Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya has affirmed the government’s commitment to creating a suitable environment for all individuals to live a happy and quality life, free from discrimination.
Prime Minister Dr. Amarasuriya made this statement today (December 27), during a ceremony held in Batariwatta, Moratuwa, to inaugurate the first phase of a housing project funded by Chinese financial assistance amounting to Rs. 22 billion. This initiative aims to enhance the living standards of low-income families, the PM’s Media Division reported.
The project envisions the construction of 1,996 houses under Chinese financial assistance. The phase inaugurated in the Batariwatta area, Moratuwa, will provide 575 houses for low-income earners, while the housing project in Kottawa will include 108 houses designated for veteran artists.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated: We extend our thanks to the Chinese government for supporting this housing project in Sri Lanka. A home is not merely a shelter; it is a space essential for a good, quality life and the security every citizen deserves.”
Beyond housing, the government is dedicated to stimiulating strong families and communities, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of women and children by addressing their specific needs.”
Low-income earners in the suburbs face challenges, often living in unsafe and insecure conditions. The government’s vision is to provide an environment where all citizens can lead happy and quality lives, without any form of discrimination based on race, religion, gender, or other factors. We appreciate the financial assistance and support extended by the Chinese government to Sri Lanka.”
The event was attended by the Minister of Urban Development, Construction and Housing, Anura Karunathilaka; Deputy Minister T.B. Sarath; Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Qi ZhenHong; Economic and Commercial Counselor of the Chinese Embassy, Tang Yan Di; the Secretary of the Ministry of Urban Development, Construction and Housing, along with other government officials and representatives of the Chinese government.
In ‘Pin Eti Sarasavi Waramak Denne’, Sarachchandra described an incident he faced on the second or the third night at the Wendt. He was seated in the foyer while the play was in progress and all of a sudden a limousine came to a halt at the entrance and a well dressed woman walked in. She asked What is being staged here today?” and being told that it was a Sinhala play wanted to know when it was going to be over. When Sarachchandra told her that it would be over in two hours she was not prepared to believe him. What! A Sinhala play being over in two hours? I am sure it will go on till about 9 or 10PM”
Sarachchandra told her that he was pretty sure of the duration of the play and if she was keen to see it she could get in without any payment and leave whenever she wanted. The lady looked disdainfully at Sarachchandra and declared Shih! I don’t want to see these Sinhala plays. I only wanted to send my servant woman and she cannot be allowed to waste three four hours here” and walked away. [1]
One would have expected therefore that Maname’s debut at the Lionel Wendt theatre in Colombo’s poshest district would also have been its last performance there. But the opposite happened. ‘Wendt’ decided eventually to accommodate Sinhala plays and Maname shows regularly there. Maname is a perennial at Lionel Wendt.
Maname changed the attitude of the nation to Sinhala drama. D.C. Ranatunge wrote, I bought a ticket for two rupees (given in a neat little envelope, both of which I still treasure after 58 years) [2] and was at the Lionel Wendt early that Saturday evening for the first show. To be exact it was Saturday, 3 November 1956. The hall was about half empty. I was among just a handful, possibly around 50 , attending.
Lights are switched off. A single spotlight falls on an actor who appears in a long garb, a ‘talappawa’ and a beard in a corner of the unlit stage. He starts a chant ‘sakala brahma suranaramastakayehi…’ the traditional appeal to the gods for the success of a new venture. He is the ‘pothe guru’, the narrator who acts as the link in relating the story of what the audience was going to see. It was a totally new experience.
The Sinhala press did not show much enthusiasm. They were basically anti-university and biased against Sarachchandra. The Dinamina Editor, M.A. de Silva, thought otherwise. He invited his university friend Charles Abeysekera, a CCS (Ceylon Civil Service) high ranking official in the public service to review the play. Regi Siriwardena, Features Editor of the Daily News, reviewed it for his paper. Both reviews changed the initial response and Maname began to attract crowds, said Ranatunga.
Maname never looked back after that first show. Crowds flocked to see the play. It has been regularly performed in the past seventy years to enthusiastic audiences. Maname has played to several generations and held hundreds of performances, since 1956. [3] It was in demand all over the island. What began as an experiment came to be a resounding success, observed KNO Dharmadasa.
Maname was highly regarded artistically. This is well known and much emphasized. What is not emphasized, but taken for granted is the fact that the Sinhala play-going public, who wanted quality entertainment, also took an immediate liking to Maname. Maname became a hit.
Maname’s appeal, was not, I think, limited to its lovely songs, but also to the complex story, with its theme of conflicting loyalties and sexual attraction. There was deep emotion and the audience liked that. Also the way the story unfolded. If the story had not appealed to the public,the play would have disappeared and the songs alone would have survived, as part of the popular song repertoire.
Maname appealed to the rural segment , not only the urban. When Maname was shown in the University at Peradeniya , in its ‘wala’ in 1958, people from nearby villages, Hindagala and Mahakanda came, sat with the undergrads and watched the show. Sarachchandra was very happy about this, said Amunugama. [4]
The Maname songs have now become a part of our Sinhala culture. They are ours, not just Maname’s. Ranjini Obeyesekera recalls, years later when I was teaching at the Peradeniya University, I remember attending again a performance of Maname.
It was at the open air theatre, grass tiered seating under towering Tabibuia trees that shed their delicate pink blossoms on a packed audience of students, teachers, monks, government bureaucrats, workers, and villagers from the surrounding area. Then, in the scene where the lovers walk in the forest and the now familiar song ‘prēmeyen maṇa ranjita vey’ was being sung, a student voice spontaneously joined in, and instantly the entire audience burst into the song. It was an unforgettable magical moment.
When the cast were still studying at University ,the play was performed exclusively by the original cast. Shyamon Jayasinghe recalled, our focus was on the enjoyment we derived when we got on to the “Maname bus” and toured the island. There was Trilicia, Edmund, Ben, Lionel, Nanda , Trixie, Indrani, Ramya, Pastor, Adikaram, Edirie Arthur, KDP, Wimal and the host of other jolly persons doing the trek. [5]
We were often played out by the organizers who told us that it was a loss, when it was full house! That did not matter. Shyamon said he sang during his full stay at University. And also performed sporadically after that. He must have performed his role about 300 times.
But Maname did not result in a spate of similar plays. The only play I can recall which came after Maname was Galapaththy’s Sanda kinduru. There was a third play also but I cannot recall its name. I do not consider this surprising.
In my view, this type of theater demanded a versatility which most aspiring dramatists simply could not muster. The writer had to be good, very good, at music, lyrics, movement as well as dialogue and plot. This was too much for the average playwright.
Sarachchandra however, had another explanation. Sarachchandra said, I expected that Maname would be followed by several plays in the same style and that before long we would possess a body of plays that would reflect our national genius like the Kabuki and Noh of the Japanese or the Beijing opera of the Chinese. But the social pressures began to bear on the playwrights and the demand for the theatre to have relevance to the day to day problems that people were facing became strong. Since stylized drama could not deal with such problems , the theatre has gone to the naturalistic mode, and is today largely a theatre of protest, critical of the establishment”. [6]( CONTINUED)
The theatre enthusiasts, who saw Maname in its maiden presentation in Colombo and before that at rehearsals in Peradeniya, saw its significance and artistic value. Many years later, this group wrote up their recollections for Sunday newspapers. They also provided contributions to publications issued to mark Maname anniversaries, such as the Silver Jubilee of Maname” (1981). Sarath Amunugama wrote Maname mathak vee” was for Sarachchandra’s 100th birth anniversary.
These writings are informative and perceptive. They should be brought together. I have therefore added further essays to this series on Maname, in order to present extracts from these writings with a few observations of mine. There is repetition. That could not be avoided.
I was taken to see Maname at Pushpadana School hall in Kandy. My father, who had seen theatre in London in his student days, was very enthusiastic. I was intrigued by the actors going round and round in a circle, but that was all. I saw no significance in Maname. I went home and forgot about Maname.
Sarath Amunugama has also gone to the same performance. He was then an Advanced Level student at Trinity College. His reaction was different. He saw the value of Maname. Maname made a permanent impact on me, said Sarath. [1] Maname showed that we could develop a creative modern Sinhala culture.
The Pushpadana performance would have been the second performance of Maname and the first for Kandy and Peradeniya. Sarath Amunugama says there was a large audience, mainly of university academics. Their Volkswagen cars were parked in a row by the school. Kandy intelligentsia, it appears, was also informed and they too had turned up to see Maname. That is why I was there.
Commentators have pointed out that the year in which Maname appeared was a significant one. The year was 1956. Bandaranaike’s electoral triumph of 1956 brought about a political transformation which heralded the common man’s era, the birth of linguistic nationalism and a social and cultural revival of unprecedented magnitude, said K.H.J. Wijedasa.
1956 was also the year which marked the birth of three classical landmark artistic creations in the fields of Sinhala drama, cinema and fiction namely Ediriweera Sarachchandra’s ‘Maname’, Lester James Peiris’s ‘Rekhawa’ and Martin Wickremasinghe’s ‘Viragaya,’ he said.[2]
Ralph Pieris ‘Sinhala Social Organization’ was also published in 1956. This dry academic tome was enthusiastically received and eagerly read. It was translated to Sinhala as ‘Sinhala samaja sanvidanaya’. That increased the readership for the book.
Why Maname was such a huge success sixty years ago and why is it so popular even today asked K.H.J. Wijedasa. Maname gripped the imagination of both the westernized urban audience as well as the traditionalists. It introduced a new genre to the Sinhala theatre. Its lyrics, music, choreography, costumes and make up heralded a new trend in theatre, he said. The musicality of Maname is undoubtedly a major factor in its artistic success. The new stylized dramatic medium with beautiful melodies and choreographed dances was intriguing.
Maname conjured up a special world that our audiences had not seen before. Larger than life players in unusual costumes and distinctive make-up walking the stage in a mild dance like manner (gamana) talking in an unfamiliar way and telling the story in melody, rhythm and drum, all beautifully integrated, gave the audience an uncanny feeling, concluded Wijedasa.
I remember vividly the first night performance of Maname. As the curtain rose and the rich chant of the Pothegura (narrator) filled the auditorium, I sat spellbound at what seemed to me a theatrical miracle. Sarachchandra’s total transformation of theatrical aspects he had taken from the traditional rituals and folk plays, into a sophisticated modern drama, the bare stage emblazoned with colourful costumes by the artist Siri Gunasinghe, the sheer poetry of the verse enhanced by Sarachchandra’s creative use of music and dance, left me and the audience stunned”, said Ranjini Obeyesekere, in an oration she delivered in 2014 to mark the birth centenary of Sarachchandra.[3]
Here was something new, exciting, and different from anything seen in the Sinhala theatre so far, breaking away from the western influenced fourth wall proscenium dramas and opening new directions for the Sinhala theatre. As I walked out, dazed and excited I remember meeting Regi Siriwardene, at the time the leading critic for the English newspapers, and he was equally transfixed. We talked briefly, at a loss for words to express our excitement, Ranjini concluded.
Amaradasa Gunawardena who was at the first performance, as a member of the Maname team recalled that as the concluding song ‘Mangalam suba mangalam wewa jayasiri mangalam’ came to an end, a great applause arose and continued without ceasing. There was a call for the dramatist.
Those days there was no curtain call and Sarachchandra was reluctant to appear. What need is there for the people who came to see the play to see me,” he said. Gunasena Galappatti, Arthur Silva and I pushed him on to the stage . He stood there to receive applause, which he had never expected, said Amaradasa.[4]
Lionel Fernando who played the role of Chief of the Foresters in the original castrecalled It was around July 1956 when Sarachchandra held a couple of auditions for those who were willing to help him in this new venture. I was among those who were keen to join it.[5] Several months of rehearsals followed.
Years later, Indrani Wijesinghe reminisces:After the annual vacation, we returned to the campus, for the second academic year, there was good news awaiting us that Dr. Sarachchandra was going to produce a drama and anyone interested could meet him at an audition. Once inside the audition room I was at completely at ease, when I discovered that all who had gathered there were in the same boat, Trilicia, Hemamali, Trixie, Swarna, Lionel,.”
Hemamali tells us how she entered the world of Maname in that historic year, 1956:So one damp and drizzly Saturday afternoon, Piyaseeli Sirisena and I walked up Sangamitta Hill, past Sangamitta Hall, to the secluded B Bungalow that was the Sarachchandra residence. It is funny how little details retained in your memory suddenly spring to mind when you try to reminisce.
My most vivid image of that rather hesitant walk up to the Sarachchandra door is of a rain-drenched Thumbergia creeper, its few remaining blossoms, beaten down but bravely glistening with raindrops trembling upon the velvety petals like dew. Even with the drizzle outside, the door was open. Shaking the raindrops off our hair and clothes, we entered a world of chaos and buzzing activity”, concluded Hemamali.
I have always wondered how the University suddenly produced such fine singing undergrads , who were able to launch Maname so successfully with a few months of rehearsals. It appears that they had been performing under Sarachchandra for several years before and understood each other.
The first University departments to move to Peradeniya from Colombo in 1952 were the Oriental and Arts faculties. There was plenty of cultural activity in Peradeniya for them, all of it centered on Sarachchandra, noted Sarath Amunugama. Sarachchandra connected each year with the dozen or so talented students newly arrived into these two faculties. He had no use for the rest . He had a talent for associating with the young undergrads, said Amunugama.
There were enough good singers in each batch and Sarachchandra organized ‘singing groups.’ They sang so well that when Sarachchandra had musical evenings at his house in Sanghamitta hill, students at Sanghamitta Hall used to listen at their balconies.’
