Courtesy Adaderana

By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando

The Government constantly complains about public services being overstaffed. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa takes every opportunity to restate the public should not face harassment; instead they must be treated with courtesy.

When the writer was a schoolboy, letters from any Government institution carried the phrase at the end of the communication as ‘Your obedient servant,’ and signed by an authorised individual. This signing style of ‘Your obedient servant’ has currently flown through the window, and at times, Government letters carry no name or legible signature at all! As everyone knows, the taxpayer pays the public servants’ salaries, and they are appointed to serve the public and not be on cloud nine

Basic Problem

The fundamental problem with any Government institution is the apathetic approach by the average staff. They come in the morning, go to the canteen to eat breakfast before starting work. Once they sit, they must discuss the previous night’s television programmes! The writer once went to a Government office on an official task at 9 am and witnessed this melodrama. The frustrated writer instantly photographed the chattering of staff with his mobile phone. Later an officer who attended to the writer’s matter wanted to know whether the writer was from the press! 

Another distraction is the television sets installed in offices throughout the country and smartphones freely available in the Sri Lankan market. Facebook, WhatsApp, and Skype make the staff concentrate more on their natter rather than absorbed in office work during office hours. Today, easy access to the internet and mobile phones enables public servants to engage in social media or send friends messages via email or texted notes. 

Should the Government want to improve the standard of working in public offices, the most vital act should be disconnecting TV sets from all offices and banning mobile phones during office hours. Should there be an emergency, staff should inform the chief clerk and leave the office environment to make the call. Removal of TV sets countrywide will relieve the Government with extra expenditure in buying and installing TV sets in offices throughout the country and improve the staff’s overall performance. The Chief Clerks control the office, but they are not sufficiently strict or pay no attention to their staff’s behaviour. Chief Clerks should be made answerable for their team.

Computerisation

Computerisation helps overcome the old systems of maintaining records in ledgers, which is time-consuming. Registers finally must be stored in a separate room in the office building, occupying extra space. Stored logs become subjected to bookworms and insects that injure pages by gnawing the binding and piercing the pages with small holes. Computerised systems can save records into a microcassette, store them into a cassette holder, and mark them appropriately. The writer was familiar with this type of microcassettes in London; however, he is not aware whether Sri Lanka adopts that system!

If one visits a police station to lodge an entry, one must be prepared to spend hours until a police officer records in a Register using multicoloured pens. If the officer is busy with a previous customer, one needs to bite one’s nails and mark time until the officer is free, which is time-consuming. Therefore, one must keep a wide margin to visit a police station before committing to other appointments. That is why many disregard visiting police stations to lodge entries even to their disadvantage. In advanced countries, however, computers take over the task of helping the police by storing the lodged complaints in the hard disc of the police computer.

If the Government intends to computerise everything, it should go full swing. The Department of Motor Traffic at Maligawatta functions ingeniously as far as the computer systems are concerned. Anybody may produce the relevant documents to renew the annual road tax of a motor vehicle, while staying in the vehicle and the new disc becomes available in a matter of minutes. It should be an effective way to help the public. Meanwhile, privately-owned fast food outlets use a drive-through facility system for their customer’s convenience. Why can’t the Government adopt a similar method to serve people rather than frustrate the public?

The driving licence renewal office in Werahera needs a lot of adjustments and improvements. Although it appears simple on paper and TV to book an appointment to renew one’s driving licence, it does not work as simple as that. According to the Government’s instructions, one should get a text message to one’s mobile phone to collect the renewed driving licence. First and foremost, it isn’t straightforward to get through to the Werahera office on the phone to book an appointment as the lines are eternally busy. Even when one gets through to Werahera and obtains a fixed day, only the applicant can enter, the security guards do not allow anyone else other than the claimant to enter the building. There is also a day service: to enjoy this facility one pays an extra Rs. 2,150. This system however, does not always work like a horse, in reality it is quite the opposite. The case mentioned below is a typical example.

Online DL renewing  

Applicant B handed over her application and all relevant documents including her postal address, to renew her expired driving licence (DL) at the Werahera Office. Unfortunately for her, when her driving licence expired in March 2021, she was in the UK and was unable to visit Sri Lanka due to Covid-19 lockdowns. This is another area where the Government’s attention can be focussed and enable online renewing of driving licences. 

For example, in the UK, the renewal of driving licence offices is done online. They maintain the applicant’s photograph scanned in their database. When one applies to renew one’s driving licence online, the applicants need to advise whether they have changed from the profile picture in the database. In Sri Lanka, the officer handling each case takes a photograph of the applicant. Is it troublesome to attach the medical certificate compulsory?

In this case, the applicant requested a one day-service and paid Rs. 2,150.00 and was issued a receipt.. However, the applicant did not receive the renewed licence till after three months had lapsed, nor did she receive any text message on her phone as advertised. The applicant was told her renewed licence would be mailed. Later enquiries revealed the renewed driving licence was posted on 17 December 2021. The applicant contacted the sorting office at Pannipitiya to check and was informed in the negative.

Numbers out of order

On 31st December 2021, the writer emailed the RMV drawing the personal attention of the Commissioner in charge of renewal of driving licences. The writer did not receive even a courteous acknowledgement to his email. The writer then tried to contact the Commissioner’s on 011-254-5891 and 011- 251-8926 and made numerous calls daily for over two weeks, but they were in vain. Finally, through the internet, the writer obtained the telephone numbers of the driving licence department at Werahera viz: 011-2- 518- 926; 0706-334-134 and 0706-354-123. But the telephone response was that ‘none of the numbers were available’. Some Government departments do not care to update their telephone numbers on the internet.

It raises the question of how helpful the officials working at the Werahera office are in helping or harassing the public!When President Gotabaya Rajapaksa visited this office to inquire about the department’s efficiency, some time ago, it appeared that all they did was to whitewash the walls. It is still not clear why they charged the applicant Rs 2,150 in the first place for a ‘Day’s Service’?

The writer made a special request from the postman to keep an eye out for a registered post letter from the RMV, Werahera. On10 January 2022, the postman finally informed us that  a registered letter from the Werahera office had arrived. The postmark on the envelope was not very clear. The postman went on leave, but he arranged for his substitute to deliver the registered letter containing the renewed licence.

The cardinal point is why charge the applicant Rs.2150.00 for a day’s service when it was not provided? What drove them to mail the renewed licence? It sounds like an act of high-handedness. The RMV at Werahera, Renewal of DL section, should refund the Rs.2150/- as the service was not provided within a day.

Maybe the President is unaware of what goes on in this Government Department after his visit, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa repeatedly said, ‘public servants must help the public and not harass them.’

tilakfernando@gmail.com

Jubeda Chowdhury

The Rohingya issue is currently an important international issue. More than 1.1 million Rohingyas have taken refuge in Bangladesh since August 2017 due to genocide and ethnic cleansing in Myanmar. About 50,000 newborn Rohingya children are added to it every year.

Bangladesh Prime Minister raised the issue at the UNGA on September 25, 2021 to draw the attention of global leaders in solving the Rohingya crisis. She focused specifically on the engagement of ASEAN leaders. It is ASEAN which can resolve Rohingya refugee problem easily.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen today said the Cambodian Chairmanship of Asean provides a great opportunity to facilitate safe and dignified return of the Rohingyas, now sheltered in Bangladesh, to Myanmar.

According to media reports, The foreign minister said this to Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn, also the country’s minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, during a telephone conversation recently.

During the conversation, Momen laid emphasis on the potential security risks to Bangladesh, Myanmar and to the greater region if the Rohingya crisis is left festering for a much longer period of time.

He mentioned the vulnerability of the displaced people to radicalism, extremism, terrorism, cross-border crimes, etc.

Foreign Minister Momen congratulated his Cambodian counterpart on Cambodia’s assumption of Asean Chairmanship and on the latter’s appointment as the Special Envoy of the Asean Chair to Myanmar.

Referring to the longstanding and excellent bilateral relations between the two countries, Momen mentioned that Bangladesh highly values its relations with Cambodia as an important partner in the neighborhood.

Lauding the big heart” demonstrated by Bangladesh in sheltering 1.1 million displaced Myanmar nationals, Prak Sokhonn expressed his full understanding of and sympathy for the difficulties being faced by Bangladesh.

As Chair and an active member of ASEAN, Cambodia can help to resolve it. Cambodia can be an honest mediator in this regard. Cambodia has very warm relations with both Myanmar and Bangladesh.

On October 28, 2021, Cambodia officially took over the chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for the third time since joining the group in 1999.

Cambodia holds the ASEAN chair for the third time since it joined ASEAN on 30 April 1999. It was the last amongst the 10 ASEAN countries to join ASEAN and has followed its regular turn in chairing the organisation every decade, in 2002 and 2012, respectively. There are only two countries—Cambodia and Brunei—whose leaders continued their tenure over the years in ASEAN, one being PM Hun Sen and the other one being the Sultan of Brunei.

Earlier, the Rohingya had been subjected to systematic discrimination, deprivation of the right to vote, and regular targeting of violence in Myanmar for decades.

Rohingyas have come to Myanmar to save their lives after being subjected to extremely inhumane treatment by the military; But their position in the country has become a cause for concern as they are involved in migration, drug trafficking, child trafficking, smuggling, and other misdeeds as Bangladeshis. Again, some of the Rohingyas have been accused of being involved in militant activities and the Ramu attack.

According to various sources, there are about four lakh Rohingyas inside Bangladesh and about one lakh outside the country, especially in the Middle East. Moreover, there are reports that underage women and children in various camps in Cox’s Bazar are being tied to an important social bond such as marriage; Which is having a hugely detrimental effect on the society and the state system. Child marriage is a threat to the health of the mother as well as the health of the child. It has far-reaching detrimental effects on women. Adolescent pregnancy can lead to a variety of health problems, including complications in childbirth. In some cases, they are also victims of domestic violence, sexual abuse, and marital rape. In addition, increasing population density is having a devastating effect on the environment.

In the last four and a half years, despite various initiatives, no real progress has been made in resolving the Rohingya crisis. Under pressure from the international community, the Myanmar government signed an agreement on Rohingya repatriation, but to no avail. According to the agreement, the Rohingyas were to be repatriated in stages. The repatriation process has not started for a long time. The Myanmar government has failed to repatriate the displaced Rohingya and resolve the crisis. Bangladesh has repeatedly urged various international forums to take effective steps to resolve the Rohingya crisis. At the UN General Assembly, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina not only ended her duty by calling on the international community to repatriate Rohingya but also presented six specific proposals. The Prime Minister also raised the issue during his recent visit to France. In such a situation, the UN committee has unanimously passed a resolution urging Myanmar to end the Rohingya crisis. Most importantly, Russia and China did not oppose the proposal. The resolution, introduced by the OIC and the European Union, was unanimously passed by the Social Humanitarian and Cultural Committee, known as the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly. Foreign Minister in response to the proposal. Abdul Momen considers the support of Russia and China important. He said China and Russia also want a solution to the Rohingya problem. This is positive news for us.

In this regard, Cambodia can play a holistic, significant and strategic role.  Cambodia can support Bangladesh at every international forum such as at UNGA and regional conferences. They can vote in favour of Bangladesh. They can raise the issue within the ASEAN platform. Cambodia can negotiate with Myanmar diplomatically and bilaterally. It has good bilateral relations with Myanmar. Cambodia can engage with others ASEAN states to solve the crisis. Cambodia’s Buddhist society can play an effective role in this regard. Cambodia can make Myanmar understand on the regional significance of Rohingya repatriation.

Earlier, Cambodia hoped hat Bangladesh and Myanmar find a solution allowing the Rohingya repatriation,  Prime Minister Hun Sen said at the joint press conference held following his bilateral meeting with visiting Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina in 2017.

For her part,  Sheikh Hasina affirmed the Bangladesh’s commitment to provide shelters to some 700,000 Rohingya refugees and to continue negotiating with Myanmar for their repatriation.

Cambodia has confirmed its clear stance over Rohingya crisis in Myanmar. On Nov. 16, 2017, Cambodian Premier underlined that Rohingya crisis is an internal affair of Myanmar and Cambodia will not interfere in this issue. The Cambodian premier also expressed his sadness over the crisis in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, adding that Cambodia is considering providing humanitarian assistance to Rakhine’s people, some of them are living in Myanmar while others fled to Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, PM Hun Sen visited Myanmar (6-8 January 2022). A new Special Envoy of the ASEAN chair, Prak Sokhonn the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Ministerof Cambodia, was announced. He will be assisted by Cham Prasidh, Minister of Industry, a veteran of the Cambodian peace process.

Cambodia was initially hesitant to speak out against the junta, citing ASEAN’s principle of noninterference. But this time, as a chair of ASEAN , Cambodia wants to engage itself and Asean with Myanmar.  It is a positive side of Cambodia. Isolation is not a solution. Involvement, engagement, negotiations are some tools to find solutions. Cambodia is doing so.  PM Hun Sen is very interested in ASEAN’s relations with Myanmar. Cambodia’s role in this regard would be warmly welcomed. As a chair, Cambodia can resolve a long disputed regional issue. If Cambodia take a initiative to resolve the Rohingya refugee crisis, it would be a great achievement for ASEAN. Whole south Asia and Southeast Asia would see a permanent solution of a regional crisis. Of course, role of Cambodia as ASEAN Chair would be seen positively. The prestigious of Cambodia as Asean chair would be accepted amongst all South Asian and Southeast Asian countries.

අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මාධ්‍ය අංශය

එක්සත් රාජධානියේ දකුණු ආසියානු හා පොදු රාජ්‍ය මණ්ඩලයීය කටයුතු රාජ්‍ය අමාත්‍ය තරික් අහමඩ් සාමිවරයා සහ අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ මහතා අතර හමුවක් ඊයේ (18) පස්වරුවේ කොළඹ හිල්ටන් හෝටලයේ දී පැවැත්විණි.

ශ්‍රී ලංකාව සමඟ පවතින සහයෝගිතාව තවදුරටත් ශක්තිමත් කර ගැනීමේ අපේක්ෂාවෙන් මෙරටට පැමිණි රාජ්‍ය අමාත්‍ය තරික් අහමඩ් සාමිවරයා දින තුනක කාලයක් මෙරට රැදී සිටිනු ඇත.

ඉහළ රාජතාන්ත්‍රික හමුවීම්වලට අමතරව රාජ්‍ය අමාත්‍ය තරික් අහමඩ් සාමිවරයා යාපනය සහ ත්‍රිකුණාමලය ප්‍රදේශවල ද සංචාරය කිරීමට නියමිතය.

සංචාරක කර්මාන්තයට සහය පළ කිරීම, සංචාරකයන්ගේ පැමිණීම වර්ධනය කිරීම, විදේශ රැකියා අවස්ථා සහ අධ්‍යාපන ක්ෂේත්‍රයේ දියුණුව වෙනුවෙන් ගත හැකි ක්‍රියාමාර්ග සම්බන්ධයෙන් මෙම හමුවේදී අවධානය යොමු විය.

මුදල් අමාත්‍ය බැසිල් රාජපක්ෂ, විදේශ අමාත්‍ය මහාචාර්ය ජී.එල් පීරිස්, පරිසර අමාත්‍ය මහින්ද අමරවීර, මහබැංකු අධිපති අජිත් නිවාඩ් කබ්රාල්, රාජ්‍ය අමාත්‍ය තාරක බාලසූරිය, ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ  බ්‍රිතාන්‍ය මහ කොමසාරිස්වරිය සාරා හුල්ටන්, විදේශ කටයුතු අමාත්‍යාංශයේ ලේකම් අද්මිරාල් මහාචාර්ය ජයනාත් කොළඹගේ මහත්ම මහත්මීහු ඇතුළු පිරිසක් මෙම අවස්ථාවට එක්ව සිටියහ.

අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මාධ්‍ය අංශය

නව වන පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ දෙවන සැසිවාරය ජනාධිපති ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂ මහතාගේ ප්‍රධානත්වයෙන් අද (18) පෙරවරුවේ ආරම්භ විය.

ජනාධිපතිතුමා විසින් ඉදිරි වසර තුනක කාලය සඳහා වන රජයේ ප්‍රතිපත්ති ප්‍රකාශය එහි දී ඉදිරිපත් කරන ලදි.

අනතුරුව දෙවන සැසිවාරයේ සහ 2022 වර්ෂයේ පළමු ආණ්ඩු පක්ෂ මන්ත්‍රී කණ්ඩායම් රැස්වීම අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ මහතාගේ ප්‍රධානත්වයෙන් පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ කමිටු කාමර අංක 01හි දී පැවැත්විණි.

ජනාධිපති ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂ මහතා විසින් පාර්ලිමේන්තුවට ඉදිරිපත් කරන ලද ප්‍රතිපත්ති ප්‍රකාශය සම්බන්ධයෙන් කල්තැබීමේ විවාදය ජනවාරි 19 සහ 20 දෙදින පැවැත්වීමට කථානායක මහින්ද යාපා අබේවර්ධන මහතාගේ ප්‍රධානත්වයෙන් පැවති සාකච්ඡාවේ දී තීරණය වූවද ආණ්ඩු පක්ෂ මන්ත්‍රීවරුන් බහුතරයක් විවාදයේ දී අදහස් දැක්වීමට සූදානම්ව සිටින බැවින් 21වන සිකුරාදා දිනය ද විවාදය සඳහා වෙන් කර දෙන මෙන් ආණ්ඩු පක්ෂයේ ප්‍රධාන සංවිධායක අමාත්‍ය ජොන්ස්ටන් ප්‍රනාන්දු මහතා මෙහි දී අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ මහතාගෙන් ඉල්ලා සිටියේය.

ඒ අනුව කථානායකතුමා දැනුවත් කර 21 සිකුරාදා දිනය ද මෙකී විවාදය සඳහා ලබා ගන්නා ලෙස මෙහි දී අග්‍රාමාත්‍යතුමා විසින් උපදෙස් දෙන ලදි.

තෙල් ටැංකි යළි රටට”යන තේමාවෙන් ත්‍රිකුණාමලය තෙල් ටැංකි සංකීර්ණය සංවර්ධනය කිරීම සම්බන්ධයෙන් වන ගිවිසුම පිළිබඳව බලශක්ති අමාත්‍ය උදය ගම්මන්පිල මහතා විසින් ආණ්ඩු පක්ෂ මැති ඇමතිවරුන් වෙත මෙහි දී පැහැදිලි කිරීමක් කරන ලදි.

සභානායක අමාත්‍ය දිනේෂ් ගුණවර්ධන, ආණ්ඩු පක්ෂයේ ප්‍රධාන සංවිධායක අමාත්‍ය ජොන්ස්ටන් ප්‍රනාන්දු, මුදල් අමාත්‍ය බැසිල් රාජපක්ෂ, විදේශ අමාත්‍ය මහාචාර්ය ජී.එල් පීරිස්, කම්කරු අමාත්‍ය නිමල් සිරිපාල ද සිල්වා, කර්මාන්ත අමාත්‍ය විමල් වීරවංශ, පරිසර අමාත්‍ය මහින්ද අමරවීර මහත්වරු ඇතුළු  කැබිනට් ඇමතිවරුන්,රාජ්‍ය අමාත්‍යවරුන් සහ අණ්ඩු පක්ෂයේ මන්ත්‍රීවරුන්,පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ සභානායක ලේකම් හර්ෂ විජේවර්ධන,ආණ්ඩු පක්ෂ ප්‍රධාන සංවිධායක ලේකම් නීතිඥ චමින්ද කුලරත්න, ජනාධිපති පාර්ලිමේන්තු කටයුතු සම්බන්ධීකරණ ලේකම් ශානිකා ගොපල්ලව මෙනවිය, අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය පාර්ලිමේන්තු කටයුතු සම්බන්ධීකරණ ලේකම් ප්‍රියන්ත රත්නායක මහත්වරු ඇතුළු නිලධාරි පිරිසක් මෙම අවස්ථාවට සහභාගී වුහ.

