CHAPA නිදහස්

අරුණ ලක්සිරි උණවටුන B.Sc(Col), PGDC(Col) නීතීඥ,සමායෝජක, වෛද්‍ය තිලක පද්මා සුබසිංහ අනුස්මරණ නීති අධ්‍යාපන වැඩසටහන. 

ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ වැරදි ඉංග්‍රීසි භාෂා පරිවර්තනය යොදා ගෙන ජනතාවගේ පරමාධිපත්‍යය අත්හැරවූ, අහිමිකළ නීතියේ බලවතුන්ට එරෙහිව ජනාධිපතිතුමා නීතිය ක්‍රියාත්මක කරයිද?

1. ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ 83වන ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ (ආ) ඡේදය සිංහල භාෂා පාඨය නිවැරදිව ඉංග්‍රීසි භාෂාවට පරිවර්තනය වී නැත. (83.b)

2. එනම් එහි ඉංග්‍රීසි භාෂා පරිවර්තනය මගින් ජනාධිපති ධූරකාලය හෝ පාර්ලිමේන්තුව පවත්නා කාලය වසර 6කට වඩා අඩු කිරීමට ජනමතවිචාරණයක් පැවැත්වීම වළක්වා ඇති නමුත් එහි වලංගු සිංහල භාෂා පාඨය මගින් ජනාධිපති ධූරකාලය හෝ පාර්ලිමේන්තුව පවත්නා කාලය වසර 6කට වඩා අඩු කිරීමටද හෝ වැඩිකිරීමටද ජනමතවිචාරණයක් පැවැත්වීමට නියම කර ඇත.

3. ඉංග්‍රීසි භාෂා පරිවර්තන පාඨය මගින් ජනාධිපති ධූරකාලය හෝ පාර්ලිමේන්තුව පවත්නා කාලය වසර 6කට වඩා අඩු කිරීමට ගෙනෙන ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථා සංශෝධනයකදී ජනතාවගේ ජනමතවිචාරණ ඡන්ද බලය අත්හැරවා,
අහිමි කරවා ඇත.

4. එකී ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ 83වන ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ (ආ) ඡේදයේ වැරදි ඉංග්‍රීසි භාෂා පරිවර්තනය නිවැරදි කරන ලෙස නීතීඥවරුන් 200ක් පමණ සහ පුරවැසියන් මේ වනවිට ගරු ජනාධිපතිතුමාගෙන් ඉල්ලීමට අත්සන් කර ඇත.

5. ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ 83වන ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ (ආ) ඡේදයේ වැරදියට පරිවර්තනය කර ඇති ඉංග්‍රීසි භාෂා පාඨය වැරදියට යොදාගෙන/ අවභාවිත කර, ජනතාව නොමඟ යවා නීතියේ බලවතුන් කිහිප දෙනෙකු විසින් ජනාධිපති ධූර කාලය සහ පාර්ලිමේන්තුව පවත්නා කාලය වසර 6කට වඩා අඩුකරගෙන ඇත.

6. ජනතාවගේ පරමාධිපත්‍යයේ අංගයක් වන ජනමතවිචාරණ ඡන්ද බලය වැරදි ඉංග්‍රීසි පරිවර්තනය අවභාවිතා කරමින් ජනතාවගේ පරමාධිපත්‍යය (ජනමතවිචාරණ ඡන්ද බලය) අත්හැරවූ සහ අහිමි කළ අයට එරෙහිව තරාතිරම නොබලා නීතිය ක්‍රියාත්මක කර ද‍ඬුවම් කළ යුතුය.

7. ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ 83වන ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ (ආ) ඡේදයේ ඉංග්‍රීසි භාෂා පරිවර්තනය නිවැරදි කරන ලෙස නීතීඥවරුන් සහ පුරවැසියන් විසින් ගරු ජනාධිපතිතුමා වෙත කරන ඉල්ලීම එතුමා වෙත ලැබීමෙන් පසු  ජනතාවගේ පරමාධිපත්‍යයේ අංගයක් වන ජනමතවිචාරණ ඡන්ද බලය වැරදි ඉංග්‍රීසි පරිවර්තනය අවභාවිතා කරමින් අත්හැරවූ සහ අහිමි කළ අයට එරෙහිව එතුමා ගන්නා ක්‍රියාමාර්ග පිළිබඳ යුක්තිය අගයන ජනතාව අවධානයෙනි.

http://neethiyalk.blogspot.com/2025/07/blog-post_18.html?m=1

අරුණ ලක්සිරි උණවටුන
B.Sc(Col), PGDC(Col) නීතීඥ,
සමායෝජක, වෛද්‍ය තිලක පද්මා සුබසිංහ අනුස්මරණ නීති අධ්‍යාපන වැඩසටහන. දුරකථන 0712063394   
(2025.07.18)

උපුටා ගැන්ම  ලංකා ලීඩර්

ප්‍රතිසංස්කරණ වැනි ඉතාමත් භාර්යදූර ලොකු වැඩ කිරීමට තරම් දැනුමක් හෝ කුසලතාවක් ඇති පිරිසක් මාලිමා ආණ්ඩුවේ නැති බව ඔවුන් තේරුම්ගත යුතු යැයි එක්සත් ජනරජ පෙරමුණේ නායක පාඨලී චම්පික රණවක මහතා කොළඹදී ඊයේ (18දා) මාධ්‍ය හමුවක් කැඳවමින් පැවසීය.

බලයට ඒමට පෙර විශ්වකෝෂ මෙන් මේ අය පෙන්නුවට ඔවුන් කොතරම් කුඩා පිරිසක් ද යන්න දැන් සමාජයට පෙනෙනවා” යැයි ද රණවක මහතා කීවේය. ඔහු මෙසේ ද පැවසීය.

අධ්‍යාපන ප්‍රතිසංස්කරණය යටතේ සා.පෙළට ප්‍රධාන විෂයන් 5ක් නම් කරලා අතුරු විෂයන් දෙකක් අඳුනගන්න පුළුවන් කියලා ඉතිහාසය, දෙවන බස, කලා විෂයන් එක ගොඩකට දාල තියෙනවා. එතන තාක්‍ෂණික විෂයනුත් තියෙනවා. ආණ්ඩුව මේ කරලා තියෙන්නේ හොඳ පුරවැසියා බිහිකිරීමේ වගකීමෙන් නිදහස් වෙලා වෙළෙඳපොළට අවශ්‍ය සිසුවෙක් බිහිකිරීමයි. හොඳටම පැහැදිලියි දරුවෝ රැකියාවලට අදාළ දේවල් තෝරාගන්නවා මිසක් ඉතිහාසය වැනි විෂයන් තෝරා ගන්නේ නැති බව. ඒ නිසා තමයි ඉතිහාසය වැනි විෂයන් වෙළෙඳපොළට තීරණය කරන්න දෙන නව ලිබරල්වාදී ප්‍රතිපත්තියේ යන්නේ නැතිව අධ්‍යාපන වගකීමක් හැටියට භාරගන්න කියලා බොහෝ දෙනා ආණ්ඩුවට කියන්නේ. විදේශ ආධාර ගත්තට කමක් නැහැ අධ්‍යාපනය වෙනුවෙන්. නමුත් අධ්‍යාපනයේ හර පද්ධතීන් මේ විදියට හෑල්ලු කරන්න අනුරගේ ආණ්ඩුව ක්‍රියාත්මක කිරීම ඔවුන්ගේ පොරොන්දුවලටම එරෙහිවීමක්. ඒ වගේම රටේ අනාගතය සම්පූර්ණයෙන්ම විනාශ කර හරයක් නැති තාක්‍ෂණික රොබෝවරුන් පිරිසක් බිහිකිරීමක්.

මෙයාල තේරුම් ගන්න ඕන මෙයාලට ලොකු ව්‍යාපෘති කරන්න බැරි බව. ඔවුන්ගේ සීමාව ඔවුන් මතක තබාගත යුතුයි. ලුණු සංස්ථාවත් කරන්න බැරි ආණ්ඩුවක්, කුඩා කර්මාන්තයක් කරන්න බැරි ආණ්ඩුවක්, අධ්‍යාපන ප්‍රතිසංස්කරණ වගේ ලොකු වැඩ කරන්නේ කොහොමද. ඒ නිසා තමන්ට කරන්න බැරි ප්‍රතිසංස්කරණ කරන්නේ නැතිව අධ්‍යාපනයට ඔහොම ඉන්න දෙන්න. ඔයාලට මේක කරන්න බෑ. ඒක මතක තියාගන්න. ඔයාලට කරන්න පුළුවන් වැඩ තෝරගෙන කරන්න.

– දිවයින

උපුටා ගැන්ම  ලංකා ලීඩර්

වර්තමාන රජය අමාත්‍යංශ විසි ගණනකට සීමා කිරීම නිසා බුද්ධ ශාසන කටයුතු පිළිබඳ අමාත්‍යංශයක් දැන් නොමැති බවත්, සංස්කෘතික අමාත්‍යංශය යටතේ සියල්ල පවතින බවත් බුද්ධශාසන, ආගමික සහ සංස්කෘතික කටයුතු අමාත්‍ය සුනිල් සෙනෙවි මහතා පවසයි.

වීඩියෝව නරඹන්න..

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Maathalan – (මාතලන්)

Udaya Gammanpila

Balangoda Kassapa The

Shenali D Waduge

This critique is based on a close examination of the official Sri Lanka Education Reforms document (2025–2029) and reveals a stark reality: history is not taught as a standalone, mandatory subject in Grades 1 to 5 under the new curriculum. Instead, historical content is superficially scattered and diluted within other subjects, leaving our children disconnected from their roots, unaware of their proud past, and ill-prepared to embrace the legacy of their nation. At a time when threats to Sri Lanka’s sovereignty and cultural identity loom large, this neglect by the Education Ministry is not merely an oversight — it is an intentional failure that risks producing generations without a sense of national pride or purpose. Those responsible for preparing these reforms must be held accountable and removed forthwith.

Education Reforms Sri Lanka PPT for 2025.07.11 for Parliament new

1. History is split across numerous other subjects but is — Not a Separate Subject

Unlike in other countries that take great pains to cultivate patriotism and national pride from the earliest grades, Sri Lankan primary education deliberately does not include history as a distinct, standalone subject.

Instead, the syllabus includes occasional historical themes into Environmental Related Activities (ERA), Religion and Value Education, and Co-Curricular Activities.

This approach results in a watered-down, fragmented collection of moral stories, folk tales, and cultural anecdotes rather than a structured, chronological & coherent education on the nation’s past.

There is no systematic teaching of the achievements of our ancient kings, the significance of our capitals, or the heroic sacrifices made by our ancestors and armed forces.

• The fake Integration” (blending aspects of history within other subjects) approach dilutes national consciousness

By scattering historical lessons across unrelated subjects, the curriculum hides the spine of our civilization behind vague, disconnected content.

• ERA lessons might briefly mention national symbols or local heroes without context.
• Religion and Value Education may focus on moral stories that lack the political and cultural narratives that forge national identity.
• Co-curricular activities may touch on cultural heritage but cannot substitute for rigorous history education.
• All will depend on the teacher!

This disjointed method leaves children without a clear timeline, without a sense of continuity, and without awareness of their collective identity — a vital foundation for nationalism.

• No emphasis on Civilizational Pride, Sovereignty, or Armed Forces

The curriculum fails to teach children that they are descendants of a proud civilization which pioneered vast irrigation works found nowhere else in the world, held world-first Buddhist councils, and established one of the oldest democracies in human history.

As archaeological findings unearth more fascinating history, all this is being intentionally hidden from the child.

Moreover, it omits the glory and sacrifices of the Sri Lankan armed forces in defeating terrorism and protecting sovereignty & the unitary status of Sri Lanka & the Buddha Sasana. There is no effort to foster respect for those who fought to keep the nation free and united.

Without this knowledge, Sri Lankan children grow up unaware of their heritage, vulnerable to foreign ideological influences, and unable to appreciate the true meaning of patriotism.

• Teachers are not equipped to build National Identity

Most primary school teachers have no formal training in patriotic storytelling of Sri Lanka’s history and heroes. The curriculum provides no clear guidelines or materials to support this.
Even religious education, which could be a vehicle for transmitting national heritage, is often taught in a purely ritualistic way, detached from its historical and cultural significance.
As a result, the intentions spelled out in policy documents do not translate into practice in classrooms across the country.

• The Education Ministry and Foreign-Influenced Curriculum designers are doing Great Wrong

The responsibility for this educational failure lies squarely with the Education Ministry and the curriculum architects — many influenced by foreign ideologies and globalist agendas, supported by foreign funding — who have designed and promoted a syllabus that weakens national identity instead of strengthening it.

Despite clear and ongoing threats to Sri Lanka’s sovereignty, cultural integrity, and security, these decision-makers have chosen to obscure, dilute, or omit the history that could inspire pride and resilience in our youth.

This is a grave disservice to the nation and a betrayal of tomorrow’s children, who deserve to grow rooted in their heritage and prepared to defend their country.

The public has been fed misleading claims that history and national values are being taught effectively in primary grades. The truth is far from it.

The Urgent Case for Making History a Mandatory, Standalone Subject from Grade 1

Beyond the above failures, the Education Ministry’s neglect harms the nation in deeper ways:

• Building Critical Thinking and National Awareness Early:History education teaches children to think critically about their past, society, and identity. Without it, they are vulnerable to misinformation and ideological manipulation. The reformers’ failure leaves youth unprepared to engage meaningfully with national issues.
• Combating Ethnic, Religious, and Regional Divides:Honest and inclusive history education fosters respect among communities and strengthens social cohesion. Diluted narratives risk breeding division, something our nation cannot afford.
• Protecting National Sovereignty Against External Influence:In a world of geopolitical pressures, grounding youth in their country’s history and values is a strategic necessity. The current curriculum weakens this defense, inviting foreign ideological influence.
• Inspiring Future Leadership and Service:Learning about national heroes and sacrifices inspires youth to contribute to society and defend the nation. Neglecting history denies them these vital role models.
• Aligning with Global Educational Best Practices:Countries that succeed in nation-building teach history from early grades. Sri Lanka must follow suit to maintain cultural pride and global standing.
• Responding to Public Concerns:Many parents and citizens demand their children learn authentic history. Ignoring this widens the trust gap between society and the education system.

International examples show Sri Lanka’s failure in context

Many nations deliberately begin history education early to build a strong sense of identity, pride, and loyalty:

• Chinateaches children about their ancient civilization, dynasties, and sacrifices for unity and sovereignty.
• Indiabegins with lessons on freedom struggles, ancient kingdoms, and national heroes from Grade 1.
• Japanembeds respect for imperial history and cultural heritage early.
• The USAemphasizes founding fathers, military valor, and national symbols from early schooling.
• Israelteaches Jewish history, struggles, state founding, and defense forces valor to nurture resilience.
• Russiapromotes its historical legacy and military achievements as foundational youth knowledge.

These countries understand the urgent need to root children in their heritage to create proud, resilient citizens ready to defend their nation.

Demand immediate Reform of the Reforms — History must be Mandatory and Standalone from Grade 1

Sri Lanka’s future depends on generations who know their history, honor their armed forces, and embrace their cultural roots.