Sarachchandra also made his singers perform before an audience. Sarachchandra organized song recitals at the University . He would select the songs, roneo them and train the singers at his home. We practiced every evening.” Amaradeva and others who were visiting him also took an interest in these rehearsals, reported Amunugama. After training for 2 weeks they would give a musical evening at the Arts theatre.
Sarachchandra also started a carol group which sang bhakthi gee at Wesak. He never had to look for students for these projects. The undergrads, specially the girls, ran to join when they heard that Sarachchandra was planning a musical evening or bhakthi gee performance , said Amunugama.
Amunugama’s information can be accepted. He was close enough . He entered University in 1957 , the year after Maname and gained almost immediate access to that magic circle which surrounded Sarachchandra, noted Ajit Samaranayake..[6] Practically every evening students used to gather at Sarachchandra’s house, Amunugama recalled They included Gunadasa Amarasekera, Gunasena Galappaththy, Dayananda Gunawardena as well as visitors such as Amaradeva. This was in the 1950s, the first decade at Peradeniya . By the time I, (Kamalika Pieris), entered University, Sarachchandra had left Sanghamitta Hill. As far as I know, there were no singing groups either.1961 was spent rehearsing Sinhabahu.
We must recognize the special talents of the original cast of Maname, noted Sarath Amunugama. Those who entered Peradeniya in the 50s and 60s came from central schools. They had been taught by clever dedicated teachers and were the best products of the school.
Theycame from schools which had encouraged song, dance and music. Classical music was in the syllabus, so they could play tabla, sitar as well as sing. The music for Maname came from those who had studied at Horana Central, where they had learned to play oriental instruments. HL Seneviratne, Hemapala Wijewardene, Kithsiri Amaratunge came from Horana. Their background helped the cast to adapt to the Nadagam style and benefit from the teaching of Gunasinghe Gurunnanse.
The young undergraduates who took part in Maname were unaware that they were creating history. When we read the reminiscences of those pioneering actors and actresses we begin to feel the youthful ebullience with which they undertook the task, said Dharmadasa.
Despite the exultant praise of the very small but distinguished first audience of scholars, journalists and critics who gathered that night, it didn’t occur to any of us that we had placed our own humble footprints in a notable venture, said Shyamon Jayasinghe.
Shyamon recalled, it was simply an innocent collective enjoyment that we experienced. To me and our team of actors and organizers it meant simply the culmination of a six month period of sheer fun and camaraderie in rehearsing the play, nothing more. We did it for the enjoyment.
At the auditions Sarachchandra tested their singing, not acting ability, said Shyamon. We rehearsed for about five months. Sarachchandra allowed us to perform as we wished and only corrected our mistakes. He did not instruct us. He drew out our abilities and creativeness.
Those were, perhaps, the best of our times. The days when Maname was created and the immediate aftermath, continued Shyamon. Rehearsals in the Arts block at Peradeniya campus, the great Sarachchandra by our side, guiding us along. The venerable Charles Silva Gunasinghe Gurunnanse, Nadagam expert from Ambalangoda, teaching the dance steps.
I remember Trilicia singing “Lapa nomavan sanda se somi gunena” with a subtle erotic movement of her body. We hardly realized then we were in the process of creating history,[7] but there was commitment all round. That was one reason for the high quality of the show, concluded Shyamon.
The play was a success because the two leading male roles were played by mature men and not by twenty year old undergrads . If the characters had been played by young undergrads, the response would have been very different. Maname would have been a flop.
Certainly, Sinhabahu (1961) was performed by undergrads, some actors were weak and the first performance was like a dress rehearsal but by then the audience knew to spot the potential in a Sarachchandra play and ignore the natural limitations of a University production.
But Maname was different. Maname was vitally important. Although he auditioned several persons to take the role of the Veddha King no one was able to sing in the tone Sarachchandra wanted the Veddha king to sing. Sarachchandra was thinking of abandoning the play. Then Edmund Wijesinghe came along.
When Edmund sang the very walls of the Junior Common Room seemed to listen in hushed silence to the rich timbre of his voice that resonated with a suppressed violence that was also right for the role of the Vedda King. In fact the very awkwardness of his stance and movements fit the image of the feral character perfectly, said KNO Dharmadasa.
Hemamali Gunasekera recalls how Edmund Wijesinghe’s voice contrasted dramatically with the mellow richness of Ben Sirimanne’s voice. Ben was Prince Maname, a mature student who had entered Peradeniya as a school-teacher and was reading for the Diploma in Education. He had some experience in singing and playing an instrument.[8] Hemamali found him mature, unflappable and gentlemanly, with his pleasant mellifluous voice and gentle ways” , putting her completely at ease during the rehearsals.
Shyamon who gave a memorable performance as Poteguru recalled that the role of Potegura was new to the Sinhala theatre of the time. Sarachchandra did not know how to present this character, neither did Shyamon.
But at the first performance as the curtain was about to rise, when he saw Hemamali and others costumed and ready, and in my opinion, probably heard the rustle of the audience, and realized this was it , Shyamon had a moment of epiphany. He saw the significance of his role. He must introduce the play in a dynamic manner. He recalled in a video interview with Boston Lanka in 2013 that his first speech got a terrific response from the audience. [9]
Sarachchandra was always at the performance, with sitar or tempura, said Shyamon. Sarachchandra was always present at a performance, agreed Sarath Amunugama. That was probably because the actors were amateurs and not professionals. They were students with other things on their minds, tutorials to write and exams to prepare for.
Sarachchandra seems to have followed this policy for his other plays too. Pushpamala Iriyagolle who was in the chorus of Sinhabahu told me one day at Sanghamitta, ‘we sang flat yesterday, Kamalika, and Professor Sarachchandra was furious. He was glaring at us from the wings. But we could not help it, we went more and more flat.” I did not know till then that Sarachchandra was present in the wings at every performance.
The Maname actors concentrated on their performances. The adults saw the potential and the national impact the play would make. At least two senior lecturers were actively helping, Ananda Kulasuriya and Siri Gunasinghe. The costumes and make up provided by Siri Gunasinghe differed for each character. The costumes of Poteguru, Maname, princess, Veddah king, veddhas, all differed in style and colour, said Amunugama .
The rest of the Department of Sinhala also knew about the play. Academics from other Departments were also supportive. Ralph Pieris I am told was also there, helping.” He was a friend of Sarachchandra. Ralph told me that he was one of the persons who had advised the reluctant Sarachchandra that the play must open at the Lionel Wendt.
Aphotograph of the original cast, crew, producers and the Association that was responsible for creating Maname, the Sinhala Drama Circle has been reproduced by Liyanage Amarakeerthi in his essay Maname Day: A Nostalgic Note On That Distant November Day” published in Colombo Telegraph, November 4, 2020. [10] The year would probably have been 1957. It is a formal photograph, probably framed and hung at University of Peradeniya . The photograph is a historical one. When I took my copy of the photograph to a print shop to get it enlarged and sharpened, the shop refused to accept payment, saying it took very little time and cost nothing. I think they were showing respect for Maname.( continued) .
Professor Daya Somasundaram / Dr Ruwan M Jayatunge
Prolonged armed conflict in Sri Lanka has created higher rates of mental ailments among the Army personal and members of the LTTE. A significant number of people have been diagnosed with complex forms of PTSD aka Malignant PTSD. These individuals with malignant forms of anxiety have a wider range of clinical symptomatology with severe psychosocial impairments. These people would fit into the diagnostic category of DESNOS (Disorders of extreme stress not otherwise specified) or Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) / Malignant PTSD that was described by Dr. Judith Herman in 1992. Complex PTSD has been recognised as a new diagnosis in the International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision (ICD-11).
According to Herman (1992), Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD) is a psychological injury that results from protracted exposure to prolonged social and/or interpersonal trauma in the context of either captivity or entrapment that results in the lack or loss of control, helplessness, and deformations of identity and sense of self. C-PTSD is distinct from but similar to, PTSD, somatization disorder, dissociative identity disorder, and borderline personality disorder. (DESNOS), characterised by alterations in regulating affective arousal with difficulty in modulating anger, self-destructive and suicidal behaviour and impulsive and risk-taking behaviour.
They have chronic characterological changes with alterations in self-perception: chronic guilt and shame; feelings of self-blame or ineffectiveness and of being permanently damaged; a tendency to victimize others and alterations in systems of meaning such as despair and hopelessness or loss of previously sustaining beliefs (Jong, 1997).
Sri Lanka’s Armed Conflict and Its Impact on the Victims
A three-decade-long armed conflict in Sri Lanka has created higher rates of psychological problems among the victims. They were at high risk of developing war-related psychopathology. The armed conflict between government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam has resulted PTSD and DESNOS (C- PTSD). DESNOS has caused considerable impairments in psycho-social functioning among the affected individuals. These people often experience multiple mental health problems. Most of the victims have not received adequate treatment and some cases are still undiagnosed. Lack of availability of mental health services is one of the barriers to treat war victims and ameliorating their distress.
C- PTSD Among the Sri Lankan Combat Veterans
A significant number of Sri Lankan soldiers suffered severe war trauma during the Eelam War that lasted from 1983 to 2009. It changed the psychological makeup of soldiers. A large number of combatants underwent traumatic battle events outside the range of usual human experience. These experiences include constantly living in a hostile battle-ravaged environment, seeing fellow soldiers being killed or wounded and sight of unburied decomposing bodies, handling human remains, hearing screams for help from the wounded, and helplessly watching the wounded die without the possibility of being rescued etc. The affected combatants with war trauma experience problems in their living, working, learning, and social environments. War trauma has drastically impacted their mental health and long-term functioning. Some of the Sri Lankan combatants with full blown PTSD showed a wider range of clinical symptomatology with sever psychosocial impairments and these veterans would fit in to the diagnostic category of DESNOS (Disorders of extreme stress not otherwise specified) or Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD).
C- PTSD Among the ex LTTE Carders
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) – a Tamil militant organization and they attacked the Sri Lankan armed forces with modern weapons. The LTTE used numerous unconventional methods to fight the Sri Lankan Forces using child soldiers and suicide bombers. Many surviving members of the former LTTE either now live in Sri Lanka or live abroad. Most of these ex-militants joined the movement as children and throughout the war, they underwent the harsh realities of war trauma. A significant numbers of ex LTTE members suffer from malignant PTSD. These victims live with rage, guilt, alienation and suicidal ideation. They lack social skills and unable to form families due to a lack of parental skills and intimacy. Some affected by addiction problems.
Case Studies
1)Rifleman Sn34 became psychologically wounded after facing traumatic battle events in Operation Yale Devi which was launched in 1993 to destroy the LTTE Sea Tiger strongholds at Kilali. The enemy launched a surprise attack on the advancing column resulting in the deaths of hundreds of soldiers. The LTTE attacked them with mortars and Rocket Propelled Grenades. Rifleman Sn34 saw the deaths of a number of his fellow soldiers. The enemy captured some of the wounded men. After this dreaded battle, Rifleman Sn34 had a pessimistic outlook on the future. He had ruminations about the battle events. He relived these experiences. Startle reactions troubled him significantly. He had no way of receiving treatment or no way of explaining to anyone his psychological anguish. For a long period, he lived with his posttraumatic symptoms. Over the years he felt that he was unable to trust people or the system. He became extremely vigilant during the presence of unknown people. He stopped associating with people and became socially isolated. He was demotivated to initiate new events and felt lethargic and withdrawn. He became an extremely fearful person. Prior to the traumatic event, he was decorated for bravery but after the battle trauma, the sound of a firecracker could make him excessively frightened
2)Private SXXT31 served in the operational area for 9 years and firsthand experienced combat trauma. He witnessed how his unit members got killed following enemy fire, mortar blasts, artillery attacks etc. and became severally overwhelmed while handling human remains. After experiencing these events over a long period, he suffered severe transient headaches and loss of memory. By 2002 he was diagnosed with full-blown symptoms of PTSD. He was frequently troubled by nightmares and flashbacks. When he experienced flashbacks, he used to re live the traumatic event and often became disconnected from reality. Once Private SXXT31 went into a dissociate flashback and he had squeezed the neck of his five-year old daughter. When the little girl was suffocating, his wife accidentally noticed the dreadful event, alerted the neighbors and saved the little girl from Private SXXT31’s strong grip. The girl was immediately hospitalized and later recovered. Private SXXT31 became extremely distressed and felt guilty after realizing that he tried to strangle his own daughter. He had no memory of the incident and did not realize how he grabbed the daughter’s neck.
3)Bombardier AXTX36’s self-perception changed drastically with the onset of symptoms. He lost his self-esteem and viewed himself as a sinner and a perpetrator who deserved to be punished by the Karmic forces. I am a villain he openly said and he wished all the blasphemes to fall upon him. He frequently said that he is not a human anymore and the human part of him had gone a long time ago. He urged other people to call him derogatory names. He started to reveal his past interrogative work even to unknown people on the street and never expected a word of sympathy from them. When people sympathized with him he became extremely annoyed and sometimes tried to assault them. Bombardier AXTX36 became aggressive and emotionally numbed. He lost the ability to trust anyone. Sometimes he blamed his senior officers, his parents, and sometimes, even himself, for his anguish and suffering. He had no hopes for the future and several times planned to commit suicide.
