උපුටා ගැන්ම ලංකා සී නිව්ස්

ලංකා විදුලිබල මණ්ඩලයෙන් ඇමරිකානු ඩොලර් මිලියන 180 ක වන්දියක් ඉල්ලා මැලේසියානු සමාගමක් විසින් සිංගප්පූරු බේරුම්කාර මණ්ඩලයට පැමිණිල්ලක් ඉදිරිපත් කර තිබේ.

යාපනය සුළං සහ සූර්ය බල ව්‍යාපෘතියක් පිහිටුවීමට මෙම මැලේසියානු සමාගමට බලපත්‍රයකින් අනුමැතිය ලබාදී පසුව එය අවලංගු කර ඇති බව විදුලිබල මණ්ඩලයේ ප්‍රකාශකයෙක් පැවසීය.

බේරුම්කාර මණ්ඩලයේ විභාග වන මෙම නඩුව සඳහා මේ වන විට නීතිඥයන්ට රුපියල් මිලියන 200 ක ට වැඩි මුදලක් වැය කර ඇතැයි ද ඔහු සඳහන් කළේය.

ව්‍යාපෘතිය ක්‍රියාත්මක කිරීම සඳහා මණ්ඩලය නිලධාරියෙක් ඩොලර් මිලියන 2 ක අල්ලසක් ඉල්ලා සිටි බවද එම සමාගම බේරුම්කාර මණ්ඩලයට ඉදිරිපත් කර තිබෙන පැමිණිල්ලේ සඳහන් කර තිබේ.

එම අල්ලස ලබා නොදීම නිසා තම සමාගමට ලබාදුන් බලපත්‍රය අහෝසි කිරීමට හේතුවූ බවද ඔවුන් පැමිණිල්ලේ සඳහන්ය.

Courtesy NewsIn.Asia

Colombo, January 15 (newsin.asia): The Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar held a virtual meeting with Finance Minister of Sri Lanka Basil Rajapaksa on Saturday in which an Indian credit facility of US$ 1 billion for importing essential items and US$ 500 million for importing fuel from India were discussed.

​Dr. Jaishankar conveyed that India has always stood with Sri Lanka, and will continue to support Sri Lanka in all possible ways for overcoming the economic and other challenges posed by COVID-19 pandemic.”

As close friends and maritime neighbors, both India and Sri Lanka stand to gain from closer economic interlinkages, Jaishankar addd..

​Both Ministers positively noted that extension of US$ 400 million to Sri Lanka under the SAARC currency swap arrangement and deferral of A.C.U. settlement of USD 515.2 million by two months, which would assist Sri Lanka. They reviewed the progress in extending Indian credit facility of USD 1 billion for importing food, essential items and medicine and USD 500 mn for importing fuel from India.

Basil Rajapaksa recalled India’s longstanding cooperation with Sri Lanka and deeply appreciated the gestures of support. He welcomed Indian investments in Sri Lanka in a number of important spheres including ports, infrastructure, energy, renewable energy, power and manufacturing and assured that conducive environment will be provided to encourage such investments. In this context, both Ministers noted that the recent steps taken by the Government of Sri Lanka for jointly modernizing Trincomalee Oil Tank Farms will boost confidence of investors, apart from enhancing Sri Lanka’s energy security.

The Indian Foreign Minister brought up the issue of Indian fishermen detained in Sri Lanka. He urged the Government of Sri Lanka to ensure early release of the detained fishermen on humanitarian considerations.

​The two Ministers agreed to remain in close touch for guiding mutually beneficial bilateral economic cooperation towards long-term economic partnership for shared progress and prosperity.

By Seneka Abeyratne Courtesy The Island

Kozakian Shamshir weapon made of crucible steel from the collection of the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History, Brussels

The ancient kings, inspired by Buddhism and the constant need to feed a growing population, produced a new culture as well as a new economy. They also created the necessary institutions to plan and implement development projects for transforming the dry zone. Buddhism figured prominently in the island’s hydraulic civilization, which emerged during the Early Historic Period (500 BCE-300 CE). Although the irrigation bureaucracy was highly centralised, it produced results. There was a steady increase in agricultural production which kept pace with population growth and also stimulated technological change in the non-farm sectors through backward linkages.

However, there were occasional famines caused by various factors including invasions, internal strife, and adverse weather conditions. These famines occurred over a period of fifteen centuries in both the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa kingdoms. Hence, despite the development of an intricate irrigation system in the dry zone, the uncertainty of food production always remained (Siriweera, W.I. History of Sri Lanka: From earliest times up to the sixteenth century, second edition, 2004).

Dual role of monastic complexes

The vibrant Buddhist culture also produced a flowering of religious art, architecture, and sculpture and a proliferation of the arts and crafts. Owing to its pivotal position in the ancient maritime silk route, the island would no doubt have benefited from winds of change blowing from East and West.

The Buddhist monasteries were heavily patronised by the royalty and served as key intermediaries between the monarchs and the rural people. The monastic complexes owned large extents of land, irrigation works, dairy cows, and draft animals. The manpower they had in their service consisted mainly of agricultural labourers and artisans. The latter included carpenters, wood-carvers, potters, brick-makers, and blacksmiths. The complexes possessed a range of implements for use by the skilled and unskilled workers. Consequently, they functioned not only as places of worship but also as key resource centres.

What is still more significant is the role of the monastery in promoting different crafts including iron-smelting and metal craft. It adds another dimension to the multi-faceted activities in which these institutions had been involved” (Karunatilaka, P.V.B. Metals and Metal Use in Ancient Sri Lanka, 1991-92). Consequently, the larger monasteries, in addition to performing religious duties, engaged in diverse economic activities. By promoting metal crafts using hands-on training methods, they also served as agents of technical change.

Steel manufacturing

As we saw, iron and steel implements of superior quality were being produced in the island during the Early Historical Period. Numerous archaeological studies suggest that India and Sri Lanka were the first two countries in the world to produce and export wootz – a hard, durable, high-carbon steel. Both countries exported wootz steel to the Middle East. While in India, the iron-smelting furnaces for producing wootz steel (also known as crucible steel) were charcoal-fired, in Sri Lanka, they were wind-powered. This method of producing wootz steel was unique to the island. The ancient, wind-powered furnaces were built in the Samanalawewa area (located in the southern foothills of the central highlands), where there was an abundant supply of iron ore (Juleff, G. An ancient wind-powered iron-smelting technology in Sri Lanka, 1996). These remarkable structures have been dated to 300 BCE using radiocarbon dating techniques (Hewageegana, P. Early Iron and Steel Production in Sri Lanka: A Scientific Perspective, 2014).

During the first millennium CE, steel manufacturing developed into a major ferrous metallurgy industry in South Asia. The legendary Damascus swords, noted for their strength and sharpness, were produced from ingots of wootz steel imported from India and Sri Lanka. It was the Arabs who introduced this quality product to Syria.

The Sunday Times reported more than a decade ago that Gill Juleff (a British archaeologist) was in the process of establishing a full-scale model of the Samanalawewa wind-powered furnace at the Martin Wickramasinghe museum in Koggala (Sadanandan, Renuka, Blowing back to a red-hot history, The Sunday Times, August 31, 2008). Her excavations, carried out in Samanalawewa over a two-year period (1990-91), revealed that each site had several furnaces. Juleff discovered a total of 77 sites in Samanalawewa with furnace remains, all of them located in the path of monsoon winds on the western margins of hills and ridges. Perhaps the Chola invasions led to the collapse of this large-scale metallurgy industry in the 11th Century.

Megalithic culture

It appears the 3^rd century BCE on the whole was a vibrant period of Sri Lanka’s ancient history when various factors (both exogenous and endogenous) converged to produce a flowering of the island’s famed Early Iron Age megalithic culture. Archaeological research, which commenced during the British colonial period and is continuing to probe the island’s ancient past, has demonstrated a clear biological connection or continuum, if you will, between the prehistoric and historic peoples. Similarly, haematological and genetic investigations suggest that the ethnic mix of Sri Lanka’s population is quite consistent with the island’s geographical location. Though the island lies between South India and Southeast Asia, it is geographically much closer to the former than the latter. It is not surprising therefore that the ethnic mix is weighted towards southern India.

There is no solid evidence to indicate that the early Sri Lankans were a homogeneous migrant group. What the available data suggest, on the other hand, is that the Sri Lankans were no less heterogeneous in the prehistoric past than they are today. This island, though relatively small, is exceedingly complex in respect of its social, cultural and demographic characteristics due to its long history of human habitation.

The megalithic monuments scattered throughout the dry zone (with a high degree of concentration in the northern and eastern dry zone) indicate that semi-settled communities existed in the island prior to 600 BCE. The megalithic culture was based on a wide range of economic activities, including pottery, the practice of chena cultivation, the rearing of livestock, and the production of hardy iron tools and implements.

The archaeological evidence shows there were close affinities between the megalithic culture complexes and burial sites of Sri Lanka with those of South India. It is therefore tempting to conclude that there was a significant South-Indian presence in the island centuries before the arrival of the northern Indian settlers. However, Senake Bandaranayake (The Peopling of Sri Lanka: The National Question and Some Problems of History and Ethnicity, South Asia Bulletin, 1987) raises the question of whether the migration of ideas and techniques was more important than the migration of peoples in explaining the character and dynamism of Sri Lanka’s internal developments during the prehistoric and early historic periods.

Assuming, on the basis of the megalithic culture complexes, that a cohesive and relatively advanced protohistoric community did exist in Sri Lanka, the question then arises as to how the island had developed a distinct Sinhalese character and ethnos by the 3^rd century BCE. The widespread use of the proto-Sinhala language, the dramatic increase in tank irrigation systems, the rapid dissemination of wetland rice cultivation techniques, the establishment of a Sinhalese monarchy and emergence of the early state, the rise of Buddhism: all of these social and cultural phenomena suggest that revolutionary changes occurred in Sri Lanka after the migrants from northern India arrived in the island.

