National Development Bank PLC

NDB Bank has entered into a strategic partnership with AHZ Education Consultants, one of the fastest-growing UK-focused education consultancies in the world. The collaboration, formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on 18th September 2025, further strengthens NDB’s Student File proposition, a holistic banking solution designed to support students and their families as they pursue overseas education.

The MoU was signed by Sanjaya Perera, Senior Vice President – Personal Banking and Customer Experience, and Zeyan Hameed, Vice President – Retail Banking, on behalf of NDB Bank, while Manuel Pragash, Country Manager, represented AHZ Education Consultants.

Through this partnership, Sri Lankan students aspiring to study in the UK will now benefit from an integrated journey that combines AHZ’s expertise in UK university placements with NDB’s secure and efficient banking solutions. NDB’s Student File offers a one-stop facility for parents and students, covering foreign remittances, account management, advisory services, and seamless financial support tailored for overseas education.

AHZ Education Consultants is recognised globally for its strong UK university network, working with over 130 institutions and guiding students across 16 countries. From applications and visa processing to accommodation and post-arrival support, AHZ provides end-to-end solutions to ensure students transition smoothly into their new academic environments in the UK. With offices based in London and Colombo, AHZ brings international expertise with local insight, making it an invaluable partner for Sri Lankan students.

Commenting on the partnership, Sanjaya Perera, SVP – Personal Banking and Customer Experience at NDB, stated, “Education is one of the most meaningful investments families can make, and NDB is proud to support that journey through our Student File proposition. Our partnership with AHZ creates a powerful synergy, combining their deep expertise in UK higher education with our trusted financial solutions. Together, we aim to make the overseas education journey more seamless, empowering students to focus on their ambitions with complete peace of mind.”

Sharing his perspective, Manuel Pragash, Country Manager of AHZ Education Consultants, added, “At AHZ, our mission is to connect students with world-class UK universities and ensure they receive guidance at every step of their journey. Partnering with NDB allows us to enhance this support by offering families secure and efficient financial solutions alongside our counselling and placement services. This collaboration ensures that students can pursue their dreams of UK education with confidence and clarity.”

This partnership reaffirms NDB’s unwavering commitment to empowering Sri Lankan students and their families through innovative financial solutions and strategic collaborations, ensuring a seamless path to international education success.

NDB Bank is the fourth-largest listed commercial bank in Sri Lanka. NDB was named Sri Lanka’s Best Digital Bank for SMEs at Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2025 and was awarded Domestic Retail Bank of the Year – Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka Domestic Project Finance Bank of the Year by Asian Banking and Finance Magazine (Singapore) Awards 2024. NDB is the parent company of the NDB Group, comprising capital market subsidiary companies, together forming a unique banking and capital market services group. The Bank is committed to empowering the nation and its people through meaningful financial and advisory services powered by digital banking solutions.

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Colombo, Oct. 27 (Daily Mirror) – As torrential rains lash Sri Lanka, health experts are sounding the alarm over a surge in waterborne diseases.

Senior Consultant Physician Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama told the Daily Mirror that diseases such as dengue, leptospirosis, hepatitis A, typhoid, and diarrhoea could spread rapidly as rainwater contaminates drinking water sources and creates ideal conditions for mosquitoes to breed.

He said the rainy season greatly increases the risk of several serious illnesses, with dengue fever posing a major threat.

Flooded and stagnant areas become perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes. At the same time, floodwater can mix with urine from infected animals, leading to the spread of leptospirosis, or ‘rat fever,’” Dr. Wijewickrama explained.

He cautioned that people working or wading through flooded or muddy areas such as farmers, construction workers, and rescuers are particularly at risk.

They should wear boots, gloves, and protective clothing, and seek immediate medical attention if they experience symptoms such as fever, headaches, chills, or muscle pain,” he said.

The physician further noted that outbreaks of diarrhoeal diseases, hepatitis A, and typhoid are common after heavy rains due to contaminated drinking water and poor sanitation.

People often use unclean water from wells or streams during floods, which increases the risk of these infections,” he added.

These illnesses may not appear right away but could surface as floodwaters begin to recede over the next two weeks. It’s crucial to act early to prevent a health crisis,” Dr. Wijewickrama stressed.

He also reminded the public to ensure safe drinking water by boiling or chlorinating it, properly dispose of garbage to reduce mosquito breeding, and maintain good personal hygiene.

Simple preventive steps such as washing hands before meals, drinking boiled water, covering food, and avoiding exposure to muddy or stagnant water can save lives,” he pointed out.

Shripal Nishshanka

Dear Mr. President,

I vehemently believe you, as a boy hailing from a village like beautiful Thambuththegamuwa would never allow the following most dangerous and unfair activities to take place in our beloved motherland Sri Lanka ever;

• Legalization of LGBTQ: Today when even the majority of most developed countries also reject this concept, should my beautiful and sacred country Sri Lanka implement it? A well-civilized country would not let happen such a disastrous act to be included into the constitution so that the meaning of a family would also be destroyed and the society would become undisciplined and vulgar.

Please do not let constitutionalize LGBTQ in Sri Lanka ever!

• Reformation of History subject from school academic syllabus and curriculum: Our motherland Sri Lanka is one of the extremely few countries in the world, which possesses a rich written history inheriting from more than 2560 years. If you well explore the hilly country of Sri Lanka places such as Ravana Ella (falls), Ravana guhawa (cave), Seetha Eliya and Dova guhawa (cave) etc., you would realize that even Ravana is also just not a mythical figure. If so, not only our Sri Lankan history books but also Indian historical books of Ramayanaya and Maha Bharatha would also become just mythical! The history must be taught in the schools and even super developed countries like USA has the subject ‘History’ in the high school for advance placement for university entrance!

• Imprisonment of heroic service members: Mr. President, no country in the world has ever fought a war without an innocent civilian being killed or injured and it is a solid fact. Ex-Naval Commander Rear Admiral Ulugethenna had been involved in destroying several ships loaded with ammunition supplies to LTTE many times which made an easy and clear passage for our Army to destroy the LTTE militarily. Also Ex-Naval Commander Fleet Martial Karannagoda courageously spear headed Sri Lankan naval force during the final LTTE war period and they should enjoy their retired life in dignity and honour. Do please leave him in peace as well and just because Field Martial Sarath Fonseka is carrying forward a personal grudge with him since their school time swimming team captaincy debacle (Colombo Ananda College), do not let it propagate! Please be careful of Sarath Fonseka a most ungrateful man known ever!

May you with your family and team and our motherland Sri Lanka and the whole world be guided, protected and blessed with the Triple Gem and All Good Guardian Deities till eternity!

Thank you Mr. President,

Sincerely,

Shripal Nishshanka

By Palitha Ariyarathna

The recent request by a group of Muslim women to modify nursing uniforms for religious reasons and the government’s hasty assurance that there are no legal restrictions” reveals a deeper problem: a shared lack of Cultural Intelligence (CQ) on both sides of the conversation. Cultural Intelligence is not about appeasement. It is about recognizing context, respecting native frameworks, and understanding when adaptation becomes distortion. In this case, both the petitioners and the officials failed to uphold the civic and professional integrity of Sri Lanka’s public health system.

Let us be clear: the nursing uniform is not a casual garment. It is a symbol of discipline, hygiene, and public trust—rooted in the legacy of Florence Nightingale, who formalized nursing as a profession during the Crimean War. Her uniform was designed to reflect neutrality, cleanliness, and service not religious identity or political affiliation. To alter this standard based on personal belief is not cultural inclusion it is professional fragmentation. The history of the nursing uniform evolved from the formal, long-sleeved dresses and caps established by Nightingale in the mid-19th century, designed for professionalism and hygiene, to more practical attire during the World Wars, and eventually to the modern scrubs adopted globally in the late 20th century. These changes were driven by functionality, safety, and civic clarity not religious customization. The uniform’s purpose is to protect patients, identify nurses, and uphold public trust. It is not a platform for ideological expression.

Sri Lanka is a Sinhala Buddhist nation, with a Constitution that protects the Buddha Sasana and upholds civic coherence. Article 14(1)(e) of the Constitution guarantees every citizen the freedom to adopt, practice, and teach any religion. But this freedom must operate under the guardianship of native cultural integrity not as a tool to override it. Temporary residents and expatriates who enjoy privileges under this article must also respect the cultural foundation of the nation that hosts them. It must be acknowledged that government services including healthcare are funded primarily by taxes paid by the Sinhala Buddhist majority. These funds are now being used to accommodate segmented religious demands, while native Buddhist institutions and leadership receive minimal support or recognition. This imbalance is not just fiscal—it is cultural. It reflects a deeper erosion of civic priorities, where those who do not contribute to the system demand more from it, and those who uphold it are sidelined.

Many expatriates who become temporary residents in Sri Lanka operate under a liyapādīchi purwasi bhāwaya a paper-based civic identity that grants them access to constitutional privileges, including religious freedom. But this is not paramparika purwasi bhāwaya the rooted, traditional civic consciousness of native Sri Lankans. Without contributing to the cultural, fiscal, or doctrinal foundations of the nation, these residents enjoy rights without responsibility. This imbalance must be addressed not by exclusion, but by demanding Cultural Intelligence and civic respect from all who benefit from Sri Lanka’s hospitality.

Now ask this: What if Sinhala Buddhist nurses request to wear attire based on their own cultural or personal preferences? What if one demands to wear a traditional Redda Hatte, another prefers Udarata Adum, another chooses Pahatha Rata Adum, and another insists on Lama Saree as a symbol of heritage? What if someone, influenced by distorted Western media, demands to wear bikini-style attire under the guise of personal freedom? Would the government still say there is no legal barrier”? Let us extend the logic further: What if Sinhala Buddhist male nurses request to wear the traditional amude the lion cloth as a symbol of heritage and simplicity? What if they argue that it reflects ancient Sri Lankan values and should be honored under Article 14(1)(e)? Would the government permit it in a hospital setting? Would it be considered professional, hygienic, or appropriate?

This is the danger of politicizing uniforms. Once the standard is broken, there is no limit to fragmentation. Public service attire must reflect national unity, professional dignity, and civic clarity not personal ideology or imported trends. Let us also ask a civic question: If Sinhala Buddhist nurses working abroad—whether in Muslim-majority nations or Western hospitals requested to wear Lama Saree, Udarata Adum, or newly designed Sinhala Buddhist attire as part of their cultural identity, would those governments allow it? Would they say there is no legal barrier”? Would they redesign their national nursing standards to accommodate our heritage? The answer is clear: no nation rewrites its professional codes to suit foreign cultural preferences. Yet in Sri Lanka, we are expected to bend our standards, dilute our symbols, and politicize our uniforms all in the name of inclusion. This is not equality. It is cultural surrender.

And while the government claims there is no restriction,” we must ask: Why are certain religious leaders especially maulvis cloaking this issue in soft language while organizing behind the scenes to legalize segmented attire through collective pressure? This is not a spontaneous request. It is a strategic maneuver to normalize ideological dress codes in civic institutions, using constitutional ambiguity as a tool. Reports indicate that the Ulama Sanvidhanaya and up to 30 other religious councils and advocacy groups are involved in this push not just to accommodate attire, but to institutionalize religious segmentation within national services. The goal is not coexistence it is gradual replacement of national standards with religious identity politics. This is not civic progress. It is cultural destabilization. And if the government yields to these demands in nursing, it will not stop there. Once segmented religious attire is normalized in one public service, it sets a precedent for others including the military, police, and civil administration. Uniformed sectors rely on discipline, unity, and visual coherence. If religious modifications are permitted in nursing, Muslim, Christian, or other ideological groups may demand the same in the Sri Lanka Army, Navy, Air Force, and Police. This would fracture chain-of-command visibility, compromise operational neutrality, and weaken national cohesion. What begins as a harmless” accommodation in healthcare could become a nationwide unraveling of uniform standards. The uniform is not just fabric it is a symbol of civic unity, discipline, and national identity. Once politicized, it cannot be easily restored.

While Sri Lanka faces pressure to accommodate segmented religious attire in nursing, many other countries have already grappled with this issue and the outcomes reveal serious risks to professionalism, hygiene, and civic unity. France enforces strict secularism (laïcité) in public institutions. Headscarves and religious symbols are banned in healthcare settings to preserve neutrality. Courts uphold that professional standards override personal belief in public service. Belgium follows similar policies, and the European Court of Human Rights affirms that institutional neutrality is lawful, even if it limits religious expression. In Malaysia, Islamic groups pressured for long-sleeved uniforms and headscarves, but medical experts raised concerns about hygiene, heat stress, and procedural interference. Modified attire is allowed only under strict conditions. In the United Kingdom, the NHS allows religious attire but requires bare below the elbows for hygiene. Infection control policies override religious dress codes when necessary. Even in Saudi Arabia, where Islamic dress codes are enforced, nurses must meet hygiene and procedural standards. Long dresses and veils are permitted only if they do not interfere with medical duties.

Long dresses and religious modifications can be problematic. They pose hygiene risks, as flowing garments can carry pathogens and violate sterile zones. They create mobility issues, obstructing movement during emergency procedures. They compromise patient safety, as uniforms must allow quick identification and access to tools. And they undermine professional clarity, as uniforms must reflect civic neutrality—not religious segmentation.

Sri Lanka must learn from global precedent. Professional uniforms are not religious battlegrounds—they are civic tools of trust, hygiene, and unity. If we abandon Florence Nightingale’s legacy to entertain ideological demands, we do not modernize we dismantle the very foundation of public service.

The nursing uniform was born from discipline, hygiene, and public trust not religious bargaining or cultural confusion. When a government abandons this legacy to entertain segmented demands, it does not modernize—it humiliates the profession. Sri Lanka must protect the dignity of its nursing hood, not dress it in ideological surrender.”

By Palitha Ariyarathna

AI Overview 

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Senaka Weeraratna, a Sri Lankan attorney and animal rights activist, has advocated for a “Slaughter-Free Christmas” in Sri Lanka, arguing for the extension of the Buddhist tradition of non-violence (ahimsa) to the holiday.  

Core arguments for Slaughter-Free Christmas

• Contradiction of Christian message: Weeraratna highlights the irony of celebrating a religious figure known as the “Prince of Peace” with the mass slaughter of animals.
• Drawing from Buddhist principles: He frequently references the centuries-old Sri Lankan custom of closing slaughterhouses and banning meat sales on the Buddhist holy day of Vesak. He proposes that Christians in Sri Lanka could similarly show kindness to all living beings by making Christmas a meatless day.
• Ethical and moral advancement: He frames the initiative as a way for Sri Lanka to demonstrate a higher ethical standard to the world by promoting compassion and non-violence. 

Broader animal rights activism

Weeraratna’s advocacy for a Slaughter-Free Christmas is part of his broader animal rights work in Sri Lanka, which includes:

• Animal Welfare Bill: He served as a legal consultant on the Animal Welfare Bill, though he has criticized later revisions for being watered down and failing to adequately protect animals from exploitation.
• Activism against cruelty: He has spoken out against cruelty to animals in various contexts, including the treatment of temple elephants and the poor conditions in zoos.
• Promoting plant-based diets: As a Director of ‘Justice for Animals and Nature’ organisation based in Sri Lanka, hhe has supported campaigns to encourage plant-based eating in Buddhist communities and schools across the country. 

Other notable efforts

Weeraratna is also known for inventing the “Player Referral” concept in cricket, which became the foundation for the Decision Review System (DRS) now used in the sport. 

Slaughter Free Christmas – the way forward – LankaWeb

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Courtesy Hiru News

A person suspected of being the shooter in the murder of the Weligama Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman has been arrested by the Special Task Force (STF) in Nawinna, Maharagama.

Furthermore, two other individuals suspected of aiding and abetting the murder have been arrested in the Matara area.

Several individuals have already been arrested over their alleged connection with the fatal shooting of the Weligama Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman, which occurred earlier this week.

SEPAL AMARASINGHE

Courtesy The Tab

Thanks to her research, the future of tea might be looking a little less bitter

A University of Bristol PhD student’s research may be able to save tea crop from the impact of climate change.

Thamali Kariyawasam’s goal is to find tea cultivars which will survive with less water, ensuring tea farming persists in growingly uncertain conditions. Tea plantations in Sri Lanka provide livelihoods to nearly 615,000 people in Sri Lanka, so there is more than the quality of tea on the line.

Image via Thamali Kariyawasam

The University of Bristol, Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka, Ahmed Tea, Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and the University of Peradeniya have unified in their efforts to help Thamali with her PhD, aiming to unveil how modern tea leaves could be modified to thrive more resiliently in a climate with higher carbon dioxide concentrations.

As Thamali herself stated: when well-established plants die, it’s a huge loss to the farmer, because they will have invested a lot to bring the plant up to that age.”

Thamali’s commitment to gaining minimal losses has led her to spending time in Bristol Laboratories, analysing samples taken from Sri Lanka.

Tea plants are long-lived, yet delicate. Collecting and studying samples from both Sri Lanka and the UK could offer clues for breeding more resilient plants. Preserved in Kew’s vast herbarium, these older cultivars may be hardier than contemporary tea leaves.

Zahra Afshar explained the human and social impacts of the strain climate change is putting on tea production, exacerbated by the ‘astonishingly little research’ which has gone into studying the effects. Zahra, lauding Thamali’s efforts to analyse and compare traits between tea leaves, studied Law at the University of Bristol.

Thamali’s PhD is titled ‘Climate resilient tea: exploring the drought tolerance of Sri Lankan tea cultivars.’ As Thamali herself summarised: Tea is a really important crop to Sri Lanka and it has a lot of significance in our economy, culture and livelihood. I want to do something to help strengthen this important crop so that people can keep enjoying their daily cup of tea for many more years to come.”

