KAMALIKA PIERIS

This essay looks at some of the sites where Ravana   shrines have been set up. Most are in little known Buddhist sites, but there is one in Sigiriya.

 Most people have accepted the Mahavamsa perception of Sigiriya as Kasyapa’s rock fortress said researcher Deborah de Koning. But having read Mirando Obeyesekere and Gananath Obeyesekere,   Koning found that in the 1980s there were others who said that Sigiriya was created by Ravana or his half-brother Kuvera. Then after the war ended in 2009, several persons with an interest in Ravana started to publicly   say that Sigiriya was Ravana’s palace. They spoke of Ravana’s Palace currently called Sigiriya Rock. This makes Sigiriya a contested site” between Ravana and Kasyapa, said Koning.

Ravana rituals were regularly conducted at Bolthumbe and Katuwana. At Bolthumbe there is a large Saman Devalaya, located on a hill. Next to the Saman devalaya a small Pattini shrine. A Ravana shrine is located in the backyard of the site.

The Ravana shrine at this Buddhist site seems a recent construction said Koning. At the entrance to the stand several signboards.  One is about the history of Ravana (Ravanaithihasaya). The place is a historical kingdom of the glorious heroic sakvithi King Ravana who ruled Sri Lanka around 5,000 years ago. The signboard also carries the phone number of the Hela Ravana Padanama.

The Ravana statue at Katuwana is located on semi-private property. The statue is kept in a glass box inside a cave that is locked with a door. The cave has to be entered on bare feet, indicating the ‘sacredness’ of the cave as a shrine, and a cobra allegedly protects the cave. One has to climb down rocks to find the cave.  Since 2016 or 2017, an annual Ravana perahera has been organized in Katuwana, said Koning.

There is a  Ravana shrine in Dolosbage. The shrine was built around 2000 and later assigned to Ravana. The shrine is closed to the villagers. The area is a yaksha area, said  the person in charge  speaking to Koning. He  told Koning that  he considers himself a member of the Ravana generation, and  explained that his family name, Pathirana, is derived from Kuvera pathi Ravana.

Weekly rituals are conducted in Dolosbage on Sundays. They start the preparations on Saturday evenings and chant to the Buddha. On Sunday mornings, they wake up at 3:00 a.m. and chant several mantras. They then take out   the statues, which include those of Vishnu, Kataragama, and Paththini   and anoint them (nanumura). They also bring out the jewellery of Ravana. The jewellery is anointed once a year and villagers are allowed to touch the jewellery  then.

There is a Ravana shrine in Galge in Dondra as well.  Members of the Ravana Shakthi   went there perform a surya namaskar. Deborah de Koning, engaging in   participant observation,                       went with them.

A day  in April, close to the Sinhala New Year  was selected  as the sun  would  be at its highest point then. They  found a local monk willing to participate in their ritual.  Exactly at sunrise, they all changed their clothes, and  clad in white,  lined up by a tree to perform the sun salutation. The Hela worshipped the sun, and this site was one of the places where the ancient Hela practiced this ritual, they told Koning.

While the  chanting was going on,  we all stood around the tree and kept part of a thread in our hands that had been connected  to the tree . After the  chanting finished the monk tied the thread around our wrists and chanted over it. One of the men then placed a yashti (wooden stick) against our foreheads. The yashti was made of special wood that easily absorbed the solar power and transferred this energy when placed against the forehead, said Koning.

There is  a Buddhist site at the   Sri Vivekaramaya Viharaya in Rumassala. . Several statues of Ramayana characters are found  at the Vivekaramaya Viharaya. The ‘Sita cave’  is a dark and extremely small cave that contains a statue of a reclining Sita. Outside the small cave, in addition to Hanuman,   there is a bronze life-size statue of Ravana in a warrior position, adorned with jewellery and holding a bow and arrow.

The statues of Sita, Hanuman, and Ravana seem to be placed at the site not to arouse devotion but for tourist purposes. They are not enshrined and it is difficult to get close to them. The Buddhist site itself dates back to the 1970s but that the statues of the Ramayana related characters came later concluded Koning. ( Continued)

Courtesy The Indian Express

The loss of livelihood and future prospects of the complainant’s wife were also taken into account

Written by Anushka Khare

The Delhi Consumer Commission earlier this month directed travel companies Thomas Cook and Red Apple Travel to pay Rs 1 crore as compensation to Yogesh Saigal for the death of his family members in a road accident during a vacation in Sri Lanka.

Considering the mental and physical trauma faced due to the loss of his family caused by the negligence of the two travel companies, the Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission sided with Saigal in an order dated July 1. The loss of livelihood and future prospects of Saigal’s wife were also taken into account.

Saigal, along with his wife, son, daughter, and father-in-law, had booked a vacation package to Sri Lanka through Thomas Cook in November 2019 for Rs 3.56 lakh. This package included accommodations, sightseeing, transportation, and travel insurance.

On December 23, 2019, the vehicle carrying Saigal’s family collided with a container truck in Colombo, resulting in the immediate deaths of his wife, son, and father-in-law. Saigal himself sustained severe injuries, including multiple fractures, and his daughter, Aishwarya, also suffered physical trauma.

The complainant further alleged that a few hours before the commencement of their journey, he was informed that the arrangements in Sri Lanka would be managed by Red Apple Travel, a fact that was not disclosed to him during the booking process.

Saigal further alleged that the involvement of Red Apple Travel was only revealed 36 hours prior to the journey, leaving the family with no option but to proceed or risk forfeiting the entire amount paid.

The aftermath of the accident led to Saigal issuing a legal notice to Thomas Cook on February 24, 2021, seeking Rs. 8.99 crore in damages for negligence, deficiency in services, unfair trade practices, and misleading advertisements. In his complaint, Saigal argued that Thomas Cook had failed in its duty of care by not ensuring safe and reliable contractors for the tour.

By Tom Engelhardt Courtesy TomDispatch

It’s not a happenstance or some sad mistake that, barring a surprise, Americans will go to the polls in November to vote for one of two distinctly ancient men, now 77 and 81, both of whom have clearly exhibited language and thought problems for a significant period of time. To put this in perspective, remember for a moment that, until Ronald Reagan entered his second term in office in 1985 (during which he would get dementia before leaving the White House at age 77), the oldest president was Dwight D. Eisenhower and he was 70 (yes, 70!) not on entering the Oval Office but on leaving it after his second term in 1961.

Of course, that was another America in another age — and my apologies for using that word in a piece about Donald Trump and Joe Biden! It was one in which it seemed all too natural to have the youngest president ever, John F. Kennedy, who was only 46 years old when he was assassinated. 

Click here to read more of this dispatch.

Pathfinder Foundation’s Study Group

Milinda Moragoda presented a copy of the Pathfinder Foundation’s Study Group Report On India-Sri Lanka Physical Connectivity to former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in Colombo.

During his tenure in office, PM Morrison played a pivotal role in developing Australia’s relationship with the Indo-Pacific region in general, and India in particular. 

The Study Group was convened by Eng. R.W.R. Pemasiri, former Secretary of the Ministry of High Ways and Transport. The report was formally presented at an event jointly organized by the Pathfinder Foundation and the Ananta Aspen Center in New Delhi.

අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මාධ්‍ය අංශය

ශ්‍රී ලංකා නාමය ලොවට ගෙනයන අනාගත ක්‍රීඩක ක්‍රීඩිකාවන්ගේ ක්‍රීඩා කුසලතා ඔප් නංවන භූමියක් බවට නාවින්න පොදු ක්‍රීඩාංගනය නිසැකයෙන්ම පත්වනු ඇතැයි  අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය දිනේෂ් ගුණවර්ධන මහතා පැවසීය.

අග්‍රාමාත්‍යවරයා මෙසේ පැවසුවේ නාවින්න පොදු ක්‍රීඩාංගනයේ පේක්ෂකාගාරයේ ඉදිකිරීම් ආරම්භ කිරීමේ අවස්ථාවට එක්වෙමිණි.

පසුගිය කාලයේ ප්‍රදේශයේ අපද්‍රව්‍ය ඉවතලන ස්ථානයක් බවට පත්ව තිබූ මෙම භූමිය ප්‍රදේශවාසීන්ගේ ඉල්ලීම මත ක්‍රීඩා පිටියක් බවට පත්කෙරුණේ අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය දිනේෂ් ගුණවර්ධන මහතාගේ මග පෙන්වීම යටතේයී.

මහරගම විද්‍යාකර විද්‍යාලය, ජනාධිපති විද්‍යාලය, බුවනෙකබා විද්‍යාලය, මහරගම මධ්‍ය මහා විද්‍යාලය සහ ප්‍රදේශයේ යෞවන සමාජ, ක්‍රීඩා සමාජ ඇතුළු බොහෝ පිරිසක් ක්‍රීඩා කුසලතා ඔප් නංවා ගැනීම සඳහා මෙම ක්‍රීඩාපිටිය භාවිතා කළද ක්‍රීඩාංගනයට පේක්ෂාකාගාරයක් නොවීම මහත් අඩුපාඩුවක් විය.

ක්‍රීඩාංගනයේ පැවැති එම අඩුපාඩුව සපුරාලීම සඳහා පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රීවරුන් ලෙස අග්‍රාමාත්‍යවරයාටත්, යදාමිණි ගුණවර්ධන මහතාටත් හිමි ප්‍රතිපාදන යොදවා පේක්ෂකාගාරය ඉදිකිරීම ඇරඹූ බවද මෙහිදී අග්‍රාමාත්‍යවරයා සඳහන් කළේය.

අද ජාත්‍යන්තර ක්‍රීඩා පිටියක් බවට පරිවර්තනය වී ඇති සුගතදාස  ක්‍රීඩාංගනය ද කලක් මෙවැනිම අපද්‍රව්‍ය ඉවත ලූ ස්ථානයක් බව සිහිපත් කළ අග්‍රාමාත්‍යවරයා සඳහන් කළේ පියවරෙන් පියවර නිසි සැලසුමකට අනුව සුගතදාස ක්‍රීඩාංගනය සකස් කළ ආකාරයට නාවින්න පොදු ක්‍රීඩාංගණයද මහරගම ප්‍රදේශවාසීන්ගේ ක්‍රීඩා කෞශල්‍ය ඔප් නංවන භූමියක් බවට පත් කරන බවයි.

අනතුරුව තලවතුගොඩ බහුවිධ මධ්‍යස්ථානය විවෘත කිරීමේ අවස්ථාවට එක් වූ අග්‍රාමාත්‍යවරයා අඩු වියදමින් වැඩි නිශ්පාදනයක් කළ හැකි කෘෂිකාර්මික භාණ්ඩ විවිධත්වයකට පරිවර්තනය කර  අපනයනය කිරීම හරහා විදේශ විනිමය ඉපයීමේ වැඩපිළිවෙළ කෙරෙහි රජය වැඩි අවධානයක් යොමු කරන බව පැවසිය.  

බහුවිධ කාර්ය මධ්‍යස්ථානය ඉදිවීම හා විදේශ විනිමය ඉපයීමේ වැඩපිළිවෙළ අදියරෙන් අදියර සාර්ථකත්වයට පැමිණීමත් සමඟ නුදුරේදීම, තලවතුගොඩ නොනිදන නගරයක් බවට පත්වනු ඇතැයි විශ්වාස කරන බවද ඒ මහතා අවධාරණය කළේය.  

මෙම අවස්ථාවට බස්නාහිර පළාත් ආණ්ඩුකාර රොෂාන් ගුණතිලක, පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී යදාමිණි ගුණවර්ධන, මහරගම ප්‍රාදේශීය ලේකම්, මහරගම නාගරික ලේකම් ඇතුළු රාජ්‍ය  නිලධාරීන් සහභාගී වූහ.

Courtesy Adaderana

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has emphasized that there should be no fear regarding the constitutional amendment.

Furthermore, Wickremesinghe expressed that Sri Lanka is unique in maintaining democracy following universal suffrage the President’s Media Division (PMD) said in a statement.

Moreover, the Head of the State added that he is dedicated to preserving this democratic tradition, according to the PMD.

President Wickremesinghe urged that there should be no fear regarding the constitutional amendment.

He emphasized that when making constitutional amendments, he entrusts the responsibility to experienced professionals. He mentioned that in the past, lawyers like K. N. Choksi were involved in such matters.

However, since Mr. Choksi had passed away by the time of the new constitutional amendment in 2015, the task was assigned to President’s Counsel Jayampathi Wickramaratne.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe acknowledged that the current issues have resulted from an oversight on his part and expressed his apology to the public for it.

He made this statement today (19) during the opening of the new court complex in Beligaha, Galle.

To enhance the efficiency of justice administration for the people of Galle, a new court complex was constructed at a cost of LKR 1600 million. The complex houses a Civil Appeal High Court, two High Courts, three District Courts, two Magistrate Courts, a Legal Aid Centre, a Community Corrections Office, a Probation Office, and a Debt Relief Board. It is fully equipped with necessary facilities for court proceedings, including administrative offices.

After unveiling the plaque and officially opening the new court complex, the President took an observation tour of the premises.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe further stated:

I would like to extend my gratitude to Minister Wijayadasa Rajapakshe for overseeing the completion of this Judicial Complex. With plans to develop the area as a tourist destination, it was crucial to relocate the existing Court Complex, and I am pleased to say that this has been accomplished.

As we work to transform the Galle area into a tourist hub, we have identified locations outside the province for large hotel developments. Additionally, there are plans to move the Transport Board, Timber Corporation, Mahamodara Hospital, Nursing College, Prison and Post Office to the city centre. We also plan to build a similar court complex in the Hikkaduwa area.

