Good English skills over a University education?
Image courtesy , by Ajith P. Perera It was not so long ago that the post-nominals was a sure route to employment in the administrative cadre of the Government of India, in addition to being a…
Month: January 2012
Violence Against Women: This is my story
Two months ago I sat for my first year final exams at the Open University of Sri Lanka. Last month’s edition of the showcased 3 pages of clothes from designer K.T Brown…
Why not sing Kolaveri Di in Jaffna Tamil?
It was less than 200 years ago that the title of “orator” or “navalar” was bestowed on Kandar Arumukam Pillai, by the grateful inhabitants of South India. Leaving his native Jaffna for…
Packets of White Powder
Photo courtesy Arsenic and toxins found in baby rice food – what you need to know Suddenly, scores of packets of white powder began appearing in the homes of many farmers we were…
Ending the Exile and Back to Roots: Fears, Challenges and Hopes
[Editors note: The author was married to Dr. Rajini Thiranagama (née Rajasingham), a Tamil human rights activist and feminist murdered in 1989 by the LTTE. She was one of the founding members of…
In conversation with Prof. Anil K Gupta: Grassroots innovation and development
Prof. Gupta teaches at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and was in Sri Lanka recently to deliver the first Ray Wijewardene Memorial lecture. Prof. Gupta is one of the world’s leading…
Extravagance veiled as National Pride: Brief analysis of Corrupt Public Expenditure in Sri Lanka
Lessons from China or Tunisia? Just few months ago, in response to a public outcry for more accountability and transparency in the use of public funds, the State Council, which is the…
Killer Representative
I am assembling the scene, a local hood and his gang come to a Christmas Eve gathering at a beach hotel, want to dance with foreign women, see a bloke from town…
Wishes for a peaceful and a happy New Year from the President
I probably was one among millions of people in Sri Lanka privileged to receive a SMS from the President, wishing me “a peaceful and a happy New Year”. (A large majority who…
Reconciliation – What is the Big Deal?
It looks like the Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Committee (LLRC) took their job far more seriously than expected. Some stake holders in the Government who insisted that it is fully worth spending…
