by A. Abdul Aziz, Chairman, Press Desk, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at – Sri Lanka.

Through knowledge bestowed upon him by God, the All-Knowing, the Holy Prophet, Muhammad, peace be upon him, foresaw the condition under which his Community (Ummah) had to pass during different ages and particularly in the Last Days. He is reported to have said: “There will come a time upon the people when nothing will remain of Islam except its name only and nothing will remain of the Quran except its inscription. Their mosques will be splendidly furnished but destitute of guidance. Their divines will be the worst people under the heaven and strife will issue from and avert to them.”
(Mishkatul Masabih, Kitabul Ilm)  “A time will come when my followers will become divided into seventy-three sects. All of them except one will deserve the fire.”

Nevertheless, as mercy for all peoples, he gave the glad tidings of the advent of Mujaddideen (regenerators) and that of the appearance of Mahdi and Messiah. A few of these prophecies mentioned in the books of traditions (Hadith) are given below:

“Verily God will appoint for this Ummat in the beginning of every century, one who will restore for it its faith.” (Abu Dawood, Kitabul Fitan)

“And I swear by the Lord who holds my life in His hands that the son of Mary shall surely appear among you as just arbiter and shall break the cross, annihilate the swine and abolish Jazia.” ( Sahih Bukhari, Kitab Bad’ul Khalq, Bab Nazooli Isa Bin Maryam )

“What will be your condition when the son of Mary will descend among you and he will be your Imam from among yourselves.” (Sahih Bukhari, Kitabul Anbiya)

“There is no Mahdi except Isa.” (Ibn Maja, Bab Shiddatuz Zaman)

“Whosoever lives from among you shall meet Isa, son of Mary who is Imam, Mahdi, Arbiter and Judge.”  (Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 2, p. 411)

“I give you the glad tidings of Mahdi who will be raised in my Ummah (Community) at a time of digression and distress of people. He will fill the earth with equity and justice as it is filled with oppression and violence.” (Musnad Ahmad Bin Hanbal, Vol. 3, p. 37)

“When one thousand and two hundred and forty years will pass, God will raise Mahdi.” (An-Najmus Saqih, Vol. 2, p. 209)

“That Ummah (Community) can never die which has me at one end, and the Messiah, son of Mary, at the other.” (Ibn Maja, Bab Al-I’atisam Bis-Sunnat)

“The best century is the one in which I live, then the next century, then the century after that. Then there will spread falsehood at the hands of people who will take pride in their wealth and riches and will grow fat on the earnings of others.” (Tirmidhi & Bukhari, Kitab Al-Shahadat)

As foretold in this tradition of the Holy Prophet, Islam began to decline after the first three centuries of uninterrupted conquests and growing prosperity, till it suffered a very serious check in about 271 A.H. when its graded decline and decay continued till it reached its nadir in the next one thousand years that the reference has been made in the Quranic verse:  “Then shall it go up to Him in a day the duration of which is a thousand years.” (32:6)

In another of his sayings, the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, is reported to have said:

“Faith will ascend to the Pleiades and a man of Persian descent will bring it back to earth.” (Sahih Bukhari, Kitab-al Tafseer)

With the appearance of the Promised Messiah and Mahdi in the 14th century A.H. the process of decay has been arrested and a renaissance of Islam has taken place.

Before pondering over these traditions of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), regarding the advent of the Messiah and Mahdi, it must be kept in view that the Holy Quran as well as the traditions of the Holy Prophet are unanimous in their verdict that Jesus, son of Mary, has died his natural death. Further, the Holy Quran and the traditions of the Holy Prophet both are in unison that the dead never return to life in this transitory world of ours. Hence when it is narrated in the traditions that Jesus son of Mary will come, it should not be taken literally but rather to be understood in the metaphorical sense as has been interpreted by a scholar of great repute and regenerator of his century, Mohyyud Din Ibn Arabi, when he says: “His descent in later ages will be with a different body.”
(Tafsir Araisul Bayan, Vol. 1, p. 262)

In pondering over the above traditions one is bound to come to the veritable conclusion that: 1. The Mahdi is no other than the Messiah. To think that the Messiah and the Mahdi are two different persons is wrong as is clear from the above traditions “There is no Mahdi except Isa.” (Ibn Maja, Bab Shiddatuz Zaman)

For shedding the light of Islam in the Christian world he is called Messiah or son of Mary, and for illuminating the hearts of Muslims with the light of Islam he is called Mahdi. And this is the very interpretation given by the person who was raised in the fulfillment of these prophecies, when he says:

“As I have been given the light for the Christian people, the name of the son of Mary has been given to me for this reason.”

2. The advent of Messiah and Mahdi shall take place in the concluding years of the thirteenth century A.H. and in the beginning of the 14th century A.H. This is what the divines of the Ummah (Muslim Community) deduced from these traditions.

“And at the head of the fourteenth century to which there are still ten more years to go, if the advent of Mahdi and the descent of Jesus takes place, they will be the Mujaddid and Mujtahid.” (Hujajul Kiraman, pp. 135-139)

Nawab Nurul Hasan, the son of Nawab Siddiq Hasan Khan, in his book Iqtarabus Sa’at, written in the beginning of the 14th century, stated on page 221:

“In accordance with this calculation the Mahdi should have appeared in the 13th century, but the century elapsed and the Mahdi has not come. Now we are almost in the 14th century and even six months have passed of it since this book was written. Probably God will favor us with His Grace, Equity, Mercy and Generosity; and the Mahdi may appear within four to six years.”

3. The Muslim Community has been promised that God will appoint for it in the beginning of every century, one who will restore its faith for it. Consequently, this promise had been fulfilled in the past 13 centuries with the advent of Mujaddideen–regenerators, who were distinguished exemplars of Islam, and played a very important part in spreading and establishing Islam:

1st century Umar Bin Abdul Aziz
2nd century Imam Shafi’i; Imam Ahmad Bin Hanbal
3rd century Abu Sharh & Abul Hasan al-Ash’ari
4th century Abu Ubaidullah of Neshapur & Qazi Abu Bakr Baqilani
5th century Imam Al-Ghazali
6th century Al-Sayyid Abdul Qadir Jeelani
7th century Imam Ibn Taimiyyah & Khwaja Mueen-ud Din Chishti
8th century Ibn Hajar Asqalani & Saleh Bin Umar
9th century Imam Suyuti
10th century Muhammad Tahir Gujrati
11th century Al-Sheikh Ahmad of Sirhand, Mujaddid Alf Thani
12th century Shah Wali Allah Muhaddath Dehlavi
13th century Syed Ahmad Barelvi

Keeping the traditions of the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, and the statements of the Muslim divines in view, each and every sane Muslim is requested to think twice that the 14th century closed on November 7, 1980, with the appearance of the Hilal of Muharram, the first lunar month of the Muslim era, and the 15th century has ushered in on November 8, 1980; but:

A.Where is the Mujaddid of the 14th century and who is he?
B. Where is the Imam Mahdi and Messiah and who is he?
C. What happened to the promises made and the prophecies foretold?

The prophecies of the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, have seen the light of the day; and at the exact time–in the beginning of the 14th century, the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Islam, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, having received knowledge from God the Exalted, made the following announcements from Qadian, in Punjab, India, as was predicted by the Holy Prophet, that:  “Mahdi will appear in a village the name of which will be called Kadi’ah.” (Jawahirul Asrar, p. 55)

Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Islam, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, said:

“When the 13th century of the Hegira (Islamic calendar) drew to a close and the beginning of the 14th century approached, I was informed by God Almighty, through revelation, that I was the Mujaddid (Reformer) for the 14th century.” (Kitabul Bariyya, p. 201)

“A few years thereafter, it was made clear to me through Divine revelation that the Messiah, whose advent among the Muslims had been promised from the beginning, and the Mahdi whose advent had been Divinely decreed at the time of decline of Islam and the spread of error, and who was to be guided directly by God, and who was to invite people to partake of the heavenly banquet, and whose coming had been foretold by the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, thirteen hundred years in advance, was myself.” (Tazkaratush Shahadatain, p. 1-2)

“The holy and pure revelation of God has informed me that I have been sent by Him as the Promised Messiah and the Promised Mahdi and as Arbiter for the internal and external differences.” (Arba’een)

“It was the time of Messiah and not of any other. Had I not come, another would have come.” (Durri Sameen)

So, as the 14th century has concluded and the 15th century already has begun, we entreat all those who call themselves Muslims to reconsider seriously the claims of the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at in Islam, as there is none beside him who presented himself as the Mujaddid of 14th century, as the Promised Messiah and Mahdi.

The claim of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad has been testified by the various signs appearing in heaven and earth.

The promised one came at his right time, and after establishing a dynamic Jama’at departed successfully from this transitory world towards his eternal abode.

Hence, do not fall prey to despair and despondency, but rather rejoice and cheer up that you too could have the precious chance of serving the religion by embracing the community of Imam Mahdi and the Promised Messiah; and winning the pleasure and blessing of God through rendering obeisance to the injunctions of the Holy Prophet in respect of the Imam of the age:

Prophet of Islam Muhammad (PBUH) admonished:

“When you hear the advent of Mahdi it is then enjoined on you to enter into his Baiat (i.e. to enter into his fold) even if you have to walk on snow by crawling and creeping to reach him.” (Kanzul Ummal; also footnotes to Musnad Ahmad Bin Hanbal, Vol. 6, p. 29-30)

Prophet of Islam (PBUH) further said:

“He who dies in a condition that he has not recognized the Imam of his age dies a death of ignorance.” (Musnad Ahmad Bin Hanbal, Vol. 4, p. 96)

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad – Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community  in Islam, did not claim to have brought any new religion. He was raised to remove the errors that have made their way into the views and beliefs of the Muslims.

The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) passed away in 1908 and the Community has been led by virtue of the Institution of Khalifat – ‘Spiritual Succession’. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is currently led by the Fifth Khalifa of its Founder, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad who resides in South West London.

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, the Imam of the age and the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Community in Islam, was perfectly true when he prophesied:

“Harken, all ye people. This is a prophecy of Him Who had created heaven and earth. He will spread this Community of His in all countries and will make it supreme over all, through reason and arguments. The days are coming, indeed they are near, when this will be the only religion which will be held in honor. God will bestow extraordinary blessings on this religion and Movement. He will frustrate everyone who seeks to destroy it. This supremacy will last till the Judgement Day……….”  Tazkaratush Shahadatain, p. 64-65)

Dear all, for God’s sake, do not denounce the Imam of the age precipitately because as he himself has said:

“I announce it plainly that it is not easy to denounce me. He who calls me kafir (non-believer) would have himself to become a kafir first. He who describes me as faithless and astray would have to confess his own error and humiliation. He who charges me with departing from the Quran and the Hadith (traditions of Prophet of Islam) would have himself first departed from them. I am affirman of the Quran and the Hadith and am in turn affirmed by them. I am not astray but am the foremost of the believers. God has assured me that whatever I say is the truth. He who believes in God and accepts the Quran and the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, as true, should find it enough proof to silence him that I say so, but I have no remedy for him who is daring and heedless in his denial. God Himself will admonish him. I, therefore, desire that you should reflect upon this for the sake of God alone and you should also advise your friends so that they should reflect upon these matters honestly and impartially.” (Malfoozat Vol. 4, p. 16)

Source: www.alislam.org

තිස්ස ගුණතිලක

කුඩා ළදරුවා ස්වභාව ධර්මයට සංවේදිතාවයක් දක්වයි. ඔහුට ඇත්තේ ප්‍රභාශ්වර සිතකි. එහි පෙර මතකයක් නැත. එබැවින් සංකාර හටනොගනී. නමුත් ඔහු ජීවත්වන පරිසරයේ ඇතිවන වෙනස්වීම් වලට සංවේදිතාවයක් දක්වයි. සීතලක් දැනෙනවිට උනුසුම දෙසට යොමුවෙයි. ශබ්දයක් ඇසුනවිට එයට සංවේදිතාවයක් දක්වයි. අඬන දරුවා අම්මාගේ සූ සූ ශබ්දයට සංවේදි වෙයි. දකින දසුනට ප්‍රියජනක (සිනහවකින්) හෝ අප්‍රියජනකව (තරහකින්) හෝ සංවේදී වෙයි. රසට සුවඳට සංවේදි වන ළදරුවා එම රසය හා සුවඳට ප්‍රිය හෝ අප්‍රිය කරයි. ළදරුවාගේ මෙම සියළු සංවේදීතාවය සංකාරයට මෙපිටින් (සංකාර නොවී) සිදුවෙයි. ළදරුවා භාහිර පරිසරයේ වෙනස්කම් දැනගනීමට හා ඒවාට සංවේදීවීමට තරම් සෑහෙන සිතක් ඔහුතුල ඇතිවෙයි. එනම් ළදරු සිත තුල ‘රූප, වේදනා හා සංඥා’ යන ස්කන්ධ ක්‍රියාවලියේ පලමු, දෙවන හා තෙවන  සංඥා ඇතිවෙන අතර එම සීමාවෙන් එපිට එනම් සංකාර, විඤ්ඤාණ ආදි සංඥා කිසිවක් ඔහුතුල ඇති නොවේ. 

ළදරුවාගේ සිත තුල ඇතිවන රූපය ‘රූප මාත්‍රය=රූප, වේදනා, සංඥා’ වලට පමනක් සීමාවෙයි. ළදරුවා දුටුවොත් දුටුවාම පමනයි, චක්ඛු සංකාරයක් ඇති නොවේ. ළදරුවාට ඇසනොත් ඇසුනාම පමනයි, සෝත සංකාරය සිදුනොවේ. ළදරුවාට දැනුනොත් දැනුනාම පමනයි, මුත (ඝාණ, ජිව්හා, පොට්ඨබ්බ) සංකාර ඇති නොවේ. ළදරුවාගේ දිට්ඨ, සුත, මුත හා ව්ඤ්ඤාතය මෙම තුන් සංඥා මාත්‍රයෙන් (රෑප, වේදනා, සංඥා) අවසන්වන අතර තවමත් ඔහුතුල පවතින්නේ ප්‍රභාශ්වර සිතකි. 

බුදුන් වහන්සේ භාහියට පැවසුවේ මෙන්න මේ ළදරු සිත මතුකර ගන්නා ලෙසයි.

අරමුන/සිතේ ක්‍රියාවලිය ඉංද්‍රියක ප්‍රසාදයත් සමග ඇතිවන ස්කන්ධ ක්‍රියාවලියේ රූප වේදනා සංඥා … වලින් ආරම්භවුවත්   බුදුන් වහන්සේ පටිච්ච සමුප්පාද ක්‍රියාවලිය (අවිද්‍යා පච්චයා) සංකාර වලින් අරම්භ කරන්නේ මුල් අවස්ථා තුන (රූප වේදනා සංඥා) ප්‍රභාශ්වර සිතට අයත් බැවිනි.

දැන් මේ ළදරුවාගේ වැනි රූප වේදනා සංඥා පමනක්‍ ඇතිවන ප්‍රභාශ්වර සිත මතුකර ගන්නේ කෙසේද?

සිතේ ස්වභාවය

ඇතිවන සිත දමනය/පාලනයකට නතුකර ගත හැකිවන්නේ රහතන් වහන්සේට පමනි. අනෙක් අයගේ (පෘතග්ජන, ආර්ය ස්‍රාවක හා යෝගාවචර) සිතුවිලි/අරමුන කුමන ආකාරයකින්වත් දමනය/පාලනය කල නොහැක (once manifested it flows to collect defilements at the end. Controlling at the middle is impossible.). සමුදයවූ සිතේ ස්වභාවය මෙයයි. 

ආර්ය ස්‍රාවකයාට හා යෝගාවචරයාට කල හැකිවන්නේ යම්කිසි අරමුනක උපාදානයවන (බැසගන්නා) අවස්ථාවක් සිහියට හසුවුව හොත් එම උපාදානය මෙනෙහි කිරීමෙන් (නාම – රූප වෙන්කර දැකීම) නැවත එවැනි උපාදානක් ඇති වීමට ඇති ඉඩකඩ අවම කිරීම පමනයි.

