10 Anger Management Techniques To Rein In Your Temper

by CureJoy Editorial-Mar 20, 2017

While anger is a normal emotion that can help us become assertive, explosive anger is a toxic emotion that can ruin relationships and negatively impact your physical, emotional well-being. Tools such as journaling, deep breathing, yoga, meditation, relaxing imagery, self-talk can not only help soothe angry feelings, but express them in a non-confrontational manner too.

In the fast-paced, high-stress lives we lead today, many of us are prone to losing our temper. Everyday frustrations like relationship troubles, kiddie tantrums, office drama, health issues, unexpected events, or even minor things like being interrupted or someone cutting you off in traffic can build up over time to make us short-tempered.

Anger is a healthy and cathartic emotion, and totally normal. It becomes problematic, however, when your anger become toxic or destructive, causing you to be cruel to others and bitter and unhappy with yourself.

How Anger Impacts Your Life And Your Health

Physically, anger can increase your heart rate and blood pressure, cause headaches, indigestion, and sleep issues, and make it difficult for you to focus.¹ Chronic anger also has emotional manifestations that range from mild irritability, passive aggressive behavior, cynicism, and being hypercritical of others to aggressive or violent behavior and even uncontrollable rage.² No matter how you look at it, toxic anger can affect your mental and physical health and your relationships with other people.

Is It Always Bad To Get Angry?

No. It is very normal to get angry. When you feel angry, it is essentially a signal from your brain that you are becoming annoyed and upset, which is meant to help you better understand what is making you angry. Regulated anger can also act as a motivator and energizer and can make you become more assertive with other people.³

What Causes Anger?

Although we think we are driven to anger by external factors, the emotion itself is really a function of our own interpretation of an event or situation. For example, a bad driver who cuts you off in busy traffic isn’t the cause of your anger; how you choose to react to the driver is what determines whether you get angry or not. For this reason, researchers argue that angry feelings occur due to angry thoughts.⁴ It is therefore up to you to choose how you process external stimuli that can trigger angry thoughts which lead to angry feelings.

This is where anger management techniques can help. Using specific strategies, you can better predict and understand your own anger. So let’s take a look at 10 proven techniques that can help you manage your anger in a positive manner.

10 Anger Management Techniques

1. Pause Before You Speak

You’ve heard the age-old advice of “Count to 10” before you speak or act. Experts now say that it’s better to count backward from 100 by installments of 7 because that requires more focus than counting to 10 (too easy).⁵

When something triggers you to have angry thoughts, resist the urge to speak (or send an angry email) immediately. Instead, count backward from 100, take a deep breath, and speak when you feel relatively calmer. This minimizes the chances that you’ll say something you’ll instantly regret. It also allows you to clear your head before you speak.

When you do speak, try to be clear about what is aggravating you. Yelling at people or acting aggressively will not help them understand why you’re getting angry. Which leads us to the next technique…

2. Use “I” Statements

When you get angry, make it about yourself by using “I” statements instead of blaming it on others. For example, “I feel upset when you don’t offer to help with the dishes” is more effective than “You never help around the house.” Or, “I am feeling stressed because I don’t have your presentation yet” is better than “You are holding up the whole team.” Psychologists say that this technique helps you address your anger in a non-confrontational and non-accusatory (yet assertive) way that does not hurt others.⁶ The goal is to share your concerns and express your frustration in a calm and respectful manner.

3. Remove Yourself Briefly From Stressful Situations

Another oft-used technique is to physically step away from situations that you find aggravating. So whether it’s a coworker or friend making an off-color joke, your kids not putting away their toys after you told them a dozen times, your partner saying hurtful things, or receiving a rude email, it helps to leave the scene briefly and compose yourself. Once you’ve calmed down a bit, you can return to the situation and use those “I” statements to express yourself without blowing a fuse.

4. Take A Deep Breath (Or Ten)

Breathing deeply from your diaphragm helps relieve stress and clear your head.⁷ Imagine your breath coming from deep within your gut and not your chest. Take several deep breaths before you start speaking in a volatile situation and you’ll instantly feel calmer and more in control.

5. Exercise, Meditate, And Practice Yoga

Any form of physical activity – walking, jogging, running, hitting the gym, kickboxing, martial arts etc – can regulate anger issues. Exercise releases endorphins, the “feel-good” hormone, in your body. This can improve your mood and calm you down.⁸ Meditation and yoga are also scientifically proven to build mindfulness, promote compassion and acceptance, and cultivate self-awareness – all of which ultimately helps you overcome toxic anger.⁹

Asanas such as shashankasana (hare pose), balasana (child pose), and paschimottanasana (seated forward bend pose) are supposed to help relieve anger, and so will pranayam (deep breathing), specifically bhramari (humming bee), sheetkari (hissing), and nadi shodana (alternate nostril) pranayam.¹⁰

6. Use Stress Relievers And/Or Distractions

Distracting yourself with other stimuli when you find yourself on the brink of anger is an excellent technique. The logic is that if you do something you enjoy, it’s harder for you to get/stay angry. Popular distractions that work include listening to music, reading a book, playing with your pet, solving a puzzle, painting or engaging in other artwork, playing video games, cooking, and watching a movie/TV show.¹¹ Basically, anything you find therapeutic and relaxing can help!

7. Try Ayurvedic Remedies

According to the ancient Indian medicine of Ayurveda, an excess of pitta (a type of energy) in the body causes anger (krodha) and anxiety.¹² A variety of cooling herbs such as ashwagandha, brahmi, and basil (tulsi) can balance the pitta energy and calm the nervous system, thereby aiding you in managing your anger and stress more effectively.