The Galle District Court Complex holds historical significance. After Dutch rule, the Batavian Statutes introduced Roman-Dutch law to Ceylon, making Galle a jurisdictional centre with a judicial board, a civil board, and a land board. This marked the beginning of our judicial system. While the Galle judicial area was originally divided into the Matara and Galle districts, only the Galle district continues to operate as a judicial region.

During the Dutch period, the majority of the Land Board members were Dutch, while the minority were Sri Lankans from Ruhuna. The Sri Lankans learned the law from the Dutch and later emerged as lawyers during the English colonial period.

Over time, many Sri Lankans pursued careers in law and entered the Legislative Assembly. Lawyers became a cornerstone of the legislative system. Under the Donoughmore Constitution, they served in the State Council with significant voting power. The English system of governance was established through the Soulbury Constitution, and when India adopted a republican constitution, Sri Lanka followed suit with the English system.

Colvin R. de Silva introduced the first Republican Constitution, while J.R. Jayewardene presented the Second Republican Constitution. Sri Lanka has a rich constitutional history and a strong commitment to the rule of law.

In 1931, Sri Lanka became the first country in Asia and Africa to grant universal suffrage. Unlike in the United States, where some states did not extend voting rights to Black people, Sri Lanka is unique for maintaining democracy continuously since then. We should take pride in this achievement. Despite facing wars and rebellions, Sri Lanka has preserved its democratic system, and democracy has remained intact despite numerous challenges.

In Sri Lanka, power transitions smoothly and without conflict after elections, a testament to the strength of our democratic process. Despite various debates and issues, democracy has never been compromised.

Some critics argue that democracy is at risk during certain crises. However, our constitution, judiciary, and political system have worked to advance and protect it. The most significant threat to our democracy occurred in 2022, yet we have continued to progress through consensus.

While Parliament remains a venue for debate, protecting democracy is crucial. The upcoming election is on schedule, with the Chief Justice and the Supreme Court confirming that it should be held within the specified timeframe, and we support this directive.

In 2015, we proposed a new constitutional amendment. Typically, I would have assigned this task to K. N. Choksi, a lawyer. However, since he had passed away, the responsibility fell to lawyer Jayampathi Wickramaratne. He was unable to make the necessary revisions. This oversight is regrettable, and I apologize to the nation for it. There is no need for further discussion on this matter; our country has upheld democracy since 1931.

Additionally, the government will fund the compilation of a book on the heritage of Galle’s history”.

–PMD

Sugath Kulatunga Director General EDB 1979 to 1987

It is very encouraging that all political leaders are today admitting that the only way to resolve the economic crisis is to increase exports. It is a national tragedy that the same politicians did not actively support the export drive launched by the Export Development Board (EDB) from 1979.  The Export Development Act provided for an independent FUND to meet the the comprehensive export incentives and assistance programs of the EDB. Among them were the assistance for product development and marketing and financial incentives for increase in export performance. The FUND could also act as a venture capital facility by acquiring shares in pioneering export ventures and providing subsidized loans.

The Fund was intended to have the independence and the capacity to meet the demands of the export drive. This was ensured by providing in the EDB ACT Section 14 (1) for a CESS on imports and exports.

By Sub Section 14 (5) it was required that the proceeds of the cess recovered under this section shall be paid monthly by the Principal Collector of Customs to the credit of the EDB Fund.

But on the insistence of the Ministry of Finance the Principal Collector violated this provision and remitted the cess collection in full to the Treasury.

The Minister of Trade lamented in 2020 that the Treasury had collected during the last10 years over 4000 billion rupees in cess payments but released to the EDB only a mere Rs 400 million which is just 10 percent of the cess collection. In September 2020 he requested the President and the Cabinet, that the CESS tax on exports, should be utilized for the promotion of entrepreneurs. Although the entire CESS tax revenue should be moved to the EDB as per the Act, it did not happen. Therefore, he proposed that at least half of the revenue be taken by the Treasury and the other half used to promote entrepreneurs through the EDB. An aberrant situation developed where the Treasury exercise financial control of the EDB by doling out small amounts of money where the Secretary to the Treasury is a member of the EDB Board.

But this has not happened and the EDB is starved of funds for supporting exporters and undertaking any innovative programs for diversification of the export base. In addition, a Chairman of the EDB who had no vision on export development did away with the specialized unit (Project Division) which was responsible for assisting in the formulation and approval of new projects and venture capital facility. He confined the EDB to the traditional function of trade promotion.

Meanwhile President RW in as Prime Minister in a Message in National Export Strategy ( 2018 said that He is confident that the National Export Strategy (NES) will provide Sri Lanka with the impetus and guidance to realise the country’s potential and drive the nation towards achieving the target of USD 28 billion in export earnings by the year 2022”.

This pie in the sky projection was made on an NES which was mainly an academic exercise based on Trade Statistics of the International Trade Centre. It was confined to market-based information ignoring resource base potential. Even on markets better UpToDate and refined information could have been obtained from our embassies and commercial representative who should have been active participants of the NES.  

With the intervention of the IMF the trade policies change according to their prime objective of trade liberalization the EDB Cess is due to dissipate in a few years. Sri Lanka Govt, in their Letter of Intent addressed to the IFM has said clearly that under

Advancing Growth-Enhancing Structural Reforms

We are fully committed to trade liberalization, which is critical for attracting investment and

boosting productivity growth. We have adopted regulations to rationalize the para-tariffs and will carefully implement the plan with due consideration given to its revenue implications and be complemented with measures to support local businesses in enhancing their competitiveness. We will pursue further trade reforms with technical assistance from development partners”.

At Page 24 of the statement, it is stated that more trade reform initiatives are underway including updating the National Export Strategy, expediting trade agreements, participating in global value chains, and tourism.

 On the export development cess the government states at page 30 that Sri Lanka is phasing out over a period of 3 years the Export Development Board Cess and reducing the Cess by 33 percent from April 1, 2023.

It is noted that the export cess is a creation of the Parliament, and any change has to be approved by the Parliament.

Every government likes to ignore even the best of policies of previous regimes and gain kudos by inventing a new model as  their tour de force. NES is a good example of disregarding institutions established by a previous UNP government of the Export Development Council of Ministers and the EDB and introducing and NES. The 1979 Export drive was led by a Council Of Ministers with the President of the country as the chairman of the Council which gave the drive political commitment at the highedt level. The Board consisted of the Secretaries of the key ministries responsible for the production and marketing of export and the principal functions connected with exports. The investment promotion body the GCEC was represented at the Board level. There was active private sector participation tooa at the Board level. There were Advisory Councils on products and functions and Producers and Exporters Associations. The EDB also had the cess to finance its activities. But that institutional arrangement was not good enough to the policy makers of 2018.

It is surprising that the Business community has not protested on this negative action. It is ridiculous to project massive increase in export performance while severing the lifeline for funding export development.

Sugath Kulatunga

Director General EDB 1979 to 1987

LankaPropertyWeb

Colombo, Sri Lanka – In 2023, overseas interest in Sri Lankan properties surged by 33% compared to the previous year, as reported in the Real Estate Market Outlook Report 2024 (REMOR24) by LankaPropertyWeb, the leading real estate portal in Sri Lanka.

According to the report, the demand for residential apartments in Sri Lanka is set to dominate the market landscape by 2025, particularly in the Western Province, with Colombo leading at 90.6%, followed by Gampaha at 8.9%, and Kalutara at 0.5%. The most sought-after apartment configuration remains the 3-bedroom layout. Notably, search traffic for residential apartments saw significant increases from key markets including the USA and Canada (23%), the United Kingdom (20%), Australia and New Zealand (17%), and the UAE (5%), driven by expatriates attracted to the investment potential amidst a notable depreciation of the Sri Lankan rupee against major currencies like the US dollar and British pound.

The report also highlights a substantial rise in average asking prices per square foot in Colombo 1-15 and surrounding suburbs. Luxury apartments in the Colombo CBD (Central Business District) area built before 2015 showed a noteworthy 48% increase in square foot prices from 2018 to 2023. In terms of location preference, Colombo 6 ranked highest among overseas buyers for purchasing residential apartments, while Colombo 2 was preferred among local buyers. For rental preferences, Colombo 6 maintained its top spot among both overseas and local renters.

In the residential housing market, overseas interest was also prominent, particularly from the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and the UAE. This interest was reflected in increased search traffic and a rise in average selling prices per square foot in Colombo 1-15 and its suburbs. Notable locations in demand included Negombo for overseas buyers and Battaramulla for local buyers. Colombo 5 emerged as the top location for both overseas and local renters seeking residential houses.

The land market saw substantial interest, with bare land being the most sought-after type at 46%. Land prices in the Western Province saw a moderate increase of 2% from 2022 to 2023, with variations across specific regions and types such as tea, rubber, coconut, and beachfront lands.

Looking ahead, the Sri Lankan real estate sector anticipates the addition of over 8,000 new residential apartment units by 2026, contributing to a projected total of approximately 42,000+ recognized units.

The Sri Lanka Real Estate Market Outlook Report 2024, developed by LankaPropertyWeb’s Development Consultancy and Research Team, draws from extensive data spanning over a decade, sourced from both public and proprietary channels. Daham Gunaratna, Managing Director of LankaPropertyWeb, underscored the report’s significance, stating, Amidst economic shifts and market dynamics, our inaugural ‘Real Estate Market Outlook 2024’ aims to provide stakeholders with a comprehensive view of Sri Lanka’s evolving real estate landscape.”

Tharindu Jayarathne, Head of Development Consultancy & Research at LankaPropertyWeb, noted, Despite economic challenges, the resilience of Sri Lankan properties as an inflation hedge is evident in the market’s performance through 2023. We anticipate robust growth across sales, rentals, and land sectors shortly.”

For more information and detailed insights, the full Real Estate Market Outlook Report 2024 is available for download on the LankaPropertyWeb website.

About LankaPropertyWeb

LankaPropertyWeb is Sri Lanka’s leading real estate portal, providing comprehensive property listings, market trends, and consultancy services. With a focus on transparency and reliability, LankaPropertyWeb serves as a trusted resource for investors, developers, and property seekers nationwide.

පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ සභානායක කාර්යාලය

ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ 83(ආ) වගන්තිය සංශෝධනය කර, දැනට නීතියේ ඇතිවී තිබෙන හිඩැස වහාම නිවැරදි කළ යුතු බව, ම.එ.පෙ. නියෝජ්‍ය ලේකම් පා.ම. යදාමිණි ගුණවර්ධන මහතා කියා සිටියේය. පසුගිය සමයේ නීතියේ ඇතිවූ විශාල අඩුපාඩුවක් වන මෙය, පාර්ලිමේන්තුව තුළින් නිවැරදි විය යුතු බවද ඔහු අවධාරණය කළේය. මන්ත්‍රීවරයා මේ බව පැවසුවේ, ‘දෙසරැස’ සංවිධානය “රටේ අනාගතය හා අපේ වගකීම” මැයෙන්මහජන එක්සත් පෙරමුණේ නායක අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය දිනේෂ් ගුණවර්ධන මහතාගේ ප්‍රධානත්වයෙන්, ම.එ.පෙ. ප්‍රධාන ලේකම් අධි නීතිඥ තිස්ස යාපා ඇතුළු පක්ෂ නායකයන්ගේද සහභාගිත්වයෙන් කොළඹ, සම්බුද්ධ ජයන්ති මන්දිරයේදී, 2024.07.16  දින පැවැත්වූ සම්මන්ත්‍රණයට එක්වෙමිනි.  

යදාමිණි ගුණවර්ධන මන්ත්‍රීවරයා මෙසේද කිය.

“මම හිතනවා අපේ අධි නීතිඥතුමා එකඟ වෙයි, 19 වෙනි සංශෝධනය ඉදිරිපත් කරපු වෙලාවේ supreme උසාවියට ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණය ඉදිරියේ මහජන එක්සත් පෙරමුණත්, දෙසරැස සංවිධානයත් මූලික පෙත්සම් දෙකක් ගොනු කළා. මේ නුවර සහෝදරවරුන්ට මතක ඇති ඒ පෙත්සමට අත්සන් කළේ අපේ මහනුවර තෙල්දෙණියේ ඒ එක පෙත්සමක් තිබුණේ 19 වෙන් සංශෝධනයෙන් සංශෝධනය කරන්න බලාපොරොත්තු වෙච්ච ජාතික තොඩ්ය, ජාතික ගීය නමවෙනි වගන්තිය ඇතුළු අත්‍යවශ්‍යම අපේ ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ වැදගත්ම අපේ අනන්‍යතාවය සාක්ෂාත් කරන වගන්තිවලට අත තියන්න එපා කියන ‍පෙත්සම. ‍ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණය ඒක පිළිගත්තා. ‍ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණය පිළිගත්තා අප විසින් ඉදිරිපත් කරපු පෙත්සම ඒ පෙත්සම පිළිගැනීම අනුව ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණ තීන්දුව පාර්ලිමේන්තුවට දැනුම් දුන්නා. මේ එකකට හෝ අත තියන්න සූදානම් වෙනවා නම් තුනෙන් දෙකක් මත ජනමත විචාරණයකට යන්න කියලා. ඒ ආරක්ෂාව දීපු නිසා තමා එදා ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණය ප්‍රධානියා හැටියට හිටිය සිරිපවන් අග්‍ර විනිශ්චයකාර තුමා ඒ තීන්දුව අනුව තමයි රජය එදා තීරණය කළේ 19 වැනි සංශෝධනය එවකට හිටපු සංශෝධන ඉදිරිපත් කරලා තීරණය කළේ ඒ වගන්තිය ආපසු හකුල ගන්න, ජනමත විචාරණයකට යන්නේ නැතුව. අනිත් සංශෝධන රාශියක් කළා.

