Features

Please, let sense prevail with letting go of political supremacy

Published

3 years ago

2023/02/17

The world is full of natural disasters, abject misery. Turkey and Syria have already lost 33,000 lives and 40,000 affected by the earthquake that hit major territories of these countries on Monday 6 February. With the passing of possible survival of 72 hours, the death toll shot up and is still rising. Predicted total of deaths is 40,000. Nations have gone to their aid and workers battle in the stricken areas with further quakes forecast. A further Cassandra Cry has been sounded by a scientist who knows what he is talking about: that quakes will continue outwards reaching even North India.

Cyclone Gabrielle struck peaceful and relatively prosperous New Zealand. One shock they suffered recently was the resignation of PM Jacintha Arden for no given reason. It was said her popularity was somewhat waning, but it could decrease much more for her to lose the shine she sent forth as a humane, empathetic, efficient prime minister. Maybe she felt her time to quit had arrived to handover her position of power to another; maybe she wanted to spend more time with her growing child and revert to comfortable home maker and mother. And then struck Gabrielle. New Zealand is rich enough, sensible and well balanced to tide over this recent disaster.

The manmade disasters are what cannot be tolerated and taken in people’s stride. Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is the black spot on earth at present with the EU, UK and USA coming to Ukraine’s assistance. With what? Killer arms – very necessary, but more lives will be lost for no reason at all. It is reported that migrants on Russian soil are being conscripted to go to Ukraine to battle and probably die in a war they have absolutely no reason to be in.

The Iranian government is still adamant to command what a woman wears. The latest victim is 25-year old Chess Champion Sara Khadam who has been thrown out of the country for taking part in a chess tournament in Kazakhistan with no hijab worn. Thank heavens she was only declared a refugee than beheaded as they are doing publicly for protesting against the regime and its inhuman rigidity since September 16, 2022.The protest was because of the killing of Mahsa Amini while in police custody. Her ‘crime’ again was going about without a head covering. In Iran there is a morality police or some such evil organisation. We, all over the world, salute these two girls and thousands of other Iranian women who protest a woman’s right to dress as she wishes. Very fortunately the chess player has gone to Spain. Many countries are sure to invite her as she has committed no crime. Of course, one fears for her family left behind.

The third is the very recent triple death by shooting in a university in Michigan.What is the cause for these manmade disasters, so very unnecessary and crimes against humanity? Many causes – most devised and insisted upon – and /or acted upon by individual person’s orders. This may sound simple and Cass derided for cockeyed reasoning. That is definitely not so. Stated simply; stark truths. Politics, ambition, stubbornness of leaders, disregard for human rights and human individuality are the defects of the individuals who perpetuate the above stated crimes.

Dread felt for the future of SL

Cass comes to the point she is attempting to make. The aforementioned disasters lend us symbols to express what we fear. An earthquake; cyclone; stamping out peaceful protests; use of strongarm tactics; repression of legitimate rights. How? We have already witnessed with justified horror the last three mentioned right here in our loved country. And if our govt persists in the path it has taken the entire country will be thrown into spasms of trouble. A blood bath when all we should be doing is concentrating on restoring the economy of the country.

If the government does not move with absolute caution, understanding, discussion and justified appeasement of protestors and protests, we are in for an earthquake of tumultuous magnitude, and it is man-made. And like a cyclone, destruction will spread all over the island, except perhaps isolated places like Jaffna where people are occupied with life’s tasks to waste time protesting.

We may have an unshakeable, completely rigid person – aberrated leader like the unmovable present Ayatollah, or whoever the leader in Iran is. Or determined-to-war ex KGB Putin. But out present leader is an educated, sensible politician of many years. Surely, he has wise advisors, other than those selfish beasties who try to puppet him.

Ranil Wickremasinghe should recall and follow his uncle J R Jayewardene’s ‘world changing speech’ at the Peace Conference in San Francisco in September 1951 when 51 nations gathered to determine the status of war defeated Japan in the Post WWII international system. JRJ announced: “We do not intend to seek reparations from Japan for we believe in the words of the Great Teacher whose message has ennobled the lives of countless millions in Asia, that hatred ceases not by hatred but by love.” Japan is still grateful and remembers JRJ and assists SL (though we have conveniently forgotten his greatness in some circumstances).