By Shamindra Ferdinando Courtesy The Island

Dastardly conspiracy gradually unfolding’

Declaring that 2019 Easter Sunday carnage couldn’t be blamed on Muslim extremists alone, the Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith yesterday (14) questioned the failure on the part of the government to at least implement the recommendations made by the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) and the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) into the near simultaneous suicide attacks.

Delivering a sermon at the Basilica of Our Lady of Lanka where the Catholic Bishops’ Conference organised a special prayer service to mark 1000th day since the Easter Sunday carnage, the Cardinal asked why specific recommendations made by the PSC as regards the State Intelligence apparatus couldn’t be carried out. The Cardinal emphasised the PSC recommendation for comprehensive inquiry into the failure on the part of the State Intelligence apparatus to thwart the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks couldn’t be taken lightly.

Intelligence services primarily consist of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) and the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI). In addition to them, the Navy, the Air Force and the Special Task Force (STF) have their own intelligence outfits.

Quoting directly from the PSC report, the Cardinal pointed out the gravity in the issue whether the terror project was allowed to go ahead because of the presidential election scheduled for late 2019.

The PSC report couldn’t be ignored under any circumstances, the Cardinal declared while referring to former Attorney General Dappula de Livera, PC, speculating on the possibility of a conspiracy.

Rt. Rev. Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith questioned the inordinate delay in taking action against those politicians and law enforcement officers named in the PCoI report.

The then President Maithripala Sirisena appointed five-member PCoI in the run-up to the Nov 2019 presidential election soon after the PSC chaired by Deputy Speaker Ananda Kumarasiri tabled his report in the Parliament.

Separate blasts claimed the lives of nearly 280 people. Over 500 received injuries. Some of them are bed ridden.

Having reminded how the then government received specific information pertaining to the impending attack from the Indian Intelligence but chose not act, the Archbishop of Colombo said that instead of taking action against those who allowed the massacre to take place, some of them were rewarded.

The Cardinal was referring to the then head of the SIS Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardana, currently the senior officer in charge of the Central Range.

The Cardinal criticized the conduct of Police Spokesperson SSP Nihal Thalduwa for trying to underrate the PSC.

The Cardinal said that whatever the strategies adopted by the government, the heinous Easter Sunday crime couldn’t be suppressed. Reference was also made to the handling of the recovery of a grenade from inside All Saints Church, Borella last Tuesday (11).

The Cardinal compared the handling of the Easter Sunday investigation with that of the Borella incident while attacking successive governments for atrocities perpetrated since independence. Reiterating concerns over wartime accountability issues, the Cardinal underscored the need for justice for the victims.

Commenting on growing difficulties experienced by the public due to shortage of essential food and other items amidst rising cost of living, the Cardinal blamed successive governments for the current crisis.

At the onset of his sermon, the Cardinal said that growing queues for essentials and the ruination of cultivation due to the fertilizer crisis caused by the government reflected the actual situation. In spite of desperate efforts to deceive the public and consolidate power, the current dispensation was in deepening turmoil. There were clear signs of deterioration of their power and the day the public overwhelmed the political establishment was not far away, the Cardinal asserted.

The Church leader said that they were confident that the ongoing campaign could be brought to a successful conclusion. The Cardinal said their campaign would continue until they received justice.

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Defence Secretary Kamal Gunaratne said it is not fair to criticize the police investigation into the incident in which a grenade was found at the Borella All Saints’ Church, less than 24 hours after it was reported.

He made this remarks responding to the statement made by Archbishop His Eminence Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith regarding the investigation into the incident.

Speaking to media after meeting with Chief Prelates of Malwatta and Asgiriya chapters, he assured that all those involved in the incident will be brought to justice.

“Investigation is not something that can be completed in two or three hours. It takes some time. I don’t think it’s fair to criticize investigations barely 24 hours had passed after the incident,” he said.

Courtesy Adaderana

The daily count of COVID-19 cases recorded in Sri Lanka moved to 661 today (January 15), the Health Ministry said.

According to the Government Information Department, the newly-detected cases include 04 individuals who recently arrived on the island.

The latest development has brought the total number of confirmed cases of coronavirus reported in the country so far to 595,657.

As many as 568,049 recoveries have been confirmed in Sri Lanka since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

More than 12,400 active cases in total are currently under medical care and the death toll stands at 15,197, official figures showed.

Meanwhile, the Director-General of Health Services has confirmed 07 more coronavirus-related deaths for January 14, increasing the death toll in the country due to the virus pandemic to 15,197.

According to the official figures released by the Government Information Department, the deaths reported today include 06 males and 01 female.

One of the patients is between the ages of 30-59 years. The remaining six are in the age group of 60 years.

Courtesy Adaderana

Sri Lanka has identified 160 new cases of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 (B.1.1.529), says Dr. Chandima Jeewandara, the Director of the Department of Immunology & Molecular Medicine at Sri Jayewardenepura University.

These Omicron patients were found among 182 samples that were sequenced by the laboratory of the J’pura University.

The new development pushed the total number of Omicron cases confirmed by the J’pura University’s lab so far to 205.

Accordingly, Omicron now appears to be on its way to become the dominant variant of Covid-19 on the island, brushing the Delta strain aside.

Out of the newly-detected 160 Omicron cases, two main Omicron lineages called BA.1 and BA.2 were detected, Dr. Jeewandara said further, explaining that BA.2 carries additional mutations in comparison to BA.1.

Dr. Jeewandara added that scientists have suggested that BA.2 sub-lineage is more resistant to vaccine-induced and naturally-acquired immunity. Immunization may be more prominent in BA.2 sub-lineage compared to BA.1.”

According to him, the samples have been collected from multiple districts across the island including Colombo, Galle, Matara, Kandy, Trincomalee and Gampaha.

Sri Lanka confirmed its first Omicron case on December 03, 2021, in a Sri Lankan national who had returned from a West African country. Three more cases were later confirmed by the J’pura University lab on December 16 including that of a foreign national.

The World Health Organization (WHO) designated Omicron a variant of concern on November 26 last year, soon after it was first detected by scientists in South Africa.

Early data suggests it can be more resistant to vaccines and more transmissible than the Delta variant.

The WHO has warned that Omicron is spreading rapidly in countries with high levels of population immunity. But it is unclear if this is due to the ability of the virus to evade immunity, its inherent increased transmissibility or a combination of both.

However, a recent South African study has shown that unvaccinated people infected with the Omicron variant are less likely to fall seriously ill, require hospitalization or die compared to the previous COVID-19 variants.

The study was led by the National Institute of Communicable Diseases in the Western Cape region. It has compared 11,609 patients from the first three COVID-19 waves with 5,144 patients from the new Omicron-driven wave.

According to foreign media, it found that 8% of patients were hospitalized or died within 14 days of testing positive for COVID during the Omicron wave — compared to the 16.5% in the first three waves.

-with inputs from agencies

Courtesy NewsIn.Asia

Colombo, Jan 14 (AdaDerana) – In the context of rising prices of all consumer products and the limited availability of most, the people of Sri Lanka, are faced with two ominous questions about which they are justifiably anxious.

1. Will there be a scarcity of medicines in the near future in the country and if so, should they be stocking up their regular medications?
2. Will the price of medicines go up in conjunction with all the other products in the market?

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Availability of medicines in the future

At least some sections of the public must be aware that there are shortages of some medicines even at present.  This is due to many reasons but the foremost of these is the foreign currency crisis in the country which makes it difficult for banks to facilitate the payments through Letters of credit (LC’s). At present, banks, both state and private sector, allows the Pharma Importers to open LC’s only when they have sufficient dollars to safely guarantee payment for the imports.

Although medicines are given certain priority, there are other items such as essential food items, Petroleum products, fertilizer etc., that have to be given priority as well by the Government. The result is that importing of medicines is now done on the availability of foreign currency and not on the needs of the country or its patients. In this situation, it is inevitable that there will be shortages of more and more medicines as the foreign exchange crisis deepens.

READ: India extends forex support of more than US$ 900 million to Sri Lanka

As for stocking medicines in excess of usual treatment regime by patients, it is not advisable to do so for long periods since these products have to be stored under strict conditions specified by the manufacturers. It is doubtful whether such conditions can be maintained in an average household. In addition, bulk or panic buying by the affluent may deprive the less able segment of the population access to medicines they require for a healthy life.

We as an industry will do our utmost to keep the supplies of medicines available uninterrupted, since we fully realize the implications of failing to do so. In this regard, we earnestly hope that the authorities concerned will give us priority in establishing LC’s on time.

READ: Lanka asks China to restructure debt repayment

Pricing of Medicines

It will be also catastrophic in the event if the dollar is allowed to float, which will mean that all medicines will have to be sold at a loss and as such, the entire industry will collapse in the face of such a threat where the importation would obviously stop as the cost of importation will be higher than the approved prices.

There is no solution to this dilemma than removing the price control of medicines and implement a fair and equitable pricing mechanism which will link the price of medicines to the dollar, inflation and direct costs such as raw material, fuel and freight charges, which will make the importing and marketing of medicines viable. As difficult as it may sound, the authorities will have to choose between having medicines at a cost and not having medicines at all.

READ: China to help Sri Lanka build Made in Sri Lanka” brand

We as an ethically responsible industry, have already sought the intervention of the courts in order to bring about a transparent pricing mechanism for Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices that is fair to all. Such a mechanism may be the only salvation for the industry and the patients of the country and it is in the best interest of all concerned if the process is expedited by the authorities concerned by the government.

We would like to give a solemn undertaking to the public that we will do our utmost to see that the drug pricing is fair and equitable. The members of the SLCPI have an exceptional record of maintaining an uninterrupted supply of efficacious, safe & quality medicines at globally competitive prices over many decades while supporting the continuous medical education of the country.

