Features

The Three Evils

Published

2 years ago

2024/01/11

Lee Kuan Yew enforced discipline on Singaporeans and it is one of the reasons for the prosperity of that tiny island nation. Japanese are disciplined by nature and the miraculous evacuation of 379 passengers and crew from a burning aircraft in Haneda airport, without any fatalities or major injuries, illustrate this. I greatly doubt whether we can hope for a bright future without being a disciplined society.

By Dr Upul Wijayawardhana

Judging by what is happening at present, it is fair to state that Sri Lanka is suffering from not only an economic disaster but also from moral bankruptcy, unfortunately. Perhaps, the unpalatable solutions imposed with no care or concern for the most disadvantaged in the society may bring the country out of the economic mess, but will they bring us out of the moral bankruptcy? Very unlikely; in fact, it may produce just the opposite by forcing the poor to resort to unsavoury practices. Economy shows signs of improvement with draconian solutions imposed on by external forces, making the poor poorer but the rich continue to be living the life of Riley, as well illustrated by the photographic evidence of lavish celebrations during Christmas and New Year. As oft repeated by the editor of The Island, in many an editorial, the ground is getting riper for a bloody revolution and one can only pray that it does not happen!

Watching events from a distance, with a heavy heart, I have often wondered what ails my Motherland which had such a bright future ahead, at the time of release of the shackles of colonialism. Looking back, the most striking feature is that every government we had since independence is more corrupt than the previous. Whilst corruption, which has spread from the political class to all strata of society, has contributed the majority share for our woes, two other factors seem to have contributed to our predicament; indiscipline and gullibility.

There is hardly a doubt that it was the corrupt practices of both, Yahapalanaya and Pohottuwa that bankrupted the country. One would have thought that the present administration, which is a combination of parts of both, would have learned a lesson and strive to reduce corruption, even if politicians consider eradicating corruption inimical to their cause. Instead, their actions seem to enshrine corruption and blame lays squarely on the shoulders of the president. The big rot started with the Central Bank bond scam for which Ranil is responsible more than any other. It was he who imported Arjuna Mahendran from Singapore on false pretences. It is very interesting to note that Mahendran has come out of the woodwork since the election of Ranil by parliament and his writing to newspapers, on two different occasions, dared giving his full postal address!

Ranil’s behaviour since his appointment is no better, as well illustrated by his actions in defending the corrupt in Sri Lanka Cricket! Rohan Ranasinghe attempted to cleanse SLC and dared Ranil to choose between him and SLC chairman. Ranil replaced the sports minister with a henchman. They are all living happily ever after in corrupt Sri Lanka, where no profession seems spared! We were taken aback by the comments of a relative of ours who holds a high position in the legal profession; in referring to a well-known judge he said “He is a nice and affable fellow but well known for his weaknes to be bought over!” Reminds of the Sinhala saying Wetath niyarath goyam kanam, kata kiyamuda ee amaruwa.

My alma mater, Rahula College, Matara, inculcated discipline which has stood in good stead for all of us. Unfortunately, since the fifties there had been a gradual erosion in discipline. The undisciplined behaviour is best seen on the roads. There is not a single day without a fatality being reported due to an accident. Not that accidents do not occur in other countries but they are due to many other causes but in Sri Lanka most are due to bad driving. The other glaring example is the disgusting behaviour of our ‘honourable’ members of parliament. Is it not shocking when it is reported repeatedly that schoolchildren had to be escorted out of the public gallery; lest they learn the art of fighting and shouting filth from the elected representatives!

Gullibility is inversely proportional to education and considering the high level of literacy and education in Sri Lanka, one would expect Sri Lankan to be only minimally gullible. Unfortunately, the opposite is the case, gullibility extending to the highest levels. I have held Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith in high esteem, as a voice of sanity, but some of his recent utterances no doubt reflects a degree of gullibility, being misled by some who have got close to him. The antics of the self-declared prophet Jerome Fernando (JF) and self-declared Arahant Pitiduwe Siridhamma (PS) demonstrate avidly the gullibility of some of our countrymen.

