The perpetual conflict: Part 2
Photo via blackjuly.info Fault-lines Perhaps it is a tragic coincidence of our time; or maybe it was inevitable given the passage of generations, that we are marking the thirty year anniversary of…
Author: Harendra Alwis
The perpetual conflict: Part 1
Photo via blackjuly.info The dark clouds of history When I look back, I do not see the black smoke rising, or the cries of hapless countrymen, women and innocent children – victims…
It’s about Justice, stupid!
Image via DBS Jeyaraj.com My faith is not threatened by the faith of others whose beliefs are different from my own. Neither my race nor my culture is under threat of being…
The Oldest and the Greatest: A reflection on the Bradby Shield and what it stands for
Image courtesy Trinity College website History and tradition are great mentors. History assures us of who we are, and if we are brave enough, it can also teach us where we have…
Heroes of our ages
1. The stuff of heroes Every yarn in the fabric of history is held together by a common thread. From the story of the light bulb to the grand history of nations,…
Sri Lanka’s War Burden: Two years on
Photo credit Eranga Jayawardena/AP, Encyclopædia Britannica Online During the last couple of months, the former UN spokesperson in Sri Lanka – Mr Gordon Weiss has been promoting his book titled “The Cage”…
Living in a very small world: and dying to have a piece of it
Part 4 I was the last person in our group to come out of the railway station after divulging the intricacies of my visit to the somnolent policeman and the Civil Defence…
Crossing over to the other side of a unitary state
Part 3 The refurbished metal “Queen of Jaffna” gracefully strode up to the platform in Medawachchiya by 10.30 am – the time I usually start to begin to consider the prospect of…
Linking North and South: What trains cannot do
Part 2 Weeks before coming to Sri Lanka, I shared with some friends; a desire to help war affected Sri Lankans in whatever capacity possible while I am home. I had a…
End of a conflict: An ideal time to bear witness to a brutal war
Part 1 The strap of my bag unbuckled under the strain as I squeezed out of the bus in Kurunegala. The clock tower read an unrushed 6.40 am on its weary face….