Thanks to her research, the future of tea might be looking a little less bitter.

Featured image via Thamali Kariyawasam

By Huzefa Aliasger, Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Colombo, October 25. (Daily Mirror) – The World Bank has highlighted a rapid rise in demand for artificial intelligence (AI) skills across South Asia, including Sri Lanka, noting that this trend is beginning to influence hiring patterns. Between January 2023 and March 2025, the share of AI-related job postings in the region more than doubled, increasing from 2.9% to 6.5%, growing approximately 75% faster than non-AI job listings.

The analysis shows that around 22% of jobs in South Asia are exposed to AI. Most of these roles—nearly 70%—are considered AI-complementary,” meaning workers are likely to use AI as a tool rather than be replaced by it. Examples include teachers, lawyers, architects, and R&D professionals.

Only about 7% of jobs are classified as high-risk, highly exposed to AI with low complementarity. Roles such as call-center agents, accountants, and proofreaders have already seen a decline in job postings following the launch of tools like ChatGPT.

Despite the moderate risk of displacement, the World Bank warns that South Asia is less prepared than other regions to fully capitalize on AI due to gaps in digital infrastructure, skills, innovation capacity, and regulatory frameworks.

The report also notes that Nepal has the lowest average exposure to AI, while Bhutan and Sri Lanka show the highest exposure rates, reflecting their relatively more skilled and educated workforces. AI-exposed jobs, which tend to be better paying, account for 42% of all wage earnings in these countries.

Courtesy The Island

MPs get special audit report on the visa scam at Immigration and Emigration Dept.

SJB Colombo District MP Dr Harsha de Silva told Parliament yesterday that the special audit report on Sri Lanka’s controversial e-visa contract, awarded to a foreign consortium by the Department of Immigration and Emigration, had been made available to the MPs.

The report includes nine recommendations, which the Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance Dr de Silva said, should be implemented immediately. The audit report, by Acting Auditor General G. H. D. Dharmapala, recommends several key reforms, including legal clarity on the visa issuance process under the Immigration and Emigration Act of 1948, and the need for continuous improvement in service delivery through modern technology.

Dr de Silva said that the report has recommended that any outsourcing of services must follow proper tender procedures, include cost-effectiveness studies, and ensure transparency in revenue collection.

Audit recommendations in the report by Acting Auditor General G.H.D. Dharmapala: Identify and act in accordance with legal provisions relating to the visa issuing process for carrying out activities under Immigration and Emigration act 20 of 1948 or amend it as necessary.

1.  It is the responsibility and duty of the Department of Immigration and Emigration to provide a more efficient and friendly service to its customers by using improved methods in line with the advancement of technology, and therefore, it is necessary to work continuously towards that end.

2.  When outsourcing its services, the Department of Immigration and Emigration should conduct a cost-effectiveness study on the services to be outsourced, follow tender procedures so that all interested parties can participate, and select institutions with conditions that are profitable for the government and beneficial to the country.

3.  When entering into agreement with local/ Foreign service providers, it is necessary to determine the legality of those institutions, how their obligations are implemented within the framework of tax, laws and other regulations in Sri Lanka, and the transparency of fees and revenue collected by and on behalf of the government.

4.  GBS Technology Service & IVS Global-FZCO, VF Worldwide Holding Ltd., during the short period of its operation, this institution took steps to recover the 18 percent and 2.5 percent SSCL collected from visa applicants on behalf of the Sri Lankan government and to draw the attention of authorized institutions to calculate the income tax payable on the income earned and remit it to the Inland Revenue Department.

5.  In the course of the unilateral proposal submitted by GBS Technology Service & IVS Global-FZCO, VF Worldwide Holding Ltd., from its inception to its short-term implementation, the officers who participated in the preparation of Cabinet papers, the appointment of committees, the evaluation of committee reports, not obtaining the observations of the Ministry of Finance which has the power to collect state revenue, and who performed basic functions such as allowing visa income to be collected in a bank account in a foreign country without proper permission, should be investigated and appropriate disciplinary and other actions should be taken.

6.  Taking steps to calculate the losses and lost revenue incurred by the government through the implementation of the new project proposal and recover them from those responsible.

7.  Taking steps to select a service provider through a transparent and appropriate call for bids for a more suitable e-Visa system in the future, subject to the decisions of the case pending in the Supreme Court.

8.  This report was conducted within the scope of the Auditor General’s powers, resources, time and information presented, and therefore I did not examine whether there was any illegal or criminal activity beyond the scope of the Auditor General’s powers and resources. Therefore, if it is felt that such an examination should be conducted and it is appropriate to seek the assistance of specialized institutions or departments for that purpose then it should be done.

(විශේෂ පණිවිඩය මහාචාර්ය නිශාන් සී විජේසිංහ විසිනි).

පැලවත්තේ බොරු චෝදනා මඟින් හිටපු ජනාධිපති ගෝඨාභය රාජපකක්ෂ, ඇවන්ගාඩ් සභාපති නිශ්සංක සේනාධිපති සහ හිටපු හමුදාපතිවරුන් තිදෙනෙකුට එරෙහිව පාවරා තිබූ අල්ලස් නඩුවෙන් ඔවුන් සියළු දෙනා නිදොස්කොට නිදහස්කර ඇත…..ඔවුන් එසේ නිදහස් වුවත් පැලවත්තෙ බොරුව නිසා ඩොල්ර් බිලියන ගණන් ආදයම් ගෙන ආ හැකි ව්‍යාපෘතියක් මේවනවිට රටට අහිමි වී ඇත….

රටේ ජනතාවට තෙල් පෝලිම්වල ගෑස් පෝලිම්වල ලගින්නට සිදුවූයේ ජවිපෙ විසින් ඉතිහාසය පුරාවටම මෙවන් ආයෝජන සහ ව්‍යාපෘති කඩාකප්පල්කර දමා පැලවත්තෙ බංකොලොත් දේශපාලනයට බොරුවෙන් ඉංධන සපයාගත් නිසා නොවේද.?

වෛද්‍ය තිලක පද්මා සුබසිංහ අනුස්මරණ නීති අධ්‍යාපන වැඩසටහන.

දිතයෙකුට ජීවිතාන්ත සිරදඬුවම් නියම කිරීමට තනි අභිමතයට නඩු වාර්තාවේ සාක්ෂි වෙනස් කළ විනිසුරු ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණයට..? ජනාධිපතිට සහ ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාව සභාවට ඉල්ලීමක්….. චූදිතයෙකුට ජීවිතාන්ත සිරදඬුවම් නියම කිරීමට හැකිවන පරිදි තනි අභිමතයට නඩු වාර්තාවේ සාක්ෂි සටහන් වෙනස් කළ ගිහාන් කුලතුංග විනිසුරු ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණයට නිර්දේශ/ අනුමත කිරීම, යුක්තිය ඉටු කිරීම සහ ජනතාවගේ අයිතිවාසිකම් ආරක්ෂා කිරීමේදී සළකා බැලීමට ජනාධිපතිට සහ ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාව සභාවට නීතීඥවරයෙකුගෙන් ඉල්ලීමක්…..

කොළඹ මහාධිකරණ HC/5333/2010 නඩුවේ චූදිතට ජීවිතාන්ත සිරදඬුවම් නියම කිරීමට හැකිවන පරිදි තනි අභිමතයට නඩු වාර්තාවේ සාක්ෂි සටහන් වෙනස් කළ ගිහාන් කුලතුංග විනිසුරු ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණටට නිර්දේශ/ අනුමත කිරීම, යුක්තිය ඉටු කිරීම සහ ජනතාවගේ අයිතිවාසිකම් ආරක්ෂා කිරීමේදී සළකා බැලීමට ජනාධිපතිට සහ ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාව සභාවට චූදිතගේ නීතීඥවරයා ලෙස පෙනී සිටි නීතීඥ අරුණ ලක්සිරි උණවටුව විසින් ඉල්ලීමක් කර ඇත. HC/5333/2010 නඩුව විභාග කළ එවකට කොළඹ මහාධිකරණ විනිසුරුවරයෙකු වූ ගිහාන් කුලතුංග මැතිතුමා සාධාරණ ලෙස නඩුව විභාග නොකිරීම හේතුවෙන් චූදිතගේ ඉල්ලීම මත එම නඩුව වෙනත් විනිසුරුවරුතුමෙකු වෙත මාරු කර ගැනීම සඳහා අභියාචනාධිකරණයට CA/TR/04/2018 ඉල්ලීම 1978 අංක 2 දරන අධිකරණ සංවිධාන පනතේ 46 වගන්තිය යටතේ ගොනු කර තිබූ බවත්, එම ඉල්ලීම සිංහල භාෂාවෙන් ඉදිරිපත් කර තිබූ බවත්, එවකට අභියාචනාධිකරණ සභාපති විනිසුරුතුමා සහ තවත් විනිසුරුතුමෙකු විසින් සිංහල භෂාවෙන් පෙත්සම ඉදිරිපත් කළ හැකිද යන්න විමසීමට තීරණය කළ හෙයින් එයට එරෙහිව ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණයට SC/SPL/LA/44/2018 විශේෂ අභියාචනා පෙත්සම ඉදිරිපත් කිරීමෙන් පසු ගිහාන් කුලතුංග විනිසුරු ඉදිරියේ පැවති මහාධිකරණ නඩු කටයුතු අත්හිටුවීමට ගරු ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණය මුල් දිනයේම නියෝග කළ බවත්, සිංහල භාෂාවෙන් ගොනු කළ පෙත්සම විභාග කරන ලෙස ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණය විසින් අභියාචනාධිකරණයට පසුව නියෝග කර ඇති බවත් එම ඉල්ලීමෙන් පෙන්වා දී ඇත. ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණ SC/SPL/LA/44/2018 නියෝගය අනුව අභියාචනාධිකරණය විසින් සිංහල භාෂාවෙන් ගොනු කළ CA/TR/04/2018 නඩුව විභාග කළ අතර, පෙත්සමේ ඉල්ලා තිබූ සහන වලින් කොටසක් ප්‍රදානය වීම මත මහාධිකරණ විනිසුරු ගිහාන් කුලතුංග මැතිතුමා ඉදිරියේම නඩුව විභාග කිරීමට එකඟ වී එම අභියාචනාධිකරණ නඩු කටයුත්ත අවසන් වූ බවත්, අභියාචනාධිකරණ CA/TR/04/2018 නඩුව අවසන් වීමෙන් පසු ගිහාන් කුලතුංග මහාධිකරණ විනිසුරුතුමා ඉදිරියේ HC/5333/2010 නඩුවේ විභාගය නැවත ආරම්භ කළ පසු චූදිත විසින් තමා වෙනුවෙන් සාක්ෂි ලබා දීමද සිඳුකළ අතර, චූදිත වරදකරු කිරීමට හැකි වන පරිදි නඩු වාර්තාවේ සාක්ෂි සටහන් වෙනස් කිරීමට එම විනිසුරුවරුතුමා සිය තනි අභිමතයට පමණක් ක්‍රියා කර 2019 අප්‍රේල් 24 දින චූදිතව ජීවිතාන්තය දක්වා සිර දඬුවම් නියම කර තිබූ බවත් නීතීඥවරයා විසින් ජනාධිපතිවරයාටත්, ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාව සභාවටත් පෙන්වා දී ඇත. එම තීන්දුවට එරෙහිව අභියාචනා පෙත්සම ඉදිරිපත් කිරීමෙන් පසු CA HCC/133/2019 අංක දරන අභියාචනය විභාග කළ අභියාචනාධිකරණය විසින් මහාධිකරණ විනිසුරු විසින් සිය තනි අභිමතයට නඩු වාර්තාවේ ඇති සාක්ෂි සටහන් වෙනස් කර චූදිතව ජීවිතාන්තයට සිරදඬුවම් නියම කිරීම දෝෂ සහිත බව තීරණය කර 2021.03.08 දින චූදිත නිදොස් කර නිදහස් කිරීමට තීන්දු කර ඇති අතර එම නඩුවේ තීන්දුව Abdul Hameed Mohamed Lafeer v The Attorney General [CA HCC/133/2019] අමුණා ජනාධිපතිවරයාටත්, ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාව සභාවටත් ඉදිරිපත් කර ඇත. එවකට කොළඹ මහාධිකරණ විනිසුරුවරයෙකු වූ ගිහාන් කුලතුංග මැතිතුමා සිය තනි අභිමතයට නඩු වාර්තාවේ ඇති සාක්ෂි සටහන් වෙනස් කර චූදිතව ජීවිතාන්තයට සිරදඬුවම් නියම කිරීම අභියාචනාධිකරණය විසින් CA HCC/133/2019 තීන්දුවෙන් ඉවත් කරන තෙක් චූදිත අභියාචක (නිර්දෝෂී තැනැත්තෙක්) වසර 2කට ආසන්න කාලයක් බන්ධනාගාරගත වී සිටි අතර රෝගී තත්ත්වයේ පීඩා විදිමින් සිට ඔහු එකී අභියාචනා තීන්දුවෙන් නිදහස ලබා කෙටි කාලයකින් මිය ගිය බවත් එම නීතීඥවරයා ජනාධිපතිවරයාටත්, ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාව සභාවටත් පෙන්වා දී ඇත. තමන් ඉදිරියේ විභාග කළ නඩුවක චූදිතට ජීවිතාන්තය දක්වා සිරදඬුවම් නියම කිරීමට හැකි වන පරිදි සිය තනි අභිමතයට නඩු වාර්තාවේ ඇති සාක්ෂි සටහන් වෙනස් කළ එම විනිසුරුගේ වැරදි ක්‍රියාව හේතුවෙන් ඇති වූ සංකූලතා, වෛද්‍ය ප්‍රතිකාර නිසි පරිදි නොලැබීම ආදී හේතු මත එම නිර්දෝෂී සේවාදායකයා අභියාචනාධිකරණ තීන්දුවෙන් නිදහස ලැබීමෙන් පසුව මිය යාමෙන් පසු මිය ගිය සේවාදායකයාට යුක්තිය ඉටු වීමට ඇති අවස්ථාව අඩු වුවද එම නීතීඥවරයාගේ හෘදය සාක්ෂියට අනුව මේ කරුණු දැක්වීම සිදුකරන බවත්, වත්මන් අභියාචනාධිකරණ විනිසුරු ගිහාන් කුලතුංග මැතිතුමා ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණ විනිසුරුවරයෙකු ලෙස නිර්දේශ කරන්නේද හෝ අනුමත කරන්නේද, යුක්තිය ඉටු කිරීම සහ ජනතාවගේ අයිතිවාසිකම් ආරක්ෂා කිරීම සම්බන්ධයෙන් සළකා බලන ලෙසත් ගරු ජනාධිපතිතුමාගෙන් සහ ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථා සභාවෙන් ඉල්ලා ඇත. මෙම ඉල්ලීමට හේතුවී ඇති අභියාචනාධිකරණ විනිසුරු ගිහාන් කුලතුංග ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණයට නම්කරයි! – CEYLONWIRE https://www.ceylonwire.lk/court-of-appeal-judge-gihan-kulatunga-nominated-to-the-supreme-court/ 2025.10.24 දින අන්තර්ජාල මාධ්‍යයේ පුවතද ජනාධිපතිතුමාට සහ ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථා සභාවට අවධානයට යොමු කර ඇත. මෙම ඉල්ලීමේ පිටපත් ශ්‍රී ලංකා නීතීඥ සංගමයේ සභාපති, පාර්ලිමේන්තු මහලේකම්, වැඩබලන මහ ලේකම්, ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථා සභාව,ජනාධිපති ලේකම් සහ නීතිපති වෙත යොමු කර ඇත. වෛද්‍ය තිලක පද්මා සුබසිංහ අනුස්මරණ නීති අධ්‍යාපන වැඩසටහන. දුරකථන 0342256066 (2025.10.25)Share

Prof. Hudson McLean

Congratulations to Dhammika Perera for Magnanimous  Generosity to Sri Lanka!

DP Education – Languages – IELTS – Japanese – Italian – Korean – Chinese

General inquiries

076 133 3666 | info@dpedu.org

DP has offered a great service to the Development of Sri Lankan youth!

However, as a Sri Lankan abroad for many decades, I have noticed even the Parliamentarians of Sri Lanka, lack the General Etiquette & Good Manners when visiting overseas!

Once I met the Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka, waiting for transport, outside the Kensington Hilton London with a plastic back bin bag next to his tattered brief-case!

I had to advise otherwise, a Director of Bank of Ceylon, who was dressed in a short sleeved Batik shirt, just about to attend a formal diner held at an official venue!

Local Etiquette, subtle points, which  matters & differs from country-to-country. 

The Art of Bowing in Japan, to visiting a home in Germany, to  attending a meeting at Embassy of Iran with Iranian Ambassador and his wife.

The most important features when in foreign countries, are the Knowledge of the Local Etiquette,  Cross-Cultoral Differences  and Manners!

These include the Language,  the Dress, Table Manners & Overall Behaviour.

Hope DP Education includes these important facts to those who intend to travel abroad!

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

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

Prof. Hudson McLean

THE   VISA SCAM  IN SRI LANKA Part 5

KAMALIKA PIERIS

THE   VISA SCAM  IN SRI LANKA Part 6

KAMALIKA PIERIS

Why does Sri Lanka Immigration Need VFS Global?

1: Did Any Person in Sri Lanka Receive a (Bribery Corruption) BACK-HANDER from VFS to facilitate this Unnecessary involvement of a Foreign Agent?