4) A 23-year-old male presented at the psychiatric clinic at the Teaching Hospital Jaffna, with complaints of insomnia, numbness of the head, and flashbacks of dead friends. He had joined the militant group at the age of 14 and underwent extensive training. As he lost his friends one by one on missions, he became more withdrawn and preoccupied with thoughts of his dead friends. He also led a very tense life during active duty. He developed a hatred for people whom he was led to believe were traitors and who passed information to his enemies. He caught 3 people whom he considered informants and tortured them by slowly cutting them to pieces while they screamed. He then threw these pieces onto the nearby road. After this, he began to be obsessed with the sight of blood and hearing his victims screaming in pain. He also had nightmares of dead comrades being blown to bits. His insomnia worsened, and he began to take Diazepam. He became addicted and started taking up to 40 mg at a time. He introduced this to the other boys. He also had a severe headache accompanied by numbness of the head. His drug abuse habit was detected by his superiors, who put him on punishment, where he was physically beaten and kept in detention. He is obsessed with the urge to torture and to see blood. When he was asked to draw a picture, he chose a dark red crayon and drew blood drops, a hanging man, a knife stained with blood, a grave and ghosts.
Treatment Measures
The main treatments for DESNOS (C- PTSD) are psychotherapy and medication. Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) are highly recommended as psychological therapies. Studies recommend multicomponent therapies starting with a focus on safety, psychoeducation, and patient-provider collaboration, and treatment components that include self-regulatory strategies and trauma-focused interventions (Maercker et.al.,2022). These interventions are alleviating the patient’s distress in several psychological and physical domains.
Psychological interventions improve C- PTSD symptoms. It is essential to provide more efficient and comprehensive therapies to the individuals with war trauma, and the psychiatric and rehabilitation services should work in collaboration to achieve success. The victims with war trauma need psychosocial rehabilitation to recover. Warren (2002) is of the view that addressing the broader emotional, social and economic needs of survivors is a critical aspect of the rehabilitation process.
The Health Ministry should provide sufficient training to the doctors to identify war trauma symptoms and do referrals effectively. Psychosocial Rehabilitation should be incorporated to help traumatized combat veterans to achieve recovery. Psychosocial Rehabilitation practices help war veterans re-establish normal roles in the community, independence, and reintegration into community life. These interventions help to manage behaviors, perceptions, and reactions and give the opportunity to the victims to live a full and meaningful life.
Ahmadiyya Muslims from over 50 countries including Sri Lanka are expected to participate in the 129th annual congregation of the community to be held from December 27-29 at Qadian in Punjab, India. In 1891, the founder of Ahmadiyya Muslim community, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, had initiated the spiritual event to promote inter-religious peace and harmony. The event will be marked by a ‘world religions’ session in which people from different faiths will suggest solutions to the problems faced by world, On the last day, a televised address will be given by worldwide head of Ahmadiyya Community, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, who is based in London. The objective of this Convention (Jalsa Salana) is to present pure, pristine and peaceful teachings of Islam. Likewise to call people towards their creator, to develop love, affection and compassion among the creations of God, and promote brotherhood, are also its objectives. At the convention, religious leaders of the community from around the country will address people on the tenets of Islam and its power to promote peace and harmony in the world. Ahmadiyya Jama’at is a Community of Islam which is widely perceived to be different from the mainstream form of the religion as they believe that the advent of a Messiah, as promised by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), has already happened. They believe, unlike the mainstream believers of Islam, that the Messiah was incarnated in 1835 in the form of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. Under Divine Command, in 1889, Ahmad proclaimed himself under the Divine Command, awaited Messiah, and was widely subscribed to be so by Muslims from around the world. The followers of Ahmad thus came to be called ‘Ahmadis’ or ‘Ahmadiyyas’. We are completely same as the other mainstream followers of Islam but for our belief in the advent of a Messiah, which they believe is yet to take place. In Sri Lanka, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (Jama’at) was established in 1915 and the Community celebrated its Centenary in the year 2015. To mark the event, the Community launched the Holy Qur’an Sinhala Translation, whereas, this scripture has been translated into 76 world languages by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at in Islam. Qadian is the birth-place of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad – Founder of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
“You have the complete right to convince any truth as a lie and any lie as a truth. That is your democratic right. You have the right to see the negative side when the government is doing something good. And also, you have the right to praise when a leader, government, institution or an individual is doing something harmful to society,”- NPP Member of Parliament Nilanthi Kottahachchi
Although the member of Parliament has perhaps not full well explained the context of her statement, what she and all others should take into consideration is what a system change should mean in a society and how a system change could restore some values that have been eroded over time and how the political, religious and civil society leadership could act and be examples to others about governing within a value system that the above graphical illustration depicts with truth being one of the many values.
In a value-based society, a truth and a lie cannot conveniently fall within the ambit of a democratic right. In fact, democracy itself should fall within the ambit of a broader value system. What is a democracy if there are no moral values, if there no ethics, if there is no fairness, if there is no honesty, and if there is no integrity?
From a Buddhist perspective, the Fourth Precept: Abstain from False and Harmful Speech, gives an idea as to what a lie is. The following paragraph on the fourth of the five precepts ((https://tricycle.org/beginners/buddhism/fourth-precept/), gives a practical explanation —Buddhist guidelines for an ethical life—is to refrain from false and harmful speech, often simplified as not lying. However, the fourth precept is more than a simple directive to tell the truth. It is often viewed in the context of the foundational Buddhist practice of Right Speech, a more thorough framework, contained in the eightfold path, for how best to thoughtfully and compassionately speak and listen.
False speech includes any untrue statement as well as some factual ones. Straightforward lies clearly violate the precept but so do common behaviors like self-inflation, exaggeration, lying by omission, pretending to know something, and even some forms of humor, such as sarcasm, that may be hurtful. Gossip, true or not, is considered false speech, as is anything divisive or malicious, as well as idle chatter. The fourth precept covers all forms of communication—speaking, writing, even body language. As with the other precepts, violations are not evenly weighted. Telling a lie as part of a joke is not as serious as, say, lying to get a job or spreading harmful rumors. In Theravada Buddhism, there are four factors that lead to an infringement of the fourth precept. Intent is one, so saying something false that you believe to be true is not considered a violation. Whether or not the listener believes the falsehood is not a factor.
A frequent question that arises in discussion about the fourth precept concerns lies told to prevent harm. For example, if Anne Frank were hiding in your attic and the Nazis came knocking to ask if you were harboring her, would lying to save her violate the fourth precept? Opinions vary about whether a lie in such case would constitute an offense, as do recommendations on the right course of action. Generally, in daily life, Buddhist teachers advise against rationalizing lying as beneficial in intent and encourage practitioners to handle sticky situations without falsehood. However, especially in extraordinary circumstances, it’s important to understand the precepts not as rules to be blindly followed but as guidelines for acting compassionately and cultivating a mind unperturbed by guilt.
Quote Values reflect our sense of right and wrong. They help us grow and develop. They help us create the future we want. The decisions we make every day are a reflection of our values. We learn most of our values from our parents and extended families. Our family values stem from our social and cultural values. Sometimes new life experiences may change values we previously held. Individual values reflect how we live our life and what we consider important for our own self-interests. Individual values include enthusiasm, creativity, humility and personal fulfillment. Relationship values reflect how we relate to other people in our life, such as friends, family, teachers, managers, etc. Relationship values include openness, trust, generosity and caring. Social values reflect how we relate to society. Social values include justice, freedom, respect, community, and responsibility.
In today’s world, it may seem our society doesn’t practice many values. We have a rise in discrimination, abuse of power, greed, etc. What are we leaving behind for our future generations? Maybe it’s time society takes a hard look at its values.
Empathy – Empathy is defined as understanding and sharing the feelings of another. People need to understand who others are and accept who they are. Focusing on how we can grow together should be our ultimate goal.
Respect – Mutual respect is needed for all of us. This is what makes us human. Having respect for everyone, despite the differences between us, is vital in order for a society to function well.
Love – Having love in our hearts keeps us from feeling the need to harm others. Love helps us acknowledge the similarities we all share rather than the differences of color, religion or sexual orientation.
Loyalty – Loyalty is a value that binds us to a person, thing or sentiment. With loyalty, we do not betray. If we all shared loyalty, it would help us build the strength needed to stand up against something that would harm our society.
Honesty – One form of honesty in society is accepting yourself. With honesty, you can admit your flaws and take the necessary steps to improve yourself. When we can admit to our flaws it can help someone else admit theirs. Ultimately, we can all help each other become better people.
Values can be contagious; if you practice them, many others will also, including our children. Hopefully more practice from all of us will leave the world a better place for future generations” unquote.
The discussion on truth and lies should ideally come within the ambit of values and not within an abstract philosophical perceptive. A society devoid of values will always be engaged in trying to expose truths as lies and vice versa.
From a philosophical prism one can argue about the relativity of a truth and a lie. Hundreds of years ago, the earth being flat rather than round was told as a truth by some.
Brittanica states that the perception that Earth exists as a flat disk, either circular or square-shaped persisted in the ancient world until empirical observations revealed that Earth’s shape was spherical or ellipsoidal. In modern times, however, interestingly, the notion of a flat Earth has been revived and promoted on social media despite scientific evidence to the contrary.
However, perhaps this was not a conventional lie but more an assertion based on what was known then, and also a point of view presented by people in privileged and powerful positions in society at the time. Many truths, understood to be truths at a point in time, were based on many factors including available technology, religious dogma and religious institution dictates. While some of these may have been deliberate lies, it is difficult to conclude they were.
Ms Kottachchi’s point of view could be understood from a more philosophical perspective, and the right to question what is presented as the truth. One could argue that even Siddhartha Gautama questioned what was presented to him as the truth by some teachers, and he proceeded to mentally challenge such truths until he realised is own version of the truth relating to the truth of suffering, the truth of the cause of suffering, the truth of the end of suffering, and the truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering. Siddhartha Gautama however was not engaged in exposing a lie, as very clearly his teachers were not lying, but he was questioning in his mind what was taught to him as he was convinced it was not the truth relating to suffering, causes for it, how to end suffering and the path to end suffering.
From a political perspective, Ms Kottachchi’s view that You have the complete right to convince any truth as a lie and any lie as a truth” has a deep meaning if for one moment the statement is considered from a non-political angle. Political versions of truths and lies generally are tools that one group or another uses to praise or discredit another group for the sake of power. Many politicians and media personalities, make statements that something is a truth without adequate investigations or facts to base the statement as a truth. Many members of the public believe such statements as the truth depending on who has made the statement and how convincingly it has been made. If Ms Kottachchi’s point of view is applied to such situations, it would be perfectly in order for the public to question such statements, investigate facts, and come to a conclusion that the statement made is either a truth, or it is untruthful and even an outright lie. The same applies to statements that are publicised as lies, and if questioning, investigation shows that the statement is in fact truthful, and not a lie, then, attempting prove a truth as a lie or a lie is a truth is indeed a rational course to follow.
Such situations however should not occur and will not occur if a society acts within a framework of values as outlined earlier. Political leaders, religious leaders and civil society leaders should strive to live, practice and promote values and be examples to others in a society. The cause for propagating lies as truth, and truth as lies, are manifestation of a society without values. If a society has moral values, ethical behaviour, fairness, honesty, and integrity, and people live a value-based life, truth will always prevail as lying will have a very limited use in such a society.
The massive earthquake off the west coast of Indonesia on December 26, 2004, registered a magnitude of nine on the Richter scale. The effect of this earthquake made massive tidal waves that destroyed the coastal belt of northern and southern Sri Lanka. Perhaps this must have been the most catastrophic natural disaster ever experienced by Sri Lankans in their recent history. The damage was colossal. The tsunami had killed over 50,000 people in Sri Lanka. A number of villages have been wiped off and more than 100,000 houses were destroyed.
Post-traumatic Reactions Following Tsunami Disaster in Sri Lanka
The tsunami had damaged the physical and mental health of the survivors. The victims experienced multiple intense stressors. Injury and life threats caused psychological impairment. The magnitude of exposure to the Tsunami disaster was vastly related to the risk of psychological illnesses. The individuals with previous trauma became more vulnerable. The Tsunami disaster of 2004 generated a significant number of victims with PTSD. The research survey done by Dr. Padmini Ranasinghe (Depression and PTSD among Tsunami survivors living in transitional camps in Sri Lank) indicated that a significantly high prevalence of depression (69.2%) and PTSD (55.7%) in these displaced populations six months into the recovery, compared to estimated 10% prevalence of psychological disorders among the general population.
The Immediate effect of the Tsunami Disaster
Soon after the tidal waves, the survivors panicked, some went all over in search of their family members. The psychological problems that resulted from the Tsunami disaster include feelings of shock, fear, grief, anger, resentment, guilt, helplessness, hopelessness, and emotional numbness. Among the cognitive reactions confusion, disorientation, indecisiveness, worry, difficulty in concentrating, memory loss, and unpleasant intrusions were prominent. Loss of homes, valued possessions, livelihood, and community made many destitute among people who were self-sufficient before the disaster. The life-threatening personal experiences, a loss of relatives and property have caused psychological disturbances such as acute stress reactions, PTSD, depression, and various other anxiety-related illnesses.
In December 2004, the South Asian Tsunami destroyed not only people and property but the mental happiness of the survivors. People experienced grief reactions and they were shattered by the property damage. The survivors had little salvage soon after the Tsunami. Depression was strongly related to the accumulation of post-Tsunami living conditions.
Mr. L had been a successful fisherman before the tsunami. With the disaster, he lost his house, livelihood, and personal identity as a productive member of society. Mr. L and his family members had to live in a refugee camp with minimum facilities. A few months after this unbearable catastrophe, Mr. L became depressed. His symptoms included persistent depressed or irritable mood, loss of appetite, sleep disturbance with often early-morning awakening, greatly diminished interest in life activities, fatigue, and loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness, feelings of hopelessness, and sometimes thoughts about suicide.
Mr. U was a soldier who had come home from work that morning and was enjoying a cup of tea. When he heard people screaming, he went out and saw a large wave coming toward his house. He immediately went to rescue his sister and her children. As the waves came, he grabbed the sister and her two children. He was able to hold onto his sister but two girls were taken by the waves. They were never able to find their bodies. Mr. U became extremely sad and started blaming himself for not rescuing the two little girls. His grief reactions were often evoked by reminders. His depressive reactions became quite serious, leading to traumatic grief.
