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Thumbs up and thumbs down – mostly the latter

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Short takes

Malcolm Cardinal Ranjit at St Anthony’s Church, Kochchikade, which suffered the worst of the violent massacre of persons at prayer on Easter Sunday 2019, again raised the issue of the left-to-slumber PCOI recommendations which, after delay, were passed on to the AG. No action as yet. The Editor of The Island of October 22 took up the Cardinal’s cry and even went to the extent of naming a name. Nothing done because of political saving of the government. The consequence for us Ordinaries is to know and be WARNED that election promises are like sawdust disappearing in the wind of power. Never trust electioneering politicians unless you know them to be unblemished. Trust your senses and for the very existence of Sri Lanka vote in some educated men and more women.

On Tuesday October 26 the Cardinal, while inspecting the cleaning of the MV X-Press wreck, lashed out again. The target of his indignation, nay justified anger, was a Minister known as Ten Percent. He named no specific name but it was hardly necessary. “Imagine the shame on this nation when there is such a minister taking ten percent of commission from every project he passes,” the Cardinal said. Cass again asks how insane can money grabbers be to never reach saturation; never stop the corruption they freely indulge in.

“JVP smells rat in payment made for nano nitrogen fertiliser.” Will there never be an end to this smell of rats which connotes shady, nay corrupt deals? Some persons reap lucre to fill bottomless pits of greedy acquisition. Nowadays, particularly, these shady deals are at dire cost to the nation and its ordinary people. The country is asthmatically gasping with empty coffers and no dollars and people dying under crushing soaring costs and a sure fire depletion in agricultural harvests. So how can people cheatingly make illicit money?

Cass saw and heard on TV news, with disgust, Dr Padeniya, (or is he Prof now?) during a pandemic task force meeting with the Prez and a host of others, smirkingly say “Give the people kidneys so they can damage them”. He was referring to his theory that kidney disease is caused by inorganic fertilisers seeping into water. But eminent scientists of soil, agriculture et al have debunked his theory, backed by scientific fact. Didn’t he listen to the video which went viral overseas in which Dr Rohan Pethiyagoda dealt with a speech of Dr Padeniya’s point by point and scientifically debunked them all? False prophets have doomed our country to destruction. No two words about that.

Commenting on the state of the country in his lead article “Confusion worse confounded”, the Editor of The Island on Saturday 23 October writes that Sri Lanka is like a mental hospital under an air raid. “Everyone at the levers of power seems to have got his wires crossed.” His punch line was: “Government politicians who do not know the periodic table from the dining table are giving chemistry lessons to senior university dons.”

Thumbs up

Rights appeal.

“SC grants leave to proceed with FR petition for allegedly being threatened by State Minister Lohan Ratwatte.” (The Island October 22). Half the battle won. Fervently hoped is that the Supreme Court judges who will be on the bench, in all their wisdom, fair-mindedness and going strictly by both the letter and spirit of the law, will judge the HR case. We await judgment with judging minds.

One

minister who will say yea or nay as he thinks best. Cass wrote in her last Friday Cry that all government MP’s and Ministers nod and shake their heads just as the Big Bosses want. A couple of days ago, we had a SLFPer now joined with SLPPers – Susil Premajayanth -assuring Parliamentarians that he was a qualified and practicing Attorney-at-Law. This was intro to his fire and brimstone assertion he was not going to be like a ‘signal kanuwa ‘- railway station signal with an arm that drops to allow a train to pass, manipulated by a person electrically connected to it. So Premajayanth asserts he will not be a mere follower, but a thinker before casting his vote. Cheers! Congrats! A spark of defiance in a murky sea of sycophancy.

Ministerial loud mouth claims right to differ.

We cheer Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara for claiming the right to differ on matters of public interest which should not be questioned. This proclaimed at a Government Group meeting with both Prez and PM present. (The Island 26/10). That’s the form Sir! We are glad you are taking a leaf from your younger brother Hemakumara, who has always spoken straight; e.g against the suddenness of the Prez’s banning of inorganic fertilizers et al. Glad some have independent opinions and express them.

Thumbs down

Another threat. “

GMOA ready to strike over grave shortage of doctors at Mullaitivu District General Hospital.” Even an inmate of the Angoda Mental Hospital will say this is no reason at all to strike. Easy remedy: request the government health services to do the needful.

Claim to achieving the impossible

. “Lokuge undertakes to achieve President’s renewable energy goal – set for completion in 2030.” Jeff comments to Mutt (or vice versa) “Does he want to be Minister of Power until such time?” Cass corrects this to read: “Does he hope to?” What she says categorically, seconded by a multitude of voters’ voices is: “Pack your bag to go home to stay in permanently. Time’s up for you.”

