The Significance of 1983
I was a PhD student in London when the carnage of July 1983 erupted and thank God for the bravery and foresight of my mother and sister, my family was saved from…
Year: 2020
COVID-19: The Need to Choose Lives Over Politics in Sri Lanka
Although Sri Lanka managed to control the initial COVID-19 outbreak, the country is now at a critical juncture where political and public health priorities are at odds. There is an election scheduled…
An Agenda to Centralise Power
The ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) handsomely won November’s presidential election with 52% of the popular vote and is accordingly the clear favourite and front runner to secure victory at the…
The Night on the Horizon
Phillip Larkin (Going) That was Fort magistrate Ranga Dissanayake speaking in open court, on June 24th 2020. The pictures the CID officials wanted to show possible witnesses just before an identity parade…
Ravi Corea Reflects on Wildlife Conservation During the Pandemic
Ravi Corea can usually be found dressed in shades of gray and green, walking stealthily through the jungles of Wasgamuwa in Sri Lanka. During my many visits to Wasgamuwa, I have observed…
The Coming Constitution of the Civilization-State
The governing party’s general election campaign is centred on obtaining a two-thirds majority in the next Parliament. It is expected that the governing party will fulfil its wish – if not directly,…
Navaly Church Bombing – 25 Years On
In July 1995 the St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Navaly, Jaffna, was filled with displaced Tamils seeking refuge and safety from the war. People in Navaly, including members of the…
Rights Lawyers Under Fire in Sri Lanka
Last month (May 2020) a Magistrate in Jaffna had withdrawn quarantine orders against the organizers of end of war commemorations, based on appeals by lawyers.[1] At least three lawyers have faced reprisals…
Faces of Resistance: The Omnipresent Force of Bob Marley in Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka, the face of Bob Marley is a recurring visual motif- from tuk tuks, to street art, to reggae bars on the beach, and adorning various paraphernalia. But how did…
COVID 19 and Sri Lanka
When globalisation was the dominant concept for looking at the world, pandemics were discussed as a global security issue. The objective was to see how pandemics have an impact on global security,…
Zooming of Education
Featured image courtesy UNICEF At the dawn of the new normal resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, Sri Lanka moved towards an online based education system, which has completely transformed the existing public…
Sri Lanka And The US: A Pogrom And A Black Death At The Hands Of A White Policeman: Salutary Lessons
The Scene The morning of July the 25th 1983 is etched in my brain. I saw a group of people running or walking very fast away from the environs of Colombo. On…
New Editor and Co-Editor of Groundviews
I am pleased to announce that Minoli de Soysa will from 1st July 2020 be the new Editor of . She will be assisted by Ayudhya Gajanayake as Co-Editor. As they take…
PODCAST: Conversation with Anushka Wijesinha on economic, the pandemic & life under lock-down in Sri Lanka
In an on-going series of podcasts with individuals in Sri Lanka, I caught up with economist Anushka Wijesinha to talk about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Sri Lanka as well…
WhatsApp & Groundviews: The end of updates
Updates over WhatsApp groups, pegged to content published on this site and a plethora of issues related to them, was started in 2016. Started off as groups where all subscribers could exchange…