ඒ සංශෝධන අතර තියෙනවා මේ  ජනාධිපතිවරයාගේ ධූර කාලය පිළිබඳව වගන්තිය, 83 (ආ) ජනාධිපතිවරයයාගේ ධූර කාලය මාත් එක්ක එකඟ වෙයි අධිනීතීඥ තුමා වසර හයේ සිට වසර පහට අඩු කරන්න 19 වෙනි සංශෝධනය ඉදිරිපත් කරන්න කලින් ජනාධිපති ධූරයට පත්වෙච්ච ජනාධිපතිවරයා ප්‍රතිඥාවක් දීලා තිබුණා තමන්ගේ කාලය අඩු කරන්න සූදානම් කියලා මහජනතාව ඉදිරියේ. ඒ නිසා ඒ වගන්තිය සංශෝධනය කරන එකතු වුණේ. මොකද වුණේ ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණය 19 වන වගන්තිය සංශෝධනය එම වගන්තිය ඒ කියන්නේ හය පහ කරන වගන්තිය සංශෝධනය වෙලා අධිකරණය කිව්වා කාලය අඩු කරගන්නවා නම් පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ තුනෙන් දෙක ප්‍රමාණවත් ජන මතයකට යන්න අවශ්‍ය නෑ කියලා.

එහෙම කියලා පාර්ලිමේන්තුව තුනෙන් දෙකකින් සම්මත වුණාට පස්සේ 2015 ඉඳලා මෙතෙක් ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ ඒ වගන්තිය තියෙනවා. හය පහ වෙලා ඒ වගන්තිය තියෙනවා. එතකොට ලංකාවේ ප්‍රවීන විශිෂ්ට අධිනීතිඥ මහත්ම මහත්මීන් හරහා, නීති විශේෂඥයින් හරහා, විවිධ සාකච්ඡා සභාවල් හරහා මේ කෙටුම්පත් සාකච්ඡා වුණා. 18, 2015 ඉදිරිපත් වුණාට පස්සේ 19, 19 ඉදිරිපත් වුණාට පස්සේ 20,21,22 වෙනකන් සංශෝධන කිහිපයක් ඇවිල්ලා තියෙනවා. නමුත් මේ සියලු සාකච්ඡාවල ගිය අවුරුදු 10 කාල සීමාවේ සාකච්ඡා හරහා මගහැරිච්ච වගන්තිත් තියෙනවා. දැන් ඒකනේ තියෙන ලොකුම සාකච්ඡාව. හය පහ වෙච්ච එක කොහොමද වෙන තැනක මඟ හැරුණේ කියලා.  

එතකොට අපිත් අහන්න ඕනේ නීති විශාරදයින්ගෙන් කොහොමද එහෙම මඟ හැරෙන්නේ කියලා. එතකොට ඒ වගන්තිය පැහැදිලිව තියෙනවා ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ දැනට වලංගු වගන්තියක් හැටියට 83 වෙනි වගන්තිය (ආ) කොටස මොකද මුලින් පාර්ලිමේන්තුව 78 සම්මත කරනකොට මේ ව්‍යවස්ථාව පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ කාල පරිච්ඡේදය වසර හයක් කියලා තිබ්බා. ජනාධිපතිවරයාගේ කාල පරිච්ඡේදය වසර හයක් කියලා තිබ්බා. 78 ව්‍යවස්ථාව සංශෝධනය කරන කොට. එකතකොට 78 ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ සම්මත කෙරුණු මේ ඇතුළත් කරපු වගන්ති රාශියක් වරින් වර සංශෝධනය වෙලා, කප්පාදු වෙලා එහෙට මෙහෙට, සංශෝධනය වෙලා, අද වෙනකොට සංශෝධන 22ක් හරහා ඇවිල්ලා තියෙනවා. සමහර වගන්තිවලට අතවත් තියලා නෑ.

ඉතිං ඒ සියල්ල හරහා අද 83 (ආ) වගන්තිය මේ සියල්ල හරහා ඇවිල්ලා මුළු රටක් සාකච්ඡා කරන බරපතල වගන්තියක් බවට පත්වෙලා තියෙනවා. මේ වෙනකොට supreme උසාවිය හරහා පෙත්සම් 2ක්  ඉදිරිපත් වෙලා, එක පෙත්සමක් විසි වෙලා ගියා, අනිත් පෙත්සමට ලක්ෂ පහක දඩයකුත් නියම වුණා. මොකද මේ සාකච්ඡාව තියෙනවා. දැන් ඔබ සියලු දෙනාත් බලන්න ඕනේ මොකද්ද මේ 83 (ආ) වගන්තියේ තියෙන්නේ කියලා. දැන් ඕනෑම ජංගම දුරකථනයක් තියෙන කෙනෙක්ට ශ්‍රී ලංකාව ආණ්ඩුක්‍රමය කියලා ගැහුවම Constitution of Sri Lanka කියලා ගැහුවම phone එකේ එනවා ලංකා ව්‍යවස්ථාව. සිංහල, දෙමළ, ඉංග්‍රීසි භාෂා තුනෙන්ම ලංකා ව්‍යවස්ථාව තියෙනවා. වලංගු ව්‍යවස්ථාව.

ඒ කියන්නේ 83 (ආ) තාම වගන්තිය වලංගුයි. එතකොට 83(ආ) වගන්තිය තාම වලංගු වෙලා තියෙනවා, 20 වෙනි වගන්තියේදී පාර්ලිමේන්තු කාල සීමාව අඩු කළා වසර පහකට 2020 දී 20 වෙනි වගන්තිය ගෙනාවා පාර්ලිමේන්තුවට. ඒ වගන්තිය ගෙනල්ලා විසි වෙන වගන්තිය පාර්ලිමේන්තු කාලය අඩු කළා වසර පහකට. 19 වෙනි වගන්තිය ජනාධිපති ධූර කාලය අඩු කළා අවුරුදු  පහකට. 20 වෙනි වගන්තියෙන් පාර්ලිමේන්තු කාලය අඩු කළා අවුරුදු පහකට. ඔය දෙකේම කාලය අවුරුදු හයයි, 78 ව්‍යවස්ථවේ තිබ්බේ.

එතකොට මේ අනිත් වගන්ති සියල්ල සංශෝධනය වුණා. 83 වගන්තිය සංශෝධනය වුණේ නෑ. 83 (ආ) වගන්තියේ තියෙනවා පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ  ජනාධිපතිවරයාගේ කාලය හයක් ඉක්මවලා යනවා නම් ජනමත විචාරණයකට යා යුතුයි කියලා. තුනෙන් දෙකක් සමඟ ජනමත විචාරණයකට යා යුතුයි කියලා ප්‍රතිපාදනය තියෙනවා 83 (ආ) වගන්තියේ. ප්‍රශ්නේ කොහෙද තියෙන්නේ? ප්‍රශ්නෙ තියෙන්නෙ නැවත හොඳට අවබෝධ කරගන්න 78 ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ මේ ධූර කාලයන් දෙකම හයයි. ධූර කාලය හය ඉක්මවනවා නම් තමයි තුනෙන් දෙකක ජනමත විචාරණයකට යන්න ඕනේ. නමුත් 19 වන සංශෝධනයේ 20 වෙනි  සංශෝධනයේ ධූර කාලය හයේ ඉඳලා පහට ගෙනාවා.

83 (ආ) වගන්තියට අත තියලා තිබ්බෙ නැති නිසා පහේ ඉඳලා හය කියන අවුරුද්ද ගැන කොහෙවත් සඳහනක් නෑ. හිඩසක් ඇති වුණා නීතියේ. ව්‍යවස්ථා නීතියේ හිඩසක් ඇති වුණා. හයට වැඩියෙන් යනවා ජනමත විචාරණයකට යන්න කියල තියෙනවා. පහෙන්, අයින් කරන්න කියලා තියෙනවා. නමුත් පහේ ඉඳල හයට යනවා නම් මොකද කරන්නේ කියලා නීතියේ හිඩසක් තියෙනවා. ඒ හිඩස පියවන්න ඕනේ. ඒක නීති ක්ෂේත්‍රයේ පහුගිය කාලයේ වෙච්ච ලොකු අඩුපාඩුවක්. මම හිතන්නේ ඒක හැමෝම අවංකව පිළිගන්නවා. ඒක සම්පාදනය කරපු අයගේ, ඒක ඉදිරිපත් කරපු සියලු දෙනාගේ. ඒ හින්දා ඒ සංශෝධනයන් මම හිතනවා පාර්ලිමේන්තුවට ඇවිල්ලා නිවැරදි වීම වහාම වෙන්න ඕනේ. මොකද මේ නීති හිඩැස් බරපතල වෙන්න පුළුවන්. අර්බුදකාරී වාතාවරණයන්වලදී. ඒ හින්දා අද පවතින වාතාවරණය උඩ මම හිතනවා පුළුවන් කියලා මේවා අවබෝධතතාවයකින් විසඳ ගන්න. ඒ සඳහා  සංශෝධනයන් නියමිත ආකාරයෙන් ගෙන එන්න කටයුතු කරනු ඇතැයි කියන එකයි අපේ අවබෝධය.”

උපුටා ගැන්ම ලංකා සී නිව්ස්

ජාතික ජන බලවේගය විසින් පිහිටන ආණ්ඩුවක් යටතේත් රාජ්‍ය ව්‍යාපෘති අරමුදලක් ආරම්භ කර ඒ සඳහා ඕනෑම පුද්ගලයකුට මුදල් ආයෝජනය කිරීමේ හැකියාව ඇති කරන බව එම පක්ෂයේ ජාතික විධායක සභික හිටපු පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත‍්‍රී සුනිල් හඳුන්නෙත්ති මහතා පවසයි.

මෙතෙක් ආර්ථික ක්‍රියාවලියට එක් නොවූ ජාතික ආර්ථිකයට දායක නොවූ උපයන ලද මුදල් ජනතාව සතුව ඇති බවද එම මුදල් කළු සල්ලි විය හැකි වුවත් රාජ්‍ය ව්‍යාපෘති අරමුදලට එවන් මුදල්ද ඇතුළත් කල හැකි බවත් ඔහු පැවසීය.

ලංකාවේ ඕනෑම පුද්ගලයකුට මුදල් ආයෝජනය කළ හැකි ආකාරයට මෙම අරමුදල ආරම්භ කරන බවත් මුදල් ඉපයූ ආකාරය සොයමින් යාමට අවස්ථාවක් නැති බවද හෙතෙම කියා සිටියේය.

ජාතික ජන බලවේගය විසින් පොළොන්නරුවේදී පවත්වන ලද එම දිස්ත්‍රික් බැංකු බැංකු හා මුල්‍ය ක්‍ෂෙත‍්‍රයේ වෘත්තිකයන්ගේ සාකච්ඡාවක් අමතමින් හෙතෙම මෙම අදහස් පළ කරන ලදී.

Courtesy IranWire

Sri Lanka has made progress in paying its oil debt to Iran through a tea-for-oil agreement, Sri Lanka’s Tea Board Chairman Niraj De Mel said.

De Mel reported that the country has paid $55 million out of its $250.9 million debt for oil purchases from Iran through tea exports.

The debt payment process began in August last year, following an agreement between the two countries.

In the first four months of this year, Sri Lanka has exported 4.1 million kilograms of tea to Iran, tripling the amount exported during the same period in 2023.

The arrangement, agreed upon in December 2021, allows Iran to accept Sri Lanka’s tea as payment for the outstanding oil debt.

The agreement has roots in oil purchases made by Sri Lanka from Iran nine years ago, which had remained unpaid due to international sanctions against Iran.

Alireza Peyman Pak, head of the Iran Trade Development Organization, previously confirmed the signing of a contract for monthly tea exports from Sri Lanka to Iran to settle the $251 million debt.

Courtesy Adaderana

The Cabinet has approved the proposal presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to identify areas occupied by Plantation Workers on state-owned plantation lands managed by the State Plantation Corporation and regional plantation companies and to draft legislation to formally designate these areas as new settlement villages.

A special discussion in this regard was also held at the Presidential Secretariat, yesterday (17) under the patronage of President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

In a significant development, all parties have expressed agreement on the timely proposal to enact legislation declaring areas where Plantation Workers dwell within state-managed plantations, overseen by the State Plantation Corporation and regional companies, as new villages.

Parliamentarian Mano Ganesan emphasized the crucial need to secure land rights for current plantation dwellers under this initiative, submitting a corresponding proposal to the President.

Addressing the matter, President Ranil Wickremesinghe underscored the government’s on-going commitment to implementing programs that provide freehold land and housing rights to residents across villages, towns, and plantations.

Furthermore, President Ranil Wickremesinghe recommended initiating the legislative process by consulting regional plantation companies and proposed the formation of a committee comprising parliamentarians representing plantation communities and relevant stakeholders to oversee the process.

Minister of Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure Development Jeevan Thondaman, State Minister for Education Arvind Kumar, and MPs Mano Ganesan, Palani Thigambaram, Vadivel Suresh, Velu Kumar, M. Rameshwaran, and M. Udayakumar participated in the discussion, along with Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake and Secretary to the Ministry of Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure Development A.C.M. Nafeel. Secretary to the Ministry of State Plantation Enterprises Reforms Dr. Sugath Yalegama and other officials were also in attendance.