තිසර සමල් – එප්පාවල

දිවියෙන් සමුගත් සිය දියණියට පිං පිණිස අනුරාධපුර දිස්ත්‍රික්කයේ ආර්ථික අපහසුතා ඇති පවුල් 100 කට අත්‍යවශය ආහාර මලු බෙදා දීමට කොළඹ 05 ප්‍රදේශයේ ව්‍යාපාරික මහත්මියක වන විශාකා වීරකෝන් මහත්මිය ඊයේ (17) දුරුතු පොහෝ දින කටයුතු කළාය.

මීට දෙවසරකට පමණ ඉහතදී දිවියෙන් සමුගත් නදීරා විජේරත්න නම් දියණියට පිං පිණිස ඇයගේ මව වන කොළඹ ප්‍රදේශයේ ව්‍යාපාරික මහත්මියක වන විශාකා වීරකෝන් මහත්මිය‍ මෙම පිංකම සිදු කරනු ලැබුවාය.

මෙම පිංකම සඳහා රාජ්‍යය අමාත්‍ය දුමින්ද දිසානායක මහතාගේ සම්බන්ධීකරණයෙන් අනුරාධපුර නොච්චියාගම අඹගහවැව ගල්කිරියාගම ගම්මානයේ , පලාගල කළුගල ගම්මානයේ හා ගල්නෑව ප්‍රදේශයේ ආර්ථික අපහසුතා ඇති පවුල් සියයක් වෙත මෙම අත්‍යවශ්‍යය භාණ්ඩ බෙදා දීම සිදු විය.

එම එක් එක් ගම්මානයන් වෙත ගොස් ඔවුන් හමුවී මෙම පරිත්‍යාගයන් සිදු කරනු ලැබීය.

මේ දින වල බොහෝ ආර්ථික දුෂ්කරතා මැද දිවි ගෙවන බැවින් මෙම පරිත්‍යාගය බොහෝ සේ වටිනා බවද ඔවුන් පැවසූහ.

පරිත්‍යාගයන් සිදු කිරීමෙන් අනතුරුව ආඩියාගල අඹරැලි විහාරයේ විහාරාධිපති අධිකරණ සංඝනායක ඉඟුරුවැවේ පියරතන හිමියන් මෙම පරිත්‍යාගයන් අගයමින්, දිවියෙන් සමුගත් නදීරා විජේරත්න දියණියට පිං අනුමෝදනා සිදු කරනු ලැබූහ. මෙම අවස්ථාවන්ට ආඩියාගල අඹරැලි විහාරයේ විහාරාධිපති අධිකරණ සංඝනායක ඉඟුරුවැවේ පියරතන හිමියන්, රාජ්‍යය අමාත්‍යය දුමින්ද දිසානායක මහතා හා ගම්වාසීන් සහභාගී වූහ

නිපුණතා සංවර්ධන, වෘත්තීය අධ්‍යාපන, පර්යේෂණ හා නව නිපැයුම් රාජ්‍ය අමාත්‍යාංශය

පළාත් මට්ටමින් ක්‍රියාත්මක කෙරෙන “නිපුණතා උදානය” ජාතික වැඩසටහන පසුගියදා වයඹ පළාතින් ආරම්භ විය. එම වැඩසටහනට සමගාමීව සිදුවන තවත් එක් ජාතික මෙහෙවරක් වූ දිවයිනේ සියලුම දිස්ත්‍රික්කවල ස්ථාන 40ක ගොඩනැඟෙන සුහුරු පන්ති කාමර ව්‍යාපෘතිය පළමුවරට වයඹ පළාතින් ආරම්භ කරන ලදී. ඒ අනුව කුලියාපිටිය විශ්වවිද්‍යාල විද්‍යායතනයේ ඉදි වූ තාක්ෂණය උපයෝගී කරගත් දුරස්ථ අධ්‍යාපනය පහසු කරන සුහුරු පන්‍ති කාමරය පළමුවරට සිසු අයිතියට පත් කිරීම නිපුණතා සංවර්ධන, වෘත්තීය අධ්‍යාපන, පර්යේෂණ හා නව නිපැයුම් රාජ්‍ය අමාත්‍ය, විශේෂඥ වෛද්‍ය සීතා අරඹේපොල මැතිණියගේ ප්‍රධානත්වයෙන් සිදු කෙරිණ.

මෙහි දී භාෂා ත්‍රිත්ත්වයෙන්ම අධ්‍යයන කටයුතු සිදු කෙරෙන අතර අන්තර්ජාල පුස්තකාල පහසුකම ( E – library), සෑම සිසුවෙක්ටම නොමිලේ 1TB දත්‍ත ගබඩා කිරීමේ පහසුකම (Cloud Storage)ඇතුළු පහසුකම්  රැසක් නොමිලේ ලබා දීමට කටයුතු කෙරේ.

මාධ්‍ය ඒකකය

නිපුණතා සංවර්ධන, වෘත්තීය අධ්‍යාපන, පර්යේෂණ හා නව නිපැයුම් රාජ්‍ය අමාත්‍යාංශය

By NANDITA ROY

Dhaka contends that the US move against its elite paramilitary force was precipitous

Members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) stand guard during a rally by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in Dhaka on December 19, 2011. Photo: Reuters / Andrew Biraj

On December 10, 2021, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), the elite paramilitary force of Bangladesh, as well as seven of its current and former officers, accusing them of human-rights abuses and abductions.

Rather than slinging mud by getting involved in the debates over whether or not sanctions are really effective tools, whether these sanctions are part of a US strategic move against China in South Asia, or whether they are simply the results of misreading Bangladesh, it is the need of the hour to answer a simple question: Were sanctions the only option left available to the US?”

Generally, the US imposes sanctions with an intention to alter the strategic decisions of state and non-state actors that it thinks threaten its interests or breach international behavioral norms. The question of whether sanctions are effective splits the policy wonks into two schools.

One group argues that sanctions are often imposed inequitably and are rarely successful in bringing the desired outcome, while the other group supports sanctions as effective foreign-policy instruments for the US.

To put in perspective the recent US sanctions on the RAB, a force that has successfully spearheaded the hunts for drug smugglers, militants, and transnational terrorists as shared priorities with the US, it is imperative to analyze the historical background, current condition, and future prospects of Bangladesh-US bilateral engagement.

Longtime partners

The journey of US-Bangladesh relations started with Washington’s recognition of Bangladesh as a sovereign nation-state on April 4, 1972. Since then, the two countries have had a shared vision for a secure, inclusive, and prosperous future.

The US, the most trusted development partner of Bangladesh, is the latter’s single largest export destination, with shipments mostly from the country’s ready-made-garments sector.

Two-way trade reached a US$9 billion landmark in 2019. Bangladesh is the largest recipient of US assistance in South Asia after Afghanistan and Pakistan. Also, the US is one of the principal strategic military allies of Bangladesh, with arms purchases of around $110 million between 2010 and 2019, with substantial defense exchange and cooperation.

Though the above data transmit a positive signal about the depth and warmth of US-Bangladesh relations, why did the US impose these sanctions?

Historically, the US has imposed sanctions on those state and non-state actors with which it has strained relations and when Washington thinks there is no option left for discussion, or that the concerned actors will not pay heed to any constructive talks. As Bangladesh is one of the most trusted allies of the US in South Asia, this sudden decision to sanction the RAB has surprised other countries that are friendly toward the US.

‘Unilateral’

According to the Bangladeshi government, the sanctions were imposed unilaterally” without any prior information.” The US based its decision on the allegations of some non-governmental organizations without hearing the Bangladeshi government’s opinion or even conducting any independent investigations.

Although the US Treasury Department provided explanations for the sanctions, it seems like a one-sided decision as the US didn’t take into account Bangladesh’s response these allegations. If the US purports to be the custodian of global democracy, then it ought to have discussed its concerns with Bangladesh and considered its counterpart’s explanation.

This raises a new question: What else could have been done instead of imposing sanctions?”

Bangladesh and the US hold an annual Partnership Dialogue, established in 2012, to advance their shared bilateral, regional, and global objectives. This dialogue aims to help these two moderate and pluralistic nations to generate a strategic direction to ongoing and future cooperative moves.

In this platform, these two countries may discuss any issue, such as trade and investment, security, development and governance, and regional cooperation, to find fruitful solutions toward a deeper and broader relationship.

Instead of imposing sudden sanctions, US President Joe Biden’s administration had the option of discussing the allegations against the RAB that the US views as a matter of concern. The US could have discussed the issues in the Partnership Dialogue, or it could have arranged a separate dialogue with Bangladesh where it could have offered suggestions and guidelines on positive reforms in the RAB.

This could have brought much more fruitful results, as Bangladesh has a proven track record of accepting constructive criticisms from the US. If Bangladesh had not listened to any positive suggestions for its security forces, then the US could have played its trump card – sanctions.

The US image in the world court would have brightened, instead of being questioned, if it had followed the aforementioned procedures, which Bangladesh, like any sovereign state, should be able to expect from the US.

Dhaka always tries to maintain a cozy relationship with Washington, not only because of the US influence in the world but also as part of implementing the core mantra of its foreign policy, Friendship towards all, malice towards none.” Considering the geopolitical eminence and commercial noteworthiness of Bangladesh, the US should not ignore one of its most trusted allies in South Asia.

Coercion in the form of sanctions may have long-standing ill effects on the ties between Bangladesh and the US, with political and ethical concerns. And the profound long-term fallout from these sanctions could push Bangladesh further toward the geo-strategic orbit of China. Not to mention the fruitful outcomes that could be generated through discussion and bilateral talks that cannot be achieved by sanctions.TAGGED:BangladeshOpinionRapid Action BattalionUS sanctions

NANDITA ROY

Nandita Roy is a women’s rights activist. She holds a master’s degree from the Department of Women and Gender Studies, University of Dhaka.

උපුටා ගැන්ම ලංකා සී නිව්ස්

චීන රජය විසින් සහල් මෙට්‍රික් ටොන් ලක්‍ෂ දහයක් ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට නොමිලේ ලබා දීමට තීරණය කර තිබේ.

කොළඹ සිටින චීන තානාපතිවරයා මේ බව දන්වා ඇති බව මුදල් ඇමැති බැසිල් රාජපක්ෂ මහතා කැබිනට් මණ්ඩල රැස්වීමේ දී ඊයේ ප්‍රකාශ කර තිබේ.

චීන ශ්‍රී ලංකා රබර් සහල් වෙළෙඳ ගිවිසුමට වසර හැත්තෑවක් සම්පූර්ණ වන නිසා මෙම තොගය නොමිලේ ලබා දෙන ලෙස බෙදන අමාත්‍ය බන්දුල ගුණවර්ධන මහතා කළ ඉල්ලීමක් අනුව මෙම ප‍්‍රධානය හිමිවෙයි.

ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාවේ වාර්ෂික සහල් අවශ්‍යතාවය මෙට්ට්‍රික් ටොන් මිලියන 2.4ක් වන අතර චීනයෙන් මෙසේ නොමිලේ ලබා දෙන ප්‍රමාණය මාස පහක් සදහා රටටම ප‍්‍රමාණවත්ය.

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

According to food experts a rice shortage seems unavoidable

Reportedly, 300,000 Metric Tons of Nadu and Samba are to be imported to address the rice shortage

The price of one kilo of rice would be 200 rupees a kilo by March

1500 containers of food items such as sugar, milk powder, wheat, dhal and other items are currently stuck at port

Corn cultivation has been heavily affected by the fertilizer shortage

Paddy was cultivated in 1,208,454 hectares in 2020 with a harvest of 5,120,934 MT. The surplus, if any was consumed in 2021

It is uncertain whether there will be rice production for the first quarter of 2022

Without chemical fertilizer rice plants will not grow and a considerable amount of harvest cannot be expected

2000 bakeries out of 7000 have stopped operations due to the shortage of wheat

According to agriculture experts, Sri Lanka is facing a food crisis and the food related shortage will be felt more in March. Farmers cultivated less during the Maha season due to the current fertilizer issue in the country. Cultivation was not successful. This was because the farmers who were engaged in cultivation did not receive fertilizer.

Therefore there is a shortage of paddy, other crops and vegetables. Former Director of the Department of Agriculture K. B. Goonaratne said that the harvest is expected to reduce by 50% and a shortage of rice, other crops, vegetables and fruits would be unavoidable. This situation arose as there were no plans for organic cultivation. Organic cultivation could have been successful with a step-by-step plan and the lack of planning ruined the whole agricultural industry.” he added.

Reportedly, 300,000 Metric Tons of Nadu and Samba are to be imported to address the rice shortage. 200,000 MT of Nadu and 100,000 MT of G. R. 11 short grain rice- which is a substitute for Samba- will be imported at the price of 436 USD per one MT of Nadu and 465 USD per one MT of Samba substitute. These stocks are to be imported from Pattabhi Agro Foods Private Ltd. Cabinet approval was given to import rice under these prices and the stocks will be imported after issuing letters of credit. It will take six more months to import the stocks. 20,000 MT of white raw rice to which the Cabinet gave approval in November last year are to be imported as well. Even though approval was given to import one MT at 460 US$, Myanmar issues rice at 445 US$ a MT. Goonaratne said that the stock would reach Sri Lanka by the end of April. That stock is also not a solution to the rice shortage expected in March. The price of one kilo of rice would be 200 rupees a kilo by March. People will starve. The Government has no solutions to address this issue before a shortage occurs,” Goonaratne said.

1500 containers of food items such as sugar, milk powder, wheat, dhal and other items are currently stuck at port. According to Goonaratne many such items have expired. Some food items have gone stale. Even if containers are released there would still be a shortage in the market due to the expiry and spoiling of food items. There will be a huge food shortage in the market. 1000 million USD are to be paid for suppliers of goods stuck at port. This issue had arisen as banks have not issued dollars,” he said.

Goonaratne’s statement is further confirmed by what the Media Spokesperson of Essential Food Commodities Importers and Traders Association Nihal Seneviratne told the media. According to him the Government had not fulfilled its promise to grant 25 million USD to release the containers of food items stranded at port by January 10. Containers of essential items are stuck at the port. There is a dollar scarcity and we are awaiting dollars to release the containers.” he said.

The price of rice will go up to 180-200 rupees a kilo by March and up to 300 rupees in April, Goonaratne said. ”The price of capsicum will increase to 1500-1800 rupees, green chilies to 1500 rupees, beans to 800-1000 rupees, chicken to 1000-1200 rupees a kilo,” he added.

There will be no shortage of fish such as seer and trevallies. But because of the increase in fuel price, the price of fish will increase to 2200 rupees a kilo. The Government has proposed to import 4200 MT of corn. But that may not prevent the poultry industry from facing a drop in production,” Goonaratne added. The price of chicken will continue to increase. Corn was cultivated in 78249 hectares in 2020 and the harvest was 313,520 MT. During the 2021 Maha season corn was cultivated in 97122 hectares with a harvest of 435,159 MT. However that is not sufficient for local use. Therefore the shortage will be felt more in 2022 and corn cultivation has been heavily affected by the fertilizer shortage,” he said. Goonaratne said that the poultry industry will face a huge crisis without corn for feed. The poultry industry, which had reached a satisfactory level, is at the brink of collapse, he added. 

The 3,061,394 MT of harvest obtained was sufficient for local use, but rice was still imported in large stocks in 2020

Paddy was cultivated in 1,208,454 hectares in 2020 with a harvest of 5,120,934 MT. The surplus, if any was consumed in 2021. During the 2020/21 Maha season paddy was cultivated in 770,240 hectares. The 3,061,394 MT of harvest obtained was sufficient for local use, but rice was still imported in large stocks in 2020.

15,770,228 kilograms of rice were imported in 2022 at the cost of 1,936,087,671 rupees. It is uncertain whether there will be rice production for the first quarter of 2022. Harvest of 2021/22 Maha season will be obtained in February and March 2022. Rice from Ampara and Batticaloa districts should arrive in markets by February. The rice production of those districts are 12% but because of the shortage of fertilizer 50-60% of paddy lands have been destroyed. The harvest expected is less than 50%,” Goonaratne said. Without chemical fertilizer rice plants will not grow and a considerable amount of harvest cannot be expected. This situation is common in every district where paddy is cultivated. A rice shortage is unavoidable. Rice was imported to control prices, but it will take months to arrive. According to Goonaratne people will have to starve during the coming Sinhala New Year. Even the imported rice will be not less than 140-150 rupees a kilo, he added.

This situation arose as there were no plans for organic cultivation. Organic cultivation could have been successful with a step-by-step plan and the lack of planning ruined the whole agricultural industry”

– K. B. Goonaratne, Former Director of the Department of Agriculture

Beans were cultivated in 7830 hectares in 2020 and the harvest was 82,973 MT. During the 2020/21 Maha season beans were cultivated in 4115 hectares and the harvest was 40184 MT. Even though beans were cultivated during the 2021 Yala season to a considerable extent, 2021/22 Maha season did not see sufficient bean production for local use. Potatoes were cultivated in 3565 hectares in 2020 with a production of 65085 MT of potatoes. Potatoes cultivated in 2124 hectares in 2021/21 Maha season produced 40008 MT and is not sufficient for local consumption at all. Therefore potatoes will have to be imported causing the price to go up, Goonaratne added.

Green chilies were cultivated in 6781 hectares in the previous Maha season with a harvest of 35752 MT. Green chilies can be cultivated easily in Sri Lanka, but because chili cultivation was impacted by fungal diseases the increase of price is unavoidable, he added.

The most recently released data of Department of Census and Statistics is for the year 2017 and accordingly the annual rice consumption per person is 89 kilos. 1,914,000 MT of rice have been consumed in 2017. The data also say that a person consumes eight kilograms of potatoes per year. 195,000 MT of corn are required for annual consumption. Chicken consumption is 199,000 MT per annum and is nine kilograms per person annually. 131,000 MT of eggs are required annually and a person consumes 6 kg per year. These data are for 2017 and when compared, the question arises whether it will be possible to fulfill the consumption requirements for 2022, underscored Goonaratne. A food crisis would begin in the first quarter of 2022 and the whole country would starve, he added.

There will be no food crisis at all. Rice is imported to control increasing prices. As this will cause injustice to farmers the paddy produced in the Maha season will be bought at 75 rupees a kilo. Even though this Maha season’s harvest has reduced by 40-50%, that will be sufficient for six months and there will be no rice shortage”

– Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Agricultural Minister

All Island Bakery Owners’ Association said they have been unable to maintain bakeries as finding the wheat required for daily use has been difficult. All Island Bakery Owners’ Association Chairman N. K. Jayawardena said that 2000 bakeries out of 7000 have stopped operations due to the shortage of wheat. Wheat issued to markets daily is not sufficient for bakery production. Consumers cannot eat bread as a substitute for rice. Importing wheat has been unthinkable due to dollar scarcity and this issue has occurred,” he added.

Agricultural Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage said recently that at the event of a food crisis, measures would be taken immediately to import items. However our efforts made to contact the Minister proved futile. But according to the announcement issued by the Ministerial Media Unit, the Agriculture Minister has said that even though the organic fertilizer project failed this season, that can be successfully launched during the Yala season and measures had been taken to import organic fertilizer as well as chemical fertilizer. There will be no food crisis at all. Rice is imported to control increasing prices. As this will cause injustice to farmers the paddy produced in the Maha season will be bought at 75 rupees a kilo. Even though this Maha season’s harvest has reduced by 40-50%, that will be sufficient for six months and there will be no rice shortage,” he added. 