Consuming ashwagandha root extract has been scientifically proven to reduce stress and lower cortisol levels.¹³ Ashwagandha extract is readily available in the form of both herbal tea and dietary supplement capsules. Do remember to consult an experienced Ayurvedic practitioner so you get the dosage right.

Basil (tulsi) is also an effective adaptogenic and anti-depressant herb that can address psychological stress.¹⁴ Tulsi tea is a great herbal tea to sip once or twice a day. Incorporate into your daily routine and give your immunity a boost as well!

Another effective herbal remedy to lower stress and anxiety (and thereby anger) is brahmi oil. Brahmi oil has been traditionally used to calm the nervous system, lower anxiety, and treat insomnia.¹⁵ A gentle scalp massage using brahmi oil mixed with a little coconut oil can help relax you and lower your stress levels.

8. Use Relaxing Imagery And Self-Talk

Using relaxing imagery (imagining your happy place, real or imaginary) can calm you down, as can calming self-talk such as “it’s not a big deal,” “relax,” “take it easy,” “this too shall pass” and so on.¹⁶

9. Get Writing

Pour your heart out into a journal. Write down what’s making you angry and why, elaborating on your feelings. Journaling your feelings can be an incredibly healing and comforting experience and can help you understand the causes of your anger over time so you can investigate possible solutions.

10. Seek Professional Help

Consider anger management counseling if you see that your anger is getting out of control and ruining your relationships. A qualified therapist will be able to help you pinpoint the causes of your anger, understand how to manage it, and channel it in positive ways.

It goes without saying that not all of these techniques are going to work for everyone. Each person is different, with different triggers for their anger, so some of these strategies might be more effective than others. Remember that the point is never to eliminate anger, but to manage it in a manner that minimizes your frustration and unhappiness.

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Right to Information and Batticaloa women : Hypothesis vs Reality

Apr 02, 2017

On February 04, 2017 Sri Lanka became the country with the one of the best Right to Information Act. The epitome of a persistent struggle that extended over 18 years shouldered mainly by professionals and activists of media and legal fields.

Yet, it is still questionable whether citizens from all corners felt the importance of such a law. Amidst all this drama, a unique incident reported from Batticaloa where thirteen brave women marched their way to find the information they longed for. They walked up to five authorities seeking information for their loved ones who went missing during the internal conflict. On February 03, from dawn to dusk these daring women walked the dusty roads in Jaffna, Batticaloa, Vavuniya towns and to several police stationsunder the scorching sun tirelessly waiting to meet the relevant authorities.

They questioned the law enforcement agencies on the remains of the complaints they made at the time their family members went missing. They demanded the police to give them evidence on the whereabouts of their missing family members or at least let them know whether they are still alive. Thousand odd questions from these women could have definitely given a shock to the public servants.

They searched information in the Jaffna District Secretariat, regional offices of the Human Rights Commission, Batticaloa DIG Office, Batticaloa prison and several other police stations.

The information officer was absent in the Jaffna District Secretariat. According to the Right to Information Act section 05 subsection 23 (1) (a), every public service department (Public Authority) must appoint an Information Officer with in three months of enactment. At the time these women went searching for information, six months had passed.

According to the Act, the head of the institute or the second in command can accept information requests and provide information as the alternative solution in the absence of an Information Officer. Despite this provision the Jaffna District Secretary, being the head of the institute, had been reluctant to accept request made by these women. On accepting the public requests, the Act clearly states the institute must issue a receipt as the acknowledgement. Instead of a receipt these women were told to return in three days to inquire about the progress.

“We still have not received any information and the three days they mentioned passed weeks ago,” they said.
Their experience at the Human Rights Commission’s regional office in Batticaloa had been different. Despite the fact that the office did not have an Information Officer, the Human Rights Commission welcomed the requests of the women and were responsible enough to issue photo copies of their request letters signed. “We respect their understanding,” they said. The disappointment came later. The head office of Human Rights Commission based in Colombo has instructed the Batticaloa officers to direct the information to Colombo as the Information Officers are appointed there. Even at the time this article goes to print the relevant information these women requested are not issued.

The other instance a debacle these women faced was at the Sri Lanka Police Deputy Inspector General’s Office in Batticaloa. As they reached the office three Police officers stopped them at the entrance and questioned what their inquiry is about. The women spoke in Tamil, as they decided to speak only in their mother tongue. Officers had to search for another Police officer who understood Tamil and had been quite stressful for them. Eventually it appeared that these Police Officers had no idea about a Right Information Act existing!

The officers has told two of the women to meet a senior Police officer. These brave women, very humbly but firmly refused saying this is a collective effort. Then the senior Police officer came down to meet the all women team. Despite his lack of knowledge in Tamil he patiently listened to the request of these women. The communication continued to happen through interpreters. The women even explained the content of the Right to Information Act that was written in English. With great patience the women informed the senior Police officer that they came to meet the Information Officer. The question still remains. Did these Police Officers understand that these women reached their office searching for information based on their rights empowered through the RTI Act? Even the senior Police officer did not know how to respond to the request.

“Two of you can come and meet the DIG,” replied the Police Officer.

The request was decently rejected by the women.

“Alright then. You all can meet the DIG,” said the Police officer who got totally lost directions in this case.

These women managed to reverse the common norms of power and bureaucracy in their soft and subtle ways. In usual practice the authority direct and the common person surrender. The vice versa happened. The women were successful in creating a conducive environment without triggering any agitation. There were no threats from either sides.

