්කළ, 1972 ජනරජ ව්‍යවස්ථාව අප්‍රමාධව යළි බල ගැන්වීම යයි මම යෝජනා කරමි.

1978 ව්‍යවස්ථාව දැන් හිස,  හදවත, බඩ සහ දෙකකුල් නැති කවන්දක් වැනිය.එබැවින්46 වසරක් වැනි කෙටි කාලයක් තුල 21 වතාවක් සන්ශෝධනය කොට, රාජ්‍ය භාෂාව, පාර්ලිමෙන්තුවේ සන්යුතිය, රටේ භෞමික අඛණ්ඩතාව,රාජ්‍යයේ ඒකීය භාවය,විධායකය, රාජ්‍ය පරිපාලන රටාව වැනි සියළුම අන්ග විනාශකළ හූනියමෙන් රට, ජාතිය බේරාගැනීමට ඇති හොඳම ක්‍රමය 1978 ව්‍යවථාව දැන්වත් අහෝසිකොට,   රටේ පූර්ණ ජනවරමක් ඇතිව සකස්කොට ජාතික රාජ්‍ය සභාවෙන් ප්‍රජාතන්ත්‍රවාදීව සම්මත වූ, එසේම 1815 න් පසු පළමු වරට, මේ රටේ ව්‍යවස්ථාදායක, විධායක සහ අධිකරණ  බලතල සහ ශ්‍රී ලන්කා රාජ්‍යයේ ස්වාධිනාහ්වය, නිදහස, ස්වයිරී භාවය සහ බෞමික අඛණ්ඩතාව ස්ථාපිත කළ 1972 ජනරජ ව්‍යවස්ථාවෙන් 1978 සියළු දෝෂ භන්ග වේ. 

1972 බලගැන්විමෙන් 1978 ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ සියළුම අඩු පාඩු ඉවත්වන නිසාද , සිංහල බෞද්ධයින්ගේ අපේක්ෂාවන් ඉටුවන නිසාද,  දැනට සිටින පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ මන්ත්‍රී වරුන් 57 දෙනෙකු අඩුවනනිසාද, 13 වන සන්ශෝධනයද ඉවත් වන නිසාද, ඒ සමඟම පලාත් සභා ක්‍රමයද අහෝසිවන නිසාද, පවතින විච්චූරණ මැතිවරණ ක්‍රමමෙන්ම පක්ෂ නායකයින්ට පමණක් වගකියන දිසා මන්ත්‍රීන් වෙනුවට නැවතත් ආශනයේ චන්ද දායකයින්ට වග කියන මන්ත්‍රීන්  පත්වනවන නිසාද, 1972 සෑම අතින්ම 1978 ට වඩා මේ සිංහල බෞද්ධ රටට සාකල්‍යෙන්ම ගැලපෙන නිසාද, රට දේශපාලන වශයෙන් ස්ථාවර වන නිසාද, රජයේ වියදම බිලියන ගනනින් අඩු අන නිසාද 78 පරිච්චින්නකොට 1972  බලගැන්වීම ගැන කිසිවෙකුට එරෙහි වීමටද කිසිදු හේතුවක් නැත

1978 ජනරජ ව්‍යවස්ථාව අහෝසි කිරීමෙන් රටට ලැබෙණ ප්‍රතිලාභ පහතින් දැක්වේ.

1978 ජනරජ ව්‍යවස්ථාව අහෝසි කිරීමත් සමඟම, එම ව්‍යවස්ථාව යටතේ මේ රට හා ජාතිය විනාශකළ පහත සඳහන් සියලුම ආයතන අහෝසි වනු ඇත.

1.මේ රටට හූනියමක් වී ඇති 1994 සිට ජනාධිපති වරුන් 6 දෙනෙක් මැතිවරණවලදි අහෝසි කරණ බවට පොරොන්දුවී අහෝසි නොකළ එසේම මේ රටේ ප්‍රජාතන්ත්‍රවාදය විනාශකළ විධායක ජනාධිපති තනතුර අහෝසිවීම රටේ බෞමික අඛණ්ඩතාව නැති කළ, සුලුජන කොටස්වල බලය අසීමිතව වැඩිකළ, බෙදුම්වාදයට උත්තේජනකක් වූ, සිංහල බෞද්ධයින්ගේ බලය විනාශකළ, නියෝජිත ප්‍රජාතන්ත්‍ර වාදය විනාශකොට එය විහිලුවක් බවට පත්කළ ඒකාධිපති විධායක ජනාධිපති තනතුර අහෝසිවීම

2. මේ රටේ ඉතාමත් කාර්‍යක්ෂම පරිපාලන ක්‍රමයක්වූ දිස්ත්‍රික් පරිපාලන ක්‍රමය විනාශ කළ එසේම  රටට සෑම අතින්ම අහිතකරවූ අනවස්‍ය දෙවැනි පෙලේ විධායක, දේශපාලන.පරපුරක් සහ පලාත් සභ වැනි අනවශ්‍ය රාජ්‍ය ආයතන් රැසක් ඇතිකොටක්‍රි.පූ (394-307) පණ්ඩුකාභය රජු විසින් මේ රටේ ග්‍රාම සීමා ලකුණුකොට පිහිටවූ  සියවස් 25ක් පැරැණි පෙරදිග ලෝකයේ විශිෂ්ඨතම පාලන ක්‍රමයක් වූ  ගම්සභා ක්‍රමයද විනාශකොට, විමධ්‍යගතව තිබුණු ගමමට්ටමේ පාලනය  මධ්‍යගතකරමින් ඇතිකළ ප්‍රාදේශීය සභා නම්වූ මධ්‍යම රජයට ලැබෙන රාජ්‍ය ආදායමද කෝටි ප්‍රකෝටි ගණනින් අහිමිකළ අනෙක් අතින් රාජ්‍ය වියදම අහස උසට වැඩිකොට රට බන්ක්ලොත්  කළ දේශපාලන වසන්ගතයක් වූ පලාත් සභාද අහෝසිවීම.

3. මේ රටේ අභ්‍යන්තර පරිපාලනය විනාශ කොට ලන්කා රාජ්‍ය කොටස් 9 කට කඩා  බෙදුම්වාදයට ඉණිමන් බැඳ රට අස්ථාවර කිරීමට ඉන්දියාව විසින් අප හිස මත පැටවූ හිසරදය, 13 වන ව්‍යවස්ථා සන්ශෝධනය ඇතුළු සියළුම සන්ශෝධනද සහිතව 78 ව්‍යවස්ථාව අහෝසි වීම

4.ඒ යටතේ ස්ථාපිත, රටේ සමස්ථ දේශපාලන, පරිපාලන ක්‍රියාවළිය එකම අවුල් ජාලයක් කළ පලාත් සභා හූනියම සහ ඊට සම්භන්ධ කැබිනට් අමාත්‍ය වැටුප් සහ වරප්‍රසාධ ලබන ජනතාව විසින් ප්‍රතික්ෂේප කරණලද දේශපාලන පරාජිතයින් හා අනාතයින්  වූ ආණ්ඩුකාරවරු සහ මහ ඇමැතිවරු ඇතුළු 700ක් පමණ වන මැති ඇමතිවරුn, කියන පින්පඩි කාරයින් සහිත ජාතියේ හිස මත වසර 37ක් තිස්සේ පටවා තිබුණු මහා බරක් අහෝසි වීම 5 පලාත් සභා යටතේ ඇති සියළුම ආයතන සහ   නිලධාරින් සහ සේවකයින් අහෝසි වීම.

6. සම්ප්‍රදායික දිසා පාලනය යළි ප්‍රකෘතිමත්වී ජනතාවට දේශපාලන ඇඟිලිගැසීම් වලින් තොර සාධාරන හා කාර්‍යක්ෂම  සේවයක් ලැබී වඩා හොඳ සේවයක් ලැබීම.

රජයට ඇතිවන ප්‍රතිලාභ

6 මෙතෙක් මෙම ආයතන විසින් ලබාගත් කෝටි සිය දහස් ගානක බදු මධ්‍යම රජයට ලැබීම නිසා රාජ්‍ය භාණ්ඩාගාරය තර විම.

7. එසේම ජනාධිපති වරණයකට වැය වන රු. බිලියන15 ක් පමණ සහ විධායක ජනාධිපති වරයකු නඩත්තු කිර්‍රීමට වසරකට වැයවන කෝටි 107.7 කට (2021) ආසන්න විශාල මුදලක්ද මීට අමතරව රට පුරා ඇති හැමදාම මෙන් වසා තිබෙණ, මේ කුඩා රට පුරා පිහිටුවා ඇති අධිරාජ්‍ය වාදි නෂ්ඨාවශේෂ වන සුඛෝපභෝගී ජනාධිපති මන්දිර නඩත්තුවටද වැය වන අති විසාල මුදලත් රටට ඉතිරි කොටගෙන එම මන්දිර රටට ප්‍රයෝජනවත් වෙනත් කටයුත්තකට යොදා ගත හැකිවීම.

එසේම ජනාධිපති වරණය පැවැත්වෙන කාලය තුල නිෂ්ක්‍රීය වන රටේ ජනජීවිතය, දෙශපාලන කලකෝහාල මෙන්ම   මැතිවරණයය නිසා රටට අහිමිවන මිනිස් දින ගණන සහ ඉන් අහිමිවන ආර්ථික පාඩුවද සිදු නොවණු ඇත.

8 අනෙක් අතින් විධායක ජනාධිපතිකම අහෝසිකොට ජාතික රාජ්‍ය සභාවෙන්” පත්කෙරෙණ, රාජ්‍ය සභාවට වගකියන ලකිසුරු වරයෙන් පත්කර ගැනීමෙන් විධායක ජනාධිපතිවරයෙකු නඩත්තු කිරීමට වැය වන ඉහත වියදම් සියල්ල ඉතිරිවීම.

9 මීට අමතරව  ජනාධිපති කාර්‍යාල කාර්‍යමණඩල, උපදේශක, 6000 ක් පමණවන ප්‍රභූ ආරක්ෂක බලකාය, විදේශ ගමන්, සිය ගණනක් යාන වාහන ආදිය, විශ්‍රාම ගියවිට පවා නිළ නිවාශ,ආරක්ෂක නිලධාරීන් ඒ සඳහා නාස්තිකෙරෙන ධනස්ඛන්ධය  ඉතිරිවීම.

10 උතුරු නැගෙනහිරට පොලීස් හා ඉඩම් බලත ආදිය ඉල්ලිම සහ එසේ කරනමෙන් ඉන්දියාවේ බලපෑම නැතිවීම

11 බෙදුම්වාදි ඉල්ලීම් දුර්වල වීම

12 වර්තමාන ජනාධිපතිවරයා වැනි රටක ජන ප්‍රසාධය 0 ඇති කෙනෙකුට වුවත් 1978 ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ අන්ක 40 යටතේ මෙන් හොල්මන් ජනාධිපති වරයකු පත්විය නොහැකි වීම.

13. 1978 ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ 62 යටතේ පාර්ලිමේන්තු මත්‍රී සන්ඛ්‍යාව වූයේ 196 කි. ඒත් 1977 සීටි 168 ට වඩා 28 වැඩි කිරීමකි. 1972 බලගැන්වූවිට ජාතික ලැයිස්තුවේ 29 මෙන්ම මේ 28 දෙනාද ඉවත් වේ.ඒ අනුව වර්තමාන පාර්ලිමේන්තුවෙන් අඩුවන මුලු මන්ත්‍රීන් ගණන 57 කි.

14චන්දයකින් මැති සභයට ඒමට නොහැකි එසේම චන්දයකින් පත් වෙන ජනතා නියෝජිතයෙකු නොකරණ දේවල් කරවාගත හැකි තමන්ට ඕනෑ ගජමිතුරන් ඇතුලට ගැනීම සඳහා ජේ.ආර්. ඇතිකළ   ඊනියා ජාතික ලැයිස්තුවද අහෝසි වේ.

15 රටක මුළුමහත් ජනතාවම ප්‍රතික්ෂේප කළ පුද්ගලයෙකුට වුවද 1978 ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ 40 වන වගන්තිය යටතේ රටේ ජනාධිපති වි ඔහුගේ පුද්ගලික න්‍යාය පත්‍රය අනුව පිස්සු කෙලීමට වුවද අවස්ථාවක් ලැබීම නතර වීම.

(මීට හොඳම උදාහාරණය රනිල් වැනි. 2005 සිට 2020 දක්වාම මුළු රටම ප්‍රතික්ෂේක්ප කළ දේශපාලන අනාතයෙක් 2022 දී 40 වගන්තිය අනුවමේ රටේ ජනාධිපති විමය)

(1978 සිට අද දක්වා රට ජාතිය විනාශකළ, කෝටි ප්‍රකෝටි ගණනින් ජාතික ධනය රටට අහිමිකළ ගෙළලාගත් වන්ගෙඩියක් වැනි උරචක්‍රමාළයක් වෙණුවෙන් මෙතරම් අති විශාල ධනයක් වාර්ෂිකව වැය කරන්නේ කුමක් නිසාදැයි මම අසමි)

16.1972 ව්‍යවස්ථාව යටතේ ජනාධිපතිවරයා පත් කරණු ලබන්නේ අගමැති. එම ජනාධිපතිට, විධායක ජනාදිපතිට තරම් පරිවාර සේනා ,ආරක්ෂකයින්,කාර්‍ය මන්ඩල, යාන වාහන වැනි අධික වියදම්ද නැත.

17 ජනාධිපති වීමට 1978 ව්‍යවස්ථාවෙන් මෙන් සුළු ජනකො ටස්වල චන්දය කෙරෙහි යැපිමක්ද නැති වීම.

18. මේ සියල්ලටම වඩා අවුරුදු 34ක් වැනි කෙටි කාලයක් තුල 21 ක් වතාවක් සන්සෝධනය කළ රටේ සහ ජනතාවගේ පොදු යහපතට  වඩා දේශපාලකයින්ගේ හුදු පැවැත්ම සඳහා සම්මත කරණලද එක් ආත්මාර්ථකාමි පුද්ගලයෙකුගේ අවෂ්‍යතාවන් පිරිමසා ගැනීමට 7,1.14 සහ 16 වැනි සන්ශෝධන සහ  මේ රටේ භෞතික අඛණඩතාව,ස්වයිරී භාවය ස්වාධිපත්‍ය, ආර්ථිකය සහ රාෂ්ට්‍රපාලන යාන්ත්‍රණය මුලුමනින්ම අක්‍රීයකොට මේ රටේ භූමිපුත්‍රයිනිගේ අභිලාෂයන්ට වඩා ඉන්දියාවේ අභිලාෂයන් ඉටුකරගැනීම සඳහා සකස්කළ 13 වන සන්ශෝධනය ඇතුළු සන්ශෝධන 21ක් නිසා 1978 ආණ්ඩු ක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාව, ව්‍යවස්ථාවකට වඩා සතිපතා පුවත්පතක් බවට පත්කොට ඇති ව්‍යවස්ථාව නැමැති මේ රට විනාශකළ දේශපාලන හුනියම අහෝසිවීම.

මේ අණුව වසර 37 ක අවිචාරවත් හා විනාශකාරී දේශපාලන සහ පරිපාලන ශාපයක් අවසන්වණු ඇත

මින්පසු උදාවන නවයුගය

1978 ව්‍යවස්ථාව පරිඡ්චින්න කිරීමත් සමඟම විධායක ජනාධිපතිකමද අහෝසිවනවා.ඒ සමඟම නව ව්‍යවස්ථාවක් සම්මත කරගන්නා තුරු 1972 ජනරජ විවස්ථාව පැනවෙනවා.

අගමැති වරයා ඇතුලු අමාත්‍ය මණ්ඩලය ඊලඟට නව ජනාධිපති වරයෙක් පත්කර ගන්නවා. ඒ සමඟම මෙ රටේ නව සිංහල බෞද්ධ නායකත්වයක් යටතේ සුභ අනාගතයක්ද උදාවෙනවා.

 ඉහත සඳහන් හේතු නිසා වර්තමාන පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ සිටින මහජන නියෝජිතයින්ගෙන් මේ රටට හා ජනතාවට ආදරයක් තිබේනම් 1978 ව්‍යවස්ථාව -මේ රට විනාශකළ ජේ. ආ.ර් ගේ   දේශපාලන උගුල” වහාම අහෝසිකොට කුණුකූඩයට දමා, , ජාතික රාජ්‍යසභාව වඳ ගැහැනියකු” බවට පත්නොකර, 1972 ව්‍යවස්ථාව ප්‍රකාර ලකිසුරු (ජනාධිපති) වරයෙකු යටතේ පූර්ණ බලතල සහිත ජාතික රාජ්‍ය සභාවක්” පත්කරගෙන අපගේ මාතෲභූමියට නව යුගයක් උදාකරගන්නා මෙන්, රට, ජාතිය සහ බුදු සසුනේ චිරස්තිථිය සඳහා, මේ උතුම් වසර 2566 ක අභිමානවත් ඉතිහාශයක් ඇති සිංහල බෞද්ධ ජාතිය වෙනුවෙන් දේශප්‍රේමී,ජාති හිතෛෂී ජනාධිපති වරයා ඇතුළු පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ සිටින සියලුම මන්ත්‍රී වරුන්ගෙන් දේශ්ප්‍රේමයෙන් සහ ජාත්‍යාලයෙන් මම ඉල්ලා සිටිමි.

Courtesy Hiru News

“සලකුණ” අරලිය සමූහ ව්‍යාපාරයේ සභාපති, ඩඩ්ලි සිරිසේන සමඟ,

Prof. Hudson McLean

How Safe & Secure are the  Security Operational  Functions & Details of Global Political & Commercial Leaders? 

When a bullet transmitted by a highly visible weapon, reached the Ear of an ex-President of USA”, despite a highly professional Team of Secret Service Security personnel, the Safety Operational Control of Security is a Question Mark!

Events proved from the time of Jesus Christ, the closest Disciple, Confidant like Judas Iscariot,  gave the Kiss of Death for a few Pieces of Silver!

Julius Caesar was stabbed on his back by Brutus!

Several Presidents of USA were brought down by a bullet.

Even the Pope of the Catholic Church suffered an attack in the Vatican despite the protection of his colourful Swiss Guards.

The Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was shot by her own trusted” Sikh security guard.

The Prime Minister of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) S.W.R.D Bandaranaike was shot by a Buddhist Monk!

When the trusted Attorney Michael Cohen, who stated that he would take a bullet for President Trump, gave Confidential” details to the public, during a bust-up by-passing his Professional Ethics & Code of Conduct .

Michael Schumacher’s Former Bodyguard Blackmails  the Family  demanding for over Euro 12 million, for  holding Sensitive Material.

So many other leaders have suffered the Fate of the Trusted security detail breach, either embarking on a corrupt scheme, to take advantage, or totally turn a blind eye on their asset!

            Now To The Food Chain! 

Canaries are used in Mines to check Oxygen, Why Not Mice & Rats as Food Tasters to Check Poisons!

Whilst the obvious and highly visual Personal Security today is a Question Mark on its Viability, even a greater concern is highlighted on the invisibility of the security of the Food Chain.

The Food Chain is at worst is several thousand kilometres long, hundreds of operational humans and complex with tons of variables both in Time & in Distance.  

Several English kings, a Catholic Pope and many  important persons died of food poisoning.

Air travel even in your Private Personal Official Jet, either the food is brought with you or secured on arrival at a foreign airport, the security logistics is a nightmare.

How to protect a Country Leader crossing boundaries having to eat what is being offered?

Should the Official Food taster stand behind the dignitary with a fork and taste a bite off the plate?

Should the bottle of water, checked if the top seal is unbroken, and the food taster checks the safety!

Or should the VVIP carry his own starved Food Tasting Mice in a special cage?

Can every bottle of wine is checked if a few drops of Eye Drops were inserted in between the serving?

No Animal Deserves Cruelty!

However there is an opening for starved Mice & Rats being used as a disposable Food Tasters!

Should an animal be used as a Guinea Pig to Save a Human Life?

Express Your Opinion – Read What Others Say!
The Independent Interactive Voice of Sri Lanka on the Internet.