(This press release issued by the Sri Lanka Chamber of the Pharmaceutical Industry clarifying and offering their stance on the availability of pharmaceuticals in the market and the impact the foreign exchange crisis is having on the industry.)

Courtesy RT

Biden administration said one of the suspected hackers arrested in Russia was to blame for the Colonial Pipeline attack

The Biden administration is pleased” about Russia arresting several suspected hackers, including one allegedly behind the ransomware attack that led to week-long fuel shortages last year.

A senior administration official, speaking with reporters on Friday, said Moscow had informed Washington about the arrests, and that one of the individuals involved was responsible for the May 2021 attack that crippled the Colonial Pipeline.

I want to be very clear: In our mind, this is not related to what’s happening with Russia and Ukraine. I don’t speak for the government’s motives, but we’re pleased with these initial actions,” said the unnamed official, according to Axios.

The US has been accusing Russia of planning an invasion” of Ukraine for several weeks now, with Moscow dismissing the allegations as fake news.”READ MORE: Russia busts REvil hacker ring after tip off from US

Earlier on Friday, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) announced it had conducted raids in three regions – Moscow, St. Petersburg and Lipetsk – targeting suspected hackers, after receiving a notice from US authorities about their alleged criminal activity.

The men arrested were reportedly members of REvil, a hacking group that specialized in ransomware attacks, and was blamed for the June 2021 attack on the meat processing conglomerate JBS and the US-based IT management platform Kaseya in July. 

The Colonial Pipeline attack was originally attributed to a different gang, called DarkSide. The company, which runs the pipeline providing much of the southern and eastern US with fuel, shut down operations for several days in May 2021, after the ransomware attack affected its automated invoicing service. 

The week-long disruption in supply caused fuel shortages across several states and Washington, DC. Colonial’s CEO Joseph Blount later admitted that he paid $4.4 million in ransom to the hackers, saying it was the right thing to do for the country.” 

The following month, the FBI also blamed DarkSide for the attack, boasting that it had seized about $2.3 million in bitcoin from their accounts.

අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මාධ්‍ය අංශය

ජාතික තෛපොංගල් උත්සවය අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ මහතාගේ ප්‍රධානත්වයෙන් අද (14) දින පස්වරුවේ අරලියගහ මන්දිරයේ දී පැවැත්විණි.

ගොවිතැන් කටයුතු සඳහා සූර්ය දෙවියන්ගෙන් ලැබුණු ශක්තියට කෘතගුණ සැලකීම මුල් කරගනිමින් දමිළ දින දර්ශනයේ පළමු දිනය මෙලෙස සුවිශේෂීත්වයෙන් සැමරීම සිදු වේ.

අස්වනු නෙලා ගැනීම සහ නෙලාගත් අස්වැන්නෙන් පළමු කොටස යොදා පොංගල් කිරිබත සෑදීම මෙම මංගල්‍යයේ චාරිත්‍රයකි.

බුද්ධශාසන ආගමික හා සංස්කෘතික කටයුතු අමාත්‍යවරයා වශයෙන් අග්‍රාමාත්‍යතුමාගේ උපදෙස් පරිදි මෙවර තෛපොංගල් උත්සවය උත්සවශ්‍රීයෙන් සැමරීමට අවශ්‍ය වටපිටාව සකසා තිබිණි.

අරලියගහ මන්දිරයේ පැවැති ජාතික තෛපොංගල් උත්සවය හින්දු සංස්කෘතික අංග වලින් විචිත්‍රවත් වූ අතර අග්‍රාමාත්‍යතුමා සමඟ අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය ආර්යා ශිරන්ති වික්‍රමසිංහ රාජපක්ෂ මහත්මිය ද තෛපොංගල් උත්සව චාරිත්‍ර සමඟ එක්ව සිටියාය.

කලාශූරී වාසුගී ජෙගදීස්වරන් මහත්මියගේ අධීක්ෂණයෙන් එම කලායතනයේ සිසුවියෝ පූජා නර්තනය ඇතුළු නර්තනාංග ඉදිරිපත් කළහ.

අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය ආර්යාව මෙහි දී නව නිර්දේශයට අනුව මුද්‍රණය කළ දහම් පාසල් පොත් දරුවන්ට බෙදා දුන්නාය.

කොළඹ රාමක්‍රිෂ්ණ මණ්ඩලයේ ප්‍රධානී පූජ්‍ය අක්ෂරාත්මානන්ද මහරාජ් ස්වාමි, අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය හින්දු ආගමික කටයුතු සම්බන්ධීකාරක පූජ්‍ය රාමචන්දිරා කුරුකල් බාබු ශර්මා ඇතුළු හින්දු පූජකවරු රැසක් මෙම අවස්ථාවට එක්වූහ.

 ජාතික තෛපොංගල් උත්සවය අවසානයේ හින්දු පූජකවරු අග්‍රාමාත්‍යතුමාට හින්දු චාරිත්‍රානුකූලව ආශිර්වාද එක් කළහ.

අමාත්‍ය ඩග්ලස් දේවානන්දා, රාජ්‍ය අමාත්‍ය ජීවන් තොණ්ඩමන්, පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රීවරුන්වන අංගජන් රාමනාදන්, සුරේන් රාඝවන්, ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ ඉන්දීය මහ කොමසාරිස් ගෝපාල් බාග්ලේ, අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය  කාර්ය මණ්ඩල ප්‍රධානී යෝෂිත රාජපක්ෂ, අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය සම්බන්ධීකරන ලේකම් සෙන්දිල් තොණ්ඩමන්, හින්දු ආගමික හා සංස්කෘතික කටයුතු දෙපාර්තමේන්තුවේ අධ්‍යක්ෂ ඒ.උමාමහේෂ්වරන් මහත්වරු ඇතුළු එම දෙපාර්තමේන්තුවේ නිලධාරී මහත්ම මහත්මීහු පිරිසක් මෙම අවස්ථාවට එක්ව සිටියහ.

BY BRAD DRESS Courtesy The Hill

Two elephants recently died in Sri Lanka after swallowing large amounts of plastic found in a garbage heap, prompting a renewed warning from conservationists about the issue.

The Associated Press reported that at least 20 elephants have died in the past eight years from eating plastic waste in the open landfill in Pallakkadu village.

The wild elephant population in Sri Lanka has plummeted 65 percent since the 19th century, with somewhere between 2,000 and 4,000 left, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Elephants are protected under Sri Lankan law, and killing one carries the death penalty. ADVERTISEMENT

Elephants have lost much of their wild habitats inside the island nation in the Indian Sea, pushing the animals closer and closer to waste landfills. Sri Lankan authorities have pledged to recycle more waste in garbage dumps, but the promise has never been fully carried out, according to the AP. An electric fence broke down in 2014 and hasn’t been repaired.

Wildlife veterinarian Nihal Pushpakumara said hungry elephants will consume plastic waste, which makes them stop eating and become too weak to keep their heavy frames upright.”

“When that happens, they can’t consume food or water, which quickens their death,” he told the AP.

Plastic, which can take hundreds of years to decompose, also causes the death of 100,000 marine mammals every year, the WWF estimates.

Courtesy ukr agroconsult

Sri Lanka’s tea industry performed well in 2021 earning 1.3 billion U.S. dollars despite lower yields and higher costs of production, state media reported on Thursday.

Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tea Board Jayampathy Molligoda was quoted by the state-owned Daily News as saying that Sri Lanka earned approximately 1.3 billion U.S. dollars from the export of 288 million kilos of tea in 2021.

Molligoda said the cost of production of Sri Lankan tea is among the highest in the global market and tea production peaked in 2013 and has declined since then. He said auction prices in Kenya and India are cheaper than in Colombo.

The chairman said Sri Lanka needs to focus more on the front end of the value chain” by marketing the clean, sustainable and wellness aspects of Ceylon Tea.

Tea is Sri Lanka’s top agricultural export and accounted for 10.9 percent of total merchandise export revenue in 2021.

Courtesy Finance Monthly

When a company’s foreseeable future earnings are not sufficient to repay debts, the company in question may choose to restructure its debt. And this applies to countries too. In years gone by, several countries have chosen to restructure their debt, with Sri Lanka potentially soon to join them.

How does debt restructuring work for countries?

Throughout history, there have been several cases of countries facing default on their external debt, including North Korea in 1987, Russia in 1998, and Argentina in 2002. Historically, some nations have chosen to restructure their debt with bondholders. This can involve moving the debt from the private sector to public sector institutions that may be capable of handling the weight of a country’s default. 

Sovereign bondholders may have to accept a reduced percentage of what they are owed. The maturity dates on bonds can also be extended, allowing the Government issuer more time to secure the funds required to pay back its bondholders. 

China’s role in Sri Lanka’s debt crisis

Over the past decade, China has lent Sri Lanka over £3.7 billion for projects including new roads, ports, and an airport. However, instead of praising China for its generosity, some critics have denounced the world’s second wealthiest nation for its lending practices to poorer countries, accusing China of leaving them struggling to pay off debt.

Typically, China lends at a higher rate of interest than western governments. At approximately 4%, these loans come close to commercial market rates and are around four times higher than that of a standard loan from the World Bank. Furthermore, the required repayment period for a Chinese loan is typically shorter. While other lenders’ concessional loans generally have a required repayment period of approximately 28 years, in China, it is less than 10. 

The case for Sri Lanka restructuring its external debt

Over the next couple of years, it is highly unlikely that Sri Lanka’s foreign revenues will be enough to meet foreign debt obligations. Cumulative foreign currency debt service amounts to approximately $26 billion from 2022 through to 2026. This year alone, Sri Lanka has foreign currency debt service payments of $6.9 billion. This figure is equivalent to almost 430% of official gross international reserves as of November 2021, according to Fitch Ratings. 

Furthermore, over the next 12-24 months, it is unlikely that foreign inflows will increase on the scale needed to service debt and finance imports necessary to meet basic needs and support the economy’s growth. This issue is further inflated by the downgrading of the country’s sovereign rating, which has resulted in Sri Lanka being excluded from international capital markets. 