As they met the DIG, their request was accepted, receipt in Tamil was issued, and photocopies were taken. And still the communications were through interpreters.

Despite the fact that acceptance of requests of these women happened, the question is whether the Police followed the protocol stated in the Act.

On February 16 Police officers started visiting houses of these women to inquire about the complaint! The women asked for information and there were no complaints!

Does this mean the Police were misinformed about the Right to Information Act and how to react? Is this is a problem with disseminating right knowledge to the ground level officers from the Police Headquarters?

“But the Police acted with respect to our inquiry and were concerned,” women said.

The Prison Department in Batticaloa has refused to accept their request. As of to date the Prison Department has one Information officer who again is based in Colombo. For requests coming from rural areas such as Batticaloa the Department only has a complicated process operating from a distance.

Clearly many weeks are passed beyond the deadlines stipulated by the authorities to issue information to these women. Surprisingly these women still remain patient.

On one side this story depicts the attempt of victims achieve justice for their loved ones went missing. On the other hand it also shows the real situation how the RTI Act operate at the grass root level.

For these women, after years of struggle over blood , tears and toil, the RTI Act may be the strongest tool found to seek justice in a country where the right to live is not even cleared stated in the brief paragraph of the country’s constitution that set up conditions for fundamental rights.

These thirteen women are still waiting. They are awake all times to see a positive action to happen and so are we. And so should be the civil society. The awakening rising from pain, anger and injustice never dies.

By Radika Gunaratna
Attorney At Law, Human Rights and RTI Activist

The past that refuses to be forgotten

 

2017-04-03

It is difficult to imagine anything more traumatic than the sudden disappearance of a loved one. The scramble for any facts that can be established with any clarity. The yearning to know, the pain of imagining. The flame of hope that subsides to a barely perceptible flicker, never quite extinguished by the passage of time. There can be no real certainty, no closure, no moving on.  
Sithy Ameena, Sandya Ekneligoda and Vathana Sunthararaj all share this sense of perpetual grief. Though the critical voices of their children and husbands may have been silenced as a result of their enforced disappearances, these women have refused to fade into anonymity and stay quiet. Standing in for the disappeared, they are asking Sri Lanka to account for its harrowing past.  
Twenty six years of armed conflict, which reached a brutal climax in 2009, has left an indelible mark on the nation. In its wake, Sri Lankans are still grappling with what will happen to their land and property and how they will be compensated for wrongs they have suffered.  
One of the most important questions many are asking is this: what happened to their loved ones?  Enforced disappearances have occurred on a staggering scale in Sri Lanka, affecting every community and uniting them in grief. The perpetrators came from all sides - not just the government, but also the LTTE. With backlogs of up to 100,000 cases of unresolved disappearances dating back to the 1980s, there is no shortage of examples of cruelty.  
The legal term may be clunky - “enforced disappearance” - but the human story is simple: People literally disappear, from their loved ones, when state officials (or someone acting with state consent) grab them from the street or from their homes and then deny it, or refuse to say where they are. It is a crime under international law. Yet the families of victims are often given no easy route to seeking justice and are unable to properly mourn their loss.  
Whether Sri Lanka could deliver on the demands of families of the disappeared for truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence is the acid test for broader efforts to address impunity in the country.   

"I met with PM Ranil Wickremesinghe who affirmed that the cabinet was discussing a roadmap for the implementation of an accountability process. They must commit to a public timeline in order to restore the people’s confidence that justice is on track and assure them that they are serious about taking action. The victims cannot wait any longer"

But there are some who argue that the country could only start building its future by forgetting this past. This would be unwise, if not impossible. While those who have been forcibly made to disappear may no longer be physically present, the impact of their absence weighs heavily. Their loved ones struggle to make ends meet, because they may have now lost the main breadwinner. Children, both Sinhala and Tamil, are being raised by grandparents or single parents. For communities across the country, there is no forgetting.  
That is why, today, Amnesty International is publishing a new report on enforced disappearances in Sri Lanka. In solidarity with the victims, our report aims to shine a light on the stories of the families and their seemingly endless search for justice.   

"The perpetrators came from all sides - not just the government, but also the LTTE. With backlogs of up to 100,000 cases of unresolved disappearances dating back to the 1980s"

Sandya Ekneligoda has been a key figure in helping to raise the profile of these grievous crimes. When her husband, the political cartoonist Prageeth Ekneligoda, disappeared two days before the 2010 presidential elections, she embarked on a long quest for justice. She lodged complaints at two police stations, but neither took any obvious steps to investigate his disappearance. She appealed to the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka; the Attorney General; the President and his wife; the UN Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances; and the ICRC. She travelled to Geneva, Switzerland to attend the HRC session and press on her husband’s case.  
Sandya’s tenacity has pushed the authorities to open new investigations that uncovered evidence of involvement by military intelligence personnel in the disappearance. To date, she has attended court hearings at least 90 times since she first lodged her complaints. Her struggle is far from over.  
Like Sandya, Sithy Ameena, Vathana Sunthararaj and the other women featured in our briefing, families of the disappeared know what they want and what they need. If Sri Lanka is to succeed in overcoming its violent past, policymakers must put the victims’ demands for genuine and effective measures to deliver justice, truth, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence at the centre of its transitional justice process.   