ප්‍රසාද ක්‍රියාවලිය

භාහිර ලෝකය යනු රූප (වර්ණ, ශබ්ද, රස, ඝාණ හා ස්පර්ශ රූප) හැඩතල හා එම රූප හැඩතල වලින් නිකුත්වන තරංග (වර්ණ, ශබ්ද ආදී තරංග) වලින් සෑදුන ආත්මීය නොවන ස්වභාවයකි.

භාහිර රූප තරංගය, පංචේන්ද්‍රිය හා ප්‍රසාදය අතරවන ස්පර්ශය (තින්නං සංගති ඵස්සෝ) ක්‍රියාවලිය තුල ප්‍රකටවන ප්‍රධාන වේගයන් දෙකකි. භාහිර රූප හැඩතලයෙන් නිකුත්වන තරංගයේ වේගය හා ප්‍රසාදයේ විපරිනාමවන වේගය වශයෙන් ප්‍රධාන වේගයන් දෙකක් මෙහිදී විද්‍යාමාන වෙයි.

මෙම වේගයන් දෙක හා ඒවා අතර ඇති අතිමහත් වෙනස (phase difference) හේතුවෙන් ප්‍රසාද ධාරා (phases) තුනක් ජනිතකරයි:

1. එක් ප්‍රසාද ධාරාවකින් සම්පූර්ණ සිතුවිල්ල/අරමුනට තුඩුදෙන පට්ච්චසමුප්පාද ප්‍රවාහයේ ගලනා ‘උදය’ (the process conditioned to generate/manifest fully fledged consciousness) සිතුවිලි ධාරාවත් phase,

2. ඉහත සඳහන්කල ළදරුවාගේ සිත තුල ඇතිවන රූප වේදනා සංඥා වලින් (සංකාරයට පෙර) අවසන්වන, ප්‍රභාශ්වරය තුල පවතින ‘වය’ ධාරාවත් , සහ

3. කිසිම සංඥාවක් ඇති නොවන ‘බොල්’ (හිස්) ධාරාවක් ලෙස ප්‍රසාද ධාරාවන් තුනක් (3 phases) ඇතිවේ.

බොල් ප්‍රසාද ධාරාවේ හිස්බව නිසා එය අතහැරිය හොත් ප්‍රධාන වශයෙන් උදය හා වය ප්‍රසාද ධාරාවන් දෙක ප්‍රකට වෙයි.

එකිනෙක පසුපස පිලිවෙලින් ඇතිවන උදය, වය හා බොල් අදියරයන් (phases) තුනෙන් ‘වය’ අදියර පමනක් සිහියෙන් දැකීම ධර්මාවබෝධයේ පලමුවන පියවරයි.

‘මහනෙනි කලයුතුවන්නේ ස්කන්ධයේ උදය-වය දැකිම පමනමයි’ යන්නෙන් බුදුන් වහන්සේ අදහස් කලේ ප්‍රසාදයේ උදය හා වය වශයෙන් ප්‍රකටවන අදියර phases දෙකක් පවතින බවත් එයින් වය අදියර පමනක් සිහියට හසුකර ගැනීමට වීරිය කලයුතු බවත්ය. බුදුන් වහන්සේ භාහියට දුන් අවවාදයේ අන්තර්ගතය වන්නේ (දැකකොත් …..දැක්කාම ….. පමනයි) දැක්මේ – දිට්ඨ, ඇසීමේ – සුත, දැනීමේ – මුත හා දැනුමේ – විඤ්ඤාත මාත්‍රය පමනක් (රූප, වේදනා, සංඥා) සිහියට හසුකර ගත යුතු බවයි.

ස්කන්ධයේ එනම් ප්‍රසාද ක්‍රියාවලියේ වය පමනක් සිහියට හසුකර ගන්නා ආකාරය සතර සතිපට්ඨානයේ ‘කායානුපස්සනාවේ’ හා සබ්බාසව සූත්‍රයේ ‘දස්සනා පහාතබ්බය හා සතිසංවරා පහාතබ්බයේ’ මනාව හා සරලව බුදුන් වහන්සේ පහදා දෙයි. එය ඉලඟ ලිපියෙන් පහදාදීමට උත්සාහ ගන්නම්.

tgunite@tpg.com.au

තිස්ස ගුණතිලක

2023 මාර්තු මස 23වනදා 

Warna Lanka | වර්ණ ලංකා

Jubeda Chowdhury  Dhaka based freelance columnist, researcher

The USA recently released a report on the human rights situation of 198 countries in 2022. In 2022, extrajudicial killings, disappearances, suppression of expression and media, use of force in gatherings, obstruction of national and international human rights institutions, etc. continued as usual in Bangladesh. However, compared to 2021, extrajudicial killings have decreased in 2022, according to the report published on the global human rights situation.

These things were said in the report entitled ‘2022 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices’ published on the website of the US State Department on Monday (March 21) about the global human rights situation.

According to the report, in 2022 extrajudicial killings, disappearances, obstruction of expression and media, use of force in meetings and gatherings, obstruction of national and international human rights institutions, etc., continued as in the US report. There were also reports of widespread impunity allegations of torture and corruption by the security forces at this time, it said. The government has rarely taken steps to identify, investigate, prosecute and punish members of the security forces who have been involved in human rights abuses and corruption.

Various operations by the security forces continued throughout the year. Although primarily to combat terrorist activity, drugs, and illegal firearms, some operations have resulted in arrests and suspicious deaths during other law enforcement operations. Members of the security forces have frequently denied their role in such deaths. They claimed that when they took a suspect into custody to recover weapons or identify the conspirators, they opened fire on the police, the police returned fire and the suspect was killed in the ensuing gunfight. The government usually describes these deaths as “crossfire killings”, “gunfights” or “encounters”. The media also uses these terms to describe the legitimate use of police force.

Human rights organizations and the media have claimed that many of these crossfires are extrajudicial killings. Human rights organizations claim that in some cases law enforcement agencies have detained, interrogated and tortured suspects, brought them back to the scene of their original arrest, executed them and attributed the death to lawful self-defense in response to violent attacks.

Extrajudicial killings have dropped dramatically compared to last year. Human rights organization Law and Arbitration Center (ASK) reported that 19 people died in alleged extrajudicial killings or while in custody, including four in so-called crossfire with law enforcement agencies and eight due to physical abuse before or during custody. According to another domestic human rights organization, of the 25 cases of alleged extrajudicial killings between January and September, four were the result of law enforcement crossfire killings, 10 were shot dead by law enforcement officers, and the remaining 10 died of alleged torture while in custody. .

In March, the domestic think tank Center for Governance Studies released a report analyzing the incidence of extrajudicial killings between 2019 and 2021. The report claimed that the police, especially the intelligence branch, were involved in more extrajudicial killings than (51 percent). On the other hand, the Rapid Action Battalion was responsible for 29 percent of the cases. According to the report, extrajudicial killings in Cox’s Bazar are more than other regions of the country.

There have been numerous reports of alleged arbitrary or unlawful killings by the government agencies or its agents. It has called for an internal investigation into police policy due to the significant use of force. However, the government has not released official statistics on the total number of killings carried out by the security forces, nor has it taken transparent measures to investigate the cases.

Washington has expressed doubts that human rights organizations are not able to investigate independently. Even citizens have claimed that they are being deprived of justice here. In the few cases the government has investigated and set precedents, those found guilty have generally received administrative punishment.

In an official response, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs said that the US report is far from the reality of Bangladesh. The state minister also claimed that information was taken from weak sources. He said that in Bangladesh, there are issues that are far from reality, which the government was excluding from outside.

On Tuesday (March 21) night, he said in an initial response to the report at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “We will analyze and see if there is anything to be taken into consideration in them.” But in the context of the level of our communication with the United States, the objections that we have, there will be a high-level visit in the coming days or we will highlight the weaknesses of this report so that they are not included in next year’s report.

Stating that there is no qualitative difference between the 2021 and 2022 reports, he said, “Somewhere we have been appreciated and we thank them for that.” This report reflects the progress we have made in particular areas.

Mistakes in reporting: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already found some errors in the report. Shahriar Alam said, the number of missing people is mentioned here as 81. You know this number will be 76. In this regard 76 is very vaguely stated that Bangladesh has claimed to identify 10 persons. The matter was mentioned in the report as if it had not been addressed. But here I want to say unequivocally that after receiving the information about those 10 people, the United Nations did their own verification and already 10 people have been removed from the list of 76. So it is not that Bangladesh is making a claim on that issue.

Regarding the power of the Prime Minister: Bangladesh is definitely a parliamentary democratic state. Any country understands or knows how thorny our journey has been or still is. The state minister said that a prime minister has as much power as he needs. A friendly country has no moral right to question or question its degree of application or otherwise. To say this would mean much more, which would become uncomfortable. When asked if the comments related to the Prime Minister were sad and whether he would tell the United States about it, he said, “Of course, I will.”

Unregistered organization: It is illegal or unethical to collect information from organizations that are not registered. The state minister said, I would request you not only the United States, but other states to stay away from these organizations and conduct their activities in the days to come, taking into account those who are recognized according to the laws of our country.

The state minister said the USA needed to hold talks with Bangladesh before releasing the report. The information mentioned in the US report will be verified by the concerned ministry. Shahriar Alam said the government does not expect anyone else to interfere in the internal affairs of Bangladesh.

The government took little means to investigate and prosecute cases of corruption, abuse, and murders by security officers,” according to the report. Shahriar Alam stated that the government would seek an explanation from the USA, noting that there were fundamental flaws in the report.

On the other hand, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Wang Wenbin commented that the ‘2022 Report on the Human Rights Practices of Various Countries’ published by the US is an example of political lies and bias.

In a regular press conference in Beijing today (Tuesday), he said, in this report, the whole world did not see the human rights problems of different countries, but rather US dominance and abuse. In addition, the double standards of the United States are also visible.

The spokesperson said, “We help different countries to know the real situation of the United States.” On Monday, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a report on the state of democracy in the United States in 2022. It examines the true state of American democracy in the past year with a wealth of factual information and media and expert opinion.

The report reveals the chaotic state of US domestic democracy and the turmoil and disaster caused by the imposition of its democratic system around the world. In this, everyone will know more clearly the real state of American democracy. And a few days later, the US will host the ‘Second Democracy Summit’. But it cannot hide the ‘weaponization goal’ of US democracy. The Chinese spokesperson also said that what is most needed in today’s world is to strengthen unity and cooperation on the basis of the UN Charter and adhere to true multilateralism without creating isolation in the name of democracy. The democratization of international relations should be jointly strengthened without interfering in the internal affairs of other countries under the pretext of democracy.

There are many limits to the report published by the US State Department. The report is based on the results of various non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the majority of which are supported by donors. They do not fund such programmes out of their own pockets. Because these NGOs, particularly those in Western countries, are supported by donors, they feel compelled to collect negative news, fearing that if there is just positive news, their financing will be cut off. Politics may or may not play a factor in this.

The latest US human rights report is outrageous, one-sided and outlandish. A reading of this human rights report shows that some individuals or groups with extreme anger against the government produced it. How another country can make such a statement about an independent sovereign country is also a big question. Such statements are against diplomatic etiquette and highly insulting to a sovereign state. But the question is how the United States has the courage to publish such a report? How can they interfere in the internal affairs of other countries? It has created a kind of negative perception among the people about the United States. So what affects the United States? Because there are things in this report that are not only untrue, but downright ridiculous. A recommendation given by some quarters without any verification was imposed by the United States as a report in its own name. How diplomatically polite this is may be the question.

They are naturally loyal to whichever country provides the funds because they are supported by donors. Even large NGOs rely on donations, and they struggle if they do not receive the funds they require. During the pandemic, this is exactly what happened. During the pandemic, NGOs were largely inactive. Because the Western world was also hurting from the pandemic’s consequences, the NGOs were unable to obtain much funding. In this sense, there is a constraint.

The USA, like Bangladesh, did not delegate this obligation to the UN. Who entrusted them with the task of compiling reports about other countries? What is the law in this regard? It is their own set of rules. Is this report credible in the eyes of the world community? No country, neither Bangladesh, India, or China, has entrusted them with this task.

Whatever they are doing may be logical, but it would have been great if they had done so after consulting Bangladesh. By making and publishing the reports, The USA always tries to interfere into some internal affairs of other countries. Human rights are a universally accepted term. Bangladesh is also working to promote human rights, law, peace and harmony in the country. Bangladesh has its own human rights commission. The legal codes of Bangladesh ensure the protection of human rights in Bangladesh.

Because Bangladesh has a strategic engagement with the USA, it may have brought this up during meetings.Bangladeshis must also be informed about human rights violations in the USA, or this endeavour will lose credibility.There are numerous examples of human rights violations in the USA.

Extrajudicial killings are committed by US police. In the USA, roughly 1,000 such occurrences occur each year on average. In addition, there was the Black Lives Matter movement. In fact, not only Bangladeshi students, but students from the whole Indian subcontinent face hate crimes.

Let’s talk about the human rights situation in the USA. 918 people have been shot and killed by the police in the USA in the past year. This isn’t my data. This is the data from The Washington Post. Protests over the 2020 Black Lives Matter, revived by the extrajudicial killing of George Floyd by three Minneapolis police officers, appeared to be the largest protest movement in US history. The US should look at the human rights situation in its territory first.

On February 26, UN human rights experts called on the US government to end police torture and racial discrimination in the USA. According to reports of Western media outlets such as The Guardian and the BBC, there are serious violations of human rights in the USA. Shouldn’t the USA look at the human rights situation in its own territory first?

The constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh clearly spells out the fundamental principles of state policy. The Constitution explicitly articulates the protection and promotion of human rights (art. 11). It obliges all branches of government to respect and ensure the rights it enunciates.

There are might have some individual incidents but the Bangladesh Police aims to enhance the capacity and willingness of all its members to contribute in a collaborative manner to the creation of a safer and more secure environment based on respect for human rights, equitable access to justice, and rule of law in accordance with the spirit of our constitution and the principles of universal human rights.

It is true that there might have some individual incidents but the US authorities shouldn’t evaluate the whole scenario by a single frame. In the case of Bangladesh, the security forces may fire several times to save lives when terrorists fire their weapons.

Bangladeshi citizens shouldn’t spark any new controversy and worry based on this recent human rights controversy. US-Bangladesh bilateral relations wouldn’t be affected. We have recently had the US-Bangladesh Partnership Dialogue where several important topics were discussed, including military cooperation. This is not the first time the USA has produced a study like this in recent years. There isn’t much difference between those and the latest report.

Media Release Sri Lanka High Commission

Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to India Milinda Moragoda met with the Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs of India Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi today (21).

This was the latest of a series of meetings High Commissioner Moragoda has had with Minister Sitharaman since November 2021 on Indian economic cooperation and assistance to Sri Lanka in the context of the present economic crisis.

At the outset, High Commissioner Moragoda thanked Minister Sitharaman for the leadership that the government of India took towards the realization of the International Monetary Fund’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) Arrangement for Sri Lanka. He particularly thanked Minister Sitharaman for her personal involvement in taking up Sri Lanka’s case with bilateral development partners as well as multilateral financial agencies including the IMF in this context.

Minister Sitharaman and High Commissioner Moragoda also discussed the way forward in bilateral economic cooperation. The ways and means to attract Indian investments to Sri Lanka, enhance bilateral trade particularly through Indian Rupee trade expansion and increasing the inflow of Indian tourists to Sri Lanka were explored and discussed. The Minister and the High Commissioner agreed that these measures could form part of Sri Lanka’s economic recovery.

High Commissioner Moragoda also presented Minister Sitharaman with a copy of the publication Geoffrey Bawa; Drawing from the Archives”, which contains the drawings of Sri Lanka’s iconic architect the late Geoffrey Bawa. The publication was presented to her as a memento to mark the opening of the two month- long exhibition Geoffrey Bawa: It Is Essential To Be There” which was inaugurated by the External Affairs Minister of India Dr. S. Jaishankar on 17 March 2023 at the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi.  