Speaking to a visiting Chinese foreign minister at the beginning of January, Sri Lanka’s President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, said it would be a great relief to the country if attention could be paid on restructuring the debt repayments as a solution to the economic crisis that has arisen in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Meanwhile, several business chambers, including Ceylon National Chamber of Industries and The International Chamber of Commerce Sri Lanka, amongst others,  have come together to issue a statement highlighting the serious issues faced by their members caused by the acute shortage of forex; the result of the loss of revenue from tourism as well as access to international capital markets. 

Combined, these business chambers make up nearly all sectors of the economy and their problems cannot be resolved while large amounts of forex are being sent from markets to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka to service foreign debt. 

The disadvantages of external debt restructuring for Sri Lanka

A major disadvantage of restructuring foreign debt is an immediate loss of access to international capital markets. However, since Sri Lanka has already lost access after being downgraded, this factor becomes irrelevant. 

A second disadvantage of restructuring foreign debt is the heightened risk premium Sri Lanka would be required to pay when it is eventually permitted to regain market access. However, to date, the country has demonstrated commitment to meeting its obligations. At the beginning of October 2019, Sri Lanka settled a $1 billion maturing international sovereign bond by reaching into its foreign reserves and settled another, also worth $1 billion, in July 2020. Sri Lanka’s demonstrated commitment will likely mean that this second disadvantage is at least somewhat abated.

Final thoughts

With the country’s president and major business chambers keen to see Sri Lanka restructure its foreign debt, it seems like the obvious next step on the path to economic recovery. But only time will tell if the world’s other nations are willing to facilitate it. 

Courtesy New York Post

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PALLAKKADU, Sri Lanka — Conservationists and veterinarians are warning that plastic waste in an open landfill in eastern Sri Lanka is killing elephants in the region, after two more were found dead over the weekend.

Around 20 elephants have died over the last eight years after consuming plastic trash in the dump in Pallakkadu village in Ampara district, about 210 kilometers (130 miles) east of the capital, Colombo.

Examinations of the dead animals showed they had swallowed large amounts of nondegradable plastic that is found in the garbage dump, wildlife veterinarian Nihal Pushpakumara said.

Polythene, food wrappers, plastic, other non-digestibles and water were the only things we could see in the post mortems. The normal food that elephants eat and digest was not evident,” he said.

Elephants are revered in Sri Lanka but are also endangered. Their numbers have dwindled from about 14,000 in the 19th century to 6,000 in 2011, according to the country’s first elephant census.

They are increasingly vulnerable because of the loss and degradation of their natural habitat. Many venture closer to human settlements in search of food, and some are killed by poachers or farmers angry over damage to their crops.

Hungry elephants seek out the waste in the landfill, consuming plastic as well as sharp objects that damage their digestive systems, Pushpakumara said.

The elephants then stop eating and become too weak to keep their heavy frames upright. When that happens, they can’t consume food or water, which quickens their death,” he said.

In 2017, the government announced that it will recycle the garbage in dumps near wildlife zones to prevent elephants from consuming plastic waste. It also said electric fences would be erected around the sites to keep the animals away. But neither has been fully implemented.

There are 54 waste dumps in wildlife zones around the country, with around 300 elephants roaming near them, according to officials.

The waste management site in Pallakkadu village was set up in 2008 with aid from the European Union. Garbage collected from nine nearby villages is being dumped there but is not being recycled.

In 2014, the electric fence protecting the site was struck by lightning and authorities never repaired it, allowing elephants to enter and rummage through the dump. Residents say elephants have moved closer and settled near the waste pit, sparking fear among nearby villagers.

Many use firecrackers to chase the animals away when they wander into the village, and some have erected electric fences around their homes.

But the villagers often don’t know how to install the electric fences so they are safe and could endanger their own lives as well as those of the elephants,” said Keerthi Ranasinghe, a local village councilor.

Even though we call them a menace, wild elephants are also a resource. Authorities need to come up with a way to protect both human lives and the elephants that also allows us to continue our agricultural activities,” he said.

By Indika Hettiarachchi Courtesy EurasiaReviw

For a large number of 6.9 million voters who voted for Gotabaya Rajapakse in the 2019 presidential election, it was like giving a benefit of the doubt. This is because GR was a political novice at age 70. And his style of management or governance was a big question mark, although he was credited with military success. After two years, a vast majority of Sri Lankans aren’t convinced that giving the benefit of the doubt is a good idea when electing national leaders.   

As Sri Lanka descends deeper into economic chaos, the popularity of the President and his government have declined to levels never seen before for any political regime reaching midterm. The government appears to be disconnected from the general public and ground realities. Key forces within the government such as the military and Viyathmaga (an organization of professionals and a key ally of the current administration) seem to be lacking not only basic political experience and common sense in managing the country but also in the ability to work towards selfless goals.

Rohantha Atukorala, a popular market analyst, opines that the current administration is the worst administration in the last two decades due to poor decision making. Frequent changes of key government officials itself proves widespread accusation of poor judgments by the administration in selecting people for important positions.     

Food policy a mess

Perhaps the worst blow to people from the government came through its poor handling of the agriculture and food policy, resulting in sharp rise in food prices and shortages. Increase in cost of living to unbearable levels, coupled with rampant nepotism and corruption have angered general public to levels where they have now started to randomly and publicity hoot government and political leaders – something never seen in Sri Lanka before. 

What went wrong with the current administration, which appeared more than capable of taking the country in a positive direction, is a big question. Many blame the lack of experience of Gotabaya Rajapakse as the main cause of the failure. Lakshman Kiriella, an opposition politician, recently accused the media for its failure to question the President’s lack of understanding of the economy related problems faced by Sri Lanka at the presidential campaign stage. 

Leaning on divinity! 

Some analysts point out the downfall of the President is hastened by his and his inner circle’s blind dependency on divine powers to provide necessary guidance to run the country. Years before Gotabaya Rajapakse formally entered the presidential race, he has been a faithful follower of soothsayers – especially a popular female in Anuradhapura — the sacred Buddhist city from where he took the presidential oath.  

The President and his key aides reportedly still heavily depend on divine guidance in managing the country. Although it is common practice for politicians to seek divine blessings, some reports suggest that Gotabaya Rajapakse has become extremely dependent on such guidance — a stark contrast to his vision for the government driven by the use of science and technology.

As all indications suggest that the current political regime is unlikely to return to power, there are widespread discussions about who will be next presidential candidate and possible alliances. Anyway, for a majority of Sri Lankans, known devils are likely to be more appealing than unknown angels in future elections.  

*About the author: The writer is a Sri Lanka-based independent consultant in private market investments and projects. The views expressed are personal. He can be contacted at indika.h@jupitercapitalpartners.com

Source: This article was published by South Asia Monitor

A

Courtesy The Island

… says govt. has got priorities mixed up

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Former Minister D.E.W. Gunasekera says that the cash-strapped government lacked the wherewithal to implement the much publicized Rs 229 bn relief package.

Therefore, the one-time General Secretary of the Communist Party said the government had no option but to print more money at the expense of financial stability at a time the country was under tremendous pressure. The former minister quit the top party post in August 2020.

CP organ ‘Aththa,’ in its January 09, 2022 edition quoted the former lawmaker as having alleged that the Rs 229 bn relief package meant for the public sector, pensioners and Samurdhi recipients was nothing but a political strategy to revive the waning popularity of the government.

Declaring that he had no issue with the government providing relief to the public sector et al, the ex-MP warned that such measures wouldn’t help resolve the growing crisis. The outspoken former minister said that the controversial relief package should be examined against the backdrop of the failure on the part of the government to allocate the required funds through the 2022 budget.

Mr. Gunasekera last served as a National List MP from 2010 to 2015.

Reiterating that such a move had been necessitated by political compulsions, the veteran Communist warned of the grave risk of rising inflation. The CP member questioned the absence of a mechanism to assist those in the private sector, small and medium scale industries as well as the unregulated economy. The much weakened national economy couldn’t be revived unless the government paid attention to the neglected sectors.

The veteran politician explained how the global Covid-19 epidemic devastated the unregulated economy world over. However, the government hasn’t taken into consideration the fuller picture. Instead the government sought to use the financial package to counter dissenting views within the government.

The ex-Minister said that even if printing money caused inflation, the government could have achieved positive results if the total amount was used to increase domestic production. Had that happened, the government could have accomplished both political and economic objectives.

The former MP said that incumbent Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa hadn’t still understood the developing economic crisis.

Mr. Gunasekera told The Island that the private sector, including the plantation companies had quite clearly turned down the government request to match the special Rs. 5,000 monthly grant to employees. The government seemed not to have examined the situation at all, the former MP said, asserting that the current crisis could be the worst ever in post-independence Sri Lanka.

Continuing political instability in the wake of serious differences among coalition members with three ministers challenging a cabinet decision in the Supreme Court has jeopardized recovery attempts, Mr. Gunasekera said.

The one-time Chairman of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) emphasized the pivotal importance of some real effort to reach consensus on the country’s response to the emerging threat. We are almost overwhelmed. Unless tangible measures are taken there can be a catastrophe. Losses are likely to be immeasurable and irrevocable.”

Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya Courtesy The Daily Mirror

At least 14 statements have been recorded so far in connection with the recovery of a hand grenade at the Borella All Saints’ Church and those involved into the incident will be arrested irrespective of their possition, IGP C.D. Wickramaratne said.

In a special statement the IGP said that those involved will be brought to justice.

The IGP said that the Borella Police first commenced investigations into the incident after the hand grenade was found on January 11.

Thereafter the Colombo Crimes Division took action to take over the investigation.

The IGP said that relevant CCTV footage is used for this investigation in accordance with the provisions of the law and further investigations will be carried out through scientific, technical, environmental evidence and personal evidence with the assistance of experts in the relevant fields.  