Cass mentions this with pride and sincerity and with the plea that protestors are treated with consideration and fairness. Talk with them, and they have to be sympathetic and realise protests are the worst for our beleaguered land at this time. DO NOT incarcerate Wasantha M again.

Jacintha Arden is an example to follow: resign when the time comes, which however she has done before her time was up. We are not asking Ranil Wickremasinghe to resign. Not at all. At the moment he is the best available. But those with ambitions to come back to power; know-alls from overseas who come over, create trouble insidiously, and then fly first class to their palatial homes overseas, should resign from active politics.

All our politicians and more especially our leaders must know that life, as the Buddha said, is always full of loss and gain, fame and ill-fame, good times and bad. Victory and defeat too. The SLPP, created by Basil Rajapaksa, won a long ago local govt election hands down. The entire campaign was planned by him. So great that a fledgling political party beat its parent – SLFP, the oldest UNP and JVP. But now those victors must realise success does not last always. You win or loose elections. The very most important is to be honest in elections and face the music – win or lose. Delaying LG polls will never bring them back to power, so postponement is pointless.

The crux here is that LG elections must be held on March 9 as decided by the EC, if the SC assents. Otherwise a human mass strike and upheaval will result, as already threatened. That must be prevented at all costs. What does it cost Ranil and the Rajapaksa government to be less stubborn, listen to the people, and do what is just, like holding elections. Ranil will go on as Prez, and even the Parliament and central government till general elections (whenever they are held). So what use planning postponements by foul methods since there are no fair means?

Short takes

A news snippet on page 1 of The Island of February 14 (Goodness Valentine’s Day!) that should NOT have appeared read thus: ‘LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran alive, claims Pasha Nedumaran.’ A powerless octogenarian who hallucinates but wants a stir – leader of a Tamil nationalist movement. His words were filed in Chennai. He goes further to say VP will appear soon and also calls for the Indian govt. to help him.After Rajiv Gandhi was suicidally blown to bits as he bent his head to acknowledge the presence of a woman who was loaded with bombs? The bomber and her companions were LTTErs from north Sri Lanka, but it was on Indian soil that the murder was carried out and Rajiv was a past and future leader of India.Why Cass said such news need not be published is because we Ordinaries may take it with a laugh or sneer and forget it the next moment. But there are crazy coots who might even believe it. Let the dead be dead. Prabhakaran was definitely dead and the body identified to be him, with no doubt whatsoever. We do not want him brought back, more so in the tallest of absurd predictions. The Editor dealt with this tidbut hilariously on Wed 15/2, Thanks!

Our Queen. Most delightful seeing a picture of Iranganie Serasinghe being presented a lifetime award by the very dynamic and admirable US Ambasador to SL – Julie Chung. The first and last thought was how beautiful Irangani is. Next thought – what an excellent actor and person. Thank the gods for good people in Sri Lanka. There still are very many in all strata of life.

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Features

The hard challenge of clinching a political settlement in the Middle East

Published

16 hours ago

2026/07/23

Sahan Weerasooriya

Bruised hearts: Displaced Palestinian civilians in the Gaza.(Photo by Mustafa Hassona/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Despite some sections of the Trump administration persisting with the view that the possibility could not be entirely ruled out of there being a diplomatic solution to the current US-Iran hostilities in West Asia, the skeptic could not be blamed for thinking otherwise. The intensity, scale and frequency of the tit-for-tat strikes by the antagonists over the past few days against selected military targets and civilian infrastructure in particular in West Asia make the adoption of this stance excusable.

The continuing hostilities render the mentioning of the MOU signed between the warring parties in mid-June a laughable matter. While it could very well be that the foes are wishing privately for a cessation of hostilities before long, what seems to be uppermost on their minds right now is to negotiate with each other from a position of strength. This strategy compels them to incapacitate each other militarily to the extent possible, lest they have to concede too much to each other during negotiations. Hence the stepped-up hostilities.

However, even on the question of there being a negotiated political settlement in the West Asian theatre in the longer term, the skeptic could come to be seen as scoring over the optimist. Developments on the ground account for this.

