Courtesy The Daily Mirror

In the run-up to its election victories at the presidential and parliamentary elections, the JVP/NPP combine promised to bring down the cost of living. Today, while a majority of ordinary workers earn between Rs. 40,000/- to Rs. 60,000/- per month, the cost of providing a family of four, three meals a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner), costs over Rs. 100,000/- per month! 

To make matters worse, bad weather intervened and over 300,000 acres of paddy and vegetable cultivation during the last season were destroyed.  

Unsurprisingly, there is a shortage of both rice and vegetables in the market. In an earlier era government used to maintain buffer stocks of paddy to meet sudden drops in production and or unexpected disasters. 

However, with the advent of the open economy introduced by late president J.R. Jayawardene, paddy harvests were increased and stored in go downs of paddy millers. State banks bankrolled their operations. As time went on, a few millers cornered the purchase, milling and storage of paddy. 

At the same time state involvement in purchase and storing of the grain decreased. These millers are now manipulating the market. They have created artificial shortages via limiting supplies. In turn it has resulted in the rising cost of rice. The adverse weather conditions also resulted in driving up the cost of vegetables.
Adding fuel to fire, the price of coconuts -a vital ingredient in preparation of food in the country- has also skyrocketed. The price of eggs -also locally produced- rose dramatically as have prices of chicken, fish and beef. 
In an attempt to bring down the cost of living, government held discussions with the millers demanding that they increase stocks of rice to the market. It also held discussions with poultry farmers and imposed a floor price for the sale of eggs. Neither measure has worked. The controlled price on sale of eggs remains a dead letter. The paddy millers too have not acquiesced to the government’s demand to release adequate stocks into the market.
Government also imposed a controlled price on the sale of canned fish and eggs, in an effort to make them affordable to the poorer sections of the community. 

Bringing the down the cost of living is increasingly important given that nearly a quarter of our people are living below the poverty line, according to studies carried out by the World Bank. It is in this light we have to view the government’s decision to impose a price control mechanism on particular products deemed essential to the public. 
But, can or will this strategy work? Past governments have tried this strategy. In the 1970s the coalition government of Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike brought in strict price control measures to resolve a similar economic crisis. The measure failed. 

President Gotabaya also attempted to control prices using this tried and failed method during the economic crisis which hit the country during his presidency in response to the economic problems of the day. 

The strategy backfired spectacularly and Gotabaya was soon forced to flee the country. 

Rather than bringing stability, the controls led to shortfalls, creation of a supply-demand imbalance and led to the birth of a thriving black-market.

The lessons of the 1970s and of President Gotabaya’s era reveal, clear warnings against any temptation to rely on artificial price caps as a tool for economic management. Price controls undermine the functioning of markets, disrupt supply chains, and discourage domestic production, all of which exacerbate rather than alleviate economic challenges.

For example, when a government caps the price of a particular article, the consumer is happy. But the primary producer gains nothing. Sometimes, as in the recent case of the ill-judged cap on the price of eggs in our country, producers stood to lose. They threatened to close down their farms. 

Although price controls aim to cap prices, it is like trying to control a river flowing downhill. Market forces find a way to allocate what remains of the goods for sale by ratcheting up prices through the outlet of black markets. 
We can only hope our new government, voted into power by all sections of the electorate irrespective of race, class and religion, will read the handwriting on the wall and not repeat the mistakes of past governments who tried to take short cuts to solve economic problems.

By Shamindra Ferdinando Courtesy The Island

President Dissanayake with Premier Modi during his Dec. 15-17 State visit to India

Senior lecturer in economics and head of the IT Department at the University of Colombo, Professor Priyanga Dunusinghe, recently declared that the new National People’s Power (NPP) administration had neither a clear economic policy nor a tangible action plan to address the plethora of serious issues facing the nation.

Prof. Dunusinghe warned of dire consequences unless the government took meaningful measures to overcome the challenges.

Appearing on Derana, the outspoken academic claimed that the investors and the public were in the dark as to the overall government economic policy. Asserting that the NPP government now primarily addressed the day-to-day issues, Prof. Dunusinghe alleged that economic reforms required to stabilize, consolidate and strengthen the economy weren’t being implemented. Therefore, the government seemed to be already late in that regard.

Obviously Prof. Dunusinghe summed up the situation on the economic front quite accurately. The academic seemed to have contradicted former President and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe who had both publicly and privately applauded President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s economic policy recently. It could be a case of him wanting to appease NPP as he, too, has many a skeleton in his cupboard, like the bond scams or the precipitating of the ongoing debt crisis by borrowing as much as USD 12 billion from the international bond market, at high interest, without having achieved anything tangible to show with such high borrowings, all during the Yahapalana rule or misrule.

Readers should always remember Mahinda Rajapaksa and his team fought a debilitating war to a finish against the world’s most ruthless terrorist outfit, the LTTE, and defeated it against the predictions of all types of pundits, while at the same time kept the economy humming and completed some impressive infrastructure projects, like building a brand new international harbour and an airport, among so many other achievements. Need we say more?

No doubt there were some utter mistakes that can be directly attributed to some of his close relatives he had around him, but Mahinda never betrayed the country. For that matter, who is infallible in this world? The bottom line reveals only one thing that is, he was the best leader to pull the country out of the rut we were in at the time.

President Dissanayake also holds the Finance portfolio, in addition to Defence. In terms of the Economic Transformation Bill, approved by Parliament on July 25, 2024, without a vote, the NPP government has no option but to adhere to the Act. Prof. Anil Jayantha Fernando is the Deputy Finance Minister.

The agreement with the IMF, negotiated by Wickremesinghe and accepted by Dissanayake, in his capacity as the President, is the basis for the controversial Act. In spite of attacking the Economic Transformation Bill, the then Opposition conveniently refrained from seeking a vote on the Bill.

Prof. Dunusinghe has been always forthright in his criticism of questionable economic matters, regardless of who wielded the political power. The government should take such criticism seriously as the overall situation remained volatile though the parliamentary Opposition seems wholly inadequate and indifferent to the challenges ahead.

The pathetic and shoddy handling of severe shortage of rice in the open market badly exposed the government. What really surprised the hapless public is the NPP’s thinking the ‘Rice Mafia’ can be reined in by the issuance of gazettes. The NPP basically repeated President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s strategy by declaring price controls on essential commodities, like rice, by issuing gazettes. The NPP placed Nadu, Samba and Keeri Samba at Rs 230, Rs 240 and Rs 260 respectively a couple of weeks ago, following talks with rice millers, but it didn’t make any difference.

During the debate over the failed bid to control the private sector running the show, as it pleases, it was revealed that one of the biggest rice dealers in the country and identified as one of those who had been accused of earning unconscionable profits at the expense of the suffering people is on the National List of the SJB though he didn’t get an opportunity to enter Parliament this time. How did he end up in the SJB National List?

The NPP appeared to be making the often repeated mistake committed by previous governments in believing in the strength of their parliamentary group. In the face of public anger caused by wrong decisions, very often even such monolithic parliamentary groups crumble under pressure. The NPP wouldn’t be an exception unless it quickly realized and addressed the shortcomings.

Real challenge outside Parliament

The situation in Parliament is deceiving. It may give the NPP a somewhat false sense of security. Having handsomely won the presidential election in Sept, 2024 by polling 5.7 mn votes, though he couldn’t obtain 50% plus 1 vote, Anura Kumara Dissanayake consolidated the NPP’s position with a staggering 2/3 majority at the parliamentary election in Nov, 2024.

The NPP increased its tally to 6.8 mn votes from 5.7 mn polled at the presidential. Both the executive and the legislature are in the NPP’s hands. The main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) has been reduced to just 40 seats against the NPP’s 159 and down to just 1.9 mn votes at the parliamentary election. The SJB performance is nothing but pathetic.

The dismal results at the national elections had made the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) that obtained a staggering 145 seats at the 2020 general election irrelevant with their tally reduced to just three seats in the current Parliament.

But, the NPP cannot be lulled into a false sense of security, under any circumstances, as the real challenge is not the Opposition but the promises made by the party to the masses for a system change in the run-up to the presidential and parliamentary elections. That is the undeniable truth. Having come to power as an all-knowing lot, the NPP leadership will have to answer for developments, come what may.

The recent declaration that those earning a monthly salary up to Rs. 150,000 would be exempted from the PAYE (Pay As You Earn) tax to please professionals and at the same time announced the increasing of the withholding tax on fixed deposit interest to 10 percent from 5 percent, thereby hitting those living on already depleted interest incomes below the belt, underscored the crisis the country is in.

President Dissanayake, in his capacity as the Finance Minister, told Parliament on Dec. 18 that this was done in line with a fresh agreement reached with the IMF. In other words, in spite of the change of government and their severe criticism of Wickremesinghe’s policies, the NPP is also on the same track.

The bottom line is that Sri Lanka’s economic direction is firmly in the hands of the IMF and whatever the NPP leaders uttered to the contrary from election platforms to impress the public in the run up to national elections, the government will have to toe the IMF line when it presents a formal Budget in February for the next financial year.

An interim Budget/vote on account covering the first four months of 2025 was approved in Parliament on Dec. 06, 2024 without a vote, at the end of a two-day debate.

Deputy Finance Minister Fernando told Parliament that the delay in debt restructuring, over the last two years, had cost the country an additional USD 1.7 billion in accumulated interest.

Fernando is on record as having said: We are hoping to complete the restructure of the bilateral debt and international sovereign bonds by December 31.”

The interim Budget would cover the cost of debt servicing and the government expenditure for the first four months of next year. The NPP government has assured the international community that it would continue to honour the international commitments on debt restructuring commenced by the predecessor Wickremesinghe’s government.

Ground realities

During the presidential election campaign followed by the general election, the NPP talked as if it could address issues that plagued Sri Lanka over the past decades. However, over three months after the presidential election, the public now realize that the NPP had no magic wand in its hand and some issues can never be settled.

Of course, some of those who exercised their franchise in support of the NPP at the two national elections are deeply worried and disappointed. But, the fact remains that those who exercised political power had been appropriately dealt with by the electorate and they wouldn’t be in a position to regain public confidence within a short period. That is the reality those who represent the SJB and NDF (National Democratic Front) had to contend with.

It would be pertinent to mention that two of the oldest political parties in the country, namely the UNP and the SLFP, are not even represented in the current Parliament. The UNP and SLFP leaderships are baffled, but that wouldn’t make things easy for the NPP, regardless of its numerical unconquerable position in Parliament. So did the previous Gotabaya Rajapaksa government that was ousted by violent street protests, most probably staged managed from abroad.

Let me briefly discuss the huge challenge faced by Sri Lanka in dealing with large scale poaching carried out relentlessly by the Tamil Nadu fishing fleet in addition to them destroying fish stocks here by bottom trawling. The joint statement issued following talks between President Dissanayake and Indian Premier Narendra Modi quiet clearly indicated that New Delhi wants Sri Lanka to turn a blind eye to the ongoing rape of fishery resources belonging to the people here.

President Dissanayake raised the massive destruction caused by bottom trawling practised by the Tamil Nadu fishing fleet but the joint statement and the comments made by the Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on this issue at a special briefing indicated in no uncertain terms that India wouldn’t under any circumstances take necessary measures to prevent Tamil Nadu fishing fleet crossing Indo-Lanka maritime boundary.

India seemed to be hell-bent on allowing destructive fishing practices in Sri Lankan waters though it doesn’t allow the same in their territory.

India often emphasises the responsibility on the part of all concerned to deal with poachers in a humanitarian manner. The joint statement went a step further. Referring to the talks, Premier Modi had with President Dissanayake on Dec 16, 2024, the joint statement declared the two leaders ‘underscored the need to take measures to avoid any aggressive behaviour or violence. Would it be fair to pressure Sri Lanka, now beholden to New Delhi for swift economic assistance provided during 2022 and 2023 crisis period, to allow poaching?

How could there be a mutually acceptable solution to the poaching issue when the Indo-Lanka maritime boundary is being violated almost on a daily basis? Although the joint statement referred to the matter at hand as fisheries issues it is nothing but poaching sanctioned by the centre in India.

The joint statement, however, gave the game away when it asserted that the issue should be dealt with taking into consideration, what it called, the special relationship between India and Sri Lanka.

Hats off to President Dissanayake for taking up two related issues at a joint media briefing addressed by him and Premier Modi. A statement issued by the Presidential Media Division (PMD) quoted the NPP and JVP leader as having said that he requested Premier Modi to take measures to stop bottom trawling that caused irreparable ecological damage and also curb illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU fishing). President Dissanayake also reminded them that bottom trawling is banned in both countries. The President took up the position, therefore tangible action should be taken to stop bottom trawling.

But Indian Foreign Secretary’s response to Sachin Vadoliya of UNI query on President Dissanayake’s request pertaining to bottom trawling and IUU fishing revealed that New Delhi had no intention of addressing the issues at hand. The Foreign Secretary conveniently interpreted President Dissanayake’s comments as meaning the Sri Lankan leader calling for the problem to be solved by both countries together.

The supreme irony is that India exploited the situation to its advantage. The ongoing bid to formalize poaching by the Tamil Nadu fishing fleet under the pretext of some bilateral agreement cannot be condoned under any circumstances.

While declaring New Delhi’s immediate readiness to finalize what Premier Modi called a Security Cooperation Agreement, Sri Lanka is being asked to allow rape of its fish resource. The Illankai Thamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK), the largest Tamil political party that represented the Northern and Eastern regions remained unsure of its stand on the fisheries issue.

The ITAK must take a clear stand on this problem. But, the NPP, having secured the highest number of seats in the Northern and Eastern regions at the expense of the ITAK at the recently concluded general election, needs to represent the interests of the Tamil fishing community here.

Resumption of debt repayment

The primary challenge faced by President Dissanayake is nothing but preparing the economy over the next four years to restart paying the massive foreign debt owed by the country in 2028. The government’s capacity to meet this particular challenge should be examined taking into consideration Prof. Dunusinghe’s criticism of the NPP’s economic plans.

Sri Lanka, in April 2022, made a unilateral statement on stopping debt repayment. Regardless of promises made during the presidential and parliamentary poll campaigns, the NPP is slow in taking tangible measures to revive the sick economy. The absence of long queues at fuel and gas stations doesn’t mean Sri Lanka is out of the woods yet.

Unfortunately, the Opposition is waiting for problems created by previous administrations to overwhelm the NPP. Having declared that the NPP administration couldn’t last for not more than a couple of months, the Opposition realized that their only salvation is the NPP causing its own downfall.