The current Grades 1–5 curriculum leaves children rootless and unprepared — a catastrophic failure orchestrated by those entrusted with our nation’s education. Is this the true intention of the reformers and the government?

It is imperative to demand that history be introduced as a standalone, mandatory subject from Grade 1, taught with clarity, pride, and rigor.

Teachers must be properly trained and equipped to transmit our national story and instill a resilient patriotism. We cannot allow teachers to be more ignorant than the children they educate.

The citizens of Sri Lanka must not allow these reforms to proceed without this fundamental change. Only by restoring history to its rightful place in early education can we safeguard our nation’s heritage and secure a proud future for our children.

The Education Minister must stop bluffing the people and acknowledge this dangerous neglect of national heritage.

Shenali D Waduge

Shenali D Waduge

Education Reforms Sri Lanka PPT for 2025.07.11 for Parliament new

Part 1: https://www.shenaliwaduge.com/grades-1-5-without-history-the-education-ministrys-dangerous-neglect-of-national-heritage/?fbclid=IwY2xjawLnV1FleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHgI7pjLf_ZA6Hip-ksXgqxj7rkZmiD4C36A3m8IKQfR45exGaFMIOmckdUa5_aem_WcH1lDC60YFIJMy8dVS9Xw

The Education Ministry’s so-called inclusion of History from Grade 6 onwards is nothing more than a sham reform — a carefully disguised tactic to continue keeping our children disconnected from their roots and national identity. The Education Ministry’s decision to omit History as a standalone subject from Grades 1 to 5 is not a small technical oversight — it is an assault on the foundational identity of our children. The most critical years of mental development — ages 0 to 10 — are when a child’s subconscious is formed, values absorbed, and loyalties shaped. These are the years when a child begins to ask: Who am I? Where do I come from? What should I be proud of? And yet, the curriculum withholds these answers. This is like refusing to tell a child who their parents are until they are ten years old — by which point, the emotional and cognitive foundations are already filled by outside influences: pop culture, digital entertainment, and foreign values. Worse still, when History is finally introduced from Grade 6, it is done in a disjointed, fragmented, exam-oriented manner.

Decades of research in child psychology show that the early years are critical for identity formation. Without early exposure to one’s own history and heritage, children’s values become shaped by external narratives — often conflicting with national pride

The way History is assessed—from Grades 6 through 11—emphasizes memorization, map skills, and exam technique rather than deep understanding or emotional connection. The credit and marking system prioritizes factual recall over reflection, critical thinking, or fostering national pride.

Since History is not weighted as heavily as core subjects like Mathematics or Science in overall academic performance, many students and parents treat it as a secondary subject. This results in minimal engagement and enthusiasm, reducing History to just one more hurdle to clear for certification rather than a vital source of identity.

Consequently, generations of students memorize names and dates to pass exams but fail to internalize the spirit, lessons, or meaning of their history.

There is no clear national narrative, no emotional connection, and no structured pride. The syllabus jumps between periods, treats national heroes and invasions with moral equivalence, and does not connect past struggles with present duties. Instead of producing rooted, resilient citizens, we are producing students trained to pass exams — not to love, defend, or understand their country.

The damage these Reformers are doing

This is not merely incompetence. It is a subtle but strategic re-engineering of national identity. Who are these reformers? Are they paid to ruin our future children?

Those behind these reforms — often funded or influenced by foreign NGOs, UN bodies, and liberal globalist ideologies— are methodically weakening the roots of the next generation. By:

• Removing structured History when it matters most (early childhood)
• Teaching a disjointed, neutral version later
• Erasing or downplaying Sinhala-Buddhist civilizational pride
• Ignoring the heroism of our armed forces
• Promoting global citizenship” without anchoring it in national belonging

They are shaping a generation that is rootless, defenseless, and appeasers — a generation that won’t recognize threats to its sovereignty, won’t question anti-national narratives, and won’t feel compelled to preserve its cultural or religious values.

This is how civilizations fall — not by war or invasion, but by forgetting who they are. In this case being taught to forget who they are.

The Long-Term Damage

• A child without national history grows into an adult with no inner compass.
• A nation without historical literacy becomes easy prey for external ideological occupation.
• Without historical grounding, we will not only forget our past — we will forfeit our future.

Call to Action

We must immediately demand that:

• History be made a mandatory standalone subject from Grade 1
• History be taught with pride, purpose, and passion — not as dull fact-memorization
• Teachers be trained not just to instruct, but to inspire
• The role of religion, armed forces, and civilizational legacy be rightfully restored in the curriculum
• A National Heritage Curriculum Board be established to review and approve all content affecting our national memory
• Citizens — parents, clergy, teachers, veterans — mobilize against this silent sabotage of our children’s identity

Let us be clear: the battle for Sri Lanka’s sovereignty now lies in its classrooms.

If we do not reform these reforms, our children will grow up knowing everything — except who they are.

Shenali D Waduge

රජිත් කීර්ති තෙන්නකෝන්

ලංකාවේ බහුතරය හදවතින් ‘වාම කඳවුරේ’ ය. රට ගොඩ නැගිය හැක්කේ ‘වම’ට බව ඔවුහු  සිතති. කියති. ලියති. තර්ක කරති. අසන-දකින-බලන අය ‘වම’ ට විසිල් ගසති. ලංකාවේ ඡන්ද සමයට අටවා ගන්නා ‘වාම කුඩාරමක් මිස’ වාම ව්‍යාපාරයක් දැන් නැත. ලංකාවේ ඇත්තේ ‘රැසියන් නවකතා පාඨක සමාජයකි’. බණ්ඩාරනායක, සිරිමා,ඇන්.එම්., පිලිප්, කේනමන්, චන්ද්‍රිකා, මහින්ද, සෝමවංශ, පමණක් නොව ජේ.ආර්.ජයවර්ධන පවා ‘වාම සංකල්පය’ මේ රැසියන් කතා පාඨක සමාජයට අලෙවි කළේය.

සෙමෙන් නමුත් ස්ථිර ලෙසම නැවතත් ආර්ථික අර්බුදයකට යමින් තිබෙන රට,  ගොඩ ගත හැක්කේ ‘වම’ ට ද? දකුණට ද? යන සංවාදය ආරම්භ වී ඇත. ලංකා දේශපාලනයේ මහා සම්ප්‍රදාය වූ ‘දකුණට බැට දීමට’ වමේ හණ මිටියට කර ගහන පිරිස් බලය උදෙසාම මේ වම – දකුණ සංවාදය පාවිච්චි කරන්නේ ය. ‍ ලංකාවේ ‘වම’ සහ ‘දකුණ’ අතර ඇත්තේ පට්ටපල් දේශපාලන මිත්‍යාවකි.  ‘වම’ ප්‍රතිශිලී යැයි ද, ‘දකුණ’ සූරා කන්නේ යැයි ද මතයක් ඇත. මේ මතය ‘රැසියන් කතා පාඨක සමාජයේ’ ම නිර්මාණයකි.

1947 මහා මැතිවරණය ජයගත්තේ ලංකා දේශපාලනයේ මහා සම්ප්‍රදාය වූ ‘දකුණු’ කඳවුර හෙවත් ප්‍රභූ දේශපාලනය යි.  එයට දකුණේ ද, උතුරේ ද ලංකා ජාතික සභාව නායකත්වය ලබාදුන් අතර එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂය හා උතුරේ කුලවත් ප්‍රභු කණ්ඩායම් ය.

1952 දී එජාපයෙන් බලය බිඳීම සඳහා ‘වාම ලේබලය’ අලවා ගැනීමට දකු‍ණු කඳවුරේම පිරිසක් කටයුතු කළේය.   ධනවාදයේ හෙවත් ‘දකුණු’ කඳවුරේ ‘වතිකානුව’, ඔක්ස්ෆර්ඩ් විශ්වවිද්‍යාලයයි. ඔක්ස්ෆර්ඩ් ගිය බණ්ඩාරනායක 1956 ‘වම’ එකතු කරන මුවාවෙන් දැවැත්ත ප්‍රචාරක ව්‍යාපාරයක් ඇරඹීය. රැසියන් පාඨක සමාජය ධනපති බණ්ඩාටත් වම යැයි සිතා  රැවටුණේය.   

එජාපයේ බලය බිඳින්නට පාඨක සමාජය එක් කොට ගත හැකි කොඩිය ලෙස ‘වාම ලේබලය’ අටවා ගත්තේය. චූල සම්ප්‍රදායේ දේශපාලන කඳවුරට පොදු හතුරෙකු අවශ්‍ය විය.  ඒ පොදු සතුරාගේ නාම කරනය ‘දකුණ’ ය.  

1960 මාර්තු මහා මැතිවරණයෙන් ‘දකුණ’ හෙවත් එජාප ය ජයගත්තේය.  බණ්ඩාරනායක ද, සමසමාජ, කොමියුනිස්ට් ඇතුළු ‘වම’ එක කඳවුරකට පැමිණ 1960 ජූලි මැතිවරණයෙන් ලංකා දේශපාලනයේ මහා සම්ප්‍රදාය, එනම් එජාපය පරාජය කළේය.  රාජ්‍ය බලය ලබාගත්තා හැර සිදු කළ  ආන්ඩු වෙනසක් නැත.  ධනවාදී සූදුරු ඇටයට ‘වාමාංශික’ සීනි තැවරුණු හූණු බිජ්ජක් ‘වාම ආණ්ඩුව’ ලෙස ජනතාව සලකන්නට පටන් ගත්තේය. එවර ද, රැසියන් පාඨක සමාජය නැවත  සිරිමා – ඇන්.එම්. ගේ ‘වමට’ රැවටුණේය.

නැවත 1970 මහා මැතිවරණයේ දී බලය ලබා ගැනීම සඳහාම ‘වාමාංශික එක්සත් පෙරමුණ’ අටවා ගත්තේ ‘දකුණට කෙළවා බලය ලබාගැනීමට’ ය. ආණ්ඩුවේ කෙළිකාරයෝ වුයේ ෆීලික්ස් ඩයස් බණ්ඩාරනායක වැනි ජේ.ආර්.ටත් වඩා මර්ධනකාරී, ධනපතියන්ය. ජවිපෙ නිර්ධය ලෙස මර්ධනය කළෝ ඔවුහුය. මේ ‘වම’ ද ඇන්.එම්. සමඟ ජාත්‍යන්තර මුල්‍ය අරමුදලට ගියේය. දකුණට කතා කරන ඇමතිවරු ද, රැසියානු කඳවුරට කතා කරන ඇමතිවරු ද, එකම ආණ්ඩුවේ විය.  රැසියන් පාඨක සමාජය සිරිමා-ඇන්.එම්. ආණ්ඩුව ‘වම නොවන බව’  1971 කැරැල්ලේ දී වත් අවබෝධ කර ගත්තේ නැත. බලය ගිලිහෙන විට 1976 වමේ නායකයෝ දුම්රිය පීලි ගලවමින් ජේ.ආර්.ට හයෙන් පහක බලයක් ලබා දෙන්නට ඉදිරියට පැමිණියේය. ජේ.ආර්. 1975 -1977 සමයේ මේ රැසියන් පාඨක සමාජයට ‘සමාජවාදය’ ඉඟි කළේය. 1978 දී අලුත් ව්‍යවස්ථාවෙන් ලංකාව ‘ප්‍රජාතන්ත්‍රවාදී සමාජවාදී ජනරජයක්’ බවට පත් කළේය.

දකුණ හෙවත් එජාපයෙන් බලය ගැනීමට නැවත 1982 ජවිපෙ ද, 1987 දී එක්සත් සමාජවාදී පෙරමුණ ද, පසුව 1988 – 1990 දී ජවිපෙ ද, ‘වම’ ඉස්සරහට දැමීය.    1994 චන්ද්‍රිකා කුමාරතුංග ‘වම’ යැයි කියමින් එජාප (දකුණ) විරෝධී සියළු බලවේග එකතු කර ගත්තේය.  චන්ද්‍රිකා ආණ්ඩුවේ තිබුණු ‘වමේ ප්‍රතිපත්තියක්’ නැත. තිබුණේ බලය ලබා ගැනීමට උපක්‍රමයක් පමණී. රැසියන් පාඨක සමාජය නැවත රැවටුනේය.

නැවත, 2001 දී ආර්ථික අර්බුදයක් මතුවී, රට අරාජික වන විට ජනතාව දකුණ හෙවත් එජාපයට බලය දුන්නේය. ඒ බලය රට ආර්ථික අර්බුදයෙන් ගොඩ ගත් විගසම, නැවත ‘වමේ වලිප්පුව’ ඉස්සරහට දමා චන්ද්‍රිකා සහ ජවිපෙ ‘පරිවාසය ආණ්ඩුවක්’ අටවා ගත්තේය. මහා මැතිවරණයේ වැඩිම මනාප ලබා ඇමතිකම් ගත්තේය. එදා ‘රැසියන් පාඨක සමාජය’ චන්ද්‍රිකා – සෝමවංශ එකතුවෙන් නියම වමක් ඇතිවේ යැයි සිතා රැවටුණේය.   

සුනාමි ව්‍යාසනයෙන් පසුව ද, මහින්ද – ජවිපෙ සන්ධානය 2005 ‘වාම ලේබලයෙන්’ ජනාධිපතිවරණයට එන්නේ ‘දකුණේ බලයට’ පැරදවීමටය. රැසියන් පාඨක සමාජය චන්ද්‍රිකාගේ වමට වඩා මහින්ද එක්ක හදන ‘අල්ට්‍රා මැක්ස්’ වමට කැම්පේන් කළේය. රැසියන් පාඨක සමාජය,  හඳුන්නෙත්ති ,  නාමල් රාජපක්ෂට ලියාදුන් පළමු කතාවට පවා රැවටුනෝය. 

2010 දී ද, 2015 දී ද ජවිපෙ ප්‍රමුඛ වාම කඳවුරට, දකුණ සමඟ එක්වන්නට සිදුවන්නේ ප්‍රතිපත්ති නිසා නොව, පණ බේරාගැනීමට ය. 2015 දිනුවේ ‘වාම මෛත්‍රී හෝ දක්ෂිණ රනිල් නොව’ මරණයේ බියයි. ප්‍රජාතන්ත්‍රවාදී අපේක්ෂාවයි.  එදා මරණ බිය විසින් ‘රැසියන් පාඨක සමාජය’ බටහිර තානාපති කාර්යාලය, රාජ්‍ය ‍නොවන සංවිධාන වටා ගොනු කරනු ලැබීය.

නිදහසින් පසු ලංකාවේ අසාර්ථකම පාලකයා වූ ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂ බලයට ආවේ ද, විමල්, ඩලස්, කොමියුනිස්ට්, සම සමාජ, වාසුදේව වැනි ‘වමේ සළුපිළි ආවරණයක්’ සහිතව බව බොහෝ දෙනාට  අමතකය.  රැසියන් කතා පාඨක සමාජය කොටසක් රනිල් ලඟ ද, තවත් පිරිසක් මහින්ද ලඟ ද, තාවකාලිකව නැවතුණේය.