Please visit -: http://www.lankaweb.com/

Prof. Hudson McLean

January 20, 2025.  The Inauguration day.

The Proof of the Pudding on 21st January 2025!

Cease Fire?  The Trump Kiss Worked?

Ukraine is Redundant!

NATO Does Not Need Ukraine Anymore.

NATO has now Finland & Sweden as Members.

Russia Keeps 20%++ of Ukraine Territory.

With a 1000 Km Demilitarized Zone under UK-Geermany-France-Italy (NATO)!

Trump & the KISS! 

Carrot & the Stick!

Cease Fire!

If Ukraine Does Not Cease Fire No More USA Support

If Russia Does Not Cease Fire – USA Supports Ukraine

Simple Basic Logic

An Old Adage KISS

Keep It Simple Stupid!

CHAPA නිදහස්

CHAPA නිදහස්

July 9, 2022 ඕමල්පේ හිමිගෙ බෞද්ධ විරෝධී ත්‍රස්ත ප්‍රකාශය!

උපුටා ගැන්ම ලංකා සී නිව්ස්

නව පාර්ලිමේන්තු සැසිය ආරම්භයේදී ජය මංගල ගාථා නොකියූ නිසා රටට සාපයක් වැදී ඇත්දැයි සිතන බව සමගි ජන බලවේග පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත‍්‍රී නලින් බණ්ඩාර මහතා පවසයි.

අද පැවති මාධ්‍ය හමුවකදී ඔහු මෙම අදහස් පල කලේය.

ගංවතුර තත්ත්වය හේතුවෙන් රටේ අක්කර තුන් ලක්ෂ අසූදහසකට ආසන්න ප්‍රමාණයක් ජලයෙන් යටවෙලා තිබෙනවා. ගං වතුරෙන් හානියට පත් මෙම ඉඩම් සඳහා වන්දි ලබාදෙන්න රජය රුපියල් බිලියනයක් වෙන්කරලා තිබෙනවා. කෙසේ නමුත් මේ අනුව එක අක්කරයකට ලැබෙන්නේ රුපියල් 2600 ක් වගේ සුලු මුදලක්. ඒ අනුව හානියට පත් ඉඩම් වෙනුවෙන් රුපියල් බිලියනයක් ප්‍රමාණවත් වෙන්නේ නෑ.

අවම රුපියල් බිලියන 20 ක්වත් රජය මේ සඳහා වෙන් කළ යුතුයි. ගොවින්ට කුඹුර නැවත යථා තත්ත්වයට පත් කරගන්න විශාල මුදලක් වැය වෙනවා. ඒ වගේම වැව් , අමුණු , හානියට පත්වෙලා තිබෙනවා. ඒවා නැවත පිලිසකර කළ යුතුයි. ඒ නිසා මේ මුදල කිසිසේත් ප්‍රමාණවත් නෑ. කිසිදු තක්සේරුවකින් තොරව තමයි රජය මේ රුපියල් බිලියනයක් වෙන් කරලා තිබෙන්නේ.

ආණ්ඩුව ප්‍රකාශ කළා හානියට පත්වුණ කුඹුරුවලට රුපියල් 40,000 ක වන්දියක් ගෙවනවා කියලා. ඒ රුපියල් 40,000 ත් ප්‍රමාණවත් නැති බව ආදිවාසි නායක වන්නිල ඇත්තන් ප්‍රකාශ කරලා තිබෙනවා. කුඹුරක් සී සාන්නවත් ඒ මුදල ප්‍රමාණවත් නැති බව වන්නිල ඇත්තන් ප්‍රකාශ කරලා තිබෙනවා. ඒ රුපියල් 40,000 න් මොනවාද කරන්න පුලුවන් කියලා කුඹුරුට බැහැලා හොයලා බලන්න කියලා නාමල් කරුණාරත්න නියෝජ්‍ය ඇමැතිවරයාගෙන් අපි ඉල්ලා සිටිනවා. මේ ආකාරයට කෘෂිකර්ම ඇමැතිලා , කෘෂිකර්ම නියෝජ්‍ය ඇමැතිලා ගැන අපිට කණගාටුයි. එදා කෘෂිකර්ම නියෝජ්‍ය ඇමැති නාමල් කරුණාරත්න ගොවින් සමග එකතුවෙලා උද්ඝෝෂණ කළා , විරෝධතා සිදුකළා. නමුත් අද නියෝජ්‍ය ඇමැති නාමල් කරුණාරත්න ගොවින්ගේ ප්‍රශ්න වෙනුවෙන් පෙනී සිටිම අමතක කරලා තිබෙනවා. නිසි තක්සේරුවන් සිදුකරලා ගොවින්ට අවශ්‍ය වන්දි ලබාදෙන ලෙස අපි රජයෙන් ඉල්ලා සිටිනවා.

ඒ වගේම ගං වතුරෙන් පීඩාවට පත් ජනතාවට සහන සැලසිම සඳහා රජයේ දායකත්වය ප්‍රමාණවත් නැහැ. රටේ සිදුවුණ අපදා අවස්ථාවන් කළමනාකරණය කරන්න දායක වුණේ රජයේ නිලධාරින් පමණයි. අපදාවන්ට සහන සැලසිමේදී රටේ දේශපාලන මැදිහත්වීම අවම මට්ටමක පැවැති බව තමයි වාර්තා වෙන්නේ.

රටේ අපදාවක් සිදුවු අවස්ථාවලදී පෙර පැවැති රජයවල්වල දායකත්වය ඉහළින් ලැබුණා. ජනාධිපතිවරයා , අගමැතිවරයාගේ සහ මැති ඇමැතිවරුන්ගේ දායකත්වය ලැබුණා. නමුත් මේවර දේශපාලන දායකත්වයකින් තොරව රාජ්‍ය නිලධාරින්ගේ දායකත්වයෙන් තමයි මේ අපදා තත්ත්වය කළමනාකරණය කරගන්න හැකිවෙලා තිබෙන්නේ. අද්දැකිම් නැති ආණ්ඩුවට අපදා තත්ත්වයකදී රටේ තත්ත්වය කළමනාකරණය කරගැනිමට නොහැකි ආණ්ඩුවක් ඉදිරියේදී රටේ ජනතාව කළමනාකරණය කරගන්නේ කෙසේ ද කියන ප්‍රශ්නය මතුවෙනවා”

by Melani Manel Perera Courtesy PIME Asia News

In northern and eastern Sri Lanka, people held a peaceful day of remembrance on 27 November for their civil war dead. Despite bad weather, they laid flowers, candles, and fruit in Maaveerar Thuyilam Illam, heroes’ final homes. No restrictions were imposed under the new government. Muthukumara, a businessman from Colombo told AsiaNews, that everyone is a human being,” urging the government to go ahead with peace.”

Colombo (AsiaNews) – Flowers, lamps, candles, coconuts and other fruit are, according to Tamil tradition, offered on 27 November to remember the war dead. Despite heavy rains and the threat of Cyclone Fengal, communities in the northern and eastern Sri Lanka observed “Maaveerar Naal”, Great Heroes’ Day, in memory of those who died during the country’s civil war (1983-2009).

On this occasion, lamps are lit and solemn prayers recited. But for Tamils, this is the first time in 15 years that they can freely commemorate their dead. Many people in southern Sri Lanka who spoke to AsiaNews said that peaceful remembrance “is a right of Tamils”.

Unlike previous years, the recently installed National People’s Power administration of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has not tried to impose legal restrictions or tried to stop commemorations.

The families of those who lost loved ones joined in common prayers, gathering in places called “Maaveerar Thuyilam Illam”, or Heroes’ Homes, for the fallen in war, but also in temples and churches, to pay tribute.

Special platforms supported by poles were erected to allow people to pay their respect to those who fought with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for the freedom of their traditional homeland in the northern and eastern regions of the island.

According to reporters covering events in the northern and eastern provinces, more than 200 cemeteries were visited, in almost every district in this part of the country

Ramalingam Chandrasekar, the new Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic and Ocean Resources, said that the government would not stop those who wanted to celebrate “Maaveerar Naal”, noting that they have the right to do so.

At the “Thuyilum Illam” in Kanagapuram, tributes were paid to the fallen, while hundreds of people decorated the place with red and yellow flags, waving in the rain and wind, witnesses reported.

This scene was repeated at other cemeteries in Mullaitivu Theravil, Mannar Atkattiveli and Jaffna Kodikamam, where friends and family, including children, gathered.

Fifteen years after the end of the civil war, which saw the LTTE’s fight for a Tamil homeland crushed, the parents of those who lost their lives against the Sri Lankan army, paid homage to their sons and daughters.

In Jaffna and eastern Batticaloa, Tamils peacefully paid their respect at the Tharavai cemetery and the campus of the Eastern University. People showed up in large numbers with flowers, candles, and incense sticks. Events were also organised in Tharmapuram, Killinochi District, at the “Maaveerar Thuyilum Illam” in Koppai and at the University of Jaffna.

In Mullaitivu, soldiers and police did not interfere with Heroes’ Day preparations, but the organising committee reports ongoing surveillance and intimidation by the intelligence service.

In Mullivaikkal, where the last battle took place, the parents of the war dead, their relatives, former LTTE members, and the public gathered, braving the pouring rain, and paid solemn tribute.

Politicians in the northern and eastern provinces also joined the commemorations held in their respective regions. They include the leader of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (part of the Tamil National People’s Front), and Jaffna District MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, Batticaloa District MP Shanakkiyan Rasamanikkam, and  Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization leader and Vanni District MP Selvam Adaikalanathan.

“We in the south and even past governments every year considered this anniversary as a great terrorist act carried out by Tamils. This is quite wrong. Everyone is a human being. Those who died are also their relatives,” said Namal Muthukumara, a businessman from Colombo, speaking to AsiaNews.

If a man does not allow another man to commemorate his dead relatives, then who will? We are happy. This is the first year we have not heard any court order or harassment by the police and the army against the people commemorating this day. This government should go ahead with peace,” he added.

A woman working for a private company in Colombo, Mala Karunaseeli, also spoke to AsiaNews. When will the people of this country forgive and shake hands with the innocent Tamils in the north and the east? People should forget the wrongs of the past and unite in peace for the good of all human beings.”

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Colombo, December 2 (Daily Mirror) – Referring to the recent actions of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya which has gained much publicity, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Nalin Bandara Jayamaha today said both should stop grandstanding

The MP was referring to the report that said Prime Minister Amarasuriya had visited a supermarket on her own and the report that President Dissanayake had walked from the Presidential Secretariat to the Finance Ministry.

The Prime Minister’s grandstanding comes at a time when the country is hit by a serious natural disaster. She should learn to manage her time. She has so many institutions under her purview which need her attention. She should focus on these rather than putting up a show and wasting her time,” the MP said.

We can do the shopping for you, Prime Minister,” he added in a lighter vein.

I have the same remark on the actions of President Dissanayake. He does not have to do grandstand by walking but should manage his time even by using a helicopter,” the MP said.

Also, he said the recent flood could be an ill omen triggered by not reciting Jaya Mangala Gatha at the ceremonial opening of the tenth Parliament.

He said the Rs 1 billion which the government has allocated to provide relief to those affected by the floods is hardly sufficient. At least Rs 20 billion is needed to provide proper relief,” he said.

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Colombo, December 2 (Daily Mirror) – A delay in issuing a crucial circular/Gazette has put over 200 specialist doctors in Sri Lanka at risk of premature retirement, threatening the country’s public health service, Daily Mirror learns

Despite a Court of Appeal ruling that extended the retirement age for specialist doctors in state hospitals to 63 years, and cabinet approving the same on 19th June 2024, the Ministry of Public Administration has yet to implement the decision through an official circular/Gazette.

The controversy arose after a general circular and Gazette from the Ministry of Public Administration mandated retirement for public servants at 60 years. This prompted medical specialists to seek legal recourse, which resulted in the court’s decision to raise their retirement age to 63 years.

While the Ministry of Health has complied by issuing its own circular aligning with the ruling, the Ministry of Public Administration has not yet formalized the decision. This administrative inaction has created uncertainty among specialists turning 60 by December 31, who are unsure if they will be permitted to continue their service.

Sources further indicate that affected doctors have been inquiring with the ministry to resolve the matter. However, with the year’s end fast approaching, their future in public health remains unclear.

Meanwhile, Daily Mirror’s attempts to contact a senior official at Public Administration Ministry failed.

Shenali D Waduge

With every government, the separatists have managed to continue their roadmap successfully. Inspite of this, the election results of the North saw a significant rejection of parties that had been mooting separatism & ethnic tensions though essentially the Tamil populace have had little or no opportunity to raise their voice accept to take orders either from LTTE, Tamil politicians peddling separatism, India, NGO circles, Western-linked clergy & from LTTE Diaspora as they all hold carrots of promises over the people. The incremental successes are now converging towards an ultimate goal, whether it will happen under the watch of a new government is left to be seen. The new government must comprehend the dangers at stake & realize that the separatists have arrived at their last mile & the political careers of the party will end the moment the separatists achieve their goal.

Role of Tamil Politicians

• Creating ITAK in 1949 (year after independence) camouflaged as Federal Party. ITAK means Tamil State.
• Following Tamil Nadu quest for self-determination launched via We Tamil Movement of which the Jesuit created Dravida movement by Bishop Caldwell was a precursor with fake history being created by tasking academics to re-write a new history. It is no surprise that this trend is being continued.
• Manipulating well-choreographed ethnic situations to push for deals that would incrementally draw closer to their political goals. Bandaranaike-Chelvanayagam Pact made issue over language but mooted devolution the first post-independence step towards administratively achieving their goal.
• As Sambanthan late ITAK leader claimed at its 2012 Convention, only the modus operandi has changed but the main objective of separating from Sri Lanka remains unchanged. Part of that modus operandi has been attempting to align with the main political parties during coalition governments & press to facilitate the path to their objective or to strike deals for votes during elections in which more demands are agreed by main political parties to come to power. This is revealed when post-election they demand the promised pound of flesh.
• The Tamil politicians take turns & pass baton to each other whether they work with the government or part of the opposition. As Sambanthan declared their objective remains unhinged. They take turns to make their position clear either directly, subtly or in the form of using new politicians to play the joker part even inside the halls of Parliament & declare his God to be Prabakaran knowing no action would be taken against him except to ice it off by diverting attention with a drama until the tensions subsided.

The foundation laid by the Tamil politicians and academics via Vaddukoddai Resolution in 1976 changed baton to armed militant groups. The moderate of these were all wiped out by the LTTE.

Role of Tamil separatist armed movements

• Initially trained, aided & armed by India in the late 1970s – over 30 such Tamil movements were created of which LTTE became the most ruthless & took over leadership having eliminated the leaders of the other movements. The armed effort failed when the lion flag was hoisted islandwide in May 2009.

Role of Geopolitics & their Alliances

• India used armed militancy to demand signing of Indo-Lanka Accord in 1987to amalgamate the North & East provinces primarily due to Trincomalee harbor located in the East province, creating a bogus Tamil homeland” history & amend Sri Lanka’s Constitution to create the 13^th amendment and the provincial council system which would facilitate India to influence the North & Eastern areas easily.
• The West, UN, the Church, the NGOs & their Media – all played key roles throughout the conflict – Church links to LTTE is clear & can be seen when LTTE buried their dead & put up tombs though their fighters were Hindus., mass conversions of Hindus took place throughout the conflict, there is also allegations of human/child smuggling which needs to be further investigated, the NGOs were also located in the areas in close proximity to LTTE offices & were used to pass funding, gather information & provide other forms of assistance via their international offices, the Western media was used to negate & destabilize Sri Lanka, tarnish the image of the armed forces, the Sinhalese & the Sangha via their news coverage.
• While India became closer to US upon signing the QUAD, that partnership is seeing a decline following US role in Bangladesh regime change & US slapping BJPs key investor Adani indicting for bribery triggering questions of his role in Sri Lanka’s deals with Sri Lankan politicians as well. In inviting the US to Asia, India forgot or miscalculated US eventual goal to balkanize India as they did to the Soviet Union & Yugoslavia.
• India has been making inroads amongst Tamils in the North, East & Central Province so too has the US envoy. Why are both entities wooing the Tamils of North, East, Central Province? They are giving scholarships, tapping youth, training public sector – there is not an area they have not poked their presence into. Have their outreach programs been audited in the use of their funds, monitored & followed up to ensure these are not used to destabilize Sri Lanka. These are all interventions & interferences that should not be ignored or taken lightly. 
• Manipulating vote bank politics, the LTTE Diaspora has managed to pass resolutions in nations & Geneva against Sri Lanka using fake propaganda sans facts or evidence, there are genocide weeks being falsely celebrated, fake history being promoted, LTTE memorials being held & lies have become accepted as facts. These however, will eventually help when the declaration for independence does come. These actions have not been powerfully challenged by the GoSL & their apparatus.
• How many of Sri Lanka’s politicians, political parties, policy advisors or even foreign Ministry & other Sri Lankan think tanks observed how far Indian BJP’s Arkhand Bharath map which encompasses Sri Lanka is inter-linked to the connectivity partnerships being pushed by air, sea, rail, road, currency & digital links with India as well as handing over to India Sri Lanka’s key ports, airports, harbors and even strategically geopolitical areas. 
• Simultaneously, how much as US penetrated as part of its triangular ACSA, SOFA, MCC agenda especially as US builds up its defense in the Indian Ocean for an eventual confrontation with China in the South China Seas. How far as US cadastral maps, digitalizing of lands and using USAID to partner with local conglomerates using agriculture” as a front lead to Sri Lanka’s losing its agri-land & whatever self-sustainability we have left? US/West is also denationalizing our citizens via education/media/cultural/economic funding – attempting to lure our youth to become transgenders & LGBTQIA while feeling no sense of pride in the Nation & not desiring to defend the nation, all tools to make their inroads easier.

Path to separatism 

• Changing the constitution – removing all provisions that have protected the sovereignty of Sri Lanka in particular removing the foremost place of Buddhism as this has been since colonial rule regarded as the pillar that protected not only the Nation but all people both majority & minorities. Making a new constitution that is weak, vulnerable & not only lead to the separation of Sri Lanka but lead to complete disharmony & tensions amongst all enabling plenty of external influences & players in all forms to take over the entire island in due course.
• Calling for the removal of the Executive Presidency WITHOUT removal of 13^th amendment is to facilitate the declaration of Eelam.
• Demanding 13^th amendment – land, police, archaeological sites, minerals, all falling under the gambit of the North & East provinces & creating an initial asymmetrical federalism prior to declaring an independent state. Provincial Council elections is likely to now perhaps lead to even Sumanthiran becoming Chief Minister, with a Tamil as Governor – all ingredients in place to facilitate the separation.
• Demands for removal of Armed Forces & Army Camps – the main objective here is to remove all avenues for the Govt of Sri Lanka to regain the unified nation established in May 2009 after the defeat of the LTTE & hoisting of the National Flag. It is most likely that a situation will be created where hired gangs (as was seen immediately after the recent Presidential/General Elections) of people demanding the army leave the North to create the ground scenario for the pro-separatist media both locally & internationally to relay to the world the need to establish a separate interim-government towards a separate state. Having removed military bases & soldiers from the North, the government will have to shameless & silently watch Sri Lanka being split.
• The recent increase in vandalism on Buddhist heritage sites & archaeological sites in the North & East are no isolated incidents, the involvement of Tamil politicians arriving to claim these as theirs & using their political clout to silence the truth.
• The claim that Tamils were Buddhists also fits into this ulterior motive to claim all Buddhist archaeological sites as theirs & aligned to the final goal of laying claim to them & eventually erasing them & replacing them with non-Buddhist sites as we see already happening. This is nothing but cultural genocide to which all governments & officials have failed to protect & preserve.
• The 16^th amendment making Tamil only the official language in the North & East have denied fundamental rights of the Sinhalese living in these areas & even their administrative needs & rights have been ignored. The Sinhalese that live in these areas especially the children are mistreated as aliens, the public sector mostly influenced by minorities are never sympathetic to their needs & they live a hard life where even schools are denied basic infrastructure facilities.

Connect the dots & see where all the demands lead to – a Separate State! 