Only a few people want the Chinese vessel containing fertilizer. They are trying to import fertilizer and are claiming that their money was wasted during the previous deal. If fertilizer does not meet the standards we will not allow them to be imported”

– Dr. Ajantha de Silva, Director General of Agricultural Department 

Attempts made to contact Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardena were also futile. A spokesperson of the Trade Ministry said that essential items stranded at port would be released when dollars are received. A food crisis will not be tolerated in the country. 400,000 MT of rice are to be imported and they will be distributed at fair prices through Sathosa,” he added.

The Government is attempting to import organic fertilizer for the next season and successfully carry out organic cultivation. Compensation has been paid for the fertilizer stock reported to contain harmful microbes. The fertilizer company issuing a statement said recently that a test conducted in Singapore had confirmed that harmful microbes were absent in the said stock. In such a backdrop, many people have focused their attention on the fertilizer vessel again to see if the Government is trying to purchase another organic fertilizer stock from the same Chinese company. If their fertilizer meets the standards there should be no issues But if someone is trying to bring back the same stock containing harmful bacteria, what actions will be taken with regards? People wonder whether the same stock will be brought back. 

Meanwhile State Minister for Agricultural Shashindra Rajapaksa said during a media briefing recently that the report on the Chinese fertilizer produced by the Department of Agriculture was suspicious. The report given in Singapore does not mention the presence of any harmful microbe and the Sri Lankan report on harmful microbes is therefore suspicious.” he added.

Wheat issued to markets daily is not sufficient for bakery production. Consumers cannot eat bread as a substitute for rice. Importing wheat has been unthinkable due to dollar scarcity and this issue has occurred”
-N. K. Jayawardena,
 All Island Bakery Owners’ Association Chairman

People do not believe in what Ministers say. Therefore the Daily Mirror contacted Director General of Agricultural Department Dr. Ajantha de Silva who said that samples should be sent prior to importing fertilizer. Only when samples pass the test and are proven to contain no harmful substances, are the vessel permitted to enter. Sending a vessel earlier without sending samples is of no use. Only a few people want the Chinese vessel containing fertilizer. They are trying to import fertilizer and are claiming that their money was wasted during the previous deal. If fertilizer does not meet the standards we will not allow them to be imported.

We cannot accept the tests done in Singapore. Those tests are different to ours. We cannot allow the importation of harmful fertilizer because of tests conducted elsewhere. Even if the Government accuses us, we are working in keeping with the law.” he added.

Courtesy Adaderana

Sri Lankan government today insisted that the recent travel advisory issued by Canada on the island nation contains flawed references to the economic and security situation in the country as well as inaccurate information with regard to the safety and security of female travelers and harassment of foreigners.

The Foreign Ministry, responding to the said travel advisory which was published on January 13, stressed that it is erroneous and has outdated information.

It does not reflect the actual situation in Sri Lanka, the statement read further.

In a bid to apprise the Canadian authorities of ground realizes, the Foreign Ministry noted that Sri Lanka has successfully overcome the immediate challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The island nation is now in a state of normalcy with all public service, corporate and business, and education activities functioning normally without interruption, in accordance with COVID-19 health and safety guidelines, it added.

The nationwide inoculation programme has been commended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and almost 90% of the eligible population has received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. A campaign has been launched to provide the booster dose to the population above 20 years of age.”

The Foreign Ministry stated that despite the pandemic, Sri Lanka has received several international accolades in the tourism industry including CNN’s Where to Travel in 2022”; the Global Wellness Institute; Conde Nast Traveler 2021 Reader’s Choice Awards as well as other endorsements received previously in 2019 by Lonely Planet and the National Geographic Travel.

The Sri Lankan government looks forward to more tourists visiting Sri Lanka from Canada and elsewhere with the gradual normalization of travel globally, the statement continued.

It is important to note that even though Sri Lanka’s economy has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the country is making every endeavor to reinvigorate its economy this year, through the implementation of prudent policies. Food security and law & order are the topmost priorities of the Government, and the availability of all essentials is considered as a vital part of the Government’s functions. As such high priority is given to ensuring that all essential items continue to be available to the public at all time and there are sufficient stocks of food items.”

The Foreign Ministry explained that with regard to the security situation, the Sri Lankan government maintains minimum presence of military in the North and the East to ensure security and stability in keeping with national security imperatives and this is similar to such presence elsewhere in the country.

There is no arbitrary arrest and detention of persons by the police or security forces.  Since the end of the terrorist conflict in 2009, security forces have conducted a comprehensive demining operation in the North and East, with technical support of several foreign governments and international agencies.  As at December 2014, 94% of the de-mining had been completed, while presently, the figure has risen to 98.7%.”

In response to the Canadian travel advisory’s warning that there is a threat of terrorism” and further attacks cannot be ruled out”, the Foreign Ministry said it is notable that since the election of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in November 2019 the Sri Lankan government has taken all necessary measures to ensure public safety and national security throughout the country, to prevent any resurgence of terrorism.

There has not been even a single terrorist-related incident in Sri Lanka, due to the enhanced vigilance and proactive measures taken by the relevant security authorities, the ministry pointed out.

Sri Lanka is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural country with a rich, cosmopolitan heritage where different communities have peacefully co-existed over centuries.  There is no civil unrest in the country. Sri Lanka has a long democratic tradition with strong institutions and a vibrant civil society.  Freedom of association and assembly are safeguarded with peaceful demonstrations occurring in Sri Lanka as in any other country where liberal democratic norms and traditions prevail.”

The police have allowed and continue to allow such peaceful demonstrations to take place unimpeded and these demonstrations do not in any way hinder the comfort, movement, safety or activities of tourists, the Foreign Ministry assured in its statement.

It also noted that special attention is being paid to the safety and security of female tourists with measures taken to strengthen the presence of police, including tourism police, island-wide in all regions. Under this programme, police presence is being increased in all popular tourist destinations of the country with greater presence of women police officers in police stations. Emergency numbers of tourist police regional units, local police, and other emergency units such as hospitals, are available online to be accessed by travelers to Sri Lanka, it explained.

Sri Lanka is an island nation with friendly people with a high level of education, knowledge of English and literacy, and incidents of harassment or violence against tourists or foreigners are extremely rare.”

Courtesy Adaderana

The daily count of COVID-19 cases recorded in Sri Lanka moved to 829 today (January 19), the Health Ministry said.

According to the Government Information Department, the newly-detected cases include 09 individuals who recently arrived on the island from overseas.

The latest development has brought the total number of confirmed cases of coronavirus reported in the country so far to 598,536.

As many as 568,637 recoveries have been confirmed in Sri Lanka since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

More than 14,600 active cases in total are currently under medical care and the death toll stands at 15,243, official figures showed.

The Director General of Health Services has confirmed another 12 coronavirus related deaths for January 18, pushing the country’s death toll due to the Covid-19 pandemic to 15,243. 

The deaths confirmed today include 05 males and 07 females while two victims are between the ages 30-59 years. The other 10 patients are aged 60 years and above. 

Author: Neil DeVotta, Wake Forest University Courtesy East Asia Forum

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s 2019 election manifesto promised ‘Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour’. Professionals for a Better Future (Viyathmaga) were to implement his programs, which would achieve successive years of economic fortune. But Rajapaksa will instead be remembered for presiding over Sri Lanka’s worst-ever year post-independence.

2021 was a year that millions will associate with lengthy queues to purchase sugar, milk powder, kerosene and cooking gas. This is because prices skyrocketed to hitherto unseen levels, thanks mainly to a severely indebted island lacking dollars to pay for essential imports. The year ended with around 1500 shipping containers comprising essential items stuck at port because the government had not released dollars to pay for them.

Inflation in December was 12.1 per cent, having risen from 9.9 per cent in November, with food prices having more than doubled in the past year. The government exacerbated inflation by printing money willy-nilly — as much as Rs 69,100 crore (US$3.4 billion) in 2021. With the focus on the dollar crisis, inflation, and food queues, what is not sufficiently covered concerns those going hungry.

The regime was also linked to various scams that worsened conditions. One such scam centred on the propane and butane ratio in cooking gas cylinders, which caused numerous household explosions and killed and injured individuals. Another centred on contaminated fertiliser from China, which the government was forced to return yet pay US$6.7 million for, apparently due to corrupt procurement. In a country now infamous for impunity, no one was held responsible for corruption or incompetence.

Sri Lanka’s foreign currency inflow has long depended on remittances, tourism and specific exports like garments and tea. The COVID-19 pandemic, which has now killed over 15,000 people, was bound to trouble these sectors. While the government oversaw a relatively successful vaccination program, unsustainable debts plus arrogant and fatuous decision making landed the country where it is.

The nearly three decades-long civil war contributed to these debts, but so did ‘blingfrastructure’ projects former president Mahinda Rajapaksa and his Chinese partners initiated. Consequently, Sri Lanka must cough up around US$7 billion in 2022 to various creditors to service its debts, which between now and 2026 will amount to around US$26 billion. The possibility that Sri Lanka may, for the very first time, default on its obligations is the reason Fitch Ratings downgraded it in December. The move raised predictable government hackles, but it reflects the balance of payments crisis facing the island. While COVID-19 exacerbated the balance of payments crisis, debt financing was a pre-COVID-19 predicament.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s decision in April to ban chemical fertiliser was related to this dilemma. Doing so would eliminate US$400 million per year of government fertiliser subsidies. Vistas of Prosperity and Splendor promised an organic agricultural sector within ten years, but this hastily imposed policy negatively impacted farmers. They have since protested unceasingly against the government, joining teachers and others who are also demanding higher wages given the runaway cost of living. It now seems the rice shortage caused by the addle-brained decision to abruptly ban chemical fertiliser, weedicides, and herbicides will likely cost the government US$450 million in rice imports over the next few months.

Rajapaksa’s authoritarian reputation and Sinhalese Buddhist credentials made Tamils and Muslims fear for their future. The continued militarisation of the predominantly Tamil northeast and the ban against burials for those who died from COVID-19 — a policy that especially traumatised Muslims — confirmed their fears. Rajapaksa’s unwillingness to fully investigate the 2019 Easter Sunday Islamist bombings that killed around 270 people, allegedly because forces close to him helped orchestrate the event to promote his election prospects, has also estranged the Christians who voted for him in large numbers.

This and his attentiveness to Buddhist interests aside, the country has thus far not experienced anti-minority violence. Indeed, the difficulties stemming from COVID-19 may have tamed the regime’s rabid majoritarianism. But this was not enough for Sri Lanka to be invited to US President Joe Biden’s Summit for Democracy. Some think cosying up to China, especially under presidents Mahinda and Gotabaya Rajapaksa, was the reason why. In any case, the pro-China tilt took place amid rampant corruption, increased authoritarianism and an unwillingness to account for human rights violations — major themes undergirding the democracy summit.

The Rajapaksa government is slated to announce a new constitution, which will further strengthen the island’s Sinhalese Buddhist character and presidential powers. The government and its allies command a two-thirds parliamentary majority, but today even cabinet ministers excoriate the regime while allies threaten to desert it. At the same time, Rajapaksa effigies are hit during protests and family members are booed in public.

Even government officials now warn of impending food shortages. Overall, the country’s multiple crises cannot be addressed unless the economy is restructured and embraces a more pluralist climate. Those with vested interests, including the Rajapaksa family, find this threatening. Hopelessness is why some ask the military to take over.

Sri Lanka’s military enjoys status and resources, with many retired and serving officers currently benefitting from sinecures. It is unlikely these individuals want to undermine their positions by taking on a debilitated state. They are more likely to further militarisation under Rajapaksa rule, which does not bode well for democracy.

The Rajapaksa family wants to stay in power and build a political dynasty. Their corrupt governance is a major reason for the island’s recent democratic backsliding. On the other hand, various anti-government protests highlight the island’s democratic resilience. This simultaneous fortitude and retreat notwithstanding, the year ahead may see Sri Lanka mired in violence and militarised autocracy. If so, it will be another year of disasters.

Neil DeVotta is a Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Wake Forest University.

By Garvin Karunaratne

President Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda have stated that two years were lost, but the promise of a glorious country will be achieved in the three years that remain. Can we re assert the economy of our country within three years?

Having served in the Administrative Service of Sri Lanka where one gets posted to different positions very often for a year or two and having worked as a foreign consultant for two years terms, I have been charged to show quick results and my frank answer is that three years is enough to bring about development. However we have to work fast and steady.

Once in 2019 I was on the way from Batticaloa to Polonnaruwa when I suddenly saw a Board Valachenai Paper Mill. I was enticed to turn in as I had stayed there in its Circuit Bungalow many a time on my circuits in the Sixties. I went upto the gates and gazed at the buildings overgrown with trees and creepers and wondered what a calamity. On my next visit to the east in August 2020 I heard that the mill was being resurrected by the Paper Corporation and the Army. In a few months the papers splashed that the mill was in action turning out paper. It was a miracle done so fast- within a year accomplished by the Gotabhaya administration. Resurrecting the Valachenai Mill within one year tells me that three years is enough.

To start with we have to see the end of queues for essentials. Get back to the days of Dudley and Sirimavo before 1974, when every dollar that came in was carefully collected and allocated for importing essentials- not a dollar for foreign study – essentials first and a small allocation for fridges and other useful supplies. . I was then in charge of allocating imports for small industrialists and they were provided with enough dollars to import essential supplies for their production, so I speak from sheer experience. That is a foolproof blue print to follow.

Let me also delve into the depths of what officers known to me have achieved within two to three years. That will provide the answer. This is not hearsay, not economic projections, instead it is what our officers actually did achieve. Mind you, they were tough, never taking No for an answer.

I can relive my working in Anuradhapura in the early Sixties when celebrity Nissanka Wijeyratne was the Government Agent and directed the building up of the New Town – it was a colossal task, moving an entire town from the precincts of the Sri Maha Bodhi and Ruwanweliseya to the New Town, constructing buildings, ordering companies to move, pulling down buildings all done with precision within some three years. He gave a hearing to all protests, but was very firm and today we enjoy the sacred city. It is a great achievement.

Let us remember the Gal Oya Development Programme where a very large tank, over three times the size of Parakrama Samudra was built from scratch, 60,000 hectares were brought under paddy, a tile factory, rice mill, sugar factory, a 10MW power plant, 30,000 families moved in and an entire District – Amparai was created, construction work done within some three years- 1950-1953.,

The Divisional Development Councils Programme of 1970-1977, comes to my mind. It was the largest employment creation programme our country ever implemented. That was the programme which DrNMPerera said would fulfil the aspirations of thousands of young men and women for whom life will lose all meaning unless they can find a useful place in our society.”(Budget Speech, 1970.) The Government head hunted the most eminent economist of the time, Professor H A de S Gunasekera and made him the Permanent Secretary of a new Ministry, created directly under the Prime Minister, provided with ample funds and even a helicopter was allowed for his travel to get the programme moving. The Government Agents were entrusted with the implementation.

The achievement of this programme is commendable:

By 1972, the DDCP was implemented islandwide. By 1973, 590 Councils were fully established and these councils had submitted 1900 project proposals of which 900 projects were approved and special allocations of funds were made for their implementation… These projects comprised 341 agricultural projects, 512 industrial projects and 47 infrastructural projects. Nearly 2000 acres were brought under cultivation, 68 poultry projects and these enabled 7904 youths to find employment….over 1971-1976 Rs 127 million was spent and 33,271 jobs were created.” (From: Papers on the Economic Development of Sri Lanka:Godages, 2012)

The aim of the programme was to bring about employment to 100,000 youths in the first year. Why the low achievement? Apart from some deficiencies in the programme one of the main causes was the JVP insurrection of 1971 which controlled the hinterlands for over a month with kangaroo courts and instilled fear and terror. Estate owners, rice millers etc. who invested and created development in rural areas migrated to the cities, instead of developing their land they sent children overseas and even today five decades later officers on circuit are scared; some owners have never sighted their estates.

Many are the achievements of the DDCP. Special mention is worth of the Paper making industry at Kotmale entirely accomplished by the Divisional Secretary. It was based on waste paper and it will be of interest to note that today we do not make any paper with our waste paper. Instead we collect waste paper and cardboard in Colombo and ship it to India- some 8,000 tons per month and earn some 4 to 5 million rupees a year. The waste paper we send to India is processed into paper and cardboard which we buy for treble that price- that is unfortunately, our economic accumen for the last few decades! We import everything that we did make earlier.

Under the DDCP there were agricultural projects in every district. In the Baddegama Divisional Area, the Divisional Secretary Wilson Perera, in addition to his normal duties, built up a a cooperative farm with 60 youths- they took over an neglected estate and established 40 acres of tea,112 acres of rubber and 50 acres of paddy, and a small industry making high quality forks, mammoties and spades-all done within three years-1973-1976.

I served in Matara only for two years and perhaps what was done within my two years may be useful to think whether something worthwhile can be done within the three remaining years of the Gotabhaya Presidency. Without mentioning the many small agricultural and industrial projects like in Baddegama, the main projects established were a Mechanized Boatyard at Matara. It was a cooperative making 40 foot seaworthy boats. It made around thirty five inboard motor boats a year, all done by youths trained on the job. These boats were sold to fishermen’s cooperatives and plied on the high seas fishing, increasing the fishing catch. It may be of interest to note that this boatyard was established within two months, including the building to house it, the machinery bought and fixed and brought to the production stage. This was ably handled by Development Assistant Kumarasiri and Divisional Secretary the late Ran Ariyadasa.

The Councils suggested many special projects- to make water colours, to increase milk production and establish a creamery making butter and cheese and I vehemently pursued, but Ministry approvals were not forthcoming. The Ministry sang praises of the Boatyard and was highly satisfied. I and my stalwart officers were not to be outdone. I had worked as a Deputy Director of Small Industries and working with some twenty Inspectors of Industries and with eternal inspections I had a good knowledge of industries. What I knew of making water colours was fed to our Planning Officer who was a chemistry grad and he, closeted in the Rahula College science lab, aided by the science teachers, for three months from 6 pm to midnight found the art of making crayons. Then we wanted it to be established as a cooperative. Sumanapala Dahanayake the Member of Parliament for Deniyaya happened to be the President of the Morawak Korale Coop Union and I directed him to establish a factory producing crayons using cooperative union funds. He willingly agreed and the katcheri stalwarts- the Planning Officer Vetus Fernando, Development Assistant Palihakkara, District Land Officer, Chandra Silva and Divisional Secretary Wimalaratne moved to Morawaka where twenty youths were trained day and night for two weeks- it was a hand made crayon where every stick had to be crafted for quality. It was 24 hour operation till crayons were made, put into packets and two rooms filled. I was not expected to establish an industry without Ministry of Planning approval, so the operation was a secret and done at speed. Sumane and I took samples to the Minister of Industries Subasinghe, who was surprised at the quality and accepted the offer of opening up sales. With that approval our clandestine operation was declared safe.

Next we had to buy dyes in the open market at high prices. We were denied a foreign exchange allocation by the Ministry of Industries because we were a cooperative. We were lost. We heard that the Ministry of Imports was about to import crayons and Sumane and I moved in. We convinced Harry Guneratne the Controller of Imports that by giving us a small amount of foreign exchange to import dyes he could do away with all imports of crayons, saving foreign exchange. He was an immediate convert but as this had never been done earlier wanted us to get the approval of his Minister, Illangaratne. The Minister was surprised at the quality of the product. He not only gave approval but insisted that we should open a factory in his electorate at Kolonnawa. This illustrates how our industries save foreign exchange. This Crayon factory was developed to have island wide sales and became the flagship industry of the DDCP, all done by Sumanapala Dahanayake the member of parliament .