ගෝඨාභය ගේ නාමික වාම ආණ්ඩුව අරගලය විසින් ධනපති රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ ගේ ආණ්ඩුවක් බවට පත් විය.  රනිල් ‘වම්මු’න්  සමඟ දකුණේ ආණ්ඩුවක් කළේය.  වම්මු, දකුණු කඳවුරට එරෙහිව වෛරයේ කඳවුර නිර්මාණය කළේ ‘225 ම එපා’ සේරම හොරු කියමිනි.

76 වසරක සාපය යැයි කිවේ ද, කාලයෙන් කාලයට රූපාන්ත්‍රණය වූ මේ ‘රැසියන් පාඨක සමාජය’ මය. තමන් වසර 76 ක් එක දිගට ‘වම’ට රැවටී ඇති බවත්, මේ සැරේ නම් නියම ම ‘වම’ හමුවී ඇතැයි ඔවුහු සිතූවෝය.  

2024 රටේ ආර්ථික ස්ථාවරත්වයේ ගමන් මඟ ද, නොතකා ‘දකුණට කෙළවීමට’ වාම ප්‍රතිප්තිය ඉදිරියට ගත්තේ ජවිපෙ යි. එයට සෝවියට් සඟරා, නවකතා කියවූ අපේ පරපුරේ අති මහත් පිරිසක් ද, රාජ්‍ය සේවකයින්ගෙන් 70% ක් ද කර ගැසුවේය. 

අද ධනපති ජේ.ආර්.,  චන්ද්‍රිකා, මහින්ද, රනිල් වලව්කාරයින්ට වඩා හොඳට ජවිපෙ දකුණේ න්‍යාය පත්‍රය ‘වමේ ආණ්ඩුව යැයි කියන ගමන්ම’ කරමින් සිටී. බදු ගැසිල්ල, අයි.එම්.එෆ්. න්‍යාය පත්‍රය, ලෝක බැංකු ව්‍යාපෘතිය පමණක් නොව බ්‍රික්ස් සමුළුවට ලැබුණු ආරාධනයවත් පිළිගන්නේ නැති ‘වාම ආණ්ඩුවක්’ අද ඇත. වත්මන් ‘වම’ ඇමරිකාව සමඟ කරන ගණුදෙනුව ජේ.ආර්. – රනිල්  වත් කළේ නැත.  ජේ.ආර්.,  මැක්නමරා ලඟ නැවුණාට වඩා, අනුර ට ක්‍රිස්ටිනා ජොර්ජියානා  ‘බ්‍රාවෝ’ ලූ ය.  මංගල සමරවීර – USAid සමන්තා පවෙල් හවසකට අඩියක් ගසා මිතුරන් ලෙස සිටි ‘දකුණකි’. අද වමේ ඇමතිලා වෙනුවට රාජ්‍ය නිලධාරි වොෂින්ටන් ගොස් අඩියක් ගසා,  ඒ න්‍යාය  පත්‍රය ගොඩිය පිටින් වැලඳ ගනී. විශ්‍රාම ගිය පසු ඒ ආයතනයේ ම රැකියාවක් ලබා ගන්නට මාවත සකසා ගනී.

දකුණට කරන්නට බැරි වූ බොහෝ ‘ධනපති වැඩ’, මාලිමා ආණ්ඩුව තිතට, හැඩට මිම්මට කරති.  බදු ගසති. දේව භාෂිතය සේ අයි.එම්.එෆ්. අදහති.  මහින්ද – රනිල් ජාත්‍යන්තර සංවිධාන සහ ආයතන සමඟ සිටියේ ‘සම අසුන්වල’ ය. අද ආණ්ඩුව ඉන්නේ බංකුවේ නොව පැඳුරේ ය.

ලංකාවේ හැමදාම තිබුණේ අභිමානවත් ‘දකුණ’ කි. ඒ දකුණට කෙළවීමට කාලයෙන් කාලයට අටවා ගන්නා සන්ධානයට ලැබුණු නම ‘වම’ ය. මේ අටමගල, යථාර්ථය, සත්‍යය තේරුම් ගත නොහැකි බහුශුතයෝ ‘දකුණ’ මාර්කට් කළ නොහැකි බව කියති. 

මේ මිත්‍යාව හැදුවෝ ද ‘වම්’ මු ම ය. 1965 පිලිප් ගුණවර්ධන වාම නායකයා ඩඩ්ලි ලඟට ආවේ ය.  1977 විජේවීර ජේ.ආර්. ට හයිය දුන්නේය.  2001 රනිල් අගමැති වුනේ එස්.බී., ජී.එල්., කිරිඇල්ල, මහින්ද විජේසේකර, බන්දුල ගුණවර්ධන, රාජිත වැනි වම නිසා යැයි ඔවුහු කියති.  ප්‍රේමදාස ජනපති වූයේ ද ඔසී, සරත් කෝන්ගහගේ, රාජිත වැනි වම්මු නිසා යැයි ද කියති. මෛත්‍රී ජනපති වූයේ ‘වම’ නිසා යැයි කියති.  ඒ සියල්ලම ‘වම’ නොව, රැසියන් නවකතා පාඨක සමාජය බව  අමතක කරති.

අම්මා, පෙරළුණු නැවුම් පස, ගුරු ගීතය, සැබෑ මිනිසෙකුගේ කතාව, මගේ සරසවිය, ළමා විය ආදී වශයෙන් ද, කියවූ 60 සිට 90 දක්වා යුගවල අපි සියළු දෙනා රැසියන් නවකතා සමාජයේ පාඨකයින් ය. පොත් පිටු නැවුම් සුවඳ ආශ්වාදය විදි මිනිසුන්ය. ලංකා දේශපාලනයේ ‘වම’ බවට මේ පාඨක සමාජය අර්ථ ගැන්වීම මිත්‍යාවකි.

රනිල් 2022 දී ජනපති වූයේ ද, මේ රැසියානු පාඨක සමාජයේ ක්‍රියාකලාපය නිසාය.  ඒ සමඟම මේ වම යැයි කියාගන්නා රැසියානු කතා පාඨක සමාජය හරිනි, හර්ෂණ නානායක්කාර, උපුල් කුමරප්පෙරුම, අශෝක පීරිස්, සමඟ මාලිමාව යැයි ‘වමක්’ සාදා ගත්තේය.

ඩිලාන් හා වාසුදේව සිටින්නේ කොතැන ද? එනැත ‘වම’ යැයි අදහන පිරිසක් අදත් ලංකාවේ සිටිති. ටිල්විල් – අනුර – ලාල් – හඳුන් – වසන්ත – නලීන් කොතැන ද? එතැන ‘වම’ යැයි සිතන පිරිසක් තවත් ඉතිරිව ඇත. තව ටික දවසකින් ‘වම’ නිර්මාල් සිටින තැන ද? හරිනි සිටින තැන දැයි සිතන්නට පාඨක සමාජයට සිදුවන්නේය.  ඇත්තටම වම යනු නිර්මාල් මිස හරිනි නොවන බව මේ පිරිස තර්ක කරනු ඇත. හරිනි අවශ්‍ය වූයේ ඡන්දය දිනන්නටය.  දැන් ඡන්දය දිනා අවසන් බැවින් ‘පාඨක සමාජයට’ හරිනි තවදුරටත් වමක් විය යුතු නැත.

ලංකාවේ රාජ්‍යකරණයේ මහා සම්ප්‍රදාය ‘දක්ෂික මාවත’ යි. බලය ලබා ගැනීමට නම් මානසික අල්ලසක් වන්  වූ ‘වාම ලේබලය’ අවශ්‍යය. වාම ලේබලයෙන් විතරක් ‘ඡන්ද දිනිය නොහැකි බව’ ජවිපෙ දනී. මාලිමාවට බලයට එන්නට ධනපති  ශැන්ගිලා, කින්ස්බරී හෝටල් වල සමුළු සම්මන්ත්‍රණ අවශ්‍ය වූයේ ඒ නිසාය.

දැන්, ජේ.ආර්., රනිල්ට කළ නොහැකි ධනපති වැඩ කරන අයි.එම්.එෆ්., ලෝක බැංකුව අතේ නැටවෙන ‘වමේ ආණ්ඩුවක්’ ඇත. ඒ ආණ්ඩුවට ආශක්ත වූවෝ, ‘දකුණට’ අනාගතයක් නැතැයි කියති!

අප්‍රිකාවේ මිලිටරි රාජ්‍යයන්ට වත් ඉටු කරන්නට බැරි වූ, අයි.එම්.එෆ්. කොන්දේසි ඉටු කරන ‘වාම රාජ්‍යයක්’ අද තිබේ. ධන බදු පමණක් නොව, දේපල බද්ධ ද, ජනතාවට ය.  18% ක ඊ කොමස් බද්දක් ගහන්නට හැකි තැනට ‘බදුකරණය දේව වාක්‍ය’ කරගත් වමේ ආණ්ඩුවකි. සජිත් – ජලනී ආණ්ඩුවක් යටතේ කිසිම දවසක කරන්නට හිතන්නේ වත් නැති ‘ධනපති වැඩ කරන’ ආණ්ඩුවකි. රත්තරං අශ්වයින් වෙනුවට දැන් පිරිසම ‘රත්තරං ප්ලග් පොයින්ට්’ අටවති.

දකුණු කඳවුරට විරුද්ධ ‘වාම ලේබලය’ අලවා බලයට පත්වන සෑම ආණ්ඩුවකටම ඉතිහාසය පුරා සිදුව ඇත්තේ මාස හතර පහකින් ‘වම – දකුණ’ මාරුවීම ය.

මැතිවරණයක දී බලය ලබා ගැනීමට ඡන්දදායකයින් අලෙවි කරන ලේබලයක් මිස ලංකාවේ අද ‘වාම දේශපාලන ව්‍යාපාරයක්’ නැත. අද ‘වම’ යැය තමා තමන්ටම ලේබල් ගසා ගන්නේ 70 -90 දශකවල රැසියන් නව කතා, කෙටි කතා, ප්‍රචාරක පොත පත කියවූ මධ්‍යම පාන්තික සමාජයකි. එය ‘රැසියන් නවකතා පාඨක සමාජයක් මිස’ වාම ව්‍යාපාරයක් නොවේ. ප්‍රමාණයෙන් විශාල මේ පාඨක සමාජයේ ඡන්ද පොකුරු සිය අපේක්ෂකයාගේ ‍ඡන්ද ගොඩට එක් කර ගැනීමට ‘වාම කඳවුර’ ලේබලය පක්ෂ නායකයින් විසින් අලවා ගනී. එයින් බලය ලැබූ මොහොතේ සිට මේ පිරිස සාද දමන්නේ ද, බාල් නටන්නේ ද, උපදෙස් ගන්නේ ද, වැඩ කරන්නේ ද, අන්ත දක්ෂිණාංශික කඳවුර සමඟය. ජාත්‍යන්තර මුල්‍ය අරමුදල, ලෝක බැංකු සමඟය.

වසර පහකට සැරයක් මේ රුසියන් නව කතා පාඨක සමාජය නින්දෙන් අවදි වී ‘වාම ලේබලය’ අලවා ගත් ඩක්කුවකට ගොඩ වන්නේය. එතැන් පටන් ‘උප්පතිය සමඟ අවසානය හෙවත් මරණය ද’ පිළිසිද ගන්නේ  මෙන් අලුත් වටයකින් රැවටුණු බව පමණක් අවබෝධ කර ගන්නට පටන් ගනනේ ය. 

රටේ ආර්ථික ප්‍රශ්නය ට උත්තර ඇත්තේ මේ රාජ්‍ය බලය ව්‍යාපෘති ලේබලය අලවාගත් ‘වමේ’ නොව, ශක්තිමත් දක්ෂිනාංශික වැඩපිළිවෙලක බව රැසියානු කතා පාඨක සමාජය දැන්වත් තේරුම් ගත යුතුව ඇත.  

රජිත් කීර්ති තෙන්නකෝන්

Ministry of Defence  – Media Centre

A high-level briefing on the progress of the Ranaviru Matters Committee and associated cabinet submissions was held this morning (July 18) at the Deputy Minister’s Office in Colombo, reaffirming the government’s commitment to the welfare of war veterans and the families of fallen heroes.

The meeting, chaired by Deputy Minister of Defence Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd), was attended by Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd), Tri-Forces Commanders and senior officials of the Ministry of Defence.

In his remarks, the Deputy Minister emphasized the importance of translating policy decisions into tangible benefits for the war veteran community. He reaffirmed the government’s determination to streamline welfare initiatives, expedite cabinet approvals and ensure that the needs of war heroes and their families remain a central focus of national policy. As a veteran himself, the Deputy Minister plays an active role in steering the dialogue toward actionable outcomes.

The agenda of the briefing included a review of the committee’s operational milestones, discussions on proposed policy frameworks and an evaluation of the current status of cabinet documentation related to war veteran affairs. The meeting aimed to strengthen institutional support structures, enhance inter-agency coordination, and align ongoing welfare programs with broader governance objectives.

The discussions further reinforced the Ministry’s commitment to national security, service personnel welfare, and strategic policy implementation.

Ministry of Defence  – Media Centre

Deputy Minister of Defence Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd) chaired a high-level strategic discussion titled National Entrepreneurship Development and Business Startup-Defence Contribution” today (Jul 18) at his office premises. The session marked a significant inter-ministerial collaboration, aiming to integrate the strengths of the defence sector with national development priorities.

The Deputy Minister of Industries and Entrepreneurship Development, Hon. Chathuranga Abeysinghe, joined the dialogue, alongside an esteemed panel of senior stakeholders from both defence and economic development domains. Attendees included the Commanders of the Army and Navy, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Chairman of the Ranaviru Seva Authority, Chairman of Rakna Arakshaka Lanka Ltd (RALL) and other senior officials of the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Industries and Entrepreneurship Development.

The Deputy Minister of Defence outlined the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Development Strategy Framework under the theme of A Thriving Nation – A Beautiful Life,” emphasizing pathways for defence sector integration. Further, he highlighted the critical need of absorbing retired military personnel into SME initiatives, ensuring their productive participation in national economic development while upholding the integrity and reputation of veterans.

The session focused on harnessing the strategic assets, discipline and human capital of the defence sector to empower entrepreneurship, particularly among veterans and service personnel transitioning to civilian life. Discussions revolved around the development of veteran-led start-ups, enhancing access to skill development programs and creating platforms for innovation and technology transfer.

The discussion centered on leveraging the strategic assets, disciplined human capital and institutional expertise of the defence sector to foster entrepreneurship, particularly among veterans and transitioning service members. Key focus areas included veteran-led start-ups, skill development and capacity-building programs and innovation and technology transfer platforms

Collaborative frameworks to bolster SMEs, defence-backed innovation hubs, and the optimal use of underutilized resources for entrepreneurial growth were also explored.

