Sri Lanka News Updates with Discussions

Only thing, Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe was a D ravidiean but he is not tamil. Nayakkaras are from Andra Pradesh. he liked upcountry sinhala women over his Queen.

I think Prabhakaran is great

Sri vicramarajasinham

Lies, damn lies and statistics,? is a famous quote from British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, often cited by many to describe economic statistics that do not tally with the reality. This should be most appropriate with the present situation in Sri Lanka and the grandiose proclamations made by certain government officials particularly Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabral and Treasury Secretary P.B. Jayasundera who talk of high growth figures in the economy and a deceleration of inflation.

Whatever these officials talk of and the statistics they quote, for the average person in the country the grim reality is that they are going through a very tough time with an unbearable cost of living that keeps rising day by day. When the reality faced by the people every day is such and the officials talk of unprecedented growth one wonders whether they are living in a world akin to ?Alice in Wonderland? or are they talking while standing on their heads? These are sentiments of the common man who are stomped by the rise in fuel prices and are compelled to read in the state media of unprecedented growth rates as quoted by these officials.

The government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa seems to have done a major blunder by imposing another fuel price hike on the people over the weekend. The increase of Petrol prices by Rs.6, Diesel by Rs.4 and Kerosene by Rs.1 has not gone well with the people who know that the effects of this increase would be soon felt by them when the prices of other goods and services would rise gradually in turn over the next few weeks.

This is the seventh occasion fuel prices were increased by the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation this year and it looks as if they had adopted a floating pricing mechanism when considering the seven price increases over the last seven months. Going by this trend it is quite fair to expect another fuel price hike next month as well.

This price increase would only be adding to the already heavy cost of living burden that is weighing down heavily on the people who are finding it a daunting task to make ends meet. The fuel prices have only added to the already effected increase in wheat flour prices last week that has placed the price of a loaf of bread at over Rs. 25. Earlier in the month milk powder prices were also increased. With these soaring prices it is unimaginable how an average family copes with their day to day needs. When taking into consideration a small family consisting of a mother, father and two small children who own a motor bicycle as most of the lower middle class families do, it is with the greatest difficulty they pay all their utility bills, spend for food and clothing and pump fuel. At the end of the month these people with very little social security does not have a cent left to save in their meagre bank accounts.

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From Heroes to Neroes and Zeroes

My Dear Mahinda Aiya,

Ayubowan, Vanakkam, Assalamu Allaikum, though the richness of the multi-racial and multi-religious pluralism or unity in diversity appears to be dying in a grave-yard of chauvinism, corruption, double dealing, duplicity and desperate wickedness.

As we enter August, little seems to be august, while most people are aghast, as we are flung into crisis after crisis and tunnel after tunnel like a nowhere people in a no win catastrophe. International pressure and outrage over the continuing war and violence, human right abuses, corruption, waste and other socio- political epidemics have reached such proportions that several countries might impose sanctions on Sri Lanka. In one of the latest moves, a bill has been presented to the United States Senate to cut off military aid to Sri Lanka if effective action is not taken to curb human rights abuses and resume peace talks. India and other members of the Co-chairs group- 25 nations of the European Union, Japan and peace facilitator Norway?are also reported to be considering sanctions or severe strictures. The headlines of last weeks was the first public rally of the newly formed national congress?an alliance between the UNP and the Mahajana wing of the SLFP soon to be joined by other parties.

Optimists among the rally organizers hoped they could a bring a half a million people for the political show of strength while Government spokesmen like tough talking Jeyaraj Fernandopulle scoffed at it saying that the opposition would not muster even 5000 people. Eventually the turn out was estimated at around 60,000, with most independent analysts saying it was a major challenge to the government. They believed the turnout gave a huge boost for the new alliance because of various threats and fears of bomb blasts, tight security checks and even attempts to sabotage the rally. More significantly, the breakaway SLFP group led by former Ministers Mangala Samaraweera and Sripathi Sooriyarachchi had been able to bring a huge crowd from the south, including many members of the Provincial Councils and Pradeshiya Sabhas.

Reports say Mr. Samaraweera has averred that at least 22 SLFP MPs including seniors would cross at the right time, but none came on stage that day. Much of the speculations centred on the shaky minister, Anura Bandaranaike, but he is reported to have told you jocularly, or otherwise, that he believe it was time for him to get off the stage instead of getting on to a stage. Whatever Mr. Bandaranaike?s heritage or hidden agendas, what will happen in the coming weeks and months is as confusing as a crossword puzzle where the words and blank spaces are mixed up.

With the Esala poya bombshell on fuel prices sending prices soaring and public rage roaring, it seems that only words are cheap today, with the double talk of party politics reaching their most disgraceful and degraded depths. Most politicians are saying one thing today and another tomorrow, giving one version here and totally different version there, making it difficult if not impossible to figure out where they stand or what they will do next. Most of them appeared to be as ridiculous as a person walking with his two feet on either side of a big filthy drain.

Take for instance the SB Dissanayake story, including the wedding picture and the virtual political divorce that followed with a vituperative attack next day. Reports say that on Wednesday July 19 Mr. Dissanayake with his newly married son and his wife had come to Temple trees to pay a courtesy call on you. While you and Mr. Dissanayake have been in politics for several decades, though in different camps, the new couple also had been family friends. And for some reasons you were not able to attend the five star wedding. So they came for a wedding visit. But the timing- the day before the first major national congress rally- had political undertones. According to reports pleasantries were exchanged and photographs were taken at Temple trees. You and your advisors apparently saw not only a photo opportunity but also a political bombshell in these pictures. So the spin doctors apparently gave orders for the SB pictures to be displayed prominently in the state media to coincide with the opposition rally.

While opposition leaders were angry and puzzled, Mr. Dissanayaka was reported to be furious over what he saw as a propaganda cue or double dealing against him. He was known to be unhappy with the UNP leadership the deal with the SLFP (M) and the deputy post given to Mr. Samaraweera. Many analysts had believed that he would not attend the rally. But the political punch behind the misused or abused wedding photos provoked Mr. Dissanayake not only to get on the stage at Hyde Park but also to sit next to Mr. Samaraweera. They were seen grinning or almost bear- hugging each other though some sceptics asked whether they were reaching out to embrace each others throats. Such are the standards of today?s party politics with confusion within confusion to such an extent that we don?t know whether two politicians are trying to embrace each other, embarrass each other or even strangle each other.

While the war and war-mongering are continuing, the main weapon of the new National Congress will obviously be the alleged secret deal that was signed with the LTTE before the November 2005 Presidential election. On Wednesday government chief whip Jeyaraj Fernandopulle appeared to unwittingly whip up more trouble for you by disclosing more evidence about this alleged deal. The most explosive document is reportedly a cabinet paper authorizing more than Rs. 750 million, allegedly to be paid to a company or companies which are believed to be fronts for the LTTE. The minister while putting the blame on business tycoon and publisher Tyran Alles also made the ridiculous statement that you had submitted the paper for observation by the Finance Minister. Everyone knows that you and the Finance Minister are one and the same person.

So the writing is on the wall but what is written for whom in a jumble of contradictions cannot be discerned, though faintly it appears to be referring to a hero or a Nero fiddling on the roof while the home burns.

Yours sincerely Koththamalli

Now how funny is that we are fighting over nothing .

Sinhalese started this war by killing innocent Tamils!