These investigations are still in the early stages, he said.

A full investigation will be carried out into the person or persons who brought the grenade to the church,  the motives behind the conspiracy and the persons who aided and abetted it. 

The facts regarding the incident have already been reported to the court and further reports regarding the progress of the investigation will be submitted to the court.

The IGP said that all persons involved in this incident will be brought to justice as soon as possible.  

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Three doses of COVID-19 vaccine drop hospitalization by 90% in people above 65 years of age, health experts highlighted.

According to Head of the Immunology and Molecular Medicine Department at the Sri Jayewardenepura University Prof. Neelika Malavige, hospitalization due to Omicron is also dropped by 50% with two vaccine doses in the over 65 age group.

It is the people above 65 age of who are highly susceptible to get hospitalized and succumb to the virus. Omicron in the US is commonly seen among the unvaccinated population over 65 years. This is where booster dose plays a pivotal role.

In addition, she said most ICU admissions and COVID-19 fatalities are of the unvaccinated population.

Hence, she requested all eligible individuals get themselves boosted without further delay.

Meanwhile, Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama from National Institute of Infectious Diseases urged people not to be carried away by misconceptions and myths about the booster dose.

The priority of people at present should be the safety from Omicron which can be ensured with the booster dose,” he reiterated.  

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka College of Internal Medicine President and National Hospital of Sri Lanka (NHSL) Physician Dr. Harsha Sathischandra said no adverse effects have so been far been reported from pregnant women and neither from any other groups. 

Thus, the booster dose is recommended for persons who are pregnant or breast-feeding,” he added.

The health experts expressed these views at a news briefing held at the Government Information Department yesterday. (Sheain Fernandopulle)

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Public Security Minister Sarath Weerasekara said today there was a main conspirator behind the incidents where hand grenades were placed at a private hospital in Narahenpita and at the Borella All Saints’ Church premises.

He told reporters that in both instances, it was the same person who placed the bombs, who had found the bombs, and informed of them.

He said this was a move to embarrass the government, police and security forces and added that the mastermind behind these incidents would be arrested soon.

Courtesy Adaderana

The Health Ministry reports that 677 new cases of the coronavirus have been detected today (14).

This figure includes 03 persons who had arrived from overseas while the rest are community cases. 

This brings the tally of Covid-19 cases registered in the country thus far to 594,996 while over 11,000 infected patients are currently under medical care.  

Meanwhile, the Director-General of Health Services has confirmed 16 more coronavirus-related deaths for January 13, increasing the death toll in the country due to the virus pandemic to 15,190.

According to the official figures released by the Government Information Department, the deaths reported today include 08 males and 08 females.

Five of the patients are between the ages of 30-59 years. One victim is aged below 30 years and the remaining 10 are in the age group of 60 years.

Asoka Weerasinghe (Mr.) Kings Grove Crescent . Ottawa . Ontario . K1J 6G1  . Canada,

13 January 2022

Mr. R. Sampanthan , MP
President, Tamil National Alliance
16(30), Martin Road
Jaffna
Sri Lanka

Dear Mr. Sampanthan (Sam):

You intrigue me, and here I am writing to you again.  This time to let you hear my thoughts on your down right arrogance letting the 21 million Sri Lankans know that You on behalf of the rest of the Tamils residing in the  North and the East of the island decides who was welcome and who was not welcome to place their feet on the green chillies and toddy palm groves growing  kabook soil that covered that chunk of land which  happens to be one-third of the island’s real estate,  bordered by 66% of the coastline.

What a day-light cunning….What a day-light robbery.

 It was as if you were guarding your Grandmother’s La La Lotus land.   You said with some authority that China was not welcome in the North and East while India has a legitimate right to be there.” Hmmmm..!

You know what Sam, looking back I have little reason to begrudge your mindset and a landlordish’ regal-attitude, because the incumbent Sri Lankan government’s like a hoard of wimps, gave you that right that you displayed with authority by not kicking yours and your compatriots behinds and ask you all to behave yourselves when you all started to ethnic cleanse 27,000 Sinhalese by killing and terrorizing them from the North and East between 1971 and 1981 where they had  lived for generations. Didn’t kick your arse, when Tamil separatists stoned and chased 400 Sinhalese  lecturers and undergraduates on 13th August,1977.from the Jaffna University campus,  when they were brought south in convoys of buses escorted by the army and police, lying on the floors  to dodge the storm of  Jaffna-rocks and stones released  like hand-grenades by  Jaffna-Tamilian hands. And when you all gave 24 hours to 90,000 Muslims to leave the North and East in October 1990, leaving behind the valuables and gold at the nearest mosque, making Idi Amin look like an angel  He gave the Ugandan-Indians three months to leave.

Sam, although I resent what happened, I understand your arrogance and claiming that right because the incumbent Governments failed  to stop this rot, and make you all kiss the Jaffna-Killinochchi dust that the Sinhalese walked on..   And nip the Tamil Eelam quest in the bud.

You Tamils were lucky, as the Sinhalese were handicapped.  You had your Godmother Indira Gandhi, with the 4th largest World’s Army platooned  behind her ready to shoot when her voice would order…”ATTAIN-SHUN… NOW SHOOT”, at my Sinhalese people..  And in September 1983 decided to train 2000  of the Tamil separatists youth at Chakrata, north of DehraDun, for Commando and Army combat.  And this assignment was given  to the RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) of Indira’s Cabinet secretariat.

There were other military camps providing instructions in manufacturing bombs,suicide bodypacks, jungle warfare, weapon training, and military tactics, etc. to your Tamil separatists at Kumbakonam, Meenambakkam, Parangimalai, Senegal patu, Sudtagen Development in New Delhi, and a camp in Uttar Pradesh.  All to destabilise Yours and My Sri Lanka.

And you Sam, the son of A.Rajavarothiam, the Superintendent of Stores at the Gal Oya Project, and enjoying a ‘free-education’ as a youngster in the South among the Sinhalese, buddies at St. Anne’s College, Kurunegala and St. Sebastian College in Moratuwa, dipping your fingers into your  Sinhalese school chum’s Gamini’s, Cyril’s and Sarath’s paper cones of konda-kadale during tea breaks,  shifted your allegiance to Gandhi’s India when you commented on India’s current role in Sri Lanka Affairs explaining that India had a rightful and legitimate role to play with regard to the settlement of the Tamil national question in Sri Lanka.” 

Rightful and legitimate role to play….”  What!  You must be out of your rocker, Sam.  Sri Lanka and India  were never legitimate children of the same Mother.”  They walked differently….they spoke differently…the Sinhalese certainly didn’t display the  red-moon thumbprint between their eyebrows….  It is only your clan that made their women walk five-feet behind men as if the women had some kind of a contagious ‘Flu.  So give me a break Sam.

 This is even after Indira Gandhi’s son Rajiv was rifle-butted by an angry navy soldier, Vijitha Rohana Wijemuni, on 30th July, 1987 during a Navy Guard of  Honour in Colombo.  That brave act by Wijemuni spoke for the majority of us Sinhalese, me included.

Sam, if you really felt that the outsider India had a legitimate role to play in Tamil affairs in Sri Lanka, I am lost for ‘kind’ words, but would say…Oops..Damn it!

I am not sure why you and  the rest of the Tamils in the North and East do not prostrate yourselves to  India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking him to syphon all of you back into yours and his Motherland, India, where 72,147,030 of your kith and kin Tamils live in Tamil Nadu.  Why don’t you Sam…why didn’t you, when your heart-strings are still back in India, and your vocal chords do not want to sing – Sri Lanka Matha/ apa Sri Lanka, namo, namo, namo..matha/ Sundara Siri barini……… but would happily sing

Jana gana mana adhinayaka  jaya he….Bharata bhagya vidhata…

But let me caution you Sam, you are internationalising your internal  Tamil problem which also concerns me a Sinhalese also troubles me. This time if your India turns out to be a Bully Boy”, one more time,  India will have to change gears in their involvement in Sri Lanka’s internal problem.  They certainly wouldn’t want a Vietnam on their hands. And for sure they will be meeting not a Ceremonial 

Army as they did in 1987, but an army that has graduated and proved themselves to be the only conventional army in the world that destroyed militarily, almost single handed,  the most ruthless terrorists in the world which had a foot army, a sea-navy and an airforce, the Tamil Tigers.

Quite potent, isn’t it?  It would be fun war- games, not just Cops and Robbers, or Catapults and Bamboo sticks. You bet.

Sam, you recall that fateful day on 4 June 1987, when  5 Indian Transport An32s escorted by 5 screaming low-flying Mirage 2000’s of No.7 Squadron flew over the sovereign territory of Sri Lanka and dropped a mere 25-tons of so called ‘Relief” supplies over Jaffna peninsula which had a population of 800,000.  Sick…Sick!  Rajiv Gandhi certainly had an ugly sick-sense on humanitarianism, wanting to watch 800,000 of your Tamils claw the earth where the 25 tons of relief supplies had been dropped to pick up three grains of red lentils and boil it in water and drink the soup to feed their hunger.  Relief supply, my foot?  If geo-politics is what this is..Sweet Mother of Jesus, please help these Jaffna Tamils survive another day waiting holding their stomachs with hunger-pains for food supplies from their GodMother and GodFather, India.  If they are hoping to poke their fingers into Sri Lanka’s internal affairs, then India better take that responsibility  to keep the Northern and Eastern Tamils alive another day, without killing them of starvation. Sam, and I would call them you no good smub–ocitilop-oeg.

With your intervention and saying that only India is welcome to the North and East of Sri Lanka, you better be ready to accept that responsibility for being such a Goddamn foolish Tin God catalyst, Sam.

And Sam, you said, outlining his reasons, the TNA MP said, firstly the TNA’s own political quest was based on human rights and democracy…concepts he charged were alien to these Chinese.”