This meeting reaffirmed the defence sector’s catalytic role in Sri Lanka’s entrepreneurship ecosystem. By synergizing institutional capabilities with government-led economic agendas, the sector continues to serve not only as a pillar of national security but also as a strategic enabler of socio-economic progress.

by Arundathie Abeysinghe Courtesy PIME Asia News

Without renewed agreements with the government, domestic production could drop from the current 25 per cent (the lowest in South Asia), the Sri Lanka Pharma Manufacturers Association warns. Despite investments and growing capacity since 2015, the sector remains fragile, hampered by red tape. Repurchasing is essential for the development of the local market, manufacturers told AsiaNews.

Colombo (AsiaNews) – The Sri Lanka Pharma Manufacturers Association (SLPMA) warns that pharmaceutical production in the country could meet only 5 per cent of domestic demand.

Although Sri Lanka boosted pharmaceutical production since the 1960s, along with its South Asian neighbours – India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, it remains heavily dependent on imports, which meet more than 80 per cent of local needs.

This is a far cry from self-sufficient India, dubbed the pharmacy of the world,” Bangladesh (over 95 per cent with exports to 157 countries), and Pakistan (70 per cent).

The pharmaceutical regulator, the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA), faces systemic challenges, including staff shortages and a lengthy and cumbersome registration process, which takes one to two years to complete.

The island nation’s domestic pharmaceutical production could collapse to 5 per cent from current 25 per cent, without buyback extension,” warns SLPMA chairman Nalin Kannangara speaking at a meeting that followed the SLPMA annual general meeting in Colombo last Friday.

Currently, local companies manufacture more than 250 products, meeting 30 per cent of government pharmaceutical requirements. Strengthening local pharmaceutical production is necessary to ensure health and pharmaceutical safety.

For its part, the government is committed to promoting local manufacturers with sustainable assistance offering the buyback guarantee,” said senior officials at the Medical Supplies Division (MSD). Currently, the buyback guarantee is valid until the end of the year. We are in the process of preparing all the necessary documents for extending this for another five years and facilitating new registrations.”

In 2015, a buyback pact was introduced through a public-private partnership, with approximately US$ 200 million in private investment. This led to the establishment of new facilities and the growth of the SLPMA to 25 member companies supplying the government.

Initially, the results were tangible. In 2015, local manufacturers supplied only 17 products, whereas today they supply over 250, meeting 30 per cent of the government’s needs. Yet, in most cases, there is no buyback agreement, resulting in a drop in local manufacturers’ market share.

Several local manufacturers spoke to AsiaNews about their situation. At present, they face several challenges, this according to local manufactures Vijitha Prematilake, Dushyantha Caldera, and Samantha Jayalal.

About a decade ago, local manufacturers were helped through a buyback agreement, which will expire this year. The timeline for renewal is unclear, and this creates uncertainty for companies that have invested significant sums in setting up plants.”

Losing the buyback would undo the progress made since 2015. According to SLMPA reports, the government may not extend the agreement, which would make the 0 million investment impractical,” they added.

This will result in a significant loss of revenue, putting companies at risk, and wasting R&D investments. We have invested a significant amount, yet this will translate into a significant loss.”

“The renewal of the repurchase agreement represents a dual challenge, especially regarding the timing of the renewal and the allocation of quantities, which discourage further investment in upgrading facilities, in terms of private market development,” they added.

A major challenge for local manufacturers is entering the prescription market, given that many importers already dominate this sector.”

In short, the situation could worsen in the event of global uncertainties such as pandemics, conflicts, and rising healthcare costs.

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

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Researchers have discovered the Peacock Flower’s potential

By Sugath Kulathunga Arachchi

In the scrublands and home gardens of Sri Lanka, where fire-orange blooms dance in the tropical heat, a quiet revolution is taking place. The peacock flower (Caesalpinia pulcherrima), long admired for its beauty and revered in traditional medicine, may hold the key to a new frontier in cancer care.

This revelation is the result of a decade-long study by researchers at the University of Colombo, led by Professor Sameera R. Samarakoon. Blending indigenous knowledge and molecular biology, their work has uncovered potent anti-cancer compounds from the peacock flower—plant-derived agents that not only destroy malignant cells but do so without harming healthy immune tissue.

At a time when cancer cases are rising globally—especially in lower-income countries where access to advanced therapies remains limited—this plant-based alternative could become a beacon of hope.

A Research Journey Rooted in Biodiversity

Sri Lanka’s rich biodiversity has long supported traditional healing systems, especially Ayurveda. Yet much of this botanical wisdom has remained undocumented or underutilised in formal science. Professor Samarakoon and his multidisciplinary team set out to change that narrative. For years, they have systematically explored native flora for bioactive compounds that might offer alternatives to synthetic drugs.

Their most recent breakthrough focuses on *Caesalpinia pulcherrima*, a widely naturalised shrub whose roots, bark, leaves, and flowers are traditionally used to treat fever, wounds, and digestive disorders. In Indonesia, its root is prescribed for childhood colic; in South Asia, the plant is known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-diarrheal properties.

Using phytochemical screening and in vitro analysis, the researchers isolated some compounds,   that were known for their therapeutic potential. Lab studies revealed that these chemical agents effectively targeted multiple types of cancer cells,  an unprecedented result in plant-based medicine. Initial clinical research has confirmed these findings, and discussions are now underway with pharmaceutical companies to develop the compounds into a drug suitable for human use.

 Building on Past Successes

This isn’t the first time Professor Samarakoon’s team has made waves. In earlier projects, they successfully identified cancer-preventive phytochemicals from other native plants and formulated a **nutritional capsule designed to support immune defence and inhibit early-stage cancer cell growth**. That product, now commercially available through Sri Lankan health outlets, represents a tangible step toward integrating nature into modern preventive medicine.

The capsule’s success helped pave the way for more ambitious goals—like a full-scale cancer therapy derived from plants—which the peacock flower now promises to fulfill.

 A Rising Health Crisis

The urgency of this research cannot be overstated. In 2022, Sri Lanka documented over 33,000 new cancer diagnoses and nearly 20,000 deaths. The age-standardised cancer incidence rate was 106.9 per 100,000 individuals, reflecting a sharp climb consistent with global trends. The World Health Organisation forecasts a 77% increase in cancer cases by 2050, with most occurring in low- and middle-income countries where medical infrastructure remains fragile.

These statistics reinforce the need for affordable, accessible treatments—especially those that can be produced locally, without reliance on costly imports or complicated synthesis.

The peacock flower’s healing potential represents more than a scientific breakthrough. It embodies a philosophy that nature—especially the flora of developing nations—can hold solutions to some of our greatest medical challenges. If this therapy is successful, it will mark a victory not just for Sri Lanka’s scientific community, but for environmental health and social equity.

It also opens a path for ethical biotech partnerships. By centering research around locally abundant and culturally meaningful plants, Sri Lanka could emerge as a global model for biodiversity-powered innovation. Professor Samarakoon’s team has emphasised sustainability and conservation throughout their process—ensuring that plant harvesting and extract development are ecologically sound.

 Rediscovering the Wisdom of Wild Things

The peacock flower’s journey from ornamental beauty to medical marvel reflects a broader truth: many plants dismissed as decorative or folkloric actually possess remarkable healing powers.

Traditional medicine has long taught that *Caesalpinia pulcherrima* can treat fever, bronchitis, diarrhea, asthma, and skin ailments. Modern science now validates those uses—strengthening the case for deeper collaboration between indigenous healers and academic researchers.Earth Island Journal readers know the power of grassroots wisdom, especially when backed by rigor and cultural respect. The peacock flower is not merely a solution—it’s a symbol of what’s possible when we listen to nature.

The road to global availability is complex. Regulatory approvals, advanced trials, and scaled manufacturing lie ahead. But the University of Colombo’s team is undeterred—and they’re already in talks with pharmaceutical partners to fast-track development.

If successful, the peacock flower–based therapy could transform how the world sees natural medicine and how tropical nations assert leadership in science diplomacy.

And for Sri Lanka, it could prove that within its forests and gardens lie gifts that the world is only beginning to understand.

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Despite legal bans, ragging remains a deeply entrenched, systemic crisis in Sri Lankan universities, fueled by complicity and institutional silence, but a bold intervention proves it can be eradicated

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Ragging is not merely a matter of seniors bullying juniors. It is a complex, systemic issue involving indoctrination, complicity, and institutional silence

No university administration can genuinely claim ignorance of ragging. The sudden, uniform change in first-year students’ appearance is a public signal that ragging is underway

The success at the Faculty of Applied Science proves that ragging can be eradicated—but only through bold, decisive action. It requires administrators to stop pretending and start protecting

A pervasive and destructive crisis, ragging, continues to plague Sri Lanka’s higher education, often masked as a harmless rite of passage. This abusive practice, extending beyond mere bullying to encompass indoctrination and institutional complicity, has tragically resurfaced with recent student deaths. A former Deputy Proctor exposes the hidden layers of this systemic issue and reveals a radical, effective intervention that successfully broke the cycle of fear and submission at one university.

A deeply entrenched and often overlooked crisis continues to plague Sri Lanka’s higher education system: RAGGING. 

Despite decades of public condemnation and legal prohibition, this abusive practice—often masked as a rite of passage-remains a powerful force in university culture. But ragging is not merely a matter of seniors bullying juniors. It is a complex, systemic issue involving indoctrination, complicity, and institutional silence.

Recent incidents, including the tragic death of a student at Sabaragamuwa University, have once again brought this issue to the forefront of national discourse, exposing the grim reality that unfolds within the hallowed halls of learning.

Drawing from my experience as Deputy Proctor at the Faculty of Applied Science, University of Vavuniya, I aim to shed light on the hidden layers of this crisis and share a radical, yet effective, intervention that helped us break the cycle.

According to a 2022 study conducted by the University Grants Commission (UGC) in collaboration with UNICEF, more than 50% of students in Sri Lankan state universities have experienced some form of ragging. While verbal and psychological harassment were the most commonly reported, instances of physical and even sexual abuse were also noted.

Notably, a more detailed scientific study conducted in July 2022 at the University of Jaffna—specifically within the Faculties of Medicine and Technology—by lead author Ayanthi Wickramasinghe and colleagues from Uppsala University, Sweden, and the University of Jaffna, revealed that 59% of students had experienced emotional and/or verbal ragging. Alarmingly, 54% of the students reported suffering one or more health consequences as a result, with most seeking help from friends and family, while only a few turned to formal support systems.

Institutional silence and Legal Inaction

Sri Lanka’s Prohibition of Ragging Act No. 20 of 1998 criminalizes ragging, although it does not provide a specific legal definition of the term. However, under Section 3 of the Prohibition of Ragging and Other Forms of Violence in Educational Institutions Act, certain actions are explicitly categorized as criminal intimidation. These include threatening, either verbally or in writing, to cause harm to the person, reputation, or property of a student or staff member of an educational institution—or to someone closely associated with them. Such threats are considered criminal when made with the intention of imposing fear in the victim, compelling them to perform an act they are not legally obligated to do, or preventing them from exercising a legal right.

Yet, enforcement remains weak. One of the most troubling aspects is the silent complicity of university administrations. As I have often said, no university administration can genuinely claim ignorance of ragging. The sudden, uniform change in first-year students’ appearance is a public signal that ragging is underway.

This includes boys who wear untucked and un-ironed shirts, no belts, slippers instead of shoes, shaved heads, or who suddenly appear clean-shaven. Girls often shift to plain, light-coloured tops and long frocks, wear double plaits, avoid fancy earrings or hair clips, and forgo any form of fancy footwear—often walking in single or double file. These are unmistakable signs of submission, especially when seniors themselves do not follow such practices. Yet, when questioned, juniors consistently claim they are doing it of their own free will.

This uniformity is not about tradition—it is a tool of domination, rooted in a distorted notion of social equality.” The idea promoted is that within the university community, there should be no distinction between rich or poor, talented or average—everyone must appear and behave the same. This ideology extends into academics as well, where individuality and educational strengths are suppressed in the name of conformity.

First-year students are often burdened with unnecessary tasks, such as memorizing the personal details of their batchmates. These activities, disguised as bonding exercises, consume valuable time and mental energy, especially during the critical first month of academic life. As a result, students are unable to focus effectively on their studies.

This forced uniformity strips students of their identity and marks them as subordinates. Those who conform quickly often become enforcers themselves, isolating and pressuring peers who resist. Students who do not adhere to these expectations are often singled out and become targets of more severe forms of ragging. In many cases, boys who are identified as non-compliant are physically assaulted—often at night, in the dark, by groups of seniors to avoid identification.

Another important and often overlooked aspect of this indoctrination is the restriction placed on language and communication. First-year students are strictly instructed not to speak in English. They are also discouraged from asking questions in class or approaching lecturers for academic help. Instead, they are told to direct all queries to their seniors. This deliberate isolation from academic support systems severely damages the lecturer-student relationship and undermines the students’ confidence and academic progress. Based on my observations, at least 25% of students fail due to poor English proficiency—an issue that is exacerbated by this early discouragement. The initial months, which should be a time of academic adjustment and growth, become an excuse to ignore English and avoid engaging with the curriculum meaningfully.

This is how ragging escalates—from subtle psychological control to overt physical abuse,leaving lasting scars on its victims and perpetuating a toxic cycle of fear, silence, and submission.

Despite these visible indicators, many administrators and academics choose to look the other way. Victims, meanwhile, protect their abusers—either out of fear or indoctrination—making legal action nearly impossible.

A lecturer from Southeastern University once shared a rather disgusting example. A group of first-year students were seen eating lunch in the canteen by pooling all their food onto a single tabletop. When asked about it, they insisted they were doing it voluntarily and enjoying the experience. While this is a clear example of ragging, the fact that the juniors claimed it was their own choice made it legally and administratively impossible to intervene.

During my tenure as the Deputy Proctor, some students, anonymously and courageously, passed me information about instructions they were receiving from unknown phone numbers. I approached the Poovarasankulam Police and the Vavuniya SP Office through the university administration to trace these numbers. Unfortunately, I received no support. Instead, the police advised me to ask the students to go to court to obtain the information—an unrealistic expectation, as no student or parent was willing to take that risk. This legal gap gave seniors a safe channel to continue issuing instructions via phone and WhatsApp from falsely created numbers.

This illustrates a critical flaw in enforcement: when victims internalize and normalize abuse. Ragging hides in plain sight—shielded by silence, fear, and a false sense of consent.

Breaking the cycle at Vavuniya

When I assumed the role of Deputy Proctor in 2020, I was fully aware that traditional approaches would be ineffective. I gave clear and direct instructions to the first-year students, explaining what they might face and how senior students would attempt to impose their own rules and expectations. I also firmly warned them that if I discovered they were complying with such instructions, I would take strict disciplinary action. Despite these warnings, the juniors still arrived dressed according to the seniors’ enforced style. It was evident that the cycle of ragging had begun once again.

I took a bold step: I banned classes for students who visibly complied with ragging instructions. These juniors were not just victims—they were becoming promoters of ragging, ready to carry it forward to the next batch. Therefore, I believed that preventing them from entering classes was a valid and necessary disciplinary measure.

Fortunately, I had the full support of the Dean of the Faculty, who gave me a free hand to implement the necessary changes. The academic staff of the faculty also stood firmly behind me. With their backing, I was able to identify and take action against junior students who were carrying out orders from seniors.

