A Missing Path Toward Unity and Reconciliation
May is a month of deep reflection and complex emotions in Sri Lanka. It marks two significant and contrasting commemorations: Mullivaikal Remembrance Day on May and Sri Lanka’s Victory Day on May…
Colombo
Sixteen Years On, it’s Time for Reflection, Not Only Celebration
Since the end of the 26 year armed conflict in May 2009, whether it should be celebrated as a victory or allowed to be mourned by the war victims has been a…
An Examination of Local Government Election Outcomes
The local government elections have sparked widespread political debate, and rightly so. These elections mark a turning point in the country’s grassroots political landscape. But as the dust settles, it is crucial…
Economic Toll of Urban Sanitation Failures
In the throes of a historic economic crisis, Sri Lanka is confronting a less visible but equally devastating public emergency – the widespread failure of urban sanitation infrastructure. A study released by…
Not Enough: Zero Tolerance and Ragging
How do we end ragging at our universities? It is a question that never goes away and one that re-appears every time a student is killed. Charith Dilshan took his own life,…
Opportunity Costs: Identity Politics and Sri Lankan Diaspora Writing
The Asian Literary Society (ALS) facilitated a forum at the National Library in Colombo where the convenors invited a range of academics, scholars, journalists and creative writers to discuss a timely and…
Motherhood and Manufactured Consent: The Hegemony of the Good Mother
Every year on the second Sunday of May Mother’s Day rolls around complete with soft focus advertisements, heartfelt social media tributes and the ceremonial gifting of flowers and breakfast in bed. At…
Power Without Principle: The NPP’s Progressive Illusion
“I want to reaffirm Sri Lanka’s commitment to upholding human rights, gender equality, and social justice…our foremost priority is to ensure that no one is left behind – especially women, children, marginalized…
Sri Lanka, the West and Arabs on Palestine
When the entire Global North led by a sociopath US president whose cognitive capacity is under media scrutiny, has thrown its unreserved support behind Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s IDF to cleanse…
The End of the Honeymoon: Sentiments on NPP and AKD after the Local Government Election
Writing in March after studying 2,000 comments against President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s (AKD’s) consequential budget speech, I observed there was “a growing public sentiment (bordering on embryonic disenchantment) around the government’s inability to…
Sivaram: A Reflection 20 Years After His Murder
Among the many human rights violations that have occurred in the country in recent decades, the abduction and killing of Dharmaratnam Sivaram, also known as Taraki, stands out. Investigating this case and…
Local Government Elections: Challenges and Stakes
On May 6 Sri Lanka will hold local government elections for 339 councils, engaging over 17 million voters. The elections come at a pivotal moment for the NPP, which has seen a…
Reflections On Aversion: A Story of Contemporary Sri Lanka
I have titled my first novel Aversion. The definition of this word is “a strong dislike or disinclination” and “an opposition” or “a repulsion” towards a thing, a place or a person….
A Sustained Path Toward Equitable Higher Education
The time has come to move beyond political promises and take concrete action not only by increasing investment in education but by ensuring that this investment is sustainable, equitable and benefits generations…
Rising Violence Ahead of Local Government Elections
In the first electoral test for President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and his National People’s Power party since they won the presidential and parliamentary elections in 2024, more than 17 million people will…