Our Departed Colleague, Saman Wagaarachchi – My Recollections
Comrade Saman Wagaarachchi had joined the JVP in early 1977 while we were still being held incarcerated for our role in the April 1971 uprising. Later I heard that he had supported…
Author: Lionel Bopage
Sri Lanka: Past Experiences and Current Trends
Image courtesy Dear Friends, First let me thank the Darebin Ethnic Communities Council and Darebin Intercultural Centre for inviting me to speak at this . The biography , which Michael Colin Cooke…
Good Governance and Corruption
Featured image courtesy Al Jazeera Good Governance is a key challenge Sri Lanka has faced and spectacularly failed to deliver for most of its modern history. This challenge is not only about…
Yester-Years: The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and The Cuban Revolution
In the 1950s, Cuban revolutionaries launched their July 26 Movement () to get rid of foreign domination and economic injustice. In 1952, Fulgencio Batista launched a coup d’etat, which made the Cuban…
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…
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…