The first LESSON is that it was a chemistry grad with no experience that found the art of making crayons. A Crayon is a sophisticated product and the recipe for making Crayola crayons manufactured in USA is patented, worth millions and held locked up. If we could produce crayons there is no import product that we cannot produce. We have to get our chemistry graduates and science teachers on the job of finding methods of producing everything that is imported. Another LESSON is that the industry was established in two weeks working on a 24 hour basis. It is a forgone conclusion that we can produce everything we import if only approval is granted. We can thereby provide employment and income not to thousands but to hundreds of thousands only if we want to do it.

Another area is fruit juice and food preparations. In 2020 Cargils sold tomatoes sauce made in the USA, and fruit juice from Cyprus and Australia. Till 1954 Sri Lanka was importing all fruit juice and food preparations from Australia and other countries. The Marketing Department where I was working as an Assistant Commissioner established a Cannery in 1955 and by 1957 we were producing the country’s full requirements of tomatoe sauce, tomatoe juice, pineapple jam, juice and slices. We even built up exports in pineapple products. The Marketing Department fixed floor prices, i.e. prices at which all quantities offered will be purchased for red pumpkin which was turned into Golden Melon Jam , Ash Pumpkin which was turned into Silver Melon Jam and for pineapple. Producers, mainly chena cultivators made a windfall. All that was lost with the dictate of the IMF that we had to privatize the Cannery. Our fruit trees- mango and creepers- red pumpkin, ash pumpkin and melon are full of fruit, few buy them as food to eat and the rest go to waste. In the meantime the country buys jam, juice, tomatoe sauce etc. from foreign countries and pay with dollars. In 2020 we imported banana crisps from Vietnam, while we have a glut of banana in Godakawela and Rambukkana and it is a simple process to make banana crisps.

It is important to note that before Sri Lanka started following the IMF prescriptions of neoliberal economics in 1977 Sri Lanka produced all its textiles. This was done by 96,000 handlomers, many powerlooms and Textile Factories. The Department of Small Industries imported yarn and sold them to the units and the textiles manufactured were sold through LakSala, and cooperatives. The entire operation was guided by a specialist research and help unit called Velona sited at Moratuwa. As the Government Agent I was held responsible for powerlooms in Matara District and I may mention that the suiting done at Hakmana Powerloom was even on demand by Sri Lankans living in London. The specialist was Ranjith Wimalaratne, the Divisional Secretary, placed in charge of the Hakmana Powerloom. The textile industry has to be resurrected, Velona re established and this can provide employment for hundreds. This can easily be done in a year or two at most.

Let me further support this theory that we can create employment with details of what I did within two years in my consultancy as the Commonwealth Fund Advisor for youth development in Bangladesh. As usual there were fights in the Bangladesh Parliament and it did not meet for one year. The Army took over the country one night in a bloodless coup d’etat. In a few days the Minister for Labour and Manpower, Air Vice Marshall Aminul Islam held an evaluaton of all programms of youth development and training and expressed dissatisfaction. Identifying me as an outsider he inquired who I was. Being told that I was the Advisor from the Commonwealth Fund, he ordered me; What can you contribute for Bangladesh?” I replied that though the Ministry of Youth, trained 40,000 youths a year in various vocations most of the trained continue to be unemployed and it would be ideal to establish a Programme of Employment Creation to guide the trainees to become self employed. The Secretary to the Treasury, the Head of the Public Service, the highest official in Bangladesh, objected stating that the ILO failed to create a self employment programme in Tangail, Bangladesh and the country had lost a massive amount of money and will not have another failure. He contested my ability and insisted that I will fail because the ILO in their attempt had brought experts from all over the world and yet failed. The serious arguments between both of us went on for over two hours, till the Minister ordered us to stop, said that I have convinced him and ordered me to establish a Youth Self Employment Programme and added that he will come personally to inspect progress. The Secretary to the Treasury immediately said that the Government will not provide any funds to which I replied that I needed no new funds, but asked for approval to find savings in approved budgets and re-write the remits of officers to create the self employment programme. The Minister approved my request.

I commenced work the next morning training all youth directors and lecturers of training institutes in economics and methods of guiding youths to establish employment ventures producing what the country needed to stave off imports, we organized a countrywide extension service to supervise enterprises established by the youths. My ideas were fully supported by the two Secretaries of the Ministry, Ayubur Rahaman and Asafuddowlah. I never had the occasion to ask for any thing twice and no one ever contested a word of what I said. I stared addressing the youths who were being trained in various vocations and guiding youths that established small ventures and by the end of my consultancy I with the youth officers and lecturers was guiding 2000 youths, many of them earning the salary level of a clerical officer in the government service within seventeen months.. After I left, the programme of youth self employment was directed by the Secretary to the Ministry and other officers all trained by me, and by 2011, the Government of Bangladesh reported to the IFAD(FAO) one of the funders that two million youths had established commercially viable enterprises. By now, 2022 over three million youths have established viable ventures. This Youth Self Employment Programme is today the leading employment creation programme the world has known.

Relating my experiences to the situation we face in Sri Lanka today.

Today Sri Lanka is faced with a shortage of foreign funds to import essentials and is also saddled with a massive foreign debt of $ 56 billion. The foreign debt is due to the fact that since 1977 the country was fooled by the IMF to follow its Structural Adjustment Programme which advised Sri lanka to use foreign exchange freely and find loans to meet the expenses. Before 1977 we managed with our incomes and in 1976 we had no foreign debt. The foreign debt of Sri Lanka grew from no debt in 1976 to $ 9 billion by 2000, $ 18 billion by 2009 $ 42.9 by the end of 2014,and to $ 56 billion today. Once our country accepted the IMF advice of living on loans, abolished the development infrastructure we had developed to get the public sector establishing development, it was purely a case of confining the public service to the barracks and living on loans. The foreign debt and the shortage of dollars today is absolutely not a creation by the present Government. It is the debt that has cumulated by following the advise of the IMF to close public sector development, free imports and live on loans.

However there has to be an end to this and Sri Lanka has the resources to commence becoming self reliant. The one and only method to do this is by establishing a massive employment creation programme to make everything that is being imported. If we could have found the method of making crayons equal to the Crayola crayons of today and established a crayon making factory all done within five months, with islandwide sales, we do hold the ability to produce all what we import.

It has to be a major programme for employment creation directed by the Government Agents and managed by the Divisional Secretaries. This Programme has to be directed by an Additional Secretary under the Prime Minister.

The aim is to have an employment creation- agricultural and industrial unit in every Divisional Area using resources available in the area. .

In 2000 I wanted to buy a step ladder and I could not find a step ladder made in Sri Lanka in all the shops at Nawala. We import easily over 80% of our step ladders from Singapore and Thailand. In the meantime we train annually thousands in metal work. The answer is simple- to get cracking with making the trained people produce what the country requires. In addition there are a host of resources to work on: wood shavings and saw dust to make timber, made in most countries and even by Damro , ceramic industries to make all cups and saucers- tableware, medicinal oil can be distilled and sold in foreign markets. We can make all ladders and wood and metal items in demand. Many quick crops can be planted and industries built up like Aloe Vira- to make perfumes-Pasikuda soils are ideal

Making Jam, Fruit Juice and Tomatoes Sauce

A decade ago I came across a distant relative of mine, a graduate in food technology who works as a clerical officer in a government department. He said that he would have been in food technology if he had the opportunity. Our trees will be full of mangoes in April and the chenas will be full of red pumpkin, ask pumpkin and melon by February.

The ANSWER is to import three small canneries and fix them in Tissamaharama, Naula and Anuradhapura, fix floor prices, buy all fruits-mangoes, red pumpkin, ash pumpkin, pineapple, avocadoes etc. and make jam, juice and sauce. We will not only save foreign exchange but also find employment for our unemployed. This is exactly what we did in the Marketing Department(MD). The MD even exported pineapple within three years. This is something that has to be done immediately. Send a food technician and an engineer from the Army Engineers to inspect small canneries in India or China and buy three . In the meantime get the sites with water and other facilities ready, get temporary buildings done and get the machinery fixed. Collect the produce, process them into juice, jam and market. It is a three months operation and that is the speed at which we did work at Matara in 1971. It is a challenge that can be taken on.

The cost of importing the three canneries can be recouped within the very first year of sales. Within three years we can make Sri Lanka self sufficient.

Many agricultural crops can be easily grown and self sufficiency achieved. Take Maize that grows in chenas. We were never self sufficient in maize. In 1963 when I was in charge of the Anuradhapura District paddy cultivation and had vibrant cultivation committees, I offered to make the country self sufficient in maize. I just had to get the cultivation committees to attend to maize in addition to paddy . This was not approved and even today five decades later we import Maize. Making Sri Lanka self sufficient in maize is a one years’ task. That is also true of potatoes and many other crops. Sorry to state that President Premadasa promoted all Agricultural Overseers the only trained agricultural officer at the village level to be Grama Niladharis in 1992 and till today- three decades have gone by without any trained agricultural officer at the village level. The problem is that the Ministry of Agriculture itself does not realize that it is a monster that has no legs to stand on.

Sri Lanka in the Seventies and Eighties was producing around half our requirements of Paper and Cardboard. The Gotabhaya Government has been able to repair the machinery at Valachenai Paper Mill and it is functioning now. In Mahawillachchiya there is plenty of ILLUK grass that can also be used to make paper. It is suggested that a few small scale Paper making machines be imported from India or China and set up in the colony areas of Polonnaruwa, Anuradhapura, Mahawillachciya and Amparai to make paper out of straw and illuk. The cost of importing the paper making machinery can easily be recouped within the very first year. It is suggested that an expert from the Paper Corporation and an engineer from the Army should be immediately sent either to China or India to identify small scale paper making machines and select the four machines that have to be imported. I am certain that these paper making industries can easily be established within six months in colony areas using straw and illuk, and could be in production within a year.

We import a lot of perfumes. Perfumes are made out of flowers and I have trailed behind lorries of flowers in South France. We have problems in disposing the flowers at Anuradhapura temples and the Dalada Maligawa in Kandy. Import two small distilleries and get cracking on making perfumes.

Finally the question of finance. In the DDCP easily ninety percent of the work was done by officers in addition to their duties. All officers and payments for setting up industries and agricultural farms, payment of stipends to youths till production and sales are realized etc was all in local Rupees. Foreign exchange- dollars are required only for the import of Canning and Paper making machinery and

the amount spent can easily be recouped within the first year of operation. May I mention that the Youth Self Employment Programme of Bangladesh, which is today the largest employment creation programme the world has known was entirely implemented with savings from approved budgets in the first four years. .

A major programme has to be established and implemented islandwide, directed by the Government Agents and by the Divisional Secretaries using the staff under them. The suggestions of the individual projects suggested by me earlier in this paper can be within this major programme. The Divisional Secretaries know their areas and the resources available and with his staff should come up with ideas of developing industries which will be further developed upon by the district staff comprising the Assistant Director of Small Industries and the Assistant Director of Planning in the District, with inputs from the various Ministries. They will have to obtain support from the Industrial Development Board and such organizations and draft feasible reports for approval by the Ministry.

May I suggest that a cadre of specialists is approved with a higher salary scale than agricultural instructors and science teachers in schools for drafting and implementing projects. I am aiming at agricultural instructors as they hold the ability and training to attend to agriculture and livestock development projects while I am suggesting science teachers because they do have the background to experiment and bring about industrial development. In the crayon and batik industry in Matara in 1971, the science teachers played an important role.

Wind Turbines to turn out power. Today we do not have the dollars to import crude oil and coal to make power, but all this while the winds howl and force their way through our hills. Our current wind power programme is based on using the coastal breeze. The areas where wind power is really available is in the hills but the Environmental Ministry has ruled that no wind turbines should be established in the hill country. Countries like the USA and Spain who are leaders in wind turbines today have their wind turbines on the hills and not by the coast. I know this for certain as I have often travelled there. I would suggest that wind turbines should be installed at Hunnasgiriya, Madugoda and Ramboda. In the USA some 5000 wind turbines are sited at Altamont Pass and I have passed by that site several times. At Ramboda and Hunnasgiriya one can easily locate a few Altamont Passes as there is wind power with sheer force at many spots in these two areas. My book: Wind Energy For Sri Lanka’s Power Requirements(2019) proves that we can easily produce all our power requirements within a few years.

May I suggest that the Engineering Section of the Army be entrusted with this task. At Avukana I have seen the tall concrete columns built by the Army Engineers holding a canopy above the statue. . May I suggest that same unit be called upon to design and build the wind turbine towers and wings. Only the turbine has to be imported. That too can be made if Jinasenas, the makers of Jinasena Pumps are requested. The columns and wings are all made of concrete and in the USA and Spain this is a major source of employment for the people. I have seen many small units at work making and repairing them. I am told that our grid capacity is a problem. We can site the wind turbines at places where the grid has capacity May I suggest that our Army Engineers may be put on this task. In the USA the US Army Engineers attend to many civilian tasks, like day and night maintaining the levees built in New Orleans to save the city which is below the sea level. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge tunnel, 17 miles long was done by the Army. On the Columubia River the McNary Dam done by the US Army creates 950 MW.

What I state may not be believed by many. May I suggest that the officers whom I have named be summoned by the President or the Prime Minister and they will further substantiate the details of work accomplished.

I am dead certain that we can build Sri Lanka from scratch within three years.

Garvin Karunaratne 16/1/2022

Ph.D. Michigan State University 12/1/2022 garvin_karunaratne@hotmail.com

Author of:

Microenterprise Development…The Way Out of the World Bank and IMF Stranglehold(Sarasavi:1997)

How the IMF Ruined Sri Lanka & Alternative Programmes of Success(Godages:2006)

How the IMF Sabotaged Third World Development(Godages/Kindle:2017)

Papers on the Economic Development of Sri Lanka(Godages, 2012)

Resource Papers in support of the facts in this Paper:

New Initiatives in the Economic Field: A Progressive Move” (LankaWeb: 27/1/2018

(www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2018/01/27/new-initiatives-in-the)

How the Army of the USA is used for development work” (Lankaweb:6/8/2010)

(www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2010/08/06/how-the-army-of-the-usa-is-used-to)

“Learning from the Past: The Divisional Development Councils Programme Offers hope for our Economic Woes”,Lankaweb, January 1st, 2022

“Mahawillachchiya Illuk to alleviate poverty and also to save foreign exchange”

Lankaweb, September 23rd, 2020

“Laya Waves: A Cosy Holiday for now: A Catalyst for Future Development”

Lankaweb, August 15th, 2020

“A Perfume Making Industry at Anuradhapura and Kandy”Lankaweb, November 29th, 2019

“Lessons from The Youth Self Employment Programme of Bangladesh”

Lankaweb, January 7th, 2020¹

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Courtesy NewsIn.Asia

Colombo, January 18 (newsin.asia): India on Tuesday extended a US$ 500 million  credit to Sri Lanka for emergency purchase of petroleum products. In a tweet, the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka tweeted to say that a friend holds out a helping hand again.”

Energizing bilateral economic partnership, India offers a credit line of USD 500 million to Sri Lanka for the purchase of petroleum products. Critical support by India follows a discussion between External Affairs Minister Dr.S.Jaishankar and (Lankan) Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa,” the tweet added.

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This followed an assurance made by Jaishankar to his Lankan counterpart, G.L. Peiris on January 15.

After an on-line meeting with Basil Rajapaksa on January 15, Jaishankar had tweeted to say that they had positively noted the extension of the USD 400 million swap facility and the deferred ACU (Asian Currency Union) settlement of USD 515.2 million. They discussed the early realization of USD 1 billion term loan facility for essential commodities and of USD 500 million Line of Credit for fuel purchase.”

READ: India steps up critical support to Sri Lanka for fuel

Jaishankar assured that India will take up with other international partners, initiatives to support Sri Lanka at this important juncture. He welcomed the progress on the Trincomalee Tank Farm which will contribute to Sri Lanka’s energy security.

The Indian External Affairs Minister also said that he and Basil Rajapaksa had considered projects and investment plans by India that would strengthen Sri Lankan economy. He reaffirmed that India will be a steadfast and reliable partner of Sri Lanka.”

Adding to this, the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka said that India would seek an early operationalization of the Line of Credit” as it will help realize one of the four pillars of economic cooperation identified during the visit of Hon’ble Minister of Finance, Mr. Basil Rajapaksa to India in December 2021.”

READ: Indian Oil Corporation turns down request for fuel supply to Ceylon Electricity Board

Power Cuts

According to the website ECONOMYNEXT, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) is in talks with the Finance Ministry, the Central Bank and the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation to get fuel and foreign exchange. Power Minister Gamini Lokuge said this amid looming prospects of 2.5 hour power cuts on January 19.

The CEB is expected to run out of diesel for a combined cycle plant and several reciprocal engines and gas turbine with a total capacity of around 280 MW by January 19, unless fresh deliveries are made, according to officials at the utility. CEB Spokesperson, Andrew Navamani, said Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) has promised to give 900 metric tons of Furnace oil, which they hope to use on Wednesday to avoid power cuts.

READ: Wealth of India’s 10 richest enough to fund school, higher education of every child for 25 years: Study

Rolling 1.5 hour power cuts are likely to start in the daytime from 11.00 am and run until 17.00 hours in four slots if deliveries are not made. One hour power cuts are likely to start at 1730 hours and run till 2130 hours.

The CEB is facing higher demand for diesel than earlier planned because a 300MW coal plant is down. Meanwhile, the local media reported that the Lanka Indian Oil Corporation had told the authorities that it could not supply diesel to meet the emergency need because its stocks were inadequate.

President Highlights Forex Problem

The most serious challenge we face today in economic management is the foreign exchange problem,” President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said delivering a policy speech to a new session of parliament on Tuesday.

Sri Lanka’s currency crises in the past have come from outright deficit finance, re-finance of rural credit, output gap targeting. But with commercial debt with large bullet repayments coming up for maturity which cannot be rolled over, Sri Lanka is facing a debt problem.

When I took over the country in 2019, the country’s foreign exchange reserves were only US $ 7.2 billion. Part of it was short-term loans We had realized that under these circumstances if we fail to control our spending, there will be a foreign exchange problem in the near future. That is why we had to take unpopular decisions such as suspending the import of vehicles and restricting the import of various non-essential imported goods. In this manner, we have been able to control the total import expenditure for the last two years,” the President said.

Sri Lanka’s imports are estimated to have soared to 21.5 billion US dollars in 2021, a three year high as money flowed into areas other than vehicles and controlled items.

President Gotabaya said he expected tourism revenues to grow, and effort will also be made to boost information technology exports.

He said renewable power is being promoted and electric vehicles will be encouraged instead of fuel driven ones.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka has paid off a 500 million US dollar sovereign bond that fell due on January 2021, according to the Central Bank Governor Nivard Cabaal.

Sri Lanka’s credit had been downgraded to ‘CCC’ and ‘CC’ by Standard and Poor’s and Fitch over risks of default.

Courtesy NewsIn.Asia

Colombo, January 18:  The Buddhist festival Duruthu Poya was celebrated on January 17, the first full moon in January. It marked the first visit of the Buddha to Sri Lanka.

This is a key religious and historic date in the calendar for Sri Lankan Buddhists as it marks Gautama Buddha’s first visit to Sri Lanka in the ninth month after attaining Enlightenment.

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The Buddha first visited Mahiyanganaya in the Uva Province of Sri Lanka about 2,500 years ago. According to the ancient texts of Sri Lanka, the Mahavansa and Dipavansa, the Buddha visited to bring an end to fighting between the two main tribes on the island.

READ: How many visited the Port City Marina Promenade in one week?