Congrats The Island cartoonist for excellent drawing of Mr Lokuge turned baboon within bars in Cassandra’s last week’s article. So apt for the article, so apt for the man!

Poor Azath Salley.

Picture in The Island 26/10 shows him in a wheel chair being taken to the Colombo High Court. Cass hopes it was a pretense. Sometimes, especially in now times, subterfuge is OK if it is not money making on the sly. This vociferous politician and former Gov of Western P, was one who spat truths and even vituperation, often justified. Like poor Ranjan R he was indicted over a controversial statement made at a media briefing. Ranjan was supposed to have spoken disparagingly against judges of courts and that was a grabbed opportunity to silence his gab which most often spouted truths against those in power. He is languishing and suffering in prison for four long years, while those convicted by the highest court for proven crimes are bossing it free. Topsy Turvy Lanka!

Formula 1 track for poverty striken Siri Lanka.

The surprise secret of a proposal to be forwarded for approval to the Cabinet was revealed by the Editor of The Island- Wednesday October 27, in his aptly titled editorial ‘Vroom dream’. Project is to build this completely white elephant to add to many money guzzling, no returns bringing white els in Hambantota. Plenty clues to guess who is behind this idea. Cass will not labour the point of the utter insanity of this proposal. First, it was building fitness centres in all villages; then jogging tracks on wewa bunds and much earlier hosting the Commonwealth Games. Now a racing track! To help whom? Not the country nor the people of the land. Hence it is just a selfish desire. Said to be a private sector project. Bah to that. We the people will have to foot the bill finally. Remember how the space travel dreaming youngest son of the then Prime Minister Mahinda R was to be made happy with the Chinese building a space station in this tiny island of ours. They blasted the young heir’s space module or whatever, didn’t they?

The Ministers who nod aye to this crazy project of accommodating Formula One racing should be beheaded. France recently banned its guillotines. Let’s get one down. But as certain as night follows day, the first to have the neck held under the guillotine blade will be Cass’s and then those of other clear-thinking journos.



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US withdrawal from UNHRC, a boon to political repression and ultra-nationalism

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President Trump in a meeting with President Putin. The New York Times

The US’ reported withdrawal from the UNHRC and some other vital UN agencies could be seen as a fillip to anti-democratic and ultra-nationalistic forces worldwide. Besides, the stark message is being conveyed that the developing regions of the world would from now on suffer further impoverishment and powerlessness.

The UNHRC needs to be more effective and proactive in bringing to book those states that are lagging in upholding and implementing human rights standards. But thus far it has been notable in the main in only ‘naming and shaming’ periodically those countries that stand accused of human rights and associated violations. More states and their rulers who have proved notorious violators of International Law, for instance, need to be brought to justice.

Hopefully, the UNHRC would be more dynamic in carrying out its responsibilities going forward but it needs material, moral and financial sustenance in increasing measure as it goes about trying to implement its brief. By withdrawing its support for the UNHRC at this juncture the US has further weakened the body and thereby provided a stimulant to the forces of repression worldwide.

What ought to be equally disquieting for the ethically-conscious is the withdrawal of US support for the WHO, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees or the UNRWA and the Paris Climate Agreement. With these actions the US under President Donald Trump has forfeited all claims to being the world’s foremost democracy. It could no longer lead from the front, so to speak, in championing human rights and democratic development.

It is no coincidence that almost at the time of these decisions by the US, President Trump is meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. At the time of writing what transpired at these talks is not known to the public but it is plain to see that under the ultra-rightist Israeli Prime Minister, there would be no easy closure to the Middle East conflict and the accompanying blood-letting.

This is in view of the fact that the hawkish Trump administration would be hand-in-glove with the Netanyahu regime right along. There would be no political solution in the foreseeable future nor could it be guaranteed by the main stakeholders to the Middle East question that the current ceasefire would continue.

As mentioned in this column before, Israel would need strong security guarantees from the Palestinian camp and its supporters before it sits earnestly at the negotiating table but a policy of repression by the Israeli state would in no way help in resolving the conflict and in ushering even a measure of peace in the region. With the staunch support of the Trump administration the Netanyahu regime could stave off Palestinian resistance for the time being and save face among its supporters but peace in the Middle East would continue to be a lost cause.

The issues in focus would only be further compounded by the US decision to cease support for the rehabilitation and material sustenance of Palestinian refugees. This policy decision would only result in the further alienation and estrangement of Palestinians from the Western world. Consequently, Intifada-type uprisings should only be expected in the future.

As should be obvious, the US decision to pull out of the WHO would further weaken this vital agency of the UN. A drop in material, medical and financial assistance for the WHO would translate into graver hardships for the suffering civilians in the world’s conflict and war zones. The end result could be the alienation of the communities concerned from the wider international community, resulting in escalating law and order and governance issues worldwide. Among other things, the world would be having on its hands aggravating identity politics consequent to civilian publics being radicalized.