2: Why Does VFS Transfer the Visa Fees to UAE from Sri Lanka, and Hold the Funds for several days benefitting from Overnight Bank Interest?

3: Does Sri Lanka Receive Overnight Bank Interest from VFS for Funds Held?

4: Why Does Sri Lanka Immigration Need the Services of VFS at all?

Thank You Kamalika Pieris for Touching this Scam!

Another Reason of Sri Lankan Short-sightedness in Money-Management Giving Money Away for Nothing!

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

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

by Shenali Waduge

 · 25th October 2025

Around the world — and now proposed in Sri Lanka — two programs targeting schools and workplaces appear harmless but raise serious questions: CSE for children in schools and DEI for adults in workplaces.

On the surface both sound harmless. Who doesn’t want children protected from abuse? Who doesn’t want fairness in workplaces?

But behind the soft terminology and wording and promoted by handpicked trained experts” lies a global LGBTQIA agenda, strategically designed and funded by the same network of organizations, enforced through:

• UN agencies — particularlyUNFPA, WHO, UNESCO
  • Global NGOs and human rights” groups
  • Donor governments and foundations
  • Multi-national corporations

The aim?
► Reshape morality, identity and family structures starting with children
► Silence dissent by labelling disagreement as phobia”
► Create dependency on international governance over national sovereignty

Sri Lanka is the latest target.

The aim is to slowly dismantle representative national governance and bring decision making control under the UN agencies, NGOs & their activists.

Why change a system that already worked?

Sri Lanka already has sex education — focusing on:
• biological development
• safety and protection
• responsibility
• puberty, hygiene, reproduction

If Sri Lanka already has Sex Education in schools — teaching biology, puberty, personal safety, and how to protect the body from abuse, the most important question is:

Why replace Sex Education” with Comprehensive Sexuality Education”?

This is not an innocent name change.
It is a global policy shift — entering through Sri Lanka’s classrooms.

So why replace it?

Why not amend it & strengthen it.

Why reword Sex Education as Sexuality Education”?

Should be asked. Until proper answers are given Sri Lanka should not allow so-called experts” to draft any changes.

► Because CSE is not sex education.
It is sexuality ideology, introducing:

• Gender identity theory — you can be born in the wrong body”
  • Promotion of LGBTQIA identities as normal lifestyle choices”
  • Early sexual exploration — dating, pleasure, masturbation
  • Rights-based approach thatremoves parental oversight

Children become sexual beings” — not children.
That alone is a red flag.

Especially when promoters of LGBTQIA are the one’s also promoting DEI & CSE. This is where they all get trapped.

Sex Education vs. Sexuality Education — What’s the Real Difference?

Traditional Sex Education	Comprehensive Sexuality Education
Biology, safety, health	Identity, attitudes, behavior change
Parent + teacher guidance	Children’s sexual rights” narrative
Cultural boundaries respected	CSE frameworks often challenge traditional cultural boundaries
Focus: Protect children	Focus: Explore identity & sexuality

Source: Global CSE guidelines vs. traditional school curricula

International agencies openly state that CSE aims to:

• Transform social norms”

https://www.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/ITGSE.pdf?

• Challenge traditional gender roles” – https://www.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/UNFPA%20Operational%20Guidance%20for%20CSE%20-Final%20WEB%20Version.pdf?

• Promote sexual rights from early ages”

https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/comprehensive-sexuality-education?

This is ideology, not education.

Childhood should be protected, not politicized.

Who pushed this change?

No Sri Lankan Parent asked for it.

The shift is not due to local research, local demand or local medical concerns.

The pressure and funding come from:
• UNFPA — the principal global driver of CSE
• International activist foundations
• Reporting conditions tied to foreign aid
• Private corporate sponsorship aligned with Pride activism

Education curriculum design is a sovereign national matter.

When it is outsourced to funders with agendas, local values disappear.

Local concerns become irrelevant.

Is CSE helping Children? The Evidence Says — No.

Countries that implemented CSE widely now face:

Courts and medical bodies in Europe have raised concerns about aspects of CSE and early gender identity interventions for minors.

Some nations have cancelled or reversed CSE rollout entirely.

• https://adfinternational.org/news/radical-sex-education-austria?
• https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Admin/2020/3274.html
• https://www.comprehensivesexualityeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/Harmful-Effects-10.17.17.pdf?
• https://www.euronews.com/health/2025/08/01/swedish-doctors-warn-parents-about-hormone-treatments-after-a-baby-girl-grows-a-micropenis?

What Happened in Countries That Rolled Out CSE?

International medical, educational and legal data report:

• Early sexualization
• Child-on-child exploitation
• Teen pregnancies & abortions up
• Spike in STIs
• Classroom exposure to pornographic content
• Gender confusion and mental health breakdown
• Rapid growth of puberty blockers and surgeries

So today, multiple countries are reversing:

 UK • Sweden • Finland • France • Norway

If the West is backtracking —
why is Sri Lanka blindly stepping forward?

DEI: The Other Arm of the Same Agenda

Same network, different tools targeting adults and children

Who is targeted?	Method used?	Purpose
Adults (Workplaces)	DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion)	LGBTQIA policy influence
Children (Schools)	CSE	CSE — introduces gender identity concepts and normalization of LGBTQIA identities

Same funding networks.
Same outcomes.
Different age groups.

DEI reshapes workplaces.
CSE reshapes childhood.

This is a one agenda — two fronts operation.

While CSE rewires children, DEI rewires adults.

Corporations are pressured to:
• adopt gender pronoun policies
• require LGBTQIA allyship training
• change hiring to identity quotas”
• silence staff who disagree

The outcome?

• workplace conflicts
  • declining productivity
  • resignations and litigation
  • costs withzero ROI

Several Fortune 500 companies have cut DEI funding after backlash and losses —
exactly why donors are shifting focus to now indoctrinate children instead.

The Pattern Is Clear

CSE + DEI = Full-spectrum cultural capture

Target	Mechanism	Objective
Children	CSE	redefine identity & sexuality early
Youth	University activism	lock in beliefs as ideology
Adults	DEI	enforce silence & compliance
Society	Media & Lawfare	criminalize disagreement

This is not organic change.
It is a strategic social re-engineering program.

Why UNFPA?

UNFPA is:

• Anintervening petitionerto repeal Penal Code 365/365A
  — wanted the removal of child protection age clauses
  ● A major funder of LGBTQIA advocacy worldwide and across Sri Lanka
  ● A major funder and promoter of sexual and reproductive health initiatives globally (abortion), including programs aligned with LGBTQIA advocacy.
  ● NOW a stakeholder in Sri Lanka’s curriculum change process

So, we must ask:

Why should a foreign agency that advocates child sexual autonomy help write our school textbooks?

They tell us Trust the Process”

This is Not a Safeguard

Legalizing indoctrination brings irreversible consequences.

We are told:

• Experts are involved”
  ● All stakeholders agree”
  ● Trust the process”

Yet:

Transparency is zero.
Accountability is missing.
Cultural risk is extreme.

Key Questions Sri Lankan Parents MUST ASK which Lawmakers MUST ANSWER

The Need and Rationale:

1. Why is Sri Lanka replacing its existing sex education with a foreign-designed CSE curriculum?
2. What specific deficiencies” in our current system justify introducing CSE and LGBTQIA content hidden under new terminology?
3. Who proposed the adoption of CSE, and what evidence or research proves it benefits Sri Lankan children?
4. Where is the local research validating the need and impact of this new curriculum on children’s well-being and safety?

Authorization and Oversight:

5. Who approved UNFPA’s involvement in designing the national curriculum, and under what legal authority?
6. Why involve external organizations in national school policy rather than strengthening and improving local expertise?
7. Why is the curriculum hidden from parents, and what guarantees exist to protect parental rights and cultural values?
8. What protections are in place for parental consent and opt-out rights?

Content and Ideology:

9. Why is LGBTQIA ideology included when it is unrelated to child protection, health, or traditional sex education goals?
10. Who funds the NGOs and international networks advocating for CSE, and what conditions come with that funding?

Global Lessons and Consequences:

11. Which countries have rolled out CSE, faced adverse consequences, and even reversed it? Why is this evidence being hidden from us?
12. Why are we replicating a model that has failed elsewhere instead of adopting proven, locally relevant approaches?

National Sovereignty and Cultural Protection:

13. Who demanded Sri Lanka adopt a global CSE template, and what authority do they have over our national education policy?
14. What guarantees exist that this curriculum will respect cultural norms, family values, and national sovereignty?

Transparency and Public Access:

15. Why has the draft CSE curriculum not been made publicly available for review before approval?
16. What mechanisms exist for parents, teachers, and civil society to provide feedback on the curriculum before it is implemented?

Child Safety and Psychological Impact:

17. How does CSE ensure children are not exposed to age-inappropriate sexual content, experimentation, or psychological pressure?
18. What safeguards exist to prevent early sexualization, gender confusion, and mental health risks in children?
    Who monitors the outcomes of CSE implementation, and what accountability measures are in place if harm occurs?

Legal and Policy Implications:

20. Does adopting a foreign-designed CSE curriculum comply with Sri Lanka’s national laws, constitution, and existing child protection statutes?
21. How does CSE align with the rights of parents under Sri Lankan law to guide their child’s moral, cultural, and educational upbringing?

Long-term Consequences and Social Engineering:

22. What is the long-term vision of CSE for Sri Lanka — is it purely education or part of a broader social engineering agenda?
23. How will the state ensure that children’s innocence, family structures, and cultural values are not undermined under the guise of education”?

Funding Influence and Conflicts of Interest:

24. Are there conflicts of interest between curriculum designers, funders, and international agencies promoting CSE?
25. Will Sri Lanka retain full decision-making authority over the curriculum, or will funders/UN agencies dictate changes in the future?

If authorities cannot answer these basic accountability questions, the program should not proceed.

Protecting Children Is Not Phobia”

It is duty — moral, constitutional and civilizational.

Sri Lanka must decide:

Do we want our children to inherit our values?
Or do we surrender them to global identity politics controlled by donors?

What is really happening is NOT a Reform — It’s a Takeover

Sri Lanka’s cultural foundation is family.
Sri Lanka’s national identity is dignity.
Sri Lanka’s children deserve innocence.

The CSE model treats children as:

• sexual beings, not students
  ●rights activists, not minors
  ● targets, not treasures

We cannot allow:

Our Duty as a Nation

YES — protect children from abuse
YES — teach safety, boundaries, and biology
NO — sexualize childhood
NO — foreign-funded identity programming

ADULT IMMORALITIES DO NOT NEED TO BE FED INTO CHILDREN AND NORMALIZED

Trading children’s innocence for donor money – is DISGUSTING

Our children’s minds are the last national resource.

If we surrender that — we have surrendered everything.

 

Sri Lanka MUST decide Sri Lanka’s future.

Not UN agencies.
Not donor agendas.
Not NGO activists posing as experts.

Not public servants who hide behind the politicians and draft the damage while people’s attention is against the politicians (these public servants are actually the worst lot doing the maximum damage & harm from behind the scenes)

We must defend the children & their right to childhood. Their innocence should not be robbed by experimental ideologies.

Protecting children is a moral and national duty. Sri Lanka’s classrooms should teach safety, biology, and respect for cultural values — not become sites for global identity experiments.

Protect Childhood. Protect Culture. Protect Sovereignty.

Shenali D Waduge

Nava Thakuria

As sorrows over the mysterious death of Assam’s beloved son  Zubeen Garg in Singapore turned into massive outrages against the government, where the opposition political parties started extracting benefits to prepare their ground for their electoral benefits, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has now jumped into the space keeping an eye for next State assembly elections scheduled for early next year. The saffron party announced the erection of statues of the cultural icon and opening two music schools (along with one in memory Dr Bhupen Hazarika) in different locations. After various civil society groups and opposition entities made a rigorous movement for justice to the maverick singer, the BJP plans a Nyay Yatra (march for justice) to pressurise the authorities for initiating a fair probe over the incident where he died on 19 September 2025 at only 53.

The party launched its mission from Nalbari in western Assam on 22 October, where amazingly  over 50,000 Zubeen admirers (read BJP supporters) participated. Carrying banners, posters and placards on hands, the demonstrators demanded a speedy judicial investigation into Zubeen’s unforeseen  demise in the southeast Asian nation. Leading the procession, Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia, Union minister Pabitra Margherita, State ministers Jayanta Malla Baruah and Chandra Mohan Patowary, and other leaders raised voices for justice through judicial proceedings. Soon more such programs were materialized in Mangaldoi of central Assam, Dhemaji and Dibrugarh of eastern Assam, along with different localities under the leadership of State ministers like Pijus Hazarika, Ranoj Pegu, Bimal Borah, Prasanta Phukan and others with the same spirit of participation.

Meanwhile, when the probe over Zubeen’s unexplained death continues during a sea- yacht outing, a statement from the Singapore Police Force (SPF) emerges intriguingly as stated that they are currently investigating the case  in accordance with Singapore’s Coroners Act 2010 and it will need at least three months to complete the procedures. Forwarded by the Singapore High Commission in New Delhi, the SPF statement however ruled out any foul play as the preliminary investigations indicated. Asserting that they are ‘aware of speculation and false information’ circulating online regarding the circumstances of Zubeen’s passing away, the SPF sought patience and understanding of the parties involved to complete the investigation thoroughly. So they urged the public (seemingly the residents of Assam) not to speculate and spread unverified information.

Thousands of Zubeen fans in Assam continue a digital campaign named  ‘JusticeForZubeenGarg’ for ensuring justice to the prince of melody. Nearly three million social media users have joined the movement asking for legal actions against the perpetrators. Even after the Assam government formed a special investigation team of police (which has already arrested seven individuals) and also a judicial commission, headed by Justice Soumitra Saikia of Gauhati High Court, to monitor the investigation, a large number of people are demanding urgent justice.  Lately, a two-member police team, led by SIT chief MP Gupta visited the island nation and reportedly received vital information from the Singaporean authorities.

Earlier, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, also in charge of the State home portfolio,   assured that the charge-sheet in the case will be filed within three months.  Though an autopsy was conducted in Singapore General Hospital before handing over Zubeen’s mortal remains, another post mortem was conducted at Guwahati medical college hospital as a large section of people alleged foul play in Zubeen’s death. But the death certificate, earlier issued by the Singaporean government, also indicated that Zubeen died due to drowning in sea waters. Similarly, both of his postmortem reports and toxicology findings from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory in Delhi seemingly reveal no act of poisoning (read murdering  Zubeen). Meanwhile, CM Sarma met Alice Cheng, the acting Singapore high commissioner in New Delhi and sought cooperation from the Singaporean authorities over the probe.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi recently visited Zubeen’s cremation ground at Kamarkuchi near Guwahati to pay homage and later the opposition leader in Lok Sabha reached the artiste’s  residence in Kahilipara locality to meet Zubeen’s widow Garima Saikia and other close relatives. He was accompanied by Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi, State assembly’s opposition leader Debabrata Saikia and  other party leaders, but Gandhi avoided political engagements in the city on that day. Later attending a public memorial, lawmaker Gogoi alleged that the probe was not heading in the right direction. On the other hand, legislator Saikia sent a letter to Singapore premier Lawrence Wong demanding a transparent inquiry  into Zubeen’s death. Two other regional party leaders namely Akhil Gogoi and Lurinjyoti Gogoi are demanding a national level probe into the incident.    

Lately, even a hardliner armed group leader pondered why a large section of Asomiyas did not prevent Zubeen from adopting an undisciplined lifestyle but now making hue & cry for immediate justice. Paresh Barua, who leads the Ulfa (Independent), also added that after the singer’s death many have entered into the space for selfish interest. Talking to some reporters, he exclaimed that many people are now pretending to be hardcore Zubeen fans, but they did not ask him to take care of his health so that Assam could get more contributions from the genius cultural personality.  The insurgent leader asked everyone to understand the complication as Zubeen died in a different country and their police are also probing the case. Somewhere, did the banned outfit leader speak sense when many under the sky remained adamant in their demand to hang the culprits without following any legal procedures!

Sri Lanka Review

Oct 23, 2025

While it is too early to tell who exactly is responsible for the recent fires at the refineries in Hungary and Romania as investigations are still ongoing, figuring out who benefits from them is easier, Endre Simó, the president of the Hungarian Community for Peace, tells Sputnik. The same goes for fires in forests and climate disasters’ staged in Sri Lanka.

According to Simo, it is those who want to gain a market with their own products by displacing cheaper Russian products.”

Given the history, namely the explosion of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline and the series of Ukrainian attacks against the Druzhba oil pipeline, intentionality cannot be ruled out either in Hungary or Romania,” Simo points out.

He further notes that the main victim of these incidents is Serbia which, due to its only significant refinery being targeted by US sanctions, is forced to rely heavily on the now-damaged MOL’s refinery in Százhalombatta.

Sabotage of Energy supply chains for hybrid economic war is part of the US Regime Change Playbook. During the Gen-Z Aragalaya protests for regime change and staged Sovereign Default in early 2022, ships carrying oil and gas to the geostrategic country at the center of the Indian Ocean simply disappeared as maritime hybrid war escalated. The result was long queues at petrol stations, transport and food supply chain disruption. Once the country succumbed to the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) International Sovereign Bond and Vulture Fund bailout business, Sri Lanka saw US companies enter the energy market as part of IMF ‘reforms’.