As for your own political quest – here’s  my response Sam.  You cannot  cut a country into two any more than you can cut a human into two.. If you do, you do not have two human beings, you have a corpse.

China,  I say to you, don’t take this guy from TNA, R. Sampanthan seriously.  It is his Tamil Tiger terrorists who took away the paramount human right of a person, his or her ‘RIGHT-TO-LIFE’, when they hijacked it from 20 million Sri Lankan

people for 30 years during their Eelam war.  It was the Sri Lankan Armed forces Heroes that gave it back to the millions of Sri Lankan people after they annihilated the Tamil Tigers on 19 May 2009, militarily.

China, don’t trust.Sampanthan on human rights.  It’s his Tamil terrorists who plucked infants from young Sinhalese mother’s breasts and baynetted them and some were smashed on charnokite rocks and enjoyed watching ketchup blood oozing from the tiny split skulls.

It were their Tamil Tiger terrorists who ambushed a bus that was driven with 33 Buddhist novice monks on a pilgrimage to Kelaniya.  They shot  them at point blank range, chopped them with machetes as if in a butcher-shop, and massacred all of them at Aranthalawa at 7:15 in the morning on June 2nd, 1997.  Human rights advocates, Sampanthan called themselves.  What a crock full of  codswallop. What a sinner’s shameful claim!

Sam, you pride yourself as a Human Rights Wallah.  If so, here is a problem for you to solve, now that you have begun a love-in with the Indian Government.

You tell me, how come the Indian Government has ignored and not acknowledged the Sri Lankan Armed Forces’ Text book superior act of Human Rights when they saved 295,873 Tamil refugees from the clutches of the Tamil Tigers, who were used as a Human Shield for the last 6 months of the Eelam War,  marching them under a scorching Jaffna-Killinochchi sun like unwashed cattle,  How come Sam?

There is more to this Textbook example of the Human Rights Act.  Most of the soldiers who rescued the Tamil Refugees turned cooks to prepare three hearty meals a day, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, producing a million meals a day and feeding them in Refugee camps for months.

Not a pip squeak of acknowledgement by the mighty India.  What a bunch of humbugs…what a bunch of UNESCO’s lying salesmen and women. Sam, this is the world that you have created that I have to live in and feel sick in my stomach about it.

The Sri Lankan Governments have drummed into my thick-skull day-in and day-out for months and years that India is Sri Lanka’s best friend..best neighbour that had been in the past,  the best friend there is..and the best friend there ever will be.  This is the friend that the Sri Lankan Government is having  a love-in with, but who is silent, acting like  a pseudo-Kiwi-white painted colonial face who has found it difficult to vote against  the UNHRC’s resolution to screw Sri Lanka onto a crucifix charging them on human rights violations during the last five months of the Eelam War,

Sam….I cannot take this Bullxxxt from You and your love-in Buddies of 18 salt-water miles to the North.

Sam, I want to breathe LOVE again and break bread with Tamils..   You can help me only if you are an honest-Tamil.  I want to breathe LOVE again.  I have done my share of reconciliation efforts with your people.  Ask me, and I will tell you of my contribution.  Make it soon as my International-licence for BRAGGING will be running out soon, and I have decided not to renew it.

So,Sam stop your dishonest crap, and become a born again-honest politician.   God will love You. Your brand of honesty doesn’t  cut mustard with me.  I resent it.  All it makes me do is spit dragon breath at you a lot, for  wanting your quest to cut the island in two based on  Goddamn lies…on persection, discrimination and Genocide of Tamils.

My request to you is to reboot your honesty and be a born again decent TNA politician

 Rethink your foolish Red light for China, Green Light for India.” bylined – Marianne  David – The Sunday Morning, (January 9, 2022)

Sincerely

Asoka Weerasinghe (Mr.)

Ottawa, Canada

Jubeda Chowdhury from Dhaka, Bangladesh

Although the RAB has paid a heavy price in its campaign against terrorists and drug smugglers, the US has unfairly imposed sanctions against the group.

A major obstacle to Bangladesh’s progress has traditionally been a volatile law and order situation, which forced the government to form an elite force to make the police more dynamic and effective. This is how the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) began its journey on March 26, 2004. Its operational activities started on June 21 that year. 

Since its birth, the RAB has been fighting terrorism and those involved in drug trafficking. If the United States aims to curb illegal human trafficking and criminal activity, this is precisely what the RAB is doing in Bangladesh. 

After the verdict in seven murder cases in Narayanganj on January 19, 2017, the US wanted Bangladesh to abolish RAB, calling it an “in-house death squad”. The government was criticized for alleged involvement in extrajudicial killings, torture, and disappearances. Twenty-five members of RAB have been convicted for the murders in Narayanganj. Of them, 16 were sentenced to death and nine to various terms of imprisonment.  

Due to this aberration, there is a tendency to underestimate the achievements of RAB. But its success is more than just a measure of failure. It is also playing a special role in suppressing traditional crimes.  

According to media reports, RAB has so far arrested 1,200 criminals and rescued more than 1,000 victims of human trafficking. About 16,000 firearms and 2.5 million rounds of ammunition have been seized from terrorists and arms dealers. Some 13,000 armed terrorists have been arrested. Also, it has taken into custody more than 500 Sundarbans-centric pirates and bandits. 

According to law enforcement agencies, drugs have been behind many crimes including theft, robbery, smuggling and use of illegal weapons all over the country including Dhaka. The RAB has a zero-tolerance policy against drugs. 

According to RAB statistics, the force has arrested about 55,000 drug dealers since May 3, 2016 — and 1.5 lakh since its inception. It has seized drugs worth Rs 3,000 crore including Yaba tablets (most commonly used in Bangladesh), heroin and phencidyl. 

Yaba is mostly smuggled from Myanmar. Regular operations are carried out against Yaba traders in and around Cox’s Bazar. Since militants killed 20 people, including 17 foreigners, in an attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery (Spanish restaurant) in Dhaka in July 2016, the RAB has played an effective role against militancy. 

According to RAB sources, it has conducted 241 anti-militant operations since then, arresting 809 militants and killing 25 in gun battles. In addition, seven militants have surrendered. All activities of the militants are monitored. 

RAB Director General Benazir Ahmed said: “We are trying to prevent the militants from trying to incite people by misinterpreting the Holy Quran and its verses. We are trying to convey the correct interpretation of various verses of the Holy Quran to the people.” 

The RAB has paid a heavy price in its campaign against criminals. Twenty-seven personnel have lost their lives. More than 1,000 have been maimed in various operations. Another 2,000 have been injured. 

Today, due to the success of RAB’s campaigns, militancy and terrorism have come down to virtually zero in the whole country. The Sundarbans have been freed from piracy. No wonder, RAB officials have received various medals and recognition. 

Unfortunately, the US in December imposed human rights-related sanctions on RAB and seven of its current and former officials, accusing them of involvement in hundreds of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings since 2009. One of the sanctioned officers is Benazir Ahmed, the Inspector General of Bangladesh Police. Most Bangladeshis feel that the US action is wrong.

අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මාධ්‍ය අංශය

මෙවර රාජ්‍ය වෙසක් උත්සවයට ප්‍රථම නාගදීප රජ මහා විහාරය පූජා භූමියක් ලෙස නම් කර ඊට අදාළ සන්නස් පත්‍රය පිළිගැන්වීම කළ යුතු යැයි අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ මහතා පැවසීය.

රාජ්‍ය වෙසක් උත්සවය – 2022 බලංගොඩ කූරගල ඓතිහාසික පුදබිම කේන්ද්‍ර කරගනිමින් පැවැත්වීමට තීරණය කරමින් ඊයේ (12) පස්වරුවේ අරලියගහ මන්දිරයේ පැවති සාකච්ඡාවේ දී අග්‍රාමාත්‍යතුමා මේ බව දැනුම් දුන්නේය.

ගියවර රාජ්‍ය වෙසක් උත්සවය පැවැත්වීමට අපි තීරණය කළේ ඓතිහාසික නාගදීප රජ මහා විහාරය කේන්ද්‍ර කර ගනිමින්. පැවති කොවිඩ් වසංගත තත්ත්වය සමඟ සෞඛ්‍ය අංශයෙන් ලැබුණු උපදෙස් නිසා ජනතාවගේ සෞඛ්‍ය ආරක්ෂාව වෙනුවෙන් රාජ්‍ය වෙසක් උත්සවය පැවැත්වීමට නොහැකි වුණා. මෙවර රාජ්‍ය වෙසක් උත්සවයට ප්‍රථම නාගදීප විහාරය පූජා භූමියක් ලෙස නම් කර සන්නස් පත්‍රය පිළිගැන්වීම කළ යුතුයි. ඒ සඳහා අවශ්‍ය කටයුතු නොපමාව සූදානම් කරන්නැයි”අග්‍රාමාත්‍යතුමා අමාත්‍යාංශ නිලධාරීන් හමුවේ ප්‍රකාශ කළේය.

කූරගල ඓතිහාසික පුදබිම කේන්ද්‍ර කරගෙන පැවැත්වෙන රාජ්‍ය වෙසක් උත්සවයට සමගාමීව කූරගල ඓතිහාසික පුදබිම ද පූජා භූමියක් ලෙස නම් කිරීමට අවධානය යොමු කරන්නැයි ද අග්‍රාමාත්‍යතුමා පැවසීය.

රාජ්‍ය වෙසක් උත්සවයට සමඟාමීව වෙසක් බැති ගී සංදර්ශන, දන්සැල්, වෙසක් පහන් කූඩු තරග, පරිසර සංරක්ෂණ වැඩසටහන්, විශේෂ ආගමික වැඩසටහන්, සංස්කෘතික වැඩසටහන්  පැවැත්වීම කෙරෙහි මෙන්ම විහාරස්ථාන,දහම් පාසල් සහ  පිරිවෙන් නගා සිටුවීම පිළිබඳව මෙහි දී සාකච්ඡා විය.