Considering the foregoing, the inference is inescapable that the US is heading in the direction of increasing international isolation and a policy of disengaging from multilateral institutions and arrangements geared to worthy causes that could serve world peace. As matters stand, it would not be wrong to conclude that the Trump administration is quite content with the prevailing ‘international disorder’.

One of the most negative consequences of the US decision to pull out of the UNHRC is the encouragement the forces of repression and ultra-nationalism could gain by it. In almost all the states of South Asia, to consider one region that is notable from this viewpoint, the forces of ultra-nationalism and majoritarian chauvinism could be said to be predominant.

Unfortunately, such forces seem to be on the rise once again in even post-Hasina Bangladesh. In Sri Lanka these forces are somewhat dormant at present but they could erupt to the surface, depending on how diligently the present government guards against their rise.

However, the government of Sri Lanka could not be said to be going the extra mile currently to blunt the appeal of ultra-nationalism, whether it is of the Southern kind or of the Northern kind. Crunch time for the Sri Lankan state would come when it has to seriously cooperate with the UNHRC and help bring those accused of war crimes in Sri Lanka to justice. On whether it could cooperate in this exercise would depend the democratic credentials of the present regime.

The cumulative result of the Trump administration weakening the UN and its agencies would be the relentless rise of anti-democratic, fascistic and repressive regimes the world over. Given this backdrop, one could expect the war in the Ukraine and those wasting civil wars in Africa to rage on. In the case of the Ukraine, the possibility of the US and NATO not being of one mind on ways of ending the war there, could render closure of the conflict any time soon impossible.

However, waiting on the US with the expectation that it would be pulling itself together, so to speak, before long and addressing the issue of international law and order would be tantamount to handing over the world to a most uncertain future. It is highly unlikely that the Trump administration would prove equal to the challenge of bringing even a measure of order out of the current global chaos, given the primacy it would be attaching to what it sees as its national interest.

Rather than wait in suspense, democracy oriented sections the world over would do well to come together in a meeting of minds, with the UN playing a catalytic role in it, to figure out how they could pool all the resources at their command to bring about a world order that would be more respectful of International Law in word and spirit.

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‘The Onset: A Short Story’: A philosophical drama attempting to redefine perception and cinema

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A scene from the movie with Hannah Brennen and Matt Heakes

Debut filmmaker, Thevin Gamage, presents a bold challenge to the time-honoured conventions of cinema. Through his daring short film, Thevin invites audiences to reconsider ‘the truth’ of cinematic rules. The 180-degree rule is broken with seamless subtlety, and a fresh perspective is offered on breaking the fourth wall.

This 13+ minute dialogue-driven drama, ‘The Onset: A Short Story’ featuring two actors and created with the collaboration of a debut cinematographer, was shot entirely in his living room—a testament to ingenuity and creative audacity.

The film not only aims to redefine the language of cinema but also thematically contests one of Plato’s most renowned teachings—The Allegory of the Cave. Thevin offers a fresh lens to examine ‘truth’ blending bold cinematic innovation with a philosophical exploration of perception, arrogance, and enlightenment.

At its heart, this story reflects the universal tension between belief and truth, highlighting the cost of breaking free from illusions. His debut is both a defiant act of rebellion and a bold invitation to shape the evolution of future cinema, leaving audiences with as many questions as answers.

Born into a family of artists in Sri Lanka, Thevin, grew up surrounded by a legacy of creativity yet confined by the traditional expectations of society. His parents achieved success as actors and later as entrepreneurs.

For Thevin, questioning the rules was not rebellion for its own sake—it was a search for freedom, truth, and new perspectives. This drive began in childhood, where strict parental expectations collided with his innate creativity. Movies became his escape, a lens through which he experienced life, love, and possibility.

Yet it wasn’t until his late twenties, after years of academic success and professional detours that he finally embraced his calling as a filmmaker. His audacious short film bridges his personal journey with his artistic vision. By breaking the 180-degree rule and redefining the fourth wall, the film demonstrates that cinematic rules can evolve—not as acts of rebellion, but as purposeful explorations of storytelling.

In the spirit of art and its boundless novelty, Thevin Gamage seeks to induct exactly that: originality.

His debut film is a bold exploration of cinematic boundaries and philosophical inquiry, redefining two foundational principles of cinema. This film invites audiences to experience a narrative that subtly bends the historical rules of the 180-degree rule and the fourth wall—often without them even realizing it.

This debut dares you.

It’s a resolute challenge to tradition and a provocative reminder that “rules” are just a few letters that form a word.

****

About young filmmaker

Thevin Gamage

Thevin Gamage is a South Asian filmmaker whose journey reflects both a profound reverence for tradition and an unrelenting desire to transcend it.