නීතියේ සිංහල නුගමුල, ෆීනික්ස් නීති සාර සංග්‍රහය

අගවිනිසුරු ජයන්ත ජයසූරිය, අලිසබ්‍රි අධිකරණ ඇමතිගේ සහ සංස්ථාගත නීති අධ්‍යාපන සභාවේ සිංහල විරෝධී සහ ඉංග්‍රීසි අන්තවාදී 2020.12.30 අංක 2208/13 අතිවිශෙෂ ගැසට් පත්‍රය පාර්ලිමේන්තුව විසින් 2023.03.21 දින අතිශය බහුතර ඡන්දයෙන් ප්‍රතික්ෂේප කර ඇත.

එකී ගැසට් පත්‍රය මගින් සිංහල සහ දෙමළ භාෂා වලින් නීති අධ්‍යාපනය සහ නීති විභාග පැවැත්වීම නතර කර තිබුණි. මෙය සැබවින්ම ඉංග්‍රීසි අන්තවාදීන් පිනවීමටත් නිදහස් අධ්‍යාපනය ලබන සිංහල දෙමළ දරුවන් නීතීඥ, විනිසුරු වෘත්තියෙන් බැහැර කිරීමට ගෙනා අන්තවාදී ගැසට් පත්‍රයකි. මෙම ගැසට් පත්‍රය පහත අය විසින් 2020 දී ගෙනවිත් ඇත.

1) ගරු ජයන්ත ජයසූරිය  (අගවිනිසුරු, ජනාධිපති නීතීඥ) 2) ගරු ඩී. ද ලිවේරා (නීතිපති) 3) ගරු බී.පී. අලුවිහාරෙ (ජනාධිපති නීතීඥ) 4) ගරු කේ. සිසිර ආබෲ 5) එම්. එම්.පී. කේ.මායාදුන්නේ මහතා (ලේකම්,අධිකරණ අමාත්‍යාංශය) 6) සන්ජේ රාජරත්නම් මහතා (වැඩබලන සොලිසිටර් ජනරාල්, ජනාධිපති නීතීඥ) 7) ප්‍රශාන්ත ලාල් ද අල්විස් මහතා (ජනාධිපති නීතීඥ) 8) මහාචාර්ය වී. ටී. තමිල්මාරන් 9) ප්‍රියන්ත නවාන මහතා (ජනාධිපති නීතීඥ) 10) කේ. නවරත්න මහතා 11) කේ. ඉන්ද්‍රතිස්ස මහතා (ජනාධිපති නීතීඥ) 12) තිසත් විජේගුණවර්ධන මහතා (ජනාධිපති නීතීඥ) 13) ධම්මික දසනායක මහතා 14) Ms සාවිත්‍රි විජේසේකර Ms ඉන්දිරා සමරසිංහ (ජනාධිපති නීතීඥ, විදුහල්පති, ලේඛකාධිකාරී (සංස්ථාගත නීති අධ්‍යාපන සභාව)

අගවිනිසුරුවරයෙකුගේ මූලිකත්වයෙන් ගෙනා ගැසට් පත්‍රයක් පාර්ලිමේන්තුව විසින් මේ ආකාරයට ප්‍රතික්ෂේප කිරීම සුවිශේෂී නෛතික තත්ත්වයකි.

එකී අගවිනිසුරුවරයාගේ සිංහල විරෝධී නෛතික ක්‍රියාමාර්ග, නෛතික අදහස පාර්ලිමේන්තුව විසින් පිළිගෙන නැත. තවදුරටත් එකී අගවිනිසුරුට සිය ධූරයේ කටයුතු කරන්නේ කෙසේද යන ගැටලුවත් ඒ අනුව පැන නැගී. එසේම තව දුරටත් ඒ අගවිනිසුරුවරයා ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණයේ විනිසුරු අසුනේ අසුන් ගන්නේ කෙසේද යන සදාචර සහ නෛතික ප්‍රශ්නයත් පැන නගී. අපක්ෂපාතීව අගවිනිසුරු ධූරයේ කටයුතු කරන්නේ කෙසේද යන ප්‍රශ්නයත් පැන නගී.

ඒ අනුව අගවිනිසුරු ජයන්ත ජයසූරිය මහතා සිය ධූරයෙන් ඉල්ලා අස්වී වෙනත් ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණ විනිසුරුවරයෙකුට අගවිනිසුරු ධූරයට පත්වීමට අවස්ථාව සළසා නීතියේ පාලනය ආරක්ෂා කිරීම කරනු ඇතැයි ජනතාවෝ අපේක්ෂා කරති.

නොඑසේනම් තමන්ගේ ඉංග්‍රීසි අන්තවාදී ගැසට් පත්‍රයක් ප්‍රතික්ෂේප කිරීමේ වාඩුව ඔහු විසින් අගවිනිසුරු පුටුවේ සිටිමින් නොගන්නවා යැයි සිතිය නොහැකිය.

එසේම සිංහල දෙමළ භාෂාවලින් නීති අධ්‍යාපනය සහ නීති විභාග පැවැත්වීමට ඔහු දිගින් දිගටම බාධා කරනු ඇත. ඔහුගේ සිංහල විරෝධී පටු අරමුණු දිගටම අගවිනිසුරු ධූරයේ සිටිමින් ක්‍රියාත්මක කරගනු ඇත.

අගවිනිසුරුවරයාගේ එකී ඉංග්‍රීසි අන්තවාදී ගෑසට් පත්‍රයට එරෙහි වී පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේදී පරාජය කරවූ අයට එරෙහිව අගවිනිසුරුවරයාට විවිධ වූ ක්‍රියාමාර්ග ගැනීමට හැකිය. එයට ඉඩ තැබීම හෝ ඉඩ දීම නීතියේ පාලනය නොවේ.

අගවිනිසුරු ධූරය අධිකරණයේ නොකැලැල් ධූරයකි. ජයන්ත ජයසූරිය අගවිනිසුරුවරයා එකී නොකැලැල් ධූරය පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේදී අපවිත්‍ර කරගෙන ඇත. එතුමා සාධාරණ  අයෙකු ලෙස කළ යුත්තේ ඉල්ලා අස්වී සුදුසු වෙනත් අයෙකුට අගවිනිසුරු ලෙස පත්වීමට අවස්ථාව සළසා ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවට අනුව සිංහල දෙමළ භාෂාවලින් නීති අධ්‍යාපනය සහ නීති විභාග පැවැත්වීමට සුදුසු තත්ත්වයක් ඇති කිරීමට ඉඩ සළසා දීමය. නීතියේ පාලනය පිහිටුවිය හැක්කේ ආදර්ශයෙනි. එසේ නොමැතිව ඉංග්‍රීසි අන්තවාදීන්ට සහාය දෙන ලෙස අගවිනිසුරු ධූරය යෙදවීමෙන් නොවේ. ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට අඩු ආදර්ශවත් විධායක, ව්‍යවස්ථාදායක සහ අධිකරණ ධූරය.

නීතියේ සිංහල නුගමුල, ෆීනික්ස් නීති සාර සංග්‍රහය. දුරකථන 0342256066, 0342256067, 0712063394 .
(2023.03.21)


තමන්ගේ සිංහල විරෝධී සහ ඉංග්‍රීසි අන්තවාදී නීති ගැසට් පත්‍රය පාර්ලිමේන්තුව විසින් ප්‍රතික්ෂේප කිරීමත් සමඟ ජයන්ත ජයසූරිය අගවිනිසුරුවරයා ධූරයෙන් ඉල්ලා අස්විය යුත්තේ ඇයි?
http://neethiyalk.blogspot.com/2023/03/blog-post_21.html?m=1

Sasanka De Silva Pannipitiya

An “energy vampire” is a person who intentionally or unintentionally drains the energy or vitality of others.

This is a metaphor for people who are emotionally needy and rely on the attention and energy of others to feel good about themselves.

Energy vampires can be found in a variety of settings, including personal relationships, friendships, and even the workplace.

They may be excessively negative or critical, always finding fault in others or the situation, or they may constantly seek attention, praise, or validation from others.

Being in the presence of an energy vampire can make you feel drained, exhausted, and even depressed.

To protect yourself from an energy vampire’s draining influence, it is critical to recognize the signs and set healthy boundaries.

Here are some common signs that someone may be an energy vampire:

1.    They always seem to be negative or critical: Energy vampires tend to focus on the negative aspects of life, always complaining, criticizing, or finding fault in people or situations.

2.    They constantly seek attention: They may constantly demand attention, praise, or validation from others, or they may interrupt conversations or try to dominate social situations.

3.    They are emotionally needy: Energy vampires often have low self-esteem and rely on others to feel good about themselves. They may seek constant reassurance or need to be the centre of attention.

4.    They drain your energy: After spending time with an energy vampire, you may feel exhausted, drained, or even physically ill. They can sap your energy, leaving you feeling empty and depleted.

5.    They lack empathy: Energy vampires may be insensitive to the needs or feelings of others, and they may be unable or unwilling to see things from another person’s perspective.

6.    They create drama: They may thrive on drama or conflict, always stirring up trouble or creating chaos to get attention.

7.    They have a victim mentality: Energy vampires may see themselves as victims and believe that the world is against them. They may blame others for their problems and refuse to take responsibility for their actions.

It’s important to remember that not everyone who exhibits some of these behaviours is an energy vampire and that any relationship or interaction should be approached with empathy and understanding.

If, on the other hand, you consistently feel drained or exhausted after spending time with someone, it may be time to reevaluate the relationship and establish healthy boundaries.

The question now is, “Are you an energy vampire?“

“ශක්ති වැම්පයර්“ යනු හිතාමතා හෝ නොදැනුවත්ව අන් අයගේ ශක්තිය හෝ ජීව ශක්තිය නැති කරන පුද්ගලයෙකි.

මෙය චිත්තවේගීය අවශ්‍යතා ඇති සහ තමන් ගැන හොඳ හැඟීමක් ඇති කර ගැනීම සඳහා අන් අයගේ අවධානය සහ ශක්තිය මත රඳා සිටින පුද්ගලයින් සඳහා රූපකයකි.

බලශක්ති වැම්පයර්වරුන් පුද්ගලික සබඳතා, මිත්රත්වයන් සහ සේවා ස්ථානය ඇතුළු විවිධ සැකසුම් තුළ සොයා ගත හැක.

ඔවුන් ඕනෑවට වඩා නිෂේධාත්මක හෝ විවේචනාත්මක විය හැකිය, සෑම විටම අන්‍යයන්ගේ හෝ තත්වයේ වැරදි සොයා ගනී, නැතහොත් ඔවුන් නිරන්තරයෙන් අන් අයගේ අවධානය, ප්‍රශංසාව හෝ වලංගු භාවය ලබා ගත හැකිය.

ශක්ති වැම්පයරයෙකු ඉදිරියේ සිටීමෙන් ඔබට විඩාව, විඩාව සහ මානසික අවපීඩනය පවා ඇති විය හැක.

ශක්ති වැම්පයරයෙකුගේ ජලාපවහන බලපෑමෙන් ඔබව ආරක්ෂා කර ගැනීම සඳහා, සලකුණු හඳුනා ගැනීම සහ සෞඛ්‍ය සම්පන්න සීමාවන් සැකසීම ඉතා වැදගත් වේ.

යමෙකු ශක්ති වැම්පයරයෙකු විය හැකි බවට පොදු සංඥා කිහිපයක් මෙන්න:

1. ඔවුන් සෑම විටම ඍණාත්මක හෝ විවේචනාත්මක බව පෙනේ: බලශක්ති වැම්පයර්වරු ජීවිතයේ ඍණාත්මක අංශ කෙරෙහි අවධානය යොමු කිරීමට නැඹුරු වෙති, සෑම විටම පැමිණිලි කිරීම, විවේචනය කිරීම හෝ පුද්ගලයන් හෝ තත්වයන් තුළ වැරදි සොයා ගැනීම.

2. ඔවුන් නිරන්තරයෙන් අවධානය සොයයි: ඔවුන් නිරන්තරයෙන් අවධානය, ප්‍රශංසා කිරීම හෝ අන්‍යයන්ගේ වලංගුභාවය ඉල්ලා සිටිය හැකිය, නැතහොත් ඔවුන් සංවාදවලට බාධා කිරීම හෝ සමාජ තත්වයන් ආධිපත්‍යය දැරීමට උත්සාහ කළ හැකිය.

3. ඔවුන් චිත්තවේගීය වශයෙන් අවශ්‍යතා ඇති අය: බලශක්ති වැම්පයර්වරුන් බොහෝ විට අඩු ආත්ම අභිමානයක් ඇති අතර තමන් ගැන හොඳ හැඟීමක් ඇති කර ගැනීමට අන් අය මත රඳා සිටිති. ඔවුන් නිරන්තර සහතිකයක් ලබා ගැනීමට හෝ අවධානය යොමු කිරීමේ මධ්‍යස්ථානය වීමට අවශ්‍ය විය හැකිය.

4. ඔවුන් ඔබේ ශක්තිය ඉවතට ඇද දමයි: ශක්ති පිසාචයෙකු සමඟ කාලය ගත කිරීමෙන් පසු, ඔබට විඩාව, සිඳී යාම හෝ ශාරීරිකව අසනීප විය හැක. ඔබට හිස් බවක් සහ ක්ෂයවීමක් දැනෙන්නට සලස්වා ඔබේ ශක්තිය හීන කළ හැකිය.

5. ඔවුන්ට සංවේදනය නැත: ශක්ති වැම්පයර්වරුන් අන් අයගේ අවශ්‍යතා හෝ හැඟීම් කෙරෙහි සංවේදී නොවන අතර, වෙනත් පුද්ගලයෙකුගේ දෘෂ්ටිකෝණයෙන් දේවල් දැකීමට ඔවුන්ට නොහැකි හෝ අකමැති විය හැකිය.

6. ඔවුන් නාට්‍ය නිර්මාණය කරයි: ඔවුන් නාට්‍ය හෝ ගැටුම් මත සමෘද්ධිමත් විය හැකිය, සෑම විටම කරදර අවුස්සමින් හෝ අවධානය ලබා ගැනීම සඳහා අවුල් ඇති කරයි.

7. ඔවුන්ට වින්දිත මානසිකත්වයක් ඇත: බලශක්ති වැම්පයර්වරුන් තමන් ගොදුරු වූවන් ලෙස දකින අතර ලෝකය ඔවුන්ට විරුද්ධ බව විශ්වාස කරයි. ඔවුන් තම ගැටළු සඳහා අන් අයට දොස් පැවරිය හැකි අතර ඔවුන්ගේ ක්රියාවන් සඳහා වගකීම භාර ගැනීම ප්රතික්ෂේප කරයි.

මෙම හැසිරීම් වලින් සමහරක් ප්‍රදර්ශනය කරන සෑම කෙනෙකුම ශක්ති පිසාචයන් නොවන බව මතක තබා ගැනීම වැදගත් වන අතර ඕනෑම සම්බන්ධතාවයක් හෝ අන්තර්ක්‍රියාවක් සංවේදීව සහ අවබෝධයෙන් ප්‍රවේශ විය යුතුය.

අනෙක් අතට, යමෙකු සමඟ කාලය ගත කිරීමෙන් පසු ඔබට නිරන්තරයෙන් වෙහෙසක් හෝ වෙහෙසක් දැනේ නම්, එය සම්බන්ධතාවය නැවත ඇගයීමට සහ සෞඛ්‍ය සම්පන්න සීමාවන් ස්ථාපිත කිරීමට කාලය විය හැකිය.

දැන් ප්‍රශ්නය වන්නේ “ඔබ බලශක්ති වැම්පයර් කෙනෙක්ද?”

Sasanka De Silva

Pannipitiya.

Shenali D Waduge

The UDRS system is based on the concept of Player – Referral conceived by Senaka Weeraratna in 1997. Player Reviews and additional technology were first introduced in Test cricket to review controversial decisions made by the on-field umpires regarding dismissal of batsmen.

Clearly, the world wide web identifies Senaka Weeraratna as the brainchild of the URDS system. Considering such growing international recognition of a Sri Lankan inventor, why is the premier cricket authority namely SLC (Sri Lanka Cricket) remaining totally silent? Not only that it appears to have even silenced the Cricket commentators on TV and Radio from speaking on the subject of the origins of the DRS, except on one solitary instance.

