By Rohana R. Wasala

Continued from October 1, 2025

Bhante Missaka (Mihintale) Kamalasiri, a Sri Lankan scholar monk well known as a guided meditation teacher working in association with the Buddhist retreat centres of  the Star of the North and the Metta Meditation Center, Minnesota, USA, made some important revelations about the elusive Ariyamagga character in an authoritative 15-minute presentation in Sinhala, which I viewed on a YouTube video uploaded in November 2021. It reveals Ariyamagga as a former LTTE Tamil who, having fled from Sri Lanka and arrived in Norway as a refugee, now poses as a Sinhalese Buddhist monk, embarked on a mission to destroy the Sinhalese Buddhist history and cultural heritage of the country.

 ‘This mysterious Sinhalese Buddhist monk’ had travelled to Myanmar, UK, etc from Norway, but he has never revealed himself publicly in Sri Lanka. There is no evidence of his having left the country either, if he ever did, Bhante Kamalasiri says. But he claims that he has videos of Ariyamagga having discussions with the Shiv Sena organization of India, where the latter declares that Buddha Gaya does not belong to Buddhists, and that the Isipathana stupa at Sarnath, Benares (Varanasi), is a Shiva lingam.

The erudite thera further revealed that Ariyamagga (by that time/2021) had about twenty groups in Sri Lanka working for him including those under (bhikkhu impersonators) Waharaka Abayalankara and Meewanapalane Dharmalankara. Ariyamagga had convinced even Suriya Gunasekera (an acknowledged champion of traditional knowledge) to accept his fake ideology and co-opted him into his campaign of propagating the heresy.

The Eelamists were pursuing four goals:1) to try to validate the false Jambudipa concept by re-introducing certain carefully chosen ancient sacred places as central to a related fictitious history, 2) to bring in an allegedly authentic Tripitaka (different from what is traditionally accepted as the Theravada Tripitaka that was committed to writing at Aluvihare, Matale, in the first century BCE and introducing a new mode of scriptural interpretation, 3) to establish the power of the deluded supporters of the Hela Jambudipa idea within the Malwatte Chapter, and 4) to create a minority with a distincly different identity within the broader Sinhalese Buddhist society.

In his presentation, the venerable monk (Kamalasiri) pointed out that the masterminds of this disinformation project believe that the monks of the Malwatte Chapter are deficient in their knowledge of the Dhamma. That is their view, not his. Anyway, Bhante Kamalasiri said that there were already more than one hundred and fifty monks of the Malwatte Chapter who had embraced the erroneous ideology, and that some of them happen to be  relatives of the MahanayakeTheras. This means that there is an emerging, deeply alarming prospect of the most vitally important historic Buddhist shrines such as the iconic Atamasthanayas and the Solosmahasthanayas (the Eight and Sixteen Great Places of Worship, respectively) being in the future headed by Ariyamagga followers!    

Believers in the ‘Buddha was born in Sri Lanka’ myth might be induced to sever even their sentimental links with places that they have to date correctly believed to be historic Buddhist places of worship in Sri Lanka and in India, some of them later built over by non-Buddhists. The misguided adherents of the fiction will forget the Sacred Buddha Gaya/Bodh Gaya in India, which our indefatigable Anagarika Dharmapala did much to reclaim for the world Buddhists.  Dharmapala believed that it was his historic responsibility as a Buddhist of Sinhale/Sihele/Ceylon to do so. This was because he knew that, about two centuries after the missionary Mahinda Thera introduced Theravada Buddhism to Sri Lanka, its scriptures that had been until then transmitted orally were committed to writing in the island in the 1st century BCE and were preserved for posterity, making the it the undisputed repository of Theravada Buddhism. 

By the end of the 19th century CE, Buddhism had almost entirely disappeared from India due to Muslim invasions as well as the dominance of Hinduism. Dharmapala met only with limited success, no doubt, but it was a great achievement, even an epoch-making one, considering his smallness when pitted against the powerful opponents he had to face in that Hindu dominated religious environment during the British Raj at the turn of the 20th century. Anagarika Dharmapala, in association with activists like journalist and poet Sir Edwin Arnold from the British intelligentsia, laid the foundation for the modern Buddhist revival in India. Today India is rediscovering and restoring its lost Buddhist heritage, for example in the form of rebuilding the ancient Buddhist monastic University of Nalanda (427-1197 CE) burned down by Muslim invaders in the 12th century. This made it possible for Prime Minister Modi to shout out to the world not long ago: “India gave to the world the Buddha, not yuddha (war)”. India honoured Anagarika Dharmapala by issuing a postage stamp commemorating him in 2014.  

I came across a 400-page book written in Sinhala about this ‘Buddha was born in Sri Lanka’ argument, probably first advanced by a local Sinhalese Buddhist nationalist zealot. It probably got communicated to some highly motivated Eelamist intellectuals, and they must be working behind Ariyamagga, who is not an educated man. The title of the book translates as Evidence to prove that the land of the Buddhas is none other than this ‘Heladiva’ or Sri Lanka: Debunking myths” (2018) by a writer named S. Ariyaratne. It is full of information misquoted and garbled by him through misinterpretation. The book  contains a lot of interesting but scientifically unauthenticated details both about the dhamma and Sri Lanka’s history without any serious supporting evidence or rational elucidation.

In some instances, Ariyaratne quotes from the Mahavansa, which he seems to modify in his own interpretation to suit his thesis that the Buddha was born, lived, and died in Sri Lanka. One example is the following, where he mistranslates the final verse of Chapter VI of the Mahavansa. Here I use Mudaliyar L.C. Wijesinghe’s translation (1889) of the Mahavansa.  The last verse of Chapter VI is: This prince named Vijaya, who had then attained the wisdom of experience, landed in the division Tambapanni of this land Lanka, on the day that the successor (of former Buddhas) reclined in the arbour of the two delightful sal trees, to attain nibbana”. (Incidentally, Wijesinghe, being probably a non-Buddhist ignorant of Buddhism, erroneously substitutes ‘nibbana’ for ‘parinibbana’ found in the original Pali Mahavansa text. But the error has no significance for us in this context.) The verse means that the Buddha’s passing happened in Kushinagar in modern northern India the same day that Vijaya landed in Tambapanni or Lanka. But Ariyaratne mistranslates the same Pali verse into Sinhala. His version can be rendered into English thus: Prince Vijaya of steady wisdom arrived the day that the Tathagata, in Lanka or Tamrapanni, lay down to attain parinibbana (in the shade) between two sal trees whose branches were intertwined” (Page 210 of Ariyaratne’s book). 

Between pages 112-132, Ariyaratne looks at Anagarika Dharmapala’s work in India from his own uninformed biased point of view. His unconvincing, idiosyncratic argument is that the Lankan Buddhist  missionary, misled by the Suddas (Whites/Europeans), mistakenly identified  Bodh Gaya in India as the birthplace of the Buddha, but  that towards the end of his life, he showed signs that he realized his mistake. It need hardly be said that this is only an erroneous assumption on Ariyaratne’s part. He further asserts that the Bodhi tree found there is not the Bodhi tree under which ascetic Gotama attained enlightenment. He thinks that Alexander Cunningham (the pioneer of what later became the Archaeological Survey of India)  planted the extant Bodhi tree  in 1870!

Regarding this, Ariyarathne mentions ‘Relighting the Lamp’ by Australian monk Bhante S. Dhammika (who, by the way, is no stranger to Sri Lankans, especially, to readers of English language newspapers and books. The Island newspaper of October 1, 2025 announced that Bhante Dhammika had recently arrived in Sri Lanka on a visit; the paper also published an interview with the visiting monk). But Ariyaratne doesn’t seem to have carefully read what he makes reference to. Actually, ‘Relighting the Lamp’ is only the last (or 4th) section of that monk’s 241 page book ‘The Navel of the Earth: The History and Significance of Bodh Gaya’ (BPS, Kandy, 1996)’ between pp. 119-171. In that part of the book, Bhante Dhammika  has included a fairly detailed account of Dharmapala’s legitimate and heroic struggle to acquire the sacred place for Buddhists. Dharmapala played a key role in ‘relighting the lamp’ in India. 

Bhante Shravasti Dhammika outlines the historical importance of Bodh Gaya in his preface to ‘The Navel of the Earth…..’:

…..Bodh Gayā’s historical significance is due to it having a longer and more complete history than almost any other place in the subcontinent, a history supplemented by epigraphical and literary sources from China and Tibet, Burma, Thailand and Sri Lanka. Nor is this history merely an outline of events or a list of doubtful dates, as so often encountered in the study of India’s past. Rather, it includes detailed descriptions of Bodh Gayā’s now vanished temples and shrines, accounts of the elaborate ceremonies and doctrinal disputes that once took place there, and even details of how time was kept in its monasteries. This history is also made more interesting by the participation of some of Asia’s greatest personalities, from Asoka to Curzon, from Xuanzang to Anāgārika Dharmapāla…..” 

The book also supplies information about the conspicuous presence of Buddhist monks from Simhale (Sri Lanka) and the construction of religious buildings in Jambudipa including Bodh Gaya under Sinhalese royal patronage. In the 4th century, Sinhalese king Meghavanne (304-332 CE) built a special monastery at the place of Buddha’s Enlightenment – the Bodh Gaya Monastery. It survived there for a millennium, functioning as a major monastic university complex. It operated along with two other Buddhist universities, the famous  Nalanda and Vikramashila monastic universities, which came into existence later. 

The author of The Navel of the Earth…” is an extremely more reliable authority on the history of the Buddha’s birthplace than Ariyaratne. In fact, the erudite Bhante S. Dhammika, who is additionally an alumnus of the Postgraduate Institute of Pali and Buddhist Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, has devoted many years of his life for researching the subject, even traveling on foot where Buddha walked across that part of north India to and fro, preaching his message. He has written and published over a dozen books. A book by Bhante Dhammika published in 2022 is ‘Lumbini’, which gives a short history of Lumbini, the first of the four major holy places of Buddhism, being where the person who was born to become Buddha was born”.

The truth is that, in my opinion, Ariyaratne is not at all worthy of comparison with Bhante Dhammika in this context. He has had no worthwhile academic training in either Buddhism or the history of Buddhism, not to speak about anything else that is ancillary such as the secular history of Sri Lanka and India. What may be taken as an autobiographical note on pp. 12-14 of Ariyaratne’s book mentioned above says that he was born in a small impoverished village in Nivitigala in 1972. At age 14, he was admitted to the Sangha order as a novice. He studied at a pirivena in Ratnapura, where he became a kind of loner allegedly trying to learn the dhamma in an unorthodox way, which meant  that he read material outside the prescribed syllabuses. Disgusted with the Sangha order at age 19 (i.e., before higher ordination), he disrobed, and became a layman again, reverting to his birth name Ariyaratne. But he claims that he continued his search in which he followed in the footsteps of such ‘Arya utuman’ (Arhants) as the infamous and totally ignorant  Waharaka (Abhayarathanalankara) and Meewanapalane (Siri Dhammalankara)!! 

Meewanapalane has been officially excommunicated by the Malwatte Nikaya, but he continues to preach to a dwindled audience. Waharaka died in 2017 and his death was described as his ‘Parinibbana’!, a term used only in the case of the passing away of an Arhant, most usually in referring to the death of the Buddha. It is an abomination to use that terminology to refer to the death of a sinful fake Arhant. (There is a great possibility, nay probability, that these are plants intended to destroy the Buddha Sasanaya, which is the breath and being of our over 2500 year old Lankan/Heladiva civilization. Those who bristle at this, please listen to the advice of the Buddha in the Kalama Sutta, and independently find out  their hollowness by studying samples of their preachings.) 

Ariyamagga who is the main motivator of the ‘We Rectify Our History’ project as well as  the leader of the so-called Ariya Kammattahna Organization may belong to the same group of rogues in robes. (I googled the name Ariyamagga Thero, but failed to find any monk by that name or an organization he heads, except the name in Sinhala characters ‘Pujya K. Ariyamagga’.) The theme ‘We Rectify Our History’ probably comes from Ariyaratne’s book, p. 116, where the author writes “Let’s rectify mistakes in our history by ourselves”. Isn’t it possible that some eccentric uneducated zealots have also been recruited or are simply being used like some feral donkeys by the prime movers of a global conspiracy against the Sinhalese and their Buddhist culture? 

It is true that the British stole many archaeological treasures including ola leaf manuscripts of inestimable value from Sri Lanka. At least some of them are being preserved in British libraries and museums. They are waiting to be reclaimed by us through proper channels. This is not the time to get them, as we can understand, given the debilitating economic and political difficulties Sri Lanka is experiencing. This task should actually be left to present and future young generations.

The more urgent need of the hour is to reclaim the nationalist success of 2009 against all odds.

Concluded

Balana Kapolla – බලන කපොල්ල

Wimal Weerawansa

By Nishel Fernando  Courtesy The Daily Mirror

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Peter Hill

Sri Lanka could see the launch of a scheduled domestic airline service using 50-70-seater aircraft within the next six months, a move that could solve a long-standing barrier to tourism growth, according to aviation veteran and former SriLankan Airlines CEO Peter Hill.

Hill made these remarks during a panel discussion at International Tourism Leaders Summit 2025, held on Thursday, at the BMICH, in Colombo. 

The event, organised by Sri Lanka Tourism in collaboration with the Alumni Association of Tourism Economics and Hospitality Management, University of Colombo, focused on the theme of ‘Tourism Innovation and Connectivity for the Future of Sri Lanka Tourism’.

Addressing a key bottleneck for tourism dispersal—long and arduous land travel times—Hill revealed his active involvement in a project to establish an affordable domestic flight operation. 

This lack of swift internal connectivity has historically hampered efforts to spread tourism revenue to the developing regions. 

It still takes an awful long time to get to places like Jaffna and the East Coast,” he noted.

He envisions an airline that moves beyond the expensive, low-capacity air taxis and helicopters currently available, which cater to a select few.

The solution, he argued, lies in using the right equipment. 

The right equipment is aircraft that can seat maybe 50 to 70 people and carry their luggage with them in comfort,” Hill stated, emphasising that such aircraft are readily available on the global market.

Highlighting the dramatic time savings, he pointed out that the Colombo-Jaffna route, which takes nine to 10 hours by road, is a mere 50-minute flight. 

People are prepared to pay for that time, especially our tourists,” he added.

While optimistic, Hill confirmed he is actively working to convince investors and noted that the initiative requires support from the authorities to streamline the significant regulatory transition from charter operations to a scheduled airline.  Let’s say that maybe within six months we’ll have an operation going. So, watch this space,” he concluded.

by Arundathie Abeysinghe, Courtesy PIME Asia News

Computer literacy remains low in the South Asian country, while the region reported overall progress. In 2024, 64.1 per cent of the population did not know how to use a computer, and only 19.1 per cent of households owned one, according to new data from the Department of Census and Statistics. Literacy is higher among young people and those with higher education, with rates dropping in rural areas.

Colombo (AsiaNews) – According to Sri Lanka’s Department of Census and Statistics, only two people in five have computer skills in the country, while 64.1 per cent of the population was unable to use a computer in 2024.

Although overall South Asian countries have seen improvements in computer literacy rates over the past five years, Sri Lanka has seen a decline, setting back its efforts to improve digital skills.

The computer literacy rate has remained incredibly low, with survey results indicating a 3.1 per cent decline in 2023 and 2024.

The gap in computer and digital literacy suggests difficulties in acquiring basic skills and accessing IT devices and infrastructure, as well as internet connectivity.

In 2024, only 19.1 per cent of households owned a computer. Urban areas have the highest computer literacy rate, at 47.3 per cent, while rural areas and plantations have significantly lower rates, at 18.8 per cent and 4.7 per cent, respectively.

The highest rate is in Western Province, the country’s most populous, at 34.1 per cent, while the lowest is in Uva Province, at 9.3 per cent.

Between 2021 and 2023, the availability of desktop or laptop computers in households varied between 20 per cent and 24 per cent.

Senior officials from the Department of Census and Statistics told AsiaNews that “a person between the ages of 5 and 69 is considered computer literate if they can use a computer independently. Even a 5-year-old child who knows how to play a video game is considered computer literate.”

A recent survey found that “young people between the ages of 15 and 19 show the highest computer literacy rate (80.1 per cent) among all other age groups.”

These results also reveal that the higher the level of education, the greater the computer literacy.

The group with an education level equal to or above the GCE Advanced Level shows the highest computer literacy rate (80.6 per cent), while those with knowledge of the English language have a computer literacy rate of 85.4 per cent,” the study noted.

Computer literacy among the employed population stood at approximately 72.2 per cent in 2023. Among senior professionals, including corporate executives, the rate was between 90 and 93 per cent, while among technicians and associate professionals, it was approximately 85 per cent,” said computer scientists Sampath Dissanayaka and Pradeepa Tennakoon.

“Among unemployed youth aged 25 to 29, in particular, those living in urban areas reported the highest percentage of computer literacy, at 86 per cent, and three in ten people were computer literate in the 40 to 69 age group in Colombo and Kandy.”

The lowest percentage of computer literacy was reported among people living in rural areas, without access to computers, and those employed in the primary sector, such as farmers and fishermen, the two note. Most housewives in urban areas also lack computer skills,” they add.  

Although many South Asian countries have seen progress in computer literacy over the past five years, Sri Lanka has seen a drop, a setback in efforts to improve digital skills, placing Sri Lanka dead last place in terms of IT skills in South Asia.

Courtesy Adaderana

The Tangalle Magistrate’s Court has granted permission for police to detain and interrogate Sanath Weerasinghe, also known as ‘Beliatta Sanaa,’ who was arrested in connection with the large haul of narcotics recently seized in Seenimodara, Tangalle.

Accordingly, Additional Magistrate Vidura Weerakoon permitted police to detain and interrogate the suspect until October 9, police said.

The suspect was arrested on October 1 by the Tangalle Divisional Crime Investigation Unit.

Shenali D Waduge

Sri Lanka has long been a nation rooted in law, culture, and tradition. Today, this foundation faces direct assault from foreign-funded DEI and LGBTQIA campaigns, imposed through corporations, NGOs, and even diplomatic channels — in open defiance of our laws, Constitution, and civilizational ethos.

Under Penal Code Sections 365 & 365A, homosexuality is illegal. Gender recognition is strictly male or female, making attempts to normalize LGBTQIA identities through corporate or NGO policies a direct violation of sovereignty and legality. The Supreme Court’s ruling on the Gender Equity Bill 2024 reconfirms that foreign-inspired identity politics cannot override the sovereign will of the Sri Lankan people.

Despite this, U.S., UK, European, and Canadian-linked multinationals, along with local companies, are imposing DEI and LGBTQIA policies on Sri Lankan employees. NGOs are influencing agencies like the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) to promote LGBTQIA tourism agendas as national policy. This occurs even as the Trump administration has rolled back DEI mandates in the United States, yet many U.S.-linked companies continue exporting these policies abroad.

Corporate Imposition vs Sri Lankan Law

International and local companies — including Dialog Axiata, Fortude, MAS Holdings, Nestlé, John Keells Group, Sysco LABS Sri Lanka, Godrej Sri Lanka, HNB Assurance (in collaboration with Diversity Collective Lanka), ECCSL, and Brandix — have publicly posted DEI policies, which in some cases include LGBTQIA-focused elements.

Many corporates claim DEI is neutral or focused solely on gender equality, but globally, DEI explicitly includes sexual orientation and gender identity. In Sri Lanka, HR manuals, workshops, and NGO partnerships make this clear: every DEI initiative is inseparably linked to LGBTQIA policies, regardless of local disclaimers.

It is notable that HR teams, which implemented these programs, did not provide comprehensive workforce data to the CEOs or boards prior to rollout. With accurate statistics on LGBTQIA representation and potential impact researching on global reversals, corporate leadership could have made better informed decisions — or adjusted the scope of these initiatives — thereby avoiding undue pressure on the broader workforce.

Publicly available links to company policies:

John Keels Group (22,250 permanent & non-permanent)

• https://echelon.lk/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-at-john-keells-group/

Sysco Labs (831employees)

• https://syscolabs.lk/d-e-i

Fortude (642 in Sri Lanka)

• https://fortude.co/diversity-at-fortude/

HNB Assurance (1500 employees)

• https://ceylontoday.lk/2025/04/08/hnb-assurance-launches-in-together-dei-initiative-in-collaboration-with-diversity-collective/

Dialog Axiata (3200 employees)

• https://www.dialog.lk/news/dialog-wins-national-award-for-dei-leadership-in-corporate-sector

MAS Holdings (90,040 employees)

• https://unglobalcompact.org/academy/case-library/advancing-gender-equality-mas-holdings

Brandix (43,000 employees)

• https://brandix.com/brandix-strengthens-gender-equality-focus-with-support-from-unfpa/

Nestle (822 employees)

• https://www.nestle.lk/jobs/diversity-equity-inclusion

Godrej Sri Lanka (150 employees)

• https://www.godrejcp.com/sustainability/diversity-equity-and-inclusion

European Chamber of Commerce Sri Lanka

• https://eccsl.lk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Unlocking-the-Power-of-DEI.pdf

These programs often include elements such as:

• LGBTQIA awareness and sensitivity training
• Anti-discrimination rules providing additional protections for LGBTQIA employees
• Workplace accommodations related to sexual orientation or gender identity

Sri Lankan citizens deserve transparency:

• how many employees identify as LGBTQIA?
• Where is the evidence of discrimination that justifies these sweeping policies?
• No independent audit or study has been presented.