Perhaps, the NPP should reveal its stand on accusations that the failure on the part of the Parliament to amend the Foreign Exchange Act No 12 of 2017 that allowed unscrupulous people to park billions of US dollars overseas.

Various politicians have given different figures in this regard. Then MP Gevindu Cumaratunga estimated the total amount parked abroad owing the lacuna in the Act at USD 36 billion. His colleagues Wimal Weerawansa and Vasudeva Nanayakkara, too, agreed with the figure declared by Cumaratunga.

Former Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, PC, estimated the amount of funds parked overseas to be over USD 50 billion. Interestingly, he was among those who voted for repealing the old Act that ensured that exporters brought back export proceeds within a stipulated time period.

The Yahapalana administration repealed the time-tested Exchange Control Act of 1954 at the behest of the then Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe who refrained from voting for it.

The NPP never addressed this issue during campaigning. The NPP also owes the country an explanation as to why the price of a litre of 92 Octane couldn’t be further reduced as during the campaign the then Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera was repeatedly accused of taking kickbacks at the expense of consumers.

So far, a litre of Octane 92 has been reduced to Rs 309 from 311 by the NPP. The government has also earned the wrath of the public for putting off the stipulated electricity price revision at a time much of the electricity is generated by hydro power stations at low cost.

The government seems caught in a vortex of problems-ranging from never ending problems faced by the farmers to Indian and US pressure to extend the moratorium on foreign research vessels visiting Sri Lankan ports. The moratorium declared by Wickremesinghe for a period of one year 2024 ended yesterday (Dec 31, 2024). Would it be extended, to allow Chinese vessels to resume visits or would some committee be appointed to take time to appease India, while Sri Lanka sought to reach some sort of understanding with China.

Courtesy The Island

Anura Kumara Dissanayake wants the new year to be a turning point for the country [BBC]

Stunning election wins by a new left-leaning president and his party have changed Sri Lanka’s political landscape – but the cash-strapped island’s new rulers are quickly realising that campaign promises are easier to make than to keep.

Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s remarkable victory in the presidential election in September was swiftly followed by a landslide for his National People’s Power (NPP) alliance in parliamentary elections.

As a new year starts, he and his supporters want this to be a turning point for the country, which is trying to recover from devastating economic crisis and years of misrule.

However, they have limited room for manoeuvre to make good on pledges to voters, whose expectations from the new government are high.

Since the financial meltdown of 2022, economic recovery has been fragile and Sri Lanka is far from out of the woods.

The NPP won 159 seats in the 225-member assembly in November – an unprecedented two-thirds majority – giving Dissanayake a sweeping mandate to push through major economic and constitutional reforms.

However, even as the results were coming in, the new president had to gear up for a meeting with a visiting delegation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), with which the outgoing government had negotiated a $2.9bn (£2.31bn) bailout package. The IMF deal became controversial as it led to severe austerity measures, tax rises and cuts in energy subsidies – hitting common people hard.

During the campaign Dissanayake and his alliance promised that they would re-negotiate parts of the IMF agreement.

But in his address to the new parliament, he performed a U-turn. The economy is in such a state that it cannot take the slightest shock… There’s no room to make mistakes,” Dissanayake said.

This is not the time to discuss if the terms [of the IMF loan] are good or bad, if the agreement is favourable to us or not… The process had taken about two years, and we cannot start all over again.”

3 Minutes – SEPAL AMARASINGHE

උපුටා ගැන්ම  ලංකා ලීඩර්

දෙසැම්බර් 31 දින ජාතික පුවත්පතක ලිපියක් පළකරමින් දේශහිතෛෂී ජාතික ව්‍යාපාරයේ ලේකම් වෛද්‍ය වසන්ත බණ්ඩාර මහතා විසින් ඉන්දියානු ශ‍්‍රී ලංකා ඒකාබද්ධ ප‍්‍රකාශ මගින් රටට සිදුවිය හැකි විපත පිළිබඳව දීර්ඝ වශයෙන් කරුණු දක්වා ඇත. ඒ් අනුව රනිල් වික‍්‍රමසිංහ මහතා ඔහු‌ගේ මාමා සමඟ 1987 සිට ආරම්භ කළ ක‍්‍රියාවලියේ දිගුවක් ලෙස අනුරදිසානායක ජනාධිපතිවරයාට ‘‘රිලේ බැටන්”‍ එක අතට ගැනීමට සිදුවී ඇති බව ඔහු පෙන්වා දෙයි. එම ලිිපියේ විශේෂත්වය යන්නේ එම පහැදිලි කිරීම අනුව ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාව ඉන්දියාවේ 29 වැනි ප‍්‍රාන්තය බවට පත්වීම වැළැක්වීම සඳහා ගතයුතු පියවර ඉතා සවිස්තරාත්මකව ඉදිරිපත් කිරීමය.