• In all probability, the LTTE Diaspora who have been peddling for a separate state from overseas are unlikely to come & take over reigns, while they are unlikely to be accepted by their own people & sooner than later the North & East will either fall into Indian or US hands for their geopolitical goals.Ironically, majority of Tamil politicians who have peddled the separatist agenda to advance their political careers have had their children married off to Sinhalese. Eventually, Tamils will realize too late that they have been pawns in a bigger game. With the likely scenario known to most, the high caste elite Tamils are either already settled in foreign climes or have relocated to Colombo leaving the rest of the Tamils to suffer their irreversible fate, one that no soldier life can be sacrificed again.
• If anyone is still in doubt the US, West & UN created 2 ethno-religious states – Kosovo & South Sudan. Kosovo today is a smugglers-drug-prostitute paradise. South Sudan is in utter chaos & none of those who promoted a separate state want anything to do with either Kosovo or South Sudan. Both are suffering on their own.
• The Government must realize the separatist team are all internationally positioned apart from the hired politicians & their supporters who are promoting a separate state. Majority of Tamils are keeping silent as they have been morphed into believing a fake history drilled into them from childhood & ideologically promoted via the Jaffna state university academia.

This government will recall how they sacrificed their lives in protest of the Indo-Lanka Accord that internationally laid the foundation for a separate state.

Their sacrifices cannot be forgotten & we must support this government not to commit to any decision that will likely facilitate the above shown roadmap. Therefore, the Govt must rethink giving into all of the above demands while Tamils too must wonder – is it worth it to want to become a Kosovo or South Sudan or East Timor & many of the other failed separate states” that were created for the geopolitical agendas of others.

Shenali D Waduge

Dr Ruwan M Jayatunge M.D.

According to the Western chronological records, the first patients who showed PTSD-like symptomatology were recorded in 1666. These records were based on Samuel Pepy’s diary, which described the bizarre behavior pattern of the survivors of the Great Fire of London.  Samuel Pepy vividly portrayed the nightmares, intrusions and flashbacks experienced by these survivors.  

Although the Western World recorded PTSD-like symptoms in 1666, King Seethawaka Rajasinghe – the 16th Century monarch of Sri Lanka, is believed to have suffered from combat-related PTSD, and his disturbed behavior was recorded in the ancient scripts. The king’s abnormal behavior pattern was described in the Chulawansaya – the ancient chronicle and by the Portuguese historian Fernão de Queyroz. In his publication titled ‘Temporal and Spiritual Conquest of Ceylon, Queyroz writes about King Seethawaka Rajasinghe ‘s behavior in the later stages in detail. These writings came prior to Samuel Pepy’s diary.  

The Portuguese came to Sri Lanka in 1505 and launched a massive armed campaign against the islanders. The King Seethawaka Rajasinghe (1544 A.D.D – 1593 A.D) was a great warrior who came to the battlefield at the age of 16. He fought against the Portuguese invaders and witnessed many deaths and destruction. He was a fearless fighter who used proficient war tactics and overpowered the fully equipped and fully trained Portuguese Army that was considered a superpower in the 16th century.  e King Seethawaka Rajasinghe defeated the Portuguese in a number of decisive battles. His military campaigns prevented Sri Lanka from becoming a Portuguese Colony. Following long years of combat,  King Seethawaka Rajasinghe was exhausted and unquestionably suffered from battle fatigue. In the later years,  King Seethawaka Rajasinghe showed outbursts of anger, irritability, deep mistrust, alienation, emotional numbing and various other PTSD-related symptoms.

YouTube Presentation: 

King Seethawaka Rajasinghe -The Monarch who suffered from PTSD

History & Psychology Discussion: By Professor Raj Somadeva and Dr. Ruwan M Jayatunge;

Link : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wsp9FlDeyU

Prof. Hudson McLean

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Time will Tell – Success or Failure!

Express Your Opinion – Read What Others Say!
The Independent Interactive Voice of Sri Lanka on the Internet.

Please visit -: http://www.lankaweb.com/

Sarath  Wijesinghe President’s Counsel, Solicitor in England and Wales  former Ambassador to UAE and Israel and President Ambassador’s Forum

Tourist Tourism and hospitality trade

Tourist is one who travels away from the residence for a period  over 24 hours for pleasure, leisure rest,holiday in addition to any other reason. But human by nature is  to travel  at any available opportunities are ready to travel and explore as has been done for generations. Human travelled to explore and better green pasters with better resources facialists and environments.With modern facilities to travel human adopted new and quicker methods of conveyance for the human development reached today with faster and most advanced  modes of conveyance, until most modern methods  are developed on Artificial Intelligence or other means to transmit themselves via most modern methods  as now when we watch on movies showing the future travel on space which the human may experience in the near future. This is the era for tourists and tourism which is the most productive and fast moving  industry in the  world which is easy for any nation to prosper with available resources and the geographical positioning of  the nation, add to hospitality which is also a consumer item available at a certain consideration. Hospitality is meeting and greeting with a worm hand for or with a consideration, and in tourism it is prices as payment for tourism all inclusive with food and  other requirements and facilities. Ambassador’s forum has published volume 11 on tourism with 40 chapters available to read free on Google Drive, in addition to number of articles on tourism by teh author all research based articles.

Fastest growing industry

It is the fastest growing and easiest industry that contributes 2.3 trillion in USA, 1.3 trillion in China, and 237.1 billion in Whilst contributing 2.5% in Sri Lanka earning 2.35 billion as revenue, when the potential of tourism is much more as the real potential is not properly, and scientifically exploited to the maximum capacity, despite the positive factors the nation possesses to be the best tourist  destination on the Globe. Sri Lanka is an ideal compact island tailormade for tourism, yet needs modernisation to bring to world standards to attract tourist of the world over state intervention and State Private partnership is required to take off as a tourist hub in the powerful Indian ocean. It is pleased to note the governance has realised the potential and need  to promote tourism in this country with a great potential for tourism with least effort making use of the available resources, and natural beauty and excellent climate conditions differ in a matter of the drive of few miles on the excellent network of roads surrounded by beautiful sceneries. It is unfortunate these beauty, and other advantages are not properly and fully utilised to promote tourism in Sri Lanka, despite high literary rate, IT penetration with youth with kentledge on modern technology,and we see some rays of hopes when articles published, and the positive approach of the head of tourism and the activism of the line Minister who appear to understand the need and a vision for future tourism that could change economic downturn on positive directions.

Public Private Partnership on tourist industry

France is leading as the most visited tourist hotspot,with arrival of 100 million  tourists earning 685 billion with activism from the public sector and private sector exploiting all resources on heritage, culture, geographical positioning, and econimic factors. France was quick on grabbing Olympic and the theme park at initial stages as a leader on tourism using Eiffel  tower as an emblem of tourist industry and grabbing Olympic to France and using the brand name Eiffel to teh world have brought them to the top of the league on tourism. UK earns 237.1 billion contributing 9.9 trillion to the GDP making use of the position as a business hub and being a world power for teh benefit of the tourist industry which is linked to business and political culture. Business community and trade and industry organizations work hand in hand with the state on the promotion of tourism which is a classic example for Sri Lanka to follow as teh legal system and the governance. USA earns 175.9 billion collecting 2645 per tourist which is an example to out industry depending on only 149$ from each tourist. It is salutary for THASL to invite Minister Herath to plenteous and historic Mount Lavinia and FT to give publicity to the event that will help the tourist industry to  take off internationally and encourage for more and more public private cooperation on the industry. These information indicates how important the state intervention and PP partnership is needed for a leading tourist culture. There is lot for us to learn from the success of these tourism leaders.

Speech by Minster Herath

Speech by the line Minister Herath is straight and to the  point on policy and strategy is commendable and sending the  message across to all the sector locally and internationally, that is a new venter innovation competition with ethers, to raise 169$per day income to international standards when Maldives are attracting high end tourist only with the main resource shallow water and small islands. He said it is more than an industry and it reflects, history,culture and past glory our tourist industry has not properly made use when we possess highest standards in all these sectors. He further mentions on new venters,inventions, competition and devirilization which is the talk of the town linked to general developments.’’THASEL’’ the hoteliers organisation headed by Mr ‘’Shantikumar’’ we understand is controlling 70% of the industry and we as Ambassador’s forum in UK/SL pleased to organize few events in Sri Lanaka with the assistance of Mount Lavinia hotel, Dr Hans Wijesuruya and ICTA he is heading on activating and promoting 66the digitalization process of Sri Lanka which is the need of the hour in all sectors especially on good governance and tourism. There is a good word for the head of tourism and  Mt Lavinia hotel for sponsoring promotional events that is need to be followed by others for the benefit of themselves and the  nation as a whole.

Developments of the  Industry as a leading Mega and SME based industry

 Tourism has gained grounds after the introduction  of air travel and  revolutinary IT developments for the tourism industry to communicate easier, cheaper and faster for the industry to thrive as an industry providing the maximum GDB of world and the  respective nations when Sri Lanka gets substantial amount for GDP on tourism ever increasing. Though small in size Sri Lanka have been in the map of tourist industry for decades famous among travellers countries and other sectors such as historians religious leaders and those interested in international business  and international  relations. Lot is written on the beauty of Sri Lanka culture and Buddhism as a leader of the Theravada Buddhist Chapter and ag an agriculture entity with a great history. Sri Lanka is a beautiful compact island with all requirements and resources to be the  best tourist destination yet not fully exploited the  natural beauty and resources to the maximum capacity, and a country with place of religious and areological significance  interest and places of Worship of many religions.

Traveller

Any traveller will as the initial step look at the bank balance and leave available for travel if employed and days available if in business, and find the destination on the internet and making inquiries from friends, relations and others known and reputed on travel experience and knowledge on  world affairs. Traveller may have different kinds of interests needs or requirements as the human nature is for varied and interest which is the human nature. Today with the ‘IT’ literary rates and the modern way of life of internet age  is the most probable vehicle for an average citizen to find available information is the  internet that has is taken over  reliable and efficient mode of communication and collection of information    any average person will browse the net looking for a destination based on the knowledge they have collected form friends and media in addition to  heresy evidence. There are ample  of tourist destinations  world over offering tourism to the prospective tourists with facilities, perks and have taken measures to publishes their destinations. Therefore it is a competitive business and it is necessary to live up to the expectations of the tourists  expecting world standards at a competitive price with modern filialities. Comparison online is very easy on the developments on the internet and standards  are maintained con comparative basis on the other competitors, as the  famous adage ‘’Sri Lanka is not the only beautiful girl on the beach’’ showing there are lot more competitors such as India, China, Vietnam, Maldives, Nepal, and many other  Competitors  for Sri Lanka is close vicinity or even far away. In addition to providing necessary requirements and faciality’s to the  tourists and tourism giving priority to the internet the world has access cheap and easily with the click  of a button click from anywhere of the world and it is imperative the tourist nations must give priority to make use the modern form of publicity to popularize tourism in Sri Lanka to teh world. Fortunately Sri Lanka can provide most of the needs of tourist in this compact island in addition to the inherent smile with teh common man adds to hospitality the avenge tourist is awaiting for.

Countries offer tourism to travellers

Tourism is the fastest growing, profitable, and productive industry to manage with limited investments that provides substantial sums to the GDP of the  world and the respective countries. Most visited country is France followed by USA, UK, China and many due to various reasons despite the cost as due to teh need and teh demand. GDP from tourism globally and especially by USA, FRANCE, UK, China and many other countries are substantial and they give emphasis for the promotion of tourism as a priority with vigorous promotional activities and  providing facilities to the tourists at competitive prices. Small nations depend on tourism more than major powers as they need foreign exchange and the easiest mode  from tourism to be obtained the maximum benefit from the available resource and offering hospitality and the needs of the tourists, looking for a change and novelty in life away from the busy life they lead in urban lifestyle. UAE is a small nation on the top bracket on tourism with minimum resources has invested their newly found oil in 1960 on developments on infra structure, industrious, and tourism making use of soil which is the only available resource for tourism on sandy mountains in the night and malls and infrastructure with high end hotels and artificial waterfalls in the absence of water and desalinated water from the sea for  industrial use. They have invested lot on education, international conference centres, and many buildings and facilities to attract the international community while maintaining perfect peace and law and order with minimum crime rate which  is appealing to the travellers, and investors as investments, education, infrastructures, and peace and independence are linked to promoting tourism. UAE is careful on good governance, efficient state sector,excellent communication and IT system with modern systems based on digitalisation with one stop shops for the investees helps tourism directly and indirectly on reciprocal  basis. System of legal proceedings on commercial matters are English law and the civil and others are bit expensive but fast and clear with not many complaints. All this helps tourism and the existence of the tallest building, excellent infra structure, availability of land and availability   and investment opportunities on land houses and business are attractions for high end tourists and investors looking for peaceful canter hidden from to invest with a peace of mind and accordingly many in other parts f the world choose UAE as a place to invest their money away from home.and the availability of houses at a given price attract the high end tourist in this centre of business, and education hub connected to many air and naval lines situated in somewhat centrally. Maldives is the other small nation extremely successful with least resources , yet attracting high end tourists for peace of mind, shallow water, sunlight on abundance, and safety and security. They most;y depend on tourism for their GDP and maintain the relations with all powerbocks carefully as a tiny nation alone in the mod sea. Any way it is a success story doing so well on tourism only having shallow water as main resource on promoting of tourism. Singapore has been a neglected barren land brought to what it is today by a visionary leader by imposing struct discipline, whilst improving on education infrastructure, and business educations and relations as a business and an education hub and a centre for international arbitrations business promotions with excellent set of admiration supporting business whist promoting high end tourism and an international centre for business, education, business transections, and a naval hub. Singapore has a successful story on tourism connected to business, education and all kinds of business deals. Israel is a small tiny strip of land in enemies around in war yet leading on agriculture, arms deals and manufacture of armament’s, famous for innovations and also tourism manly based on religious tourism due to the historical significance of the historical ad religious sites in Israel for the followers of Christianity and the related religions world wile considering Israeli as the centre of worship yet a famous tourist hotspot despite strict security arrangements. They are the leader on agriculture where it is 96% technology and the citizens highly educated and innovative with large number of SME s engaged innovations, aerostructure and also tours. We have discussed the success stories of few nations with few resources yet successful on tourist industry due to their innovative hard work and adoptability to situations. Undoubtedly Sri Lanka is lot more fortunate that app above mentioned tourist hotspots yet why not so successful despite so much and many natural resources within an a compact island situated on the traditional and famous silk route with access to shipping and airlines on the powerful ndian ocean surrounded by shallow beautiful sandy land and excellent climatic conditions with plenty of water sprung from hill country spread all-over the island when UAE had to desalinate sea water and Singapore had to buy water form the neighbour Malaysia.

Why Sri Lanka and Way Forward

Tourist like and choose Sri Lanka for what it is which the Sri Lankans still have not understood and realised. It is  advisable to Sri Lankans especially living abroad, and those employed  in Embassies to learn bit more on the motherland which is so easy as it is a matter of browsing the internet which is so easy and cheap. Then it is their duty to collaborate with teh governance and the private sector work towards promotional matters even on a profitable basis or as a SME as in Israel where every citizen is an innovators and an SME on innovation’s that helps tourism too. Line Ministers speech at Mt Lavinia is clear and loud that it is more than a business and that it is our future which is based on our culture,heritage and the compact island with everything gin it. The answer Why Sri Lanka is embodied in the above paragraph.

Please browse articles by the author on the internet on tourism including Lanka today-digital tourism/volume ‘’11’’ on tourism published by Ambassadors forum with 40 Chapters/way forward for the best tourist destination and many more sarathdw28@gmail.com

Prof. Hudson McLean

Trump threatens 100% tariff on BRICS countries if they pursue creating new currency!
https://lnkd.in/eR2WzvnH currency-tariff/index.html
BRICS group accounts for 45% of world population, 35% of its economy: Vladimir Putin

Trump threatens 100% tariff on BRICS countries if they pursue creating new currency!

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/11/30/politics/trump-brics-currency-tariff/index.html

Leader of Democracy at its Highest & on How to Cripple Competition by the C-i-C  -elect of USA!

BRICS group accounts for 45% of world population, 35% of its economy: Vladimir Putin

How will BRICS  Brazil – Russia –  India – China _ South Africa react?

Today, BRICS countries are home to roughly 3.3 billion people — over 40% of the global population. The BRICS economies also account for an estimated 37.3% of global gross domestic product based on purchasing power parity.20 Nov 2024

Is BRICS bigger than G7?

BRICS represents around five times the population of the G7 nations.7 Nov 2024

What will be Next?

Bottled Water or Bottled Air?

Express Your Opinion – Read What Others Say!
The Independent Interactive Voice of Sri Lanka on the Internet.

Please visit -: http://www.lankaweb.com/

Sarath Wijesinghe – President’s Counsel, Former Ambassador  to UAE and Israel and former Chairman Consumer Affairs Authority , President Ambassador’s forum UK/Sri Lanka, Solicitor in England and Wales.

Economy of a Nation is the Cradle on which all others are based on and the cradle of the economy is SME’s worldover

Transforming the outlook of the economic developments onto an upper level.

This has become a disputed area in AI and Digital era when everything is transforming  and changing so fast in a different era and area  with industry as development of the SMEs and economy too as a backbone in different directions jointly developing industries and economies fast new inventions and innovations in all sectors. Small and medium enterprises are a necessity for the world economy maintaining a flexible middle path assisting  the GDP, employment and innovations promoting exports and injecting economic developments and stability of nations in all parts of the world adopting themselves with different definitions and criteria – yet acting as the backbone of the economy during good as well as downturns acting as a strong strength to the economy on recovery and development. SME’s World is blessed with 3600000 SME’s and 145000 venture capitals spreads unevenly over the main economic regions of the globe for the purposes it is formulated conducting in moderation with most flexible circumstances with least burden to the economy with 368 million SME’s spread world over! with identifiable independent definitions and criteria  in most flexible circumstances consisting basic necessities and specified employees and limited capitals. The presence of such a large number of successful SME’s offering 1/2 the workforce to the world shows the necessity and importance of this blessed structure which is used in all parts of the globe successfully supporting the nation, economically GDP and the leading multinational corporations and business leaders as supporting staff at all times with least demand. Trend trickles down from world powers to small nations.It is so wide spread and made use of that 99% business in EU is with SME’s majority are private enterprises showing the power of private sector, cambers of commerce and the private sector as a whole that are lessons to other parts of the world with emerging economics such as Sri Lanka making attempts to improve SME’s based on entrepreneurship   and innovations following other models such as Israel which are successful  models on innovation mindset and new creative minds couped with technical knowledge now transforming  into ‘AI Age’. SME can be a small shop  keeper who is innovative up to Bill Gate or Mark Zuckerberg if the party is an innovator and a potential entrepreneur with the potential and will to be a SME in the same or different field when the definition of the SME varies from country to country spread world over with great success. Vital for SME is a mindset for a clear vision and a programme with determined efforts to start start ups new venters and all other kinds of venters that will be a part of the economy adding  to the GDP that with activate the development of the economy of the nation.  World has approximately 358 million SMEs that has  become power engines and cradles of respective nations and groupings mostly with the leadership of the private sector and organizations which  are  mini and major chambers of commerce locally and internationally in respective areas of trade and industry.

Small Unit

SME is initially a small unit on the development model in the complex econimic system with basic models and limited number of employees that is easy to manage and covers various areas from small to major establishments rooted in all parts of the world consisting 338 million SMEs world over covering small and medium entraprise which are easy  to establish and to manage due to the simplicity and versatility and necessity to the country or the region they are established. Though small the small unit is important to the economy as the cradle due to the econimic power vested concentrated worldover omnipresent as a necessary organ of the world economy. SME s vital to the Sri Lankan economy  contributing  750 millions that would be considered of 52% of the  GDP and manages hand in hand with the private sector and the chambers of commerce which are active performing well. In Sri Lanka  is a village and agriculture based unit  with  a log history of SME’sm commencing from 1800 by George Stuart still running as a lading enterprise spreading tentacles in varied aeras of/ Sri Lanka.