Limited Numbers, Overstated Impact

Even LGBTQIA-promoting surveys show the actual workforce impact is minimal.

Equal Ground (2021) surveyed 193 LGBTQIA employees and 45 employers; only 38% of organizations had reporting procedures.

https://www.equal-ground.org/wp-content/uploads/DAP-REPORT-FINAL.pdf

The exaggeration of these NGO figures was such that a Kantar/Equal Ground study (2021) estimated 12% nationally – the Hindu population itself is 12.6% while the Muslim population is just over 10%.

In reality, fewer than 70,000 employees openly identify as LGBTQIA.

Yet DEI policies impose sweeping changes that affect over 99% of non-LGBTQIA staff, causing psychological pressure and career coercion.

Even the Equal Ground survey (2021), which is often cited to justify LGBTQIA workplace policies, surveyed only 193 LGBTQIA employees and 45 employers.

By comparison, just eight major Sri Lankan companies — John Keells, Sysco LABS, Fortude, HNB Assurance, Dialog Axiata, MAS Holdings, Brandix, and Nestlé Lanka — collectively employ over 162,000 staff.

This means the LGBTQIA employees captured by the survey account for less than 0.12% of the workforce of these eight companies. Put differently, the survey sample is roughly 840 times smaller than the combined staff of these employers.

To illustrate further: for every 1,000 employees in these companies, only about 1 person was included in the survey.

Even when extrapolated to the entire Sri Lankan workforce of 8.41 million, the survey represents a mere 0.0023% — an infinitesimal fraction, far too small a base to justify nationwide DEI mandates.

Thus, imported DEI and LGBTQIA policies are being crafted around a tiny fraction of employees, while placing disproportionate psychological and career pressure on the overwhelming 99% majority of non-LGBTQIA staff.

Companies should reassess their policies in proportion to actual workforce needs.

Shouldn’t Sri Lanka’s Labor Ministry protect these non-LGBTQIA employee rights?

These programs put staff in an impossible position: comply with corporate mandates that contradict national law, or risk job loss, denied promotion, or reassignment. By creating selective ‘protected classes,’ companies effectively punish the majority forcing compliance with foreign agendas over the nation’s laws and culture.

Some non-LGBTQIA staff may experience psychological pressure or feel compelled to participate in awareness programs.

In some cases, employees may perceive career advancement as linked to identity-related participation rather than merit.

Likely negative impact of Pro-LGBTQIA DEI Policies on Non-LGBTQIA Staff

Psychological Strain & Workplace Pressure

• Mandatory participation in LGBTQIA awareness workshops forces non-LGBTQIA staff to engage in programs they may not agree with.
• Subtle coercion occurs where employees feel pressured to affirm or adopt LGBTQIA identities to avoid being seen as non-inclusive.
• In U.S. and European companies, non-LGBTQIA employees have reported compliance fatigue” and anxiety due to constant mandatory identity-based training.

Career & Promotion Coercion

• Employees may feel compelled to claim LGBTQIA status to access promotions, senior roles, or perks.
• Career advancement becomes linked to identity affirmation rather than merit.
• Workers outside these groups report that they risk being sidelined if they don’t openly display support for LGBTQIA initiatives.

Silencing Freedom of Expression

• Non-LGBTQIA staff risk speaking openly about their opinions, religious beliefs, or cultural norms for fear of being labeled discriminatory.
• Creates an environment of self-censorship, inhibiting honest dialogue.
• Corporate case studies in the U.S. show employees avoiding discussions on personal values due to fear of HR repercussions.

Unequal Workplace Dynamics

• Selective protected classes” grant certain employees advantages, inadvertently penalizing the majority and sexual bullying.
• Creates resentment, lowered morale, and feelings of injustice among non-LGBTQIA staff.

Psychosocial & Cultural Conflicts

• Employees from conservative cultural backgrounds experience conflict between personal beliefs and corporate mandates.
• Risk of alienation and decreased engagement in the workplace.

Legal & Compliance Ambiguity

• Policies may inadvertently push employees to act against national laws (as in Sri Lanka under Penal Code Sections 365 & 365A).
• Non-LGBTQIA staff face uncertainty about what is permissible, adding stress and potential legal risk.

Impact on Core Productivity

• Focus shifts from core work and merit-based evaluation to identity-based initiatives.
• Studies in U.S. firms have shown productivity dips during extensive DEI program rollouts when employees are diverted into workshops unrelated to job functions.

Cultural Engineering & Social Pressure

• Encourages younger staff to experiment with identity labels or social behaviors for perceived benefits, affecting personal development.
• Reports from Western educational and corporate settings note that identity-affirmation policies sometimes accelerate experimental behavior among youth/employees – ones that cause irreversible psychological & physical damage throughout life.

Corporate Priorities vs True Equity

If equity were genuine, HR policies would address Sri Lanka’s real inequalities- rural-urban divides, caste barriers, poverty, language discrimination, and youth unemployment. But none of these are prioritized. Instead, foreign-funded NGOs dictate that only LGBTQIA identity deserves privileged protection.

Instead, only LGBTQIA identity receives priority, reflecting a foreign-funded ideological agenda. Local companies, NGOs like Equal Ground, Equité Sri Lanka, and Bridge2Equality, and unnamed conglomerates are also implementing similar policies, now trying to sneak into national tourism and corporate strategies.

Urgent Questions for Corporates and NGOs

• How many LGBTQIA employees existed prior to DEI rollout, and was discrimination verified?
• Why are other discriminated groups — class, caste, rural, or language minorities — ignored?
• Are overseas-mandated policies incentivizing self-identification to gain privileges, thereby manipulating legal and cultural loopholes?

Cultural, Social, and Psychological Implications

Historically, same-sex attraction and gender dysphoria were private and rare.

Today, social media, school curricula, NGO campaigns, and corporate DEI programs actively encourage identification with LGBTQIA labels, sometimes resulting in irreversible medical interventions.

These policies can create situations where a micro-minority receives additional protections, while the majority may feel pressure to comply with new awareness programs, potentially affecting freedom of expression and cultural norms.

What is presented as inclusivity” is, in effect, coercion. This is clearly seen in the manner DEI policies are causing psychological strain, career development limitations imposed on non-LGBTQIA employees.

SLTDA and NGO Influence in Tourism

SLTDA’s promotion of LGBTQIA tourism, in collaboration with NGOs, raises questions about alignment with existing policies, laws and national priorities.

Sri Lanka’s tourism advantage lies in tradition, family, and authenticity — not adopting Western social experiments that even their own societies reject.

Global Hypocrisy

Many U.S.-linked corporations promote DEI/LGBTQIA abroad even after scaling back at home due to public backlash. This exposes a double standard: controversial social agendas exported to foreign markets that are no longer endorsed domestically.

Call for Legal and Public Action

• Respect Sri Lankan law: no citizen should be required to act against Penal Code Sections 365 & 365A.
• Corporate accountability: align HR policies with Sri Lankan law, not imported ideology.
• Public scrutiny: NGOs and corporate entities should not dictate national policy.
• Merit-based equality: focus on competence, not sexual identity labels.

Sri Lanka is at a crossroads. DEI and LGBTQIA impositions are not neutral inclusivity; they are a foreign agenda, legally incompatible and culturally invasive. If tolerance means freedom, compulsion violates it. If equality means opportunity, supra-rights for a few violate it for the majority.

It is time for institutions, courts, and the People to assert sovereignty, protect our laws, and ensure that merit, culture, and national identity are not sacrificed to global corporate and NGO experiments.

The true victims are the silent majority of workers who cannot speak out — parents with families to support, employees fearful of HR penalties, and youth pressured to conform for survival. Their rights, dignity, and mental wellbeing deserve protection just as much as any minority claim.

Sri Lanka belongs to its people — not foreign boards, activist NGOs, or ideologies rejected even in the West. Sovereignty is not negotiable.

Shenali D Waduge

Dr. Sudath Gunasekara Ex secretary to Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranayake and President of The Sri Lanka Administrative Service Association (SASA) 1991-94. Mahanuwara. (Kandy) 

A Gateway to a Happy, and peaceful 26th century world of Unity within Diversity and distinct identity of each nation, free from the ugly Colonialism of The Euro-Atlantic civilization, where each nation respects the other on equal terms irrespective of its size.

This is an introduction to my Proposal to set up a Memorial Museum of Patriotic Wars of Kandyan Sinhalese (MMPKS) 1505-1848 and an Institute of Colonial Crimes Studies in Sri Lanka and the Non-Aligned Nations ((ICCSSL & NAM countries)” at the old Bogambara Prison site Mahanuwara. (Kandy) given to the Governor CP to advice the President to implement this proposal and reject the Star Hotel Project.

Bogambara Prison was an ugly vestige of an uncivilized, repressive, inhuman and brutal British torcher Bastille of Sri Lanka, from 1818 to 1948, where the bones of the patriotic native Sinhalese victims buried under this ground will bear witness to that huma tragedy.  The first two patriotic national leaders to be beheaded here, were, the two heroes Keppetipola Disava and Madugalla Disava on 25th November 1818, for leading the historic Uva Wellassa rebellion, the first freedom struggle by the patriotic Sinhalese against the British invaders, to retrieve the motherland.  This was followed by the most uncivilized and barbarous incident that took place here, the murder of Kudapola Thera, by shooting in his robes on 26th August in 1848, under orders by Torrington, the savage white murderer, in spite of strong objections by his own legal adviser, the then Attorney General H.G. Selby, violating all civilized norms of human justice. Both Brownrigg (1818) and Torrington (1848) followed the same uncivilized and brutal practices on this spot, in all murders between 1818 to 1850. All these public executions were carried out here in the open air, as there was no prison at that time to terrorize the native Sinhalese.

It is to be noted here that the charge against all these patriots was treason against the British Crown, whereas all those who were either shot or beheaded, were executed only for rising against the atrocities of the invader, to protect their mother land, where their ancestors had lived and jealously protected for millennia from the inception of history first, against the South Indian Invaders ( 2^nd  Century BC-13^th AD)  and second, the three Western colonial invaders from (1505-1850). Therefore, by what criterion they called it treason? Was it another synonym used by the British for patriotism?

Bogambara prison built in 1877.

This Prison was built on this ground in 1877. Ever since this Bastille of the British was built on the most Sacred and spiritual heart of the Kandyan Kingdom it had been used as a torcher house by the British colonial government that had carried out their carnage and imprisonment sprees until 1948, to satisfy their own savages’ killings with no justice for the native Sinhalese or their heritage, until they left the shores of this country. Even after they left the shores of the Island in 1948 after handing over the country to their local black white proxy’s, who continued hanging and imprisonment on behalf of their British masters, at the same place. They also continued to have Bogambara Prison at this place, until rising public agitation against its continuance in front of the Sri Daladaa Maligava, compelled them to shift it to Pallekele in 2014.  (Incidentally, it was I who first started that agitation by writing an article to the Daily News 29th August 1977, demanding that it should be immediately shifted to Pallekele). In spite of all these oppositions the governments of the so-called independent Sri Lanka (In reality a carbon copy of the Westminster system) continued hanging and imprisonment here, even after declaring it a Republic in 1972, until it was stopped temporally in 1977. But the prison remained at the same place until it was finally transferred to Pallekele in 2014 at last, as I had suggested in 1977.

In this historical backdrop we all know that the site on which Bogambara prison stands was a place immortalized by the remains of our patriotic ancestors who sacrificed their lives on our behalf to save the motherland from the invaders for posterity. In my opinion, it is therefore a historic place where all Sinhalese should assemble in tens of thousands annually, to pay their homage to their dead, who died to protected this country for 443 long years from the enemies, confining three powerful invaders with enormous gunpower to a narrow coastal belt of this Island for 310 years (1505-1815).

The uncivilized British murderers, having openly and unilaterally violated the Kandyan Convention of 1815 by Royal Proclamation made on 21^st of Nov 1818, converted this sacred city to a grave yard, where the remains of thousands of our patriotic freedom fighters including Buddhist Monks were brutally executed by beheading, hanging or shooting in public even without trial.  As such Bogambara, in my opinion should be protected as a site of annual moaning of the Sinhala nation and a national memorial museum of the murdered Sinhalese patriots dedicated to their names” rather than making it a fool’s merry making paradise as the UDA has suggested , by converting it to a 7-star Hilton, Marriot or Oberoi, making room for the agents of the same colonial powers to syphon the income generated from it to their own countries making us still poorer,  making the dead to rise from their graves in protest.

Therefore, obviously this place should never be converted to a 7-star hotel for merry making or night life as our politicians and some pliant public officials, who have no vision or a mission at all in their heads for nation building and indulge in promoting crazy tourism have suggested. Such a project will definitely be a veritable canker to our economy and culture, as it has already been proved particularly in the Southern and the Eastern parts of the Island, where Israelites, Indians, Chinese and even Russians have already taken over the trade in to their hands, syphoning all the income to their countries and thereby depriving this country of its much-craved US $.

Therefore, I strongly advice the government to go ahead with this proposal instead of indulging in the mad idea of a tourist hotel that is definitely going to be economically and culturally devastative and elusive, as it will only further erode our economy and destroy our valued native culture.

These negative economic effects of tourism are in addition to the soring cultural and social ills that spill down our society, that will one day completely erode the 2566-year-old pristine Sinhala Buddhist civilization from the surface of this Island. Therefore, I call upon all unpatriotic and self-serving politicians and officials of the same ilk in this country, who are still suffering from this night mare tourist syndrome, to read Dr Asoka Bandarage’s article Sri Lanka: The Beautiful, Besieged Island” in the Lanka web (3.9.2025.) if they are interested in knowing what I mean here.

It is in this sad and appalling backdrop and the crying need to stand up with a clarion call against both colonialism and neo-colonialism, and to do something meaningful, that I propose to setup a Memorial Museum of Patriotic wars of Kandyan Sinhalese (1505-1948) and an Institute of Research and studies on colonial crimes in Sri Lanka prompting all other ex-colonial countries also to start their own colonial Crime Research institutes.

First, to educate our politicians and bureaucrats and the whole world on the centuries of colonial crimes, atrocities and plundering committed directly by them from (the 16th century to the mid-20^th century) and what they are continuing  even at present, under their neo-colonial agenda, through their own so-called  International, financial and legal and administrative arms like the World Bank, IMF, Asian Bank, the UN and many other arms of the Western ex-colonial block such as the UNCHR, ILO, that have ceased to be international any more.

second, to work out a strategy to assert the political economic and social freedom, and Independence of the ex-colonial-nations from the persistent colonial intimidation and exploitation and,

 finally, to call upon all victim nations to jointly stand on our own feet as strong independent and sovereign nations to fight against exploitation, oppression and interference in our domestic affairs.  This will bring justice, peace and salvation to our nations. That will also put an end to nearly 6 centuries of colonial exploitation and suppression of our motherlands and also relieve 88% of the total world population living in the Afro-Asian and Latin American countries of continued oppression, suppression and exploitation by the West and put them on a new track of independence, freedom, development, prosperity and happiness.

I give below the reasons for selecting Sri Lanka for this proposed International Institute

1.Sri Lanka is located at the centre of the world map in the Indian Ocean.

2.It is easily accessible to all countries, both by sea and air.

3.It is also one of the leading and active members of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) right from its beginning in 1956 at Bandung.

4.During Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranayakaya’s time (1970-1977), in 1971, she got the UN to declare the Indian Ocean as a Peace Zone by United Nations General Assembly resolution at the Cairo Summit. (A/RES/2832(XXVI 1971). It was proposed by Mrs Bandaranayaka and seconded by Julius Nierere of Tanganyika. This declaration called for great powers to eliminate military bases and weapons from the Indian Ocean and for all states to respect it as a zone, free from military rivalries and weapons of mass destruction. (But sadly, it had been violated by UK and subsequently by US by opening up a military base in Diago Garcia, right at the center of the Indian Ocean, with B-2 bombers capable of carrying 30,000-pound bunker buster bombs with a 10,000 km range.US used this base in their recent attack on Iran).

 I am lost to understand as to why India, a major participant at the Cairo Summit, and also as the biggest democracy in the South East Asian region is keeping silent on the breach of that very important and historic UN resolution by UK and USA.  All members of the NAM should condemn it and strongly protest against this breach of the UN resolution by UK and USA and call upon them to immediately withdraw their military bases from Diago Garcia, aimed at maintaining their military supremacy in the Indian Ocean and to contain China, and India primarily, and all the peripheral States around the Indian Ocean by violating the Cairo resolution.

Again, Mrs Bandarnayaka during her tenure as Chairman of the NAM, 1970/76, had the NAM Summit in Colombo where 85 NAM leaders had grazed the occasion making it one of the most colorful events in the annals of the NAM.

5.Furthermore, Sri Lanka was the only country in the world, where British invaders could not conquer by war. (Instead, they annexed it in 1815 by a mutually agreed friendly” Convention called the Kandyan Convention between two equal Kingdoms by intrigue and deception on their part, cleverly hatched jointly by Doily and Brownrigg.

(The Kandyan Convention was blatantly and illegally violated by British, on Nov 21^st  1818 as preplanned, by an illegal colonial Royal Proclamation, by which the British annihilated all Kandyan’s and consolidated their arbitrary power and the iron rule, as if they had captured this country by defeating the Sinhalese in war, completely ignoring the Kandyan Convention which is legally valid even today, as an international Agreement inked between the Sinhale and the United Kingdom. Thereafter, Brownrigg, in connivance with Doily, resorted to the most inhuman and uncivilized methods human massacre, by ordering all above 16 years to be killed, which, Davy in 1821 had described in the following words). 

The history of British rule in Sri Lanka after the 1818 rebellion cannot be related without shame. None of the members of the leading families in the Kandyan country have survived. Smallpox and privations have destroyed those spared by the gun and the sword.” (Davy was the Army surgeon and personal physician on Robert Brownwrigg during the years between 1817 and 1818). In fact, it was under this type of unilateral and criminal violations of the 1815 Convention, Brownrigg issued the 1818 Nov 21^st notorious, and infamous Royal Proclamation.

What is even more deplorable and repressive was that they also ruled this country thereafter up to 1948, under the iron boot with the same type of dictatorial, deplorable and barbarous enactments made under enactments at their discretion.

Thus, the suppression of Kandyans by the British has gone down in world history as one of the most savages and barbaric operations ever known to man on earth.

It is time for some legal luminary to file a case against Britan on two counts  

First, for violating the Kandyan Convention ex-parte and

Second, for ruling this country under military law illegally thereafter, for 130 years,

suing the British government for compensation and reparation of the wealth they had robbed from this country and other crimes like importing millions of Malaba laborers and settling them in the North and east first and the central hill country in the late 18^th century giving the special privileges to them to alter the demography of this country while discriminating against the native Sinhalese.

 6.Finally, and most importantly, this country was the only country in the world that was not conquered in war by the British, but only by deception and intrigue. Even to get that done, three powerful colonial invaders, the Portuguese, Dutch and the British had to struggle for 310 years from 1505- 1815, where the Sinhalese successfully kept the invaders at bay, by keeping them confined to a narrow coastal belt all that time. This indeed was a unique achievement on the part of the Sinhalese in world history.

Thus, Sri Lanka has a unique claim to have this institution on its soil.

In this backdrop, I have no doubt that all NAM countries will readily welcome this idea. Such an institution will form a formidable forum for all NAM countries to voice their objections to the persistent neo-colonial agenda of the colonial Atlantic civilizations as if the destructions done and the crimes they have committed against these countries are not yet enough.

The proposed Institute will also open the gates for the whole world to know, how these colonial invaders had destroyed this country in particular and almost all countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East as well, for centuries, to enrich their treasuries at home and build up their crazy Empires, where the sun never set, as they boast.