–PMD–

Shenali D Waduge

Desperate times calls for desperate measures. Departing US envoy obviously wants to depart with a bang & she decided to summon the Office of Missing Persons Head to her office & asked him to get cracking about a grave site in Kokkuthudai, Kokilai area of Mullaitivu District. While it’s a piece of cake to galvanize the media quartet, drum the war crimes” genocide” and spice up a bit of drama, facts are pretty hard to turn to fiction. But, we must give credit for trying. Readers have 2 choices, they can believe the bogus narrative. This no doubt would be the coterie of people who seek to politically & economically gain by telling lies. The more sensible approach is to look at the facts, analyse and make a more rational & sensible conclusion. Let us take the 2^nd option.

In June 2023 in order to facilitate drinking water for people in the Kokilai area, female skeletons were discovered when digging to put the pipeline. For people who had been biting their nails to show some kind of evidence to justify genocide” it was like winning the lottery. So naturally, their spin doctors got to work.

Let’s move to the facts. There were 16 skeletons. The female skeletons were clothed in LTTE uniforms. Cyanide capsules hung over their necks & dog tags as well. The cyanide capsule was a trademark LTTE feature with specific orders for LTTE to consume before capture. It was a form of suicide taught during training. Anyone in doubt, may like to pay a visit to Adele B living in UK & obtain from her how she trained little children to kill as well as commit suicide by biting the cyanide capsule before capture.

This is where the story gets disappointing for those praying for the skeletons to be from 2009. Sorry to disappoint but as per the dog tag of one of the skeletons, the number 1333 belonging to one Madiwadni from the LTTE’s Weli Oya Force who was operating from one of the 4 camps in Kokkuthudai under leadership of LTTE’s Balraj & Swarnam. She had died during hostilities between the LTTE & Sri Lanka Army in 1995. LTTE had released a list of 150 LTTE dead in which her name was included. Oh dear! Well that about nails the coffin! However, to save face, to keep the charade going & to ensure more funds are solicited from overseas the drama has to be kept going & thus the envoy summoning the OMP head.

Disappointing as it may to those drumming war crimes & genocide allegations, the skeletons are from a period between 1994-1996 & definitely not 2009. Oh well, kudos for trying.

Its about time those who made up the stories of 40,000 killed” substantiate their allegations with evidence. With no names of the supposed to be killed, with no skeletons of those supposed to have been killed in 2009, with no mass graves that dumped those supposed to have been killed 40,000 people – can someone tell us on what grounds Sri Lanka’s Armed Forces are being accused of war crimes & genocide? Its about time those making the allegations tender their apologies to the national army for tarnishing their good name.

Why are those who call the Sri Lanka Armed Forces war criminals not using war crimes & genocide against the LTTE. Doesn’t the killing of 600 policemen constitute genocide? These dead have IDs, they have names & there is proof unlike the 40,000 supposed to be killed with some figures even going up to 200,000. This shows the level of exaggeration.

Its 2024, 15 years has passed since May 2009 & we are still waiting for the graves, the names & the skeletons. So when some skeletons emerge in 2023 to put a water pipe, it must have been eureka moment for the lying machine & no doubt the US envoy should feel embarrassed too for trying to make a last minute effort to gain publicity before departure. However, the skeletons are of LTTE and not Tamil civilians and the dead were those buried in 1996 and not 2009.

When you tell a lie, you have to follow it up with another lie & then another & another, eventually you end up living a lie & unable to identify fact from fiction. Alas, this is the issue facing all those who began the 40,000 killed story and passed the baton and now they have to keep passing the baton & continuing the lies. The beauty of this is that with each year their lies become exposed & people begin to see through the lies.

Let us wait patiently. Nevertheless, we cannot have the image of our armed forces unfairly ridiculed internationally & called all sorts of humiliating names & even denied visa to travel without any evidence of any crime. This is bullying at its best. It is time this vile international bullying stop.

When even the US satellite images failed to come up with mass graves except 3 which were also LTTE grave sites, where are those freaking graves & skeletons to prove 40,000 were killed?

Shenali D Waduge

Skills Stream

අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මාධ්‍ය අංශය

ප්‍රචණ්ඩකාරී ප්‍රහාර පාසල් සහ විශ්වවිද්‍යාල දක්වා ද ව්‍යාප්ත වී ඇති බවත්, යුද්ධයෙන්, ස්වභාවික විපත්වලින් සහ වසංගතවලට ගොදුරු වූවන් ඊටත් වඩා වැඩි සංඛ්‍යාවක් සිටින බවත් අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය දිනේෂ් ගුණවර්ධන මහතා පවසයි.
අග්‍රාමාත්‍යවරයා මේ බව සඳහන් කළේ  2024.07.16 දින  බණ්ඩාරනායක අනුස්මරණ ජාත්‍යන්තර සම්මන්ත්‍රණ ශාලාවේ පැවති යුනෙස්කෝ 75 වන සංවත්සරයට එක්වෙමිනි.
මිලියන සංඛ්‍යාත ළමුන් සහ තරුණ තරුණියන් පාසල්වලින් බැහැරව අවස්ථා නොමැතිව සිටින බව මෙහිදී අග්‍රාමාත්‍යවරයා අවධාරණය කළේය.
 යුනෙස්කෝ සංවිධානය ආරම්භ කරන ලද්දේ ලෝක යුද්ධයක් සමඟින්. මිලියන ගණනක් විනාශ වුණා. මිලියන ගණනකට මරණයෙන් සහ බලාපොරොත්තු සුන්වීමෙන් පලා යාමට සිදු වුණා. මිලියන ගණනකට තම නිවාස අහිමි වූ අතර යහපත් අනාගතයක් සොයමින් සියල්ල අතහැර දමා තිබෙනවා, ” යි පැවසූ අග්‍රාමාත්‍යවරයා  වින්දිත දරුවන් රැකබලා ගැනීම සඳහා යුනෙස්කෝවට ප්‍රධාන වගකීමක් පවතින බව ද පෙන්වා දුන්නේය.
මෙහිදී අදහස් දැක් වූ අග්‍රාමාත්‍යවරයා –
යුනෙස්කෝ – ශ්‍රී ලංකා හවුල්කාරිත්වයේ 75 වැනි සංවත්සරයට සහභාගි වීමට ලැබීම භාග්‍යයක් කොට සලකනවා. ජනාධිපති රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ මහතා යුනෙස්කෝ කටයුතු ක්‍රියාත්මක කිරීම කඩිනම් කිරීම සඳහා කැප වන බව ප්‍රකාශ කර තිබෙනවා. ඔබ ඇමතීමට ලැබුණු අවස්ථාව මම අගය කරනවා. ශ්‍රී ලංකාව එක්සත් ජාතීන්ගේ පවුල තුළ ඓතිහාසික ශිෂ්ටාචාර පදනමක් ඇති ලෝකයේ ප්‍රධාන ජාතියක් වන නිසා. වසර 76කට පෙර අපි යටත් විජිත පාලනයෙන් නිදහස ලබා ගත්තා. ඒ අධ්‍යාපනය, විද්‍යාව හා සංස්කෘතික වටිනාකම්වලින් පොහොසත් සහශ්‍ර දෙකහමාරක උරුමයන් සාර්ථක ලෙස විනාශ කිරීමෙන් පසුවයි. පසුගිය ශතවර්ෂ තුන් කාලක කාලය තුළ යුනෙස්කෝව සමඟ අපගේ විශිෂ්ට හවුල්කාරිත්වයේ පටන් අපගේ පොහොසත් උරුමය ප්‍රතිෂ්ඨාපනය කිරීම සඳහා විශාල සහයෝගයක් එයින් අපට ලැබී තිබේ. විශේෂ අවධානයක් ලබා ගැනීම සඳහා අපගේ විශේෂ ස්ථාන 8 හෝ වැඩි ගණනක් යුනෙස්කෝ ලෝක උරුම ස්ථාන ලෙස ලැයිස්තුගත කර ඇත.
1945 වසරේ එහි ආරම්භයේ සිට ම, ශිෂ්ටාචාරයන් අතර සංවාදය පෝෂණය කිරීම, සංස්කෘතීන් සහ ජනතාව පිළිබඳ අවබෝධය වැඩි දියුණු කිරීම, පොදු වටිනාකම් ප්‍රවර්ධනය කිරීම සහ තිරසාර සංවර්ධනය සඳහා දායක වීම සඳහා අධ්‍යාපන, සංස්කෘතික සහ විද්‍යා ක්ෂේත්‍රයන්හි යුනෙස්කෝව මහත් සේවයක් සිදු කර තිබෙනවා.

සංස්කෘතික විවිධත්වය, අන්තර් සංස්කෘතික සංවාද, සාමයේ සංස්කෘතිය පෝෂණය කිරීම සහ තොරතුරු සහ සන්නිවේදනය මඟින් සියල්ල ඇතුළත් දැනුම් සමාජ ඇති කිරීම මගින් ගෝලීය කටයුතුවල දී ප්‍රධාන කාර්යභාරයක් ඉටු කිරීමට යුනෙස්කෝව සමත් වී තිබෙනවා.
සැමට ගුණාත්මක අධ්‍යාපනයක් ලබා ගැනීම, ජීවිත කාලය පුරාම ඉගෙනීම, විද්‍යාත්මක දැනුම බලමුලු ගැන්වීම සහ තිරසාර සංවර්ධනය සඳහා වන ප්‍රතිපත්ති වෙනුවෙන් යුනෙස්කෝවේ සේවාවන් එහි ප්‍රශංසනීය ලක්ෂණ අතර පවතිනවා.
වසර ගණනාවක් පුරා යුනෙස්කෝ සංවිධානය ලබාදුන් දායකත්වය ශ්‍රී ලංකාව ඉතා ඉහළින් අගය කරනවා. විශේෂයෙන් බුදුන්ගේ ඉගැන්වීම් අනුස්මරණය කරමින් ජාත්‍යන්තර වෙසක් දිනය සැමරීම. බුදු දහම හින්දු ආගම, ක්‍රිස්තියානි ආගම හා ඉස්ලාම් ආගම සමඟ අන්තර් සංවාදයක් සඳහා විශේෂිත වේදිකාවක් නිර්මාණය කරයි.
යුනෙස්කෝහි ක්‍රියාකාරී සාමාජිකයෙකු ලෙස, අපි  විවිධ අවස්ථාවල සාමාජිකයින් 58 දෙනෙකුගෙන් යුත් විධායක මණ්ඩලයේ තීරණ ගැනීම සඳහා දායක වී තිබෙනවා. අපගේ අධ්‍යාපන අමාත්‍ය සුසිල් ප්‍රේමජයන්ත අධ්‍යාපන අමාත්‍යවරයා වශයෙන් පත් වූ පසු මණ්ඩලයේ කටයුතු කරනවා.
ශ්‍රී ලංකාව එහි විධායක මණ්ඩලයේ වසර 27ක සාමාජිකත්වය තුළ කේන්ද්‍රීය තීරණ ගැනීමේ ක්‍රියාවලියට දායක වී ඇති අතර, සංවිධානයේ පැවැත්මේ වඩාත්ම දුෂ්කර කාලවලදී එහි මෙහෙයවීමට සහාය වීමට සමත් වී තිබෙනවා. යුනෙස්කෝ හි විශාලතම කලාපීය කණ්ඩායම වන ආසියා පැසිෆික් කණ්ඩායමේ සාමාජික රාජ්‍යයක් ලෙස තීරණාත්මක කාර්යභාරයක් ඉටු කිරීමට ශ්‍රී ලංකාව සමත් වී තිබෙනවා.
යුනෙස්කෝ සහභාගීත්ව වැඩසටහන යටතේ ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ විශ්වවිද්‍යාලවලට ප්‍රදාන අරමුදල් ගණනාවක් ලැබී තිබෙනවා. දේශගුණික විපර්යාසවල බලපෑම අවම කිරීම, සංස්කෘතික ත්‍රිකෝණ ව්‍යාපෘතිය යටතේ දඹුල්ලේ ලෙන් සහ සීගිරියේ බිතුසිතුවම් කෙරෙහි විශේෂ අවධානයක් යොමු කරමින් ලෝක උරුම අඩවි පිළිබඳව, ළමා පෝෂණය, ශාස්ත්‍රීය, පරිසර සහ සංස්කෘතික විශේෂඥයින් සහ ග්‍රාමීය ගොවි ප්‍රජාවන් අතර හවුල්කාරිත්වය ශක්තිමත් කිරීම සඳහා වන ව්‍යාපෘති සඳහා ද යුනෙස්කෝව අරමුදල් සම්පාදනය කරනු ලැබුවා.
මිනිසුන් වැඩි වැඩියෙන් අන්තර් සම්බන්ධිත සහ එකිනෙකා මත යැපෙන ලෝකයේ අධ්‍යාපනය, විද්‍යාව, සංස්කෘතිය, සන්නිවේදනය සහ තොරතුරු යන සියල්ල අත්‍යවශ්‍ය වෙනවා. යුනෙස්කෝ සංවිධානය ආරම්භ කරන ලද්දේ ලෝක යුද්ධයක් සමඟින්.
මිලියන ගණනක් විනාශ වුණා. මිලියන ගණනකට මරණයෙන් සහ බලාපොරොත්තු සුන්වීමෙන් පලා යාමට සිදු වුණා. මිලියන ගණනකට තම නිවාස අහිමි වූ අතර යහපත් අනාගතයක් සොයමින් සියල්ල අතහැර දමා තිබෙනවා. අද, යුනෙස්කෝව ආරම්භ කළ කාලයේ දී මෙන්ම, දෙවන ලෝක යුද්ධයෙන් පසු ඇති වූ විශාලතම සරණාගත අර්බුදයට ලෝකය මුහුණ දී සිටී.
ලෝකයේ සමහර ඓතිහාසික ශිෂ්ටාචාර පදනම් විනාශ කරන විට මිනිසුන් යුද්ධයෙන් හා ගැටුම්වලින් පලා යනවා. ප්‍රහාර පාසල් සහ විශ්ව විද්‍යාලවලට ප්‍රසාරණය කර ඇතුවා පමණක් නොව, යුද්ධයට ගොදුරු වූවන් ඊටත් වඩා වැඩි සංඛ්‍යාවක් සිටිනවා.