Necessity for any Nation of any magnitude and size

Small and medium enterprises are a necessity for any nation developed or developing as the cradle of the cenemic activity in motion. Economic activity is managed by private and the state sectors and mostly the private sector generally the engine of any economy in most sectors as a part pf the development for prosperity of the country –  a part pf the global economic movement and an incubator of upcoming emerging economy. SME’s are enterprises managed by small or big entrepreneurs or a group in given sectors generally initially village based yet emerged as leading entrepreneurs and a later stage. Definition is more complicated and comprehensive depending on the country, size, the nature of the enterprise investment capacity and the number engaged in. The success of the SMEs are proof of necessity and usefulness of the economy especially emerging economies with educated and enterprising labour force such as Sri Lanka that has proved internationally by serving the world over with 10% of the population overseas ( 30% in Philippine) employed indeed a great achievement. A pivoted role is played by the SMEs in Sri Lanka  that has a large proportion of 75% of the business and contributes s to 52% of the GDP and large number in the employment sector in SME establishments and USA 40% of GDP from SMEs.

Definitions and Guidelines

Each country and institutions give varied interpretations on different guidelines and definitions to SME yet the principle of the concept and the applicability  may be same or similar, ranging from a village agricultural entraprise, a dental practice, small bar, to a huge setup as Hayle’s and leading Banks  started as a small enterprise sometime as ‘’George Steuate’’ started business in 1800 as a small unit (mentioned before)currently a leading business leader in Sri Lanka. Role of SMEs are  varied and versatile with potentials to be converted to large firms of innovative entraprise initially with few employees, and a small capital with a large vision yet with a less capital depending on human capital so that the loss and difficulties could be absorbed initially and plays a vital rile in any economy at any given time. EDB requires SME s to have a capital of 4 million and 50 employees, a very moderate loose and flexible requirement, world bank suggests the number of employees to be 49 and some banks expect  less than 300 employees which are very reasonable and affordable to any SME preferred to engaged in innovations and productions on specific areas promoting production, development and economy of a nation contributing to the GDP of the named country. SMEs are easy to initiate and manage flexible with less complications with a limited staff aiming achievements mainly based on human capital as in SMEs in Israel one can use as a model to be studies and  an example to be followed as successful ventures. Israel had 625267 businesses out of which 97.5 being with 60,000 created each year, as sole partnerships converted to limited enterprises with the help of the state ever prepared to assist and promote.

Israel as a Role Model

Israel  has direct links with USA for exposure especially on innovations and Hi Tec sector the new and innovators  Israel are aiming at generally backed by ‘ISMEA’ the the SME authority in Israel to show how active and helpful the state towards the innovators and  entrepreneurs. Despite the ongoing wars with neighbours and within Israel continues to go ahead with the developments and innovations as a matter of safety, protection and development with no natural resources and depending on scientific based innovative human resources that made a barren land to be what it is today to be a leader on agriculture and innovations guiding world powers on technology by applying 95% technology on agriculture also ‘Kibutths’ ( Kibbuths are communes  Israel adopted from the creating of the state in 1948 with sheer dedication, innovations and visions by visionary leaders) as incubators and mini SMEs. SMEs are utilized by almost every nation on the developments of economy as a medium the state, when Asia’s 90% of the businesses are products of SMEs rallying round in the voyage of the tiger and booming economy.

Developments in Other countries

This is common in EU with 99.8 businesses being SMEs and many other countries, when London has one million, and  Northern Ireland around  121800, Asia 71 million, and UK 5.6 million with 90% worldwide businesses are SMEs of 400 million world over, indicating how this concept is integrated and made use of in the other parts of the world. The issue before is whether and to what extent this opportunity that has proved successful is utilized in Sri Lanka for our benefit and whether there are innovative and productive ways and means to apply for ourselves successfully and effectively. Sri Lanka must learn from Thailand Vietnam and emerging developments using SME as a vehicle for the developments braking the cultural barriers and backwardness of the village expanding entrepreneurships along the length and breath of the country on developments with the media education institutions government outlets chambers of commerce and government outlets as a group afford aiming at the common aim aiming at developments and prosperity.

Way Forward

It is time for Sri Lanka to follow the achievements in other countries by using the concept and application of the SME s for the benefit of the society and development and prosperity on innovations, hard work, vision and strategies based on the network of the SMEs easy to setup and maintain and productive with a small capital and a limited number if employees and less complicated infrastructure with flexible mechanism easy to prate and the state supervision, guidance, organization for create a network linking the worldwide network on SME being creative and enlarging and improving the current structure to be more compressive and workable with aims and strategies developed by state private establishments. SMEs are the cradle of the economy and a necessary to leapfrog the ailing economy and it is the duty of the governance and the private sector to give priority to set up more and improve teh existing units small or large.  SMEs too are facing some difficulties on financial issues of volatile and uncertain nature in unexpected circumstances on the financial and economic front such as Perata Executions that is the execution of recovery process without going to courts based on agreements entered into with the establishments which ha been approved by the supreme court as a result of a recent judgement on a short cut on recovery of loans the banks claim to have utilized t0 protect the investors  of the banks from the wilful deflaters which is a controversial statement in deed in the banking process, in which 1188 SME s have lost the existence due to ‘’Parate’’ execution, when 89% of micro and small SMEs are in the process of victimised in the recovery process under the banking act no 4 of 1988 and recovery loans act no 4  of 1990 to 1900 special provisions in force. It is to be noted that 1.3 million SMEs employing 2.2 million employees and contributing 50% to the GDP ae to be improved organized and protected in the name of the economic progress. 1200 ‘’Parate’’ executions have been a blow to the SMEs in the recovery process from the Covid 19 and the financial crisis and it is timely the state come out with a new vision strategy and a plan of action on the promotion of this concept as a matter of urgent need and essential. There should be a concerted effort by all the state and private sector led by the chambers of commerce and the bodies such as EDB promoting exports and agriculture using SMEs as a medium are to be made active. It is time for Sri Lanka to be active in the worldwide SME chain on the process of developments and prosperity of natthe downward trends of economy and grave need of foreign exchange due to the loans taken and demands by the IMF on economic reforms the duty and the need of the assistance of SME ‘s are increasing and it is the duty of the governance to promote encourage  and support the SME’s is a priority for a better future of Sri Lanka in the doorsteps at the Artificial Intelligence and digitalization age and use SMEs as a cradle as a basis  of the development process by innovators and entrepreneurs with a vision for the business and the nation. Indonesia has 295,27 SMEs for 1000 spread countrywide on the developments and many sectors as an emerging economy using SMEs as vehicle. And in Australia has 47 million entraprise with 98% businesses are in the hands of SMEs at initial stages, when 40% of the GDP in USA is from the SMEs  well organized and backed by the state sector. Sri Lanka is emerging as a nation look forward to apply this golden sector for the development and prosperity to the nation in the upward trend on tourism and econimic boom based on SME s industries and economy as the backbone. ( references Lanka Web 29/12/23 Small and Medium entraprise, Colombo Telegraph 9th may 2016/29.12.23 Colombo Telegraph, 1st Aug FT 2019, news lk Gove portal  146.1.23, 9th volume financial services on SMEs Ambassadors forum publication, Colombo Telegraph 22.1.2016)

උපුටා ගැන්ම ලංකා සී නිව්ස්

මහවිරු සැමරුම් ප්‍රවර්ධනය කිරීමේ යයි සමාජ ජාල ක‍්‍රියාකාරීන් තිදෙනෙකු අත්අඩංගුවට ගැනීම මගින් සමාජ මාධ්‍ය පාලය කිරීමේ ආණ්ඩුවේ දේශපාලන සුජාතභාවය විනාශ කර ගැනීම ආරම්භය කර ඇති බව මහාචාර්ය නිර්මාල් රංජිත් දේවසිරි මහතා පවසයි.

ආණ්ඩුව අභියෝග සඳහා මුහුණ දීමේ දී කිසිදු පරිණතභාවයක් පිළිබිඹු නොකරන බවත් මෙවැනි ක්‍රියාවල ප්‍රතිඵලය ආණ්ඩුවට පමණක් නොව ආණ්ඩුව පත්කිරීම සඳහා පෙනී සිටි අයට ද භුක්ති විඳීමට සිදුවන බවත් ඒ මහතා කියා සිටී.

කිසිවෙකු අත්අඩංගුවට ගෙන අසත්‍ය ප්‍රචාර පාලනය කිරීමට හැකි යැයි සිතීම මෙන් ම අසත්‍ය ප්‍රචාරය සඳහා ජනයා රැවටේ යැයි සිතීම ද වැරදි බව පවසන ඒ මහතා වර්තමාන ආණ්ඩුවට ජනතාව අතිවිශාල බලයක් ලබා දුන්නේ ද මෙවැනි අසත්‍ය ප්‍රචාර සිදුවන කාලයක බවත් පෙන්වා දෙයි.

වර්තමාන ආණ්ඩුවට වඩා ස්ථාවර ජනප්‍රියත්වයක් තිබූ රාජපක්ෂ ආණ්ඩුවේ විනාශයට ද මෙවැනි රාජ්‍ය මර්දන ක්‍රියා බලපෑ බව මහාචාර්ය දේවසිරි අන්තර්ජාල නාලිකාවක් ඔස්සේ වීඩියෝවක් මුදා හරිමින් කියා සිටී.

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Throughout his tenure in Parliament, Dr. Harsha has consistently been a voice of reason, advocating for economic stability, fiscal responsibility, and transparent governance. His contributions to major legislative reforms demonstrate a commitment to policies that prioritise national welfare over partisan gain

The new political shift in Sri Lanka positions the leftist alliance to implement widespread policy changes, potentially offering the stability that many Sri Lankans have long been yearning for While Sajith Premadasa remains a prominent figure, securing more votes in the most recent elections than Dr. Harsha de Silva—voter dynamics reveal deeper trends

Unlike many of his colleagues, Dr. Harsha De Silva achieved a remarkable 17.72% increase in preferential percentage gain, signalling growing public support

A coalition that previously held only three seats in Parliament has achieved a sweeping victory in Sri Lanka’s recent parliamentary elections. The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) led National People’s Power (NPP) coalition now controls over two-thirds of the legislature; a historic outcome unprecedented in the history of the Sri Lanka parliament. This political shift positions the leftist alliance to implement widespread policy changes, potentially offering the stability that many Sri Lankans have long been yearning for. Yet, Sri Lanka now stands at a critical juncture where the presence of a strong opposition is not merely desirable; it is absolutely essential!

Regardless of which party holds power, unchecked authority poses inherent risks. A vigilant opposition that maintains checks and balances is fundamental. An effective opposition serves to expose legislative loopholes, identify critical areas of concern, and provide a vital check on the majority’s power. As a driving force with 159 seats, the NPP government will steer policy and reform, but to govern effectively, they must have a strong yin to their yang.

An opposition is only as effective as the leadership that guides it. Sri Lanka has a history of opposition parties that have resisted policies and reforms simply for the sake of opposition. Is this the political culture and path we wish to continue on? An effective opposition leader holds the government accountable, challenging proposed legislation to protect the interests of the people rather than the party. Such a leader acts as a bridge, channelling public concerns into meaningful political discourse and refining legislative measures to benefit the nation as a whole. Sri Lanka’s democratic future depends not solely on the strength of the ruling coalition, but on an empowered opposition ready to engage, challenge, and elevate governance.

On 21 November 2024, Sajith Premadasa was appointed as the Leader of the Opposition. While his political prominence cannot be denied, the question arises: is he the most qualified person for the role? In contrast, Dr. Harsha de Silva stands out as a compelling alternative for opposition leadership.

Throughout his tenure in Parliament, Dr. De Silva has consistently been a voice of reason, advocating for economic stability, fiscal responsibility, and transparent governance. His contributions to major legislative reforms demonstrate a commitment to policies that prioritise national welfare over partisan gain. Dr. De Silva’s engagement with international bodies, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank has showcased his ability to navigate complex economic challenges with strategic foresight.

While Sajith Premadasa remains a prominent figure, securing 145,611 votes in the most recent elections—more than Dr. De Silva’s 81,473—voter dynamics reveal deeper trends. Unlike many of his colleagues, Dr. De Silva achieved a remarkable 17.72% increase in preferential percentage gain, signalling growing public support. This contrast becomes more striking when considering that many within the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) experienced declines in voter preference; including Premadasa himself, who saw a 9.05% drop.

The data points to a shift in voter sentiment and underscores Dr. De Silva’s appeal as a leader who resonates with evolving public expectations. His ability to secure increased support, even in challenging political climates, displays his potential to lead a strengthened, purpose-driven opposition. 

Dr. De Silva also has an impressive academic and career background. He is a highly respected economist and has built a career that spans both the private and public sectors. Educated at Royal College Colombo, Dr. De Silva earned his BS in Business Management from Truman State University in 1988 before completing his MA and PhD in Economics at the University of Missouri in 1993. He also furthered his expertise in social programme evaluation through an executive programme at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2006, as part of the prestigious Eisenhower Fellowship.

Dr. De Silva’s career in economics is distinguished by his tenure at DFCC Bank, where he served as Chief Economist and Treasurer, and his role as a co-founder and Joint Managing Director of The Nielsen Company. His rich experience in both banking and market research has given him a nuanced understanding of economic systems, making him a key figure in shaping policy decisions.

Though Dr. De Silva is in the opposition he has emphasised his commitment to supporting policies that benefit the country, regardless of political affiliation. He has made it clear that his role is not to oppose for the sake of opposition, but to contribute constructively to national growth. His leadership approach focuses on ensuring that policies are in the best interest of the people of Sri Lanka.

Economic blueprint 

Further, Dr. De Silva’s economic blueprint for Sri Lanka, which has been updated through three distinct editions, stands as a comprehensive and strategic plan for the country’s growth and development. Each iteration has built upon the last, adapting to the evolving challenges and opportunities facing the nation. The blueprint focuses on key areas such as economic diversification, fiscal discipline, social welfare, and enhancing Sri Lanka’s global competitiveness. His plan offers concrete solutions for boosting sustainable growth, tackling inequality, and ensuring that the benefits of economic progress reach all segments of society. 

Dr. De Silva’s constructive approach to governance highlights why he is the ideal candidate to lead the opposition in Sri Lanka. While he holds a position in the opposition, he has consistently supported and actively contributed to positive government policies that promote the country’s long-term stability and development. Notably, Dr. De Silva backed crucial reforms like the Central Bank Act of 2023, which strengthened the independence of the Central Bank by removing the Finance Secretary from its board, as well as the Public Finance Management Act, the Public Debt Management Act, and the Parliamentary Budget Office Act. When the opposition leader Premadasa considered opposing key bills like the Central Bank Act, Dr. De Silva successfully persuaded them to abstain, recognising the vital importance of these reforms for the country’s stability. His support has gone beyond mere endorsement; as Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance (COPF), he has worked alongside the government to refine and improve these laws, offering valuable suggestions to make them even more effective.

He has also demonstrated foresight in addressing pressing issues such as the fertiliser crisis. Recognizing the problem early on, he raised alarms in COPF regarding the government’s decision to lift the ban on chemical fertiliser imports, questioning the potential implications of such a move. His proactive stance in highlighting potential risks, even when it involved challenging government policies, showcases his commitment to the country’s well-being over political rivalry.

Dr. De Silva’s leadership as Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) has not only demonstrated his exceptional ability as a doer,” but also highlighted his success in building consensus and driving meaningful reforms across political divides. Under his guidance, COPF has tackled a range of critical issues with determination and a commitment to transparency and accountability. One of the most significant achievements of COPF during his tenure was the investigation into the irregularities surrounding Sri Lanka’s visa outsourcing contract. The decision to bypass competitive bidding, which led to a sharp increase in visa fees from USD 1 to USD 25, was uncovered by COPF. This raised serious concerns over the government’s failure to protect public funds and ensure the best value for money. Dr. De Silva’s insistence on thorough scrutiny ultimately led to a Supreme Court ruling in August 2024, which suspended the controversial contract and restored the previous, more affordable visa system managed by Mobitel PVT Ltd.

Another pivotal moment under Dr. De Silva’s leadership was his intervention to reduce milk powder prices. Recognising the undue financial burden placed on Sri Lankans due to high taxes on imported milk, Dr. De Silva pointed out the discrepancy in the government’s handling of local and imported milk powder tariffs. His advocacy for revisiting the tax structure resulted in an overnight reduction in milk prices nationwide, directly benefiting consumers.

Dr. De Silva’s commitment to social issues was also evident in his leadership on alleviating period poverty. Following discussions with civil society organisations post-Budget 2024, Dr. De Silva championed a proposal to provide free sanitary napkins to schoolgirls. His initiative led to the allocation of underutilised funds from the Ministry of Education to create a voucher system, benefiting 800,000 schoolgirls across the country.

These milestones, from exposing visa system corruption to driving significant social change and tackling economic inefficiencies, emphasise his effectiveness in promoting good governance. His work within COPF has not only saved public funds but also ensured that government policies are scrutinised for their impact on the people. His leadership in COPF is a clear demonstration of why he is the right choice to lead the opposition, advocating for a government that serves the people with integrity and transparency.

Outside his work in the Committee on Public Finance, Dr. De Silva has been instrumental in shaping one of Sri Lanka’s most impactful public health initiatives: the Suwa Seriya Ambulance Service. Established in 2016 following a proposal by Dr. De Silva, Suwa Seriya addresses a critical gap in the country’s healthcare system and has been recognised by the World Bank as one of the world’s most efficient public services. Prior to this initiative, Sri Lanka lacked an organised ambulance service capable of responding to urgent medical emergencies, especially in rural areas. 

Dr. De Silva’s leadership and accomplishments clearly demonstrate that he was the ideal candidate to lead Sri Lanka’s opposition. His record of driving critical reforms as Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance and his instrumental role in establishing the Suwa Seriya Ambulance Service highlight his ability to turn vision into impactful action. Dr. De Silva’s pragmatic approach, focus on transparency, and commitment to the nation’s long-term development made him the strongest, most qualified individual to hold the opposition’s reins. 

At a time when Sri Lanka’s political landscape requires a strong, constructive opposition to maintain democratic checks and balances, Dr. De Silva’s leadership is essential. He has shown time and again that his priority is not partisan politics but the welfare of the people. As Sri Lanka’s ruling coalition embarks on sweeping reforms, Dr. De Silva’s ability to challenge, scrutinise, and improve policies will be vital for ensuring accountability and protecting the interests of the public. The country needs a leader like Dr. De Silva in the opposition—someone who will not only hold the government to account but also actively shape policies for a better, more inclusive Sri Lanka.

(Chethana Ranatunga has a B.A. Economics (Specialised in Banking and Finance) from the University of Colombo and is reading for her MPP at the University of Oxford (2024-25). She also worked as an Economist at the Interim Parliamentary Budget Office and the Committee of Public Finance Sri Lanka.

Yasu-e Karunaratne is a lawyer and economist with a BBA in Business Economics (Special) from the University of Colombo and LLB (London). She also worked as an Economist at the Interim Parliamentary Budget Office and the Committee of Public Finance Sri Lanka. 

Courtesy AdaDerana

Senior Economic Advisor to the President Duminda Hulangamuwa claims that the new government is encouraging the private sector to be at the forefront of economic development in the country.
 
However, he noted that the government will retain control over strategic sectors of public interest.
 
Joining Ada Derana’s current affairs program, ‘@HydePark’, Hulangamuwa highlighted that the government is pursuing a liberal market strategy to encourage private sector investment.
 
Commenting on the restructuring of state-owned enterprises, Hulangamuwa explained that the government is not rushing the process but is carefully analysing which state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are a burden on the treasury.
 
Responding to a question regarding the government’s stance on SOE restructuring, the Senior Economic Advisor to the President noted that the restructuring of the SOEs can take different forms and that the government is not rushing decisions regarding the matter.
 
He also added that certain SOEs are not a burden to the government at the moment, expressing that the new government must be given time to structure its policy.
 
Furthermore, Hulangamuwa said that talks are in place to restructure SriLankan Airlines’ balance sheets, adding that Sri Lanka must have an airline, but the country should come first.