This chain of subjugation of NAM countries by war was followed by the creation of a network of global vasal colonial dependencies all over the world by these powers, to enrich their empires by the plundered wealth. They used these colonies as sources, of raw materials for their industries and lucrative markets for their products  in order to consolidate their dominance and exploitation over the so called Third World”, while calling themselves first world,  they  had created by exploitation of others wealth, almost for 6 centuries by subjugation, repression,  exploitation,  subordination and murder, in the colonies to perpetuate and tighten their colonial dependency trap at the expense of the so-called Third World or the Global South,  as they sometimes call them, a diabolical creation of the Euro-Atlantic Civilization of Sea Pirate nations during this period of colonial expansion.

I am confident the setting up of an International Research Institute on Colonial crimes as proposed in my previous paper) will open the gates for a new independent and free world, irrespective of their sizes.where all nations will be treated as equals with no conquerors and victims any more,

 I am also confident, that once we initiate this project, it could be expanded to attract the interest of all the so-called Global South countries, who had been the victims of colonialism for centuries and continue to be so even at present. The proposed Institution could be developed as the Headquarters of an International Institute of Research on colonial crimes in the entire Global South.

 As a first step in this mission, I suggest we first address a letter to the SAARC General Secretary and convince him on the advantages of this proposal, not only to expose colonial misdoings but also to keep all major powers led by the Atlantic civilization cartel at bay, by asserting the joint power of the NAM. Sri Lanka could function as the hub in this pursuit in the Indo Pacific region by uniting the Global South (who are the victims of colonialism, under the banner of the Non Aling Movement.

Our next step should be to summon a joint meeting of the SAARC countries to work out the inter-governmental commitment and modalities.  Sri Lanka should take the lead in this mission.

After uniting the SAARC under this banner, the next step should be to summon a meeting of the NAM to build up a joint NAM forum under the NAM banner throwing the name Global South” dubbed by the colonial invaders, in to the dustbin of history. A strong NAM could definitely be a challenge to the Atlantic civilization cartel. It should be organized as the formidable challenge to the Atlantic colonial world with a broader agenda for demanding reparation including damages and compensation for centuries of exploitations, repression and the crimes they have committed nearly for 7 centuries in these countries. Because it was these so-called North countries who have put all the NAM countries in to this poverty-stricken status through their exploitations and regimented rule for 7 centuries.

Sri Lanka could be the NAM epicenter of this new Global Movement, that will give a new lease of life to NAM with a distinct identity and make it the most Powerful International Organization, putting an end to the rat race of building big powers fighting for world domination.  Thereafter, all international organizations, like the UNO and all its affiliated arms should be brought under the control and the banner of the NAM.  With this arrangement in place, domination by the Atlantic Cartel or any other power block will end and the dawn of a new world order with completely free and sovereign nations of a Happy New World Free from the ugly Colonialism of the 26th century; A world of Unity within Diversity and distinct identity, where each nation respects the other on equal terms.”  will emerge.

Thereafter, as Shenali Waduge has brilliantly asserted (Lanakweb 8. 9.2025.)  

Such a strategy could even turn Sri Lanka in to a diplomatic, economic, moral hub of the 21st century with its strategic location right at the center of the Indian ocean on the world’s busiest oceanic and air traffic moves where nearly 8o% of world trade takes place with its enormous physical and human resources stands as the best place even to have the Head Quarters of the NAM movement. In view of its central location Sri Lanka’s role as a neutral hub of dialogue in the Indo-Pacific could be developed. If Sri Lanka takes the lead, it will no longer be a pawn shuffled by others, but the square on which the next game of geopolitics is reset.

” Since my proposal was made few days before September 7th, 2025, it is emboldening to read what Shenali Waduge had written to Lankaweb, high lighting the Sri Lanka’s Hidden Opportunities the pivotal role Sri Lanka can play in the near future under the changing geopolitical map in the Indian Ocean a gist of which I have given below. (Pl read Sri Lanka at the crossroads of a US–India stands)

(Lanka web Posted on September 7th, 2025 Shenali for details)

She goes on to say, Sri Lanka’s Hidden Opportunity

Yet within this storm lies an opportunity for Sri Lanka:

India’s ambitions of Akhand Bharat have alienated its neighbors — Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives, and Bhutan are wary of New Delhi’s dominance. Even Sri Lankan people hold the same view although the present government has played in to the Indias hands.

    As India loses credibility in the region, Sri Lanka can position itself as a hub of neutrality, building ties across blocs while resisting absorption into any one camp. Sri Lanka must rejuvenate the non-aligned status & demand the Indian Ocean Region return to its original charter Zone of Peace – Sri Lanka must champion this as a NAM Initiative. Sri Lanka once championed the Indian Ocean as a Zone of Peace in 1971. Reviving this initiative as part of a Global South narrative would give Colombo both moral and diplomatic leverage

    By exposing India’s record of destabilization — from backing the LTTE to meddling in domestic politics — Colombo can push back against New Delhi’s narrative and reclaim diplomatic leverage.

So, we must ask:

    Will we continue as a pawn in someone else’s endgame, or finally reclaim our sovereignty in the Indian Ocean?

Given the rising anti-India currents in the West and the erosion of trust in New Delhi’s regional role, among the SAARC countries has opened the gates for a dominant role for Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean

That move must be bold and historic: Sri Lanka should convene a new Non-Aligned Zone of Peace” Summit in Colombo. Just as we once championed the Indian Ocean as a Zone of Peace in 1971, we can revive that call under a Global South framework.

Such a summit would:

Reassert Sri Lanka’s role as a neutral hub of dialogue in the Indo-Pacific.

Rally neighbors wary of both Indian hegemony and Western militarization and will

position Colombo as the moral and diplomatic center for a 21st-century Non-Aligned revival.

If Sri Lanka takes the lead, it will no longer be a pawn shuffled by others, but the square on which the next game of geopolitics is reset.”

Shenali D Waduge”

Postscript Read I ttomorow morning

 It is in this Sri Lanka favorable new scenario that I present the Proposal to set up a Memorial Museum of Patriotic Wars of Kandyan Sinhalese (1505-1848) and the Institute of Colonial Crimes Studies in Sri Lanka and the Non-Aligned Nations (ICCSSL& NAN)” at the old Bogambara Prison site with room for expansion at Pallekele or Haragama in future.

 In my view the root cause of all these problems in the present-day world is Euro-Atlantic colonialism. Because it was, they who wanted to impose their language, the political system, religion and culture on all the countries in the whole world by force. To realize this goal they used the sword, the gun and the Bible. In addition, they also used the colour. According to them, white people are a superior over the Black or Brown. This should be stopped within a one world concept

Unfortunately, the Euro-Atlantic colonial powers have not yet realized that all these differences are a direct product of the geographical environment in which they live and it is not their choice either or it is not the wish of an invisible and imaginary God. In short, all these differences are a direct result of the environment. I am not talking about environmental determinism here. But overall, that is the stark fact. Each environment by nature has determined its own fauna and flora, the color of humans and their food, clothing and culture. As such isn’t it a foolish mistake for some nations to try to impose their own system by force on all others living in different environments

 Although human migration and invasions starting within and outside Africa have occurred even10.000 years before BC.  But they were sporadic and of limited in scale.  Then there were the regional migrations in the Mediterranean and Indo-Asian region during the great period of intellectual renaissance of Greece, Rome, Egypt, India and China between the 6^th -5^th centuries BC. Those migrations were limited to Asia minor and Southeast Asia. Alexander and Mogul invasions were aimed at expansion of territory and they came up to North India only. The Asokan Buddhist missionary of the 5^th century BC covering most parts of minor Asia, East and South East Asia including our own country Sri Lanka, was the only event recorded in world history that did not involve any territorial expansion for political or economic power. It is purely a religious mission to spread Buddhism and it did not conquer any country or kill a sigla human being either. He called it Dhamma Vijaya and not Dhikvijaya.

On the other hand, the migrations that began in the 15th century (1418) during the age of discovery and thought and lasted through the 19^th century, starting in Europe (Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, UK and Italy) were the most widespread ever on this earth. It covered the whole globe and it was also the one that had the biggest impact on all nations, spreading the European civilization all over the world led by Great Britain. With the first circumnavigation set sail by Magellan in 1519 and Juwan Sebastian Elcano returning to Spain in 1522 completed circumnavigation of the globe for the first time in history.  With Captain Cook discovering Australia and New Zealand in 1770 the British control of the globe was almost complete.

Thereafter the European invaders divided all the continents and Islands among them, the lions share going to Britain, setting up an Empire where the sun never set.  These invaders completely wiped-out native civilizations in most countries such as North and South America, Australia and New Zealand, except in few places like India and Sri Lanka. Even in these countries they introduced their own culture including their religion, language, the system of government, their legal systems, and replaced the native cultures with European civilization, although fortunately they could not completely destroy their native cultures. Some countries like America, Australia and New Zealand they gave new names to those countries conquered and renamed them with their own names. The English Language, their dress, political and legal and administrative systems of education, names of places, people and even food are the direct legacies left behind by them. It was this colonial legacy almost all NAM countries, who became victims of that disaster, have inherited from these invasions that created the modern world, with English as the international language, perhaps with one global culture. having destroyed the cultural diversity in this world.

The vision and the mission of the NAM, I think should be the recreation of this lost world of freedom and happiness for everyone, within a peaceful world of unity within diversity and distinct identity for all, free from the ugly Colonialism of the Euro-Atlantic civilization, where each nation respects the other on equal terms.  Iin 1956 it started with 29 members at the first Bandung and today it has a total membership of 121. Isn’t it a formidable force to recon with when UNO has only 194. If the NAM could adopt a better agenda, it can definitely be the world forum where all members enjoy equal rights, unlike the UNO,   which is dominated and controlled by the Security Council of the Western powers.

Dr Ruwan M Jayatunge M.D. PhD 

Professor Gananatha Obeyesekere was a distinguished scholar from Sri Lanka, and his writings stand out for their originality and depth, offering profound scholarly insights. His influence extended far beyond the confines of the small island where he originated, allowing him to disseminate his knowledge on a global scale. Through his extensive body of work, which includes numerous books and research papers, he has become a pivotal figure in academia. Institutions of higher learning across various continents frequently reference his contributions, integrating his insights into their curricula and research initiatives.

I had the distinct honor of participating in an intellectual dialogue with Professor Obeyesekere via email, which provided me with valuable insights into his scholarly contributions. In 2017, I further explored his work during an extensive conversation with Dr. Eric Smadja, a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who is also one of Professor Obeyesekere’s academic associates, while I was in Paris. Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to meet Professor Obeyesekere face-to-face, a regret that lingers in my mind as I consider the depth of knowledge and perspective he could have shared in person.

Professor Gananatha Obeyesekere has made a profound impact throughout his academic journey by consistently questioning and critiquing established anecdotal beliefs. His work often includes innovative interpretations that not only challenge conservative opinion but also ignite substantial intellectual debates within the scholarly community. By examining cultural narratives and their implications through a critical lens, he has positioned himself as a transformative thinker, reshaping the discourse surrounding the intersection of culture, religion, and science. His ability to provoke thought and inspire dialogue marks him as a revolutionary figure in contemporary thought, encouraging others to reconsider and reevaluate long-held assumptions.

In his seminal work, “The Work of Culture: Symbolic Transformation in Psychoanalysis and Anthropology,” he provides an in-depth analysis of the Sinhabahu myth, drawing intriguing parallels between it and the Freudian Oedipus complex, while also exploring themes of patricide and incest within the narrative. Additionally, he elucidates how the lion emerged as a totemic figure and ultimately became a national symbol for Sri Lanka. 

In “Dutthagamani and the Buddhist Conscience,” he delves into the complexities surrounding the historical figure of Dutthagamani (Dutugemunu), a king of ancient Sri Lanka, examining the moral and ethical challenges he faced. Furthermore, in “The Doomed King: A Requiem for Sri Vikrama Rajasinha,” Obeyesekere critically assesses the life and legacy of Sri Vikrama Rajasinha, the last king of Sri Lanka, highlighting the myths that depict him as a tyrant and revealing how British colonial forces employed psychological tactics and propaganda to tarnish his reputation. The legacy of such psychological warfare continues to shape historical narratives and public opinion, illustrating the profound impact of colonial propaganda on the collective memory of a nation. As a result, the echoes of these tactics can still be felt today. 

In his insightful work, Medusa’s Hair: An Essay on Personal Symbols and Religious Experience, Gananath Obeyesekere discusses significant anthropological and psychological themes. He intricately examines the connection between religious symbolism and the diverse psychopathologies that influence individual behaviour and societal interactions. He discusses the interplay between traumatic experiences within Sri Lankan society and the emergence of dissociative disorders. The book explores how these mental health issues are often interpreted through a spiritual lens, with cultural factors framing them as manifestations of divine blessings. Obeysekare’s analysis stands out in the field, as no other psychiatrist or psychologist in Sri Lanka has examined the psychological, anthropological, sociological, and cultural dimensions of this phenomenon with such depth and rigour. His insights shed light on the intricate ways in which societal trauma is processed and understood, revealing the profound impact of cultural narratives on individual psychological experiences.

In his notable publication, Karma and Rebirth: A Cross-Cultural Study, Obeyesekere presents a comprehensive sociological and anthropological examination of the concept of rebirth as it is expressed in diverse cultural contexts. His investigation into reincarnation is particularly noteworthy, as he approaches the subject from a neutral standpoint, avoiding the biases of specific religious frameworks. This impartial analysis reveals that numerous human societies share fundamental beliefs regarding the cycle of rebirth. Obeyesekere challenges the notion that rebirth is a singularly Indian idea, suggesting instead that similar beliefs in cycles of life, death, and renewal have emerged in diverse contexts. By examining how different civilizations interpret the notion of rebirth, Obeyesekere highlights the universality of this theme, indicating that it resonates with fundamental human experiences and existential questions.

In his 2005 book, Cannibal Talk: The Man-Eating Myth and Human Sacrifice in the South Seas, Obeyesekere critically addresses the Western European narrative surrounding cannibalism. He challenges the prevailing depiction of the white man as a civilizing force, emphasizing that his critique is not rooted in anti-Western sentiment. Instead, Obeyesekere’s work reflects a sophisticated understanding of cultural dynamics, engaging thoughtfully with Western narratives to explore the complexities of cultural identity and colonial history. His analysis scrutinizes the racial hierarchies, pseudo-scientific ideologies, cultural assimilation, and the degradation of indigenous knowledge that characterized the colonial era, alongside the legal and economic exploitation that accompanied it.

In his influential work, The Cult of the Goddess Pattini (1984), Gananath Obeyesekere explores multifaceted dimensions of the Pattini cult in Sri Lanka, offering a comprehensive analysis that encompasses historical, sociological, and psychological perspectives. He scrutinizes the syncretic characteristics of the goddess, challenging traditional interpretations of South Asian religious practices. Obeyesekere’s exploration extends to the psychological underpinnings of the myths surrounding Pattini, as well as the rituals associated with her worship. He emphasizes the interplay between psychological factors and the cult’s syncretic nature, examining how these elements relate to broader sociocultural transformations and the process of Sanskritization. Furthermore, he addresses the intricate gender dynamics embedded within the Pattini myth, revealing how these aspects contribute to the cult’s significance in contemporary society. 

Professor Ganatha Obeyesekere stands as a distinguished figure in the field of anthropology, celebrated not only in Sri Lanka but also on the global stage. His contributions to the discipline have established him as the foremost anthropologist that Sri Lanka has ever produced, a fact that is widely acknowledged and accepted without contention.  He is one of the foremost scholars of his era, possessing an extensive breadth of knowledge that spans sociology, anthropology, psychology, history, and various other disciplines. His unique ability to integrate diverse fields of study allows him to distill complex ideas into their essence, making his contributions invaluable to the academic community.

Ministry of Defence  – Media Centre

The Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd), paid an official visit to the Air Force Headquarters at the DHQC in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Yesterday (01 October).

The Deputy Minister was warmly received upon arrival by the Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Bandu Edirisinghe, and was accorded a ceremonial welcome. There, he held discussions with the Air Force Commander and was introduced to the Air Force Board of Management, during which key operational and administrative matters were deliberated.

Major General Jayasekara (Retd), addressing a gathering of senior Officers of the Air Force and staff, appreciated the Air Force’s crucial role in national development projects and their prompt and effective response during disaster management operations and stressed the importance of maintaining strict accountability on all aspects.

While reiterating the government’s focus on nation-building, he urged them to dedicate their fullest potential to the country’s development. He called for close involvement and supervision of personnel engaged in national projects, ensuring all such activities adhere to the highest standards of professionalism and discipline in every sphere. He urged them to take command responsibility and display versatility in their approach to evolving national security and development challenges.

He also lauded the Air Force’s contribution to usher in an era of peace and continuous commitment towards national development initiatives.

Wimal Weerawansa

Wimal Weerawansa

චානක බණ්ඩාරගේ

රටේ ජනාධිපති, ප්‍රබල ඇමතිවරු, විපක්ෂනායක, සභානායක සහ බොහෝ මන්ත්‍රීවරු තමන්ගේ මන්ත්‍රී පදවි ලැබීමට පෙර  කිසිදා රැකියාවක් කර නැති අය නම් ඒ රටට දෙවියන්ගේම පිහිටයි.

රටේ සාමාන්‍ය ජනතාව මෙන් රට කරන පාලකයන් කළින් කිසියම් හෝ රැකියාවක් කර තිබු අය විය යුතුයි. එවිටයි ඔවුනට රටේ වැඩ කරන ජනතාවගේ හර්ද  ස්පන්දනය දැනෙන්නේ, තේරෙන්නේ.

ආයතනයක සේවකයෙක් මාසික වැටුපක් ලබා, EPF/ETF ගිණුම් පවත්වා ගෙන අය. කිසිදා රක්ෂාවක් නොකළ කෙනෙකුට මේ අත්දැකීම් නැහැ, මේවා තේරෙන්නේ නැහැ.

ආයතනයක සෙසු සේවක සේවිකාවන් සමඟ වැඩ කර, සාමුහික වගකීම යනු කුමක්ද (team spirit) යන්න රක්ෂාව තුලින් අත් දැකීම් ලබනවා. ඇඳුම් පිලිසකරණ කරන ගාමන්ට් එකක වැඩ කරන සේවිකාවකට පවා මේ මහඟු අත්දැකීම්  තිබෙනවා. එයින් ඔවුන්  එදිනෙදා සමාජයේ ජීවත් වීම හදා ගන්නවා.

කිසිදා රැකියාවක් සිදු කර නැති අපේ බොහෝ පාර්ලිමේන්තු නිතී සම්පාදකයෝ. ඔවුන්ට එය නැහැ.

නැවතත්, රට පාලනය කරනවා නම්, නිතී හදනවා නම් කළින් රක්ෂාවක් (රජයේ හෝ පුද්ගලික අංශයේ) කර ලබා ගත් අත්දැකීම් ඉතා අවශ්‍යයි. නැත්නම් ඒ කෙනා මහජන නියෝජිතයෙක් ලෙස අසම්පූර්ණයි, ලොකු හිදැසක් තියෙන කෙනෙක්. සමාජයේ කොටසක් නෙවෙයි වගේ ඒ අය.

රැකියාවක් කරනවා යනු කුමක්ද කියා දන්නේ රැකියාවක් කල කෙනා පමණයි. රැකියාවක අංගයක් තමා උසස් විධායක නිලධාරින්ගේ විධාන යටතේ වැඩ කර තිබීම, වෙලාවට වැඩට පැමිණීම, ආචාරශීලීව විනීතව හැසිරීම වැනි දේ.

ආයතනයේ සෙසු සේවකයන් සමඟ විනෝද ගමන් යාම, අවුරුදු/නත්තල් පාටියට සම්බන්ධ වීම ආදිය සිදු වෙනවා.

මේ පළපුරුද්ද සමාජයේ ජීවත්වීමටත් ඉතා වැඩ දායකයි. මේ අත් දැකීම් නැති පාලකයන්ට රටේ වැඩ කරන මිනිසුන්ගේ එදිනෙදා ප්‍රශ්ණ නිසියාකාරව  තේරුම් ගැනීමට අපහසුයි.

නිදහසෙන් පසු අපේ රටේ හිටපු පාලකයන් දෙස ආපසු හැරී බැලීමේදී බොහෝ දෙනෙකුට කළින් රැකියාවක් කර ලබා ගත් අත්දැකීම නැති බවයි පෙනෙන්නේ. හැමෝම වගේ රටේ නායක පුටුවට වැටුනේ කළින් කිසිම රක්ෂාවක් නොකර.

වසර 77 තුල මේ රට අගාධයට යාමට මෙයත් ප්‍රබල හේතුවක්.

කළින් ලිපියක සඳහන් කලාක්  මෙන් රටේ පාලකයෝ අඩුම තරමින් ස්වයං රැකියාවක් කරලා හොඳට ‘කට්ට කාපු’ අය හෝ වෙන්න ඕන. ගොවියෙක්, බාස් කෙනෙක්, ඩ්‍රය්වර් කෙනෙක් වෙලා සිටියත් කමක් නැහැ. ඒ අයටත් වැඩ කරන මිනිසාගේ ප්‍රශ්ණ,  දුක අත්දැකීමෙන් තේරෙනවා.