Despite challenges, our efforts paid off. For last three years, the Faculty of Applied Science is free of ragging. There is no visible difference in dress or grooming between juniors and seniors. Female students are free to wear what they wish—including makeup—without fear of revenge or exclusion.

One of the sneakiest tools of control is the so-called Welcome” party. In many universities, this event is organized by second-year students for the first-years. But in reality, it is used as leverage: juniors are told that unless they comply with ragging, they will be excluded from the event.

At the Faculty of Applied Science, we took a firm and proactive stance. We do not permit the organization of a Welcome” party in its traditional, intimidating form. Instead, we encourage a gathering hosted by the second-year students, where all students are invited to participate equally and are encouraged to showcase their talents in a spirit of inclusivity and celebration.

We have made it clear that no student can be barred from taking part in this event under any circumstances. As academic staff, we remain highly vigilant to ensure that no first-year student is left behind. Even if one student is ostracized or excluded, the program is not allowed to proceed. This policy has helped transform what was once a tool of control into a platform for unity, creativity, and mutual respect.

This transformation is evident in our recent Faculty Sports Week, where several first-year students won first-place prizes—beating their seniors in open competition. This would have been unthinkable in a ragging-dominated environment.

The success at the Faculty of Applied Science proves that ragging can be eradicated—but only through bold, decisive action. It requires administrators to stop pretending and start protecting. It requires holding not just the perpetrators, but also the enablers, accountable.

Most importantly, it requires empowering students to reclaim their autonomy and dignity. Ragging is not a tradition—it is a violation. And it is time we treat it as such.

There is no point in merely holding a policy of zero ragging—it must be implemented with a genuine, sustained approach. Continuous monitoring and vigilance are essential. If all academic staff commit to this cause, the ragging culture can be completely eliminated from our universities.

Universities are meant to be spaces of freedom—of thought, expression, and speech. Ironically, this very freedom is often suppressed by groups of students who claim to act in the name of protecting that freedom for others—an oxymoron in itself.

Following the tragic death of a student at Sabaragamuwa University and the disturbing incident at the South Eastern University of Sri Lanka, the issue of ragging has once again come to the forefront. These events echo the heartbreaking case of Rupa Rathnaseeli in 1974 and the tragic death of S. Varapragash in 1997, which first brought national attention to the brutality of ragging.

It is imperative that authorities take firm and immediate action to eradicate ragging from Sri Lankan universities. We cannot afford to wait for another tragedy to occur, only to see yet another article published twenty years later highlighting the same failures. This cycle of inaction must end—now.

The writer is Former Deputy Proctor,

Faculty of Applied Science, University of Vavuniya (2020–2022)  

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Colombo, July 18 (Daily Mirror) – An official of KPMG Sri Lanka that conducted the forensic audit over the fuel distribution of the Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals Limited (CPSTL) has been involved in deleting the data regarding fuel ditribution, SJB MP Dayasiri Jayasekara revealed today.

He told reporters after lodging a complaint with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) that he was planning to write to the parent compnay of KPMG Sri Lanka, KPMG International Limited, regarding the incident.

The MP said it was doubtful why an offcial of KPMG Sri Lanka that conducted the forensic audit had been invloved in deleting the data regading CPSTL fuel distibution.

He said then Minister Kanchana Wijesekara had complained to the CID over a fruad in fuel distribution in 2022 and 2023 and that the CID had directed the Chairman of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) to condcut a forensic audit.

The MP said the report of the forensic audit done at a cost of Rs. 8.6 million, was released in February 2024 and that no decision has been taken regaring the recommendation of the report.

Jayasekara said some CPC officials with allegations of corruption who had fled the country have returned to the country after the NPP government came to power and had been reinstated in their positions. 

Courtesy Adaderana

In a decisive move to strengthen macroprudential policy and mitigate systemic financial risks, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL), acting as the Macroprudential Authority, has issued new Directions to licensed financial institutions to impose maximum caps on loan-to-value (LTV) ratios for vehicle-related credit facilities.

The directive, which takes effect from 18 July 2025, applies to all Licensed Commercial Banks, Licensed Specialised Banks, Licensed Finance Companies (LFCs), and Registered Finance Leasing Establishments (RFLEs). 

Thereby, the opportunity provided based on the 2018 guidelines to obtain financing facilities of up to 90% of the value of the vehicle under the electric category has been reduced to 80% for commercial vehicles, 60% for motor cars, SUVs and vans, 50% for three-wheelers and 70% for other vehicles.

The measure is designed to harmonise existing LTV caps across institutions and reinforce prudent lending practices, particularly for credit extended for the purchase or utilisation of motor vehicles, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) said in a statement.

Accordingly, credit facilities granted by every licensed bank, LFC and RFLE for the purpose of purchase or utilisation of motor vehicles shall not exceed the following percentages of the value of such vehicles:

(i) 70 per cent in respect of registered vehicles which have been used in Sri Lanka for more than one year after the first registration.

(ii) (a) In respect of unregistered vehicles and registered vehicles which have been used in Sri Lanka for less than one year after the first registration;

(b) In respect of Letters of Credit (LCs) opened prior to the effective date of this Direction, for which credit facilities have not yet been availed under Direction 2, I(ii)(a) above for unregistered vehicles, transitional provisions in Annexure I shall apply.

Other Credit Facilities for Vehicles

Licensed banks, LFCs, and RFLEs shall not grant credit facilities for the purpose of purchase or utilisation of motor vehicles, other than credit facilities granted in accordance with the directions above.

Interpretations

1. Credit facilities shall include finance leases, hire purchase facilities, vehicle loans and any other type of credit facilities or accommodation granted for the purpose of purchase or utilisation of vehicles by end-users.

2. (a) Licensed Commercial Banks and Licensed Specialised Banks shall have the meanings assigned to such terms under the Banking Act, No. 30 of 1988

(b) Licensed Finance Companies shall mean finance companies licensed in terms of the Finance Business Act, No. 42 of 2011 to carry on finance business

(c) Registered Finance Leasing Establishments shall mean companies registered within the meaning of the Finance Leasing Act, No. 56 of 2000 to carry on finance leasing business

3. For the purpose of these Directions, the value of the vehicle shall be the market value. Licensed banks, LFCs and RFLEs may use the following in determining the value of vehicles:

(i) Unregistered Vehicles:

(a) Brand new vehicles. agents -Value confirmed by authorised

(b) Reconditioned vehicles – Valuation considered at the time of Customs clearance or invoice value given by the dealer

(ii) Registered/used vehicles –  Valuation provided by a professional valuer

4. Licensed banks, LFCs and RFLEs shall ensure that the valuation obtained at the time of granting credit facilities provides a true and fair value.

In respect of Letters of Credit (LCs) opened prior to the effective date of these Directions, (i.e. prior to 18 July 2025), for which credit facilities have not yet been availed under Direction 2, 1(ii)(a) for unregistered vehicles, licensed banks, LFCs and RFLEs shall not exceed the following percentages referred to in Table 1.1 on the value of such vehicles, when granting credit facilities.

Courtesy Hiru News

The Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) states that history and aesthetics have been made compulsory subjects only up to Grade 9.

They point out that subjects like aesthetics are not listed as compulsory for the GCE Ordinary Level examination.

The government is currently focused on introducing new educational reforms in Sri Lanka.

However, various parties have accused the government of attempting to remove history and aesthetics from the curriculum through these reforms.

Amidst this significant public discussion, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya clarified that there is no intention whatsoever to remove history and aesthetics from the new educational reforms.

Courtesy Adaderana

Sri Lanka plans to launch a programme next month to issue temporary driving licences to foreign visitors directly at the airport.

Motor Traffic Commissioner General Kamal Amarasinghe told Hiru News that a proper plan needs to be implemented within the Katunayake Airport premises for this initiative.

Under the new system, temporary driving licences valid for a minimum of 14 days onwards can be issued to foreigners arriving in the country.

The Commissioner General further stated that when issuing these temporary driving licences, attention will be paid to the validity period of the foreign visitor’s original driving licence and the vehicle categories included in it.

Newspaper Version (Op-Ed Articel)

Just days ago, we were told that trade discussions with the United States were progressing well” and all under control.” Now, we face the reality: a 30% U.S. tariff on Sri Lankan goods, effective August 1st.

According to foreign media, Sri Lanka has been grouped with Algeria, Iraq, and Libya — all facing the same punitive 30% tariff under the revised U.S. trade policy. Brunei and Moldova face 25%, and the Philippines 20%, while Malaysia has a much lower tariff with a win-win situation.

This outcome reflects a complete failure of negotiation by the Sri Lankan team and its advisors with inflated self-worth. Whether due to lack of experience, poor preparation, overestimation of their position, lack of strategy and attention to detail, poor understanding of what the USA is expecting, or sheer arrogance, the result is both disappointing and unacceptable.

The U.S. team, by all accounts, acted reasonably. The failure lies squarely on our side. A competent, strategic team would have aimed to negotiate the tariff down to 15% or lower. That did not happen. Instead, we sent a bloated team abroad, at public expense, and got no meaningful result.

Frankly, even without sending a delegation, Sri Lanka might have received the same tariff rate. This calls into question the very purpose of the trip and the advisors involved.

Why wasn’t this negotiated down to 10–15%?

Who is accountable for this debacle? This must be investigated — we cannot afford such incompetence. Shouldn’t more competent people with a better understanding of the needs, fundamental facts, and experience in high-end trade negotiations be sent to the USA? 

There must be accountability and transparency. We cannot afford to repeat such costly blunders on the global stage. The country deserves better. As usual, we would not hold our breath to see anyone held accountable for these ongoing failures. #SriLanka #TradeFailure #Tariffs #Accountability #USTrade

Shenali Waduge

On April 21, 2019 — Easter Sunday — Sri Lanka suffered its deadliest terror attack since the defeat of the LTTE. Coordinated suicide bombings by the National Thowheed Jamaath (NTJ), an ISIS-inspired Islamist group, claimed 269 lives and injured over 500 at churches and luxury hotels nationwide. But the greatest guilt lies not only with the bombers, but with those who knew of the threat and did nothing to prevent this mass murder. Worse still, they now seek to shift blame onto others, hoping to satisfy their guilty conscience and avoid accountability..

While the bombers are dead, justice is being hijacked — by political actors, institutional cowardice, and manufactured conspiracy theories.

We know who bombed.

We now need to ask: Who knew — and did nothing and why are they fixing others to cover their guilt?

The Undeniable Facts: No kangaroo court can change the facts.

• The Attackers:

8 Sri Lankan Muslim suicide bombers — from affluent families. Two were sons of Mohamed Yusuf Ibrahim, a wealthy spice trader linked to the JVP/NPP, and one was his daughter-in-law, Fathima Ilham, who detonated herself during a police raid in Dematagoda, killing her two children & the unborn in her womb.

• Intelligence Warnings Ignored: April 4, 20, 21

India issued detailed intelligence weeks prior to the attacks, naming Zaharan Hashim, his network, and even the exact targets. This intel was passed by SIS Director Nilantha Jayawardena to CID and TID, yet no action followed.
Indian Intelligence Warnings | Sri Lanka Parliamentary Committee Report

• Supreme Court Verdict:

The Court found President Maithripala Sirisena, IGP Pujith Jayasundara, and SIS Chief Nilantha Jayawardena guilty of negligence.

What about others in the chain of knowledge?

Sri Lanka Supreme Court Report (PDF)

• Local Government & Intelligence Failures:

Multiple local reports, including the Malalgoda Commission report and the Parliamentary Committee on National Security, have documented severe lapses and ignored warnings.

Malalgoda Commission Report | Parliamentary Committee Reports

• Independent Investigations by Civil Society:

Reports by independent research organizations like Verité Research have catalogued extensive evidence about political manipulation and negligence.
Verité Research Analysis

• Justice Imam Report:
  This report debunked conspiracy theories advanced by discredited witnesses featured in media, reaffirming the extremist Islamist motivation behind the attacks.
  https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/three-foreign-nationals-charged-conspiring-provide-material-support-isis

From Negligence to Promotion

Nilantha Jayawardena admitted he briefed CID and TID 12 hours before the bombings. Why did those he informed not issue alert or take measures to arrest the named?

Yet today:

• The former CID Head is now Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security.
• The former CID Director has been reappointed as Director, Criminal Intelligence Analysis Division.

Even more shockingly, Cabinet Minister Bimal Ratnayaka publicly claimed in Parliament that these appointments were made on request of the Cardinal,” implying a possible shielding of officials who failed to act.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Drsssqpzi

Shani Abeysekara and Ravi Seneviratne appointed to positions at Cardinal’s request

Source: Parliamentary Committee Reports

The Cardinal’s changing tune: From Justice to Diversion?
Initially a strong advocate for justice, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith has taken a puzzling turn:

• He endorsed the Channel 4 documentary featuring Azad Maulana — a discredited witness whose claims were rejected as false by the Justice Imam Report, which labeled the film a hoax.” In his 3 page letter congratulating Channel 4, he even asks the same team that led the investigation to continue – is this why Minister Bimal claims they were given plum appointments even after they pledged political support raising questions of bias.
• He has been largely silent about the Islamist extremist ideology that drove the attacks. Despite the mass murder of his own faith community, he has offered no strong condemnation of the bombers — other than to forgive them.
• He targets only a few officials, while remaining silent about others who had prior knowledge and failed to act. In fact he has recommended those who knew & did nothing to continue the investigations too.

Some now ask: Did others within the Church know in advance – if so, why did they not stop worshippers entering the Church?

A Catholic ex-MP testified that his father warned him not to attend Mass that day. He also claimed to have informed people who now say they weren’t told. But no one accepts responsibility — it’s a game of he said, she said.

Easter Sunday: New Political Football

1. Today, Easter Sunday has been transformed into a weapon of political convenience:
2. Push for a Prosecutorial Office” — A Kangaroo Court
3. UNHRC-aligned advocates are demanding a special prosecutorial mechanism, bypassing Sri Lanka’s legal system. Easter Sunday has become the perfect excuse to justify its creation.
4. Theatrics around the tragedy are being used as a launchpad for a kangaroo court. The motive? Not justice — but to sidestep the Attorney General’s Department, which refuses to act on unverified evidence and hearsay.
5. This is not about victims. It’s about political revenge and foreign pressure to fulfill foreign agendas merging for convenience.

• Is Pillayan: The Convenient Scapegoat ?
• Attempts are being made to frame Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan (Pillayan) to indirectly implicate the Rajapaksa family – if so, produce the evidence not conjecture.
• MP Rasamanikkam is vocal about arresting Pillayan — but silent on prosecuting negligent state officers. What does he serve to gain from a Pillayn in prison? Votes?
• Fact: Pillayan was in prison when the Easter attacks occurred. So why the obsession?

• Parliamentary Distractions
• An SJB MP used parliamentary privilege to name officials — not based on evidence, but as distraction from his own corruption scandals.
• Easter Sunday is now a smokescreen, weaponized for political survival – political opponents because the masterminds”  – all this is unfair on the victims and the injured.