At the time of writing Israel’s Netanyahu government is going ahead in fairly care-free fashion with the establishment of more Jewish settlements in the Gaza and the West Bank, and it’s all happening under the apparently complacent gaze of the US. In fact, some quarters estimate that Israel is in control of some 65% of the Gaza Strip. Ethnic cleansing, that is, is being drastically stepped-up.

Accordingly, in terms of the power relations of West Asia, the world is almost back to the status quo of the late forties of the last century when the state of Israel was established and the Palestinians were reduced to a microscopic minority in the land they came to inhabit. Therefore, even the impartial observer would be compelled to ask: ‘Will a negotiated peace be ever possible in the Middle East?’

The humanist in the observer would prefer to answer this question in the affirmative and it is indeed the ideal stance to adopt considering the staggering human and material costs of the conflict. But the way ahead to peace could be expected to be highly hazardous and arduous. Among other odds, it would also prove an uphill endeavour to win minds and hearts.

The US’ Trump administration would need to be counted out in this pursuit. This is on account of the fact that it has been far too wayward in its management of West Asian affairs in particular over the past couple of years. Given its unpredictable character it is a matter for conjecture whether it could be counted on to live up to its commitments.

Moreover, Israel could be expected to ‘go it alone’ in the Middle East regardless of whether US help is coming or otherwise. It has indicated as much in recent times and Israel could be doubted on this score only at the doubter’s peril. Because time and again Israel has demonstrated that it could steadfastly defend its interests even single-handedly in the Middle East. History bears this out.

However, a durable alliance with the US would stand Israel in good stead. On the matter of military and intelligence assistance, for example, the US’s help proved invaluable for Israel in the past and going forward this is bound to be so as well. Moreover, it is unlikely that the Trump administration would give up on Israel, considering that a strong Israel is crucial for the furtherance of the US’ strategic and economic interests in West Asia.

But whether the above factors would have a considerable bearing on the question of working out a durable solution to the West Asian tangle is an entirely different matter. Israel, as in the case of the Palestinian enclaves, is acutely security conscious and would need to satisfy itself fully that it could live in a security environment that would guarantee its complete safety, going forward.

The Middle East is badly in need of another peace effort on the lines of the Oslo Accords of the mid-nineties that brought the key actors together and helped hammer out a solution that addressed some of their notable concerns. To be sure, that process did not prove to be the ideal answer to the tangle, but it yielded some respite to the region and drove home that one-time sworn foes could indeed negotiate with a degree of success. The West Bank authority, although falling short of fulfilling some key Palestinian aspirations, is testimony that a degree of success is possible if the intent is right.

Given the current realities of West Asia, peace-making is bound to be an uphill challenge. The violence faced in recent times by the Palestinian community, in particular, has been nothing less than mind-numbing. Merciless has been the violence visited on them by the Israeli side. In such circumstances, durable peace in the region could smack of an idealist’s dream.

Nevertheless, there needs to be urgently, a meeting of minds over the divides. The US would need to be counted out as an honest broker in bringing the sides together but the rest of the West would do well to step up to the challenge.

In this exercise the onus would be on the world’s democracies to take the initiative and doggedly stay the course. An acceptable combination would be the EU and the UN. Given their credentials, the main sides in West Asia ought to find them the least controversial.

Even if the relevant institutional and political arrangements could be shored up to take a reconciliation process forward, winning hearts and minds for the peace drive would prove a grueling challenge. Over the past few years in particular tens of thousands of hearts and minds on both sides of the divide have been bruised badly in the runaway murderous violence that has come to define the Middle East.

These badly scarred personalities would need to experience healing without much delay. It is therefore a multi-faceted challenge that is at hand. Since wide-ranging expertise would be needed in the healing process, people’s participation in peace-making, ranging over the divides, would need to be made a durable reality. It will be a time for enthroning humanity and ensuring the rejection of all forms of violence and coercion.

Features

Amazing Thailand …right here in Colombo

Published

16 hours ago

2026/07/23

Sahan Weerasooriya

For many Sri Lankans, Thailand is the go-to holiday — beaches, temples, food, and that famous warm hospitality.