PS was the first to declare that he is an arahant and many followed him including one Dr Perera! It was hilarious to see devotees lining up to receive blessings from these self-styled arahants. Six years ago, PS appeared before the hierarchy of Malwatu chapter and was given the final warning but the arahant continued his erratic behaviour. He was given the final warning, again, recently for publishing in Facebook a story that Siddhartha Bodhisattva had an illicit affair with Sujatha, who offered milk rice to him. A comedienne, whose satire was less offensive was taken in to custody but PS continues to be revered by his gullible followers. Perhaps, they respect him for his agrarian capabilities!

JF was a prophet who could not see his own future and wonder what all the VIPs who were converted at his behest have to say! He became so powerful that he felt he could get away with insulting all religious leaders. Fearing arrest, he fled and then filed action to prevent arrest but withdrew the action when he realised that his preferred judge was abroad. On that judge’s return, the action was resubmitted and granted on the assurance from CID that he would not be arrested on return. CID played it smart: they did not arrest on return but questioned him later and arrested! Even if he escapes justice, Inland Revenue is at him and he would have to explain how he accumulated such enormous wealth. Hope IR would get a good slice, which the country badly needs.

There is an ongoing war against drug dealers and police seem to have found them very easily. As indicated in a previous editorial, why were they not apprehended before, if these criminals had been known to the police. It is a commendable action but there is a sniggering suspicion that the motive behind may be to justify the appointment of the acting IGP!

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Features

Proactive peacemaking becomes a paramount need

Published

13 hours ago

2026/06/4

Sahan Weerasooriya

Wasting wars: Some war-displaced people in Lebanon. BBC

It may be some time before the full impact of food inflation is felt in the West. Until such time the world would continue to keep itself in suspense over whether the Trump administration is in earnest when it seeks to convey the impression that it is backing a negotiated solution in West Asia.

As is usually the case, consumer stress would be one of the final determinants of political change. To the degree to which the average US consumer somehow ‘muddles through’ and puts the food on the table, to the same extent would the Republican sections of the US public in particular be tolerant of the Trump administration’s inconsistent handling of the West Asian war and the main issues stemming from it. That is, there would be no grave popular disaffection and a demand for political change in the short term.

However, the indications are that the Trump administration’s support base is suffering some erosion in the wake of the current economic crisis. While reports indicate that Democratic sections are firming-up their opposition to the political centre, Republican support for Trump is also showing signs of waning, we are given to understand.

The above developments are probably why Trump is on record as having given Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a ‘dressing down’ recently on his seeming intransigence on the question of giving negotiations a chance in West Asia. The show of displeasure could be really aimed by Trump at containing the impatience of the American public.

However, the current ground situation in the Middle East, particularly the uncontained bloodshed, is likely to impress on the thinking sections of the world that more than temporary political change is needed in West Asia and the US.

A well thought out political solution that addresses all the contentious issues at the heart of the Middle East conflict is what enlightened opinion would demand, and very rightly. Right now, the ‘peace efforts’ initiated by the Trump administration give the impression of being piecemeal solutions at best.

There have been, of course, numerous initiatives in the past aimed at bringing permanent peace to the Middle East. These failed mainly because they did not address in full the root causes of the conflict.

At bottom the Middle East conflict is mainly about race and religious hate bred by socio-economic and material inequalities. For instance, if the Palestinian people were not displaced and deprived of land occupied by them at the time of the founding of the Israeli state, ethnic enmities would not have grown to the current unmanageable proportions.

When addressing the above questions, though, it must be remembered that the Israelis too were a displaced people who were entitled to land and a state of their own in the Middle East. Basically, out of these seemingly irreconcilable and conflicting demands have grown the Middle East imbroglio.

Middle East peace is considerably about reconciling these demands and arriving at a solution that would ensure the creation of two states that would opt for peaceful co-existence thereafter.

As long as the US does not see the need for a non-partisan solution that addresses the needs of both ethnicities and religions and goes all-out, as it were, to have it implemented, the Middle East would continue to bleed.

