News
JVP to conduct countrywide seminars to highlight govt.’s failure and threats to economy
By Saman Indrajith
The JVP was planning to conduct a countrywide seminar series to inform the public of what it calls the looming danger to the national economy and people’s lives due to the government’s failure, JVP politburo member and former MP Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa told The Island yesterday.
“We are planning to conduct three series of seminars on three topics – environmental destruction, selling off of national assets to foreigners by the government and the collapse of the national economy. The first in the series concerning the destruction and damage being inflicted on the environment is scheduled to start on Dec 28 from Colombo. The second against the selling of national assets too will commence in the last week of this month and the series on collapse of the national economy is scheduled to commence in the first week of January,” Dr Jayatissa said.
Dr. Jayatissa said that the government had come to power, promising to protect the environment, but environmental degradation continues unabated. “This government has introduced a system of buffer zone encroachment by terming those areas as residual forests and placing them under the District and Divisional Secretariats to decide their future. It promised to take action against those responsible for the clearing of the Wilpattu forest, but now the government is working with the very same culprits for its political expediency. Instead of taking action against those who destroy the environment the government has started hunting down environmentalists. People should stand up now if they want to see their forests and environment preserved for the future.”
The former MP said that people should realise that the government had betrayed them and their mandate with its joint venture with India’s Adani Group on the running of the Colombo Port’s East Container Terminal. “This is a betrayal of the people’s mandate. People voted for this government because it promised to act against selling off national assets to foreign companies. Now, it is doing the exact opposite of what it promised. Our trade union front, the National Trade Union Centre, is organising a series of seminars countrywide against this deal and other plans to sell off national assets by the government.”
Dr. Jayatissa said that the national economy was in a shambles. “The damages caused by the incumbent government’s policies to the national economy are far more serious than the disasters due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of this government’s handling of the economy are seen in the negative economic growth during the first four months of this year. The country is sliding down an economic precipice. Our third series of seminars will inform people of those issues.”
The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CEYPETCO) has announced a revision of fuel prices, effective from midnight on Saturday (May 30).
Accordingly,
the price of Auto Diesel has been increased by Rs. 15 to Rs.407 per liter,
the price of Super Diesel has been increased by Rs. 20 to Rs. 478 per liter.
the price of Petrol 92 Octane has been increased by Rs. 24 to Rs. 434 per liter
the price of Petrol 95 Octane up by Rs. 25 to Rs. 495 per liter
the price of kerosene by Rs. 20 to Rs. 285 per liter.
Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has called for a comprehensive reform programme within Sri Lanka’s Buddhist clergy, warning that repeated efforts to strengthen the Sasana have in the past been derailed by opposition from within sections of the Sangha itself.
In a statement addressed to the Mahanayake Theras of the three Buddhist chapters, Kumaratunga stressed that the long-term preservation of Buddhism depends on safeguarding both the Dhamma and Vinaya, or disciplinary code, and urged urgent internal reform to address what she described as deep-rooted structural weaknesses.
She noted that Buddhist history has consistently demonstrated that periods of institutional crisis were addressed through reform processes, citing precedents from the First Buddhist Council to reforms during the Kandyan era under Welivita Sri Saranankara Thera.
Referring to post-independence efforts, Kumaratunga said initiatives taken during the 1956 Bandaranaike administration to strengthen Buddhism were left incomplete following the assassination of former Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike.
She further stated that during her own presidency, plans to convene a Buddhist Council under the guidance of the late Madihe Pannasiha Mahanayake Thera had received government backing but were ultimately abandoned due to resistance from certain sections within the clergy.
The former President alleged that, on both occasions, vested interests benefiting from existing weaknesses within the Buddhist establishment had worked to obstruct meaningful reform efforts.
Warning that Buddhism in Sri Lanka is currently facing serious challenges, she called for a broad internal dialogue within the Sangha to identify root causes and implement both short- and long-term corrective measures.
Kumaratunga urged the Mahanayake Theras to take the lead in convening a Dharma Sanghayana, or Buddhist Council, and said she was prepared to work with senior lay Buddhist leaders to support such an initiative.
The Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court on Friday ordered the arrest of former Minister Basil Rajapaksa, Tourism Promotion Bureau Chairman Bhashwara Gunaratne, Managing Director Rumi Jauffer and several others over the alleged misuse of Rs. 7.8 million belonging to the Tourism Promotion Authority during the 2014 Uva Provincial Council election campaign.
Magistrate Pasan Amarasena directed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to arrest and produce the suspects before court, after it was informed that they would be named under the Public Property Act on the advice of the Attorney General.
The CID told court that attempts to take the suspects into custody from their residences had been unsuccessful as they were not present.
The Magistrate also imposed an overseas travel ban on the suspects and ordered that the Controller of Immigration and Emigration be notified.
Investigations have reportedly revealed that the funds were used to print 12,000 T-shirts bearing an image of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa on one side and the name of a political party on the other.
According to the CID, the T-shirts were later distributed at a political event held in the Monaragala District.
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