Photograph courtesy SBS Australia The first omens of the Meetotamulla tragedy appeared in 2011, when several houses became compromised. In January 2013, part of the dump collapsed onto the Sri Rahula Primary…
This fascinating autobiography of Vijaya Vidyasagara edited by Skantha Kumar and Marshal Fernando and published by the Ecumenical Institute for Study and Dialogue is excellent reading. Priced at Rs. 500/- and covering 300 pages…
The Meethotamulla tragedy has brought back the politics of garbage to every screen, newspaper and radio. Street protests are happening around every garbage dump. Modern day popular communication technologies have taken over…
When you tell people in Washington that you’re following Sri Lanka, you might get a strange look. You might get something worse than that. But you never really know. Please keep in…
On the afternoon of 14th April tons of garbage at Meethotamulla, one of the biggest dumping sites just outside Colombo, came crashing down destroying scores of homes. At the time of writing,…
In 2012, I visited Madampitiya to help with research for a friend’s thesis. The subject was the spread of disease in this area, situated close to a garbage dump. The tiny lanes…
ACJU’s latest media statement on the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA) does not mention anything about altering their previous position. In other words they are still right. How can they not…
There is a movement around the world that is clamouring for the recognition of an extensive catalogue of positive social, economic and cultural rights as constitutionally protected and judicially enforceable entitlements. The…
Through the ping of a tweet and a quick scan of the media, I’ve been alerted to a polarising constitutional debate in Sri Lanka. The debate is on whether justiciable socio-economic rights…
The Gazette Notification issued on the 24th of March 2017 declared four forest areas North of the Wilpattu sanctuary as reserves, preventing Muslim Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from returning to their homes in…
reminisces 88-year-old village elder from Mullikulam, M. Francis Vaz, who hasn’t been home since 2007. On the 8th of September, 2007 the entire village of Mullikulam was unceremoniously evacuated by the Military…
Image courtesy Al Jazeera Prof Pratap Bhanu Mehta, an eminent Indian Political scientist shared his insights into incorporating socio-economic rights in the new constitution in Sri Lanka recently. Speaking at a public…
In Sri Lanka, the age of marriage for Muslims girls is 12 years old. We are currently having a discussion on raising it to 18 to be on par with the rest…
Photography courtesy Sister-Hood The All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU) is opposed to making any changes to the existing Muslim family law. Mufti Rizvi, who is a member of the Saleem Marsoof Committee…
Recently, compiled a timeline of all the statements made by the Government in terms of the participation of foreign judges in a judicial mechanism. The timeline shows that over the past two…