වැඩේ දරුණුම වෙන්නේ තරුණ කාලේදී රටේ ට්‍රාන්ස්ෆොර්මර් ගිණිතියපු, බැංකු වගේ දේවල් කඩපු අය දැන් රටේ බලය හොබවනවා නම්. කළින් ලිපියක සඳහන් කලාක් මෙන් මේ අයට කවදාවත් සැබෑ දේශප්‍රේමීන් වෙන්න බැහැ.

රට ගැන ආදරය තිබෙන කෙනෙකුට කිසිදා රටේ සම්පත් විනාශ කරන්න හිත දෙන්නේ නැහැ.

රාවණා ඇල්ල බස් අනතුරේ ඩ්‍රයිවර් ඊට කළින් කවදාවත් බස් එකක් එලවපු නැති කෙනෙක්ලු. කොතරම් හානියක්ද ඔහු කළේ – රියපදවීමේ අත්දැකීම, පළපුරුද්ද ඔහුට නොමැති වීම නිසා.

පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී කෙනෙක් හැටියට වසර ගණනාවක් වැඩ කළා කියන එක කළින් රැකියාවක් කල කෙනෙක් ලෙස පිළිගන්න අමාරුයි. පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ හිටපු මන්ත්‍රීලා 225ම හොරු බවයි පොදු මහජන පිළිගැනීම.

පාර්ලිමෙන්තුවේදී සෙසු මන්ත්‍රී වරු සමඟ විනෝද ගමන් යාම, ක්‍රිකට් ගැසීම, අවුරුදු/නත්තල් පාටිවලට සහභාගී වීම සාමාන්‍ය රැකියාවක් තුලින් ඒ දේ කිරීමෙන් ලබන අත්දැකීමට වඩා වෙනස්.  බොහෝ විට මේ දේවල් සඳහා වියදම් කරලා තිබෙන්නේත් මහජන මුදල්.

1/10/25 සිට සියළු බස් වල ටිකට් නිකුත් කිරීම අනිවාර්ය කරලා. නැවතත් ‘ටික්කො’ බස් වලට පනිනවා – හොඳ වැඩක්.

හැබැයි කොච්චර කාලයකටද?

කෙටි දුර ධාවන බස් වල ගොඩාක් අය නිකං යනවා ගාස්තුව ගෙවා ගන්න බැරුව – දුප්පත්කම නිසා. කොන්දොස්තරලා යන්න දෙනවා. 1/10/25 සිට දඩ ගහන නිසා ඒ අසරණයන්ට ඇමතිතුමා සහනයක් සලසන්න ඕන. කොන්දොස්තර ටිකට් එකක් කඩලා ඒ මගියාට දීලා, රජයෙන් ඒ මුදල ලබා ගැනීම වැනි. කොන්දොස්තර වාර්තාවක් දෙන්න ඕන මාසේ අන්තිමට.

5 ස්ටාර් හෝටලයකට ගියා කෑම කන්න – එතනත් කෑම වලට මැස්සෝ වහනවා.

ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ මැස්සෝ නැති හෝටලයක්, රේස්ටොරාන්ට් එකක් තියෙනවා නම් කියන්න. මැස්සන් සිය පාද මඟින් ප්‍රබල ලෙස කසළ වාහනය කරනවා.

මෙහි බරපතල කම රටේ ජනයා අවබෝධ කරගෙන නැහැ – ඒවගේමයි මී, කැරපොතු, හුනු උවදුරු. ජනයා මේවා සමඟ නිවෙස්වල් ජීවත් වෙනවා.

අද කාලේ හැටියට කෙනෙකුට රු කෝටි 27ක වත්කමක් තියෙනවා කියන්නේ ඒ හැටිම ගානක් නෙවෙයි. බොරැල්ලේ පර්චස් 28 ගෙයක් විකුනන්න දාලා තියෙනවා රු කෝටි 66යි.

රට පාලනය කරන්න හැම ඇමති කෙනෙකුටම රු ලක්ෂ 700/800 බෙන්ස් කාර් එකක් අවශ්‍ය නැහැ. සෝභන අවශ්‍ය නැති, ආත්ම විශ්වාසයෙන් වැඩ කරන, නිහතමානි ඇමතිවරයෙක් නම් ත්‍රීවිලයෙන්/මොරිස් මය්නරයෙන්  හරි රාජකාරි කරන්න වැඩට යයි.  මිනිස්සු ආදරයෙන් ඒ අයව වැළඳ ගන්න හැටි බලාගන්න පුළුවන් එක ඇමතිවරයෙක් හරි ඒ විදියට හැසුරුනොත්.

නමුත්, තම තනතුරේ ගරුත්වය රැකෙන පරිදි වැඩ කිරීමට ඔවුන්ට හැකියාව තිබිය යුතුයි.

චාම්ව ජීවත් වුනාට කමක් නැහැ; නමුත් සම්ප්‍රදාය, සිරිත් විරිත්, සාරධර්ම වලට මුල් තැන දෙන අයුරින් කටයුතු කළ යුතුයි.

LGBT විවාහ අපේ රටට අවශ්‍ය නැහැ. 

හර්ෂණ නානායක්කාර මහතා ආදර්ශවත්ව ජීවත් වෙනවා – ආරක්ෂකයන් නොපිරිවරා, සාමාන්‍ය රථයකින් ගමන් බිමන් යනවා.

ඇමතිතුමා  ලාභ, මිල අඩු  වාහනයකින් නම් වැඩට එන්නේ එයා යටතේ ඉන්නේ ලේකම්ලා, සභාපතිලා, අධ්‍යක්ෂකලත් මිල අඩු වාහන වලින් එන්න වෙනවා; රජයේ මුදල් බිලියන ගණන් ඉතිරි වෙනවා.

ඇමතිවරු, මන්ත්‍රී වරුන්ට ඩබල් කැබ් වාහන ලබා දීම හොඳයි ඩ්‍රයිවර් කෙනෙක් සමඟ, හැබැයි අස්වෙලා යන කොට ආපසු භාර දිය යුතුයි.

ගාල්ලේ දහනායක මහත්තයාට කාර් එකක් තිබුනේ නැහැ (හිටපු අගමැති වරයෙක්), ලංගම බස් එකෙන්මයි ගමන් බිමන්  ගියේ. අනිතිමට ස්වාධීනව තරඟ කරලා යුඑන්පි, ශ්‍රී ලංකා දෙගොල්ලම පරද්දලා දින්නා.

ඉඩම්, පොලිස් බලතල කිසිම පළාත් සභාවකට කිසිදා ලබා නොදිය යුතුයි. නියතව රට කඩෙන වැඩක් වෙන්නේ දුන්නොත්.

‘සිංහළ අයිතීන්’ බෞද්ධ අයිතීන්’ අද තහනම් වචන වෙලාද?

මේ රටට ඇතුළුවන දොරටුව (gateway) මන්නාරමයි.  ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ තලෙයිමන්නාරම සිට දකුණු ඉන්දියාවේ ධනුස්කොඩියට කිම 20 ගානයි තියෙන්නේ. සමහර කාලවලදී සමහර තැන්වල  මුහුද කොපමණ නොගැඹුරුද කියනවනම්, ඇවිදගෙන එන්න පුළුවන්. බොහොම දුකසේ ජිවත්වන අවතැන්වූ සිංහල පවුල් 50 ගානක් කිසිම උදවු උපකාරයක් නැතිව, දුකසේ, මන්නාරමේ ඉන්නවා.   තමන් අවට ලස්සන ගෙවල්, ගෙමිදුල් සමඟ  හැදෙන හැටි මේ අයට පේනවා. ඒත් මේ ගොල්ල බොහෝ දෙනෙක් තාම  ඉන්නේ ටකරන් මඩු වල.

මඩකලපුවේ ‘මංගලගම’ ඉන්න දෙමල කථා කරන සිංහලයන්ගේ තත්ත්වය අති  ශෝචනියයි.  මේ අයට  උදවු කරන මඩකලපුව වාසි, සංඝයාවහන්සේ  පොලිස් අත් අඩංගුවට නිතර නිතර පත් උනා.

ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ ජනගහන සංක්‍යාලේඛන, විශේෂයෙන්ම කොලඹ සහ වෙනත් ප්‍රධාන නගරවල සීග්‍ර ජනගහන වෙනස්වීම් දිහා බැලුවහම සිංහළ නමැති ජන කොටසේ ජනගහන ව්‍යාප්තිය සෙසු ජන කොටස් හා සසඳන විට අඩුයි කියා පිළිගන්න වෙනවා.

එදා කොළඹ නගර  සභා සිමාවේ  70% පමණවූ සිංහළ ජනගහනය අද 40% වත් නැති තරම්ද? මේ වෙනස ඇතිවී තිබෙන්නේ අවුරුදු 40 ක් වැනි කෙටි කාලයක් ඇතුලතදිලු.

හරියට අධ්‍යාපන ක්‍රමය නැත්නම් රටක  බුද්ධිමත් ජනතාවක් බිහිවන්නේ නැහැ.

බස්නාහිර පළාතේ එක් ප්‍රධාන මහ නගර සභාවකට දවල් 2ට විතර යන්න (විශේෂයෙන්ම, එහි නගර නිර්මාන සෙක්ෂන් එකට), සේවක, සේවිකාවෝ කී දෙනෙක් මේසෙට ඔලුව ගහගෙන නිදිද බලන්න.  තව කිදෙනෙක් පත්තරේ බලනවද?

අපේ රටේ තට්ටු මාලිගා වල ජීවත්වෙන, නැව් වගේ වාහන වල යන, මාස දෙක තුනකට  වරක් බටහිර විදේශ සංචාරය කරන අයට අපි ගරු කරනවා, කට ඇරලා ‘සර්’ ගානවා.  නමුත්, සමහරෙක් ඒ අය ඒ සල්ලි හොයා ගත්තේ දුෂණ, වංචාකරලා, පරිසරය විනාශ කරලා නේද කියන එක අප ගණන් ගන්නේ නැහැ. අහිංසක, දහඩිය මහන්සියෙන්, සාධාරණ විදියට එදා වේල සොයා ගන්න මිනිහෙකුට  ‘සර්’ කියන එක ඊට වඩා සැපයි.

හොරකම් කල දේශපාලනඥයන් සිරේ නොයවන රටක්, ශ්‍රී ලංකාව. ඉන්දියාවේත් හිරේ යවලා තියෙනවා. ඊයේ පෙරේදා එක්කෙනෙක් දෙන්නෙක් හිරේ ඇරියා තමයි. ආයි යවන පාටක් නම් පේන්න නැහැ.

බිම් මට්ටමේ පාක්ෂිකයෝ ගහ බැන ගනිද්දී, පක්ෂ වල දේශපාලනඥයන් තරු පහේ හෝටලවල එකට කනවා බොනවා – මේ ළඟදිත් අපි එය දැක්කා. මෙයට කියන්නේ ‘නුඹ මගේ පිට කසාපන්, මම නුඹේ පිට කසන්නම්’ කියලා.

ටික කලකට රිමාන්ඩ් භාරයේ සිටීම (ඒකත් බොහෝ වෙලාවට රෝහලක), සිරේ යාමක් නොවෙයි.

බොහෝ දේශපාලනඥයන් රිමාන්ඩ් කල පසු බන්ධනාගාර රෝහල් ගත වෙනවා. අදත් (2025) මේ දේ වෙනවා. මෙයින්  රටේ ජනතාවට උගන්වන පාඩම  හොඳ දෙයක් නොවෙයි.

සමහරවිට ආණ්ඩුවකට වෙනවා දක්ෂ ව්‍යාපාරිකයෙක් සාර්ථක බිස්නස් එකක් කරන විදියට රට  කරන්න. අනවශ්‍ය වියදම් කපා හැර, රටට උපරිම ආදායම් එන මං සොයා ඒවා වර්ධනය කරන්න ඕන. තියෙන ණය ගෙවා අයවැය හිඟයක් වෙනුවට සංචිතයක් හදා ගන්න උත්සහ ගන්න ඕන.

තුම්මුල්ලේ, බෞද්ධාලෝක පාරේ  ලක්සළ ආයතනය ලස්සනට  පවත්වාගෙන යනවා. කවුද කියන්නේ රජයට පුද්ගලික ව්‍යාපාර කරන්න බැහැ කියා. නියම පාලකයෝ පත් කරනවා නම් රජය කියලා නැහැ, ලාභ ලබන ව්‍යාපෘති පවත්වා ගෙන යන්න පුළුවන්.

මේ ආණ්ඩුව ආර්ථිකය හැසිරවීමේ යම් සාර්ථකත්වයක් තිබෙන බව පේනවා. තව බලන්න ඕන.

කළින් තිබු යුරෝපීය මත්ස්‍ය අපනයන තහනම දැන් අපට නැහැ. ඒත් ලෝකෙටම දෙන්න තරම් මත්ස්‍යය සම්පතක් අපට තියෙනවද?  පරණ ධීවරයන්ගෙන් අහලා බලන්න අපේ මුහුදේ මත්ස්‍යය සම්පත දැන් ඉස්සර වගේ නැහැ, හොඳටම අඩුවෙලා.

සුද්දන්ට කන්න දෙන්න ඉස්සෙල්ලා අපේ රටේ මිනිස්සුන්ට, විශේෂයෙන්ම අපේ දරුවන්ට, හොඳට කන්න අළුත් මාළු තියෙන්න ඕන, අඩු මිලට.  නැහැ නේද?

උතුරේ ඉන්දීය ධිවර මංකොල්ලයට ස්ථිරසාර පිලියමක් හොයා ගන්න මේ රජයට බැරි ඇයි?  ඔය අත්සන් කළා යයි කියන ගිවුසුම් 7ට මෙය ඇතුලත් නොකලා නම් ඒ ඇයි?

මෙයින් වසරකට අපට වන පාඩුව ඇමරිකන් ඩොලර් බිලියනය පන්නනවා කියලයි සමහරු කියන්නේ. ඉන්දියාව නම්‍යශීලි නැත්නම්, ICJ (International Court of Justice) එකේ නඩුවක් දාන්න පුළුවන්. ඕස්ත්‍රේලියාව එවැනි නඩුවක් දැම්මා තම ඉතා හිතවත් රටක් වන ජපානයට විරුද්ධව (තල්මස් දඩයමට විරුද්ධව). ජපානය මුකුත් කිවේ නැහැ.

ලෝකයේ හොඳම තේ නිෂ්පාදනය කරන්නේ අපේ ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ. ඒත්, ‘ටී ඩස්ට්’, ‘ස්වීපිං තේ’ වලින් අපේ ‘ලෝකල් මාකට්’ එක පිරිලා.

වස විස නැති ආහාර නිෂ්පාදනය නගා සිටුවීම සහ ප්‍රචලිත කිරීම ඉතාම හොඳ දෙයක්, ඒ දේවල් වෙනුවෙන් වැඩ කරන්නන්ට රටේ ප්‍රණාමය පිරිනැමිය යුතුයි. 

කෘමි නාශක, රසායනික පොහොර මුළුමනින්ම නැතිව වී ගොවිතැන් කරන්න පුළුවන් කීම ප්‍රායෝගික නොවන බව  හැමදාම වී ගොවිතැන් කරන ගොවි මහතුන් දන්නවා, කියනවා.  ආවේගශීලිව කරන, වගකීමෙන්  තොර මේ ප්‍රකාශ මඟින් වර්ෂ ගණනනාවක් එක දිගටම  ගොවිතැන් කරගෙන යන ගොවියන් අතරමං වුනා.

දැනටමත් අඩාල වී ඇති වී ගොවිතැන නැත්තටම නැතිවෙන්න පුළුවන්.

කෘමි නාශක, රසායනික පොහොර නැතිව, මහා පරිමාණයෙන් සැම වසරකම වී ගොවිතැන් කරන්න පුළුවන් කීම  හරියට මැලේරියා/ඩෙංගු  මදුරුවාව දුන් ගහලා මර්ධනය කරන්න පුළුවන් කියනවා වගේ වැඩක්.

රජ කාලේ එහෙම කළා කියා (කෘමි නාශක/රසායනික පොහොර  නැතිව), මේ 21 වන සියවසේද  එසේම කල යුතු/හැකි යයි කීම බුද්ධිගෝචර නොවේ.

කුඹුරකට ඉතාම හානිදායි කෘමින් වර්ග, වල් පැල වර්ග බොහෝයි.  වසර ගණනාවක් වගා කිරීම (ශාක මඟින් සාරය උරා ගැනීම ආදිය), සෝදා පාළුව නිසා පස් ඉතා නිසරු වෙනවා. රසායනික පොහොර නොයොදා මේවා නගා සිටුවන්න බැහැ. 

කාබනික පොහොර හොඳයි, ඒත් රසායනික පොහොර වලින් කෙරෙන කාර්යය කෙරෙන්නේ නැහැ.

කෘමි නාශක/රසායනික පොහොර නොයොදා කාබනික/කොම්පෝස්ට් වැනි ද්‍රව්‍යය භාවිතයෙන් ආහාර නිපදවීමට වඩාත්  ශ්‍රමයක් සහ කාලයක් වැය වෙනවා.  මහා පරිමාණයෙන් අක්කර සිය ගණන්  කුඹුරු ගොවිතැන් කරන ප්‍රදේශවල  වසරක් හෝ දෙකක් කෘමි නාශක/රසායනික පොහොර නොයොදා වගා කරන්න පුළුවන් වේවි (ඒ ද්‍රව්‍යවල බලපෑම තවමත්  පසේ/පරිසරයේ තිබෙන නිසා).  ඒ නිසා හැමදාම ඒවා නොයොදා වගා කරන්න කීම ප්‍රායෝගික සහ තර්කානුකුල නැහැ.

හැමදාම කෘමි නාශක/රසායනික පොහොර නොයොදා කුඹුරු හෝ වෙනත් ගොවිතැන් කරන්න බැහැ.  කෘමි/වල්  නාශක, නිසරු පස් අප හිතනවාට වඩා ගැඹුරු ප්‍රශ්න.  ඒවාට රසායනික ප්‍රතිකර්ම අවශ්‍යයි.  මුළු ලෝකයේම තත්ත්වය එයයි.

ගොයම් මකුණා කුඹුරු යායවල් වලට  කරන්නේ අතිමහත් විනාශයක්.  ගොයම් කරල් පිටින්ම කා විනාශ කරනවා.  පැල මැක්කා, ගොක් මැස්සා,  දුඹුරු පැල කීඩැවා, කොළ හකුලන දළඹුවා වැනි කෘමින්ද  ප්‍රධාන පෙලේ ගොයම් පලි භෝධකයි.  රජ කාලේ නොතිබුණු මේ ප්‍රශ්ණ විසඳිය හැක්කේ කෘෂි රසායනික ද්‍රව්‍ය වලින් පමණයි. විශේෂයෙන්ම අම්පාර, මඩකලපුව වැනි ප්‍රදේශවල ඇති  අක්කර සිය ගණන් විශාල කුඹුරු යායවල.

රජ කාලේ මෙන් වතුර බැඳීමෙන් පමණක් වල් පැල අද මර්ධනය කරන්න බැහැ. අද, ගොවි මහත්වරුන්ට ඕන අඩු කාලයක් තුල උපරිම ප්‍රතිපල ලබාදෙන ගොවිතැන් ක්‍රම. වසර ගණනාවක්  එකම භුමියේ වගාවන් කරන කොට ඒ පස නිසරු වෙනවා. ඒ පස සරු කිරීමට නම් රසායනික පොහොර යෙදිය යුතුයි. කුඹුරු පමණක් නොවෙයි අනෙක් වගාවන්ටද බලපාන්නේ මේ මුල ධර්මයමයි.

වී ගොවිතැනේදී ‘භූතයා’ අද හොඳ කාර්ය භාරයක් කරනවා. එය ගොවියාගේ නියම මිතුරෙක්.

සමහර පස් වල පැලෑටි වලට අවශ්‍ය සියළුම පෝෂනයන් ඇති අතර ක්‍ෂුද්‍ර ජීවීන් මගින් අර්ධ පාෂාන ජීරනය කර පැලෑටි වලට උරා ගැනිමට අවැසි ලෙස රසායන ද්‍රව්‍ය සකස් කෙරෙනවා. මේ නිසා කිසි කරදරයක්  නැතිව වස විස නැති  අහාර (එළවලු/පලතුරු/ධාන්‍ය) සකසා ගත හැකියි. නමුත් බොහෝ ස්ථාන වල ආර්ථික බෝග ලෙස වැවීමට සුදුසු පසක් නැහැ. රසායනිකයන්ම යෙදීමටම  සිදුවේ.