Today, almost every aspect of DRS is openly discussed all over the world except how DRS came into being. It has raised questions. WHY ? Is it the Colour of the skin? Is it because the universally acknowledged inventor has the wrong skin colour? This is the most logical answer some would arrive at to explain the lack of interest in the ICC.

The SLC has to provide a convincing answer for not publicly supporting a Sri Lankan’s quest for recognition of his invention. Going behind the back of the ICC (established in the colonial era and still unable to get rid of its underlying ‘white supremacist and apartheid’ mentality) for everything especially the recognition of authorship of DRS is tantamount to the betrayal of Sri Lanka.

SLC must understand that its role. SLC was established to serve the interest of Sri Lanka and not to function as a lackey of the ICC. It is not a postman in any sense, in the employ of the ICC.

Here are some salient points SLC must take up with the ICC:

1)   Senaka Weeraratna is the only claimant in the world for the recognition of his brainchild ‘the concept of ‘Player Referral’ (1997) which is the lynchpin of DRS,

2)   Several others who have claimed authorship of DRS, for example, Duncan Fletcher (former Cricket coach of India and several other countries) in his book ‘Ashes Regained’ have now withdrawn their claim. They are no longer in the running for recognition,

3)    The ICC which has given high public recognition to Duckworth and Lewis for their contribution to resolving dilemmas in rain-affected one-day international cricket matches is still unable to publicly name an individual(s) as the author of DRS, which is a superior idea to Duckworth and Lewis and effective in all formats of the game i.e., Test, One day International and T20,

4)   The ‘song’ (DRS) is celebrated as the remedy for resolving doubtful on-field umpiring decisions, but not the composer whose identity remains a closely guarded secret within the ICC,

5)   In colloquial language this is nothing but a ‘Daylight Highway Robbery’ of the intellectual property rights i.e., copyright, of a writer who has painstakingly provided a solution which the ICC has probably stolen from the public domain and is now too embarrassed to admit its culpability,

6)   The stance of the ICC is no different to that of former Western Colonial countries e.g., the British Empire, in refusing to be accountable for their wrongdoings. The British Museum is the best example. Less said the better. The stance is basically that of a street thug ‘O.K. we have lifted your intellectual property violated your copyright see if you can stop us’.

7)    The ICC comprises cricket associations from all over the world. But they are all maintaining a deafening silence on DRS origins. The answer is not difficult to fathom. The ICC is a huge money bag distributing perks and graft to its acolytes. A rich gravy train. Who will want to miss out on it?

8)   The term ‘Cricket’ in the common parlour is a pseudonym for Justice. It is not ‘Cricket’- it means it is not correct. But ‘Justice ‘is, unfortunately, the last concern for some who appear to have joined Cricket boards including the ICC for other reasons.

Why DRS Inventor should be felicitated? 

Sri Lanka’s Cricket Board, all the top Sri Lankan former cricket captains & former players as well as successive Sports Ministers & officials are well aware of the struggle and pain Senaka Weeraratna has been single-handedly taking, to gain acknowledgement for his concept. All of his appeals to date have fallen on deaf ears, unfortunately.

A handful of cricket-loving well-wishers have backed Senaka Weeraratna, but it is now time that he is finally given the accolade & recognition he richly deserves. As a forerunner, the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) should make amends for their laid-back attitude by displaying a Plaque in his honour in the SLC Headquarters. Others who have brought lustre to the country through heroic feats on the playing field, for example, Arjuna Ranatunga in winning the World Cup in 1996 have been justly rewarded. Likewise, the achievements of Sri Lankan Cricket thinkers working beyond the boundary deserve plaudits.

This is the least that Sri Lanka can do for a Sri Lankan inventor who has revolutionized the game of cricket with his Player – Referral concept, which is now universally known as DRS (Decision Review System), and a concept that is being used widely in all realms of sports & is a catalyst in crucial decision making.

Shenali D Waduge

By Engr. Kanthar Balanathan DipEE (UK), GradCert (RelEng-Monash), DipBus&Adm (Finance-Massey), C.Eng., MIEE, Former Director of Power Engineering Solutions Pty Ltd, Consulting Electrical Engineers

1. Political Illiteracy

Right from the inception of gaining independence, Sri Lanka behaved like a third world underdeveloped country full of racial-minded illiterates. On receiving independence, DS Senanayake’s regime disfranchised one million Indian estate workers, which we cannot blame DSS as he felt opponents were trying to undercut him and the UNP.

SJV Chelvanayagam started his turbulence of the Federal Party which he could have demanded when the British were ruling. SJVC started this racial slogan to be in power.

Quote:

Race refers to a person’s physical characteristics, such as bone structure and skin, hair, or eye colour. Ethnicity, however, refers to cultural factors, including nationality, regional culture, ancestry, and language.

Quote: Race refers to the concept of dividing people into groups based on various sets of physical characteristics and the process of ascribing social meaning to those groups. Ethnicity describes the culture of people in each geographic region, including their language, heritage, religion, and customs.

How and where can someone differentiate between the Sinhalese and the Tamils? The only difference is the language. The ancestry of the Sinhalese and Tamils origins in the same centre. Political activism by the Sinhalese: Among the Sinhalese, regional hatred progressed between the Upcountry Sinhalese (UC) and the Low Country (LC) Sinhalese. History will prove that the Low country Sinhalese assimilated with the Burmese, and Indonesians over the years as the Indian Kings brought people from an island called Kadara Theevu” which is the Indonesian islands. The physical appearance will prove the difference between the Upcountry and the low-country Sinhalese. The upcountry Sinhalese is mixed with mostly Malabar and Tamils. The two Sinhalese groups inherently generated the differences.

However, since the British captured SL, people have lived in one nation called Ceylon”. The two groups spoke the same language and practised the same religion. Politically the Sinhalese had their difference and avidity for power. No wonder Mahinda Rajapaksa wasted billions of dollars in developing the South which yielded no return on investment. Tamils are no different people; the only difference is the language. Basically, the people in Sri Lanka had no vision or mission to achieve peace and reputed economic status in the world.

One section supported the west and the other the east blended with Communism. There was and is no Unity and patriotism among the people.

Tamils are entrepreneurs and always supported the west. The Sinhalese are hardworking people in the South and the then governments neglected them.

The political competition made the sections always direct the other that the Tamils are trying to take over the country, to collect the VOTES. This cumulative effect mothballed and introduced racial conflicts between the Sinhalese and the Tamils. Even now most Sinhala politicians are focused on blaming the Tamils to collect votes. This leads intellectuals to judge the Sinhalese as FOOLS. Terrorism crept into the country via JVP and LTTE which led the country to lose hundreds of thousands of people die and loss of billions of dollars in assets.

Tamils did not govern the country and they had no power. 100% of decisions on 100% of activities were decided by the Sinhalese. Tamils were like slaves under the Sinhalese. This led the country to love and practice bribery and corruption. The Rajapaksas were the champions of bribery and corruption. Today the country went bankrupt.

• The Current President (RW) when he was the PM under Sirisena: (i) RW wanted to construct a bridge between Mannar and India. The cost was estimated to be five billion dollars. People objected to this and was given up.
• The Central Bank affair of Bond sale by Arjuna Mahendran who was not a citizen of SL.
• RW commenced the corridor plan between Trincomalee and Colombo for the USA.

Currently, the shameful act by the GOSL is as follows:  https://www.themorning.lk/articles/106131.

Quote: Excerpt from the Morning paper;  In addition, a special investigation has also been launched by Sri Lanka Customs and investigations are underway into the customs officials who assisted in the deportation of the areca nut containers.  According to sources attached to the Department of Police, an investigation into a tip-off received by a senior customs official has revealed that 21 containers of areca nut, imported from Indonesia, were fraudulently re-exported to India.   While four containers are being shipped from Sri Lanka, it has been revealed that the containers of areca nuts imported from Indonesia were illegally sent by a local exporter to India.  It has also been revealed that a stock of areca nuts, imported from Indonesia, worth over Rs. 350 million has been fraudulently re-exported to India. The stock of areca nuts was re-exported in 24 containers in August, September, and October, The Sunday Morning learnt.  It is also said that these areca nuts were imported using the active free trade agreement between Sri Lanka and India.  According to Customs, only three containers of areca nuts were procured from Sri Lanka and the remaining 21 containers were imported from Indonesia.  The bulk of the imported areca nuts have been exported to an Indian company, indicating that they are made in Sri Lanka, it is learnt.  Attempts to contact Sri Lanka Customs Director General Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Vijitha Ravi Priya and Sri Lanka Customs Additional Director General Sunil Jayaratne were futile.

This is the worst act any country’s administration can do to its people. This is how Sri Lankan authorities collect their cuts and kickbacks. This is just one example. SL has no FOREX. However, GOSL still imports cars and motorbikes.

• Shortfall in the Perception of Patriotism

The author is eighty years old and had worked in various countries and SL. The author judges the best PM and TEAM had been Srimavo Bandaranaike, Dr NM Perera, Felix Dias Bandaranaike, and Peter Keneman. Bribery and Corruption had been quite minimal and no corruption at all. The author was able to get things done in any department with no bribe within a short time. Those days are gone.

SL has ambassadors and Secretaries in their foreign offices. Are they not supposed to practice marketing techniques for Sri Lankan products?

It surfaces that the current regime is helping another country to make sure people leave Sri Lanka and leave illiterates and poor in SL so that the country can be converted as another Diego Garcia for a country to establish its base to strengthen its military power in the East.

රජිත් කීර්ති තෙන්නකෝන්

IMF පළමු වාරිකය ඩොලර් මිලියන 333 ක පළමු වාරිකය මාර්තු 22 (හෙට) ලංකාවේ බැංකු පද්ධතියට ලැබේ.  බොහෝ දෙනා මේ ණය කොන්දේසි හෝ ඉදිරි ක්‍රියා මාර්ග ගැන නොදනී.  බොහෝ දෙනා  ‘ඩොලර් ණය‘ යැයි කියන extended Fund Facility (EFF) ය කුමක් ද? එය ඉතිහාසයේ මෙයට පෙර අවස්ථා හය(6) ක දී සිදු වූ ලෙස කඩාකප්පල් කර ගත හැක්කේ කාට ද? යන්න විමසා බැලිය යුතුය.

මේ මාස 48 ක ණය ව්‍යාපෘතියේ මුළු වටිනාකම ඩොලර් බි. 3 කි. එය ඇසුරේ මුළු වටිනාකම ඩොලර් බි. 7 කි.

1.       සාර්ව ආර්ථික ස්ථාවරත්වය, 2. ණය ස්ථාවරත්වය ඇති කිරීම 3. මූල්‍ය ස්ථාවරත්වය ආරක්ෂා කිරීම 4. ව්‍යූහාත්මක ප්‍රතිසංස්කරණ ආරම්භ කිරීම, යන මුලික කරුණු 4 කින් එය සමන්විතය. 

ණය මුදල හෝ ඒ ඇසුරේ පවතින ලෝක බැංකු, ආසියානු සංවර්ධන බැංකු, ද්වි පාර්ශවික හෝ බහු පාර්ශවික සහනයන් ලබා ගැනීමට ලංකා රාජ්‍යය විශාල කැපවීමක්/වැඩ කොටසක් සිදු කළ යුතුය. ඒවා මෙසේය.

පළමුවැන්න, ප්‍රතිසංස්කරණ සිදුකිරීම ය.  මුදල් ලේකම් සහ මහ බැංකු අධිපතිවරයාට ඉවක් බවක් නැතිව සල්ලි අච්චු ගැසීමට ඇති හැකියාව නැති කිරීම (2019 මංගල සමරවීර විසින් පාර්ලිමේන්තුවට ඉදිරිපත් කළ, එදා සම්මත කර ගත නොහැකි වූ ‘නව මුදල් පනත‘ සම්මත කර ගැනීමේ සිට තවත් මුලිකාංග කිහිපයකි.  (දැනටමත් විමල්, ගම්මන්පිල කණ්ඩායම මෙයට විරෝධය පළ කර ඇත)  

දෙවැන්න, ලංකාවේ අය වැය ඉලක්කවලින් යථාර්ථවාදී ආදායම් කිසිදා ලැබුණේ නැත.  ඇත්තටම ලැබෙන ආදායම් (බදු) මත වියදම පාලනය කිරීම හෙවත් (අභිලාෂකාමී ආදායම් මත පදනම් වූ මූල්‍ය ඒකාග්‍රතාව) ඇති කර ගැනීම අවශ්‍ය ය.

තෙවැන්න, දැනට ක්‍රියාත්මක ප්‍රගතිශීලී බදු ප්‍රතිසංස්කරණ (උපයන විට ගෙවීමේ බද්ද, ආදායම් බද්ද, වැට් ආදී) 2019 දී අතහැර දමන ලද බදු නැවත පැනවීම හා ඉදිරියට ගෙන යාම අත්‍යවශ්‍ය ය. (දැනටම, උපයන විට බදු නොගෙවන ගුරුවරු, සංවර්ධන ආදී කේෂ්ත්‍ර පවා මෙරට වැඩිම වැටුප් ලබන 2.7% ක පිරිසට බදු සහන ලබාදෙන ලෙස එක් දින වැඩ වර්නයක් පවත්වා ඇත) 

සිව්වෙනුව, මේ වන විට සමාජ ආරක්ෂණ මණ්ඩලය මගින්  ක්‍රියාත්මක කරමින් සිටින සමීක්ෂණය වැනි විද්‍යාත්මක ක්‍රමයකට සැබෑ දුප්පතුන්ට සහන සැලසිය යුතු අතර, ව්‍යාජ ලෙස සහන ලබන පිරිස එයින් ඉවත් කළ යුතුය. (සමාජ ආරක්ෂණ දැල් ශක්තිමත් කළ යුතුය)  (දැනටම ග්‍රාම නිලධාරි වෘත්තීය සමිති මේ සමීක්ෂණයෙන් ඉවත්වී එය කඩාකප්පල් කිරීමට උත්සහ දරයි)

පස්වනුව,  බදු පරිපාලනය, රාජ්‍ය මූල්‍ය සහ වියදම් කළමනාකරණය සහ බලශක්ති මිලකරණය පිළිබඳ තිරසාර මූල්‍ය ආයතනික ප්‍රතිසංස්කරණ සිදු විය යුතුය.  වැඩිමිලට විදුලිය නිශ්පාදනය කර අඩු මිලට බෙදා හැරීම, සංස්ථා සේවකයින්ට අතිකාල ගෙවීම, නාස්තිය, දුෂණය වැලැක්වීමට පියවර ගත යුතුව ඇත. (තෙල් සංස්ථාව, විදුලිය, ප්‍රවාහන සේවා ප්‍රතිසංස්කරණ කිරීමට එරෙහිව වැටුපට වඩා තුන් ගුණයක් අතිකාල ලබන වරාය, විදුලිබල, ඛනිජ තෙල් වැනි ආයතන වැඩවර්ජන සිදු කරයි)

හයවනුව, ලංකාව ලෝකයට බිලියන 56 ක් ණය ජාතියකි.  අපගේ ණය විසින් ලංකාවට අනුග්‍රහයක් ලෙස අපේ ණය බර (සාධාරණ ආකාරයකට) බෙදා ගැනීමට යොමු විය යුතුය.  ණය හෝ පොළිය කැපීම, ණය ගෙවිමේ කාලය දිගු කිරීම එහි දී සිදුවේ.  ලංකාවේ ප්‍රමුඛ ණය හිමියන් සියළු දෙනා දැන් එයට එකඟවී ඇත.  ආණ්ඩුව ණය ලබාගෙන ඇති දේශීය ආයතනය ද එම එකඟතාවට අනුව කටයුතු කිරීමට සිදු විය හැකිය. 

හත්වනුව, උද්ධමන පාලන උපාය මාර්ගයට කැපවීම.  මාස 7 කට පෙර ලෝකයේ දෙවන වැඩිම උද්ධමනය (130%) ලංකාව අද එම ලැයිස්තුවේ 18 වන ස්ථානයට පැමිණ ඇත. රටේ බඩු මිල පාලනය වී ඇති බව හැමෝටම දැනෙන දෙයකි. එය දිගටම පවත්වාගෙන ගොස් වසර අවසානය වන විට තනි ඉලක්කමක් බවට පත් කිරීම මෙහි දී අතිශයින් වැදගත්ය.

