ƒ”š‚ Geethanjana Kudaligamage ƒ”š‚ Is dog a dog to begin with? Dog becomes a dog only in the universe known to man. Man stands as the sole observer and there he interprets his universe and represents the world as he wish. He makes the dog to be what it is. Although man’s representations can be valid only […]

Geethanjana Kudaligamage ƒ”š‚ Notes from Kirinda What I am writing now is a fusion of some of my thoughts with crude translation of some pages from my notebook originally written in Sinhala language. These notes were about my Kataragama tour with a group of friends and some relatives two years after the Tsunami hit southern coast […]

GEETHANJANA KUDALIGAMAGE “Who is to say that robbing a people of their language is less violent than war?”ƒ”š‚ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚  (Ray Gwyn Smith) Robbing a people of their language is not lessviolent than war; yes I agree.But at the same time I would say that it’s also not lessbrutal than genocide. Why do I say so? The […]

Geethanjana Kudaligamage Rajapakse, regional politics, “Eurocentric Developmentalism”ƒ”š‚ and the western hegemony (Part 19-VII) Although the origin of the vernacular idiom “Gama-kanawa”ƒ”š‚ is not known, when asked an engineer of Irrigation Department of his work, he had answered in one word, “Gama-Kanawa.”ƒ”š‚ By this single termed expression, he had explained a thousand words about his innate […]

Geethanjana Kudaligamage Rajapakse, regional politics, “Eurocentric Developmentalism”ƒ”š‚ and the western hegemony (Part 19 VI) This is the second part of the emailed article of Udula continued from the part 19-V. In this part after presenting three more technological components, Udula goes to explain few cases that has brought destruction to the multi-functional ancient system. ƒ”š‚  […]

Geethanjana Kudaligamage Rajapakse, regional politics, “Eurocentric Developmentalism”ƒ”š‚ and the western hegemony (Part 19 V) ƒ”š‚ When we think of science, it invokes us something belongs to the west, a “white gift”ƒ”š‚ wrapped in white mythology. But however we try hard to white wash it, science emerges as pure, proving that it is not a white “thing”ƒ”š‚, […]

Geethanjana Kudaligamage Rajapakse, regional politics, “Eurocentric Developmentalism”ƒ”š‚ and the western hegemony (Part 19 IV) ƒ”š‚ Please be advised that the article titled “What does man want from development”ƒ”š‚”ƒ”š‚¦Awsadahamy asks”ƒ”š‚ is the part 19-III of this article.ƒ”š‚  ƒ”š‚ Native philosophy of development reaffirms the right to life of all beings; not only of the fittest, but also of […]

Geethanjana Kudaligamage Rajapakse, regional politics, “Eurocentric Developmentalism”ƒ”š‚ and the western hegemony ƒ”š‚ I asked a question in a previous article as to “what does man really desire out of development?”ƒ”š‚ Now let me ask it again, what does man in Sri Lanka want from development? When people come to confront with this question face to face, […]

Geethanjana Kudaligamage Rajapakse, regional politics, “Eurocentric Developmentalism”ƒ”š‚ and the western hegemony Ben Silva, Dr. Shelton Gunaratne and Awsadahamy symbolize the triangle of the dilemma; the trauma of the question of Awsadahamy. Any way, I’m glade for having a very healthy discussion here on Lanka Web in the search of suitable model of development for the […]

Geethanjana Kudaligamage ƒ”š‚ Rajapakse, regional politics, “Eurocentric Developmentalism”ƒ”š‚ and the western hegemony ƒ”š‚ The nationally dominant Colombo based “Coastal Political culture”ƒ”š‚ is a relatively new political phenomenon emerged only after the native culture encountered Europeans in the beginning of the 16th century. This encounter soon became a clash of civilizations as the “necropolitics”ƒ”š‚ of Europe, (As Achille […]