His initial reaction was disbelief and disassociation. He thought that the children would be found alive. After the sea became calm, he started searching for them. He saw a large number of dead people. Among the dead bodies, there were children. Gradually be became frantic and started screaming and searching for them. But he did not see them. Mr. U even went to Matara Hospital in search of his sister’s little children. He blamed himself for not serving the lives of two girl children.
Tsunami Related PTSD
The Tsunami had a direct effect on the mental health of the survivors. A large number of people developed PTSD as a result of Tsunami- related catastrophic events. The victims often relived the experience through intrusions, nightmares, and flashbacks. They become less responsive emotionally depressed, withdrawn, and more detached from their feelings. Many victims received counseling and psychosocial support from various organizations. A number of clinics were opened in the affected areas. Although the rate of PTSD in children and PTSD symptoms in adults decreased over time some individuals, still experience posttraumatic symptoms even many years after this natural catastrophe.
The International Post-Tsunami Study Group examined psychological symptoms experienced by people from the Peraliya area (a district in the southern province of Sri Lanka) 20 to 21 months after the tsunami and found that 21% had PTSD, 16% had severe depression, 30% had severe anxiety and 22% had somatic symptoms.
The degree of exposure to a disaster determines the risk and level of psychological morbidity. Professor Edna B. Foa of the University of Pennsylvania accentuates that most affected individuals recover with time. In some cases, however, recovery is incomplete, leading to a number of psychiatric conditions, of which PTSD is the most frequently encountered. PTSD often coexists with a variety of psychiatric and physical disorders, which further increase the burden of suffering experienced by the patient.
Time does not heal the trauma
Recent reports suggest that after natural disasters mental health problems can emerge in vulnerable groups. The tsunami caused people to grieve. Overloaded dysfunctional grief process affected the victims to a significant level and their posttraumatic symptoms did not diminish for a long time. Some victims still carry the horrific memories of the 2004 Tsunami Disaster. Mr. Nx4 is one of them.
When the Tsunami wave-washed, the Southern coast of Sri Lanka Mr. Nx4 was in Colombo. When he heard the calamity, he rushed to his house in Matara. Since the transportation was crippled, he took much effort to come home. When he came home he did not see his house, he saw the broken walls and the foundation of the house. When the disaster occurred, his pregnant wife and seven-year-old son were in the house.
He went in search of his family. Eventually, he found the body of his pregnant wife and the child among the dead bodies. He was utterly devastated and could not overcome the emotional soreness.
After the funeral, he went to live with his uncle and had no aim in life. Two months after the disaster he tried to commit suicide by hanging. Then he was hospitalized and later diagnosed with PTSD. He was treated with Electro Convulsive Therapy. Although he was on long-term therapy Mr Nx4 experienced posttraumatic symptoms to a considerable degree. When he was clinically, re assessed 3 years after the Tsunami disaster it was found that Mr. Nx4 still had nightmares, intrusions, suicidal ideation, emotional numbing, and many other PTSD symptoms.
Addiction related behavior
Disasters generally have other long-term mental health consequences, functional disabilities, and disorders associated with substance abuse. Posttraumatic stress disorder may be a risk factor for nicotine and drug use disorders (Breslau N, Davis GC, Schultz LR: Posttraumatic stress disorder and the incidence of nicotine, alcohol, and other drug disorders in persons who have experienced trauma). Many psychological victims of the Tsunami disaster continue to exhibit addiction-related behavior. Increases in alcohol, cannabis and tobacco use were significantly increased following the trauma especially among the males.
Mr. DX5 lost several family members and most of his property in the Tsunami disaster in 2004 was diagnosed with PTSD in 2005. He gradually lost the will to perform day-to-day activities and started abusing alcohol daily basis. His progressive alcohol addiction caused Cirrhosis of the liver.
Mr. TX2 lost his parents and the ancestral house in Southern Sri Lanka as a result of the 2004 Tsunami, manifested intrusive memories of the gigantic wave and the dead bodies; feelings of intense distress when reminded of the trauma became more and more alienated. He constantly abused alcohol and in 2006, he was diagnosed with Alcohol Dependence.
Effects on Social well-being
Social wellbeing is a sense of involvement with the community and about being actively engaged with life. The tsunami disaster continued to have a devastating impact on the social well-being of the victims. It’s a known factor that disasters threaten personal safety, overwhelm defense mechanisms, and disrupt community and family structures. The people who were exposed to the Tsunami disaster 2004 experienced numerous psychosocial problems. Property loss, death of close relations, problems of temporary and permanent housing, poor income generation, insecurity, and uncertainty about the future made grave impacts on social wellbeing.
The impact of community losses on the psychological well-being of individuals appears to differ from that of personal losses, in that community destruction is more closely correlated with decreasing positive influences, whereas personal losses are associated with increasing negative effects. (Norris FH, Friedman MJ, Watson PJ, et al.)
Emotional well-being after Trauma
Emotional well-being depends on a nurturing environment that ensures consistent basic material and emotional necessities. Natural or man-made disasters can cause terrible personal loss, injuries and illness, and loss of vital resources. While the survivors of such tragedies may recover from their physical injuries, the emotional damage may be permanent. ( Brian Trappler – Recovering from Trauma )
Dr. Pynoos studied the effect on 231 children from three cities at increasing distances from the devastating earthquake that occurred in Armenia in 1988. Following 18 months of the event, children suffered frequently from severe post-traumatic stress reaction” correlating with the proximity to the quake epicenter (The British Journal of Psychiatry 163: 1993).
The psychological impact of the Tsunami disaster can last for long years. Many pieces of research specify that the victims of PTSD after a natural disaster can suffer for long years. A 14-year follow-up on survivors of the 1972 Buffalo Creek flood showed a 28% prevalence of PTSD. (Green, Am J Orthopsychiatry, 1990)
James F Phifer and Fran H. Norris interviewed more than 200 older adults both before and after two distinct floods that occurred in southeastern Kentucky in 1981 and 1984. Exposure to these incidents, which differed in overall intensity, was assessed at both the individual and community levels. Based on their findings personal loss was associated with short-term increases in negative affect, limited to one-year post flood. Longer-term effects were more dependent on the level of community destruction. Exposure to high levels of community destruction was related to decreased positive affect up to two years post-disaster, whereas exposure to high levels of both community destruction and personal loss was predictive of increased negative affect for two years.
Suicides after natural disasters
The effect of the 2004 tsunami on suicide rates in Sri Lanka were done by Dr. Asiri Rodrigo and Jonathan Pimm, Consultant Psychiatrist of the Department of Mental Health Sciences, University College London Medical School, London. To investigate the effect of the 2004 tsunami on suicide rates in Sri Lanka the number of suicides in the 2 years prior to and 1 year after the tsunami were considered for the study. Data from districts affected by the tsunami were compared with those from unaffected districts. They found that no significant differences were found between the number of suicides before and following the disaster or between areas affected and unaffected by the tsunami.
Krug EG. Krensnow and his colleagues of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA conducted a study on suicide rates after natural disasters. From a list of all the events declared by the U.S. government to be federal disasters between 1982 and 1989, they selected the 377 counties that had each been affected by a single natural disaster during that period. They collected data on suicides during the 36 months before and the 48 months after the disaster and aligned the data around the month of the disaster. Pooled rates were calculated according to the type of disaster. Comparisons were made between the suicide rates before and those after disasters in the affected counties and in the entire United States.
Krug EG. Krensnow is on the view that among the victims of floods, earthquakes, and hurricanes, there is an increased prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, which are risk factors for suicidal thinking. Their findings indicate that natural disasters would increase psychological morbidity and suicide rates.
Krensnow and his colleagues found that that suicide rates increase after natural disasters like severe earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes. The increases in suicide rates were found for both sexes and for all age groups. Based on the results they confirm the need for mental health support after severe disasters.
The Tsunami Victim kills her three-year-old son
A 30-year-old mother who was exposed to Tsunami disaster in 2004 residing at the tsunami housing scheme in Panadura alleged to have thrown her three-year-old youngest son to the Kalu Ganga. The incident occurred in 2010 March over 5 years after the initial traumatic experience. Her husband had abandoned her and she had faced utmost difficulties in taking care of her five children. The child was thrown into the river due to dire poverty and lack of social support. On the day, the child was thrown to the river the mother had tried to hand over the child to a children’s home but the authorities had turned down her request.
Post Tsunami Rehabilitation Work in Sri Lanka
Post Tsunami mental health rehabilitation work took place soon after the disaster. Renowned mental health professionals like Professor William Yule, Professor Rachel Tribe, and many others offered their services to Sri Lanka to upgrade mental health services. Dr. Neil J Fernando – Consultant Psychiatrist conducted mobile mental health clinics treating a large number of victims who were shattered by the natural disaster. Dr. Neil Fernando also took a praiseworthy initiative to train counselors and social service workers in Tsunami affected areas.
The EMDR-Humanitarian Assistance Programs (HAP) whose mission is to build capacity for effective treatment of traumatic stress disorders in underserved communities anywhere in the world gave their utmost support to Sri Lanka for the post Tsunami rehabilitation work. On the directions and guidance of Dr. Francine Shapiro – the creator of EMDR, a team of specialists came to Sri Lanka to assist the local therapists. Dr. Nancy Errebo and her EMDR HAP team closely worked with the local doctors and helped to treat the victims of the 2004 Tsunami.
Although mental health treatment programs went effectively, psychosocial promotional activity did not go hand in hand. Sri Lanka received over US$2.2 billion (euro1.74 billion), as post-tsunami foreign aid. Unfortunately, large amounts of funds were not spent effectively and nearly 500 million USD provided by the foreign donors for tsunami reconstruction has gone missing. Only a small percentage of aid reached the intended recipient. After ten years of the tsunami disaster, some survivors still live in new settlements lacking basic facilities.
The reverberation of the 2004 Tsunami is still harrying Sri Lankan society. In 2010 March, a former tsunami victim had thrown her 3-year-old son to the Kalu Ganga River. If this family that was displaced by the 2004 tsunami had appropriate psychosocial support, this tragedy could have been evaded.
The United States has enacted strict export restrictions designed to limit China’s access to vital Technologies especially within the semiconductor and artificial intelligence industries. These actions which include placing major Chinese companies like HUAWEI and SMIC on the Blacklist, expanding the foreign direct product rule and controlling the export of advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment aim to safeguard and preserve the United States’ technological lead.
In retaliation to US policies, Beijing has heightened trade tensions with Washington by enforcing a ban on exporting certain essential materials critical for High-Tech and defense purposes as a response to the United States’ tightening technology sanctions on China.
Trade Wars are not a new phenomenon and have been part of global interactions for many years. Before examining the specifics of the current trade dispute it’s important to review the history and consequences of previous trade wars including the Opium Wars which significantly affected China’s sovereignty and its dealings with foreign powers.
In the mid 19th century between China and Western Nations primarily Britain focused on trade disagreements over opium. European demand for Chinese Goods like silk, porcelain and tea created a trade imbalance with silver flowing into China. To address this the Rothschild owned British East India Company began exporting opium from India to China resulting in widespread addiction and societal problems. The Qing Dynasty, concerned about the social impact and the outflow of silver, banned opium in 1796 and 1800. Despite these bans Rothschild’s British Traders continued to trade opium illegally.
In 1839, the Daoguang Emperor appointed Lin Zexu to the post of Special Imperial Commissioner with the task of eradicating the opium trade. Lin Zexu seized and destroyed large quantities of opium prompting Rothschild to send British naval mercenaries to China to defeat the Qing Dynasty’s army, which led to the Treaty of Nanjing in 1842.
China paid the British an indemnity, ceded the territory of Hong Kong, and agreed to establish a fair and reasonable” tariff. Britain opened five ports to British trade and imposed reparations on China
Tensions remained and in 1856 the second Opium War broke out with France joining Britain against China. The conflict concluded with the Treaty of Tientsin in 1858 and the convention of Peking in 1860. On October 18, 1860, the British and French troops entered the Forbidden City in Peking. Prince Gong was compelled to sign two treaties on behalf of the Qing Dynasty with Lord Elgin and Baron Gros, who represented Britain and France respectively to legalize the opium trade, opened more chinese ports to foreign commerce and allowed foreign embassies in Peking (Beijing) and granted foreign ships access to China’s inland waterways
The Opium Wars marked the start of China’s Century of humiliation resulting in significant territorial losses and reduced sovereignty. The treaties following the wars are often called unequal treaties due to their biased terms favouring Western Powers.
These events weakened the Qing Dynasty and exposed China to increased foreign influence and internal conflict. The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930 signed by the US President Herbert Hoover, was a major US law intended to protect American businesses and farmers during the Great Depression by imposing high tariffs on over 20,000 imported goods, sponsored by Senator Reed Smoot and Representative Willis C. Hawley.
The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act raised average tariff rates to nearly 60% among the highest in US history and led to immediate retaliation from America’s trading partners. Within 2 years about two dozen countries enacted their own tariffs resulting in a 65% decrease in global trade between 1929 and 1934. For instance, Canada one of the largest trading partners of the US, levied tariffs on 16 products impacting roughly 30% of US exports to Canada.
The reduction in international trade worsened the global economic downturn. US Imports dropped by 66% from $4.4 billion in 1929 to $1.5 billion in 1933, While US exports declined by 61% from $5.4 billion to $2.1 billion.
This contraction led to widespread unemployment and prolonged the effects of the Great Depression. The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act is a policy failure that deepened the Great Depression and it serves as a warning of how protectionist trade policies can provoke international retaliation and cause severe economic repercussions.