"It is now a matter of when, not if. Nearly eight years have elapsed since Sri Lanka’s civil war ended, yet the government has asked the UNHRC for another two years to probe alleged war crimes, as well as enforced disappearances"

It is now a matter of when, not if. Nearly eight years have elapsed since Sri Lanka’s civil war ended, yet the government has asked the UNHRC for another two years to probe alleged war crimes, as well as enforced disappearances. While dealing with historical human rights abuses may require time, delaying will only serve to compound the suffering many have already gone through.  
I met with PM Ranil Wickremesinghe who affirmed that the cabinet was discussing a roadmap for the implementation of an accountability process. They must commit to a public timeline in order to restore the people’s confidence that justice is on track and assure them that they are serious about taking action. The victims cannot wait any longer.   

The Age of Reason, the Age of Marriage

Photograph courtesy Sri Lanka Brief

AMEENA HUSSEIN on 04/03/2017

In Sri Lanka, the age of marriage for Muslims girls is 12 and we are currently having a discussion on raising it to 18 to be on par with the rest of the country. This proposal has met with stubborn resistance from the clergy body ACJU which appears to have appointed itself as the sole authority to declare, the yea or nay decision with regard to this and other reforms pertaining to the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act. I find it puzzling, that either they or any other Muslim living in Sri Lanka would find such a proposal un-Islamic. We are not living in the 7th century and times have changed vastly regarding how we live our lives. If we have embraced other changes that technology has brought into our lives, then wouldn’t it be obvious that rules and regulations that may have existed during the time of our Prophet, as custom and culture of the country would also have to change.

In ancient societies, pubescence was the age of marriage. Even as far back as 1275 there is a documented instance in England, when Sir Edward Coke determined that the age of marriage was the age of consent. At that time the age of marriage was 12. Life expectancy in many primitive and medieval societies was short by today’s standards. Men had a life expectancy of between 30 and 50 years and with so many women dying either through illness or in childbirth, it would have been surprising if they lived even that long. Therefore, it would have been considered practical in many ancient societies to consider marriage as being acceptable once the boy and girl hit puberty. With a few variations the trend of setting the age of marriage at 12 would continue for a few centuries. The world evolves, often for the better. In Europe, by the eighteenth century many societies were starting to differentiate between being a child and an adult and with it grew the concern to protect the physical and mental wellbeing of the child. We are now in the twenty-first century and although the average age of marriage varies from country to country, it is consistently higher than it has ever been before. In Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Niger, Iran, Palestine, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the minimum age of marriage for girls is 15. In most other countries, the age of marriage for girls fluctuates between 16 and 18 with China being at the high end of the spectrum having 20/22 for the minimum age for women and men.

In Sri Lanka, under civil law, the age of marriage is 18 for both men and women but under personal law, Muslim girls can be married as young as 12 and I believe Muslim boys can get married once they reach puberty. While I have never heard of a Muslim boy getting married at the onset of puberty, I have indeed heard of several cases of girls being married at 12 and personally knew one such girl who was married off at 12 to a 21 year old man. Currently there is a request to raise the age of marriage for Muslim girls to 18 to be on par with the rest of the country. While most of us may think that it is a fairly reasonable request, there is great resistance from the Muslim community verbalized almost always by men. Recently, the All Ceylon Jamiuthul Ulama, a body of Muslim male clerics made an outrageous statement endorsing the marriage of a Sri Lankan girl below the age of 12! and refusing to support the suggestion that the age of marriage be raised from 12 to 18.

As a Muslim woman, I am curious to know why there is such resistance to raising the age of marriage for Muslim females and what exactly do Muslim men think of Muslim women. Many of the Muslim men I spoke to, dismissed the endorsement of the ACJU. Perhaps, because child-marriage could never happen to them, or as they belonged to a sphere of society that does not practice such marriages, they could afford to be cavalier about the situation. Some men were genuinely concerned and whole-heartedly supported the reform but felt there was little they could do to change the status quo. But for me, that is not the point. Child-marriage is a very real problem for all Sri Lankan Muslim girls simply because it can happen to all of them, and does happen to some of them.

I understand that an extremely contentious point for those trying to reform the age of marriage is that our very own Prophet Muhammad married Ayesha bint Abu Bakr, supposedly at the age of six and consummated that marriage when she was nine. Let’s take a moment to analyze that hadith. The hadith is reported in both Sahih Buhari and Sahih Muslim. Imam Buhari was born in 810 AD and Imam Muslim was born in 821 AD. Ayesha bint Abu Bakr died in 678 AD. Her birth year is unknown. We must remember that every Hadith in existence was compiled at least six generations from the time the Prophet of Islam had passed away. To reinforce my point, not a single scholar who either reported the Hadith or compiled the Hadith had ever met the Prophet Muhammad or his companions or his wives. In that light, isn’t it fairly credible that Ayesha bint Abu Bakr might have been older? My own mother is unsure at what age her mother got married.

For me, this dogmatic stance of allowing children to be married off under the guise of religion is extremely suspect. Our prophet also married many widows. The Quran itself constantly advises its believers to look after widows, for in a patriarchal society widows too need protection. Why is it that Muslim clerics of Sri Lanka do not require all Muslim men to follow the hallowed footsteps of our Prophet in all of his marriages? He first married Khadijah Bint Khuwaylid a widow fifteen years his senior when he was 25. It was a monogamous marriage. Upon her death he married another widow, Sawdah bint Zam’ah and while he was still married to Sawdah, he married Ayesha bin Abu Bakr at the alleged age of 6, then he married the widows Hafsah bint Umar, Zaynab bint Khuzaymah, and Umm Salamah bint Abu Umayyah then the divorcee Zaynab bint Jahsh, then the prisoner of war and daughter of a tribal chief Juwariyah bint al-Harith, then another divorcee Umm Habibah bint Abu Sufiyan, then another prisoner of war who was also the daughter of a tribal chief Safiyyah bint Huyay, then Maymunah bint al-Harith who had divorced her first husband and was widowed by her second husband and finally Mariyah the slave girl gifted by the Archbishop of Alexandria to the Prophet. Of all our Prophet’s wives, only one could have been a virgin the others were either widows or divorcees – an idea that speaks volumes about the Prophet’s regard for virginity.

