How is this development?
A few months ago I travelled to Jaffna. I saw a very different, ‘developed’ Jaffna than the one I had visited just a few years previously in 2011; a mall, 3D cinema,…
Presidential Election 2015
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…
January 8th: Another opportunity for change
Photo by REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte via Voiz For the first time since Mahinda Rajapaksa ascended the Presidency in 2006 he faces a strong threat to his office. This was not the case when he…
Presidential Election 2015: Projection of Probable Results
Photograph via Colombo Gazette Further to the initial forecast I made in my previous article (, 1st January 2015), in this article I make several projections about the possible result in the forthcoming…
Karma and Politics
Photo from Api Sri Lankan – French-Russian Philosopher Joseph de Maistre in 1811. Politics the world over is going through its test of time, as most “democratic” governments are now influenced either…
#IVotedSL infographic: Voter turnout at Presidential Elections in Sri Lanka
Voting is an important civic responsibility and one way all of us exercise and enjoy our Sovereignty. This responsibility becomes particularly important during a Presidential Election, because of the immense power vested…
The 2015 Presidential Election: A view from the village
Photo by Eranga Jayawardena/Associated Press, via The Washington Post The Pre-election scenario For the last eight months I have been living in a village in the Kalutara district. The village is situated…
A Portrait of the Electorate, on the Cusp of an Election
Photo courtesy Maatram Lankans are awaiting the island-nation’s seventh presidential election with a renewed belief in the power of their vote. According to the latest opinion survey by the Centre of Policy…
#IVotedSL | Exercise your vote on the 8th!
Voting is an important civic responsibility and one way all of us exercise and enjoy our Sovereignty. This responsibility becomes particularly important during a Presidential Election, because of the immense power vested…
The change we need
Photo courtesy Al Jazeera I just returned from a two-week stay in Sri Lanka with a mix of very different experiences. Since I have never done a proper meditation retreat in Sri…
Rationalizing the political choices available to us
Photo courtesy News First Generally, I do not use social media to present my opinions about social, political or economic matters relating to Sri Lanka. However, having seen the avid debates on…
2015 Presidential Election in Sri Lanka: An Initial Forecast
Photograph Colombo Gazette As we approach the final week of campaigning for the Presidential election, the political messages of both coalitions are becoming clearer. So are the strategies of both coalitions and…
Open letter to Salman Khan and Jacqueline Fernandez
Photo courtesy Indian Express Dear Salman Khan and Jacqueline Fernandez, It was probably not your intention to be in the middle of this embarrassing political controversy. Clearly, all you wanted to do…
Thuggery (Chandikama) as a Method of Intimidation, Bullying and Harassment in the South
Image courtesy Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) Use of thugs ‘chandiyas’ or ‘marayas’ by those in authority has its roots in the colonial period. Later, Sinhalese politicians adopted this method in…
The Incident at Kumbukgate: Reflections on the Attack on Young Artists and Activists
Photo courtesy Nidahasa The chilling news came in the afternoon – our friends, colleagues and comrades who had been holding a small scale meeting in Kumbukgate, Kurunegala, were under attack, surrounded by…