කාබනික පොහොරම පමණක් යොදන්න කියන අය, දන්නවද ඒවා  හදන්නේ මොනවායින්ද කියා? අක්කරයක වානිජ වගාවක් සඳහා අවශ්‍ය කාබනික පෝර සැදීමට තව අක්කර කීයක් කැලය වැවිය යුතුද? අපට එහෙම වවන්න ඉඩම් තිබේද?

අද නගරවල කොම්පෝස්ට් යැයි කියා විකුණන්න තිබෙන්නේ බොහෝ විට ඉවතලන කුණු එකතු කර ජීරණය වූ කාබනික, අකාබනික ද්‍රව්‍යයි. ඉතා සුළු පිරිසක් පමණක් නියම ශාක ද්‍රව්‍ය , දිරූ කොහුබත්, ඩොලමයිට්, පිරිසිදු කාබනික අපද්‍රව්‍ය, හිතකර බැක්ටීරියා ආදී එකතුවක් මිශ්‍ර කර කොම්පෝස්ට් සාදති. 

බොහෝ විට, නගරයේ කුණු දිරූ කොම්පෝස්ට් යනු අති භයානක බැර ලෝහ, පොළිතීන්, විස ද්‍රව්‍ය අඩංගු එකතුවකි. ඒවා යොදා ගෙවත්තේ වගා කිරීම කොහේවත් යන විස සිරුරට එක් කර ගැනීමක් විය හැකියි. ඊට වඩා හොඳයි කෘෂි රසායනික  පොහොර.

බොහෝ ගොවි මහතුන්, මහත්මියන් පිළිගත් ආරක්‍ෂිත ආවරණ නොපැළදගෙන කෘෂි රසායන, රසායන පොහොර  සමඟ වැඩ කරනවා. ඉතාම  නරකයි.  පිළිකා/හුස්ම ගැනීමේ/වකුගඩු රෝග හැදෙන්න පුළුවන්.

ආසනික්, කිවුල් ජලය සහ කුඹුරු පස කියන තුනම එකතු වෙලා වකුගඩු රෝගය හැදෙන බව එදා කිවූ අය ඉන් පසු හේතුව ආසනික්, කැඩ්මියම්, ග්ලය්ෆොස්පටේ (රවුන්ඩ් අප්) ආදීය යයි කියා,  තවත් නොයෙක්  හේතු දැක්වුවා.

හරියටම හේතුව මේකයි (උදා:බොන ජලයට මේ දේවල් මිශ්‍ර වෙලා), කියා කියන්න පුළුවන් ලොව පිළිගත්  විද්යාඥයින්, මේ පිළිබඳව කල යුතු සම්පුර්ණ පරීක්ෂණ වලින් පසුව එලි දක්වන වාර්ථා අනුවයි. එවැන්නක් අද වෙනතුරු හරියට වෙලා නැහැ. 

ආවට ගියාට  විශේෂඥයන්, විද්යාඥයින් නොවෙන අය කරන ප්‍රකාශ වලින්  වෙන්නේ ප්‍රශ්නය විසඳීම නොව තව තවත් උග්‍ර වීමයි.  වකුගඩු රෝග හැදීමට විවිධ හේතු සාධක තියෙනවා; එකක්ම පමණක් යයි කියන්න අපට තියෙන විද්‍යාත්මක සාක්ෂි කවරේද?

හොඳ, බුද්ධිමත්, තීක්ෂණ  නීති උපදෙස් නොතකා තත්ත්වයෙන් අඩු නීති උපදෙස් උඩ ජාත්‍යාන්තර ගිවුසුම් අත්සන් කිරීම නිසා අපට ඩොලර් බිලියන් ගණන් ගෙවන්න වුනා. හෙජින් ගිවුසම හොඳ උදාහරණයක්. මෝඩකමකට මිස එවැනි ගිවුසුමක් අත්සන් කරන්නේ නැහැ.

ග්‍රීසිය ආර්ථික අතින් බිමටම පෙරලෙන බව දැන දැන කෝටි ගණන් ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ මහජන මුදල් ආයෝජනය කරන්න ඔලුව හෝන්දු මාන්දු වෙන්න ඕන.

‘එයාර්  ලංකා’ ගිව්සුමේ අඩු පාඩු නිසා කටුනායක බෝම්බ වලින් විනාශ වූ අපේ ගුවන් යානාවලට ගෙවූ රක්ෂණ වන්දි මුදල් ගියේ අපට නොවේ, එවකට එයා ලංකා පාලනය කල විදේශ ගුවන් සමාගමට. ඩොලර් මිලියන බොහෝ ගණනක් ඒ අය ගත්ත්හා, හැබැයි අපට අයත්ව තිබු ගුවන් යානා. චන්ද්‍රිකාගේ දක්ෂ කම්.

ඉතා කුඩාවට තිබු ඒ මැද පෙරදිග ගුවන් සමාගම අද ලෝකයේ තිබෙන විශාලතම ගුවන් සමාගම බවට පත් වෙලා.

අද ශ්‍රී ලන්කන් එයා ලයින්ට සින්නකරව අයත්  ගුවන් යානා කීයක්ද තියෙන්නේ? සියල්ල මෙන් කුළියට අරන් දුවන්නේ.

අද තිබෙන දරන්න බැරි විදේශ ණය නිසා අපි ඒ ණය පොලි ගෙවන්න තවත් විදේශ ණය ගන්නවා. මේක පුද්ගලයෙක් බංකොලොත් වෙනවාට සමාන දෙයක්. ග්‍රීසිය බේරාගන්න යුරෝපිය ප්‍රජාව සිටියා, අපට කවුරුවත් හරියට ආවේ නැහැ. ඉන්දියාව කළ උපකාර ඉතා අගය කල යුතුයි.

අප චීනයේ ණය උගුලක හිර වෙලා. ණය බරින් නිදහස් වීමට සෙසු රටවල් යම් බුරුලක් දෙන්න සුදානම්, මේ රට නම් එහෙම නැහැ.

දැන් ඉන්න අය බලයට ඒමට පෙර කයිවාරු ගැහුවේ දරුණු IMF කොන්දේසි ලිහිල් කරනවා, විදෙස් ණය හිමිකරුවන් සමඟ අපට වාසි දායක ලෙස ණය ප්‍රතිව්‍යුහ ගත කරනවා කියා. ඒ කිසිත් හරියට කරගන්න බැරි වුනා නේද?

විපක්ෂනායකතුමාට ඉතා හොඳින්  ජාත්‍යාන්තරය සමඟ වැඩ කිරිමේ දක්ෂතා, කුසළතා තිබෙන බව විද්‍යාමාන කර තිබෙනවා.

ඔහුට තිබෙන සහජ කුසළතා ඉතා ඉහලයි – විවිධ සංගීතභාණ්ඩ ඉතාම දක්ෂ ලෙස වාදනය කිරීමේ හැකියාවන් ඔහු පෙන්වා තිබෙනවා.

IMF කොන්දේසි ලිහිල් කරගන්න, අපිට වාසි සහගත ලෙස විදෙස් ණය ප්‍රතිව්‍යිවහ ගත කරගන්න, ණය කපා හැරීම සහ ණය ගෙවීම් ප්‍රමාද කිරීම් සජිත්ට තමා කළ හැකි වන්නේ.  

තම ශ්‍රේෂ්ට පියා ‘මාර්කට්’ නොකිරීම (එසේ කිරීමට ඔහු තුල ඇති බිය) සජිත් සැමදා පරාජය වීමේ මුලික රහසක්. සත්‍ය ජනතාවට පැවසීමට කිසිදා බිය විය යුතු නැහැ.

ඊරාන් ඕනෑම ආණ්ඩුවක මුදල් ඇමති තනතුර දැරීමට සුදුසුයි. හර්ෂ, කබීර්, නලීන්, අජිත්, නිරෝෂන් ඉදිරි කාලයක හොඳ සජබ ඇමතිවරු වනු ඇත.

ඉන්දියාව සහ චීනය අපට දෙන මුල්‍යමය, ද්‍රව්‍යමය ආධාර අප ඉතා අගේ කල යුතුයි. නමුත් ඔවුනගේ ඉත්තන් බවට අප පත් නොවිය යුතුයි.

ලක්ෂ සංක්‍යාත ශ්‍රී ලාංකිකයන් පිරිසක් දැන් ඕස්ත්‍රේලියාවේ සිටිත්.  මෙල්බර්න් වල දකුණු ඊසාන දිග – ඩැන්ඩිනොන්, නරේ වරන්, ස්ප්‍රින් වේල්, නෝබල් පාර්ක්, ග්ලෙන් වේවර්ලි, එන්ඩේවර් හිල්ස්, ක්රැන්බර්න් උතුර අති විශාල ශ්‍රී ලාංකික ජනගහනයන් වෙසෙන ප්‍රදේශ. ඒ පලාත්වල ෂොපින් මෝල් වල ඇවිදිනකොට ඇහෙන්නෙම සිංහල. ඒ පළාත්වල මෙට්‍රෝ දුම්රිය වල, ට්‍රෑම් කාර් වල ශ්‍රී ලංකා වැසියෝ පිරිලා, ශ්‍රී ලංකා Take Away Shops බොහෝයි – සුද්දෝ පවා ඇවිත් කනවා ඉතා රසවත් ශ්‍රී ලංකා කෑම.

ඉස්සර, 1990 අග භාගයේ, සිඩ්නි, මෙල්බර්න් ඉඳන් කෙලින්ම කොළඹට ෆ්ලය්ට් තිබුනා (දැන් නැවත තියෙනවා). මේ ෆ්ලයිට් තිබුන කාලයේ බොහෝ යුරෝපය බලා යන සංචාරකයෝ ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ නතර වෙලයි ගියේ.  මේ තත්ත්වය නැවත ඇති කර ගත යුතුයි. අපට අහිමිවූ යුරෝපිය සංචාරකයෝ සිංගප්පුරුව, හොංකොං, බැංකොක්, KL වගේ රටවල්/නගර  ඩැහැ ගත්තා. 

මේවා නැවත ස්ථාපිත කර ගැනීමට කලින් තිබු රජයන් අසමත් වුනා.

1949 දී ඕස්ත්‍රේලියාව සිය ක්වන්ටාස් ගුවන් සේවය ආරම්භකර ප්‍රථම  (මංගල) ගුවන් යානය බ්‍රිස්බන් සිට ලන්ඩන් දක්වා යැවුවා. එය නැවත්වුවේ කොහිද? සිංගප්පුරුව, හොංකොං, බැංකොක් හෝ ක්වාලා ලම්පුර් නොවේ ….. කොළඹ, ශ්‍රී ලංකාවයි.  අද ක්වන්ටාස් ලංකාවට එන්නෙවත් නැහැ.

ගෙන්න ගන්න බලන්න ඕන.

ඕස්ත්‍රේලියාවේ සිට ලන්ඩනයට යන කෙටිම ගුවන් මාර්ගය ඇත්තේ කොළඹ ශ්‍රී ලංකාව හරහා යයි කියනවා.

මෙය, අප ඕස්ත්‍රේලියාව තුල තදින් ‘මාර්කට්’ කළ යුතුයි.

මුළු ලෝකෙටම ණය වෙලා බොරු මෙගා හෝ ඒ වගේ වෙනයම් ප්‍රොජෙක්ට් පටන් අරං කරන වැඩ වලින් වෙන්නේ මුළු රටම අගාධයට යාමයි. ඉපදින්න ඉන්න පරම්පරා ගානක් අපි  තව තව ණය කාරයෝ කරනවා.

2022දී ශ්‍රී ලංකාව මුළුමනින්ම කඩා වැටෙන්න එච්චර අමාරු උනේ නැහැ, වැඩි කාලයක් ගියෙත් නැහැ.

තේ, පොල්, රබර් වලින් මේ රට ඉදිරියට ගෙනි යන්න බැහැ  කියන්නේ රටට ආදරය නැති අය. ඒ අය ආණ්ඩුව, ජනතාව වැරදි මඟ දාන්න හදනවා. රට කඩා වැටෙනවා නම් මේ අය කැමතියි.

අපේ ප්‍රධාන වැවිලි අපනයන තේ, රබර් සහ පොල්. ඇත්ත; මේ වැවිලි කර්මාන්ත අද ඉතා දුර්වල වෙලා, ක්‍රමයෙන් අභාවයට යන බවක් තමයි පේන්න තියෙන්නේ.  සුළු වගා හිමියන් වගා අතහැර ගස් ගලවා ඉඩම් විකිණීමට පටන් ගෙන ඇති බව සමහර දිස්ත‍්‍රික්ක වලින් වාර්ථා වෙනවා (මේ නිසා කදු නායයෑම් පිළිබඳවද විශාල අවදානම් ඇති වෙනවා).  දැන් පොහොර ගබඩාවලින් පොහොර අලෙවි වෙනවා අඩුයි.

විද්‍යාරත්න ඇමතිතුමා වැවිලි ආර්ථිකය දියුණු කරන්න යම් හොඳ වැඩපිළිවෙලක් සිදු කරන්න උත්සහ ගන්න බව පේනවා. කරන්න ඉඩ දෙයිද?

පොල් වගාව දැනට ඉමහත් පරිහානියකට ලක් වී තිබෙනවා. පොල් කර්මාන්තය ආශ්‍රිතව රැකියා කල විශාල පිරිසකට රැකියා අහිමිවෙලා.

සාරවත් පොල් වගාවක් පවත්වාගෙන යාම සඳහා සිදුකල යුතුම පොහොර දැමීම, පාංශු ඛාදනය වැලැක්වීම, වල් පැල මර්ධනය වැනි නඩත්තු කටයුතු දැන් කරනවා අඩුයි.  කුඩා පොල් වතු හිමියන් අධික කැඩුම් කුලී හා අධික එකුතු කිරීමේ වියදම් නිසා පොල් කැඩීම නවතා වැටෙන පොල් පමණක් අහුලා කීයකට හෝ විකුණා දමනවා. කොහුමෝල් පමණක් නොව පොල් තෙල් මෝල් සෑහෙන ප්‍රමාණයක් වැහිලා ගිහිල්ලා.

මිනිසුන් නොයොදා, පොල් කැඩීමේ යන්ත්‍ර  මඟින් පොල් කැඩීම පිලිපීනයේ ක්‍රියාත්මක වෙනවා. මෙහාටත් ඒවා අවශ්‍යයි.

හැමදාම ‘සිලෝන් ටී’ කියලා අපේ කළු තේ  ලෝක වෙළඳ පොලට ගිහින් මහාපරිමාණයෙන් විකුන්නන්න අමාරුයි.  19 වන ශතවර්ෂයේ තේ විකුනපු විදියට මේ 21 වන ශත වර්ෂයේ තේ විකුනන්න බැහැ. ලොව නුතන තරුණ පරම්පරාව බොන්න කැමති රස්නේ ඇති පාන වලට වඩා ශිතල බිමයි.

අයිස් ටී හොඳට ඉස්තරම්ම තත්ත්වයෙන් නිෂ්පාදනය කරලා, හොඳට මාර්කට් කරලා, ලෝක වෙළඳපොළට දැම්මොත්, කොකා කෝලා එකාධිකාරය පවා කඩන්න පුළුවන්.  රජයන් අත දෙන්නේ/අත ගසන්නේ  නැතිව පුද්ගලික අංශයට මේ දේවල් තනියම කරන්න බැහැ.

සිඩ්නි, මෙල්බර්න් ගිහිං බලන්න. මැක්ඩොනල්ඩ්ස් වැනි තේ බීම සඳහාම වෙන්වූ දැවැන්ත අවන්හල් බිහිවෙලා අඩියෙන් අඩියට වගේ. කවුද මේ දෙය කරන්නේ? එකම තේ ගසක්වත් නැති තායිවානයෙන් ආ අය.

ඔවුන් ඒවායේ පාවිච්චි කරන්නේ ශ්‍රී ලංකා තේ (Ceylon Tea).

අපි එතනදිත් පරාද වෙලා. One Galle Faceහි ඉතා හොඳ තේ අවන්හලක් ඩිල්මා ආයතනය පවත්වා ගෙන යනවා. එහි විවිධාකාර තේ ආශ්‍රිත පාන තියෙනවා නමුත් තායිවානුන් ඉන්නේ ඊට වඩා ගොඩාක් ඉහළින්. ඔවුන් තේ වලට අයිස්ක්‍රීම්, පළතුරු, චොක්ලට්  වැනි බොහෝ දේ එකතු කර විකුනනවා. ඒවා ලස්සණට ඉදිරිපත් කරනවා.

ලෝකෙන් හොඳම තේ නිපදවන රට  ශ්‍රී ලංකාවයි. ජාත්‍යාන්තර ලෝක තේ වෙන්දේසි වෙළඳපොළක් (ලන්ඩනයේ වගේ) අද වෙනතුරු කොළඹ බිහි නොකළේ මන්ද කියා සිතාගන්න අපහසුයි.

කෝපි වවා රට හදන්න පුළුවන්. හාපිටිගම් කෝරලේ තමයි කෝපි වවන්න ඉස්තරම්ම ප්‍රදේශය.  හරියට කලොත්, අපට කොපි වලින් ස්වයංපෝෂිත වී කෝපි පිටරටින් ගෙන්වීමට යන අධික විදේශ විනිමය ඉතිරිකර ගත හැකි වෙනවාට අමතරව කෝපි අපනයෙන් කෝටි ගණන් මුදල් මහා භාණ්ඩාගාරයට එක් කරගන්නත් පුළුවන්.

එදා තෙල්දෙණිය, කුණ්ඩසාලේ, මාතලේ ප්‍රදේශවල අති සාර්ථක කොකෝවා වගාවන් තිබුනා, දැන් නැහැ හෝ ඉතා අඩුයි. රටේ හොඳම සශ්‍රීක ඉඩම් කඩිනම් මහවැලි සංවර්ධන ව්‍යාපෘතිය මඟින් ගිල ගනු ලැබුවා.  – තෙල්දෙණිය, කුණ්ඩසාලේ, හාරගම, අධිකාරිගම වැනි ප්‍රදේශවල.

කුරුඳු යනු හොඳ කුළු බඩුවක්,ඖෂධයක් වගේම බෙහෙත් සහ රූප ලාවන්‍ය නිපදවීමට ගන්නා ප්‍රධාන අමු ද්‍රව්‍යයක්.  පිළිකා නාශකයක්. කාලයක්, (15/16  වෙන සියවසේ), එය රත්තරං වලටත් වඩා වටිනවා කියා කිවා. ලෝකයේ හොඳම සහ වැඩියෙන්ම කුරුඳු නිපදවන රට ශ්‍රී ලංකාවයි.  මෙය අපට  ‘අවියක්’ ලෙස භාවිතා කරලා ලෝකේ කුරුඳු අපනයනය කරන සහ කුරුඳු මිළ පාලනය කරන  ප්‍රධාන මධ්‍යස්ථානය  බවට පත්වෙන්න පුළුවන්.

අපේ මුස්ලිම් ව්‍යාපාරිකයන් මේ වගේ දේ ට උපන් දක්ෂයෝ.

ඩුබායි දැනටමත් අල්ලා ගෙන ඉවර වුනත්, ලෝකයේ ප්‍රධාන කුරුඳු වෙන්දේසි පොල ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ පිහිටවිය හැකියි, ලංඩනයේ තේ වෙන්දේසි පොල වගේ. එවිට, මෙහි සිටින සහ මෙහි පැමිණෙන කුරුඳු ගැනුම්කරුවන් ගණන වැඩි වේවි.

හොර, බාල මැණික් (කෘතීම ගල්/විදුරු ගල්) වෙළඳපොළට නිකුත් කරලා ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට ලොව හොඳම මැණික් නිපදවන රට යන ගෞරවාන්විත නාමය ඉදිරියේදී නැති කරගන්න පුළුවන්.  ලෝකයේ විශිස්ටතම නිල් මැණික් ගල් ලැබෙන්නේ ශ්‍රී ලංකාවෙන් බව මුළු ලොවම දන්නවා. බ්‍රිතාන්‍යයේ කේට් කුමරිය අදත් පළඳින්නේ ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ නිල් මැණික් ඔබවපු රන් මුදුවක්.

හැකි තරම් විදේශ විනිමය (ඩෝලර්, යුරෝ, යෙන්, පවුම් වැනි)  අප රටට ගෙනෙන ව්‍යාපාරවලට අත හිත දිය යුතුයි (අපනයන භාණ්ඩ නිෂ්පාදනය වැනි). ඔය ත්‍රිවීල් එළවලා, රුප ලාවන්‍ය කරලා රැකියා ප්‍රශ්නයට විසඳුමක් ලැබුනත්, රටට රිජුව විදේශ විනිමය ($) නම් ලැබෙන්නේ නැහැ, නැත්නම් ටිකයි.