In fact, I’ve been to Amazing Thailand 24 times myself, and was honoured with the Friends of Thailand International Media Award by the Tourism Authority of Thailand for promoting Thai tourism.

The good news I have for you today is that you don’t even need a passport to get a taste of Amazing Thailand.

The Royal Thai Embassy, in Colombo, is bringing a vibrant slice of Thailand, to the city of Colombo, with Thai Festival 2026 — a cultural experience like never before.

Whether you are an avid enthusiast of Thai culture, a total novice, or simply just interested in exploring foreign cultures, Thai Festival 2026 is going to be the perfect opportunity for you to get more than just a glimpse into one of the most celebrated cultural heritages in South East Asia. And ENTRANCE IS FREE.

The festival will be held on the 1st and 2nd of August, 2026, at Siam Nivasa, 43, C.W.W. Kannangara Mawatha, Colombo 7, and the East Parking Area, of the Colombo Municipal Council, from 11:00am to 5:00pm.

Both days will be full of live entertainment, and dispersed throughout with Thai cultural displays, including exhilarating traditional dance performances and breathtaking Muay Thai demonstrations.

Exploring art and craft specific to Thailand, tasting irresistible authentic Thai cuisine, and playing arcade games, are just a few more fun-filled events available for visitors at the festival premises.

An array of Thai products will also be available for purchase.

While at the festival, you will find Sri Lankan Alumni from Thai universities sharing their experiences with you and willing to answer any questions you might have, related to studying abroad in Thailand.

You can also register for the Muay Thai workshop that will be happening on the 7th and 8th of August, 2026, in Colombo.

Irresistible authentic Thai cuisine

Visitors can also stand a chance to win traditional Thai souvenirs, get exclusive photo opportunities, and, the big one — to enter the raffle draw, at the end of each day, for the grand prize of an all-inclusive round trip to Thailand.

Be sure to avail yourself of this exceptional opportunity and add a cultural spin to your weekend.

To keep up with the latest updates on Thai Festival 2026, head over to the Thai Festival official social media pages.

The Royal Thai Embassy in Colombo official webpage:

https://colombo.thaiembassy.org

Official social media:

Facebook: @RTEColombo

Instagram: @thaiembassysrilanka

Thai Festival official social media:

Facebook: Thai Festival in Colombo

Instagram: @thaifestival_colombo

TikTok: @thaifestival.incolombo

Features

Thicker, stronger hair …

Published

16 hours ago

2026/07/23

Sahan Weerasooriya

Hair fall, in this heat, can be so frustrating, and noticing a thin patch is even more worrying. The good news is … yes, with a little care and kitchen ingredients, you can nourish your scalp and support healthy regrowth.

Try these four easy home remedies … even our grandmothers trusted:

* Coconut Oil and Curry Leaves Tonic:

Warm 04 tablespoons of coconut oil, with a handful of curry leaves, till the leaves turn black. Cool, strain, and massage into scalp 02-03 times a week. Leave for 01 hour, or overnight.

Why:

Coconut oil deeply nourishes, while curry leaves help strengthen roots and add shine.

* Onion Juice for Spot Treatment:

With cotton, dab the juice of 01 small onion, directly on the thin/bald patches. Leave for 20-30 minutes, and then wash with a mild shampoo. Use twice a week.

Why:

Rich in sulfur, onion juice helps boost blood circulation to the scalp.

* Aloe Vera and Castor Oil Mask:

Mix 02 tablespoons of fresh aloe vera gel and 01 tablespoon castor oil and apply to the scalp, focusing on thinning areas. Leave for 45 minutes, and then rinse with cool water.

Why:

Aloe vera soothes the scalp, while castor oil coats hair to make it look thicker.

* Fenugreek and Curd Strengthening Pack:

You will need 02 tablespoons fenugreek seeds, soaked overnight, and 02 tablespoons plain curd.

Grind to a paste, apply to scalp for 30 minutes, and then wash.

Why:

Fenugreek strengthens strands and reduces breakage.

Extra Tips for Healthy Hair:

Avoid tight hairstyles that pull on the scalp.

Eat iron and protein rich foods: greens, dhal, eggs, fish.

Use lukewarm water, not hot.

Be gentle when brushing and drying.