The recent arrival of a boat full of Rohingyas in the country raises some associated questions. What is the responsibility of the government towards such vulnerable visitors and what was the fate…
There has been growing public concern over the recent weeks about happenings in Arugam Bay. This analysis adds to the discourse. Democratic states are obliged to protect all people within its borders…
When the Secretary General of the UN condemned the Hamas attack of October 7 and cautioned the world to see it in context, he came under harsh criticism from Israel. But he…
Parliamentary democracy is a system of governance through which people share resources, provide for their own needs, enhance their own interests and deal with unexpected contingencies, as far as possible on their…
A few days ago, a Buddhist monk and two Christian priests were beaten up opposite the official residence of the prime minister of the country. They were among more than 30 peaceful…
People’s protests today occupy the public space as the people clamour to create and occupy democratic space. This receives public attention and worries the oppressor. Today’s protests demand change. The sovereignty of…
Although they overlap, there are some crucial differences between rigid schooling systems and education. Rigid schooling prepares children for exams and qualifies them for employment. Education equips children with values and prepares…
At the outset In the 19th Century a French sociologist Emile Durkheim coined the acronym ‘anomie’ to describe the then growing absence of norms in society. Today, global trends of governance under…
The Mahara prison violence has shocked the nation and stirred feelings of disbelief and indignation. A wide cross section of people and groups – class, ethnic and political – want to know…
Image via , by AFP. Last year, suffering and death struck with the arrival of Easter, to plunge us back into Good Friday. Thousands who lost loved ones and limbs were shattered…
“Try again; fail again. Fail better. “- Samuel Beckett Last year at Easter, sudden acts of violence spread immense fear, injury and death, within a matter of moments. A small group of…
With Freedom (Independence) Day in sight we should be reflecting on how best our freedom gained, is to be consolidated and what new freedoms are to be secured. As change occurs, our…
Photo courtesy The run-up to the birth of Jesus was punctuated with pauses. Mary’s pause After the Angel visited her, Mary could not say what she would have liked to have said….
Before and after the election Concerns for physical security secured a foremost place in people’s expectations and influenced the way many voted. An ‘enemy’, among us but not us, had to be…
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…