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 to attract youth to his fledgling political movement.  It is a historical mockery that after 59 years a loyalist of old JVP Anura Kumara, was thrust upon to grapple with a real economic crisis of Himalayan magnitude, the worst economic crisis since gaining Independence”, after JVP and JVP/DJV’s two unsuccessful attempts to capture power by bullet, attempt to kill the UNP leaders lobbying a bomb inside the Parliamentary complex(one ruling party MP was killed and some other Ministers were seriously injured) and very recently to storm the parliament during the Galle Face Protest.

The crises Wijeweera saw were (i) sea erosion in the coastal belt (ii) floods in the lowlands (iii) soil erosion in the highlands (iv) drought in the Dry Zone (v) youth unemployment (vi) women who passed the marriageable age remain spinsters for want of a dowry (vii) opening of hotels in seaside resorts in the name of promoting tourism, paving the way for landing of CIA and MI 5 troops, likelihood of converting those into military bases at a short notice. These words were like harmonious music to unsuspicious listeners who gathered to find short-term solutions to their problems and final emancipation” in the short run.  The same tune was played changing the lyrics after the NPP was formed.

The present crisis has engulfed the whole capitalist world; US and the Western world is being challenged by the BRICS and the de-dollarization process. Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X and Testa who used his personal fortune to help Trump to get  elected and Vivek Ramaswamy, former Presidential candidate and biotech investor will become prominent figures in Trump’s upcoming administration co-leading his new Department of Government Efficiency”, a clear sign of salvaging Trump  out of the crisis, if a few individuals are capable of doing so.

Anura Kumara, like a Reluctant Bride” delivering his Policy Statement, said in the Parliament on 21 November, that his government would not withdraw from the IMF programme and the government will sign a new staff level agreement with the IMF soon. Breaking away from this agreement is not an option if we aim to progress, he said. He admitted that his progress depends on the IMF agreement. For him signing the new agreement marks a decisive step in advancing the IMF programme and a crucial step towards building a stable and reliable economic future for Sri Lanka. He vowed to carry out the IMF programme throwing away all his platform rhetoric that pledged to renegotiate the IMF deal. Saying debating whether these agreements are good or bad is futile at this stage, bilateral debt restructuring agreements were finalized and discussions on sovereign bonds concluded just days before the Parliamentary election, Anura Kumara has admitted that he is running with the baton given to him by Ranil Wickremasinghe, whether he succeeds or not, being the only runner in the race!

IMF’s Senior Mission Chief for Sri Lanka Peter Breuer told the media on 20 November that what is most important is that the 2025 budget aligns with the IMF programme objectives. Protect the gains” made so far, rebuild fiscal buffer, achieve the minimum social spending target were his dictates. He told the reporters that the government had assured its commitment to adhering to the conditions set by the IMF.

Now Nandalal Weerasinghe, Governor of the CBSL, the IMF nominee, has become the latest pinch hitter for this government. Addressing the Annual General Meeting of the Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka recently, he said that the country has political stability now with the new President and government and we have now both political stability as well as economic stability. How can he attest that we have political stability as well as economic stability now, just because the Parliament is filled with a set of NPP MPs? We do not know whether the killing of his uncle, Jinadasa Weerasinghe, alias Dickwelle Hinni Mahattaya, UNP MP for Tangalle by JVP/DJV still haunts him.

(2) Reading Election Results in the North and East   

It has become an amusing pastime of a plethora of journalists and political analysts to interpret that Tamil voters in the North and East (and in the plantation regions) have rejected separatism, racism and politicians that advocated separatism and racism at the recently concluded Parliamentary election and this has unified the entire Island.They interpreted it as a vote against divisive politics, division of the country or separation, a powerful message for national unity, unification of all Sri Lankans.

It is all bunkum to say that it is a blow to those who still pursue separatist agendas. Some wrongly attribute voting in the North and East in favour of the NPP indicates the beginning of the end of divisive politics, dawn of a new, unified political landscape promoting a united Sri Lanka, just because the voters have rejected Sumanthirans, Siddharthans, Sashikalas, Pillaiyans, Karuna Ammans and many more. We are unsure whether their United Sri Lanka” is resonating Tamil separatists’ Orumittanadu”.   It is true that all these times the Tamils and the Muslims had voted for political parties that represented ethnic and religious interests. Although the voters have rejected some Tamil politicians, they have sent the agent provocateur Chanakkiyam and a ghost of Prabhakaran. The latter’s name is Ramanathan Archuna who carries a stethoscope.

Have not Tamil and Muslim voters voted with the Southerners on previous occasions? In the North Ponnambalam Kandiah won Point Pedro electorate as a member of the Communist Party of Ceylon in 1956, polling 14,381 votes, having polled 8,617 votes, the second highest votes in the previous election held in 1952. A. Vaidialingam, V.Ponnambalam, M.Karthigesu, P. Coomaraswamy were the other Communist Party stalwarts who contested unsuccessfully, but were able to poll more votes from their constituencies than the present NPP lot, coming closer to the winning goal. LSSP had V. Karalasingham, P. Nagalingam, R.R. Dharmaratnum et al who were able to amass a respectable number of votes.

There are few more instances where Tamils and Muslims being elected either from the SLFP or UNP respectively from the North and East. The list is too long. So, it is a fallacy to say that the voters from the North and East voted with the Sinhalayas in the South for the first time. Also consider how Tamil and Muslim voters in the North and East voted for Kobbekaduwa (Jaffna), CBK, Fonseka, Sirisena and Sajith Premadasa at the respective Presidential elections. Reasons for this voter behavior are well known, which needs no elaboration. On these occasions no scribe had the audacity to state that Tamil separatism was defeated or it marked the end of Tamil nationalism and there was none to sing requiems.

Why do they ignore Sinhala voters electing Muslims as their representatives in the past rejecting racial and religious biases?  The best examples were C.A.S. Marikkar (affectionately called Sinhala Marikkar) and K. Abdul Jabaar from Galagedera electorate, both from SLFP (the former shifted to Galagedera from Kadugannawa multi-member constituency (as the first member) later Akurana and at present Harispattuwa). Two more examples are M.U.M. Aboosally (UNP) from Balangoda electorate and Anjana Umma of JVP from Gampaha electoral district respectively. We do not deny that there was a sizableproportion of Muslim voters in these electorates.

In 1947 all plantation electorates (Nuwara-Eliya, Talawakelle, Kotagala, Nawalpitiya, Maskeliya, Alutnuwara, Badulla (1 seat of Badulla multi-member constituency) and Bandarawela ) were won by Indian Tamils. Soumayamurthy Thondaman began to represent Nuwara Eliya electorate from 1947.After the disenfranchisement of plantation workers, since 1952 elections these electorates were won by Sinhala candidates belonging to either the UNP or SLFP. This trend changed after the delimitation of a new Nuwara Eliya- Maskeliya electorate making it a multi-member constituency (3 members). At the 1977 General Elections Gamini Dissanayake (UNP), AnuraBandaranaike (SLFP) and Soumayamurthy Thondaman were elected as the three members in order of votes obtained. Opposition headed by the UNP castigated creating a three-member multi-member constituency as Nuwara Eliya- Maskeliya alleging that it was delimited to give a chance to Anura Bandaranaike. But later under the PR system UNP was the beneficiary.

After the introduction of the PR the system many Tamil politicians were able to get elected from Nuwara-Eliya and Badulla electoral districts respectively. Members belonging to various splinter groups got the opportunity to enter the Parliament when Ranasinghe Premadasa reduced the cut-off point from 12% to 5%. Rauf Hakeem reminded the JVP/NPP at the inaugural session of the new Parliament that it was done as requested by his late leader Ashroff. What he brought forth was if not for Ashroff, there is no Anura Kumara Presidency or an Anura Kumara government.

Without considering this historical setting it is a futile exercise to say that 2024 elections ended Thondaman supremacy” in the plantation districts. Did not Thondaman’s great grandson enter the Parliament under UNP symbol Elephant in 2024? By exorcising several ghosts in Nuwara-Eliya and Badulla, plantation voters havecreated a new spectre to the detriment of Kandyan peasantry who were marginalized by the Britishers since 1815. Julie Chung and the USAID are instrumental in converting the so-called Malaiyaha Tamils into a destabilizing force in theKandyan heartland. We are unfolding the making of a ghost under a separate subheading in this essay. We have forewarned about this manipulations  in our book Galle Face Protest: Systems Change or Anarchy?” (2023).

As all are immersed in a state of collective amnesia now writers who fought for the rights of the Kandyan peasantry also have joined this chorus to sing hosannas that Anura Kumara has captured the Jaffna Kingdom after 574 years (after SapumalKumaraya) as well as the Kandyan Kingdom! We will deconstruct these fallacies in the course of this essay.Who is SapumalKumaraya? There are referencesto him in Selalihini Sandeshaya and Kokila Sandeshaya, two Sinhala Sandesha Kavyas (Message Poems”). The latter message was sent to SapumalKumaraya who was at Yapapatuna, having conquered Aryachakravarti.  Also known as Sembagapperumal, he was supposed to be the elder brother of Ulakudaya Devi (Lokanatha), daughter of Parakrama Bahu VI. He usurped the throne, killing Ulakudaya Devi’s son who ascended the throne after the demise of Parakrama Bahu VI as Jayaweera Parakrama Bahu (Jayabahu II). Sapumal Kumaraya was crowned as Buwaneka Bahu. Less than 70 years after Kotte Kingdom became a part of Portuguese territory.   

It is unfortunate that analysts arriving at this conclusion merely looking at numbers or statistical indications. By doing so, they completely reject political, geopolitical factors, manipulations of foreign players and the psyche of the Tamil populace.  It is unfortunate that even the political activists in the nationalistic movement reading the results in this manner ignoringthe above-mentioned factors. They are drumming the same drum because most of these people have not severed their umbilical cord attached to their old JVP womb. Their recent utterings and press communiques need much more deconstruction than this. But we refrain from doing so because still we believe that they have a place in a United Front and our contradictions are still non-antagonistic, according to how Mao saw contradictions among the people. But they should be reminded that already Bimal Ratnayake has stated that there is no blood relationship between them. What he says in other words is that they had a womb wash (in medical terms Dilation and Curettage (D&C), a long time ago!

What is the reason for this amnesia? These nationalist forces reject and denounce (as the capitalists do) Marxism-Leninism and think that there cannot be any alliance between Marxists and the nationalists. They have not studied how the nationalist forces fought with the Communists under the leadership of the Communist Party of China against imperialists, comprador-bourgeoisie and big landlords. This is the best example we Asian countries must emulate even though we do not have a Communist Party of our own.     

How can the political   activists in the nationalistic movement join the chorus of USAID-aided NGOs like the NPC in hailing this victory using the same jargon? NGOs urge the government to prioritize resolving the country’s long-standing ethnic conflict”.  They utter that areas predominately inhabited by ethnic and religious minorities voting for NPP demonstrates a significant step towards national unity”; that this has bridged ethnic and religious divide”. What do they need? Return of land, sharing and devolution of powers, demilitarization of the North and East, justice to missing and imprisoned persons, a sustainable political solution”.

(3) Canada Tamil Congress and  Maaveerar Week

Congratulating Anura Kumara, Canada Tamil Congress demands dismantle executive presidency introducing a new constitution, fully implement the 13 A until a new constitution is being ratified, release political prisoners”, repeal PTA, restore land rights, protect religious rights, prevent encroachment of Tamil worship sites, halt construction of new Buddhist temples in predominantly Tamil areas, reform the security sector, discontinue military involvement in commercial ventures etc. These demands may be emanating from the promises Anura Kumara had made to Tamil diaspora in his travels in Canada. At a meeting held in Toronto attended by Anura Kumara a Canadian Sri Lankan woman revealed how they helped the NPP to formulate its policy regarding the disabled in concurrence with the NGO, Janodaya headed by some Catholic priests. So, it is easy to understand the nexus between the NPP and diaspora groups manipulated by different political entities, Christian Churches and the LTTErump.

Since Anura Kumara has appointed two NPP stalwarts as his Secretary Defence and Deputy Minister Defence, fulfilling these demands in the name of unity have no barriers.

NPP government has opened Palali- Achchuveli main road remained closed for over fifteen years, days before the General election, appeasing Jaffna voters and Tamil diaspora. To hoodwink the people in the South a road nearby Temple Trees was opened before this event.

Already the government has decided to vacate Karkovalan Army Camp, located between Point Pedro and Kodikamam operated by the 4^th Sinha Regiment. It was reported that plans are underway to review and return other land occupied by the Army. Delivering his Policy Statement Anura Kumara issued warning signals that hereafter there would be no room for racial politics and religious extremism in the country. We wish that this applies to both communities including the people who have voted for him overwhelmingly in the North and East and those who celebrated Maaveerar Naal this year in an unprecedented scale overwhelmed by the NPP victory.

Without any hindrance Tamil Tiger rump was able to commemorate the Maaveerar Week. Jaffna University students and teachers were allowed to hold vigils decorating University campus with banned LTTE flags and other insignia, despite the Minister of Public Security and Secretary Defence uttering something contrary. In Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Vauniya, Mullaitivu, Amparai, Trincomlee and Batticaloa LTTE flags and banners, colours, photographs of Prabhakaran and other Tiger leaders, LTTE maps were displayed. Reminding us the Pongu Thamil celebrations held in the North when Tiger supremo held sway,huge torches were set alight in all these commemoration sites.

It was reported that Erik Solheim, the LTTE apologist has stated that Anura Kumara should respond favourably to the call from Tamils and Muslims for equal rights and self-government.” He has seen election results as a very strong call for a new start in ethnic relations in Sri Lanka, a strong desire for peace and normalcy in the North and East”. What this Norwegian peace broker infers is that there is no peace and normalcy in the North and East. If so, how the voters in the North and East chased away seasoned Tamil politicians? 

(4) Ramanathan Archuna: Clown in the Big Circus  

Newly elected MP for Jaffna electoral district Ramanathan Archuna created a rumpus at the inaugural session of the new parliament occupying the seat reserved for the Leader of the Opposition, declaring that he represents Tamil Eelam. Already danger signals are flaring.A leaked telephone conversation going viral between a close confidante ofArchuna and an NPP organizer reveals what type of political relationships the NPP has established with Tamil politicians. In a live video show he said his late father was attached to LTTE police, that he came from Tamil Eelam and Prabhakaran is a god.

(5) Why Did the Tamil Voters Vote for the NPP and Not the Traditional” Tamil Parties?

5.1 Election Promises of NPP

Anura Kumara and his NPP promised full implementation of 13A; release of political prisoners”. Before the elections some roads in the North were reopened, dismantling of some army camps began. When a President who wields extraordinary powers, promises and implements what he has promised why electmembers from traditional” Tamil parties, who only talk? Promises of the traditional” Tamil politicians were made unattainable for the first time. Why elect windbags when they have found a donor. As a result, Tamil politicians lost their clout, making them redundant and political rejects asa species reaching extinction.

Rebranding and repositioning of old JVP as NPP was another reason for the success of JVP/NPP in both North and South.

The Apostolic Diocese of Ceylon (ADC), consisting over 700 small level churches, some in households, accused even by the Catholic Church for proselytization (forced religious conversions), congratulated the NPP government at a media conference held recently expressing its confirmed support to the government and underscoring deep connections between the vision of the church and the government. We have been supporting and listening to them for a long time; we have stood behind them and contributed significantly to their success, although many are not aware of our efforts, said its Media Spokesperson. He further stated that Vijitha Herath has assured them that he would take steps to register free and independent churches in the country.

5.2 Julie Chung’s Interventions and Touring the Countryside

After repeated failures experimenting with SF, Sirisena and RW the US and the West finally had selected their protégéin order to carry out their agenda.

Haiti’s President Jovenal Moise was assassinated in July 2021. The murder took place while Julie Chung was Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs. She had met with Moise on June 26, three weeks before his murder. Very soon she was nominated as US envoy to Sri Lanka, seeming a demotion, but set for bigger things any other US envoy to Sri Lanka could not achieve. Her prized trophies were the ouster of GR and the crowning of Anura Kumara respectively.    

In our earlier articles we have continuously pointed out the meetings Julie Chung had with Sri Lankan youth leaders, authors, academics, priests, social media influencers, business captains, Chambers, lawyers, activists of Galle Face Protest, political leaders, Speaker of Parliament, parliamentarians and other opinion makers, tri-forces commanders; her opinion regarding internal matters such as the murder of Lasantha Wickrematunga, On-line Safety Bill, calling on Sri Lanka Army to build trust with minorities to ensure lasting peace, contravening Geneva Protocols; and her welcoming top US military and state officers.

Before Muni of India we have stated in our previous articles a long time ago that it was US and Chung engineering to bring Anura Kumara and NPP into power and Chung selected Harini Amarasuriya as the Prime Minister; even after the parliamentary election in a situation where Vijitha Herath scoring a thumping electoral victory her position was not changed. To retain her in her position, influence of NGO cabal, academia, business conglomerates, LGBTIQ community and dictates of Julie Chung had made a huge contribution.

Julie Chung since her arrival in Sri Lanka daily continued to meet various stakeholders who can influence the electorate. Following are some selectedmeetings Chung had with Sri Lankan opinion makers since March 2024. We have excluded she welcoming US State officials and military leaders who had meetings with USAID beneficiaries, civil society and government officials for brevity. From time to time Chung toured different Provinces of Sri Lanka like an ancient King of Sri Lanka or a Dissava (in his Dissavaniya) or a Rate Mahattaya (in his Rata). These journeys were called Rata Meda Yaama” in the ancient days.

* 7 March 2024: concluded Youth Forum Leadership Summit 2024.

* 8 March: On international Women’s Day she welcomed to Sri Lanka Sara Minkara, US State Department Special Advisor on International Disability Rights.  

*On 22 March: Chung was in Matara American Corner with Youth Forum members and Graphic Design graduates.

* 14 April: Met with Harini Amarasuriya to hear about her perspectives on inclusive economic recovery and governance reforms”.

* 18 April: With EQUALGROUNDS founder Rosanna Flamer-Caldera, appreciating her fearless fight for LGBTIQ rights in Sri Lanka”; on June 11 night Chung along with Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) at the US Embassy Douglas Sonnek joined Equal Grounds 20^th anniversary event to celebrate inclusion and pride across Sri Lanka”. From the day Chung came to Sri Lanka she was promoting LGBTIQ activities and Pride Marches”. To her credit the first transgender person contested 2024 General election from Kegalle electoral district,

* 9 May: With the Governor of CBSL Nandalal Weerasinghe discussed bilateral ties, debt restructuring and ongoing reforms.

* 9 May: As a part of Chung’s outreach across the range of Lankan politicians met with Wijedasa Rajapaksa in his new role as SLPP national organizer to hear about political engagement”.

* 13 May: Donald Lu, US State Assistant Secretary and Chung meet Sri Lankan politicians to learn about upcoming elections, their perspectives on economic recovery and their vision for the nation’s path forward”. They meet NPP’s Vijitha Herath and Nalinda Jayatissa too and exchange mementos.  

* In June 2024, Chung attending the Annual State Department Global Chiefs of Mission Conference held in Washington went to meet Sri Lankan Tamils living in Staten Island to hear their views on accountability, justice and reconciliation”.   

In June at various events she met with SJB’s Harsha de Silva, Ministers Kanchana Wijesekera, Ali Sabry and Hareen Fernando and Anupa Pasqual and Madura Vithanage of SLPP and Dulles Alahapperuma of Aeroplane Party.

* August 4: Chung met with Sri Lankan women entrepreneurs of US – funded WEConnect Supplier Development.

*August 5:  Chung met with Sri Lankan female journalists to teach them how to use the power of photography”.

*From August 14, 2024 Chung visited Southern Province of Sri Lanka. She metwith young students at the Matara American Corner, batik artists, representatives from civil society including women. She visited Kirinda Viharaya (funny part of this visit was Chung ringing the Gantaraya, massive bell (housed in a belfry) used by the temple priests as a means of communication with the villagers and at the beginning of offerings to Lord Buddha) and Kataragama shrine. For the first time she said Kataragama is a sacred place for Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Vedda community”. At a mosque she was seen wearing a hijab.

*She visited USAID funded projects, Hambantota District Chamber of Commerce, SAFE Foundation, Prathiba Media Network and grassroot level CSOs and BOI officials at Mirijjawila Export Processing Zone.