In mid‐1962, the United States and six member nations of the European Common Market — France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, engaged in a trade dispute known as the Chicken War. This conflict arose when European countries imposed 13.43 cents a pound tariff and price controls on imported US chicken to protect their domestic poultry industries which were struggling against the influx of affordable American poultry. These measures led to a significant decline in US chicken exports to Europe. In response to Europe’s poultry trade barriers, in 1964 newly elected US president Lyndon B Johnson imposed a 25% tariff on light trucks. In retaliation, US President Lynden B Johnson’s Administration in 1964 enacted a 25% tariff on various European Imports including light trucks, potato starch, dextrin and brandy. This tariff commonly known as the “Chicken Tax” had a substantial impact on the automotive industry particularly affecting German manufacturers like Volkswagen which had been exporting light trucks and vans to the US the imposition of the chicken tax resulted in a sharp decrease in imports of these vehicles effectively protecting US automakers from foreign competition in the light truck market.
Over time tariffs on potato starch, dextran and Brandy were eventually removed, but the 25% tariff on light trucks still remains in place. This enduring policy has had lasting effects including prompting foreign automakers to establish manufacturing plants within the United States to bypass the Tariff.
The current US restrictions have driven China to prioritize self-sufficiency. Significant state investments in research and development have allowed companies like SMIC to make considerable progress in semiconductor manufacturing and domestic innovation in artificial intelligence.
Quantum Computing and Telecommunications has surged in China fueled by increased funding and government incentives. China has strengthened relationships with non-US technology providers and nations not fully aligned with American policies such as Russia and some European and Asian countries through strategic Partnerships and initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative. China has diversified its supply chains and decreased reliance on US technology. The extra territorial nature of US export controls has strained ties with key allies and partners. Companies like ASML and TSMC have sought to lessen dependency on US Technologies to avoid being impacted by the restrictions. Major US technology firms including Nvidia, AMD and Lam Research have reported substantial revenue losses due to reduced access to the Chinese market. The current policy has limited US companies economies of scale potentially weakening their global competitiveness over time.
Despite the export controls, Chinese companies have introduced advanced products demonstrating technological sophistication. For instance, HUAWEI’s new AI chips and smartphones feature state-of-the-art designs and Manufacturing techniques. China’s indigenous Innovation strategy supported by state-led initiatives and international collaboration has driven remarkable advancements across various industries.
The trade war between the United States and China initiated during President Donald Trump’s first term marked a significant shift in their economic relationship. The conflict was characterized by the imposition of tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of goods disrupting trade flows and creating uncertainty in global markets. It began in 2018 when the Trump Administration imposed tariffs under C 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 citing large trade deficit with China which exceeded $375 billion in 2017.
The initial wave of tariffs in July 2018 targeted $34 billion worth of Chinese goods including machinery, electronics and industrial products to which China responded with tariffs on US agricultural products like soybeans and pork.
By the end of 2019 the US had extended tariffs to $550 billion worth of Chinese imports covering a wide range of consumer goods such as electronics, textiles and toys while China imposed tariffs on $85 billion worth of US exports. These measures significantly increased costs for US businesses relying on imported goods often passing the burden onto consumers through higher prices for everyday items.
China’s retaliatory tariffs heavily impacted American farmers, especially soybean exporters who saw their sales to China plummet as Beijing turned to alternative suppliers like Brazil. The US government provided over $28 billion in Aid to Farmers between 2018 and 2020 to offset these losses. US consumers and businesses bore much of the Tariff costs. In 2019 that tariffs cost the average American household $831 annually, meanwhile Chinese exports to the US declined in key sectors such as machinery and electronics prompting Beijing to implement measures like diversifying its export markets and increasing domestic consumption.
After two years of escalating tensions, the US and China signed the phase 1 trade deal in January 2020. Under the agreement China committed to purchasing an additional $200 billion of US goods and services over 2017 levels with specific targets for manufactured goods, agriculture and energy products. In return the US suspended planned tariff increases and reduced some existing tariffs.
However the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted trade flows and by the end of 2021 China had fulfilled only 60% of its purchasing commitments. The deal also left unresolved issues like state subsidies and industrial policies. The trade War had broader effects on global supply chains prompting US companies to diversify their sourcing to countries like Vietnam, India and Mexico, and accelerated economic decoupling between US and China.
Striving to reduce interdependence, China pursued self-sufficiency in critical industries, such as semiconductors while the US sought to enhance domestic production of strategic goods. Although the trade war did not fully achieve its goals such as significantly reducing the trade deficit it marked a turning point in US-China relations. It highlighted deep strategic tensions that continue to shape bilateral policies and global economic dynamics as the newly elected president Donald Trump has pledged to impose stricter measures against China, intensifying policies targeting Chinese products and critical Technologies. In a significant escalation the Chinese government announced a complete ban on the export of essential materials to the US including rare earth elements necessary for producing electronics, electric vehicles and advanced weaponry. The restrictions cover materials such as gallium, germanium, antimony and super hard substances all integral to industries like semiconductors, satellite technology and night vision equipment. Additionally China indicated plans to impose tighter controls on graphite exports. China which produces over 70% of the world’s rare Earths has utilized its dominant position as a strategic counter measure. China’s ban on rare earth exports is expected to have extensive effects on US industries and global supply chains and has already caused significant disruptions for US manufacturers reliant on these materials for production. US industries involved in aerospace, renewable energy and defense are urgently seeking alternative sources with limited success.
By the way, Sri Lanka is the only country in the world to produce the purest form of graphite and its current leader brought to power by the US has already promised his mentor Victoria Nuland and Korea born US Ambassador Julie Jiyoon Chung to sell the graphite mining to US companies.
Prices for rare earth materials have surged creating supply chain bottlenecks and threatening the competitiveness of US companies accelerated global supply chain realignment. China’s retaliation underscores the risks of relying on single source suppliers prompting US allies to reconsider their positions while some nations may side with the US others could seek closer ties with China to avoid being entangled in the conflict.
The fragmentation of global trade networks could diminish US influence and disrupt long-standing alliances. China’s strategic leverage by exploiting its dominance in critical materials China has demonstrated its ability to retaliate effectively against US restrictions. This action not only nullifies the impact of new US measures, but also bolsters China’s negotiating position. The ban indicates China’s willingness to escalate economic confrontation if further provoked, increasing the stakes for future policy decisions.
Trump’s aggressive stance risks alienating parts of the business community and US allies who depend on stable trade with China. Industries reliant on Chinese goods and materials face rising costs threatening domestic jobs and growth. The economic backlash could undermine Trump’s promises to revive US manufacturing and protect jobs, creating political challenges at home.
Trump has issued a stern warning to the BRICS Nations-Brazil Russia India China and South Africa against attempts to establish a new currency that could challenge the US Dollar’s global dominance. Trump is threatening to impose 100% tariffs on these countries if they proceed with such plans emphasizing that any move to replace the dollar would lead to significant economic consequences including restricted access to the US market.
China as a leading BRICS member has been actively promoting the internationalization of the Chinese Yuan (¥) to reduce dependence on the US dollar. This strategy includes encouraging the use of the Yuan in global trade and investment, establishing currency swap agreements with various countries and launching Yuan denominated financial instruments. Notably China has urged West Asian oil suppliers to accept Yuan for oil transactions and has implemented policies to facilitate the Yuan’s use in cross border trade in pursuit of financial independence from US-based institutions.
China has played a key role in the BRICS initiatives to create alternative financial systems. A major development is the establishment of the new Development Bank based in Shanghai which aims to fund infrastructure and sustainable development projects in emerging economies. Also China has been instrumental in promoting the use of local currencies in trade among BRICS nations thereby reducing Reliance on the US dollar and mitigating exposure to currency fluctuations and geopolitical risks. These efforts reflect China’s broader strategy to enhance the Yuan’s role in the global financial system and to build financial infrastructures that operate independently of traditional western dominated institutions
However the US government views these moves as potential threats to the Dollar’s supremacy and has indicated a willingness to use economic measures such as tariffs to counteract them. The evolving dynamics between the US and BRICS countries highlight the complex interplay of economic policies and geopolitical strategies in the current global economy.
China is not the only nation pursuing this approach. India is exploring the use of local currencies in trade to mitigate exposure to dollar fluctuations. The Reserve Bank of India has implemented mechanisms to facilitate international trade settlements in the Indian Rupee (₹) aiming to promote its use in global transactions. South Africa supports the BRICS initiative to use local currencies in trade and investment and is involved in discussions to establish payment systems that reduce dependence on the dollar aligning with the broader BRICS strategy to enhance financial sovereignty.
Russia has intensified its de-dollarization strategy and has increased the use of the Ruble(₽) and other non-dollar currencies in in trade particularly with China and other BRICS nations. Additionally Russia has been a strong advocate for creating alternative Financial systems to lessen Reliance on the US-led global financial infrastructure. In December 2023 Iran and Russia finalized an agreement to conduct bilateral trade using their national currencies the Iranian Rial (﷼) and the Russian Ruble instead of the US dollar. This decision aims to strengthen economic ties between the two nations and reduce their dependence on the dollar especially in light of the extensive US sanctions imposed on both countries. The agreement was solidified during a meeting between the Central Bank Governors of Iran and Russia. It facilitates the use of non-Swift interbank systems and the establishment of bilateral brokerage relations enabling Banks and businesses in both countries to process transactions directly in their local currencies. This move is part of a broader trend among nations to de-dollarize their economies by promoting the use of local currencies in international trade.
For Iran and Russia both subject to US sanctions, this strategy is particularly significant as it provides a mechanism to mitigate the impact of these sanctions and enhance financial sovereignty. In addition to this bilateral agreement, Iran signed a free trade agreement with Eurasian Economic Union on December 25, 2023. This agreement aims to eliminate customs duties on 90% of goods traded between Iran and Eurasian Economic Union members – Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia, further integrating Iran into regional economic frameworks and reducing dependence on Western financial systems.
These developments reflect a strategic effort by Iran and Russia to build alternative financial infrastructures that operate independently of US dominated systems thereby enhancing their economic resilience amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.
A worker pushes a cart in Colombo. Photographer: Buddhika Weerasinghe/Bloomberg (Buddhika Weerasinghe/Bloomberg)
(Bloomberg) — Moody’s Ratings upgraded Sri Lanka’s credit rating, days after the nation concluded debt restructuring of its dollar bonds, which reduces the risk of default on future notes.
The South Asian nation has been upgraded to Caa1 from Ca on Monday, according to a statement by the rating agency. While governments with that rating are still judged as very high risk by Moody’s, it is a notable step for the island nation and a second upgrade it has received this month.
Last week, Fitch had upgraded the country after it gained extensive support from private creditors to restructure its international bonds. Moody’s had last month placed Sri Lanka on review for the ratings upgrade.
Sri Lanka’s credit fundamentals have improved over the past two years,” analysts Anushka Shah and Gene Fang said in Monday’s statement. External vulnerability and government liquidity risk have both declined from elevated levels.”
READ: Sri Lanka Bondholders Back $12.6 Billion Debt Restructuring
–With assistance from Jorgelina do Rosario and Anusha Ondaatjie.
Colombo, December 24 (Daily Mirror)- The government has taken steps to regulate private hospitals as people have faced serious issues when seeking treatment from private hospitals, Cabinet spokesman Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said today.
He told the weekly briefing to announce Cabinet decisions that the government has initiated discussions with relevant parties such as owners of the private hospitals.
Responding to a question, the Minister said some gazette notifications had been issued on regulation of private hospitals and that some of them had not been implemented properly.
He said the government has the authority to regulate private hospitals and that the government will take steps to regulate not only private hospitals but private medical centres as well.
Sri Lanka Police says legal action has been taken against a total of 8,747 motorists for violating traffic laws, including 251 individuals driving under the influence of liquor, during the last 24 hours.
In accordance with instructions from the Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), the special island-wide traffic operation aimed at reducing road accidents will continue throughout the festive season.
Police Spokesman SSP Buddika Manathunga said that no fatal accidents have occurred in the island within the last 24 hours.
Sri Lanka Police urges the public to drive safely, refrain from alcohol consumption, and adhere to traffic laws to protect safe guard lives.
Pulled from the mud as an infant after the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 and reunited with his parents following an emotional court battle, the boy once known as Baby 81” is now a 20-year-old dreaming of higher education.
Jayarasa Abilash’s story symbolised that of the families torn apart by one of the worst natural calamities in modern history, but it also offered hope. More than 35,000 people in Sri Lanka were killed, with others missing.
The 2-month-old baby was washed away by the tsunami in eastern Sri Lanka and found some distance from home by rescuers. At the hospital, he was No. 81 on the admissions registry.
His father, Murugupillai Jayarasa, spent three days searching for his scattered family, with little left to his name in those early hours but a pair of shorts.
First he found his mother, then his wife. But their infant son was missing. A nurse had taken the baby from the hospital, but returned him after hearing that his family was alive.
The ordeal, however, was far from over. Nine other families had submitted their names to the hospital, claiming Baby 81” as their own, so the hospital administration refused to hand over the child to Jayarasa and his wife without proof.
The family went to the police. The matter went to court. The judge ordered a DNA test, a process that was still in its early stages in Sri Lanka.
But none of the nine other families claimed the baby legally, and no DNA testing was done on them, Jayarasa said.
The hospital named the child ‘Baby 81’ and listed the names of nine people who claimed the child, omitting us,” he said.
There was a public call to all those who said the child was theirs to subject themselves for DNA testing, but none of them came forward,” he recalled. Jayarasa said his family gave DNA samples and it was proven the child was theirs.