GEETHANJANA KUDALIGAMAGE In the famous movie “Gladiator”ƒ”š‚, at the end of the victorious military campaign defeating northern Germanic tribes, Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius asks the commander of his Northern army Maximus the Spaniard, (the “Gladiator,”ƒ”š‚)”ƒ”š‚¦ ƒ”š‚ “ƒ”š‚¦”What is Rome, Maximus?”ƒ”š‚ “Sire, I’ve seen much of the rest of the world. It’s brutal, cruel and dark. But […]

Geethanjana Kudaligamage Rajapakse, regional politics, “Eurocentric Developmentalism”ƒ”š‚ and the western hegemony ƒ”š‚ The model of power that is globally hegemonic today presupposes an element of coloniality, which in turn is deeply grounded in “ƒ”¹…”racing’ our political culture. We are not living in the 15th century after all, but the fundamental power relations of 15th century still […]

Geethanjana Kudaligamage ƒ”š‚ Rajapakse, regional politics, “Eurocentric Developmentalism”ƒ”š‚ and the western hegemony ƒ”š‚ Inferiority vs. superiority complexes, the underside of us vs. them Like many other diseases, the origin of this modern “killer disease,”ƒ”š‚ of inferiority-complex is also first originated in Caucasian mind. I think the readers who already have visited the link “The semantic slippage of […]

Geethanjana Kudaligamage ƒ”š‚ Rajapakse, regional politics, “Eurocentric Developmentalism”ƒ”š‚ and the western hegemony(The article became a little longer than I thought. Please be advised that this article now carries three parts instead of two.) ƒ”š‚ Rhsuperfly asks the Asians to “get over”ƒ”š‚ the Asian inferiority complex in order to see the “world”ƒ”š‚ or “life”ƒ”š‚ in more objective and […]

Geethanjana Kudaligamage ƒ”š‚ Rajapakse, regional politics, “Eurocentric Developmentalism”ƒ”š‚ and the western hegemony ƒ”š‚ Despite the fact that the article, THE MYTH OF A NEW ASIAN CENTURY-WHY IT IS WESTERN NOT ASIAN by Dr. Janaka Goonetilleke has already been pushed into back pages, I thought the comment of Rhsuperfly that advised Asians to get over their “ƒ”¹…”inferiority complex’ […]

Geethanjana Kudaligamage Rajapakse, regional politics, “Eurocentric Developmentalism”ƒ”š‚ and the western hegemony (Part 15-C)(Continued from part 15-B) People do not trust institutions anymore for another reason. In the face of massive purchasing power of global capital, virtually there is nothing left behind without being trapped into the complex web of its influence and its culture of […]

Geethanjana Kudaligamage Rajapakse, regional politics, “Eurocentric Developmentalism”ƒ”š‚ and the western hegemony (Part 15-B) (Continued from part 15-A) Take a scenario in which a bird has been denied its freedom by confining it into a cage. And say, there is a big fat snake patiently waiting outside the cage to take the first opportunity to hunt […]

Geethanjana Kudaligamage Rajapakse, regional politics, “Eurocentric Developmentalism”ƒ”š‚ and the western hegemony (Part 15-A) Man has responsibility, not power (Native American proverb, Tuscarora tribe) ƒ”š‚ “ƒ”¹…”Faith’ is very often associated with religion, but politics on the other hand associated with “ƒ”¹…”strategy’. Since the religion is not dealing with strategy based on reason, it relied on “ƒ”¹…”faith’ based […]

Geethanjana Kudaligamage Rajapakse, regional politics, “Eurocentric Developmentalism”ƒ”š‚ and the western hegemony (Part 14-) As I was writing this article, the 18th amendment was pending to be submitted before the parliament for approval. Other than some NGOs and some opposition political parties, there is no significant public participation in opposing this move. The silence of the […]

Geethanjana Kudaligamage Rajapakse, regional politics, “Eurocentric Developmentalism”ƒ”š‚ and the western hegemony (Part 13) From western point of view, loosing Sri Lanka is a colossal strategic setback. But no one can blame Sri Lanka for this tragic reality. From Sri Lankan point of view, Sri Lanka hasn’t done anything in detrimental to relations with USA. Therefore, […]