Ignoring the Hard Truth: Conspiracy Theories vs. International Investigations

While credible international investigations conducted by some of the world’s best intelligence agencies — including India, the United States, and Australia — have clearly established the ISIS link and detailed the operational planning behind the Easter Sunday attacks, conspiracy theorists inside Sri Lanka continue to scream unsubstantiated narratives totally opposite to what these agencies have put on their letterheads.

These politically motivated conspiracy theories deliberately ignore:

• The detailed intelligence shared well in advance by foreign agencies naming the bombers and their plans.
  Indian Intelligence Warnings
• The international indictments and charges, such as those by the U.S. Department of Justice against Sri Lankan nationals for providing material support to ISIS.
  https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/three-foreign-nationals-charged-conspiring-provide-material-support-isis
• The findings of Australian Federal Police’s Operation Geldrop and other global counterterrorism efforts.
  https://www.transparency.gov.au/publications/attorney-general-s/australian-federal-police/australian-federal-police-annual-report-2018-19/chapter-4-performance-details/feature-story%3A-operation-geldrop%E2%80%94sri-lanka-easter-bombings

This selective blindness is not accidental. It is another glaring example of how the goalposts are being constantly shifted — not to uncover justice, but to protect guilty consciences, shield political allies, and perpetuate division.

Until Sri Lanka confronts these facts head-on, it risks allowing Easter Sunday’s tragedy to remain a political football rather than a national call for accountability and truth.

The Real Questions

Let’s be very clear:

• The suicide bombers are dead.
• But those who knew, failed to act, now rewriting the narrative — are still alive and in power.

They are:

• Promoting negligent officers.
• Hiding behind religious endorsements.
• Inventing new masterminds to divert blame from themselves.
• Using the tragedy to jail political opponents.
• Feeding the media sensationalism circus for personal gain.

What the People Deserve: Truth, Not Theatre

Sri Lanka needs:

• Real accountability for those who ignored concrete warnings.
• An end to politicization of national tragedies.
• A justice process based on facts, not fabrications or foreign interests.

Until then, Easter Sunday 2019 will remain more than a tragedy —
It will remain a national disgrace, cynically abused by those who let it happen.

Even if there were 10, 15, or 20 suicide bombers, there were also multiple clear warnings — naming targets, dates, and attackers.

So the question is:
Why have all 15,000 who knew — not been identified, named, and held accountable? This is what the people of Sri Lanka should be asking.

The tragedy could have been prevented.
The intelligence was precise.
The names, targets, and timing were all given in advance.
Yet no action was taken. Why?

The suicide bombers died believing their plan was secret.
But it wasn’t.
The real guilt lies with those who knew — and did nothing.

They had the power to act.

To evacuate the churches. To cancel mass. To block entrances to Churches

To alert the hotels. Increase checking.

To issue a single warning — even through social media.
But they stayed silent.
Some even protected only themselves.

Those who could have saved hundreds of lives and chose not to — are more guilty than the suicide bombers themselves. Don’t you agree?

Shenali D Waduge

Shenali Waduge

The real crisis in Sri Lanka is not just economic — it’s Moral and Spiritual. Sri Lanka’s collapse runs deeper: a moral and spiritual decay that has eroded the soul of the nation. This decay didn’t begin with inflation or debt. It began the day we abandoned our values, our identity, and our duty to uphold the principles that once shaped a disciplined, dignified society. It was that society that created the civilization that we are today ruining. Education is at the heart of this decay — and therefore, it must be at the heart of our revival. No one has the right to arbitrarily reform our education system without understanding the cultural, historical, and spiritual foundations of this nation. Reforms cannot be dictated by foreign funding agendas, global ideologies, or individuals disconnected from the psyche and values of the Sri Lankan people. Education must reflect who we are — not what others want us to be or become.

We see it every day:

• Corruption without conscience
• Youth without discipline
• Families without guidance
• Schools without values
• Public spaces without respect
• Children exposed to sexual ideologies before they understand right from wrong

Why this happened: A Systemic Betrayal of Article 9

This decay was not accidental. It was accelerated by decades of deliberate neglect, external interference, and the failure of successive governments — and their advisors — to foresee the consequences that would one day backfire on them.

At its core, this decline is the direct result of the State’s failure to uphold Article 9 of our Constitution, which explicitly mandates that Buddhism be accorded the foremost place and that the State must protect and foster the Buddha Sāsana.

This is not just a cultural matter — it is a constitutional mandate. Article 9 is not symbolic. It is binding. It is the moral anchor of the nation

Foreign Influence and the Erosion of Identity

For decades, this sacred duty has been neglected primarily due to foreign funding that forced successive governments to remove the teaching of history/heritage while diluting the essence of Buddhism and the importance of the mother tongue.

The Govt apparatus failed to anticipate the domino effect this would have on society – no system can function effectively in a society that is morally, spiritually & physically corrupt.

Parliament’s Complicity in the Collapse

Today, we see the consequences of this neglect everywhere — from our homes and schools to the very halls of Parliament, where even Members of Parliament, themselves both products and victims of this long decay, are now complicit in dismantling what remains of our already fragile and vulnerable society. Their failure to live by the principles of the Buddha has blinded them to the harm they are causing — unable to discern right from wrong, they misuse their positions of power to make decisions that further erode the moral and spiritual fabric of the nation.

The urgent call for Restraint and Reform

In this climate of collapse, it is only those with the foresight to recognize the lurking dangers and the courage to call for restraint who must be urgently heard. Government programs that contribute to this erosion must be halted without delay — before the final nail is driven into the nation’s coffin.

Our History is Rooted in Buddhism — So is Our Future

Our ancient Sinhale kings understood this clearly. They did not merely rule — they guarded the Buddha Sāsana and lived by its tenets. So did all citizens.

Every one of them, from Dutugemunu to Parakramabahu, fought to preserve not only our unitary nation but also the sacred mission of protecting this land offered to the Buddha.

Our gallant war heroes of yesteryears to the present, too, fought in the same spirit. When they battled the LTTE — they were not just defending territory. They were defending the Dharma, the peaceful coexistence of our people, and the very soul of our country.

Even in war, they acted with Buddhist compassion — sharing food with civilians, offering water to those held hostage by terrorists, often putting the lives of innocents before their own safety and even sacrificing their own lives to save another.
This was not military training — this was Buddhist upbringing from their homes and temples. You will never witness a foreign military act in this manner.

This is what Buddhist education cultivates:

• Compassion (Karunā)
• Discipline (Vinaya)
• Respect (Gārava)
• Selflessness (Anattā)
• Wisdom (Paññā)
• Duty to Society (Sammā Vāyāma / Right Effort)
• Mindfulness (Sati)
• Gratitude (Katannuta)
• Contentment (Santutthi)
• Right Speech & Right Action (Sammā Vācā, Sammā Kammanta)
• Restraint of the senses (Indriya-saṁvara)
• Loving-kindness (Mettā)
• Equanimity (Upekkhā)

These qualities together cultivate a balanced, moral, and socially responsible individual — the exact opposite of the chaos and confusion being sown in today’s ideological battlegrounds.

This Foundation is being deliberately torn down

The New Threat: A Curriculum of Collapse

The current Prime Minister — acting as Education Minister — is not reforming the education system.
She is delivering the final blow to a nation already spiritually bleeding.

• By attempting to remove or dilute Buddhist education from schools,
• By trying to replace it with LGBTQIA+ ideology-based content,
• By demoting History to an elective subject so children no longer learn their heritage,
• She is actively and knowingly destroying the moral and national backbone of our future generations.

The Dangers of forgetting Our Roots

A child who does not know their roots is a lost soul.

A nation without memory is a nation without meaning.

A nation that removes Buddhism and History from its classrooms is a nation that will soon

• Normalize lust over restraint
• Promote identity confusion over inner clarity
• Breed selfishness over service
• Replace discipline with disorder
• Trade compassion for corruption

Stop importing Foreign Curriculums — everything we need is already in the Dhamma

Sri Lanka does not need imported ideologies or foreign-designed school curriculums that undermine our culture, confuse our children, and sever their connection to their roots.

We already possess the most time-tested, profound, and humane life-guiding philosophy known to humanity — the Buddha Dhamma.

Yet today, foreign funding and overseas scholarships are being used as tools of influence, pressuring policymakers to compromise the national interest by diluting Buddhist teachings and distorting our nation’s history in favor of liberal ideologies that do not align with our spiritual, moral, or cultural values.

At the same time, foreign narratives of our history are being quietly incorporated into educational texts and aggressively pushed through social media indoctrination — reshaping the minds of the next generation without public awareness or consent.

The Buddha gave us a complete Blueprint for Life

By oneself is evil done, by oneself is one defiled; by oneself is evil left undone, by oneself is one made pure.” — Dhammapada 165

The Buddha didn’t leave us in confusion. He gave clear, step-by-step guidelines for personal development, for:

• Laypersons: With teachings on duties of children, parents, spouses, teachers, rulers, and citizens (e.g., Sigalovada Sutta)
• Monks and clergy: With a discipline-focused Vinaya to live a life of simplicity, restraint, and compassion
• Leaders and rulers: With the Ten Royal Virtues (Dasa Raja Dharma) and policies for righteous governance

Dhamma is not Dogma — It’s a Civic, Moral, and Universal Framework

This is not religious dogma, nor is it about memorizing lines from holy books. Buddhist education is a moral and civic model — deeply rooted in compassion, mindfulness, duty, and wisdom.

Our children do not need to be taught foreign models of civics when everything they need to become ethical, responsible, and humane citizens is already found in the Dhamma. Buddha’s Dhamma is for all to embrace without any form of discrimination.

All that needs to be done is:

• To integrate these teachings into school education — not as abstract ideas, but as practical life skills.
• To begin from the earliest years, even with toddlers, through stories, practice, and behavior modeling.
• To ensure Buddhist values form the moral foundation of every subject, every classroom, and every child’s thinking

The absence of these teachings is the true cause of our moral decline — not the lack of facilities or foreign investment. Teaching principles does not require grand auditoriums or modern luxuries. Buddhist education transcends social, economic, and institutional boundaries, because it is rooted in cultivating the individual — their conscience, their mind, and their path to inner liberation.

Unlike doctrines that seek to elevate an external identity, the Buddha focused on the transformation of the self — not supremacy over others, but mastery over one’s own thoughts, speech, and actions.

The Battle for Language: Why Mother Tongue must come First

The importance of the mother tongue is not just emotional — it is educational and psychological. In any person’s gravest hour — the first and last words they speak are in their mother tongue — it comes naturally (aiyo, amma, ammo etc)

A child best absorbs values, culture, and wisdom through the language of the heart. The Buddha’s Dhamma, the Jataka stories, the heritage of this land — all were carried through Sinhala and Tamil, rooted in native identity.

Children can and should learn multiple languages, especially English and international languages, but:

• The mother tongue must have pride of place in the curriculum
• All core moral and cultural education — especially Dhamma — should be taught in the mother tongue first

A well-funded effort is underway to use media and influencers to make children feel ashamed of their mother tongue — a subtle but deliberate attempt to sever cultural roots. This is part of the bigger agenda funded to collapse Sri Lanka’s society. Notice how many television programs are purposely mixing mother tongue with other languages — this is with intent to dilute the mother tongue incrementally. They also use prominent personalities to adopt such practices so youth copy them.

The curriculum should be designed around our heritage, not in opposition to it.

The LGBTQIA Curriculum Threat: Lessons from the West

In the West, so-called inclusive education” has led to:

• Children being encouraged to question their gender at the age of 5
• Teenagers undergoing irreversible medical procedures and laterdetransitioning
• A shocking rise inmental health issues, confusion, self-harm, and suicide among youth exposed to gender ideology
• Parents being criminalized for refusing to affirm a child’s sudden gender claim

This curriculum is not liberation — it is psychological colonization. Is this what the PM is trying to do in Sri Lanka?

In Sri Lanka, there is no transgender child crisis. Those who identify differently as adults do so out of social media influence, foreign-funded activism, or for financial incentives. Many who are born biologically ambiguous (eunuchs) have long held respected jobs in beauty and salon industries — and are valued for their skills, not their identity. We never judged or discriminated against them. We do not need identity politics imported from the West.

What is now being promoted is fashion activism, not a genuine social issue. We must stop this before it breeds a generation of confusion and victimhood.

We must reclaim Our Education — reclaim Our Future & our National Identity

Say:

• No to foreign ideological experiments in our classrooms
• No to replacing Dhamma with LGBTQIA+ identity propaganda
• No to erasing Buddhism and History from the curriculum
• No to diminishing the importance of our mother tongue

Instead, we demand:

• A return to Buddhist-based education from preschool upwards
• Curricula that reflect the wisdom of our ancestors
• Moral and civic values rooted in the Dhamma, family duties, and cultural pride
• A trilingual system that empowers global literacy while preserving national identity

Our Duty — Like the Kings and War Heroes …

Let us resolve:

Just as the kings of Sinhale upheld the Dhamma and built righteous kingdoms…
Just as our soldiers defended the nation and protected all communities with Buddhist compassion…
We too must now protect our children from the curriculum corruption that is threatening their minds and souls.

Let us rise to defend the Buddha Sāsana in schools.

Let us give our children wisdom, not confusion.

Let us give them roots, not imported weeds.

A Final Warning to Public Officials: You are Not Immune

Let this serve as a solemn reminder to all public servants — elected representatives and officials alike — that the people are watching every decision being made & every action being taken.

Just as others are being summoned before the courts for violations of the Constitution & corruptions, those who undermine binding provision Article 9 — which mandates the protection and fostering of the Buddha Sāsana — must remember that such violations carry the gravest consequences.

Violating Article 9 is not a policy error — it is a legal breach. The Constitution, the Penal Code, and civil liability laws are clear. If you enable the erosion of Buddhist education, heritage, or national identity:

Then bullet-point the liabilities:

• You may be charged under Penal Code Chapter IX(Sections 158–163)
• You are liable under the State Liability Act
• You may be sued under delictual (tort) lawfor dereliction of statutory duty
• Citizens may file Fundamental Rights Petitionsunder Article 126 against you

Ultimately, the greatest innocence sacrificed, both legally and morally, is our children—far more valuable than temporary political gain. Those who betray that sacred trust will face consequences under law and in history.

Destroying a nation begins with destroying its foundation — and the most sacred asset of any nation is its children. Those who knowingly compromise their moral, cultural, and spiritual inheritance will not escape legal or moral accountability.

Let Sri Lanka Rise — Through Her Own Wisdom

Let Sri Lanka – Our Motherland Rise Again — not through imported ideologies, but through the wisdom that already lives in her soil, her temples, and her people.

Dhammo ha ve rakkhati dhammacāriṁ.”

ධම්මෝ හ වෙ රක්ඛති ධම්මචාරිං

(The Dhamma protects one who practices it.”)

Shenali D Waduge

Shenali D Waduge

Sri Lanka is in urgent need of a moral, spiritual, and cultural renaissance.The crisis in our education system is not merely academic — it is ethical, mental, and civilizational. The Buddha taught that true education must train the mind, purify conduct, and lead to wise, compassionate action. In contrast, modern education — severed from values — has produced children who are skilled but confused, informed but undisciplined, and digitally connected yet spiritually directionless. The Western-style education model imposed during colonial times is not only failing Sri Lanka, but is visibly collapsing in the very countries that exported it. It has bred generations of youth drowning in anxiety, identity confusion, moral relativism, and social fragmentation. It is time to return to a system that reflects who we are, rather than who the West wants us to become.