*20 August: Welcoming Acting Secretary of State for Oceans, International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Jennifer Littlejohn, Chung met with environmental activists and marine biologists. They also met with Foreign Minister Ali Sabry and President’s Advisor on Climate Change, Ruwan    Wijewardena and had recommended Sri Lanka’s commitment to 70% renewable energy by 2030 and discussed power sector reforms.  

*21 August: Chung addressed the Social Change Makers and Community Leaders Shine 50” event supported by USAID. On the same day Chung had a meeting with Sri Lanka’s future young leaders” at the NYSC Maharagama.

*26 August: Chung met with members of the Interim Secretariat for the Truth and Reconciliation Mechanism (ISTRM) to discuss their outreach and reconciliation efforts in Sri Lanka”.

*30 August: Chung commemorates International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances and messages Sri Lanka’s affected deserve answers and accountability”, accusing Sri Lanka for enforced disappearances. 

*11 September: Chung joins entrepreneurs and business leaders at Great Place To Work (GPTWSL) for their leadership.

*13 September: Chung visits Anaivilundava Ramsay Sanctuary to see US partnership in conservation of mangroves and US aided market-oriented dairy farming in Chilaw.

*On September 24 Chung congratulated the new Prime Minister, nominee of the NGO cabal, LGBTIQ community and business conglomerates.

*Chung met with Anura Kumara on 1 October. For her Anura Kumara’s ascendency was Sri Lanka embarking on a new chapter”. She said US remains his strong partner in supporting unity, good governance, prosperity and human rights”.

*Following day Chung met with Vijitha Herath, new Foreign Minister and she highlighted the shared priorities”.   On the same day she met with the New Prime Minister to discuss strong US-Sri Lanka partnership” and key priorities”. On the 3^rd day of October Chung’s client was President’s Secretary to discuss advancing shared priorities”.  

*On 10 October Chung met with Anura Kumara again, this time along with US Pacific Fleet Commander and US 4-star Admiral Stephen Kohler to discuss US-Sri Lanka security partnership”, regional stability in the Indo-Pacific etc. 

* 15 October: Chung addresses members of the Sri Lanka-US Business Council. 

*16 October: Chung meets new Defence Secretary and discusses the strong US commitment to regional security, defence cooperation and good governance”.

*21 October: Chung was engaged with a group of 40 young journalists mentoring them on the critical role they play in shaping society and the responsibility to uphold truth in their reporting”.

*22 October: Chung meets with the new Governor of the Western Province.

5.3 Visiting North Before the General Election, A fact-finding Mission

Chung visited Jaffna from 23, August 2023 meeting with civil society leaders, youth, Jaffna-based LGBTIQ rights activists, brave families of the disappeared”, female officers of CBSL regional office in Kilinochchi, a woman-majority workforce producing and packaging curry and chillie powder, North Central Naval Area Commander, Bishop of Mannar; she visited Thirukeeswaran Hindu Kovil in Mannar,  USAID financed seaweed cultivation in Kilinochchi and Madhu Church.

* 15 May 2024: Chung again visited Jaffna to listen to representatives of civil society, youth, local officials and religious leaders; visits Green Memorial Hospital founded by American missionary doctor Green; meets Northern Naval Commander of Sri Lanka Navy.

* 16 May: Meets TNA delegates; visits Nagadeepa Viharaya and Nagapooshani Amman Kovil, fascinated by its gopurams; visits Delft and meets members of a fishermen’s cooperative.  

* 17 May: Meets with the Governor of the Northern Province Charles, families of the disappeared, former combatantsand former PTA detainees ahead of the 15^th anniversary of the civil war’s end. For Chung LTTE terrorists are combatants.She writes: Even today many Sri Lankan citizens face continued intimidation. All families have the right to memorialize loved ones. Their stories are poignant reminders of the need for a peaceful durable political solution”.

* 20 May: Chung visits Palmyrah Research Institute; while in Jaffna she met with Northern Chamber of Information Technology.

Before the General Election Chung commenced another trip to the North, her third visit within a year;  on 23 October visited Jaffna, Mannar and Vauniya to highlight US- Sri Lanka partnership making a positive impact in these regions”. She started the day at the Keerimalai Naguleshvaran Kovil.

* She met with the newly appointed Governor of NP, Nagalingam Vedanayagam to congratulate him and discussed his plans for the region”; Bishop Gnanapragasam and discussed opportunities for progress on justice and reconciliation.

*Next she met with sex workers. Sex workers were deeply impacted by the conflict”, she messaged visiting an exhibition of Women’s Histories of Sex Work” exhibited in Jaffna. I saw first hand the importance of US support to truth, justice and human rights”. This exhibit fosters vital discussions on women, peace and security. Sharing these stories is a crucial step addressing the ongoing challenges faced by conflict victims advancing justice”.

This is a very ridiculous comment.  How Jaffna sex workers were impacted by the conflict? Does she mean that the sex workers were deprived of engaging in sex work due to the conflict when bombs were exploding? Justice denied? Human rights violated? Does she categorise sex workers also as a set of conflict victims”? Instead of rehabilitating sex workers does she want to perpetuate sex industry opening Red Light Districts with US aid?

*Chung met with young people eager to learn” at American Centre, Jaffna, taking a classroom by herself.

*She met with Tamil political leaders in the North belonging to various political parties to discuss the need for accountability mechanisms that have trust of victim communities”. In her messages she constantly uses the word victims” reopening old wounds.

*Chung visits a Mental and Psychological Support Lab at the University of Jaffna aided by USAID and a woman-owned cashew processing center at Poonaryn aided by USAID and families of the disappeared. All families deserve to know the fate of their loved ones”. Take a countof those people who disappeared” to Western countries with the aid of Western embassies.

*Visiting MAGSaversLines, a demining group funded by the US State Department in the North Chung writes the US is committed to the security and safety of all Sri Lankans and is the largest contributor to demining efforts in Sri Lanka”.

*Chung declare opens the USAID-aided new Integrated Digital Media Unit at the Harmony Centre, University of Vavuniya. For SCORE (Social Cohesion and Reconciliation Activity) US has provided with media and IT equipment.

*On 28 October, Chung launched CyberHero, a mobile game app funded by the US.

*On 30 October she expanded United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) funded McGovern- Dole Food, education and Child Nutrition Programme for 44 schools in Colombo. She met with teachers, students and meal providers.  

*After celebrating Deepavali, on 31 October, Chung joined the ground breaking ceremony for Indiana-based SHIELD’s new seatbelt factory.

*On 2 November night, Chung celebrated 249^th Birthday Marines at the USMC Ball along with Brigadier General Kelvin Gallman, the Guest of Honour. To match Chung who was dressed in a red Ball Gown, Vijitha Herath and Defence Secretary Thuyyaconthe were dressed in custom-tailored suits and bow ties.  Semper Fi!  (Semper Fidelis!). Always faithful, always loyal!

*On 7 November, Chung attended the launch of Yet Whom Do They Destroy: Black July” and Stories of Mullivaikakal” (in Tamil published by Adayaalam Centre for Policy Research) at the ICES, underscoring the importance of memory and accountability”.

*On 8 November Chung welcomed Admiral (Rtd.) Harry Harris and students and scholars from the National Defense University. This visit underscored US’s deepening engagement in the Indo-Pacific and investing in strong security ties with US partners across the region”, she messaged. Sri Lanka’s Defense Secretary was in attendance.

*On 12 November Chung was proud to welcome US Global Youth Special Envoy Abby Finkenauer.

*On 13 November Chung and Abby Finkenauer met with Sri Lanka’s youth leaders. Both were excited to see the enthusiasm for their youth initiatives such as Young South Asian Leaders Initiative”.

5.4 Chung Interfering with Malaiyaha Tamils”   

Chung took a keen interest in promoting Malaiyaha Tamil” activities.

When RW appointed an Estate Tamil Senthil Thondaman as Governor of the Eastern Province, he immediately after the swearing -in met with the Indian High Commissioner. Next he paid a courtesy call to Chung.

*On June 5, 2023 Chung met Hill country families” to hear directly about the economic and political obstacles they face and their aspirations”, she twittered, igniting sparks that can start a prairie fire, flames of destabilization the upcountry at the expense of Kandyan peasantry in future.   

*On May 19, 2023 USAID Deputy Mission Director for Sri Lanka and Maldives Debra Mosel, addressed Hill Country Tamils” to celebrate 200 years of their presence in Sri Lanka. She said: Full citizenship however does not automatically translate into a meaningful citizenship” , adding that they are not enjoying same benefits enjoyed by the rest of the society. The new generation asks no sympathy but for dignity and equality. The United States support these aspirations and look forward to them becoming a reality”. Enough fuel for the youth of Malai Aham” (hill country territory) to set ablaze a fire.  

*Julie Chung twittered on June 14, 2023: After my visit to Nuwara Eliya last week, we are offering CSOs (Civil Society Organizations) and individuals a unique opportunity to apply for small grants to serve the Hill Country region. Projects should focus on promoting peace, democracy, reconciliation & human rights.” She called for applicants aiming a difference” in the Hill Country. What is the difference she envisaged among Plantation Tamils? Has she thought about the impoverished peasants in the Kandyan countryside who are the real inheritors of the Central Highlands, whose traditional lands were grabbed by the colonial planters, who lost their paddy lands as a result of the obnoxious Grain Tax imposed by British rulers?

*In August 2023 Chung was delighted at the completion of the 2-week long walk from Talaimannar to Matale commemorating the arrival of Indian indentured labour 200 years ago and their struggle to become full and equal citizens with other communities”.  

*On 31 August 2023 Chung andSenator Chris Van Hollen met with representatives of MalaiyahaTamil community to gain their historical insights and learn about their challenges”. Representatives of USAID Empower Hill Country Civil Society”, Civil Society Organisations Community Collectivity”, Democratic Governance Project” were in attendance.

*On 1, September 2023 with Van Hollen, Chung visited USAID-EU funded Tourism Resilience Project” along the Pekoe Trail. They visited a neighboring kovil both draped in ceremonial dress, Chung wearing a pottu and carrying oil lamps. Enjoyed MalaiyahaTamil cuisine from a wayside eating house, Laxumi Hotel.    

*On 19, January 2024 Chung climbed Sri Pada. Her most notable observation was interfaith reverence” associated with the holy mountain.   

*28 June 2024: Chung met with Mano Ganeshan MP and members of civil society to exchange ideas and discuss US support for the MalaiyahaTamil community to support land and housing rights, English education and skills development for journalists”.

*From July 8 2024 Chung was in Uva Province,meeting with farmers exporting organic certified products to the US with USAID support and visiting Nelna Agri, mango producers.

*She met with Uva Governor also to discuss the needs of vulnerable communities like the Malaiyaha Tamils.”It seems that Chung has not identified Uva peasants whose lives of their ancestors were devastated by the British in 1817-1818 as avulnerable community. It should be noted that the formerUva Governor Muzammil switched allegiance before the Presidential election. 

*July 9: meets Peace Corps Volunteers who teach English to students in Uva Province.

*On the same day she met with Uva Civil Society and religious leaders including Malaiyaha Tamilsanddiscussed about the challenges facing Sri Lankans in Uva Province and the need for equitable economic, health and educational opportunities especially for women.”

*July 10: Chung meeting with the participants of the IRI Global and USAID supported Women’s Campaign Academy and Youth Civil League Programme in Badulla. Chung adds that they have gained the skill to promote civic and voter education in their communities”. Her voter educationbore fruitas MalaiyahaTamils elected a Malaiyaha woman as an NPP MP at the Parliamentary election.  

IRI mentioned by Chung is International Republican Institute, an agent of regime changes operational in Sri Lanka created by CIA for the purpose of working with the civil society”. All these orgnisations were active during the Galle Face Protest.  IRI claims that they are experts” in political processes, polling, technology and party building. Programmes are being conducted by it to encourage women to participate in politics, empowering female councilors etc.   

*Next Chung visited Adisham in Haputale and the Lipton’s Seat. I heard the call for better livelihoods including those who work on tea plantations”, she wrote.

*July 11: Chung meeting with the Chairman and Executive Director of the Office of the Missing persons (OMPSL). She was eager to know challenges in helping families of the disappeared find answers to the whereabouts of loved ones”. She should have been told that most of the disappeared are in the West leading lucrative lives.

*28 June: Robert Kaproth, US Treasury’s Deputy Assistant Secretary again visits Sri Lanka to meet with government officials, thinktanks, financial sector leaders”. On the following days he and Chung met with RW, Harsha de Silva, GL, Hakeem, Shehan Semasinghe, Kanchana Wijesekera and the Governor of CBSL.

5.5 Chung Interfering with the Activities of the Election Commission

 On 28 May Chung met with top officials of the Election Commissionto hear about plans for elections and upholding transparent processes.  We exchanged views on the importance of voting in free and fair election as a pillar of democratic governance”.

We are not sure whether the President of Sri Lanka wanted to know about plans for elections”; what right Chung had to summon Election Commission officialsif she had not acted as the Viceroy of Sri Lanka?

When the ElectionCommission announcedthe date for the Presidential election Chung messaged on July 26, welcoming the announcement demanding free and fair elections”.

On 29 August Chung met with EUEOMSriLanka24 Chief Observer Nachos Amor, Deputy Chief Observer and EU Ambassador to discuss the vital role of free and fair elections”. It is interesting to note that this meeting was held a day before EU Election Monitors’ press conference.

On 15 September, the International Day of Democracy, Chung messaged every individual has a say in shaping their future through elections. No process is more essential to Sri Lanka’s democracy than free and fair elections and the US looks forward to working closely with the candidate Sri Lankan voters choose to lead this country into future”. 

On September 12 US Embassy issued a level 2 Travel Advisory on the eve of Presidential election requesting US citizens to exercise increased caution to civil unrest and terrorism”. This Travel Advisory in a way influenced the journalists to hail the election as peaceful without any incident, boosting the image of the NPP. Why should winners resort to violence when there is a parliamentary election on the cards?

August 2:  Chung met with Sarath Fonseka to discuss Sri Lanka’s political and economic environment ahead of Presidential election”.

5.6 India

Muni very pathetically ignores Indian factor in bringing Anura Kumara and NPP into power and how the psyops of the Indians influencedthe so-called Malaiyaha voter behavior. Destabilizing forces now must not worry how to change this as they have achieved what they wanted.

Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha was the first foreign envoy to congratulate Anura Kumara on his victory with a bouquet of flowers soon after the Presidential election as well as parliamentary election.The first Foreign Minister to visit SriLanka after the Presidential election was the Indian External Affairs Minister Jaishankar. He met with Tamil politicians in Jaffna. Indian envoys were in constant touch with the plantation Tamils providing them with housing and educational facilities.

5.7 Muslim Voters

NPP was able to garner Muslim votes from Digamadulla and Batticaloa electoral districts and some other electoral districts where there are large proportions of Muslim voters such as Colombo, Gampaha, Matara, Matale and Kandy electoral districts.   

NPP appointing a Muslim big businessman as the Governor of the Western Province and including many Muslims as candidates and its national list augured well to the NPP to penetrate the bases of Muslim voters. As a result, NPP was able to capture Colombo Central, a bastion of UNP/SJB politics.

(6) Elitists Vs the Parvenu Class

Another myth propagated by the capitalist press, NGO fraternity and unfortunately by the activists in the nationalistic movement is that the voters have rejected elite politics, transferred power to a non-elite political camp. The latter group has descended into a lower level [U1] calling all former rulers as Lumpen Elites”, (we know only about lumpen proletariat!), some propelled by themselves from time to time. We will debunk this myth in our next article.

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 [U1]

Vichara

At the opening of the 10^th Parliament, President AKD made a policy statement covering a wide range of issues. It was a professional presentation. This note is in elaboration on a few topics in his speech that are related to economic development.

(In this note the President’s statements are in Italics.)

1. if national wealth becomes concentrated among a few, it will not stabilize the economy or society. Our policy, therefore, is that the benefits of the economy must be fairly distributed among the people”

While appreciating the sentiments expressed so emphatically, what is not understood is why this radical change did not come earlier in a country with a literacy rate of 92 % for adults aged 15 and above, and a high income inequality where more than half the total household income of the country is enjoyed by the richest 20%, while the bottom decile (poorest 20%) gets only 5%, with the share of household income being just 1.6% for the poorest 10%. There is a clear correlation between poverty and inequality.

2. While we may hold diverse political opinions, I assure you with full responsibility that we will not allow a resurgence of divisive racist politics in our country.

The opposition points out that the LTTE war dead commemoration displaying LTTE flags and symbols is supporting the resurgence of ethnic and divisive politics.

3. We aim to strengthen these cooperative networks and position ourselves as a strong competitor in the market.

The Cooperative Wholesale Establishment (CWE) was established to cater to the cooperative sector. During the time Philip Gunawardena CWE was linked with the Multi-Purpose Cooperative scheme. It was the CWE and the cooperatives that served the nation during the 1983 riots when the private trade hardly functioned. But surprisingly during the Yahapalana regime, the wholesale function of the CWE was debarred. This unwise and irrational move gave the Pettah mafia a free run in the import trade,e particularly with India CWE should be strengthened and given the right to import and serve the cooperatives.

4. We hope to make a new leap in agriculture. Specifically, we must revive our seed research laboratories. We must develop seed farms. We must reinstate a strong agricultural extension service.

 The Department of Agriculture which was the technical department with specialist officers had a major shock when President Premadasa decided to absorb all  Krushi Viyapthi Sevakyan (KVSs)- some 2300 as Grama Niladharis. Out went the qualified officers who were working at the village level guiding the farmers. For a few years, there was no agriculture staff at the village level under the Agricultural Instructors,

 Another detrimental change was devolving Agriculture and Agrarian Services to the Provincial Councils by the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.”

The Krushi Viyapthi Sevaya should be reinstated. Agriculture which cuts across Provincial boundaries should be made a central government function.

5. We are also focusing on the fishing industry. Our nation’s sea is eight times the size of our land, yet we are only utilizing a small portion of this vast resource. The fishing industry holds great potential for boosting our economy.

The country also has a huge potential to cultivate freshwater fish.

Sri Lanka has 18 major and 18,000 small tanks. The total surface area of all reservoirs is estimated to be 175,774 hectares. These can be utilized to produce fish for the domestic and export markets. Only the total catfish farming area of Vietnam in 2023 was only 5,700 hectares, but the export value in 2022 was $2.4 billion. Catfish are farmed in mud ponds. The area under tea plantations in Sri Lanka is around 203,000 hectares, and the export value of tea in 2023 was $1.31 billion.

6. We believe that the natural resources in our country, particularly mineral resources, hold enormous potential for our economy.we aim to establish a value-added industrial system by integrating both the state and private sector to transform these mineral resources into more value-added products. We have already discussed this with local industrialists in our country.

Sri Lanka is rich in a variety of minerals that have significant potential for value addition. These minerals can be utilized for domestic industries, export, and advanced processing to enhance economic benefits.

Our graphite can be converted into graphene for electronics, medical devices, and energy storage and for manufacturing of lithium-ion battery anodes, a critical component in EVs.

Our ilmenite and rutile can be refined into titanium metal for aerospace and medical applications and for the production of ceramic-grade zircon for tiles and sanitary ware.

Our apatite can be used to manufacture of phosphoric acid and fertilizers.

Potential for the value addition of other products please see:

https://vicharasl.wordpress.com/2024/12/01/minerals-in-sri-lanka/

7. The market does not progress by offering traditional and conservative goods and services. It evolves continuously, leaving behind old products and services, creating new markets for innovative products and services”

It is true that the country has to innovate new products and services, but we cannot leave behind old products and markets. Out traditional products in the present form and in value-added forms will have to be our foundation. We have to focus on all four conventional combinations of marketing, such as old products in old markets, old products in new markets, new products in old markets, and new products in new markets. To foster creativity and innovation, the education system has to be revamped.

8.Management of the market plays a crucial role, and cooperative networks contribute significantly to this. Therefore, we aim to strengthen these cooperative networks and position ourselves as a strong competitor in the market.”