Hacking Energy and food Supply chains to Make the Economy Scream” as Nixon instructed the US Central Intelligence Agency in unseat Chile’s Socialist President Salvador Allende back in 1970 are part of the CIA Regime Change playbook. Increasingly, staged climate disasters” with Directed Energy Weapons (DEW), HAARP and other weather warfare climate modification technologies including stalling storms and cloud bursts for flash floods, landslides etc. are used as part of the Shock Doctrine” for what author Naomi Klein termed the rise of Disaster Capitalism’.

Thus, the refinery fires are also a boon to those seeking to overthrow the pro-peace government of Viktor Orban in Hungary and Alexandar Vucic, and using impermissible means” to meddle in Hungary and Serbia’s internal affairs in order to bring opposition forces that serve the Brussels policy to power.”

We remind our readers that publication of articles on our site does not mean that we agree with what is written. Our policy is to publish anything which we consider of interest, so as to assist our readers in forming their opinions. Sometimes we even publish articles with which we totally disagree, since we believe it is important for our readers to be informed on as wide a spectrum of views as possible.

By Rohana R. Wasala

We survived Pharaoh, we’ll get through this too.

• Meir Ariel, singer and songwriter

Just over two weeks ago, Israelis commemorated the second anniversary of the horrific October 7 terror attacks carried out by Hamas in Southern Israel. During the raid, the Islamists massacred in cold blood about 1200 men, women and children including babies, and took hostage 251 more. Following days of ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas in Egypt, brokered by America with the participation of Qatar and Egypt, it was agreed to release all the 48 remaining hostages (including 20 still living and the bodies of 28 dead in captivity) in exchange for a large number of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. According to Wikipedia (accessed October 21) the 20 living hostages were freed on October 13; 15 of the bodies are yet to be released. At this moment of writing, clashes between the two sides are being reported, in spite of the ceasefire being in operation, Israel blaming Hamas for ‘blatant violations’ of the terms of the agreement. Hamas on its part claims that the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) broke the ceasefire agreement first. 

But let me return to events surrounding the second anniversary commemoration. The online edition of The Jerusalem Post  (October 7) reported that Diaspora Jews from Paris to Sydney to New York marked the day with religious observances and memorial ceremonies, praying for peace. There is no doubt that the presently silent non-Jewish majority of the rest  of the civilized world were with them in spirit on that day of mourning. October 7, 2023 will go down in Jewish history as the day that saw the most inhuman anti-Semitic violence committed on unarmed Jews in the eighty years to date since the end of World War II, which is synonymous with the Holocaust or the physical elimination of six million European Jews through shootings and gassing by the Nazis under Adolf Hitler. 

In contrast, news came, especially from Western capitals, that pro-Palestinian demonstrators, like students from some American universities, joyfully celebrated the October 7 Hamas attacks. In Australia, a number of social media posts highlighted how anti-Semitic graffiti exalting the October 7 outrage such as ‘Glory to  Hamas’, ‘Glory to the martyrs’, and ‘Oct 7, Do it again’ were seen scrawled or sprayed by Palestinian supporters across street walls , building fronts and billboards in the cities of  Sydney and Melbourne. Some web journalists critical of these pointed out that such slogans could be counted as incitement to violence according to Australian laws, such as the hate speech law. Australian PM and Labour Party leader Anthony Albanese decried the above-mentioned graffiti as ‘terrorist propaganda’ that he called ‘abhorrent’. He warned that those responsible ‘must face the full force of the law’. However, his opponents have questioned the wisdom of granting tourist visas, late in 2024, to some 3000 Palestinians fleeing Gaza after October 7. According to Wikipedia, 1732 of those refugees had arrived in Australia by the beginning of December that year.

Chris Kenny, columnist for The Australian newspaper, and political commentator and the host of ‘The Kenny Report’ programme on Australia’s Sky News TV, recently criticised  prime minister Albanese for bringing in refugees from Gaza without proper security screening. Kenny’s reasons for his views are too well known to need explaining. He also drew the PM’s attention to the urgent need to ban the Islamist organization known as Hizb ut-Tahrir, which, he said, is banned in the UK, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, Germany, and Bangladesh because they are worried about its extremist views (which are championed by Hamas, and other similar extremist Islamist organizations). 

Many people around the world do not seem to agree with ideas like those of Chris Kenny. Wikipedia describes him negatively as a  ‘conservative political commentator’. That is the usual label that any journalist is assigned who speaks against the genocidal goal of totally wiping out Israel that Hamas and other Islamist extremists will not give up on. I for one cannot understand why Israelis should not defend themselves against those who seek their annihilation for no reason. 

In the UK, meanwhile, as the online BBC News website reported about the time of the second anniversary, there was a joint march by students from London universities, and rallies were held in Edinburgh, Belfast, and Sheffield. According to the same source, British prime minister Keir Starmer urged students not to join pro-Palestinian protests on Tuesday (October 7), warning of ‘rising antisemitism on streets’. He said it was ‘un-British to have little respect for others’ by staging demonstrations on the anniversary. PM Starmer added that protests had been used by some as ‘a despicable excuse to attack British Jews’. (Heightened security to protest the Jewish communities in Britain was established after the deadly knife attack near a synagogue in Manchester on Thursday October 2, which happened to be the Yom Kippur Day, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. The attack by thirty-five year old Jihad Al-Shamie, a rape suspect on bail, left two elderly worshipers dead and three others seriously injured.)  Keir Starmer is the leader of the British Labour Party. However, like his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese, he faces constant criticism for his alleged woke-ist indulgence towards violent Islamic demonstrators in the UK. Keir Starmer is often greeted with the title ‘two-tier Keir’ for seemingly soft-pedaling on Islamist migrants who sometimes turn unruly, while treating more harshly the British nationalists who show their disapproval of the activities of those elements. 

In a feature on the online Forward magazine about  the annual International Bible Competition (Chidon Ha’Tanach) held on May 1, 2025, a columnist wrote how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, presiding over the awards ceremony, made a reference to the ongoing Gaza operations. Netanyahu said, What is the verse in the Tanach that most fits with an existential war? That’s our war — a war of existence,…… Maybe it’s from the Book of Numbers. I think so. A people that rises like a lion, leaps up like the king of beasts.”

Reporting on the same event, the Israel government’s official web page (May 1, 2025) quotes Prime Minister Netanyahu’s remarks as follows:

I am talking about the question: which verse from the Bible is the most fitting to the War of Redemption? That’s our war.

Perhaps the one in the Book of Numbers [23:24]: Behold a people that riseth up as a lioness, and as a lion doth he lift himself up”.

So, I looked up the Book of Numbers in the Old Testament of the NKJV. The components of the Tanach/Tanakh or the Hebrew Bible are identical to those of the Old Testament of the Christian Bible arranged in a different order. Numbers 23:24 verse runs as follows:

Look, a people rises like a lioness,

And lifts itself up like a lion;

It shall not lie down until it devours the prey,

And drinks the blood of the slain.

As per Reuters, Israel carried out air strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories, and military commanders on Friday June 13, 2025. These were codenamed ‘Rising Lion’ by Israel. After the raid on Iran, PM Benjamin Netanyahu said: We are at a decisive moment in Israel’s history”, and added, ”Moments ago Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival. This operation will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat”. So, the name Rising Lion chosen for Israel’s Iran attack comes from a Biblical verse that promises a victorious future for a powerful Israel, with implications for precluding a nuclear war in the region. PM Netanyahu believes that that monumental prophecy is coming true at present.

Justice for Animals and Nature

Sri Lanka exists in the stone age, metaphorically speaking, when it comes to recognition of the Rights of Animals and Nature. 

The Justice for Animals and Nature was established in Sri Lanka for that purpose. To canvas public support for the Rights of Animals and Nature through legislative reform and thereby reconnect with our Buddhist Heritage which led the world on Animal Rights in the distant past. 

It was King Devanampiyatissa (300 BC) who established the World’s First Wild Life Sanctuary at Mihintale after the epic encounter with Arahant Mahinda, whose remarkable pronouncement still reverberates throughout the world. 

The declaration: The famous quote,

 “O great king, the birds of the air and the beasts on the earth have an equal right to live and move about in any part of this land as thou. The land belongs to the people and all other beings and thou art only the guardian of it,”.

This was the central theme of Mahinda’s message about the responsible and compassionate governance of the land. 

The Govt of Sri Lanka must re – embrace this message and re-establish its moral authority which our ancient Buddhist Kings had in great abundance. 

In ancient times, people of neighboring countries referred to the Buddhist Sinhalese as Aryavamsa, or “noble race”. The term was used in reference to the Sinhalese adherence to Buddhist principles of non-harm and compassion toward all living beings. 

This trait outshines every other talent that we are proud to boast of today. Kindness to animals was the defining yardstick of the Sinhalese in the past. But not any more. Today we kill innocent animals especially wild elephants at the drop of a hat with no punitive consequences flowing to the killer. We have lost  our moral direction from the top to the bottom of our society. It is a national shame.

Go back to the Drawing Board.

Start with teaching kindness to living beings at the Montessori level to all children as part of educational reform. Let us regain the ‘Aryavamsa’  (noble race) prestige we had before the commencement of the colonial era in the 16th century.

The cultivation of empathy and compassion for others, human and non – human, far outweighs any other gain in school and life. Justice for Animals and Nature

https://share.google/DHj7EudBtUXyy8Wvb

National Development Bank PLC

Twenty-four staff members from NDB Bank participated in a meaningful volunteer initiative on 10 October 2025 at the Anawilundawa Wetland Sanctuary, a vital Ramsar site in Sri Lanka. The programme was conducted under the Life of Our Mangrove project, in collaboration with Biodiversity Sri Lanka (BSL) and The Wildlife & Nature Protection Society (WNPS).

The session began with representatives from BSL and WNPS briefing the volunteers on the project’s objectives and the ecological importance of mangrove restoration. Participants were also introduced to invasive species in the area, with special emphasis on Ipil Ipil (Leucaena leucocephala), which poses a significant threat to the Anawilundawa Wetland Sanctuary.

Following the briefing, volunteers were divided into four groups to conduct a systematic vegetation survey, identifying and documenting the spread of Ipil Ipil and other plant species across allocated plots. The team also planted 150 true mangrove seedlings, contributing directly to habitat restoration.

The data collected during this exercise will serve as the baseline study for the project team, enabling them to plan and execute the targeted removal of invasive Ipil Ipil. This science-based approach ensures that restoration efforts are well-informed and effective.

Through their active participation, NDB staff contributed directly to safeguarding one of Sri Lanka’s most ecologically significant wetland environments. The programme reflects the bank’s commitment to environmental stewardship and collaborative conservation action.

This ongoing effort is part of the Life of Our Mangroves project, a collaborative Public-Private-Community Partnership and multi-partner initiative involving NDB Bank, BSL, the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC), Wayamba University (WUSL), and other private sector partners. NDB partnered with ‘Biodiversity Sri Lanka’ (BSL) to restore 1 hectare of degraded mangrove forest, within a period of 5 years.

Since its inception in 2022, the project has progressed successfully. The science-based approach has provided valuable insights to overcome challenges and achieve better mangrove growth rates. Community involvement has also been a key element of this journey.

By enhancing ecological functions, habitat quality, and species diversity, the project contributes significantly to biodiversity and ecosystem services, aligning closely with NDB’s commitment to sustainability.

Glenn Diesen

Glenn Diesen

KAMALIKA PIERIS

Money was  an important factor in the VFS Global visa service launched  at Katunayake in April 2024. Firstly,  there was the money that the Consortium was supposed to bring into the project.

The Parliamentary Committee on Public Finance (COPF) said in its report on the visa matter, thatCabinet Memorandum dated September 8, 2023, presented by Ministry of Public security, said that  IVS-GBS Global Services proposed to invest USD 200 million to provide the necessary technical equipment, software, and knowledge  needed for the new visa service they were offering.

However, upon reviewing the Consortium Outsourcing Agreement and proposal, the  investment amount of USD 200 million is not mentioned.  Nowhere in the final Outsourcing Agreement signed between Controller General of  Immigration and IVS-GBS-VHS is this $200 million mentioned.  Can this be real, where did this investment go, asked COPF Chairman Harsha de Silva.  

COPF  drew  attention to this  USD 200 million in  its concluding remarks, as well,  saying  the reported allocation of USD 200 million remains uninvested and unexplained.  COPF had   summoned the  Immigration Department  and the Ministry of Public Security  for questioning  but  officials from both agencies did not turn up at the inquiry.

There was a second money issue, the fees that went to VFS Global. VFS  charged an additional USD 25.77  from each visa applicant for the 180 day visa .This  was composed of a service  charge of US$ 18.5 and convenience fee” of   US$ 7.27 .

 In May 2024, government   re-introduced the 3O day visa.   VFS got a cut from this as well. A fee of $10 out of the USD 50 went to VFS. Frontline Socialist Party  informed the  public  of this  through television news . Before VFS came in, the entire sum of USD 50 had gone  to the government

All  three   fees went  straight to VSF. It was sent to  an offshore account  in  Dubai. Critics observed that these fees  would earn  VFS a huge sum annually. One source gave the  annual takings as  US$ 50 million  and another  said  $1.4 billion. a third source said, if  the 2024 target of 2.3 million tourists  is achieved the Consortium stands to gain SLR 12.76 billion over a 12 month period.

Further, there will be a daily balance of  around US$ 250,000  available to VFS  in Dubai. Apart from the  daily interest that  VFS would get from this sum ,   VFS can also use this money for other  purposes such as  overnight lending.

Critics  also looked  at how the visa revenue came to the Sri Lanka  government .  Earlier, when  the visas were processed locally, the daily take was sent to the Treasury at the end of each day. Once VFS took over, the daily revenue  was  sent to the  Dubai account of the company and transferred to Sri Lanka two days later,  minus  the  service charges.

Critics  took the position  that this was government money. If  you don’t pay  the VSF charges, you can’t get a visa. Therefore, it is a levy charged by the government. This  is money belonging to the government of Sri Lanka . it should properly come into the Consolidated Fund, said critics.

All you need   to apply for a Sri Lanka tourist  visa, is a valid passport. No other documents are checked. They don’t need to courier things up and down. So why these towering processing fees ,asked  critics. The VFS is doing a similar service in Brazil for less than $4 per visa.

Parliament  Committee on Public Finance  COPF examined the two fees, labelled service” and convenience” . The government   Agreement  with the Consortium  said that  the  fee of USD 18.50 is exclusive of any payment gateway fees, local taxes, and other transaction fees. It was  a direct levy to VFS.  It was arbitrary and could be increased by VFS .

COPF  further  observed that the fee of USD 18.50 was not negotiated or evaluated by the Evaluation Committee, the Cabinet,  Immigration Department  or the Ministry of Public Security. 

Neither the Cabinet nor the Evaluation Committee had paid the slightest attention to the biggest financial implication, namely, the exorbitant fee of $18.50 being charged by IVS-GBS-VFS. In fact, there is no mention in any document that the USD 18.50 service charge was ever justified or even queried.

Evaluation Committee made no comment on, or comparison of Mobitel’s $1 offer against VFS’s $18.50 price. It acted purely as a rubber stamp, said COPF.

COPF asked  Attorney General to clarify whether the fee of USD 18.50 was a levy that would have to be authorized by Parliament under Article 148 of the Constitution. That is, whether like visa fees, this fee requires approval by Parliament. The AG responded that no such parliamentary approval was needed.

 Attorney General said  The fee charged by  the Consortium, is a service fee” charged from applicants for on-line visas for the service provided to them by the Service Provider and does not form part of the Visa Fees that are approved by Parliament. In the circumstances, Parliamentary approval for them does not arise.

COPF  also discovered that a convenience fee of USD 7.27 was charged in addition to the service fee. COPF inquired into the convenience fee. Attorney General’s letter to COPF  dated May 13, 2024   said  that the Agreement  did  not explicitly mention or define  ‘convenience fees.’ The exact criteria and components of the convenience fee were not stated in the Agreement.  

Ministry of Public Security  told COPF  the convenience fee  was a tax  COPF pointed out that a tax cannot be labelled as a convenience fee.  it should be accurately referred to as a tax and credited to the Treasury account.

These two charges were  not shown to the government and they were not approved by the government .   Government did not even know of them. Minister  Alles said  that only the proposal to increase visa fees was presented to Parliament.  There was no mention of charges for VFS Global.

Agreements signed by government agencies are usually vetted by the Attorney General,  On 15.11.2023, the AG’s observations said It is assumed that the financial and technical implications of the agreement have been carefully considered and that all necessary approvals have been or will be obtained prior to its execution.”

 Media observed  that neither the gazette nor the Immigration Department’s notice containing visa categories and their corresponding fees mentioned any agreement with private companies or publicized their service charges.

The VFS visa service   had another weakness.  It  was considered a security risk.      MPs Ranawake, Sumanthiran and  Hakeem emphasized this issue when they petitioned Supreme Court.  The petitioners  pointed out  that  in entrusting the e-visa service to foreign companies,  the government  faced  a risk of security information being disclosed to an outside party. This  may pose a threat to national security.  Outsiders  will have access to vast amounts of data that could be used for the benefit of a foreign nation. 

Just then,  there occurred  a definite, undeniable  data breach. One visitor who was given a visa, suddenly found his email flooded with personal details of other applicants sent the official  VFS website .

Will Davis, a popular travel YouTuber with over a million subscribers, known as‘ Trek Trendy’  wrote  on May 5 that he had obtained a visa to visit Sri Lanka , from the IVFS service.” after that each day I’ve been getting other tourists visas emailed to me complete with full names, address and passport info. What a massive data breach,” he said.