එම සම්පූර්ණ ලිපිය පහතින් 

ශ‍්‍රී ලංකා – ඉන්දියානු ඒකාබද්ධ ප‍්‍රකාශ: සැඟවුණු අරමුණු සහ ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාවේ ඉරණම
ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාවේ ජනාධිපතිවරයාගේ ඉන්දියානු සංචාරයේ ප‍්‍රතිඵලයක් ලෙස 2024 දෙසැම්බර් 16 දින නිකුත් කළ ඒකාබද්ධ ප‍්‍රකාශය මගින් සමාජයේ යම් ආන්දෝලනයක් පැන නැගී ඇතග විශේෂයෙන්ම ‘‘එට්කා’’ ගිවිසුම හෙවත් ඉන්දියානුවන්ට සේවා සැපයීම සහ රැකියා සඳහා ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාවට ඇතුල්වීම සඳහා ඉඩ සලසන ගිවිසුම පිළිබඳ සංවාදය නැවත කරළියට පැමිණ ඇත. එදා 2008 දී එම ගිවිසුමට අදාළ ප‍්‍රතිපාදන ‘‘සීපා’’ CEPA)  නමින් ඉදිරිපත් වූ අවස්ථාවේ සිට ලෝක වෙළඳ සංවිධානයේ (GATS)  ගිවිසුම එනම් ජාත්‍යන්තර ගිවිසුමක් යටතට පත්වන සේවා වෙළඳාමට අදාළ ගිවිසුම් ඉන්දියාව සමග අත්සන් කිරීමට එරෙහිව ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාවේ වෘත්තික සංවිධාන විසින් ප‍්‍රබල විරෝධතා දියත් කරනු ලැබුණි. මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ පාලනය තුළ ඉන්දියාවේ අගමැති මන්මෝහන් සිංග් මහතා අදාළ ගිවිසුමට අත්සන් කිරීම සඳහා ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාවට පැමිණියද එම විරෝධතා නිසා ඔහුට හිස් අතින් ආපසු යෑමට සිදුවිය.එම අවස්ථාවේදී අරලියගහ මන්දිරය අබියස විරෝධතාවක් පවත්වන ලෙස මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ ජනාධිපතිවරයා විසින් යම් වෘත්තික සංවිධාන වලින් ඉල්ලීමක් කළ බව යම් පාර්ශ්ව අතර තවදුරටත් රහසක් නොවේ. ඒ අනුව එම විරෝධතා යොදා ගනිමින් අදාල ගිවිසුම අත්සන් නොකර සිටීමට මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ ජනාධිපතිවරයා සමත් විය. කෙසේවෙතත් අනුර දිසානායක මහතා එකඟ වූ ඒකාබද්ධ ප‍්‍රකාශය මගින් ඉන්දියාවේ විදුලි පද්ධතිය, ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාවේ විදුලි පද්ධතිය සමග ඒකාබද්ධ කිරීම සහ ඛනිජ තෙල් සෘජුව සැපයීම සඳහා මුහුද යටින් විදුලි කේබලයක් සහ තෙල් නලයක් එලීම සඳහා එකඟ වීම තුළ බංගලාදේශයට සිදු වූ විපත ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාවට සිදුවේදැයි යන්න පිළිබඳව ද සමාජයේ සංවාදයක් පැන නැගී ඇත. ඉන්දියාවේ අගමැතිවරයා ඒකාබද්ධ ප‍්‍රකාශය මගින් පමණක් නොව තම විශේෂ කතාව හෙවත් ප‍්‍රකාශය මගින්ද එම උවමනාව අවධාරණය කර ඇත. අනුර දිසානායක ජනාධිපතිවරයා තම කතාව මගින් ඒ පිළිබඳව අවධාරණය නොකිරීමට පරිස්සම් වී ඇතත් ඒ මගින් ඊට වඩා බරපතළ කාරණා සඳහා එකඟතාවය ප‍්‍රකාශ කර ඇත. උදාහරණයක් ලෙස ඉන්දියාව සමග ආරක්ෂක සහයෝගීතා ගිවිසුමක් අත්සන් කිරීම සඳහා වන උවමනාව ප‍්‍රකාශයට පත් කර ඇත. කෙසේ වෙතත් බලශක්ති පද්ධතිය ඒකාබද්ධකරනය මගින් බංගලාදේශයට සිදු කළ ආකාරයට ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාවේ විදුලි පහන් නිවා දැමීමේ ‘ස්විචය’ ඉන්දියාව විසින් පාලනය කිරීම බරපතල කරුණක් ලෙස මහජන අවධාරණයට ලක් වී ඇත. නමුත් ඉන්දියාවේ අගමැතිවරයා සහ රනිල් වික‍්‍රමසිංහ ජනාධිපතිවරයා විසින් 2023 ජුලි 21 වැනිදා එකඟ වූ ඉන් පසුව ජනාධිපති අනුර දිසානායක මහතා 2024 දෙසැම්බර් 16 දින එකකතාවය ප‍්‍රකාශ කළ ඒකාබද්ධ ප‍්‍රකාශ වල යටි අරමුණු සහ ඒ මඟින් සමස්තයක් ලෙස ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාවට අත්වන ඉරණම පිළිබඳව සමාජයේ ගැඹුරු සංවාදයක් පැන නැගී නැත.  කෙසේ වෙතත් මෙවර අනුර දිසානායක මහතා එකඟ වූ ඒකාබද්ධ ප‍්‍රකාශය ඉතා පැහැදිලිව රනිල් වික‍්‍රමසිංහ මහතා ඇති කරගත් එකඟතාවයේ තර්කානුකූල දිගුවක් බව පැහැදිලිව දැක ගත හැක. රනිල් වික‍්‍රමසිංහ මහතා ඉන්දියාවට ගොස් රහසිගතව එකඟ වූ ඒකාබද්ධ ප‍්‍රකාශයේ අඩංගු කරුණු ඉන්දියාවේ විදේශ අමාත්‍යාංශය විසින් එළිදරව් කරන තෙක් ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාවේ පාර්ලිමේන්තුව හෝ අමාත්‍ය මණ්ඩලය දැන නොසිටි බව ඉතා පැහැදිලිය. එසේම එම වකවානුවේදී ඒ පිළිබඳව අද මෙන් සමාජයේ ප‍්‍රශ්න කිරීමක් සිදුවූයේද නැත. නමුත් කරුණු 5ක් යටතේ ගොනු කර තිබූ එම එකඟතාවය පිටු දෙකකින් සමන්විත වූවද ඉතා කෙටියෙන් සහ නිශ්චිත අවධාරණය සහිතව ඉන්දියානු උවමනාවන් ඉදිරිපත් කර තිබුණි. ඒ මගින් ඒකාබද්ධ කරන උපාංග 5ක් මගින් ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාවේ ආර්ථිකය ඉන්දියාවේ ආර්ථිකය සමඟ ඒකාබද්ධ කළ යුතු බව අවධාරණය කෙරිණි. කෙසේ වෙතත් එදා ජාතික බලවේග විසින් ප‍්‍රකාශයට පත් කරනු ලැබුවේ එම ක‍්‍රියාවලිය අවසානයේදී ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාව ඉන්දියාවේ 29 වැනි ප‍්‍රාන්තය බවට පත්වන බවය. මෙවර අනුර දිසානායක ජනාධිපතිවරයා එකඟ වූ ප‍්‍රකාශය රනිල් වික‍්‍රමසිංහ මහතා එකඟ වූ ප‍්‍රකාශයට වඩා දීර්ඝ එකකි. පිටු හතරකින් සමන්විත එම ලේඛනය මගින් කරුණු 34 ක් අවධාරණයට ලක්වී ඇත. එම ප‍්‍රකාශය තුළ රටවල් දෙක අතර දේශපාලන සංවාදය, ආර්ථික සහයෝගීතාවය රාජ්‍ය නිලධාරීන් පුහුණු කිරීම, ණය ප‍්‍රතිව්‍යුහගතකරණය, ආර්ථික ඒකාබද්ධකරනය, බලශක්ති සංවර්ධනය, ඩිජිටල්කරණය ඇතුළත්ව රනිල් වික‍්‍රමසිංහ මහතා එකඟ වූ පස්වැදෑරුම් ආර්ථික ඒකාබද්ධ කරන උපාංග සියල්ලට එකඟතාවය ප‍්‍රකාශ වී ඇත. නමුත් 13වැනි සංශෝධනය සම්පූර්ණයෙන්ම බලාත්මක කිරීම සහ පළාත් සභා මැතිවරණය පැවැත්වීම මගින් දෙමළ ජනතාවගේ අපේක්ෂා ඉටු කළ යුතු බවට ඉන්දියානු අගමැතිවරයා විසින් සිදුකළ අයුතු බලපෑම ඒකාබද්ධ ප‍්‍රකාශයට ඇතුළත් කර නැත. එදා රනිල් වික‍්‍රමසිංහ ජනාධිපතිවරයා තම ප‍්‍රකාශය මගින් එම උවමනාවට එකඟතාවය ප‍්‍රකාශ කළද අනුර දිසානායක මහතා ඊට අදාළව තම කතාව තුළ එකඟතාවයක් ප‍්‍රකාශ නොකිරීමට පරිස්සම් වී ඇත. ඊට හේතුව තම පක්ෂයේ අතීත උරුමය එම කරුණු මත ගොඩනැගී ඇති බැවින් සහ 13 බලාත්මක කිරීමට එරෙහිව මහා සංඝරත්නය ඇතුළු සමාජයේ බරපතළ විරෝධයක් පැවතීම විය හැක.නමුත් අනුර දිසානායක මහතා එදා රනිල් වික‍්‍රමසිංහ මහතා එකඟ වූ සියල්ලට එකඟවන අතර සමාජ සංවාදයකින් තොරව තවත් බරපතළ කරුණු ප‍්‍රමාණයකට එකඟ වී ඇත. ඒ අතරින් පළමුවැන්න ප‍්‍රබල භූ දේශපාලන බලපෑමක් ඇතිවිය හැකි ආකාරයට ආරක්ෂක සහයෝගිතා ගිවිසුම් රාමුවක් (Defence Cooperation) අත්සන් කිරීමට එකඟ වීමය. ඒකාබද්ධව ප‍්‍රකාශය තුළ ආරක්ෂාවට (Security) අදාළ කරුණු වෙනම දක්වා ඇත. නමුත් රනිල් වික‍්‍රමසිංහ මහතා ඇති කරගත් එකඟතාවය තුළ සහ එතුමාගේ ප‍්‍රකාශය මගින් ආරක්ෂාව යන වචනය විශේෂ අවධාරණයකින් තොරව සඳහන් වුවද ආරක්ෂක යන වචනය හෝ ආරක්ෂක ගිවිසුම් පිළිබඳව කිසිවක් සඳහන් වන්නේ නැත. ඒ අනුව අනුර දිසානායක ජනාධිපතිවරයා දක්වා වන ගමනේදී ඉන්දියාව පියවර කිහිපයක් ඉදිරියට තැබීමට තීරණය කර ඇති බව පැහැදිලි වේ. වචන වල වෙනස පිළිබඳව පැහැදිලි කිරීමේ දී සඳහන් කළ යුත්තේ ‘ආරක්ෂක Defence යන වචනය තුළ ආරක්ෂක හමුදා, යුධමය බලය, යුධ උපක‍්‍රම, ජාතික ආරක්ෂාව සහ ස්වෛරී භාවය යන බරපතළ කරුණු අන්තර්ගත වන බවය. නමුත් ‘‘ආරක්ෂාව’’ (Security)  යන වචනය තුළ එතරම් බරපතළ නොවව එහෙත් රටක් ලෙස වැදගත් වන ත‍්‍රස්තවාදී තර්ජන, අන්තර්ජාල අපරාධ, සාගර කලාපයේ ආරක්ෂාව සහ හොර ජාවාරම් මැඩලීම මෙන්ම නීතියේ ආධිපත්‍ය පිහිටුවීම ආදිය අන්තර්ගත වේ. ඒ අනුව අනුර දිසානායක ජනාධිපතිවරයා දැනුවත්ව හෝ නොදැනුවත්ව ඉන්දියානු භූ දේශපාලන උවමනාවන් ඉටු කිරීම සඳහා රනිල් වික‍්‍රමසිංහ මහතාට වඩා පියවරක් ඉදිරියට තබා ඇති බව පැහැදිලිය. එම කරුණු වඩා බරපතළ වන්නේ ඉන්දියාව සහ ඇමෙරිකා එක්සත් ජනපදය අතර ආරක්ෂක හෙවත් යුද ගිවිසුම් තුනක් අත්සන් කර තිබීමය. ඊට දෙරටේ ආරක්ෂක හමුදා අතර ඒකාබද්ධතාවය (COMCASA), යුදමය තත්ත්වයක් සඳහා තොරතුරු හුවමාරු කර ගැනීම සහ ඒ සඳහා එකම වේදිකාවක කටයුතු කිරීම (BECA) සහ ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාව සමග ඇමරිකාව අත්සන් කර ඇති ඇක්සා (ACSA) ගිවිසුමට සමාන ආකාරයේ ගිවිසුමක් වන LEMOA නම් වූ ගිවිසුම අයත් වේ. එම තුන්වන ගිවිසුම මගින් රටවල් දෙක අතර යුධමය පහසුකම් සහ ඊට අදාළ සේවා පහසුකම් වලට ප‍්‍රවේශය සහ පිරිස් බලය භාවිතා කිරීම ආදිය අයත් වේ. ඒ අනුව අනුර දිසානායක ජනාධිපතිවරයාගේ එකඟතාවය යථාර්ථයක් වුවහොත් ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාව QUAD හෙවත් ආසියාවේ NATO  සංවිධානයේ නිල නොලත් සාමාජිකයකු බවට පත්වීම වැළැක්විය නොහැක ඇමරිකාව ඉන්දියාව  ඕස්ට‍්‍රේලියාව සහ ජපානය යන රටවල් හතරකින් සමන්විත QUAD සංවිධානය ගොඩනැගෙන්නේ ඉන්දු පැසිපික් කලාපය තුළ චීනයට එරෙහිව යුධමය ආධිපත්‍යයක් ගොඩනැගීම සඳහාය. ඒ අනුව අදාළ ගිවිසුම් රාමුවට ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාව විසින් අත්සන් තැබුවහොත් චීනය සමග බරපතළ රාජතාන්ත‍්‍රික අර්බුදයක් නිර්මාණය වන බව ඉතා පැහැදිලිය.ඊට අමතරව අනුර දිසානායක ජනාධිපතිවරයාගේ එකඟතාවය රනිල් වික‍්‍රමසිංහ මහතා ඇති කරගත් එකඟතාවයට වඩා ඉදිරියට ගොස් ඇත්තේ ඩිජිටල්කරනය සහ ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාවේ සාගර කලාපය තුළ ආරක්ෂක කටයුතු සඳහා ඉන්දියාව සමග ඒකාබද්ධව පිහිටුවා ඇති සම්බන්ධීකරණ මධ්‍යස්ථානයේ ක‍්‍රියාකාරීත්වය අවධාරණය කර ඇත. ඊට අමතරව ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාව ආශ‍්‍රිත මුහුදේ සුවිශේෂී ආර්ථික කලාපයේ සීමා නීරණය සහ සාගරය ආශ‍්‍රිත ජලය සහ ගොඩබිම යන කලාපයන්ට අදාළ භෞතික ලක්ෂණ සිතියම් ගත කරන ක‍්‍රියාවලිය හෙවත් මහා සාගරය ආශ‍්‍රත ජලවිද්‍යාවට (Hydrographi) අදාළව ඉන්දියාවේ විශේෂඥයෙකුගේ සහාය සහ සහයෝගීතාවය අපේක්ෂා කරන බව අනුර දිසානායක මහතා තම කතාව තුළින් අවධාරණය කර ඇත. දැනට එම කටයුතු සඳහා බලය ඇත්තේ ශ‍්‍රි ලංකාවේ නාවික හමුදාවට සහ ජාතික ජල සම්පත් පර්යේෂණ සහ සංවර්ධන ආයතනයටය. මෙම සිතියම් ගත කිරීම නාවික ගමනාගමනය සඳහා ද ඉතා වැදගත් වේ. ඒ අනුව 2021 දී බැසිල් රාජපක්ෂ මහතා ඉන්දියාවට ගොස් ඇති කරගත් එකඟතාවය අනුව පිහිට වූ සාගර ආරක්ෂාව පිළිබඳව කොළඹ මධ්‍යස්ථානය තුළ ඉන්දියානු ආධිපත්‍ය තවදුරටත් තහවුරු කිරීමට සහ අප රටට අයත් මුහුදු සීමා නීරණය කිරීම මෙන්ම සාගරය ආශ‍්‍රිත ජල විද්‍යාවට අදාළ ක‍්‍රියාවලිය තුළ බරපතළ ඉන්දියානු මැදිහත්වීමකට ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාවේ වර්තමාන ජනාධිපතිවරයා විසින් එකඟතාවය ප‍්‍රකාශ කිරීම යනු බරපතළ තත්වයකි. ඒ මගින් ඉන්දු පැසිපික් කලාපයේ ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාව ආශ‍්‍රිත මුහුදේ ආරක්ෂක කටයුතු ඉන්දියානු ආධිපත්‍යයට යටත් වීම වැළැක්විය නොහැක. ඊට අමතරව ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාව ආශ‍්‍රිත මුහුදේ කණිජ සම්පත් විශේෂයෙන්ම ඛනිජ තෙල් නිදි සහ කොබෝල්ඞ් වැනි වටිනා ලෝහ නිදිවල අයිතිය පිළිබඳව ඉන්දියාව ප‍්‍රශ්න කරන තත්වයක් තුළ එම තත්ත්වය වඩා බරපතල වේ. මේ වන විට ගොඩබිමේ සිට නාවික සැතපුම් 200ක සාගර කලාපය ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාවට අයත් විශේෂිත ආර්ථික කලාපය ලෙස සැලකේ. ඉන්දියාව තම රටට ආයත් කලාපය නාවික සැතපුම් 350 දක්වා වර්ධනය කිරීමටද සාගර නීතියට අදාළ ජාත්‍යන්තර සම්මුතිය අනුව පිහිටවූ ජාත්‍යන්තර මුහුදු පතුල අධිකාරියට කරුණු දක්වමින් සිටින බව රහසක් නොවේ. ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාව ද තම කලාපයේ අයිතිය තව දුරටත් තහවුරු කර ගැනීම සඳහා 2009 සිට ඉල්ලූම් ඉදිරිපත් කර ඇත.එවැනි තත්ත්වයක් තුළ ඉන්දියාවේ අදානි සමාගම විසින් ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාවට අයත් මුහුදු සීමාවේ පවතින මධ්‍යම ඉන්දියානු සාගරයට අයත් Afanasy Nikitin යනුවෙන් හඳුන්වන කොබෝල්ඞ් නිදිය ගවේෂණය කිරීම සඳහා නීති විරෝධී උත්සාහයක් ගනු ලැබීය. ඉන්දියාවේ ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාවට අයත් මුහුදු කලාපය අත්පත් කර ගැනීම සඳහා 2024.01.18 දින ජාත්‍යන්තර මුහුදු පතුල අධිකාරියට (ISA) පැමිණිල්ලක් ඉදිරිපත් කර ඇත. එය සැලකිල්ලට නොගන්නා තත්ත්වයක් තුළ ඉන්දියාව සහ ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාව රටවල් දෙකක් ලෙස සාකච්ඡුා මගින් එම ප‍්‍රශ්නය විසඳා ගැනීමට හෙවත් ඉන්දියානු සමාගමක් විසින් එම මහා කණිජ සම්පත අත්පත් කර ගැනීමට උත්සාහ කරමින් ඇත. ඉන්දියාවේ අදානි සමාගමට ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාව තුළ පමණක් නොව ජාත්‍යන්තර මට්ටමින් විවිධ ¥ෂණ ක‍්‍රියා පිළිබඳව චෝදනා එල්ල වී ඇත. එවැනි තත්ත්වයක් තුළ ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාව ආශ‍්‍රිත සාගර කලාපයේ බලාධිකාරිය ඉන්දියාවේ අනුකම්පාවට යටත් කිරීම බරපතළ වගකීම් විරහිත ක‍්‍රියාවක් බව ඉතා පැහැදිලිය. මෙම කරුණු පිළිබඳව දේශපාලන නායකත්වයට ගැඹුරු අවබෝධයක් තිබෙනවාද යන්න සහ යම් නිලධාරීන් විසින් ඒ සඳහා පොළඹනවාද යන්න පැහැදිලි නැත.ඩිජිටල් කරණයට අදාලව ගත්විට, ජනාධිපති අනුර දිසානායක මහතාගේ කතාව සහ ඒකාබද්ධ ප‍්‍රකාශය මගින් විශේෂිත ඩිජිටල් අනන්‍යතාවයක් සෑම රටවැසියෙකුටම ලබාදීම සහ මූල්‍ය තොරතුරු ඇතුළු රාජ්‍යය තොරතුරු පද්ධතිය ඒකාබද්ධ කිරීම සඳහා මෘදුකාංග හඳන්වාදීමට අමතරව ඩිජිටල් යටිකල පහසුකම් සැපයීම යන අංශ දෙකම ඇතළත්වන ආකාරයට එක`ගතාවයක් ඇතිකර ගත යුතු බව කියැවේ. බැලූ බැල්මට එය ඉතා දියුණු ප‍්‍රවේශයක් බව ජනාධිපතිවරයාට මෙන්ම රටේ මහජනයාට ද පෙනී යා හැක. නමුත් සමස්ත තොරතුරු උප පද්ධති එක් මහා පද්ධතියක් යටතට පත්කර ඉන්දියානු සමාගමක බලාධිකාරියට යටත් කිරීම යනු ඉතා බරපතළ තත්වයකි. බොහෝ පිරිස් ඩිජිටල්කරණයේ ඊනියා ආර්ථික වාසි පිළිබඳව අන්ධානුකරණයෙන් කතා කළද ඩිජිටල්කරණය අධිරාජ්‍යවාදී යටත්විජිත උපාංගයක් ලෙස යොදා ගැනීම පිළිබඳව සමාජ සංවාදයක් ගොඩනැගී නැත. ඉන්දියානු දාර්ශනික විද්වතෙකු වන ආචාර්ය වන්දනා ශීවා මැතිණියගේ පර්යේෂණ අනුව වර්තමානයේ ඩිජිටල්කරණය මගින් ගොඩනැගෙන ඩිජිටල් අධිරාජ්‍යවාදය අවිවාදයෙන් පිළිගන්නා මානසික වහලා හදනු ලබන්නේ ‘‘සකර්බර්ග්’ ගේ අධිරාජ්‍යය හෙවත් සමාජ ජාලා මගිනි. නමුත් මෙම ක‍්‍රියාවලිය වර්තමාන ආණ්ඩුව විසින් නිර්මාණය කළ තත්ත්වයක් නොවන බව ඉතා පැහැදිලිය. 1987 දී ඉන්දු ලංකා ගිවිසුම් මගින් ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාව බෙදා වෙන් කිරීම සඳහා මූලික පදනම වන ෆෙඩරල් රාජ්‍යයක් නිර්මාණය කිරීමට අමතරව ත‍්‍රිකුණාමල වරාය ආශ‍්‍රිතව ආධිපත්‍ය තහවුරු කර ගැනීමට ඉන්දියාව සැලසුම් කරනු ලැබීය. ඒ අනුව එම ගිවිසුමට අදාළ නොවන බව පැහැදිලිව පොණෙන කරුණක් එනම් ත‍්‍රිකුණාමල වරාය ආශ‍්‍රිත තෙල් ටැංකි සංකීර්ණය භෘවිතා කිරීම සහ ඒ ආශ‍්‍රිත ආයෝජනය සඳහා වෙනත් රටක් සමග සාකච්ඡුා කිරීමට පෙර ඉන්දියානු රජයේ එකඟතාවය ලබාගත යුතු බවට කොන්දේසියක් පනවා ඇත. එවැනි කොන්දේසි ගිවිසුමට සෘජුව සහ ඊට අදාළව දෙරට අතර හුවමාරු කරගත් ලිපි ලේඛන ගිවිසුමේ කොටසක් ලෙස සැලකීම මගින් අදාළ එකඟතාවය ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාවේ ජනාධිපතිවරයා මත පටවනු ලැබීය.ඉන්පසුව 2021 දී බැසිල් රාජපක්ෂ ඉන්දියාවට ගොස් ඇතිකර ගත් එකඟතාවයක් මගින් ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාව ආශ‍්‍රිත මුහුදු කලාපයේ ආවේක්ෂණ ක‍්‍රියාවලිය ඉන්දියාවේ තාක්ෂණික ආධිපත්‍යයට යටත් කරනු ලැබීය. එසේම ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂ පාලනය තුළ ත‍්‍රිකුණාමලය තෙල් ටැංකි සංකීරණය භාවිතයට ගැනීමට අදාල තීරණාත්මක බලයක් ඉන්දියාවට පවරා දෙන අතර වෙනත් රටකට එම කලාපයේ කනිජ තෙල් පිරිපහදුව හෝ තෙල් ගබඩා කිරීම සඳහා අවසර නොදෙන බවට එකඟතාවයක් ඇති කරගනු ලැබීය. ඊට පෙර රනිල් වික‍්‍රමසිංහ මහතා 2002 දී කනිජ තෙල් සංස්ථාව සතුව තිබූ ඒකාධිකාරිය බිඳ හෙළා උපාය මාර්ගිකව වැදගත් කොටසක් ඉන්දියානු IOC සමාගමට පවරා දෙනු ලැබීය. එසේම ත‍්‍රිකුණාමලයේ ආශ‍්‍රිත ආයෝජන කලාපයේ ආයෝජනය කිරීමද ඉන්දියානු සහ ජපන් සමාගම් වලට පමණක් පවරමින් සිංගප්පූරුවේ ‘සර්භානා ජුරෝග්’ නමැති සමාගම සමග ගිවිසුමක් අත්සන් කරනු ලැබීය. එම බලපෑම් කිරීමේ ක‍්‍රියාවලිය තුළ ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාවේ සේවාවෙළඳාම අත්පත් කර ගැනීම මෙන්ම ආයතන මිලදී ගැනීම සහ ඉන්දියානුවන්ට රැකියා ලබා ගැනීම සඳහා ‘‘සීපා’’ සහ ‘‘එට්කා’’ නමින් එකම අරමුණක් සහිතව ගිවිසුම් රාමු දෙකක් රටේ පාලකයින් වෙත ඉදිරිපත් කරනු ලැබීය නමුත් මහජන විරෝධය නිසා ඊට ඉඩක් නොලැබුණි රනිල් වික‍්‍රමසිංහ ජනාධිපතිවරයා 2023 ජුලි 21 ඇතිකරගත් එකඟතාවය මගින් එක්කා ගිවිසුම අත්සන් කිරීමට අමතරව විකුණාදමනු ලබන රාජ්‍ය ආයතන මිලදී ගැනීමේදී ඉන්දියාවට ප‍්‍රමුඛතාවය ලබාදෙන බවටද අමතර එකඟතාවයක් ඇතිකරගෙන ලැබීය.නමුත් ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාවේ විදේශ අමාත්‍ය ගරු විජිත හේරත් මැතිතුමා මෙම මහා පින්තූරයෙන් ව්‍යුක්තව විදුලි කේබලයක් එළිම පමණක් සාධාරණීකරණය කිරීමට ප‍්‍රකාශයක් නිකුත් කරනු ලැබීය. එයද සැබෑ යථාර්ථයට පටහැනි බව උසස් පෙළ භෞතික විද්‍යා සිසුවෙකුට වුවද තේරුම් ගත හැක. එනම් ගරු අමාත්‍යවරයා සඳහන් කරන ආකාරයට ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාවේ පවතින ධාරිතාවන්ට අනුව ඉන්දියාවට විදුලිය අපනයනය කිරීම හුදු සිහිනයක් පමණි. විශේෂයෙන්ම රුසියාව විසින් අවස්ථා දෙකකදී ප‍්‍රධානය කළ න්‍යෂ්ටික බලාගාර ප‍්‍රතික්ෂේප කරන තත්ත්වයක් තුළ සහ ඉන්දියාව සතුව න්‍යෂ්ටික බලාගාර 22ක් පවතින තත්ත්වයක් යටතේ ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාවෙන් ඉන්දියාවට විදුලිය ආපනයනය කිරීමේ සිහිනය ගැන තවදුරටත් විස්තර කිරීම අවශ්‍ය නැත. ඒ සියල්ල මගින් පැහැදිලි වන්නේ ආණ්ඩුවේ පැහැදිලි කිරීම සහ ඒවාට උත්තර බඳින පාර්ශ්වවල විවේචන යන දෙකම මගින් රටේ ජනතාවට සාධාරණය ඉටුනොවන බවය. මෙම ක‍්‍රියාවලියට රාජ්‍යතාන්ත‍්‍රික තිරිංග දැමීමට ආණ්ඩුව අසමත් වුවහොත් ඉන්දියාවේ ඓතිහාසික අපේක්ෂාව පරිදි ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාව අර්ධ යටත් විජිතයක් හෙවත් ඉන්දියාවේ 29 වැනි ප‍්‍රාන්තය බවට පත්වීම වැළැක්විය නොහැක. ඊට අමතරව භූගෝලීය සබඳතාවය නමින් ඉන්දියාව සහ ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාව අතර පාලම සහ මහා මාර්ගය ඉදිකිරීම මෙන්ම සංචාරක කර්මාන්තය නමින් ප‍්‍රචලිත කරන ‘‘රාමායන මංපෙත’’ ව්‍යාපෘතිය හරහා ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාවේ ස්ථාන 21ක ඉදිවන රාම කෝවිල්වල පුද පූජා පැවැත්වීමට සහ එට්කා ගිවිසුම හරහා සේවා සහ රැකියා සඳහා පැමිණෙන ඉන්දියානුවන් විසින් ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාවේ ජනගහන සංයුතිය වෙනස් කරන බවද ඉතා පැහැදිලිය. ඒ සියල්ල තේරුම් ගනිමින් ස්වාධීන සිකීම් රාජ්‍ය 1975 දී ඉන්දියාවේ 22වැනි ප‍්‍රාන්තය බවට පත්කර ගැනීමේ ක‍්‍රියාවලිය ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාවට අදාළව ප‍්‍රතිනිර්මාණය කිරීම වැළැක්වීම සඳහා රාජතාන්ත‍්‍රික උපක‍්‍රම 4ක් යෙදා ගැනීමේ හැකියාව ඇත.ඒ අතුරින් පළමුවැන්න වර්තමාන ජනාධිපතිවරයා විසින් ඉන්දියානු අගමැතිවරයාද එකඟ වී ඇති පරිදි ඉන්දියානු සාගර වළල්ල (IORA) සංවිධානයේ සභාපතිකම ලබා ගැනීම මගින් ‘‘ජකර්තා ප‍්‍රකාශයට’’ නැවත පණ දීමය. එනම් 1971 දී සිරිමාවෝ බණ්ඩාරනායක මැතිණියගේ මැදිහත්වීම මත නොබැදි ජාතීන්ගේ සංවිධානය විසින් යෝජනා කරන ලදුව එක්සත් ජාතීන්ගේ සංවිධානය විසින් සම්මත කළ 2832 යෝජනාව බලගැන්විය යුතු බවට ජාත්‍යන්තර තත්ත්වයක් නිර්මාණය කිරීමය. ඒ සඳහා රුසියාව සහ චීනය වැනි රටවල් සහයෝගය ලැබෙන බවට විවාදයක් නැත. එම යෝජනාව අනුව ඉන්දියානු සාගරය සාම කලාපයක් ලෙස ප‍්‍රකාශයට පත් කර ඇති අතර කිසිදු මහා බලවතෙකුට ඊට බලපෑම් එල්ල වන ගිවිසුම් අත්සන් කිරීම සඳහා කලාපයේ රටවලට බලපෑම් කළ නොහැක.ඊට අදාල ප‍්‍රවේශය වන්නේ එට්කා ගිවිසුමට අදාළ විරෝධතා මගින් වෘත්තික සංවිධාන ඉල්ලා සිටි පරිදි ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාවේ වෙළඳ ගිවිසුම් ප‍්‍රතිපත්තිය අනුව සහ  ඕස්ෙටි‍්‍රලියාවේ ආදර්ශය අනුව ජාත්‍යන්තර ගිවිසුම් අත්සන් කිරීමේ ක‍්‍රියාවලිය නියාමනය කිරීම සහ ඒ තුළ මහජන වගවීම සහතික කිරීම සඳහා නව නීතියක් සම්මත කිරීමය. එවිට එට්කා ගිවිසුමට අදාළ සාකච්ඡුා ක‍්‍රියාවලිය ඉදිරියට ගමන් කළ යුත්තේ එම නීතියට අනුවය. ඊට අමතරව ඉන්දියාව මෙන් ආහාර සුරක්ෂිතතා පනතක් සහ උපාය මාර්ගික කර්මාන්ත ආරක්ෂා කිරීමේ පනතක් සම්මත කිරීම මගින් බාහිර බලපෑම වලින් ගැලවීම සඳහා ගිවිසුම් නීතිය මගින් හදුන්වා දෙන නීතිමය පදනම ශක්තිමත් කළ හැක. මහජනයා තුනෙන් දෙකක බලයක් නව රජයට ලබාදෙන්නේ ඒ සඳහා නොවේද?තුන්වන ප‍්‍රවේශය වන්නේ මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ ආදර්ශය අනුව රටට අහිතකර ගිවිසුම් අත්සන් කිරීමට එරෙහිව මහජන විරෝධතා රහසිගතව උනන්දු කිරීමය. ආණ්ඩුවේ ඇමතිකම් දරන හිටපු ගොවි – කම්කරු නායකයින්ට එය ඉතා සුළු දෙයක් බව මහජනයා පිළිගන්නවා ඇත. හතරවන ප‍්‍රවේශය වන්නේ ඉන්දියාවේ ශ‍්‍රී ලංකා තානාපති කාර්යාලයේ හිටපු තානාපතිවරයාගේ බලපෑම මත මහ බැංකු අධිපතිවරයා විසින් රුපියල නිදහස් ලෙස පා කිරීම සහ බංකොලොත්භාවය ප‍්‍රකාශයට පත් කිරීම හරහා නිර්මාණය කළ ඉන්දියාවට වාසි සහගත ආර්ථික සහ මූල්‍ය අර්බුදය නිවැරදි කිරීමය. තාක්ෂණික දත්ත සහ උපදෙස් නොසලකා හිතුවක්කාර ලෙස රුපියල පා කිරීම සහ චීනය වැනි රටවලින් හදිසි ණය ලබා ගැනීමට නොහැකි වන ලෙස බංකොලොත්භාවය ප‍්‍රකාශ කිරීම නිසා ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාව ඉන්දියාවේ ඩොලර් බිලියන 4ක ණය උගුලට හිරවිය. එම ලීවරය අකර්මණ්‍යය කිරීම සඳහා පළමුවෙන්ම කළ යුත්තේ මහ බැංකු පනත සහ විදේශ විනිමය පනත අහෝසි කර පෙර පැවැති නීතිය යළි ස්ථාපිත කිරීමය. එහිදී 16 වතාවක් බිඳ දමා ඇති මූල්‍ය අරමුදලේ කොන්දේසි 17 වැනි වතාවටත් බිඳ දැමීමට සිදුවිය හැක. දෙවනුව වචනවලටම සීමා නොකර දේශීය නිෂ්පාදන පද්ධතිය ශක්තිමත් කිරීම සඳහා ගත යුතු නිශ්චිත උපාය මාර්ගික තීන්දු ප‍්‍රමාණය වහාම ගත යුතුය. ඒ සඳහා මව්බිම ලංකා පදනම විසින් උපාය මාර්ග සැලසුමක් ඉදිරිපත් කර ඇත. තුන්වනුව බංගලාදේශ ආදර්ශයට අනුව ඉහල වැටුප් ලබන විදේශ රැකියා සඳහා අවශ්‍යවන ආකාරයට NVQ පාඨමාලා ප‍්‍රතිසංවිධානය කිරීම සහ අධ්‍යාපන අවස්ථා පුළුල් කිරීමය. ඒ මගින් විදේශ සංචිත වර්ධනය කර ගන්නා ආකාරය අප රටේ විද්වතුන්ගෙන් නොව බංලාදේශයේ විද්වතුන්ගෙන් ඉගෙන ගත හැක.  වෛද්‍ය වසන්ත බණ්ඩාරලේකම් දේශහිතෛෂි ජාතික ව්‍යාපාරය සම්පූර්ණ ලිපිය පහතින් භාගත කරන්න 