During his visit, the Buddha delivered sermons to the tribes. After listening to the sermons, the tribes gave up fighting with each other and started to respect each other.

Impressed by the sermons, the local God Sumana Saman invited the Buddha to leave his sacred footprint on the peak of the Samanala Mountain. Duruthu poya marks the beginning of the three-month pilgrimage season to Samanala Mountain to worship the footprint of the Buddha.

The impression of the footprint is sacred to other religions also. In the Hindu tradition, it is thought to be the footprint of Shiva and some Christians think it is the footprint of Adam, which is why the mountain is also called ‘Adam’s Peak’.

The poya is also celebrated with a spectacular procession (Perahera) at the Raja Maha Vihara, a Buddhist temple in Kelaniya, about seven miles from Colombo. Taking place on the pre-full moon poya day and attracting thousands of spectators, the Perahera involves dancers and animals and can take over two hours to pass by. In some years, there are two full moons in January. In such years (2018 was the most recent example), the second full moon Poya is known as Adhi (Sinhalese: half) Duruthu Poya.

While China waits for a Hambantota Port-like ‘takeover’ of Colombo port city, India has responded with great alacrity to Sri Lanka’s financial needs.

Days after Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi returned home from his trip to a handful of Indian Ocean countries, including Sri Lanka, New Delhi eased Colombo from its stressful economic situation by extending a $912 million loan as well as another $1.5 billion for two credit lines involving the purchase of food and fuel from India.

Simply put, the prolonged Covid crisis has deeply affected Sri Lanka’s tourist-dependent economy and for some time the island nation has been staring at a default. On the one hand, China has inveigled itself into the country’s primary donor space by lending money to develop high-profile projects like the Hambantota Port in the south and a brand new Colombo port city on reclaimed land.

Building these trophy projects with Chinese help is expected to catapult Sri Lanka into a brave new world a few decades from now. But for the time being, Colombo is struggling with embarrassingly high debt, which it has asked Beijing to help restructure.

For now, China has ignored the request. It may be one reason for the Rajapaksa brothers who run Sri Lanka – President Gotabaya, Prime Minister Mahinda, finance minister Basil, and irrigation & water resources minister Chamal – to believe that it might be time to diversify their foreign interests and not put all their hoppers into the Chinese basket.

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Also read: India-led Quad can rescue Sri Lanka from its ‘Made in China’ crisis. But timing is key

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Re-enter India

Earlier this month, after 24 years of discussion — the matter was first brought up during the I987 Indo-Sri Lanka Accord discussions between Rajiv Gandhi and J.R. Jayewardene — the Rajapaksa Cabinet cleared the proposal for India and Sri Lanka to jointly develop the Trincomalee oil tank project in eastern Sri Lanka.

This envisages Indian Oil Company’s subsidiary Lanka IOC to run 14 of the 99 oil tanks, Ceylon Petroleum Corporation will run 24, while a joint venture between the two, called the Trinco Petroleum Terminal Pvt Ltd will run the remaining 61 oil tanks — CPC owning 51% stake and Lanka IOC owning the remaining 49%. The joint venture is scheduled to last for 50 years.

The two credit lines for food and fuel, worth $1.5 billion and $912 million loan were announced on Saturday when External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar spoke to finance minister Basil Rajapaksa.

Certainly, India’s help will give Sri Lanka a temporary reprieve. In December 2021, the international ratings agency Fitch downgraded Sri Lanka from CCC to CC”. Nothing that the People’s Bank of Sri Lanka said made any difference to Fitch – including the promise of an impending swap facility of $1.5 billion promised by China at the end of December (it took place). Shortly before Fitch, an unmoved Standard & Poor’s had lowered Sri Lanka’s ratings from CCC+ to CCC” citing greater sovereign default risk.

Wang Yi’s visit hardly lit up the skies in Colombo. Further requests to restructure debt were ignored — Sri Lanka has run up an external debt of more than $45 billion — about 60% per cent of its nominal GDP (2020) compared to India’s around 20% and Pakistan’s 40%. Sri Lanka owes at least $8 billion to China alone.

China sent a consignment of sugar to Sri Lanka upon Wang Yi’s return, perhaps to sweeten the demand that Colombo should sign a free trade agreement (FTA) with it – Colombo has studiously ignored the demand.

Meanwhile, in November 2021, Basil Rajapaksa had flown to Delhi. Jaishankar promised to help and presented him with a four-pillar” package — including welcoming Indian investments and accepting credit lines for Indian goods. The Trinco oil farms project constituted a large part of the discussion.

So, as the new year dawns, the question is, what’s going on in India-Sri Lanka-China relations? Certainly, New Delhi is keenly aware that the Chinese have been sitting on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Himalayas and show no signs of going back anytime soon.

In the Indian Ocean, meanwhile, there has been creditable effort in clawing back influence, especially in the wake of the Rajapaksa brothers handing over the East Container Terminal of the Colombo port to the Chinese — union workers had supposedly fussed about the India-Japan-Sri Lanka venture that had sought to manage it.

Instead, the Rajapaksas have sought to mollify India by allowing it to run the West Container Terminal in Colombo port — the Adanis have won that particular contract. Clearing the Trinco oil farm project is icing on the cake.

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Also read: How Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan puts China in $282 billion creditor trap

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Charm of Chinese money on wane

At the start of the pandemic two years ago, PM Mahinda Rajapaksa had chanted prayers to alleviate the suffering of the Chinese people. Today, questions are being asked about Sri Lanka’s Chinese debt trap.” And whether India, a much poorer neighbour in comparison, could offer more sustainable alternatives.

Perhaps the charm of the Chinese developing the Hambantota Port and the nearby Mattala airport, in Mahinda Rajapaksa’s own constituency, may be finally fading. (When Sri Lanka couldn’t pay back its annual EMI on the Chinese loan, it was forced to lease the port over to the state-owned China Merchants agency for 99 years.)

Perhaps the Sri Lankans are beginning to realise that something similar is afoot in the Colombo port city — that a $1.4 billion investment by China Harbour Engineering Company to reclaim 660 acres (2.4 sq km) of land there has meant that the Chinese firm gets 43% of the project on a 99-year lease.

Naturally, the Chinese are pooh-poohing any real estate takeover predictions. China’s ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong has, in fact, said that $15 billion of FDI in the new port city are on the cards.

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Also read: Why it’s impossible for Beijing to become the master of East Asia

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India’s pushback

But the fact that India is responding with such alacrity to Sri Lanka’s financial needs demonstrates a greater mutual understanding between the Rajapaksas and the Narendra Modi government. Significantly, New Delhi is not attacking Colombo over its growing dependence on China with a ferocity usually reserved for nations like Pakistan.

Still, the Sri Lankans are likely evaluating their own future investments. They realise that poor nations like the Republic of Djibouti, Laos, Zambia, and Kyrgyzstan have debts to China amounting to 20% of their GDP. And that according to AidData, another 40 small and medium-sized nations have at least a 10% exposure, including hidden debt.”

Do the Rajapaksas finally realise the long game that the Chinese are playing? Were words exchanged between them and Wang Yi during his recent visit? Perhaps that’s why Beijing refused to reschedule any of Sri Lanka’s debt.

Whatever the reality, one thing is clear: The first glimmer of a pushback against China in a debt-ridden South Asian nation may have begun.

Jyoti Malhotra is a senior consulting editor at ThePrint. She tweets @jomalhotra. Views are personal.

Dr. C. S. Weeraratna Courtesy The Island

Farmers protesting against the prevailing fertiliser shortage. (file photo)

The importation of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides was banned by a Cabinet Memorandum, dated April 27, 2021, to promote the use of organic fertilizers and natural pesticides. As a result, inorganic fertilisers such as urea, Triple superphosphate, Muriate of Potash and other agrochemicals (insecticides, fungicides etc.) became scarce. Agriculture Ministry in the meantime promoted manufacture of organic fertilisers (OF) but they were unable to get sufficient amounts of organic fertilisers manufactured. Most of what was available were of low quality with high C/N ratios. Agric. The Ministry is yet to produce natural insecticides, fungicides, etc. Thousands of farmers, all over the country, started to protest demanding that inorganic fertilisers and appropriate pesticides are made available, because they knew that these agrochemicals are necessary to get better yields from the crops they cultivate. The Soil Science Society of Sri Lanka, representing mostly the Soil Scientists and Agronomists of Sri Lanka, and the Sri Lanka Agricultural Economics Association, the professional body representing the agricultural economists of Sri Lanka predicted massive economic losses due to potential yield losses, with the implementation of the import ban on fertilisers and pesticides

In spite of all these protests, the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) continued to ban import of inorganic fertilisers and pesticides, This caused immense economic and social problems to the people in general and to the farmers in particular. Farmers who cultivated Paddy in the current Maha complain of a reduction in the yields, and those who cultivated vegetables and other crops had to bear up a substantial decrease in quantity and quality of their produce. Production of maize decreased, resulting in a drop in poultry feed.

Reduction in local rice production made the government importing large quantities of rice from China and Burma. Food prices have increased causing thousands of people mainly the poor, going hungry resulting, health and social problems. Incomes of nearly two million farmers got reduced which affected their buying capacity resulting in numerous undesirable effects such as increasing unemployment, poverty and related issues. Tea small holders complained of reduction in quantity and quality of tea affecting their income, and also a decline on foreign exchange earnings which those in the Finance Ministry, Central Bank and other relevant institutions are frantically searching. All these are the result of the ban of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides, a faulty decision.

In August, the Cabinet removed the ban probably realising the utter foolishness of the decision to ban import of inorganic fertilisers and pesticides. However, it is too late as it takes time to import fertilisers and other agrochemical which were in short supply due to the ban.

The main reason given for banning importation of inorganic fertilisers was that it caused chronic kidney disease with unknown aetiology (CKDU). Several research studies have been conducted since the year 2000, when it was reported to occur in some parts of the country. The findings of these studies do not indicate that there is any relationship between CKDU and fertilisers. CKDU has not been reported in many countries such as China (393 kg/ha) India (175 kg/ha) and United Kingdom (245 kg/ha) where the amount of fertilisers used per hectare is much larger than that of Sri Lanka (138 kg/ha). Note- the fertiliser consumption data given are for 2018 and are based on values given by Food and Agriculture Organization.

The growth rate of Sri Lanka has declined after 2015 . It dwindled to 4.5% in 2016 and 3.1% in 2017 and in 2020 it was -3.6 %. The Trade Deficit ( the difference between exports and imports- TD) shows a decrease but at present it stands at 6.1 US$ billion. Exchange rate continued to increase from Rs. 111 to a US $ in 2010 to Rs, 186 in 2020. Currently it is around Rs. 200. According to Central Bank, External Debt in Sri Lanka increased to 51117.43 USD Million in the third quarter of 2021. These figures indicate that Sri Lanka is heading towards an unprecedented economic crisis. Hence, the government need to implement appropriate strategies to increase exports and reduce imports.

Sri Lanka annually imports food worth Rs. 300 billion. Most of the food imported such as sugar, milk food, lentils, onion, maize, etc., involving around Rs. 200 billion can be locally produced, thereby reducing expenditure on food imports. In view of the current shortage of foreign exchange, it has become extremely important to promote the production of food locally which hitherto have been imported. The plantation sector, which includes tea, rubber, coconut, cashew, sugarcane and minor exports crops such as cinnamon, cardamom, cocoa ,plays a very important role in the economy of the country earning a substantial amount of foreign exchange, Hence, it is important to implement strategies to increase the productivity of the food crop and plantation crops sectors. Inorganic fertilisers, synthetic pesticides and herbicides play a very important role in this regard.

However, the Government is emphasizing that organic fertilisers (OF) are used in the coming yala season as well . Those in the government who made this faulty decision need to realise that OF can never replace inorganic fertilisers and that it can only be supplementary. They need to give serious consideration to the bitter experience of the farmers who applied OF to their crops during the current Maha. The Government needs to understand this fact and reconsider this faulty decision if they want to increase local food and export crop production.

In the year 2022, there will be a severe shortage of food negatively affecting food security, unless the government implements a realistic and effective programme from the beginning of 2022 to solve this issue. Implementation of foolish decisions such as to replace inorganic fertilisers with organic fertilisers, as done in 2021 is not going to solve this problem. Among the 17, he Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015, several are related to increase crop production. The Sustainable Development Council of Sri Lanka has a responsibility for coordination, facilitation, monitoring, evaluation and reporting on the implementation of strategies related to development of the agriculture sector in Sri Lanka.

As indicated by Edgar Perera, a former Director of the Dept. of Agricultural Development (Ref. The Island of 17 Jan, 2022) the most appropriate thing to be done is to use OF as a soil re-conditioner along with chemical fertilisers, which will give the much-needed plant nutrients in adequate quantities, to achieve the required yield levels which will be sufficient to meet the national targets.

Dr. C. S. Weeraratna

csweera@sltnet.lk

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

• Farmers who use complete organic fertilizer for their crops are very rare in Sri Lanka
• Before this ban, the cost of fertilizer was about Rs.3,000 and now it’s Rs.9,000
• If our food security is under threat, that becomes a national security issue
• Agriculture should be changed into a situation where the farmers have ownership and protection of what is theirs 
• It’s the people living in urban areas who should be more concerned than the farmers
• There’s no quality assurance process or regulations for these fertilizers made within the country, therefore they won’t contribute much for the crop production

In order to become the first country to practice organic only agriculture, the cabinet of Sri Lanka on April 29, 2021 approved a ban on importation of chemical fertilizers and other agro chemicals. The intention of this is to ensure the health of the people and the environment of the country.   

The Government claims that because of chemical fertilizer usage, soil fertility has been degraded, soil acidity increased, biodiversity reduced, and above all, yield and yield quality has also not been improved. The Government also claims that chemical fertilizer usage has resulted in water pollution and accumulated poisons in food, resulting in greater incidence of cancer and chronic kidney disease in Sri Lanka.  
Ever since the ban for using chemical fertilizers was imposed, the farmers did not find it favourable as it is challenging to grow crops without using chemical fertilizers.   

Organic farming is unfamiliar to the Sri Lankan average farmer

The organic fertilizer they offered wasn’t rich and workable for the crops” said Y.M.S Bandara, a farmer from the Kongahawela Agrarian Services Division, Matale. While the ban has caused the average farmer much distress, most farmers view organic agriculture as something completely exotic and difficult to adapt to, overnight. Meanwhile the prices of fertilizer have skyrocketed, adding to the farmers’ woes. Before this ban, the cost of fertilizer was about Rs.3,000 and now it’s Rs.9,000. We can’t afford this. We need 50% of fertilizer with 50% of compost at an affordable price, in order to get the necessary harvest. About 75% of the harvest went down with this ban. We distribute crops in large scale to the country and this is a huge blow to us and the people who buy our crops. If this continues, we might not even have food for the Sinhala and Tamil new year.” he said.  

Bandara also said that the government introduces new organic fertilizers to the farmers with no instructions on how to use them, which is a main reason for the rejection of organic fertilizers. Most of these farmers don’t hold higher education qualifications. Therefore, the farmers should be guided and given proper instructions about the system on how to incorporate the organic fertilizers with their crops efficiently,” he said. But they haven’t properly done anything of that sort and the farmers are clueless and unwilling to accept this change.”  

“We need 50% of fertilizer with 50% of compost at an affordable price, in order to get the necessary harvest. About 75% of the harvest went down with this ban. – Y.M.S Bandara“

According to Chintaka Rajapakse, the government planned to go with organic fertilizer but didn’t have any effective procedure for it. They also made the mistake of thinking that changing to organic fertilizer means changing to compost. This scared the farmers because when it comes to compost, they need to add a large amount of it to get the required harvest,” he said.   

The government, instead of spending money trying to import Chinese organic fertilizer, should use that money to give the farmers the synthetic fertilizer that they are familiar with and propose a regulated use of it so that they won’t end up misusing it again,” stated Dr. Warshi Dandeniya, Senior Lecturer and Head of the Department of Soil Science, University of Peradeniya. Farmers who use complete organic fertilizer for their crops are very rare in Sri Lanka. And when these farmers are told to suddenly stop using chemical fertilizer, it’s fair for them to fail. Another factor is that organic fertilizer isn’t readily available in our country. This resulted in people taking advantage of this opportunity and selling low quality organic fertilizer for high prizes everywhere. People would stagnate something, bottle and sell them,” Dr. Dandeniya said.  

The farmers were left in the dark

They didn’t engage farmers and agricultural associations when making these decisions” said Rajapakse. In order to implement this change effectively, they should engage farmers and agricultural associations when making these decisions. They should give the farmers the necessary education, technology, and a suitable relief programme to successfully implement this process. They created different kinds of committees for this but none of these involved actual farmers or leaders of agricultural associations. Almost all of them were businesspeople.”   

Rajapakse alleged that farmers are left in the dark and are left to depend on whatever facility they are left with. We request the government to create a method for the farmers to get their subsidy and propose a programme for them to change their agricultural system as quickly as possible.” he said. We have the technology to do this without any cost and we should give farmers the freedom to do it. Now the ban is lifted but the government said they won’t give them subsidies.”  

When fertilizer such as synthetic fertilizer is imported, there’s a complicated procedure to it where quality control is assured. But there’s no quality assurance process or regulations for these fertilizers made within the country, therefore they won’t contribute much for the crop production either. The shelf life of these fertilizers is also very short,” Dr. Dandeniya explained further.  

“The problem here is that chemical fertlizer is regarded as a massive business, namely the agro business. And the government, instead of taking the necessary steps to solve this issue for the struggling farmers, tried to make a business out of organic fertilizer too. – Chintaka Rajapakse“

Transformation to ecological farming 

Organic agriculture is based on technology and this technology constantly develops. With time, this method of farming would gradually become more complicated and expensive, explained Rajapakse. Ultimately organic farming becomes an industry into which the ordinary farmer with small scale agricultural areas can’t enter but will prove to be of advantage to the large scale companies.  

The problem here is that chemical fertlizer is regarded as a massive business, namely the agro business. And the government, instead of taking the necessary steps to solve this issue for the struggling farmers, tried to make a business out of organic fertilizer too. The Agro business front doesn’t allow agriculture to be changed,” Rajapakse opined.  

So what should be done is not changing from chemical agriculture to organic agriculture but change from chemical agriculture to ecological farming,” he explained. Which means the farmers would have their land, their livelihood, their power, their market, their production etc. Agriculture should be changed into a situation where the farmers have ownership and protection of what is theirs and a programme is needed for this transformation. More power for them in farming, production and controlling it. More power for them in making decisions and more power for them in the market. Only if this transformation in farming takes place, will we be able to solve our food, health, environmental, climate, economical and poverty problems,” Rajapakse said.   

Even though they allowed fertilizer to be brought if it’s needed for the industry, the government would still only give organic fertilizer. So what’s going to happen now is the hybrid method. We can get good results when both organic and chemical fertilizer is combined in our crops. But that decision came too late,” stated Dr. Warshi Dandeniya. 

“For the crisis at hand, synthetic fertilizer is necessary. This season is already affected and if this continues to the next harvesting season too, the entire country would be in a dire situation. – Dr. Warshi Dandeniya“

Exploiting farmers is a risk to national security

For the crisis at hand, synthetic fertilizer is necessary. This season is already affected and if this continues to the next harvesting season too, the entire country would be in a dire situation,” said Dr. Dandeniya. According to the expert, the government’s decision only resulted in businessmen making profit by selling low quality and expensive organic fertilizer. Even with compost, people use silt and mud when making them, so this is actually like a mafia and a serious exploitation of the farmers.” According to her, while promoting organic fertilizer, we should make quality organic fertilizer locally under good regulation and make it available for the farmers. It’s important to put our farmers into the organic matter soil. We can also guide and bring awareness to the farmers on how to make their own quality fertilizer on a small scale and give them the know-how to maintain it. But while promoting organic fertilizer, we have to add synthetic fertilizer too. Otherwise we won’t be able to get the required crops and it won’t be sustainable to our country.   