Ministry of Public security MOPS said the circulated data was dummy data. The random circulation of any data, even dummy data, to foreign visa applicants is a potential security risk said COPF. COPF saw this unauthorized disclosure of confidential visa application information as breach of Clause 6.1 of the Consortium Outsourcing Agreement.  This breach   could lead to the activation of Termination Clause 4, as specified in the Agreement.

COPF directed the Ministry to immediately attend to this  data breach. The Ministry said that KPMG  will provide an independent report on this matter. COPF then recommended  that  the Ministry, Immigration Department and the Sri Lankan Data Protection Authority  review the KPMG report and take immediate actions to ensure the complete security and protection of all data handled through the  VFS ETA .( continued)

KAMALIKA PIERIS

In July 2024 the Parliamentary Committee on Public Finance (COPF)   was asked to  look into the GBS-IVS-VFS  matter . COPF  conducted a formal, detailed  inquiry into  the appointment of the  VSF Global Consortium as the authorized representatives for online visa applications to Sri Lanka COPF issued a damning 640-page report titled Outsourcing Online Visa and Passport Application Services between the Consortium and the Department of Immigration and  migration of Sri Lanka

on July 12  2024. see

https://www.parliament.lk/uploads/comreports/1720771221058053.pdf

COPF  found many abuses in the handling of this offer.   To start with, the contract was awarded without a competitive bidding process and without  specifications, preventing the Department  from securing the best  offer. COPF  observed   that the  visa fees charged by  other countries were    much lower. Further, an exclusive contract with VFS Global for  a  16-year duration  could  lead to   Vendor Lock-In as well.

COPF  pointed out that there were serious lapses in obtaining Parliament   approval for VFS. The Consortium Outsourcing Agreement grants exclusive rights to the Consortium , but this exclusivity was not mentioned in the Cabinet Memorandum  of September 8, 2023. This was a serious misrepresentation, said COPF.  

The cabinet had been told that they would get 200 million US dollars to upgrade our system. But there is no such mention in the Agreement.  The documents  sent to  Attorney General  for approval did not include the annexures.

 Cabinet Memorandum dated September 8, 2023, and the Consortium’s evaluation report both stated that IVS-GBS Global Services operates in 145 countries. However, during COPF proceedings,   it emerged that  IVS-GBS currently serves only three governments ,India, Malaysia, and Greece. 

COPF  found many defects in the   text of the  agreement as well. Here are two.  Data protection was not satisfactory. The measures taken to safeguard sensitive information from potential breaches and  to protect  accessibility to  data  were  weak.

 The Agreement   lacked a Clause establishing the order of precedence  in the case of  conflicting provisions.  Which is the superseding clause.  Is it  Clause 7.3 in the Consortium Outsourcing Agreement or  Clause 1.2.2 of Annexure 2   asked COPF.

The intelligentsia and the media also commented  at length  on  the VFS agreement.  Why get into a 16-year contract when the world of IT and AI is  changing fast. There are already unmanned immigration counters in many airports. Most documents and applications are now machine processed. It is predicted that most back-office work will become redundant in the near future,  said  Sirimewan Dharmaratne.

The three MPs who petitioned the Supreme Court against the VFS venture, held a press conference.

The simple practice of vetting the unsolicited proposal  was  not done , they said . We have clearly told the Supreme Court there was no proper due diligence on these companies. Also, the authorities have not revealed important   information such as the shareholding of each company in this joint venture .

 The intelligentsia  also commented. The  presentations made  to Parliament  are not known to the public. They should be made public along with VFS’s unsolicited proposal. Parliament has a right to ask for them for review and debate, and the Speaker has the obligation to get them tabled in Parliament by the Minister, they said.

 There was no Technical Committee  or Cabinet Appointed Negotiation Committee    for  the VFS deal, though a   Negotiation Committee  had been   appointed for the Mobitel proposal of November 2020 .   

 An  Evaluation Committee  was appointed but it  did not have the  technical  skills needed to  evaluate VFS’s  offer.  Of the five members, one  represented  the  Treasury,  one was  from Ministry of Public Administration and the remaining three were from the Ministry ,including  its Chief Financial Officer   and the   Commissioner  of Immigration,  Harsha Illukpitiya. Critics noted that   the VFS agreement  had been finalized before  the  Evaluation Committee had    submitted its report.   

Critics laughed at one of the functions  to be carried out by the  VFS combine. The Cabinet was  given a laundry list of the work that VFS would do. One of them really stands out, tourism promotion, said Rajan Philips.   Cabinet was told that  VFS Global  has the ability to promote the tourism industry of Sri Lanka because it has an experienced base in  151 countries.”  

 Philips hooted at this. Did the government  obtain confirmation from any of the 151 countries  about  the  tourism promoting abilities of VFS Global? Why should a visa processing agency be tasked with promoting tourism. And since when did promoting tourism become a mandate for the Controller General of Immigration  he asked.

However, the item went through.  Responsibility for  promoting inbound tourism to Sri Lanka has now been awarded to  the VFS Global  consortium on an exclusive basis, said  Rohan Pethiyagoda.  Controller of Immigration with no authority from Cabinet, with no consultation with the tourism industry, and possibly without the consent of Tourism Minister ,  has  signed away the rights to tourism promotion in Sri Lanka for the next 16 years to GBS-IVS-VFS, which has no known capacity in this highly specialized field. The giant tourism operator Kuoni is a co-owner of VFS , creating  an immediate conflict-of-interest, Pethiyagoda said.

 The Immigration  Department     distanced itself  from  Mobitel once VFS came on the scene. Mobitel  said  it received minimal feedback from Immigration when it submitted proposals in August 2023 .   Mobitel   also found it difficult to obtain clear system requirements  from  them.

After the Supreme Court order  Mobitel wrote to the Controller General of Immigration  saying it could restore the ETA front-end system within 24 hours  if the  Immigration Department  activates several backend links that would allow it to go online. Immigration Department  only had to provide connectivity, nothing more. Immigration Department  did not  oblige. 

Mobitel said  that they had sent their technicians to the Department of Immigration after the Court order ,  but the technicians were given access only to the Front End of the system not to the Back End.

Informatics Ltd  had developed new links for the VFS system. Mobitel asked  Immigration Department to instruct Informatics  to  return to  the  back end services, the  network configuration, and other facilities that were active    as of April 16 .

 Immigration  Department did not  respond to any of this.  Controller of Immigration     ignored the  Supreme Court Order.  Immigration officials  said they had received no instructions from Controller of Immigration ,Illukpitiya to enforce the Court’s directive. 

The President of the Sri Lanka Immigration and Emigration Officers’ Association said that Immigration  had switched to the new  VFS e-visa system within five hours . They  should be able to do the same in reverse.   Informatics  had   also confirmed   that  the switch  could  be done in 48 hours.

Critics  rejected  the  excuses offered by the Ministry for rejecting  Mobitel  and replacing it with VFS.   Ministry said  that the change from ETA to VFS processing was prompted by complaints from tourists about Mobitel ETA, and the need for addressing long-standing issues.  According to the Minister, such complaints were even directed to President Ranil Wickremesinghe. But this is not the assessment of anyone in the in the tourism business, nor has this been the experience of travelers in general including this writer, said Rajan Philips.Quite a number of people owning private tourism businesses have also spoken out in favor of the old system..

Critics   wanted Mobitel back.  Sri Lankan software companies are outstanding by  world standards. It is their software that drives the stock exchanges of London, Italy and South Africa,   they said.

 The Mobitel  ETA   had run  smoothly from 2012 without  major breakdowns, negative publicity, data breaches or any  other complaints.  It seems to have managed well up to 16th April , including  the peak  arrivals of the winter months.

 The updated system prepared in August 2023 addressed all of the Immigration Department requirements.  Features like risk profiling, passenger name records, and advance passenger information, present in Mobitel’s   updated proposal, were  absent from the Consortium’s proposal., they added.   Further, Mobitel  had offered to provide the updated  ETA platform  for USD 1 per application, in stark contrast to the   USD 25.77   charged  by VFS, said critics.

Motives for the VFS change were speculated on. This is a deliberate attempt to sabotage tourism,  said the Tourist industry. Tourism had come out of a lean phase and was looking forward to a successful winter run. They were also expecting  good bookings for the Esala season in Kandy. VFS knocked out the popular 30 day visa, and also harassed the tourists in many ways. The industry feared cancellations.

Why did the government want to hurriedly change a scheme that was working perfectly and at such low cost, asked  critics.  The  answer  is because  VFS wanted to make money  using our Tourist Industry and  found willing accomplices  at Immigration itself.  The  relevant  Ministry got the offer accepted  by Cabinet and Parliament  .Immigration  had excuses ready each time the VFS service was found wanting.

Incentives would have been offered  by VFS on a continuous   basis , to be  paid as long as VFS stayed in business. That is  why the Ministry  authorities felt it could ignore a Supreme Court  order and do so publicly.   Bribery and corruption are usually conducted secretly and on a one-off basis. Going public like this is most unusual.

When the Supreme Court order was announced the Ministry authorities  immediately called a press conference , which  was  aired on the television news channels and announced than VFS  had come to stay. It was not possible to comply with the Supreme Court order, because there were technical obstacles . Attorney General would tell this to the Court. They did not explain why  Attorney general did  not  say this at the initial hearing itself.

 The media focused  mainly on the  impact of the VFS activity. But critics  swooped in on the   corruption aspect. Corruption charges have been levelled at the Public Security Minister. He was  the only government Minister publicly standing by the agreement, said  one  critic.[1]   The politicians and officials involved should be held accountable, said Champika Ranawaka. [2]  Auditor General’s report on this matter should be handed over to the CID and the Bribery Commission, said Rohan Pethiyagoda.[3]

Harsha de Silva,  Chairman, COPF   said that Auditor General’s report  should be forwarded to the US Department of Justice, requesting an FCPA investigation because VFS is partly owned by Blackstone, a New York based financial giant. VFS therefore  comes under the  scrutiny of US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. .The FCPA requires companies whose securities are listed in the USA to meet stringent accounting and anti-bribery provisions [4]

The GBS-IVS-VFS   visa project  has been described  as  a scam  three or four times bigger than the Bond Scam,. Unlike most corrupt activity, which are one off and secretive,  this one involves an ongoing public service. This service, which all over the world is tightly controlled by the  government   for  security reasons, was breezily plucked out of the hands  of the local provider and given, under questionable conditions, to an outside party who were going to make money out of it.

COPF recommended  a comprehensive forensic audit by the Auditor General’s Office after which COPF recommended that  this  deal to be abrogated or revised.  COPF was informed in September  2024 that that the Auditor General had already initiated such an audit. The Government has initiated an immediate forensic audit into the irregularities associated with the VFS Global deal,  said Minister for Public security, Vijitha Herath .( concluded)

REFERENCES

Hakeem threatens to bring contempt of court charges against govt officials ignoring SC order on VFS-Visa scam

Visa Debacle: Fixing what ain’t broken

Sri Lanka opposition: govt, immigration officials violating SC order on visa deal

Sri Lanka visa deal with IVS-VFS be cancelled or revised, forensic audited: COPF Chief

The VFS Controversy: Making Sense of What Happened

https://island.lk/gl-visa-scam-bigger-than-t-bond-rackets/.

Govt begins forensic audit into VFS Global deal

On-Arrival Visa Scandal: MP Ranawaka demands action against politicos and officials responsible

The VFS Visa Deal – The Anatomy of a Scam

Visa controversy: FSP makes fresh allegation

Teflon Tiran & Visa Outsourcing   

https://www.dailymirror.lk/breaking_news/Action-will-be-taken-against-man-who-caused-disturbance-Minister/108-282021

https://www.dailymirror.lk/breaking-news/Popular-Youtuber-Will-Davis-exposes-data-breach-in-Sri-Lankas-visa-system/108-282251

https://www.dailymirror.lk/breaking-news/VFS-Global-is-here-to-stay-for-at-least-12-years-says-Tiran/108-282025

https://www.dailynews.lk/2024/09/26/local/637713/sc-remands-immigration-and-emigration-controller-general

https://www.dailynews.lk/2024/09/27/admin-catagories/breaking-news/638603/foreigner-visa-application-process-restored-under-previous-system

https://www.dailynews.lk/2025/09/24/admin-catagories/breaking-news/863036/ex-immigration-chief-sentenced-to-two-years-for-contempt-of-court

Airport incident : Police question individual in viral video

https://www.parliament.lk/uploads/comreports/1720771221058053.pdf

https://www.sundaytimes.lk/240505/business-times/vfs-charges-25-while-local-company-bid-was-for-only-1-556085.html

https://www.sundaytimes.lk/240505/news/tourism-sector-seethes-as-visa-fiasco-comes-to-a-boil-556463.html

https://www.sundaytimes.lk/240512/news/govt-backpaddles-on-visa-issue-but-questions-still-remain-557018.html

https://www.sundaytimes.lk/240519/news/lankan-officers-retake-visa-desk-at-bia-557868.html

https://www.sundaytimes.lk/240602/news/tedious-and-complicated-e-visa-process-will-only-keep-tourists-away-559089.html c

https://www.sundaytimes.lk/240804/business-times/flaws-in-tourism-565656.html

https://www.sundaytimes.lk/240804/news/online-visa-process-suspended-by-sc-566208.html

https://www.sundaytimes.lk/240811/business-times/sri-lanka-immigration-link-on-the-blink-567044.html

https://www.sundaytimes.lk/240811/news/online-visa-immigration-dept-only-partly-complies-with-sc-order-visa-issuance-activated-and-deactivated-567402.html

https://www.sundaytimes.lk/240818/news/ag-to-file-motion-in-sc-to-explain-issues-in-immigration-department-reverting-to-sltmobitel-eta-system-568147.html

https://www.sundaytimes.lk/240825/business-times/on-arrival-visa-issues-daunting-challenge-for-sri-lanka-568354.html

https://www.sundaytimes.lk/240908/business-times/tourism-industry-takes-to-the-streets-next-week-over-high-handed-bureaucracy-570170.html

https://www.sundaytimes.lk/240929/columns/the-inexplicable-quantum-leap-of-anura-kumara-to-the-presidency-572670.html

https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/transparency-international-challenges-sri-lankas-vfs-courts j

https://www.themorning.lk/articles/8QnB6AIKRxAjQmQ4JVGk11.8.2024

https://www.themorning.lk/articles/B3mUwGGLGxqFpBxmkznu

https://www.themorning.lk/articles/JBj1ShxiHMiY6uCH8ecB

https://www.sundaytimes.lk/240714/columns/and-so-they-did-it-their-way-no-surprise-there-anyway-563965.html

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[1] https://groundviews.org/2024/05/20/the-vfs-controversy-making-sense-of-what-happened/

[2] https://island.lk/on-arrival-visa-scandal-mp-ranawaka-demands-action-against-politicos-and-officials-responsible/#google_vignette t

[3]  https://island.lk/the-vfs-visa-deal-the-anatomy-of-a-scam/#google_vignette

[4]  https://island.lk/the-vfs-visa-deal-the-anatomy-of-a-scam/#google_vignette

චානක බණ්ඩාරගේ

ඔන්න පහුදිය දවසක මම ගියා දේශනයක් අහන්න. මහා තර්ක විතර්ක ගොඩක්. මිනිස්සුන්ට ලංකාවේ ඕනෑම  තැනක ජීවත් වෙන්න පුලුවන්ලූ. හැබැයි, එතකොට උතුරේ පරම්පරා ගානක් හිටපු සිංහලයෝ උතුරට ආපසු යන්නේ නැද්ද කියලා ඇහුවහම හ්ම් නැහැ. ලබන සතියේ තවක් රැස්වීමක්‌.  බලමු එදාට මොකක්ද මේ අය  කියන්නේ කියා.

අවම තරමින් 25% කට පමණ වූ භුමි ප්‍රදේශයක්  මේ රටේ මහ ජාතිය වන ජන කොටසට එහි ඉඩමක් මිලදී ගෙන, නිවෙස් තනා තම පවුල් සමඟ ජීවත්වීමට නොහැකි නම්, එය ඔවුන්ට සිදු වන මහඟු අසාධාරණයකි.

දෙසැම්බර් 12, 13 සහ 14 යන දිනවල ‘ශ්‍රී ලාංකික දිනය’ නමින් වැඩසටහනක් කොළඹ කොළඹ මහ නගර සභා පිටිය හා විහාර මහා දේවී උද්‍යානය පරිශ්‍රයේදී ක්‍රියාත්මක කිරීමට රජය සියළු කටයුතු සුදානම් කරමින් පවතී. මෙයට ශ්‍රී’ ලාංකික දිනය’ වශයෙන් නම් කිරීමට ඇති හේතුව කිම? අප දන්නා පරිදි නම් ශ්‍රී ලංකා දිනය යනු අපි සෑම වසරකම පෙබරවාරි 4 වෙනිදාට සමරණ නිදහස් දිනයයි. ඒ දිනයේත් අගය අඩු කිරීමක්ද මේ?

මෙය සියළුම ජාතීන් හා ආගම් නියෝජනය වන අයුරින් වන මහා සංස්කෘතික උළෙලක් බව රජය පවසයි. අප දන්නා මහා සංස්කෘතික උළෙල නම් අප්‍රේල් මස පැවැත්වෙන සිංහල සහ හින්දු අළුත් අවුරුද්දයි. රටේ ජනතාවගෙන් 90%ට පමණ එය අදාලයි. එම දින ආශ්‍රිතව මේ උත්සවය පැවැත්වුවා නම් වචනයේ පරිසමාප්තයෙන්ම එය මහා සංස්කෘතික උත්සවයක් වේ. අප්‍රේල් මාසයේ දිනවල එය පැවැත්වීම පිළිබඳව අපේ මුස්ලිම්, බර්ගර් සහ ආදී වාසි සහෘදයන් කිසිසේත් විරුද්ධ නොවී, එයට ඉමහත් ආශාවෙන් එක් වෙනවාට කිසි සැකයක් නැත.