Divaina Online

Sarath Wijesinghe President’s Counsel and former Ambassador for UAE and Israel Solicitor in England and Wales and President Ambassador’s forum in UK/SL

Task force to set up

President AKD has initiated a clean Sri Lanka program by setting up a task force consisting of 16 members head by the Secretary of the President possible for very valid reasons obviously in view of the tourism boom that requires a cleaner environment to attract more tourists when in the recent past Sri Lanka surpassed the 20,0000^th   tourist and aiming for more soon. One of the main needs and a requirement of a tourist and tourism is cleanliness and clean environment when fortunately, Sri Lanka is possessing with a beautiful environment the community sometimes unable to maintain, despite rules regulations and continuous requests, which is a simple process and mechanism to maintain. President AKD’s programmed to clean the parliament after the general election has been extremely successful having wiped out the membership of the Parliament with unprecedented majority with enormous powers to execute the pledges to the citizen including a clean Sri Lanka of Corruption and Bribery one of the main tasks in the agenda which is an arduous herculean task in the already corrupt society full of bribery, corruption and nepotism up to the neck, when the legal reforms have still to be formulated and the machinery to be implemented with experienced and knowledgeable staff and institutions, as the cancer of bribery is institutionalized in the entire body of the state merchantry. Citizen wished best wished and good luck to the task force for best results in cleaning Sri Lanka for 2025 and thereafter on tourism and all other areas and towards future prosperity.

