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Tilvin gives deft reply to govt. accusation that JVP is behind teachers’ strike

Published

4 years ago

2021/10/20

By Saman Indrajith

The JVP was at the forefront of the struggle by teachers and principals demanding rectification of their salary anomalies, JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva said yesterday.

Asked during a press conference held at the party headquarters to comment on government ministers’ accusation that the party was behind the teachers strike action, Silva said: “We are not behind it; we are at the vanguard because we accept that the struggle by teachers and principals is just and reasonable. The JVP is always at the forefront of just and reasonable struggles by anyone. Giving leadership to people’s struggles is politics.”

“Actually, it is the government that politicised this issue first. They did so by bringing in teachers and principals to their political advantage. They did so by including the teachers and principals in their policy manifesto and promising solutions to get votes. Now, there is no point in accusing others. If the government ministers think that we are making political capital out of this issue, the path is well open for them to deprive us of that capital and gain itself the same capital. All it has to do is just deliver what it has promised so that the political advantage would be theirs.

That would solve the problem too,” Silva said.

Silva said that the teachers and principals of government schools and pirivena schools had resorted to trade union actions after trying talks and discussions for months with education authorities and the government.

“The government continuously ignored their demands and kept blaming the teachers. Thereafter they tried to describe the struggle as an enemy action against children. The sinister motive of creating such public opinion was to set the parents against teachers. In the meantime, teachers and principals made a very influential decision that they would take up the responsibility themselves to give education to children while continuing their struggle till their demands are met. They said they would report to work not on Oct 21 or 22 but on 25. That was a very decisive blow against the government’s campaign against teachers. We applaud the teachers and principals for their decision.

It also put an end to the government’s sudden found love for children’s education. If the government really cared for children’s education it should have given a decent salary to the teachers. The government came to power promising to rectify the teachers’ salary anomaly issue but soon reneged on their promise. All that the government needs is to find Rs 64 billion to solve this problem. If it cuts down its waste and extravagances this could have been done easily,” the JVP General Secretary said.

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Landslide early warnings issued to the Districts of Badulla, Kandy, Matale and Nuwara Eliya

Published

2 hours ago

2026/01/8

Priyan

The Landslide Early Warning Center of the National Building Research Organisation [NBRO] has issued landslide early warnings to the districts of Badulla, Kandy, Matale and Nuwara Eliya for the next 24 hours commencing at 1200hrs today [08]

Accordingly
LEVEL II AMBER landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Ududumbara in the Kandy District, Wilgamuwa in the Matale District, and Nildandahinna and Walapane in the Nuwara Eliya District.

LEVEL I YELLOW landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Meegahakiwula, Welimada, Kandaketiya, Lunugala, Badulla, Passara, Uva Paranagama and Hali_Ela in the Badulla District, Ambanganga Korale in the Matale District, and Mathurata and Hanguranketha in the Nuwara Eliya District.

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Warning for deep depression over South-east Bay of Bengal Sea area

Published

8 hours ago

2026/01/8

Priyan

Deep depression Track. [Source: RSMC]

Warning for deep depression over South-east Bay of Bengal Sea area.
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre, Department of Meteorology at 10.30 a.m. on 08 January 2026 for the period until 10.30 a.m. 09 January 2026

The depression in the Bay of Bengal to the southeast of Sri Lanka has intensified into a deep depression and is centered near latitude 5.4°N and longitude 85.3°E, about 420 km southeast of Pottuvil at 05.30 a.m. today (08th). The above system is currently (10:00 a.m.) located about 300 km southeast of Pottuvil.

It is very likely to move west-northwestwards across the southwest Bay of Bengal and cross the Sri Lanka coast between Hambantota and Kalmunai between 5.30 p.m. to 11.30 p.m. on Friday [9th January 2026].

Hence, showery, and windy condition over the island, particularly in the Northern, NorthCentral, Eastern, Uva and Central provinces is expected to enhance from today (08th).

For the Land area:

DAMAGE EXPECTED:
• Damage to huts, temporary shelters and light structures
• Destroy the roof tops/ sheets etc.
• Damage to power and communication lines.
• Breaking of tree branches and uprooting of large avenue trees.
• Damage to paddy crops, banana, papaya trees and orchards.
• Damage to harbor yachts
• Flash flood
• Sea water inundation in low lying areas in the near coast.

Action suggested for the Land area:
• Coastal hutment dwellers are advised to move to safer places. Other people in the affected areas to remain indoors.
• People living in hilly areas (particularly landslide prone areas) and low lying areas in river basins are requested to be vigilant.
• Drivers and people using roads in the hilly areas are requested to be vigilant.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• General public is requested to be vigilant regarding impending extreme weather situation.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
• Requested to be attentive about future advisories issued by the Department of Meteorology in this regard.

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Showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in the Eastern and Uva provinces and showers about 50-75 mm in other areas

Published

13 hours ago

2026/01/8

Priyan

WEATHER FORECAST FOR 08 JANUARY 2026
Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 08 January 2026 by the Department of Meteorology

The depression over the Bay of Bengal, located to the southeast of Sri Lanka, was centered near latitude 5.3°N and longitude 86.0°E, about 490 km southeast of Pottuvil, at 11:30 p.m. yesterday (07). It is expected to move west-northwestwards and towards the eastern coast of the island during next 24 hours. This system is likely to intensify further into a deep depression during the next 12 hours.

Cloudy skies can be expected over most parts of the island.
Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in the Northern, North-central, Eastern, Uva, Central and Southern provinces. Showers or thundershowers may occur at several places elsewhere in the Island after 1.00 p.m. Heavy showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in the Eastern and Uva provinces. Fairly Heavy showers about (50 – 75) mm are likely at some places in the other areas of the island.

Strong winds about (50-60) kmph can be expected at times over the Eastern slopes of the central hills, the Northern, North-central, North-western and Eastern provinces and in Hambantota, Gampaha, Colombo and Monaragala districts.

The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.