It is evident that Muslim men of Sri Lanka, endorsed by clerics zone-in selectively on the example they wish to follow of our Prophet in his marriages. This brings us to the question of whether they really endorse the spirit of Islam regarding Muslim women.

For this we have to consider two questions: What is marriage in current times, and what is childhood in current times? Is marriage just for sex and procreation or is it for something more? I would like to think that like many other aspects of society, marriage too has evolved. My personal view of marriage is that it is a vital component of our lives, giving us companionship, friendship, love, and support.  And what of childhood? If we look at the eighteenth and nineteenth century, the age of criminal responsibility was just seven years old. Children were expected to know the difference between right and wrong and fifteen and sixteen year olds were executed for crimes such as housebreaking, stealing, highway robbery and forging a will. But today, one would be appalled at the severity of the punishment for such crimes. Just as the notion of childhood has developed, the concept of marriage too has evolved.

For the sake of argument, marriage between a twelve year old Muslim girl and a fourteen year old Muslim boy might be more compatible than a twelve year old Muslim girl and an 18 year old Muslim boy. However, an 18 year old Muslim girl might have more in common with a 24 year old Muslim boy, despite the same six year gap, because her mind and body would have had time to develop, mature and grow to be a reasonable adult. If the community has deemed that a boy younger than 18 is not suitable to be given in marriage, why is the yardstick different for a Muslim girl? She has all the same traits as a Muslim boy, except that she is capable of bearing children, and he is not capable of bearing children. Which means the sad fact is that perhaps the Muslim community has reduced Muslim females to just that. Baby bearing machines.

I would like everyone in my community, to give some thought to raising the age of marriage of Muslim girls to 18. Perhaps the community needs to do some reflection inwardly. Many men insist they will not allow their sisters or daughters to be given in marriage at 12. They insist that education is important for both boys and girls. And yet, they are publicly silent on this issue.

Regardless of what the clerics and narrow minded men and women might say, regardless of how they may manipulate religious texts, regardless of how they insist it is our identity, I think it is important to look at the Islamic spirit. Why on earth would a faith that ensured women’s dignity and rights centuries ago, today treat women as if they are sub-human and at the mercy of men. That was perhaps how women were treated in pre-Islamic Arabia. Have we gone back to that dark age, here in Lanka?

There is nothing un-Islamic about raising the age of marriage to one where the woman will be a willing partner, support and friend to a man who is compatible with her not only in age but in reason, likes, dislikes and life. There is nothing un-Islamic about raising the age of marriage so that there is time for a girl child to have a childhood, complete her education and earn a qualification for a career if she wants it. There is nothing un-Islamic about raising the age of marriage so that a woman is mature enough to be a mother, to raise productive and good children, giving them a home that is safe, secure and happy. Instead, what is un-Islamic is to allow the age of marriage for Sri Lankan Muslim girls to remain at 12. Muslims, don’t be afraid to raise your voice!

The time is now!

###

Editors note: For other articles and content we have carried on this issue, including compelling and exclusive video testimony from women, click here.

Alleged losses at EPF: Monetary Board will open itself to outside inquiry by playing slow mode

Massive losses at EPF through imprudent bond deals

Monday, 3 April 2017

Media reports last week had referred to an alleged loss of Rs 9.5 billion at the Employees Provident Fund or EPF when it had made some scandalous deals with a primary dealer company now under investigations (available at: https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/epf-scam-caused-a-loss-of-rs-9-5-billion-governor-indrajit-protects-scammers/).

Alleged losses at EPF Monetary Board will open itself to outside inquiry by playing slow mode.docx by Thavam Ratna on Scribd

President’s green light for a new constitution

Apr 01, 2017

President Maithripala Sirisena has instructed prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to expedite the steps towards the formulation of a new constitution, say president’s office sources. The instruction came last Monday (27) when the president had a special meeting with the PM, opposition leader R. Sampanthan, SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem, Nimal Siripala de Silva, Mano Ganeshan and Risath Bathiudeen. He also requested that all reports of the steering committees on the devolution of power be submitted to him. 

Accordingly, by Wednesday those reports were handed over to the president and he gave instructions that a public awareness campaign on the new constitution be launched immediately. He has made the same request to ex-president Chandrika Kumaratunga too, the sources say.

Commenting on the argument that a referendum was needed for a new constitution, the president said constitutional experts were of the view that the power devolution clauses could be passed without a mandate at a referendum. Therefore, a new draft could be prepared and submitted to parliament, he said. However, that will mean that the executive will lose certain powers and powers of the position will be curtailed further. Together with that, a constitutional amendment to amend the electoral system too, will be done.

D. Manjula Kumara (Sathhanda)

Unscrupulous media lie profusely on judge Kannan’s appointment : president and JSC too wrongly accused..! -President’s castrated media director in a deep slumber

(Lanka-e-News -02.March.2017, 11.55PM)  During the last several days , media coolies of some of the leading media Institutions  reported that the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) had notified the president that the recommendation made to appoint Ramanathan Kannan as a high court judge is invalid in law ,and that  president Maithripala Sirisena has also  inquired  from the JSC about its opinion as regards Kannan’s  appointment . These reports  are absolutely false , as revealed to Lanka e news by a spokesman of the JSC.

