Leonard Cohen: The Stranger, the Master
The master of the modern love song, whose intricate and intense musical cartography of the relationships between men and women provided the soundtrack of our private lives, has come down like Moses…
Identity
A Podium to Spit Venom
Two days ago a video was posted on YouTube where a man named Abdul Razik belonging to an extremist sect that calls itself ‘Sri Lanka Tawheed Jamath’ (SLTJ) makes a speech in Sinhala in…
My Uchipattam
My mother parts my hair in the middle, Places the Uchipattam at the center. It rests on my forehead. It feels cold. She tells me that I look like my grandmother; Not…
The Washington Notes
Featured image courtesy the Daily Signal America’s election day is quickly approaching and so writing about something besides the Trumpian phenomenon or Hillary Clinton’s emails or how deeply flawed U.S. democracy is…
Muslim Personal Laws reforms: On or not?
Photograph courtesy Sister Hood Call for reform In announcing the decisions made by the Cabinet of Ministers last Wednesday, the Government spokesperson has stated, amongst others, that the Cabinet has decided to…
Sexism is on the rise
Photo courtesy the BBC Chaucer’s notorious should be safeguarded from an excessive display of sin-inducing, female flesh. It seems as if nothing has changed since the time of Adam and Eve as…
Remembering, celebrating and missing Sunila Abeysekera
Featured image courtesy the New York Times/Patricia Williams Ever since Sunila passed away 3 years ago, I have wanted to write about her, but found it difficult to articulate my experiences and…
SUBMISSION ON LGBTIQ PERSONS AND TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE MECHANISMS
Photo courtesy TO THE ZONAL TASK FORCE AND THE CONSULTATION TASK FORCE FOR RECONCILIATION MECHANISMS Introduction We present this submission as individuals self-identifying as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, and Queer (LGBTIQ),…
Brexit through the eyes of a new British citizen
Featured image courtesy IBTimes On the day Britain found out that it chose to leave the EU, I became British. It was supposed to be a special day for me. After 5…
Normalising the Abnormalcy: Reflections on Self-Determination, Justice and Peace in Post-War Sri Lanka
Mamanithar Late Prof C.J. Eliezer AM Memorial Lecture Monash University, Clayton Campus, Melbourne, 12 June 2016 I am deeply honoured by this invitation to deliver the Maamanithar Prof Christopher Jeyaratnam Eliezer’s memorial…
Overstepping boundaries: Nazeer or Navy?
Image courtesy Ceylon News Eastern Province Chief Minister Nazeer Ahamed’s recent row with a Navy Officer has now become infamous. In response, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) evidently jumped the gun, ordering…
Seeing the “Eastern Outburst” on the Sinhala canvas: In defence of Eastern Province Chief Minister
The Navy high Command has taken one step too far, too quick. The Daily Mirror (DM) on 27 May (2016), carried in one of its columns a statement made by the Navy…
Political violence and (this time) the Chief Minister!
Chief Minister Nazeer Ahamed’s outburst is not acceptable by any standards. As the senior most political office holder in the province, he has a much bigger responsibility to ensure that law, order…
Koothu to Kolam: An Island in Sound
The Galle Music Festival was a true celebration of the diversity between and within cultures of Sri Lanka. The many facets of the Sinhala and Tamil communities, based on their geographical locations…
A Meaningful Right to Equality and Non-Discrimination: Recognising Sexual and Gender Identities
Image from 30 Years Ago In response to the call by the Public Representations Committee (PRC) for public submissions relating to proposed constitutional reforms, the following submission was made to the PRC…
