By Sena Thoradeniya 1. Lumpen Elites” Another myth propagated by the capitalist press, NGO coterie and deplorably by some activists in the nationalistic movement who have not severed their umbilical cord with the old JVP womb yet, is that the voters have rejected elite politics and transferred power to a non-elite political camp at the […]

By Sena Thoradeniya (1) Economic Crisis: Then and Now Founding father of JVP, Patabandige Don Nandasiri Wijeweera (later baptized as Rohana, to signify his Southern roots and victorious armies of ancient Rohana Rata), began his famous panthi paha” (five classes or lessons) in 1965, with Economic Crisis of Lanka”, an imaginary crisis he has invented […]

By Sena Thoradeniya [The writer began compiling this essay immediately after the Presidential election, but could not complete it as he was indisposed. Although its title may sound rather outdated its contents are still valid and new developments what were not originally thought of makes it more current.]   With apologies to Marx and Engels […]

By Sena Thoradeniya This is the first article we are contributing to LankaWeb after the recently concluded Presidential Election. Instead of writing a requiem as we thought of before the election, things are in abundance needing analysis in a different perspective. We begin with a quick glance at a few captions selected from some foreign […]

By Sena Thoradeniya (Continued from September 7, 2024) 1. Obstacles of an Anura Kumara/ NPP victory Since Anura Kumara acts as the Son of God” who was sent by the Almighty as his Messiah, to purify Mother Lanka from all evils and some think that  all other politicians were responsible for the present decay and  […]

By Sena Thoradeniya (Continued from August 25, 2024) Beginning from November I, 2023 we have posted 13 articles about the NPP, and now it is time to recapitulate what we have discussed. We begin this two part article under the following sub-headings: (1) NPP as the Largest and the Richest NGO in Sri Lanka: Its […]

By Sena Thoradeniya (Continued from August 17, 2024) Modi’s recent electoral setback is a lesson for all election predictors of this side of Palk Strait. Modi managed to retain power with the help of a coalition of regional parties. BJP which held 201 rural constituencies was able to retain only 126 of them according to […]

By Sena Thoradeniya (Continued from August 3, 2024) 1. Ranil’s Strategic Maneuvers   A. RW- masquerading as the savior RW was offered the Premiership by GR in April 2022, Finance portfolio in July 2022, made President by the majority of Pohottuwa MPs in July 2022; it was GR and Pohottuwa who jointly created a Frankenstein, […]

By Sena Thoradeniya (Continued from July 5, 2024) 1. The dress rehearsal: JVP/NPP behavior during the crisis in 2022 How JVP/NPP behaved during the crisis in 2022 is well-documented by many writers; this writer’s Galle Face Protest: Systems Change or Anarchy? Politics, Religion & Culture in a Time of Terror in Sri Lanka” (2023) gives […]

By Sena Thoradeniya Courtesy Island Inessa and Lenin Revolution, Romance, Femininity and Music”: A response Having read about Inessa Armand in the sixties, who was laid to rest in Kremlin Wall Necropolis in the Red Square Moscow in 1920, the first woman revolutionary to receive this honour, I never thought that she would reappear in […]

By Sena Thoradeniya (Continued from June 20, 2024) [As a typographical error appeared in sub-heading 1, paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part IV (posted onJune 20, 2024) of this series, the error 1989 is being corrected as 1994. Para 2, line 5 should be read as: Janith Priyantha Vidyatilaka Vipulaguna who obtained the highest number […]

By Sena Thoradeniya (Continued from May 25, 2024) [The previous version of Part IV of this essay and background material for the remaining parts were lost beyond retrieval due to a technical mishap. As a colleague said that it was good and recreation may make it better, the writer attempted to recreate it; but found […]

By Sena Thoradeniya (Continued from May 18, 2024) 1.Personal Attributes of GR Though he failed as a President due to various factors and had to abdicate his presidency, there were many personal attributes favourable to GR. These personal attributes profoundly augmented his victory at the Presidential Elections. He was hailed and acclaimed as a hero […]

By Sena Thoradeniya (Continued from April 09, 2024) 1. Introduction- Economic, Political, Socio-cultural Factors Influencing Polls In our earlier essay posted on April 09, 2024, we invited our readers to forget arithmetical calculations and predictions based on absurd statistical computations and to pay attention to economic, political, socio-cultural factors influencing polls, in relation to Sri […]

By Sena Thoradeniya 1. Introduction In this essay we do not intend to discuss the (i) surge of NPP/JVP activities in recent times  displayed by its public rallies and reality of such activities (ii) Anura Kumara’s visits to some foreign countries (iii) visits of foreign envoys to NPP headquarters (iv) election forecasts of US funded […]