However, staunching the blood flow through the creation of two states would be only half the job done, though a very important part of it. More pernicious, pervasive and difficult to remedy are the inter-ethnic and inter-religious hatreds that have been unleashed over the decades.

However, if substantial, long-lasting peace is to be fostered in the region the latter ‘demons’ would need to be exorcised from the hearts and minds of the communities concerned. No doubt an uphill task but one that must be undertaken by those who wish the region well.

The UN would need to put its ‘best foot forward’ in such undertakings but it is time that it dawned on the international community and other caring quarters that Middle East peace, and all other such uphill challenges, require proactive peacemaking on the part of all civilized sections for their effective management. That is, public involvement in peacemaking too is a must.

Since hatreds are harboured in the human consciousness the enmities embedded in the latter need to be managed and defused judiciously alongside other undertakings in a peace process. In the case of West Asia, such enmities could be even spread globe-wide besides being multi-dimensional. For instance, it ought to be thought-provoking that Iran is insistent on a peace initiative that would also include Lebanon.

Besides security considerations it is also ethnic and religious affiliations that account for Iran making this demand. For instance, the Shias are a numerically important religious community in Lebanon and they provide a significant number of Hizbollah fighters, who are in a vital sense carrying out a ‘proxy war’ for Iran. It also needs to be factored in that Iran is a Shia-majority country.

Thus trans-border religious affiliations could add to the complexities and enormity of ethno-religious conflicts. However, the task of managing centuries-long enmities needs to be launched and prodded on with by peacemakers since a downing of arms alone would not guarantee substantive peace.

It is not realized sufficiently that the process of ending hatreds begins with mutual apologies by antagonists to a conflict for the harm inflicted on each other. This would be anathema in some ears but there is no getting away from the requirement. It is the vital first step to permanent peace anywhere.

In fact there could be no reconciliation worth speaking of without such mutual apologies. It is a point worth re-iterating in these times when even the government of Sri Lanka is voicing the need for national reconciliation. Well, without the words, ‘I am sorry’, there could be no permanent end to enmities – they would do well to remember.

The above requirements may not go down very well with governments, but they resonate in the hearts and minds of most people, since they are inheritors of religious traditions of some kind.

This is a principal reason why peacemaking works well when publics too are involved in them. The effectiveness of such campaigns increases several fold when they have a Mahatma Gandhi or a Jawaharlal Nehru at their helm. A strong proactive involvement by the public in peace could lead to the emergence of such leaders at some point in these campaigns.

Features

Dialog Brings Sri Lanka’s Largest Digital Vesak Experience to Matara

Published

13 hours ago

2026/06/4

Sahan Weerasooriya

From left to right: Hon. Saroja Savithri Paulraj, Hon. Sunil Handunnetti, and Lasantha Theverapperuma experience the Dialog 5G Ultra-powered VR tours.

Official Digital Partner of the 2026 ‘Dakshina Prabha’ National Vesak Zone

Dialog Axiata PLC, Sri Lanka’s #1 connectivity provider, collaborated with the Ministry of Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs to bring one of Sri Lanka’s largest and most technologically advanced Vesak experiences to the ‘Dakshina Prabha’ National Vesak Zone. The three-day celebration, in Matara attracted more than hundred thousand visitors, who engaged with a series of innovative digital activities powered by Dialog 5G Ultra, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Virtual Reality (VR) experiences, digital pandols and a Data Dansala. The opening ceremony was attended by Hon. Sunil Handunnetti, Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development and Hon. Saroja Savithri Paulraj, Minister of Women and Child Affairs, along with distinguished guests and Dialog’s senior management.

One of the key attractions at the venue was the Dialog 5G Ultra-powered Virtual Reality (VR) experience, which attracted more than 35,000 participants. The activation enabled devotees to virtually visit and pay homage to sacred Buddhist sites, including the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi in India and the Atamasthana in Anuradhapura, directly from the Vesak zone in Matara.

Visitors receive complimentary mobile data through Dialog’s QR-powered Data Dansala.

