Mahinda’s Message
By Dayan Jayatilleka -July 30, 2014
Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka
When he addressed the awards ceremony and dinner yesterday on the occasion of the 175th anniversary of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce hosted by the outgoing chairperson of the Chamber, the highly perceptive and articulate Suresh Shah, Mahinda Rajapaksa was a man with a message. Cast your mind back or go back to your records of encounters with Sri Lankan leaders and top officials in the ten years before 2005, he said. Your highest priorities were the cessation of terrorism and the provision of infrastructure, and while you were optimistic about what your enterprises could do if these conditions were fulfilled, you were pessimistic about the prospects of their fulfillment. Remember that we, this administration, delivered what was thought to be impossible; so impossible that some were even willing to give Prabhakaran free run of the North for ten years or more – said Mahinda in a barb aimed at the Leader of the Opposition sitting in the audience. Now we are criticized for not moving forward on political reconciliation, but “just as we succeeded in eradicating terrorism which was thought impossible, we shall succeed in the task of political reconciliation too, Mr. High Commissioner”, he added, in a gentle jibe at the genial John Rankin.
An Appreciation Of Professor Ranjith Amarasinghe
Professor Ranjith Amarasinghe
I was sad to hear the passing away of Professor (Emeritus) Ranjith Amarasinghe, University of Peradeniya, a teacher and a friend, on Sunday the 27th. This sadness is shared by many of our friends and former colleagues who informed me of the sorrowful demise by email, Professors Gamini Samaranayake and Kalinga Tudor Silva in particular. Ranjith was ill only for a short while and then suddenly vanished from our presence. Even I was not aware of his illness. He will be intimately missed by his wife, Mallika, and two sons, Samanga and Dhanusha and Samanga’s family.
Personal Dedication Read More
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