By Kanishka Hevavisenthi – Courtesy Sunday Island of 31 March 2024 (Sena Thoradeniya’s Latest Work: Dumbara Rata: Volume I: Foundation Essays) * Returning to Kandy in 1949 Minnette de Silva set up practice, away from Colombo but at the heart of traditional Lanka – the home of lacquer work, Dumbara mats and religious & feudal […]

By Sena Thoradeniya 1. How the Speaker Was Pressured? Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena deserves plaudits of all anti-imperialist, anti-fascist, anti-hegemonic, anti-anarchist Sri Lankans for the bold statement he made immediately after the No Confidence Motion of the joint opposition on 21 March 2024. He revealed for the first time foreign powers (it is obvious who […]

By Sena Thoradeniya Ex-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa (GR) has written a book, The Conspiracy to Oust Me from the Presidency”. We have not read it yet. Our critique of the book can wait. In this essay we thought of bringing into the notice of GR and his ghost writer about a publication titled, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa […]

By Sena Thoradeniya US Ambassador Julie Chung was very busy welcoming Liz Allen, US Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, (on February 17), Afreen Akter, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs (Feb. 21), Lindsey Ford, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of  Defense for South and South East Asia […]

By Sena Thoradeniya Anura Kumara Dissanayaka was in India. Media reported that it was on an invitation by Indian Government. According to Indian media reports this visit was organized by Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) affiliated to the Ministry of External Affairs and the delegation was accompanied by Eldos Mathew Punnoose, Counsellor at the […]

By Sena Thoradeniya A dog is smarter than its tail, but if the tail were smarter, then it would wag the dog”. 1. Relationship Between NPP and JVP Even for the political analyst it is problematic to comprehend the concrete and organic relationship that exists between the Jathika Jana Balavegaya (National Peoples’ Power – NPP) […]

By Sena Thoradeniya Julie Chung, the Korean – American ‘Viceroy’ of Sri Lanka having climbed Sri Pada, with pilgrims and fellow adventurers appreciating the natural beauty”, enjoying the magnificent views at sunrise” on 19 January 2024 (how Chung saw a dissimilarity between ‘pilgrims’ and ‘adventurers’ is the biggest question! She does not bring Lord Buddha, […]

By Sena Thoradeniya Julie Chung the Korean – American ‘Viceroy’ of Sri Lanka, in her X message posted on 11 January 2023 had revealed some interesting information which we ordinary Sri Lankans are not aware of. Her message says: Today I met with Bhante Piyaratana a Buddhist Chaplain of Sri Lankan origin working with veterans […]

By Sena Thoradeniya Whilst making an address at the Shilpa Abhimani 2023” Awards Ceremony held at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Exhibition Centre on 3 January 2024, RW had the audacity to say that he is considering to send a warship to Red Sea in support of a US – led operation. It is astounding that […]

By Sena Thoradeniya Lenin in his Note, Helplessness and Confusion” dated May 21, 1913 stated that, chaos and confusion among modern Social-Democrats and ‘near Social-Democrats’ are not only external but also internal. A huge number of old ‘prominent Party people’ are completely confused, they have understood absolutely nothing about the new state of affairs” and […]

By Sena Thoradeniya Hitherto men have constantly made up for themselves false conceptions about themselves, about what they are and what they ought to be. ……They the creators have bowed down before their creations. Let us liberate them from the chimeras, the ideas, dogmas, imaginary beings under the yoke of which they are pinning away”. […]

By Sena Thoradeniya (Continued from 24, October, 2023) Some Land Claims of Kandyan Chieftains 1. SABARAGAMUWA AND UVA In 1875 a vast quantity of valuable forest land was claimed by Chiefs and Headmen what were known as British Grants” – conferred upon them soon after the Kandyan War of Independence in 1817-1818 for the services […]

By Sena Thoradeniya JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake has started his Presidential campaign” in America, months ahead of any Republican or Democratic candidate! He began his campaign in Los Angeles on October 28, 2023 addressing some Sri Lankans domiciled in the US, who do not have voting rights in Sri Lanka or cannot influence the […]

By Sena Thoradeniya (Contd. From 07 October 2023) 1. Empire Day, Accession Day, Coronation, King’s Birthday, Victory Day, Armistice, Celebrated in Ceylon Empire Day (date of Queen Victoria’s birthday), Accession Day (anniversary of the date the Monarch took office), Jubilees, King’s Coronation, King’s Birthday, Victory Day and other public occasions were celebrated throughout the Island, […]

By Sena Thoradeniya (Contd. From 26 September 2023) Government Agent’s and Assistant Agent’s Circuits in the Provinces/Districts 1.Official Diaries: The activities of Government Agents and Assistant Agents were not limited to office work in kachcheris. They travelled throughout the Provinces and Districts respectively under their authority every month, sometimes several weeks continuously reviewing the work […]