In this endeavor, the role of the CWE should receive attention. The original objective of the CWE was to cater to the cooperative sector. It was the CWE and the cooperatives that served the nation during the 1983 riots when the private trade hardly functioned. But surprisingly, during the Yahapalana regime, the wholesale function of the CWE was barred. This idiotic and irrational move gave the Pettah mafia a free run in the import trade, particularly with India. The original role of the CWE should be restored and given the funds to engage in wholesale import, storage, and distribution of essential commodities through the cooperative system.

9. We must foster a mindset of staying and thriving as small and medium-scale entrepreneurs within the country. Providing the necessary technical knowledge, capital, and access to markets is a responsibility the government takes seriously.”

Most SME entrepreneurs are not aware of the opportunities available for investment. In India and Pakistan, the State Banks and the government have established comprehensive portfolios of feasibility reports for reference and adoption by investors. In the 1980s, the EDB had a special unit responsible for the formulation and evaluation of export-oriented projects, which worked with the private sector to identify and implement pioneering projects. EDB also provided venture capital to these projects. The EDB should reestablish this function, which was abandoned. 

Small and Medium Industries sector is considered the engine of economic development. There are many concessions accorded to this sector like low-interest loans. At present, the Banks confine themselves to only the evaluation and approval of SME projects. They do not play a role in the identification of projects and developing project profiles and feasibility studies to make them available to prospective investors. This is the policy followed by established development banks in India such as the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (SMEDA) of Pakistan.

We should have an institution to build a comprehensive portfolio of feasibility studies and provide venture capital and consultancy services to the SMEs..

Vide: https://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2022/01/08/a-case-for-feasibility-studies-and-venture-capital.

10.We intend to overhaul our diplomatic services entirely. While maintaining our commitment to fostering international relations, we are also committed to going beyond traditional diplomacy to assist Sri Lankan industries in finding and accessing global markets. To achieve this, we are realigning the operations of our diplomatic missions”.

The President is very diplomatic. Our foreign missions are white elephants and employment exchanges for political interests. During the separatist war, the main task of our missions was to keep the countries of their assignment informed of our side of the story and respond to false propaganda against Sri Lanka. Our predicament at the UN Human Rights Council is proof that most of our missions failed even at that task.  These missions in important locations have commercial secretaries, but the diplomats nor the commercial officers play any substantial role in the promotion of exports and investments of the motherland. They need to work in close collaboration with the BOI and EDB, which can backstop them. Our missions should be given targets on trade and investment promotion and ensure that they achieve them.

They should also report on new relevant research findings in the host country.

11. We cannot benefit from an economy that excludes the people. An economy that turns people into mere spectators will not bring us any gains. In every aspect of the economy, people should become active participants according to their abilities.”

Every government has been narrating this yarn, but little was done to achieve this objective. There should be a set process and a mechanism to permit people to participate, particularly in the formulation of policy. It is proposed that a special website be created in the Ministry of Planning where proposals for new policies are published. This should be done as a concept paper/white paper by the subject Ministry. Interested citizens can blog on them and make relevant suggestions for consideration. Subject Ministries, too, should have websites on which citizens could participate.

12. We believe it is essential to rebuild a competent, people-centric public service that prioritizes the well-being of the citizens

With the 1972 Constitution powers of appointment, transfers, and disciplinary control of public servants were vested in the Cabinet of Ministers. The Public Service Commission was abolished and replaced with a State Service Advisory Board and a State Services Disciplinary Board. Public officers ceased to be ‘obedient servants’

of the public, but the minions of the Ministers. The1978 Constitutions did not change the status.

Vide: https://vicharasl.wordpress.com/2022/11/12/plight-and-prospects-of-our-public-service/

12. Providing the Necessary Economic Support to Eradicate Poverty.

Poverty needs to be eradicated.

 in the forthcoming budget, we will ensure a fair increase in wages for public sector employees ( should be linked to productivity improvement

Poverty cannot be completely eradicated but can be reduced. Abject poverty has to be eradicated. China has been very successful in reducing poverty. While safety nets are essential to take care of the poor, they can also create dependence. The better way is to create employment opportunities for the poor, provide them with the necessary support and guidance, and motivate them to become entrepreneurs. For example, when there was a demand for eggs and eggs had to be imported, a selected number of welfare applicants could have been given day-old chicks and a loan to start a small-scale poultry project. This would also support the reduction of malnutrition.

Many of the beneficiaries could be paid a wage for some productive work like tree planting and cleaning the environment. Paid work, instead of a handout, empowers individuals and enhances the dignity of labor. Give a fishing rod rather than some fish.

13. We promised the people that we would manage the economy in accordance with the parameters agreed upon by the International Monetary Fund.

Article 21 of the Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies MEFP the government clearly spells out the specific policies envisaged. It states:

We will phase out the administrative measures imposed to support the balance of payments, including those introduced on an emergency basis, once conditions allow. These measures include import restrictions, exchange restrictions, multiple currency practices (MCPs), and capital flow management (CFM) measures.”

(Main CFM measures introduced or tightened in 2020-2022 and currently in force include: (i) a repatriation requirement for exports of goods and services; (ii) a surrender requirement for exporters on proceeds from exports of goods; (iii) a surrender requirement for banks on purchases of export proceeds; (iv) a surrender requirement for banks on purchases of inward worker remittances; (v) suspension of outward remittances on capital transactions; (vi) restrictions on purchases of Sri Lankan ISBs by local banks; (vii) restrictions on outward transfers of funds for emigrants)

The agreement to exempt exporters from the repatriation of export proceeds has cost us ove 50 billion US$, whereas the IMF is giving us 3 billion US$.

The bulk of the 50 billion USD would be on the export of garments on which the country has spent over 40% of that in scarce foreign exchange.

IMF Proposals The good and the bad.

14. Our economy can undergo a significant transformation is science and technology.

Sri Lanka should have a science and technology policy that takes into account the the link between technology, industrialization, and education.

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Education has to prepare individuals with the skills and knowledge needed to participate in the future demand in the labor market.

Science and Technology create new industries an drive industrial systems. All Three education, technology and industrialization have to be interrelated.

Industrialization shapes educational priorities. Technology depends on education and innovation.

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 The triad of education, technology, and industrialization together are the foundation of  sustainable development. Investing in this triad ensures a skilled workforce, continuous innovation, and the ability to adapt to evolving industrial needs. This synergy fosters economic resilience and societal progress in an increasingly interconnected world.”

15. Digitalization is crucial, especially for providing services to citizens and advancing the economy to a new level. To elevate our country from its current state to a new level, the hallmark of that future will be Digital Sri Lanka.

Digitalization enhances efficiency, reduces cost, and improves productivity and connectivity. It is a necessity and not a mere option.

The importance of digitalization cannot be overemphasized. It is noted that the subject is in safe hands.

16. While our people can bring about positive changes in political leadership and the civil service, we also need a transformation in the mindset of citizens to build a strong nation. Without this positive shift in citizenship, we will not succeed in achieving the broader goals of political transformation. Therefore, we must make a concerted effort to foster good citizenship, positive attitudes, responsible actions, and proper behavior.

In this essential endeavor the example must come from the politicians and civic leaders. These worthy behavior should be inculcated from childhood. It is suggested that the subject of Civics be reintroduced in schools.

Vide: https://vicharasl.wordpress.com/2022/12/26/civic-education-sugath-nga/

17. I am reminded of Martin Luther King Jr.’s words:

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

Over 2500 years ago, Gauthama Buddha said

Na hi verena verani
sammantidha kudacanam
averena ca sammanti
esa dhammo sanantano.¹

Vichara

KAMALIKA PIERIS

After the colonization schemes of the 1950s and 1960s,   the government started doing Development Schemes. Tamil Separatist Movement viewed these development schemes   with great alarm, because they brought Sinhalese settlers into the area they had reserved for Eelam. State-sponsored colonization would lead to a change in the demography of the Northern and Eastern Province.

The Accelerated Mahaweli Scheme was the largest development scheme in Sri Lanka .it started operations in October 1977.  It was a multi-purpose development scheme involving the construction of reservoirs, hydroelectricity plants and irrigation systems. The Mahaweli Scheme was designed to provide hydroelectricity, agriculture, irrigation and   settlements to four provinces, Northern, North Central, Central and Eastern.

The Mahaweli Scheme was divided into 13 Systems labeled A to M.  Tamil Separatist Movement complained that Systems A, B (Right Bank), I, J, K, L and M either fully or partially fell inside Eelam.

The   settlements in the Mahaweli   scheme started in 1978. Because of Mahaweli, Tamils in the Eastern province lost two-thirds of their land to the Sinhalese and became a minority population, said Oakland Institute. The number of Tamils in the Eastern province dwindled from 76 % in 1827 to 39% percent in 2015.

Tamils are no longer the majority in Trincomalee either. The only district in the Eastern Province that has more Tamil than Sinhalese residents is Batticaloa, continued Oakland in 2015. Mullaitivu District, which was mainly Tamil, has the second-highest concentration of Sinhalese in the Northern Province, said analysts in 2022. [1]  They all agreed that   Mahaweli project had successfully managed to reconfigure the ethnic ratio of the Northern and Eastern districts.[2]  

The separatist Tamils voiced their concern about Mahaweli to the authorities in India, when they went to India to discuss the ethnic conflict. They managed to get Mahaweli included in the Agreement reached between the two governments in 1983 in New Delhi. Mahaweli was included in the document known as Annexure C”, drawn up by G. Parthasarathy, special envoy of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and tabled before the All Party Conference at Thimpu in 1985.

This annexure said that the settlers in the Mahaweli System should  be selected  according to the ethnic composition of the Island,  75% Sinhala, 15% Tamil and 10% Muslim.[3] However, the Census of 1981 gave the figures as Sinhala 74.9% Tamil 11.2% Moors 9.2%.  Tamils were asking for 4% more than what they were entitled to. The Conference ended in December 1984 with nothing decided.  Annexure ‘C” was forgotten. Most people don’t even know about it.  But Tamil Separatist Movement continues to refer to it as if it is approved policy.

The senior officials in all strategic   positions at Mahaweli ministry were Tamil. These Tamil officers outmaneuvered and outflanked their complacent Sinhala counterparts, through clever stratagems, said Malinga Gunaratne, who had worked in Mahaweli. Their machinations were well calculated, well planned out and executed with clinical precision. Large tracts of land were designated as   elephant corridors, forest reserves, national parks  and no settlement was allowed in them.

Tamil Separatist Movement had studied the Mahaweli plan carefully and had marked out two strategic locations where Sinhala settlements   could puncture Eelam. They were Maduru oya and Yan oya settlements. Illegal Tamil settlements were established by 1983 in Yan Oya  and Maduru oya.

Padaviya was another critical area.  Padaviya (1958) was bursting at the seams by 1980. The area could not accommodate the 2nd and 3rd generations.  They would have had to expand into Vavuniya and Mullaitivu .Tamil Separatist Movement saw this and started installing Tamil settlements on the border of Padaviya leaving a massive buffer zone between these settlements and the Vavuniya- Mullaitivu districts.

These illegal settlements were known to the authorities who turned a blind eye. When the government was told of illegal Tamil settlements in the Accelerated Mahaweli area, the government took no action, said Malinga Gunaratne who had worked at the Mahaweli Ministry.  Those working in the Ministry, however, could see the deals made between the authorities and the Tamil separatist politicians. The Minister knows about the Tamil activities but he is helpless, the Tamil lobby is too strong, Malinga was told. [4]  (Continued)

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[1] https://countercurrents.org/2022/06/state-sponsored-sinhalese-colonization-of-tamils-traditional-homeland/

[2] https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/southasia/2023/04/10/development-gone-wrong-sri-lanka-at-75/

[3] https://thuppahis.com/2022/07/28/the-mahaweli-project-the-mother-of-all-development-schemes-in-sri-lanka/

[4]  Malinga Gunaratne. For a sovereign state

Prof. Hudson McLean

President-elect Donald Trump Appointment of General Keith Kellogg with High Credibility, to Stop the Russian- Ukraine Conflict, is Positive!       A Master-Stroke!

Trump Offers the Russian Bear a Honeycomb!

Offering President Putin of Russia a 20% land area which was Ukraine and a 1000 km Buffer De-Militarised Zone is a Practical Solution to please Putin.

This is the only practical solution suggested by any leader, when all other leaders were Provoking-the-Bear” and pouring gasoline into a burning fire.

80% is Better Than Losing More Men!

Hard at it may be to swallow by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine, it is better to have 80% of the cake without angry Russian soldiers breathing than having the entire cake, surrounded by Russian Troops.

De-Militarised Zone to be Monitored & Patrolled by European soldiers is a Highly Practical solution, if the Russians accept this option.  Do they have a choice?

Bring the NATO troops facing Russian Border.

This will bring United Kingdom-German-Italian-French soldiers, all NATO members, right to the Border of Russia. Diplomatically leaves Turkey Out!

This is a very clever suggestion by Trump-Kellogg!

To further pacify the Ukrainian leadership who fought a bitter war, Trump suggests the Ukrainian land given to Russians may be a Temporary Solution to be negotiated in the future.

Trump-Kellogg solution must be given credit for leaving Finland-Sweden-Poland-Estonia-Latvia-Lithuania out of this conundrum!

Diplomatically Crimea did not enter into these discussions!

And American boots off Europe!

Now the Russian maritime may have seamless access to sea-lane, which was the main reason for this conflict!

Express Your Opinion – Read What Others Say!
The Independent Interactive Voice of Sri Lanka on the Internet.

Please visit -: http://www.lankaweb.com/

Dr Sarath Obeysekera

Politicians in this country instigate people to carry on strikeS irrespective of the nature of the problem ,and without studying the proposal –may be…

From  the government- side there  should be many public forums explaining the circumstances under which Indians have been entrusted the peacekeeping functions in the North and how Rajeev Gandhi blackmailed Sri Lankans to sign in to the Indian Pease agreement .Then Indians shrewdly included Trinco tank farm in to the agreement as a strategic  move .That was the ulterior intention ,and JR had to givein ,JVP is also responsible for this because they were creating mayhem in the South and JR could not  co-op up with both fronts. After signing JVP went on rampage again and burnt many state properties including machinery of the SLLRDC ,SDC ,SEC etc ,by way of protesting the Indian army moving in.

Indian government trained tigers under Indira Gandhi because JR ) called Yankee Dickee) alienated towards Americans ,which India and Russia did not like .Then they pushed us into peace agreement ,but it was a calculated move by Indians ,as the conspiracy was hatched long time ago .India wanted to control Sri Lanka.

They operate like CIA who ruined Iraq,Afganistan ,Middle East including Syria ,all planned many years back.

Government is now pushed again by Indians to write the deed or the rights of 48 numbers tanks because ,India is weary about Chinese taking over Hambantota and Port City .

They think they  have a right to take action if their country is in danger hence they will keep pushing to take over Trinco tranks and have an influence in Trinco Harbour .

We have a solution .

Many Sri Lankans companies like Walkers ,Laugf ,Keels .Aitken Spence,Dimo ,State Engineering Corporation .Litro .CPC  to form a Joint venture with majority shares and invite Indian Oil ( which is also with CPC) .and also  give some shares to CPC workforce .Management can be entrusted to Indian technocrats with powers to Sri Lankan companies to sanction certain decisions

As an example Colombo Dockyard was leased out for 30-60 years with option to extend to Japanese and shares were retained both Bank of Ceylon ,ETF and the Workers too .Nobody complained that it was sold despite the fact that Japanese are here for good .

We give Chinese to develop Hambantota and Port City ,and Indians have the right to ask for Trinco ,But we have to be more tactical in giving it keeping the pulse of the people in mind .

Now SLPA is also having a cabinet  approval to work with and Indian Company to hand over the whole of Galle Harbour under Swiss Challenge .What will happen .Again the country will go into flames .

Like prince Dutu Gamunu ,we will have to sleep in a crouched position ,claiming that Chinese are in South and West and Indians in East and North!!!!!!!

Let us be united and get the people’s consensus to develop Trinco ,Galle etc with PPP where locals will have some shares and contribution .

Current politicians have been wrongly advised by their consultants, who also make deals with many companies abroad.

State should create a National Dialog  ( Jathika Kathikawa) and ponder into above idea on how proceed further .

It is a crime to let the tanks rot .

Dr Sarath Obeysekera

By N Sathiya Moorthy Courtesy Ceylon Today

In a way, there isn’t much new in the book, The Rout of Prabhakaran by M.R. Narayan Swamy, who had authored an ‘unauthorised’ biography of LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran, Inside an Elusive Mind, way back in 2003, and two other books, one earlier and another latter, on the world’s most dreaded guerrilla force and its unpredictable leader, who had the uncanny knack of turning defeat into victory – and victory, or whatever remained, into sure defeat. In other ways, The Rout is an after-thought of an unemotional and impartial analysis of Narayan Swamy’s previous book, The Tiger Vanquished, published in 2010, a year after the end of Sri Lanka’s civil war, which the Government and the majority – and at times ‘majoritarian’ – Sinhala media, dubbed the nation’s ‘war on terror’, like anything elsewhere.

The Rout is all of 113 pages, minus the end-notes and Index. But what makes the compendium, including 238 pages of the Elusive Mind, a compulsive buy and read is the fact that appended to it is the author’s much-longer and equally well-researched original, Inside An Elusive Mind. For the general reader, who may want to have a quick recap of it all, and the younger generation, who want to know it all, this is the book that tells all. After all, 15 years is a fairly long time in living memory, and given the other crises the nation has been facing over the past few years, on the political, economic and also security fronts (Easter serial blasts, 2019), there is a need for recalling and remembering what may otherwise fade away but should not.

Like all other books by the author,
The Rout is both fast-paced and well-researched, minus the foot-notes and end-notes that make any book on a subject, read and sound academic – taking it away from the general reader to that extent. Again, as the author has pointed out through the book, the focus is on the LTTE’s downfall and the attendant cause that Prabhakaran was.  He has kept other aspects of the ethnic issue, including the role of the Sinhala-Buddhist majoritarianism, out of the discourse, though that was the one that had triggered Tamil youth militancy, which in turn culminated in LTTE terrorism and conventional war, both.

Conventional wisdom projects Prabhakaran as a great ‘military strategist’ and one who brooked no challenge, within and outside. The former often ignores the possible contribution made by the inexplicable surrender of a mass of weapons by the troops, every time the LTTE encircled them. When Mahinda Rajapaksa became President in 2005 and later became the LTTE’s tormentor, one of the first reported decisions of his was to appoint a committee to look into the past and fix responsibility – as if to check if some of it was an insider’s work. As was to be expected, the outcome of the study never made it to the newspapers, but possibly the gaps that were identified seemed to have been fixed before the armed forces took the war to enemy territory.

Looking back, or even during the time, it was obvious that the Prabhakaran’s increasing sense of self-importance and more of insecurity were behind his various acts of terrorism that targeted fellow militants, both within the LTTE and outside, and also moderate Tamil leaders like Amirthalingam, or, Amir annae, or elder brother, to thousands of Tamil even today. Was this inherent insecurity, which he had developed first as a survival instinct, also behind his inability or unwillingness to accept Mahinda’s offer to make him the unelected yet officially-acknowledged leader of the Tamil people, which Narayan Swamy mentions?

It was known at the time that there were enough guns waiting to take him out, and hence Prabhakaran knew that he could not walk the streets of Jaffna as a popular leader – unlike a popular autocrat that he ultimately became. That way, despite the author repeatedly quoting ex-LTTE militants to argue the multiple failures of Prabhakaran that led to ultimate disaster, there is a vocal section of the Tamils from that generation, and possibly next, who want to be seen as swearing by him – but the numbers and commitment growing thin, as yet another new generation emerges, as now.

Decisive, conclusive

Narayan Swamy also credits the Mahinda-Gota combo for the ultimate success of the armed forces. It was true, yes. As brothers, they worked in tandem, sorting out issues and taking instant decisions over breakfast or dinner almost every day, without going through processes that were time-consuming, demoralising and at times leaking at the seams – thus preparing the LTTE for facing the next big assault.  What is not much known is the fact that before Elections-2005, the armed forces command had informally briefed Candidate Mahinda, too, on the state of the war and peace, the latter imposed by the Norway-facilitated cease-fire agreement (CFA) by the former’s rival, Ranil Wickremesinghe, until recently the Prime Minister who over-ruled President Chandrika Kumaratunga and got sacked in the process.

