A Litmus Test: The Debate on the 19th Amendment
On April 28, 2015, the 19th amendment to the Constitution was passed in Parliament, with a two-thirds majority. 212 MPs voted in favour of its passage, with just one MP at the…
Politics and Governance
On Capital Punishment
The diverse profusion of contributions on this subject reminds me of an apocryphal story of a man of Abrahamic faith (Christian/Muslim/Jewish), ship- wrecked on a land unknown to him. He kept wandering,…
Politics in Make-believe Realities
Politicians everywhere are amnesiacs, to various degrees. The condition probably comes with the territory, a necessary facilitator for such in stock-in-trade as lies and hypocrisy. But total amnesia, forgetting everything one has…
Deep Impact: Emmerson’s Report Reveals Lasting Legacy of PTA
On July 23, former UN Special Rapporteur on Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights, Ben Emmerson released a report following on from his visit to Sri Lanka in 2017. Emmerson pulled no punches in…
Jana Bala Sena Rally (Photos)
On August 2, the Joint Opposition held the “Jana Bala Sena” rally, beginning at Lipton Circus and ending at the Vihara Maha Devi Park amphitheatre. The protest at Lipton Circus was broadcast…
On Collective Humanity: Remembering Black July
“If the majority thinks that a minority community is posing a threat to them or are developing in a manner that creates fear among them, then it is a problem for the…
What’s next for Sri Lanka’s Muslim Women?
“Fear Allah! Do not do injustice to your own community women and girls” This was the plea on placards held by many of the women who stood near the Parliament opposing Muslim…
Media As Memory: Remembering July 1983
The flat, cardboard boxes are stacked almost to the ceiling. The neatly glued label of one of them is clearly visible when a door opens – briefly releasing a puff of air-conditioned…
Remembering, Nine Years On
May 18, 2009 is a day that showcases division. To some, it is a day of mourning. To others, cause for celebration. Families in the North and East who commemorate their family…
Untold Stories from Kandy
“This is the money that my daughter and I collected every day in a till. It used to be on the cabinet. The notes can no longer be found. The coins were…
An Uneven Playing Field: Bisliya Bhutto
Initially, Bisliya, a women’s rights activist based in Puttalam and researching on female participation in politics, didn’t want to enter the arena herself. Her interests lay more in working to get more…
UNP & SLFP: Transition Blues, Part 1
Photo courtesy Amidst so many stories about the ever-exciting twists and turns in the crisis of our government, we seem to ignore so many other significant political questions. One such question is:…
A question of confidence in Yahapaalanaya – The unfinished mandate
Hard on the heels of the local government elections, the Joint Opposition (JO) emboldened by the unexpectedly robust performance of their nascent political party, the Sri Lanka Podujana Party (SLPP), popularly known…
Corridors of Power at Dhaka Art Summit 2018
Corridors of Power, the critically acclaimed collaboration between constitutional theorist Asanga Welikala, architect Channa Daswatta and the Founding Editor of , Sanjana Hattotuwa, was invited by world renowned curator Sharmini Pereira to…
A Welcoming Nation?
The following is a list of things I’m often asked or told, revealing of Sri Lankan perceptions about the Burgher community. Are you Sri Lankan? Can you speak in Sinhalese? ‘You’re a…