නමුත් රටේ ආර්ථිකය ඉදිරියට ගෙනයාමට ත්‍රී වීල් විශාල සේවයක් කරනවා, විශේෂයෙන්ම බස්/දුම්රිය මගී ප්‍රවාහන සේවා දුර්වල මේ අවධියේ.

ආණ්ඩුව වාහන බදු වැඩි කිරීමේදී ඉතා වැඩි ප්‍රතිශතයකින් වැඩි කර  තිබෙනවා ත්‍රීවීල් රථවලට. හොඳ දෙයක් නොවේ. රුපියල් ලක්ෂ 6ක සීමාවේ තිබූ ත්‍රීවීල් රථයක් අද රුපියල් ලක්ෂ 20 වගේ අතර මිලකට වැඩි වෙලා. ඉදිරියේදී ඉතා උග්‍ර ත්‍රීවීල් හිඟයක්, විශේෂයෙන්ම කොළඹ,  එන්න පුළුවන්.  මෙයින් වෙන්නේ රටේ ආර්ථික වර්ධනය තදින් අඩාල වීමයි. ඒ වගේම ත්‍රීවීල් ගාස්තුත් ඉහල යයි.

හැරී ට්රුමන් හොඳ පුද්ගලයෙක් නොවෙයි. නිරපරාදේ ජපානයට පරමාණු බෝම්බ දමා ලක්ෂ සංඛ්‍යාත ජනතාවක් මැරීමට අණ දුන්නේ ඔහු.

ජපන් ජාතිකයන් තුල ඔහු පිළිබඳව මොන තරම් අප්‍රසාදයක් ඇද්ද?

අද අපි විදේශ බැංකුවලට, දේශීය බැංකුවලට ඔක්කොම ගත්තොත් ඩොලර් බිලියන 100ට කිට්ටුවෙන්න ණයයි හෝ ඊටත් වැඩියි. ධනවත් ඕස්ත්‍රේලියාවත් ලෝකෙට ණය ඩොලර් බිලියන 150ට අඩුයි.

පහුගිය ආණ්ඩු ඔක්කොම සෙල්ලම් දැම්මේ ඔය ගත්ත ණය වලින්. මේවා ගෙවන්න පරම්පරා කියක් යයිද? මැතිණි 77 රට බාර දෙනකොට විදේශ ණය ඩොලර් 0යි.

2015/16 (මුල) අතර පමණක් අප ඇමරිකන් ඩොලර් බිලියන 6ක පමණ විදේශ ණය අරං තියෙනවා කියලයි කියන්නේ. ඒ නිසා 4%ක වගේ (කෘතීම) ආර්ථික වර්ධනයක් පෙන්වූවා.

ජාජබ රජය තව ඉදිරියට ණය  ගන්න  යනවා; විශේෂයෙන්ම 2028 සිට. කලින් ගත්ත විදේශ ණය වල පොලී ගෙවන්න. 

ඔය බිලියන ගණන්  ණය අරගෙනත් උද්ධමනය පහතට ආවේ නෑහැනේ, වැඩි වුනා මිසක්. 

රැකියා විරහිත භාවයේ  අඩුවක් දැන් පෙන්වනවා.

උද්ධමනය පාලනය කරගෙන යාම හොඳයි.  මුදල් ඇමතිට සහ මහ බැංකුවට මල් මිටක්.

2022 පමණ කාලයේදී උද්ධමනය ඉතා වැඩි වෙන විට රුපියල් 10,000 නෝට්ටුත් එයි කියලයි අපි හිතුවේ.

අද තිරිඟු පිටි වලට අපි තදින්ම ඇබ්බැහි වෙලා. මේක විදේශ අධිරාජ්‍ය වාදීන් යටතේ සිටි කාලයේ අප පුරුදු වු දෙයක්. තිරිඟු ඇටයක් වත් හදන්නේ නැති මේ රටේ අපි මේ තරම් තිරිඟු වලට වහල් වීම ඉතාම  නරක දෙයක්.

මේ නිසා අප බිලියන ගණන් වැය කරනවා තිරිඟු පිටි ආනයනය කිරීමට. සෑම ආපන ශාලාවකම තිබෙන්නේ තිරිඟු පිටි වලින් සෑදු පාන් හෝ ඒ ආශ්‍රිත ආහාර.

ඇයි අපේ රටේම වැවෙන සොයා, සෝගම්, මුන්, කවුපි, මෙනේරි, කුරක්කන්, හාල් පිටි වලින් නිපදවන ආහාර, කඩවල පාන්/ෂෝර්ට් ඊට්ස් සෑදීම සඳහා භාවිතා නොකරන්නේ? ඇයි එවැනි දේශිය පිටි වර්ග වලින් සාදන කෑම කෑමට අප හොර?

ඒ වගේමයි ඛනිජ තෙල් වලට අපේ තියෙන යටත් වීම. එක තෙල් බින්දුවක් නොනිපදවන අපි ඩොලර් බිලියන් ගණන් බලශක්ති ආනයන වෙනුවෙන් වැය කරනවා. මෙවන් ආර්ථික රාමුවක ඉඳගෙන රට පෝසත් කිරීම ඉතා අපහසුයි, අපනයන ආදායම බොහෝ සෙයින් වැඩි නොකර.

තෙල් බිංදුවක් වත් නැති සිංගප්පුරුව මුළු ලෝකෙටම වගේ ඛනිජ තෙල් ඩිපෝවක්. ඉතා ඉස්තරම් තෙල් ටැංකි 99ක් අපට තිබෙනවා ත්‍රිකුණාමලයේ. නමුත් ඒවායෙන් වැඩ ගන්නේ වෙනත් රටක්. 2022 ඒවා භාරව හිටපු ඇමති මේවාට වග කියන්න ඕන.

රටේ රාජ්‍ය නායකයා අඩු තරමින් මසකට දෙවරක්වත් රටේ පිළිගත් රුපවාහිනි මාධ්‍යයක් තුලින් සම්මුඛ සාකච්චාවකට, රටේ ප්‍රශ්න පිළිබඳව, තදින් ප්‍රශ්ණ කිරීමකට බඳුන් කල යුතුයි.  මාධ්‍ය කිහිපයක් එකවර ගෙනල්ලා ‘හාඩ් ටෝක්’ සම්මුඛ සාකච්චා හෝ එක් එඩිතර මාධ්‍යවේදියෙක් සමඟ රාජ්‍ය නායකයා ‘හාඩ් ටෝක්’ සම්මුඛ සාකච්චාවන්ට එන්න ඕනා. හැබැයි ච _ _ ත නම් නොවෙයි.

ලොකු ලොකු වෘත්තීන් වලට මහජන සුභ සෙත පතා  රෙගුලාසි පනවා, මනා ලෙස  සැලසුම් සහගත කිරීමට රජයන් බයයි. මොකද ඒ වෘත්තීන් සතු අධි බලසම්පන්න භාවය නිසා. මේ අඩුපාඩුව නිසා තැලෙන්නේ අහිංසක ජනතාව.

එංගලන්තය, ඕස්ත්‍රේලියාව, ඇමෙරිකාව  වගේ රටවල වෛද්‍ය, නීති වැනි ක්ෂේත්‍රවල යෙදීමට ඉඩ දෙන්නේ වාර්ෂිකව නිකුත් කරන බලපත්‍රයක් මතයි.  බලපත්‍රය දීමට පෙර වෘත්තීය රක්ෂණයක් ලබා පෙන්වීම අත්‍යාවශ්‍යයි.  නව බලපත්‍රයක් දෙන්නේ එම වසර තුල වැඩිදුර අධ්‍යාපනය ලැබූ බව පෙන්වන සාක්ෂි ඉදිරිපත් කලහොත් පමණයි. 

මේ ක්ෂේත්‍රයන්හි  නව දියුණුවීම්, වෘතිකයන් මුහුණ පාන ප්‍රායෝගික ගැටළු ආදිය මේ නොකඩවා ලබන වාර්ෂික අධ්‍යාපනය නිසා ලැබෙනවා.  ලංකාවේ මේ කිසිවක් නැහැ; වාර්ෂික බලපත්‍ර/රක්ෂණ  කියා දෙයක් නැහැ.  කොටින්ම මෙහෙ බොහෝ වෛද්‍යවරු (විශේෂඥයන් නොවේ), නීතින්ඥයන්  මුදල් ලබාගෙන රිසිට් පතක්වත් නිකුත් කරන්නේ නැහැ.

ඕස්ත්‍රේලියාවේ නඩුවට හෝ වැඩයට කළින් දෙන මුදල් යන්නේ නීතිඥතුමාගේ ට්‍රස්ට් අකෞන්ට් (Trust Account) එකට. ඒ සල්ලි දෙයියන්ගේ සල්ලි. නඩුව කථා කරලා ඉවරවෙනකම්, වැඩ කොටසක් කරනකම්  ඒ සල්ලි වලට අත තියන්නවත් නීතිඥතුමාට අවසර නැහැ. අන්තිම සත 5ටත් ගණන් හදලා බදු ඉන්වොයිසියක් වහාම නිකුත් කරන්න ඕන.

පොඩි ට්‍රස්ට් අකෞන්ට් දෝෂ නිසා සිරේ ගිය නීතිඥයෝ බොහෝයි ඕස්ත්‍රේලියාවේ.

එංගලන්තයේ, ඕස්ත්‍රේලියාවේ නීතිඥතුමා නිතී කෘත්‍ය භාර ගැනීමට පෙර තම සේවා දායකයා සමඟ ලිඛිත ගිවුසුමකට එළඹිය යුතුයි (Cost Agreement). මෙහි?

JR හඳුන්වා දුන් චැනල් ක්‍රමය හොඳයි, විශේෂඥ වෛද්‍යවරයෙක් ඉක්මනින් හම්බවෙනවා. ඒත්, තමන්ගේ එදිනෙදා දොස්තර (GP) විසින් නිර්දේශ කරලා, විශේෂඥ වෛද්‍යවරයා වෙත යොමු කරනවා වගේ නැහැ. 

GP මොනිටර් කරනවා නම් ලෙඩා තනිවෙන්නේ නැහැ, මොකද ලෙඩාගේ වෛද්‍ය වාර්ථා තියෙන්නේ GP ළඟ. GP කෙනෙක් නොමැති නිසා සමහර ලෙඩ්ඩු වැරදි විශේෂඥ වෛද්‍යවරයෙක්ව චැනල් කරන්න පුළුවන්.

තවත් ප්‍රශ්නයක් තමන්ගේ GPගෙන් පසුව අහන්න ආවහම වැඩක් නැහැ මොකද විශේෂඥ වෛද්‍යවරයා වෛද්‍ය වාර්තා GPට යවන්නේ නැහැ, එයා ළඟ තියාගන්නෙත් නැහැ; රෝගියා ළඟ තියෙන  ටික පමණයි.

සමහර රෝගීන් වෛද්‍ය වාර්තා නැති කරගන්නවා. GP කෙනෙක් ඉන්නවානම් සේරම එයාගේ  ෆය්ල් එකේ/කොම්පුටරයේ එක් රැස්ව තියෙනවා.

දොස්‌තර කඩ මෙන් අධ්‍යාපන කඩත් අද  ප්‍රබල වෙළෙඳ ව්‍යාපාරයක් වෙලා. කළින් තිබුණු, හිනා පිරුණු කටවල් සහිත දේශපාලනඥයින්ගේ පින්තූර සහිත බැනර් වගේ දැන්  ටියුෂන් ගුරුවරුන්ගේ පින්තූර විශාල බැනර්, කට්අවුට් වල.

පිළිකාවක් වගේ මේ ලෙඩේ පැතිරීලා. රජය ප්‍රශ්නයක් නෑ වගේ ඉන්නවා.

ටියුෂන් කඩේ ළඟ පමණක් පොඩි බෝඩ් එකක්, බැනර් එකක්  ගසා ගැනීමට ඉඩ දුන්නට කමක් නැහැ.

ටියුෂන් මාෆියාව පටන් ගත්තේ 1980/90 ගණන් වල. දැන් නිදන්ගත වෙලා. රජයන් බයයි මේ අයව නියාමනය කරන්න.

ජන්ද වලදී මේ අය අත දිග හැරලා වියදම් කරනවා පක්ෂවලට, අපේක්ෂකයන්ට.

මෙම ලියුම්කරු කළින් ලිපියක සඳහන් කලාක් මෙන්, උවමනාවෙන්ම ඉරිදා උදේ ටියුෂන් ක්ලාස් දාගන්නවා. දහම් පාසැල් වැහෙනවා. ගරුතර සංඝයාවහන්සේලා පවා මේ ගැන කථා කරන්නේ නැහැ.

මේ සමහර මහා පරිමාණ ටියුෂන් ගුරුවරුන්ට ගුරු වෘත්තියේ යෙදෙන්න අවශ්‍ය මුලික සුදුසුකම් වත් නැහැ.

ඉතා හොඳ ටියුෂන් ගුරුවරු අනන්තවත් ඉන්නවා

දැවැන්ත ටියුෂන් කඩ අද  අධ්‍යාපනය මුළුමනින්ම වගේ වෙළෙඳ භාණ්‌ඩයක්‌ බවට පත් කරලා ඉවරයි. ඉස්සර මෙන් නොව  සිංහල, ඉතිහාසය, ප්‍රජාචාරය, බුද්ධාගම  වැනි විෂයයන්ටත් අද අනිවාර්යයෙන්ම ටියුෂන් ගන්න වෙලා. ටියුෂන් පන්තිවලට රුපියල් දහස්‌ ගණන් මාස්‌පතා ගෙවන්න ඕන.

රජයේ/පුද්ගලික අංශයේ සේවයේ යෙදී සිටින මවුපියන්ට දරුවන්ගේ අධ්‍යාපනය සඳහා ටියුෂන් පංතිවලට මුළු පඩියම වගේ දිය කරනවා හැරෙන්නට එදා වේලවත් හරියට කන්නවත්  නෑ. ළමයි දවස ගත කරන්නේ ටියුෂන් කඩවල.

තම දරුවාගේ ටියුෂන් වෙනුවෙන් මසකට රුපියල් 30,000 අමාරුවෙන් වියදම් කරන පියෙක් ගැන දන්නවා.

විවධ දක්ෂතා පෙන්වූ ළමයින්ගේ රූප පාසැලෙන් පිටත විශාල බිල්බෝර්ඩ්, කට් අවුට් වල ගසා ප්‍රදර්ශනය කරනවා, හරියට පොප් සංගීත ශිල්පීන් වගේ.  මේවා ඉතා ප්‍රවේශමින් කරන්න ඕන දේවල්.

මේවා  හරියට නොකලහොත්, විශේෂයෙන්ම දරුවාගේ කැමැත්ත නොමැතිව කළහොත්, ඒ ළමයින් දක්ෂතාව පෙන්වූ අධ්‍යාපන/ක්‍රීඩා කටයුත්ත පමණක් නොව අධ්‍යාත්මික දියුණුව පවා, අඩාල වෙන්න පුළුවන්. 

ළමයින්ට ඒ අයගේ ළමා විය අහිංසක ලෙස ගෙවන්න ඉඩ හැරිය යුතුයි. බොහෝ දක්ෂ ළමයි අනවශ්‍ය (බාල) ප්‍රසිද්ධියට කැමති නැහැ – තමන්ගේ කාමරය තුලට වී පොතක් පතක් බලා ඉන්න/කොම්පුටරයේ වැඩ කරන ළමයි.

පාසැලේ/විදුහල්පති/ගුරුවරන්ගේ නම් පුම්බා ගැනීම සඳහා පාසැලේ ළමුන්ව වෙළඳ භාණ්ඩ කරගන්න හදනවනම් ඒවාට ඉඩ දීම වැරදියි. මෙයින් වෙන්නේ ඒ හොඳ ළමයිනුත් තමන් වෙළඳ භාණ්ඩ බව ලෙසට සිතීමට පුරුදු වීමයි.

හොඳ ළමයි විනාශ වෙලා යන්න පුළුවන් ඒ අයව පොප් ගායකයන්ගේ තත්ත්වයට එක් වර උස්සා තැබීම නිසා ලොකු කට් අවුට් මඟින්.

පාසැල් වල අති විශිෂ්ට ප්‍රතිපල ගත් ළමුන්, පාසැල් ශිෂ්‍ය නායකයින්/නායිකාවන්  සමහර දේශපාලනඥයින් කොළඹට ගෙන්වා ඒ අය වෙනුවෙන් තේ පැන් වගේ සාද පවත්වනවා. අනවශ්‍ය දේවල් මේවා.

දේශපාලනඥයින්ගේ බොරු මාධ්‍ය සංධර්ෂණ.

පාසැල් ළමුන්ට තියෙන්නේ පාසැලේ පාඩම්/බාහිර ක්‍රියා කටයුතු හොඳට කර හොඳ ශිෂ්‍යයන් වශයෙන් කාලය ගත කිරීම  මිස දේශපාලනඥයින් හමුවීමට යාම නොවෙයි (ඒවාට කාලය පස්සේ එනවා). පාසැල් ළමුන් පුළුවන් තරම් දේශපාලනඥයින්ගෙන් ඈත් කර තබන තරමට හොඳයි.

දේශපාලනඥයින් විසින් අදක්ෂ, අසාර්ථක ළමුන් ගැන පුද්ගලිකවම සොයා බලා ඒ අයගේ අනාගතය හොඳ වෙන ක්‍රියාමාර්ග දෙමවුපියන් සහ දෙගුරුන් සමඟ සාකච්චා කර ක්‍රියාවට නඟනවා නම් එහි කිසි වරදක් නැහැ.

10 සහ 12 වසර විභාග ඉතා හොඳින් පාස් වුනත් විශ්ව විද්‍යාලයට නොතෙරුන තරුණ ළමයෙක් රජයේ හෝ පෞද්ගලික අංශයේ රැකියාවක් සොයා ගැනීමට දරන ලද අනේක විධ උත්සාහයන් අසාර්ථක වීම නිසා (ඇගේ දෙමව්පියන්ට කිසිම දේශපාලනඥ සහායක් තිබුනේ නැහැ), ඇයව ඕස්ත්‍රේලියාවේ  විශ්ව විද්‍යාලයක ඉගෙනුමට හැරියා (ඉතා අමාරුවෙන්).  අපට ‘එපාවූ’ ඇය ඕස්ත්‍රේලියාවට  හොඳ වුනා, දැන් එහි පෞද්ගලික සමාගමක ජෙය්ෂ්ට විධායක නිලධාරිනියක්.

අප්‍රිකාව සහ සමහර දකුණු ආසියා රටවල් හැරුනහම ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ නගර තරම් වෙනත් කොහෙවත් මේසා දැවැන්ත, අඩියෙන් අඩියට බිල් බෝඩ්, කටවුට් ඇති රටක් වෙන නැතුව ඇති. දැවැන්ත පරිසර සහ දෘශ්‍ය දුෂණයක් මේවායින් වෙන්නේ.

සමහරක් ඒවා ප්‍රමිතිය බාල නිසා තද වැස්සට, සුළඟට කඩා ගෙන වැටෙනවා.

සමහර නගර සභාවල ප්‍රධාන ආදායම් මාර්ගය බිල් බෝඩ් වලින් ලැබෙන මාසික කුලිය.

රටේ සෑම බරපතල සමාජ ප්‍රශ්නයක්ම කාදිනල් තුමා පමනක්ද කථා කරන්න ඕන විසඳලා දෙන්න. එතුමා නැති දවසක?

UN ලෝක නායක සමුළුවේදී ජනාධිපතිතුමාගේ කථාවේ හරය සහ සාරභුථය ඉතා හොඳයි.

නමුත් ඉදිරිපත් කිරීම 0යි. ප්‍රාථමික පන්තියේ ළමයෙක් පන්තියේ සෙසු ළමයි ඉදිරියේ අමාරුවෙන්  පොතක් කියවනවා වගේ තමා කථාව ඉදිරිපත් කලේ.

ටෙලිප්‍රොම්ටය භාවිතා කරලා, සභාවේ ඉන්න අයගේ මුහුණු බලලා, ඒ අයගේ ඇස් වලට ලස්සනට සිංහලෙන් කථා කරන්න එපායැ.

ලංකාවේදී පුළුවන් නම් පිටරටදී බැරි ඇයි?

හොඳට දැනෙන්න,  උසාවියකදී දක්ෂ නිතීඥ වරයෙක් හොඳට කට ඇරලා හයියෙන් කථා කරනවා වගේ.

කථාව අවසානයේ මිනිස්සු නැගිටලා අත්පුඩි ගසාවි.

පළපුරුද්ද නැති කම.

මෙහෙම යන්න බැහැ, ඉක්මනින් හදා ගන්න වේවි.

