A Reflection on Conflicts in Sri Lanka
Photography courtesy Dev Policy We acknowledge the traditional owners and custodians of the land on which we make this reflection, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respects, to…
Author: Lionel Bopage
Somawansa Amarasinghe – Some Recollections from Our Political Journeys
Comrade Somawansa Amarasinghe since joining the JVP in 1969, had been committed at that time to the political line of the JVP. I understand that while he was held in custody in…
It’s time to rethink the feminist agenda!
Photo courtesy Hispanichorizons, via SoundCloud Today is the International Women’s Day. It is 41 years since this day came out as a result of an event the Socialist Party of America organized.…
Some Thoughts on our Cultural Values and National Harmony
Photo by Sarah Crake, via Compas Blog I recognise, respect, appreciate and congratulate the valuable work done by many including those of Sri Lanka Invites. Several other organisations that promote rights, freedoms…
The courageous role the Venerable Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero played should continue to the future!
Picture courtesy SithTV We are deeply saddened by the demise of the Venerable Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero, the chief incumbent of the Kotte Naga Maha Vihara. He contributed immensely as the Convener and…
Sri Lanka and its political detainees
Picture courtesy NDTV The jail system in Sri Lanka and the fate of prisoners who are being held therein have been discussed on several occasions, when major violence occurred within the system.…
Recollections of my political association with Comrade Indika Gunawardena
It was with great sadness that I heard of the passing away of comrade Indika Gunawardena this afternoon. He had been gravely ill, when we saw him last year. Comrade Indika and…
A Short Note on the Historical Legacy of International Women’s Day
Introduction In the West, International Women’s Day was first observed as a popular event after 1977 when the United Nations General Assembly invited member states to proclaim March 8 as the UN…
Taking Stock: Presidential Election 2015
AP Photo/Sujeewa Kumar via The Guardian By far the most important issue for the constituents of Sri Lanka at the last week’s presidential election was about opening a pathway for the formation…
Political Dynamics: Presidential Elections 2015 and beyond
Photo courtesy The Malaysian Insider You must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself. Introduction The current presidential election in Sri…
Comrade Bala Tampoe, the Legend Is No More!
Photography by Kannan Arunasalam, via i.am Meeting with comrade Bala Tampoe at the Ceylon Mercantile Union (CMU) office in Colombo had been a tradition I looked forward to whenever I visited Sri…
Is reconciliation achievable without separation in Sri Lanka?
“The general population doesn’t know what is happening and it doesn’t even know that it doesn’t know” – Noam Chomsky Introduction In the article published in May 2010, I concluded: The emphasis…
Celebratory Memoirs of the Life of Comrade Sunila Abeysekera
Last Thursday, I was reading an article about Joan Jara, the widow of renowned Chilean activist, singer, songwriter and theatre director Victor Jara, and her family. They are seeking long-delayed justice for…
Political Violence in Sri Lanka
An introduction Prosterman in 1976 estimated that some 68 million people have perished from all forms of deliberate human violence from 1820 to 1970. Zimmerman in 2013 found that if the victims…
An Eternal Hope, Mandela!
Photo courtesy People usually pay tribute to great individuals, once they are no more. However, I wrote this poem about Nelson Mandela, in order to pay homage to him, while he…