The armed forces had a suggestion/request. Whoever won the election, if they decided to pursue the peace route, then it was fine. After all, they too did not want their ‘boys’ to die and they too did not want ‘body bags’ back home in the Sinhala heartland. ‘So, give peace a chance, yes, but if war became inevitable’ – and they were sure that the LTTE would want it once they recouped as on previous occasions – ‘then and then only, the President and the Government should not hold them back, as used to be the practice throughout.’ From Brothers Rajapaksa, they got what they wanted, starting with Mahinda urging the Norwegians to revive the peace process through the Oslo talks, even as the LTTE launched ‘Eelam War IV’ that became decisive and conclusive.

So, when Mahinda Rajapaksa became President, it was clear to an unemotional observer — and this Reviewer was possibly the only one — that if it was war, ‘this man will finish it off in three years with some help from overseas, and five years, without it’. The reason was not far to seek.  Like the LTTE, the armed forces, throughout the CFA period, was also preparing itself for the war, keeping it at a low key. Two and the most important of them all, unlike what Prabhakaran had begun with, the armed forces were not a ceremonial troop of 15,000 men in all as in the early eighties, but a much larger troop battle-hardened personnel. Their commanders did not any more come only from the Colombo elite, whose main pre-occupation used to be partying and more partying. Also, through the CFA years and afterwards, the Army check-points in capital Colombo and elsewhere came to be manned by young troops, who were both informal and jovial, thus winning over the citizenry for the Government,.

Incidentally, it is time to disabuse the belief that but for Prabhakaran’s diktat for Tamils not to vote – yes, against substantive monetary consideration, to which the author too has alluded — Ranil would have won. Looking at the possibility, had the Tamils been allowed to vote, there was more than a fair chance that more and more of Sinhala voters, going beyond the traditional ‘majoritarian, nationalist’ kind would have voted for Mahinda more than already. Yet, Prabhakaran voluntarily took the blame, thinking that he had out-smarted the Sinhala-Buddhist leadership, was what he had deserved, he had earned without much thinking and without much effort, either.

Tragic event

Where did Prabhakaran falter the most? He was so full of himself and like Narayan Swamy points out, all those new-generation second-line leaders too were full of himself. What the author points out partially but extended to the second-line leadership, like their leader, they too were living in holes in the walls in the Vanni jungles, with next-to-nil exposure to the outside world, which only Anton Balasingham had, and whose sage advice Prabhakaran began to increasingly neglect or over-look. Bala annae was possibly the only one who knew and who had the access (even if only up to a point) and courage to tell Prabhakaran that the Rajiv Gandhi assassination was much more than a ‘tragic event’ (or, thunbiyal sambavam, as they explained away at Prabhakaran’s famed Kilinochchi news conference of 2002).

Prabhakaran did not say anything new at the news conference other than to demonstrate to the outside world as to who the boss was and who controlled the Tamil areas and whose writ alone ran. It was pathetic at the time to see Balasingham refer to Prabhakaran as ‘national leader’, in the place of thambi, or younger brother, as he had always addressed the maverick killer all along, earlier. To a discerning observer of the LTTE, it became clear that the days were numbered, even if it would take seven more years. Hence, when 9/11 happened, and the global mood on terrorism changed overnight, Prabhakaran did not understand it, and Bala was in no place to convince the other man, any more. That the Kilinochchi news conference happened after 9/11 would have only irked international players, and not frightened them or encouraged them to take a positive view of the LTTE, at least not any more.

The greatest of strategic military blunders that Prabhakaran committed in context of war was his inability to notice the swift reprisal by the armed forces after an LTTE suicide-bomber had targetted Army Chief, Maj-Gen Sarath Fonseka, now a Field Marshal. Full of himself still, Prabhakaran failed to notice that when the orders for the suicide-attack had gone from his lair in the North, the SLAF attack had commenced in the East, where already the ‘Karuna rebellion’ had weakened the LTTE three years earlier. The armed forces were working to a game-plan, to clear the East first, before moving to the North, for the ‘kill’. It was a professional operation, for once, which became visible by the addition of a hundred thousand soldiers, even rookies, to meet the 10: 1 text-book ratio of soldiers to guerrillas in such unconventional wars, where the other side was not a State player.

Inevitable end

If only Prabhakaran had consulted veterans even in his camp – most of whom, he had already sacrificed as suicide-bombers, if only to celebrate their martyrdom, as a motivation for young recruits – maybe, some of them with certain text-book knowledge, if at all, would have waved the red flag at him. That was not to be. The end was inevitable, and inevitable became the end. At the end of all the human sufferings that the Tamils especially went through and are still carrying on with the remnants, and the economic reversals that the nation had suffered since, the question arises if this was all Prabhakaran’s achievements or legacy to his people – a people, whose only problem initially was being more educated and employable than their Sinhala counterparts.

Today, education is not as much a Tamil forte as it used to be, employability and employment, neither are. In their place, the Tamils who refused to learn the majority Sinhala language, have gone all across the world, learning French, Spanish and Italian, among other world languages, to make a living – as a second-class citizen, however rich they may become, in another country, and of course, not in their own. In effect, Narayan Swamy’s The Rout says less than this, yes, but makes more sense than most, triggering hopes of a comprehensive and equally unbiased account of the whole saga, from his powerful pen, one more time! 

ෂෙනාලි වඩුගේ

දෙමළ ජනතාව බෙදුම්වාදය ප්‍රතික්ෂේප කර ඇති බව දෙමළ ජාතික සන්ධානයට ලැබූ ඡන්ද වලින් හා එම සන්ධානයේ ප්‍රමුක තැනක්ලැබූ සුමන්තිරන්ව උතුරු ජනතාව ප්‍රතික්ෂේප කර බව පැහැදිලිව දක්නට ලැබුණි. දෙමල ජනතාවගේ ඡන්දය කොතරම් දුරට බාහිරබලපෑම් වලට භාජනය වූ බව පසුව අපට තේරුම් ගත හැක. 2010 ජනාධිපති ඡන්දයට ඉන්දියාවේ බලපෑම් නිසා සරත් ෆොන්සේකා හිටපුහමුදාපතිටත්, 2015 දී නැවතත් බලපෑම් නිසා මෛත්‍රීපාල සිරිසේන ජනාධිපති කිරීමටත් දෙමල ජනයා ඡන්ද දුන්හ.

කෙසේවතත්, දෙමල ජනතාවගේ බලාපොරොත්තු වෙනම රටක් බිහිකිරීම නොව එදිනෙදා ජීවත්වීමයි. එය සිංහල ජනතාවගේ හා මුස්ලිම්ජනතාවගේත් බලාපොරොත්තුවයි. ශ්‍රී ලංකාව වෙන් කරනවාට වඩා ජනතාවට ඉදිනේදා ජීවත්වීමේ කරදර විශාල සංක්‍යාවක් ඇත. එල්ටීටීඊය පරාජය කිරීමත් ප්‍රභාකරන්ගේ මරණයත් සමඟ වෙනම රාජ්‍යයක් සඳහා වූ සටන 2009 මැයි මාසයේදී  අවසන් විය. නමුත්බෙදුම්වාදයේ මතවාදය පරාජය වුයේ නැත. බෙදුම්වාදී මතවාදය යාපනය රාජ්‍ය විශ්වවිද්‍යාලයේ ශාලා තුළත්, ප්‍රභාකරන්ගේමරණයෙන් පසුව නිර්මාණය වූ එල්ටීටීඊ පෙරමුණු අතරත් දිගටම පැවතුනි. ත්‍රිවිධ හමුදාව සාර්ථක වූ තැන දේශපාලකයන් බෙදුම්වාදීමතවාදය පරාජය කිරීමට අසමත් විය.

ජිනීවාහිදී ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට එරෙහිව අනවශ්‍ය යෝජනා ගෙන ඒමට සහ එතෙර සිටින එල්ටීටීඊ ආධාරකරුවන්ගේ බලය වැඩි කිරීමට හේතුවූයේ මෙයයි.

සත්‍යයට බිය විය යුතු නැත.

මහාවීරර් නාල යනු කුමක්ද යන්න තේරුම් ගැනීමට මෙය වැදගත් වේ.

වෙනම රාජ්‍යයක් බිහිකිරීමට සටන් කිරීම සඳහා දෙමළ සටන්කාමී කණ්ඩායම් 30කට අධික සංඛ්‍යාවක් පිහිටුවන ලදී. මෙම කණ්ඩායම්සියල්ල 1983 ජූලි මාසයට පෙර ඉන්දියාවේ රහසිගතව පුහුණු කර ඇත.

ප්‍රභාකරන් මහා විරු දිනය 1989 නොවැම්බර් 27 ලෙස ප්‍රකාශයට පත් කළේය.

ඒ ඔහුගේ මිතුරා වූ ශංකර් 1982 දී මියගිය දිනයයි.

ශංකර් විවාහ වූයේ එල්ටීටීඊ මුහුදු කොටි නායක සුසෙයිගේ සහෝදරිය සමඟයි.

1 වන මහාවීරර් නාලය 1989 නොවැම්බර් 27 දින පවත්වන ලදී. මහාවීරර් නාල් යනු මහා වීරයන් යන්නයි.

මහාවීරර් නාල් යනු එල්.ටී.ටී.ඊයේ මියගිය අයට පමණක් පවත්වන උත්සවයකි. අනෙකුත් දෙමළ සටන්කාමී කණ්ඩායම්වල මියගිය අයඊට ඇතුළත් නොවේ.

ත්‍රස්තවාදීන් කිසිඳු රජයක් විසින් ප්‍රසිද්ධියේ සැමරීමට ඉඩ නොතැබිය යුතු අතර එල්ටීටීඊයේ මියගිය අයපමණක් සැමරීමට රජයක් ඉඩදිය යුත්තේ ඇයි?

තම පුතා හෝ දියණිය ත්‍රස්තවාදියෙකු වීම කිසිදු මවකගේ හෝ පියෙකුගේ වරදක් නොවන බව අපි එකඟ වන අතරම, ත්‍රස්තවාදියෙකුවුවද තම දරුවා ශෝක වීමට දෙමාපියන්ට ඉඩ දිය යුතු බවට අපි එකඟ වෙමු.

කෙසේ වෙතත්, එම ශෝකය සඳහා එල්ටීටීඊ කොඩි, එල්ටීටීඊ වර්ණ, එල්ටීටීඊ මතක සටහන්, කොටි මියගිය ඡායාරූප ප්‍රදර්ශනය කිරීමඅවශ්‍ය නොවේ.

විශේෂයෙන්ම ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ, ඇමෙරිකාවේ, ඉන්දියාවේ, එක්සත් රාජධානියේ, යුරෝපයේ එල්ටීටීඊය තහනම් අවුරුදු 15ක් ගියත් තවමත්තිබෙන නිසා.

කොටි පවුල් හඳුන්වන්නේ MAAVEERAR KUDUMBANGAL යනුවෙනි. මේ මහාවීරර් නාල් සැමරුම්වලට සහභාගි වන්නේ මේපිරිසයි. වෙනත් සටන්කාමීන්ගේ පවුල්වලට අවසර නැත.

මෙම කොටි පවුල් සහ ඔවුන්ගේ ආධාරකරුවන් විසින් අනෙකුත් දෙමළ සටන්කාමීන් වීරයන්” ලෙස නොසලකයි. ගෝලීය වශයෙන් දසමරනු ලබන්නේ මියගිය එල්.ටී.ටී.ඊ පමණයි.

මහාවීරර් නාල සතිය සෑම වසරකම නොවැම්බර් 20 වැනිදා ආරම්භ වී නොවැම්බර් 27 වැනිදා අවසන් වේ.

නොවැම්බර් 26 වැනිදාට යෙදෙන ප්‍රභාකරන්ගේ උපන්දිනය සැමරීම මේ සතියේ විශේෂත්වයක්.

මහාවීරර් නාල යනු දෙමළ සිවිල් වැසියන් සිහිපත් කිරීමට පමණක් යැයි කියන්නට සමහරු උත්සාහ කරති.

• දෙමළ ඊළාම් කොඩිය පමණක්
• කොටිසැරසිලිපමණි (රතුසහකහ)
• කොටිලාංඡනපමණයි
• ප්‍රභාකරන්විසින්කොටිනිලපුෂ්පයලෙසප්‍රකාශයටපත්කළ 2003 වසරේසිටභාවිතාකරනුලබන්නේකොටිමල්සෙංකාන්තල්මල/ කාර්තිගයිපූ/ග්ලෝරියෝසාලිලී (දෙමළඊළාම්මල්) පමණි.
• පූජාවේගිනිදැල්දල්වන්න
• 2009 ටපෙරමියගියඑල්.ටී.ටී.ඊ.යටඔවුන්ගේනම්මාවීරර්තුයිලුම්ඉලංගයියනුවෙන්කොටාඇතිසොහොන්කොත්මතතබාගෞරවපුදකරයි” (මහාවිරුවන්නිදාසිටිනනිවහන)
• මාවීරර්කුඩුම්බංගල් (එල්ටීටීඊපවුල්) පමණක්මියගියතමදූපුතුන්ගැනශෝකවීමටරැස්වේ
• සෑමවිටමප.ව. 0605ටආරම්භවනඔහුගේඋපන්දිනයේදීඔහුගේවිශිෂ්ටකතාවකරන්නේප්‍රභාකරන්පමණි. ශංකර්මියගියඅවස්ථාව (පොලිස්ප්‍රකාශය)
• එල්ටීටීඊයේකොටිහඬගුවන්විදුලියපමණක්එයලොවපුරාවිකාශයකරයි
• ලොවපුරාවිකාශයවන්නේඑල්ටීටීඊටීවීනිතාර්සනම්පමණි
• ප්‍රභාකරන්විසින්ශංකර්ගේඡායාරූපයටපමණක්මල්මාලාදමාඅනෙක්අයටපහන්දල්වයි. හාස්‍යයටකරුණක්නම්නූගත්විදේශීයමන්ත්‍රීවරුන්පවාමෙමවිදේශීයඋත්සවවලටසහභාගීවනඅතරමියගියත්‍රස්තවාදීන්ටපහන්දල්වයි!

ඉහත සදහන් කරුණු  එල්.ටී.ටී.ඊ සිදුවීමක් පමණක් බව ඔප්පු කිරීමට ප්‍රමාණවත්ය.

මෙම සැමරුම්වල එල්.ටී.ටී.ඊ.ය විසින් ඝාතනය කරන ලද දෙමළ ජනතාවගේ ඡායාරූපයක් නොමැත

DHARMALINGAM – TULF MP for MANIPAI father of D. SIDDHARTHAN (PLOTE leader) killed by LTTE in 1985

AMIRTHALINGAM – MP, Secretary General of the TULF/ a Former Opposition Leader killed by LTTE in 1989

PATHMANABHA – EPRLF leader killed by LTTE in India in 1990

Uma Maheshwaran, PLOTE leader killed by LTTE in 1989

TELO Leader K Sabaratnam killed by LTTE in 1986

opalaswamy Mahendraraja (Mahaththaya) Deputy leader of LTTE killed by Prabakaran in 1994 for being a RAW agent

මෙම ලයිස්තුවේ බොහෝ දමල නම් ඇත. 

රජයට පක්ෂ බොහෝ දෙනෙක් කොටි සැමරුම් අසත්‍ය බව කියමින් සිටින නිසා .. සැමරුම් පලකරන සමාජ මාද්‍ය වල ඔවුන්ගේ ජාල වලතොරතුරු කිහිපයක් ඇත

https://x.com/JaffnaTroll/status/1861951330614730896

විශ්වවිද්‍යාල පරිශ්‍රය තුළ ත්‍රස්තවාදීන් සැමරීමට රාජ්‍ය විශ්වවිද්‍යාලයකට ඉඩ දිය නොහැක. ත්‍රස්තවාදීන් සැමරීමට ඉඩ දෙනඋපකුලපතිවරයාට සහ අධ්‍යයන කාර්ය මණ්ඩලයට එරෙහිව විනය පියවර ගත යුතුය.

https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/memorial-dedicated-fallen-ltte-cadres-unveiled-jaffna

ටැමිල් ගුඅර්දිං (TAMIL GUARDIAN ) මෙසේ පලකලත්

http://srilanka.factcrescendo.com/english/a-series-of-misleading-photos-published-about-the-mahaviru-day-celebration-in-the-university-of-jaffna/ FACT CRESCENDO ප්‍රකාශයක් මගින් මෙම සැමරුම් යාපනය විශ්වවිද්‍යාලයේසැමරුම් ප්‍රවෘත්තිය අසත්‍ය බව පෙන්වීමට උත්සාහ කරනවා.

නමුත් ඔවුන්ගේ ප්‍රකාශයම පක්ෂග්‍රාහී වන්නේ මහාවීරර් නාලය සමස්ත දෙමළ සැමරුමක් බව ඔවුන් ප්‍රකාශ කරන බැවිනි. මෙමFACT CRESENDO විසින් මෙය සම්පූර්ණයෙන්ම වැරදි ලෙස වටහාගෙන ඇත. මෙම සිදුවීම එල්ටීටීඊයට පමණයි. ඇයි මේ තත්ත්‍වපරීක්ෂකට මේක ඇත්තක් විදියට කියන්න බැරි?

නව රජය එල්ටීටීඊ සැමරීමට ඉඩ දීමෙන් එල්ටීටීඊ නොවන දෙමල ජනතාවට ලොකු අසාධාරණයක් කරයි. මකද බොහෝ දෙනෙක්බෙදුම්වාදී අදහස්වලින් ඉවත් වී ඇති නිසා. නැවතත් බෙදුම්වාදයට ඇත දීමෙන් අනවශ්‍ය ප්‍රශ්න ඇතිකිරීමටත් ප්‍රශ්න හොයන බාහිරබලවේග වලටත් අවස්තාවක් දෙනු ලබයි.

ස්වල්ප දෙනෙකුගෙන් සැදුනු ත්‍රස්තවාදීන්ට විරුද්ධ පියවර නොගත් එවකට සිටි ආණ්ඩුව අවුරුදු 30 ක් තිස්සේ අනවශ්‍ය යුද්ධයකට රටරැගෙන දෙමල සිංහල, මුස්ලිම් හා විජාතිකයන්ගේ ජීවිත පවා අහිමි කළේය.

නැවතත් නිවැරදි දේශපාලන තීරණ නොගෙන, විවිධ අන්තවාදී කණ්ඩායම් සතුටු කිරීමට ගොස් මෙම රජය ලංකාව හා ජනතාව ලොකුප්‍රශ්න ගොඩක දැමිය හැක.

හාස්‍යයට කරුණ නම් ප්‍රභාකරන් ඝාතනය වූ විට ඔහුගේ දේහය බාර ගැනීමට කිසිවකු නොපැමිණියේය. නමුත් අද ඔවුන් ඔහුගේඋපන්දිනය සමරනවා.

ප්‍රභාකරන්ගේ දෙමාපියන් දෙමළ ජාතිකයන් විසින් සරණාගත කඳවුරෙන් එළවා දැමූ අතර සිංහල සොල්දාදුවන්ට ඔවුන්ව වෙනමස්ථානයක බලා ගැනීමට සිදු විය. වෛද්‍ය ප්‍රතිකාර ගැනීමට ඉන්දියාවට ගිය ප්‍රභාකරන්ගේ මවට ඉන්දියාවේදී ගුවන් යානයෙන් බැසීමටඉඩ නොදී නැවත ලංකාවට පැමිණීමට සිදු විය.

ප්‍රභාකරන්ගේ මවුපියන් දෙදෙනාම මිය ගිය විට ඔහුගේ සොහොයුරියන් පවා පිටරට සිට අවමංගල්‍ය කටයුතු සිදු කිරීමට පැමිණියේනැත. මෙයද සිංහල සොල්දාදුවන්ට කිරීමට සිදු විය.

දැන් පපුවට ගසමින් කොටි සමරන එක් කෙනෙක්වත් ප්‍රභාකරන්ගේ දේහය භාර ගැනීමට ඉදිරිපත් වුයේ නැත.

ෂෙනාලි වඩුගේ