කොළඹ මහ නගර සභාව විසින් කළ යුතු කාර්යයන් අපමණයි – අප මෙම ලිපි පෙලෙන් ඒවා දක්වා තිබේ. ඔවුන්ගේ උපරිම අවධානය මේ මංගල්‍යය වෙනුවෙන් දැන් කැප කිරීම නිසා කළ යුතු අත්‍යාවශ්‍ය කාර්යයන් අඩාල නොවේ යයි අප උදක්ම පතමු.

රුපියල් කෝටි කීයක් රජය මෙම උළෙල වෙනුවෙන් වියදම් කරනවාද?

ශ්‍රී ලංකා දිනය නම් එය මුළු ශ්‍රී ලංකාවටම අදාළ විය යුතුයි. 

නමුත්, කොළඹ පමණලූ මෙම සංදර්ශනය පැවැත්වෙන්නේ. එතකොට සෙසු පළාත්වල අය? බකං නිලාගෙන ඉන්න වෙයි.

අනික දින 3ක් තිස්සේ නම් පැවැත්වෙන්නේ ‘දිනය’ වෙන්නේ කොහොමද?

රජයක් විසින් මිනිසුන් කිසිම ප්‍රදේශයක බලෙන් හෝ අනුග්‍රහයදී සාමුහිකව පදිංචි කල යුතු නැත.

උතුරේ හෝ නැගෙනහිර සිංහල ජනාවාස රජය මැදිහත්වී ඉදි කිරීම අවශ්‍ය නැත. නමුත්, තම කැමැත්තෙන් කිසියම් පලාතක ජීවත්වීමට යන අය වැලැක්වීමත් වැරදියි, විශේෂයෙන්ම වාසය කිරීමට සුදුසු ඉඩම් ඇති ප්‍රදේශ සොයා.

ප්‍රභාකරන්ගෙන්  පහර කෑ, යුද්ධයෙන් පසු, 2010දී, උතුරේ අවතැන් වූ, යාපනයේ උපන්, දෙමළ කතා කරන, ආපසු උතුරට යාමට තැත් කල සිංහලයන්ට, එවකට වූ රජය මඟින් ඔවුන්ට උතුරේ  නැවත පදිංචි වීම පිණිස නිසි පහසුකම් දීම කෙසේ වෙතත් කලේ කෙසේ හෝ ඔවුන් උතුරෙ නැවත පදිංචි වීම වැළක්වීමයි.

ඒ අයගේ පරම්පරා ගණනාවක්  කලින් උතුරේ පදිංචිව සිටි, දෙමළ කථා කරන සිංහළ පවුල්ය. මෙයින් පවුල් 150ක් පමණ නියෝජනය කරන පිරිසක්, නැවත උතුරේ පදිංචි වීම සඳහා ඉඩම් ඉල්ලා 2010දී මාස ගණනාවක් යාපනය (පරණ) දුම්රිය ස්ථානයේ කඳවුරු බැඳ ගෙන සිටියහ. මන්ද, කලින් ඔවුන් සිටි යාපනයේ ඉඩම් දැන් වෙනත් දෙමළ අය විසින් අල්ලාගෙන සිටින නිසාය.

කිසිම උදවු උපකාරයක් නොකළ එවක වූ රජය ඔවුන් ආපසු දකුණට යා යුතුයයි කියා සිටී අතර, ඒ සඳහා ශ්‍රී ලංගම බස් රජය විසින් නොමිළේ  ලබා දුනි. එක් සිංහල පොලිස් ASP වරයෙක් ඔවුන්ට තර්ජනය කළා ආපසු දකුණට නොගියහොත් ඔවුන්ව අත් අඩංගුවට ගන්න්නා බවට.  ඒ මිනිසුන් බොහෝ දෙනෙක් ‘පරාජිතවී’ නැවත දකුණට  ගියහ.  

උතුරේම නතරවූ ‘දැඩි මතධාරී’ සිංහලයෝ කිහිප දෙනෙක් එක්වන්ව, යාපනයට කිමි 7 පමණ පහලින් වූ නාවට්කුලී සිංහල ගම්මානය (පවුල් 59) ‘බලෙන්ම’ මෙන් බිහි කරගත්හ.   ඒ 2010 දීය. කේ සකුන්තලා ඒ අය අතර විය.

මේ ගම්මානය කිසිසේත් එවකට සිටි රජය මඟින් ඇති කල එකක් නොවේ.  

උතුරේ නව ගම්මානයේ නතර වූ මේ අය අද ඉතා දුකසේ ජිවත් වෙත්; සමහරුන්ට තවම ඇත්තේ ටකරං මඩුය. එසේ නැත්නම් බාගෙට බිත්ති බැන්ද ගෙවල්ය. රැකියාවක් වත් හරියට නොමැත.

නැවත උතුරට එන්න බලාගෙන දකුණට වී සිටින අය විශාල ගණනක් සිටී.

යාපනයට සැතප්‍ම 7 දකුණින් පිහිටි එම ගමේ සහ එම පන්සලේ යාපනයට ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ දකුනෙන් යන අයට/සිංහල වන්දනා නඩ වලට ලැගුම් ගන්න පහසුම්කම් තිබේ. එයටත් දැන් චාවකච්චේරිය ප්‍රාදේශීය සභාව තහංචි දමා ඇත.

ඔවුනට අවශ්‍ය දිනපතා දකුණෙන් උතුර බලන්න යන බස් නැවත්වීම?

මේ දේවලින් ජය ගන්නේ බෙදුම්වාදීන්.

මේ අසාධාරණයට ලක් වූ අයට ජනාධිපතිතුමාගේ මැදිහත් වීමෙන් මේ ප්‍රශ්ණය යහපත් ලෙස නිරාකරණය වේවා!

යාපනයේ සිංහල මහා විද්‍යාලය

රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ මහතා ජනාධිපති වූ පසු ප්‍රභාකරන් විසින් මුළුමනින්ම විනාශ කරන ලද යාපනයේ සිංහල මහා විද්‍යාලය (ආරම්භය 1937) නැවත විවෘත කරන බවට පොරොන්දු විය.

යාපනයේ මහ රෝහළට  යාබදව ඒ හිස් ඉඩම තවම තිබේ.  

දැන්, මේ රජයට එය කිරීමට කොන්දක් තිබේද?

1983 වසන විට 2,000ට අධික ශිෂ්‍යයන් ගණනක් අධ්‍යාපනය ලැබූ මේ විදුහලේ තිබු රසායනාගාර පහසුකම් යාපනයේ වෙනත් කිසිම පාසැලක තිබුනේ නැතිලු. සිරිමා බණ්ඩාරනායක රජයේ හිටපු ඇමතිවරු වන මෛත්‍රිපාල සේනානායක, KB රත්නායක මහතුන් මේ පාසලේ දීප්තිමත් ආදී ශිෂ්‍යයන් වේ.

රජය සතු මෙම විද්‍යාලය සතු ඉඩමේ කොටසක් බලහත්කාරයෙන් අසල්වැසි දෙමළ  ජනයා විසින් අල්ලාගෙන ඇත. ඉදිරියේදී තවදුරටත් මෙය සිදු විය හැක. තාප්පයක් හෝ කටු කම්බි වැටක් ගසා මධ්‍යම රජය සතු මෙම වටිනා ඉඩම ස්ථාපිත කර ගත යුතුයි.

යාපනයේ සිංහළ මහා විද්‍යාලය යළි පිහිටවීමට මේ රජයට හැකිවේවා යයි අප උදක්ම පතමු!

නැත්නම්, නුදුරු අනාගතයේදී මේවා නැත්තටම නැති වෙනු ඇත (පාසල් නොමැති කම උතුරේ කලින් සිටි සිංහළ ජනයා නැවත යාපනය සහ අවට ප්‍රදේශවලට නොඒමට ප්‍රධාන හේතුවකි). 

ඉඩම් සහ පොලිස් බලතල පළාත් සභා වලට දීම

ප්‍රභාකරන් විසින් 1970 අග සහ 1980 මුල උතුරේ සිංහලයන් පලවා හරින විට එහි අඩු තරමින් සිංහල ස්ථිර පදිංචිකරුවෝ 50,000 තරමවත් සිටි බවට එහි එකල ජිවත් වූ වැසියෝ පවසත්. යාපනයේ පමණක් සිංහලයෝ 33,000 ස්ථිර පදිංචි කරුවන් ලෙස සිටි බවට කියති.

නමුත්, අද දකුණු වවුනියාව සහ  වවුනියාව දිස්ත්‍රික්කයේ නැගෙනහිරට වෙන්නට ඇති බෝගස්වැව, වෙහෙරතැන්න,  නන්දිමිත්‍රගම, නාමල්ගම, වැලිඔය, හැලඹවැව, ජනකපුර වැනි ප්‍රදේශ අත්හල පසු, වවුනියාවෙන් ඔබ්බට, උතුරු  පළාතේ ස්ථිරව ජිවත්වන මුළු සිංහලය ගහණය 500ක් වත් නැති තරම්ය.

ළඟදීම එන පළාත් සභා චන්දයෙන් උතුරේ දෙමළ පළාත් සභාවක් පිහිටුවීමෙන් අනතුරුව උතුරේ ඉඩම් අයිතිය/පාලනය සහ කළමනාකරණය මුළුමනින්ම උතුරු පළාත් සභාවට ජාජබ රජය දුන හොත් (විය හැකියි), එම උතුරේ මහා ඇමතිට අවශ්‍ය නම් උතුරේ ඉඩම් තමිල්නාඩුවේ  අයට වුවත් දිය හැකි වේවි? (මධ්‍යම රජයටද ඉඩම් ප්‍රමාණයක් ඉතුරුවෙන බව සැබවි). එය එවැනි බලයකි.

සිංහලයන්ට කෙසේ වෙතත් වයිකෝ වැන්නන්ට  උතුරට පැමිණ උතුරු පළාත් සභාවට යටතට අයත් වන ඉඩම්වල ගොවිපල් පටන් ගැනීමට හැකිවේවි?

දැනට උතුරේ ඉඩම් හිමි, වවුනියාවෙන් ඉහල වාසය කරන සිංහලයන් ඉතාම අතලොස්සගේ  (යාපනයේ නාවට්කුලි, මන්නාරමේ මඩුපාර, සිලාවතුර, කෝකිලායි ආදී) උතුරේ ඇති ඉඩම් අයිතීන් අවශ්‍ය නම් අවලංගු කිරීමට උතුරේ මහා ඇමතිට හැකිවේවි? කොටින්ම සිංහලයන්ට උතුරේ වවුනියාවෙන් ඔබ්බට ඇති උතුරේ ඉඩම්වලට පා තැබීම පවා තහනම් කිරීමට උතුරේ මහා ඇමතිට අවශ්‍ය නම් හැකි වේවි; විශේෂයෙන්ම පොලිස් බලතලද මහා ඇමති යටතට පත්වන නිසා?

මෙවිට නාගදීපය, නාග විහාරය වන්දනා මාන කිරීමට හෝ වෙනත් කටයුත්තකට දකුණේ සිට උතුරට යන සිංහලයාට බහුතර ඉඩම් පළාත් සභාවට අයත්වන නිසා උතුරට ඇතුල්වීමට පෙර මහා ඇමතිගෙන් හෝ මහා ඇමතිට යටත් පොලිස් නිලධාරියාගෙන් අවසර ගත යුතුය කියා නීතියක් පැනවුවහොත්? පොලිස් බලතල දුන් පසු උතුරේ සිංහල පොලිස් නිලධාරින් නැතුවම යා හැකියි?

අද වවුනියාවෙන් ඔබ්බට A9 මාර්ගයේ ඇති දැවැන්ත දැන්වීම් පුවරුවල සිංහල වචනයක්වත් සඳහන් නොවේ. යාපනයට කොළඹ සිට දුම්රිය පැමිණි බව ශබ්ධ විකාශනයෙන් දෙමලෙන් සහ ඉංග්‍රීසියෙන් පමණක් දැනුම් දුන් බව ලියුම්කරු සිය අත්දැකීමෙන් දනී; නමුත් මාතර හෝ පාදුක්ක නගර වල භාෂා 3න්ම ‘බිල් බෝඩ්’ දක්නට ලැබේ; ඒ දුම්රිය ස්ථානවල භාෂා 3න්ම නිවේදන ශබ්ධ විකාශනයෙන් නිකුත් කෙරේ.

සංහිඳීයාව දෙපාර්ශ්වයටම ක්‍රියාත්මක විය යුතුයි.

යුද්ධය අවසන් වී සෑම වසරකම වාගේ සියළු රජයන් හැකි තරම් යුධ හමුදා කඳවුරු වසා දැමු බව හෝ කුඩා කල බව අප සැවොම දනිත්. මේ ක්‍රියාවන් ඉදිරියටද තවදුරටත් සිදුවීමට බොහෝ ඉඩ ඇත.

මන්නාරම මඩුපාර සිංහළ මහා විද්‍යාලය 

1985දී  සිසුන් 330ක් පමණ අධ්‍යාපනය ලැබූ මන්නාරම මඩු පාරේ සිංහළ මහා විද්‍යාලය උතුරේ මහ ඇමති විග්නේස්වරන් විසින් 2016දී වසා දමනු ලැබුවත් රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ ජනාධිපතිතුමාගේ ආශිර්වාදයෙන් එය නැවත 2022දී විවෘත කරන ලදී.  අද එහි ඇත්තේ සිංහල ශිෂ්‍යයන් අතලොස්සකි. ඔවුන් සිංහල බසින් අධ්‍යාපනය හදාරති.

එහි වැඩ කරන ගුරුවරියන් 5 දෙනා ස්වේච්චාවෙන් දකුණේ සිට පැමිණ සේවය කරති. ඔවුනට රජයේ පත්වීම්/පඩි නැත.

ඒ අය නඩත්තු කරන්නේ මේ ලියුම්කරුද සම්බන්ධ උතුරේ සිංහලයන් වෙනුවෙන් වැඩ කරන සංවිධාන මඟිනි.  

මේ පාසලේ තම දරුවන්ට සිංහලෙන් ඉගැන්වීම සඳහා දකුණේන් දෙමව්පියන් මන්නාරමට පැමිණියත් ඔවුන් බොහෝ දෙනෙකුට තම දරුවන් සමඟ ආපසු දකුණට යාමට සිදු විය. ඒ, උතුරු පළාතේ රජයේ ආයතන විසින් ඔවුන්ට දැක්වූ කුඩම්මාගේ සැලකිළියි.

මේ අයට අස්වැසුම ලබා නොදීමට වගකිවයුතු රජයේ නිලධාරින් වග බලා ගත්හ.

රැකියාවක් සොයා ගන්නා තුරු අස්වැසුම ලබා දෙන මෙන් කොතරම් ඉල්ලීම් කලත් ‘රතු පටි’ භාවිතා කර, ඒ සහනාධාරය ඒ අහිංසකයන්ට නොදීමට අදාළ රාජ්‍ය නිලධාරින් වග බලා ගත්හ.

දැන් මෙහි ස්වේච්චාවෙන් වැඩ කරන ගුරුවරියන් 5 දෙනාද ආපසු දකුණට ගිය හොත්, සිංහළ ගුරුවරුන් නොමැති නිසා මෙම විදුහල නුදුරු අනාගතයේදී නැවතත් අභාවයට යා හැක.

මන්නාරම මඩු පාර සිංහළ මහා විද්‍යාලයට ස්ථිර සිංහළ දන්නා ගුරුවරයෙක් හෝ දෙදෙනෙක් රජය විසින් වහාම පත් කළ යුතුයි; ඉන්පසු මේ දර්ශනීය විදුහල ගොඩ නැගීමට රජය කටයුතු කළ යුතුයි.

මේ විදුහල ප්‍රදේශයේ දෙමළ විදුහලකට අනුයුක්ත කිරීමේ සැලැස්මක් තිබු අතර එයට කිසි සේත් අනුමැතිය නොදිය යුතුය.

ළමුන් 50 අඩු පාසැල් වසා දැමිය යුතුය යන රජයේ වර්තමාන ප්‍රතිපත්තිය මෙම විදුහලට අදාළ නොවිය යුතුයි.

මෙම පැරණි විද්‍යාලය ආරක්ෂා කර දීම ජාජබ රජයේ වගකීමයි. එය මන්නාරම සහ අවට  කලින් සිටි සිංහළ ජනයා නැවත මන්නාරම සහ අවට ප්‍රදේශවලට පැමිණීමට ප්‍රධාන හේතුවකි. 

මන්නාරම සිලාවතුර – සිංහළ විද්‍යාලය    

රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ ජනාධිපති වූ පසු ඔහුගේ රජය විසින් මෙම පාසැල 2022 දී නැවත විවෘත කරන ලදී. මේ නිසා  විලච්චිය, මැදවච්චිය, අනුරාධපුර වැනි ප්‍රදේශවල නෑදෑ නිවෙස්වල නැවතී පාසල් ගිය ළමුන් නැවත  මන්නාරම සිලාවතුරට පැමිණ එහි ඉගෙනුම ලබත්. එහි විදුහල්පති ස්වාමීන්වහන්සේ ඉතා මහඟු කාර්යයක්, ඉතා දුෂ්කර, කම්කටොළු මැද්දේ සිදු කරති.

