Palitha Ariyarathna

ISIS thugs take a hammer to civilisation: Priceless 3,000-year-old artworks smashed to pieces in minutes

Generally, the main goal of terrorism is to attack the places most familiar to the public. It is working from the graveyard of the nation against it to the temples and monasteries. This is a matter that can be understood even by studying the past history of the world. Destroying the existence of the nation against them by the terrorist works in any way to destroy their sense of security. Not only the temples, Dagabs, and Vehera Viharas in our motherland, but also relics, are buried. Even places are gradually changing the law in some places, based on the above-mentioned terrorist mentality. To what extent do the powerful terrorist gangs of the world do these things? If they even burn down the museums of the past glory of the land they are going to swallow, they say that they are the root of their God. Targeting also includes buildings or other places that are important economic or political symbols, such as Rajya Mandiras, embassies, or military installations, to find the main targets of terrorists and their victims. Although the terrorist activities that have been carried out in this country since the past have been carried out subtly, and today they have gone to Tumpana not only in the North East but also in Tumpana, erasing even the raw graves of the Sinhalese, these terrorists with a war mentality are subtle in their politics and subtly through politics.

It is timely and wise for Buddhists and non-Buddhists to know that they are doing this. Attacking people in places they are most familiar with is an act of terror. It is also illegal and unconstitutional. –

පාලිත ආරියරත්න

සාමාන්‍යයෙන් ත්‍රස්තවාදයේ ප්‍රධාන ඉලක්කය වන්නේ මහජනතාවට වඩාත් හුරුපුරුදු ස්ථානවල පහර දීමය. එය තමාට විරුද්ධ ජාතියේ සොහොන් බිමේ සිට පන්සල් ආරාම දක්වා ක්‍රියාත්මක වෙමින් පවතී. මේබව පසුගිය ලෝක ඉතිහාසය අධ්‍යනය කෙරිමෙන් පවා තේරුම් ගත හැකි කාරණයකි.ත්‍රස්තවාදියා විසින් තමන්ට විරුද්ධ ජාතියේ පැවැත්ම විනාශ කිරීම ඔවුන්ට ඇති ආරක්ෂාව පිළිබඳ හැඟීම විනාශ කිරීම කිනම් හෝ ක්‍රමයකින් ක්‍රියා කරයි. අප මාතෘ භුමියේ තිබෙන පන්සල්, දාගැබ් , වෙහෙර විහාර පමණක් නොව ධාතුන් වහන්සේලා තැන්පත් කොට ඇති. ස්ථාන පවා ක්‍රමක් ක්‍රමයෙන් සමහර තැන්වලදී නීතියට මුවාවී හෝ සිදුකරන්නේ, ඉහත කි ත්‍රස්ථ මානසිකත්වය මතයමය. ලෝකයේ ප්‍රබල ත්‍රස්ථ කල්ලි මේවා කොතෙක් දුරකට සිදුකරනවද යතොත් තමා විසින් ගිල ගැනිමිට යන දේශයේ අතීත ශ්‍රී විභූතිය ඇති කෞතුකාගාර පවා ගිනිබත් කරමින් තමන්ගේ දෙවියන්ගේ සුල මුල ගෝසා කොට කියති.තවද ත්‍රස්ථයන්ගේ ප්‍රධාන ඉලක්ක හා ඔවුන්ගේ ගොදුර සොයාගැනීමට රාජ්ජය මන්දිර, තානාපති කාර්යාල හෝ හමුදා ස්ථාපිත වැනි වැදගත් ආර්ථික හෝ දේශපාලන සංකේත වන ගොඩනැගිලි හෝ වෙනත් ස්ථාන වෙත ඔවුන් ද ඇතුළත් වේ. අතීතයේ සිට අපේ රටේ ක්‍රියාත්මක වූ ත්‍රස්ත ක්‍රියා සියුම්ව ක්‍රියාත්මක වී අද සිංහලයාගේ අමු සොහොන් පවා අකා මකා දමමින් උතුරු නැගෙනහිර පමණක් නොව තුම්පනයට ගියද මේ යුධ මානසිකත්වයෙන් යුතු ත්‍රස්ථයන් සියුම්ව දේශපාලනය ඔස්සේද කරමින් සිටින බව බෞද්ධ අබෞද්ධ කව්රුත් දැනසිටීම කාලෝචිත බව හා නුවනට හුරු බව දැන ගත යුතයි. මහජනතාවට වඩාත් හුරුපුරුදු ස්ථානවල පහර දීම ත්‍රස්ථ ක්‍රියාවකි. එමෙන්ම නීති විරෝධී හා ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවට පටහැනි ක්‍රියාවක් වේ.

• පාලිත ආරියරත්න

Top Spin by Suni

(courtesy of cricinfo) Top Spin by Suni With thanks to: Shashank Kishore who is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo Oct. 27th 2023

“The entire Sri Lankan team stood together, their collective gaze fixed on the giant screen. The next moment, as the magic word “out”

flashed, euphoria broke out. Sadeera Samarawickrama broke out of the huddle and did his own imitation of the Imran Tahir sprint.

Before his team-mates could catch him, Samarawickrama had run some 25 yards, towards the cover boundary, punching the air in jubilation. He was so overjoyed he suddenly changed directions. He was so ecstatic that he didn’t know where to run or how to celebrate. His mates eventually caught up with him, giving him sweaty bear hugs.

It was a marginal call and it went in his favour for a brilliant catch and, just like that, we’d had another Peak Sri Lanka moment. One where they make scarcely believable stuff seem like child’s play. This episode involved putting the modern-day ODI behemoths in a tailspin in conditions England’s game was best suited to.

” Come on. If not in Bengaluru, where else could England have potentially Bazballed their way into the World Cup, albeit belatedly?

This was right up their alley. Flat deck, small ground, cooler air.

All served up on a platter. What’s more, they even won the toss. Jos Buttler didn’t conceal his glee when he said “bat first”.

The rub of the green was with them. How else could you explain Sri Lanka bailing out of a review they seemed dead sure about? It was the first ball of the match. Dilshan Madushanka had bowled the perfect inswinger, the late tail in so lethal that it sent Jonny Bairstow stumbling inside the crease as he tried to get bat to it. After a mid-pitch conference that made 15 seconds seem more like 15 minutes, Sri Lanka collectively decided against it.

Maybe they did not want to let the excitement and adrenaline get to them this early. They went back to their places half-heartedly. And then they saw, after the next ball, replays on the giant screen that laid bare a potentially costly mistake. The collective groan of “ayyyyo” told you a story. They had been so near to a perfect start.

Instead England were 3 for 0.

At mid-off, Angelo Mathews shook his head in disbelief. Maybe he was thinking the sprint he’d just made, chasing after the ball all the way to the long-on boundary, would’ve been worth it had they reviewed (Bairstow got a good chunk on the ball, but it was pad first). He didn’t just sprint, he even put in a dive after a few moments of “should I, shouldn’t I?”

Angelo Mathews and Kusal Mendis combined to run out Joe Root Angelo Mathews and Kusal Mendis combined to run out Joe Root•Getty Images

At 36, he’d just sauntered into his fourth World Cup. Barely believable considering he was at home 10 days ago, having made peace with his exclusion. This was another moment of Peak Sri Lanka. Out in the cold one day, but right back in contention the next. You’re never really out.

Ridiculous things continue to happen. Mathews last took an ODI wicket in March 2020. He hadn’t played too many ODIs over the past three years. He’d cheekily said he was ready to do anything, literally anything, the team needed. Surely that didn’t mean being summoned to bowl the seventh over?

What do we know? He comes on and strikes immediately, dismissing Dawid Malan with a beauty. The ball cuts sharply off the deck, cramps the batter for room and flicks the edge. Mathews extends both palms, exuding the “I’m back” look. You can’t keep him away.

You think surely that’s as eventful as it can get for Mathews. Nope, there’s more coming. He’s everywhere now. He’s beside the captain Kusal Mendis, imploring him to have a slip in place for the fast bowlers, offering words of advice to Kasun Rajitha, lurking at point like a hawk. And suddenly when Joe Root hits one his way, he swoops in quickly to fire a rocket throw to Mendis. The pressure had been creeping up on Root. He’s in a daze, the dive can’t save him, he’s gone. Mathews has woven magic again.

Breakthrough provided, run-out effected, spell completed. Or so you think. Surely that’s three overs more than he expected to bowl anyway.

But England are just beginning to build an inkling of a partnership.

Moeen Ali has just cut loose, Ben Stokes has reined himself in all this while waiting seemingly to explode a bit later. The scorecard seems less dire than it did at 85 for 5. Enter Mathews again.

He trundles in casually. Floats up a length ball. Moeen has decided he’s giving this a whack. But there’s no pace on it, instead he now looks to steer it square. The ball gets big on him just a touch. Boom.

Kusal Perara has gobbled it up at point. Mathews has his man. At 122 for 6, England have been slam dunked. Mathews has struck once again as soon as he’s brought on.

Sri Lanka were all pumped up in Bengaluru Sri Lanka were all pumped up in Bengaluru•Associated Press

Sri Lanka are switched on. So switched on that you wonder what’s changed in a week’s time. The chirp is back. There’s energy stemming from having the world champions on the rack. This wasn’t how it was supposed to pan out. Surely there was another “you cannot do that, Ben Stokes moment” waiting to unfold. He has been simmering underneath his helmet, waiting to burst open.

Until he picks out deep midwicket on 43 with 20 overs left. Dushan Hemantha, the substitute, took the catch with his palms facing upwards. Stokes throws his bat up as he walks off. This is a dream unfolding for Sri Lanka. And there’s one more moment of Peak Sri Lanka magic to unfold: the run-out of Adil Rashid.

There is a book called Blink by the Canadian author Malcolm Gladwell.

It is made up of anecdotes and psychological case studies on impulsive decision-making. What Mendis did to produce this wicket for Sri Lanka will fit very neatly in that book. He collected a delivery down leg and looked like he was about to just toss the ball back to the bowler and then he saw Rashid wandering out of the crease at the non-striker’s end. In a split-second, he took aim and hit the bull’s eye. Gone.

It summed up England’s day of horrors. Sri Lanka were now in a position to Bazball England out of the World Cup – or something close enough to that. It all seemed straight out of a fairy tale. Except it wasn’t. It was Sri Lanka doing Peak Sri Lanka things with.

Angelo Mathews at the helm and Angelo “welcome back to the squad”

Sri Lanka

England vs Sri Lanka

ICC Cricket World Cup

Courtesy LankaLeader

ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ රාජ්‍ය ආයතන ප්‍රතිව්‍යුහගත කිරීමේදී ඒවා විදේශියන් අතට පත්වීම වැළැක්වීම සඳහා, එම ආයතන මිලදී ගැනීමට ශ්‍රී ලාංකික ‘ජනතා සමාගමක්’ පිහිටුවීමේ සමාරම්භක උත්සවය අද (27 දා) බණ්ඩාරනායක ජාත්‍යන්තර සම්මන්ත්‍රණ ශාලාවේ බී. – ගොඩනැගිල්ලේ ජැස්මින් ශාලාවේ පැවැත්විණි.

එය නම්කර තිබුනේ Treasure Treasure Republic Guardians ලෙස ය.

උත්සව සභාව අමතමින් මෙහිදී නයෝමා සේනාරත්න මහත්මිය පැවසුවේ  අරගලවල ප්‍රතිඵලයක් ලෙස බලයට පත් වූ රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ මහතා ජාතිය අමතා සිදුකළ පළමු කතාවේ දීම අලාභ ලබන ආයතන විකුණන බවට සඳහන් කළ බවත්, ශ්‍රී ලංකන් ගුවන්සේවා සමාගම එහි පළමු ආයතන බව ප්‍රකාශ කළ බවත්ය.

එම ප්‍රකාශය බොහෝ සෙයින් වැරදි ප්‍රකාශයක් බවද, අවුරුදු 40කට වඩා වැඩි කාලයක් ශ්‍රී ලංකන් ගුවන් සේවය රටට විශාල සේවයක් කළ බවද ඇය  මෙහිදී පැවසුවාය.

හිටපු ජනාධිපති මෛත්‍රිපාල සිරිසේන, විපක්‍ෂ නායක සජිත් ප්‍රේමදාස, නාගරික සංවර්ධන කැබිනට් අමාත්‍ය ප්‍රසන්න රණතුංග, උත්තර ලංකා සභාගයේ නායක විමල් වීරවංශ, පිවිතුරු හෙළ උරුම පක්‍ෂයේ නායක උදය ගම්මන්පිල, සරත් ෆොන්සේකා, පාඨලී චම්පික රණවක, විජයදාස රාජපක්‍ෂ, වාසුදේව නානායක්කාර ඇතුළු මැති ඇමැතිවරුන් 30 කට වඩා වැඩි පිරිසක් ද ඩීඑස්අයි සමූහ ව්‍යාපාරයේ අධිපති කුලතුංග රාජපක්‍ෂ, පැලවත්ත කිරිපිටි සමාගමේ අධිපති ආරියශීල වික්‍රමනායක, නේචර් සීක්‍රට් සමූහ ව්‍යාපාරයේ අධිපති සමන්ත කුමාරසිංහ, අරලිය සහල් සමූහ ව්‍යාපාරයේ අධිපති ඩඩ්ලි සිරිසේන ඇතුළු ව්‍යාපාර ක්‍ෂේත්‍රයේ දැවැන්තයන් ද මහාචාර්ය ඉඳුරාගාරේ ධම්මරතන හිමි, ආචාර්ය ගුණදාස අමරසේකර මහතා, වෛද්‍ය වසන්ත බණ්ඩාර මහතා, ජ්‍යෙෂ්ඨ නීතිඥ කල්‍යානන්ද තිරාණගම මහතා ඇතුළු මහා සංඝරත්නය, විද්වතුන් සහ ජාතික සංවිධාන නියෝජිතයන් මේ සඳහා ආරාධනා ලැබ තිබිණි.

India NewsPress Trust of India.

Taking up the issue with the Centre, Chief Minister M K Stalin urged Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to initiate necessary steps to secure the release all the fishermen and their fishing boats.

Chennai: 

As many as 37 Tamil Nadu fishermen were arrested and five of their fishing trawlers were seized by the Sri Lankan navy after they allegedly strayed into Lankan territorial waters, a fisheries official in Chennai said on Sunday.

The men were arrested during an operation by the Lankan navy on Saturday night.