Learn from Singapore overtaken us already

Singapore a dry Barran land made a leading business education and a navel hub by a visionary leader Lea Kuwan Yew the first Prime Minister and e father of Singapore who raised the nation for what it is today as a strict disciplinarian and a strict and honest ruler who  punished the most immediate ministers on charges of corruption  with no hesitation on charged of bribery and corruption, who made it a clean and leading city in all respects out of bribery corruption and cleanness of the nation, with implementation of strict rules and corresponding punishments. It is an offence in Singapore to dirt the environment which is a duty of the state and the citizen to look into as a pride and a need of the national identity to be a clean nation with a clean environment extended to the globe to be clean by United Nation Conventions and international regulations on cleanliness of the globe including oceans and rivers  world over when in Sri Lanka some unscrupulous citizens pollute rivers and banks by excavations, removal of soil and many other ways of destruction of the river bed and the environment to earn in illegal and immoral ways  leading into wanton destructionist the environments we preserve and cherish for the future generation we have been protecting for generations since of the era of ‘’Balangoda Man’’ over 150,000 years with evidence of archeological excavations and research. We look forward for the current the governance to follow suit in cleaning the cite and the polite which has been dirty by corruption and mismanagement.

Need to be clean for promotion of tourism and better positioned in the family of Nations

Though Sri Lanka is no the cleanest country it is a conciliatory factor for us to be above India on sanitation and cleanliness and it is to be noted that majority (out of 20,000) of recent tourists are mainly from India is a matter to be noted considering India too competes with Sri Lanka on tourism trade which is so competitive. Touristed look for clean and beautiful environments. We are full of beauty but not so in cleanness due to our own fault and the step taken by President AKD is complimentary as it is good on his part to initiate it considering many factors and reasons, and it is the duty of the citizen to take part and maintain the momentum to make the country and the environment beauty and clean. Finland Norway and Denmark are in the top rank with Singapore as a clean city but not Sri Lanka anywhere near but on the beauty of the environment she leads few top rank countries. Anyway, cleaning the country and it is as difficult to maintain the clean nature with the help of the citizen who looks forward for a prosperous new year to emerge with a clean nation.

Geographical location and cultural and places religious and cultural heritage sites in abundance with number of UNESCO Recognized Sites

Sri Lanka is blessed with the leading ‘’Tharavada Buddhist’’ country with ample access to Dhamma knowledge and practice not available to the majority of the world citizens. Buddhism is a religion with fastest growth in Europe which is known to the world, which is a credit to the country and an asset to the citizen to purify inside the mind by practice and meditation which is accessible physically or via internet easily. Sri Lanka is surrounded with ocean right round being an island yet unfortunately unable to obtain the maximum benefits form the major oil spill and many other disasters is a pity when the country is supposed to consist of educated citizens. ‘’ Sigiriys ‘’is one of the main tourist attractions patronized and seen by thousands of tourists appear not maintained properly and there was disturbing news than the toot’s and facilitates provided to the tourists are of lawyer quality a disturbing situation, is one of the many black spots in our tourist promotional agenda to be considered as a matter of urgency.

Physical cleanness   of the country- duty of the citizen to maintain and keep the momentum

It is nice and professional to keep house and the workplace including the office to keep clean to be on a present environment a necessity in every respect. It is the duty of the citizen and the working class to make the country a clean and tidy for everybody’s benefit and the development of the nation. It needs to be left to the state factor or governance and the citizen must take full responsibility to maintain the states core and the same condition at all times. President AKD should be credited for initiating and leading the timely project in cleaning the country when other South Asian countries are not clean and congested when Sri Lanka is leading as one of the clean and beautiful nations.

Way forward for a clean and a disciplined Nation with peace and prosperity to all

It is not an arduous task to achieve the intended results if the  task is planned properly and if and when the intentions are honest with the cooperation of the citizen awaiting ot cooperate. Therefore, it is the duty of the citizen to get together as one in achieving the goals expected by the task force headed by the \president with all good intentions. (author Sarath Wijesinghe could be reached on sarathdw28@gmail.com)

Sarath Wijesinghe president’s Counsel, Solicitor in England and Wales, President Ambassador’s Forum UK/SL

(PART TWO) PART ONE PUBLISHED ON LANKAWEB AND FT

First part of the article on rice culture to bread culture

The first part dealt with the traditional rice culture and how it is embodied in the culture and agriculture in the society with interactions with the foreign powers powerful in various ways influencing the farmer and the society as a whole. Rice was introduced to Sri Lanka sometime in 800 BC and there has been a massive migration around 390 BC and Sri Lanka became the Graner of the East with 20,000 kinds of rice varieties of highest quality. History has gone back to ‘’Balangoda Man’’ 15,000 years ago according to archeologists, and Rawana’s epic is corroborated by ‘’Rama Rawana’’ story based on the Indian historical stories embodied with history. Conversion of rice culture to bead culture is a part of constitutional law related to political changes when the foreign domination led to forceful changes in the Sri lancin society by dominant foreign powers invaded Sri Lanka by naval power, and made forced conversions of religion and culture including rice culture the nation inherited from time immemorial that has been disused in the previous part of the article on the subject.

Rice is healthier than wheat with extracted the husk the most nourishing part

  Rice is healthier than the wheat Sri Lankans are given without the husk which is the part of the food useful for the human body is promoted to Sri Lankans in place of rice which is freely and traditionally available, yet the average citizen is compelled to live on flour due to free availability and less expensive to the common man. Ancestors lived long life eating rice, fresh vegetables and living with nature in the village when today the rate of diabetic patients are raising rapidly due to incorrect and erroneous food patterns depending on wheat flour and less portioned depending on more carbohydrates. There is an acute shortage of rice and the economy too is destabilized due to import of rice despite the fact that both ‘’Yala’’ and ‘’Maha’’ seasons are cultivated and there is plenty of water provided with the network of rivers, ‘’Wavas’’ and rain water in abundance, which Israel stores underground in addition of the water they generate from desalination for want of water, where every drop of water is given maximum utility by reclining even waste water purified  and used again and again and then taken for agriculture. It is a sorry state that the governance is a miserable failure in the rice issue unable to end the monopoly as planned when errant traders and the rice monopoly has emerged victorious despite the encouragements and the help by the citizen to the governance still is powerful legally to take appropriate legal and procedural steps to correct the situation. The rice culture was broken by the foreign domination and the local administrators who followed foreign domination as their local agents, who managed the nation on their behalf. They never resisted foreign domination instead they followed the system introduced by the foreigners with some adjustments and the same pattern system and even the legal structure followed with few adjustments and changes but not a patriotic novel system of new vision on political, economic, or any other areas such as education or agriculture including paddy cultivation and the trade policy and patterns.

Sri Lanka is a sick nation with plenty of diabetic patients of even your ages due to incorrect food patterns

 Though independence was nominally granted changes taken place were slow or nil an many areas. Rice policy, trade policy, economic or education policies and practices continued unchanged including the consumer law and practices that continued until the introduction of new act no 9 of 2008 with no changes in the trade practices and policies. Citizen is goingthrough deprivation, shortages of food, malnutrition of children and elderly, and poverty all over due to shortage of food and unemployment despite the prosperity of the soil and abidance of water to cultivate paddy in both seasons. It is lack of vision, directions, and all round plan for the nation despite the overwhelming major it to given to the governance by the citizen with a free hand to take the country on the correct path.

Law and order in the ‘’lowest ebb’’ and ‘’rule of law’’ do not appear to be positioned in the direct directions- a sorry state

There is shooting during broad daylight, rule of law is in question, underworld and drug menace is rampant, which are worrying with many young become victims of drug Barrons the governances are still unable to address on. The saddest part  is the lack of  awareness and media attention for some unforeseen reason, with minimum criticism on the governance appear to be powerful, with the feat it may explode at any stage with disastrous results, when those responsible are asleep, when everything is connected to policies, governance, and needs of the poor still falling down the poverty line with no proper development strategy or employment opportunities in sight realities that has direct relevance to the needs of the common man in short supply, when the state is not extending the power of the legal system in force to direct the event  trader exploiting the citizen freely when the regulator CAA and the vociferous Minister are confined to worlds and not deeds.

Strict implementation of the CAA and proper trade policies are urgently needed to take the country in the correct path

Act no 9 was established in place of the traditional English system of law forcible imported to Sri Lanka in setting up the Consumer Affairs Authority which is a mixture of Australian, Canadian, USA and British systems which is a muddle impactable to operate without a strong network of consumer organizations still not formed in Sri Lanka, so that the regulator appointed by the act no 9 of 2003 is ineffective leaving the consumer ( citizen) in the hands of errant traders freely operating as in the rice and paddy trade today leaving the governance as a vociferous  talk shop. What is need today is proper vision, directions and a strategy on trade and consumerism as in India where they have taken the best methods from UK West and the traditional methods.

Set up Consumer Courts and Consumer Ombudsman

India has Consumer Courts and Consumer Ombudsman process we have been agitating consistently to the governance not appear to hear of. Therefore it is necessary to make necessary changes and adjustments in all sectors including the trade consumer affairs paddy rice vegetables, consumer items and generally an all walks of live directing the governance in the correct path when they make mistakes and blunder which is human. Therefore it is time to make drastic and immediate changes in the entire format and strategies of system changes where necessary, with the participation of the citizen who are going through hardships in need of assistance for their living gong through despite grave hardships in need of changes in the right directions, policies and strategies including new visions and modern technology including AI in our doorsteps and the citizen need to be critical and fearless to find fault and criticize the governance where necessary. Sarathdw28@gmail.com to communicate with the author and the reader is advised to browser the internet for other articles by the anther.

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

Ahmadiyya khalifa prayed that all Ahmadis are enabled to truly act upon the teachings of Islam, express genuine love for the Holy Prophet (PBUH), and fulfil the rights of their bai‘at (Oath of Allegiance)

The three days 129^th Annual Convention (Jalsa Salana) of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Qadian, India, concluded last Sunday (29 December 2024) with an address by the World Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the Fifth Khalifa (Caliph), His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, on 29 December 2024 having full of quotations from the writings of Promised Messiah  on his  unparalleled love for his Master Prophet Muhammad (Sal)  

His Holiness addressed the final session via satellite link from the Masroor Hall, Islamabad, Tilford, UK. About 16 ,000 people attended the Convention in Qadian from 42 countries including Sri Lanka, while more than 5,000 gathered in Islamabad, Tilford for the concluding session. The session started with Holy Qurán recitation followed by Urdu translation. Thereafter, a part of poetry work composed by Ahmadiyya Founder Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Promised Messiah, peace be on him, in praise of Holy Qurán and the Holy Prophet of Islam Muhammad (PBUH) was presented.

Ahmadiyya Khalifa Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said that the Promised Messiah Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, peace be on him, asserted that he is the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, whose coming was foretold by the Holy Prophet Muhamma (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).  The Promised Messiah emphasized that no other Messiah would descend from the heavens and no other Mahdi would appear from Allah, since this era was precisely the appointed time for the Messiah and Mahdi to be raised. Hence, Allah the Almighty sent him in fulfilment of all the signs and prophecies detailed by the Holy Prophet of Islam(PBUH).

Furthermore, the Promised Messiah^, peace be on him, invited the entire world – and in particular the Muslims – to examine the prophecies of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). He urged them to reflect on these signs and to act upon the commandments of Allah and His Prophet. Ahmadiyya head made it clear that accusing the Promised Messiahof, God forbid, insulting or disrespecting the Holy Prophet(PBUH) was a baseless allegation. The Promised Messiah^, peace be on him said he came only to serve the Holy Prophet(PBUH) and to spread his blessed message, for true love of the Holy Prophet is ingrained in his heart.

His Holiness Ahmadiyya Khalifa (may Allah be his Helper) explained that the Promised Messiah^, peace be on him, consistently expressed love and devotion to the Holy Prophet(PBUH) throughout his writings, gatherings and personal conduct. This devotion, His Holiness added, is unparalleled and cannot be matched. With this in mind, Ahmadiyya Khalifa announced he would present certain extracts to illustrate the Promised Messiah’s(peace be on him) unmatched love for the Holy ProphetMuhammad (PBUH).

I give below the gist of His Holiness’ address on the concluding session, whereas, His Holiness address had such a lengthy speech that covers maximum portion of writings of Promised Messiah, peace be on him, on the love to his Master Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Ahmadiyya Khalifa presented the following extract from Haqiqat-ul-Wahi that provides a glimpse of the love that the Promised Messiah, peace be on him, had for the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). 

The Promised Messiah says: Thus, I always wonder what a sublime Prophet this Arabian Prophet is, whose name is Muhammad (thousands upon thousands of blessings and peace be upon him). One cannot fathom the limit of his sublime status and it is not given to man to estimate the extent of his spiritual effectiveness. It is a pity that his rank has not been recognized as it should have been. He is the champion who restored to the world the Tauhid (Oneness of God) which had disappeared from the world; he loved God to the extreme and his soul melted to the extreme out of sympathy for mankind. Therefore, God, who knew the secret of his heart, exalted him above all the Prophets and all the first ones and the last ones and bestowed upon him all that he desired within his lifetime. It is he who is the fountainhead of every grace, and anyone who claims any superiority without acknowledging his grace is not a human being but is the spawn of Satan, because he (the Holy Prophet(PBUH) has been bestowed the key to every exaltation and he has been given the treasure house of every understanding. He who does not receive through him is deprived forever”.

I am nothing and possess nothing. What am I and what do I amount to? I would be ungrateful if I were not to confess that I have found true Tauhid through this very Prophet. I have attained the recognition of the Living God through this same perfect Prophet and through his light. The honour of converse and communion with God, through which I behold His countenance, has been bestowed upon me through the same Great Prophet. The rays from this Sun of Guidance fall upon me like sunshine and I continue to be illumined only so long as I am facing towards it.” (The Philosophy of Divine Revelation, pp. 137-138)

Hence, Ahmadiyya Khalifa explained that the Promised Messiah, peace be on him, regarded the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as the fountainhead of Allah’s grace, asserting that no one can attain salvation or spiritual insights without entering his fold. He categorically stated that every blessing he, the Promised Messiah – Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, peace be on him, received, was entirely a reflection of the Holy Prophet’s(PBUH) own spiritual light.