The spokesman confirmed categorically  that the JSC has not sent any such letter to the president , and the latter too had not made any inquiries from the JSC. 

This  despicable newspaper canard has been published by a group of pro MaRa lawyers via  a journalist Manopriya Gunasekera. Ali Sabry the infamous black coated turncoat , cutthroat and opportunist  who appears on behalf of all the cases of perfidies , and criminal activities of the marauding murderous people discarded Rajapakses,  in his maniacal excitement  following his appointment as the vice president of the BASL had used a group of  journalists including  the junior journalist Manopriya to splash this fake news .

The JSC has no powers to release communiqués rectifying the false reports , and it is only the presidential media division that is empowered to do that.  However the presidential media division has not taken such a step. 

Dharmasiri Ekanayake the director of the presidential media division being  also under the pay of Kili Maharaja , has therefore made the latter’s Capital Maharaja private enterprise an affiliate of the state presidential media division .Dharmasiri’s gaze being  fixed only on  filthy lucre however earned , has no interest in his official duties nor any motive to safeguard the reputation of the president when latter’s  name is unnecessarily implicated in such bogus reports .Neither does money maniac Dharmasiri have the capacity to forestall such rascally activities of the media scoundrels   intended to disgrace and denigrate the president .

This is clearly borne out by the Presidential media director’s  response . When Lanka e news tried to contact the presidential media director at 0773  148646 to  inquire why they are keeping mum when prominent  unscrupulous  media  had descended to this lowliest of levels to blatantly and brazenly lie to the detriment of the country and the public , the phone of his signaled it is  disconnected. 

That is Dharmasiri Ekanayake has proved he is such a castrated eunuch who cannot keep even  his phone connected. How can he ? when  this Eunuch  could not  keep his own  t….icles connected  and from being castrated ? 

Maintaining such scoundrels at public expense is indeed a most criminal wasteful exercise.  Believe it or not ! this mahajara Dharmasiri has still not repudiated our accusation that he is receiving a monthly salary from Maharajas too. How can a government officer collect a monthly salary from a private establishment ? 

This most deplorable and detestable newspaper canard aforementioned went  so  far that  it was reported in the newspapers in Jaffna too on the 1st , the appointment of Kannan as high court judge by the president , was rescinded by the president himself . This is absolutely untrue. 

After the appointment of a judge , that appointment cannot be withdrawn based on the method of appointment adopted. A judge who is appointed can be dismissed only in the event that judge has breached the disciplinary code , and after the JSC following its inquiry finds him guilty. Hence , the news reports of the unscrupulous media scoundrels  are most damaging and merit condemnation .

When it was probed what action the mass media ministry and the information department are going to take  in regard to the dastardly and unscrupulous media which are propagating malicious and mendacious reports abusing  powers , it was learnt , the mass media secretary is gathering  data with a view to issue an official communiqué. 

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by     (2017-04-03 01:10:08)

Divergent Trends In New-Populism

By Kumar David –April 2, 2017 

Prof. Kumar David

Modi surges, Trump purges, Durante splurges and Europe diverges: Divergent trends in New-Populism

It took time and dogged persistence to internationalise the neologism New-Populism (NP); it was a harder sell than the Single Issue Common Candidate slogan because the latter was local argot. NP is now accepted after Durante-Brexit-Trump, Geert Wilders’ defeat in Holland, and not quite Modi. Sadly, the hoi polloi has little grasp of the nuances underlying the term. Yes, “far-right” has been in vogue in Europe for over a decade to denote a trend in France (National Front, NFF), Britain (Independence Party, UKIP), Denmark (Party for Freedom, PvV), Austria (Freedom Party of Austria FPO) and others. But it is simplistic and needs to be deepened.

It is theoretically erroneous to call them fascist or semi-fascist; they are not. European fascism ravaged the Continent in the particular circumstances of the inter-war years; neither social, nor economic, nor political, nor cultural conditions now exist for its recurrence. Sometimes NP seems to sail close to a fascist wind, Rodrigo Durante for example; sometimes it has a more looney than Mussolini ring as with Donald Trump. I have emphasised the difference between NP and fascism for long, but only now has the penny dropped as empirical evidence and divergences between NPs becomes evident even to the politically near sighted.

We need to define what we mean when we say right-wing; is Modi more right-wing than his Congress predecessor? All NPs manifest a pro-capitalist economic orientation; they possess certain social and nationalist features; anti-immigration national conservatism, anti-liberalism, anti-globalism, Euroscepticism in Europe, cultural revanchism (in Austria and Germany) and in the case of Trump but not France’s Marine Le Pen, an economic plan to cut social welfare and medical coverage for the poor and ladle out tax breaks to the well to do to pay for it. Crucially, they all ride a wave of frustration with government, revulsion of politicians, rebuff of ruling elites, rejection of the prevailing economic order and repugnance of the ethnic “other” be it colour, faith or language. These features give them commonality as an early Twenty-first Century singularity.

But this is not fascism. What marks off fascism from all other state forms is that it pulverises every other institution. Parties, trade unions, citizen’s organisations, learned societies and churches are crushed. Where they are allowed to exist as shell entities they are a mere extension of the Fuhrer, Il Duce, Gestapo or the Italian corporate state. The characteristic, the defining feature of inter-war fascism is that it pulverised every organisation that was independent of the fascist state. This is far different from Tsarist autocracy, pre-capitalist absolutist monarchies, Marcos, the one-party state in China, and the worst that MR–Gota would have been had the former been re-elected. (MR is Lanka’s version of New-Populism). Others that bear characteristics similar to fascism are Stalinism, Sadam Hussein, North Korea, and Gorilla military regimes that littered Latin America in the days when Pax Americana reigned supreme.   