This month alone, 10 fishing boats and 64 fishermen from the state have been apprehended by the Sri Lankan navy.

Taking up the issue with the Centre, Chief Minister M K Stalin urged Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to initiate necessary steps to secure the release all the fishermen and their fishing boats.

Drawing the Central minister’s attention to the apprehension of the 37 fishermen along with their five fishing boats by the Sri Lankan navy on October 28, the Chief Minister said, “As you are aware, our fishermen are solely dependent on their fishing activity for livelihood and these frequent arrests are causing immense distress and suffering to the fishermen community.” In a letter to Jaishankar on Sunday, a copy of which was made available to the media here, Stalin said such acts of the Sri Lankan navy have put pressure on fishermen communities in the state, and instilled panic into their minds.

“I wish to state that Tamil Nadu fishermen feel that their voices are on the wane; and I feel that the Government of India should stand more vocally for our fishermen’s rights and speak for their safety,” he said.

The chief minister reiterated the demand to protect the traditional fishing rights of Indian fishermen in the Palk Bay region.

Despite the persistent demand to stop the arrests and seizure of boats, the Sri Lankan navy has continued to apprehend Indian fishermen, he said in the letter and called for “solid diplomatic initiatives without further delay to end the arrests.” 

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

The Government is set to implement a new property tax starting from 2025, State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya disclosed.

This decision has come as a result of recommendations put forth by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), according to the State Minister.

“The new tax will primarily target individuals possessing substantial property assets. These individuals will be required to pay a tax based on the value of their properties,” the State Minister underscored.

“The motive behind this move is to address income inequality and finance development projects across the nation,” he added.

It is worth noting that the IMF, a key international financial organization, provided recommendations that pushed Sri Lanka towards crucial decisions including this tax imposition. Sheain Fernandopulle)

Courtesy Adaderana

Sri Lanka Police have reportedly implemented a number of measures in order to systematically control, and eradicate the operation of organised crime syndicates in the country within the next six months.

Addressing an event in Colombo this afternoon (29 Oct.), Western Province Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (SDIG) Deshabandu Tennakoon noted that most activities related to organised crime are being led by criminal figures living abroad, and thereby vowed that Sri Lanka’s police force is on a mission to eradicate such crimes.

Speaking further in this regard, the Western Province SDIG also raised concerns over the fact that currently, a significant amount of publicity is being given to these activities within the Southern and Western Provinces, with various stories about shootings and other such killings being reported often.

All these activities are being led by criminals living in foreign countries. Therefore, we have currently implemented plans to systematically control and eradicate these organised criminal networks within the next six months”, the SDIG vowed.

He further urged the public to support the police by informing them of any person who attempts to threaten or extort money from them, and to also come forward with any information regarding such activities.

Dilrook Kannangara

From 1969 to 2016 Tamil Nadu was mainly ruled by firebrand politicians including Karunanidhi, MGR and Jayalalitha. They had a tremendous impact not only on Tamil Nadu politics but by extension Tamil politics in Sri Lanka. Over 90% of Tamils in the world live in India; mostly in Tamil Nadu. Only 5% of world Tamils live in Sri Lanka and every aspect of their life is influenced by Tamil Nadu from cultural activities to politics, job preference to even their attire.

It is no accident that Tamil racism and terrorism reached unprecedented highs from 1969 to 2016 in Sri Lanka influenced by extremist politics of Tamil Nadu. According to the report produced by the Commission headed by Justice Sansoni, violence by Tamil groups started in 1972. Sri Lanka won the war in 2009 ending their reign of terror. It was a 37-year-old war that ended in 2009. However, despite losing the war, Tamil racist politics in Sri Lanka continued aggressively until 2016 when the last of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister trios lost power. The trio is now dead. Tamil Nadu is since ruled by moderates. However, it is uncertain how long moderates will remain in power and for how long sanity will prevail. Both can end at any time either due to Tamil Nadu politics or Indian central government reigniting extremism in Tamil Nadu to destabilize Sri Lanka.

Since 2017 there is a marked reduction of Tamil racist politics in Sri Lanka as their ideological sponsors across the Palk Strait have changed their approach.

Attributing weak Tamil racist politics in Sri Lanka lately to local Tamil politicians is foolhardy. They are not in control and all of them were once not so docile, to say the very least. These actors are the same from war time. TNA has involuntarily toned down its extremist Tamil views (as they don’t get ideological support from firebrand Tamil politicians from Tamil Nadu). ACTC and Wigneswaran have tried to fill the vacuum without much success.

Attributing weak Tamil racist politics in Sri Lanka lately to peace, reconciliation or harmony is even more foolish and displays the ‘frog in the well’ mentality. On the contrary, peace and harmony in Sri Lanka and Tamils were given some breathing space due to the end of firebrand politics in Tamil Nadu, for now.

Both these wrong attributes are dangerous as real levers are elsewhere and they can change at any time.

However, this lull in tribal politics is misleading. It will again ignite the moment Tamil Nadu loses its sense and plunges back into tribal extremes which it will. It has happened throughout history. Lankan rulers since 2017 to 2023 failed to capitalize on this very rare opportunity. That may be due to internal bickering. This opportunity came about after almost 50 years’ of firebrand extremist politics in Tamil Nadu. It is time for Sri Lanka to reverse undesirables it agreed to since 1969 and re-consolidate national sovereignty, unitary status and national security. Extremist politics is sweeping other parts of India, mostly North India, and it is a matter of time this new wave of extremism reached Tamil Nadu. It will plunge Sri Lanka into chaos once again, unless handled well and in advance.

By Chandre Dharmawardana Courtesy The Island

Image courtesy CGIAR Research Programme on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE)

• chandre.dharma@yahoo.ca

According to newspaper reports (The Island 16 October [1]), an NGO carrying the acronym MONLAR has accused that the agricultural policies of successive governments have rendered millions of Lankans insecure”. It claims that as of today, 5.3 million people in Sri Lanka are food insecure. This proves that what the government has been doing for more than 70 years to this date to feed its people has failed”.

Doesn’t MONLAR know that Sri Lanka reached self-sufficiency in food several times during its 70-year journey [2]? This was thanks to its legendary rice scientists who came up with technological solutions that matched the increasing population of the country. It was their high-yield rice varieties and scientific agriculture that kept the nation fed, while the population tripled and the low life expectancy (at independence) nearly doubled.

MONLAR should know that the amateurish ideological interventions of pressure groups like itself, and their politicians have repeatedly destroyed the good work achieved over the years.  The target for self-sufficiency is well within reach [3], even after the chaos created by Premadasa’s grama niladharis” (village officials – political henchmen) who displaced the agricultural extension services.

When Gotabhaya Rajapaksa banned the use of fertilizers, setting off agricultural destruction in April 2021, MONLAR was one of the first organizations to write to the President in acclaim [4]), aping the accolades to Rajapaksa at the Glasgow summit from the European eco-extremists [5].  They demand, not just sufficiency, but a choice in food, including a completely Toxin-Free” diet while the poor have to face famine.

Even after the failure of those programmes, and the dramatic exit of Gotabhaya [6], MONLAR admits no mistakes, forgets its approbation of Gotabhaya’s ban, and now ascribes failure to wrong method of switching” to organic! MONLAR says that the agricultural and food crisis in Sri Lanka, which was exacerbated by the wrong method of switching to organic agriculture in one day, however has been gradually escalating due to the wrong agricultural policies implemented for decades” [7]. MONLAR does not understand that even if 10 or 20 years were taken for the transformation” the same disaster would follow.

MONLAR, the movement for land and agrarian reform” (with hardly a thought for a Sinhala or Tamil name) was founded by the late Sarath Fernando, an engineer who knew little about the topic. He came to radicalize farmers for the Marxist-Maoist revolutionary movement. In effect, MONLAR wanted farmers out of the fields and on protest marches – first the revolution and then agriculture! This was no different from JVP’s Mahinda Wijesinghe (a future UNP minister) telling me that the Degree certificate” can wait for system change”, at a time when I was his Chemistry Professor.

Sarath Fernando’s ideology unreservedly opposed big agribusiness’. It landed MONLAR on the slippery path of alternative agriculture” and all its myths.  False claims that the use of agrochemicals has led to an exponential rise” in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like cancer and kidney diseases have been a fear-mongering dogma of these activists as well as fellow travellers like Ven. Ratana, Dr. Anuruddha Padeniya, Dr. Channa Jayasumana and Dr. Ranil Senanayake. The latter published a graph showing the exponential growth” of NCDs in Sri Lanka, without even realising that his data showed the expected (linear) growth in NCDs proportional to the increase in population [8]. The renowned environmentalist Rohan Pethiyagoda has released an excellent myth-busting video that every MONLAR fellow-traveller should watch, for their education [9].

The ex-ambassador to Myanmar and ex-Marxist chinthanaya guru, Dr. Nalin de Silva, not only agitated on all these fronts since 2011, but also established an occult justification for the validity of these agricultural myths through reference to communications from God Natha.

Nevertheless, the claims that dangerous amounts of pesticide residues are found on vegetables, and that vast amounts of cadmium or arsenic brought in via fertilisers have poisoned Sri Lanka’s agricultural soil as well as the rice crop turn outed to be false as shown by chemical analyses done even by Nalin’s own collaborators. Furthermore, Sri Lanka uses far less agrochemicals per hectare than New Zealand, Malaysia or India. Its soils can produce about 2 tonnes of rice/ha even without fertiliser; but not for long. That was why the ancients abandoned their plots to fallow and burnt out new chenas periodically.  Those methods of traditional agriculture are environmentally unacceptable.

MONLAR has agitated for organic agriculture” which emphasises composting. Composting generates greenhouse gases (GHGs) like methane – 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide in global warming. These emissions catch fire and cause explosions at garbage dumps such as at Meethotamulla. Neither MONLAR nor Dr. Priya Yapa (an advisor to Gotabhaya) seems to have understood that several tonnes of organic fertiliser are needed to effectively replace a few kilos of chemical fertiliser.

Certainly, excessive use of fertilisers produces environmental pollution but it is easily controlled by using modern slow-release fertilizers and no-till agriculture, etc. So, grama niladharis”, political henchmen or MONLAR-type ideologues should be replaced by knowledgeable agricultural technicians.

The Gotabaya debacle should have opened the eyes of MONLAR militants, but ideological shutters remain stuck. MONLAR leaders have admired and followed Vandana Shiva, the Indian pseudo-agriculturist who insists that Indians should use traditional seeds (bought from Nava Dhanya organisations linked to her), reject modern genetics and GMO products like Golden Rice – a rice crossed with the carrot gene and designed to prevent congenital blindness.

MONLAR and its fellow travellers, some monks and others with a misplaced nostalgia for the past, have pushed for traditional rice” instead of the modern hybrid seeds, as well as traditional methods of cultivation. Traditional seeds and methods produced low yields, requiring more water, more erosion, more labour and more encroachment into virgin land. Various myth, e.g., that traditional varieties are immensely healthier” had been fed to journalists who had not checked the actual (negligible) differences.

A key claim and aim of MONLAR and other activists are to phase out synthetic fertilizers, develop two million organic home gardens, open up two thousand abandoned village tanks, and turn to the production of biofertilizer, or even better, use biofilm-biofertilizers (BFBF) developed by scientists at the National Institute of Fundamental studies (NIFS). Documents from the Department of agriculture (DOA) and relevant ministries show that some four months prior to the 100% pitch for organic agriculture”, the DOA had been arm-twisted into approving this BFBF although it would substantially reduce harvests.  Careful scientific reviews of the available data on these biofertilisers sponsored by the INFS shows that none of their claims for BFBF can be substantiated [10].

The idea of restoring small abandoned village tanks was already rejected during DS Senanayake’s era for very good reasons, and instead we have larger systems like Padaviya, Galoya, Victoria, etc. Maintaining small tanks with their high evaporation and silting is very expensive, but even the big modern reservoirs are said to be increasingly neglected, though easier to maintain.

Dr. Sarath Ranaweera (associated with Biofoods” in Sri Lanka) is reported to have exposed” the Tragedy of Modern agriculture [11]. He has claimed, There are farmers who overcame the challenge posed by the chemical fertilizer ban brought about suddenly by the 2021 government using environmentally friendly methods as seen in the Ampara district. Ampara farmers cultivated using eco-friendly methods for three main seasons and achieved a successful harvest. According to the Department of Agriculture, farmers were able to achieve a yield of 5800 kg per hectare from the 4660 hectares cultivated in Ampara district using biofertilisers. This is an increase of 27.6% compared to the average yield of 4,546 kg per hectare using chemical fertilizers in Ampara over the past five years. Some remain skeptical about the potential of organic farming to increase yields and it is unfortunate”.

Other writers like Neville Ladduwahetty had read the Ranaweera claims and naturally accepted them to be true [12]. Determining the veracity of such a report requires a significant effort and scientific knowledge.  Those who sell biofertilisers claim that they can reduce the need for chemical fertilisers by 50% while boosting harvests by 30%. Our attempts to confirm the above from DOA officials, as well as our detailed scientific study, all established the above to be a false claim [10].  Ladduwahetty has argued (elsewhere) that even if the harvest were low, organics” will fetch much foreign exchange and that is argument enough! But these harvests do not qualify as organic” because the NIFS biofertilizers are ineffective without 50% chemical fertilisers!

So, that is the elitist false promise of feeding the rich, earning forex and then importing food to feed the poor?

References:

[1] https://island.lk/monlar-flays-international-lenders-and-govt-for-making-5-3-mn-lankans-food-insecure/

[2] Food and Agriculture Organization, FAOSTAT database.   http://faostat.fao.org/.

