News
RW’s deep knowledge of Ceylon history
This short speech made by President Ranil Wickremesinghe on April 28 clearly indicates his grip on Ceylon history. He made it on an occasion where he was chief guest at an event hosted at the Galle Face Hotel by Dilmah, the well known tea company now into cinnamon. Dilmah has about 700 acres of cinnamon plantation is estates of Kahawatte Plantations PLC it controls and is revolutionizing the industry.
The “Dilmah” brand, renowned for elevating “Ceylon Tea” in the global market, has ventured
into the Sri Lankan cinnamon industry by expanding its domestic exports through the company, introducing high-quality cinnamon products to the global market.
“What you don’t realize is that cinnamon is a part of our history. When the Polonnaruwa kingdom collapsed and we moved into the southwest wet zone, the only thing that kept the economy going was cinnamon. If we had no cinnamon, we wouldn’t have had the kingdoms
of Dambadeniya or Yapahuwa or Gampola or Raigama or Kotte. That’s how closely tied cinnamon is to our history.
The ruler of Jaffna was luckier. He had elephants and pearls. But he got ambitious. He got greedy. He thought that he should also get a share of the cinnamon. So he came, he
conquered, he captured Puttalam, got the rulers to pay tribute, but he said that wasn’t enough, he must control the trade.
So he decided to come and take over Raigama and Kotte. The Kerala merchants who controlled the trade thought we can’t let him go any further. So theygot Alakeshwara, the top man in their number, to build a fort and defeat Arya Chakrawarthi. So that’s another part of our history.
Why did Parakramabahu VI take over the Kandyan kingdom? Because then he could control all the cinnamon. And the splendor of that kingdom is depicted in the “Sela Lihini Sandeshaya”.
Take the example of Rajasinghe of Sitawaka who fought the Portuguese. He confined them to the forts of Colombo and Negombo. He took over all the cinnamon, that was all the low-quality cinnamon, leaving only the high-quality ones.
I don’t know whether Dilmah has been paying copyrights or royalties to his descendants. So this is how much cinnamon is tied up with our kingdoms. And that provided the money for the Kandyan kingdom to exist. But as cinnamon gave way to coffee and tea, when the price of cinnamon came down, the whole situation changed.
But now we see that Sri Lankan cinnamon is still the best in the world. And thank you, Dilmah, for resurrecting the name “Ceylon tea”, just as you have resurrected the name “Ceylon cinnamon”.
So I hope this is the beginning of our journey. Because we, the government, have also decided that if we are to go ahead with economic transformation, why don’t we make use of agriculture? From the time of the Sinhala kings until the British left us in 1948, agriculture was our mainstay. I am not saying to do away with others; all that is essential. But we forgot about agriculture.
So the whole plan for modernization is being discussed. New legislation is being brought in. But it has to be a beneficiary-centric process in which the government and the private sector join together. So as far as cinnamon is concerned, I think you’ve set the way, and we are here to help you. So this is the beginning of another chapter in cinnamon, which will see it coming back to its glory. Thanks to Dilmah.
Whatever support you need, we are here to give it to you. So all the best to Dilmah and to all of you.”
The “Siri Dalada Wandanawa”, the special exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic, commenced today (18) with the participation of President Anura Kumara Disanayake.
The President placed the first floral tribute to the Sacred Tooth Relic after which the public were allowed to pay homage. A large number of devotees from all over the country arrived at the Temple of the Tooth Relic today (18) to pay their homage.
The public will have the opportunity to venerate the Sacred Tooth Relic from 12 noon to 5:00 p.m from tomorrow (19).
Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, Hiniduma Sunil Senevi along with other Ministers and Ambassadors and High Commissioners representing Vietnam, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nepal, the Netherlands, India, Myanmar, Palestine, France, New Zealand, Cuba, Egypt, Japan, the United Kingdom, Thailand, Canada and South Korea, Public officials, Members of the security forces and a large number of local and foreign devotees were also present.
… Prez Secretariat faulted for not maintaining asset declaration registry
The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) has decided against refiling 34 cases that were withdrawn during the 2019-2024 period.