In line with:

• The Buddha’s teachings
• Sri Lanka’s Constitution (Articles 9 & 10)
• The moral foundations of all major religions

Seven mandatory subject areas are proposed to rebuild character, identity, and national integrity.

Why a new framework is urgently needed!

Sri Lanka is wrongfully continuing an education system imposed by colonial invaders — a system rooted in Western liberal values, disconnected from the heart, mind, and soul of our people.

This model:

• Breaks the child’s link to their heritage
• Imposes foreign ideologies over native wisdom
• Promotes rights without duties, identity confusion, and spiritual emptiness

We are now seeing the outcome in the quality of those coming out of the education system.

At its core, this system is alien to our civilizational DNA. It prizes exams over ethics, information over insight, and ambition over responsibility.

The mother tongue (Sinhala or Tamil) is not just a medium — it is the vessel of our history, values, and identity. Without it, children grow up rootless, ashamed of their culture, and vulnerable to external manipulation.

True education must reflect who we are as a nation — not who the West wants us to become.

We must stop forcing our children into a framework that mutilates their spirit in the name of progress.

This new values-based, Dhamma-rooted framework reclaims our cultural sovereignty and prepares children not just for jobs — but for life, character, and nationhood.

This is why no reforms should be led by those representing what we no longer wish to continue or newly adopt.

The Challenges Youth face today

• Moral collapse: dishonesty, sexual promiscuity, lack of discipline
• Spiritual emptiness: materialism, consumerism, rejection of duties
• Mental instability: anxiety, overstimulation, identity confusion
• Historical ignorance: no pride in Sri Lanka’s heritage
• Economic dependency: foreign worship, unethical careers
• Physical decay: laziness, poor hygiene, screen addiction

Western-style secular education, introduced post-16th century colonization, uprooted the Dhamma-based education that once produced compassionate, wise, and duty-bound citizens. It is time to rebuild from the roots.

The 7 Core Mandatory Subjects

1. Moral Education (Dhamma, Duties)

Why it’s vital today:

• Children lack clear guidance on right and wrong
• Families are breaking down due to selfishness and ego
• Social media and global activism promote values alien to our culture

All students must receive moral instruction:

• Buddha Dhamma – for Buddhist students
• Faith-based ethics – for Hindu, Christian, and Muslim students

Core Moral Teachings (across all religions):

• Respect for elders, parents, and teachers
• Truthfulness, non-violence, compassion
• Sexual modesty and restraint
• Service to others and social harmony
• Duties before Rights

Must exclude ideological content such as:

• LGBTQIA+ theory
• Gender identity confusion
• Rights-without-duties activism

Implementation & Teacher Training:

• Focus not just on content delivery, but on how tolive and model virtues — kindness, restraint, reverence — in daily interactions.
• Equip teachers withshort moral stories, Dhammapada verses, and faith-based parables they can use without textbooks.
• Include methods forgentle classroom discipline, non-punitive corrections, and creating a respectful, emotionally safe classroom culture.

Key Message: Teachers must embody what they teach — values are not taught; they are caught.

 Sīla is the foundation of all good things.” – Buddha

2. Language & Communication (Right Speech)

Why it’s vital today:

• Children are absorbing vulgarity, lies, and abuse online
• Language shapes thought, identity, and community harmony

Key Focus:

• Pride in mother tongue (Sinhala/Tamil)
• English as a link language, not a cultural replacement
• Speaking truthfully, kindly, and meaningfully

Implementation & Teacher Training:

• Re-train Language teachers (Sinhala, Tamil, English) to embed the five aspects of Right Speech: truth, harmony, gentleness, purpose, and timeliness.
• Workshops should include roleplay, debate practice, and compassionate communication techniques.
• English teachers should be guided to teach the language without transferring Western cultural ideologies, helping students use English as a tool, not an identity.

Key Message: Speech is a mirror of thought — language teachers must teach not just how to speak, but how to speak wisely.

 One who speaks what is true, wholesome, and beneficial is loved by all beings.” – Dhammapada

3. Mindfulness & Meditation (Right effort, Right concentration)

Why it’s vital today:

• Stress, emotional imbalance, and screen addiction are common
• Children need mental discipline, not just exam skills

Includes:

• Basic breathing meditation (ānāpāna)
• Loving-kindness (mettā) practice
• Daily mindfulness in actions and speech

Implementation & Teacher Training:

• Select and traina core team of meditation facilitators in each school — ideally one teacher per grade level.
• Training should behands-on and personal — not just lectures, but actual meditation practice in retreat settings (e.g., 3-day teacher retreats).
• Teach classroom-friendly techniques:5-minute breathing, loving-kindness recitations, daily gratitude reflection, and how to manage student emotions with calm presence.

Key Message: A mindful teacher creates a calm class — training the teacher’s mind must come before training the childs.

 Mind is the forerunner of all states. With a trained mind, happiness follows like a shadow.” – Dhammapada

4. Wisdom Subjects (Yoniso Manasikāra – Wise Reflection)

In a world flooded with data, digital noise, and shallow thinking, youth must be trained to see clearly, reflect deeply, and choose wisely.

Without Yoniso Manasikāra (wise attention), children are vulnerable to manipulation, impulsivity, and moral confusion.

These subjects cultivate:

• Critical thinking, not just fact recall
• Cause-and-effect reasoning rooted in ethics
• Insight, not just information

Subject	Purpose
Basic Science & Nature	Cause and effect, interdependence, humility before nature
Ethics / Moral Reasoning	Decisions based on consequences and values
Civic Education	Duties, law, responsibility to community
Media Literacy	Identifying manipulation and propaganda
Environmental Studies	Responsibility for the natural world (kamma principle)
Logic & Philosophy	Sharpening thought and challenging false beliefs
Mathematics	Precision, pattern recognition, structured thought

Implementation & Teacher Training:

• Conductinterdisciplinary seminars for Science, Civics, Media, and Math teachers on how to foster ethical inquiry, cause-effect analysis, and wise reflection.
• Provide them with Dhamma-based teaching aids:Jataka story parallels, ethical dilemmas, and logic puzzles to spark discussion.
• Retrain teachers tode-emphasize rote memory and instead ask students: Why does this matter?”, What is the consequence of this action?”

Key Message: Teachers must shift from delivering answers to cultivating ethical thinking — knowledge without wisdom is dangerous.

 A fool who knows he is a fool is wise to that extent. But a fool who thinks he is wise is a true fool.” – Buddha

5. History & Geography (Desa–Jātiya Itihāsaya saha Bhūgōlaya)

Why it’s vital today:

• National identity is eroding through historical erasure
• Youth must understand the value of Sri Lankan civilization and unity, the great achievements of the Sinhale kings & how the protected & guided the Nation & its People.

Must include:

• Pre-colonial history, Sinhala kings, Buddhist civilization
• Temple-based education, irrigation systems, ethics of rulers
• Role of all communities in building the nation
• Impact of colonialism and post-independence struggles

Component	Purpose
Sri Lankan History	Pride in heritage, resistance to colonial erasure, civilizational continuity
Local Geography	Understanding of rivers, agriculture zones, ecosystems
Archaeological Sites	Connection to Buddhist civilization, ancient engineering, heritage
Ethno-Religious Harmony	How all communities contributed to nationhood
Geopolitical Awareness	Understanding Sri Lanka’s strategic position & foreign pressures
Disaster & Resource Awareness	Ethical use of land, water, preparedness (linked to kamma)

Implementation & Teacher Training:

History must be made a non-negotiable core subject from Grades 3 to 11,

• Run district-level teacher camps focused on Sri Lanka’s pre-colonial history, Buddhist heritage, irrigation marvels, and geopolitics.
• Involve historians, archaeologists, and monks to teach teachers how to connect children to land, lineage, and legacy through storytelling and site visits.
• Equip teachers to counter false narratives, present balanced views, and foster national pride without chauvinism.

Key Message: History teachers must be guardians of memory — they shape the identity of a nation one classroom at a time.

 He who reveres the past and understands his land, protects the future.”

6. Life Skills / Right Livelihood Training

Why it’s vital today:

• Children are conditioned to value fast wealth, foreign jobs, or immoral industries
• Right Livelihood trains ethical, productive, and self-reliant citizens

Area	Skills	Moral Values
Agriculture	Food growing, herbal medicine	Gratitude, self-reliance
Home Economics	Cooking, budgeting, hygiene	Care, cleanliness, discipline
Financial Literacy	Saving, avoiding debt	Contentment (santutthi), restraint
Simple Trades	Carpentry, tailoring, repair	Dignity in labour
Time Use	Daily routine, digital discipline	Right effort
Health & First Aid	Personal care, emergency skills	Compassion, readiness
Family Life	Parenting, elder respect	Harmony and duty
Career Ethics	Guidance on ethical jobs	Avoidance of harm, deceit, exploitation

Implementation & Teacher Training:

• EstablishLivelihood Labs” in schools with hands-on sessions in cooking, planting, repairing, and managing time and money.
• Teachers should be trainedin the dignity of labor, simplicity of living, and the Buddhist ethic of santutthi (contentment).
• Partner withlocal artisans, village elders, monks, and Ayurvedic healers to co-facilitate weekly practical classes.

Key Message: Teachers must not be afraid to get their hands dirty — right livelihood must be demonstrated, not theorized.

 Not by harming others does one gain success, but by right effort and honest work.” – Buddha

7. Health & Physical Care

Why it’s vital today:

• Children face poor diet, laziness, early sexual exposure, drug use
• A sound body supports a stable mind and virtuous life

Focus:

• Cleanliness, physical fitness, nutrition
• Avoidance of intoxicants
• Strength and balance for service to society

Health is the greatest gain; contentment, the greatest wealth.” – Dhammapada

Age-Wise Outcomes: What each stage of Education should produce

Grade Range	Focus Areas	Expected Outcome
Grades 1–5	Foundation in morality, language, mindfulness, hygiene	Respectful, emotionally stable, ethically grounded child
Grades 6–9	Moral reasoning, civic identity, national pride, life skills	Thoughtful, disciplined youth with cultural rootedness and early purpose
Grades 10–13	Application of ethics, Right Livelihood, national service	Responsible, self-aware citizen ready for ethical work or service

Implementation & Teacher Training:

• Replace foreign-modeled sex education withlocal, culturally rooted body-awareness and hygiene education, guided by doctors, bhikkhunis, psychologists, and even nurses.
• Train teachers inhow to speak about the body and sexuality with dignity and truthfulness, rooted in Dhamma concepts of modesty and restraint.
• Emphasize clean living, nutrition, daily routines, and the abandonment of intoxicants and harmful indulgences.

Key Message: Health is sacred — teachers must guide children to care for their bodies as vessels of virtue.

A New National Training Body:

• Establish aDhamma-based Teacher Training Institute” under the Ministry of Education/NIE in partnership with the Maha Sangha and representatives of all major faiths.
• This institute would design and oversee:
  • Certification of new values-based teachers
  • Ongoing in-service moral training
  • Common ethics modules for Buddhists/Non-Buddhists
  • A national database of local resource persons (monks, elders, craft mentors)

After 13 Years of Education: The Path Forward

The Ideal Graduate: A young adult who is:

• Morally upright (Sīla)
• Emotionally stable (Samādhi)
• Intellectually wise (Paññā)
• Rooted in heritage and ready to serve society

Three Pathways after School:

1. Right Livelihood Track
   1. Vocational training (Dhamma-aligned trades)
   1. Apprenticeships with ethical mentors
   1. Focus on agriculture, crafts, service, and rural development
2. National Service & Leadership Track
   1. Voluntary 1–2 year service: disaster response, rural upliftment, teaching
   1. Training in ethical leadership and civic duty
3. Higher Academic or Dhamma Studies
   1. Entry into reformed universities with moral foundation
   1. Specializations in Buddhist thought, ethics, education, policy
   1. Monastic or scholarly spiritual advancement

Long-Term National Goals:

• Rebuild a duty-oriented, disciplined citizenry
• End ideological dependency on foreign models
• Restore cultural sovereignty
• Reconnect education to life, purpose, and national identity

We call upon Sri Lanka’s policymakers, religious leaders, educators, and parents to unite behind this Dhamma-rooted educational vision — and reject externally imposed ideologies that continue to fracture our youth. Let us rebuild from our own soil & spirit.

Shenali D Waduge

Shenali D Waduge

In 2023, as Sri Lanka was reeling from its worst economic crisis in decades, unelected President Ranil Wickremesinghe agreed to a $3 billion IMF bailout. But hidden inside the loan terms was a Trojan Horse — the demand to make the Central Bank of Sri Lanka independent” from government and parliamentary oversight.

What followed was the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Act No. 16 of 2023, rushed through Parliament with little public debate or transparency. It transferred core economic powers from elected leaders to an insulated technocracy, handing control over Sri Lanka’s monetary policy to the IMF.

What was dismantled — and what it cost Sri Lanka

For decades, the Central Bank operated under the Monetary Law Act No. 58 of 1949:

• TheFinance Minister sat on the Monetary Board.
• The CBSL could issueprovisional advances to the government.
• CBSL leadership waspolitically accountable.
• Monetary and fiscal policy workedtogether to promote employment, development, and price stability.

This model allowed governments to respond to national emergencies, support social welfare, and invest in growth.

But the 2023 CBSL Act destroyed this model and installed IMF-style rules that prioritize creditors, not citizens:

IMF Rule in CBSL Act	Real-World Impact on You
Strict inflation targeting	Development, employment, and poverty reduction take a backseat. CBSL won’t lower interest rates to stimulate jobs or industry.
No deficit financing	The government can’t print money or fund social programs during crises — hospitals, agriculture, and education suffer.
Full autonomy from Parliament/Government	CBSL technocrats answer to IMF frameworks, not your elected MPs. There is no way to override their policies.

What would have happened without resistance?

Had the CBSL Act passed unchanged, Sri Lanka would have become:

• Adebt colony, where foreign creditors and IMF officials dictate policy.
• Aparalyzed democracy, where elected leaders are helpless during national emergencies.
• Atechnocratic dictatorship, where a handful of unelected officials determine nation’s economic fate — without any accountability.

The Heroes who fought back — and what they saved

Thankfully, a group of patriotic petitioners filed a Fundamental Rights case at the Supreme Court:

• Jehan Hameed
• Col. Anil Amarasekara
• MP Udaya Gammanpila
• B. Abeysekara Gunaratne
  Read the petition (PDF)
• Central-Bank-Petition.pdf

The Supreme Court responded with vital changes:

• Required CBSL to enter aformal inflation-target agreement with government.
• Mandatedreporting to Parliament.
• Restoredlimited constitutional and legal oversight.
• Correctedprocedural flaws in how the bill was passed.

Without these petitioners, the CBSL would now be completely beyond the reach of Parliament and the People.