[3] Davis, K.F., Gephart, J.A. & Gunda, T. Sustaining food self-sufficiency of a nation: The case of Sri Lankan rice production and related water and fertiliser demands. Ambio 45, 302–312 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-015-0720-2

[4] MONLAR’s approval of fertiliser ban,  https://www.dailymirror.lk/news-features/Chemical-Fertiliser-Ban-Explained/131-211327

[5] Mat Ridley, https://www.rationaloptimist.com/blog/eco-extremism-in-sri-lanka/

[6] Gotabhaya’s demise: https://www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/2023/01/05/the_us_must_learn_from_sri_lankas_green_policy_mistakes_873852.html

[7] MONLAR FB,  https://www.facebook.com/monlar.org/

[8] Ranil Senanayake, The Island 10-10-2022: If one looks at the statistics of rural health, it is clearly seen that the appearance of non-communicable diseases (NCD’s) in the rural sector began in the early 70s and has been rising exponentially since.” https://island.lk/the-fiction-of-healthy-toxins/

[9] Rohan Pethiyagoda, https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AJp%2DCX5bpWS4LUo&cid=B41356F321656C67&id=B41356F321656C67%2192406&parId=B41356F321656C67%2192398&o=OneUp

[10] Investigation on the efficacy of biofertilizers. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/373898971_A_critical_review_of_crop-yield_data_for_rice_Oryza_sativa_L_on_using_Sri_Lankan_biofilm_biofertilisers

[11] https://www.dailymirror.lk/expose/Truth-behind-the-tragedy-of-modern-agriculture/333-256786

[12] Neville Ladduwahetty: IMF and beyond,  https://island.lk/imf-deal-and-beyond/

පේශල පසන් කරුණාරත්න

ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට ආවේණික වඳ වී ගොස් ඇතැයි සැලකූ කෙතල (Lagenandra) ශාක විශේෂයක් බස්නාහිර පළාතේ කළුතර දිස්ත්‍රික්කයෙහි පාලින්දනුවර ප්‍රාදේශීය ලේකම් කොට්ඨාස සීමාවේ මෝල්කාව ප්‍රදේශය තුලින් සොයා ගැනීමට පර්යේෂකයන් පිරිසක් සමත්වී තිබේ. වෘත්තීය තාක්ෂණ විශ්වවිද්‍යාලයේ විද්‍යාර්ථයකු සහ ශාක විශේෂ පිළිබඳ අධ්‍යනයෙහි නිරත පරිසර ගවේෂකයෙකු වන පේශල පසන් කරුණාරත්න මහතා විසින් 2022 වසරේ දී පාලින්දනුවර ප්‍රාදේශීය ලේකම් කොට්ඨාසයට අයත් මෝල්කාව ප්‍රදේශය තුළ සිදු කල ගවේෂණයක දී මෙම ශාක විශේෂය සොයා ගැනීමට සමත්ව ඇත‍. එම සොයා ගැනීමෙන් පසුව ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ Lagenandra ශාක ගණයට අයත් ශාක විශේෂ පිළිබඳ පර්යේෂණ සිදු කරණ (වයඹ විශ්වවිද්‍යාලය සහ පේරාදෙණිය විශ්වවිද්‍යාලය) කණ්ඩායමේ සාමාජිකයෙකු සහ වයඹ විශ්වවිද්‍යාලයේ පශ්චාත් උපාධි අපේක්ෂකයෙකු වන ඉන්ද්‍රකීල මාදොල මහතා දැනුවත් කොට Lagenandra ශාක ගණයට අයත් ශාක විශේෂ වල ශාකාගාර නිදර්ශක, ජීවි ශාක නිදර්ශක සහ රූප විද්‍යාත්මක ලක්ෂණ පිළිබඳ අධ්‍යයනය කර සොයා ගත් මෙම ශාක විශේෂය වඳ වී ගොස් ඇතැයි සැලකූ ශාක විශේෂයක් බවට තහවුරු කර ගැනීමට සමත් වී තිබේ.

පොදුවේ මෙම ශාක විශේෂ අයත් ශාක ගණය හැඳින්වීම සඳහා කෙතල (Lagenandra) යන නාමය භාවිතා කරනු ලබයි. මෙලෙස සොයා ගත් ශාක විශේෂය සිංහල භාෂාවෙන් හැඳින්වීම සඳහා සිංහල නාමයක් පවතීද යන්න මෙතෙක් වාර්තා වී නොමැති අතර මෙරටට ආවේණික විශේෂයක් බැවින් ඉංග්‍රීසි හෝ වෙනත් භාෂාවකින් හඳුන්වන නාමයක්ද මෙම ශාක විශේෂය සඳහා නොමැත. Lagenandra erosaයන විද්‍යාත්මක නාමයෙන් හඳුන්වන මෙම ශාක විශේෂයේ විද්‍යාත්මක වර්ගීකරණය සැලකීමේ දී ශාක රාජධානියේ Alismatales පෙළපතට අයත් Araceae පවුලට අයත් Lagenandra ගණයට අයත්වේ.

ජලාශ්‍රිත පරිසර පද්ධති තුල දක්නට ලැබෙන මෙම කෙතල ශාක විශේෂ 21ක් ලෝකයේ විවිධ රටවල් තුලින් වාර්තා වී ඇති අතර ඉන් විශේෂ 14 ක් ශ්‍රී ලංකාව තුලින් හමුවේ. මෙහි විශේෂත්වය වන්නේ මෙම විශේෂ 14 න් 13 ක්ම මෙරටට ආවේණික විශේෂ වීමය. මෙම Lagenandra erosa ශාක විශේෂය අඩ සියවසකට පෙර 70 දශකයේදී විසිතුරු ජලජ ශාකයක් ලෙස ශ්‍රී ලංකාවෙන් යුරෝපයේ මින් මැදුරු සඳහා අපනයනය කොට ඇති අතර එසේ අපනයනය කල ජලජ ශාක අතර පැවති මෙම ශාක නිදර්ශක කිහිපයක් උපයෝගී කර ගනිමින් මෙම ශාක විශේෂය පිළිබඳව ලොවට හඳුන්වා දී තිබේ.  එලෙස සොයා ගත් ශාක විශේෂය නාමකරණය එකල යුරෝපය තුල සිදු කර ඇතත් එහි ස්වාභාවික ගහනය සොයා ගෙන ඇති මුල් ප්‍රදේශය ආදී කිසිදු තොරතුරක් මුල් හඳුන්වා දීමේදී සඳහන් කිරීමට ඔවුන් සමත් වී නොමැත. මෙසේ නාමකරණය පමණක් සඳහන්ව පැවති මෙම ශාක විශේෂය පාලින්දනුවර ප්‍රදේශයෙන් වාර්තා කිරීමට හැකි වීම ස්වාභාවික පරිසරයෙන් මෙම විශේෂය සොයා ගත් පළමු අවස්ථාව වේ.  එමෙන්ම ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ ප්‍රකාශිත 2022 ජාතික රතු දත්ත වාර්තාවේ මෙම ශාක විශේෂයේ ජාතික සංරක්ෂණ තත්වය Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct) (CR(PE)) දැඩි ලෙස වඳවීමේ තර්ජනයට ලක්ව ඇති (සමහර විට වඳ වී ගොස් ඇත) කාණ්ඩය යටතේ වර්ගීකරණය කර තිබේ.

මෙම සොයා ගැනීමෙන් පසු මහාචාර්ය දීප්ති යකන්දාවල මහත්මිය (පේරාදෙණිය විශ්වවිද්‍යාලය), මහාචාර්ය කපිල යකන්දාවල මහතා (වයඹ විශ්වවිද්‍යාලය), ඉන්ද්‍රකීල මාදොල මහතා (වයඹ විශ්ව විද්‍යාලය) සහ පේශල පසන් කරුණාරත්න මහතා (වෘත්තීය තාක්ෂණ විශ්වවිද්‍යාලය)  යන පර්යේෂක කණ්ඩායම විසින් මෙම ශාක විශේෂය පිළිබඳ දත්ත රැස් කොට පර්යේෂණ කටයුතු සිදු කර පර්යේෂණ පත්‍රිකාවක් සකස් කර ප්‍රකාශයට පත් කිරීම සඳහා යොමුකර ඇත. එම පර්යේෂණ පත්‍රිකාව 2023.10.27  වන දින අන්තර් ජාතික පර්යේෂණ පත්‍රිකා ප්‍රකාශයට පත් කරන https://phytotaxa.mapress.com/pt/article/view/phytotaxa.622.3.5 යන වෙබ් අඩවිය තුලින් ප්‍රකාශයට පත් කොට තිබේ. එය ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ වටිනාකමට මෙන්ම ලංකාව තුල සිදු වන ශාක පිළිබඳ පර්යේෂණ  සඳහා විශාල වටිනාකමක් එක් කිරීමට හේතු වී තිබේ.

කෙසේ නමුත් දැනට ලංකාව තුල පරිසර හායනයන් විශාල ලෙස සිදුවීම නිසා  මෙවැනි ශාක විශේෂ හඳුනා ගැනීමටත් පෙර ලෝකයෙන් තුරන් වීම සිදුවන අතර ඒ සඳහා පිළියම් ලෙස ලංකාව තුල පවත්නා පරිසර පද්ධති සංරක්ෂණය කිරීමට ජාතික මට්ටමෙන් කටයුතු කිරීම සිදු කල යුතුවේ. ඒ මගින්  මෙවැනි විශාල වටිනාකමක් සහිත දුර්ලභ ශාක විශේෂ ආරක්ෂා කර ගැනීමට මෙන් ම මෙම ජීව විශේෂ අනාගත ලෝකයට උරුම කර දීමට  හැකි වනු ඇත.

Ministry of Defence  – Media Centre

Dambulla Primary School development work begins

The construction work of Dambulla Primary School proposed to be developed utilizing the financial allocation of the Provincial Education Ministry of the Central Province, began recently (Oct 23) under the auspices of the State Minister of Defence Hon. Premitha Bandara Tennakoon MP.

Venerable Maha Sangha, Hon. Janaka Bandara Tennakoon MP, State officials, students and a large number of residents participated in this event.

Dambulla Thiththawelgolla Care Centre declared open

Dambulla Thiththawelgolla Junior School developed as a Care Centre under the guidance of the State Minister of Defence Hon. Premitha Bandara Tennakoon MP was declared open recently (Oct 23) by the Matale District Parliamentarian Hon. Janaka Bandara Thennakone amidst religious blessings.

Technical and man power contribution was provided by the Civil Engineering Branch of the Sri Lanka Navy for the project carried out utilizing the financial allocation of the Disaster Management Centre.

Venerable Maha Sanga, the State Minister of Defence, state officials and residents were also present at the occasion.

Kandalama Bellaneoya Bridge declares open

The Bellaneoya new Bridge in Section 6 of Kandalama in Dambulla built under the supervision of the State Minister of Defence, Hon. Premitha Bandara Tennakoon MP utilizing the financial allocation of the Disaster Management Centre was declared open recently (Oct 22) by Matale District Parliamentarian Hon. Janaka Bandara Tennakoon MP.

Venerable Maha Sanga, state officials and a large number of local residents participated in this event.

By Sugeeswara Senadhira/Daily News

Colombo, October 26: The benefits of Sri Lanka’s foreign policy of neutrality was evident during the recent challenges faced on several fronts.

Although it was quite evident during the 30 years of conflict as many countries – Pakistan, China, Russia, United States, Israel and India – came to assist at different times, the success of Sri Lanka’s foreign policy became most prominent during the last three years of difficulties due to the pandemic and economic downturn.

In addition to government-to-government development assistance as well as investments, Sri Lanka is also receiving generous grants and development cooperation and investments in the second tier such as from the state governments of India and provincial governments of China.

Last week a high-level delegation headed by the Yunnan Provincial Federation of Industry & Commerce Chairman Gao Feng, who is also CPPCC Vice Chairman, held a discussion with Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena on the follow-up plans on trade and investment proposals emanated during the Prime Minister’s visit to Yunnan two months ago.

During the meeting, the high-level delegation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry and leading entrepreneurs of Yunnan held a detailed discussion on how to enhance trade and investment between Yunnan and Sri Lanka.

Yunnan’s keenness to have closer relations became evident from the visit of the Chamber head Gao Feng who, as CPPCC Vice Chairman, is responsible for all economic and trade and investment affairs concerning Yunnan.

During the discussions, trade, tourism, agriculture, technology and investments in solar and wind power were identified as potential areas for collaboration.

The Prime Minister said that the visit of the delegation would be useful to take forward the agreements reached during his visit to Yunnan in August 2023.

The Prime Minister visited the Yunnan Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Kunming International Flower Trade Centre and Auction, Yunnan Solar Power Station, Gushen Village Experimental Paddy Field, Errhai Ecological Corridor, Xiaguan Tuocha Tea Experimental Center and Three- Pagoda Chongsheng Temple in Dali in Yunnan Province. It was decided to cooperate in tea, paddy, and other crops, gem and jewellery and tourism.

Recently, Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda announced that China pledged Rs.1500 million for the benefit of the fisheries sector in the North. This grant was given to mark the tenth anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), in which President Ranil Wickremesinghe was one of the heads of state to attend.

Minister Devananda said LKR 500 million will be for the construction of housing for fishermen and another LKR 500 million for the provision of fishing gear such as nets. The remaining LKR 500 million is meant for the provision of dry rations to the fisher families.

Another Chinese province helping Sri Lanka in the rural revitalization programme is Chongqing Province. In July this year Dr Yuan Jiajun, top official of the Chinese Communist Party in Chongqing, who is also a CPC Politbureau member, said that China would extend fullest cooperation by encouraging, large-scale investments in industrial and agricultural spheres.

He also agreed to provide experts on hybrid rice varieties and other food crops to Sri Lanka of which expertise has been developed by Chongqing-rich researchers.

You have vast flat lands all over the country suitable for rice and other crops and we will extend assistance to increase harvest by several folds,” he said during his meeting with Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena.

The Prime Minister, pointing out that China is a great friend of Sri Lanka, thanked the Chinese side for providing strong support for the country’s economic and social development over the years.

The Prime Minister requested the delegation to share Chongqing’s experience of successfully alleviating poverty and ensuring food security by using hybrid rice and other food crops to increase production by several times.

Dr Yuan Jiajun assured every possible assistance to ensure speedy progress in poverty alleviation and food security. He said Chongqing could help Sri Lanka double its rice production by introducing hybrid rice varieties developed by China.

In addition to hybrid rice, Chongqing has also developed rice varieties that can be grown in dry zones with water shortages and also in saline lands near the seacoast, he said.

Earlier this week, Vice President of China Foundation for Rural Development Liu Wenkui offered his Foundation’s assistance to Sri Lanka’s poverty alleviation programme. He gave this assurance when he called on Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena.

The Prime Minister said China’s success in eradicating poverty, rural uplift and ensuring food security has been exemplary.

I thank China for magnanimous contributions to the efforts of my country as well as other developing nations towards achieving food security,” he said.

He expressed appreciation for President Xi Jinping’s offer of continuous support to Sri Lanka when President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s visited Beijing last week.

Mr Liu Wenkui said his Foundation has expertise in rural development and it could assist Sri Lanka in its drive to increase rural productivity for the multiple goals of self-sufficiency, uplift of rural low-income families and increase in exports.