ස්වාභාවික විපත් සහ වසංගත එයට එකතු වෙනවා. එහි ප්‍රතිඵලයක් ලෙස විශේෂයෙන්ම මිලියන සංඛ්‍යාත ළමුන් සහ තරුණ තරුණියන් පාසල්වලින් බැහැරව අවස්ථා නොමැතිව සිටින අතර, මෙම අභියෝග ජය ගැනීම සඳහා අපි සැවොම යුනෙස්කෝව සමඟ කැපවී සිටිමු.
අනාගත අර්බුද වළක්වා ගැනීමට සහ අවම කිරීමට උත්සාහ කිරීම සඳහා සාමය, සංහිඳියාව සහ ඔරොත්තු දීමේ හැකියාව ප්‍රවර්ධනය කිරීමේ වගකීම අපගේ හවුල්කාරිත්වයට තිබෙනවා. අධ්‍යාපනය මූලික මිනිස් අයිතිවාසිකමක්. සියල්ල ඇතුළත්, සමානාත්මතා සහ තිරසාර සංවර්ධනය සහතික කිරීම ද අත්‍යවශ්‍ය වෙනවා.
මූලික අධ්‍යාපනය මිනිසුන්ට කුසලතා, දැනුම සහ වටිනාකම් ලබා දෙනවා. ඔවුන් සමාජය තුළ මුහුණ දීමට සිදු විය හැකි විවිධ අභියෝගවලට මුහුණ දිය යුතුයි. ශ්‍රී ලංකාව අධ්‍යාපනය විෂයයෙහි කරන ලද විශාල කැපවීම සහ ආයෝජනය පිළිබඳව ආඩම්බර වෙනවා.
අද ශ්‍රී ලංකා අධ්‍යාපන ක්‍රමය පෙර කිසි දා නොවූ ලෙස කිසිවකු අත නොහැර සිටීමට කැපවී තිබෙනවා. මම අවසන් කිරීමට පෙර, ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට මෙම විශේෂ සංචාරය සිදු කිරීම පිළිබඳව හා මෙම අවස්ථාවේ දී මෙම වැදගත් හවුල්කාරිත්වය සැමරීමට අප හා එක් වීම පිළිබඳ ව අධ්‍යක්ෂ ජනරාල් අසූලි මැතිනිය සහ අධ්‍යක්ෂවරයාට ස්තූති කිරීමට මෙය අවස්ථාවක් කර ගැනීමට කැමතියි.
අවසාන වශයෙන්, ශ්‍රී ලංකාව යුනෙස්කෝවේ සාමාජිකත්වය ලබා ගැනීමෙන් ඉමහත් ජයග්‍රහණයක් ලබා ඇති බව ප්‍රකාශ කිරීමට කැමති අතර එය ජයග්‍රාහී හවුල්කාරිත්වයක් බවට පත් කරමින් ශ්‍රී ලංකාව ද සැලකිය යුතු දායකත්වයක් ලබා දුන් බව පැවසීමට මම ආඩම්බර වෙනවා.
යුනෙස්කෝ අධ්‍යක්ෂ ජෙනරාල් ඕඩ්‍රි අසූලි, ජනාධිපති ආර්යා මහාචාර්ය මෛත්‍රී වික්‍රමසිංහ, අධ්‍යාපන අමාත්‍ය සුසිල් ප්‍රේමජයන්ත, අමාත්‍යවරුන් තානාපතිවරුන් හා විද්වතුන් රැසක්  මෙම අවස්ථාවට සහභාගී වූ හ.
 
අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මාධ්‍ය අංශය

අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මාධ්‍ය අංශය 

·       නාවින්න පොදු ක්‍රීඩාංගණයට ප්‍රේක්ෂාගාරයක්…

·       කොට්ටාව ආදාහනාගාරයට නව අවමංගල්‍ය උත්සව ශාලාවක්…

·       තලවතුගොඩට බහුවිධ කාර්ය මධ්‍යස්ථානයක්…

2024 විමධ්‍යගත අයවැය වැඩසටහන සහ බස්නාහිර පළාත් සංවර්ධන සැලැස්ම යටතේ අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය  දිනේෂ් ගුණවර්ධන මහතා සහ පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී යදාමිණී ගුණවර්ධන මහතා වෙත වෙන්කිරුණු ප්‍රතිපාදන මගින් මහරගම නගර සභාවට අයත් නාවින්න පොදු ක්‍රීඩාංගණයේ ප්‍රේක්ෂාගාරය ඉදිකිරීම්, කොට්ටාව ආදාහනාගාරයේ නව අවමංගල්‍ය උත්සව ශාලාව සහ  තලවතුගොඩ බහුවිධ මධ්‍යස්ථානයේ ඉදිකිරීම් ආරම්භ කිරීමේ අවස්ථාවට අද (2024.07.17 ) එක්වෙමින් අග්‍රාමාත්‍යවරයා මේ බව සඳහන් කළේය.

එහිදී අදහස් දැක්වූ අග්‍රාමාත්‍යවරයා –

තලවතු ගොඩ නගරයේ නව වෙළෙඳ සංකීර්ණය සහ මාර්ගය ඉදිකිරීම නිසා අවතැන් වූ පිරිස් සහ නගරයේ දියුණුවට ඉවත් වෙන්න සිදුවූ අයටත්  අලුත් ව්‍යාපාරික ප්‍රජාවටත් වෙළඳ සංකීර්ණයේ කඩ සාප්පු සහ අවශ්‍ය පහසුකම් ලබාදීලා ව්‍යාපාර කරගෙන යන්න අවස්ථාව සැලසුවා. ඒ අයට කියන්නේ පුරෝගාමින් කියලයි. යමක් අලුතෙන් ඇති කරලා ඵලදායි තත්ත්වයට ගෙන ඒමට උත්සාහ දරණ අය පුරෝගාමීන් ලෙස අභියෝගයන්ට මුහුණ දෙනවා.  බොහොම සීමා සහිත වැය ශීර්ෂ වල සිටිමින් සංවර්ධන වැඩ ජනාධිපති රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ මැතිතුමා අනුමත කළේ මේ අවුරුද්දේ. ගිය අවුරුදු දෙකේම අපට මුදල් තිබුනේ නැහැ.

පෞද්ගලික අංශයට තමයි ව්‍යාපාරික ප්‍රජාව හැටියට දියුණු වෙන්න පුළුවන් වෙන්නේ. මේ අම්මල තාත්තලා කඩේ උදේ පාන්දර ආරම්භ කරලා පාන් ටික විකුණන වෙලාවෙ ඉඳලා රාත්‍රියට රූපවාහිනිය නිවුස් යනකම් කඩේ දොර ඇරලා විදුලි ලාම්පු දාගෙන වෙළඳාම් කරනවා. එයට අපි ගරු කළ යුතුයි. ආණ්ඩුවේ කඩයක් නම් ඕවර් ටයිම් දෙන්න ඕනේ. ඒක සමහර වෙලාවට පඩියටත් වඩා වැඩියි.

නව බහුවිධ සංකීර්ණයත් සමග තලවතු ගොඩ නගරය පැය විසි හතරම අවදිව සිටින නගරයක් බවට පත්වෙන්න ඉඩ කඩ තිබෙනවා. මෙවැනි ගෘහස්ථ කේන්ද්‍රස්ථාන ඉදි වූ බොහෝ නගර පැය 24ම අවධි වන නගර බවට පත්වෙලා තිබෙනවා. නගරයකට ගෘහස්ථ ක්‍රීඩාංගනයක් අවශ්‍යයි. පුංචි දරුවන්ට ළමා චිත්‍රපටියක් වුණත් පෙන්නන්න පුළුවන් තැනක් ඕනේ. මව්වරුන්ට විවිධ ස්වයං රැකියා පන්තියක් තියන්න පුළුවන්. ඒ මතයි අපේ රටේ අනාගතය දියුණුවට පරිවර්තනය වෙන්න පුළුවන් වෙන්නේ.

ප්‍රදේශවාසීන්ගේ අඛණ්ඩ ඉල්ලීමක් වුණේ නාවින්න ක්‍රීඩා පිට්ටනිය නගර සභාවට පවරාගෙන මහරගමට ක්‍රීඩා පිටනයක් ඇති කිරීමේ ක්‍රියාමාර්ගය සාර්ථක කරගන්නා ලෙසයි. අපි ඒ පියවර ගත්තා. අවුරුදු ගණනාවකට පෙර සිට එය පවත්වාගෙන යාම  හා දියුණු කිරීම සැලසුමක් ඇතිව සිදු කළා. මන්ත්‍රීවරුන් හැටියට මට සහ යදාමිණි ගුණවර්ධන මන්ත්‍රීතුමාට ලැබෙන මුදලින් මේ ව්‍යාපෘතිය අවසන් කිරීමට නගර සභාව සමග එක්ව පිරිවැය ලබාදී අද ආරම්භ කළා.  නිම කිරීමේ කටයුතු නගර සභාවේ වගකීම බවට පත්වෙනවා.

විදුහල්පතිවරු, අපේ දරුවෝ බලාගෙන ඉන්නේ ඔබ නිම කරන ව්‍යාපෘතියෙන් පස්සේ ඔවුනගේ දක්ෂතා ඔප්නංවන්න. මහරගම විද්‍යාකර, ජනාධිපති, බුවනෙකබා සහ මධ්‍ය විද්‍යාලයේ දරුවෝ මේ අවස්ථාවට එකතු වීම ආඩම්බරයක්. ඔබ හැම වෙනුවෙන් මෙය ඉදිවෙන්නේ. මේ ව්‍යාපෘති   ජාත්‍යන්තර මට්ටමට ගෙන එන්න අපේ සහයෝගය ආඛණ්ඩව ලබා දෙනවා.

බස්නාහිර පළාත් ආණ්ඩුකාර රොෂාන් ගුණතිලක, පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී යදාමිණී ගුණවර්ධන, ප්‍රාදේශීය ලේකම්,මහරගම නාගරික ලේකම්, ඇතුළු රාජ්‍ය නිලධාරීන් මෙම අවස්ථාවට සහභාගි වූහ.

අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මාධ්‍ය අංශය 

Ministry of Defence  – Media Centre

State Minister Tennakoon graces first ever NCC National Youth Heroes Award ceremony

State Minister of Defence Hon. Premitha Bandara Tennakoon graced the first National Cadet Corps National Youth Heroes Award ceremony as the chief guest at the National Cadet Corps (NCC) Headquarters in Pamankada, Colombo today (Jul 17).

NCC Director Brigadier Sudantha Fonseka received the State Minister on his arrival at the venue this morning.

The first National Cadet Corps National Youth Heroes Award is held under the concept of State Minister Tennakoon.

The first NCC National Youth Heroes Award ceremony was organized for the first time ever, on a visionary concept of State Minister Tennakoon who has taken pride in promoting and recognizing young heroes.

The NCC National Youth Hero Award is held to honour Sri Lankan young heroes to groom the youth to be dynamic, versatile and disciplined citizens with extraordinary leadership qualities to face any challenges in the future society.

This year awards were presented to Miss. Charithma Jinendri and Master Sasindu Nimsara in recognition of their exceptional bravery and selfless action towards the wellbeing of others.

Speaking at the ceremony, State Minister Tennakoon praised the two award winners for their exemplary acts of heroism and also said that this award presented by the NCC for the first time is quite appropriate as it is the NCC that trains and inspires young school students through an effective training curriculum which inculcate values and moulds them to become efficient and effective leaders. He made it an opportunity to call upon the youth to join the NCC and empower national development.

Sasindu Nimsara, a grade 10 student of Kivula Piriwena, Mahakumbukkadawala, Puttlam saved the life of a 04 year old child who was struggling for life after falling into a 36-foot-deep well. Risking his own life, Nimsara jumped into the well and saved the child.

Charithma Jinendri, a 17 year old student of Siri Piyarathana Vidyalaya in Padukka and resident of Iridha Pola, Waga, Padukka saved the lives of a husband and wife trapped in their house on a night by the flooding water of the nearby Wakoya. Braving raging waters, Jinendri swam towards the house with a rope and saved their lives putting her own life at risk.

DIG S.M.Y.Seneviratne, senior NCC officers and families of the two award winners were also present at the occasion.

A. Abdul Aziz,  Sri Lankan correspondent, Al Hakam, London 

More than 35,000 delegates from over 90 countries are expected to attend the 50th Ahmadiyya Muslim Association, Annual Islamic Conference, holding in London, United Kingdom in a few days. The three day conference which will seek to increase religious knowledge, promote a sense of peace and tranquility will be declared opened by the Head of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, world-wide, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad on July 26, 2024.

