News

Love, unadulterated: Some thoughts on Mother’s Day

Published

2 years ago

2024/05/12

by Krishantha Prasad Cooray

There is no day in the calendar that can be called ‘Mother’s Day,’ not as far as mothers themselves are concerned. They don’t cease to be mothers on days that are not called ‘Mother’s Day.’ And yet, May 12 or rather the second Sunday in the month of May, as originally designated by Woodrow Wilson, then US President, is important, not so much for mothers as it is for their children. Children, who soak in the love and affection and are protected from anxiety and harm day in and day out, are reminded of all that when Mother’s Day comes around.

All of us have seen mothers. We have seen the mothers of our parents and the mothers of our own children. We have known the mothers of our friends and the mothers of their children. It occurred to me, however, that today, as mothers the worldover are celebrated, it is not a collective or the idea of ‘motherhood’ that is important. We remember our own mothers. I remember mine, my Amma.

Mothers make enormous sacrifices for their families. So did mine, Christobel Cooray, and indeed so she does to this day. She taught her three sons many things, but most importantly the non-negotiable characteristics of friendship and loyalty. We were taught from a very young age to stand by our friends through thick and thin. What I remember most, however, is her insistence that we look out for the weakest and poorest among us.

She was the kind of mother whose affection was not limited to her children. She was a mother to all our friends as well. Since we lived close to my school, St Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, we would bring our friends home almost everyday. She delighted in having them around and cooking for them. She has been a mother to all of them, literally hundreds in fact.

They remember her well. Some of them made it a point to buy her some gift from the very first salary they received. Even today, decades after our school days were done, whenever I run into old friends or talk to them over the phone, there are many times when my mother would come up in the conversation. They would inquire after her and tell me how special and kind she was.

It doesn’t end. Today I see her shower her grandchildren with love and it’s no different from what I remember of my childhood. Amma would sacrifice anything for her children and today she would do anything for her grandchildren.

Her concern was not limited to her children, grandchildren, close relatives and their friends. She is in fact the most generous person I know. There are countless times when she would be distraught over the plight of some helpless person. If she read about it or saw it in news telecasts she would call me and ask me whether I knew and what I was going to do about it. She never failed to follow up if I said I would try to help. She believed in doing the right thing. If it was about entertaining people or helping someone in trouble, she would put aside all notions of thrift. Yes, she went overboard at times, but this is because she always wanted to do things with class.

Her empathy, kindness and generosity does not imply that she is some kind of benign saint. She is tough and could lose her cool on occasion, but she quickly recovered her composure. She would argue with her siblings, for instance, but they all know that her love and loyalty are absolute, even though her bad temper made her loathe to ever admit a mistake.

Amma has a strong personality. Recently our family doc spoke to me after visiting Amma at home and then reported to me thus: ‘you know Krishantha your mother is a very resilient lady; she is a tough character, and she has a remarkable ability to face things bravely’.

She never tolerated any nonsense and encouraged us to follow suit. So we learned from a very young age that we should not back off from a fight. More importantly, she insisted that we should never initiate a fight. We have by and large tried to affirm these principles and I am convinced that if we are good citizens, we owe much of that decency to her. We are what our parents made us to be and the way we react to any issue largely depends on how they faced similar situations. I don’t tell myself ‘this is how Amma went about it,’ but I know that if I put my mind to it, I would have to conclude, ‘these are things she etched on my mind and that’s why I responded in this particular way.’

She knows I love her and that I appreciate all that she’s done for me, but Amma would probably tell me, ‘that’s how all mothers are,’ and she would be right.

It doesn’t sound right to talk of debts owed when it comes to children and parents. All I know is that we can never compensate for the love and affection our mothers have given us. We can and should never shy away from being there for them, especially as they grow older and infirm. This is why I feel that there can be no bigger crime than creating a rift between a mother and child for this is a bond that is so unique and made purely of love. And this is why, I feel, if a person is unkind to his or her mother then you can never expect any kindness from that person for anything or anyone. I believe if you don’t know how to treat your mother then you can never be a person who will treat anyone well. Basically, you can judge a friend by the way he or she treats his or her mother.

Our mother’s play the most crucial role in shaping our characteristics. Our mother and father are our gods who we are fortunate to touch and feel. They are the only people on this earth who love you more than they love themselves. Whether you are happy, sad, disturbed or facing a crisis it’s your mother who will know or feel first. That is something you cannot logically explain. Whoever you are, whether you are an unbelievably successful person or an absolute failure, your mother is the one who will stand by you even if the entire world is against you. Amma stood by me. She stands by me. It’s love, unadulterated.

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News

Current El Niño Status in Sri Lanka

Published

10 hours ago

2026/07/16

Priyan

At present, El Niño conditions have developed and are classified as being at a weak level. Forecasts indicate a 63% probability of a very strong El Niño event developing during the period from November 2026 to January 2027. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), there is approximately a one-third probability that El Niño will remain below a very strong intensity.

Typical Climatic Conditions Associated with El Niño
Based on analyses of past El Niño events that occurred between 1950 and 2025:
• Rainfall during July and August may be below normal, particularly in the dry zone areas.
• From October onward, rainfall is generally expected to be above normal.
• If a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) develops, enhanced rainfall conditions may continue until December.