President Wickremesinghe, during his visit to Beijing, reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s commitment to the One-China principle. He reiterated that Sri Lanka supports the efforts by the Chinese government to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and opposes any form of Taiwan independence”.

He hailed China for firmly supporting Sri Lanka in upholding its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and supporting the independent choice of development path that suits its national conditions.

The President emphasized that Sri Lanka, as an island nation, has the potential to attain a higher standing in the international arena by adopting a nonaligned foreign policy. The close development partnership with China must be viewed in terms of neutrality which aims to avoid reliance on or alignment with any regional power or a global power bloc.

Courtesy The Island

A gang made-up of former and serving army commandos had been hired to facilitate the escape of underworld leaders Harak Kata and Kudu Salindu from the CID custody and they were to be paid one billion rupees, police said.

Security has been beefed at the CID headquarters. It has been revealed that four serving commandos, too, were to take part in the attack.The two former army commandos already in custody in connection with the planned rescue operation have revealed details about the plan to the police.

Police have already informed the Army Commander of the serving commandos involved in the gang.Earlier it was revealed that an armed group led by former commandos would try to enter the CID headquarters, kill policemen on duty and rescue the two gangsters.

Two detachments of STF have been deployed at the CID headquarters. A previous attempt to free Harak Kata from the CID headquarters too, failed and a police constable who assisted the underworld figures is still missing.

By Garvin Karunaratne

It is reported that our President Ranil Wickremasinghe is seking th advise from foreign countries like Thailand to resurrect agricultural development in Sri Lanka. We need not go far. Lets go back to the Seventies when we did have a marvellous extension service that enabled us to become self sufficient in paddy, our staple crop.

I enclose one of my earlier writings that tell it all.

How our excellent agricultural extension system of the Sixties was sacrificed.

Posted on September 10th, 2020

By Garvin Karunaratne  former G.A. Matara

In view of the attempts by our President to boost our agriculture, it may be worthwhile to ascertain what did happen to the excellent agricultural extension service we had in the Sixties- the effort of the combined Agriculture Department and Agrarian Services. 

I enclose a chapter from my forthcoming publication: NuwaraKalaviya which details what happened.. 

I was stunned  to read  a news item stating that  youths from schools in. Anuradhapura are very likely to be the cannon fodder for renal disease. Students in grades 10 to 12 in the North Central Province are prone to contact renal diseases…earlier it was people in the 30s and 40s.”(Daily Mirror (12/4) 

My mind lingered to the 25,000 farmers of the North Central Province who have succumbed to the CDKu- the Kidney Disease.  Some of them may have been the young farmers with whom I worked in the 296 cultivation committees I set up in 1962. Then there was a hive of activity- discussions and arguments  going on for hours at times till late at night-the thrust of it was to use high yielding varieties and supplement with fertilizer. This was accomplished.  

Sad to say,  some two decades later certain  administrative changes that were made did decimate the very effective   agricultural extension system that we had.  . In addition with the abolition of the Paddy Lands Act in the Eighties, the agrarian services with its overseers and the cultivation committee, the peoples’ organization at the village level ceased to exist. In around 1993, the trained agricultural overseers- the Krushikarma Vyapti Sewakas at the village level who formed the king pin that guided fertilizer and weedicde use at the village level were promoted as Grama Niladharis and till today no extension overseer with any training has taken their place. The farmers have no one to guide them. The closest trained officer is the Agricultural Instructor at the divisional level who has any number from 5000 to 14000 farmers to provide guidance. 

Saeed Naqvi Courtesy Telegraph India

Instead of being cheerleaders for globalisation being steered by one hegemonic power, the media became the drumbeaters and myth makers for America’s endless wars, particularly the ones after 9/11 which, by sheer repetition, were to impair and, over time, demolish the media’s credibility

The singular lack of hospitality experienced by Joe Biden in West Asia is all a part what the US, and Israel, must expect in the altered global order.

A look at trends from the beginning.

The global media which brought Operation Desert Storm live into our living room was sired by Peter Arnett of the CNN from the terrace of Al Rasheed hotel in January 1991. This media would amplify globalisation, riding on the back of the Sole Superpower.

The system cruised, with minor turbulence, until the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008 signalled structural weakness in the capitalist design which was the base of US power and exceptionalism.

The post-Lehman Brothers world order could not be credibly described by a media which had in any case bartered away its credibility during the post-9/11 wars. My friend the late Philip Knightley’s book The First Casualty is a catalogue of the war correspondent as a myth maker. When wars break out, the first casualty is the truth.

Instead of being cheerleaders for globalisation being steered by one hegemonic power, the media became the drumbeaters and myth makers for America’s endless wars, particularly the ones after 9/11 which, by sheer repetition, were to impair and, over time, demolish the media’s credibility. Lyse Doucet, Nick Robertson, Christiane Amanpour, Wolf Blitzer were paraded on the screen with monotonous frequency, justifying America’s wars, leaving viewers none the wiser why the US needs 760 bases worldwide?

The disgraceful departure of the US from Afghanistan in August 2021, after 20 years of occupation, put its imprimatur quite indelibly an American decline. Rearguard action was attempted in Ukraine: the cast of characters from the media took up positions for their piece-to-camera at vantage points with the golden dome of the Kiev Cathedral as the backdrop.

Half-truths, always more pernicious than lies, became the staple in covering the story. The half-truth which defines the media’s coverage of the Hamas-Israel war is carbon copy of the media’s projection of Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin, whose assassination was sought by Senator Lindsay Grahame as a solution and whom President Joe Biden called butcher, butcher, butcher”, in close range of the camera, spraying all over it — the blame for the war was placed on a brutal dictator cloistered in the Kremlin”.

Not a word about the repeated warnings by Putin and by eminent US strategic thinkers, that the expansion of Nato to the border of Russia in Ukraine was a red line that should never ever be attempted. It is for Russians an existential issue. But drum beating by the Western media became louder by the minute. Russian invasion is coming, Russia are coming”.

US political thinkers like Prof. John Mearsheimer of Chicago repeatedly warned that Russia was being provoked. It is war created by the West”, he said. Ironically, the US, which set out to change the regime in Moscow and thereby recover prestige is, yet again, bogged down in a war it cannot win.

The media will not tell you this bitter truth. Just as Putin alone is responsible for the brutal, inhuman war”, on the Hamas-Israel war, it has been true to form. All the sins have been piled onto one side which started this round on a scale which left Israel and their cohorts rubbing their eyes in disbelief.

Not a word about Nabka, and the flight of Palestinians as refugees, no attention to the caged ghetto totally at the mercy of Israel. Witness how water, food, electricity have all been cut off by a simple snapping of fingers. The jackboot of Israel was always been on the Palestinian neck.

Yes, Putin was provoked into a war the US thought it would win. Likewise, Palestinians live under constant provocation.

Why did Hamas choose this moment to launch an attack on Israel for which, there is now evidence, the militant group had been planning for years? This explains why the leader of Hamas military wing in Gaza, Mohammad Daif, disappeared after what was known in May 2021 as the sword of Jerusalem campaign. It shocked the Israeli army even then in its level of preparedness. In the eleven-day offensive by Israel on Gaza, 260 Palestinians were killed and 2,000 injured. The Palestinian resistance group fired rockets towards Jerusalem for the first time. Palestinians in Israel joined the resistance to protect Al Aqsa which was under constant IDF threat.

For intelligence agencies as smart as Israel’s, there was sufficient going on for these agencies to grasp. The allegation is that the security apparatus was much more focused on protecting the settlers on the West Bank and the anti-government protests with ever-swelling ranks.

Pundits have explained the timing of Hamas’s October 7 attack in various ways: it was timed to scuttle the Saudi-Israel rapprochement which Biden was so keen on. Was Saudi Arabia which had just made peace with Iran under Chinese auspices, being asked to embrace two implacable enemies – Iran and Israel?

It would be foolish to imagine that Riyadh clasped Iran’s hands only to unclasp like the trapeze artist at America’s bidding. This line of thinking completely misses the key point. Why did Riyadh break ranks and shake hands with the Ayatullahs. King Abdel Aziz al Saud developed a friendship with no limits” with President Roosevelt during a historic meeting on board the USS Quincy in the Suez Canal in February 1945, much before the Jewish state was born. Riyadh’s pivot to Tehran, a historic step by any yardstick, implied much more: Riyadh was snapping the apron strings to Washington, stepping out of the Western club into BRICS, the expanding group of the global South.

This one step must have caused great anxiety in Jerusalem. Of the two powerful regional states, US allies and partners, one had gravitated towards BRICS. This option is not available to Israel which President Carter described as an Apartheid state.

Riyadh would not have created this distance from Washington during the days of, say, George W Bush’s presidency when the US still wore its Sole Superpower hat. Today’s America is a much diminished power. The risen power is in the global south.

Israel’s existence depended on American power. US exceptionalism globally and Israeli exceptionalism regionally, were both a function of American power.

The US is not about to abandon Israel. Far from it, but it will not be able to cope with its routine tantrums. The need of the hour is that Israel works day and night to harmonise with the region and give the Palestinians what is rightfully theirs. The US has the difficult task of searching for peace on two fronts — Ukraine and Israel. With every week of delay, America weakens that much more and Israel becomes that much more vulnerable.

https://www.telegraphindia.com/world/afghanistan-exit-ukraine-war-brics-israel-us-need-to-wake-up-to-the-new-world-order/cid/1974889

Prof. Hudson McLean

Finland ranks among the European Union’s most racially discriminatory countries, according to the findings of a survey conducted by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA).

Finland takes third spot in the report, which investigates the challenges faced by people of African descent in Europe, encompassing issues of race-based discrimination, harassment, and violence. Austria and Germany were the only two countries to rank ahead of Finland.

Reporting on the Being Black in the EU survey, newspaper Helsingin Sanomat writes that the survey shows how discrimination has become more rampant in recent years, both in Finland and across the EU.

https://www.hs.fi/politiikka/art-2000009943262.html

Some 54 percent of the respondents in Finland reported experiencing racial discrimination during the past year, with 63 percent having encountered such discrimination over the past five years.

“People of African descent are routinely met with unfair treatment and bias when seeking jobs or homes. Racial discrimination, harassment and violence continues to haunt their daily lives,” the report notes.

The surveyed countries include Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Poland, Spain, and Sweden.

The FRA gathered data by interviewing individuals residing in these nations who either hailed from sub-Saharan Africa or had at least one parent from the region. The survey was conducted in 2022 and includes responses from more than 6,700 participants.

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

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

EU-selvitys: Suomi koetaan yhdeksi rasistisimmista maista – Helsingin Sanomat 

EU:n perusoikeusvirasto tutki afrikkalais­taustaisiin kohdistuvaa rasismia ja syrjintää 13 jäsenmaassa.

Google Translation

EU survey: Finland is perceived as one of the most racist countries
The EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency investigated racism and discrimination against people of African descent in 13 member states.

Racism has been opposed in demonstrations. For example, in June 2020, thousands of people gathered in Helsinki’s Senate Square for the Black Lives Matter event, which started with the death of George Floyd in the United States.
Racism has been opposed in demonstrations. For example, in June 2020, thousands of people gathered in Helsinki’s Senate Square for the Black Lives Matter event, which started with the death of George Floyd in the United States. PHOTO: ANTTI AIMO-KOIVISTO / MAGAZINE PHOTO

Anni Keski-Heikkilä HS
25.10. 7:00 | Updated on 25.10. 15:55
FINLAND is again at the questionable top of the survey in which the EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency asked Europeans of African descent about racism and discrimination.

Finland is considered to be one of the most racist countries. The report “Dark-skinned in the EU” published by the Fundamental Rights Agency on Wednesday investigated racism and discrimination in a total of 13 EU countries.

43 percent of people of African descent interviewed in Finland said they had experienced racist harassment in the past year. The share is higher than in any of the studied countries.

The countries examined in the report were Finland, Belgium, Spain, Ireland, Italy, Austria, Luxembourg, Portugal, Poland, France, Sweden, Germany and Denmark.

The Fundamental Rights Agency asked people living in these countries who were either from sub-Saharan Africa themselves or who had at least one parent from sub-Saharan Africa about racism. The survey was conducted in 2022, and more than 6,700 people responded to it.

NEAR Finland is Germany, where 42 percent had experienced racist harassment in the past year. When asked about racist harassment over the past five years, the proportion was 52 percent in Finland and 54 percent in Germany.

The averages of the surveyed EU countries were 24 percent for harassment experienced in the past year and 30 percent for harassment experienced in the past five years.

According to the report, young women, people with higher education and people wearing religious clothes are more likely to be victims of racist harassment.

WHEN people of African descent were asked about perceived discrimination, Finland ranked third after Austria and Germany.

In Finland, 54 percent of those interviewed said they had experienced racial discrimination in the year preceding the survey, and 63 percent in the five years.

The averages for all EU countries included in the report were 34 percent for one year and 45 percent for five years.

Most often, discrimination is experienced both in Finland and in all countries when looking for a job, working and looking for an apartment. The respondents especially felt that private landlords had not rented them an apartment because of racial discrimination.

Racist discrimination is experienced in the studied countries especially by the young and the highly educated. Of those who experienced discrimination, only less than one in ten had made a report about it.

The FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AGENCY last conducted a similar survey in 2016. The report published two years later received widespread attention, as Finland was perceived to be the most racist of the countries surveyed in its harassment issue.

In Finland, the amount of harassment experienced within five years has decreased from 63 percent to 52 percent. The average of all studied countries has remained the same, i.e. at 30 percent.

In terms of racial discrimination, the situation has worsened both in Finland and throughout Europe in recent years.

Most recently, 39 percent of all respondents had experienced racial discrimination in the past five years. Now the share increased to 45 percent. In Finland, the share increased from 60 percent to 63 percent.

Michael O’Flaherty, director of the Fundamental Rights Agency, describes the results as shocking in the press release.

“Racism and discrimination should have no place in our communities. The EU and its member states should take advantage of these results to better target their efforts and ensure that people of African descent can live according to their rights freely without racism and discrimination,” he says in the press release.

Correction 25.10. 10:59 a.m.: Contrary to what was erroneously reported earlier in the story, the average of racist discrimination in the studied EU countries when asked about the previous year was 34 percent, not 24 percent. In the graphics, the proportion was correct.