Eminent speakers will also discuss a range of religious topics and their relevance to contemporary society. The Conference (Jalsa) will also be attended by a number of parliamentarians, civic leaders and diplomats from different countries who will address the gathering.

The event will also be broadcast live globally via satellite TV from the Muslim Television Ahmadiyya International with simultaneous translation in up to 13 languages.

The first United Kingdom annual convention was held in 1964 in Baitu Fazi Mosque, South, London with a few participants. It has since grown to over 30,000 participants from all over the world some years back at the 22 acre of land in Oakland farm, Hampshire.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community was founded in 1889 in a small town Qadian, in Punjab, India.  Its founder, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835-1908) claimed to be the Promised Reformer of the age.  Ahmadiyyat   stands for the brotherhood of mankind and tries to establish peace on earth through love, persuasion and tolerance.  It is a spiritual organization and has no political agenda.

Dilrook Kannangara

Since introducing the current constitution in 1977, no less than 21 constitutional amendments have been made so far. Three (3) more attempts were made that ended in failure and another attempt by the name of the 22 Amendment is currently underway. None of these was for the benefit of the nation or the people. All constitutional amendments were for the short-term benefit of politicians in power.

The current 22 amendment is a totally useless exercise. It is being paddled now to postpone the presidential election, increase cost and waste taxpayer funds and to make a mockery of the democratic process. It must be defeated. Any parliamentarian who votes in favor of the useless 22 amendment is a traitor who has no regard for democracy, the people or the nation. They must not be re-elected to parliament.

What the nation wants now is a presidential election followed by parliamentary, local government and provincial council elections that were postponed indefinitely.

The current constitution was introduced by JR Jayawardhane and his relatives including Ranil consider it to be their private property. Funnily enough the current constitution when introduced was called the ‘Democratic Constitution’. There is nothing democratic about it.

One of the first tasks of the next government should be to totally replace the current constitution with a new one. The new constitution must also allow the Supreme Court the ability to review passed legislation for consistency against the new constitution and strike down any passed laws that were found inconsistent any time after their passage if duly challenged by anyone.

Senaka Weeraratna

ICC (International Cricket Council) has been using the Decision Review System ( DRS) without the license of the Copyright Holder since 2006.

I am the copyright Holder. There are no other claimants in the world except Senaka Weeraratna of Sri Lanka.

It is a one-horse race but the inventor’s own country is not prepared to support the inventor before the ICC.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and the Minister of Sports have failed Sri Lanka by not challenging the ICC for the use of a Sri Lankan’s intellectual property without his consent and thereby depriving Sri Lanka of receiving the Royalties due for the use of the DRS, into the coffers of a Bankrupt country. 

This is tantamount to a Dereliction of Duty or Failure or Refusal to perform a Public Duty.  Both the SLC and the Minister of Sports are accountable for falling short of the performance of their duties. 

The unauthorized use of the DRS by the ICC, metaphorically speaking, is the equivalent of a highway robbery of someone’s property in broad daylight.

The ICC cannot disclose the name of an author(s) of DRS and they are not prepared to recognize a non-European as the author.

This is in short the raw truth. 

If the claimant for recognition had a name like say John Smith then the label would read like ‘ John Smith DRS ‘  –  It would have passed.

The ICC can get away with this ‘rope trick’ because of the slave minds of our cricket administrators, commentators, scribes, and more importantly our politicians

who are least worried about whether Sri Lanka gets recognition for DRS or not. Their conduct has been shameful and contrary to the spirit of cricket which has always stood for fair play and justice.

Mr. Sarath Abeysundera ( my friend from childhood days at school) made a statement calling for support as follows:

” This vexed problem of ‘ hora umpires’ and ‘ hora decisions’ remained unresolved in cricket until one of our ex-classmates came to the fore and gave a solution that turned cricket adjudication on its head. He challenged a fundamental premise of traditional cricket i.e., the umpire’s decision is final. This finality is no longer granted to an umpire’s decision largely due to the campaign of our ex-classmate who vehemently argued in the international arena that player dissent should be allowed for a noble cause i.e. to right a wrong. He used his legal training effectively to argue his case.

 UDRS has been hailed as the most revolutionary step taken to reform cricket rules since the inception of the game. A  Sri Lankan / old Royalist has conceived a concept i.e. player referral, which has brought fairness to umpiring decisions. It has been adopted by the ICC since October 1, 2009.

 We must commend this achievement. To stand together with Senaka Weeraratna though he has many more hurdles to clear before he gets final recognition from the ICC. At a personal level I have decided to back Senaka’s fight for due recognition which I am certain will bring recognition and glory to our country, school, and even the Royal College 1960 Group.”

I am appending the Legal Opinion of two leading lawyers Dr. Harsha Cabral, P.C., and Mr. Kushan Illangatilaka, Attorney-at-law, on the authorship of DRS. It is a four-page document. See the Attachments also. I have obtained the prior permission of Dr.  Harsha Cabral, P.C. to share this opinion with Lankaweb. 

Finally, I am appealing to the people of Sri Lanka and the cricket lovers of the world to support me in my sincere endeavour to see that Justice is done 

to my effort to resolve a long-standing problem in cricket adjudication and to my interest in seeing that due acknowledgment and accompanying tangible reward is given to my far sighted contribution to the game of cricket. 

Thank you.

Senaka Weeraratna

( Father of DRS)

Courtesy Hiru News

In a move to ensure the Maha Sangha fulfills its constitutional duty of securing the Sambuddha Sasana, President Ranil Wickremesinghe has established a Bhikshu Coordinating Centre at the Presidential Secretariat. This Centre was inaugurated today (17th) under the patronage of the Thrainikayika Maha Sangha, with the coordination of the Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake.

The creation of this Centre follows the recent statement by President Ranil Wickremesinghe made at the inauguration ceremony of the Gurudev Suwa Arana Gilan Bhikshu Centre in Kiriwaththuduwa. The new office is situated on the third floor of the Chartered Bank Building located in Colombo Fort. The inauguration ceremony featured the chanting of Seth Pirith by the Maha Sangha.

Anunayake of the Malwathu Chapter, Most Venerable Niyangoda Vijithasiri Thero, expressed that the President’s initiative to empower Sri Lanka economically, despite the economic, social, and cultural challenges faced by the country, will always receive the blessings of the Maha Sangha. He emphasized that the new Bhikshu Centre would help strengthen the relations between the Maha Sangha and the government.

Deputy Registrar of the Asgiri Chapter, Most Venerable Narampanawa Ananda Thero, also delivered a special address. He highlighted that, in an era marked by numerous religious crises, government intervention is crucial. He commended the opening of the new Bhikshu Centre as a timely action and praised President Ranil Wickremesinghe for his dedication to the perpetuation of the Sambuddha Sasana.

Addressing the gathering, Anunayake of the Malwathu Chapter, Most Venerable Niyangoda Vijithasiri Thero, further elaborated:

“The establishment of the Bhikshu Coordinating Centre in the Presidential Secretariat is a commendable initiative with highly valuable objectives. It is anticipated that this unit will enable more efficient and meaningful efforts in addressing issues related to the Sambuddha Sasana in our country.

This institution can play a crucial role in solving problems such as maintaining temples, preserving traditional teachings, and overcoming various contemporary challenges. It is believed that these efforts will yield significant results and contribute to the development of the Sambuddha Sasana.

I would like to highlight that the President’s program to empower Sri Lanka economically, while overcoming the economic, social, and cultural challenges we face today, consistently receives the blessings of the Maha Sangha.

Deputy Registrar of the Asgiri Chapter, Most Venerable Narampanawa Ananda Thero;

I am personally happy to be involved in the inaugural event of establishing a Bhikshu Coordinating Centre within the Presidential Secretariat premises. As stated in the Constitution, there is no need to say anything about the special favours that have been received for the Sambuddha Sasana since time immemorial.

Specially this era is an era in which many crises have been created. Many problems related to the Sambuddha Sasana have arisen due to various forces that do not consider the traditional Bhikshu leadership and disregard the traditional Sasanika value system.

It is not enough for the monks to intervene in solving the religious problems. It must be said that government intervention is essential for that. Therefore, it is very timely to establish this Centre to contact the authorities of the country to discuss the problems that arise especially for the monks. For the sake of the perpetuation of the Sambuddha Sasana, I hope to be able to effectively fulfil the President’s concept.

Narahenpita Abhayaramadhipathi, Chancellor of the Colombo University, Venerable Dr. Muruththettuwe Ananda Nayaka Thero,

Every government that assumes power often makes promises involving the Bhikshu, but many of these promises remain unfulfilled. President Ranil Wickremesinghe stands out as a leader who genuinely addresses systemic issues. Regrettably, certain individuals posing as monks have significantly disrupted the order, and we deeply regret this situation.

Considering these concerns, we have recently brought these matters to the President’s attention. We urged him to reform the Sangha system and safeguard the country from such disruptions.

Consequently, the Bhikshu Coordinating Centre has been established following the directives of President Ranil Wickremesinghe. While a Bhikshu Advisory Board was initiated under the previous government, it did not achieve success. The Maha Sangha appreciates the leadership of President Ranil Wickremesinghe in this initiative.

Sri Sambuddhaloka Maha Viharaya – Fort Chief Incumbent, Former Vice Chancellor of the Buddhist and Pali University, Venerable Prof. Ittademaliye Indasara Thero,

The Maha Sangha deserves commendation for the establishment of the Bhikshu Coordinating Centre at the Presidential Secretariat today. This office will effectively address the issues faced by monks in remote villages. Within the bhikshu community, there already exists a well-organized body known as the Shasanarakshaka Mandala, unmatched by any other organization. This body operates in a hierarchical structure, comprehensively addressing all Sasana-related challenges.

Previously, the Education Protection Board solely supported activities like Dhamma knowledge and speech competitions, benefiting no one else. However, this organization also possesses information about the bhikshus residing in remote villages. Today, society faces increasing distortions of religious truths and discussions on various behaviours of the monks, necessitating immediate information gathering. I believe that by guiding the Shasanarakshaka Mandala to act on this, we can offer solutions to these emerging challenges concerning the Sasana and the monks. Therefore, I am grateful for the government’s intervention in establishing an institution to secure the monks.

Senior Lecturer of the Department of Philosophy -University of Kelaniya, Most Venerable Professor Kandegoda Wimaladharma thero;
We are delighted to see the establishment of a Bhikshu Coordinating Centre in the Presidential Secretariat dedicated to safeguarding the Sambuddha Sasana. We deeply appreciate President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s vision in this regard. The guidance provided to uphold the order through the main institution in the country holds great significance for the future.
The venerable Maha Sangha has travelled from far and wide to participate in this significant initiative, aiming to bestow blessings for the enhancement of religious morality. It is our hope that the inauguration of this centre today will pave the way under its auspices resonating not only across our nation but also throughout the world, ensuring success in every endeavour.

Former Director of Piriven Education Venerable Watinapaha Somananda Thero;
We are pleased to announce the establishment of this centre under the guidance of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, on behalf of the monks of our country. The Maha Sangha encounters numerous challenges, yet often lacks avenues to address them effectively. With this new initiative, any issues within the Maha Sangha can now be directly presented to the President.

During the inauguration of the Gurudev Suwa Arana Gilan Bhikshu Centre in Kiriwaththuduwa, the President pledged to create a dedicated centre for monks. The timely establishment of this centre fulfils that promise and is a significant step forward.
Anunayake of the Sri Rohana Chapter of the Shyamopaliwanshika and Ilangangoda Purana Viharadhipathi, Most Venerable Dr. Omare Kassapa Anunayaka Thero;
It is widely recognized that establishing such a centre is of utmost importance, particularly given the challenges threatening the existence of the Sambuddha Sasana. Despite previous governmental efforts to address these issues, doubts linger over their effectiveness in resolving them. Therefore, there has been a collective focus on safeguarding and nurturing the Sambuddha Sasana. We greatly value the establishment of this new monk coordination unit as a significant step in this direction.

Adhikarana Sanghanayake of Western Province, Professor of Sinhala Studies Department – University of Colombo and Lunawa Bodhirajaramadhipathi, Most Venerable Agalakada Sirisumana Thero;
While we have the Ministry of Buddha Sasana and the Department of Buddhist Affairs, we hold high hopes that the unit established under the President’s Office will significantly benefit the Monk Order. Despite on-going correspondence concerning monks’ issues, solutions have often remained elusive. Hence, we anticipate that this newly established office will effectively address and resolve the challenges faced by monks.

Senior Adviser to the President, Professor Sunanda Madduma Bandara;
Following the British rule, a centre has been established within the Presidential Secretariat to address the esteemed Maha Sangha, marking a historic initiative by the President.

Recently, during the inauguration of the Gurudev Suwa Arana Gilan Bhikshu Centre in Kiriwaththuduwa, the President made significant remarks concerning the country’s religious landscape and the relationship between government and religion. While some advocate for the separation of government and religion, the President emphasized that the Constitution grants freedom to practice any religion or none at all. However, Buddhism holds a privileged position in the Constitution, and any suggestion to alter this is deemed unconstitutional by the President.

The Maha Sangha has consistently highlighted the government’s delayed responses and inaction on pressing issues. It is imperative to heed their concerns and take necessary actions accordingly. In accordance with the President’s directives and under the guidance of the Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake, steps have been taken to establish this new monk coordination unit to address these matters.