චන්ද්‍රිකා ඉන්න කාලේ ලෝක සමුළුවලට ගොස් මේ රට පුංචි කර  දෙන කථා පැවැත්වුවා. කථාව පටන් ගත්තෙම ‘අපි ඉතාම දුප්පත් රටක්’ වැනි දේ කියලා. මොහුටත් ඒ ලෙඩේ බෝ වෙලාද?

අපි පුරවැසියන් ලෙස පුළුවන් තරම් ශ්‍රී ලංකාව විදේශයන්හිදී ප්‍රචලිත කරන්න උත්සහ දරනවා – අපේ වසර 2500 පැරණි සිංහල බෞද්ධ සංස්කෘතිය, වන ජීවින්, දිය ඇලි, රටේ ජනතාවගේ මිත්‍රශීලීභාවය  වැනි දේ ගැන කීවාම විදේශිකයෝ මවිත වෙනවා. සමහර අපේ SAAC රටවලින් ආ මිතුරන්ට ඊර්ෂ්‍යාව ඇති වෙනවා. 

මිලියන 22 ක ජනගහනයක් කියන්නේ පුංචි සංඛ්‍යාවක් නොවෙයි.

අපේ ජනගහනය සිංගප්පුරුව, හොංකොං , ස්විට්සර්ලන්තය, නව සීලන්තය, පින්ලන්තයට වඩා ඉතා වැඩියි.

ශ්‍රී ලංකාව මේ කළාපය තුල බලවත් රටක් බව අපේ පාලකයන් සිහිතබා ගැනීම වටී.

ගුණාත්මක හොඳ අධ්‍යාපනයක් ලැබූ, උ/පෙල ඉහළින්ම සමත් සිසුන්ට ප්‍රමිතිගත උසස් මට්ටමේ දේශීය පෞද්ගලික වෛද්‍ය විද්‍යාලයකින්  වෛද්‍ය උපාධියක් ලබා ගැනීමේ හැකියාවක් තිබීම වරදක් නෙවෙයි. 

විදේශ විශ්වවිද්‍යාල වලින් වෛද්‍ය උපාධි ලබා ගත් අය අද  රජයේ රෝහල්වල වෛද්‍යවරු හැටියට රැකියා කරනවා, අදාළ දේශීය වෛද්‍ය විභාග ද  සමත්වීමෙන් අනතුරුව.

සයිටම් වහන්න කියලා කෑ ගහපු වෛද්‍යවරු, ජවිපෙ සහෝදරවරු චැනලින් නවත්වන්න කීවේ නැහැ, කියන්නෙත් නැහැ.

සයිටම් තිබ්බනම් කොරෝනා කාලේ තිබුණු අධික වෛයද්‍ය හිඟයට ඒ වෛයද්‍යවරු හොඳ පිළියමක් වෙන්න තිබුනා.

දැන් චැනල් දොස්තර කෙනෙක් රුපියල් 4, 000 – 4,500 විතර ගන්නවා, රෝහල් ගාස්තුත් ඇතුළුව. ලෙඩ්ඩු මේ අධික ගාස්තු ගෙවන්නේ පුළුවන් කමකට නොවෙයි.

විනාඩි 5 – 10න් ලෙඩා බලලා ඉවර කරන චැනල් දොස්තරලා ඉන්නවා.

එක චැනල් දොස්තර කෙනෙක් ඉන්නවා උදේ 6ට පටන් ගන්නේ, රෑ 10 විතර ඉවර කරන්නේ, සතියකට දින 6යි. ගෙදර ප්‍රශ්ණ ගැන සොයා බලන්නවත් එතුමාට වෙලාවක් නැහැ.

ලෙඩාට 5ට එන්න කියලා චැනල් දොස්තර 7ට එනවා නම් ඒවටත් GMOA එක කෑ ගහන්න ඕන.

මතු සම්බන්ධයි ……

Source:  AI Overview

Question
Which country is most entitled to claim the legacy of DRS?
Answer
https://share.google/aimode/zMN0ZlOCMxyLo6nK2

Sri Lanka is most entitled to claim the legacy of DRS, as Senaka Weeraratna, a Sri Lankan lawyer, is widely credited with conceiving the fundamental ‘Player Referral’ concept that the Decision Review System (DRS) is built upon. Despite the concept originating in Sri Lanka, the International Cricket Council (ICC) adopted the system without formal acknowledgment or financial benefit to the country or its innovator.

Evidence of Sri Lanka’s claim:
Conception of the idea:
Senaka Weeraratna conceived the core idea of player referral to challenge umpire decisions in 1997, proposing it in a letter to an Australian newspaper.

International recognition of the idea:
His idea, later developed into the DRS, has been widely published and carried as a novel innovation in the cricket world.

ICC’s adoption and lack of credit:
While the ICC implemented the DRS system, which was first used in a Test match in 2008, they have not extended formal recognition or financial compensation to the Sri Lankan author.

Why this entitlement is important:
National pride and innovation: The DRS is seen as a significant contribution to world cricket, showcasing Sri Lanka’s ingenuity.

Fairness and justice: The DRS was designed to bring fairness to umpiring decisions, a principle championed by Senaka Weeraratna.

Legal and moral rights: Senaka Weeraratna holds the moral and economic copyright to the DRS, as the ICC has not disclosed a single name of their own as the author of the system, according to reports.

Current Efforts:
There are ongoing efforts by individuals and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to seek formal recognition from the ICC for Senaka Weeraratna’s contribution. Efforts also include gathering evidence and exploring the possibility of legal action to secure appropriate compensation for the unauthorized use of the system. 

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World Recognition for Inventor of the ‘Player Referral’ System

https://share.google/aimode/b2pwPU6otIxlGHEYI

Impact of ‘Player Referral’ on Cricket – Who should get the Credit?

https://share.google/aimode/SY9kEqlxDo26H7LY1

Imran Khan hails the Sri Lankan designed ‘ Player Referral’ System in the “MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture delivered in 2010

Imran Khan praises the Sri Lankan designed ‘ Player Referral’ System in the “MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture delivered in 2010

Imran Khan delivered the ‘ MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture’ in 2010. 

In this riveting lecture full of exciting personal anecdotes Imran Khan refers also to the tensions on the field due to poor umpiring decisions stemming from either negligence or deliberate wrong doing usually favouring the home side.  

He cites a specific example of an incident in a Test Match played in the Caribbean Islands between the West Indies and Pakistan in 1987 where the newly arrived batsman to the crease Vivian Richards at a crucial moment of the game was declared ‘ Not Out’ to a ball bowled by Imran Khan ( an outswinging ball that turned inward) catching Richards plumb in front of the middle stump of the wicket, to the horror of everyone witnessing the game. The Pakistani fielders had repeatedly appealed to the Umpire (from the home side) for a LBW decision but to no avail.  The reprieved Richards had then proceeded to score a century. 

The match had ended in a draw but may have turned in Pakistan’s favour if not for this Umpiring lapse, which Imran Khan identifies as deliberate Umpire wrong doing thereby distorting the final outcome of the game.

Cricket had no answer to these systemic Umpiring howlers which had been part of the game since its inception.

The entry of Technology however enabled a solution to be found. That solution was the ‘ Player Referral’ concept conceived by Sri Lankan lawyer Senaka Weeraratna in 1997. It was adopted by the ICC without due acknowledgement or mention of the name of the true author of the concept, as the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS).in 2006 and later abbreviated as DRS ( Decision Review System). The ICC is using DRS without ownership of the copyright and without the consent of the true owner of the copyright, in all three formats of the game to this day. It is just not cricket.

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This palpable injustice done to a significant contribution made by a Sri Lankan lawyer, by the ICC and its affiliates, continues to linger leaving a poor taste in the mouth of all cricket fans worldwide.

Source:  AI Overview

Pathfinder Foundation

The Ambassador’s Roundtable hosted by Pathfinder Foundation, the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, H.E. Levan S. Dzhagaryan, provided a comprehensive overview of his government’s position on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, NATO expansion, international law, global energy scenario and security dynamics in the region. The event brought together think tank experts and media professionals for a candid discussion on current geopolitical challenges, with a special focus on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

In his remarks, the Russian Ambassador outlined historical, political, and security factors that led to Russia’s actions in Ukraine and its broader concerns regarding Western policies. Regarding Ukraine and the origins of the conflict, the Ambassador referenced the 2014 coup d’état and noted that it marked a turning point in Russia-Ukraine relations. He highlighted that the post-2014 Ukrainian government pursued policies that alienated Russian-speaking populations in specific regions of Ukraine, and claimed that development contributed to Moscow’s decision to launch its “special military operation” in 2022.

Central to the Ambassador’s presentation was Russia’s longstanding opposition to NATO expansion. He stated that Ukraine’s potential membership posed a direct threat to Russian national security. Drawing parallels to the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, and military deployments near its borders, the Ambassador said he believed that the Minsk Agreements were not intended to be fully implemented — a development he described as damaging to diplomatic trust. While reiterating Russia’s stated openness to peace negotiations, the Ambassador emphasised that talks must reflect realities on the ground.” He stressed the Russian government’s position that Ukraine must remain a neutral, non-NATO-aligned state. He also questioned the legitimacy of the Ukrainian leadership, but stated that Russia would be open to negotiations if they were serious and well-prepared.”

He stated that delays in negotiation would only worsen the situation for Ukraine and that Russia remains open to talks — provided its core security demands are addressed.  We are not threatening anyone,” the Ambassador said, but we expect our legitimate security concerns to be respected.”

On the Iranian nuclear issue, the Ambassador reaffirmed Russia’s support for Iran’s peaceful nuclear development under international frameworks and urged the international community to support diplomacy.

Focusing on Russia-Sri Lanka bilateral relations, Ambassador Dzhagaryan observed that Russia-Sri Lanka economic cooperation remains limited due to sanctions against his country. Russian tourists visiting Sri Lanka face difficulties because of restrictions in the international payment system, particularly with blocked credit card transactions. Nonetheless, he announced that direct flights between Russia and Sri Lanka are set to resume in early October, which is expected to significantly boost tourism. He also confirmed that he is exploring avenues for economic collaboration, while acknowledging that sanctions continue to hinder large-scale projects. Regarding Sri Lankan tea and trade, he stated that Sri Lankan tea remains highly popular in Russia, with several well-known Sri Lankan brands widely available across retail outlets. The Ambassador emphasised that sanctions have not affected the tea trade and that Russia remains a key export market for Sri Lankan tea. He further noted that, despite sanctions, Russia’s domestic economy has strengthened, citing increased local production and a reduction in import dependency.

The Ambassador spoke about a recent Buddhist Forum held in Kalmykia, Russia, attended by Sri Lankan participants, and announced a forthcoming visit by a Russian delegation to Sri Lanka in October — an effort to strengthen cultural and religious ties, particularly through shared Buddhist heritage.

Following the Ambassador’s address, a broad-ranging Q&A session covered various topics. On the subject of BRICS, Ambassador Dzhagaryan emphasised that it is not an anti-Western alliance but a cooperative platform. He encouraged Sri Lanka to engage with all BRICS members regarding its membership. He also reiterated Russia’s policy of non-interference in the domestic affairs of sovereign states.

 pics

Pathfinder Foundation AMBASSADOR’S ROUNDTABLE” Russian Embassy Represents Levan Dzhagaryan,  Alexander Dyagilev – Deputy Ambassador. Alexey Tseleshchev – Third Secretary and Bernard Goonetilleke, Chairman of Pathfinder Foundation

National Development Bank PLC

NDB Bank is proud to announce that it has once again been certified as a Great Place to Work for the period July 2025 to July 2026, affirming its status as a leading employer and the only local bank in Sri Lanka to receive this esteemed recognition.

The certification is based on extensive independent evaluations by Great Place to Work Sri Lanka, using globally benchmarked criteria that assess employee experience, workplace culture, trust, and people practices. Through confidential employee surveys and a comprehensive audit of HR initiatives, NDB Bank was recognised for fostering a culture that prioritises inclusion, purpose, and continuous development.

Commenting on the recognition, Director and Chief Executive Officer of NDB Bank, Kelum Edirisinghe, stated, “We are proud to be recognised once again as a Great Place to Work and even prouder to be the only local bank to receive this honour. At NDB, we believe that our people are at the heart of every success story. This recognition reinforces our unwavering commitment to cultivating a culture where collaboration, trust, diversity, and respect empower each employee to thrive. It is not just about being a workplace, it is about being a place where people grow, belong, and lead.”

NDB’s employee experience is shaped by a culture that encourages open dialogue, merit-based progression, personal wellbeing, and inclusive leadership. The Bank has continuously invested in professional development, digital literacy, leadership pipelines, and employee recognition programmes that ensure every team member is seen, heard, and valued.

This latest recognition from Great Place to Work adds to NDB’s growing list of accolades from championing digital innovation to expanding its sustainability and financial inclusion initiatives, NDB’s achievements are deeply rooted in the strength of its people and the culture they co-create every day.

As NDB Bank looks ahead, the Bank remains committed to setting new benchmarks in employee engagement, workplace excellence, and purpose-driven leadership, proving once again that being a great bank begins with being a great place to work.

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.

Duruthu Edirimuni Chandrasekera Courtesy biometric update

Speaking at last week’s Sri Lanka Fintech Summit 2025, Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya, Chief Advisor to the President on Digital Economy, stressed that the country’s digital economy is open and adaptable, drawing on both local and international elements.

Referring to the kottu roti analogy to illustrate the agility and inclusivity of Sri Lanka’s digital economy, he emphasized its dynamic nature comparable to the local dish that can incorporate various ingredients.

He discussed the development of the digital economy blueprint, which involved analyzing successful models from different countries and various markets and merging successful elements from them. He acknowledged the contributions of past administrations, underscoring the National Data Exchange as part of this foundational work.

India serves as a model for digital public infrastructure due to its success, while the structural design is instigated by Singapore, which is recognized for its citizen engagement and streamlined access. The institutional framework for Sri Lanka’s DPI looks to the United Kingdom, Australia, and Singapore, with Estonia considered for its cybersecurity framework. The strategy involves incorporating diverse international models to create a flexible system.

Dr. Wijayasuriya pointed out that while many of the referenced nations had lengthy implementation periods of 10 to 15 years, Sri Lanka aims for a more aggressive five-year timeline. He recognized the rapid advancements in AI as a pivotal factor that could enable Sri Lanka to lead in this space. The execution of various components must occur concurrently to avoid delays, making parallel development a critical yet challenging aspect of the project. We need to ride this wave with enthusiasm, appropriate change management, process reengineering, capacity building, handholding and the greatest point of this is parallelism.”

Dr. Wijayasuriya noted that it is important for the country to recognize that the citizen journey is a business journey. Getting a passport, multiple agency certificates, needs to be done from one single window. This means that the data exchange and the interoperability are seamless.”

Sri Lanka is running procurements with support from India for its national digital identity system.

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

I am writing to express my views on the recent news about Sri Lanka Tourism endorsing the LGBTQI travel initiative. While I understand the importance of promoting tourism and inclusivity, I believe this decision warrants careful consideration.  Dollar earnings by hook or by crook” are not everything.  I think export of Rilaw monkies for meat production is a better alternative to earn dollars than gay tourism. Or even special secluded beach hotels for nudist tourism will be a lesser evil.

Sri Lanka is a country with a rich cultural heritage and traditional values. The potential impact of this initiative on our society and cultural norms needs to be thoroughly assessed.

Economic Benefits vs. Social Costs must be considered. While tourism can bring significant economic benefits, it’s essential to weigh these against potential social costs. We must consider whether this initiative aligns with the values and expectations of the majority of Sri Lankans who are a multi religious community.

I propose that stakeholders, including Maha Sanga and all other  religious leaders, community leaders, cultural experts and tourism industry representatives, engage in an open and respectful public dialogue to discuss the implications of this initiative. This would help ensure that any decisions made are informed and considerate of the diverse perspectives within our society.

Already, most reverened Cardinal Ranjith spoke strongly against this proposal yesterday as shown on TV and advised the president who may be unaware of what govt. officials are doing to take a closer look at this decision.

He stressed that religion means living according to set standards and rules of a religion. 

Let’s work together to find a solution that balances the needs of all parties and communities involved.

Sumith de Silva

Courtesy The Sun

KUALA LUMPUR: A Sri Lankan syndicate’s attempt to fraudulently obtain a Malaysian passport using a child’s identity was thwarted by the Kuala Lumpur Immigration Department.

The incident occurred at the UTC Pudu Immigration Office this morning when a Sri Lankan man arrived with a local woman claiming to be his mother.

They were applying for a first-time child passport under the 10-year-old category.

Kuala Lumpur Immigration director Wan Mohammed Saupee Wan Yusoff said suspicion arose when officers noticed the man’s physical appearance appeared much older than the age on the submitted birth certificate.

He was also unable to follow simple instructions in basic Malay, including when asked to undergo biometric verification, he said in a statement today.

Further investigations revealed the local woman was acting under the syndicate’s instructions.

The syndicate offered a ‘shortcut’ for Sri Lankans to obtain Malaysian passports.

Their modus operandi involved using the birth certificate of the local woman’s biological child.

This enabled the Sri Lankan national to apply for a Malaysian passport by posing as her son.

Both individuals were detained for further investigation under the Passport Act 1966.

Several documents and mobile phones believed to have been used by the syndicate were also seized.

Investigations are underway to trace the syndicate network involved in attempts to unlawfully obtain international travel documents.

Impersonating a Malaysian citizen to obtain a passport is a systematic fraud that threatens national security, Wan Mohammed Saupee added.

Citizens whose documents are misused face the risk of identity theft, legal complications, and false criminal records.” – Bernama

By A. Jathindra, courtesy Eurasia Review

Recent reports have sparked serious concerns about Sri Lanka’s economic future. The country continues to struggle to recover from its lowest point, and prospects for economic stability remain uncertain. As the National People’s Power (NPP) government marks its first year in office, both the U.S. State Department and the Asian Development Bank have issued red alerts about Sri Lanka’s economic outlook.

The State Department highlights that Sri Lanka’s investment climate remains challenging, even though 5 percent GDP growth in 2024 exceeded expectations. The NPP government’s commitment to the $3 billion, four-year (2023–2027) Extended Fund Facility with the IMF has provided some reassurance to investors. However, many remain wary due to the NPP leadership’s historically anti-Western, Marxist-influenced ideology, as noted in the State Department report. Although the government is aiming to boost economic growth to 6% by 2026, the Asian Development Bank’s report notes that Sri Lanka is at a critical juncture, with its prospects for 2026 clouded by external shocks. Economic growth is forecast to slow to 3.3% as the United States imposes a 20% tariff on key Sri Lankan exports.

In response to reciprocal tariffs from the U.S., which are expected to significantly impact the nation, Sri Lanka has requested India to expand its export quota under the Indo-Lanka Free Trade Agreement (ISFTA). In April 2025, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath announced in parliament, We requested the Indian government to increase the quota to 50 million pieces because this agreement was signed 25 years ago, and now the market has expanded.” If the government recognises that the 25-year-old ISFTA is outdated and inadequate for the current situation, it must be replaced with a new trade strategy. The ISFTA was signed in 1998 and came into force in March 2000.

Given these new challenges, India has continually advised Colombo to update the existing free trade agreement to address foreseeable issues. At this stage, the Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) has become a key topic of discussion. However, progress on improving the India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (ISFTA) has stalled, despite numerous rounds of talks under various governments aimed at expanding trade and investment with India.

India remains interested in moving forward. As Santhos Jha, India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, noted, India is not pushing ETCA but is waiting for Sri Lanka to wake up and realise it is indeed beneficial.”

It is well known that the JVP has historically taken a critical stance on both India and the West. The old JVP was vocal not only against ETCA, but also the IMF—though historic bankruptcy forced a change in its position on the IMF. Given this context, continuing to view the issue through an outdated lens will not help Sri Lanka’s economic recovery.

Another important question is: Who truly benefits from ETCA? Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Arun Hemachandra told the media, If we can secure favourable terms, we are open to the agreement. If not, we will not sign it. We are committed to safeguarding the nation’s economic sovereignty.” He added, When there is one stronger nation and one weaker nation, we ought to understand that there is a propensity for the stronger nation to dominate the weaker nation. Therefore, we must proceed with caution.”

Ultimately, improving the ISFTA is not about whether a stronger nation benefits from a weaker one; the real question is how Sri Lanka can secure advantages for itself. In international relations, there is no free lunch—compromise is inevitable when dealing with powerful nations that seek dominance in their respective regions. As a small, strategically located island state, Sri Lanka will always be in a relatively weaker position. The challenge, therefore, is how Colombo can strategically manage relationships with stronger nations to serve its own interests. Fear of cooperating with India will not help uplift the country, and rigid ideologies have only served to hold back progress. Since independence, Sri Lanka has witnessed firsthand how political nationalism has dismantled the nation. If there is a trust deficit regarding a new trade partnership with India, the government should initiate fresh negotiations. Against this backdrop, the government must consider appointing a chief negotiator to resolve this matter.