Kaarige Channel Eka | Dharmasri Kariyawasam

MUNZA MUSHTAQ, Courtesy Nikkei Asia

President Wickremesinghe faces growing public frustration ahead of elections

A market in Colombo on Oct. 20. Sri Lanka’s government is due to present next year’s budget in mid-November.   © Reuters

COLOMBO — Sri Lanka’s cash-strapped government is breathing slightly easier after a week that brought an agreement on more support from the International Monetary Fund and a promise of “no strings” help from China.

But the country still must climb out of bankruptcy, and President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s administration must prepare a budget presentation for Nov. 13 that will likely highlight the difficulty of balancing financial constraints with public welfare. This crucial test comes ahead of elections next year and as a weary population grows frustrated with tough IMF bailout conditions.

A case in point: The government last week approved an 18% hike in electricity tariffs, the second in eight months, following a 66% increase in February.

This is making life harder for citizens like Ashogan Kandiah, a 54-year-old tuk-tuk driver on the outskirts of Colombo. His monthly earnings of up to 65,000 rupees ($198) barely cover essentials for his family. His power bill, which used to be around 600 rupees, has soared to over 2,000. “I hope the government will consider reducing the prices of food and electricity,” he said.

Doing so, however, could put it at odds with the IMF, which has stressed the importance of shoring up government revenue with tariffs and taxes.

After the IMF announced a staff-level agreement to release a $330 million tranche late last week, Senior Mission Chief Peter Breuer said Sri Lanka’s low tax rates had contributed to its crisis, exacerbated when taxes were further reduced in 2019. When “shocks hit, the country couldn’t handle it,” he said. “The program is all about addressing the root causes of the crisis.”

Sri Lanka’s foreign exchange reserves dried up during the tenure of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, forcing the country to default on foreign debt and leading to Rajapaksa’s resignation amid massive protests.

His successor, Wickremesinghe, is tasked with picking up the pieces, including dealing with the IMF and hammering out debt treatment with major creditors such as China. Beijing has been criticized for dragging its feet throughout the crisis — a charge it denies — but the China Export-Import Bank recently struck a deal to restructure about $4.2 billion of the island nation’s outstanding debt. That was seen as a key step to unlocking the IMF cash.

Chinese President Xi Jinping last week met with Wickremesinghe, who was in Beijing for the Belt and Road Forum, and vowed to “continue to provide assistance to Sri Lanka with no political strings attached,” according to a Chinese readout.

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Sri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe in Beijing on Oct. 20.   © Reuters

What that means in practice remains to be seen. Back in Sri Lanka, the focus is on tension between IMF imperatives and public needs.

Speaking to the media on Monday, Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera warned of more tariff increases next year. “Due to IMF conditions, the state-owned Ceylon Electricity Board is no longer able to rely on treasury funds as it did in the past,” he said. “Hence these price hikes are necessary for the CEB to avoid incurring losses.”

Colombo economist Rehana Thowfeek stressed that IMF interventions were essential to address Sri Lanka’s fiscal and trade deficits.

“If the IMF had not intervened, the situation would have deteriorated further — fuel queues, power cuts and shortages. … It’s a misconception that it is the IMF that is increasing tariffs and imposing taxes. Of course, the IMF has recommended these policy changes, as these were what was causing the macroeconomic imbalances.”

Thowfeek said that “whether the IMF told us or not, we would have had to do these [steps] anyway.”

Professor Sirimal Abeyratne, chairman of the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, also emphasized the IMF’s critical role in restoring stability and investor confidence. The $330 million tranche, still pending IMF board approval, may not directly benefit the people but will enhance the country’s overall economic situation, he said.

“We expect further progress with some tough reforms and new laws in the coming months. Even if they are not for the IMF, the country needs them.”

However, some critics argue that the middle and lower classes are bearing the brunt, while the IMF is too lenient on the government and state-level expenditure. Prices remain elevated although inflation has come down significantly, with the statistics department this week reporting a 0.8% on-year rise in September versus 2.1% in August.

Colombo-based activist Prasad Welikumbura accuses the IMF of favoring governments and prioritizing debt repayment over individuals. “The IMF is not a people-centric institution,” he said. “Its power is concentrated unevenly among financially strong economies, and its key figures are often heavily influenced by lobbyists from global financial firms. It is improbable for such an institution to propose a people-centric solution.”

Welikumbura argued that the IMF should focus on guiding reform of state-owned enterprises, saying it acts more as a “debt collector” in the Global South than an “adviser.”

Based on an approved bill for appropriations, total government expenditure for 2024 is expected to exceed 3.86 trillion rupees, against estimated revenue of around 1.65 trillion rupees. The recurrent budget for last year was 5.8 trillion rupees, while revenue was estimated at around 3.4 trillion rupees.

The largest allocations are earmarked for the defense, health, transport and public administration ministries, some of which are due to receive modest increases as the government vows to spend where it is needed most.

Thowfeek, the economist, warned the government may be tempted to depart from necessary reforms to secure votes in next year’s elections. “But this time, it’s harder, as the government does not have the discretion to borrow indiscriminately to fund these budget promises, and it has to meet [IMF] targets.”

Political analyst Dinidu de Alwis says Sri Lanka’s real problems are rooted in inefficiency, corruption and flawed policies. “We have a civil service and military that’s bloated, inefficient and corrupt,” he said. “Our subsidies and price controls are basically paying one group to dig holes and another to fill those up.”

The IMF’s conditions, he argued, are a needed dose of rationality.

By Prof. Rasheen Bappu Courtesy Ceylon Today

US Congressman Dr. Ron Paul of R-Texas, 14th District Vitoria, Freeport in his speech said Israel helped create Hamas to destabilise Arafat who was very powerful at the time. Ron Paul explained the hypocritical approach of the US and Israel regarding the support of Hamas, much like they did for ISIS.

But there is something bitterly ironic in Israel’s support for Fatah against Hamas and it should be a lesson to  everywhere that meddles in other States’ affairs. In the past, Israel supported Hamas against Fatah. Indeed, in the 1970s and 80s, Israel played a not insignificant role in encouraging Hamas emergence in the belief that such an Islamist group might help rupture support for the mass nationalist movement of Fatah. Twenty years later, Israel has switched sides, hoping that it can encourage Fatah to see off Hamas. It wants moderate” Palestinians to take on the extremist” Palestinians it helped create. Like America and Britain before it, both of whom have supported and armed Islamist movements in the Middle East in attempts to undermine secular nationalist parties—Israel is learning the hard way that it is one thing to let radical Islamists off the leash but quite another thing to rein them back in again. If you make monsters, you shouldn’t be surprised if they come back to bite you.”

Hamas is a Creation of Mossad”

Hassane Zerouky, reported in   on 23 March 2004; Thanks to Mossad, Israel’s Institute for Intelligence and Special Tasks”, Hamas was allowed to reinforce its presence in the occupied territories. Meanwhile, Arafat’s Fatah Movement for National Liberation as well as the Palestinian Left were subjected to the most brutal form of repression and intimidation.

Let us not forget that it was Israel, which in fact created Hamas. According to Zeev Sternell, historian at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel thought that it was a smart ploy to push the Islamists against the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO)”.

Ahmed Yassin, the spiritual leader of the Islamist movement in Palestine, returning from Cairo in the seventies, established an Islamic Charity Association. Prime Minister Golda Meir, saw this as an opportunity to counterbalance the rise of Arafat’s Fatah movement.

The Islamic Associations and the University: Supported and encouraged by the Israeli Military Authority”

According to the Israeli weekly Koteret Rashit (October 1987), The Islamic associations as well as the university had been supported and encouraged by the Israeli military authority” in charge of the (civilian) administration of the West Bank and Gaza. They [the Islamic associations and the university] were authorised to receive money payments from abroad.”

The Islamists set up orphanages and health clinics, as well as a network of schools, and workshops which created employment for women as well as a system of financial aid to the poor. And in 1978, they created an Islamic University” in Gaza. The military authority was convinced that these activities would weaken both the PLO and the leftist organisations in Gaza.” At the end of 1992, there were six hundred mosques in Gaza. Thanks to Israel’s Intelligence Agency Mossad (Israel’s Institute for Intelligence and Special Tasks), the Islamists were allowed to reinforce their presence in the occupied territories. Meanwhile, the members of Fatah (Movement for the National Liberation of Palestine) and the Palestinian Left were subjected to the most brutal form of repression.

In 1984, Ahmed Yassin was arrested and condemned to twelve years in prison, after the discovery of a hidden arms cache. But one year later, he was set free and resumed his activities. And when the Intifada (‘Uprising’) began, in October 1987, which took the Islamists by surprise, Sheik Yassin responded by creating Hamas (The Islamic Resistance Movement): God is our beginning, the Prophet our model, the Koran our Constitution”, proclaims article 7 of the Charter of the Organisation.

Ahmed Yassin was in prison when the Oslo Accords (Declaration of Principles on Interim Self) were signed in September 1993. The Hamas had rejected Oslo outright. But at that time, 70% of Palestinians had condemned the attacks on Israeli civilians. Yassin did everything in his power to undermine the Oslo Accords. Even prior to Prime Minister Rabin’s death, he had the support of the Israeli. The latter was very reluctant to implement the ‘Peace Agreement’.

The Hamas then launched a carefully timed campaign of attacks against civilians, one day before the meeting between Palestinian and Israeli negotiators, regarding the formal recognition of Israel by the National Palestinian Council. These events were largely instrumental in the formation of a Right-wing Israel following the May 1996 Elections.

Quite unexpectedly, Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered Sheik Ahmed Yassin to be released from prison (on humanitarian grounds”) where he was serving a life sentence. Meanwhile, Netanyahu, together with President Bill Clinton, was putting pressure on Arafat to control the Hamas. In fact, Netanyahu knew that he could rely, once more, on the Islamists to sabotage the Oslo Accords. Worse still: after having expelled Yassin to Jordan, Prime Minister Netanyahu allowed him to return to Gaza, where he was welcomed triumphantly as a hero in October 1997.

Arafat was helpless in the face of these events. Moreover, because he had supported Saddam Hussein during the 1991 Gulf War (while the Hamas had cautiously abstained from taking sides), the Gulf States decided to cut off their financing of the Palestinian Authority. Meanwhile, between February and April 1998, Sheik Ahmad Yassin was able to raise several hundred million dollars, from those same countries. The Budget of Hamas was said to be greater than that of the Palestinian Authority. These new sources of funding enabled the Islamists to effectively pursue their various charitable activities. It is estimated that one Palestinian out of three is the recipient of financial aid from the Hamas. And in this regard, Israel has done nothing to curb the inflow of money into the occupied territories.

The Hamas had built its strength through its various acts of sabotage of the peace process, in a way which was compatible with the interests of the Israeli. In turn, the latter sought in a number of ways, to prevent the application of the Oslo Accords. In other words, Hamas was fulfilling the functions for which it was originally created: to prevent the creation of a Palestinian State. And in this regard, Hamas and Ariel Sharon, see eye to eye; they are exactly on the same wavelength.

How the United States Helped Unleash Fundamentalist Islam”

According to Robert Dreyfuss, author of the enlightening and exhaustive book Devil’s Game: How the United States Helped Unleash Fundamentalist Islam”, political Islamism grew exponentially as Israel took control of the Palestinian territories: Starting in 1967, the Israelis began to encourage or allow the Islamists in the Gaza and West Bank areas, among the Palestinian exiled population, to flourish.

The statistics are really quite staggering. In Gaza, for instance, between 1967 and 1987, when Hamas was founded, the number of mosques tripled from 200 to 600. And a lot of that comes with money flowing from outside Gaza, from wealthy conservative Islamists in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere. But, of course, none of this could have happened without the Israelis casting an approving eye upon it.

It is from these Islamist roots that Hamas emerged in 1987. Dreyfuss continues; There’s plenty of evidence that the Israeli intelligence services, especially Shin Bet and the military occupation authorities, encouraged the growth of the Muslim Brotherhood and the founding of Hamas [in Palestinian territories].

Internal Security Service – knowingly created Hamas”

Indeed, according to former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Charles Freeman, Shin Bet—the Israeli counter-intelligence and Internal Security Service—knowingly created Hamas: Israel started Hamas. It was a project of Shin Bet, which had a feeling that they could use it to ‘hem’  the PLO.”

Dirty Little Secret”

Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine were under the approving eye” of Israel from the late 1960s to the 1980s, it eventually mutated into Hamas. Following Gamal Abdel Nasser’s rise to power in 1954, both the British and Americans viewed the Brotherhood as a useful weapon against secular nationalism and communism. In his Book Sleeping With the Devil, former CIA Officer Robert Baer describes the Dirty Little Secret” in Washington in the early 1950s, namely that the White House looked on the ‘Brothers’ as a silent ally, a secret weapon against—what else? —Communism.”

Conclusion

Facts are stubborn that Israel created Hamas or that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu supported Hamas are circulating in social media, were published in news reports and spoken widely over a period of time. It is the responsibility of Israel to address constructively the truth. Further why Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October if they were created by Israel and why are they hiding in underground tunnels now, instead of defending Palestinian innocent civilians? But, looking at various substantial evidence may otherwise prove, it was Israel who created Hamas. High time for the UN to intervene and play its role in penalising for aiding and abetting Terrorism, if Hamas is considered a Terrorist Organisation. After all, the UN was established to prevent atrocities. Has the UN done justice to innocent civilians?

About the Author:

By Prof. Rasheen Bappu, Anthropologist (Defence) and Intelligence Data Scientist

rasheen_bappu@aol.com

(The views and opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Ceylon Today)

By Prof. Rasheen Bappu

උපුටාගැණීම අද දෙරණ

Courtesy Adaderana

The Committee of Public Finance (COPF) has approved the orders made under the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Act No. 11 of 2021.
 
The decision was made following a lengthy discussion held on 24 October regarding the 10 business companies active in the Colombo Port City and attention was paid to the problematic situations regarding the signing of contracts by these companies. 

It was disclosed that these companies had entered into contracts prior to, during and after the preparation of the Port City, following which the COPF highlighted that the relevant agreements 
had not been made according to one system with any legal basis. 

As a result, it was recommended that the opinion of the Attorney General be sought within four weeks and that the Committee be informed about it.
 
COPF Chairman subsequently pointed out that it is important to check the constructions carried out by these companies in this area.
 
Moreover, it was also revealed that the Port City Commission had given permission to run two cryptocurrency exchanges. Thus, COPF recommended that the matter be inquired, and that the stance of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) on the matter also be obtained.
 