However — the CBSL is not truly accountable to Sri Lanka

Despite the Supreme Court’s corrections, the IMF-style model remains mostly intact:

• CBSL’s inflation targets and reports aresymbolic, not binding.
• The governmentcannot override or direct CBSL in times of crisis.
• Foreign creditors come first— not the citizens of Sri Lanka.

Unlike:

• India’s RBI, which works with the Finance Ministry.
• UK, where the Treasury can override Bank of England in emergencies.
• USA, where the Federal Reserve is answerable to Congress.

Sri Lanka now has one of the world’s most insulated central banks — thanks to a bill passed during an unelected presidency.

Sri Lanka’s Taxpayers have a right to demand questions from CBSL

Who bears the cost?

Sri Lanka’s public sector salary and pension bill stands at around LKR 1.7 trillion per year — over half of the total government expenditure.

Within this bloated spending:

• The Central Bank of Sri Lanka recently awarded salary increases averaging50–77% for its staff
• An entry-level clerk (Office Assistant) now earnsnearly LKR 200,000 per month, while a Deputy Governor may receive LKR 1.7 million in salary alone
• CBSL also contributes29% of gross salary to pensions/provident funds, plus foreign training and low-interest loans

Taxpayers spend – IMF & Pro-IMF staff benefits?

CBSL staff are unaccountable to taxpayers. Instead they work to redirect public resources to creditors focusing on inflation control & debt repayment. Using taxpayers money CBSL acts like a quasi-private institution, using public funds while prioritizing IMF/creditor interests, not citizens.

Key takeaways for taxpayers:

1. Every rupeespent on CBSL salaries, perks, and pensions now funnels into a system prioritizing foreign lenders, not local communities.
2. Tough economic reforms, cost-of-living increases, and service cuts arenot matched by flexibility in monetary policy because of the CBSL’s new structure.
   1. The public has a right to ask: Should theCBSL continue to enjoy elite compensation when it isn’t serving national needs?
3. Why should Sri Lankansfund a bank that isn’t accountable to them or working in their interest?

What Sri Lankans Must Demand:

• A fullreview and reduction of unsustainable CBSL salary and pension structures.
• Parliamentary oversightof CBSL spending and compensation, ensuring public funds serve the public.
• Restoration of a Central Bank that isdemocratically accountable, transparent, and aligned with Sri Lanka’s development priorities.

Finding Fault is Not enough — Parliament Must Act

Blaming Ranil Wickremesinghe now is not the solution.

He may have betrayed the nation by agreeing to this IMF condition, but today’s Parliament holds the power to reverse this Act.

Why must the CBSL Act be repealed or amended?

• It gives power to unelected officials who are not accountable to the People (this is a violation of Article 3).
• It shackles the government’s hands during economic crises
• It implements policies that hurt local businesses, jobs, and welfare.
• Taxpayers need not fund an institution that serves the IMF — not the people.

What must be done — before it’s too late

The current government has the majority in Parliament. It must act now.

A NEW BILL that:

• Restoresparliamentary oversight of CBSL
• Enables thegovernment to direct monetary policy during crises
• EndsIMF conditionalities embedded in domestic law
• PutsSri Lanka’s development, not debt repayment, first

Final Warning

If the Central Bank serves foreign creditors instead of the People, democracy becomes meaningless.

If your elected government cannot govern the economy, who governs you? Why should a private institution dictate to a sovereign nation & its people?

Sri Lanka must choose:

• Asovereign republic led by its people,
  or
• Adebt colony, ruled by unelected technocrats.

Let’s finish what the petitioners began – Reverse the CBSL Act 2023.

Reclaim our future.

Shenali D Waduge

අරුණ ලක්සිරි උණවටුන B.Sc(Col), PGDC(Col) නීතීඥ, සමායෝජක, වෛද්‍ය තිලක පද්මා සුබසිංහ අනුස්මරණ නීති අධ්‍යාපන වැඩසටහන. 

1. 1815 උඩරට ගිවිසුම මගින් බ්‍රිතාන්‍යය කිරීටය විසින් මෙරට විධායක, ව්‍යවස්ථාදායක සහ අධිකරණ බලය යටත් කර ගැනීමෙන් පසු බ්‍රිතාන්‍යය අලිඛිත ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවට අනුව පාලනය කිරීම සිඳු විය.

2. 1947 ඩොමීනියන් නිදහස ලබා දුන් සෝල්බරි ව්‍යවස්ථාව සහ සියළු ආඥා පනත් ඉංග්‍රීසි භාෂාවෙන් පමණක් පැනවීය.

3. 1956 සිංහල භාෂාව රාජ්‍ය භාෂාව බවට නීති පැනවුවද බ්‍ර්තාන්‍ය අලිඛිත ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවට අනුව බිහිකළ සෝල්බරි ව්‍යවස්ථාව හෝ ආඥා පනත් සිංහල භාෂාවෙන් ලබා දීමට කටයුතු නොවූ අතර අවසන් අධිකරණ බලය බ්‍රිතාන්‍ය රාජාධිකරණය සතුවිය.

4. 1947 සෝල්බරි ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාව උල්ලංඝණය කරමින් ගෘන්නෝමයක්/ නෛතික විප්ලවයක් මගින් වගන්ති 134කින් යුත් පළවන ජනරජ ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාව 1972 මැයි මස 22වන දින පාර්ලිමේන්තුව විසින් පනවා ව්‍යවස්ථාදායකය ජාතික රාජ්‍ය සභාව බවට පත්වීමෙන් පසු සිංහල, දෙමළ සහ ඉංග්‍රීසි භාෂාවලින් ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාව කෙටුම්පත් කර පැනවීම සිඳුවිය.

5.1972 ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ 9වැනි ව්‍යවස්ථාව මගින් සිංහල භාෂාවෙන් නීති පැනවීම සි‍ඳුකළ යුතු බවත් දෙමළ භාෂාවෙන් පරිවර්තනයක් විය යුතු බවත් දැක්වා ඇත.

6. එසේම නීතියක් සඳහා ඉදිරිපත් කරන සෑම පනත් කෙටුම්පතක්ම සිංහල භාෂාවෙ ඉදිරිපත් කළ යුතු බවත්, දෙමළ භාෂාවෙන් පරිවර්තනයක් සහිතව ගැසට් පත්‍රයේ පළ කළයුතු බවත් 1972 ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ 46 වන වගන්තියේ දක්වා තිබුණි.

7. 1972 ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාව සංශෝධනය කිරීම සම්බන්ධයෙන් එහි X පරිච්ඡේදය මගින් දක්වා ඇති අතර, ඒ අනුව ජාතික රාජ්‍ය සභාවේ නොපැමිණි මන්ත්‍රීවරුද ඇතුළුව මුළු මන්ත්‍රී සංඛ්‍යාවෙන් යටත් පිරිසෙන් 2/3ක ඡන්දයෙන් සම්මත වුවහොත් එහි 49වන වගන්තිය යටතේ කතානායකවරයා විසින් සහතිකය යෙදීමෙන් පසු එහි 48වන වගන්තිය යටතේ නීතියක් විය.

8. ඒ අනුව 1978 ජූලි මස 21 වන දින පැවති මැතිවරණයෙන් පත් වූ  ජාතික රාජ්‍ය සභාව විසින් උත්තරීතර නීතිය ලෙස අලුත් ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාව ( ව්‍යවස්ථා 172කින් යුත් 1978 ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාව) පැනවූ අතර එය 1972 ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවට කරන ලද 2වන ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථා සංශෝධනය වූ අතර 1වන ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථා සංශෝධනය වූයේ විධායක ජනාධිපති ධූරයට අදාල ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථා සංශෝධනය ගෙන ඒමය.

9. 1972 ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ 9වන වගන්තිය අනුව දෙමළ භාෂාවෙන් පරිවර්තනයක් සහිතව සිංහල භාෂාවෙන් 1978 ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම පැනවීම සිඳුකර ඇත.

10. ඉහත කාරණා සැළකීමේදී 1978 ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ සිංහල භාෂා පාඨය බලාත්මක වෙයි.

http://neethiyalk.blogspot.com/2025/07/1972-2-1978-1978.html?m=1

අරුණ ලක්සිරි උණවටුන
B.Sc(Col), PGDC(Col) නීතීඥ,
සමායෝජක, වෛද්‍ය තිලක පද්මා සුබසිංහ අනුස්මරණ නීති අධ්‍යාපන වැඩසටහන. දුරකථන 0712063394   

National Development Bank PLC

National Development Bank PLC (NDB) is proud to announce its latest accolades at the Asian Banking & Finance Retail Banking Awards 2025 held in Singapore, having secured two coveted awardsDomestic Retail Bank of the Year – Sri Lanka and, for the very first time, Islamic Banking Initiative of the Year – Sri Lanka. These recognitions reinforce NDB’s unwavering commitment to excellence, customer-centric banking, and innovation across diverse financial segments.

This year’s honours follow closely on the heels of NDB’s earlier win under the Wholesale Banking Awards category, where the Bank was named Domestic Project Finance Bank of the Year – Sri Lanka, affirming its leadership in funding national infrastructure and large-scale development projects.

The Asian Banking & Finance Awards are widely regarded as one of the most competitive and respected recognitions in the region, and NDB ‘s recognition is a testament to the Bank’s vision, agility, and sustained delivery of impactful banking solutions tailored to Sri Lanka’s evolving needs.

The title of Domestic Retail Bank of the Year further cements NDB’s role as a dynamic retail banking leader, driven by digital transformation, inclusive products, and a strong nationwide presence that supports individuals and SMEs alike.

Meanwhile, the Islamic Banking Initiative of the Year award marks a historic first for NDB, reflecting the Bank’s dedication to expanding inclusive financial services and offering ethical, Shariah-compliant banking solutions that serve a growing segment of Sri Lankan society. This achievement recognises the Bank’s strategic entry and success in Islamic finance, built on transparency, trust, and structured growth.

Commenting on the wins, Kelum Edirisinghe, Director and CEO of NDB Bank, stated, These recognitions are a proud moment for all of us at NDB. They are a reflection of the trust our customers place in us and the dedication of our teams who strive every day to deliver banking excellence with purpose. As we continue to innovate, our focus remains on deepening customer relationships, expanding financial access, and supporting the broader economic progress of Sri Lanka.”

These latest awards add to NDB’s impressive legacy of recognition at the Asian Banking & Finance Awards over the years, showcasing the Bank’s consistency, capability, and forward-thinking approach across retail, corporate, and project financing domains.

As NDB continues its journey of empowering lives and enriching the nation, these recognitions serve as a reminder of the impact purposeful banking can achieve, fostering inclusion, innovation, and long-term growth for all Sri Lankans.

NDB Bank is the fourth-largest listed commercial bank in Sri Lanka. NDB was named Sri Lanka’s Best Bank for Corporates at Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2024 and was awarded Domestic Retail Bank of the Year – Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka Domestic Project Finance Bank of the Year by Asian Banking and Finance Magazine (Singapore) Awards 2024. NDB is the parent company of the NDB Group, comprising capital market subsidiary companies, together forming a unique banking and capital market services group. The Bank is committed to empowering the nation and its people through meaningful financial and advisory services powered by digital banking solutions.

by A. Abdul Aziz, Sri Lanka Correspondent, All Hakam, London.

More than 35,000 delegates from over 90 countries including Sri Lanka are expected to attend the Ahmadiyya Muslim Annual Conference, holding Friday 25th July to Sunday 27th July 2025 at Hadeeqatul Mahdi, Alton, United Kingdom.

The Annual Convention (Jalsa Salana) of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community United Kingdom is a unique event that brings thousands of participants from worldwide to increase religious knowledge and promote a sense of peace in society. Eminent speakers discuss a range of religious topics and their relevance to contemporary society. Additionally, a number of parliamentarians, civic leaders and diplomats from different countries also address the gathering and underline the convention’s objective of enhancing unity, understanding and mutual respect. A special feature of this convention is that it is blessed by the presence of His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the Fifth Khalifa and the Head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. He addresses the convention over each of the three days, providing an invaluable insight into religious teachings and how they are a source of guidance for the world today.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaát (Community) was founded in 1889 by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (peace be upon him) of Qadian, India. He claimed under divine guidance to be the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi, whose advent was awaited by all the religions of the world. He championed the peaceful teachings of Islam, revived the Faith with a sense of purpose and inspired his followers to build a strong bond with God and to serve humanity with a selfless spirit of compassion and humility.

The community is now established in 214 countries and it spearheads an international effort to promote the true message of Islam and of service to humanity. It also leads a global peace campaign to champion respect and human rights for all. The United Kingdom chapter of the community was established in 1913 and it now has 130 branches, making it one of the oldest established Muslim communities in the United Kingdom. The community follows the true spirit of Islam and lives by its motto: Love for All, Hatred for None.

Courtesy Adaderana

The United States has offered to accept 70 to 80% of products exported from Sri Lanka without imposing any tariffs, Deputy Minister of Economic Development (Prof.) Anil Jayantha Fernando stated.

The offer has been made during on-going discussions between Sri Lanka and the US following the decision by US President Donald Trump earlier this year to impose reciprocal tariffs on countries based on existing trade deficits.

Speaking during the Ada Derana Big Focus” program held today (17), Deputy Minister Anil Jayantha Fernando confirmed that the US has offered Sri Lanka a list of 1,161 products for exports including apparel and 42 products related to the Agricultural industry.

The Deputy Minister of Economic Development stated that the details of the agreement with the United States cannot be disclosed yet, as discussions related to tariff concessions have not been finalized.

He added due to the technical nature and diplomatic protocol, matters under discussion will not be made public at this juncture.

Deputy Minister of Economic Development Anil Jayantha Fernando said Sri Lanka is also in discussions on the possibility of securing 0% tariffs on imports from the US.

He said, When it comes to imports, currently goods imported from the U.S. fall within a 0% to 20% tariff range. So even if we slightly reduce the rates on some of those items, it will not result in a significant loss of revenue for the government, as we import only around USD 300 million worth from the U.S.”

Meanwhile, a delegation from Sri Lanka is scheduled to leave for the United States tomorrow (18) to continue discussions on further reducing U.S. tariff rates.

According to the recent announcement by the White House, goods exported to the United States from Sri Lanka will be subject to a 30% tariff from August 1.

History with Nirmal – නිර්මාල් සමග ඉතිහාසය

සවිස්තරාත්මක අධ්‍යාපන ප්‍රතිසංස්කරණ මාලාවක් හදුන්වා දීමට ආණ්ඩුව කටයුතු කරන බව පෙනේ. මේ ඒ පිළිබද විමසා බැලීමකි.

Subtle Reality

Modern discoveries in quantum physics have shaken the world: the soul does not disappear after death — it transitions into a parallel reality. What is this world, and why does science increasingly confirm ancient mystical ideas about the afterlife? In this video, you will learn shocking details from research on life after death, real testimonies from people who experienced clinical death, and hypotheses from renowned scientists such as Raymond Moody, Eben Alexander, and Michael Newton. We will reveal the mystery of parallel worlds and explain how human consciousness continues to exist after physical departure. Watch until the end to understand what truly awaits us after death.