අටවනුව,  වැඩි විනිමය අනුපාත නම්‍යශීලීභාවය ලබා ගැනීම සඳහා ඩොලර් සංචිතය වැඩි කර ගැනීමට ලංකාවට සිදුවේ.  ඩොලර් මිලියන  5 ක් නොතිබූ සංචිතය මේ මාස 6 තුල ඩොලර් බිලියන 3 දක්වා වර්ධනය කර ගැනීමට රජය/මහ බැංකුව සමත් වී ඇත. අත්‍යවශ්‍ය නොවන දෑ සඳහා ඩොලර් වැය නොකිරීම, අපනයන හා ඩොලර් ආදායම් ලබන සේවා වැඩි කිරීමට රජයට අනිවාර්යයෙන්ම සිදු වනු ඇත. (රුපියල ශක්තිමත්වන විට එයට විරෝධය පළ කරන, ඩොලර් එවන්න එපා කියන පිරිසක් රටේ ඇත)

නමවනුව, මේ ලෝකයේම බැංකු කඩා වැටෙන යුගයකි.  ප්‍රමාණවත් ලෙස ප්‍රාග්ධනීකරණය වූ බැංකු පද්ධතියක් පවත්වා ගැනීම ලංකාවට වැදගත් වේ. රාජ්‍ය ගිණුම් නොමැතිව ලංකා, මහජන බැංකු දෙකට පැවතිය නොහැකිය. වර්ජන තර්ජන වැනි දේශපාලනික උපක්‍රම වෙනුවට වෙළඳපල සාධක මත කටයුතු කිරීමට රාජ්‍ය – පුද්ගලික දෙඅංශයටම සිදු වනු ඇත. (මහජන බැංකුවේ පැවැත්වම වඩා දේශපාලන අරමුණ ඉදිරියෙන් තැබූ මහජන බැංකු සේවකයින් ඇත)

දසවනුව, මහ බැංකුව විසින් බැංකු ප්‍රාග්ධනීකරණ සැලැස්මක් ක්‍රියාත්මක කිරීම සහ මූල්‍ය අධීක්ෂණය සහ අර්බුද කළමනාකරණ රාමුව ශක්තිමත් කිරීමට පියවර ගැනීම අනිවාර්ය වේ.  නීති විරෝධී කටයුතු පාලනය, ඒ අතර මුලික වේ.

එකොලොස්වනුව,  විස්තීරණ දූෂණ-විරෝධී ප්‍රතිසංස්කරණ න්‍යාය පත්‍රය මෙහෙයවීම IMF හා වෙනත් ජාත්‍යන්තර ආයතන විසින් ලබාදෙන ජාත්‍යන්තර නිර්ණායක අනුව සිදු කළ යුතුය.

ලංකාවට තවදුරටත් රාජ්‍ය සේවයට තොග වශයෙන් බඳවා ගැනීම් සිදු කළ නොහැකි වනු ඇත. පාඩු ලබමින් බදු මුදලින් යැපෙන ආයතන වසා දැමීමට සිදුවනු ඇත.  (දැනටමත් එවැනි ආයතන, කොමිෂන් 100 ක් හදුණාගෙන ඇත)

දස දහස් ගණන් වන වැඩක් නොකර පඩි ලබන පිරිස ඉවත් කළ ඒ වෙනුවට ඔවුන් එලදායි වෙනත් රැකියාවන්හි නිරත කළ යුතු වනු ඇත.  නැතිනම්, පූර්ණ ප්‍රතිසංස්කරණයකට (පුද්ගලික අංශය සමඟ එක්වී) යා යුතුය.

අදායම් ඇතත් සමෘද්ධි බලන පිරිස වෙනුවට ඇත්තටම සහන අවශ්‍ය පිරිසකට කන්නට හා ජීවත්වන්නට ආධාර බෙදිය යුතුය. (දේශපාලන බලයෙන් සමෘද්ධි ලබන පිරිස එයට එරෙහි වනු ඇත)

මේ සියල්ල සරළ හෝ පහසු හෝ නැත. ජාත්‍යන්තර මුල්‍ය අරමුදල විසින් ලංකාවට දුන් ණය සහන 6 ක් අතරමඟ ඉවත් කර ගත්තේය. කඩකප්පල් විය. 

අද අප සිටින්නේ ඒ සියල්ලට වඩා දුෂ්කර අවස්ථාවක ය. දැන් අපට යන්නට  IMF මාවත තිබේ. එයට අකමැති නම් නැවත,  මාස 6 කට පෙර පෝලීමේ මැරී වැටුණු යුගයට නැවත යා හැකිය.  ඉන්ධන ගෑස් නැති යුගයට යා හැකිය. 

රජිත් කීර්ති තෙන්නකෝන්

අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මාධ්‍ය අංශය.

ජාතික විදුලිබල පද්ධතියට මෙගාවොට් 120ක විදුලි ධාරිතාවක් එක් කරමින් දිස්ත්‍රික්ක කිහිපයක පුරන් ඉඩම්වලට ජලය සපයන උමාඔය ජල විදුලි ව්‍යාපෘතියේ ප්‍රගතිය 2023.03.18 දින අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය දිනේෂ් ගුණවර්ධන මහතාගේ නිරීක්ෂණයට ලක්කෙරිණී.

අග්‍රාමාත්‍යවරයා   උමං මාර්ගයට ඇතුළු වී අඩි සිය ගණනක්  පහළට ගමන් කොට  බලාගාර ට්‍රාන්ස්ෆෝමරය නිරීක්ෂණය කළ අතර එමගින් , මෙම වසරේ මැද භාගය වන විට විදුලිය නිපදවීමට නියමිතව තිබේ.

එහි ඉදිකිරීම් බාරදී ඇති ඉරාන සමාගමේ ව්‍යාපෘති නිලධාරීන් සහ ඉංජිනේරුවන් සමඟ අග්‍රාමාත්‍යවරයා අදහස් හුවමාරු කර ගත් අතර දිගු කලක් ප්‍රමාද වී තිබූ ව්‍යාපෘතිය මනා ලෙස ක්‍රියාත්මක කිරීම සහ ඉරානයෙන් ණය පහසුකම් ලබා දීම සම්බන්ධයෙන් ඔහු   ඉරාන තානාපති හෂෙම් අෂ්ජාසාදේ හට ද  සිය ස්තූතිය පුද කළේය.

මෙම උමග මගින් අත්‍යාවශ්‍ය ජල විදුලිය ජනනය කිරීමට අමතරව, වාර්ෂිකව ජලය ඝන මීටර් මිලියන 145ක් (MCM) උමාඔය ද්‍රෝණියේ සිට කිරිදි ඔය ද්‍රෝණියට හරවා නව ඉඩම් හෙක්ටයාර 4,500කට සහ දැනට පවතින ඉඩම්වලින් හෙක්ටයාර 1,500කට වාරි ජලය සපයයි.

බදුල්ල, මොනරාගල සහ හම්බන්තොට දිස්ත්‍රික්කවල කාර්මික සහ පානීය ජල අවශ්‍යතා සඳහා උමා ඔය ව්‍යාපෘතිය මඟින් වාර්ෂිකව ජලය ඝනමීටර් මිලියන  39 ක් ලබා දෙනු ඇත.  ව්‍යාපෘතියේ වියදම ඇමරිකානු ඩොලර් මිලියන 514 කි.  මෙය  මීටර් 50 ක් උස ඩයරබා වේල්ල සහ මීටර් 35 ක උසකින් යුත් පුහුල්පොල වේල්ලෙන් සමන්විත  වන අතර  කිලෝමීටර් 15.3 ක් දිග ප්‍රධාන උමග සහ කිලෝමීටර් 3.9 ක් දිග සම්බන්ධක උමග යන උමං දෙකෙන් සමන්විතය.

මෙම අවස්ථාවට ඉරාන තානාපති හෂේම් අෂ්ජාසාදේ, ඌව පළාත් ආණ්ඩුකාර ඒ. ජේ. එම්. මුසම්මිල්, රාජ්‍ය අමාත්‍යවරුන් වන ශෂීන්ද්‍ර රාජපක්ෂ, ජගත් පුෂ්පකුමාර, චාමර සම්පත්, පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රීවරුන් වන සුදර්ශන දෙනිපිටිය, ගයාෂාන් නවනන්දන, යදාමිණි ගුණවර්ධන සහ ව්‍යාපෘති නිලධාරීන් එක්ව සිටියහ.

අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මාධ්‍ය අංශය. 

Prime Minister’s Media Division

The Prime Minister mentioned that veteran lyricist Sunil Sarath Perera developed Sinhala language and its meaning by means of classical songs making the language richer. He said this at the launch of Mathaka Nimnaya” book by the veteran lyricist Sunil Sarath Perera held at Ananda Samarakoon Studio of Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation on 20.03.2023.

The Prime Minister, addressing the audience said that Sunil Sarath Perera had a great love for our country. Because of that love, our language and its meaning developed. He had a special talent of producing creative masterpieces in different fields at different situations. It is unique of him to be able to bestow that wealth of experience to our culture, literature as well as to various other fields.

I first met Mr. Sunil Sarath Perera when I was a school boy. I got off the bus near the textile mill and go to Kirulapana. Some days Sunil Sarath Perera was on the side of the road of Maya Mawatha. We chat with each other. At that time, it was not only the problems of the general public that were discussed but also about the nation and its heritage.

Even at that time, the clear discipline given to the language and the depth of handling has taught us a lot. His effort to protect our language should be highly appreciated. I’m proud to be here to honour someone who has made a lifelong contribution to the nation. He used our language and its meaning in euphoric song and inspired the nation.

About twenty years ago, we worked together at a special international conference on the ozone layer held in our country. At that time, about one hundred and forty countries had joined that conference. I remember the moment when the whole conference accepted the special proposal on wetlands presented at that time on behalf of Sri Lanka. The Colombo Charter of the world’s environmental history presented by me as the Environment Minister then, was originally created by Sunil Sarath Perera. I do mention it here with great respect. Actually it paved the way to say that when the ozone layer is being destroyed, it will be difficult for us to live on the planet.

The strength you have given us would carry us further. When we listen to the song written by you on Dantha Dhatu (Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha) it always remind us about you. That song revitalize the world.

The Uma Oya project, which converts water into electricity, is set to be handed over to the people in a few weeks. I went to inspect the Umaoya project last week. We talked about how it was built. We discussed the value of important people like you in the occasion.

Maha Sangha including Venerable Thrikunamale Ananda Thera graced the occasion while Minister Bandula Gunawardena, Member of Parliament Yadamini Gunawardena, Chairman of Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation W. B. Ganegala, Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation Chairman Hudson Samarasinghe and many scholars and artists participated in the event

Dinesh Gunawardena Prime Minister Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

The Sri Lankan inherits a great irrigational civilization that is not second to any. The expertise in irrigation and water systems of our ancestors amazed the whole world. They took great care not to let flow a single drop of water fallen from the sky to the sea without making any use of it. It was the most inspiring claim by the King Parakkramabahu the Great. They safeguarded rain water and ground water resources as of a gift from heaven and managed properly to bestow them to the next generation.

Though inherited such a history of water conservation, Sri Lanka and the rest of the world is in the verge of a drinking water crisis today. The next world war will be for water if water catchment and water resources as well as the drinking water which is produced with a huge cost are not managed properly.

One hundred and three rivers including Mahaweli, Kelani, Kalu, Walawe, which nature has gifted us, provide drinking water to fifty six percent of the population and another fourteen percent gets drinking water community and rural water projects.

When I was the Minister of Water Supply, in addition to the large, medium and small scale water projects that were launched from the city to remote villages, the Community Water Supply Department was established for the continued success of community water projects carried out with the contribution of people.

I highly value the contribution of the Ministry of Water Supply, the National Water Supply and Drainage Board in realizing this year’s World Water Day theme of ‘Preparing an appropriate programme for water and sanitation’ while working in an optimal development programme to achieve the desired goals.

Dinesh Gunawardena Prime Minister Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

 Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena.

The Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena instructed the officials to suspend the issuance of permanent and daily excise licenses for liquor sales in the Maharagama Divisional Secretary’s division. He said this at the Maharagama Regional Coordination Committee meeting held on 20.03.2023.

He also advised them to suspend the issuance of excise permits issued daily for events such as music shows, carnivals and various other occasions.

The progress of development projects in Maharagama area was reviewed and a special attention was paid to social welfare programmes. It was revealed that 13,377 applications have been received for the government’s new social welfare programme and relevant data of 2,560 people has already been collected. The Prime Minister further advised to involve Samurdhi Development Officers for carrying out Social Welfare Programmes.

The progress of the health sector was examined and a shortage of local medical officers of health was also revealed.  The Prime Minister instructed to re-focus on the fact that the Boralasgamuwa lake was not handed over to the Urban Council following its renovations and take necessary measures in this regard urgently.

Venerable Nikapotha Chandrajothi Thera, Chairman of Maharagama Shasanarakshaka Bala Mandalaya, Colombo District Secretary K. G Wijesiri, Maharagama Divisional Secretary M.M. K. Dilrukshi and other government officials took part in the occasion.

Prime Minister’s Media Division.

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Sri Lanka Rupee (LKR) has appreciated further against the US Dollar (USD) today, according to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

Accordingly, today’s buying rate of USD is Rs. 312.61 while the selling rate of USD is Rs. 330.16.

Courtesy Reuters

March 22 (Reuters) – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is allowing Sri Lanka to utilise funds from its latest bailout for fiscal support, unlike previous loans that could only be used to ease balance of payments crises, central bank governor Nandalal Weerasinghe said in an interview with Bloomberg.

Upon receiving the funds from the IMF, the monetary authority can buy foreign exchange and provide the government an equivalent amount of rupees to spend, Weerasinghe told Bloomberg on Tuesday.

“In line with IMF fiscal deficit targets, instead of raising money from domestic markets, they can use that money to finance the budget,” the report quoted Weerasinghe as saying.

Courtesy Ceylon Today

The International Monetary Fund has emphasised the importance of anti-corruption and governance reforms as a central pillar of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF)-supported programme as they are indispensable to ensure the hard-won gains from the reforms benefit the Sri Lankan people.

In a statement issued ahead of the IMF press briefing on Tuesday (21) morning, Senior Mission Chief for Sri Lanka Peter Breuer and Mission Chief for Sri Lanka Masahiro Nozaki noted that Sri Lankan authorities have committed to fundamentally improve public financial management and strengthen the anti-corruption legal framework in line with the United Nations Convention against Corruption.

The reform programme supported under the EFF arrangement is built on strong policy measures and prioritises:

1. An ambitious revenue-based fiscal consolidation, accompanied by stronger social safety nets, fiscal institutional reforms, and cost-recovery based energy pricing to ensure the State’s ability to support all its essential expenditures.
2. Restoration of public debt sustainability, including through a debt restructuring to ensure stable financing of the Government’s operations.
3. A multi-pronged strategy to restore price stability and rebuild reserves under greater exchange rate flexibility in order to alleviate the burden of inflation, particularly on the poor, to foster an environment of investment and growth, and to ensure Sri Lanka’s ability to purchase essential goods from abroad.
4. Policies to safeguard financial sector stability to ensure that the financial sector can play its key role in supporting economic growth.
5. Structural reforms to address corruption vulnerabilities and enhance growth.

It is now essential to continue the reform momentum under strong ownership by the authorities and the Sri Lankan people more broadly, said the IMF.

It added that the economic impact of the reforms on the poor and vulnerable needs to be mitigated with appropriate measures.

The IMF added that Tax reforms under the programme are designed to be progressive, that is, ensuring greater contributions from high-income earners. Efforts to increase tax revenues should be pursued in a growth-friendly manner while protecting the poor and most vulnerable.

In addition, the IMF is conducting an in-depth governance diagnostic exercise, which will assess corruption and governance vulnerabilities in Sri Lanka and provide prioritised and sequenced recommendations, it added.

The statement went on to note that Sri Lanka will be the first country in Asia to undergo a governance diagnostic exercise by the IMF.

It is now important for the Sri Lankan authorities and creditors to closely coordinate and make swift progress towards a debt treatment that restores debt sustainability under the EFF-supported programme, said the IMF.