State Minister (Dr.) Suren Raghavan, Members of Parliament Chandima Weerakkody, Nimal Lanza, Patali Champika Ranawaka, Duminda Dissanayake, U. K. Sumith Udukumbura were present at the Committee meeting held.

by Rohana R. Wasala

I was saddened by the unexpectedly rude sarcasm of the apparently perfunctory memorial feature The Jackson of all trades: A tribute to Jackson Anthony” (The Island/October 20, 2023) penned by Uditha Devapriya about the recently deceased celebrity. In my opinion, the article is hardly worthy of the dead icon, or of the tribute payer, for that matter. The ill chosen satirical tone rings discordant with the reasonably authentic contents of what fair minded readers would have expected to be an engaging eulogy of a generous human being with his trademark eternal smile on his face who died before his time in tragic circumstances. How can a seemingly backhanded compliment like that be called a tribute to one who is no more who had done nothing in his life to deserve even a faint suggestion of disrespect, disregard or ingratitude?

The first part of the title (‘The Jackson of all trades’) is an improper parody of the figurative expression ‘jack of all trades, master of none’, usually applied to someone who can do many different things, but none of them so well. It strikes me as having insulting implications. Strangely, I myself used this familiar idiomatic phrase (‘jack of all trades, master of none’) to invoke adulation for Jackson Anthony in the concluding paragraph of an informal appreciatory review of his first mega movie Aba” (2008), which was published as a SATmag feature under the title Aba – the mega Sinhala movie” in The Island newspaper of September 6, 2008. I had it posted again under the title ‘In memory of Jackson Anthony’ on Lankaweb on October 17, 2023. Following is the final paragraph of that newspaper review first  written and published fifteen years ago:

I wish to reserve special praise for Jackson Anthony for his rare creativity and unmatched versatility.  The common English idiom ‘Jack of all trades (master of none)’ usually applied to a person who can do many different jobs, but none of them so well, could be given an absolutely positive twist in the case of our Jackson Anthony thus: ‘A Jack of all trades, and master of many’.  He is an actor, a director, a singer, a scholar, a scriptwriter, a novelist, a lyricist, an explorer, a traveller, and a communicator par excellence.”

 My (perhaps, apology for a) review was based on some limited familiarity with Jackson Anthony’s work and was written, as can be seen, before he lost favour with a section of the public for his apparent sympathy for the popular nationalist trend in the Sri Lankan political landscape that had emerged, devoid of communal divisions, with the long awaited end of the civil war that had brought death and destruction to every community in sight. It’s not that my critical judgement would have been affected even if his perceived political sympathies or affiliations had been the reverse of what they were. I remember that his appropriation of Christian mythological imagery in the film Aba was subjected to critical disapproval, which I found absurd. I totally approve of Jackson Anthony’s practical eclecticism in his cinematic and literary creations. His interest in the country’s history was genuine, and was not driven by mere love of storytelling, in which he excelled. But I believe that his storytelling was more a means than an end. His end was communicating ideas. He was a great communicator of great ideas.   

Something that I cannot understand is why only Jackson Anthony was censured for his devoted allegiance towards the iconic leader (whose clay feet were yet to be exposed) who was universally adored for ridding the country of the scourge of mindless violence associated with the civil strife, when almost all his fellow professionals including the senior most in his field had shared the same nationalist fervour, political preferences and loyalties.Those who actually registered an inexplicable aversion towards Jackson Anthony were far less generous than Devapriya, of course. Antipathy towards Jackson Anthony could have been due to personal as well as professional jealousy. 

People engaged in the entertainment and creative art industries also must enjoy the freedom of holding political views and acting on them. Of course, Devapriya does not condemn Jackson Anthony on this account. He only writes:  As for his politics, which we did encounter, what can we say, other than the fact that actors can never free themselves of such affiliations?” Yes, that is my own experience, too. But am I wrong to read some functional ambiguity into his words? The ability to dissemble is an essential skill for a professional actor (nothing wrong with that), but a necessary evil for a pragmatic politician (something open to question). But I cannot bring myself to even imagine that highly cultured Jackson Anthony’s alleged political affiliations were motivated by any personal cupidity or desire for self-aggrandisement.  

Rohana R. Wasala 

By Dr Tilak S. Fernando

Unlike Sri Lanka, Switzerland is an excellent and clean country with no muddy patches or heaps of rubbish dumps in various parts of the country. Residents usually do not come in cars like in Sri Lanka and dump their domestic rubbish in bags in multiple places. Switzerland has been named the best country in the world by Indiantimes.com. It says, “One of the most beautiful nations on the planet dotted with lakes, valleys, and the Alps.” In Switzerland, outside the town area, the scenery will be a lot of mountains and rocks.

Mount Riggie could be seen from my son’s sitting room when clouds do not interfere with the mountain. Concerning some domestic garbage, electronic systems are installed for domestic waste bins. so no outsider is able abo to dump in other’s waste. Electronic systems are installed for domestic waste bins. So, no outsider could place their rubbish in different containers, and the main thing is that trash is weighed, and each household has to pay for their litter.

In front of my son’s block is a self-displayed shop called “Burgrain“, where no one can be seen. An automatic door can be opened with a combination of numbers. Small children always come to this shop with their parents’ credit cards to buy ice creams. In Switzerland, every child is disciplined from the nursery.

Generally, trains also run efficiently on electricity. Specially designed coaches and tanks are attached to the train for numerous products, such as cement and metal, for railway lines. Also, there are cylindrical containers of various firms linked to the train.

The pavements.

 Pedestrians at Zebra crossings need to stop according to the motor law. It is the standard practice, not only on roads but even in every car park motorists have to stop

The fundamental difference from Sri Lanka is that every motorist is disciplined, and every car stops until people cross the road or even in car parks. It is not restricted to main roads; motorists must stop cars wherever people cross. Disciplined motorists are a significant feature in Switzerland.

A vast change from arriving from Sri Lanka is that there are on motorways, there won’t be any overking of heavy goods vehicles

No change in lanes change is allowed to overtake. Pedestrians are marked to walk and are kept on footprints.  There are many tunnels in Switzerland, and there are road markings to indicate before a tunnel which says No overtaking”.

In Switzerland, all cars are newly built, such as Porche, BMW, and Volkswagen. Ford, a new version of Skoda, and three versions of Audi can be seen on roads. There are electric cars too.

The Swiss airport is one of the best in the world. International passengers must take a monorail to arrive before they arrive at the passport control. All over the airport, there are markings in German and English. Everywhere there is parking, which is charged hourly, but there is also free parking in certain areas in the middle of the town centre.

Supermarkets are called Malls. Switzerland has no food shortage; various kinds of cheese and food products are displayed in the malls. Toilets are indicated on appropriate floors. Toilets are spotlessly clean in washrooms.

Motoring in Switzerland, one has to be careful. The slightest mistake by a motorist can bring a police letter to the vehicle’s registered address with a huge fine. It is the cause of road traffic in Sri Lanka. Many deaths occur, people get injured, and fatalities and several wounded are injured and die at zebra crossings. The problem is that in Sri Lanka, motorists are fearless of police, unlike in Switzerland, because of the corrupt police officers who could be convinced with Rs.500.00. If one attempts to bribe the police in Switzerland, motorists will end up in jail!

 More than One Vehicle

It is the same with one who owns more than a single car. The Department of Transport (equivalent to the same) allows folks to use a single number plate for multiple vehicles they own, which can be switched from car to car when they travel on the road. However, the number plate can only be used on one car.

All vehicles will be insured according to their value. Usually, for instance, cars are registered under the Canton in which one lives (e.g., one who lives in Zug carries a number plate with ZG, whereas someone who lives in Luzern registers a vehicle number plate beginning with LU Also, on Insurance, age and experience are taken into account like everywhere else, but here, it also depends on the ethnicity. It means some nationalities have to pay more! Unlike in Sri Lanka, the car’s age cannot be assessed from a number plate.

My daughter was with me from Devon in the UK and spent two weeks with me, and she has left for London on her way to Devon. To live in Switzerland is too expensive. Although there are what one requires, Sri Lankan rupees can be a problem. To live in Switzerland is too expensive unless one earns there. Although there are what one needs, Sri Lankan rupees can be very expensive. For instance, a haircut without a tip is about 40 francs, and a sandwich costs 2-3 franks.

Chocolates

Switzerland is famous for chocolates. There is a chocolate factory called Laedrah. There, one could decorate as one wishes chocolates in any form. My son decorated it for a little girl’s birthday, which was beautiful, and it came through a machine in the factory. It has a restaurant too.

 chocolates are very expensive, and assorted chocolates are one could buy a kilo of chocolates in square pieces for cheap.

tilakfernando@gmail.com

BY KUBIYA2 ON OCTOBER 25, 2023

‘නව ව්‍යවස්ථාකෙටුම්පත මගින් 13 ඉක්මවා යන බලයක් පළාත් සභාවලට ලැබෙනවාද?’ යනුවෙන් දේශහිතෛෂී ජාතික ව්‍යාපාරයේ මහ ලේකම් වෛද්‍ය වසන්ත බණ්ඩාර මහතා ඉකුත් දා ලිපියක් මගින් දීර්ඝ විග්‍රහයක් සිදුකරන ලදී.

එම ලිපිය මගින් ඒ මහතා පෙන්වා දී තිබුනේ නව කෙටුම්පත වර්තමාන ජනාධිපතිවරයා විසින් පිළිගතහොත් සහ එය ක්‍රියාත්මක කළහොත් බෙදුම්වාදීන්ට වඩා වාසි සහගත තත්ත්වයක් නිර්මාණය වන බවය.

වෛද්‍ය වසන්ත බණ්ඩාර මහතා  එම කරුණු සඳහන් කර තිබුනේ මෙසේය.

නව ව්‍යවස්ථා කෙටුම්පත මගින් සමගාමී ලැයිස්තුව අහෝසි කර මධ්‍යම රජයේ බලතල ලැයිස්තුව ඉවත් කර පළාත් බලතල ලැයිස්තුව විෂයන් 67ක් දක්වා පුළුල් කර ඇත. එම බලතල වලට අදාළව ද පාර්ලිමේන්තුවට නීති පැනවිය හැකි බව සඳහන් වුව ද පළාතක් විසින් එම බලතල වලට අදාලව ප්‍රඥප්ති සම්මත කිරීම ඒ මගින් වැළැක්විය නොහැක. නමුත් 13 වැනි සංශෝධනය යටතේ ප්‍රඥප්තියක් සම්මත කිරීම සඳහා ආණ්ඩුකාරවරයාගේ අනුමැතිය අවශ්‍ය වේ. නව ව්‍යවස්ථා කෙටුම්පත තුළ එම ප්‍රතිපාදන ඉවත් කර ඇති අතර පළාත් සභාවකට ස්වාධීනව තම ප්‍රඥප්ති සම්මත කර ගැසට් කිරීමේ බලතල ලබාදී ඇත. ඒ අනුව ප්‍රඥප්තියක් සම්මත කිරීමෙන් පසුව පවතින නීතියට පටහැණි නම් හෝ ජාතික ප්‍රතිපත්තියට පටහැනි නම් එය නිවැරදි කරන ලෙස නියෝග කිරීමේ බලය ජනාධිපතිවරයා සතු වුවද එම බලය අධිකරණය හමුවේ අභියෝගයට ලක් කිරීමේ හැකියාව ලබා දී ඇත. නමුත් 13 වැනි සංශෝධනය මගින් ඒ ආකාරයට ජනාධිපතිවරයාගේ බලතල දුර්වල කිරීමක් සිදු කර නැත. නව කෙටුම්පත අනුව මධ්‍යම රජය විසින් යම් විෂයකට අදාලව නීතියක් හෝ ප්‍රතිපත්තියක් සම්පාදනය කර නොමැති තත්වයක් යටතේ පළාත් සභාවකට එම විෂයට අදාලව ප්‍රඥප්ති සම්මත කිරීම සඳහා විශේෂ අවකාශයක් ලැබේ. ඊට අමතරව සමගාමී ලැයිස්තුවට අදාලව ප්‍රඥප්ති සම්මත කිරීම සඳහා නිශ්චිත ක්‍රමවේදයක් පවතින ව්‍යවස්ථාව මගින් දක්වා ඇත. එම නිසා පළාත් ප්‍රඥප්තියක් සම්මත කරන අවස්ථාව හෝ කාල වකවානුව අනුව ව්‍යවස්ථාමය ප්‍රතිපාදන වලින් රිංගායෑමේ හැකියාවක් නොලැබේ. ”

කෙසේ වෙතත්, වෛද්‍ය වසන්ත බණ්ඩාර මහතාගේ මෙම විග්‍රහයට ප්‍රතිචාර දක්වමින් ජනාධිපති නීතිඥ මනෝහර ද සිල්වා මහතා විසින් ලිපියක් සම්පාදනය කරමින් පවසා ඇත්තේ මෙම නව ව්‍යවස්ථා කෙටුම්පත 13 සංශෝධනය අකර්මණ්‍ය කිරීම සඳහා ඉදිරිපත් කළ කෙටුම්පතක් බවය.

මෙම කෙටුම්පතේ සමගාමී ලැයිස්තුව ඇතුළත් කර නොතිබීම පිළිබඳව වසන්ත බණ්ඩාර මහතා දක්වන කරුණු පිළිබඳව අදහස් දක්වමින් ඒ මහතා පවන්නේ සමගාමී ලැයිස්තුව වැදගත් වන්නේ ෆෙඩරල් හෝ අර්ධ ෆෙඩරල් රාජ්‍යයකට බවය.

එමෙන්ම පළාත් සභා ලැයිස්තුවේ විෂයන් සම්බන්ධයෙන් හා පළාත් ආණ්ඩුකාරවරයාගේ අනුමැතිය සම්බන්ධයෙන් මෙන්ම ඉඩම් බලතල, පළාත් ප්‍රතිපත්ති හා පළාත් සභාවල මූල්‍ය බලතල සම්බන්ධයෙන් ද වෛද්‍ය වසන්ත බණ්ඩාර මහතා දකවා ඇති කරුණුවලට මෙම ලිපිය මගින් මනෝහර ද සිල්වා මහතා ප්‍රතිචාර දක්වා තිබේ.

අදාළ ලිපිය පහළින්..

අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මාධ්‍ය අංශය

තවමත් පත්වීම් නොලද බහුකාර්ය සංවර්ධන සහායකයින්ට ලබන නොවැම්බර් 15 වෙනිදාට ප්‍රථම අදාල ආයතනවලට පත්වීම් ලබාදෙන්නැයි අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය දිනේෂ් ගුණවර්ධන මහතා රජයේ නිළධාරීන්ට උපදෙස් දුන්නේය.