The spectrum of New-Populism (NP)

It is an oversimplification to rank NP movements on a linear scale from more centrist to more far-right, but crude measures are starting points. I suggest that Modi is centrist and mass-populist and Trump a fake populist much further to the right. Durante and Le Penn (if she is elected) inhabit the centre ground. Modi has no choice but to be homo economicus (economic man); history will judge him, and his legacy will depend, on how well he delivers to ‘the common man’ on the economic front. His policy thrust is ameliorating poverty, improving mass standards of living and making India modern and moderately prosperous. His survival depends on authentic populism in the proper sense of the term. It is his anti-Muslim communal depravity that pushes him, morally, into the genre of ugly populism. His choice of Yogi Adityanath as UP Chief Minister confirms this.

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Power sector corruption second only to CB bond scams –Anti-Corruption Front

Over USD 3,700 mn worth foreign investment on hold while costly diesel plants in operation

By Shamindra Ferdinando-April 2, 2017, 10:41 pm 

 Accusing the Power and Renewable Energy Ministry of favoring costly diesel power generation, the Anti Corruption Front (ACF) has urged the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government to immediately review a series of investment proposals to establish liquified natural gas (LNG) plants.

The ACF has called for reappraisal of the entire power generation plan to prevent an influential few from making a killing at the expense of the national economy.

ACF’s Executive Director Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon yesterday told The Island that both the previous government and the present administration hadn’t taken advantage of several proposals to set up LNG plants.

Tennakoon alleged that fresh investments had been blocked by top bureaucrats with the connivance of politicians. In fact, the situation had deteriorated since the change of government in January 2015 with those at the helm of the power sector taking decisions severely inimical to the national economy. Tennakoon cited the purchasing of coal from Swiss Singapore Overseas Enterprises Pvt Ltd at nearly USD 10 per tonne more than the market price as an example. "Each shipment cost Sri Lanka nearly Rs 100 mn more than the current market price," Tennakoon said.

Tennakoon claimed that Sri Lanka’s premier investment promotion agency the Board of Investment (BoI) had been struggling to secure necessary approvals for LNG projects.Responding to a query, Tennakoon said that a Canadian investment amounting to USD 550 mn in LNG sector had been on hold since Sept 2005.

"Corruption in the lucrative power sector is second only to the Central Bank bond scam. The country is paying a very heavy price for corruption," Tennakoon said. Four top officials who had been directly involved in the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s re-election bid in January 2015 were responsible for ruining the power sector today.

Attorney-at-law and BOI chief Upul Jayasuriya said that the Canadian investment was meant to establish 488 MW LNG plant at Kerawalapitiya. Jayasuriya said that instead of acting swiftly and decisively to secure the investment those responsible for decision making in the vital power sector had been delaying projects. Asked whether he couldn’t confirm Tennakoon’s allegations that several projects had been held up for want of approvals, Jayasuriya said that altogether five projects estimated to be worth USD 3753.8 mn had been pending though the delay couldn’t be blamed on one party in respect of all proposals.

The Canadian project had been held up since 2005 pending CEB approval, Jayasuriya said, adding that a proposal made in Sept 2011 in respect of an American investment amounting to US 1000 mn couldn’t get off the ground for want of CEB approval. The US investment had been the largest of the five projects and was intended to establish LNG storage and regasification plant as well as 500 MW power plant at Hambantota, Jayasuriya said.

According to him, the previous government hadn’t been able to secure an investment amounting to US 750 mn from Hong Kong for the establishment of 600 MW LNG plant and LNG intake terminal in June 2008 for want of CEB’s approval. Jayasuriya said that the same Hong Kong investor had proposed the setting up of LNG power plants for Katunayake and Biyagama Export processing Zones (EPZs) as well as LNG intake facility at Kerawalapitiya. The proposal worth USD 325 mn made in Nov 2016 had been pending subject to necessary approvals, Jayasuriya said.

The BOI Chief said Sri Lanka couldn’t afford to prolong the decision making process especially at a time foreign investment was required.

In addition to the Hong Kong investment proposal that had been made in Nov 2016, the BoI received two other project proposals from Indian and Chinese investors in July and Dec 2016, respectively The Indian investment worth USD 400 mn was to establish LNG intake and processing facility at Kerawalapitiya and the Chinese investment amounting to USD 728.8 was to be made at Hambantota. According to the BOI chief, in respect of the Indian project cabinet approval as well as Petroleum Resources Development ministry were required whereas the Chinese project awaited releasing of land in Hambantota.

Tennakoon said that the CEB’s controversial move to build a combined cycle power plant at Kerawalapitiya with the intention of transforming it to LNG facility in three years at a colossal cost to the cash-strapped government should be examined against the backdrop of long overdue approval for foreign investments in the same sector. Tennakoon said that the CEB was planning to invest nearly Rs 7 bn on the project at a time the government was struggling to meet its overseas loan commitments.

Both Jayasuriya and Tennakoon said that inordinate delay in accepting foreign investments was causing losses to the economy.

Tennakoon revealed that the foreign investors had been denied approval even after they received an assurance from President Maithripala Sirisena that their projects would be facilitated. The assurance had been received by investors when they met President Maithripala Sirisena early last year, Tennakoon said, alleging that yahapalana government seemed to be as corrupt as the previous lot.

Tennakoon urged parliament to inquire into what was happening in the power sector. The ACF official pointed out that since the change of government, the yahapalana administration had paved the way for gradual re-launch of diesel power generation facilities at a tremendous cost to the country.