On Monday (20), the IMF Executive Board approved a 48-month extended arrangement under the EFF of SDR 2.286 billion (about US$3 billion) to support Sri Lanka’s economic policies and reforms.

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

The International Monetary Fund today said the government is expected to phase out the import and exchange restrictions currently in place.

Authorities will develop a plan for phased removal of import restrictions and exchange restrictions related to BOP. That plan due by June 2023,” said IMF Mission Chief Masahiro Nozaki responding to question raised by Mirror Business.

Although Sri Lanka recently relaxed some of the import and exchange restrictions, rules on forex conversion and bans on certain imported consumer goods still remain.

By Shabiya Ali Ahlam Courtesy The Daily Mirror

• IMF governance diagnostic exercise to assess corruption and governance vulnerabilities
• Report to be published by September 2023
• Diagnosis to focus on IMF fiscal governance, financial sector oversight, Central Bank governance, market regulations, the rule of law, and AML/CFT
• Asset recovery legislation to be developed and introduced by March 2024

While Sri Lanka successfully crossed the hurdle of unlocking the International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout package on Monday, it also became the first country in the Asian region to have its governance come under the radar of the multilateral agency.

The IMF during a press conference held yesterday emphasised the importance of anti-corruption and governance reforms as a central pillar of the EFF-supported programme. 

Accordingly, the Fund is in the midst of conducting an in-depth governance diagnostic exercise, which will assess corruption and governance vulnerabilities in Sri Lanka and provide prioritised and sequenced recommendations. The report will be published by September 2023.

Sri Lanka will be the first country in Asia to undergo a governance diagnostic exercise by the IMF. We look forward to further engagement and collaboration with stakeholders and civil society organisations on this critical reform area,”said IMF Senior Mission Chief for Sri Lanka Peter Breuer, addressing reporters via a virtual press briefing held last morning.

The Mission Chief stressed that anti-corruption and governance reforms are indispensable to ensure the hard-won gains from the reforms to benefit the Sri Lankan people”.The diagnostic exercise will assess corruption and governance vulnerabilities in Sri Lanka and provide prioritised and sequenced recommendations.

The IMF Mission Chief Masahiro Nozaki pointed out that the objective of the exercise is to examine the severity of corruption in the island nation and identify key governance weaknesses and vulnerabilities.
The focus of the IMF diagnosis will include core issues such as fiscal governance, financial sector oversight, Central Bank governance, market regulations, the rule of law, and AML/CFT (anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing),” said Nozaki during the question and answer session of the briefing.

He asserted that the exercise is an important milestone” of the programme in agreement with Sri Lanka.  Meanwhile, IMF will assist Sri Lankan authorities to develop a comprehensive piece of legislation in line with the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC). The legislation will include strengthening the asset declaration system in accordance with the G-20 High-Level Principles on asset disclosure by public officials, including coverage of officials and reporting standards. The legislation will create an anti-corruption commission vested with the authority and strengthen independence for investigations. 

The draft legislation, which does not cover comprehensive asset recovery provisions, is currently under review by a review Committee before final approval by the Cabinet. This legislation will be enacted by June 2023 (structural benchmark),” the IMF Staff report, which was made public yesterday, stated. 

A transparent and merit-based process for selecting members of the independent commission will also be integrated explicitly into this legislation, the IMF said.

Meanwhile, comprehensive asset recovery provisions in compliance with the UNCAC standards are expected to be developed in consultation with the IMF staff and incorporated into a separate draft legislation pertaining to Proceeds of Crime by March 2024.

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

A group of Japanese investors along with Japan Deputy Head of Mission Katsuki Kotaro called on the Board of Investment (BOI) to discuss new investment opportunities in Sri Lanka.

The investors had a productive discussion with Investment Promotion State Minister Dilum Amunugama, BOI Director General Renuka M Weerakone and other officials on key investment opportunities in Sri Lanka where the investors conveyed interest in investing in diverse sectors such as medical equipment manufacturing, pharmaceutical, travel & tourism industry especially cultural tourism, the hotel industry, property development and real estate.

Speaking at the meeting, the State Minister opined Sri Lanka has come a long way in making reforms and progress since the economic crisis. The approved IMF program will help enhance investor confidence, creating a conducive ecosystem to do business, thereby attracting much-needed FDIs to the country,”

Also, the State Minister explained the delegates about the special investment policy, which is in progress to ease doing business where the BOI would be empowered to further facilitate investors. Further, discussions are underway to grant tax benefits to investors in future.

Moreover, he invited the investors to invest in five new industrial and privately managed zones to be established in the Northern Province, the Trincomalee district and other selected areas. 

Meanwhile, DG Renuka M Weerakone answering the queries of delegates, stated Investor Facilitation Center (IFC) will be a single window to conduct businesses where each investor will get an individual official to look into matters until the investor commences operation in the country,” 

Sri Lanka is making great progress as a country and has strong economic sectors and companies that are strongly looking forward to establishing investment partnerships with countries like Japan. In this context, the BOI is looking forward to increasing and developing cooperation with Japan through novel investment projects,” she added.

Courtesy Adaderana

President Ranil Wickremesinghe tabled the IMF staff level agreement on the  Extended Fund Facility (EFF) arrangement for Sri Lanka in Parliament, a short while ago.

President Wickremesinghe is currently in Parliament attending today’s parliamentary proceedings and is delivering a special statement on the IMF Extended Fund Facility.

He said that at a time when the country was in chaos in July last year, no one was willing to accept responsibility and that he was requested to take over. 

I had no power in Parliament, and no MPs from my Party to call my own.” However, the President said his strength was his conviction that he was capable of rebuilding the country.

He said that the IMF credit facility amounts to USD 3 billion over a period of 4 years, with the first tranche of USD 333 million already being received. 

Additionally, the country is expecting about USD 7 billion dollars more in rapid credit support from other parties, he said.

He said the IMF facility is a step towards building a better future for the youth and uplifting the country. 

The President said the IMF Extended Fund Facility will restore Sri Lanka’s international recognition, ensure the country is not bankrupt and help banks regain international recognition. 

This will create opportunities for low interest credit, restore foreign investors’ confidence and lay the foundation for a strong new economy, he emphasized. 

The President says that the government plans to reduce existing tax exemptions on Value Added Tax (VAT) by 2024, remove the simplified VAT system, and expedite its reimbursement. 

He added that Estate Duty will be introduced as a property tax by 2025.

He also said that the government aims to reduce the primary deficit to 2.3% of the GDP by 2025 and to increase revenue to 14% of GDP by 2026.

He said the standard corporate income tax rate has been raised to 30%, and that sectoral tax holidays have been eliminated. 

The PAYE tax rate has been raised from 12% to 15%, while the tax exemption limit has been reduced from Rs. 300 million to Rs. 80 million.

President Wickremeisnghe stated that fuel prices will be decided only by the 2018 Fuel Price Formula and that the electricity tariff will be adjusted every 06 months.

He urged the Members of the Parliament to approve the agreement reached with the IMF. Only then can I start the second round of discussions,” he said, addressing the House.  

This is not the end of the journey. This is the beginning of a longer journey.”

The President said that amidst numerous hardships, bearing all kinds of pressure and undergoing suffering with equanimity, the people of this country remained calm and patient. 

He said their commitment was a great strength in achieving the IMF Facility and therefore, he extended his gratitude to the people of the country. 

The Executive Board of the IMF approved the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) to Sri Lanka at its board meeting held on Monday (20 March).

The program will allow Sri Lanka to access financing of up to US$ 7 billion from the IMF, International Financial Institutions (IFIs) and multilateral organizations.

Meanwhile, 48-month extended arrangement with an amount of SDR 2.286 billion (395 percent of quota or about USD 3 billion) was also approved under the EFF, with the aim of restoring Sri Lanka’s macroeconomic stability and debt sustainability, mitigating the economic impact on the poor and vulnerable, safeguarding financial sector stability, and strengthening governance and growth potential, the IMF said.

Courtesy Adaderana

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has stated that the salaries and pensions of public servants will be revised in the future, in line with the inflation rates.

Speaking on the measure currently underway to manage government expenditure while addressing the Parliament this morning (22 March), Wickremesinghe stated that steps are currently being taken to increase the funds allocated for public expenditure and that pensions and salaries earned by government employees too will be revised in line with the inflation rates.

He noted, however, that such revisions will be made within the primary balance of the Budget.

Moreover, the Head of State noted that henceforth, fuel prices will be decided only by the 2018 fuel price formula, without the intervention of any political authorities.

Electricity tariffs too adjusted accordingly every six months, the President stated, adding that the balance sheets of organizations currently running at large losses will be remade.

The Road Development Authority (RDA), SriLankan Airlines, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) were amongst these companies.

Courtesy Adaderana

During his speech in Parliament this morning (22 March), after tabling the International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreement, President Ranil Wickremesinghe stated that the programme will be reviewed every six months. 

He made these remarks in view of the hardships currently faced by society owing to the recent increase in tax rates, electricity tariffs and other unpopular decisions that were taken in order to fulfill the prerequisites of the IMF programme. 

We are currently going through a difficult period. We are well aware that a certain section of the society is facing immense hardships due to the tax burden. We also know the entire society is suffering due to inflation. However, we cannot distance ourselves from the policies that have been implemented at this crucial juncture”, he said in this regard. 

The Head of State noted, however, that both the Government and the IMF will review the programme every six months, with the first review scheduled to take place in June this year. 

We have already focused our attention on amending the existing tax mechanism. The Treasury is already in the process of preparing amended proposals. Further, intellectuals and economic experts have already submitted their views in this regard, which we hope to discuss, and reach an agreement”, the President assured. 

He further noted that despite the efforts of certain individuals to portray ideals that these prevalent issues can be solved through beliefs and confrontations, they can only be solved through ‘caution, care and wisdom’. 

Below is the full speech made by the President:

I wish to officially inform this august Assembly that we have been able to secure the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Full control over public finance has been vested in Parliament through the Constitution. Therefore, while tabling the IMF Agreement today, I wish to make my first official statement before Parliament regarding the EFF Sri Lanka has received.

On the 9th of July last year, I took over a country that was on fire. A country that was in chaos. A country that seemed to be without an iota of hope for the future. A country that had officially declared itself bankrupt. A country where inflation had risen to 73.7%. A country where people suffered for days in queues for fuel and gas. A country with schools closed. A country where ten or twelve hour power cuts were imposed. A country without fertilizer hampering cultivation by farmers. A country where anarchy prevailed in place of law and order. A country where outsiders had forcefully entered public buildings and were in occupation. A country where mob attacks were widespread. A country where homes of opponents were set ablaze. A country where people were assassinated on roads in broad daylight.

No one was willing to accept responsibilities in such an environment. Some were reluctant. Some asked for time to check their horoscopes. Some sneaked away. Some panicked. I was requested to take over the country at a time when nobody came forward to shoulder that responsibility.

I unconditionally accepted the challenge. I had no power in Parliament. I had no Members of Parliament from my Party to call my own. Even though I had none of these, I had just one strength. This was only my own conviction that I am capable of rebuilding my country. I had numerous experiences to support this conviction of mine.

In 2001 the economy of the country experienced a minus growth rate. However, I was able to shift the economy of the country to the right track, within a period of less than two years from the time I took over governance. At that juncture, I was able to secure aid worth 4 billion US$ through the Tokyo aid summit. 

Unfortunately, that aid was not properly utilized by those who took over governance subsequently. In the same manner, when I took over the economy in 2015, it was in a weak state. But we were able to achieve a surplus in the budget primary balance by 2018. We also took action to increase salaries by approximately 106% while extending various other relief measures.

I only had the confidence gained from previous experiences when I accepted this serious challenge. I accepted the challenge with the conviction that even if I failed, the country would not.

Honuorable Speaker,

With the receipt of the IMF Facility, it has paved the way for us to build the future of our youth. We have the opportunity to uplift our motherland again.

Under this credit facility, we will receive approximately three billion US 
Dollars within a period of 4 years. We have now received its first tranche of 333 million US Dollars. We expect about 7 billion dollars more of rapid credit support from the World Bank, ADB and other parties that extend credit facilities.

There are people who interpret the EFF of the IMF as simply another loan. There are also those who clamor saying that the total debt of the country cannot be paid off with this amount we are to receive. Such statements show either their ignorance, or that they are ready to betray even the country to earn political mileage.

With the grant of the EFF from the IMF, we regain recognition in the international arena. We get an assurance that Sri Lanka would no longer be a bankrupt country. Our banks will return to the status with international recognition. International financial institutions will respect our bank’s letters of credit. The basis for obtaining credit from other international financial institutions at low interest rates will be created. Foreign investors’ confidence in Sri Lanka will be regained. Numerous comprehensive opportunities in the international arena will come available. The foundation to build a strong new economy will be laid.

Further, because of this Agreement, financial discipline in our country will become legislated. Stringent new laws for the prevention of corruption will be introduced. A new financial culture and environment that had not prevailed previously in Sri Lanka will be created through this Facility.

Honuorable Speaker,

Some tried to make the country totally disfunctional before the IMF took the decision regarding our country. There were plans to create a continuous wave of strikes, to destroy the economy and create anarchy in the country. They expected to prevent the receipt of IMF assistance through such sabotage. Certain political parties, some trade unions and some media labored to cause disruption. They claimed that we will not receive IMF support because the country was unstable.

They said IMF support will not be forthcoming because local government elections were not being held. They tried their best to make the people of the country to take to the streets with various false propaganda of this nature.

But the majority of the public did not support such acts of subversion. The majority of the public were not willing to disrupt the progress of the country for misplaced initiatives of various power hungry political parties. The people acted with sheer responsibility for the country.

Amidst numerous hardships, bearing all kinds of pressure, and undergoing suffering with equanimity, the people of this country remained calm and patient. Their commitment was a great strength in achieving the IMF Facility. Therefore, I firstly wish to extend my gratitude to my people of this country.

In this effort, our officials labored day and night. The Ministers worked with unstinted commitment. Most of the Members of this august Assembly extended their support. Some in public. Some in private. I am extremely thankful to all of them for their support.

Concomitantly, our key creditors from foreign countries and international organizations championed obtaining of this EFF. I extend the appreciation of Sri Lanka to them all.

Honuorable Speaker,

We are now starting a new journey. We have to introduce many economic reforms throughout the process. The foundation for our success will be through this path. Some of these reforms have already been proposed and implemented through the interim budget of 2022 and the budget for 2023. We will introduce numerous other reforms. I wish to emphasize some important related matters, including the reforms process that we are implementing and plan to do so in the future.

Increasing Public Revenue

• We hope to reduce the primary deficit to 2.3% of the GDP by 2025.
• The Sri Lankan government’s revenue is currently 8.3% of the GDP, making it the country with the lowest revenue collection compared to other countries in the world.

We expect to increase the government’s revenue up to 15% of the GDP by 2026 through our measures.

• We have now raised the standard corporate income tax rate to 30% without sectoral tax holidays.
• The PAYE tax rate was increased from 8% to 15%.
• The measures required to reduce the existing tax exemptions on Value Added Tax (VAT) will come into effect by 2025. Further, necessary measures will be taken to remove the simplified VAT system and expedite its reimbursement.
• Steps have also been taken to introduce tax on awards / substitutes and to introduce Estate Duty as a property tax by 2025, while providing an appropriate tax exemption allowance at a minimum.

Managing Expenditure

• We hope to increase the allocations provided to cover the expenses through proper management of expenditure.
• It would also pave the way for adjustments in certain salary scales and pension schemes as part of the impact of inflation within the primary deficit targets.

State Enterprises and Energy Cost

• Fuel prices will be determined based on the 2018 Price Formula. The adjustment will take place once a month to cover the cost. Therefore, determination of fuel prices will be bereft of politicization.
• Measures will also be taken to adjust the tariff on electricity every six months to cover the cost after considering the estimated future cost.
• Key loss making state ventures of the balance sheet namely the Road Development Authority, Sri Lankan Airlines, Ceylon Petroleum Corporation and Ceylon Electricty Board will be restructured. Measures will also be taken to exchange the foreign loans obtained on overdue sovereign guarantees mentioned in the balance sheets of the state-owned enterprises, as payable debt of the Government of Sri Lanka.