In conclusion Ahmadiyya Khalifa urged:

May Allah also enable us [Ahmadis] to prove our claim of love for the Holy Prophet(PBUH) through every aspect of our actions. We should reflect upon and deeply consider these matters that the Promised Messiah, peace be on him, has explained. Our love and devotion to the Holy Prophet Muhammad(PBUH) should continuously grow. Let not our words alone speak for us; rather, let us demonstrate through our actions that we truly honour our acceptance of the Promised Messiah,peace be on him. We must strive to establish a standard of love and devotion for the Holy Prophet(PBUH) that reaches the highest levels in the sight of Allah. We must constantly evaluate ourselves: do the feelings and sentiments of the Promised Messiah, peace be on him,resonate within our hearts? Are we making the efforts demanded of us to establish the oneness of Allah in the world, fulfilling the rights of this great responsibility? We should be ever-ready to make every sacrifice needed to raise the banner of the Holy Prophet(PBUH) high across the world. For the sake of establishing the oneness of Allah, we must be prepared for every sacrifice at all times, and we should not rest until we have achieved the purpose for which we joined the community of the Promised Messiah^, peace be on him.

Concluding his address, Hazrat Amirul Momineen(may Allah be his Helper)  prayed that Allah the Almighty keeps all attendees of Jalsa Salana Qadian 2024 under His protection and grants the same to those listening from their homes. He prayed that all Ahmadis are enabled to truly act upon the teachings of Islam, express genuine love for the Holy Prophet (PBUH), and fulfil the rights of their bai‘at (Oath of Allegiance)

The session concluded with silent prayers followed by various poems recited by groups in Qadian (India) via satellite link.

Source: Al Hakam – London.

by, Professor Nishan C. Wijesinha

The ritual at Mount Arafat, known as the hill of mercy, is considered the peak of the Hajj pilgrimage. It is often the most memorable for pilgrims, who stand together asking God for mercy, blessings, prosperity and good health. The hill is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) southeast of Mecca.

The Prophet said, The best invocation on the day of Arafat, and the best of all the invocations I ever offered or other holy Prophets before me ever offered is: There is no god but Allah: He is Unique ; He hath no partner, the whole universe is for Him and for Him is the praise, and He hath power over all things.” [Tirmidhi]

It is also said by the Prophet in another place, that Apart from the day of the Battle of Badr there is no day on which the Shaitan is seen to be more humiliated, more rejected, more depressed and more infuriated, than on the day of Arafah, and indeed all this is only because of beholding the abundance of descending mercy (on the day) and Allah’s SWT forgiveness of the great sins of the servants.” [Mishkat]

The photo taken by me, which is given below, is of an unique natural meteorite which represents the original mountain of mercy (the Mount Arafat). 

It’s uniqueness is highly priced by historian’s in Mecca.

VFM RADIO 107

Madyawediya

Madyawediya

Iraj Show

by Garvin Karunaratne

In Bangladesh when the new Military Government of General Ershard took over the country in 1982, the Ministry of Youth Development was providing skills training to 40,000 youths annually but the vast majority of them failed to find employment and continued to be unemployed, scrapping the barrel, 33 for life. I happened to be the Commonwealth Fund Advisor to the Ministry on Youth Development and the new Hon. Minister for Labour and Manpower, Air Vice Marshall Aminul Islam at a Conference held to evaluate youth development programmes, ordered me,:

 What can you contribute for Bangladesh”?

I replied:

I would suggest that you approve a self employment programme to supplement the skills training programmes that are being implemented by the Ministry of Youth Development, where the lecturers who train the youths in skills will in addition, also guide the youths to establish enterprises to manufacture items for sale and ultimately become self employed entrepreneurs.”

The Secretary to the Treasury, the highest official in the country who was present replied:

Self-Employment is not a task that can be done. The International Labor Organization (ILO) with all their unlimited resources have just miserably failed to establish a self-employment programme at 3Tangail in Bangladesh. They laboured for three years and brought experts from all over and failed. It was a great loss – a massive expenditure and this Government is not going to waste any more funds again. Self-Employment is not a task that can be done. That was the conclusion of the ILO and they are the experts of international standing”

I replied:

Though the ILO failed, I can establish a Self Employment Programme. I hold the experience of establishing self-employment projects in Sri Lanka for eighteen years and also hold the Ph.D in Agricultural Economics and Non Formal Education from Michigan State University. I am confident of success.”

 The Secretary to the Treasury the highest official in Bangladesh laughed loud at my attempt to make entrepreneurs out of school drop outs- the category from which the Department of Youth Development found youths for skills training.

 I argued that though the ILO failed I would succeed. The Secretary to the Treasury was adamant that such a programme would never succeed, but I quoted instances where I had established successful employment projects providing incomes to youths while simultaneously producing what the country imported.

The battle went on intensively for an easy two full hours The Hon. Minister was listening in silence,making notes till his patience was exhausted.  The Minister finally ordered us to shut up. He asked for any Government training programmes that guided youths to become entrepreneurs. The Secretary to the Treasury replied None”. Then the Minister asked for the number of youths that failed to get into higher education as well as finding a suitable job- the youths that will be scraping the barrel for life, being unemployed. The Secretary answered that it was in the millions, every year The Hon Minister without any hesitation ordered that I should establish a self employment programme to create entrepreneurs.

The Secretary to the Treasury  stated  that there will be no  funds to establish a self employment programme, to which I replied that we will find savings within the  approved budgets  for the skills training of the youths and re deploy staff as necessary. The  Hon Minister  approved my suggestion.. .

We started planning work that night itself. The next morning I was addressing trainees at the training centers and also training our Lecturers and Youth Officers on how the programme should be done. The officers who had till then done traditional youth development work were trained in concepts of economics.

All Training Institutes were immediately altered to Training Cum Extension Institutes where the youths in training were to be guided to become self-employed. Overnight we established a countrywide special extension service for the lecturers to go out on inspections and help the youths who faced problems.  The youths were guided to draft their own projects to become self employed, starting small farms even with a few cows or chicks. Dresses were sewn using the machines at the training centers that were kept open after work till ten at night.  The method was to intensively guide the trainees in the management of their enterprises. Every action from the planning of their projects, to the purchase of raw materials, the chicks, the feed, the process of manufacture, the process of the growth and sale of cattle, the making of garments and their sale was all monitored on a non formal education basis where the youths were trained to look at the advantages and disadvantages of each course of action and act on their own. They were monitored closely and helped when they failed. . The trainees were taught basic economics related to their ventures‚ The training included understanding the free market economy and the youths were guided to think, understand and increase their ability and capacity in the process. This was non-formal education in action.

The achievement was within the village setting where the projects became family concerns with brothers and sisters becoming involved. On our Visits, Training sessions were provided impromptu where everyone could participate.

The effort was to make a youth movement to make youths establish ventures and guide them till they are income bearing equal to the earnings of a clerical officer in the Public Service.

This Programme began at the end of March 1982 with a few trainees and was expanded to 2000 by October 1983. By the time I left Bangladesh at the end of October 1983- in sixteen months my team was guiding 2000 youths.  The team comprised the Secretary, the Joint Secretary of the Ministry with a few hundred staff of Directors, Deputy Directors of Youth, Director for Livestock and Poultry, Directors of the 3 Residential Training Centers in Livestock & Poultry, Lecturers in Training Institutes- all of whom were taught the essentials of economics firstly to be able to analyze the economy of Bangladesh and to arrive at areas of economic activity where self employment production would be an asset to the country. They were also taught methods of imparting instructions in a manner that would evoke the active participation of the trainees and enable them to think and make their own decisions. This included national and regional planning culled down to the village level., where the self employment units were established.

We got down to work in earnest.. The officers were patriotic to the extreme. It was long hours every day for months Daily circuits in Toyota Hiace bone shakers- leaving early morning to return whenever. The officials responded ably.

 In an evaluation conducted in March 1983, eleven months from the commencement it was found that of the youths that commenced by May 1982, 283 youths had established  their own commercial ventures, with stocks of flocks and head of cattle  valued at Tk.911,630.00.  It was building up stocks, buying chicks and ducklings and seeing them grow. As much as 223 of them had reached a net income of TK 369.00 a month. Of them 83 earned over Tk. 500.00 a month. In the  Jamalpur District, in disciplines like dress making, fisheries, retail sales, electrical goods repairing workshops, welding, etc. 73 youths were involved, earning an average net income of Tk 445.00 a month with 20 of them earning net incomes of Tk. 500.00 or over:”

At that time Tk. 500.00 a month was the salary drawn by a Clerical Officer in the Government Service. Getting the youths to reach a net income of Tk. 500.00 was our aim.

In an Evaluation done in August 1983, 16 months from commencement  the Report documented:

A Programme of Excellence in every respect unfolds in the results documented. .Of  500 unemployed youths who joined the programme in the early months,   479 are earning  an average net income  of Tk 596.00 in August 1983, 8 to 12 months after they commenced their commercial ventures, 55 of them earn over Tk. 1000.00 a month and 253 earn  over Tk 500.00.”

In August 1983, barely 16 months from the commencement, the achievement was hailed by the two Secretaries of the Ministry of Labour and Manpower; In their words:

Dr. Karunaratne’s significant contribution has been in the field of self employment to the drop-out youths. This programme was not only designed but also guided by him. This activity, which was initially launched as a pilot experimental project, has been a great success and has now being adopted as a full-fledged Programme. The Government of Bangladesh has been successful in providing meaningful employment to a large number of youths on this Programme” . (Asafuddowlah: Joint Secretary of the Ministry)

Dr. Karunaratne’s role as the formulator of the program has been particularly commendable. It was mainly through his dedication and hard work that the pilot project has now been formally accepted as one of the most important development projects.” (Ayubur Rahaman , The Secretary of the Ministry)

The YSEP has stood the test of time for over four decades (1982-2024) The prestigious Five Year Plan of 1997-2002 of the Planning Commission of Bangladesh devotes 8 pages to this program. This is easily the premier employment creation program that one can find in the entire world today. All other programs involve training and apprenticeship only and never include the tasks of motivating youths, involving them in non-formal education endeavor to develop their abilities and capacities, through technical guidance and management advice provided as they work on their projects aimed at their becoming commercially viable, which are the cornerstones on which this programme  has been based.

Instead of traditional youth work, the aims of the Ministry of Youth had also been altered to guide the unemployed youth for gainful employment/self employment, providing vocational/skills development training and micro credit support.

Also To involve the youth in the mainstream of national development processes”

(www.dyd.gov.bd/nyp_activities.php)

The above achievement of the Youth Self Employment Programme stands great in comparison to what was achieved by the ILO Project in Tangail in the earlier three years, where the number of entrepreneurs was only 626, where Tk. 1.38 million was disbursed of which only Tk. .61 million was recovered. The best cases document people owning one milk cow or fattening one head of cattle for sale. Many of the 626 people had dropped off.

 By August 1983, 16 months after commencement The Department of Youth Development  was training  2000 youths. The Programme was expanded apace to involve 7000 youths by 1987, to 16,000 by 1992 and to 160,000 a year from 1997. In 1982 we had only 3 Residential Training Centers. This was increased to 64 by 1997.

The Programme was entirely run with local currency, the Taka. The Programme even received a grant in dollars from the IFAD of the FAO.  

In  2011 February The Government of Bangladesh reported to the 34 th Session of the Governing Council of IFAD(FAO)  that this programme had guided as much as two million youths to be self employed‚  on  a commercially viable basis.(Statement by Bangladesh to the 34 th Session of the Governing Council of IFAD(FAO), dated19/02/2011) Over three million have become self employed by bow(2024)

My task was also to train the officers to carry on the programme after my‚  two year period of service ended.‚  True to a man Bangladeshi officers carried on the ardous task and‚   today 160,000 youths are being guided annually.. A full Department of Youth Development now devotes 95% of their time to training and guiding youths to become self employed..

Every country boasts of skills training programmes where youths are trained in the thousands but none provide training to guide the trained to become entrepreneurs- the task that was successfully done in this Youth Self Employment Programme.

It would behove our new President Anura Kumara Disanayake to consider  deciding that all skills training programmes should include guidance to enable the youths in training to establish enterprises of their own and become entrepreneurs. This can be achieved with little extra cost as the staff that train youths in skills will also be guiding them to become self employed.

Having a live successful employment creation programme will be a great asset to any country that wishes to commence activity.

The intrinsic success of the Youth Self Employment Programme of Bangladesh offers hope for any country that hopes to convert their unemployed youth to become entrepreneurs.

When the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh succeeded in providing loans to women in Bangladesh, many Universities and employment creation programmes in the USA even sent professors and specialists to find out how the Grameen Bank programmes could be implemented in the USA. Many new programmes of disbursing loans were implemented in haste to create employment.

The intrinsic success of the Youth Self Employment Programme of Bangladesh to have guided as much as three million youths to successfully establish self employed ventures may perhaps motivate our new Government of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to consider establishing a similar employment creation venture in Sri Lanka. If Bangladesh had succeeded in guiding as much as three million youths to become commercially viable entrepreneurs, there is absolutely no reason why Sri Lanka will fail.

If a successful employment creation programme is established in Sri Lanka it will bring great fame and prestige to the Government of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

Garvin Karunaratne, Ph.D. Michigan State University

former G.A.Matara and Commonwealth Fund Advisor to the Government of Bangladesh in 1981-1983

garvin_karunaratne@hotmail.com 30122024

Courtesy Federal Aviation Administration

Background

The runway safety area (RSA) enhances the safety of aircraft that undershoot, overrun, or veer off the runway. The RSA provides a clear, graded area which provides additional space for pilots to bring their aircraft to a safe stop. Though RSAs vary in size by runway, they can be as large as 500 feet wide and often extend 1,000 feet beyond each end of the runway. Many airports were built before the current RSA dimensional standards were adopted in the 1980s. In some cases, it is not practicable to achieve the full standard RSA because there may be a lack of available land. There also may be obstacles such as bodies of water, highways, railroads, and populated areas or severe drop-off of terrain.

The FAA began conducting research in the 1990s to determine how to improve safety at airports where the full RSA cannot be obtained. Working in concert with the University of Dayton, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and the Engineered Arresting Systems Corporation (ESCO, now Runway Safe Inc., of Logan Township, New Jersey), a new technology emerged to safely arrest overrunning aircraft. Engineered Materials Arresting Systems (EMAS) use crushable material placed at the end of a runway to help stop an aircraft that overruns the runway end. The tires of the aircraft sink into the lightweight material and the aircraft rapidly decelerates as it rolls through the EMAS bed.