Following the inauguration of the new Bhikshu Coordinating Centre, an Alms Giving was organized at the President’s Media Division premises to honour the Maha Sangha who attended the event.

උපුටා ගැන්ම  ලංකා ලීඩර්

ශ්‍රී ලංකා රජය ලබා ගත් විදේශ ණය මුදලක් ගෙවීම සඳහා 2023 වසරේදී ඩොලර් එකක් ලබා ගෙන ඇත්තේ රුපියල් 524.6050ක විදේශ විනිමය අනුපාතකියකට බව විගණකාධිපතිවරයා හෙළිකර ඇති බව වාර්තා වේ. 

මුදල් අමාත්‍යංශයේ 2023 වාර්ෂික වාර්තාවට ඇතුලත් කර තිබෙන විගණකාධිපති නිරීක්ෂණ වාර්තාවෙන් මේ බව හෙළිකර ඇත.

එම විදේශ විනිමය අනුපාතිකය යටතේ ඇමරිකානු ඩොලර් 332,704ක් ලබා ගෙන ඇත. ඒ අනුව, එම ඩොලර් ප්‍රමාණය ලබා ගැනීම සඳහා ශ්‍රී ලංකා රුපියල් 174,536,518ක් වැය කර තිබේ. 

නමුත් රුපියල වේගයෙන් කඩා වැටෙමින් තිබූ උපරිම අවස්ථාවේ ඩොලර් එකක් සඳහා ගෙවා තිබෙන්නේ රුපියල් 363.17කි. එම අනුපාතිකය යටතේ ඩොලර් 332,704ක් ලබා ගැනීමට වැය වන මුදල රුපියල් 120,828,111කි. 

මේ අනුව අදාළ විදේශ ණය ගෙවීමේ කටයුත්ත වෙනුවෙන් ඩොලර් මිලදී ගැනීම සඳහා රුපියල් මිලියන 53.7ක් (රුපියල් 53,708,407.00) වැඩිපුර වැය කරමින් මූල්‍ය අපරාධයක් සිදු කර ඇති බව හෙළිදරව් වී තිබේ.

KAMALIKA PIERIS

The Ramayana Trail was criticized by various individuals. Lucian Rajakarunanayake made fun of the Ramayana trail in his newspaper column of September 2007.  In a recent YouTube presentation (July 2024) Nirmal Devasiri said ‘At the moment we can see Ravana only as a fictitious person, not a real person. There would have been some evidence, if Ravana had existed. [1]

Bandu de Silva told Island in 2009 that there is no historical basis for a Rama connection with Sri Lanka. The Ramayana legend, so popular in south East Asia as well as India had not caught on in Sri Lanka. It is only in the 15th century that we come across even a stray reference to Ramayana legend when Sri Rahula refers to it, said Bandu. Rahula was a descendent of the Skandavara family (Kandavuru kula) which is of Kerala origin, added Bandu. One sees people questioning the Vijaya myths of origin, how can we entertain a greater myth, of greater antiquity from Ramayana, concluded Bandu.

C.B.Punchibandara stated in 2009   that   he was surprised and bemused to read that the Ramayana trail has around 50 sites in Sri Lanka .Ramayana story never took root in Sri Lanka. There are no historical records to vouch for its belief here.  No inscription refers to it or any of its characters. Rama is ridiculed in Budugunalankara.

 Sri Lanka Tourist Development Authority seems to have identified some fifty sites. Perhaps more than even in India, continued Punchibandara. On what basis or fact? Historians doubt whether the reference to Lanka” is to Sri Lanka. To distort Sri Lanka’s past to attract Indian tourists cannot be condoned. Before this myth gets crystallized, the veracity of the pronouncements made by the Sri Lanka Tourist Board should be authenticated, concluded Punchibandara. (Island 21.10.09 p 9)

The Royal Asiatic Society   saw the gravity of the Ramayana Trail and held a symposium in July 2010 to challenge the Ramayana Trail. There was comprehensive coverage of the subject by experts.  Sunday Island   featured the symposium in its 29.8.10 issue on p 2.

Malini Dias gave Sunday Island her views on the subject. Malini Dias said that CE Godakumbura had presented a paper at the international Ramayana seminar, held in 1975 in New Delhi. His paper was titled ‘Ramayana in Sri Lanka and Lanka of the Ramayana”.  Godakumbura had said there is an abundance of folklore in Ceylon connected with the story of Rama and Sita. Some of these explain place names some point to special geographical features, other the lay of the land, the position of hills, nooks and bend in rivers, the color of the soil and various curiosities. However, all this is folklore and nothing archeologically probable or tested historically, said Malini.’

NCK Kiriella, chairman of the Ramayana Trail Executive Committee of the Ministry of Tourism, speaking at a symposium held at the Indian Cultural Centre, has distorted some of the early brahmi inscriptions, said Malini Dias. Cave inscriptions from Wegiriya devale has been painted over with white ink.  The word Kubakara has been misinterpreted as Kubakana.

Cave inscriptions from Molagoda vihara   were distorted to indicate that it refers to the pilot of an aeroplane. Bamana has become Bimana. Alulena inscription letters were painted over and then photographed to appear as Ravana’s son”. Isurumuniya vihara is considered the temple of Rowena’s parents, Visravasumi and his wife Kaikali.  A site at Sigiriya is considered the palace of Rawana’s elder brother Kuvera and one cave inscription is linked to Sita, concluded Malini when speaking to Sunday Island.

 Some commentators dismissed the criticism of the Ramayana Trail. Haris de Silva, former Director, National Archives, said need we go to great lengths to debunk the Rama- Ravana connection with Sri Lanka. There is no threat to Buddhism from Ramayana trail. Every Buddhist temple has separate annexes for Siva and Vishnu within the temple complex.   . Why should not the Tourist Board make a quick buck out of it. They should be allowed to embellish the material, Haris said.

Tissa Devendra suggested that the Ramayana trail could be presented as a fictitious one. There is a tradition of fictional tourism, such as the Baker Street tours in London, of the places where Sherlock Holmes lived in London.

Columnist Nan” said in her column if money could be made from the Ramayana trail why not make it. There is no point in making such a fuss over the fact that Ramayana has been debunked as historical in India. We believe in myths about the origin of the Sinhala race and believe that the Buddha visited our island.

She says that this segment of tourism came to be when tourism as in the doldrums. The idea of Ramayana trial was developed parallel to the Buddhist circuit in India and was approved by Milinda Moragoda, when he was Minister of Tourism. Don’t attempt to kill the golden goose which lays the golden egg of this arm of religious tourism. Ravana was a great king, she said.

Nan thought the RASSL symposium was tilting at windmills, seeing dangers where they do not really exist. Paranoid fears were expressed at the RASSL symposium, she said. Apprehensions were exaggerated. Since we believe in the coming of the Buddha and Vijaya without proof, why not Ravana.

There are two opposed views on Ravana in Sri Lanka at present. One group says that Ravana is a fictional figure in Hindu mythology of India, It has nothing to do with Sri Lanka and the Ramayana trail is dangerous.

There is another group which vigorously says they believe in Ravana. They say Ravana was a real king who lived in Sri Lanka long before Vijaya came.  He was a wonderful king, a kind ruler and   scholar. They dismiss the abduction of Sita. They say this was the ‘Indian version’ of Ravana.

Various imaginative histories have been woven around Rawana. Ven. Athureliye Rathana   said that that according to the ancient Buddhist scriptures, Buddha had been invited to Sri Lanka by Ravana.  Buddha preached to Ravana, and the resulting Lankavatara Sutra was not only the foundation of Mahayana Buddhism in Sri Lanka, but having been translated into Chinese also became the basis of Chan and Zen Buddhism as well. [2]

Arisen Ahubudu in Sakvithi Ravana (1988) says that Ravana reigned from 2554 to 2517 BC. He quotes Ravanavaliya to say that Ravana belonged to the Sun race”, as Ra” signified the Sun and vana” signified generation. Ravana’s ten heads represented the ten crowns he wore as a result of his being the sovereign of ten countries. According to Ahubudu, Ravana’s ancestors ruled over what is now Polonnaruwa district. He termed Polonnaruwa as a derivative of the word Pulasthi, the name of the dynasty to which Ravana belonged. However, Ravana himself ruled over the entire island and many places overseas, said Ahubudu.

Ahubudu trashes the story that Rama invaded Lanka because Ravana had kidnapped his consort Sita. According to Ahubudu, Ravana’s step brother Vibhishana had invited Rama to invade Lanka because he wanted to oust Ravana from the kingship of the island and take it over. Abduction of Sita is a story concocted by Yuwaraja Vibhishana in order to discredit Ravana in the eyes of his people and take advantage thereof,” concluded Ahubudu.

Patrick Jered said that in 2009, he had uncovered a whole artistic community of young people in Sri Lanka    for whom Ravana is a positive influence and a creative springboard. A new generation of creative young people are tapping into them as a source of inspiration.

Several books have been written on Ravana in Sinhala. One book   Secret of Ravana: the Golden Era, was written by a fifteen-year-old schoolboy at the start of 2009. It was aimed at a teenage readership.

Sanjaya Nirmal a film producer, informed Patrick Jered that he was engaged in a long-term research project which would culminate in a trilogy of films, like the Lord of the Rings trilogy, about the lives of Ravana. He believed, he told me, that the many references in historical and mythological texts referred to several avatars, collectively known as Ravana, said Patrick.

There was plenty of evidence around, Sanjaya told me that the historical figure Ravana had presided over a well-ordered and technologically superior nation of contented inhabitants. He had not been the evil despot portrayed by Valmiki concluded Sanjaya.There were also numerous books on medicine and science which were attributed to Ravana, still available in print, but only in Sinhalese.

Ravana had been a musician as well. He had invented a special musical instrument, the Ravanahattha, the oldest ancestor of the violin. It is  used in present-day Rajasthan and Gujarat. It  is also played by North Indian gypsy tribes.

Sri Lankan musician Dinesh Subasinghe has launched a one-man crusade to raise awareness of this instrument. An instrument invented by the ancient King of Lanka was so ignored at home. In 2007 he released a CD, Ravan Nada, using the ravanahattha.It sold 16,000 copies, becoming the best selling  instrumental music CD in Sri Lanka .

 Subasinghe had been invited to play the ravanahatha on stage in many countries, such as India, the UK, and the USA. Subasinghe hopes that in future other musicians and members of the music industry in Sri Lanka will be interested in playing the ravanahatha and including it in their musical scores and songs. The ravanahatha was played in a scene of a recent Hindi film, Mohenjo daro. The music for the film was composed by A.R. Rahman. ( Continued)

[1] https://youtu.be/eJ5_GxySkcQ

[2]https://www.sundaytimes.lk/090524/Magazine/sundaytimesmagazine_00.html

Prime Minister’s Media Division

The Prime Minister mentioned that the Local Loans Development Fund has decided to add renewable energy to the local government sector and further he continued that such positive new thinking is required for the development. The Prime Minister expressed these opinions on 15.07.2024 at Temple Trees, at the occasion of awarding concessional loans for solar energy and development projects of Local Government Institutions implemented by the Local Loans Development Fund.

Prime Minister stated at the event that-

“The Local Loans Development Fund is facing a new challenge along with the problems faced in this period. The local government sector is the lowest active service in the development of our country. As an institution created to provide services for the public, working closely with the public is the foundation of local government. The Local Government Fund has contributed a great deal in the long-term development of local government. That is why this institution has made special efforts and sacrifices to work together with the Ministry of Local Government and the Provincial Council institutions after 1987.
All sectors were accused of poor financial management internationally. A big crisis has been created in the financial sector due to the failure of proper management of state banks and not accessing proper investments. Even if they did not accept this as politicians, the moment when this crisis escalated was time when our financial system turned into a standstill.
Like other institutions, the Local Loans Development Fund also entered into new areas of thinking.

You are the institution among the banks in Sri Lanka that made the decision without fear to add renewable energy to the local government sector. Development needs such positive new thinking. Banks hesitate to invest money. If the banks had the ability to invest money, if the Electricity Board had allowed that law, solar energy would be far ahead in Sri Lanka.

Local government institutions were late in adopting the electricity that can be generated by using solar heat and the electricity that can be generated by wind power, which is a gift given to our country for 12 hours out of 24 hours a day. Our local government should go through these challenges. The Local Loans Development fund took that step forward. Today, when government institutions and non-governmental organizations are working on ways to reduce costs across the country, the Local Loans Development fund took a decision very early. That is the reality.

If a bank has the ability to take a decision on its own, all banks should be able to take this decision. It didn’t happen. Your decision as a bank to give a loan to a local government institution, to a municipal council will bring about a big change in our local government and the banking system in Sri Lanka. It took a hundred years to make this decision without fear.
United Nations Development Agency, Asian Development Bank has supported us to manage our waste and convert it to use. When a house is built in the local government, it is brought to your institution for approval.
When building houses and buildings, all applications must be submitted to and approved by the local government. Considering the new applications, we advise our local government to be proactive in requesting that fifteen percent solar power be used in that building. Provincial Councils are also advised to maintain the same activity. If you do that, gradual change will occur…”

Governor of the North Western Province Naseer Ahmed, State Minister Janaka Wakkumbura, Members of Parliament Jagath Samarawickrama, Sarath Chandrasiri Muthu Kumarana, Yadamini Gunawardena, representatives of United Nations Development Agency, Asian Development Bank, Asia Foundation, Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration Pradeep Yasaratne, Chief Executive Officer of Local Loans Development Fund K.D. Chithrapala, Secretaries of Provincial Council and a group of representatives participated in this event.