Sectors Requiring Attention
• Appropriate measures should be taken for water resource management during July and August.
• Increased rainfall expected from October onward may lead to floods and landslides, requiring preparedness and close monitoring. The forecasts are important for sectors such as, Agriculture /Water management /Livestock /Health /Energy /Other climate-sensitive sectors
• Attention should be paid to official information issued by the Department of Meteorology.

Actions by the Department of Meteorology
The Department of Meteorology continuously monitors the evolving situation and issues:
• Weekly and monthly seasonal forecasts and Monthly analyses of rainfall data to monitor meteorological drought conditions.
As weather conditions are influenced not only by El Niño but also by other climatic factors, updated forecasts and advisories are regularly shared with relevant stakeholder organizations (Irrigation/ Water Management Committee /Department of Agriculture/National Building Research Institute/Disaster Management Centre (DMC)/Ministry of Health /Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation…etc). The Department also provides technical support to the committee established through a Cabinet decision to address climate-related impacts. The Department’s monthly rainfall outlook for July to September 2026 is attached

Monthly Rainfall Forecasts for July, August and September 2026
Month Rainfall forecast
July 2026

During July 2026, there is a higher probability of having near normal rainfall across most parts of the Western and Southern Provinces. The remainder of the country is expected to experience below normal rainfall.

August 2026

There is a higher probability of having below normal rainfall across most parts of the country during month of August 2026.

September 2026

There is a possibility of above-normal rainfall across most parts of the Western and Southern Provinces, while near-normal rainfall is expected in the Sabaragamuwa Province. Below-normal rainfall is likely in the remaining areas during September 2026.

Note: These long-range forecasts may change due to strong day-to-day atmospheric variability associated with the movement of weather systems such as atmospheric disturbances, low-pressure areas, and depressions, as well as intra-seasonal oscillations such as the Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO). Therefore, in addition to the weekly and monthly forecasts, it is important to pay attention to the Department’s official announcements, weather advisories and warnings, as well as the daily weather forecasts issued by the Department of Meteorology.

News

Govt. move to extend retirement ages of top judges: Opp. complains to UN

Published

11 hours ago

2026/07/16

Sahan Weerasooriya

Prof. Peiris addresses the media outside the UN compound in Colombo on Thursday on the controversial government move to extend the retirement ages of Superior Court judges, while former MPs Thalatha Atukorale, Dr Suren Raghavan and Premanath C. Dolawatta look on.

Former External Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris yesterday (15) briefed the UN Resident Coordinator in Colombo, Marc-André Franche, on President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s move to extend the retirement ages of the superior court judges and the delay in filling the vacancies in the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal.

Prof. Peiris, the convenor of the People’s Joint Opposition, led the delegation that included UNP General Secretary and former Minister Thalatha Atukorale, former UPFA National List parliamentarian Suren Raghavan and ex- SLPP MP Premnath C. Dolawatta.

Having met the top official here, Prof. Peiris briefed the media on their decision to bring the developing situation to the notice of the UN.

Referring to the opposition of the legal fraternity to the NPP government’s plan, Prof. Peiris emphasised that the civil society, too, had opposed the politically motivated initiative.

Prof. Peiris said that instead of addressing the burning issues affecting the public, the government was creating new problems.

News

Dengue surge pushes hospitals to the brink as cases near 70,000

Published

11 hours ago

2026/07/16

Sahan Weerasooriya

A week-long crackdown to begin in 11 districts

Hospitals are coming under mounting pressure as the country’s dengue epidemic gathers pace, with nearly 70,000 infections and 48 deaths reported so far this year, prompting health authorities to launch an intensive week-long mosquito control campaign in 11 districts.

The National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU) said 69,951 dengue cases had been reported by July 13, with 14,572 new infections recorded during the first 13 days of July alone. June saw the highest monthly caseload of the year, underlining the rapid spread of the mosquito-borne disease during the southwest monsoon.

Acting Director of the NDCU, Dr. Kapila Kannangara, warned that the hospital system was facing severe congestion due to the unprecedented influx of dengue patients.

“We are seeing an alarming increase in admissions. Hospitals are under tremendous pressure, and public cooperation is essential to bring the outbreak under control,” he said, announcing that a special one-week dengue control programme would be implemented across 11 high-risk districts.

Health authorities have identified 175 Medical Officer of Health (MOH) divisions as high-risk dengue zones. Public Health Inspectors will conduct inspections, eliminate mosquito breeding sites and initiate legal action against those maintaining mosquito-infested premises.

The Western Province continues to account for the largest share of infections, with Gampaha and Colombo among the worst-affected districts. Several hospitals are already operating beyond capacity as the number of admissions continues to climb.

Health officials attributed the surge to intermittent rains, poor waste disposal, stagnant water collections and inadequate community participation in vector control programmes.

The Ministry of Health has appealed to local authorities, schools, workplaces, religious institutions and households to inspect their premises regularly, clear blocked drains and roof gutters, cover water storage containers and remove discarded tyres, cans, bottles and other containers capable of collecting rainwater.

Medical experts urged the public not to ignore symptoms such as persistent fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, vomiting, abdominal pain and bleeding manifestations, stressing that early medical treatment is critical in preventing severe dengue and deaths.

Officials emphasised that eliminating mosquito breeding sites remains the single most effective way of controlling dengue, warning that unless communities actively participate, the outbreak could worsen during the ongoing rainy season.

With daily case numbers continuing to rise and hospitals struggling to cope, health authorities said the coming weeks would be crucial in determining whether the country can curb one of its worst dengue outbreaks in recent years.

By Ifham Nizam