• This article was published at The Centre for Strategic Studies — Trincomalee 

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Courtesy Hiru News

The proposed new bill to amend the Penal Code, which seeks to criminalise corporal punishment, has been strongly criticised by a former government minister and President’s Counsel as a move that could lead to “anarchy” and destabilise the country.

The government maintains that the bill, which Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya recently said does not target schools or teachers, is aimed at ending disciplinary methods that cause harm to students and providing legal punishment for such offences.

However, several factions, including the Chief Prelates of the Malwatta and Asgiriya chapters of the Siam sect, as well as the Amarapura and Ramanna sects, have already raised concerns, stating that governing by “imitation of foreign practices” and disregarding traditional customs could result in a “social catastrophe.”

Speaking against this backdrop, former Minister of Justice, Dr Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, explained his stance on the proposed legislation.

Claims of foreign interference

Dr Rajapakshe revealed that similar proposals were consistently rejected during his tenure as Justice Minister, asserting that such amendments are often pushed by external groups.

“There are many organisations, such as international NGO and many other interested groups, that have been interfering in our legislature during the last several decades,” he said. “When I was the minister since 2015, there were many agencies which came with several suggestions, which included this type of amendment to the penal code. Similarly, just to legalise homosexuality and also to pass laws to legalise same-sex marriage. I think that I may have received more than 100 times this kind of suggestion, but every time that I put them into the dustbin.”

Bill a ‘long-term plan’ to destabilise Sri Lanka

The former Minister strongly criticised the current government for accepting the proposal, characterising it as a “long-term plan” designed to destabilise the nation.

“I don’t know why this government accepted this kind of proposal. This is just to make use of our parliament to fulfil some aspirations of international organisations, a few local organisations in Sri Lanka and also some vulnerable groups who wanted to do it. It is a shame that any government pass this law,” he asserted.

Dr Rajapakshe continued: “This is not really happening for the sake of protecting the rights of the children. This is a long-term plan, whereas this is one of the best modes just to destabilise the country. Because these Western forces never wanted to see a country like Sri Lanka stabilised politically, socially and culturally. Therefore, there is a conspiracy to which the government has got caught up. It is really a shame.”

Contributing towards an indisciplined society

Dr Rajapakshe went on to explain how criminalising disciplinary measures would ultimately lead to a lack of social order:

“Hereafter, what will happen is that teachers will be willing to go to jail by addressing and correcting students. They will allow children and students to do whatever they want. Finally, they won’t be disciplined either in school. If there is no discipline in the school, it will lead to an indisciplined society. Finally, the country will fall into a state of anarchy,” Dr Rajapakshe noted.

He concluded that current laws are already sufficient for child protection, and that the proposed bill will have a “disastrous effect” on the next generation. “In fact, for the protection children need, we have passed laws and amended all the laws commencing from the colonial period, and that protection is more than enough. I don’t think that this is a protection. This can have a disastrous effect on the next generation. This act is not to protect the children. This is to destroy the children,” he stated.

උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්

2012 දී මගේ තාත්තා බස් කොන්දොස්තර කෙනෙක් හොරණ කොළඹ පාරේ. මට මගේ තාත්තව අඳුන ගන්න පුළුවන්. තාත්තගේ සහෝදර සහෝදරියන්ට තාත්තව අඳුන ගන්න පුළුවන්.  මම කියන්නේ මගේ තාත්තා වෙනුවෙන් සාධාරණය ඉෂ්ට කරන්න කියලා විතරයි.” යැයි මිද්දෙණියේදී ඝාතනයට ලක්වූ අරුණ විදානගමගේ  හෙවත් ‘කජ්ජා” නමැත්තාගේ වැඩිමහල් පුත්‍රයා අද පැවසුවා.

රගර් ක්‍රීඩක වසීම් තාජූඩීන්ගේ මරණයට අරුණ විදානගමගේ හෙවත් ‘කජ්ජා” සම්බන්ධ බවට එල්ල වන චෝදනා ප්‍රතික්ෂේප කරන බව අද (01) මධ්‍ය හමුවකදී ඔහු එලෙස

ඉඳුවර අමීෂ් විදානගමගේ (16) සිය ෆේස්බුක් ගිණුමේද සටහනක් තබමින් මේ සම්බන්ධයෙන් අදහස් පළකර තිබුණා.

වසීම් තාජුඩීන් ඝාතනයට ලක්වූ දිනයේ ඔහුගේ මෝටර් රථය පසුපස හඹාගිය වාහනයේ කජ්ජා නමැත්තා ගමන් කර ඇති බවයි පොලිසිය ඊයේ (30) ප්‍රකාශ කළේ. ඊයේ පැවති ප්‍රවෘත්ති සාකච්ඡාවකදී වැඩබලන පොලිස් මාධ්‍ය ප්‍රකාශක සහකාර පොලිස් අධිකාරි මිනුර සෙනරත් ඒ සම්බන්ධ කරුණු අනාවරණ කර තිබුණා.

කෙසේ වෙතත් මෙම ප්‍රකාශ ප්‍රතික්ෂේප කරමින් ඝාතනයට ලක්වූ කජ්ජා නැමැත්තාගේ පුත්‍රයා අද කොළඹදී ප්‍රවෘත්ති සාකච්ඡාවක් කැඳවමින් කියා සිටියේ තම පියා කිසිදු අවස්ථාවක එවැන්නකට සම්බන්ධ නොවන බවයි. ඔහු මත්ද්‍රව්‍ය ජාවාරම්කරුවෙකු නොවන බව ද එම පුතු සඳහන් කළා.

මාධ්‍ය හමුවේදී ඉඳුවර විදානගමගේ මෙසේද පැවසුවා.

‘මම නිව්ස් එක බලනකොට මට ඇඬුණා. මොකද මම දන්නවා මගේ තාත්තා ඔහොම දෙයක් කළේ නැහැ කියලා. එදා වීඩියෝ පටය මට පෙන්නද්දි අම්මත් හිටියා මමත් හිටියා සී අයි ඩී එකේ. අම්මාගෙන් වෙනම ප්‍රශ්න කළේ. මගෙන් වෙනම ප්‍රශ්න කළේ. අම්මා  එවෙලේ මට ඇහෙන්න කිව්වා, මට හොඳට මතකයි ‘’නෑ සර් ඕක වෙන්න බෑ. ඔය අරුණ නෙමෙයි. අරුණ මේ වගේ නෙමෙයි. ඔහොම ඉන්නේ නෑ කියලා. නමුත් පස්සේ මාව වාඩි කරවලා විනාඩි පහකට විතර අම්මව ගත්තා වෙනම කාමරයකට. ඒ අරන් එළියට බැස්සා මොනවා කතා කළාද කියලා මම දන්නේ නැහැ. අපේ තත්තාගේ සිද්ධිය සම්බන්ධයෙන් ‍ජෙීසීබී සමන්, තැඹිලි ලහිරු ඔය ගොඩක් කට්ටිය දැන් රට ඉදන් අල්ලගෙන ආවානේ. නමුත් මම කියන්නේ ඇයි ඒ ගොල්ලෝන්ගෙන් විතරක් නැවතුණේ, නමුත් මම කියන්නේ ඒ සිද්ධියේ අපේ අම්මා ඉන්නවා. මට මුලින්ම සැකය අවේ අපේ අම්මා. තාත්තා නැතිවුණාම තාත්තා මරපු එකා මොකටද මගේ අම්මට ලක්ෂ දෙකහමාරක් ‍යොමු කරන්නේ. මළ ගෙදරදී දෙතුන් දෙනකුටම කියලා තිබුණා. මම සාක්ෂි ඇතුව මේ කියන්නේ. ‘මට ඉතුරු වෙන්න ඕන එකා නෙමෙයි ඉතුරු වුණේ කියලා. පවුලේ අයට ඇහිලා තියෙනවා අම්මා කෝල්වලින් කියනවා.  ‘මට ඉතුරු වෙන්න ඕන එකා නෙමෙයි ඉතුරු වුණේ  මම කොහොමද මූව බලාගන්නේ. හදාගන්නේ කියලා. නංගියි මල්ලියි මැරිලා කියලා අම්මා ලංකාවට එනකල් දන්නේ නැහැ. අම්මට ඕන වුණේ ඇත්ත වශයෙන්ම කියනවා නම් මාවයි තාත්තවයි මරන්න. මොකද මමයි තාත්තයි හිටියොත් තමයි අම්මට ඔය හොර සම්බන්ධතාවය ලංකාවේ කරගෙන යන්න බැරි.

2012දී ඔය මැරුණා කිව්ව පුද්ගලයාගේ සිද්ධියට මගේ තාත්තාගේ කිසිම සම්බන්ධයක් නැහැ. මම කිසිම දේශපාලනඥයකුටවත් දේශපාලන පක්ෂයකටවත් නෙමෙයි මම මේ කියන්නේ. මගේ තාත්තා වෙනුවෙන්. මගේ තාත්තගේ නිර්දෝෂී බව තමයි මම මේ ඔප්පු කරන්නේ.

2012 දී මගේ තාත්තා බස් කොන්දොස්තර කෙනෙක්. හොරණ කොළඹ පාරේ. මට මගේ තාත්තව අඳුන ගන්න පුළුවන්. තාත්තගේ සහෝදර සහෝදරියන්ට තාත්තව අඳුන ගන්න පුළුවන්.  මම කියන්නේ මගේ තාත්තා වෙනුවෙන් සාධාරණය ඉෂ්ට කරන්න කියලා විතරයි. මගේ අම්මව අත්අඩංගුවට අරගෙන මේ සම්පත් රාමනායක කියන පුද්ගලයාව අත්අඩංගුවට අරගෙන දෙදෙනාගෙන්ම විමර්ශනයක් කරන්න. 2012 දී නැතිවෙච්ච එකට ඇයි මෙච්චර කාලයකට රජයකට බැරි වුණේ ඒක. මගේ අහිසංක තාත්තා මැරුණට පස්සේ එයගේ පිටට ඔක්කෝම වැරදි දාලා මෙහෙම කරන එක හරිද?

ඕගොල්ලෝ හොඳට හොයලා බලලා කියන්න මගේ තාත්තා මේකට සම්බන්ධ නම් මම වැරැද්ද පිළිගන්නවා. මට සීයට දාහක් විශ්වාසයි මගේ තාත්තා කිසිම වෙලාවක ඒ වැරැද්ද කරන්නේ නැහැ. මගේ තාත්තා කිසිම විටෙක කිසිම මත්ද්‍රව්‍යයක් භාවිතා කරලා නැහැ .  කිසිම මත්ද්‍රව්‍යයක් වෙල‍ෙදාම් කරලා නැති පුද්ගලයෙක්. ඔය සමන්ලට වගේම දකුණු පළාතේ මත්ද්‍රව්‍ය බෙදා හරින්නන්ට බෙදා හරින්න දුන්නේ නැහැ. තාත්තා පොලිසියට ඔත්තු දෙනවා. පොලිසියට අල්ලගෙන ගිහිල්ලා භාරදෙනවා. මගේ තාත්තා ඇඹිලිපිටිය පොලීසියට කුඩු කිලෝ 100ක් අල්ලලා දුන්නා. ඒ ප්‍රශ්නෙට තාත්තාට එක වරක් වෙඩි තිබ්බා.”

SL Leaders

SL Leaders

NEWS CENTER UNLIMITED

Borella Handiya

Udaya Gammanpila

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Lanka Voice

Shenali D Waduge

When a government official puts pen to paper on official letterhead, it is no small matter. Words have meaning. Subject headings have meaning. Endorsements have meaning. A signed letter cannot be swept aside with excuses on camera. On 9 September 2025, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), Buddhika Hewawasam, issued an official letter to Equal Ground, an NGO lobbying for LGBTQIA rights in Sri Lanka. The letter, on SLTDA letterhead, carries a subject heading that is unambiguous: Subject: Endorsement of [Equal Ground’s LGBTQIA Tourism Project]”

That single line alone is proof of policy endorsement of LGBTQIA tourism.

Yet, in a recent public video, Chairman Hewawasam attempted to tell the people that his letter has been misunderstood” and that Sri Lanka Tourism does not intend to promote LGBTQIA tourism.”

Video link

https://www.facebook.com/sinhala.adaderana.lk/videos/1114696384120858/?rdid=lbUmfW4HnPbSg7Bo#

The Letter:

It is a pity the media questioning him could not even point out basic facts and rebut his attempt to mislead the public. The contradiction is glaring and cannot be ignored.

What the Letter shows

1. Equal Ground Requested:
2. Recognition of LGBTQIA tourism as a legitimate tourism segment.
3. Training and sensitization of tourism officials and stakeholders.
4. Partnership with the SLTDA for promotion.
5. Endorsement to give the project legitimacy, including use in international platforms.

Interpretation: Taken together, these requests were not a courtesy gesture; they amount to full-scale institutional adoption of a social agenda:

• Reframing Sri Lanka’s tourism identity by creating an LGBTQIA segment.”
• Embedding ideology into state apparatus through staff training and sensitization.
• Elevating Equal Ground from a private NGO to apolicy-level actor with SLTDA backing.
• Securing international legitimacy to advance their agenda globally.

Note: Training Sri Lanka tourism officials in DEI would obligate them to actively accommodate LGBTQIA tourists, including constructing gender-neutral restrooms in hotels, resorts, and public tourist sites at taxpayer expense, as well as funding recurring DEI training programs for staff across the tourism sector.

Officials would be required to use preferred pronouns (distorting standard English usage), adapt room allocations and bookings for same-sex couples, design LGBTQIA-focused promotional materials, conduct sensitivity briefings, and ensure all services are explicitly non-discriminatory. Additionally, they would have to manage LGBTQIA-specific event logistics, certify hotels as LGBTQIA-friendly in promotional campaigns, and coordinate same-sex wedding services — all entirely outside SLTDA’s traditional mandate, with a significant portion of staff time devoted to a very small segment of tourists, effectively prioritizing an agenda that risks undermining national culture and social norms.

ALL OF THIS WOULD BE AT SRI LANKAN TAXPAYERS’ EXPENSE, while Sri Lanka’s Constitution recognizes only two genders — male and female, and sexual lifestyles by choice, including LGBTQIA identities, are not a fundamental human right, though all citizens retain constitutional protections.

In short, this is a case of institutional capture of a national tourism authority by a private NGO, transforming SLTDA from a promoter of cultural and natural tourism into a partner in sexual-identity tourism.

• Chairman Buddhika Hewawasam Committed by:
• Issuing a formal letter ofendorsement on SLTDA letterhead.
• Extending recognition of an NGO agenda as part of official tourism policy We recognize the potential of this project to diversity our tourism markets and position Sri Lanka as a safe, inclusive and welcoming destination for all travelers” (haven’t we been doing this since 1980s)
• Confirming SLTDA’ssupport for Equal Ground’s tourism project – SLTDA is framing LGBTQIA tourism as a legitimate & strategic segment. Worlds like safe, inclusive and welcoming” indicate policy-level acceptance that obligates officials to implement measures with LGBTQIA demands.
• Agreeing toawareness, training, and promotional initiatives – When Chairman Hewawasam writes Sri Lanka Tourism is pleased to endorse this initiative and grant you the authority to liaise with relevant stakeholders in the tourism industry, including tour operators, hotels, training institutes, guides, and drivers, to conduct the proposed DE&I training and awareness programs” – this binds SLTDA to operational implementation in partnership with the NGO. It’s a pity the media could not even question this as the line commits tax-payer funded infrastructure and staff time for an agenda outside SLTDA’s traditional cultural & natural tourism mandate.
• Chairman Heawawasam also writes We look forward to working closely with Equal Ground to ensure the success of this initiative”. When even top global companies are cancelling sponsorships for Pride events & LGBTQIA propaganda in view of suffering profit losses due to boycotts – can Chairman Hewawasam explain how revenue will increase against likely decline when social diseases and other factors turn revenue bringing tourists away.

Interpretation:

• Official Sanction:Private lobbying converted into government endorsement.
• Policy Capture:SLTDA aligned with Equal Ground’s ideological agenda, granting institutional legitimacy.
• Operational Commitment:Government resources, staff time, and platforms committed to LGBTQIA tourism.
• International Signal:Equal Ground can now cite Sri Lanka Tourism as a partner for UN submissions, donor reports, and diplomatic lobbying.

Conclusion: He cannot now naively claim this is not what I meant.” Holding a portfolio as Chairman, he should understand the request, the letter, and the likely outcome before issuing it.

Attempted Whitewash: DEI and Gender Equity Cannot Hide LGBTQIA Endorsement

The Chairman’s verbal address is an attempt to replace explicit references to LGBTQIA tourism with vague terms like Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)” or Gender Equity” does not erase the endorsement.

In fact, it exposes the very agenda he is trying to hide. DEI programs globally are inherently tied to sexual orientation and gender identity, often prioritizing LGBTQIA visibility and creating frameworks for special rights. Similarly, introducing gender equity” as justification broadens the scope superficially, but in practice reinforces LGBTQIA-focused policies, including recognition of non-binary and transgender identities.

By replacing explicit LGBTQIA references with DEI and gender equity, the Chairman is not neutralizing the endorsement — he is simply using euphemisms to hide the same obligations. Training, infrastructure changes, promotional programs, and international marketing for LGBTQIA tourism will still be implemented at taxpayer cost, making the endorsement unavoidable and public funds liable.

Governance / Legal Questions

• Mandate:On what legal grounds can SLTDA recognize or endorse sexual-identity tourism, when Penal Code Sections 365 & 365A criminalize homosexual acts, and the Constitution recognizes only male/female gender?
• Authority:Was this unilateral, or approved by the Tourism Board, Minister, or Cabinet?
• Transparency:Why no public consultation, parliamentary debate, or Cabinet circular?
• Precedent:If one NGO succeeds, what stops dozens of others from lobbying for niche identity” tourism, fragmenting Sri Lanka’s brand?
• Conflict:Does this align with national policy on equality, or create special rights for one group?

Deduction: By issuing this letter, the Chairman gave policy legitimacy to a private NGO without transparency or legal authority, creating a dangerous precedent for private lobbying dictating national tourism policy.

Consequences Going Forward

Having issued this letter, SLTDA is now bound to:

1. Implement Training & Sensitization
2. Conduct LGBTQIA awareness” programs for staff, hoteliers, tour operators.
3. Spend public funds on modules outside SLTDA’s core mandate.
4. Promote LGBTQIA Tourism Internationally
5. Market Sri Lanka as an LGBTQIA-friendly destination.
6. Allocate budget and personnel to highlight sexual identity as a tourism product.
7. Formal Partnership with Equal Ground
8. Continue cooperation with the NGO, channeling state resources and providing legitimacy.
9. Adjust Policy to Reflect Endorsement
10. Reinterpret equality” to mean LGBTQIA inclusion.
11. Justify this endorsement in future reports, plans, and Cabinet briefings.
12. Risk Legal & Political Conflict
13. Contradict Penal Code 365 & 365A.
14. Risk public backlash for prioritizing a niche agenda over national tourism priorities.
15. Face accountability for overstepping mandate.

Historical Context: Sri Lanka Tourism Since the 1980s

For over four decades, Sri Lanka has hosted millions of tourists of every nationality, religion, and background. Never once was there a demand to segregate or categorize tourists by sexual identity. Packages were based on destination, activities, and experiences — tourists freely chose what appealed to them.

If Sri Lanka seeks niche tourism, it should emulate models like the Maldives, focusing on high-value markets — luxury resorts, diving, wellness retreats, eco-tourism — which genuinely increase revenue.

This NGO-driven agenda forces the state to prioritize a niche sexual-identity tourism segment over core cultural, natural, and high-value tourism priorities. It sets a precedent for private lobbying to dictate national policy, with potential public health consequences and misuse of taxpayer resources.

The subject line of the Chairman’s letter says endorsement.

The body of the letter says support, partnership, and recognition.

Yet on camera, he claims no endorsement was given.

Mr. Chairman, either you cannot read your own English, or you are lying to the public.

Which is it?

If the Chairman truly believes the letter was misunderstood, he must immediately issue a formal clarification to Equal Ground nullifying the endorsement, publicly state in writing that no taxpayer funds will be used for sexual-identity tourism, and reaffirm that SLTDA’s mandate remains cultural and natural tourism, not NGO-driven social agendas.”

Sri Lanka’s tourism deserves leadership that promotes its heritage, natural beauty, and culture — not one that bows to private lobbying and then denies its own written words.

Shenali D Waduge