Price Stability and Fiscal Policies

• Inflation rate will be brought back between 4% – 6%. We were able to reduce the inflation that had skyrocketed, to a considerable level. Further, we hope to bring back the inflation rate to a single digit by mid-2023.
• When these measures are in progress the country would have to gradually refrain from printing money (Financing the Government by borrowing from the Central Bank to cover the budget deficit). Therefore, the Treasury will have to reduce the budget deficit by a significant amount and utilize various market instruments for this purpose.
• While allowing activities of the forex market to be determined on market criterions the existing thresholds and guidelines of that market will be relaxed.
• In order to build the foreign reserves according to the set targets the Central Bank intends to purchase foreign currency.

Good Governance

• The IMF is engaged in the process of preparing a Governance Assessment Report in consultation with local experts. This would allow identifying the loopholes that exist in the frameworks of Sri Lankan administration and the institutions that combat corruption.
• Laws will be drafted against corruption in line with UN conventions.
• It is also expected to include the provisions with regard to the acquisition of assets to the legislative framework by March 2024.
• A new Public Finance Management bill that includes strong fiscal policies, laws, thresholds with regard to obtaining foreign loans and government securities will also be drafted.
• The individuals who had obtained permits to import vehicles on concessionary tax basis along with the institutions that enjoy tax concessions / tax holidays of the Board of Investment will be made public. Further, large scale government procurement contracts will also be made public.

Progress

• Reforms in the IMF-related program also include improving medium and long-term economic growth. Measures with regard to trade reforms, steps to improve participation of women in work force, skills development, minimizing inefficiency and cost in the energy sector through reforms and changes that take place as a result of climate change will be taken into consideration in this regard.

Future Measures

• During this period the Government intends to submit a comprehensive report on liberalizing the economy and digitalization, sustainable recovery as well as multiple aspects, that go beyond the IMF programs to achieve medium and long-term high growth paths.
• Concurrently, talks with our bilateral creditors will begin. We will continue our discussions with them in an open and transparent manner, using the same methods we have used in the past.
• Before making final decisions on loan repayment terms, we use an open system that informs all bilateral creditors. The same procedure is followed by other foreign creditors. We hope to carry out the restructuring in a way that is fair to all creditors.
• As I stated in an open letter to our official shareholders, we are unconcerned about any creditor. They are fair to everyone. So far, we’ve been open and friendly with all of them. I will continue to do so.
• Reports are published on our pro-Grayas on a regular basis. There is no information about the country’s debt hidden.

Honorable Speaker,

We are currently going through a difficult period. We are well aware that a certain section of the society is facing immense hardships due to the tax burden. We also know the entire society is suffering due to inflation. However, we cannot distance ourselves from the policies that have been implemented at this crucial juncture.

The Government and the IMF will review the programme every six months. The first review will take place in June. We have already focused our attention on amending the existing tax mechanism. The Treasury is already in the process of preparing amended proposals. Further, intellectuals and economic experts have already submitted their views in this regard, which we hope to discuss, and reach an agreement.

We are discussing with the IMF to include these tax reforms in our plans at the review in June. In addition, we are discussing the other policy reforms which we think are necessary at present.

Some people try to portray that these issues can be solved through beliefs and confrontations. However, these problems have to be solved through caution, care and wisdom.

Hon.Speaker,

We are at a difficult period of time. However, our difficulties and hardships will be short lived. We can reap the benefits of the commitments and toil within a short period of time. We have to make these sacrifices for the young people of the country, the future generation who are to inherit this nation tomorrow.

Therefore the onus is on all of us to build our country. We have to work together towards this end by setting aside criticism of the past.

If we implement the economic reforms with proper financial discipline throughout the next four years in accordance with this Agreement, a strong economic foundation will emerge for the future of the country. If we deviate from this path, the entire country will find itself in a worse situation in April, than it was in, sometime back.

We hope to schedule the Parliamentary debate on this Agreement in the third week of March. I request the support of all of you in this House in this regard.
I also wish to draw the attention of this House to another important matter. We cannot simply be satisfied with only the IMF agreement. This is not the end. This is just the beginning of yet another long journey. We have to traverse that path with vigour.

Discussing with our creditors and restructuring the loans as well as recommencing the process of repayment, is a massive challenge. Increasing the income of the country too should happen simultaneously.

The local production should be increased. More avenues of foreign income should be explored. We should not only expand our share in the world market but also in our region. A colossal economic reform process should be implemented fearlessly and continuously.

All these are not easy goals. However, we have to move forward by making sacrifices for the country. This difficult journey should be made with care. Our primary goal should be building the country. Firstly, secondly and thirdly our sole target should be to build the country. If we follow that line of thinking we can make this journey a success, expeditiously.

Honourable Speaker,

The IMF-approved plan should be implemented and completed in four years. 

However, depending on our strength and determination, we should be able to finish it in three to three and a half years. Let’s give it a try. Let us put in the effort.

We need to emphasize a few points here. First, we must prioritize the establishment of a robust social security system for the most vulnerable individuals in our society.

Second, we are currently executing plans and strategies to enhance the value of the rupee.

Strategies and a formal plan to strengthen the rupee are being implemented.
Third, anti-corruption legislation must be passed and implemented immediately.
Fourth, we should focus on implementing necessary structural reforms in our society. These reforms should be identified and carried out accordingly.

Honourable Speaker,

Our country received no foreign aid during D. S. Senanayake’s premiership. Later, instead of working with our country’s income, a tradition of running the country on foreign borrowings was adopted. It became a cancer that led to our current suffering.

We can’t keep borrowing money all the time. We should strive to be a debt-free country. Therefore, we must all unite to get out of this difficult period. We must pay off all of our previous debts over the next ten years. I am confident that if we stay on the right track, we will be able to achieve that goal.

After we pay off the debt, we should build our capacity to generate enough income to meet the country’s expenses. If we continue on this path, we can make our country one of the most developed in the world by 2048, when we will celebrate 100 years of independence.

Here I would like to draw your attention to another point. Recently, an opinion was published. Theravada Buddhist countries are always economically poor.

Thailand is now working hard to change this perception. We, as the Theravada centre of the world, should work to change that perception. We can change that opinion as children of one mother if we work together. We can re-establish Sri Lanka as a global economic powerhouse.

Honourable Speaker,

When I became the Prime Minister I wasted no time in requesting the support of the Opposition towards the effort of rebuilding the economy of the country. 

However I did not receive that support. Subsequently, at the occasion of opening of Parliament as the President I once again requested their support but it was to no avail. During the Budget debate too I requested the same of the Opposition, but they did not come forward. Yet again, at the occasion of the opening of this Parliament Session too I sought their support. But that request too frittered away.

They refused to extend their support citing various reasons. They said that my appointment was unconstitutional. They opined that Prime Ministers cannot be appointed from the National List. They even went to the extent of saying that my ambition was not to salvage the country from the economic crisis but to save the Rajapakses. They said that it was not Sri Lanka that I was trying to take across the obstacle course, but Namal Rajapaksa. However, now the international community has endorsed that I strove to reconstruct the Sri Lankan economy. It has now been proved beyond doubt that accusations of the Opposition are baseless.

I do not intend to respond to those unfounded accusations. My task is not to criticize the past. My task is to build the future of the country. I am committed to building the nation by formulating laws to ensure that past errors would not recur.

Even today, I request the Opposition to join this effort of building the country. Leave your personal political aspirations aside. Think of empowering the country before gaining power for yourself. You can follow your own agenda on other political matters. However, it is imperative that you act out of the box politically with regard to building the economy of the country. Help me in the process of strengthening the economy.

I make that request again, and seek your valuable support in the implementation of IMF Agreement, and building the economy of our motherland.

Courtesy Adaderana

President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that due to the public sector engaging in business activities, the money that was available for the construction of 100 projects similar to the Mahaweli during the past decades, has been destroyed.

He noted that in the future, the public sector will stop engaging in business and open it to the private sector to create a free and productive economy, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said.

President Wickremesinghe mentioned this at the 71st commemoration ceremony of the late Prime Minister D.S. Senanayake at Independence Square today (March 22), the PMD reported.

Recalling that Mr. D.S. Senanayake’s vision was to create a free economy, the President said that business should be done by the private sector and that the country could be developed with the tax revenue obtained from them.

However, due to the nationalization in 1956, the Government started engaging in business and that is why the tax revenue was inadequate for the development of the country, the President pointed out.

He stated that the country has distanced itself from Mr. D.S. Senanayake’s vision, but following his vision, Singapore has become a developed country today and said that despite our politicians dreaming of making Sri Lanka a Singapore, the destruction caused to Sri Lanka in the last 75 years due to the decisions of certain political movements is immense, it added.

Therefore, the President further mentioned that Senanayake’s legacy should be carried forward to build a strong and powerful Sri Lanka. President Wickremesinghe also laid floral tributes at the statue of the late D. S. Senanayake.

The Chief Incumbent of the Kollupitiya Polwatta Sri Dharmakeerthi Monastery Venerable Dr. Bandarawela Wimaladharma Thera delivered a special sermon, according to the PMD.

Member of Parliament Vajira Abeywardena, Senior Advisor to the President on National Security and Chief of Staff to the President Sagala Ratnayake, Senior Advisor to the President on Climate Change Ruwan Wijayawardena, Former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, Former Ministers Ravi Karunanayake, Rohitha Bogollagama, Karunasena Kodithuvakku, Rukman Senanayake, former Colombo Mayor Rosy Senanayake, former Provincial Councilor Shantini Kongahage, Army Commander Lt. Gen. Vikum Liyanage and several others had attended the event.

Courtesy Adaderana

The contribution of non-governmental higher education institutes and the opportunities available to make the sector more efficient were discussed at length at a recent meeting held by the Parliamentary Select Committee.

The Select Committee of Parliament to make suitable recommendations for the expansion of higher education opportunities in Sri Lanka met on 17 March under the chairmanship of Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakhshe, PC.

During the meeting, the representatives  of non-governmental higher education institutes pointed out that while there are opportunities to carry out innovations and new initiatives in the field of higher education, the legal provisions to carry such forward are not sufficient. 

They also emphasized the need for a more flexible approach to facilitate the development of the sector.

Representatives of non-government higher education institutions in Sri Lanka such as Nagananda Institute, SLINTE higher education institute, ISOFT Metro Campus, Saegis Campus, ICBT, Royal Institute, IChem were present at the Committee meeting.

Thus, the Committee Chair requested the representatives to submit suitable recommendations in writing regarding the changes and developments to be made in future given the scope of the higher education sector.

Minister (Dr.) Ramesh Pathirana, State Minister (Dr.) (Ms.) Seetha Arambepola, Members of Parliament Rauff Hakeem, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Eran Wickramaratne, (Prof.) Charitha Herath were present at the meeting.

by Garvin Karunaratne

To my mind, the  Central Bank of any country is an integral part of the  sovereign country  and it is a ridiculous statement to talk of a Central Bank being independent of its  country.  It is actually the Central Bank of a country that has to perform the most important function of monetary policy-  what monetary policy can bring about the maximum development of the country etc. Thus I fail to comprehend why  anyone should ever even think of a Central Bank being independent of its country. It is ridiculous in the extreme.   

However today  there is a Bill in Parliament to grant  independence to the Central Bank!  

The Governor of our Central Bank states,  as reported in The Daily Mirror of 17/3, it is to:  

enable to make unpopular but essential decisions in prioritizing price stability in the country…  

to empower the Central Bank to make right decisions, not popular decisions- has the ability to work independently and make decisions without any influence from fiscal authorities and such, decisions cannot be changed at the whims of the Government in power”   

It is absurd to grant any power to any body or organization  to rule over the Houses of Parliament, elected by the people. This amounts to an  infringement over the sovereignty of the people. Instead, the task of a Central Bank is to provide expert opinion on managing the economy, apprize the Government of the best course of action and warn the Government of possible consequences.  

I happen to have worked at high level in Sri Lanka handling the allocation of foreign exchange to small industrialists in 1970 as well as in several other countries and have had dealings with Central Banks. A Programme designed and implemented by me in Bangladesh- The Youth Self Employment Programme, implemented by members of the elite Bangladesh Civil Service trained by me is today the world’s largest and most successful employment creation programme the world has known, having bagged over three million youths into self employment, all achieved within four decades.  Thus I do speak with a great deal of experience and my work involved the Central banks.  

The Central Bank of any country  is there not only to guide its parliament to handle its finances but to take active steps to guard its monetary matters its foreign exchange as well as the local currency. This is a sacred task.   

When one looks at the past history of our Central Bank  it is clear that till 1977, the Central Bank played the important  role of providing advice to bolster the economy, to make the economy sound by managing our  monetary matters with the foreign exchange we earn but sadly after the end of 1977 played a dubious role to ruin the economy of Sri Lanka.  It is this sad path which the Central Bank has been playing from the end of 1977, to make the Governments of Sri Lanka fail in its handling its monetary matters- advising the Government of Sri Lanka to live on loans as dictated by the IMF , which has led Sri Lanka to build up a foreign debt to as much as $ 56 billion today.    As pointed out by me in How the IMF’s Structural Adjustment Destroyed Sri Lanka, Godages, 2022,   

Before the end of 1977,  the economy was handled very carefully by the Government Departments that handled the incoming foreign exchange, under the total gaze of the Central Bank.  Then the Central Bank actually controlled all segments of the administration in matters of finance.  

After allocations were made for food, medicines etc. small allocations were given  for the import of cars, fridges etc. In 1959 I had to wait in queue for two months to purchase a Peugeot 203.   

It was through this careful handling that we managed the economy. Even when the country had plenty of  foreign exchange and implemented the Gal Oya Development Programme where we selected Morrison Knudson, the prestigious US firm  that built the Hoover Dam and paid them in foreign currency to build the Gal Oya tank, three times the size of Parakrama Samudra and build the entire District of Ampara, we were very strict on the use of foreign exchange. This was the golden era that we can now talk of   where almost a million acres were opened up  for cultivation, tanks and irrigation structures built, employment found for thousands, agricultural marketing organized to enable producers to benefit, self sufficiency achieved in many areas like paddy production by 1970. I have played a leading role in this phase in many government departments that were run very efficiently.   

To my knowledge the Central Bank started playing a dubious role when President Jayawardena commenced  the policy of Running the country on loans as advised by the IMF and not repaying them. Then the  Central Bank of the country instead of warning him, sang hossanahs in praise of this dubious method of running a country. In the words  of the Central Bank,  1977 was a clear watershed in the economic history of Sri Lanka:  

when the country turned away from a predominantly inward looking, tightly controlled  and welfare oriented strategy to one which primarily emphasized export growth, competition and higher capital investment  for economic growth  and employment generation. The rapid spurt of the economy in 1978 was the immediate response of a hitherto long stagnant economy to the relaxation of controls and the restoration of price incentives. The economy in its performance in 1978 has clearly shown that given an appropriate policy climate it has the potential of moving onto a path of sustained economic development”(Annual Report of the Central Bank:1985)  

The Central Bank shrewdly avoided telling the basic fact that the foreign debt of Sri Lanka had increased to $ 4 billion by 1985. 

The Central Bank also looked away when the development infrastructure- the colonization schemes run by the District Administration, the Small Industries Department that made Sri Lanka self sufficient in all textile manufacture, the Department for Development of Agricultural Marketing which offered high prices to producers and also made Sri Lanka self sufficient in all fruit products- juice, jam etc in the three years 1955to 1958 and many more Departments were abolished or sidelined. That was the contribution of the Central Bank after 1977! 

I have  sussed up what did really happen when the economy was opened up to run with money borrowed , not utilized for economic development but instead allowed to be spent for fun and dance by the rich in my books: 

Microenterprise Development… The Way Out of the World Bank & IMF Stranglehold, Sarasavi, 1997 

How the IMf Ruined Sri Lanka & Alternative Programmes of Success, Godages, 2006,  

How the IMF Sabotaged Third World Development, Godages/Kindle,2017 

: How the IMF’s Structural Adjustment Destroyed Sri Lanka(2022):  

. Following this neoliberal economic policy of relaxing foreign exchange use and meeting the shortfall with proceeds of privatization and loans  has lead to a situation of foreign debt- by 1986 the foreign debt grew to $ 4 billion and by 2008  it was at $ 17.7 billion. In 1977 our foreign debt was only $ 750 billion and that too on projects, not on consumption. Devaluation of our Rupee  was from Rs. 15.5 to Rs 31.6, in 1978 a devaluation of over a 100% in the very first Year.”  