The 34 cases are among 102 cases withdrawn during that period, the CIABOC has disclosed, adding that 65 cases had been refiled. Decisions on three others are pending according to statistics made available on 01 March 2025.
The CIABOC provided a breakdown of the withdrawal of cases: 2019 (5), 2020 (0), 2021 (44), 2022 (49), 2023 (02) and 2024 (2).
The current CIABOC consists of Justice W. M. N. P. Iddawala (Chairman/Commissioner), K. B. Rajapakse (Commissioner) and Chethiya Goonesekera P.C (Commissioner). Its Director General is R. S. A. Dissanayake.
According to the CIABOC the majority of cases were withdrawn due to the absence of the signatures of all commissioners who served during 2019-2024.
Among the cases dropped by the CIABOC were four involving former Cooperatives and Internal Trade Minister Johnston Fernando. The CIABOC found fault with the Presidential Secretariat (PS) for the collapse of the cases due to the failure on the part of the PS to maintain a proper asset declaration registry at that time. The charge against the then Minister Fernando was the non-disclosure of assets and liabilities during the 2010-2014 period.
Fernando contested the last general election on the SLPP ticket but failed to retain his seat in Kurunegala District.The CIABOC has also decided against refiling the case against MP Rohitha
Abeygunawardena (New Democratic Front/Kalutara District) as the corruption charges pertained to acquisition of illegal assets amounting to Rs. 41.2 mn in 2004 and due to their failure to move court within 20 years.
The CIABOC also disclosed that the case against one-time Chairman of National Lotteries Board A.I. Ismail (2002-2003) charged for wrongful payment of Rs 9.8 mn to a private party had been dropped due to main witnesses former prisons Commissioner G.M.K. Bandara and former Director Public Enterprises K.M. Indrajith having migrated.
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The Election Commission yesterday announced a revision to the postal voting schedule for the upcoming Local Government Elections, which are set to take place on May 6.According to the updated timetable, postal voting would now be conducted on April 24, 25, 28, and 29, Election Commission Chairman R.M.A.L. Rathnayake said yesterday.
“All government institutions, including the police, tri-forces, schools, corporations, and statutory
boards, will conduct postal voting on these four days,” Rathnayake said, adding that employees of those institutions can mark their postal ballots at their respective offices without any change to the existing arrangements.
A special postal voting centre will be set up at Kandy Girls’ High School to facilitate voting by police personnel on duty at the Sri Dalada Maligawa during the exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic.
Arrangements have been made for tri-forces personnel to cast their postal votes under the supervision of designated certifying officers at their respective camps during the same four-day period.
In preparation for the elections, official ballot papers for all eligible postal voters across the 339 local government bodies were handed over to the Postal Department by Returning Officers on April 16. Distribution has already begun and will continue until April 29.
The Election Commission advises any postal voter who has not received their ballot by April 29 to make inquiries at their respective post offices.
The revised schedule replaces an earlier announcement made on March 27, which had designated April 22, 23, and 24 for postal voting at district secretariats and election offices, with April 28 and 29 set aside for those unable to vote on the initial dates.
With the latest changes, April 24, 25, 28, and 29 are now the official postal voting dates for the 2025 Local Government Elections.
Abisheka wins gold as Sri Lanka conclude Asian Youth Championship with eight medals
Sana’s all-round heroics take Pakistan to Women’s ODI World Cup
“Siri Dalada Wandanawa” commences with the President’s Participation
-
News7 days agoSuspect injured in police shooting hospitalised
-
Business7 days agoSanjiv Hulugalle appointed CEO and General Manager of Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams Sri Lanka
-
Business6 days agoMembers’ Night of the Sri Lanka – Russia Business Council of The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce
-
Features6 days agoLiberation Day tariffs chaos could cause permanent damage to US economy, amid global tensions
-
Features6 days agoMinds and Memories picturing 65 years of Sri Lankan Politics and Society
-
News7 days agoLankan security forces Humanitarian Assistance and Relief Team working in Myanmar
-
Business7 days agoMembers’ Night of the Sri Lanka – Russia Business Council of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce
-
Sports6 days agoLankan legends, Modi and the Jaffna dream