Soon, the family was reunited. Their story drew international media attention, and they even visited the US for an interview.
Today, Abilash is sitting for his final high school exam. Solid and good-natured, he hopes to attend a university to study information technology.
He said he grew up hearing about his story from his parents, while classmates teased him by calling him Baby 81” or tsunami baby”. He was embarrassed, and it worsened every time the anniversary of the tsunami arrived.
I used to think ‘Here they have come’ and run inside and hide myself,” he said as journalists returned to hear his story again.
His father said the boy was so upset he wouldn’t eat at times.
I consoled him saying, ‘Son, you are unique in being the only one to have such a name in this world,” he said.
Later, as a teenager, Abilash read more about the events that tore him from his family and brought him back, and he lost his fear.
He knows the nickname will follow him for life. But that’s all right.
Now I only take it as my code word,” he said, joking. If you want to find me out, access that code word.”
He continues to search online to read about himself.
His father said memories of those frantic, searching days 20 years ago remain fresh, even as others fade.
Over the years, the extensive publicity his family received has also affected them negatively, Jayarasa said.
His family was excluded from many of the tsunami relief and reconstruction programmes because government officials assumed they had received money during their visit to the US.
The experience also led to jealousy, gossiping and ostracising of the family in their neighbourhood, forcing them to relocate.
The father wants his son and other family members to remain grateful for their survival, and he wants Abilash to become someone who can help others in need.
From time the boy was a toddler, his father collected small amounts of money from his work at a hairdressing shop. When Abilash turned 12, the family erected a small memorial to victims of the tsunami in their front yard. It shows four cupped hands.
The father explained: A thought arose in my mind that since all those who have died have gone, leaving Abilash behind for us, why not a memorial site of our own to remember them every day.”
The Balkans are steeped in history and very much in the middle of today’s geopolitical great game and are aware of the destabilizing Balkan wars of the late 20th century, and are surely aware of the spark that started World War I, when Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo, Serbia, leading the great powers to start World War I. The bombing of Serbian forces by NATO in the 1990s is still fresh in the memory of most of the Balkans and Russians.
Today, the most obvious and underreported influence in the Western Balkans is Turkey, where President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is promoting a greater role for Islam socially and politically in Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia and Bosnia. Today it is hard to miss the veils worn on the streets and the new mosques being built in Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia and Bosnia.
Serbia is one of Russia’s main supporters in Europe. Hungarian-born American George Soros (born György Schwartz; August 12, 1930) wants Serbia to change the course of their policies supporting Russia. Soros has decided to remove all obstacles and overthrow the current government of Serbia and in this way bring to power new political forces that are anti-Russian. Soros financed all the revolutions in South-Eastern Europe and directly financed the independence of Kosovo and was active with his foundations during the wars in the Balkans. This work, which got his branch in Belarus, was expelled in 1997. Soros’ definition of democracy means people electing only candidates of whom he approves.
George Soros played a key role in the dramatic overthrow last year of President Slobodan Milosevic. His Soros Foundations Network helped finance several groups, including the student organization Otpor, which spearheaded resistance to the patriotic Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic. Soros’ branch in Belgrade, the Yugoslav and Serbian capital, was among the earliest backers of Otpor, which grew under young and decentralized leadership to strengthen the fractured opposition to Milosevic. The vast majority of groups funded by Soros are not nearly as powerful as Otpor, nor do they play for such huge stakes.
Soros has given particular focus in creating political unrest to Eastern European countries, including his native Hungary and is long accused by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Mihály Orbán of meddling in Hungary’s affairs. The U.S. State Department often teamed up with Soros to promote democracy” in Eastern European countries.This often consisted of targeting nationalist governments by infusing socially liberal propaganda through NGOs and Western-sponsored media—often going so far as to influence those countries’ elections.
Soros has no chance of winning a popularity contest among the Eastern Europeans. Sorism exploits the disdain for the billionaire. Politicians criticizing Soros’ influence were portrayed as senseless conspiracy theorists who imagine that rich overlords rule the world. The minute you do so, you’re immediately labeled some sort of conspiracy theorist.
From time to time, Soros is the subject of Romanian and Serbian politics. Soros sees Romania and Serbia as his own business where he can pursue his business interests. This man, who has been creating various organizations in Romania and Serbia since the 90s has only financed the worst; the missions he funded never benefited Romania and Serbia.
George Soros was once best known as the speculator who broke the Bank of England” by reputedly making $1 billion in a single week in September 1992 betting against the British pound. In the mid-1990s, in addition to the tax and currency violations that drove the George Soros network out of Belarus, branches in Yugoslavia, Albania, Kyrgyzstan and Croatia, were accused of shielding spies and breaking currency laws.
George Soros is behind the migration crisis in Europe and the European Union is governed by unelected officials, and represents the interests of multinational companies.
George Soros with one of the major generators of what is called open society which means in many countries creating revolutions and making huge impact on the society especially in Eastern Europe who was encouraging refugees to come to Europe.
The goal of George Soros organizations and foreign mercenaries is anti-Russian and anti-Orthodox action and promotion of LGBT propaganda. They want to intensify the march of the political-globalist West towards the East, and direct their forces to where the front is most relevant and where it is expected to intensify. Soros’ mercenaries are destroying the Serbian Orthodox tradition and promoting Western values in the Serbian public space.
In the last 35 years, since the collapse of the Soviet Union, there has been a massive lack of democracy in the Western world. When the Soviet Union existed all the democracies around Western world were obliged to confirm in their Parliament’s that there is a democracy and they are not just conveying what the people from the shadow or today what is called the corporate world is telling to the politicians what to do.
Western democracies are not any more real democracies, they are much more corporative driven politically correct societies.
The Power centers in the Western countries have been sabotaging Serbia for a long time because the West does not want a strong Serbia strengthening its economy, protecting and defending its territory. The Power centers in the Western countries want Serbia on its knees, weak and obedient, Serbia which delivers on their requests and ultimatums.
Foreign intelligence agencies had developed a plan aimed at the collapse of Serbia, politically and economically and looking for young Serbians who would do things like organizing protests on their behalf. Western megaphones received millions, and the media and the NGOs have been denunciating Serbia for money received from Western governments, embassies, organizations backed by Rothschild, Rockefeller, Soros, European Commission and various funds for the development of democracy.
The Serbian politician and diplomat Vladimir Krsljaninhas been one of the most prominent advocates of close cooperation between Serbia and Russia for decades. He was a high-ranking official in the Serbian Socialist Party of Slobodan Milosevic. Today opposition parties in Serbia are attempting to exploit the tragedies for the promotion of their own interests.
West is acting in Ukraine as it did in Kosovo. The Western NATO masters are on the offensive and are ordering Serbia to go down on its knees and capitulate. German politicians were talking about a glorious EU future while dismembering the Serbian state.
The New World – Serbia, Russia, and China — the future has begun.
Most years Bethlehem basks in the central place it holds in the Christian story of Jesus’ life, born there in a stable because there was no room for his parents at the inn, and placed in an animal’s manger, the humblest of all possible beds. The normally bustling biblical birthplace of Jesus “Bethlehem” now looks like a ghost town. With Israel’s war in Gaza having killed more than 43,000 people, the mostly Palestinian population of Bethlehem in the Occupied West Bank are in mourning too.
As Bethlehem prepares to mark its second Christmas under the shadow of the war in Gaza, for the second straight year, Bethlehem’s Christmas celebrations will be somber and muted, in deference to ongoing war in Gaza. Israel’s war in Gaza has been raging for nearly 15 months, and there still is no end in sight.
Like Christ, Russia is conducting a war to save the world and the only two possibilities are Russia’s victory or the annihilation of humanity.
‘Before you study the economics, study the economists!’
e-Con e-News 15-21 December 2024
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Sri Lanka’s merchant media has taken to wailing over mafias – Finance Mafia, Fuel Mafia, Fertilizer Mafia, Pharma Mafia, CEB Mafia, Rice Mafia, Coconut Mafia, Egg Mafia, etc – you name it. This is their guttural euphemism for the gang of merchants & moneylenders who mislead the country – tagging them all mafia. They dare not name the ‘legal’ practitioners of a seedy mercantilism on behalf of imperialist industry, who have successfully undermined every ‘national’ government in the country.
Of course, we believe the most corrupt mafia – if ee is to use such words – is the merchant media mafia itself. A word they will never use on themselves or their chief sponsors – such as Exxon, Citibank, Standard Chartered Bank, Unilever, BAT’s Ceylon Tobacco, ICI’s CIC, on whose behalf the pettier merchants & moneylenders run the country into the ground. Or call the IMF: theImporters’ Mafia Fund – as it becomes clearer that they are sorry sales agents for the castoffs of imperialist industry – comatose Japanese Toyotas & bakala US Beechcrafts, anyone? One activity these mafias excel in is giving themselves awards, and if readers wish to watch the leading local corporate mafioso make naked love to themselves yet again – check out the Chartered Accountants (ACCA) who gave out awards this week to those they daily help conceal their mischievous foreign exchange flimflams within glossy annual reports (see ee Random Notes).
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‘Let us also not lose sight of hidden hands, especially from the West
who make matters worse through their cloak & dagger operations
worldwide as also was put into operation here during Gotabaya Rajapaksa
presidency, like even cutting off worker remittances from our banking
system thereby we couldn’t even scrape together a few million dollars
to clear even a shipment of cooking gas. They have done similar jugglery
to so many other countries, even in our neighbourhood, as has been the
case already in Bangladesh & Pakistan. Modi should not feel all that
smug as we do not know what plots are being hatched against him.’
– Shamindra Ferdinando, see ee Workers, How Prof Dewasiri’s FB post…
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We should whisper as an aside about: the cabinet ‘nod’ this week to amend that US-funded yahaplana government’s haemorrhaging Foreign Exchange Act of 2017, that was so beloved of the Rajendra ‘Chamber Pot’ Theagarajahs & Suresh ‘Sell the SoEs’ Shahs & Murtaza ‘Advokata’s Harak Kata’ Jafferjees of our world (see ee Economy). But even if this (legally or illegally) stolen money were retained in the country, would they invest it in modern industry? No way. They don’t even know or care what machine-making industry means.
The US Embassy lip service, online business rag EconomyNext, suggests that ‘mafia’ is a term used by ignorant commoners. They prefer the term ‘oligopoly’ (rule of a few) hothoused by ‘protectionism’. To promote rice imports, this import-and-high-interest-friendly rag has even taken to quoting Marx & Engels at length –– fulminating against ‘protectionism’ & calling for ‘free trade’. Now this is not the first time Marx & Engels have been misquoted out of context, and it won’t be the last (strange this display of Marx after claiming for the last 35 years at least, that Marxism is dead). ee will deal with this anecdotal imposture about English laissez-faire (‘the only untried utopia’), and premature obituaries next week. All we can say for now, is that, yes, Marx & Engels examined everything with an eye to what would benefit the progress of the proletariat most, for they remain, still, the only class who can ensure a more just world. Yet, while all proletarians are working class – not all the working class is proletarian, etc. Does Sri Lanka have a working class, let alone a proletariat?
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Every now and again the USA has to pick up
a crappy little country & throw it against a wall
just to prove we are serious.”
– Michael Ledeen, American Enterprise Institute
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Subjecting the people to horrific wars of terrorism & annihilation for decades, isolating & assassinating systematically both Communist Party and other socialist party cadres, burying alive the rise of a class of skilled artisans in modern-making industry, the long history of colonialism & imperialism in this country has sought to unravel any gains of the last 75 years, to ensure the zombie rise instead of a ‘lumpen bourgeoisie & proletariat’.
Thus claims novelist Sena Thoradeniya in his latest excoriation of the current NPP government. He believes they are merely ‘lumpen proletarians’ (in Sinhala, Paadada Nirdhana Panthiya) – ‘performers’ – yearning after acceptance from the inbred high & low commissioners of Colombo 07. He believes the yearning for false glory, calling themselves professors & doctors & specialists (aren’t we all?), is a sign of such lumpen characteristics. But haven’t professors & doctors in Sri Lanka themselves debased their professions through their piratical ‘private practices’? – such that every artful dodger may consider themselves worthy of lettered accreditation. Never mind. Thoradeniya mines Marx & Lenin & Mao, delving into their Bonapartist definitions, recounting the rise of such lumpen classes around the world and in Sri Lanka (see ee Focus). Our question to Thoradeniya, however, is: Is this anything new? Haven’t the long line of local ‘misleaders’, starting with the Portuguese & the Dutch, and their local fidalgos & mudaliyars, to the English & their massaging of nobodies into somebodies, arrack rentiers into aristocrats, been necessary lieutenants in ensuring the suppression of all the (well, most) people of this land. And again, what of the Unilevers, & Standard Chartered Banks, the Exxons & Citibanks? What kind of mafia – oligarchist lumpen – are they?
