Changing the Broken System to a People Friendly One
newswire The NPP government came to power with an ambitious aim of changing the existing system that was broken and did not serve the interests of many, especially the under privileged sections…
Author: Dr. Siri Gamage
Will the Parliamentary Election Result Add to System Change?
The parliamentary election on November 14 is going to be like no other in Sri Lanka’s post independence history. Like the presidential election held on September 21, it will be another ground…
Development: What Kind?
During this campaign year there are various discourses by political parties and alliances about how to develop the country or bring development in order to address the current problems faced by the…
AKD and the NPP Campaign for System Renewal
Anura Kumara Dissanayake, AKD as popularly known, is currently leading National People Power (NPP) movement for a system change and social renewal from the bottom up including economic, political, cultural and ideological…
Did Independence Result in Freedom for the Many?
As we mark another independence day celebrating the transfer of power from the British colonial government to Ceylonese rulers, it is important to reflect on the situation that existed before, the impact…
Why Sri Lanka Has Descended into Chaos and the Way Forward Part 3
With British colonisation, the freedom that the royalty and the radala nobility had to rein over the subjects was lost. They were displaced and replaced by the colonial rulers who expressed allegiance…
Re-inventing the Idea of University: Response to Professor Jayadeva Uyangoda Part 2
Middle class consciousness, non-involvement in politics The middle class consciousness of graduates who were able to climb the social ladder (we call it social mobility in sociology) was shaped by the modernist…
Re-inventing the Idea of University: Response to Professor Jayadeva Uyangoda Part 1
A recent article published on Groundviews by Professor Jayadeva Uyangoda titled Re-inventing the idea of University: Some Reflections and Proposals deserves wider attention. Given the fact that the university education sector has…
Why Sri Lanka Has Descended into Chaos and the Way Forward Part 2
In the precolonial period of country’s long history, much of organised life was impacted from inter kingdom wars, natural events, harsh climate, hierarchical attitude and behaviour of provincial rulers, and the demands…
Why Sri Lanka Has Descended into Chaos and the Way Forward Part 1
Sri Lanka is passing through a turbulent time in terms of its economy, society, governance, community cohesion, cultural spirit and ethos. After the political and social upheaval generated by the lack of…
Unity of the Ruling Political Class and the National Government
Photo by Ishara S.KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images via The Baltimore Sun The talks of establishing a national government, among other things, highlight the underlying unity of the ruling class in Sri Lanka. Irrespective of party…
Anti-Corruption Commission for Sri Lanka: Some thoughts
Photo via Transparency International There is renewed interest and concern among various quarters of Sri Lankan society about the need for a more effective system of preventing, investigating and curbing corrupt activities…
Delicate Balancing Act for the New President
Photo via Sky News Normally, a newly elected President has a honeymoon period within which he/she has some breathing space after a hectic election campaign conducted under extremely stressful and challenging circumstances….
Rejection of the Clan and the Dawn of a New Era!
Photography via Yahoo News A dark cloud hanging over the sky in the tiny Island of Sri Lanka has started to move away into the Indian Ocean after the defeat of Rajapakse…
The Moment, Opportunity and the Possibility for Change
Photo via The Republic Square The moment and opportunity have arrived! Sri Lankans are going to the polling booths across the country on this 8th day of January 2015 to elect their…