පාසැල නැවත විවෘත වීම නිසා සිලාවතුර ගමේ සිංහල ජනගහනය ඉහල ගොස්, ගම පාළුවීම වැලකි තිබේ.

ඉතා හොඳ, කාර්යශූර සිංහල ගුරු මණ්ඩලයක් මෙම විදුහල අද සතුය.

කළින්, මේ ගමේ ජිවත්වූ සිංහල ළමයි අවට තිබෙන මුස්ලිම් පල්ලි මඟින් පවත්වා ගෙන යන දෙමල කථා කරන පාසල්/පෙර පාසල් වලට යාම නිසා මේ ළමුන් නිවසේදීද දෙමලෙන් කථා කිරීමට පෙලෙඹුනහ.  සිංහල බෞද්ධ දෙමව්පියන්ට මෙය මහත් පස්චත්තාපයට/කණසල්ලට කරුණක් ව තිබුණි.

මෙම රජය මඟින් සිංහල ගුරුවරුන් වැඩි වැඩියෙන් මෙම පාසැලට  පත් කල යුතුය. සිංහල පෙර පාසැලට පාලිකාවක් පත් කල යුතුය. පාසලේ අභිවෘධිය තකා මුදල් වෙන් කළ යුතුයි.

එවිට මෙම පාසැල් දෙකම දිගටම පවත්වා ගෙන යා හැකිවේ; ළමුන් සංක්‍යාවද වැඩිවනු ඇත.

දැනට මෙම පාසැල් බොහෝ දුරට පවත්වා ගෙන යන්නේ මෙම ලියුම්කරුද අනුබද්ධිත දකුණේ සිංහල ප්‍රජා සංවර්ධන සංවිධාන විසිනි.

යෝධ වැව, මන්නාරම (1)

යෝධ වැව ආරම්භයේ (කත්කලන් කුලම, මුරුන්කන් සිට කිමි 3ක් දකුණට), අනුරාධපුරය යුගයට අයත්, ‘අභය’ පිළිම කලාව අනුව නිර්මිත, කළු ගලින් නිම කරන ලද  බුද්ධ පිළිම දෙකක් (6’ වඩා උස) කිසිම ආරක්ෂාවක් නොමැතිව බිම දමා තිබුණි. එකක  සිරස කඩා බිම දමා තිබුණි.

මේවා කිසිවෙකුට නොපෙනෙන, වැසී යන සේ එම ස්ථානයේ මනා ලෙස කෙසෙල් වගාවක් ආරම්භ කර තිබුණි. රාජු නැමැත්තෙක් මෙම කෙසෙල් වගාව කරගෙන ගොස් තිබුණි.

වහාම ක්‍රියාත්මක වන පරිදි මෙම ප්‍රතිමා ඇතුලත් යාර 400 ක ප්‍රදේශය කටු කම්බි ගසා, මෙම ස්ථානය පුරාවිද්‍යා සංරක්ෂිතයක් ලෙසට පත් කරන මෙන් අප රජයෙන් ඉල්වා සිටියද යහපාලන රජය එය කලේ නැත.

මෙයට අදාළ වූ  අදාළ වූ ගැසට් නිවේදනය ඉතා කඩිනමින්  නිකුත් කල යුතුවේ.

මන්නාරම පොලිසිය යොදවා දිනපතා මෙම බුද්ධ නිර්මාණ ආරක්ෂා කල යුතුවේ.

යෝධ වැව, මන්නාරම (2)

ඉහත ස්ථානයට (කත්කලන් කුලම – මුරුන්කන් සිට කිමි 3ක් දකුණට)  ආසාන්නව මෑතකදී ඩෝසර් කරන ලදෑයි සැක කල හැකි ස්තුපයක නටඹුන් දැන් ඉතිරිව ඇත. මෙයද 1වෙන සියවසේ (දේවානම් පියතිස්ස රජ සමයේ) නිර්මිත එකක් විය හැක.

ඩෝසර් කලත් මෙම ස්තුපයේ පේසා වළලු හානි වී නොමැති බවයි මතුපිට නිරීක්ෂණයකින් පෙනී යන්නේ.   

මෙම ස්ථානය පුරාවිද්‍යා සංරක්ෂිතයක් ලෙසට පත් කරන මෙන් අප රජයෙන් ඉල්වා සිටිමු. අදාළ වූ ගැසට් නිවේදනය ඉතා කඩිනමින්  නිකුත් කල යුතුවේ.

ත්‍රිකුණාමලය – පුලිකන්දිකුලම සිංහල විද්‍යාලය

ත්‍රිකුණාමලයේ සිට කිමි 50 පමණ ඊසාන දෙසින් පිහිටි මේ පාසල ඉතා දුෂ්කර එකකි. දැනට ගුරුවරුන් 2ක් ස්වේච්චාවෙන් ගුරු වෘත්තියේ යෙදෙත්. සුදුසුකම් ඇති, උගත් මේ ගුරු භවතුන් දෙදෙනා රජයේ සේවයට අනුබද්ධ කරන්නේ නම්, මායිම් ගම්මානයක්ව තිබු මෙම ගමට ඉමහත් සෙතක් සැලසේ.

පාසලේ ජල ෆිල්ටරය කඩා වැටි තිබු නිසා සිසුන් අපිරිසිඳු වතුර පානය කළහ.  

මෙයින් මේ ළමුන් ඉදිරියේදී වකුගඩු රෝග සදා ගැනීමට ද බොහෝ ඉඩ තිබේ. පාසලට ජල ෆිටරයක් ඉතා ඉක්මනින් ලබා දීමට කටයුතු කරන මෙන් අප උදක්ම ඉල්වා සිටිමු .

දෙහිවත්ත, ත්‍රිකුණාමලය  

පළවෙන සියවසට අයත් බෞද්ධ ස්ථුපයක් තිබෙන අධි පුරාවිද්‍යා වටිනාකමක් ඇති භූමියක් 2016 පමණ සිට හින්දු දේවාල භූමියක් බවට පත් කර ගත්හ. දෙවන පෑතිස් රජ සමාජයේ ගල් කුළුණු (30 පමණ) ත්‍රී ශුල කොටා ඒවා හින්දු පුරාවස්තු බවට හැඟවීමක් කර ඇත.

මෙම කෝවිල යුද්ධයේදී මිය ගිය කොටි ත්‍රස්තවාදියෙක් සිහි කිරීම වෙනුවෙන් මෑතකදි සාදන ලද්දක් බව අසල්වාසීන් ද අප සමඟ කීහ. 

බෞද්ධ සඳකඩ පහන්, පාදෝවන,කොරවක් ගල් දැන් මෙම හින්දු කෝවිලට අයත් ඒවා මෙන් භාවිතා කරත්.

බෞද්ධයන්ට අති උතුම් වූ ශ්‍රී පතුලක් කෝවිලේ පොල් තෙල් පහන් පත්තු කරන ස්ථානයක් ලෙසටත් පවත්වා ගෙන යති.

බෞද්ධ පන්සලේ ඇති බෞද්ධ ස්ථුපයද  තව නොබෝ දිනකින් කඩා බිඳ දමනු ඇත?

අපගේ ඉල්ලීම මත පුරා විද්‍යා නිලධාරින් මෙම ස්ථානයට වරක් ගියත් අප දන්නා පරිදි පුරාවිද්‍යා නාමපුවරුවක් වත් එම ස්ථානයේ තවමත් ඉදි කර නැත. 

අප දන්නා පරිදි අද දිනට කිසිම පුරාවිද්‍යාත්මක ආරක්ෂාවක් මෙම ඉතා වටිනා වූ භූමියට නොලැබේ.

මෙම ස්ථානය බෞද්ධ පුරාවස්තු/නටඹුන් සහිත ස්ථානයක් ලෙසින් ගැසට් නිවේදනයක් නිකුත් කර, අදාළ පුරා විද්‍යා නාම පුවරු මෙම ස්ථානයේ ස්ථාපිත කරන මෙන් අප රජයෙන් ඉල්වා සිටිමු.

යාපනයේ නාවට්කුලි සිංහල ගම්මානයේ වැසි ප්‍රේමසිරි විජේසිරිගේ අවාසනාවන්ත කථාව

යාපනයේ නාවට්කුලි සිංහල ගම්මාන වාසි ප්‍රේමසිරි විජේසිරි  (උපන් දිනය 27/8/55) 1969  සිට උතුරේ (යාපනයේ) පදිංචි, මාතර සිට ඒ ප්‍රදේශයට ගොස් පදිංචි වී සිටී සිංහල අයෙකි. ඔහුගේ යාපනයේ නාවට්කුලී සිංහල ගම්මාන නිවාස අංකය: 40

1983දී ජාතිවාදී අරගල නිසා යාපනය අතහැර ගිය ප්‍රේමසිරි යුද්ධය අවසන් වූ පසු නැවත 2009දී යාපනයට ගොස් එහි මෑතක් වන තුරු ජීවත්ව, දැන් ආපසු මාතරට ගොස් ජිවත් වෙයි.

ඔහු යාපනයේ ඉතා සාර්ථක ආහාර කඩයක් කරගෙන ගිය කෙනෙකි. ඔහුගේ ඉතා ප්‍රනීත, රසවත් ආහාර එම පළාතේ කවුරුත් මිලදී ගෙන, ඉතා අශාවෙන් අනුභව කළහ.

ප්‍රදේශයේ හෝටල්/කඩ හිමි කිසියම් පිරිසක් ප්‍රේමසිරි පිළිබඳව පෙත්සම් ගසා නාවට්කුලි සිංහල ගම්මානය ඉදිරිපස ඔහුගේ ආහාර රථය කයිතඩි මහජන පරීක්ෂක (PHI) විසින් තහනම් කරන ලදී. මේ තහනම ගැන මධ්‍යම රජය අප දැනුවත් කලත් එය පිළිබඳව නිතීමය බලය තිබුනේ විග්නේස්වරන්ගේ පළාත් සභාවට නිසා ඔවුනට කළ හැකි දෙයක් නොවීය.

විදේශගතව සිටී නිසා මෙම ලියුම්කරුට ප්‍රේමසිරි වෙනුවෙන් නිතී මඟින් අධිකරණ කටයුතු ආරම්භ කිරීමේ අවස්ථාවක් නොවීය.

ගෙදරීන් සාදා ගෙන එන නිසා ඉඳි ආප්ප සහ ව්‍යංජන විකිණීමේ තහනමක් සහ තේ කඩයක් පවත්වා ගෙන යාමේ තහනමක් යෙදු බව PHI පවසා තිබුණි. ප්‍රේමසිරිට රෝල් සහ වඩේ පමණක් විකිනීමට අවසර දී තිබුණි.

ගෙදරදී ඉඳි ආප්ප සහ ව්‍යංජන ඉතා පිරිසිඳුව සාදා ගෙදර සිට මීටර 200 පමණ ඈතින් තිබු ආහාර කඩයට ආහාර රැගෙන ගියේ ප්‍රේමසිරිගේ බිරිඳයි.

නැවත ව්‍යාපාරය පවත්වා ගෙන යායුතු නම් ආහර කඩය ස්ථිර ගොඩනැගිල්ලක ස්ථාපිත කර, ඉඳි ආප්ප වැනි ආහාර එම ස්ථිර ගොඩනැගිල්ල තුල පමණක් සෑදිය යුතු යයි PHI නියෝග කර ඇත. තේ හදනවා නම් ගලාගෙන යන ජලය (ටැප්) අත්‍යාවශ්‍ය බව දන්වනු ලැබීය.

ගෙදරින් ආහාර සාදා වෙනත් ස්ථානවලට ඒවා ගෙනවුත් විකුණන අය චාවකච්චේරි ප්‍රදේශයේ බොහෝයි. යාපනය නගරයේද ඇත.

ඒ අයට තහනම් නියෝග නිකුත් කර නැත්තේ මන්දැයි මෙම ලියුම්කරු PHI ගොස් හමුවී ප්‍රශ්ණ කල විට PHI දෙමළෙන් පමණක් ඔහු සමඟ කථා කරගෙන ගියේය. MOHට කථා කල විට PHI නියෝගය හරි බව ඉංග්‍රීසියෙන් පවසා කෙසේ නමුත් ඔහු හමුවීමට එන ලෙස පැවසීය. ඒ හමුව නොපවැත්විණි.

ආහාර කරත්තයක් තල්ලු කරගෙන යන වෙනත් අය ඉතා සාර්ථක ලෙස සිය ස්වයං  රැකියාවේ නියුක්තව සිටින බව ප්‍රේමසිරි සැමදා දිටීය. ඔහුට පමණක් ඒ වාසනාව අහිමි විය.

ජීවත්වීමට ආදායමක් සහ ක්‍රමයක් නොමැති වීම නිසා ප්‍රේමසිරිගේ බිරිඳ යාපනය අත හැර මාතර බලා ගියාය. ඉන්පසු ප්‍රේමසිරිද මාතර බලා ගියේය.

ප්‍රේමසිරිට මෙන්ම නාවට්කුලි වාසි විජේරත්න විජේදාසට අයිස් ක්‍රීම් ව්‍යාපාරයක් පවත්වා ගැනීමට අවසර නොදුන්නේ කයිතඩි PHIය. නිවසේ සිට අනුරාධපුරයේ සහ මිහින්තලේ සාර්ථක ලෙස අයිස් ක්‍රීම් නිපදවා අලෙවි කල විජේදාසට (ඔහු යාපනයේ උපන් සිංහල කෙනෙකි) යුද්ධයෙන් පසු නැවත යාපනයේ පදිංචි වුය් නාවට්කුලි සිංහල ගම්මානයේය. දැඩි දේශප්‍රේමියෙක් වූ විජේදාස සියල්ල එපාවී, නාවට්කුලියේ තම නිවස පවා විකුණා දමා, දැන් මැදවච්චියේ පදිංචිව සිටී.

මතු සම්බන්ධයි ….

මතුගම සෙනෙවිරුවන්

      යාපන දිස්ත්‍රික්කයේ එකම සිංහල ගම්මානය පිහිටා තිබෙන චාවකච්චරි ප්‍රා දේශීය සභාව විසින් අරුම පුදුම නිවේදනයක් නිකුත් කර තිබේ.නාවක්කුලි හි  දුම්රිය ස්ථානයට යාබදව පවත්වාගෙන යනු ලබන සමිද්ධි සුමන විහාරස්ථානයේ පිහිටුවා තිබෙන වන්දනා කරුවන්ට තිබෙන විශ්‍රාම ශාලා පහසුකම් වහාම නවතා දමන ලෙසටත් එසේ නොකළහොත් නඩු පවරන බවටත් මේ නිවේදනයේ කියා තිබේ.මේ පිළීබඳව පුවත් පත් වල පළ වී තිබෙන වාර්තා අනුව නාවක්කුලියට පමණ් නොව යාපනයේ සිංහල ජනතාව ජීවත් වන තවත් ප්‍රදේශ වලටත් මේ නීතිය බලපවත්වන්නට ඔවුන් කැස කවන බව පෙන්නුම් කෙරේ.

          දෙමළ ඊළාම් මතවාදයෙන් පෝෂණය වූ   වර්ගවාදී මෙහෙයුම් ආරම්භ වන්නේ කන්කසන්තුර මහජන මන්ත්‍රීවරයාව සිටි එස්.ජේ.වී. චෙල්වනායගම් මහතාගේ උසි ගැන්වීම් මත 1950 දශකයේය.බොහෝ සාමකාමීව තිබූ උතුර ගිනි ගැනීම්වලට ලක්වන්නේ ඔහුගේ උග්‍ර වර්ගවාදී හැසිරිම් වලට ආකර්ශණය වූ දෙමළ තරුණයන් රට බෙදීමේ ව්‍යාපාර වලට තල්ලු වී යෑමෙන්ය.මේ නිසා යාපන දිස්ත්‍රික්කයේ සිටි විසිහතරදහසකට අධික සිංහල ජනතාවට පමණක් නොව මුස්ලිම් ජනතාවට සහ මේ දෙගොල්ලන් සමගම සමගියෙන් සිටි දෙමළ ජනතාවත් මහත් සේ පීඩාවට පත් වූශ.