And while the USA has inspired another round of cackling about ‘corruption’ in Sri Lanka, this week saw not just the horrors of their Zionist & their Islamic terrorists spreading their claws, but also their more mundane dispensations of the ‘rule of law’: the outgoing US President pardoned a former Pennsylvania Judge who accepted $millions in kickbacks ‘for sending 2,300 children, some as young as 8 years old, to for-profit prisons, on false charges’. Another receiving US presidential largesse was Indo-American Mississippi doctor Meera Sachdeva, who gave her patients ‘diluted chemo drugs as part of a massive Medicare fraud’. And then there was a former Illinois comptroller & treasurer who embezzled over $53mn to breed racing horses. ‘Biden’s act of ‘mass clemency’ came in the wake of his presidential pardon for his arms&drug-dealing & child-abusing son Hunter’ etc, etc. Why bother recalling such? The US embassy’s stipendiary columnists in the Island newspaper even called it the act of loving father! But then again, the US is practicing the exceptionalism of the dictator (of the bourgeois kind): Do as I say, not as I do…
And speaking of dictators (this time of the proletarian kind) let us celebrate the 146th birth anniversary of the USSR’s great leader Joseph Stalin (Dec 6) and the 131st birth anniversary of China’s great leader Mao Zedong (Dec 26). We now need 1,000 Maos & Stalins to bloom more than ever, for it is under their leadership that not just their countries but the world as well, defeated the fascist powers (colonial wannabes, really) then, and whose spirit can help us face this future as well. Let us greet the new imperial (Gregorian) new year with courage! Let us also recall that BR Ambedkar, architect of free India’s constitution, when Stalin came to power in 1922, shed tears of joy that a Communist country would accept the son of an impoverished shoemaker as its leader. And when Stalin passed away in 1953, Ambedkar observed a fast to condole his passing…!
This ee Focus also looks at the history of attempting to divide Africa into North & South. This tale recalls how way back in the 1830s the English were preparing such artificial divisions, which came to rotten fruition in the 1884 Congress of Berlin’s ‘scramble for Africa’, with a blunt pencil slicing the great continent into ‘succulent’ morsels. It was in the 1830s too that the English saw the benefits of dividing the Muslim world into Sunni & Shia… And it was in the 1830s too (Colebrook-Cameron, anyone?), that the English saw the gains to be made of funding a so-called ‘independent’ media, as well, while stealing the lands of the hill-country to impose their slave plantation system, seeking to deploy Tamil settlers, north, east & central, to divide the lands of the Sinhala.
This ee therefore reproduces Thakurartha Devadithya Guardiyawasam Lindamulage Nalin Kumar de Silva’s exposition of TheMahavamsaMyth. He explores the basis of the purported discrimination against Tamil people by the Sinhala, which was apparently ‘started after the Sinhala Only Act in 1956 & the SLFP led by the Bandaranaikes’ and then continued by the Rajapaksas, and was a product of the ‘Mahavamsa mindset’.
The 5thCentury Mahavamsa has been called ‘the most important epic poem in the Pali language’ (Wiki): These chronicles twitched the noses of colonial busybodies – 38 ‘chapters’ were translated by ‘civil servant’ George Turnour, and the remaining 62 chapters were completed by ‘Mudaliyar’ LC Wijesinghe. Wilhelm Geiger (his son invented the Geiger Counter) in 1912 translated it into German, which was then translated into English by Mabel Haynes Bode. But not just the colonials – Karl Marx also commented on the Mahavamsa’s treasure of economic information (see ee 11 July 2020, Cool Marx on Sri Lanka).
De Silva provides a fascinating look into related Sinhala literature of the time, and shows how the Mahavamsa was more a product of doctrinal battles within the Buddhist world, and had nothing to do with the so-called Sinhala-Tamil conflict of today. De Silva pinpointedly passed away on May Day, 2024, and while de Silva would surely have objected to our analysis of the roots of Sri Lanka’s discontents – such nationalists, misled by imperialist-promoted Trotskyism, seem to live in the clouds, failing to deep-mine the prevention of modern industry & an artisanal machine-making class, as the fundamental aim of the imperialists – he exhibited an enduring love for the country & (almost) all of its people, not just the Sinhala Buddhists, with erudite daily commentary …Jayavayva!
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This ee also reproduces the Yukthi ‘plural forum’ (whatever the heck that is) opposition to‘a return to high-interest international capital markets, which have already created an intolerable burden for the people’. They point to the 13 December announcement by the Ministry of Finance of a ‘successful’ deal regarding international sovereign bonds (ISBs). They lament ‘the initial proposal for a deal had been concluded during a blackout period 2 days before the Presidential election that was held on 21 Sept 2024. So much for the USA’s much-admired cleaving to the ‘rule of law’. They believe the deal will ‘cost the country billions of dollars and… likely lead to repeated cycles of default in the near future’. Yet, after all that, all that gnashing & grinding of teeth, all these ‘pluralists’ can offer is a rather singular ‘calling for economic policies that lead to a process of sustainable development that uplifts working people’. If we hear these NGO-funded words ‘sustainable’ & ‘development’ one more time, we fear will plurally puke… They offer no plan or program for an industrial… renaissance – now where o where have we heard that word?
Compassion for animals has to be rooted in Justice. It is simple logic. It is morally wrong to deprive a living being of its life – the most precious possession of any living being. You can enjoy your possessions only as long as you have life.
If you respect the life of only humans and disregard the lives of non – humans and see animals as a gift from heaven for man’s enjoyment you will be on the road to hell inviting terrible consequences. Reverence for life of all beings is the most important lesson that life must teach us. Schools must teach us. This must begin in the kindergarten.
Most belief systems are human species centric. This is medieval thinking. Selfish to the utmost. Primitive and unsustainable in the light of new scientific discoveries of the true value of other forms of life in our eco system.
This Planet Earth belongs to all. Not to one Species. But to all Species. The Human Species must accept the role as the Guardian or the Trustee of all other Species and look after their welfare as conditions permit. This is enlightened thinking. We must subscribe to life affirming thinking and not to life negating thinking. Non – humans must be made a part of this equation. The unceasing war against other species that humans have been waging since time immemorial must cease.
Start your journey to a brave new world of compassion for animals beginning with this Christmas. Treat animals as our friends. Companions and fellow travellers in the Sansaric Journey.
Make Christmas a cruelty free and bloodshed free occasion. Keep flesh food out of the dinner table. Make it a win win occasion. Do not cause suffering to animals. Be enlightened. Be kind to all.
My heartiest and sincere congratulations and best wishes for your ambition of making our motherland a better country. You have a good vision and let us be a supportive force for you. We will help you to achieve that Great and Noble task of making Sri Lanka one of the top best countries in the globe again.
It is a fact that our closest country is India. However, you shall remember that Buddhism is the only good thing that we got from them. Half of the calamities that Sri Lanka faces today are given by India unfortunately.
You had not been born yet when late Indira Gandhi originated the Tamil terrorism in Sri Lanka. For your information, there are many reasons for that and one of them was that she did not like that Sri Lankans were importing goods including vehicles above (by air) or closer (by sea) to them but not buying from them.
We Sri Lankans always went for quality, durability and comfort. Our standard of living is far above them even today.
Indira Gandhi instigated the Sri Lankan Tamils by saying ‘Isn’t that you are being discriminated there’ and so on and so forth and started to fund, train and guide Tamils to fight again Sri Lankan forces to establish Eelam.
During the year 1966, our Sri Lankan rupee was 1.65 times Indian rupee.
That is one of the reasons for that terrorism dear president.
India is 50.103 times larger than Sri Lanka and they of course should have different political schemes to govern.
Please do not ratify the 13th amendment ever in Sri Lanka and what Indian government wants is the Tamilnadu votes but nothing else and to get the profit on Sri Lankan account.
It is true that they helped during our economic chaos which we faced couple of years back and the Sri Lankans are thankful to them for that.
All Sri Lankans should be treated equally anywhere in the island and no need to have these other provincial governments and councils which are just white elephants.
In fact, Sri Lanka is a small park where we can beautify more.
May the Triple Gem and All Good Guardian Deities protect, guide and bless President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and our precious motherland Sri Lanka till eternity!
Cricket is a game of glories uncertainty, but if India is to win this Test Match their batsmen have to play much better than what they have done to date and there should be another bowler in their team who puts his hand up and be a good foil to Bumarah. Otherwise I cannot see India win this upcoming Test Match at the MCG even if they bat well in the upcoming Test Match in order to defeat Australia and take a two one lead in the current Test Match series as bowlers win matches and batsmen set up the opportunities for blowers to take wickets at regular intervals and win matches for their respective sides.
The batsmen of India have great weaknesses in foreign wickets apart from dust bowls in India where their hands are great and footwork against spin is of high quality in general.
Rahul is a very good back foot player so he is an asset to the team in Australian conditions in particular, but deliveries just short of a full length makes him vulnerable especially just outside his off stump where he has to make the judgment whether to play or leave the ball alone. So fourth stamp line, just short of a full length getting Raul to open up on the back foot and not wanting to play but forced him to play the delivery is the way to go against him.
Jaiswal is a promising young batsman who is a quality player in India but he play with very hard hands and this plus his weakness to play shorts in the air can bring his downfall easily especially in Australia. He also is an LBW candidate as he prefers to play straight deliveries through square leg and mid-wicket rather than straight down the ground. Playing forward he plays with hard hands. So any extra bounce can bring him undone in hard true wickets such as in Australia and South Africa.
Gill is very pleasing to the eye. He is like Mark Waugh or David Gower but like these two players before him plays some very lazy and casual strokes after reaching thirty or forty runs, which is a great disappointment for all cricket lovers who appreciate quality batting that is pleasing to the eye.
Kohli is a sitting duck to the fourth stamp line both on the front and back foot most of the time. And if the Australian bowlers relentlessly peruse bowling a fourth stamp line to Kohli they will definitely have him out on most occasions.
Pant is an unorthodox player and can be most unpredictable. Nevertheless, he does not have a quality defense to keep quality pace at bay or spin when the ball is turning sharply past his bat. So the best thing is to stack up the off side and bowl good quality deliveries just outside his off stump and test his defense and judgment. If a bowler fears his unorthodox approach then there is a definite problem because Pant never play text book MCC Manuel based cricket. He can never be taught to play in an orthodox way because that will take the unpredictability and his brilliance away straight away.
Sharma does not move his feet that much when playing forward or back and if a blower in the Australian team can bowl just short of a full length and bring the ball slightly in with a quality in swinger making Sharma to come forward he is definitely susceptible to be an LBW candidate for certain.
Jadaja is a blue couloir cricketer but has a weakness for the bumper and he is a compulsive hooker. So bowlers should consistently bowl bumpers at him when possible. Also when he bowls as he is not a big turner of the ball therefore the batsman should use their feet as much as possible to him and score runs and make him think as a bowler.
Apart from Bumarah the other Indian bowlers are like an average State team bowlers and at times when run ragged appear like club bowlers.
Among the Australian batsman Khawaja must retire. He keeps making the same mistake by opening up to the delivery as he has to play a back foot defensive stoke and he opens up and based on the angel the bowlers are delivering to him over the wicket it is easy pickings on most occasions for the bowlers to get him out. I do not think Khawaja is a quality opening batsman and now that his reflexes are also no more as he has aged, he needs to realize these facts and gracefully retire before being drooped by the selectors.
Smith yet has class but can be suspect to the in swinger and being bowled or caught at leg slip or by the keeper as he moves a great deal to cover his off stump exposing his leg stump. But he is yet a class player and has yet something to give to Australian cricket in the future.
Head is a match winner and I think even if teams bowl on the onside to him associated with bumpers he can respond as he has improved his on side play greatly.
Carey is a fine player and as long as he does not play fancy strokes will be a great asset to the team runs wise part from his keeping skills.
The Australian team will be much better off if Khawaja leaves and gives a young player his position as an opening batsman.
I think Australia if they play to their potential will easily beat India in the Boxing Day Forth Test Match as India lacks class and quality to Australia and are playing Kohli and Sharma who are past their best like Khawaja in relation to the Australian team. All these three players who are past their best should gracefully retire from Test Match cricket immediately.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 16th December, 2024, Monday in New Delhi during his first official overseas visit since assuming office in September 2024
A newspaper editorial suggested that the NPP government is facing its December term test and that its weaknesses are showing. In fact, there have been quite a few term tests set up by different pundit examiners and they are producing a mixed bag of results. Overall and objectively, if I may say so, the government has done a reasonably good job for the most part; with a few bads, mainly gaffes, including a Prime Ministerial gaffe involving the two ‘Chinas’; and one standout ugly – the pathetic PhD in Biochemistry and BSc in Chemical Engineering” lies of Asoka Ranwala MP, and his deservedly quick fall from Speakership grace. The focus has been mostly on his PhD boast, but his claim to a degree in Chemical Engineering is itself an instant hoax. And the leap from Chemical Engineering in Moratuwa to Biochemistry in Japan is manifestly ignorant and creatively stupid.
The real tests have been on the government’s many critics including almost all media outlets – all of them outside parliament as there is no worthwhile opposition within parliament, and all of them wanting to rip a feather off the fledgling AKD presidency and NPP government. The Speaker fiasco has been the critics’ biggest reward so far but even they know that Mr. Ranwala’s stupid twin boasts are a damning indictment of the man’s character but not a fatal flaw of the government. There is no excuse for what this quack of an MP did but there is a limit to which the government can take the blame for it.
There is no question that the NPP government is being asked by numerous critics to show either results or its abilities to produce them almost instantly. Quite a rigorous treatment for a new government and so early in its term. A few of the critics have still not been able to come to terms with the reality that Sri Lanka now has a new JVP (NPP) government. Others are in it for the ride, and also because many of them do not have the same cordial access to the inner circles of the present government as they would have had to its (Ranil-Rajapaksa) predecessors.
All that said, the government with so many new MPs and Ministers is still on a long learning curve, and there are miles to go before it has its real ‘term test’ – the next general election, which one would hope will only be a parliamentary election without another presidential election. And miles to go in many directions involving different ministries and new initiatives.
This Sunday, it will be 90 days since the presidential election and 37 days after the parliamentary election. At the year end, President Dissanayake will be completing his first one hundred days in office, while his full government would have been in office for 47 days. So far, it is the President who has been the centre of all actions and attention. If the government is serious about transitioning to a parliamentary democracy, other cabinet ministers must and must be encouraged to step up and take responsibility for their portfolios in a very public manner as it used to be before 1977 and even until 1994.