ƒ”š‚ Geethanjana Kudaligamage Rajapakse, regional politics, “Eurocentric Developmentalism”ƒ”š‚ and the western hegemony (Part 12-C) ƒ”š‚ “If you dig a pit for me, you dig one for yourself”ƒ”š‚ (Native American proverb, Creole tribe) (Continued from previous part) Now let us take the whole argument behind the justification of Indian misadventure in Sri Lanka that climaxed with Indian military […]

ƒ”š‚  Geethanjana Kudaligamage Rajapakse, regional politics, “Eurocentric Developmentalism”ƒ”š‚ and the western hegemony (Part 12-B) ƒ”š‚ “Those who have one foot in the canoe and one foot in the boat are going to fall into the river.”ƒ”š‚ (Native American proverb, Tuscarora tribe) ƒ”š‚ As I discussed in the previous article, currently the entire world is undergoing a drastic […]

Geethanjana Kudaligamage Rajapakse, regional politics, “Eurocentric Developmentalism”ƒ”š‚ and the western hegemony (Part 12-A) “Do not judge your neighbor until you walk two moons in his moccasins”ƒ”š‚-A native Indian proverb (Northern Cheyennes) Half a century ago, in July 1955, Bertrand Russell and Albert Einstein issued an extraordinary appeal to the people of the world, asking them […]

Geethanjana Kudaligamage Rajapakse, regional politics, “Eurocentric Developmentalism”ƒ”š‚ and the western hegemony (Part 11) Now the hot spot of Banki’s panel has been shifted from New York to Bauddhaloka Mawatha in Colombo. Although Banki hasn’t given any statement yet, Colombian media guards of western neo-colonial interests have expressed their “ƒ”¹…”grave’ concerns over the situation. Some web […]

Geethanjana Kudaligamage Rajapakse, regional politics, “Eurocentric Developmentalism”ƒ”š‚ and the western hegemony (Part -10) ƒ”š‚ Yes news does bring us bad news some time, but not all the time. The news came from Ukraine about the tour of President Rajapakse was such good news. Ukraine’s leading English language news paper “ƒ”¹…”Kyiv Post’ reported that, as the result […]

Geethanjana Kudaligamage Rajapakse, regional politics, “Eurocentric Developmentalism”ƒ”š‚ and the western hegemony (Part 9-B) “European philosophy reduplicates Western foreign policy, where democracy at home is maintained through colonial or neo-colonial oppression abroad”ƒ”š‚ (Emanuel Levinas) Eighteen years ago, the “ƒ”¹…”Human Development Report 1992 (35)’ issued by the UNO reveled frightening facts. It says that the wealthiest 20% […]

Geethanjana Kudaligamage Rajapakse, regional politics, “Eurocentric Developmentalism”ƒ”š‚ and the western hegemonyƒ”š‚  The western attack against Sri Lanka is a global effort. It is an attack instigated by the global minority of western countries with the help of some world institutions hijacked by the west like UNO. Therefore, our counter strategy also must be a global […]

Geethanjana Kudaligamage Rajapakse, regional politics, “Eurocentric Developmentalism”ƒ”š‚ and the western hegemony (Part 8-E) Who is Colombian? Is he just a city dweller, like Londoner, Parisian or New Yorker? No, not at all!!!! He is a believer; in that sense, he is a tenant of an ideological space. Colombo is not only a geographical space, but […]

Geethanjana Kudaligamage Rajapakse, regional politics, “Eurocentric Developmentalism”ƒ”š‚ and the western hegemony (Part 8-D) People of “ƒ”¹…”Other Lanka’ or “ƒ”¹…”peripheral Lanka,’ at times, ridiculed Colombian’s self-alienation from the common man’s native culture.ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚  One day, somewhere between 1979 and 1982, I was waiting to catch the bus 177 on Horton place with another fellow artist from down […]

Cartoon by GEETHANJANA KUDALIGAMAGE ƒ”š‚