Who will watch the watchdog?
Photo courtesy Iromi Perera’s Flickr album on 2018 constitutional coup Many of us were hoping for a new dawn in 2015. The hope for a “Yahapalanaya” government now leaves ashes in the…
Colombo
The probe for a prudent political order: A Reflection
Photo courtesy Iromi Perera’s Flickr album on 2018 constitutional coup The more visible euphoria that precedes the coming presidential election, is accompanied with a deeper, solemn realism that the country is unlikely…
Sri Lanka resumes deportation of asylum seekers
Photograph courtesy “Please save my family, please” was the message I received from a Pakistani friend last weekend. It was about her family of seven, including 3 children, who had fled Pakistan…
Is the Deep State Involved? Reflections on the PSC Findings & Implications for the Future
Photograph courtesy We are presently witnessing a whirlwind of activities in the lead up to Presidential Elections due on 16th November with an unprecedented number of candidates and election hype. It was…
Asking the Future
Photograph courtesy ‘The Brother’s Grip‘, Global & Mail, by Ishara Kodikara, AFP ### The past is what Gotabaya Rajapaksa invokes when he tells us to vote for him. In his glitzy…
“What is the Question?” The Matter of Surrendees and Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s Response
Meera Srinivasan, the Hindu correspondent in Sri Lanka, at the first press conference with Presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa asked him what happened to the LTTE cadres and others who surrendered to the…
A Glimpse into the World of ‘Predatory’ Publishing
Image from ‘Academic publishing is broken. Here’s how to redesign it’, On 20th September 2019, I was invited to be part of a panel discussion on ‘Academic Publishing In India’ organized by…
Presidential Interference in Universities
Prof Sarath Chandrajeewa, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Visual and Performing Arts, has been removed from his post by the President of Sri Lanka. No explanation has been offered. In a…
Ranil’s Recalcitrance and Liberal License
Photo by Reuters, via South China Morning Post The term ‘Colombo liberal’ is one that’s almost always used as a pejorative. Elitist, out of touch, NGO-kaarayas and foreign agents are among the…
Is there a Gotabaya-wave? Can it be broken?
Image from “Sri Lanka: Reconciling and Rebuilding”: Framing the lies What would a Gotabaya Rajapaksa Presidency look like (Economist Intelligence Unit – 11.8.2019) Saviours need crises, not the average inflation-unemployment…
The Blanket of the Dark
Photo by President’s Media Division (PMD) “From now on, people and monks will govern this country from the streets” Aturaliye Ratana Thero (Lankadeepa – 28.5.2019) A man in a suit defending the…
Keep it clean: A reflection
Photo courtesy CNN. “ . “ Real stories-real racism A Colombo taxi driver informed a customer that he was a Muslim. It sounded like an apology. His two previous hires…
Sensitivity, solidarity and social stability: A post Easter-Sunday reflection
Photo courtesy The message The worship had just reached the the affirmation of God’s intervention in history, when the police arrived. The officer was courteous but firm. The service had to be…
Security, Freedom and Co-Existence after the Easter-Sunday Attacks in Sri Lanka
Photo courtesy Getty via The Easter-Sunday attacks have changed a lot of things in Sri Lanka. It proved, if proof was indeed required, the sheer inefficiency of the present government. Some of…
From casualty to catastrophe
Photo by Asanka Brendon Ratnayake for We hadn’t seen him in years, ever since he left to work abroad. So, on the day of his return, his mother invited the extended family…