This sums up the work done by the Central Bank. 

The Annual Report of the Central Bank 1978, reports: 

Substantial capital inflows, together with resources from the IMF went on to create a favourable balance payment:”  

In my words, the words favourable can be concluded to be misleading in the extreme, to refer to resources(loans)from the IMF as favourable  because the IMF finances are loans on interest that increase the foreign debt of the country. Actually the loans worsened the economy.”(From How the IMF’s Structural Adjustment Destroyed Sri Lanka, Godages, 2022) 

The Central Bank had also to face some real music  on 25 th January 2001, when our two State Banks  had to pay a massive oil bill and did not have sufficient foreign dollars. The two banks went hat in hand to the private banks that had collected dollars. The foreign bank that held the foreign currency increased their price to Rs `100.00  to Rs 106.00per dollar when the dollar was trading at Rs 85.00. Our two State Banks had no alternative other than to buy the dollars at the high price resulting in an immediate devaluation of 15% happened.  In explanation the Central Bank said  that it has control only over the domestic money supply”(The Island Feb 17, 2001).  The question then emerges as to who controls the foreign exchange of  the country.  It is very very silly  to talk of a Central Bank that only controls the local currency!.  

What really did happen on 25 th Jan 2001 was  that even the foreign exchange earnings of a sovereign country is a commodity exploited to make a profit” (page 61) It is really absiurd for a Central Bank to state that it does handle only the local currency. In the pre 1977 era, the main task of the Central Bank was to handle the foreign funds that came in.  . It is correct to state that in the pre 1977 era the main  role of the Central Bank was to control the foreign exchange that came in.      

Is it to this Central Bank that has a dismal record that we are proposing independence.  This deserves hard thinking.

Garvin Karunaratne. Ph.D. Michigan State University

former SLAS

20/3/2023

Sasanka De Silva  Pannipitiya.

Equinox and Solstice are both important astronomical events that mark the changing of seasons, but they differ in their specific characteristics and meaning. Here are the main differences:

An equinox occurs when the Sun is directly above the Earth’s equator, and day and night are of approximately equal length all over the world. The word “equinox” comes from Latin and means “equal night.”

A solstice occurs when the Sun is at its highest or lowest point in the sky relative to the Earth’s equator. The word “solstice” comes from Latin and means “sun standing still.”

There are two equinoxes in a year, one in March and another in September. The March equinox marks the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere and autumn in the southern hemisphere, while the September equinox marks the beginning of autumn in the northern hemisphere and spring in the southern hemisphere.

There are also two solstices in a year, one in June and another in December. The June solstice marks the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere and winter in the southern hemisphere, while the December solstice marks the beginning of winter in the northern hemisphere and summer in the southern

During an equinox, the duration of day and night is roughly equal all over the world, except at the Earth’s poles where the day and night are six months long.

During a solstice, the duration of day and night is at its maximum or minimum depending on the hemisphere. In the hemisphere that experiences summer solstice, the day is the longest and the night is the shortest of the year, while in the hemisphere that experiences winter solstice, the day is the shortest and the night is the longest of the year.

Both equinoxes and solstices have been celebrated and observed by various cultures and religions throughout history. For example, the spring equinox is celebrated as the Persian New Year (Nowruz) and as the Hindu festival of Holi, while the winter solstice is celebrated as Christmas in Christianity and as Yule in pagan traditions.

The seasons change on Earth because the planet is slightly tilted on its axis as it orbits the sun. This means that at different times of the year, different parts of the Earth receive more or less sunlight. If the Earth were not tilted, the sun would always appear directly above the equator, the amount of light received at any given location would be constant, and there would be no seasons. There would be no need to mark the equinoxes or solstices either.

The two solstices occur in June (20 or 21) and December (20 or 21). (21 or 22). The sun’s path in the sky is the furthest north or south from the Equator on these days. The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year in one hemisphere, and the summer solstice is the longest.

The June solstice marks the start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere; this is when the North Pole is tilted closest to the Sun and the Sun’s rays are directly overhead at the Tropic of Cancer. Winter begins on the December solstice. The South Pole is tilted closest to the Sun at this point, and the Sun’s rays are directly overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn.

(The seasons are reversed in the Southern Hemisphere.)

Sasanka De Silva

Pannipitiya.

by Garvin Karunaratne

Norochicolai breaks down again. Is there no other way to produce our power.

I enclose one of my Papers that tell us that we can have all our power we need within one year at less than the cost of one years supply of oil we use for power now.

I am prepared to bell that cat, if there is no one else younger than me. I designed and implemented the youth self employment programme in Bangladesh in nineteen months and trained the officers of the elite Bangladesh Civil Service to continue it. Today, in four decades  that programme is cracking with over three million youths employed.

My ideas may therefore deserve consideration.

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Light of Buddhadharma Foundation International

Buddhavaccana (The Words of the Buddha) Connect This Lifetime🌈 (mailchi.mp)

Over the past seventeen years, thousands have been gathering to chant the Tipitaka under the Bodhi Tree from December 2nd-13th. Since then annual chanting ceremonies have spread to all the ancient pilgrimage places of the Buddhadharma. Once again, the sound of the Buddha’s words can be heard all over the land of the Ayradesh. Today, we are delighted to share with you that we have completed the recitation of the entire Suttapittaka this past December. These texts, shown here on ancient palm leaves, are now being recited by thousands of monks and laypeople with the single aim of preserving, promoting, and protecting the teachings of the Buddha in our lifetime.  Our chanting program now moves to the Vinaya Pitaka where the arrow is pointed in the image below. This diagram gives you an entire description of all the texts that are contained within the Pali Canon.  In this 21st century, we have one voice- one sound from eleven Theravada countries who come together to sit and recite the precious Tipitaka. Every evening we also have great masters come to give talks on the dharma. This golden period provides an opportunity for all of us to study the teachings and hear wise reflections to enhance our growth on the spiritual path.  We are so grateful to the Corporate Body of the Buddha Educational Foundation for their unwavering support of printing the Pali Tipitaka. It is printed with such care on special paper and hardbound. It is completely given as a dharma gift. We also offer sincere thanks to Khyentse Foundation, without whose support the spread of the ceremonies to other sacred sites would not have happened. Finally, we are delighted to have the support of both the International Buddhist Confederation and the Government of Uttar Pradesh in our efforts to revitalize Buddhist culture in its ancient Motherland. Make Merit with Offerings: Since the beginning, our work has been entirely volunteer based. In this regard, if you feel moved to support our work with flowers, food, or media offerings during these ceremonies, we welcome you to send an email to us here.   Promoting, protecting and preserving the teachings of the Buddha: Now we bring both the Mahayana and the Theravada together to recite the precious teachings of the Buddha in Pali. These are just some of the magnificent benefits of coming together as a Mahasangha.  Now we are extending our work to all the sacred sites of the Buddha in India. We are now working with officials in India to strengthen these programs so that we can promote dharma with spirituality in mind. Here are some pictures from our recent chanting programs in all the sacred sites of the Buddha, We are so grateful to our primary sponsors including the Khyentse Foundation and now most recently the UP Government of Ministry of Culture and Tourism, International Buddhist Confederation. Without their support, these programs would not be possible to execute.  Sarnath, Dhammekka Stupa Indian Buddhist Cultural Performances, Nagpur Deekashabhoomi Center Lucknow, Dhammapada Recitation Vaisali, Vinaya Pitaka RecitationPlease join us as we work to keep the Buddha’s teachings alive in the land of Aryadesha. Altogether, we are creating the positive links for wisdom and compassion to flourish at the Seat of Enlightenment. With Loving-Kindness Wangmo and Richard DixeyJoin our Buddha Carika Pilgrimages in 2023: We will be offering a first-class experience to join us in Bodhgaya, Sarnath and Nalanda for our Buddha Carika pilgrimage. For more information, please send us an email here. REGISTER HERE

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By Shivanthi ranasinghe Courtesy Ceylon Today

We have pledged to make India’s national security our topmost priority. This was first articulated in 2020 by the then Foreign Secretary Admiral (Rtd) Jayanath Colombage. During incumbent Foreign Minister Ali Sabry’s recent visit to India, this pledge was again reiterated. He explicitly stated that Sri Lanka would go to the extent of disallowing any other from undermining under the guise of anything” India’s legitimate security or other interests. This brings forth the most pertinent question as to whether prioritizing India’s security would secure our security. 

‘India’s Security First’ – A Corruption of former Prez GR’s Original Stance 

It is noteworthy that both Admiral Colombage and Minister Sabry are offsprings of the Gotabaya Rajapaksa Administration. Yet, their take on Sri Lanka’s policy vis-a-vis India is a corruption of the stance former President Gotabaya clearly stated during his interview with the Hindustan Times in late November, 2019.

The interview was with senior and highly respected journalist Padma Rao Sundarji when the latter was in India – his first official State visit as the Executive President of Sri Lanka. 

Journalist Sundarji’s first question was the former President’s objective of visiting India. It was obvious from the latter’s response that he was keen to avoid during his tenure the misunderstandings that spoilt bilateral relations during the Mahinda Rajapaksa administration. 

In this regard, former President Gotabaya clearly stated, We will not do anything to jeopardise India’s interests or act against the concerns of India.” 

Elaborating further, the former President emphasized Sri Lanka’s wish to remain neutral, avoiding any involvement with world power rivalries. Observing the importance the Indian Ocean has assumed, committed as a strategically located nation to do everything possible to keep the region as a zone of peace. 

Hence, it is clear that former President Gotabaya did not enter Office with plans to make Sri Lanka a dominion of India. The plan was very much to be a strategic partner of the region and engage with all nations in the truest sense of neutrality. It is in that sense, President Gotabaya pledged to refrain from any act that will jeopardise India’s interests or concerns. 

Assuring to refrain from causing India any concern
(as specified by the former President ) and vowing to disallow any other from undermining India’s legitimate security and concerns by making India’s security Sri Lanka’s top priority are two very different agendas. How former President Gotabaya’s original stance came to be thus corrupted is an interesting question. 

Hurting China to Heal India

The very next day following former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa assuming Office, India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar came in person to extend an invitation to a State visit in India. Whilst in India, the former President made two statements – one that was applauded and the other that caused some concern back in Sri Lanka. 

The latter’s stance on the 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution (13A) was applauded. His plans to release the Hambantota Port from the 99-year lease from China caused some concern. 

There was high hope that the Gotabaya Administration would be able to regain full control of this strategic asset. Hence, it was not the plan to regain it that caused concern. The worry was with the blunt manner it was expressed. 

China and India are rivals. Hence, Sri Lanka needs to be careful in the comments she makes of one rival with the other. The fact that the former President communicated his plans with India on a matter that concerns China, before even discussing it with China, in a manner that was rather dismissive of China, was bound to hurt China’s sensitivities. Thus, it was the lack of diplomacy and not the principle that caused concern. 

These concerns, most unfortunately, were not without merit. China reminded the Gotabaya Government that the leasing of the Port was a commercial agreement. To challenge it would be bad business, noted China. This dashed Sri Lankans’ hopes of nullifying the lease agreement. 

Unable to challenge this argument, the Gotabaya Administration concentrated on the security aspect. As such, all matters pertaining to the security of the Port was re-established with the Government of Sri Lanka. This was not contested by the Chinese Government. 

However, the relationship with China did not improve there onwards. The two invitations from the Chinese Government were quietly shelved by the Gotabaya Government. Whether it was really due to the then ongoing pandemic is an open question for China increasingly experienced step-motherly treatment from the Gotabaya Government. This includes the cancellation of projects Chinese companies won through the tender process due to ‘third party’ concerns. 

It was not only China, but even Sri Lanka’s other all-weather friends but bitter rivals of India like Pakistan felt sidelined. This was especially felt during the then Pakistan PM Imran Khan’s visit, when the State visit arrangements were made modest for no apparent reason. 

It is in this context that the two opposing arguments from the former Central Bank Governor Ajith Cabraal and former President Gotabaya must be analysed. Cabraal vehemently disagrees with the debt ‘standstill’ unilaterally taken by Sri Lanka on 12.04.2022. He claims such a drastic step was unnecessary as there was over USD 10 billion credit in the pipeline. Out of this, USD 2.5 billion was expected from China. 

According to the former President, Sri Lanka was waiting for these pledges to materialise for a year, but without result. The bottom line however, is that the mismanagement of our foreign policy is as much to blame for the forex crisis as our economic mismanagement. 

India’s Reiteration for 13A

When former President Gotabaya visited India, he met Indian PM Narendra Modi for an hour-long discussion. Soon after, in a press release PM Modi stated, I am confident that the Government of Sri Lanka will carry forward the process of reconciliation, to fulfill the aspirations of the Tamils for equality, justice, peace and respect. It also includes the implementation of the 13th Amendment.” 

For Sri Lankans, this was a surprise statement from India. The 13A came about in 1987 with the Indian intervention. Since then, it has remained a very controversial topic. Generally, it is seen as a white elephant, which caused an extra layer in the political administration. That layer has not delivered any tangible benefits, but is an enormous cost to the tax payer, say critics. 

It is not only Sri Lanka that has suffered because of the 13A. It had been a costly affair also to India. Hence, the 13A is a reminder of India’s failed policy with regard to Sri Lanka. In that context, one would have thought India would have preferred to forget than resurface the 13A. 

Sri Lanka was pressurized to accept the 13A on the pledge that India will end terrorism in Sri Lanka. India however, failed miserably in this endeavour. Not only India failed to usher peace in to the Island Nation by ending terrorism, but also became a victim of it. As disclosed by the then Indian Defence Minister George Fernandes in December 1999, the IPKF suffered 1,165 personnel killed in action and 3,009 others wounded. 

When the Indian Government withdrew its military contingent in 1990, Sri Lanka’s security situation was in a far worse state than it was when the IPKF landed in 1987. The LTTE emerged with the exaggerated title, ‘militarily undefeatable’. Buoyed by this recognition, the LTTE dealt India with the worst blow by assassinating former Indian Premier Rajiv Gandhi in 1991 on Indian soil. 

India promoted the 13A as a solution to terrorism. However, implementing the 13A did not resolve the issue. In fact, it exacerbated the problem. Therefore, it is a matter of great curiosity that the Modi Government began to call for the implementation of the 13A from the day the former President took Office. 

This is made even more curious for India was not as interested in the Provincial Council system during the Yahapalana Government. During that Government, Provincial Councils fell defunct as elections were not held. 

India’s Security First Amidst Demands to Implement 13A in Full

As noted by Sundarji, much water has flown since the 13A was introduced. Thus, some considerations to these changes might be needed before implementing it. 

Responding to this observation, the former President explained that since Independence in 1948, certain Tamil politicians from the North and East have been focused on devolution and not development. However, the people in these areas are in need of development. 

The 13A is already part of Sri Lankan law. The reason Sri Lankans are opposed to the implementation of powers as Police and land is because of its potential to heighten ethnic tension, which can lead to armed conflict. After suffering for over 30 years of terrorism, Sri Lankans’ legitimate fears cannot be overridden. 

The justification for pushing the Sri Lankan Government to implement powers it has been reluctant to do so thus far is to fulfill the aspirations of the Tamil for equality, justice, peace and respect.” It is noteworthy that over 50 per cent of Tamils live outside the North and East Provinces. Furthermore, not a single entity had ventured forward to specify the exact points Tamils are denied equality, justice, peace or respect.

Hence, it is hard to dismiss nagging worries that India’s interest on a failed constitutional amendment might have a hidden agenda detrimental to Sri Lanka’s interests. Unless India clarifies these observations, we need to ask ourselves one simple question. We may make  India’s security our topmost concern. In the process we may even destroy our other bilateral relationships. However, is India committed to our security? 

ranasingheshivanthi@gmail.com

(The views and opinions expressed in this article are writer’s own and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of
Ceylon Today)

BY Shivanthi Ranasinghe