බහුකාර්ය සංවර්ධන  කාර්ය සාධක බලකා දෙපාර්තමේන්තුවේ කාර්ය සාධනය සහ පත්වීම් ලබාදීම කඩිනම් කිරීම පිළිබඳ සාකච්ඡාවක් අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය දිනේෂ් ගුණවර්ධන මහතාගේ ප්‍රධානත්වයෙන් අද (2023.10.25) අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය කාර්යාලයේදී පැවැත්විණි.

රජයේ බඳවාගැනීම් ක්‍රියාවලිය සමාලෝචනය කිරීම සඳහා අමාත්‍ය මණ්ඩලය පත්කළ නිළ කමිටුව මෙතෙක් ගනු  ලැබූ පියවරයන් සම්බන්ධයෙන් මෙම සාකච්ඡාවේදී වැඩි අවධානයක් යොමුකරනු ලැබීය.

දැනට රාජ්‍ය සේවයේ ප්‍රාථමික සේවා පුරප්පාඩු සඳහා බහු කාර්ය සංවර්ධන සහායකයින් අනුයුක්ත කර පත්වීම් ලබාදීමට උපදෙස් දී ඇතත් තවමත් ඇතැම් අමාත්‍යාංශවල එම පත්වීම් ලබාදීමට කටයුතු කර නොමැත. මේ හේතුවෙන් 4780ක් වන බහු කාර්ය සංවර්ධන සහායකයින් ප්‍රමාණයකට තවමත් පත්වීම් ලබාදීමට නොහැකි වීම සම්බන්ධයෙන් මෙම සාකච්ඡාවේදී අග්‍රාමාත්‍යවරයාගේ දැඩි අවධානය යොමුකෙරිණි.

ඒ අනුව ලබන නොවැම්බර් 15 වෙනිදාට ප්‍රථම තවමත් පත්වීම් නොලද බහුකාර්ය සංවර්ධන සහායකයින්ට  පත්වීම් ලබා දී නියමිත ස්ථානවලට අනුයුක්ත කරන ලෙස අග්‍රාමාත්‍යවරයා   නිළධාරීන්ට උපදෙස් දෙනු ලැබීය.

මෙම අවස්ථාවට රාජ්‍ය අමාත්‍යවරුන් වන ජානක වක්කුඹුර, අශෝක ප්‍රියන්ත, අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය ලේකම් අනුර දිසානායක, අමාත්‍යාංශ ලේකම්වරුන්, ආයතන ප්‍රධානීන් ඇතුළු රාජ්‍ය නිලධාරීන් එක්වූහ.  

අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මාධ්‍ය අංශය 

Prime Minister’s Media Division

China Foundation for Rural Development to assist Sri Lanka

Vice President of China Foundation for Rural Development Liu Wenkui said his Foundation would assist Sri Lanka’s poverty alleviation programme. He gave this assurance when he called on Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena at the Prime Minister’s Office in Colombo today (October 25).

The Prime Minister said China’s success in eradication of poverty, rural upliftment and ensuring food security has been exemplary. I thank China for magnanimous contributions to the efforts of my country as well as other developing nations towards achieving food security,” he said.

He expressed appreciation to President Xi Jinping for the offer of continuous support to Sri Lanka during President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s visit to Beijing last week.

Mr Liu Wenkui said his Foundation has expertise in rural development and it could assist Sri Lanka in its drive to increase rural productivity for the multiple goals of self-sufficiency, upliftment of rural low income families and increase exports.

He said that China Foundation for Rural Development will distribute dry ration packs for primary school children in rural schools in several districts this week.

State Ministers Janaka Wakkumbura, Ahoka Priyantha,  Chinese Ambassador, Qi Zhenhong, Secretary to the Prime Minister, Anura Dissanayake and Director of China Foundation, Zou Zhiqiang were present on this occasion

Ministry of Defence  – Media Centre

The British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka H.E. Andrew Patrick made a call on the State Minister of Defence Hon. Premitha Bandara Tennakoon at his office in Colombo on Tuesday (Oct. 24).

Minister Tennakoon held a cordial discussion with the British High Commissioner after extending a warm reception when he arrived at his office in Colombo in the evening.

Matters of bilateral importance and mutual relevance were discussed during the friendly meeting.

Defence Attaché at the British High Commission in Colombo Colonel Darren Woods was also present at the occasion.

අනුරුද්ධ බණ්ඩාර රණවාරණ මාධ්‍ය ලේකම්, ජාතික නිදහස් පෙරමුණ

අසල්වැසි ලොකු අයියාගේ” සහ ඈත සිටින බටහිර ලොකු අයියාගේ” බලපෑමට, ද්විපාර්ශ්වික ගිවිසුම් පවා කඩ කරන, වැරදිසහගත විදේශ ප්‍රතිපත්තියක සිටින පාලනයකට චීනයෙන් අවශ්‍ය සහයෝගය ලබා ගැනීමට හැකිවේ යැයි තමන් විශ්වාස නොකරන බවත් නමුත් සෘජු විදේශ ප්‍රතිපත්තියක සිට කටයුතු කරන ඉතියෝපියාව, රුවන්ඩාව වැනි අප්‍රිකානු රටවල් පවා චීනයේ එක් තීරයක් සහ එක් මාවතක්” ව්‍යාපෘතිය(BRI) හා බැඳෙමින් විශාල ආර්ථිකමය සහ සමාජමය සංවර්ධනයක් අත්පත් කරගෙන ඇති බවත් උත්තර ලංකා සභාගයේ සභාපති, ජාතික නිදහස් පෙරමුණේ නායක, පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී විමල් වීරවංශ මහතා පෙන්වා දෙයි.

චීනයේ බීජිං නගරයේ පැවති ජාත්‍යන්තර සහයෝගිතාව සඳහා වන 3 වැනි එක් තීරයක් සහ එක් මාවතක් සමුළුවට(The 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation)” සහභාගි වීමෙන් අනතුරුව ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට පැමිණි ඒ මහතා කටුනායක ගුවන්තොටුපොළ පරිශ්‍රයේදී මාධ්‍යවේදීන් නැඟූ ප්‍රශ්නවලට පිළිතුරු දෙමින් එසේ පැවසීය.

ඒ මහතා මාධ්‍යවේදීන් නැඟූ ප්‍රශ්නවලට ලබා දුන් පිළිතුරු මෙසේය.

චීනයේ සංචාරය කළේ කවර අරමුණින් ද?

අපට චීන රජයෙන් ලැබුණු විශේෂ ඇරයුමක් අනුවයි සංචාරය කළේ. ඔබ දන්නවා චීන රජය ජාත්‍යන්තර සහයෝගීතාව සඳහා ඇරැඹූ එක් තීරයක් සහ එක් මාවතක් ව්‍යාපෘතිය(Belt and Road Initiative – BRI)” පිළිබඳව. එම ව්‍යාපෘතිය ශ්‍රී ලංකාව ද රාජ්‍යයක් ලෙස බැඳුණු ව්‍යාපෘතියක්. එම ව්‍යාපෘතියට වසර 10ක් පිරීම වෙනුවෙන් පවත්වනු ලැබූ”ජාත්‍යන්තර සහයෝගිතාව සඳහා වන 3 වැනි එක් තීරයක් සහ එක් මාවතක් සමුළුවට(The 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation)” සමුළුවට සහභාගි වීමටයි අපට ඉහත ඇරයුම ලැබුණේ. දේශපාලන පක්ෂ නායකයෙකු සහ පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රීවරයෙකු ලෙස ලැබුණු එම ඇරයුමෙන් එම සමුළුවට සහභාගී වීමට හා සමුළුවෙන් පරිබාහිරව පැවති යම් යම් අධ්‍යයන ක්‍රියාකාරකම්වලට සම්බන්ධ වීමට මෙහිදී අපට අවස්ථාව ලැබුණා.

මෙම සංචාරය සඳහා ඔබ ජනාධිපතිවරයා සමග එකම ගුවන් යානයක ගමන් ගත් බව කියැවෙනවා…

මම මෙම සංචාරයට යන්නේ කුමන ගුවන්යානයක ද, කියන එක තීරණය කළේ ඊට අනුග්‍රාහකත්වය දැක්වූ රටයි. එකම ගුවන් යානයක මගේ මිතුරන්, සතුරන්, දන්නා අය, නොදන්නා අය සියලුදෙනා ඉන්න පුළුවන්නේ. ඒක මට අදාළ නැහැ. ජනාධිපතිවරයාට ඇරයුම ලැබුණේ BRI ව්‍යාපෘතියට සම්බන්ධ රටක රාජ්‍ය නායකයා ලෙසයි. නමුත් මට මේ ඇරයුම ලැබුණේ වෙනම. ඒ ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ දේශපාලන පක්ෂයක නායකයෙකු ලෙසයි. මෙහිදී අපට අදාළ වැඩසටහන් සහ ජනාධිපතිවරයාට අදාළ වැඩසටහන් වෙන වෙනමයි පැවැත්වුණේ.

මෙම සමුළුව අපේ රටට වැදගත් වෙන්නෙ කොහොමද?

ශ්‍රී ලංකාව පමණක් නොවෙයි පැරණි සේද මාවත(Silk Road) නියෝජනය කරන බොහෝ රටවල් ඉහත කී BRI ව්‍යාපෘතියට සම්බන්ධයි. ඉතියෝපියාව වැනි රටවල් පමණක් නොවෙයි ඇතැම් යුරෝපා රටවල් ද මෙම ව්‍යාපෘතිය හා බැඳී සිටිනවා. මෙම ව්‍යාපෘතිය මගින් සිදු වන්නේ සේද මාවතේ පිහිටි රටවල යටිතල පහසුකම් වැඩි දියුණු කිරීම සහ එම රටවල ජනතාවගේ ජීවන තත්ත්වය ඉතා ඉහළ මට්ටමකට ගෙනඒම. නිදසුනක් ලෙස ඉතියෝපියාව අද එම ජාත්‍යන්තර සහයෝගයේ ප්‍රතිඵල හොඳින් භුක්ති විඳිනවා. මෙම සමුළුවේ ප්‍රධාන සැසිවාරයේදී ඉතියෝපියාව නියෝජනය කරමින් පැමිණි එහි අග්‍රාමාත්‍යවරයා කතාවක් ද සිදු කරනු ලැබුවා. නමුත් කනගාටුයි, එම සමුළුවට සහභාගි වූ ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ ජනාධිපතිවරයාට එම අවස්ථාව ලැබුණේ නැහැ. එම ව්‍යාපෘතිය අරඹා වසර දහයක් සම්පූර්ණ වන මේ අවස්ථාවේ පෙනෙනවා, ව්‍යාපෘතිය හා සම්බන්ධ වූ සියලු රටවල විශාල ආර්ථික වර්ධනයක් සිදුව ඇති බව.

මෙවර සමුළුවෙන් ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට විශේෂ වාසියක් අත් වුණා ද?

මම දන්නා විදිහට මේ සමුළුවෙන් විශේෂ වාසියක් අත්කරගන්න මෙරට රාජ්‍ය නායකයාට හැකියාව ලැබුණේ නැහැ. කොහොමත් මම ගියේ දේශපාලන පක්ෂ නායකයෙකු ලෙසයි.

දැන් බලන්න, චීන රජය සහ අපේ රටේ ‘ජාතික ජලජ සම්පත් පර්යේෂණ සහ සංවර්ධන ආයතනය(NARA) ගිවිසුම්ගත වෙලා තියෙනවා, අපේ සාගර කලාපයේ පත්ල ගවේෂණය කරන්න. ඒ ගිවිසුමට අනුව චීන නාවුක ගවේෂණ යාත්‍රාවක් ඔක්තෝබර් මාසයේ මුලදී පැමිණීමට නියමිතව තිබුණා. නමුත් කිසියම් රටක බලපෑම නිසා ශ්‍රී ලංකා රජය චීන රජයට කිව්වා, ‘මේ නැව එවන එක ප්‍රමාද කරන්න’ කියා. තුන්වැනි පාර්ශ්වයක බලපෑම මත ඒ ආකාරයට ද්විපාර්ශ්වික ගිවිසුමක් කඩ කරන, දියාරු විදේශ ප්‍රතිපත්තියක් අනුගමනය කරන පාලනයකට මම හිතන්නේ නැහැ, ‘චීනය වගේ රටකින් අවශ්‍ය සහයෝගය ලබා ගන්න පුළුවන් වෙයි’ කියලා.

අද ඔබ වැඩිදුරටත් හොයලා බලන්න, නිවැරදි විදේශ ප්‍රතිපත්තියක කෙලින් සිටින නිසා, ඉතියෝපියාව, රුවන්ඩාව ඇතුළු අප්‍රිකාවේ බොහෝ රටවල් ආර්ථිකමය සහ සමාජීය වශයෙන් විශාල දියුණුවක් ලබමින් සිටිනවා. ‘ළඟ ඉන්න ලොකු අයියා’ ඇස් දෙක ලොකු කරගත්තාම, මේ රටේ පාලකයන්ගේ කකුල් දෙක වෙවුලන්න පටන් ගන්නවා. ‘ඈත ඉන්න බටහිර ලොකු අයියා’ ‘පාට් එක’ දමපුවාමත් එයාලගේ කකුල් දෙක වෙවුලන්න පටන් ගන්නවා. එතකොට අපේ රටට සැබෑ මිත්‍රයෝ නැති වෙනවා. මේ ‘ලොකු අයියලා’ මිත්‍රයෝ කියලා හිතුවාට එයාලා බලන්නේ අපෙන් දෙයක් කඩාවඩා ගන්න මිසක් වෙන දෙයක් නෙවෙයි.

නවය; සැඟවුණු කතාව”, ගෝල්ෆේස් අරගලයේ ඇතුළාන්තය පිළිබඳව ලියවුණු විමර්ශනාත්මක කෘතිය චීන බසට පරිවර්තනය කිරීමේ අදහසක් නැද්ද?

දැනට මේ කෘතිය ඉංග්‍රීසි සහ රුසියානු භාෂාවලට පරිවර්තනය වී තිබෙනවා. ඉදිරියේදී තව භාෂා කිහිපයකට පරිවර්තනය කිරීමට බලාපොරොත්තු වෙනවා.