මෙවර රාජ්‍ය වෙසක් උත්සවයට සමගාමීව කොළඹ ඇතුළු ප්‍රධාන නගර වල වෙසක් උත්සව සංවිධානය කිරීම  කෙරෙහි අවධානය යොමුකරන ලෙස ද අග්‍රාමාත්‍යතුමා මෙහි දී පැවසීය.

කූරගල පුදබිම පිහිටි බලංගොඩ සහ කල්තොට ප්‍රදේශ ආශ්‍රිතව යටිතල පහසුකම් දියුණු කිරීම කෙරෙහි විශේෂ අවධානයක් යොමු කළ අග්‍රාමාත්‍යතුමා ඒ සම්බන්ධයෙන් අදාළ අංශ සමඟ සාකච්ඡා කර කටයුතු කරන ලෙස නිලධාරීන්ට උපදෙස් දුන්නේය.

මෙවර වෙසක් උත්සවය සෞඛ්‍ය අංශයේ උපදෙස් මත පැවැත්වීම සඳහා අවශ්‍ය සියලු කටයුතු රජයක් ලෙස අපි සුදානම් කරනවා. පරිසර සංරක්ෂණ වැඩ පිළිවලේදී විශේෂයෙන්  පැළ බෙදාදීම පමණක් නෙමෙයි. ඒ පැළ සිටුවා නිවැරදිව සංරක්ෂණය කරනවාද කියලත් සොයා බලන්න යැයි අග්‍රාමාත්‍යතුමා පැවසුවේය.

රාජ්‍ය වෙසක් උත්සවය – 2022 බලංගොඩ කූරගල ඓතිහාසික පුදබිම කේන්ද්‍ර කරගෙන පැවැත්වීමට අදාළව ඊට සමගාමීව ක්‍රියාත්මක වන වැඩසටහන් සම්බන්ධයෙන් ප්‍රවාහන ඇමතිනි පවිත්‍රා දේවි වන්නිආරච්චි මහත්මිය මෙහි දී පැහැදිලි කළාය.

සමස්ත ලංකා ශාසනාරක්ෂක මණ්ඩලයේ  සභාපති පූජ්‍ය මහාචාර්ය තුඹුල්ලේ සීලක්ඛන්ධ ස්වාමීන්වහන්සේ , සමස්ත ලංකා ශාසනාරක්ෂක මණ්ඩලයේ ප්‍රධාන ලේඛකාධිකාරී පූජ්‍ය මුගුණුවෙල අනුරුද්ධ ස්වාමීන්වහන්සේ, නෙල්ලිගල ජාත්‍යන්තර බෞද්ධ මධ්‍යස්ථානාධිපති පූජ්‍ය වතුරකුඹුරේ ධම්මරතන  ස්වාමීන්වහන්සේ, රත්නපුර දිස්ත්‍රික් ශාසනාරක්ෂක මණ්ඩලයේ ලේඛකාධිකාරී පූජ්‍ය කහවත්තේ සේනින්ද ස්වාමීන්වහන්සේ, බුද්ධශාසන, ආගමික හා සංස්කෘතික කටයුතු අමාත්‍යතුමාගේ සම්බන්ධීකාරක පුජ්‍ය අග්‍රහැරේ කස්සප ස්වාමීන්වහන්සේ ප්‍රධාන මහා සංඝරත්නය මෙහි වැඩමකර සිටියහ.

ප්‍රවාහන අමාත්‍ය පවිත්‍රා දේවි වන්නිආරච්චි, සබරගමු පළාත් ආණ්ඩුකාර ටිකිරි කොබ්බෑකඩුව, පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රීවරුන් වන අකිල එල්ලාවල, ගාමිණී වලේබොඩ, , බුද්ධශාසන ආගමික හා සංස්කෘතික කටයුතු අමාත්‍යාංශයේ ලේකම් මහාචාර්ය කපිල ගුණවර්ධන, අමාත්‍යාංශ ලේකම්වරුන් වන අනූෂ පැල්පිට, ආර්.ඒ.ඒ.කේ.රණවක, රාජ්‍ය අමාත්‍යාංශ ලේකම්වරුන් වන එන්.එච්.එම් චිත්‍රානන්ද, කේ.ඒ.ඩී.ආර් නිශාන්ති ජයසිංහ, ආරක්ෂක මාණ්ඩලික ප්‍රධානී සහ යුද හමුදාපති ජෙනරාල් ශවේන්ද්‍ර සිල්වා, අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය අතිරේක ලේකම්වරුන් වන නීතිඥ චමින්ද කුලරත්න, නිශාන්ත වීරසිංහ, මහාභාරකාර තැන්පත් නීතිඥ ගනේෂ් ධර්මවර්ධන, බෞද්ධ කටයුතු කොමසාරිස් ජනරාල් සුනන්ද කාරියප්පෙරුම, පූජාභූමි අධ්‍යක්ෂ රුචිර විතාන, බුද්ධශාසන, ආගමික හා සංස්කෘතික කටයුතු අමාත්‍යතුමාගේ පෞද්ගලික ලේකම් ඒ.එම් රත්නායක මහත්ම මහත්මීහු ඇතුළු රාජ්‍ය ආයතන නියෝජනය කරමින් නිලධාරීහු පිරිසක් මෙම අවස්ථාවට එක්ව සිටියහ.

මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ ශ්‍රී ලංකා ප්‍රජාතාන්ත්‍රික සමාජවාදී ජනරජයේ අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය

සමස්ත දමිළ ජනතාව බැතියෙන් සමරන තෛපොංගල් උත්සවය කෘතගුණ සැලකීම මුල්කරගත් උතුම් මංගල්‍යයකි.

අස්වනු නෙලීම දක්වා හිරු දෙවියන් ඇතුළු ස්වභාවධර්මයෙන් කෘෂිකර්මාන්තයට ලැබුණු ශක්තිය සහ උපකාරයන්  සිහිපත් කිරීම මෙම උතුම් මංගල්‍යයේ විශේෂත්වයකි.

හින්දු දින දර්ශනයට අනුව පළමු මාසය සහ උදාව යන්න අර්ථවත් කරමින් තෛපොංගල් ලෙසින් සමරන මෙම උත්සවය ලොව පුරා දමිළ ජනතාවගේ ආගමික, සමාජීය හා සංස්කෘතික බැඳීම් විදහාපායි.

විවිධ භාෂාවන් කතා කරන විවිධ ආගම් හා ජාතීන්ට අයත් ජනතාවක් ජීවත් වන ශ්‍රී ලංකාව සංස්කෘතික බැඳීම්වලින් පොහොසත් රටකි.

ඒ නිසාම මෙවැනි උතුම් දිනයක ඇති සමාජ අර්ථය ජීවිතයට ළඟා කර ගනිමින් එක මවකගෙ දරුවන් මෙන් අප සියලු දෙනා පෙරට ආ යුතුය.

දුෂ්කරතා හමුවේ වුවද එන්නත්කරණ වැඩසටහන විධිමත්ව පවත්වා ගැනීම හේතුවෙන් රටේ ජනතාවගේ ජීවිත ආරක්ෂා කර දීමේ වගකීම ඉටු කිරීමට රජයක් ලෙස අපට හැකිවිය.

වසංගත තත්ත්වය හමුවේ තවදුරටත් ඔබගේ සංස්කෘතික බැඳීම් සීමා නොවන්නට එය හේතු වූවා මෙන්ම අනාගතයට අප පියමන් කළ යුතුව ඇත්තේ අභියෝගවලට මුහුණදීමේ අධිෂ්ඨානය පෙරදැරිවය.

සෞභාග්‍යමත් දේශයක් ලෙස ලොවට පියනැගීම සඳහා වූ උදාර අරමුණ සාක්ෂාත් කර ගැනීමේ දී ද තෛපොංගල් දින අර්ථයන් මහඟු පිටුබලයක් වනු ඇති බව මාගේ විශ්වාසයයි.

කෘතගුණ සලකන සමාජයක් තුළ ඔබගේ නැවුම් බලාපොරොත්තු සඵල වනු ඇත.

සියලු දමිළ ජනතාවගේ ප්‍රාර්ථනාවන් ඉටුවන ප්‍රීතිමත් තෛපොංගල් දිනයක් වේවා! යැයි සුබ ප්‍රාර්ථනා කරමි.

මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ

ශ්‍රී ලංකා ප්‍රජාතාන්ත්‍රික සමාජවාදී ජනරජයේ අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය

ඒ.ජේ.එම්. මුසම්මිල්, ඌව පළාත් ආණ්ඩුකාරවර

ලෝකවාසී හින්දු භක්තිකයන් දුරුතු මස උත්සවශ්‍රීරීයෙන් සමරන තෛපොංගල් දිනය සාමාජීය, සංස්කෘතික හා ආගමික වශයෙන් අතිශය වැදගත්ය. අද දින ශ්‍රී ලාංකීය හා ලෝකවාසී සියළු හින්දු භක්තිකයන් වෙත තෛපොංගල් සුභ පැතුම් එක් කිරීමට අවස්ථාව ලැබීම පිළිබඳව මා බෙහෙවින් සතුටු වෙමි.

කෘෂිකර්මාන්තය තම ජීවනෝපාය කරගත් ජනතාව අද දින හිරු දෙවියන්ට කෘතඥතාවය දක්වමින් තම ජීවන රටාවෙහි දියුණුව අපේක්ෂා කරයි. එසේම ස්වභාව ධර්මයට ගරු කරමින්, කළගුණ සැලකිය යුතුය යන්න මානුෂීය ගුණාංගයක් බව සියළු ජාතීන්ගේ අභිලාෂය වේය යන්න තෛපොංගල් දිනයේ ප්‍රාරාර්ථනාවයි.