Benefits of the EMAS Technology

EMAS technology improves safety benefits in cases where land is not available for an RSA of standard dimensions. A standard EMAS installation will stop most aircraft overrunning the runway at 70 knots (approximately 80 miles per hour).

EMAS Manufacturers

Runway Safe acquired the EMASMAX® product range from ESCO as of February 2020. Runway Safe is the sole manufacturer of EMAS products that meet the FAA standards of Advisory Circular 150-5220-22B, Engineered Materials Arresting Systems for Aircraft Overruns.” Currently, Runway Safe has two EMAS systems, the cellular concrete block system called EMASMAX® and a silica foam system called greenEMAS®.

The FAA reviews and accepts each EMAS proposal prior to installation.

EMASMAX® is the latest, most durable version of Runway Safe’s block based EMAS, developed with and technically accepted by the FAA. EMASMAX® arrestor beds are composed of blocks of lightweight, crushable cellular cement material.

Runway Safe’s greenEMAS® is a foamed silica bed which is made from recycled glass and is contained within a high-strength plastic mesh system anchored to the pavement. The foamed silica is poured into lanes bounded by the mesh and covered with a poured cement layer and treated with a topcoat of sealant. 

Both EMAS products are located at the end of the runway and are typically the full width of the runway. The bed length and offset from the end of the runway depends on the airport configuration and the aircraft fleet using the airport.

Current FAA Initiatives

The FAA’s Office of Airports has helped facilitate RSA improvements at more than 500 commercial service airports. This means that all practicable improvements, including the use of EMAS technology, have been made at approximately 1,000 runway ends at these airports. These RSAs have been improved to full standards or to the extent practicable including the relocation of FAA-owned navigational equipment. As a result of the success in addressing commercial service airport RSA’s, the Office of Airports has started a similar strategy to improve General Aviation RSA’s across the country.

EMAS Arrestments

To date, EMAS safely stopped 22 overrunning aircraft, carrying 432 crew and passengers aboard those flights.

Engineered Material Arresting System (EMAS) | Federal Aviation Administration

Maximus Aviation

Gemunu Jayantha Wanninayake

By Nalliah Thayabharan

Drones have become the ultimate disruptors in modern warfare reshaping how battles are fought but as their dominance grows so does the threat they pose especially in swarms where sheer numbers can overwhelm even the most advanced defenses.

China’s groundbreaking Hurricane 3000 – a high- power microwave weapon capable of neutralizing entire drone fleets in an instant unveiled at the 2024 Zhuhai Airshow. This revolutionary system is rewriting the rules of air defence. This cutting edge technology is a game changer for global security. The heart of the Hurricane 3000 is a technological breakthrough that blends electromagnetic science with air defence.  This high power microwave weapon, also called radio frequency weapon or electromagnetic pulse weapon, uses energy waves to disrupt and destroy the electronic systems of its targets.

Imagine the mechanism of your household microwave oven but amplified 10,000 times and applied with surgical precision over a 3 km range – that’s the core principle of the Hurricane 3000 but its real genius lies in its sophisticated design and capabilities. Hurricane 3000 operates by emitting a concentrated microwave beam that travels at nearly the speed of light once it locks onto a target whether a single drone or an entire swarm, it disrupts the internal electronics rendering them completely inoperative. Detection begins at an impressive range of 6 km with optical tracking enabled up to 4 km, the effective strike range of 3 km ensures that even fast moving drones within this radius are neutralized before posing a threat, unlike conventional laser systems which require precise targeting and can struggle against larger swarms.  

The Hurricane 3,000 employs what developers call a soft kill method. This hemispherical electromagnetic beam not only covers a wider area but also eliminates the need for pinpoint accuracy.  This makes it particularly effective against saturation attacks where hundreds of drones might descend simultaneously. Moreover the Hurricane 3000 is an integrated system housed within a single vehicle – this mobility allows for rapid deployment across varied terrains whether in urban centers or remote battlefields what truly sets it apart is its reliance on electricity instead of traditional ammunition. This eliminates the need for costly missiles or resupply logistics enabling the system to operate continuously as long as it has a fuel source for power generation. The significance of this technology becomes even clearer when considering its applications as the Russia Ukraine conflict shows drones are increasingly pivotal in modern warfare used for reconnaissance, precision strikes and overwhelming attacks.
 
The Hurricane 3000 not only neutralizes these threats with unmatched efficiency but also reduces collateral damage; its electromagnetic pulses disabled drones without physically destroying them, minimizing risks to civilians and infrastructure. The Hurricane 3000 isn’t just a novel weapon, it represents a monumental leap in addressing one of the most pressing challenges of modern warfare using drone swarms.  These swarms often deployed for surveillance attacks or disruption are notoriously difficult to counter. Traditional methods like surface to air missiles struggle with cost scalability and speed issues. The Hurricane 3000 addresses head-on – one of its most revolutionary features is its cost efficiency. Conventional counter drone systems rely on expensive ammunition for example a single interceptor missile can cost tens of thousands of dollars and even advanced laser systems demand considerable resources.

The Hurricane 3000 however uses high power microwaves fueled by electricity. This design not only eliminates ammunition costs but also ensures uninterrupted operation as long as the system has power. It can continuously defend against threats making it invaluable in prolonged combat scenarios. Versatility is another major advantage – the Hurricane 3000 is designed to counter not only individual drones but also large scale saturation attacks. Its soft kill approach using electromagnetic waves to disable electronics is far more effective in these situations than traditional kinetic methods. Unlike systems that physically destroy targets, the Hurricane 3000 disables them by frying their circuits leaving the surrounding environment unharmed. This feature makes it especially suitable for urban combat and scenarios where collateral damage must be minimized.

Additionally the Hurricane 3000’s Mobility is a game changer. Traditional air defense systems are often bulky and stationary, making them vulnerable to attacks or unsuitable for rapidly changing battlefields.  Hurricane 3000 is integrated into a single vehicle allowing for easy transportation and quick deployment in diverse environments whether defending a critical urban center or a remote outpost, the system is ready to respond at a moment’s notice.

Its effectiveness against swarms is particularly crucial. Drone swarm tactics where hundreds of drones operate in coordination to overwhelm defenses have become a significant concern in modern conflicts.  The Hurricane 3000’s wide coverage area and instantaneous response capabilities make it one of the few systems capable of neutralizing such threats efficiently.

The introduction of the Hurricane 3000 marks a pivotal moment in global defense technology signaling a shift toward energy- based weapons and a new era of electromagnetic warfare, reshaping global military strategies. This high power microwave system doesn’t just neutralize drones it redefines how militaries approach air defense and electronic warfare setting a precedent that could shape military strategies for decades.

One of the most immediate implications is the impact on global arms development with China showcasing such an advanced system. Other nations are likely to accelerate their efforts in electromagnetic weapons. The Hurricane 3000’s ability to counter drone swarms at a fraction of the cost of traditional systems will undoubtedly prompt countries to re-evaluate their reliance on expensive missile based defenses.

This could lead to a broader adoption of cost-efficient electricity powered systems reducing dependency on conventional ammunition. The system’s mobility and versatility also challenged the status quo.  Many existing air defense solutions are fixed or semi-mobile limiting their effectiveness in rapidly evolving combat scenarios. The Hurricane 3000’s vehicle mounted design ensures adaptability making it suitable for a variety of operational environments. This could inspire a wave of innovation in modular and mobile defense systems prioritizing flexibility over static installations.

Ethically the development of the Hurricane 3000 raises critical questions about the future of warfare while its soft kill approach reduces physical destruction and collateral damage.  The technology could be repurposed for other uses; for instance, electromagnetic weapons capable of disabling drones could theoretically be adapted to disrupt civilian infrastructure or communications systems during conflicts.  This highlights the need for international regulations to govern the deployment and use of such technology ensuring it remains a tool for defense rather than a means of escalation.

Strategically the Hurricane 3000 underscores the growing importance of drone Warfare in military planning. The Russia-Ukraine conflict has already demonstrated the effectiveness of drones and reconnaissance targeted strikes and psychological operations. With the introduction of systems like the Hurricane 3000, the battlefield is becoming increasingly dominated by electronic and energy- based engagements. This Evolution could lead to a greater focus on developing counter electronic warfare measures creating a technological arms race centered on energy and information.

The Hurricane 3000 isn’t just a weapon-it’s a glimpse into the future of warfare by combining cutting edge technology with practical efficiency. It addresses one of the most pressing challenges of modern combat – the rise of drones. But its significance goes beyond its immediate capabilities. It represents a shift towards smarter, more sustainable military solutions where precision and cost efficiency take centre stage.

The powerful Chinese manufacturing and the soaring Chinese military power have greatly shocked and deeply worried the United States and its allies.

By Darini Rajasingham-Senanayake Courtesy Eurasia Review

There will be no honeymoon for the newly minted National People’s Power (NPP) Government that got a massive people’s mandate for debt justice.

The storm blowing from Washington DC across the Indian Ocean World—targeting China to the East, Iran to the West, and now, India at the centre—is growing and expanding. So too, the US led NATO sanctions regime is expanding and impacting many countries. These include Sri Lanka, which is caught in the crosshairs of hybrid economic war on the rise of BRICS and China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

Seemingly unable to re-negotiate International Monetary Fund (IMF), and odious debt Eurobond Exchange agreements drafted by the previous Ranil Rajapakse regime that it had accused of corruption, the new NPP government this month signed Sri Lanka up to being pumped and dumped” once again into a second staged Sovereign Default.

Sri Lanka, South Asia’s richest country by the metric that matters—Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) GDP per capita– was declared ‘bankrupt’ and in Default in March 2022 amid distracting US National Endowment for Democracy (NED) funded Araglaya protests—simply due to a purported lack of exorbitantly privileged US dollars!

While the IMF engineered Bond Exchange has got stock markets on a Christmas high with seasonal good news hype in the corporate media echo chamber with Fitch and Moody’s upgrades despite significant deflation, the pain would soon set in as Sri Lanka commenced Odious debt payments to predatory creditors in 2025 and the EPF pension funds whittle down.

A new round of social unrest and protests at high taxes and the IMF’s bitter austerity measures to shrink the economy and pay predatory International Sovereign bond holders with a fire sale of national assets are on the cards, and very likely a second staged Default curtsey the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility.

US Sanctions and Regime Change Aragalayas in South Asia

Simultaneously, shades of an increasingly hot, new regional Cold War are apparent across South Asia and the Indian Ocean world. There were two regime change operations in Pakistan and Sri Lanka in 2022 amid Victoria Nurland inspired colour revolution’ or Arab Spring Araglaya ‘protests”.

This year, 2024, saw regime change in Bangladesh and just a few weeks ago members of the ruling BJP in India accused the US of targeting Prime Minister Modi’s government for regime change. The SOROS foundation and the NED funded NGO complex were identified as part of local-global networks that were implicated in tarnishing the Modi brand.

Meanwhile, development projects that promised needed foreign investment in Sri Lanka have been thrown into disarray by the United States expanding sanctions regime on the BRICS leaders, this time on Russian firms, as well as court action against the Indian conglomerate, Adani.

Two months ago, India’s Shaurya Aeronautics Pvt Ltd and Russia’s Airports of Regions Management Company’s plans for joint development of the Chinese built Mattala International Airport in southeast Sri Lanka were put on hold due to US sanctions.[i]

The U.S. Department of the Treasury had sanctioned India-based Shaurya Aeronautics Private Limited, among 275 individuals and entities involved in supplying Russia with advanced technology and equipment. The airport near the Hambantota Port is located near some of the world’s busiest trade, energy and submarine Data Cable routes.

Meanwhile a bribery case was filed in New York last month against the Adani conglomerate, which is a partner of BlackRock, that is in turn Sri Lanka’s largest private predatory International Sovereign Bond (ISB) creditor. Although China is routinely blamed in the global corporate media echo chamber for debt trap lending, analysis of Sri Lanka’s loan profile clearly show that ISBs are the cause of the geostrategic island’s first ever Sovereign Default in March 2022.

Adani was set to develop the Western Terminal of the Colombo port in partnership with local conglomerate John Keells holdings with significant US Development Finance Corporation (DFC) funding. This was before US authorities had accused Adani of bribery in Andhra Pradesh and filed a court case in New York.

Adani, said to be Asia’s richest man is seen to be personally close to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Adani which partners with BlackRock, Sri Lanka’s biggest private creditor had already got a sweetheart deal ex-ante the Odious debt restructure Bond Exchange agreements signed this month– for various ‘green energy’ projects!

Sanctions and Visits

As sanctions bit, US Assistant Secretary of State, Donald Lu visited India, Sri Lanka and Nepal earlier this month. Lu met government, the NGO complex and other civil society members to discuss ‘capacity building’ assistance, presumably, for more institutional capture.

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka has been already effectively privatized to serve the interests of predatory ISBs rather than citizens via International Monetary Fund ‘reforms’.

US moves against Indian firms have likely given Sri Lanka Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath a big headache, much like the pending debt trap International Sovereign bond debt restructure agreements that are being forced on the new government in Colombo by the IMF and Lazard and Clifford Chance that represent ISBs that have debt trapped the county in collusion with local politicians and business cronies.

Will Mr. Herath be able to persuade Lu to hold back US sanctions and the ISB vulture funds to make an exception for debt trapped Sri Lanka, and enable the Mattala International Airport and Colombo port west terminal projects to proceed with Indian and Russian investment?

A USDFC, which had agreed to lend $500 million to Adani’s port development in Sri Lanka said it was conducting due diligence on the project.

Targeting Indian Projects and Sri Lanka’s BRICS application

Indian firms are being targeted by Washington, which has long sought access to geostrategic Sri Lanka’s energy, transport, telecom infrastructure. This was evident in the US Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact, rejected by Sri Lanka back in 2019. At the time there were fears of the US establishing military bases under the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), in the geostrategic island nation.

The Colombo harbour is South Asia’s busiest port but that development is also now on hold. Of course, the US promise to fund Adani’s port development to the tune of over USD 500 million was in any case a tall order! The sum was much more than the aborted MCC project, after which the mysterious ISIS-claimed Easter Sunday hybrid war attacks targeted tourist hotels and churches, crashing economy and society. The IS-claimed attacks were clearly designed to set off a ‘cascade of violence” in the multi-religious island nation.