ඔබ මේ සංචාරය නිමවා ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට පැමිණෙන විට මේ ආණ්ඩුව තෙවන වතාවටත් ලයිට් බිල වැඩි කරලා..

මතකයිනේ, ‘ලක් අම්මගෙ දරුවො ටික’ ‘ගාලුමුවදොර අන්තිම සටන’ කරලා රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ බලයට ගෙනාවා. ‘උඹලා මාව බලයට ගෙනවානේ. දැන් මම දෙන්නම් පරිප්පුව’ කියලා එයා දැන් වැඩ පෙන්වනවා. විදුලිබල මණ්ඩලයේ නාස්තිය වළක්වා ගන්න පියවර ගන්නේ නැහැ. මේ විදියට විදුලි බිල දිගින් දිගටම වැඩි කරලා මේ කරන්නේ, විදුලිබල මණ්ඩලය කෑලි හත-අටකට කඩලා විකුණාගන්න, විදුලි පාරිභෝගිකයා එකඟ කරවා ගැනීම. ඒ ‘විකිණීම’ සඳහා ඕන කරන ‘පීඩනයයි’ මේ දෙන්නේ. මේ විදුලි බිල වැඩි කිරීම පිටුපස තිබෙන කථාව මෙයයි.

සෞඛ්‍ය ඇමති ඔළු මාරුවෙන්” සෞඛ්‍ය ක්ෂේත්‍රයේ ප්‍රශ්න විසඳේවි ද?

මේ ගැන හිටපු සෞඛ්‍ය ඇමතිවරයාට එරෙහිව පැවති විශ්වාසභංගය පිළිබඳ විවාදයේදිත් මම කිව්වා, ‘අපට කෙහෙළිය රඹුක්වැල්ල 01 යවලා, කෙහෙළිය රඹුක්වැල්ල 02 ගෙනඑන්න පුළුවන්. එයාවත් යවලා කෙහෙළිය රඹුක්වැල්ල 03 ගෙන එන්නත් පුළුවන්. එහෙම කළා කියලා සෞඛ්‍ය ක්ෂේත්‍රයේ අර්බුදය විසඳෙන්නේ නැහැ’ කියා. දැන් ‘රාජිත සේනාරත්න 01’ යවලා ‘රාජිත සේනාරත්න 02’ ගෙනාවානේ. රාජිත සේනාරත්න 02 කියන්නේ කෙහෙළිය රඹුක්වැල්ලටනෙ. ඔය කියන ඔළු මාරුවලින් පමණක් මේ රටේ සෞඛ්‍ය ක්ෂේත්‍රයේ ගැඹුරු පරිවර්තනයක් කරන්න පුළුවන් වෙයි, කියා මම විශ්වාස කරන්නේ නැහැ.

ඊශ්‍රායල – පලස්තීන ගැටුම අපේ රටට කරන බලපෑම කෙබඳු ද?

ලෝකයේ සෑම තැනකම සිදු වන තීරණාත්මක දේවල් අපටත් බලපානවා. ලෝක තෙල් මිල ඉහළ යෑමෙන් සිදුවන බලපෑම, විදේශ රැකියා අහිමි වන පිරිසගේ ප්‍රේෂණ අහිමි වීමෙන් සිදු වන බලපෑම ආදිය නිසා අපට විශාල කුණාටුසහගත අනාගතයකට ඉදිරියේ දී මුහුණ දීමට සිදු වේවි.

රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ ජනාධිපතිවරයා ඊශ්‍රායල – පලස්තීන ගැටුම සම්බන්ධයෙන් දක්වන ස්ථාවරය ගැන ඔබ දකින්නේ කෙසේද?

මට නම් පෙනෙන්නේ ජනාධිපතිවරයා ‘මම ඊශ්‍රායලයටත් නැහැ – පලස්තීනයටත් නැහැ’ වගේ ස්ථාවරයක ඉන්න බවයි. නමුත් යුද ගැටුමක් පවතින විට ‘මම දෙපැත්තටම නැහැ’ වගේ දියාරු ප්‍රතිපත්තියක් අනුගමනය කරන්න බැහැ.

දැන් බලන්න, මුල් රාජ්‍යය පලස්තීනයයි. නමුත් ඊශ්‍රායලය කියන්නේ පසුව එතැන බ්‍රිතාන්‍ය අධිරාජ්‍යවාදීන් කෘත්‍රිමව හදපු රාජ්‍යය. මෙතැන ‘දෙමළ ඊළම’ හැදුවා නම් අපිත් පලස්තීනයේ ඉරණමටම ලක් වෙනවා. කෙසේ වුවත් මෙහිදී ඓතිහාසික අසාධාරණය සිදු වී ඇත්තේ පලස්තීනයටයි. ඒ ඓතිහාසික අසාධාරණය නිවැරදි කරන ලෝකයක් නොවෙයි අද බලවත්ව ඉන්නේ. පලස්තීනය සම්පූර්ණයෙන් ලෝක සිතියමෙන් අතුගාලා දමලා ‘යුදෙව් ඊශ්‍රායලය’ බලසම්පන්න කිරීමේ බල මෙහෙයුමක් තමයි අද ලෝකයේ ක්‍රියාත්මක වෙන්නේ.

නමුත් හමාස් සංවිධානයට නේද යුද ගැටුමේදී වැඩි චෝදනා එල්ල වෙන්නේ…

මෙවර යුද ගැටුම ආරම්භ කළේ හමාස් සංවිධානයනෙ. නමුත් හමාස් සංවිධානය කියන්නේ මුලින් ඊශ්‍රායල ඔත්තු සේවාව වන ‘මොසාඩ්’ විසින් මුදල් වියදම් කරලා හදපු එකක්. ‘මොසාඩ්’ හදපු ‘හමාස්’ දැන් එයාලාටම පාලනය කරගන්න බැරි වෙලා තියෙනවා. එදා යසර් අර්පත්ගේ පලස්තීන විමුක්ති හමුදාවට එරෙහිව මොසාඩ් එක තමයි හමාස් හැදුවේ. දැන් තමන් ‘කිරි පොවලා හදපු’ හමාස් එක තමන්ටම ගහනකොට ඒක අපිට කියලා වැඩක් නැහැ. හදපු අය ඒක බලාගන්න ඕනේ”

by Manasee Weerathunga Courtesy MONGABAY

• After 20 years of research, the Sugarcane Research Institute (SRI) of Sri Lanka has introduced four new varieties with improved sugar recovery percentages, cane yield and disease resistance.
• An interactive mobile app called Uksaviya has been introduced to assist sugar cane farmers in disease identification, cultivation advice and access to the latest knowledge.
• An institutional business framework too has been developed linking researchers and industry to improve collaboration, precision, and commercialization of cutting-edge research.
• With Sri Lanka’s agriculture hit by multiple issues, SRI’s efforts offer some hope.

COLOMBO — Sri Lanka is a nation where agriculture is a pivotal factor of the country’s economy. However, the past two years were bleak for the agriculture sector following the government’s agrochemical importation ban in April 2021, triggering a severe economic and food crisis. Although the financial nosedive also impacted scientific research and development, Sri Lankan agronomists have been working to improve the situation and restore agriculture.

Bringing such efforts to fruition, agronomists at the Sri Lanka Sugarcane Research Institute (SRI) presented a sweet treat to the nation in July 2023. They introduced four new improved cultivars of sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum) along with some technological and policy innovations linking researchers, farmers, and industry. Working in a highly challenging environment, researchers at SRI developed these new sugar cane varieties that promise increased productivity, offering some hope. The new varieties were created through crossbreeding in field experiments.

Sweetening the pot for farmers, they also developed an app called Uksaviya (translating to strength of sugar cane”). The first of its kind to be introduced by an agricultural research institute in Sri Lanka, the app can help farmers identify diseases and apply effective cultivation methods and find relevant current study results. The institute has been catering to technological and technical requirements of the industry since 1981.

Established as a commercial cultivation in the late 1950s, sugar cane is a multipurpose crop, mainly used for sugar, ethanol, and biofuel production in Sri Lanka. However, only 15% of the national sugar requirement is fulfilled by local production, compelling the country to import sugar at a high cost. SRI’s crop physiology experts and sugar manufacturers say that a major hurdle is the sugar recovery percentage of the sugar cane variety routinely grown in Sri Lanka being as low as 6-8%, according to SRI data. Comparatively, varieties grown in top sugar cane-growing countries have a sugar recovery percentage as high as 15%.

Low recovery percentage

Narrowing this gap, the four newly introduced varieties have an improved sugar recovery percentage of about 10-13%, according to SRI data.

Gamini Ratnayake, chief executive officer of Ethimale Plantation Private Ltd., a leading sugar factory in the country, told Mongabay that improved sugar recovery percentage is a major achievement the industry has been seeking in cultivars. As farmers get paid for the weight of cane harvested, they mostly prefer varieties that give a higher cane yield.

However, the low sugar recovery percentage of currently grown varieties makes it less profitable for the factories. Ratnayake says the new varieties having improved sugar recovery with high cane yield is a step toward a win-win for both sugar cane growers and sugar manufacturers.

These new varieties increase the productivity of the country’s sugar cane cultivation on several levels,” said Janendra De Costa, crop physiologist and a professor of crop science at the University of Peradeniya, who was not involved in the research. The new varieties have better ratoonability, the agricultural practice of having two harvests during one cropping season, allowing farmers to re-grow crops from the stubble remaining after harvesting the first.

Three out of the four varieties have high productivity under rainfed conditions, suggesting their improved drought tolerance. These are features that would improve cost efficiency for farmers in terms of replanting and irrigation, Costa told Mongabay.

Bringing these improved varieties into light was a lengthy process. Malika Perera, head of the crop improvements section at SRI, said it usually takes more than 15 years to introduce a new sugar cane variety to the market, given the long life cycle of sugar cane and the rigorous testing procedures done in their field and on factory performance for disease resistance. The four new varieties are the result of experiments since 2003.

Perera, a senior scientist in Udawalawa, in Sri Lanka’s deep south, told Mongabay: The onset of COVID-19 and the economic crisis that followed presented challenges with industry testing, travel restrictions and manpower shortages. Nevertheless, with the resources and expertise available to us, we are continuing our research on testing new cultivars, with more varieties lined up to be introduced soon, which we hope to recommend to other sugar cane-growing countries in the region as well.”

High level of disease resistance

These varieties also promise resistance to sugar cane smut disease and leaf scald disease and tolerance to white leaf disease, experts say. Sumedha Thushari, a pathologist at SRI’s division of crop protection said: It is a tricky procedure to isolate varieties which are both disease tolerant and high yielding. Introducing varieties in that sweet spot is a collaborative effort of all research divisions and the industry.”

Thushari, who is currently working on a Ph.D. in sugar cane pathology, said that according to ongoing research, there is a possibility of introducing resistant varieties in the future by selectively breeding from resistant parental varieties.

Meanwhile, the new app, Uksaviya, was designed to aid farmers in identification and management of common diseases. Its creator, Lahiru Kumarasiri, is a young scientist, enthusiastic about amalgamating agriculture with the latest trends in information technology, and Uksaviya is the outcome of the work-from-home period of 2021.

This mobile app involves the development of an expert system for disease and nutrient deficiency detection based on expert knowledge of experienced farmers as well as subject specialists,” Kumarasiri told Mongabay. That expert system is integrated into a software, which can reason and diagnose diseases and nutrient deficiencies. This way, the knowledge and reasoning ability limited to only a few becomes available to a wider audience at their fingertips,” he said.

Uksaviya also includes advice on land preparation, cultivation methods, fertilization, and sugar cane-based products, as well as the latest research findings. Lahiru said Uksaviya mainly targets the young generation of farmers. He said he believes that at a time when most young farmers are abandoning sugar cane cultivation and seeking other professions, integrating these kinds of modern technologies into their farming culture would encourage them to remain in the industry and reap the benefits of the latest findings through efficient knowledge exchange.

Applying new methods

Thilanka Ariyawansha, a member of the research team, is keen to apply new methods to achieve maximum benefits out of the research effort. Having recently completed his Ph.D. at the University of Tsukuba, Japan, Ariyawansha was inspired to adapt the research policies he absorbed while in Japan.

He got an ideal opportunity to execute that vision when the National Innovation Agency (NIA) collaborated with SRI to restructure its research policy.

Ariyawansha told Mongabay: We created a business link with a framework where the sugar cane industry can request research that they find necessary. Institutional researchers can combine their ideas and expertise with those requests and carry out precise research that solves existing problems.”

Ariyawansha said this facilitates institutional researchers to propose their research ideas to the industry and assess its commercial relevance. This improves precision of research while ensuring the proper distribution of benefits among all parties involved in the research and the protection of intellectual property rights. Further, resources could be allocated for research with pressing industrial needs while researchers also get commercial benefits for their work.

Vindya Wijesinghe, a senior innovations officer for tech transfer at the NIA said, Implementing frameworks of this sort completes the triple helix of technology transfer in Sri Lanka — universities, research institutes and industry. Through this, research and technology generated in universities and research institutes is seamlessly transferred to the industry.”

We have a strong team of researchers, who are enthusiastic and committed to make a change in Sri Lankan agriculture, despite the limited resources and being based in remote Udawalawa” said M.S. Perera, the director at SRI.

Banner image: A farmer holding freshly harvested sugarcane in his hands. Image courtesy of the Sugarcane Research Institute, Sri Lanka.

Author Manasee Weerathunga is a Sri Lankan freelance science journalist, currently pursuing her Ph.D. in the Department of Biology, University of Florida. Manasee is enthusiastic about topics related to diversity, inclusivity, equity and accessibility in science and research in the Global South.

Citations:

Cursi, D.E., Hoffmann, H.P., Barbosa, G.V.S. et al. History and Current Status of Sugarcane Breeding, Germplasm Development and Molecular Genetics in Brazil. SugarTech 24, 112–133 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12355-021-00951-1

C.S. Weeraratna and P.A. Weerasinghe (2011). Agriculture of Sri Lanka. Dehiwala: C.S. Weeraratna. pp. 9–10

Deegala, D.M.B.M., Abeysingha, N.S., Muthuwatta, L.P. et al. Sustainable Growing Areas for Sugarcane in Sri Lanka Under a Changing Climate. SugarTech 24, 1801–1813 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12355-022-01155-x

https://news.mongabay.com/2023/10/amid-socioeconomic-slump-new-sugar-cane-varieties-offer-hope-in-sri-lanka/