Prime Minister’s Media Division

Rohan Abeygunawardena

The mega cricket conference of ICC will be held in Sri Lanka from July 19th to 22nd, 2024. This is a significant occasion for Sri Lanka whose controlling body Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), was suspended seven months ago on 10 November 2023. The reason given by the ICC was for failing to manage its affairs autonomously and ensure no government interference in the governance, regulation, and administration of cricket in Sri Lanka.

The ICC Board has been monitoring the situation since the suspension and on 28 January lifted the ban. And now ICC has agreed to hold their all-important gathering of cricket administrators and stakeholders from around the globe, in Sri Lanka during July 2024. This is the first time the Annual Conference of ICC will be held in the Asian Region. A feather on the caps of the Minister of Sports Harin Fernando and the President of SLC Shammi Silva.

While we are happy with this untiring effort of the Minister, President and his team on this great progress, as cricket-loving Sri Lankans, please take this opportunity to obtain due recognition for the Sri Lankan inventor of the Decision Review System (DRS) Senaka Weeraratna.

This Sri Lankan lawyer conceived a unique concept called ‘player referral’ as far back as 1997 to minimise on-field umpire errors. His unique suggestion by way of an article was first published in the ‘Australian’ (Australia’s national newspaper) on March 25, 1997. He proposed to combine the appellate function of the legal system and modern technology (i.e. video playback in the hands of the Third Umpire, to determine the accuracy of a decision made by an on-field or ground umpire by way of a Review System.)

ICC formally adopted the concept of Player Referral conceived by Senaka and later introduced it to the cricket world as the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS also called DRS) in 2006.

Until he drew public attention to the benefit of such a player referral system, there was no such system or mechanism in any other sport to review a doubtful decision made by on-field umpires.

However, ICC has not formally recognised Senaka Weeraratna as the inventor of DRS.

As cricket lovers of Sri Lanka, we earnestly appeal to the President of SLC and the Minister of Sports to take up this matter at the ICC Conference, this week.

Rohan Abeygunawardena

උපුටා ගැන්ම  ලංකා ලීඩර්

ජනාධිපති රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහගේ ‘සුබ ආරංචිය’ අලෙවිකරණ පණිවිඩක් ලෙසින් ඉදිරියට ගෙන එන්නේ ණය ප්‍රතිව්‍යුහගත ක්‍රියාවලියේ විශාල ජයග්‍රහණයක් ලෙස පෙන්වමින් බවත්, නමුත් සැබෑ තත්ත්වය ඊට හාත්පසින්ම වෙනස් බවත් දේශහිතෛෂී ජාතික ව්‍යාපාරයේ මහ ලේකම් වෛද්‍ය වසන්ත බණ්ඩාර මහතා පවසයි.

රූපවාහිනී සංවාදයකට එක්වෙමින් ඒ මහතා පෙන්වා දෙන්නේ ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂ මහතාගේ හිසින් ගැලවුනු ඔටුන්න රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ මහතාගේ හිසට වැටුනු බව පෙන්වීමට උත්සාහ දැරුවද, දේශීය හා ජාත්‍යන්තර මැදිහත්වීම් මත එය සැලසුම් සහගතව රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ මහතාව බලයට ගෙන ඒමට සිදුවූ ක්‍රියාවලියක් බව අද වන විට හෙළිදරව් වී ඇති බවය.

1815 දී ද මෙරට තුළ සිදුවූයේ මෙවැනිම සිදුවීමක් බවත් පවසන වසන්ත බණ්ඩාර මහතා, ශ්‍රී වික්‍රම රාජසිංහ රජුව මෙරට ප්‍රභූවරුන් විසින් පාවාදී අත්අඩංගුවට ගත් පසු ඔහු ප්‍රභූවරුන්ට පැවසුවේ ‘මට නැතිවුනේ කිරුළ විතරයි, උඹලට උඹලගේ රට නැති වෙනවා’ යනුවෙන් යැයි ද සඳහන් කරයි.

වර්තමානයේ සිදුවෙමින් පවතින්නේද එවැනිම ක්‍රියාවලියක් බවත්, ගොඨාභයට නැතිවුනේ කිරුළ පමණක් බවත්, මෙරට ජනතාවට රට නැතිවෙමින් පවතින බවත් ඒ මහතා මෙහිදී පෙන්වා දෙන ලදී.

එදා ශ්‍රී වික්‍රම රාජසිංහ රජු බලයෙන් පහකිරීම ජෝන් ඩොයිලිගේ සැලසුමක් අනුව සිදුවූ බවද, අද එලෙසින්ම මෙරට අමෙරිකානු තානාපතිනියගේ සැලසුම් හරහා මෙම ක්‍රියාවලිය දියත්වන බවද මෙහිදී වසන්ත බණ්ඩාර මහතා සඳහන් කළේය.

ආණ්ඩු වෙනස සිදුවන විටදී මෙරට තිබූ ණය ප්‍රමාණය දල වශයෙන් ඩොලර් බිලියන 83ක් පමණ බවද, දැන් එය ඩොලර් බිලියන 100 දක්වා වැඩිවී ඇති බවද පවසන ඒ මහතා, එලෙස ඩොලර් බිලියන 17කින් ක්ෂණිකව වැඩිවීම පිළිබඳව ද මෙහිදී සවිස්තරව තොරතුරු අනාවරණය කරයි.

උපුටා ගැන්ම ලංකා සී නිව්ස්

උදේට රූපවාහිනි නාලිකාවල පත්තර කියවන හඞ්ඩලාට ඉදිරි මැතිවරණයෙන් පසු රට පැනීමට ඉඩ නොතබන බව ජාතික ජන බලවේගයේ විධායක සභික වසන්ත සමරසිංහ මහතා සඳහන් කරයි.

රට පැන්නද එම රටවල සිටින මාලිමාවේ ජනතාව ඔවුන් ගැන බලාගනු ඇතැයිද හෙතෙම කියා සිටියේය.

කිසිවකුට හැංගෙන්න ඉඩ නොතබන බවත් නීතිය හමුවේ ඔවුන්ට ගැලවීමක් නැතිවන බවත් හෙතෙම පවසන ඔහු මුළු ලෝකයේම ලාංකිකයන් මාලිමාව සමග එක්වී සිටිද්දී හඩ්ඩලාට සිදුවන්නේ හඳට පැනයාමට බවද ඔහු තවදුරටත් පැවසීය.

උපුටා ගැන්ම  ලංකා ලීඩර්

‘සජිත් ප්‍රේමදාස මහතා බස් වලට වියදම් කරන මුදලට වඩා වැඩි මුදලක් අනුර කුමාර මහතා බස් වලට වියදම් කරනවා’ යයි පිවිතුරු හෙළ උරුමය නායක නීතිඥ උදය ගම්මන්පිල මහතා පවසයි.

එම පක්ෂ මූලස්ථානයේ පැවති මාධ්‍ය හමුවකට එක් වෙමින් ඔහු මෙසේ පැවසීය.

ප්‍රශ්නය

ප්‍රේමදාස මහත්තයට බස් බෙදන්න සල්ලි කොහෙන්ද කියලා ජනාධිපතිතුමා අහනවා? ඇත්තටම ඒ සල්ලි කොහෙන් එනවා ඇත්ද ?

පිළිතුර

මම නම් සජිත් ප්‍රේමදාසත් නෙමෙයි. එතුමාගේ විගණකත් නෙවෙයි. නමුත් මේක සාධාරණ ප්‍රශ්නයක්. හැබැයි ජනාධිපතිතුමාට එතුමාගේ හිත මිත්‍ර අනුර කුමාරට රටපුරා බස්වලින් සෙනඟ අඳින්න සල්ලි කොහෙන්ද කියලා අහන්න නම් අමතක වුනා. ජනාධිපතිතුමා අනුර කුමාර මහත්තයා ගැන කතා කරන්නේ මා මිත්‍ර අනුර කුමාර කියලා.

මෑතකදී මැතිවරණයට හඳුන්වා දුන් නීතිත් එක්ක මැතිවරණයට දරණ වියදම මැතිවරණයේ අවසන් වූ වහාම තමන්ගේ ගිණුම් සකස් කරලා මැතිවරණ කොමිසමට දන්වන්න ඕනෑ.

නමුත් අවාසනාවකට මැතිවරණ සමය ලෙස සලකන්නේ නාමයෝජනා භාරදුන් දිනයේ සිට ඉදිරියටයි. ඒ නිසා මැතිවරණයට කලින් කරන මේ වියදම් ඒ නීතිය යටතට ගැනෙන්නේ නෑ. නමුත් සදාචාරය යටතට ගැනෙනවා.

මට නම් පේන විදිහට සජිත් ප්‍රේමදාස මැතිතුමා බස් වලට වියදම් කරන මුදලට වඩා වැඩි මුදලක් අනුර කුමාර මැතිතුමා බස් වලට වියදම් කරනවා. එතකොට ඒ බස් හා මේ බස් සඳහා මුදල් ආවේ කොහොමද කියලා මේ නායකයෝ රටට හෙළි නොකළොත් රට කම්බස් කියලයි අපිට කියන්න වෙන්නේ.

– Media unit

Story by Gergana Krasteva Courtesy Metro (UK)

Russian soldiers fire from the BM-21 ‘Grad’ self-propelled 122mm multiple rocket launcher in an undisclosed location in Ukraine (Picture: AP)© Provided by Metro

One of Russia’s top propagandists has unveiled seven targets in the UK, which Vladimir Putin could strike in retaliation to sir Keir Starmer’s military help to Ukraine.

London, Kent, Manchester, Birmingham and Portsmouth are on the Kremlin’s ‘hit list’ to ‘collapse British society’.

TV host and State Duma lawmaker Yevgeny Popov made the threat on the state-run Rossiya 1 TV channel.

In addition to main cities, he said Putin would target Devonport – the largest naval base in Western Europe – and the home of Britain’s nuclear weapons in Scotland.

Popov said: ‘Special attention to Britain, our traditional enemy, as a significant part of the [Russian] Northern Fleet will work against [the UK].

‘Under attack Washington has put not only London, but Manchester, Birmingham, the largest naval base Devonport, the Clyde in Scotland, where the King stores his Trident nuclear missiles, Portsmouth as well as Chatham Dockyard in the county of Kent.

‘This is Britain at its most vulnerable. Basically, all it would take is three missiles and this civilisation would collapse.’

Popov was raging over US plans to deploy Tomahawk cruise missiles, hypersonic weapons and Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) to Germany.

In a statement last week, the White House confirmed the weapons will be sent in 2026 in a bid to demonstrate its commitment to Nato and European defence.ahlem, [and] Ramstein.’

Story by Dave Malyon Courtesy Knewz

A Vladimir Putin blowhard in Russia, Yevgeny Popov, claimed that the Kremlin had nuclear missiles lined up” to take out a list of seven Western capital cities.

Knewz.com has learned the allegations come amidst a string of threats following America’s announcement of its plans to deploy intermediate-range guided missiles in Germany.

The alleged nuclear targets called out by Yevgeny Popov. By: Zerkalo News© Knewz

Speaking on the national TV channel, Rossiya-1, Popov cited Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov’s recent remarks when he said:

We have enough potential to contain these missiles. But the potential victims are the capitals of these states.”

It’s not hard to guess the geography of the response if the White House‘s short press release becomes reality,” Popov quipped.

As he uttered these words a map of Europe along with a list of potential targets filled the screen to which Popov narrated: Almost all European capitals are under threat.”

Yevgeny Popov is not the first to speculate about Russia’s nuclear capabilities. By: Zerkalo News© Knewz

The depicted European capital cities included Paris in France, Berlin in Germany, Prague in the Czech Republic, Warsaw in Poland, Bucharest in Romania, Tallinn in Estonia, and Riga in Latvia.

The live broadcast highlighted the American military bases in Germany’s Spangdahlem, Ramstein, Patch

Popov continued: Special attention to Britain, our traditional enemy,” while the image on the screen marked the metropolitan centers of London (England’s capital), Manchester, and Birmingham and several military bases on the island territory.

Britain is in the most vulnerable position. In principle, three missiles are enough, and this civilization will collapse,” Popov concluded.

Russia is known for its nuclear threats. By: MEGA© Knewz

Popov is not the first Putin blowhard to vent at the United States for its decision to plant missiles in Europe.

As noted, Kremlin mouthpiece Peskov followed up the decision by Germany and the U.S. with accusations that the latter was menacing Russia.

The United States deployed such missiles, different types of missiles of different ranges, but always a

He also scrapped the idea of another post-Cold War-like collapse for Russia, saying:

Europe is now bursting at the seams. This is not the best time for Europe.”

Therefore, the repetition of history [like the collapse of the Soviet Union] in different configurations is inevitable.”

Knewz.com previously reported on Russia’s Washington ambassador, Anatoly Anatov, who shared his thoughts on the matter.

He said: Washington is making a serious mistake. Such highly destabilizing steps directly threaten international security and strategic stability.”

The threats follow the United States Department of Defense’s decision to place missiles in Germany. By: DoD© Knewz

The Americans are increasing the risk of a missile arms race. Here, they forget that going the way of confrontation may set off an uncontrollable escalation amid the dangerous aggravation of tensions along the Russia-NATO track.”

Russia and the U.S. were part of an Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) moratorium that was signed at the end of the Cold War.

U.S. officials became suspicious of Putin’s military industry and accused the country of violating the pact.

In 2019 the U.S. withdrew from the moratorium and Russia followed suit.