        උත්තර පස්සය, උතුර සහ නාග ද්වීපය යනුවෙන් හඳුන්වන කලාපය තුළ අතීතයේ දී පැවති බෞද්ධ සභ්‍යත්වය සතුරු ආක්‍රමණ හේතුවෙන් වැනසී ගියේය. ඇතැම් තැන්වල රහතුන් වහන්සේලා පමණක් හයසීයයකට අධික සංඛ්‍යාවක් වැඩ වාසය කළ බව වංශ කතා දක්වන අතර යම් මුහුද ගොඩ ගැලීමක් නිසා මේ ප්‍රදේශය විනාශ වීමෙකට ලක්ව මීටර තුනක පමණ වැලි තට්ටුවකින් වැසී ගොස් ඇති බව මෑතකදී කළ පුරාවිද්‍යත්මක කැණීම් වලින් හෙළි වී තිබේ. කදුරුගොඩ විහාරයේ පවතින නටබුන් චෛත්‍ය වලට යටින් පූර්ව යුග වලදී ඉඳි කරන ලද බෞද්ධ නටබුන් රැසක් තිබෙන බව මේ සොයා ගැනීම් වලින් තහවුරු වී තිබේ.දහ අට වන සියවස් වලදී උතුරට ගෙන්වන ලද වහල් ශ්‍රමිකයන් වන මලබාරයන් නිසා මේ ජන ශූන්‍ය වූ භූමිය නැවත වහල් ජනපද වශයෙන් ජනාවාස කර ඇත.ලන්දේසීන් විසින් අඳින ලද පැරණි සිතියම් වලින් ඒ බැව් සනාථ වේ.මෙකී ජනාවාස භූමි වල සාරය විදෙස් වලට යැවුණූ අතර මලබාර් දෙමළ ජනයා ඉතාමත් දුක්ඛිත ජීවිතයක් ගත කළහ. ලන්දේසි ආධිපත්‍යය ලිහිල් වී යෑමෙන් පසු මේ ජනයා පාලනය කිරීම උදෙසා නැවතත් මලබාර් දිස්ත්‍රික්ක වලින් වත් පොහොසත් කම් ඇති වෙල්ලාල ජනයා යාපනයට පැමිණියහ. ඔවුහු ලන්දේසීන් ගෙන් සහ පසුව ඉංග්‍රීසින් ගෙන් ඉඩම් මිළදී ගෙන වහල් ජනපද පාලනය කළහ. මේ වන විටත් යාපනයේ ජීවත් වූ සිංහල ජනයා වන මඩප්පිලි ගොවි කුලය සහ ඉන්දීය වෙල්ලාල වර්ගය ෙඇතැම් විට එක සමාන කර ඇතද සිංහලයන් බෞද්ධයන් වූ බවද මලබාර් වෙල්ලාලයන් හින්දූන් වූ බවද පැහැදිලි කළ හැකිය. ලන්දෙසි පල්ලි ඉඳි කළ ඇතැම් ප්‍රදේශ වල සිටි  සිංහල බෞද්ධ ජනතාව ගැන බල්දෙයස් නම් ලන්දේසි පූජක තැනගේ විග්‍රහයෙන් ඒ බැව් පැහැදලි වේ.

         නාවක්කුලිය ,කදුරුගොඩ, උඩුප්පිඩිය ,චුන්නාකම කැස්බ දූව නොහොත් කයිට්ස්, බූරු දිවයින නොහොත් ඩෙල්ෆ්ට්, කාරතිවු නොහොත් කාර දිවයින එලෙස සිංහල ජනතාව ජීවත් වු ප්‍රදේශ අතරට ගැනේ. ඉංග්‍රීසීන් ගේ කාලයේ දී මේ ප්‍රදේශ වල සිටි සිංහල ජනයා අභිබවා දෙමළ ජනගහනය වර්ධනය වන කල්හි ඇතැම් සිංහලයන් වන්නියට සහ අනුරාධපුරයට සංක්‍රමණය වී ඇත. නමුත් ලංකාවට නිදහස ලැබීමෙන් පසු උතුර යළි ක්‍රමයෙන් සිංහල ව්‍යාපාරිකයන් ගෙන් පිරී ගියේය. බේකරි කර්මාන්තය ,ගරාජ නොහොත් කාර්මික වැඩ පළ වල් මේ අයගේ ප්‍රධාන ජීවනෝපාය වීය. හතළිහේ දශකයේ දී උතුරේ විහාරස්ථාන යළි ඉඳි වීමෙන් පසු ඒවායේ වන්දනා කරුවන් සඳහා නවාතැන් පහසුකම් ඇති විය. දායකයන් නොමැතිව වන්දනා කරුවන් නිසාම පැවතුණු මෙවැනි විහාරස්ථාන නඩත්තු වූයේ ඒ ශත්තියෙනි. අසූව දශකයේ ඇරඹුණු යුද්ධයෙන් පසුව 1985 දී පමණ උතුරේ සිටි සිංහල ජනතාව ඝාතනයය ලක් වීමෙන් සහ පහරදීම් වලින් පීඩාවට පත්ව දකුණට සහ අනාථ කඳුවරු වලට සංක්‍රමණය වූහ.නාවක්කුලියේ  තිබූ සිංහල පාසල විනාශ කරන ලද අතර සිංහල ජනතාවට උන්හිටි තැන් නැතිවූහ. 2009 වසරේ දී යුද්ධය හමාර වූ පසු අවතැන් ව සිටි නාවක්කුලියේ සිංහල පවුල් 180 ක්  2010 දී නැවතත් උතුරට ගොස් බැලූ විට ඔවුන් පරිහරණය කළ ඉඩම් කොටි මහවිරු පවුල්  විසින් අත්පත් කරගෙන තිබුණි. එහිදී ඔවුන් නවාතැන් ගෙන තිබුනෙ දුම්රිය ස්ථානයේ බව එකල පුවත් පත් වාර්තා කළහ. අනතුරුව මේ ජනතාවගේ උද්ඝෝෂණයන් නිසා එංගලන්තයේ සිටින සිංහල ජනතාවගේ ආධාරයෙන් උපතාරයෙන් සහ සිංහල රාවයේ මෙහෙයවීමෙන් නාවක්කුලියේ නිවාස සංවර්ධන අධිකාරියට අයත් පොල් වත්තක ඉඩම් කට්ටි කීපයක් ලබාගෙන පදිංචි වන්නට ඉඩ ප්‍රස්ථා ලැබිණ. අනතුරුව දුම්රිය ස්ථානයට යාබදව විහාරස්ථානයද ඉඳි කිරීම ආරම්භ කළද මන්ත්‍රී ශිවාජිලංගම් ගේ විරෝධය හමුවේ  එවකට පැවති ප්‍රාදේශිය සභාව විසින් වාරණයක් ගැනීම නිසා අතර මග නැවතුණි. නමුත් නඩු කටයුතු වලදී එවකට සිටි ශ්‍රී නිධී නන්දසේකරන් මහේස්ත්‍රාත් තුමිය විසින් දෙන ලද අපක්ෂපාතී තීන්දුව නිසා යළිත් නාවක්කුලි විහාරස්ථානය ඉඳි කරලීමට අවස්ථාව ලැබුණි.අද වන විට උතුරේ බෞද්ධ සිද්ධස්ථාන වන නාග ද්වීපය, තිස්ස විහාරය, නාග විහාරය සහ කදුරුගොඩ ආදීයට වන්දනාවට යන සැදැහැවතුන් සඳහා නවාතැන් පහසුකම් සපයන ස්ථාන අතරින් ප්‍රමුඛ තැනක් ගන්නේ නාවක්කුලි විහාරස්ථානයයි. වන්දනාකරුවෝ එහි නවාතැන් ගෙන උයා පිහා ගෙන ගිමන් නිවා ගෙන විහරස්ථානයටත් මූල්‍යමය ශක්තියක් වී පිටත්ව යති.

          වර්තමානයේ පත්ව සිටින චාවකච්ඡරි ප්‍රාදේශීය සභාවේ පාලන අධිකාරියට ප්‍රශ්ණයක්ව තිබෙන්නේ මේ ක්‍රමවේදයයි.ඔවුහු ඉතාමත්ම වර්ගවාදීව කටයුතු කරමින් සිටී.මේ අතර  දෙසැම්බර් මාසයේ 12 13 සහ 14 යන තෙදින තුළ සංහිඳියාව උදෙසා ජාතික දිනයක් රජය විසින් ප්‍රකාශයට පත් කර තිබේ.සියලු ජාතීන් සහ ආගම් නියෝජනය කරමින් මේ දිනය උත්කර්ශවත් කිරීම ද සංස්කෘතික අවස්ථාවන් ප්‍රදර්ශනය කිරීම ද සිදු කිරීමට මේ වන විට අමාත්‍ය මණ්ඩල අනුමැතිය හිමිව තිබේ. වෙන් කළ මුදල මිලියන තුන්සීයකි.රටේ අතැම් පිරිස් විශේෂයෙන්ම උතුර සහ නැගෙනහිර පළාත්වල දේශපාලන නායකයන් විසින් රටේ නීතියට ද පයින් ගසා සංහිඳියාවට බාධා කරන වර්ගවාදී ඇවිස්සීම් සිදු කරන කල්හි  උසාවි නියෝග පවා නොතකා විහාරස්ථාන ඉදිරියේ කලහකාරී අන්දමින් හැසිරෙන කල්හි රජය පැත්තෙන් දියත් කරන සංහිඳියාව ගොළු වී ඇත. නැගෙනහිර පළාතේ මඩකලපු දිස්ත්‍රික්කයේ තොප්පිගල ආසන්නයේ දිවුලපතාන නමැති පාරම්පරික ගම්මානයේ ජීවත් වූ සිංහල ජනතාවට නඩු දමා එළවා දැමීමට කටයුතු කරන ලද්දේ පසුගිය රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ ආණ්ඩුවයි. ඒ මගම ගනිමින් ඒ ජනතාව මඩකලපු දිස්ත්‍රික්කයෙන් ඉවත් කර අම්පාර පමණක් කේන්ද්‍ර කොටගෙන ඉඩම් බලපත්‍ර ලබා දීම සිදු කරන්නේ මඩකලපු දෙමළ මන්ත්‍රීන්ගේ ඉල්ලීම් මතයි. මේ කිසිවක සංහිඳියාව නැත.ප්‍රායෝගිකව සංහිඳියාව සඳහා කැප වන්නේ දකුණේ සිංහල ජනතාව පමණකි. කෝවිලක් සැදුවත් පල්ලියක උත්සවයක් තිබුණත් ඒ සැම විටම කරුණාවෙන් මෛත්‍රියෙන් සැළකීමටත් ඒ සංස්කෘතික උත්සව  වලට සාභාගි වීමද සිංහල ජනතාවගේ සිරිතකි.ජාතික දිනයක් කෘතිමව නිර්මාණය කර  සර්ව ආගමික උත්සව පැවැත් වීම තුළින් ඒ අයට අලුතින් ඇතිවන හැඟිමක් නැත. රජය නාවක්කුලිය ගැන මේ වන තෙක් කිසිදු ප්‍රකාශයක් සිදු කර නොමැත.ජාතිවාදය අවුස්සන්නේ යැයි පවසා නැත.රටේ අනෙක් පළාත් වල පාතාලේ ක්‍රියාකාරකම් සිදුවන විට විපක්ෂයට ඇගිල්ල දිගුකරන  ආණ්ඩුව උතුරේ වර්ගවාදය පෝෂණය කරමින්   නිහඬවම බලා සිටී.චාවකච්ඡරි දේශපාලනයේ වර්ගවාදී කොඩි දකුණේ ඉස්සීමෙන් කිසිවෙකුට පලක් නැත. රටේ සංස්කෘතික උත්සව විශේෂයෙන් අවුරුදු දින වැනි සුවිශේෂි උත්සව තිබෙද්දී විශාල මුදල් කන්දරාවක් වියදම් කිරීමෙන් පෙනෙන්නේ ආණ්ඩුව කරන ඇත්තන් ගේ බංකොලොත්භාවයයි.

මතුගම සෙනෙවිරුවන්

3 Minutes – SEPAL AMARASINGHE

By A. Jathindra, Courtesy Eurasia Review

Fresh tenders are expected to be called for the two renewable energy projects that were previously offered to India’s Adani Group. In the Sri Lankan context, it is not surprising that projects with Indian funding in the north-east often face opposition under the banner of environmental concerns, while Chinese investments rarely encounter the same level of scrutiny.

For example, the Indian-funded coal power plant planned for Sampur, Trincomalee, in the Eastern Province was abandoned due to environmental objections. India, respecting public sentiment, pivoted to a solar alternative. In contrast, the Chinese-backed coal power plant in Nuraisoali was completed without major resistance.

This disparity has raised questions about the authenticity of environmental concerns cited against Indian investment projects in Sri Lanka’s north and east. With the government unable to advance the wind power project, Adani Green Energy announced its withdrawal in February 2025. The project involved a US$442 million investment to generate 484 megawatts of power under a 20-year power purchase agreement in Mannar and Puneri—making it the largest investment in the Northern Province since the end of the civil war. Originally, the project was tabled under the Gotabaya Rajapaksa administration in 2022, and on 7 March 2022, the Cabinet approved entering into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Adani Green Energy Limited of India.

The project’s implementation faced setbacks, officially attributed to environmental and unit cost concerns, and became mired in controversy during Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s tenure. When the project idea emerged as a political flashpoint in 2022, M.M.C. Ferdinando, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), alleged before a parliamentary panel that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had pressured” then-President Rajapaksa to award the project to Adani. President Rajapaksa, however, categorically denied the chairman’s statement. Amid this controversy, several petitioners also challenged the project’s approval in the Sri Lankan Supreme Court.

Such claims underscored the perception that the project was primarily intended to serve India’s interests. Subsequently, President Ranil Wickremesinghe attempted to revive the initiative. However, the situation shifted after Anura Kumara Dissanayake, leader of the JVP, won the presidential election. During his campaign, Anura Kumara pledged to halt the project if elected. It was in this context that the Adani Group withdrew from the wind farm project—a setback for Sri Lanka’s economic prospects.

Why, then, was the Adani project opposed, given Sri Lanka’s considerable wind power potential? According to a landmark 2003 study by the United States National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Sri Lanka’s onshore wind power potential is estimated at 20,735 megawatts. More recently, the World Bank Group’s ‘Offshore Wind Roadmap for Sri Lanka’ identified favorable conditions for offshore wind, estimating a potential of 56,000 megawatts (56 GW).

Against this backdrop, China has shown renewed interest in Sri Lanka’s renewable energy sector. In 2021, Chinese firm Sinosar-Etechwin was awarded the contract to install a hybrid renewable energy system in Nainativu, Delft (Neduntheevu), and Analaitivu—three islands off the coast of Jaffna, barely 50 km from Tamil Nadu’s coast.

However, Colombo later suspended this project due to security concerns raised by India. Following this, India is set to implement a hybrid power project on three islands off the Jaffna peninsula with an $11 million grant. The Chinese Ambassador in Colombo criticized Sri Lankan authorities for suspending the original projects and issued a strongly worded statement objecting to outrageous interference” by a third party.” After the suspension, China secured a similar project in the Maldives, partnering with the Maldivian government to establish solar power plants on 12 islands.

Against this backdrop, if bids are invited again, there is a strong possibility that China will re-enter the picture. When countries that strategically compete with India invest in the North-East of Sri Lanka, their motives are unlikely to be purely economic. In this context, India’s unwillingness to compromise on the presence of rival economic involvement in the north and eastern provinces is understandable from a strategic standpoint. Efforts to frame the issue solely as a matter of Sri Lanka’s energy sovereignty overlook the broader geopolitical realities at play.

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

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

• SL on track to meet 2025 target
• In September alone, exports surged 12.33% YoY to US$ 1.46 bn
• 72% of yearend target set for 2025 achieved thus far
• Exports to the United States, SL’s largest single destination, fell 2.84% in September but rose 3.04% year-to-date to US$ 2.25 bn

Sri Lanka’s export engine continued to gather pace this year with steady growth delivered across both goods and services.

Provisional data released by the Export Development Board (EDB) showed that total export earnings climbed to US$ 12. 98 billion in the first nine months of 2025, which is a 7 percent increase Year-on-Year (YoY).

In September alone, exports surged 12.33 percent year-on-year to US$ 1.46 billion. Merchandise exports rose 15.02 percent to US$ 1,163.66 million, while services exports were estimated at US$ 306.09 million.

This encouraging growth reflects Sri Lanka’s deepening integration into global trade and the success of our continued efforts to enhance export competitiveness and diversify market opportunities,” said EDB Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Mangala Wijesinghe. 

Exceeding US$ 12.9 billion in cumulative export earnings by September 2025 is evidence to the strength and determination of our export community,” he added.

With the first nine months performance, the local export fraternity has achieved approximately 72 percent of the yearend target set for 2025.

We remain confident that, through sustained collaboration and strategic action, Sri Lanka will successfully reach its 2025 export target,” the EDB Chief said. During the first nine months of 2025, Sri Lanka’s export growth was broad-based, with key sectors posting strong gains. Earnings from apparel, tea, coconut-based products, spices and concentrates, and food and beverages rose by 6.22 percent, 9.8 percent, 41.83 percent, 2.41 percent, and 24.75 percent respectively, compared to the same period in 2024. 

Apparel exports brought in US$ 4.01 billion, supported by higher shipments to the US, UK, and EU, while tea exports reached US$ 1.16 billion, driven by stronger sales of packets and bulk tea. The coconut sector saw standout growth, surging to US$ 909.09 million on robust demand for value-added products such as coconut oil, milk powder, and activated carbon.  Meanwhile, spices, led by cinnamon and cloves, and food and beverages, buoyed by processed food exports, also posted solid year-on-year growth. The momentum was further supported by gains in seafood, electronics, ICT/BPM, and logistics and transport services, reinforcing the sector’s resilience and diversification.

In September, apparel and textile exports rose 1.53 percent year-on-year to US$ 425.07 million in while tea exports surged 17.06 percent to US$ 137 million, lifted by stronger shipments of packets, bulk, and instant tea. 

Coconut-based products led the charge with a 72.03 percent increase, driven by strong demand for fibre and shell-based products. 

Food and beverages climbed 50.11 percent, seafood exports jumped 53.07 percent, and gems and jewellery shone with a 76.95 percent rise. ICT/BPM exports also surged 27.05 percent to US$ 157.76 million.

However, rubber-based products and spices dipped 6.55 percent and 10.18 percent respectively, while logistics and transport services declined 14.95 percent year-on-year.

Among top markets, India, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, UAE, Canada, France, and China posted growth both in September and over the nine-month period.  Exports to the United States, Sri Lanka’s largest single destination, fell 2.84 percent in September to US$ 238.72 million but rose 3.04 percent year-to-date to US$ 2.25 billion. 

India strengthened its position as the second-largest export market with a 31.7 percent jump in September and 23.09 percent growth in the first nine months, while exports to the UK dipped 4.75 percent in September but gained 4.4 percent cumulatively.