Our priority is maintaining our production level. If our food security is under threat, that becomes a national security issue, which is what we are experiencing now.” Thus it’s important to enter the hybrid system of organic and synthetic fertilizer. We already have these policies in our agriculture ministry policies, but they have to make strategies and implement them. 

Rajapakse also mentioned that most of the farmers now rent their lands instead of farming. If this failure in harvest keeps happening for a few more seasons, people will stop farming and sell all these lands away. The government on the other hand thinks that people don’t have to do any farming since they can import food for us but already about 60% of food products in Sri Lanka are imported. Dr. Dandeniya pointed out that this season is already affected and the fields look like meadows with weeds and seedlings. It’s the people living in urban areas who should be more concerned than the farmers,” she said. Because the farmers won’t be selling their crops they are left with and would keep the harvest for their own consumption. They will at least have their food. It’s the people living in the urban areas who will have to face this problem primarily and wait until their food is imported.”  

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

The fossilised skeletal remains of a herd of Rhinoceros that died in a meteoric shower more than 80,000 years ago have been unearthed from an 80ft deep gem mine at the foot of Rilaulu hill range in Lunugala in Modalsima.

Biologist of the Post Graduate Institute of Archaeology Kelum Nalinda Manamendra Arachchi said scientists who examined the fossils confirmed that they were the skulls of Rhinoceros that lived in the Pleistocene age. He said it was sad that the relevant authorities had not taken any interest in these finds to conduct further research, although nearly 16 years had elapsed since the first of the fossils were found.

The first of the fossils had been unearthed from the 80ft deep gem mine in 1996. I with then Director General of Archaeology Dr. Shiran Deraniyagala visited the scene and collected the remains of two skulls. The Faculty of Bio-Science of the Peradeniya University and Dr. Mohan Abeyratne examined the fossils and confirmed that they were those of Rhinoceros that lived 80,000 years ago,” he said

He further said scientists were of the opinion that the pre-historic animal that lived in this area of thick rain forests 80,000 years ago would have died due to a meteoric shower. He stressed the need to conduct further research at the site. (Prasanna Pathamasiri)

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Former IGP Pujitha Jayasundera had given a prior warning about the Easter Sunday attacks on Catholic Churches to four of the top police officers including DIG Western Police and to the DIG-in-charge of the STF, Senior DIG Deshabandu Tennakoon said today before the trial-at-bar at the Colombo High Court.

DIG Tennakoon made this assertion before the three judges of the trial-at-bar giving evidence, led by Deputy solicitor General Dileepa Pieris.

DIG Tennakoon further said that on the day the suicide attack took place he was on leave. He also asserted that the information over the attack was given to the IGP by the State Intelligence Unit which the IGP had communicated to his subordinates to take appropriate action.

The Attorney General had indicted former IGP Jayasundera before the Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar on 855 charges for his failure to take appropriate action to prevent the terrorist attacks that took place on Easter Sunday 2019 despite receiving adequate intelligence reports.

IGP Jayasundara and former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando have been charged with failing to take action to prevent a series of suicide bombings, targeting Catholic churches and five star hotels on Easter Sunday in 2019 despite receiving prior information.

The Attorney General has filed indictments under Sections 296 and 300 of the Penal Code, including attempted murder, against the two top officials. (T. Farook Thajudeen)

Courtesy Adaderana

India has offered a new Line of Credit (LOC) of USD 500 million to Sri Lanka for purchase of petroleum products. 

India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar extended this critical support in his letter addressed to the Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka, Prof. G.L. Peiris, the Indian High Commission in Colombo said today.

It would be recalled that in a landmark development, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and Sri Lanka’s Minister of Finance, Mr. Basil Rajapaksa held a detailed virtual meeting on January 15, 2022 and discussed various aspects of robust economic partnership between India and Sri Lanka.” 

Early operationalization of the LOC will help realize one of the four pillars of economic cooperation identified during the visit of Minister of Finance, Mr. Basil Rajapaksa to India in December 2021,” the statement said.

Recently India had extended foreign exchange support of over USD 900 million to Sri Lanka. 

These measures are in line with India’s commitment to stand with Sri Lanka, contribute to Sri Lanka’s economic growth and impart greater momentum to bilateral economic and commercial partnership, the India High Commission said.

Courtesy Adaderana

A retired doctor has been arrested in connection with the hand grenade which was recently found planted inside All Saints’ Church in Borella.

He was taken into custody in the area of Piliyandala by the crimes investigation unit of the Colombo South Division.

According to the police, lengthy interrogations into the 65-year-old suspect who was apprehended in the Panamura area in Embilipitiya had led the investigators to the arrest of this retired medical officer.

Reportedly, the suspect, who previously served as a doctor of the Piliyandala District Hospital, had later run a private medical clinic in the proximity of the hospital.

The other suspect in question has once served as the security guard of this medical clinic.

Investigators have uncovered that it was this retired doctor who handed over the hand grenade and money to the first suspect and the reason for this is yet to be uncovered.

It has been revealed that the hand grenade discovered inside a prominent private hospital in Narahenpita was also planted by this retired doctor, however, he is slated to be interrogated at length to confirm this charge, the police said.

Courtesy Adaderana

The daily count of COVID-19 cases recorded in Sri Lanka moved to 672 today (January 18), the Health Ministry said.

According to the Government Information Department, the newly-detected cases include 05 individuals who recently arrived on the island from overseas.

The latest development has brought the total number of confirmed cases of coronavirus reported in the country so far to 597,707.

As many as 568,506 recoveries have been confirmed in Sri Lanka since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

More than 13,900 active cases in total are currently under medical care and the death toll stands at 15,231, official figures showed.

The Director-General of Health Services has confirmed another 13 coronavirus-related deaths for January 16, increasing the death toll in the country due to the virus to 15,231.

This includes 08 males and 05 females, according to the Department of Government Information.

Two of the victims are in the age group of 30-59 years. The remaining 11 patients are aged 60 years and above.

Jubeda Chowdhury from Dhaka, Bangladesh

The Bay of Bengal, the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean, is of great political, economic, and cultural importance to its coastal countries of Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, and Indonesia. With maritime trade, fishing, and tourism being the region’s most significant economic activities, it faces a variety of maritime security issues, including illicit trade, piracy, armed robbery, and illegal fishing.

Incidents of human trafficking after the influx of the Rohingya refugees’ influx to Bangladesh from Myanmar in 2017, piracy, and attacking seamen at the cargo and fishing trawlers and engine boats on the seaway are increasing day by day. Crews, boatmen, fishermen, and owners of cargo trawlers and engine boats are not safe in the Bay of Bengal as the pirates attack them at the offshore areas on the sea. Particularly, the fishermen cannot go to the sea due to rampant incidents of attacks of pirates on the fishermen.  Fishermen of Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar are now suffering a lot. In this situation, the role and involvement of law enforcement agencies are needed here to combat this maritime security threat.

On the other hand, the US declared an ‘Indo-Pacific strategy’ to combat traditional and nontraditional security threats in the strategic Bay of Bengal. Combating piracy and human trafficking is one of the main goals of the US IPS strategy. Regional countries such as the USA, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, Maldives, and members of BIMSTEC countries can work together to deal with the maritime problems. Bangladesh’s law enforcement agencies such as the Coast guard, Navy, Special elite force RAB can work together with other regional stakeholders in this regard. RAB has been playing a key role in this regard.

For example, RAB-15 arrested 6 pirates in a raid on the Maheshkhali channel in the Bay of Bengal recently. Weapons and ammunition were recovered from them at that time. At a press briefing in the Khurushkul Ghat area around 1 pm on Friday, RAB commander Khairul Islam Sarkar confirmed the operation. However, the identities of the captured pirates were not immediately known. The RAB commander said that for a long time, the pirates had been carrying out various misdeeds including boat robbery, the beating of fishermen, looting, and kidnapping of fishermen at sea. On the basis of such allegations, we carry out intelligence activities in the sea on the Maheshkhali channel. Later on, Friday night from 9:30 to 12 o’clock the operation was able to arrest the pirates. At that time, they had three guns and 11 rounds of ammunition. “We have started operations against pirates in the coast as well as in the sea,” he added. We will continue this campaign. The RAB commander also mentioned that the detainees were involved in piracy on the basis of interrogation and action would be taken against their godfathers.

According to the media reports, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested 10 pirates following a drive in the Bay of Bengal on Cox’s Bazar 6 arms and 37 round ammunitions were seized in 2018. Three women were kidnapped by pirates. They were arrested from the deep sea early on Monday morning. The arrested pirates are said to be members of three forces.

The pirates were robbing two fishing trawlers on the deep sea at around 12 pm on Sunday. After the robbery, the pirates kidnapped three middle-aged men in the trawler. After getting complaints from other fishermen, RAB launched operations in the sea. RAB was rescued at one stage and rescued three women. 10 pirates were arrested in the meantime.

A team of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) seized huge Yaba tablets in the Bay of Bengal on March 14, 2016, while being smuggled to Bangladesh from Burma by the sea route. Members of Rapid Action Battalion-15 have seized a large consignment of 1.3 million yachts smuggled from Myanmar to Cox’s Bazar in 2020.

According to media reports, pirates have shifted their attention to the deep sea from the Sunderbans as the Rapid Action Battalion continues its raids and vigilance in the mangrove forest. Pirates regularly rob fishermen, kidnap them for ransom and even kill them.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh government is going to strengthen vigilance on its water territory especially on the coastal areas and outer anchorage of Chittagong port with a view to check all sorts of piracy. The concerned authorities including RAB, BN, BCG and WTMC, and Bangladesh Cargo Trawlers Owners Association are taking special security measures to resist piracy on the Bay of Bengal.

RAB can play a key role in this regard. They have training from the US. They have modern sophisticated technologies. Basically, they have been playing their role in combatting this maritime threat.  Thus, they can work with other stakeholders in this regard. Those who are still involved in piracy, the RAB rehabilitates them if they surrender. But the RAB won’t spare them if the piracy doesn’t end. The RAB would do whatever necessary to suppress the pirates

Despite having many challenges, all regional actors should make immense progress on improving coastal welfare, developing the blue economy, building capable maritime enforcement entities, and strengthening mechanisms for international and regional maritime cooperation.

Maritime security and countering terrorism and other crimes in the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal have emerged as a focus area for India as part of its Indo-Pacific strategy and the doctrine of Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR).

The main task of this alliance will be to maintain security in the sea area and stop human trafficking and smuggling. The members of the alliance will also work on providing mutual humanitarian assistance. To this end, they will provide mutual training to their Navies and Coast Guards for the next year. Member States will conduct Naval exercises that would be a milestone for the IOR.

Sri Lanka has also faced an increase in heroin use within the country, as well as becoming a transit country for trafficking destined for other places. Much of the heroin entering Sri Lanka arrives on fishing boats or by air, often coming through India or Pakistan. The number of seizures that Sri Lankan authorities have conducted remains relatively small, meaning that the data collected is not always reliable. Smugglers in Sri Lanka have come from a variety of countries, including Pakistan, India, Iran, and the Maldives.

While India also suffers from petty theft and attempts at armed robbery on board ships at anchor near busy ports, the main threat arises out of the maritime dimension of terrorism, especially landing of terrorists as well as of arms and explosives. These are also linked with drug trafficking. The shallow waters and creeks of the Gujrat coast, especially of the Kutch region, now under immediate surveillance of the maritime wing of the Border Security Force (BSF), as well as the seacoasts of Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu are the sensitive areas and under constant surveillance of the Navy and the Coast Guard.

Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India face piracy, illegal fishing, and human trafficking in the Bay of Bengal. Although the Bangladeshi Navy and the Coast Guard are very active in the region, the perpetrators are very clever. The Rohingya crisis worsened the situation. Various gangs are involved in human trafficking. Bangladeshis are trafficked to Malaysia, Thailand, and North Africa to Greece and Italy (Europe) through the marine route via the Mediterranean Sea. The role of Bangladesh RAB is very positive here. It has been working to combat this maritime threat in the strategic Bay of Bengal. USA, India, Sri Lanka have the same policies in the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal. Thus, the authorities of the USA, India, Sri Lanka can and should work with Bangladesh law enforcement agencies such as RAB in combatting this maritime threat. So, recent US sanctions on RAB are very inappropriate. USA, India should understand that RAB is on the security guarantee in the region including the Bay of Bengal. The US should lift its ban on RAB.  RAB’s role in combatting human trafficking, illegal drug trafficking is huge. Tom Kelly said Bangladesh has a special role to play in the security of the Bay of Bengal due to its location in an important region. The United States is hopeful that Bangladesh will continue to support maritime security. He said uninterrupted navigation in the Bay of Bengal is essential not only for Bangladesh but also for the countries of the region.

In response to a question on the security of the Bay of Bengal, Mustafa Kamal said that there is no piracy in the economic zone of Bangladesh in the Bay of Bengal. However, there is a need to increase the capacity of the Navy and Coast Guard to ensure security in large maritime areas.

“A better defense relationship is needed in the interests of both countries,” said Tom Kelly. We will continue to work together for the common goal of stability, peace and prosperity in the region, “said David Cook, chief of The Christian Science Monitor’s Washington bureau. The United States is interested in cooperating in counterterrorism, maritime security and peacekeeping operations. However, the US, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and India can and should work together in combatting this maritime threat. The United States has pledged continued support to Bangladesh to play an important role in ensuring security in the Bay of Bengal in 2014.

Tom Kelly, the Deputy Chief of Staff of the US State Department’s Political and Military Affairs, told reporters after the third Bangladesh-US security dialogue in Dhaka on Tuesday. Not only Bangladesh, countries like India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and all States across the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal face the same problems. Regional cooperation is much needed.

මිස්සක මසමනවිරත්න උපුටා ගැන්ම  අරුණ පුවත්

මම දැන් ටොස් එක වගේ

මේ දවස්වල ඔබතුමාගේ දේශපාලන කටයුතු කොහොමද? ඔබ වැඩිය දේශපාලන වේදිකාවේ පෙනෙන්න නෑ?

මේ දවස්වල දේශපාලන වේදිකා පෙනෙන්න තියෙනවද? නෑනේ. කොරෝනා පැතිරීම නිසා ප්‍රසිද්ධියේ මහජන රැස්වීම් තියෙන්නෙත් නෑනේ. ඉතින් මාව පෙනෙන්න විදියකුත් නෑනේ.

එහෙම නෙවෙයි, ඔබ අතීතයේ ර​ටේ නොයෙක් ප්‍රශ්න වෙනකොට පෙනී සිටියා. නමුත් දැන් එහෙම පෙනෙන්නේ නැහැ?

එහෙම කියන එක හරි නෑ. දවසකට මම රැස්වීම් ගණනාවක් තියනවා. දැන් ගොඩක් විවෘත කිරීම් වාගේ උත්සව තියෙන්නේ සූම් තාක්ෂණයෙන්. චීන කොමියුනිස්ට් පක්ෂයේ සියවැනි සංවත්සරයත් ඇමතුවේ සූම් එකෙන්. ඒ වගෙම දවසකට අරලියගහ මන්දිරයේ ඇමැතිවරු, නිලධාරින් කැඳවලා සෑහෙන සාකච්ඡා වට ගණනාවක් තියෙනවා. ඒ හැම එකකම කරන්න වෙලා තියෙන්නේ මූණු බැඳගෙන මීටරයක් ඈතට වෙලා. ඒකයි ඔය.

මීටරයක් ඈතින් ඉන්න නිසා ඉස්සර වාගේ කරේ අත දාන්න, පිටට තට්ටු කරන්න වාගේ දේශපාලන වශී කරන වැඩ කරන්න බෑනේ. ඒක ආණ්ඩුවට පාඩුයි නේද?

නෑ. එහෙම කියන්නත් බෑ. මම වුවමනා වෙලාවට කරේ අත දානවා. ජෝසප් ස්ටාලින්ගෙත් කරේ මම අත දැම්මානේ.

ඔබගේ සහෝදරයා ජනාධිපති ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂ එහෙම කරන්නේ නෑ නේද?

ඕනෑ නෑනේ. මගේ අත එයාගේ කරට දානවානේ. එයාට තියෙන්නේ වැඩ කරන අතක්. මට තියෙන්නේ කරේ දාන අතක්. කොහොමත් මම තමයි අපේ පවුලේ කරේ අත දාන මිනිහා.

ඒ කියන්නේ ආණ්ඩුව එක්සේසත් කරගෙන ඉඳීමේ වගකීම ඔබටයි තිබෙන්නේ. මේ යන විදියට ඇමැතිවරු අතරේ ප්‍රකාශ කෙරෙන දේවල්වල හැටියට ඒක අපහසු තත්ත්වයකට ඇවිත් නේද?

2005 ආණ්ඩුවේ මාත් එක්ක කරුණා අම්මාන් හිටියා. චම්පික රණවක හිටියා. තොණ්ඩමන්, විමල්, උදය හිටියා. වාසු, ඩිව්, තිස්ස විතාරණ හිටියා. රාජිතත්, කරුත් හිටියා. ඒ යුද්දෙ කරපු කාලේ හැමෝම දෙමළ ඊළම් ප්‍රශ්නයට දැරුවේ වෙනස් පටහැනි අදහස්. එහෙම තියාගෙනත් යුද්දෙ කළා. දැන් එහෙම මත හැදෙන්න දෙයකුත් නෑනේ.

එහෙම තියෙද්දිත් ඇයි මේ ආණ්ඩුවේ බෙදීම්?

අර වාගේ දරුණු ප්‍රශ්නයක් නැති නිසා වෙන්න ඇති. (සිනාසෙයි)

එහෙම නෙවෙයි, ජනාධිපතිතුමා සුසිල් ප්‍රේම්ජයන්තව කැබිනට් මණ්ඩලයෙන් ඉවත් කළා. ඔබතුමා එකඟද ඒකට?

මගේ එකඟතාව අදාළම නෑ. ඒක ජනාධිපතිතුමාගේ අභිමතය. තීරණය.

ඔබතුමා හිතන්නේ මොකක්ද?

මම ජනාධිපති වෙලා හිටපු කාලේ අනුර, මංගල, ශ්‍රීපති කියන තුන් දෙනාව නෙරපුවා මතක ඇති. එදා කව්රුවත් ගිහින් අගමැතිගෙන් ඇහුවාද එකඟද කියලා. නෑනේ. මේ ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාව යටතේ එහෙම අහන්න බෑ. අහලා තේරුමක් නෑ.

සුසිල් ප්‍රේමජයන්ත ඔබගේ දේශපාලන ගමනට උපකාර කළ කෙනෙක්?

ඔව්. 2005 දී සන්ධානයේ මහ ලේකම්වරයා සුසිල්. අන්තිම මොහොතේ නාම යෝජනා නොදෙයි කියලා මට නාම යෝජනා පෝර්මය සීල් කරලා අත්සන් කරලා සුසිල් රට ගියා. ඒවා මට මතකයි. ඒත් ජනාධිපතිවරයා පක්ෂය එක්ක කටයුතු කරනකොට හිතන්න ඕනෑ. චන්ද්‍රිකා ආණ්ඩුව කාලේ මට නිතරම බාධා ආවා. මට දුන්නේ බලාපොරොත්තු වුණ ඇමැතිකම් නෙවෙයි. ඒත් මම හොඳට වැඩ කරගෙන යනකොට ඇමැති ධුර වෙනස් කළා. මාව ඇසුරු කරන, කතා කරන අයවත් සැක කළා. ආණ්ඩුවේ ඇමැතිවරු චන්ද්‍රිකාගේ පැත්ත අරගෙන බොහොම කෙනෙහිලි කළා. ඒත් මම නයකයාවත්, පක්ෂයේ ඇමැතිවරුන්වත් විවේචනය කරන්න ගියේ නෑ. නායකයෙක් වුණාම හිතන හැටි දේශපාලනය කරන කවුරුත්, පක්ෂයක ඉන්න කවුරුත් තේරුම් ගන්න ඕනෑ. මොකද මේක විවිධ මත තියෙන අදහස් තියෙන ආණ්ඩුවක එකතුවක්.