තෛපොංගල් වැනි සැමරුම් හේතුවෙන් ජනතාව අතර ඇතිවන නව බලාපොරොත්තු පවුල් ඒකකය මඟින් සමස්ත සමාජයට ගලාගෙන යනු ලබයි. මේ හරහා මානුෂීය සමාජ ගති ලක්ෂණ වඩ වඩාත් දියුණු වන්නේය යන්න අපගේ ඒකායන බලාපොරොත්තුවයි.

මෙම ධර්මතාවයන්ට අනුව දුරුතු මහේ සියළු පැතුම් ඉටුවේය යන විශ්වාසයත් සමඟ සමරන තෛපොංගල් උත්සවය තුළින් සියළු දෙනා හට සාමය, සතුට, සෞභාග්‍යය පිරි වාසනාවන්ත දිවියක් උදාවේවායි ඉතසිතින් මා ප්‍රාරාර්ථනා කරමි.

ඒ.ජේ.එම්. මුසම්මිල්,
ඌව පළාත් ආණ්ඩුකාරවර

Courtesy NewsIn.Asia

Colombo, Jan 14 (AdaDerana) – In the context of rising prices of all consumer products and the limited availability of most, the people of Sri Lanka, are faced with two ominous questions about which they are justifiably anxious.

1. Will there be a scarcity of medicines in the near future in the country and if so, should they be stocking up their regular medications?
2. Will the price of medicines go up in conjunction with all the other products in the market?

Availability of medicines in the future

At least some sections of the public must be aware that there are shortages of some medicines even at present.  This is due to many reasons but the foremost of these is the foreign currency crisis in the country which makes it difficult for banks to facilitate the payments through Letters of credit (LC’s). At present, banks, both state and private sector, allows the Pharma Importers to open LC’s only when they have sufficient dollars to safely guarantee payment for the imports.

Although medicines are given certain priority, there are other items such as essential food items, Petroleum products, fertilizer etc., that have to be given priority as well by the Government. The result is that importing of medicines is now done on the availability of foreign currency and not on the needs of the country or its patients. In this situation, it is inevitable that there will be shortages of more and more medicines as the foreign exchange crisis deepens.

READ: India extends forex support of more than US$ 900 million to Sri Lanka

As for stocking medicines in excess of usual treatment regime by patients, it is not advisable to do so for long periods since these products have to be stored under strict conditions specified by the manufacturers. It is doubtful whether such conditions can be maintained in an average household. In addition, bulk or panic buying by the affluent may deprive the less able segment of the population access to medicines they require for a healthy life.

We as an industry will do our utmost to keep the supplies of medicines available uninterrupted, since we fully realize the implications of failing to do so. In this regard, we earnestly hope that the authorities concerned will give us priority in establishing LC’s on time.

READ: Lanka asks China to restructure debt repayment

Pricing of Medicines

It will be also catastrophic in the event if the dollar is allowed to float, which will mean that all medicines will have to be sold at a loss and as such, the entire industry will collapse in the face of such a threat where the importation would obviously stop as the cost of importation will be higher than the approved prices.

There is no solution to this dilemma than removing the price control of medicines and implement a fair and equitable pricing mechanism which will link the price of medicines to the dollar, inflation and direct costs such as raw material, fuel and freight charges, which will make the importing and marketing of medicines viable. As difficult as it may sound, the authorities will have to choose between having medicines at a cost and not having medicines at all.

READ: China to help Sri Lanka build Made in Sri Lanka” brand

We as an ethically responsible industry, have already sought the intervention of the courts in order to bring about a transparent pricing mechanism for Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices that is fair to all. Such a mechanism may be the only salvation for the industry and the patients of the country and it is in the best interest of all concerned if the process is expedited by the authorities concerned by the government.

We would like to give a solemn undertaking to the public that we will do our utmost to see that the drug pricing is fair and equitable. The members of the SLCPI have an exceptional record of maintaining an uninterrupted supply of efficacious, safe & quality medicines at globally competitive prices over many decades while supporting the continuous medical education of the country.

(This press release issued by the Sri Lanka Chamber of the Pharmaceutical Industry clarifying and offering their stance on the availability of pharmaceuticals in the market and the impact the foreign exchange crisis is having on the industry.)

Courtesy Jewish News

Colonial mansions and chattering monkeys turn up the heat for Brigit Grant in Sri Lanka

There are lots of things one expects to see at breakfast. Cereal boxes. Eggs in cups. Toast in a rack. But a monkey hanging from the branch of a Foxtail palm tree? Now that’s something different. Except it’s not, in Sri Lanka. Tufted grey langur monkeys engaged in a game of chase or clinging to rattans as they swing from palm to palm is morning cabaret at Haritha Villas + Spa and it’s an unmissable petit dejeuner performance.

Sipping freshly-pulped mango juice to the song of the yellow-fronted barbet while deliberating over whether to eat a butter croissant with pineapple jam or tuck into more passion fruit is the toughest choice you have to make at the Haritha. And to think that only a few days earlier, mornings were about beating red lights on the school run while spilling coffee on my coat.

Now, in nothing more than a sarong and a smile, my family and I were guests at a boutique hotel that would charm even the most seasoned resort traveller. No matter how fabulous your last five-star stay was, the Haritha will top it, but it does so discreetly and with such good taste. Perched on a hilltop above the playfully-named seaside town of Hikkaduwa (which means sword of knowledge or seashell jungle depending on who you ask) the property is gasp-worthy and stops you in your tracks soon after you pass through the iron gates and luscious foliage.

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Gripped by the heat we so long for at home, Sri Lanka is supposedly cooler from November to March, but with temperatures of more than 26°C in the last weeks of 2021, it’s the kind of ‘cool’ I can live with, particularly when I’ve got my own pool. Yes, I did say my own pool”, which was a mere five steps (I counted) from the heavy wood door of my Colonial Mansion.

Pool at Haritha

In truth the only sensible place to put a  family of five with a lot of luggage (Jews don’t travel light) is a Colonial Mansion and, luckily, the Haritha has two, both of which have high-ceilinged majestic adjoining suites containing large four-poster beds dressed with 500 threadcount linen under stylishly-swathed mosquito nets. Around the room, carefully placed glazed figurines, an iPad and state-of-the-art moveable speaker suggest ‘at home’, so I had to remind the family we were not and could only lay claim to the complimentary chic black stationery and toiletries. That the bathroom was outdoors exposed to the elements and visiting striped palm squirrels was a delightful novelty – at least until a Kandyan dwarf toad landed on the face of my step-son’s girlfriend while she was on the al fresco toilet. Despite being a small Indian Ocean island, Sri Lanka is recognised as an amphibian hotspot, with 116 species, 90 percent of which are not found elsewhere  on Earth. And occasional toilets.

Al fresco bath

Proximity to wildlife is just another perk while staying at the Haritha, which also has seven independent contemporary villas with saltwater plunge pools. Hidden on leafy shelves beneath the Colonial Mansion, the guests in the other villas are invisible and only seen in the restaurant, which sits beside an infinity pool overlooking rice fields. Having only arrived a month before us, the hotel’s new GM, an ebullient Italian called Umberto Piccolini was as enthusiastic about Haritha we were and, having overseen the openings of hotels in the Maldives and Dubai, knows how to  run five-star  places. He had also been culinary director at The Four Seasons, so we left it to him to choose our lunch and dinner menus, as well as the wine.

Fish is available on a biblical scale in Sri Lanka and you have your pick of yellowfin and bigeye tuna, along with all the crustaceans the Torah forbids us to eat, but some can’t resist. For those who are not averse to dining at J.Sheekey or Scott’s in London, Sri Lanka offers better quality at a tenth of the price, so make the most of it.

After a fish feast and the sommelier’s skilled wine choices, the heat of the night called for a dip in our phosphorescent lit pool. A few pranks, Lion beers (that’s a brand not the beast) and then delicious silence fell beneath the stars. Even the monkeys were sleeping – but they made it to breakfast before us the next morning, ready to swing.

Haritha Villas is currently offering a two-night stay with breakfast, three-course dinner, private airport transfer and a couple’s spa treatment for 90 minutes from £308 per night.

www.harithavillas.com

Below: Outside bath and, right,
some local wildlife

Clockwise from above left:
Bathroom wall message;
Haritha swimming pool; Brigit’s family on a Sri Lankan safari

Haritha Villa & Spa

Courtesy Jewish News

This week’s yummy recipe is extracted from Linda McCartney’s Family Kitchen: Over 90 Plant-Based Recipes to Save the Planet and Nourish the Soul

Photo: Elena Heatherwick

It can take 2,350 litres of fresh water to produce just one 150g beef burger – that’s enough water to fill 30 bathtubs or have a five-hour shower!

So that’s a good reason to try this sensational pulled meat-style jackfruit instead and enjoy a burger experience without harming the environment.

Courtesy Ceylon Today

The Colombo Chief Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) yesterday (12)  examined the health condition of  SJB MP Patali Champika Ranawaka, as per an order issued by Colombo High Court judge Damith Thotawattavon the previous day.

The JMO was ordered to submit a report, promptly, on the MP’s health condition.

The order was issued after the former Minister failed to appear in court for a case against him and two others Dilum Thusitha Kumara and ASP Sudath Asmadala was taken up for hearing.

The trio have been charged with concealing and fabricating evidence in relation to a traffic accident in Rajagiriya on 29 February 2016, which caused grievous injury to a youth, Sandeep Sampath.

MP Ranawaka was admitted to a private hospital in Colombo after having said to be afflicted with breathing difficulties and kidney ailment, and was discharged following the conclusion of his examination.

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Chairman of Litro Gas Lanka Theshara Jayasinghe is reported to have been reappointed several hours after he was removed from the position.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is reported to have instructed to reinstate the sacked Chairman following an inspection visit at the Litro Gas Terminal this morning even though the Finance Ministry Secretary has sent the letter of removal.

It was informed that former Housing Development Authority Chairman Renuka Perera was appointed to the position left vacant after Jayasinghe’s removal.(Ajantha Kumara Agalakada)