People’s Pre-occupations
While President AKD’s first hundred days may not have been spectacular, they have been solid. He could be proud of his tone setting inaugural speech to parliament, his leadership in providing continuity on economic matters, the setting up of a compact cabinet, and the deft handling of his first official visit to India, the island’s preponderant neighbour. While these are commendable accomplishments, the people’s preoccupations are about the availability of essential goods and the affordability of their prices. The government has not found its stride on either front.
Rice and coconuts, among other essentials, have become thorny issues both in terms of rising prices and growing shortages. Fuel and electricity costs are added concerns, though there have been reductions in fuel prices. People and even critics are willing to give the new government some slack, but because so much was promised by the NPP during the election campaigns that order and fairness will be restored in the supply and sale of essential goods and services, the general public and critics have been expecting to see at least different approaches to these problems by the new government even if there are no immediate results arising from them.
Rice, Sri Lanka’s perennial political problem, is now the NPP government’s primary problem. There are both shortages and the uncertainty of prices, which will have to be addressed promptly to avoid facing the fury of the people. The usual quick fixes like price control and supplementary imports are creating more confusion than resolution. The paradox of high levels of rice consumption and the relative poverty of the farmers who produce rice is a longstanding structural problem. But if NPP were to be worth its salt it needs to get cracking on some of these structural problems.
The most notorious of them and where immediate action is needed is the stranglehold that of about six large rice millers have on the rice market. They virtually control the upstream purchase of paddy in large quantities, provide for intermediate processing and storage in massive capacities, and similarly control the downstream sale of rice to wholesalers and retailers in the distribution market. In addition, the rice millers who have benefited hugely from bank credit facilities to build up their milling industry have now become the primary lenders for the poor farmers and producers of paddy. They have taken advantage of the lack of regulatory oversight under successive governments and now become out of control monsters.
In their 2022 research paper on Rice Milling Economics and Market Power, WAN Wijesooriya and IV Kuruppu, two Agrarian Researchers, recommend government initiatives for establishing a comprehensive database covering the rice milling industry in the country, and for encouraging the growth of medium scale millers to break the stranglehold of the largest rice mill holdings. If the NPP government wants to succeed where previous governments have not only failed but did not even try, it must make use of the agrarian expertise available in the country and spearhead a systematic approach to break the stranglehold of the large rice millers. Anything less will be fruitless tinkering with a longstanding problem. The government must also encourage its subject Ministers to take the lead on these matters rather than channelling any and all files all the way to the President’s desk.
Indian Visit
I am not sure whether Sri Lanka’s current rice crisis came up for discussion during the President’s otherwise successful official visit to India. I do not recall if the word rice being in any of the reports or statements on the visit. Rice may not be the only missing word. There have been no references to 13A, or its plus or minus. For the first time, according to one wordy observer, the word ‘Tamil’ has been missing in all the public pronouncements of the visit. During his first meeting with a Sri Lankan President (Mahinda Rajapaksa) in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi famously reset the bilateral clock to 13A. Perhaps 13A was a bone of contention when the Rajapaksas were at the helm.
Not anymore, it would seem, with a different President, a new government, its tone and messaging, and most of all the topsy turvy election results in the North and East of Sri Lanka. The NPP government could not have hoped for a better start with India on, for want of a less offensive word to some ears, the ‘Tamil’ file; but it has quite a bit of homework to keep it going the way it has started. The objective should be not to ‘disappear Tamil’ as a bilateral subject, but to accommodate Sri Lanka’s Tamils, Muslims and the Tamils of recent Indian origin as equal citizens in law and fact, in a not too distant post-racial Sri Lanka.
For all the historical ties and the geographical proximity between India and Sri Lanka, the relationship between the two countries in the twenty first century is both seen in and defined by the backdrop of China. President AKD’s visit was seen both as a test and as a signal as to which way he might be leaning considering the fact that his two predecessors have been wildly inclined to one side or the other.
Ranil Wickremesinghe, as former president, has been egging President AKD to go all in with India and follow the vision statement he co-announced with Modi in India without any reference to anyone back home. On the other hand, Mahinda Rajapaksa since becoming President in 2005 tilted Sri Lanka significantly towards China without unduly disturbing India. Which way will the wind be blowing with President AKD, has been the question on the minds of all observers of the little Indian Ocean drama involving Sri Lanka.
To his credit, President AKD flew straight and was sincere and honest in his interactions in New Delhi, and he could be expected to be similarly straight, sincere and honest when he goes to Beijing. Enough has been said about the range of topics for co-operation between India and Sri Lanka that was covered by the two leaders and articulated in their joint statement. The areas of co-operation between Sri Lanka and China may not be so extensive on paper but have been quite substantial on the ground.
The challenge to the NPP government, in my view, would be to take a comprehensive review of the plethora of projects in Sri Lanka that have been and are slated to be undertaken by the two Asian giants, make an assessment of their costs and benefits, and to have an integrated internal plan to ensure that the country would maximize the benefits of these projects, while minimizing environmental impacts and avoiding waste and duplication of resources.
Sri Lankans love their educational qualifications. Qualifications permit envious comparisons of value, similar to the ownership of gold jewellery, an expensive watch or a branded pair of shoes, resulting in exactly the same questions of provenance, worth and authenticity, but from a much higher moral ground.
For the past two weeks we, the people, have watched as allegations that the (now) ex-Speaker’s educational qualifications were faked, proliferated across the news and social media. We waited for him to prove otherwise, all the while observing how his party and his current place of work (the Parliament) seemed to have neither the will nor the means to verify these claims. As I write, the ‘qualifications war’ has turned into an Absurd play.
Why were the ex-Speaker’s qualifications so important?
This is a two-fold problem related to the unhealthy relationship that Sri Lankans have with qualifications, coupled with NPP’s self-branding as a ‘clean’ party.
Let’s take the second part first. One of the NPP’s pledges was that they would give ‘sudussata sudusu thaena’, i.e., appropriate positions to suitable individuals. This was a constant thread of their election rhetoric and it was accepted as a counter to the rampant nepotism and cronyism we have been seeing. After the (ex) Speaker stepped down, the Prime Minister said in Parliament that her Party includes members with no certificates, as well as those with many qualifications; that all are equally valued because her party values all types of knowledge; and that knowledge cannot be understood narrowly.
I fully agree. It is the kind of vision I expect from a Minister of Education. At the same time, it cannot be denied that the NPP knowingly played the qualifications game during their long drawn-out campaign. The JVP’s image—associated in public discourse with ragging, student protests and workers’ strikes—was subsumed into the NPP’s much-vaunted membership of professionals, academics and artists.
And the reason why the ‘qualifications game’ was so effective as election currency is precisely because Sri Lankans value qualifications so highly, in such a problematic way. It provided legitimacy to the NPP’s portrayal of themselves as a party standing against a host of corrupt charlatans.
This brings us to the first part of the problem – our love of qualifications. In the education sectors, we’re all familiar with that little line: ‘A certificate will be provided’, which is included to increase participant numbers. Also familiar are instances of people registering for a specific course disappearing from the actual class and turning up at the ‘certificate-awarding ceremony’. Further, degrees are often demanded in some sectors for jobs that do not require one.
This love of qualifications is not a new phenomenon. In an interesting article, titled ‘The growth of foreign qualification suppliers in Sri Lanka’, published in 2005, Angela W. Little and Jane Evans describe the growth of the ‘qualification marketplace’ in Sri Lanka. They found that advertisements by ‘qualification-suppliers’ in three national newspapers (Sinhala, Tamil and English) grew steeply over three decades, rising from 15 qualification-suppliers in 1965 to 153 in 2000. One can only imagine what a post-2000 study would reveal!
The authors chart the rise of the qualifications industry in parallel with the economic liberalisation and economic growth that occurred post-1980. Though they did not make this link, we can connect this rise to the failure to expand higher and vocational education to a growing population and a fast-changing economy, during two decades of political upheaval. During this period, public funds for education declined, and declined even more sharply post-2000, despite large loans from international financial organisations. This is the context for both the deterioration of public education and the rise of privately-funded education, which is symbolised by the desire for a qualification, rather than an education.
Qualification versus education
Re-creating a society that values learning and education over a certificate of qualification would involve a protracted and difficult journey. It would require a few decades of high quality, widely-accessible education as well as moral re-socialisation: a simple-sounding solution, yet one that is very difficult to initiate and achieve. Indeed, it would be illogical to expect any kind of moral or ethical socialisation from an underfunded and damaged education system, embedded in a decaying society.
The fact remains that the education sector desperately needs actual physical resources. Today, while a small proportion of schools in Sri Lanka contemplate installing computer labs, other schools are deprived of the basics; school meals, electricity, running water, uniforms, chairs, desks and books. We also need more and better paid teachers, plus national regulations and explicit minimum standards for the teaching profession, regardless of whether they are in the state, private or international sectors.
A larger issue that is not discussed is that we actually do not know enough about our own education system. Our attention has for too long been focused on the state education system, resulting in a lack of attention towards other sectors, e.g., early education, private and international education. The education ecosystem in the country needs urgent study, and researchers across disciplines can contribute to this need. And while the education sector has accepted multiple donations and loans, it is not at all clear if these funds are used in a manner that best fits the purpose.
In summary, it is vitally important that the fundamentals must be fixed. But we need to also re-think the way we over-estimate the value of a qualification, as against a wholesome education.
A re-examination of values and ethics
The fact that we value qualifications rather than an education has been apparent for a long time now. The prevalence of forged certificates and honorary doctorates is not the only indicator. Long before ChatGPT arrived, newspapers and social media were advertising ghostwriting services, i.e., the writing of assignments and dissertations for a fee. This is a business that is clearly unethical and must surely be illegal, but it is now so common that both the suppliers and their clients appear to consider it perfectly normal.
We have come to value quantity over quality: two degrees simultaneously, more qualifications, promotions and rankings based on numerical criteria and so on.
Start somewhere
It is obvious that ethics socialisation has not happened through education in Sri Lanka. This is a major problem that has no simple or quick solution. When the Parliament that is supposed to be discussing the interim budget of a financially distressed country spends that time trading accusations with each other about each other’s educational qualifications; when an MP is unable to prove – even after a week – the qualifications he claims to possess and then imagines that it is sufficient to resign from his position but not from his seat in Parliament; when a party that has pledged immediate action on corruption-related issues takes several days to effect a resignation from a powerful position; and when the Prime Minister and Cabinet Spokesperson are angered when questioned about matters of veracity and authenticity – we know we still have a long way to go to re-socialise a population into ethical beliefs and conduct. It is not enough to prevent bribes and reduce wasteful spending. We also need to start looking at providing meaningful and broad-based public education, where learning and integrity go hand in hand.
(Kaushalya Perera teaches at the Department of English, University of Colombo.)
Kuppi is a politics and pedagogy happening on the margins of the lecture hall that parodies, subverts, and simultaneously reaffirms social hierarchies.
The annual special Christmas carol concert, collaboratively organized by the Presidential Secretariat, the Tri-Forces, and the Police, commenced on Sunday (22) under the patronage of the Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Prof. Anil Jayantha Fernando.
The event was inaugurated with the illumination of the Presidential Secretariat premises and surrounding areas. The Christmas carols on the opening day were performed by the choir and band of the Sri Lanka Army while the choir and band of the Sri Lanka Air Force performed on Monday (23).
This Christmas carol concert will continue daily until December 25, from 7:00 PM, at the Presidential Secretariat premises.
Colombo, Dec 24 (Daily Mirror) – In response to remarks by NPP MP Nilanthi Kottahachchi, who claimed that people have the right to convince others that something true is false, or something false is true, as it is a democratic right, Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe said that it is wrong to encourage society to accept lies as truth.
Samarasinghe said he believes that Kottahachchi may not have expressed herself as intended and likely meant to convey that the government would not obstruct people’s democratic rights.
Last week Speaking at an event in Kalutara, Kottahachchi said people also have the right to see the negative side of good things the government is doing and that the government will never block that democratic right.
“You have the complete right to convince any truth as a lie and any lie as a truth. That is your democratic right. You have the right to see the negative side when the government is doing something good. And also, you have the right to praise when a leader, government, institution or an individual is doing something harmful to society,” she said.
Her controversial remarks sparked criticism on social media, with many questioning whether this reflected the stance of the NPP government.
In response, Minister Samarasinghe addressed the issue on a TV program, saying that while people are free to hold their beliefs, the government has a responsibility to inform the public whether something is true or false.
“It is wrong to tell society to accept lies as truth. As the government, we have the responsibility to rectify such misinformation. Just as people have the right to their views, the government must ensure it does not mislead society,” he said.
“While anyone can believe a lie as the truth, it doesn’t make it true unless it is universally accepted as such. Truth and falsehood depend on how others react to it,” he said.
Cabinet Spokesman, Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa stated that necessary steps will be taken to curb the resurgence of underworld activities.
Addressing the Cabinet press briefing held today (24), Dr. Jayatissa highlighted the commitment of security forces to address this issue effectively.
As a government, we are dedicated to suppress the underworld and combat drug trafficking. However, we do not intend to rely solely on short-term or two-week operations. The security forces are systematically intervening in this matter,” he said.
Dr. Jayatissa further assured that relevant measures are already underway and added, We will be able to see the results of that.”
පසුගිය දා බස්නාහිර පළාතේ ගුරුවරුන්ට සිය පාසල තුළ දරුවන්ට ටියුෂන් පැවැත්වීම තහනම් කරන චක්රලේඛයක් අග්රාමාත්ය අධ්යාපන ඇමති හරිනි අමරසූරියගේ යටතේ පවතින බස්නාහිර පළාත් අධ්යාපන අමාත්යාංශයෙන් නිකුත් කරනු ලැබීය.