ඔබ ජනාධිපති නම් මෙහෙම කරන්නේ නෑ කියලා ඇතැම් අය කියනවා?

ජනාධිපති වුණහම කැමැති දේවල් වගේම අකමැති දේවල් කරන්න වෙනවා. කරන්න දෙයක් නෑ. මම කළ විදිහ වුණත් සමහරු භාර ගන්නේ නරක විදිහටනේ. 2015 දී පක්ෂය කඩාගෙන ගිහින් මාවත් පරාද කළානේ. කොයි විදිහද හොඳ එතකොට. මම කළේ එක විදිහකට. ප්‍රේමදාස කළේ තව විදිහකට, මෛත්‍රි කළේ තවත් විදිහකට.

දැන් විශාල ආර්ථික අර්බුදයක් රටේ තියෙනවා. භාණ්ඩ මිල ඉහළ ගිහින්. භූමිතෙල්, ගෑස් පෝලිම් හැම තැනම. මේවා ආණ්ඩුවේ ඉදිරි මැතිවරණයකදී කොහොම බලපායිද?

මම හිතන්නේ බඩු මිලට වඩා බඩු හිඟය මිනිසුන්ට නරක විදියට බලපානවා. දේශීය ආර්ථික ක්‍රමයක් හදන්න 70 මැතිනිගේ ආණ්ඩුව උත්සාහ කළ කාලේ රටින් ගෙනෙන ඒවා නතර කළාම රට ඇතුළේ බඩු හිඟවෙලා පෝලිම් හැදුණා. 77 අපි පරාද වුණා. ඊට පස්සේ ජේ.ආර්. ආවා. රටේ දේශීය කර්මාන්ත කඩා වැටෙන විදිහට රට බඩු ගෙනත් මාර්කට් එක පිරෙව්වා. අවුරුදු හතරකට පහකට පාරක් සත විස්ස විසිපහටයි බඩුමිල ඉහළ ගියේ. නමුත් 77 න් පස්සේ බඩු එක පාර රුපියල් ගණනින් නිතර ඉහළ ගියා. බඩු ඇති තරම් තිබුණා. ගන්න සල්ලි නෑ. බඩු ගණන්. පෝලිම් නෑ. මිනිස්සු අවුරුදු 12 ක් ඒ ක්‍රමයට යන්න දුන්නා. ඒක ඓතිහාසික පාඩමක්. ඒ වාගේම මිනිස්සුත් පාඩමක් ඉගෙන ගත්තා.

මොකක්ද මිනිස්සු ඉගෙන ගත්ත පාඩම?

මැතිනිව පරාද කරලා අවුරුදු තිහක් ගියහම දැන් මිනිස්සු කියනවා මැතිනි කරපු විදිහට කරන්න දීලා ඉවසාගෙන හිටියා නම් මේ රට අද හොඳ තැනක කියලා. එහෙමනම් අපේ රටේ දේ අපේම හදාගන්න, ණය නැති හොඳ තැනක රට තියෙනවා කියලා. ඒත් අපි කවුරුත් තාම ඉගෙනගෙන නෑ,

කාබනික පොහොර ගොවිතැන අඩාළ වෙලා ගොවි ජනතාවගේ ලොකු විරෝධයක් තියෙන බව පෙනෙනවා. ඔබ ගමේ ඡන්ද පදනම තිබුණ කෙනෙක්. ගමට කතා කළ කෙනෙක්. මේ තත්ත්වය ඔබට දැනෙන්නේ නැද්ද?

දැනෙනවා. ලොකු ප්‍රශ්න ගොඩක ගොවි ජනතාව ඉන්නේ. ඊටත් වඩා ප්‍රශ්න ගොඩක ඒ වැඩේ කරන්න ගිහින් අපි හිරවුණේ.

ඇයි මෙහෙම හිර වුණේ?

ජනාධිපතිගෙ ප්‍රධාන වැඩේ තමයි කෘෂිකර්මය. එයාගෙ ලොකු බලාපොරොත්තුවක් තිබුණේ කෘෂිකර්මාන්තය දියුණු කරලා ලෝකයට ආදර්ශයක් දෙන්න. ඒක යුද්දේ දිනුවා වගේ වැඩක්. එයා අපේක්ෂකයා වෙන බව දැන ගත්තහම ජාත්‍යන්තර සංවිධානවල නියෝජිතයො ඇවිත් එයාට කෘෂිකර්මාන්තය ගැන උපදෙස් දෙන්න ආව බව මම දන්නවා. ඒ අයට ඕනෑ කළේ ලංකාවේ ආහාර නිෂ්පාදනය නතර කරවලා පිටරටින් ආහාර ගෙන්වන ආර්ථිකයක් ලංකාවේ හදන්න. සමහර සංවිධාන ගෝඨාට උපදෙස් දීලා තියෙනවා වී කිලෝවක් හදන්න මෙච්චර වියදම් යනවා.

ඊට හොඳයි ලාබයි රටින් හාල් ගෙනෙන එක. එහෙම කළහම ගොවිතැන් කරන ළමයින්ව ගාමන්ට් වැඩට යොදා ගන්න පුළුවන්. අඩු පඩියට වැඩ කරන පිරිසක් ඉන්න කොට ගාමන්ට් ෆැක්ටරියක් ලංකාවේ තියෙයි. ඒගොල්ලො එන්නේ මොකාටද කියන එක තේරුණා. ඔය සෞභාග්‍ය දැක්ම හදන්න කලින් ඉඳන් කෘෂිකර්මාන්තය ගැන අදහසක් එයාට තිබුණේ. වැඩේ අසාර්ථක වුණේ කොරෝනා තුන්වැනි රැල්ලත් එක්ක. ඒකට මුහුණ දෙන ගමන් මේ වාගේ බරපතළ අභියෝගයක් භාර ගන්න බෑ. ඒක හරියට යුද්ධ කරන කොට සුනාමිය ආව වගේ. එදා දෙපැත්තේම යුද්දෙ නතර කළානේ.

මේ වාගේ අභියෝගයක් ජය ගන්න මීට වඩා සැලසුම් ඕනෑ බව ඔබ හිතන්නේ නැද්ද?

ඔය මහා සැලසුම් කර කර හිටියොත් අවුරුදු පහ ගෙවෙයි. ප්‍රශ්නෙ තියෙන්නෙ කෘෂිකර්ම අමාත්‍යාංශ ලේකම්ලවත් මේ වැඩේ ගැන විශ්වාසයකින් වැඩ නොකරපු එක. අන්තිමේ මහින්දානන්දගෙ පඹයො ප්‍රභාකරන්ගෙ පඹයන්ට වඩා පාරෙ පිච්චුවා. මහින්දානන්ද ලැබුණු ඡන්ද ගාණට වඩා පඹයො පාරේ ගිනි තිබ්බා.

බැසිල් රාජපක්ෂ ආධාර ගන්න ඉන්දියාවේ සංචාරය කරන කොට චීන තානාපති උතුරේ සංචාරයක නිරත වුණා. ඉන්දීය තානාපති අංශ මේ ගැන කනස්සල්ල පළ කළා. දැන් චීනය ලංකාවේ සබඳතාවලින් ඈතයි කියලා විශ්වාසයක් තියෙනවා.

එදා කිව්වා චීනය නිසා ඉන්දියාව තරහයි කියලා. දැන් කියනවා චීන සබඳතා අපි අවුල් කර ගත්ත කියලා. ඉන්දියාවෙන් ඩොලර් මිලියන 500ක ණයක් අපි ගත්තා. හෙට අනිද්දා චීන විදේශ ඇමැති ලංකාවට එනවා. එක්කෙනෙක් අපේ නෑයා. අනෙක් මිනිහා අපේ අසල්වැසි මිත්‍රයා. අපි නම් නෑකම් යාළුකම් පටළා ගන්නේ නෑ. නෑකම් යාළුකම් තිබුණට අපේ ගෙට රිංගලා ගෙයි අයිතිය උදුරා ගන්න දෙන්නෙ නෑ. බය වෙන්න එපා.

විමල්, වාසු, උදය ආණ්ඩුවේ කටයුතුවලට එරෙහිව නඩු යනවා. මෛත්‍රි ආණ්ඩුවට අභියෝග කරනවා. සුසිල්ව දැන් අස් කරලා. මෙහෙම ගියොත් 2/3 ආණ්ඩුවට ළඟදීම අහිමි වෙයි. ඒක ආණ්ඩුවට ලොකු ප්‍රශ්නයක් නේද?

අපි ලෝකෙ දරුණුම යුද්ධයක් කරලා රට එක්සේසත් කළේ ඡන්ද දෙක තුනක බහුතරයක් තිබුණ ආණ්ඩුවකින්. තුනෙන් දෙකක්ම ඕනෑ නෑ ආණ්ඩුවක් කරගෙන යන්න. ඒ වුණාට පාර්ලිමේන්තුවෙ ඡන්දයක් තියපු ඕනෑම මොහොතක අපිට තුනෙන් දෙකේ බහුතරය තියෙන බව අපි පෙන්නනවා. මේ හැමෝම ආණ්ඩුව විවේචනය කරන බව ඇත්ත. ඒකම තමයි ඒ ගොල්ලො ආණ්ඩුව අත නොහරින්නත් හේතුව. ඔය විවේචනය කරන කවුරුත් යූඑන්පීයවත් සජිත්වවත් බලයට ගේන්න හිතන්නෙ නෑ. වෙන ඕනෑම දෙයක් ඊට මෙහා නතර වෙනවා. අපි කවුරුත් අද ඊයෙ එකට දේශපාලනේ කළ අය නෙවෙයි.

පවුලේ අයම අගමැතිකමෙන් ඔබව ඉවත් කරන්න හදන බව කියවෙනවා.

අපි 2015 පරාද වුණහම චමල් අගමැතිකම අරන් අපිව දේශපාලනෙන් අයින් කරයි කියලා රාවයක් ගියා. ගෝඨාට මම අපේක්ෂකත්වය ගන්න දෙන්නෙ නෑ කියලත් එදා රාවයක් ගියා. චන්ද්‍රිකා බණ්ඩාරනායක කාළෙත් ඔහොම භීති තිබුණා. ඒක ගණන් ගන්න එපා.

මේ රටේ ආණ්ඩු පරද්දන්න ඕනැ වුණහම ගෙන්නේ රාජපක්ෂ විරෝධය. ඊළඟට ආණ්ඩු හදන්න ඕනෑ වුණහම ඒත් මහින්ද රැල්ල ඕනැ වෙනවා. දිනන්න පරදින්න දෙකටම රාජපක්ෂ. මේක එකම කාසියේ දෙපැත්ත වාගේ. ටොස් එක වාගේ ඡන්දෙදි ඔය ටොස් එක දානවා. එච්චරයි.

ඔබ දැන් අසනීපෙන් බවත් ළඟදීම අගමැතිකම අතහරින බවත් කියවෙනවා. එහෙම අදහසක් තියෙනවා.

අගමැතිකම කියන්නේ මගෙ දේශපාලනයේම නෙමෙයි. ඒක දේශපාලනේ පුංචි කොටසක්. මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ දේශපාලනේ අතහරියි කියල හිතනවද? මම ඔය විදිහේ කතා හදන රෝගීන් අතරේ නිරෝගීව ඉන්නවා. ඔහේට තේරුණැයි.

මිස්සක මසමනවිරත්න

ආචාර්ය වරුණ චන්ද්‍රකීර්ති

පංචශීලයෙන් හික්මුණු සමාජයක් බිහිකිරීම බෞද්ධ ජනරජයේ පරමාර්ථයකි. නිසි ගුරු උපදේශ සහ මගපෙන්වීම් තුළින් අදාළ ගුණධර්ම වගා කරගත් මිනිසුන් බිහි කරගැනීමෙන් මෙම පරමාර්ථය සාක්‍ෂාත්වන්නේ ය. මෙම කාර්යය උදෙසා මූලික කාර්යයක් ඉටුකළ යුත්තේ විධිමත් සහ අවිධිමත් අධ්‍යාපනික වැඩපිළිවෙළ විසිනි. පංචශීලය ඇසුරින් ගුණගරුක, සත්පුරුෂයන් බිහිවන ආකාරය අභිධර්ම පිටකයේ පුද්ගල ප්‍රඥප්ති ප්‍රකරණයේ එන චතුෂ්ක නිර්දේශය තුළින් විස්තර කෙරෙයි. එහෙයින් එවැනි ඉගැන්වීම් මත පදනම් වුණු අපරාධ නීතියක් සම්පාදනය කිරීම ජනරජයේ වගකීමක් වෙයි.

පන්සිල් සුරකින සමාජයක් නීතිය තුළින් බිහිකළ නො හැකි ය. කෙසේ වුව ද, වැරැදි සහ වැරැදිකරුවන් හඳුනාගැනීමට ද එ ලෙසින් හඳුනාගන්නා වැරැදිකරුවන් සියලු දෙනා ජනරජයේ පරමාර්ථවලට අනුකූල වන අයුරින් පුනරුත්ථාපනයට ද පංචශීල ආකෘතිය යොදාගත හැකි වෙයි. අපරාධ නීතියට අදාළ වැරැදි විශාල ප්‍රමාණයක් පංචශීල ආකෘතිය තුළින් විග්‍රහ කරගත හැක්කේ ය.

කයින්, වචනයෙන් සහ මනසින් කරනු ලබන දුසිරිතෙන් මිනිසුන් වළක්වාගැනීම පංචශීලයේ අරමුණ වෙයි. ප්‍රාණඝාතය, අදත්තාදානය, කාමමිථ්‍යාචාරය, මුසාවාදය සහ සුරාමේරය යන චර්යා තුළින් ආවරණය වන කටයුතු ප්‍රමාණය අති විශාල ය. නිදසුනක් වශයෙන් ගත් කල සොරකම්කිරීම, මංකොල්ලකෑම, අල්ලස්ගැනීම, අවභාවිතය වැනි ක්‍රියා විශාල ප්‍රමාණයක් අදත්තාදානය තුළින් විග්‍රහ කළ හැකි ය. මත්ද්‍රව්‍ය වශයෙන් සැළැකිය හැකි පංචසුරාවක් ගැන දීඝ නිකාය අට්ඨකතාවේ එන සිගාලක සූත්‍ර වර්ණනාවේ විස්තර කෙරෙයි. මෙ ලෙස ත්‍රිපිටක පෙළ අසුරින් ද, විධිමත්ව කරනු ලබන නිරීක්‍ෂණ තුළින් ද පංචශීල ආකෘතිය යටතේ වැරැදි විග්‍රහ කරගැනීම අසීරු කාර්යයක් නොවන බව පැහැදිළි ය.

අපගේ සංස්කෘතික ඇගැයීම් සැකැසීමටත් පස්පව් පිිළිබඳ අවබෝධය උපකාරී වී තිබේ. එහෙයින් පංචශීල ආකෘතිය තුළින් අපරාධ හඳුනාගැනීම සහ නිර්වචනය සංස්කෘතික ඇගැයීමක් ලෙසින් ද සැළැකිය හැකි ය. නීති සම්පාදනය විය යුත්තේ සංස්කෘතික ඇගැයීම් ඇසුරින් බව මෙයට පෙර ලිපියෙන් අපි හඳුනාගත්තෙමු. එහෙයින් ඒ අනුව ගත්ත ද පංචශීල ආකෘතියේ අවශ්‍යතාව තවදුරටත් තහවුරු වෙයි.

වැරැදි හඳුනාගැනීමෙන් සහ නිර්වචනයෙන් පසු කළ යුත්තේ ජනරජයේ මිනිසුන් ඒ වැරැදිවලට යොමුවීම වැළැක්වීමේ වැඩපිළිවෙළ ක්‍රියාත්මකකිරීම ය. මෙය මූලික වශයෙන් ගත් කල අධ්‍යාපනික කාර්යයකි. පංචශීල ආකෘතිය තුළ වැරැදි විග්‍රහ කෙරෙන බැවින් ආශ්‍රිත දැනුම ජනගතකිරීම ඉතා පහසු කාර්යයකි. මෙයට අදාළ මූලික දැනුමක් මෙම සමාජයේ වසන සියලු දෙනා විසින් ම කුඩා කල සිට ම ඇති කරගෙන සහ වර්ධනය කරගෙන තිබේ. එහෙයින් එවැනි දැනුම සහ ආකල්ප ඇති පිරිසක් වෙත ඒ ඇසුරින් සැකැසුණු නීති පැහැදිළි කරදීම අපහසු නොවේ.

දැනට අප රටෙහි ක්‍රියාත්මක වන්නේ ඉංග්‍රීසි යටත්විජිත උරුමය මත සම්පාදන කෙරුණු අපරාධ නීතියකි. මෙය මූලික වශයෙන් ඉංග්‍රීසි භාෂාවෙන් සම්පාදනය කෙරී ඇති අතර ලතින් වචන භාවිතයක් ද ඒ තුළ වෙයි. මෙවැනි නීතියක් සිංහල භාෂාවට පරිවර්තනය කළ ද ඒ තුළ ගැබ් වී තිබෙන මූලික අර්ථ සන්නිවේදනය පහසු කාර්යයක් නොවේ. මෙයින් යෝජනා කරනු ලබන ආකාරයට අපගේ අපරාධ නීතිය සම්පාදන කෙරෙනුයේ පංචශීල ආකෘතිය තුළ නම් උක්ත ගැටලුව ඇති නොවේ. මෙවැනි නීති ක්‍රමයක් සිංහල භාෂාවෙන් ම සම්පාදනය කළ හැකි අතර එය තුළට පාලි වචන අන්තර්ගත වුව ද ඒවා වටහාගැනීමේ හැකියාවක් මෙම සංස්කෘතිය තුළ හැදී වැඩුණු මිනිසුන් තුළ වෙයි.

මෙ ලෙසින් ජනරජයේ ජනතාව තුළ නීති සාක්‍ෂරතාව ඉහළ නැංවූ කල්හි නීතිය ක්‍රියාත්මක කිරීම ඉතාමත් පහසු කාර්යයක් බවට පත්වෙයි. වරද කුමක් ද, නොකළ යුත්තේ කුමක් ද යන්න පිළිබඳ ඉතා පැහැදිළි අවබෝධයක් මෙම ක්‍රමය ඇසුරින් සැම දෙනා ම ලබාගනිති.

මෙයට පෙර ලිපියෙන් අවධාරණය කළ පරිදි, බෞද්ධ නීතියේ පරමාර්ථය වනුයේ යහපත් මිනිසුන් පිරිසක් ඇති කරගැනීම ය. යමෙකු යම් හේතුවක් නිසා වරදට පෙළැඹුණ ද ඔවුන් යහමගට ගෙන රටට වැඩදායක මිනිසුන් වශයෙන් සමාජගත කිරීම මේ තුළින් අපේක්‍ෂා කෙරෙයි. එහෙයින් වැරැදිකරුවන් වශයෙන් තහවුරු වෙන අය නිශෝධනය ජනරජයේ සියලු මට්ටම්වල වගකීමක් වන්නේ ය.