Decisive decision for SAITM struggle today

April 3, 2017 by

A special discussion in connection with the issue of the SAITM illegal medical degree awarding institute at Malabe and taking trade union action would be held with the GMOA today (3rd) morning states National Trade Union Center (NTUC).
A large number of trade unions are expected to participate in the discussion to be held with the GMOA today said the President of NTUC and the Member of the Political Bureau of the JVP K.D. Lal Kantha.
The GMOA had announced that massive trade union action would be taken as the one week period given to President Maithripala Sirisena to solve the issue has lapsed and nothing has been done.
Mr. Lal Kantha said the traded unions affiliated to his Center would strongly support any action taken by the GMOA regarding the issue and that NTUC is also prepared to take trade union action of its own against SAITM and the attempt by the government to privatize education and weaken free education opportunities for the children of this country.

Colonial Lighting Rods Mafia

Apr 02, 2017

At a time misusing of state property has become a hot topic. In recent times, there were a lot of rumors about certain personnel trying to steal the lightning rods that had been installed in plantation bungalows during the Colonial era, due to the belief that they could be sold for Millions of Rupees.

According to reports, over 90% of these lightning rods that have belonged to both state and private estates have already been taken out. Lanka News Web we take a part to search on this matter.

According to reports, the price of these lightning rods have been “set” for , Rs. 500 Million. With the belief that foreign buyers are coming to Sri Lanka to buy these products, many people who own houses that contain such lightning rods have removed them to be sold for these buyers at a high price. As the rumors claim, these lightning rods are alleged to have contained “Positon”. However, so far no scientific tests have been conducted to confirm whether this hypothesis is true. But with the belief of these elements being used to develop nuclear weapons and that the NASA is interested in these materials these people have been defrauded by the racketeers. Therefore there are cases where people had even bought such lightning rods for higher prices with the hope of selling them for foreigners for Rs.500 Million. Bur so far there has been no incident of anyone actually buying such instruments. Ultimately these innocent people have gone bankrupt by trying to follow a foolish dream.

We were able to uncover some evidence that could lead to the revelation of the Mafia that is being going on to rob people’s money by cheating them. According to sources, some of these scammers have made some telephone calls to wealthy individuals asking about the market value of these lightning rods. In some occasions these racketeers have even used foreign agents by giving them a small sum of money. This has induced some of these wealthy individuals to purchase lightning rods for a high price with the hope of selling it to the foreigner. Since the expectations is Rs.500 Million, these wealthy individuals have not been afraid to spend 3,5 even 10 Million Rupees to buy these instruments.

These scams are not a new thing to our society. In the recent past there was another scam that went around the country that was involved with old coins with the portrait of King Edward. While many had tried to find these coins, it was later revealed that there had not even been a king like that that that time in England.

Another rumor about these lightning rods has claimed that they could be sold to 12.5 Million or 15 Million Rupees if the pate is made of bronze with the VOC label. In reality, these colonial plantations were built during the British era. Hence there is no possibility of such bungalows containing lightning rods that bear the mark or Dutch East India Trading Company.

One such person who had been caught up with this scam is an Engineer. According to him, he had first heard this story whilst working as an Engineer at the Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo. Believing it to be true, he had quitted his job and had purchased a lightning rod for a high price and has been waiting for a buyer along with some other employees. Another person who revealed his plight to us said that he had spent all his earnings on buying these lightning rods and that now he does not even have money even to put a reload. According to some sources, even politicians have been fooled by these scammers. In another story, a CEO of a well-known company who had possessed 4 lightning rods at his bungalow had removed one of them hoping to sell it for Rs.500 Million. This has also increased the risk of thievery as the owners of these lightning rods have even been compelled to put concrete upon these lightning rods to protect them from stealing. But this harms the effectiveness of the lightning rod.

According to the law, any archeological assets that are possessed by private citizens can only sell them to other parties with the permission of the Department of Archeology. Expressing his views on the matter, Additional Director General of the Department of Archeology Prasanna Rathnayake said “Recently we had to deal with such a case. A person from Lankathilaka temple called me to inquire whether it is true that these lightning rods could be sold for 500 Million Rupees. According to him, a person had offered to buy these lightning rods claiming that they could be used to make something with Radium that are found in these rods. When we inquired the issue from the Atomic Energy Authority, he said that matter does not transform into another matter like that. The person who informed us this issue is a respectable citizen in the country. He even said that if this is real, he is willing to sell the lighting rod and donate the money to the state. I asked him to direct this buyer to us. But so far no one has come to meet us”. 

Speaking on the matter, Additional Director General of the Department of Archeology Prasanna Rathnayake said that removing these items is against the law. He said that this is a massive scam that is going on in the country where ignorant people are being fooled by a group of racketeers.

Furthermore, these scammers have even discussed with these people how they are going to split the 5oo Million Rupees. Accordingly, the money is alleged to be split amongst the owner of the estate, the informant, the middle man etc. Sometimes these scammers have even gone to such lengths as to performing “mock tests” to find out the magnetic power of these plates by using pencils and even rice. In a formal manner, they have even pasted stickers to show that these plates had indeed contained positons.

However, defrauding innocent people with these stories is a serious crime. Apart from cheating people, these scams have even led to vandalizing archeological treasures in the country. Hence Lanka News Web we would like to request the public not to be fooled by these scammers. If the government does not intervene to put an end to these fraudulent activities soon the country is going to be faced with much trouble. Do you have any details of those write to us will protect your identity.

Ash Waru