Dialog also conducted an AI Digital Vesak Greeting Card Competition from 21 May to 01 June 2026, attracting numerous entries from across the country. The shortlisted designs were showcased across 20 large LED screens throughout the venue and across Matara City, and were also made available for download via mobile devices. Further, through the use of AI, traditional Jathaka Katha were reimagined in a digital format, demonstrating how technology can be used to preserve and enhance cultural and religious heritage. Together, these initiatives blended traditional Vesak celebrations with emerging technologies, offering visitors a unique and immersive way to engage with Vesak traditions.

Extending the spirit of Vesak through connectivity, Dialog conducted a special Data Dansala powered by its QR Reload platform, enabling visitors to receive complimentary mobile data by scanning QR codes placed across the venue. In addition to the Matara National Vesak Zone, similar Data Dansala activations were also conducted at the Gangaramaya and Bauddhaloka Vesak zones in Colombo.Visitors also had the opportunity to create personalised Vesak-themed digital photos through an AI Photo Booth, generating AI-enhanced portraits using their own photographs and adding a contemporary digital element to the Vesak celebrations.

Visitors watch AI-generated Jathaka Katha

Commenting on the initiative, Hon. Sunil Handunnetti, Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, said, “The 2026 Dakshina Prabha Vesak Festival marked the first time AI-powered digital innovations were incorporated into a National Vesak Festival in Sri Lanka. Presenting Buddhist stories and teachings through technology created a new and engaging way for visitors to connect with these traditions. We thank Dialog for supporting this initiative and for working closely with us to bring our vision to life. Their contribution played an important role in making this first-of-its-kind event a reality.”

Lasantha Theverapperuma, Group Chief Marketing Officer of Dialog Axiata PLC said, “We thank the Government of Sri Lanka for the opportunity to support the 2026 Dakshina Prabha National Vesak Festival and for embracing technology as part of this year’s celebrations. As the Official Digital Partner, we were privileged to contribute through our Dialog 5G Ultra and AI capabilities, creating new ways for visitors to engage with Vesak traditions while preserving their cultural significance for future generations.”

Beyond supporting the National Vesak Zone in Matara, Dialog also enhanced the Gangaramaya and Bauddhaloka Vesak zones through a range of digital activations during the Vesak season. The company additionally continued its sustainability initiatives, including the Thirasara Aloka Poojawa, which illuminated rural places of worship through solar-powered lighting solutions.

Features

Beauty, elegance and talent…for women

Published

13 hours ago

2026/06/4

Sahan Weerasooriya

Universal Woman is an international pageant focused on “beauty, elegance, and talent” for women, positioning itself as a platform to shape global ambassadors. The 2026 edition will be held in Cambodia, and Sri Lanka will be there, as well.

According to reports coming my way, contestants, at the international event, will work with industry trailblazers, under international standards.

Sri Lankan supermodel, runway and pageant trainer Chulpadmendra Kumarapathirana, is the National Director for Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026.

With over two decades in the industry, Chula was crowned Miss Sri Lanka 2006, and has since shaped the next generation of titleholders through her Colombo-based Chulpadmendra Catwalk Studio, widely regarded as one of the country’s leading modelling academies.

The team behind Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026

A former host of Derana Miss Sri Lanka for Miss World 2008 and a judge for Miss Universe Sri Lanka 2025, Chula now serves as National Director for Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026, leading the franchise’s search for Sri Lanka’s delegate to the international final in Cambodia.

Applications for Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026 are being taken, via WhatsApp: 077 659 4994, says Chula.

The judging panel for Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026 includes Senaka De Silva, Pageant Aesthetic Advisor & Chairperson of the Judging Panel, Angela Seneviratne, Caroline Jurie, Rozelle Plunkett, and Suraj Mapa.

Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026 officially began its journey with a first round of auditions, held in Colombo, marking the start of an exciting new chapter in Sri Lanka’s pageant industry.

Launching the first round of auditions

The platform aims to empower women while selecting an intelligent, confident, and inspiring representative to compete at the Universal Woman International Pageant 2026 in Cambodia, this September.

Universal Woman Sri Lanka now moves forward with the vision of creating one of the country’s most prestigious and empowering pageants while preparing to crown a queen who will proudly represent Sri Lanka on the international stage.