බන්ධනාගාර පැවැතිය යුත්තේ මිනිසුන් වරදින් ඈත් කරවීමේ උපායක් වශයෙන් විනා ඒවා වැරැදිකරුවන්ගෙන් පිරැවීමට නොවේ. යම් කාලයකට බන්ධනාගාර ගත කළයුත්තේ පහසුවෙන් මෙල්ල කළ නො හැකි දරුණු ගණයේ අපරාධකරුවන් පමණකි. එසේ නොවන සෑම වරදකරුවකු ම ප්‍රාදේශීය නිශෝධන වැඩපිළිවෙළ තුළින් පුනරුත්ථාපනය කළ යුත්තේ ය.

ප්‍රජා සේවය, ගොවිබිම් සහ කර්මාන්ත ශාලා තුළ සේවය වැනි කටයුතු මෙවැනි නිශෝධන වැඩපිළිවෙළකට ඇතුළත් කළ හැකි ය. එ මෙන් ම, අදාළ අධ්‍යාපනික සහ ශීල, භාවනාදී අධ්‍යාත්මික වැඩසටහන් ද ඒ තුළට අන්තර්ගත කළ හැකි ය. පිරුණු මිනිසුන් යහපත් ය” යන්න මෙවැනි වැඩපිළිවෙළක ආදර්ශ පාඨය විය යුත්තේ ය.

ආචාර්ය වරුණ චන්ද්‍රකීර්ති

තරුණ හා ක්‍රීඩා අමාත්‍යංශය,සංවර්ධන සම්බන්ධිකරණ හා අධීක්ෂණ අමාත්‍යාංශය,ඩිජිටල් තාක්ෂණ හා ව්‍යවසාය සංවර්ධන රාජ්‍ය අමාත්‍යංශය.

ඓතිහාසික තිස්සමහාරාම බෙරලිහෙළ සාලියපුර ශ්‍රී දුටුගැමුණු රාජමහා විහාර පිරිවෙන් විහාරස්ථානයේ අභිනවයෙන් ඉඳිකරන ලද නඳුන් මහ සෑ චෛත්‍ය රාජයාණන් වහන්සේගේ ගර්භයේ නිධන් වස්තු තැන්පත් කිරීම දුරුතු පුර පසළොස්වන පොහොය යෙදුණු අද (17) දින අමාත්‍ය නාමල් රාජපක්ෂ මහතාගේ සහභාගිත්වයෙන් සිදුවිය.

මෙම චෛත්‍ය රාජයාණන් වහන්සේ සාදවා නිම කිරීමේ මාහැඟි වූ පුණ්‍ය කර්තව්‍යය, පන්නිපිටිය පැලැන්වත්ත විද්‍යා සමාධි ජාත්‍යන්තර බෞද්ධ මධ්‍යස්ථානාධිපති අමරපුර සිරි සද්ධම්මවංස මහා නිකායේ අනුනායක ධූරන්දර අති පූජ්‍ය හිපන්කන්දේ සද්ධාසිරි නාහිමිපාණන් වහන්සේගේ අනුශාසනා පරිදි ශ්‍රී දුටුගැමුණු රාජමහා විහාරාධිපති විද්‍යා ප්‍රදීප මහ පිරිවෙන් කෘත්‍යාධිකාරි පූජ්‍ය හක්මන නන්දරතන මාහිමිපාණන් වහන්සේගේ ආරාධනයෙන් තරුණ හා ක්‍රීඩා අමාත්‍ය නාමල් රාජපක්ෂ මහතාගේ පෞද්ගලික ධන පරිත්‍යාගයෙන් සිදු කරන ලදි.

ශ්‍රී දුටුගැමුණු රාජමහා විහාර පිරිවෙන් විහාරස්ථානයේ අභිනවයෙන් ඉඳිකරන ලද මෙම නදුන් මහ සෑ චෛත්‍ය රාජයාණන් වහන්සේගේ ගර්භයේ නිධන් වස්තු තැන්පත් කිරීමේ මහෝත්සවයේ පිළිගැනීමේ කතාව සහ පුණ්‍යානුමෝදනාව ශ්‍රී දුටුගැමුණු රාජමහා විහාරාධිපති විද්‍යා ප්‍රදීප මහ පිරිවෙන් කෘත්‍යාධිකාරි පූජ්‍ය හක්මන නන්දරතන මාහිමිපාණන් වහන්සේ විසින් සිදු කළහ.

එහිදී පැවති කෙටි අනුශාසනාව විද්‍යා සාමධි ජාතික සංඝ සභාවේ ගරු සභාපති, අමරපුර සිරි සද්ධම්මවංස මහ නිකායේ කාරක සංඝ සභික හිපන්කන්ද විද්‍යා සමාධි මහ පිරිවෙන්පති අතිපූජ්‍ය ඇඹිලිපිටියේ රාහුල නාහිමියන් වහන්සේ විසින් සිදුකළහ.

ඉන් අනතුරුව පෙ.ව.9.31ට යෙදුණු සුබ මුහුර්තයේදී චෛත්‍ය ගර්භයේ නිධන් වස්තු තැන්පත් කිරීම අමරපුර සිරි සද්ධම්මවංස මහා නිකායේ අනුනායක ධූරන්දර අති පූජ්‍ය හිපන්කන්දේ සද්ධාසිරි නාහිමිපාණන් වහන්සේ, විද්‍යා සමාධි මහ පිරිවෙන්පති අතිපූජ්‍ය ඇඹිලිපිටියේ රාහුල නාහිමියන් වහන්සේ,  ශ්‍රී දුටුගැමුණු රාජමහා විහාරාධිපති විද්‍යා ප්‍රදීප මහ පිරිවෙන් කෘත්‍යාධිකාරි පූජ්‍ය හක්මන නන්දරතන යන හිමිපාණන් වහන්සේලාගේ ප්‍රධානත්වයෙන්, සංඝයා වහන්සේලාගේ සෙත් පිරිත් සජ්ඣායනය මධ්‍යයේ අමාත්‍ය චමල් රාජපක්ෂ, අමාත්‍ය නාමල් රාජපක්ෂ යන මහත්වරුන් ඇතුළු සම්භාවනීය අමුත්තන් සහ සතර පේරුවේ දායකකාරකාදීන්ගේ සහභාගීත්වයෙන් සිදුවූහ.

නඳුන් මහ සෑ චෛත්‍ය රාජයාණන් වහන්සේගේ ගර්භයේ නිධන් වස්තු තැන්පත් කිරීමේ මහෝත්සවයේ අවසන් අනුශාසනාව උරගස්මංහන්දිය, බොරළුකැටිය, ශ්‍රී ආනන්දාරාම නියෝජ්‍ය විහාරාධිපති පූජ්‍ය සාලියපුර සමිද්ධි ස්ථවිරයන් වහන්සේ විසින් සිදු කළහ.

සියලු ම කොවිඩ් – 19 මාර්ගෝපදේශවලට යටත්ව පැවති මෙම පුණ්‍ය මහෝත්සවයට අතිපූජනීය මහා සංඝරත්නය වැඩමකොට වදාළ අතර ලුණුගම්වෙහෙර ප්‍රාදේශීය සභාවේ සභාපති රසික දිනේෂ්, තිස්සමහාරාම ප්‍රාදේශීය සභාවේ සභාපති එච්.ඩබ්.උපුල්, ප්‍රාදේශීය සභා කොට්ඨාශ මන්ත්‍රී රෝහණ රත්නායක මහතා, ලුණුගම්වෙහෙර හම්බන්තොට දිස්ත්‍රික් ලේකම් එච්.පී සුමනසේකර, හම්බන්තොට ප්‍රාදේශීය ලේකම් අයි.එල්. වික්‍රමනායක, ජාතික ලොතරැයි මණ්ඩලයේ සභාපති ලලිත් පියුම් පෙරේරා යන මහත්වරුන් සමඟ බුද්ධශාසන හා ආගමික කටයුතු අමාත්‍යාංශය, තරුණ හා ක්‍රීඩා අමාත්‍යාංශය, ජාතික තරුණ සේවා සභාව, රාජ්‍ය සේවා බෞද්ධ සංගමය, ජාතික වෙළඳ හා ව්‍යවසායකත්ව සම්මේලනය, පහන්සිත් පදනම, යොවුන් ශීල සමාධි පදනම නියෝජනය කරමින් නිලධාරී මහත්ම මහත්මීහු පිරිසක් සහ තිස්සමහාරාම බෙරලිහෙළ සාලියපුර ශ්‍රී දුටුගැමුණු රාජමහා විහාර පිරිවෙන් විහාරස්ථානයේ සතර පේරුවේ දායකකාරකාදීන් බොහෝ පිරිසක් එක්ව සිටියහ.

මාධ්‍ය ඒකකය,

තරුණ හා ක්‍රීඩා අමාත්‍යංශය,සංවර්ධන සම්බන්ධිකරණ හා අධීක්ෂණ අමාත්‍යාංශය,ඩිජිටල් තාක්ෂණ හා ව්‍යවසාය සංවර්ධන රාජ්‍ය අමාත්‍යංශය.

තරුණ හා ක්‍රීඩා අමාත්‍යංශය, සංවර්ධන සම්බන්ධිකරණ හා අධීක්ෂණ අමාත්‍යාංශය, ඩිජිටල් තාක්ෂණ හා ව්‍යවසාය සංවර්ධන රාජ්‍ය අමාත්‍යංශය.

තරුණ හා ක්‍රීඩා අමාත්‍ය නාමල් රාජපක්ෂ මහතාගේ උදාර සංකල්පයක් අනුව ක්‍රියාත්මක කරන ‘යොවුන් ශීල සමාධි ජාතික වැඩසටහන’ මෙම වසරේ දුරුතු පුර පසළොස්වක පොහොය යෙදුණු අද (17) දින තිස්සමහාරාම බෙරලිහෙළ සාලියපුර ශ්‍රී දුටුගැමුණු රාජමහා විහාර පිරිවෙන් විහාරස්ථානයේ දී පැවැත්විණි.

දැහැමි ගුණගරුක ජන සමාජයක් උදෙසා තරුණ පරපුර සුගතිගාමී කරවීමේ අරමුණ පෙරදැරිව  රට පුරා සියලු විහාරස්ථානවල සෑම පසොළොස්වක පොහොය දිනකදී ම තරුණ තරුණියන් ශීල සමාධියෙහි පිහිටුවීම හා දාන ශීල භාවනා වැඩසටහන්වලට යොමු කිරීම යොවුන් ශීල සමාධි  ජාතික වැඩසටහනේ අභිමතාර්ථයයි.

ඒ අනුව, මෙවර දුරුතු පොහෝ දිනය වෙනුවෙන් තිස්සමහාරාම බෙරලිහෙළ සාලියපුර ශ්‍රී දුටුගැමුණු රාජමහා විහාර පිරිවෙන් විහාරස්ථානයේ පැවති යොවුන් ශීල සමාධි ජාතික වැඩසටහනේ තරුණ පිරිස ශීල සමාධියෙහි පිහිටුවීම, පොහෝ දින  අනුශාසනාව,  උදෑසන සම්බුද්ධ පූජාව පෙ.ව. 06.30 සිට පෙ.ව.07.50 දක්වා තිස්සමහාරාම බෙරලිහෙළ සාලියපුර ශ්‍රී දුටුගැමුණු රාජමහා විහාරාධීපති විද්‍යා ප්‍රදීප  පිරිවෙන් කෘත්‍යාධීකාරි  පූජ්‍යපාද හක්මන නන්දරතන හිමිපාණන් වහන්සේගේ ප්‍රධානත්වයෙන් පැවැත්වූහ.

අනතුරුව පෙ.ව.08.00 සිට පෙ.ව. 08.55 දක්වා ‘ධානාත්මක තාරුණ්‍යයකට ධර්මානුකූල ප්‍රවේශයක්’ යන මාතෘකාව ඔස්සේ ධර්ම සාකච්ඡාව පැවැත්වීම විද්‍යා සමාධි මූලික පිරිවෙන් පරිවේණාධිපති කොළඹ විශ්ව විද්‍යාලයේ බාහිර කථිකාචාර්ය ශාස්ත්‍රපති රාජකීය පණ්ඩිත පූජ්‍යපාද කතරගම සතිමන්ත හිමිපාණන් වහන්සේ විසින් සිදු කළහ.

එම ධර්ම සාකච්ඡාවට බුද්ධ ශාසන හා ආගමික කටයුතු අමාත්‍යාංශයේ හිටපු ලේකම් රාජ්‍ය සේවා බෞද්ධ සංගමයේ සභාපති පුරවර සැරසර ජාතික වැඩසටහනේ උපදේශක එම්.කේ.බී.දිසානායක මහතා ද සහභාගී විය.

මීට සමගාමිව යොවුන් ශිල සමාධි ජාතික වැඩසටහන යටතේ ‘පුදබිම් ආලෝකා වැඩසටහන මගින් මෙම පුණ්‍ය භූමිය උදෙසා විදුලි බුබුළු ලබාදීම අමාත්‍ය චමල් රාජපක්ෂ, අමාත්‍ය නාමල් රාජපක්ෂ යන  මහත්වරුන්ගේ ප්‍රධානත්වයෙන් සිදුවිය.

පෙ.ව.11.30 ට දහවල් සම්බුද්ධ පූජාව වැඩමවීම අමාත්‍ය නාමල් රාජපක්ෂ මහතා ඇතුළු සම්භාවනීය පිරිස විසින් සිදු කළ අතර, දහවල් සම්බුද්ධ පූජාව තැබීම තිස්සමහාරාම බෙරලිහෙළ සාලියපුර ශ්‍රී දුටුගැමුණු පිරිවෙන් ආචාර්ය ගෞරව ශාස්ත්‍රවේදී විචිත්‍රභානක පූජ්‍යපාද මිහිළුවේ සුනන්ද හිමිපාණන් වහන්සේගේ ප්‍රධානත්වයෙන් සිදුවූහ.

ප.ව.01.45 සිට ප.ව. 02.45 දක්වා තිස්සමහාරාම බෙරලිහෙළ සාලියපුර ශ්‍රී දුටුගැමුණු පිරිවෙන් ආචාර්යය පණ්ඩිත ගෞරව ශාස්ත්‍රවේදී පූජ්‍යපාද සූරියවැවේ ජිනසාගර හිමිපාණන් වහන්සේගේ මූලිකත්වයෙන් භාවනා වැඩසටහන පැවැත්වූහ.

ප.ව.03.00 සිට ප.ව. 04.00 දක්වා තිස්සමහාරාම බෙරලිහෙළ සාලියපුර ශ්‍රී දුටුගැමුණු පිරිවෙන් පරිවේණාධිපති රාජකීය පණ්ඩිත ශෘස්ත්‍රපති පූජ්‍ය්‍යපාද කීනගොඩ සුගතරන්සී හිමිපාණන් වහන්සේ විසින් ධර්ම දේශනය පැවැත්වූහ.

ප.ව. 05.00 සිට 06.00 දක්වා වූ මල් පහන්, සුවඳ දුම් පූජා හා රටට හා සකල ලක්වැසි ජනතාවට සෙත් පතා බෝධි පුජාව පැවැත්වීම හා සිල් පවාරණය කිරීම තිස්සමහාරාම බෙරලිහෙළ සාලියපුර ශ්‍රී දුටුගැමුණු පිරිවෙන් ප්‍රාරම්භ ශ්‍රේණියේ ඉගෙනුම ලබන පූජ්‍යපාද හුන්ගම මහින්ද හිමිපාණන් වහන්සේ විසින් සිදු කළහ.

මෙම ආශිර්වාද අධිෂ්ඨාන පූජාවෙන් අනතුරුව සියලුම කොවිඩ් – 19 මාර්ගෝපදේශවලට යටත්ව දුරුතු පොහෝ දිනය නිමිත්තෙන් තිස්සමහාරාම බෙරලිහෙළ සාලියපුර ශ්‍රී දුටුගැමුණු පිරිවෙන් රජමහා විහාරස්ථානයේ දැහැමි සමාජයකට මං පෙත් විවර කිරීමේ අදිටනින් පැවති යොවුන් ශීල සමාධි ජාතික වැඩසටහන නිමාවට පත්විය.

මෙම යොවුන් ශීල සමාධි ජාතික වැඩසටහන බුද්ධශාසන හා ආගමික කටයුතු අමාත්‍යාංශයේ  උපදේශකත්වය, තරුණ හා ක්‍රීඩා අමාත්‍යාංශයේ ජාතික තරුණ සේවා සභාවේ මෙහෙයවීමෙන්  රාජ්‍ය සේවා බෞද්ධ සංගමයේ සම්බන්ධීකරණය ඇතිව ජාතික වෙළඳ හා ව්‍යවසායකත්ව සම්මේලනයේ ක්‍රියාකාරී දායකත්වයෙන් සහ පහන්සිත් පදනමේ සහය අනුග්‍රහය ඇතිව යොවුන් ශීල සමාධි පදනමේ සංවිධායකත්වයෙන් සිදු විය.

මාධ්‍ය ඒකකය,

තරුණ හා ක්‍රීඩා අමාත්‍යංශය, සංවර්ධන සම්බන්ධිකරණ හා අධීක්ෂණ අමාත්‍යාංශය, ඩිජිටල් තාක්ෂණ හා ව්‍යවසාය සංවර්ධන රාජ්‍ය අමාත්‍යංශය.

Editorial The Hindu

India and Sri Lanka have shown an ability to quickly act on promises to each other

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s virtual meeting with Sri Lanka’s Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa on Saturday, with an assurance that India will support Sri Lanka in all possible ways for overcoming the economic and other challenges posed by COVID-19 pandemic”, was significant and timely. A crucial week lies ahead for the Sri Lankan economy, when President Gotabaya Rajapaksa must make a decision on whether to service debts to bonds with an instalment of $500 million due on January 18, or to default for the first time ever, given the island’s precarious finances. Mr. Gotabaya is expected to address Parliament this week on how he will deal with the economic crisis. This includes a credit crunch, a slump in GDP spurred by COVID-19 losses to tourism, exports and remittances, foreign reserves that dwindled from $7.5 bn in 2019 to $1.6 bn in November 2021, and pending debt repayments of more than $7 bn expected in 2022. The most immediate problems come from rising unrest. In the preceding weeks, the Rajapaksa government reached out to India and China, which are most likely to help given their respective interests in the island. Mr. Gotabaya even received a visit from Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who discussed a full debt restructure of Sri Lankan borrowings. Beijing has also extended a currency swap arrangement of $1.5 billion. It was to India, however, that Mr. Rajapaksa turned with a humanitarian appeal and SOS. Mr. Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Mr. Basil decided on a four-pronged” initiative, that included Lines of Credit (LoC) towards the import of fuel, food and medicines, currency swap and debt deferrals from India to Sri Lanka, as well as the conclusion of the Trinco-oil farms project.

Matters have moved swiftly since Mr. Basil’s visit and it is heartening that the Trincomalee project MoU was signed earlier this month after decades of delays. Subsequently, India has extended $400 million under the SAARC currency swap” arrangement and agreed to a partial deferral of a $500 million settlement from Sri Lanka by two months; the $1.5 bn LoC for essential imports is reportedly under way. It would be naive to assume that New Delhi’s assistance will paper over other problems in the complex relations between India and Sri Lanka. Amongst other issues, the friction over fishermen’s rights and pending political solution for war-torn Tamil areas remain sticking points, while concerns over Colombo’s strategic ties with China have often led to open disagreements. It is important to note, however, that in times of peril, New Delhi and Colombo have established a robust channel of communication and demonstrated an ability to act on promises quickly, proving that adage about friends (and neighbours) in need.