Born into a family of artists in Sri Lanka, Thevin was shaped by a legacy of creativity and resilience. His grandfather, Sri Lanka’s first film makeup artist, pioneered his craft with remarkable dedication, laying the foundation for a family deeply rooted in the arts. Though Thevin never met him, his grandfather Regie de Silva’strailblazing work ethic and passion for storytelling helped shape the family ethos, inspiring Thevin’s mother and, in turn, Thevin himself. Reggie was the first Sri Lankan makeup artist. He went to India for his studies in makeup artistry and was active during the era when B.A.W. Jayamanne and Rukmani Devi pioneered the Sri Lankan film industry.

Thevin’s mother, Kumudumali De Silva, a celebrated Best Supporting Actress winner two decades ago and recent Lifetime Achievement Award honoree for her contributions to the wedding industry, met his father, Nihal Gamage, while on set. Together, they transitioned from the entertainment industry to entrepreneurial success, founding a wedding photography and bridal dressing business. Their ventures flourished, even leading to the publication of their own wedding magazine, providing a middle-class life of success and recognition.

Despite these creative roots, societal expectations in Sri Lanka compelled Thevin to pursue academics. After excelling at the University of Toronto with a degree in Political Science, Economics, and Psychology, Thevin still yearned for storytelling. In his late twenties, after years of professional detours, he enrolled in film school and committed fully to his craft.

Operating outside the framework of traditional film production companies, Thevin embraced the challenges of independence. From conceptualization to execution, his debut film is a testament to his determination, ingenuity, and unwavering commitment to his vision. His journey as an independent filmmaker exemplifies the power of creative freedom to challenge norms and shape unique perspectives.

Thevin’s work invites audiences to question, reimagine, and ultimately transform their understanding of storytelling. His journey is not just one of artistic pursuit but an act of defiance—an effort to inspire others to embrace the power of the arts and forge paths beyond traditional norms.

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Top three at 40th Mrs World pageant

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Mrs World – South Africa: Tshego Gaelae (L) / First Runner-up – Sri Lanka: Ishadi Amanda (M) / Second Runner-up – Thailand: Ploy Panperm (R)

While South African model Tshego Gaelae becomes the first Black woman to win the Mrs. World title in its 40-year history, we, too, were in the spotlight, at the finals.

Ishadi Amanda took the No. 02 slot, being the first runner-up at the prestigious pageant, held in Las Vegas, USA, from 29-30 January, 2025.

Thailand’s Ploy Panperm was placed third, as the second runner-up.

Sri Lanka’s Ishadi had support from the audience when her name was announced as one of the three finalists.

The Mrs World pageant winner, from South Africa, expressed her thanks on Instagram, saying, “To God be the glory. Thank you so much for the love and support, I am beyond grateful and elated! My beautiful South Africa, the crown is coming home,” she shared with her followers, encapsulating her elation and gratitude.

The Mrs World pageant, established in 1984, stands as the first international beauty contest solely for married women, providing a platform for married contestants to showcase not just their beauty, but also their intellect and community outreach efforts.

Before being picked as the winner, Mrs South Africa was asked: “What is the biggest challenge you have faced and achieved?” And her answer was brilliant:

Rosy Senanayake: Mrs World 1984

“I was so stressed on social media. Social media people should use it to share knowledge and good things. But it’s used to stress people out. But I stood up for myself without that social media pressure. I used the same social media that stressed me out to share good thoughts and hope to get to the victorious place I am today.”

Gaelae’s success is a testament to the ideals celebrated by the pageant, where diversity and empowerment take centre stage.

Gaelae balances her roles as a devoted mother, wife, labour relations manager, and model.

Being the first black woman to clinch the title at the Mrs World pageant has ignited a sense of pride and celebration among South Africans.

The Mrs South Africa Organisation, which played a crucial role in supporting Gaelae’s remarkable journey, also expressed their pride through a statement: “From Soweto to Vegas and now the World, @mrsworldpageant The Crown is Coming Home! Thank you to everyone who supported our queen on her incredible Journey.”

Gaelae returned home to a triumphant celebration fit for a queen.

At the airport to welcome her were her family, friends, church community, the Mrs South African team board and alumni, and the Executive Mayor of Johannesburg.

The crowning of the 40th Mrs World winner

And, guess what? Gaelae is now in touch with me!

Second Runner-up Mrs Thailand Ploy Panperm is quoted as having said: “I believe that modern married women have the potential to excel in multiple roles – as wives, mothers and even as beauty queens – embodying intelligence, talent and beauty.”

For the record, it was our very own Rosy Senanayake who brought Sri Lanka fame at this pageant … being crowned Mrs World at the very first Mrs World pageant, in 1984.

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