The Mattala International Airport in Hambantota, initially built by the Chinese was perceived to be a White Elephant’ development project but is actually located near one of the world’s busiest maritime trade, energy and submarine Date Cable routes in the world. The Indian Shaurya Aeronautics plan to develop the airport would bring needed foreign investment and showcase collaboration among the big three Asian powers- China, India and Russia but is now on ice due to US sanctions.

Sri Lanka, clearly caught in the crosshairs of big power rivalry, had formally submitted an application to join BRICS and the New Development Bank at the meeting in Kazan in October where President Putin hosted China’s President Xi and Indian Premier Modi along with other Global South leaders. The new government in Colombo would be hoping to leverage regional growth and support from the Global South in the Asian 21^stCentury”.

However, no senior Minister from Sri Lanka attended the meeting in Kazan where de-dollarization and trading in national currencies was a hot topic– an opportunity missed in deference to Washington? Sri Lanka’s application to join the New Development Bank has been accepted but the BRICS application remains pending at this time.

A New Regional Cold War?

A new Cold War is clearly ramping up across the Indian Ocean–and not just on China. Having pushed Russia and China into ever close partnership Washington seems keen to ensure that India warmly embraces its erstwhile foe – China and the BRICS.

India had defied US sanctions on Russia over the past two year and ramped up Rupee-Ruble trade and Russian oil and gas purchases, benefiting from Russia’s decoupling from Europe and the war in Ukraine, also given historically strong and deep relations with the Soviet Union during the Cold War (1945-1991).

Was India rewarded with regime change in Bangladesh for defying US Sanctions and drawing nearer its neighbouring BRICS? India was also embroiled in a Canadian Sikh spy murder mystery with Woke Diaspora identity political overtones also emanating from Washington.

More concerning for India and indeed the South Asia region as a whole is the latest regime change operation with the obligatory student protests directed via social media right under India’s nose in neighbouring Bangladesh, and the weaponization of Hindu-Muslim-Buddhist regional religious identity politics that has followed.

Departing President Joe Biden seems to have run out of patience with India. The G-20 afterglow in Delhi now seems like a prelude to the parting of ways between India and the West, as Delhi appears to pivot to BRICS. Or perhaps it’s just Biden’s farewell to South Asia and the world, which increasingly seems like: ‘Apres moi le deluge!’

Debt Neocolonialism as a new Cold War takes Shape in South Asia

Will Sri Lanka caught in the IMF’s neocolonial debt and Eurobond bailout business be able to withstand US pressures as India has and turn its back on Indian and Russian investments?

Will Colombo be asked to choose between Washington and New Delhi again? During the previous Cold War, Delhi armed and trained the Liberation Tigers (LTTE), against any possible US bases in its backyard as Colombo moved close to Washington under J.R. Jayawardena. This ensured that Sri Lanka’s so-called internal ethnic conflict’ which was really a regional Cold War proxy war, with India closely allied with the Soviet Union, would run for 30 years.

Geostrategic Sri Lanka’s ports and airports at the center of the Indian Ocean and a choke point of Submarine Data Cables are again of great interest to Washington’s neocons and the NATO war machine, which now aspires to Full Spectrum Dominance (FSD)–over earth, air, sea and Cyber operations.

The targeting of energy and electricity systems as well as transport and telecom infrastructure in the South Asia region– from MCC in Nepal in the north to IMF’s privatization push in Sri Lanka in the south may have much to do with the rush to setup Data Centers, as well as, control over trade and energy choke points as a new Cold War ramps up.

Cold War Redux: Regime Change and Debt Neocolonialism

Back in 2022 the Pakistan premier Imran Khan accused Donald Lu of running a regime change operation against him. Simultaneously, a soft regime change operation unfolded in Sri Lanka with the US National Endowment for Democracy (NED) funded and social media remote platforms directed Aragalaya ‘protests’. This was shortly after Victoria Nurland had visited Colombo.

The 2022 regime change in Colombo was masked, Arab Spring/ colour revolution style, with people’s protests against a no doubt unpopular regime, to ensure that Sri Lanka staged a smooth Sovereign Default into the waiting arms of the lender of last resorts- the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The new Washington backed President Ranil Wickramasinghe was installed to stage the default and deepen the Eurobond debt trap ex-poste.

Two years later, Imran Khan for his impudence in naming Donald Lu as the instigator of regime change in Pakistan in 2022 languishes in prison in Islamabad amid huge protests. Fate has been slightly kinder to Sri Lanka’s erstwhile president Gotabaya Rajapakse who was also ousted in the soft Aragalaya coup in 2022.

Rajapakse remains a free man albeit an ex-American citizen barred from travel to the US.  He was dispatched and humiliated amid the Woke Aragalaya protests directed via remote controlled social media platforms that rocked Colombo, after the dreaded Victoria Nurland’s visit in early 2022 to triggered the regime change. Nurland is widely credited with the Ukraine Maidan Square colour revolutions that enabled the rise of Zelinski to precipitate war with Russia.

Thus, South Asia’s only Upper Middle Income County (MIC) was declared bankrupt overnight and forced to stage a first ever Sovereign Default. This was as Lawfare unfolded once again in a New York Court when the shadowy, off-shore Hamilton Reserve Bank filed a case against Sri Lanka in 2022 for non-payment of a small amount of interest.

The HRB Lawfare triggered rapid local Rupee currency depreciation against the exorbitantly privileged US dollar in tandem with rating agency downgrades.

A quiet parting of Ways? Weaponizing Diaspora Identity Politics

Regime change operations in Colombo and Islamabad in early 2022 notwithstanding, India, the South Asian regional hegemon, now grapples with yet another US instigated regime change operation right under her nose – this time in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Deposed secular Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina had sought refuge in Delhi given historic ties but religion/s have been again weaponized in Bangladesh.

Of course, the weaponiztion of religion/s, particularly, Buddhism and Islam, in South and South East Asia was a Cold War project to destabilize the region and counter God-less Communist and Socialist de-colonization, national liberation and independence movements in Asia. Yale University historian Eugene Ford’s book Cold War Monks: Buddhism and America’s Secret Strategy in Asia” is especially enlightening in this regard.

Is a quiet parting of ways unfolding at this time with India’s Adani and various BRICS partnerships being targeted by Washington? The side show with Canada and India expelling diplomats, may well be a distraction from the far more serious issue of regime change in Bangladesh and its regional implications: Religious minorities (Hindus, Buddhists and Christians), are now under threat from the same Saudi-funded Islamist Cat’s paw and handmaiden that the CIA with partner in crime Israel’s Mossad deploys around the world to destabilize countries and regions. Call it the ISIS, ISIL, Al Qaida, the Muslim Brotherhood, rebranded HTS in Syria or ISIS-K in Afghanistan, or whatever.

The recent regime change operation, weaponizing transnational networks and religious identity politics in Bangladesh that saw the ouster of Prime Minister Hasina a close ally of Delhi certainly put a spanner in the works in the West’s wooing of mother India– with the Indian Diaspora in the west in tow: From Rishi Sunak to Kamala Harris who embodied the I-2 (Israel-India) partnership given her Indian name and Jewish husband, to all those Indian Diaspora CEOs of big US and EU corporations, it is increasingly clear that the Indian Diaspora in the Euro-American world and Australia had been weaponized and mobilized for the charm offensive to persuade India to fight a proxy war on China and crash the Asian 21^st Century. That kite did not fly.

The I2U2, or West Asia QUAD, comprising Israel, India, UAE and US, was designed to help ‘normalize’ Israel’s occupation of Palestine via the Abraham Accords, and the current genocide in Gaza. But the U2- UAE and US part may be fraying at this time.

ISUS was also set up to cement the I-2 (India-Israel) alliance brokered as part of Washington’s Judeo-Christian-Hindu fundamentalist outreach via I2U2 (India, Israel, UAE, US), with the Islamist Cat’s paw to destabilize South Asia – old Cold War style when there was a proliferation of regional security groupings like SEATO. The new twist is the Indian Diaspora in the West.

Will developments before and during the BRICS summit in Kazan where China and India made relative peace, and the regime change in Bangladesh break the I2U2 partnership, or at least the I2, India-Israel part?

As winds of change blow in Washington come January when Donald Trump would be ensconced President of the United States, Donald Lu would be perhaps saying a fond farewell to South Asia on this trip to the region.

• Dr Darini Rajasingham-Senanayake is a social and medical anthropologist with expertise in international development and political-economic analysis. She was a member of the International Steering Group of the North-South Institute project: Southern Perspectives on Reform of the International Aid Architecture”.

[i] https://economynext.com/us-sanctions-indian-firm-involved-in-deal-with-sri-lankas-mattala-airport-186347/

Courtesy Hiru News

A tense situation erupted when National People’s Power Kurunegala District MP Wijesiri Basnayake and Puttalam District MP Ajith Gihan visited a factory in the Bingiriya-Wilattawa area.

The incident occurred as factory employees protested against the MPs and their entourage over an alleged attempt to interfere with the factory’s office transport service, which is managed by local residents. Protesters accused the MPs of trying to take control of the transport service and blocked their jeep as they attempted to leave the premises.

Responding to inquiries, MP Wijesiri Basnayake stated that his visit was related to discussions about a development project at the factory. He claimed the unrest arose as his group was departing, dismissing allegations of interference.

https://youtu.be/vbKqil5MzGU

VFM RADIO 107

එන්න කියාපං ඇමතිතුමාට.. එන්න කියාපං.. තිරප්පනේ මාලිමා මන්ත්‍රීගේ කාර්යාලය වැටලීමත් සමග මහ පාරේ දරුණු තත්ත්වයක් ගමේ නියෝජිතයා කෝ.. ගහලා පන්නන්න ඕන..

Dasatha News

VFM RADIO 107

VFM RADIO 107

e-Con e-News

blog: eesrilanka.wordpress.com

‘Before you study the economics, study the economists!’

e-Con e-News 22-28 December 2024

*

In 1770, William Pitt the Elder (then Earl of Chatham), ‘made uneasy

by the first manufacturing attempts of the New Englanders, declared that

the colonies should not be permitted to manufacture so much as a horseshoe nail’

– Ha-Joon Chang, Kicking Away the Ladder

*

‘Intelligence agencies have been pushing universities:

The Swiss Federal Intelligence Agency’s Technopole Program

wants universities to implement knowledge security’

*

‘The securitization trend coincides with the decreasing share of the US,

the EU, & OECD countries in global research & innovation,

& a rising weight of the global South, with China leading the way.’

(see ee Focus)

*

The US demand to block certain university subjects to Asian & African students, is being meekly followed by Europe, led by England, rear and tail wagging, despite loud proclamations about ‘free trade’ & ‘free enquiry’ and ‘geopolitical neutrality.’ Luckily for them, while Sri Lanka is not on the lengthening list of countries sanctioned, we can assume that few Sri Lankan students even aim to take on such ‘sensitive’ modern industrial subjects, let alone enable such ‘undesirable knowledge transfer’. The starker truth is that the imperialists have always wished to prevent any type of modern industrialization in our countries:

*

‘Yet everything can be military in an engineering school:

…Cybersecurity, robotics, drones , chemistry –

chemical weapons, applied math, artificial intelligence…

Almost all lessons can have dual applications.’

*

Citing ‘research security’ concerns, universities are vetting engineering & science students from certain countries, as demanded by the US & European Union governments. Universities have to provide ‘a detailed outline’ of its rules for foreign students applying for masters and doctoral degrees in applied research areas, as well as for invitations to ‘scientific guests’ and new staff appointments. They are also designating certain universities in Asia, blocking their graduates from further study abroad. Many of these now-verboten technologies were in fact developed by the sweat and tears and blood of Asians and Africans.

Meanwhile all the US government NGOs, their thinktanks and economists sing the praises of mythical ‘free trade’ while vehemently opposing industrialization. The US online business journal and ‘lip service’ EconomyNext in Sri Lanka, mostly fabricated by AI algorithms and full of errors, has taken to claiming that ‘Karl Marx, Engels would have approved Sri Lanka Rice Imports for Working Class’ (see ee Random Notes). This is of course just not as simple as that, let alone true. Firstly, Sri Lanka is dominated not by the state-protected mafias but by multinational monopolies like England’s Unilever and the USA’s Proctor & Gamble, and Ceylon Tobacco Co. and US Exxon, etc. Secondly, Marx & Engels show how the early English ‘free-traders’ & ‘protectionists’ worked in tandem to promote slavery, Black & white; sell bread with fecal matter (they called it ‘sophistication’!), employ children under 10, and prevent any reduction in work hours, and to oppose trade unions. Two years after the so-called ‘Victory of Free Trade’ in England, the English state then perpetrated their genocide on the lands of the Sinhala in 1848 … So much for laissez-faire (see ee Focus).

*

Welcome to the 350^th (almost weekly edition) of e-Con e-News, which we began in dedication to the work of SBD de Silva, as expressed in his classic The Political Economy of Underdevelopment, published in England in 1982. Ironically, in that very same year – rather coincidentally and we dare say, in astrological congruence – the English also published another The Political Economy of Underdevelopment by India’s Amiya Kumar Bagchi. Eleven years earlier, Hungary’s Akademiai Kiado had published Thomas Szentes’ The Political Economy of Underdevelopment, in 1971. It turns out, scholars from the socialist bloc in Eastern Europe and Central Asia had developed their own analysis of neo-colonial mechanisms in the world economy, and the role of internal class structure in the Global South.

Soviet political economist Sergei Tyulpanov, for instance, argued that the state had to isolate those domestic forces hindering industrialization (feudal landlords and merchant capital – mafias, anyone?) and create a strong public sector while encouraging the progressive potential of the national bourgeoisie in a private sector. Within this strategy of non-capitalist development, it was crucial that national-democratic parties take charge and not relinquish political power to the bourgeoisie. It turns out that SBD De Silva’s thesis and criticism of ‘dependency theory’ was also the position of many Soviet scholars: the ruling merchant and moneylender class in Sri Lanka is thrilled be the house-slave for the English industrial bourgeoisie, as their commercial puppy dog. So what, pray, is la difference between these 3 books of the same name? ee shall have to explore this matter at another time.

     We may say of such authors, as SBD de Silva noted in the introduction to his inquiry into Sri Lanka’s discontents:

‘This book is not the product of alienated labour.

There was throughout a psychological dimension, involving

a voluntariness and spontaneity of effort – unrelated to

considerations of professional survival or advancement’

So then, let’s examine the contribution of Bengal’s Amiya Kumar Bagchi, who passed last week (see ee Focus).

*

________

Contents: