SRI LANKA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER I SINCE 1918
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2023 I 12 PAGES I VOLUME - 105 - NO 286 I RS. 70.00 I REGISTERED AS A NEWSPAPER IN SRI LANKA I LATE CITY 
USWELCOMES
ENVOY
EFFORTS IN DEBT
RESTRUCTURING FOR
NEXT IMF TRANCHE
CHAMINDA PERERA
US Ambassa-
dor in Colombo
Julie Chung on
Thursday said
that Sri Lanka’s
agreement on a
debt treatment
with the Official
Creditors Committee will help
stabilize its economy.
The Ambassador was of the
view that the agreement on debt
restructuring and sound eco-
nomic policies are crucial for the
timely release of the next IMF
tranche. TO PAGE 04
CABINET NOD FOR 100,000 MT OF
KEERI SAMBA TO BE IMPORTED
ISHARA MUDUGAMUWA samba rice for the upcoming fes-
Agriculture Minister Mahinda tive season.
Amaraweera said in Parliament The Minister also stated that
yesterday (01) that the Cabi- the Government decided to
net has approved the import of import 50,000 metric tons of
100,000 metric tons of keeri rice under the first TO PAGE 02
Development Officers for teaching service
Recruitment to be in line with
Teacher Service Constitution
ISHARA MUDUGAMUWA
Education Minister Dr. Susil
Premajayantha said yesterday (01)
in Parliament that based on the
order received after the Supreme
‘Ape Gamen Lovata’
Let’s heed the call from our villages for more
land for food security and exports – PM
Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena delivering the Lalith Athulathmudali Commemorative
Lecture, at the BMICH, on November 30.
“Let’s name the echo of the voice
demanding more land for cultivation as
‘from our village to the world’, said Prime
Minister Dinesh Gunawardena.
CYCLONE ‘MIACHAUNG’
BREWING IN BAY OF BENGAL
The Met Department yesterday said
that strong winds of about 40 to 50 kmph
can be expected over the Northern, North
Central, North Western and Southern
Provinces and in the Trincomalee and Bat-
ticaloa districts due to the low pressure
area over the Bay of Bengal. TO PAGE 02
Photojournalist murdered
M. PUSHPAKUMARA
Kotadeniyawa Group Corr. and
Veyangoda Group Corr.
Veyangoda Police said that a photojour-
nalist died after being taken to the hospital
with injuries caused by stabbing with a
sharp weapon, on November 30. TO PAGE 02
“Budget proposals have measures to tackle
corruption in medicine procurement”
State Minister for Health Dr. Seetha
Arambepola stated that a key focus of the
2024 Budget proposals is the introduction
SUSPECT HAD LEFT COUNTRY
WITH FULL UNDERSTANDING
OF SITUATION THAT PREVAILED
SUBASHINI SENANAYAKE
Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage yesterday
ordered the remand of Frederic Christopher
Jerome Fernando alias ‘Pastor Jerome’, who was
arrested by the Criminal Investigation Depart-
ment (CID) on charges of making offensive
statements that led to religious disharmony, until
December 13.
The Magistrate noted that sufficient facts
have been filed before Court suggesting that
Court case regarding the recruit-
ment of Development Officers for
the teaching service, they will be
recruited as per the Teacher Ser-
vice Constitution. TO PAGE 02
He was delivering the Lalith Athulath-
mudali Commemorative Lecture, organ-
ized by the Lalith Athulathmudali Founda-
tion, Institute for Democracy TO PAGE 04
DIANA, TWO SJB MPS
SUSPENDED FROM
PARLIAMENT FOR A MONTH
Opposition Leader abusing Parliamentary Privilege, PM tells Speaker
State SJB MP
wardena requested the Speaker yes-
SJB
Minister Sujith MP
Diana Sanjay Rohana
Gamage Perera Bandara
IRANGIKA RANGE
The Parliamentary Committee on
Ethics and Privileges yesterday recom-
mended the suspension of State Minis-
ter Diana Gamage and SJB MPs Sujith
Sanjay Perera and Rohana Bandara
from Parliament for a month for tar-
nishing the dignity of Parliament by
being involved in a brawl at the Parlia-
ment premises. TO PAGE 02
of special guidelines for the procurement
of medicines and the establishment of a
dedicated agency. TO PAGE 02
MOST VEN.
METARAMBA
HEMARATHANA
THERA PASSES AWAY
Chief Incumbent
of the Eight Temples
including the his-
torical Sithulpawwa
Rajamaha Viharaya
CID STATES and Adhikarana
Sanghanayake of the
COMPREHENSIVE Southern Province,
Most Ven. Metaramba
INVESTIGATION ONGOING Pastor Jerome Fernando being escorted to remand
prison, yesterday. Picture by Gayan Pushpika
Hemarathana Thera passed away yes-
terday, while receiving treatment at a
private hospital in Colombo. TO PAGE 04
the suspect had committed an offence under the offence under the International Covenant on Civil
ICCPR by delivering a sermon at the Miracle and Political Rights (ICCPR) and argued that the
Dome which belongs to him, on April 30. The
Magistrate added that the Court is of the view
suspect be released on bail. The Magistrate noted
that the prosecution has filed facts before the Court WHO pledges financial,
technical support
that the release of the suspect is an impediment in that the suspect’s statement on April 30 has caused
the enforcement of law according to the circum- tension between Buddhists and followers of other
stances presented. religions. He said that the complaint in this regard
President’s Counsel Anura Meddagoda making had been made on May 15 which is 15 days later
submissions before Court noted that the state- and during that time, his statement caused unrest
ment made by the suspect was apparently an in society as it gained wide publicity. TO PAGE 02
Health Secretary Dr. Palitha Mahipala
and WHO Permanent Representative
in Sri Lanka Dr. Alaka Singh, at their
meeting yesterday.
ISHARA MUDUGAMUWA
A special meeting between Health
Secretary Dr. Palitha Mahipala and
Permanent Representative of the
World Health Organization (WHO)
Dr. Alaka Singh took place yesterday
(01) at the Health Ministry. TO PAGE 02
UGC RELEASES Z-SCORE
CUT OFF MARKS IN
RECORD TIME
University Grants Commis-
sion Chairman (UGC) Senior
Professor Sampath Amaratunge
yesterday said that the UGC suc-
ceeded in releasing the Z-score
cut off marks for 2022/23 aca-
demic year within a very short
span of time and the qualified
President Ranil Wickremesinghe greets Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on the sidelines students will be placed in the
of the COP28 Climate Summit in Dubai, as Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and respective faculties from January
Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval look on. next year. TO PAGE 02
OVER 70 PERCENT OF O/L STUDENTS QUALIFY FOR A/L
IRANGIKA RANGE and ISHARA MUDUGAMUWA 245,521 students have qualified to sit for of the GCE O/L Examination issued yes-
Education Minister Dr. Susil Premajay- GCE Advanced Level Examination, which terday. The Minister said that there has been
antha said in Parliament yesterday that is 72.07 percent, according to the results an increase in the number TO PAGE 02
GCE ORDINARY LEVEL TOP SCORERS
FIRST PLACE SECOND PLACE THIRD PLACE
Samadhi Ranawaka Akeshya Ananda Sayanan Aritha Minsadu
Mahamaya Girls’ School, Kandy Vembadi Girls’ High School, Jaffna Royal College, Colombo
1. Samadhi 2. Akshiya 3. A.M.A. 4. Dulmina 4. Dulmini 6. Amavi 6. Sachinthi 6. Sewmika 6. Prashan 7. Sheron
Ranawaka Ananda Minsandu Sadeepa Sadeepa Uthpalani Methumini Pabasara Konesh Rajapakse ­
Mahamaya Girls’
High School,
Sayanan
Vembadi Girls’
Alahakoon
Royal College,
Dissanayake
Royal College,
Dissanayake
Holy Cross
Abeyratne
Sanghamitta Balika
Sanghamitta
Balika
Maliyadeva
College,
Sri Sanmugam
Hindu Vidyalaya,
Girls’ High
School,
Kandy High School, Jaffna Colombo Colombo College, Gampaha Vidyalaya, Galle Vidyalaya, Galle Kurunegala Trincomalee Kandy
IRANGIKA RANGE terday to take a decision regarding lege afforded to him under 27/2 of to allow anyone to act arbitrarily in
Prime Minister Dinesh Guna- the Leader of the Opposition as he is Parliament’s Standing Orders to raise Parliament, even if it is the Leader of
purportedly abusing a special privi- questions. He urged the Speaker not the Opposition. TO PAGE 02
Gaza truce crumbles as Israel CC APPROVES ACTING
and Hamas resume war IGP’S APPOINTMENT
Israel announced it restarted its zation in Gaza,” the Israel Defense IRANGIKA RANGE
military campaign in Gaza early Forces (IDF) said in a statement on The Constitutional Council (CC) has
Friday, just as its extended truce X. The IDF claimed that “Hamas approved the appointment of Senior DIG Des-
with Hamas was due to expire. violated the operational pause, and habandu Tennakoon as the Acting IGP. The
“The IDF has resumed combat in addition, fired toward Israeli approval granted yesterday comes a day after
against the Hamas terrorist organi- territory.” TO PAGE 04 SDIG Tennakoon officially assumed duties on
the morning of November 30. TO PAGE 02
Bus driver remanded for reckless
driving, injuring 40 passengers Two die in mobikes collision
MADUSHANI ABESINGHE Siripura Corr.
RASULA DILHARA GAMAGE Northern Province Spl. Corr.
A motorcycle driven by a doctor collided head on with another
The Polonnaruwa Magistrate ordered that a bus driver motorcycle in the Araly area of Jaffna on Thursday (30), killing the
accused of driving recklessly and causing an accident injuring doctor and the pillion rider instantly. TO PAGE 02
40 passengers be remanded till December 11. TO PAGE 02
 DN page 2
“Budget proposals have...
This strategic move aims to pre-
vent corruption, irregularities and
other questionable incidents during
the importation of medicines, she
said.During a press conference at
the Presidential Media Centre
(PMC) yesterday (01), under the
theme ‘Collective path to a stable
country’, Dr. Arambepola empha-
sized the need for changes in human
resources within the Health Ministry
and adjustments to rules and regula-
tions to address challenges in the
Health sector.
The State Minister commented,
“At present, we are concentrating on
providing quality medicines to
patients, particularly for the hospital
system and clinical work in the
country. Despite setbacks in con-
struction and maintenance due to
the current economic situation, the
Government aims to overcome them
and successfully execute these pro-
jects in the coming year with finan-
cial contributions from local and
international sources.
“Additionally, the Ministry of
Health is undergoing significant
structural adjustments. Notable
modifications were implemented last
week, and further changes are slated
for the upcoming week.
“Anticipated alterations encom-
pass adjustments in human resourc-
es, rules, and regulations. The pro-
curement process has also under-
gone substantial revisions.
“Efforts are underway to increase
the production of medicines domes-
In Memory of
Chitra Nalini S.
Born : 02.12.1934 Died : 20.02.2023
Rest in His Celestial House eternally
Fondly Chrisantha Nimal S.
From page 01
tically, ensuring their availability in
the market to meet the country’s
healthcare needs.”
The State Minister acknowledged
that unpopular decisions may be
necessary to manage human resourc-
es in the health sector, prompting
changes in various positions. “The
2024 Budget proposals specifically
emphasize the implementation of
special guidelines for the procure-
ment of medicines and the establish-
ment of a separate agency dedicated
to this purpose. This strategic focus
aims to create opportunities for pre-
venting corruption and addressing
other questionable incidents during
the importation of medicines. “To
meet the country’s medicine require-
ments, essential steps are being
taken to enhance domestic medi-
cine production and facilitate their
introduction to the market. In man-
aging human resources within the
health sector, several unpopular
decisions are anticipated, resulting
in significant changes in positions.
“Furthermore, plans are underway to
initiate reforms in the primary
health service, aiming for universal
health coverage and social protec-
tion. The Health Ministry collabo-
rates with the World Health Organi-
zation (WHO) to align with global
health priorities. “Despite increas-
ing dengue spread due to prevailing
weather conditions, collaborative
efforts from health teams have suc-
cessfully reduced the death rate com-
pared to the previous year.”
NEWS
Diana, two SJB... From page 01
Accordingly, the report of the Com-
mittee on Ethics and Privileges which
includes the recommendation to sus-
pend the State Minister and the two
SJB MPs from Parliament for a month,
was presented to Parliament yesterday
by its Chairman, former Speaker, MP
Chamal Rajapaksa.
This proposal is to be adopted by
majority vote in Parliament on a future
date.The fight took place on October
20, after an argument that occurred
near the Parliament library.
WHO pledges... From page 01
At the meeting, Dr. Singh agreed to
provide financial and technical support
from the WHO for the improvement of
certain areas of the health service in Sri
Lanka.Accordingly, the WHO will pro-
vide technical assistance for the imple-
mentation of dengue control projects,
support to prevent resistance caused by
antibiotics, data analysis needed to pre-
pare health policies for the next 10 years
and also provide training for the Nation-
al Medicines Regulatory Authority
(NMRA) staff.
It was also agreed to provide the sup-
port of scholars from the WHO’s South
East Asia Regional Office and the Gene-
va Head Office for the above activities,
and Dr. Singh made a special evaluation
about the progress of the primary health
care in Sri Lanka.
CC approves... From page 01
Tennakoon was serving as the Sen-
ior Deputy Inspector General of Police
(SDIG) in charge of the Western Prov-
ince at the time of his appointment.
Acting IGP Tennakoon has vowed to
eradicate the drug menace and organ-
ized crime in the country. He also said
he would prioritize safeguarding
national security.
The appointment was made by Pres-
ident Ranil Wickremesinghe pursuant
to the powers vested with him.
Accordingly, SDIG Tennakoon will
serve as the Acting IGP for three
months.
Opposition Leader... From page 01
“Parliament cannot function this
way. The Opposition Leader can
ask questions about a fire or some
other emergency anytime without
going on and on,” the Premier
said.
He also urged the Speaker to not
allow anyone to “make a mockery
of parliamentary democracy”. Par-
liament has become a ‘house of
comedy’ every morning when Par-
liament meets, the Prime Minister
said.
He said that the Speaker should
give an order in this regard and it
should be imple-
mented immedi-
ately.
The Speaker
said that he also
feels that the
Opposition Lead-
er has abused the
special privilege
afforded to him.
“Let’s try to pre-
vent that. We
will start the pro-
cess to make nec-
essary amend-
ments to Stand-
ing Orders for
that soon,” he
said.
2K Paint only (Home
visit) cars,​ buffers,​
doors (one day
service) accident
repairs (2 K Cut
and Polish 4 hrs.)
0742603365. 070919
Over 70 percent...
of those who qualified for
the Advanced Level Exami-
nation and the percentage of
students that have qualified
to study for the Advanced
Level Examination has
increased to 72.07 percent
from 62.63 percent last year.
The Minister said this
while making a statement
about the results of the GCE
OL Examination.
A total of 472,553 students
appeared for the OL Exami-
nation this year. According
to the results, 13,588 chil-
dren obtained nine ‘A’ pass-
es, that is, ‘As’ in all subjects,
which is 3.39 percent, the
Minister said. The Minister
mentioned that 11,053 stu-
dents have obtained nine ‘A’
passes in all subjects last
year, which is 3.31 percent.
According to this year’s
results, a student from
Mahamaya Girls College,
Kandy has topped the island
rankings at the GCE Ordi-
nary Level Examination in
2023, while the second place
has been achieved by a stu-
dent from Vembady Girls’
High School in Jaffna. A stu-
dent from Royal College,
Colombo had obtained third
place.
Two fourth-placed students
from Royal College, Colombo
and another from Holy Cross
College, Gampaha have
achieved the feat.
UGC releases Z-score...
Professor Amaratunge said
that the UGC has sent a SMS
to every student who submit-
ted applications, whether
they have been selected or
not.
He said that the SMS has
been sent to the number pro-
vided by the respective stu-
dent. “The students who did
not get a sms can contact the
UGC on the hotline 1919,”
he said.
Speaking at a press confer-
ence at the Government
Information Department yes-
terday, Professor Amaratunge
said the results of the 2022
Advanced Level Examination
were released on September
3 and the handbook was
made available the following
day for the students to sub-
mit their applications to the
UGC.
The students were given
Cyclone ‘Miachaung’ brewing...
The fishing and naval com-
munities in the deep and shal-
low sea areas in the southwest
Bay of Bengal were warned of
strong winds and rough seas as
the low-pressure area over the
Southeast Bay of Bengal has
developed into a depression.
The Department said that it is
likely to intensify into a deep
depression by today and it will
further develop in to a cyclonic
storm by Sunday (3).
This system is likely to move
west-northwestwards closer to
the Northern coast of Sri
Lanka towards the North
Tamil Nadu coast, the Depart-
ment said
Indian media also reported
yesterday evening that a well-
Recruitment to be in line...
The Minister said that
development officers are
already public servants and
in 2019, 22,000 development
officers were given the
opportunity to train in pro-
vincial schools.
He stated that this group
can be absorbed into the
teaching service in accord-
ance with the Teacher Ser-
vice Constitution, and
accordingly, with the agree-
ment of the development
officers’ trade unions, the eli-
gible age for the examination
has been extended to 40
years, and applications have
been invited for recruitment
with the approval of the Pub-
lic Service Commission.
Minister Premajayantha
Cabinet nod for 100,000 MT...
phase and sell it only
under the intervention of the
state.
He said this while reply-
ing to the question asked by
Member of Parliament Roha-
na Bandara expecting oral
answers.
Minister Amaraweera said
that keeri samba was culti-
vated in about seven percent
of the paddy-cultivated lands
in the last season and a har-
vest of 5,000 metric tons was
obtained.
He said that some paddy
mill owners have kept stocks
of rice and with the import
of rice stocks, they will be
From page 01
There are four sixth places
and two of them are from
Galle Sanghamitta Girls’ Col-
lege, and other two from
Kurunegala Maliyadeva Boys’
College and Trincomalee
Srika Sangamugan Hindu
Girls’ College.
Two students from Colom-
bo, Musaeus College and
Kandy Girls high School
have obtained the tenth
place.
The Minister further said
that it took three months to
evaluate the answer scripts
of the AL Examination and
because of that the results of
the Ordinary Level Examina-
tion were delayed.
The evaluation of the
answer sheets was also
delayed due to a professional
action.
The Minister said that
after the evaluation of the
answer scripts of the A/L
Exam, the evaluation of the
answer scripts of the O/L
Examination was started at
the end of August and he
thanked all the teachers for
taking steps to release the
results within three-and-a-
half months.
The Minister also empha-
sized that it is special that
the announcement of the cut
off marks of the faculties of
universities for the qualified
A/L students has been done
within six weeks this time.
From page 01
two weeks’ time to submit
applications to the UGC and
another two weeks were
granted for them to change
their university and the
study course of their choice
too, he said.
UGC Deputy Secretary
Shalika Ariyarathna said the
students can send a SMS to
1919 by typing UGC (space)
to ascertain whether they
have actually got selected for
the university. Details can
also be taken by contacting
the UGC on 0112695530(1)/
0112695302/0112692357/01
12675854 or visiting the
website www.ugc.ac.lk.
She said that students have
been given 30 days from yes-
terday to make appeals and
the registration process for
universities will start within
the next few weeks under the
first phase.
From page 01
marked low pressure area that
persisted over the southeast
Bay of Bengal and its adjoining
South Andaman Sea turned
into a depression on Friday. It
will further intensify into a
deep depression on December
2 before turning into Cyclone
‘Miachaung’ on December 3.
Tamil Nadu, which has been
lashed with incessant rainfall
over the past few days, is gear-
ing up for an approaching
cyclonic storm, as per the
weather forecast by the India
Meteorological Department
(IMD).
Cyclone Miachaung is likely
to hit the coast of Tamil Nadu
and Andhra Pradesh on the
evening of December 4.
From page 01
said that applications have
been received from 51,000
graduates who are already in
government service.
He said that while the
examination was scheduled
for March 25, 2023, a group
of these officials filed a case
in the Supreme Court on
March 23, 2023 and obtained
an order to suspend the con-
ducting of the examination,
so the relevant case is still
pending.
The Education Minister
said that nine months have
passed since the date of the
examination, and the Educa-
tion Ministry wants the case
to be finished as soon as pos-
sible so as not to hinder the
recruitment.
From page 01
able to control the rise in
rice prices.
The Minister said that the
country needs 475,000 met-
ric tons of samba and keeri
samba rice, and 500,000 met-
ric tons are being produced,
thus producing an excess
amount of rice.
He said that money for fer-
tilizers will be given to farm-
ers compulsorily and that
there will be no reduction in
the quality of fertilizers.
The Minister said that
steps will be taken to provide
fertilizer for Rs. 9,000
through agricultural develop-
ment institutions.
S AT U R D AY, D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 0 2 3
Pastor Jerome... From page 01
The Magistrate also noted that the suspect
had left the country with full understanding of
the situation that prevailed.
The suspect was arrested after an investiga-
tion based on a complaint made by the Execu-
tive Director of the Buddhist Information Cen-
tre, Ven Angulugalle Sri Jinananda Thera. The
CID produced the suspect’s CD related to the
one-hour prayer and placed the suspect in judi-
cial custody.
The CID cited that the comprehensive investi-
gation is being conducted into the suspect and
the organizations belonging to the suspect have
received a large amount of money from foreign
countries .The CID investigators informed court
that they will file a detailed report in the next
few days on whether the suspect has obtained
undue profit and whether the suspect can be
charged under the Money Laundering Act. The
CID requested that the suspect be remanded in
custody.
A team of lawyers led by President’s Counsel
Anura Meddegoda appeared for the suspect. The
prosecution was led by CID SSP Kavinda
Piyasekera and ASP Santhanarayana.
Two die in mobikes... From page 01
The deceased were identified as Dr.
Maheshwaran Mayuran (37) and his friend
Jayasundaram Sarojan (29).
The Manippay Police said that the accident
took place while the doctor was travelling
from Araly to Jaffna city.
The two occupants of the other motorcycle
were seriously injured and admitted to the
Jaffna Teaching Hospital.
Photojournalist... From page 01
The deceased was identified as Muthugala
Arachchige Mahesh Gunasinghe (36), a father of
two, residing at No. 104, Walpola, Raggahawila.
It has been revealed that the deceased was a per-
son who had worked at a major electronic news
network from 2012 to 2014.
The deceased has gone to a house which oper-
ated as a hotel and beauty salon, located in Katu-
wasgoda, Veyangoda at 7.00 pm on November
30. It has also been revealed in preliminary
investigations that the he died while being taken
to the hospital by the couple who owned the
place.Veyangoda Police said that the body of the
murdered person had cut wounds.
The husband and wife who own the house
were called to the Veyangoda Police Station for
questioning and the reason for the murder has
not yet been revealed, according to the Veyango-
da police.
The murdered person came to the hotel on a
motorcycle and that motorcycle was also seen
parked in front of the house.
It has also been revealed that he had gone to
work and returned home yesterday after three
days. At around 6.30 pm, the deceased left the
house saying that he was going to bring food.
The police had also taken steps to investigate if
evidence such as blood stains had been removed,
in the house.The police said that they are con-
ducting investigations regarding a phone call the
deceased cameraman got before left the house.
The police said that they have not been able to
find the iphone that he had.
The police also stated that the young woman
in the house where the incident happened was a
beauty salon worker and the cameraman who
died was a wedding photographer, so they sus-
pect that it was a conflict over money. The body
has been deposited in the mortuary of
Wathupitiwala Base Hospital and the magisterial
inquest was scheduled to be held at 1.00 pm yes-
terday
Bus driver... From page 01
The accident happened on Thursday (30)
morning on the Welikanda – Sinhapura main
road in Polonnaruwa and the driver was pre-
sented before the Polonnaruwa Magistrate’s
Court yesterday (01). He was arrested by
Welikanda Police officers.
The police said that the bus driver who
was remanded is a 32-year-old resident of
Nava Mahasenpura, Welikanda, Polonnaruwa,
named Epiwatthegedara Udula Samantha
Kumara.
In this accident, 36 women and four men
were injured and admitted to the Welikanda
Regional Hospital. Some of them were trans-
ferred to Polonnaruwa General Hospital.
The bus carrying a group of employees
working in a private rice mill located in Sinha-
pura was running from the Mahasenpura area
of Welikanda when it met with an accident in
the Muthuwella area of Welikanda. Four peo-
ple who were seriously injured are currently
receiving treatment in the intensive care unit
of the Polonnaruwa General Hospital. A
spokesperson of the Polonnaruwa General
Hospital stated that several injured women
have been treated and left the hospital. Police
are conducting further investigations.
RANJITH - GUNASINGHE,​Son of the
late Dr. P.C. Gunasinghe and Mrs Anula
Gunasinghe,​brother of Nihal,​late Chitra,​
late Asoka,​Lalith and late Gamini,​passed
away peacefully. May his journey go swiftly
towards Nibbana. Remains lie at Jayaratne
The Restpect Funeral Parlour from 9
a.m. on Saturday the 2nd of December.
Cortege leaves at 4.30 p.m. for cremation
at Old Crematorium,​General Cemetery,​
Borella at 5 p.m. 079705
Dr WIJENAIKE - AMARAPALA - aged
96,​husband of late Sri,​father of Susie
and Nishan,​father- in-law of Jeremy and
Genevieve,​grandfather of Christianna and
Nuwan,​brother of late Noel,​peacefully
passed away on 30th November 2023 at
his home. His remains will lie at Jayaratne
Restpect Home on Saturday,​2nd December
from 10.00 am onwards and Cremation at
4.00 pm at Kanatta Crematorium,​entrance
opposite Devi Balika Borella. 078713
S AT U R D AY, D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 0 2 3 NEWS page 3 DN

SOC focuses on legal changes in

Wildlife Act to save elephants
As a country with the highest num-
ber of elephant deaths in the world, it
has been revealed that there is a seri-
ous threat to the wild elephants in Sri
Lanka. This matter was brought to
the attention of the Sectoral Over-
sight Committee (SOC) on Environ-
ment, Natural Resources and Sus-
tainable Development presided by
MP Ajith Mannapperuma recently.
Accordingly, a Committee includ-
ing Charaka Jayaratne, the Convenor
of the Environmental Law Section of
the Sri Lanka Bar Association, dis-
cussed with the officials of the Wild-
life Department based on the propos-
als presented to the Committee,
mainly focusing on the clauses to be
amended in the Wildlife and Flora
Protection (Amendment) Act.
Attention was paid to some of the
main sections related to wild ele-
phants in the Act, where the amend-
ment of Section 3, Section 6, Section
19, Section 20 and Section 30 was
discussed.
At this time, it was proposed that
the penalty fees applicable to the
killing of wild animals should be
revised and proposals were made to
prepare the legal framework neces-
sary to impose appropriate punish-
ments on the relevant offenders by
empowering wild elephants as pub-
lic property.
Also, attention was drawn to the
installation of illegal high-voltage
power lines as one of the cases where
wild elephants die frequently in this
country. Since there is no clear inter-
pretation of the Animal and Flora
Protection Act in this regard, there
was a discussion in the Committee
about the introduction of new clauses
including a clear interpretation and
related penalties.
Accordingly, the Committee rec-
ommended re-recording the existing
proposals related to the amendment
of the Act discussed in the Commit-
tee reaching an agreement on the
relevant recommendations through a
Committee established under Wild-
life the Department and finalizing
the amendment of the Act under a
specific time frame.
Committee members MPs Jayan-
tha Samaraweera, Jayantha Katago-
da and Upul Mahendra Rajapaksa
also participated in the Committee.
Also, officials of the Wildlife Depart-
ment, Railway Department and a
group of activists working in rela- Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment,
tion to elephants participated at the Natural Resources and Sustainable Development
meeting. Chair, MP Ajith Mannapperuma.

Walk to end violence against women, girls

USAID, PUCSL launch Electricity
Dispatch Database and Dashboard
An online platform to help foster transparency,
accountability within Sri Lanka’s energy sector
The United States Agen- transparent and accounta-
cy for International Devel- ble energy sector in Sri
opment (USAID), in col- Lanka,” said PUCSL Chair-
laboration with the Public man Professor Manjula Fer-
Utilities Commission of Sri nando.
Lanka (PUCSL), launched “By providing a platform
the Electricity Dispatch for stakeholders to engage
Database and Dashboard, with dispatch data, we aim
an online platform to to drive positive change,
enhance transparency in encourage innovation, and
the management of Sri ultimately contribute to a
Lanka’s power distribution more sustainable and cost-
through a visualization effective energy future for
platform. Sri Lanka.”
Australian High Commissioner Paul Stephens and Swiss Ambas- Developed and funded by The Dispatch Data Dash-
sador Siri Walt joined the walk organised by the United Nations USAID’s Sri Lanka Energy board is anticipated to play
Population Fund in coordination with the Government to end Programme, the Dispatch The Dispatch Data Dash- Dashboard will help drive a crucial role in driving
violence against women and girls, on Thursday (30). Data Dashboard is a com- board will be used for a financial sustainability of down generation costs for
prehensive tool that allows wide array of stakeholders, the power sector, while the Ceylon Electricity
stakeholders to access and including sector analysts, contributing to the viability Board (CEB). By facilitat-

Rakeeb gets new appointment at WFUNA

The 43rd WFUNA –
(World Federation of Unit-
ed Nations Associations)
Plenary Assembly focused
on ‘Boosting Partnership
for a Better United Nations’
was held recently in Tbilisi
Georgia.
The assembly elected Sri
Lankan Rakeeb Mohamed
Zawahir as Youth Advisory
Council for Asia from
2023-26. He is currently
serving as President of
UNA-Sri Lanka’s Youth
Forum leading and direct-
ing the executive commit-
tee and its members.
Through this role, he
engages the youth of the
association in relevant pro-
jects related to the SDGs,
as well as directing mem-
bers and conducting train-
Rakeeb Mohamed Zawahir
UNA - Sri Lanka (Asia Region)
ing to ensure the projects
are executed effectively.
Once a month, Rakeeb pre-
sents the activities of UNA-
Sri Lanka’s youth division
to the National Executive
Committee. He is a life
member of the association.
A notable project organ-
ised by the UNA youth
forum was headed by
Rakeeb includes a beach
cleaning project, through
which he selected a com-
mittee to develop a project
proposal to submit to the
Government Municipality
Council for approval and to
raise funds for implementa-
tion. The project was
approved. Rakeeb and
members of UNA-Sri
Lanka gathered with
friends and young mem-
bers of the community for
a day of listening to music
while all helped to clean
the beach. Rakeeb saw this
as an example of how youth
can gather to enjoy work-
ing hard together to create
a clean and safe environ-
ment for the community.
Among other projects are
book donation drives and
blood donation camps very
successfully implemented
in various parts of the
country.
A student at S. Thomas
College Mount Lavinia
pursuing his Advanced
level examination, plays
rugby for the school’s 1st
XV while captaining the 2
XV team. One of the high-
lights of his journey was
being awarded the Presi-
dent’s Scout Award in
2022. With this appoint-
ment Rakeeb will be work-
ing with the global team of
youth leaders.
Rakeeb Zawahir’s elec-
tion representing the
WFUNA youth council for
Asia is a pride to Sri Lanka
and St. Thomas’ College
Mt Lavinia.
visualize data relevant to
electricity generation, fore-
casts, costs, reservoir
details, and emissions, pro-
viding insights into the
energy sector’s intricate
operational dynamics. The
initiative will help foster
transparency and account-
ability within Sri Lanka’s
energy.
The Dispatch Data Dash-
board features a user-
friendly interface, making
it accessible to a broad
audience. Users will be able
to query dispatch data,
gaining valuable insights
into the dispatch process
and the rationale behind
cost optimization. This
transparency not only pro-
motes accountability but
also encourages collabora-
tion among industry play-
ers, paving the way for
improvements in the dis-
patch process.
researchers, current inde-
pendent power producers,
future renewable energy
developers, and environ-
mental organisations. The
online dashboard is availa-
ble at https://gendata.
pucsl.gov.lk/home. The
USAID Sri Lanka Energy
Programme is proud to be
at the forefront of this ini-
tiative, driving positive
change for the benefit of all
stakeholders.
People will now have the
ability to comprehend the
dispatch process, enabling
them to raise inquiries and
contribute to discussions
about the energy sector’s
future. This marks a signifi-
cant step forward in democ-
ratizing information and
fostering a sense of owner-
ship among the public.
Economic Growth Office
of USAID Director Chris
Powers said that, “This
of the nation by enhancing
energy security and ensur-
ing the lowest possible cost
of electricity. By fostering
transparency and empow-
ering stakeholders, this
tool is an instrumental
resource in our collective
fight against climate
change. In understanding
and optimizing our energy
management processes, we
pave the way for a more
sustainable future, driving
efficiencies that contribute
to reducing the cost of
power generation while
reducing our carbon foot-
print. In the face of climate
challenges, knowledge is
power, and the Dashboard
empowers us all to make
informed decisions that
positively impact our envi-
ronment.”
“The Dispatch Data
Dashboard represents a
major leap towards a more
ing a better understanding
of the dispatch process and
encouraging stakeholder
collaboration, the initiative
holds the potential to bring
about operational efficien-
cies that will benefit both
the industry and end con-
sumers backed by the
National Energy Bench-
marking Portal – which
was recently launched by
the USAID Sri Lanka Ener-
gy Programme and the Sri
Lanka Sustainable Energy
Authority to address the
demand/consumption side
of the energy.
The USAID Sri Lanka
Energy Programme supports
transforming Sri Lanka’s
power sector into a market-
based, secure, reliable, and
sustainable system by mobi-
lizing investment to deploy
advanced technologies,
increase flexibility and
enhance competitiveness.

Suspect arrested for fratricide over alleged love affair

The place where the burnt body was found.
VIJITHA SALGADU
Akuressa Central Special
A man (55) was arrested yesterday for the
alleged murder of his brother (65), Manamper-
ige Karunadasa, who lived in Akuressa, Hene-
gama, Balapatha, Udugamawatta Hena.
The suspect who allegedly killed his
brother and burnt his body was arrested by
the Akuressa Police yesterday (1).
Both houses of the deceased brother and
the assaulted younger brother are located in
the same land and the deceased brother
lived with his wife in Dehiaththakandiya
area. It is customary for him, who carries
out cinnamon crushing as his job, to come to
the Henegama house once a month, grind
cinnamon and takes the money and goes
back to Dehiaththakandiya.
According to the complaint made by his
wife to the Police that he was missing even
though he said that he would return home
on October 28. The Police have managed to
uncover many facts after questioning the
suspect. Accordingly, the younger brother of tion Division under the direction of Akures-
the deceased was arrested and questioned sa Police Station OIC Chief Inspector
on suspicion on Friday (1). Sudath Sudusinghe.
On the night of October 27, the suspect Criminal Investigation Division Sub-
had gone hunting but the hunt was unsuc- Inspectors Lalith Nupehewa, Priyantha Jay-
cessful. On the 28th, when he returned alath, Sergeants Sugathadasa, Nayanajith
home at around 4.00 a.m., a lighted flash- and Vajira are leading the investigation.
light was pointed at his face. He came for- Matara Crime Investigation Laboratory
ward with the torch and it has been discov- (SOCO) officers are assisting in the investi-
ered that the brother was beaten to death gations and the
near the well and the body was doused with Magistrate’s inves-
petrol for three days and the burnt body and tigation is sched-
the rest of the debris was dumped in the uled to be held.
stream near the well. The suspect is
Upon questioning, it has been revealed scheduled to be
that the suspect’s wife had drowned two produced before
years ago and that the deceased brother had the Matara Magis-
an affair with his wife before that, so he was trate’s Court on
enmity with him. December 2. The
On the instructions of Akuressa Assistant Police have found
Superintendent of Police Mahesh Perera, the place where the
the suspect was arrested by Chief Inspector body is suspected
Dharmavardhan of the Criminal Investiga- to have been burnt.

SL Embassy in Muscat celebrates Deepavali

Sri Lanka’s Embassy
together with the Sri Lan-
kan Hindu Community in
the Sultanate of Oman cele-
brated Deepavali at the offi-
cial Residence lawn of the
Ambassador last Saturday
(25). Nearly 100 members
representing diverse Sri
Lankan communities resid-
ing in Oman were present
at the celebration.
Sri Lanka’s Ambassador
to the Sultanate of Oman A.
L. Sabarullah Khan high-
lighted the significance of
Deepavali, the victory of
knowledge over ignorance
representing illumination of
light over darkness. Wel-
coming the diverse Sri Lan-
kan community gathered,
A dance item. he expressed gratitude to
the Hindu community for
decorating and beautifully
lighting the premises.
The celebration featured
an introduction to Deepava-
li, Dandiya Dance, devo-
tional story drama and
Deepavali fusion dance
which were performed by
the students of the Hindu
religion class of the Sri Lan-
kan community in Muscat.
The Embassy held a Deep-
am decoration contest, and
three winners were awarded
gifts.
The Deepavali celebra-
tions showcased holistic
solidarity and friendship
among the multi-religious
and multi-ethnic Sri Lankan
community members in the
Sultanate.
 DN page 4 NEWS
Freedom, Equality, and Justice for All
Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of HR Day at Hill Country Youth Peace Summit
International Human Rights Day
is celebrated on the 10th of Decem-
ber each year in commemoration of
the United Nations General Assem-
bly's adoption and proclamation of
the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights (UDHR), the world's first
pronouncement of human rights, in
1948. This year marks the 75th anni-
versary of the UDHR, one of the
first milestone achievements of the
UN that cemented the inalienable
rights each human being across the
world is entitled to under the theme
"Freedom, Equality, and Justice for
All."
Sri Lanka, being a multi-ethnic,
multi-cultural and multi-religious
country, has a rich history of human
rights, from the inclusion of a Fun-
damental Rights Chapter in the con-
stitution in 1978 to what it is today.
Human Rights are key to maintain-
ing peace in a complex and diverse
population such as those in our
nation. The Hill Country Region is
known for being one of the most
Sri Lanka participated at the 68th YWCA Diplomatic Charity Bazaar 2023 in Bangkok
The Embassy and Permanent Mis-
sion of Sri Lanka in collaboration
with the National Crafts Council, Sri
Lanka Export Development Board,
Spices and Allied Products Market-
ing Board, Industrial Development
Board, Handicrafts Board (Laksala),
Ceylon Cinnamon exporter; Excel-
lensa Impex (Pvt) Ltd., Ceylon tea
exporters; Basilur Tea (Pvt.) Ltd.,
Most Ven. Metaramba Hemarathana...
The Thera was 83. Born in Agangollawatta in Metaramba, he received his
education at Malcom College, Yatagala and was ordained in 1956 under the
tutelage of then Chief Incumbent of Yatagala Rajamaha Viharaya, Ven. Illuk-
pitiye Jinarathana Thera. The funeral arrangements will be notified later.
US Envoy welcomes... From page 01
“Agreement on debt restructur-
ing and sound economic policies
are crucial for the timely release of
the next IMF tranche, which would
provide needed financial support
for continued economic stabiliza-
Let’s heed the call from our villages for more ...
and Leadership, and NAUMANN
Foundation for Freedom, at the
BMICH, on November 30.
Speaking on this occasion the
Prime Minister stated, “The name
Lalith Athulathmudali only brings
memories of an extremely distin-
guished son of Mother Lanka, who
was in a deep sense a genuine patri-
otic person, who served his mother-
land and her people.
“When I first entered Parliament in
1983, joining a beleaguered opposi-
tion during late Lalith Athulathmuda-
li’s first ministerial tenure, I was
always intrigued and impressed with
his intellectual abilities, prowess and
impeccable conduct on the floor of
the House. He was by then renowned
as having surpassed those of his con-
temporaries in quality of his service
for the good of the public – a memo-
ry of which is being sustained and
carried forward through the Mahapo-
la Higher Education Trust Fund
established by him in 1981. He is a
leader in our lifetime who was a
statesman of exceptional high
achievement – particularly worthy of
emulation by those in public office.
“Commemorating the 87th birth
anniversary of the late Lalith Athu-
lathmudali evokes memories of a time
when he took on responsibilities as a
leader of the government formed in
1977. It was a government which
ushered in a period of vibrancy to the
nation through introduction of radi-
cally changed new model of govern-
ance, to replace an order which had
been evolving over three decades
with a slow pace of accumulation of
wealth and prosperity. People were
looking for change and positive
growth. Still we continue the radical
new governance that the late Lalith
Athulathmudali vested in Parliament.
How we should deal with the execu-
tive presidency. It is a debate that
will go on until the stability of law
and order and stability of the econo-
my. The systems then introduced
have lasted for over the past four dec-
ethnically diverse regions on the
island and is also the home to the
first-ever Hill Country Youth Peace
Summit.
As the world evolves and adapts,
there has been a shift in the under-
standing, implementation and activ-
ism of the UDHR. The Road to
Rights International is a youth-led,
voluntary organization established
in Sri Lanka in 2009 to support the
youth to create opportunities and
develop their skills by taking a
Human rights-based approach
towards Peace and Sustainable
Development. Their conference, the
Hill Country Youth Peace Summit,
is organized with the support of the
US Embassy and several youth
clubs, with the aim of empowering
the youth to engage in activism and
advocacy by commemorating the
75th anniversary of International
Human Rights Day on the 10th of
December at the Hotel Suisse in
Kandy.
The founder of The Road to
Ranfer Teas (Pvt.) Ltd., and Eswaran
Brothers Exports (Pvt.) Ltd., suc-
cessfully participated at the 68th
YWCA Diplomatic Charity Bazaar
2023 at Central World, Bangkok
from 16-19 November 2023, with the
aim to promote and showcase Sri
Lankan products in Thailand.
The Sri Lanka booth with spices,
handicrafts, Ceylon tea and other
From page 01
tion, recovery, and the improve-
ment of public services, benefiting
the people of Sri Lanka”
She said that the United States
stands by Sri Lanka for a sustaina-
ble recovery.
From page 01
ades which have included almost two
dozen Constitutional revisions.
“Following the establishment of the
Government in 1977, there was
understandably a period of reorienta-
tion for the country. This was to
adapt to the new order of governance
which in terms of the economy was
required to embrace a policy of a
market economy. It is well recognized
that as the Minister responsible for
the key portfolios of Trade and Ship-
ping from 1977 to 1984, late Lalith
Athulathmudali fully streamlined, or
where necessary established, institu-
tions without loss of time. This was
to vigorously pursue the 77 Govern-
ment’s policy of establishment of a
market economy – a first time trans-
formation in the subcontinent.
“Since the opening up of the econ-
omy, Colombo which had been a
quaint cosmopolitan port city with a
mild business milieu has transformed
itself into a commercial city within a
regional megapolis being formed in
its vast hinterlands. During this time,
the Colombo Harbour experienced a
vast expansion in line with advance-
ments in port technologies, opera-
tional technologies, techniques and
other parameters of international
trade and shipping. This strategic
intervention had been at the nick of
time to ensure that the Colombo Port
maintained further its established
level of primacy. It was showcased to
the population at large as the spar-
kling new Jaya Terminal. To the cred-
it of the port planners, there seems to
have been no slack in preparation of
plans and evolving strategies in time
and space to maintain the Colombo
Port’s primacy in the hierarchy of
ports world over.
“Though largely promoted by a
state-sponsored drive of shifting the
country’s Parliament and the state
administration to what had been
underpopulated areas in relative prox-
imity to the east of Colombo. Then
warehousing with manufacturing to
vast acreages of hinterlands north of
Rights, Ashan Perera added that,
"Empowering youth with a strong
foundation in human rights is cru-
cial for nurturing responsible global
citizens." The Summit not only edu-
cates participants about their own
rights but also instils a sense of
responsibility to protect and pro-
mote the rights of others. By invest-
ing in the potential of our youth, we
are sowing the seeds for a future
generation that is not only well-
versed in the principles of human
rights but are also passionately com-
mitted to creating a more just and
sustainable world.
The summit will also celebrate the
achievements of the Hill Country
Peace Pioneers, a project organized
to train 50 youth leaders from the
Hill Country region to take action
within their communities, focusing
on peace, human rights and social
cohesion to create an inclusive unit-
ed, fairer and safer society.
With an engrossing panel discus-
sion, breathtaking cultural perfor-
traditional products attracted both
Thai and International visitors.
The Bazaar was organised by the
YWCA Bangkok jointly with the
spouses of the Ambassadors in
Bangkok and inaugurated by Her
Royal Highness Princess Sirivanna-
vari Nariratana Rajakanya's repre-
sentative Chirayu Isarangkun Na
Ayuthaya, Privy Councillor.
Gaza truce... From page 01
Earlier, the Israeli military said
that it had “successfully inter-
cepted a launch from Gaza,” an
hour before the truce was set to
expire.
Hamas officials said Israeli air-
strikes hit southern Gaza Friday
morning, including the city of
Rafah, near the border with
Egypt, killing three people. Israeli
military vehicles were also firing
in northwest Gaza, the Hamas-
controlled Ministry of Interior
said in a statement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benja-
Colombo. Such a first of a kind for-
mal spatial development strategy
implemented in the 1980s has been
the backbone of the phenomenon of
an urban sprawl which has engulfed
the city, its suburbs and vast areas of
its hinterlands into a typically metro-
politan form of an agglomeration.
“In spite of economic and social
volatility experienced during the
early decades of opening up of the
economy, the urban sprawl has
attracted and been able to accommo-
date an explosion of small and medi-
um businesses within a necklace of
townships. And moreover, junction
nodes which are in relative proximity
and or having fair connectivity with
the core of the phenomenon.
“The city per se has since been
transforming itself towards the finan-
cial and business hub of the megapo-
lis with potential towards establish-
ing in it a financial hub of interna-
tional branding within a highly
‘incentivized’ Colombo Port City of
futuristic architectural forms and
world-class operational modalities.
Even with several revisits and
updates and connectivity for the Port
City is a requirement for economic
revival.
“Athulathmudali didn’t hesitate at
all to return home and get involved in
serving the nation building cause, as
Ceylon had just come out of British
occupation of over 13 decades. He
travelled in all the major countries
and travelled the length and breadth
of Sri Lanka, and understood the pov-
erty that prevailed among our people
and villages as impoverishment was
spread wide and deep.
“Ever since the colonial days to
date, Sri Lanka’s socio-economic
dependency largely is vested on the
foreign exchange earned through tra-
ditional export crops such as tea, rub-
ber and coconut. Through the days of
Lalith Athulathmudali, even with few
new additions to this formula, like
apparels, foreign employment and
tourism, still to date, large extents of
mances, inspiring speeches and a
long- awaited networking session,
the Hill Country Youth Peace Sum-
mit is bound to be an engaging and
thrilling session. It is the perfect
opportunity to learn about the role
of the youth in human rights as well
as sustainability and climate action
as stepping stones to a better,
brighter, and more inclusive future.
Donations from the 40 participat-
ing Embassies will help conduct
charity projects to develop and pro-
mote the quality of life of children,
women and underprivileged in vari-
ous aspects such as education, occu-
pation, infrastructure, and environ-
ment as well as to provide assistance
to those which have suffered from
disasters.
min Netanyahu said that Hamas
broke the truce by not releasing
“all of the women hostages today
and has launched rockets at Israe-
li citizens.”
“Upon the resumption of fight-
ing, we emphasize:
The Government of Israel is
committed to achieving the goals
of the war: Releasing the hostag-
es, eliminating Hamas and ensur-
ing that Gaza never again consti-
tutes a threat to the residents of
Israel,” the Israeli leader added.
(Foreign Media)
our socio-economic texture remain in
poverty and indebtedness.
“When we look at 2018 figures in
major land use pattern in Sri Lanka,
urban land consists around 2 percent,
home gardens is 18 percent, agricul-
ture land for tea, rubber and coconut
is 10 percent, rice paddy cultivation
is 15 percent, forest land consists of
38 percent, and water bodies use
upto 6 percent. It is very clear that
President Ranil Wickremesinghe
wants radical changes in land
reforms, and in agriculture. This was
very clearly announced during his
2024 Budget proposals made in Par-
liament.
“Mainly owing to the colonial land
grab policy which began over 200
years, which has been the governing
law since the 1830s, entrusted all the
land under colonial monarch and
completely alienated the indigenous
people of Sri Lanka from access and
ownership of land for more than 200
years, and even to date. They consist
of an overwhelming percentage of
rural people of Sri Lanka, and we
have to immediately address and
come out of this grave situation and
launch into reinvesting in our lands.
“As Prime Minister and main ora-
tor at this year’s Lalith Athulathmu-
dali Commemorative ‘Freedom
Speech’, I wish to echo the voices of
our people, especially farmers and vil-
lagers and their cry for more land to
cultivate towards food security and
export-oriented production. More
than ownership of land they want
access to cultivate. Let us name this
Freedom Call as ‘Ape Gamen Lovata’.
“This new Gateway of Exports
from ‘Ape Gamen Lovata’ connecting
over 14,000 Grama Niladari Divi-
sions, with each GN division being
made up of three or four villages,
across the country will have a total
over 40,000 villages.
“Our voyage must begin with first
1,000 GN divisions across 334 Divi-
sional areas in 25 districts, and target
towards achieving 5,000 or one-third
Pope Francis cancels trip to
Dubai for UN climate conference
VATICAN NEWS
Pope Francis has cancelled plans to
travel to Dubai this weekend for a U.N.
Climate conference at the advice of his
doctors following ongoing health issues,
the Vatican announced on Nov. 28.
The pope, who has long prioritized
environmental concerns, was scheduled to
travel to the United Arab Emirates Dec.
1-3 and was expected to urge world lead-
ers to commit to multilateral action toward
reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The Vatican said the 86-year-old pon-
tiff was forced to cancel his anticipated
appearance at the high-stakes COP28
climate summit in Dubai due to ongoing
issues related to the inflammation of his
lungs, for which he has been undergoing
treatment since at least Nov. 25.
The announcement that the pope
would no longer make the trip was made
early evening on Nov. 28 and just hours
after the Holy See Press Office held a
briefing for reporters scheduled to be
travelling with the pope.
At the time, a Vatican spokesman
acknowledged the pope's health difficul-
ties, but said the pontiff had managed to
meet with the president of Paraguay and
Mahapola bursary received by students
should be doubled - Minister Dr. Premajayantha
ISHARA MUDUGAMUWA
Education Minister Dr. Susil Prema-
jayantha said in Parliament yesterday
(Dec. 1) that the Mahapola bursary
received by students should be doubled.
The Minister also said that steps will
be taken to strengthen the Mahapola
fund by reactivating the Mahapola High-
er Education and Trade Fair from the
coming month of July.
President's Awards Ceremony for
Scientific Research
The President's Awards Ceremony for Scientific Research was held yesterday at the
Bandaranaike Conference Hall, Colombo where Prof. Dr. N K Gunawardena received the
award from the Administrative Officer of the Scientific Research Institute, Dr. Shanika
Jayasekara, and the Chairman of the Institute of Physiological Research, Prof. Dr
Hemantha Dodampahala was also present. Photo: Sudath Malaweera
of total GN divisions, thereby directly
getting them to contribute towards
national food security, and exporting
surplus towards earning valuable for-
eign exchange to the country.
“For this, the new generation must
be released with hundreds of thou-
sands of lands deprived of them for
centuries and for generations. These
lands for decades and some for centu-
ries have remained underutilized and
unutilized in large extents. For them
to engage in foreign exchange earn-
ing and improving their own income
generation, and thereby come out of
severe poverty and indebtedness that
has engulfed the rural people of Sri
Lanka.
“These lands can be vested under
different schemes for food and export
production. I am certain our eminent
panellists including legal luminaries
groomed under the tutelage of Athu-
lathmudali, will provide their exper-
tise to redraft any law and reclaim
what was loss for generations and for
centuries.
“Not just to cultivate with tradi-
tional crops of rice paddy, tea, rubber
and coconut, but importantly, to tar-
get the essential demands of the
future by growing cinnamon, vegeta-
bles, fruits, nuts, cereals, spices, etc.,
targeting a growing world of over 8
billion people, in a growing problem
of climate change.
“Not just for cultivation but land
must be used for us to come out of
our energy crisis. Land that can be
utilized to produce energy especially
through a variety of renewable poten-
tials, thereby not only helping the cli-
mate challenge but also to meet the
need of our small and medium indus-
tries and importantly, for logistics.
“Not only export crops but through
new technology and communication
our youth will be able to link up Sri
Lanka’s unexplored experiences into
the world of tourism. When climate
challenges the world, even those living
and travelling to capital cities in our
region would look for spaces to
S AT U R D AY, D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 0 2 3
Spanish Catholic bishops in recent days.
In a brief statement announcing the
cancellation, the Vatican said that the
pope's "general clinical picture" had
improved, but on the advice of his doc-
tors, he would cancel the trip with
"great regret."
The pope had been scheduled to deliv-
er a major address in Dubai on Dec. 2,
but in his most recent public remarks on
Nov. 26, the pope struggled to speak due
to apparent respiratory congestion.
In his 10 years as pontiff, Francis has
not cancelled a previously announced
trip abroad. In 2021, he cancelled a day
trip to Florence, Italy, due to mobility
issues. Later that year, he postponed a
trip to the Democratic Republic of
Congo and South Sudan for related con-
cerns, but that voyage later took place in
2023.
The Holy See, which has formally
signed the U.N. Framework Convention
on Climate Change, will still have a del-
egation present during the COP28 meet-
ing, and the Vatican said the pope is
considering other concrete ways he can
participate in the upcoming discussions.
(National Catholic Reporter)
The Minister said this while reply-
ing to the question asked by Mem-
ber of Parliament Jagath Kumara
Sumitraarachchi expecting oral
answers.
The Minister also said that the alloca-
tion for the market comes from the
Development Lottery Board and the
ticket sales have decreased due to the
increase in the price of the tickets.
breathe some fresh air. “Not only cul-
tivated food, but importantly fisheries
exports. Villages lining up along the
entire golden coastal belt stretching
over 1,000 miles must be looked at
afresh, and towards exporting the
catch to thousands of markets across
the globe. We can be assured that
even internal water bodies will get
involved in adding variety and num-
bers. This sector still remains in dark-
ness and fishing in troubled waters
only, and we need to put a new vision
envisioning an important global share.
“Dear friends, ours is the land that
can make miracles. This is the land
which belongs to a people who can
collectively bring synergy in creating
miracles. Let us thrive and make the
new freedom call of ‘Ape Gamen
Lovata’ emancipating hundreds of
thousands of rural villagers and their
generation for the future.
“Finally as I remember Lalith as a
young Member of Parliament. Lalith
and others were participating in
debates before us. We had only eight
in the Opposition. But we kept the
democratic norms of the Parliament.
Contribution to the Budgets, contri-
bution with knowledge, discussions
with government, not on political
grounds, but of getting through Bills,
making amendments in discussions
and working together, that is how
Government and Opposition should
work on principles, on policies and
work towards reaching the goals that
we can agree to declare.
“Finally, let us remember that we
who are gathered here today, as well
as our nation, will always remember
with the highest gratitude that the
late Lalith William Athulathmudali
made the supreme sacrifice by life,
only having defended and upheld our
unitary state and democracy for gen-
erations unborn.”
Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywarde-
na, Ministers, MPs, relatives of late
Lalith Athulathmudali and members
of the Lalith Athulathmudali Founda-
tion were present.
S AT U R D AY, D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 0 2 3
Message from the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates
Late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Founder Leader President of UAE
This year, the United Arab responsibility to the present and future
Emirates commemorates its generations, who deserve to live in a world
Union Day, the 52nd that is safe and prosperous.
The "Year of Sustainability" is centered on
anniversary of the founding of
the nation. On the 2nd of
intensifying awareness of environmental
issues, fostering positive lifestyle shifts, and
December 1971, our journey engaging the public in three critical domains:
started with the signing of the endorsing mindful consumption, advancing
environmental preservation endeavours, and
accord to unite the Seven driving collective efforts to counter climate
Emirates. It marked the change.
beginning of an ambitious On this occasion, I would like to commend
and optimistic journey of the outstanding and cordial bilateral relations
between Sri Lanka and the United Arab
progress and development. Emirates. UAE is one of Sri Lanka’s largest
trading partners in the Middle East. Despite
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed the challenging economic conditions during
Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, has the last two years, bilateral trade between the
announced 2023 as the "Year of Sustainability", two countries exceeded US$ 3.9 billion.
under the theme "Today for Tomorrow”, to There has been progress in the people-to-
underscore UAE’s commitment to sustainable people relations between the two nations.
practices and to honour our shared Cooperation in the field of tourism is also
ADVERTISER’S SUPPLEMENT I
HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashed Al-Maktoum
VP and PM - Ruler of Dubai
H.E Mr. Khaled Nasser AlAmeri
Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Democratic
Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
flourishing. The recently concluded MoU
between the civil aviation authorities of both
HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International
countries has contributed towards the increase
of passenger flights and the promotion of Sri
Lanka tourism and trade. The number of
tourists arriving from UAE has increased by
almost 150% year-on-year.
UAE is currently hosting the 28th
Conference of the Parties to the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change
(COP28) at Expo Dubai. The conference
brings together world leaders, experts and
activists in an effort to mitigate the risks
facing our planet.
Through this global conference, the UAE
prioritizes accelerating sustainable
development goals and expanding the scope of
energy transformations. The focus is on
ensuring that the outcome of this global event
consists of actionable mechanisms, not just
promises, by translating agreements into
tangible realities and achievements.
The action plan of the conference will focus
on four main axes: accelerating an orderly and
page 5 DN
Cooperation
just transition in the energy sector, advancing
climate financing mechanisms, and enhancing
the livelihoods and protection of people
according to a transparent and inclusive
framework.
I applaud the enthusiasm and keen interest
Sri Lanka has shown in preparing for its
participation in COP28. I am happy to note
that Sri Lanka’s President His Excellency
Ranil Wickremesinghe is a strong advocate of
climate justice and under his guidance Sri
Lanka has proposed the establishment of a
Climate Justice Forum to foster international
collaboration to address various climate
challenges.
I also welcome Sri Lanka’s ambitious
initiative to create an International Climate
Change University designed as a global
platform for research and development
focused on climate mitigation actions, and its
Continued on page 06
DN page 06
52nd Union Day of
United Arab Emirates
The UAE, 52nd Union Day and the “Year of
Sustainability” 2023
 The UAE commemorates its Union Day on
December 2, which marks the formation of the
federation and the initiation of the unification of
the Emirates in 1971. On this date in 1971, the
leaders of the Emirates signed an accord to unite
the seven Emirates, transitioning from
independent states into a single prosperous
nation.
 His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al
Nahyan, President of the UAE, has announced
2023 as the "Year of Sustainability" with the
theme "Today, for Tomorrow" to underscore the
country's commitment to sustainable practices.
 The "Year of Sustainability" is centered on
intensifying awareness of environmental issues,
fostering positive lifestyle shifts, and engaging
the public in three critical domains: endorsing
mindful consumption, advancing environmental
preservation endeavors, and driving collective
efforts to counter climate change.
 The Year of Sustainability on underscoring the
UAE's dedication to fostering international
cooperation to tackle challenges related to
sustainability and its influential role in pioneering
innovative solutions for a more thriving future
for the global community.
Today’s Economy for Tomorrow
 The United Arab Emirates has emerged as a
leading model in the field of sustainable
economic development on the global stage. It
adopts ambitious strategies aimed at achieving a
balance among economic growth, prosperity,
and environmental preservation. The nation has
achieved an unprecedented milestone in its
foreign trade during the first half of 2023, hitting
over AED 1.239 trillion and marking an increase
of 14.4% in comparison to the previous year.
 The UAE is actively pursuing the establishment
of a knowledge-driven and diversified economy,
buttressed by scientific and technological
advancements. It is committed to bolstering the
economy's resilience and sustainability while
seeking novel opportunities, based on the
conviction that robust partnerships are
ADVERTISER’S SUPPLEMENT II
instrumental in fostering regional prosperity and
unlocking extensive economic possibilities.
 To realize this forward-looking vision and
ambitious goals, the UAE has formalized
comprehensive economic partnerships with
several active global economies, including India,
Indonesia, Israel, Turkey, Georgia, and
Cambodia. Moreover, the UAE is in the process
of negotiating additional partnerships with a
number of countries to be finalized by the year's
end.
Space Sector
 The UAE has solidified its commitment to space
exploration, celebrating astronaut Sultan Al
Neyadi’s significant space mission as the first
Arab astronaut to conduct a lengthy stay and
spacewalk on the International Space Station.
 These space endeavours follow the landmark
achievements of Hazza Al Mansoori, the first
Emirati in space, and the successful deployment
of the Hope Probe in 2021, showcasing the
UAE’s resolute advancement in the space sector.
The United Arab Emirates demonstrates the
highest levels of determination and resolve in
realizing its vision to be among the leading
countries in the field of space, advancing
science, technology, innovation, and building a
sustainable space sector.
 The upcoming 2024 launch of the "Mohammed
bin Zayed SAT" (MBZ-SAT) satellite, set to be
a paramount addition to the nation's space
exploration efforts, will enhance the UAE’s
contributions to global space science.
COP28 Conference
 In 2023, the UAE launched the "Year of
Sustainability" under the slogan "Today for
Tomorrow." One of its top priorities is to raise
awareness about environmental sustainability
and address the challenges associated with
climate change. The country is currently hosting
the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change (COP28) at Expo Dubai until December
12. The conference brings together world leaders
and experts in an effort to mitigate the risks
facing our planet.
Continued on page 07
S AT U R D AY, D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 0 2 3
Message from Ambassador...
proposal to introduce the Tropical
Belt Climate Ambition Project,
targeting the highly bio diverse
tropical belt regions.
Given that the regions closer to
the equator are rich in biodiversity,
this project will promote the
harnessing of the diverse potentials
and managing the resources
responsibly.
The world needs to remain united
and work together to develop
collective solutions to achieve a
substantial shift in confronting
climate change. A shift that allows
us to move our focus from
negotiations to achieving tangible
results in pursuit of an inclusive
and sustainable future.
The UAE condemns and
denounces in the strongest terms
the Israeli bombings of schools and
hospitals and the inhuman attacks
on civilians in Palestine.
UAE affirms its categorical
rejection of targeting public
institutions and civilian facilities,
and stresses that the immediate
priority is to preserve the life of
civilians, provide full protection to
public property, and ensure the
immediate, safe, sustainable and
unhindered delivery of
humanitarian relief and medical aid
to the Palestinians.
UAE refuses to accept that
conflicts in our region are
inevitable. We believe that security,
stability and prosperity can be
restored in Yemen, Syria, Sudan,
Libya, Iraq and Lebanon. We also
strongly believe in the establishment
of an independent Palestinian State
on the 1967 borders, with East
Jerusalem as its capital.
The promotion of the values of
tolerance and peaceful coexistence
has an impact on people globally.
Not only in words, but through
their direct implementation. UAE
played a prominent role in the
historic resolution concerning
Continued from page 05
tolerance, international peace and
security adopted by the Security
Council, in June this year,
acknowledging the fact that hate
speech and extremism are closely
linked to the spread and escalation
of conflicts.
In the humanitarian front, as part
of the UAE efforts to alleviate the
suffering of people affected by
crises through all possible means,
we plan to launch a digital platform
that employs advanced technologies
to enable affected states to better
harness international support in the
wake of natural disasters.
This digital platform will help in
providing urgent, effective and
coordinated humanitarian
responses.
In the UAE, peace is our choice,
development is our path, and a
stable future is our destination. In
the return of Emirati astronaut
Sultan Al Neyadi, from the first
long Arab mission in space, we see
the potential of future leaders in our
youth. A leadership that will bolster
our achievements and usher in a
promising future. UAE is
determined to follow in the
footsteps of its founders and to
strive to achieve greater
advancements in humanity and
science for the people of the world.
In conclusion, I take this
opportunity to convey my sincere
heartfelt greetings to His Excellency
Ranil Wickremesinghe, President
of the Democratic Socialist
Republic of Sri Lanka, and to the
government and people of Sri
Lanka, wishing them progress and
prosperity in the years ahead.
Khaled Nasser AlAmeri
Ambassador of the
United Arab Emirates to the
Democratic Socialist
Republic of Sri Lanka
S AT U R D AY, D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 0 2 3
 Through this global conference,
the UAE prioritizes accelerating
sustainable development goals
and expanding the scope of energy
transformations. The focus is on
ensuring that the outcome of this
global event consists of actionable
mechanisms, not just promises, by
translating agreements into
tangible realities and
achievements.
 In the face of today's global
challenges, climate change stands
as one of the most significant. The
UAE remains a global leader in
adopting effective policies to
address these challenges. The
country has undertaken a
significant set of policies as part
of these efforts, including
economic diversification with a
focus on a green economy,
diversifying energy sources with
an emphasis on clean and
renewable energy, promoting
energy efficiency, sustainable
transportation, and sustainable
urban planning, among others.
 The UAE has always viewed
climate action as an opportunity
to contribute practical solutions to
a global issue that affects all
countries. This is especially true
given its economic diversification
efforts and its commitment to
creating knowledge, skills, and
jobs for future generations.
 In alignment with the visionary
leadership of the UAE, the COP28
presidency aims through its plan
based on four pillars: accelerating
the transition to a more organized,
responsible, and equitable energy
sector, developing climate
financing mechanisms, improving
quality of life and livelihoods, and
supporting the previous pillars by
fully involving everyone in the
conference's work system. The
goal is to achieve significant
reductions in emissions and build
a sustainable future energy
system. The COP28 presidency
will support the increase of energy
52nd Union Day of ...
efficiency by 2030 through
tripling the production capacity of
renewable energy sources,
doubling low-carbon hydrogen
production, and providing
sustainable cooling systems
accessible to everyone.
 The UAE reaffirms its
commitment to climate and
sustainability issues, not only at
the local level but also on the
international stage. This
commitment is aimed at
preserving the environment and
ensuring a better future for
generations to come. The UAE
actively seeks to lend a helping
hand to countries and communities
worldwide in facing the challenges
associated with climate change.
 As part of its ongoing pursuit of
sustainable development, the
UAE places significant
importance on supporting climate
change mitigation programs. This
enables communities to continue
their economic and social progress
without being adversely affected
by climate challenges. To ensure
the success of these efforts, the
UAE shares its expertise and
experiences with other countries,
ADVERTISER’S SUPPLEMENT III
in addition to providing technical
assistance to ensure the best
outcomes.
Protecting cultural and natural
treasures for achieving
sustainability
 The UAE diplomatic efforts are
grounded in culture, education,
and innovation, seeking to adopt
innovative and effective
diplomatic strategies that align
with challenges and opportunities.
This has contributed to enhancing
its position in the Soft Power
Index, reflecting the increasing
influence of the UAE on the
international stage.
 The efforts and commitments
made by the UAE regarding the
protection of human heritage,
such as its recent partnership with
the African World Heritage Fund
to support the preservation of
cultural and natural heritage of
exceptional global value in Africa,
highlight the country's dedication.
This partnership focuses on sites
affected by climate change and
capacity-building programs for
community members.
Continued from page 06
 The UAE has demonstrated its
readiness to make effective
contributions to the international
community through the United
Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO). It has become an
integral part of the international
dialogue on heritage, education,
and culture. This affirms the
UAE's deep commitment to global
cultural heritage issues,
positioning it at the forefront of
efforts to protect and preserve
these cultural and natural treasures
that are part of human heritage.
 The UAE's unwavering
commitment to make effective
contributions to the international
community through the United
Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) enhances global
dialogue on the importance of
protecting cultural and natural
heritage worldwide.
The UAE and Human Rights
 The UAE has achieved significant
milestones in the field of human
rights and continues to forge
ahead for the next fifty years to
enhance its efforts to maintain its
position as one of the best
countries in the world for living
and working. This is in line with
its forward-looking vision and its
focus on social and cultural
diversity. The UAE government
invests in its capabilities to
modernize laws and practices that
reflect this diversity while
respecting its heritage and
traditions. The country has made
remarkable progress in several
areas.
 On October 4, 2023, the United
Nations Human Rights Council
approved the UAE's fourth human
page 7 DN
rights report during the 54th
session of the Council held in
Geneva. The UAE won
membership in the United Nations
Human Rights Council for the
2022-2024 period for the third
time in its history. The country's
election to this seat was a
recognition of its ongoing efforts
to enhance and protect human
rights at the national, regional,
and international levels.
 The UAE continuously evaluates
all international treaties and
agreements to ensure their
alignment with its national
legislation and policies,
contributing to the promotion and
protection of human rights. In this
context, the country is currently
working on developing the
National Human Rights Plan,
which will operationalize
recommendations from its fourth
periodic review, further promoting
human rights.
Membership of the United
Nations Security Council
 The UAE is committed to
supporting mediation efforts,
elevate diplomatic solutions for
conflicts, and preempt challenges.
It aims to achieve the objectives
of the Security Council in
safeguarding international peace
and security.
Continued on page 08
DN page 08
 The UAE recognizes the importance of
maintaining an international system founded
on state sovereignty, independence, and
territorial integrity. The UAE seeks to
enhance international relations in accordance
with international law and United Nations
resolutions.
 During its UN Security Council tenure,
including two presidencies, the UAE tack
played a prominent role in addressing
crucial challenges of our time. This included
promoting peaceful conflict resolution,
prioritizing humanitarian relief,
safeguarding peace, addressing global
health crises, harnessing innovation,
developing the international framework to
combat terrorism, supporting gender
equality, empowering women, and
enhancing their meaningful and equal
participation in conflict resolution and peace
processes. The UAE also emphasized the
use of technology to promote peace,
counter-terrorism, and respond to and
recover from terrorist acts, among other
issues.
 The UAE co-authored the historical
Resolution No. 2686 on Tolerance, Peace,
and International Security during its second
presidency of the Council in June 2023
along with the United Kingdom. The
resolution acknowledges for the first time
the direct link between hate speech and
extremist actions with the proliferation of
conflicts their exacerbation and recurrence.
 On the sidelines of the general debate of the
78th session of the United Nations General
Assembly held in New York, the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs published a discussion
paper aimed at issuing an open global
invitation to all members of the international
community to work together with new
methods and approaches to address the
escalating global water scarcity challenge.
The aim is to mobilize a coordinated global
response to confront this issue, propose a
new formula for effective collaboration, and
launch a response capable of dealing with
this multi-faceted problem, which threatens
the security, stability, and prosperity of the
world.
The UAE's Membership in International
Organizations
 Since the founding of the Federation, the
ADVERTISER’S SUPPLEMENT IV
52nd Union Day of ...
United Arab Emirates has been keen to
strengthen and expand its international
relations, through close cooperation with
international organizations, and has become
a member of more than 150 international
organizations in various sectors of
international cooperation.
 Within the context of international
cooperation and building partnerships that
benefit the international community and
future generations, in addition to the
keenness to participate effectively in
international forums and organizations, the
UAE attended as a guest country for the
second year in a row at the group’s meetings
and summits, following its successful
participation in the Indonesia summit last
year.
 The UAE is dedicated to working with its
Logo appearance with relevant background col
Continued from page 07
international partners through the G20
Framework for Action to promote economic
growth and equitable development around
the world for the fourth time after its
successful participation in the G20 in France
in 2011. During the recent summit, the
country's participation in launching the
Global Biofuels Alliance and establishing
the economic corridor reflects its role in
supporting and enhancing global trade due
to its possession of one of the strongest
networks of connections with seaports and
decades of investment in building massive
ports that allow it to serve global trade
movement in a way that ensures flow.
Smooth commerce shows its efforts to
establish international connections and
contribute to a more sustainable future.
 The UAE's accession to the BRICS group in
2024 will reflect its keenness on
multilateralism in supporting peace and
development to achieve the well-being and
prosperity of peoples and nations around the
world, within the framework of its
commitment to multilateral action and
constructive dialogue that is supported by
effective platforms representing developing
and emerging economies at the international
level.
Foreign Assistance and Development
 The UAE's efforts in the international
S AT U R D AY, D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 0 2 3
White
Black
community reflect its balanced and
responsible approach to dealing with global
issues, as it continues to support people
affected by crises and disasters without
discrimination and works with international
partners to build the capabilities of
governments and people worldwide.
 In terms of national wealth, the Black UAE
remains one of the top donors of international
assistance.
 The UAE's relief and humanitarian work is
distinguished and leading for several
reasons, the most notable of which is that it
is an institutional work based on the
advancement of many official and private
bodies, the number of which exceeds 43
institutions and bodies, and its
comprehensiveness, as it extends beyond
providing material aid to movement to Magenta
areas -
Yellow
of humanitarian crisis, and direct interaction -
with their problems.
 The UAE has a unique experience in the
field of relief and humanitarian work, based
on continuity of influence by replacing
typical relief operations with the
implementation of development projects in
the interest of the people of the beneficiary
countries, such as building housing and
hospitals, power plants, and drilling wells,
Cyan
which has ensured the sustainability of basic
Magenta
resource availability and contributed to
improving living conditions in Yellow the
Black
beneficiary countries. The UAE's positions
are distinguished by its support of
development issues and humanitarian
cooperation at the global level, which has
earned it a position among the top ten donor
countries in the world.
Cyan
Magenta
Concept & Design
Advertising Supplements Department
: 0112 429 339, 0777 270 076
Coordinated by : Yazeer Mumthaz
Designed by :- Darshani Ranawaka
S AT U R D AY, D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 0 2 3 NEWS page 9 DN

National Policy on Indigenous Medicine formulated Procurement process is corrupt

and established for first time
ISHARA MUDUGAMUWA
Indigenous Medicine Pro-
motion Minister Sisira Jaya-
kody said in Parliament yes-
terday (30) that efforts will
be made to reduce the cost
of health care by strengthen-
ing the local medical sector.
The Minister of State said
this while joining the debate
on the budget of the Minis-
try of Health.
For the first time, the Cab-
inet has approved the estab-
lishment of a separate agen-
cy to protect the safety of
traditional healers and the
safety of indigenous medi-
cine. It is also stated that the
Ayurveda Corporation is
modernizing and introduc-
ing new capsules for fever,
cough and cold instead of
new 'kalka' and 'guli'.
The Minister said that the
State Minister also said that
new Ayurvedic centres based
on local Ayurvedic methods
called Wellness Centres will
be started in the near future.
He said that this is a massage
centre prepared on correct
Ayurvedic methods. For that,
three NVQ level training will
be provided and the State
Minister will give opportuni-
ties to those involved in the
tourism business to invest
here.
He also pointed out that
there is a tendency to travel
for treatments containing
nature and plant essences all
over the world. Physical
exercises and yoga exercises
are being discussed in depth.
He also said that due to
resorting to local medical
methods, it will be possible
to solve the problems that
the health sector has been
facing for a long time.
He also pointed out that
by strengthening local medi-
cal methods, solutions for
high blood pressure, diabe-
tes, and kidney stones that
have occurred in our country
will be found. He said that
many works were done to
uplift the local medical field.
For the first time in histo-
ry, we formulated the Nation-
al Policy on Indigenous
Medicine. It was possi-
ble to prepare a tradi-
tional medicine code by add-
ing traditional medicine reci-
pes and traditional medicine
recipes. The Ayurvedic law
code was drafted. For the
first time in history, a nation-
al policy on indigenous medi-
cine was established. For the
first time in history, an Ayur-
vedic physician was appoint-
ed as the Ayurvedic Commis-
sioner.
There are 1,050 Ayurvedic
medical vacancies in Eastern
Province alone. They will be
recruited in the future. 500
traditional doctors were
recruited by conducting
written examinations.
- MP Harini Amarasuriya
ISHARA MUDUGAMUWA
National People's Force
MP Harini Amarasuriya said
in Parliament yesterday (30)
that the procurement process
implemented in the Ministry
of Health is corrupt.
The MP said this while
joining the debate on finan-
cial heads of the Ministry of
Health.
The MP also said that the systems
are formed in such a way as to aid cor-
ruption. It takes about 7 months for
procurement. Reasons have been made
for seven months to pass. Those rea-
sons are the same reasons for corrup-
tion. We should pay attention to that.
The wrongdoers should be punished
regardless of rank. Sri Lanka Medical
Council is independent. In
some cases, there is a
problem with the inde-
pendence of those institu-
tions during the media
campaigns regarding
those institutions. The
Minister should pay atten-
tion to it.
About 1,500 nurses are
formally and informally abroad. There
is a shortage of nurses in the country. In
such a case, there is a problem with the
nurses in the country being sent abroad.
The Triposha problem is still not
resolved. Children under three years of
age should not be given a triphosha.
That programme should be restarted.
We should also focus on the develop-
ment work in the field of Ayurveda.

SLPA recognizes the services of media personalities

The Sri Lanka Press Associa- Speaking at
tion (SLPA) which was estab- the event
lished in 1955 conducted its 68th Minister
annual convention recently at Gunawardana
BMICH under the patronage of highly com-
Mass Media Minister Dr. Bandu- mended the
la Gunawardana. names of the
Sri Lanka's eminent journal- late Ven.
ists including Thilakaratna Kuru- Udakendawa-
wita Bandara, Muditha Kariya- la Siri
karawana, Thilak Senanayaka, Saranankara
Dr. Anura C Perera, K. Ari- Thera and
yasighe, Ananda Kannangara, the late D.F.
P.M. Senaratana, Chula Bandara K a r i y a -
Bannahaka, Julian Samarasing- karawana for
he, Cyril Ariyapala, Mali Yasan- the tireless
tha Gabrial, Somasiri Ranha- effort they
luge, Raja Gaunasinghe and Former Deputy Editor of both Daily News and Sunday Observer Ananda Kannangara took to estab-
Thilanka Kanakaratna were receives a token of appreciation, from Media Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardana. Indonesian lish the SLPA
felicitated at the ceremony. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Dewi Gustina Tobling, SLPA, President Sisira Wijesinghe and and said con-
Colombo University Sinhala SLPA, General Secretary Kurulu Kariyakarawana are also in the picture. ducting such
Department Prof. Sandagomi media personalities in the calibre journalists in the yesteryear who events would
Coperahewa made the keynote of former Dinamina Editor Push- immensely contributed to the further strengthen the role of
address. In addition several other pa Rowel and nine other veteran media field were also felicitated. media personnel in the country.

COPA focuses on fulfilling role of HRC

The attention of the Committee on Public
Accounts (COPA) was focused on the perfor-
mance and the role of the Human Rights
Commission (HRC).
The discussion on this took place when the
Committee on Public Accounts met in Parlia-
ment recently on
(Nov. 27) under the
chairmanship of the
role of the Human Rights Commission and
how the funds allocated in the budget for this
institution is spent. Also, the Chairman of the
Committee pointed out that due to public
trust in the Human Rights Commission, it is
the responsibility of the Commission to pro-
tect that trust.
Also, attention was also paid to the filling of
the existing vacancies in the commission and
regional offices said that officers will be
deployed to enter the data locally at regional
offices. In addition, the committee mentioned
that the necessary officials should be deployed
for this purpose soon.
Also, the number of complaints received by
this commission and the number of com-
plaints resolved so far were also discussed.
Thus, the committee pointed out the need to

Invitation for Bids

State Minister Las- the COPA recommended that the existing act quickly to resolve the number of com-
antha Alagiyawan- vacancies be filled quickly. plaints that have not yet been resolved by the
na. It was discussed In addition, the committee also inquired Commission. It was also decided to summon
at length how the about the non-operation of the data system the commission back to the committee on
Commission func- provided to the commission by UNDP. The January 24, 2024.
Chief Ministry – Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council tions in fulfilling the officials pointed out that this data system is State Minister Prasanna Ranaweera, Mohan
functioning properly Priyadarshana de Silva, Diana Gamage Mem-
Sealed bids are invited by the Chairman, Procurement Committee of the Chief Ministry, Sabaragamuwa Provincial bers of Parliament Tissa Attanayake, J.C.
AFFIRMATION CHANGE OF NAME and shows a weakness
Council under National Competitive Bidding Procedure from bidders who are qualified and have the ability for the Alavatuwala, Ashok Abeysinghe, Weerasuma-
OF NAME I, Ravindran Thiagarajan in data entry from
purchase of Cameras and Accessories for the Media Unit of the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council. regional offices. Offi- na Weerasinghe and Mudita Prishanthi par-
I, Jayasuriyaarachchige Iyer of No. 372/10A,
• Further details and information may be obtained by entering into “Purchase of Cameras and Accessories” Maximas Kithsiri De cials representing the ticipated at the meeting.
Katugastota Road,
by accessing the Tender Notice under Chief Ministry in https://sg.gov.lk/web/pages/tender-notices/ Saram of 53/12, Halpe Kandy in the Kandy
website. Mawatha, Jaela Divisional
• Further information regarding this may be obtained either by calling over at the Chief Ministry or by calling
on telephone numbers given below during office hours. Bid documents may be inspected free of charge by
Secretariat Division,
Gampaha District, do
Divisional Secretariat
Division, Kandy CONSTRUCTION GUARANTEE FUND
District, do hereby
any interested person between 9.00 a.m. and 3.00 p.m. on working days from 01.12.2023 until 14.12.2023. hereby kindly inform
that the name I have been inform the Government REGISTRATION OF SUPPLIERS FOR
• Bid documents will be issued from 01.12.2023 up to 3.00 p.m. on 14.12.2023.
Chairman
using since the year 1986 of Sri Lanka and the GOODS & SERVICES 2024
is "Jayasuriyaarachchige general public that I
Procurement Committee of the Chief Ministry Maximas Kithsiri de have changed my name Construction Guarantee Fund (CGF) invites parties
Chief Ministry Saram" and I shall be as Thiyagaraja Iyer having valid Business Registration and active in the
Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council using that name at present
Ravindran and will use
New Town, Ratnapura. as well as in future. fields of Supply of Goods & Services to register for
that name hereinafter.
Tel. No. 045-2223298 / 045-2222204 Jayasuriyaarachchige the Year 2024.
Maximas Kithsiri De Thiyagaraja Iyer
01.12.2023
Saram Ravindran Registration Close at 1300 hrs on 22.12.2023.
For applications please email with yours to
INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) admin@cgf.gov.lk between 1000 hrs and 1400 hrs
during weekdays.
BOARD OF INVESTMENT OF SRI LANKA (BOI) Successful parties should re-register later under
e-procurement scheme of the Govt. (Hotline 1925)
1. The Chairman, Department Procurement Committee, on behalf of the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka invites sealed bids from eligible and qualified bidders for the
following works. Chairman, Procurement Committee,
(i) Proposed drain renovation phase II ATG to Lanka Naigai at Katunayake Export Processing Zone - Contract No: BOI/INF/KEPZ/2023/01.01.026 Construction Guarantee Fund
(ii) Improvement of Peripheral Fence at Phase I, Katunayake Export Processing Zone (KEPZ) - Contract No: BOI/INF/KEPZ/2023/01.08.010 "Savsiripaya", Wijerama Mawatha, Colombo 07.
Details of the works are Issuing Bidding Date & Time
Construction / Bid Pre Bid Meeting/ Validity
as follows : Eligibility/ Document of Submission
Installation Security(Rs,)/ Date/Time/ of the
Contract No/ Qualification Non-refundable of Bid (Closing
Period (days) Valid up to Venue Bid
Project Description/Location Fee (Rs.) of Bid)
BOI/INF/KEPZ/2023/01.01.026
Civil From - 04.12.2023 Date - 12.12.2023
Proposed drain renovation phase II
Construction 300,000.00 to 22.12.2023 Time - 1000hrs 27.12.2023
ATG to Lanka Naigai at 90 24.04.2024
Grade – C7 22.05.2024 5,000/- Venue - Director at 1400hrs
Katunayake Export Processing
or C6 or C5 SSCL+VAT Office, KEPZ
Zone
BOI/INF/KEPZ/2023/01.08.010 Building From - 04.12.2023 Date - 12.12.2023
Improvement of Peripheral Fence Construction 206,000.00 to 22.12.2023 Time - 1100hrs 27.12.2023
90 24.04.2024
at Phase I, Katunayake Grade - C5, C6 22.05.2024 5,500/- Venue - Director at 1500hrs
Export Processing Zone and C7 SSCL+VAT Office, KEPZ

2. Bidding will be conducted through National Competitive Bidding procedure.

3. The successful bidder shall not have been blacklisted.
4. Qualification requirements to qualify for contract award include:
4.1 BOI/INF/KEPZ/2023/01.08.010
Experience as a main contractor for at least one contract of a similar nature equivalent to the proposed Works over the period of last 10 years.
5. Interested bidders may obtain further information from the Deputy Director (Engineering Services), Engineering Services Department, Board of Investment of
Sri Lanka, Katunayake Export Processing Zone, Katunayake, Tel: 011-2252368 and inspect the bidding documents from the same address between 0900hrs and
1500hrs during weekdays.
6. A complete set of Bidding Documents in English language may be purchased by interested bidders on submission of a written application on a business letterhead
to the Deputy Director (Engineering Services), Engineering Services Department, Board of Investment of Sri Lanka, Katunayake Export Processing Zone,
Katunayake between 0900hrs and 1500hrs upon payment of a non-refundable fee. The method of payment will be by cash.
7. Sealed Bids shall be delivered to “The Chairman Procurement Committee II, Board of Investment of Sri Lanka, C/o Deputy Director (Engineering Services),
Finance Department, Board of Investment of Sri Lanka, Katunayake Export Processing Zone, Katunayake". Late bids will be rejected. Bids will be opened
soon after closing in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend.
Chairman
Board of Investment of Sri Lanka
DN page 10 EDITORIAL S AT U R D AY, D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 0 2 3

Now, this moment!

SACHITRA MAHENDRA
Ajahn Brahm did not just

T
parachute from the
he foreign monk
concept is no heavens. He was practising
alien concept to the Dhamma alone for quite
S a t u rd ay, D e c e m b e r 2 , 2 02 3
Sri Lanka. The a long time before he finally
country had been came in for community
maintaining excellent diplo-
matic relations with other communication. Looking at
Buddhist countries well him, it is hard to believe he
End these antics before the European arrival.
The country leaders always
is actually 63 years.
His teachings have many
made it a point to exchange
controversial elements
W
e all know about all types of `Mafias› such as
three-wheeler mafia, private bus mafia, gifts with each other. Many
rice mafia, drug mafia, ransom mafia, trade foreign monks came to Sri which have a great appeal
union mafia, middlemen’s mafia etc. very well. People
Lanka as a result, keenly for the modern generation.
interested in studying and He applies his pet subject,
undergo various harassments by various mafias every following the Buddha’s teach-
day and therefore it is nothing new to them. ings. ‘loving kindness’, even in
People have practical solutions to control all those It is doubtful, however, if places where it is almost
mafias but unfortunately the media do not give them any of those monks could unthinkable.
any opportunity to present them and publicize them. make an impact the local
audience like Ajahn Brahm
We can tolerate mafias to a certain extent but if it
did. His mainstream books (he
affects our tourism industry and tarnishes the image of His visit to Sri Lanka is has various booklets pub-
the Motherland, we have to do something about it as generally a much looked-for- lished as well) are distinc-
soon as possible. ward to event among Bud- tively different from each
According to information revealed by the media yester- dhists. You would naturally other. Some of his books are
day, the Ella Rawan Odyssey tourist double decker bus inquire why all this fuss for a ‘Opening the Door of Your
service has been halted temporarily due to the protest simple foreign monk when Heart’, ‘Good? Bad? Who
there is quite a number of Knows?’ (sequel to ‘Opening
of the three-wheeler mafia in the area and all those virtuous monks in this coun- the Door’), ‘Happiness
who support them. try. That inquiry is valid as through Meditation’, ‘Wis-
The tourist double decker bus had to halt operations long as you have no idea who dom Born of Stillness’, ‘The
temporarily because three-wheeler operators, van this Ajahn Brahm really is. Art of Disappearing’ and
drivers, motor bicycle riders and all the other drivers The more you study Ajahn’s ‘Simply this Moment’.
who support them blocked the bus at Ella town and life, times and work, the This is not to undermine
protested. The tourists inside the bus faced an extreme- more your question looks the Sri Lankan monk in gen-
ignorant. eral, but Ajahn Brahm’s style
ly uncomfortable situation. All buses and other vehicles Because Ajahn Brahm is quite distinctive that it is
which transport tourists along the Ella – Passara road (lesser known as Ajahn Brah- hard to imagine a local monk
were blocked for hours, and the tourists faced numer- mavamso Mahathera) is equipped with those charac-
ous difficulties.    unique. teristics. His western
The three-wheeler mafia members and others had upbringing as well as the
stated that they do not get hires and cannot pay back influence from his Thai mas-
their leasing instalments because of this bus service. Unique Teachings ter Ajahn Chah would have
contributed to this. His west-
Therefore they demanded the authorities to stop the Ajahn Brahm’s uniqueness ern upbringing gave him the
bus services. The question is, should the authorities let could be accredited to two courage and confidence to
them harass tourists so that they can pay back their reasons: first, his preaching deal with subjects such as
leasing instalments. No one else can be responsible style; second, his contents. sex, while the training under
for paying back leasing instalments. If they bought He is quite active while he Ajahn Chah offered him a
three wheelers on a lease basis, they have to pay it delivers the Dhamma talk. foundation to interpret
He would laugh out aloud, Dhamma in a witty manner.
back. It is as simple as that. Stopping a tourist bus will and at times makes the audi- Once reproaching Ajahn
not make any difference. ence burst out with laughter Sumedho, Ajahn Chah
The bottom line is that tourists who visit Sri Lanka can- with what he himself calls stressed on the fact that for community communica-
not be forced to pay ten times more than the actual silly jokes. Then he narrates Dhamma talks should be tion. Looking at him, it is
price to travel 10 or 15 kilometres just because the stories, more from his own given without prior prepara- hard to believe he is actually
three-wheeler operators have to pay the leasing instal- life than the scriptures. If he tion. If it is prepared, Ajahn 63 years.
ments.       takes stories from the scrip- elaborated, it holds no credi- His teachings have many
tures, he would deconstruct bility. You could exert so controversial elements which
Tourists from all over the world love to visit Sri Lanka. them to suit his audience, much information from have a great appeal for the
They want to experience Sri Lanka properly. Tourism is mostly Australian, Singapo- Dhamma books, but that is modern generation. He
the only unstoppable dollar spring for Sri Lanka. We rean and Indonesian. scholarship – the Dhamma applies his pet subject, ‘lov-
need to protect and promote tourism in this country on He has compiled 108 of talk is yet another lecture. ing kindness’, even in places
behalf of the entire population in Sri Lanka. those stories into a compila- His visit to Sri Lanka is generally where it is almost unthinka-
It is the three-wheeler mafia which harasses tourists tion called ‘Opening the a much looked-forward to event ble. It might be difficult to
Door of Your Heart’, which is Practical Experience control your anger in the first
more than anyone else. Along with them, vehicle own-
available in Sinhala as well. among Buddhists. You would instance, second instance, or
ers and drivers also charge extremely unreasonable The last story, 108th one, in Intriguingly, the Arahants naturally inquire why all this fuss may be even the third
prices to transport them from one location to another. his ‘Opening the Door of during the Buddha’s time for a simple foreign monk when instance, but that is quite all
We need to get rid of these mafias as soon as possible Your Heart, offers a symbolic never made use of books to there is quite a number of right – Ajahn would teach.
as part of a tourism promotional drive. meaning: no matter how deliver Dhamma talks. Ajahn You don’t have to be annoyed
The law enforcement officers need to be educated on much you listen to and read Chah emphasized the impor- virtuous monks in this country. with yourself for not being
this issue and they should be instructed to take the these stories, it is of no use if tance of delivering Dhamma That inquiry is valid as long as able to control your anger.
members of any such mafia into custody immediately
you choose to dwell in the talks based on practical expe- you have no idea who this He would also draw many
same quagmire without rience. For instance, if you examples and similes to elab-
when they are seen to harass tourists. attempting to gain happi- deal with Jhana as the sub-
Ajahn Brahm really is. The more orate his subject.
Luckily, two reputed ride hailing services are now avail- ness. ject of your Dhamma talk, you study Ajahn’s life, times and He was once questioned
able at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Ajahn Brahm’s teachings you should have experienced work, the more your question whether he knew he has a
Katunayake and the relevant authorities, the Cabinet are diverse, which could be Jhana in the first place. looks ignorant. facebook account made by a
Minister and the Government did not give into the evil segmented into three main That is how Ajahns emerge fan. Responding to the ques-
demands of three-wheeler and private taxi mafias to categories: 1. Talking to the – with practice. You are enti- tion, Ajahn said it is quite all
popular audience 2. Medita- tled to the title of Ajahn – right to be active in facebook
remove those two world famous reputed ride hailing tion 3. Dealing with more which is teacher in Thai, tradition, a forest monk est-based monk delivers a but what is important is prac-
services from the BIA. serious Dhamma matters, derived from Pali Acharya – would dedicate some time for Dhamma talk as he is dealing tice. “Ajahn Chah taught us
This is highly commendable because all tourists and meant for monks. Although only when you could claim the community service as with practical knowledge. only a little. He did not want
even Sri Lankans who arrive at the BIA can order a car he would mostly combine the sufficient experience of well. Ajahn Chah undoubted- Ajahn Brahm did not just us to keep on listening to
from either of these services and travel safely for an second with first, he is cau- Dhamma practice. ly foresaw the importance of parachute from the heavens. him. So spreading Dhamma
extremely reasonable charge. This charge is usually tious never to interfuse it Ajahn Chah was instru- this tradition-combination. He was practising the Dham- in facebook is not enough.
into the third, which is the mental in combining forest The laity could be much ma alone for quite a long You have to practise it, now,
much less than the price charged by three-wheeler
most serious of all. and village traditions. In his more benefited when the for- time before he finally came in this moment.”
drivers and other private vehicle drivers. Nevertheless,
the three-wheeler mafia dominates areas where popu-
lar five-star hotels are located in the outstations.      
The three-wheeler operators act against both local and
foreign travellers since the arrival of Covid-19. They did
not do anything to protect their passengers. They
started to charge 10 times more than the actual charge
from   elderly or sick passengers who cannot travel
without a three-wheeler. They continued this practice
during the fuel and economic crisis of 2022.
Many three-wheeler drivers have started to snatch valu-
ables from female passengers and other old or feeble
passengers while transporting them. They enter a lonely
road, snatch everything from the passenger(s), leave
them there and drive away quickly. This is how the three-
wheeler drivers treat local passengers. There is no need
to explain how they treat foreign passengers who do not
know much about the local roads and environs.
The Government and the low enforcement authorities
should not give in to the three-wheeler mafia and all
the others who are connected to it. Three wheelers
also cause the biggest number of road accidents as
they drive like maniacs on the roads. The toughest
possible action should be taken against them when-
ever a complaint is received against them from the
travelling public.
If possible, the Government and the Transport Ministry
should gradually phase out three wheelers over the
next 10 years or so and replace them with a proper
car-based taxi service. Three wheelers can continue to
be allowed in this country as a private vehicle and not
as a vehicle that provides a transport service (hires) to
the public.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Transportation is the centre of the world! It is
the glue of our daily lives.
Robin Chase
S AT U R D AY, D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 0 2 3
The Dawn of a New
Multilateralism
NARENDRA MODI
T
oday marks 365 days since
India assumed the G20 Presi-
dency. It is a moment to
reflect, recommit and rejuve-
nate the spirit of “Vasudhaiva
Kutumbakam,” One Earth, One Family,
One Future.
As we undertook this responsibility last
year, the global landscape grappled with
multifaceted challenges: recovery from
the COVID-19 pandemic, looming climate
threats, financial instability and debt dis-
tress in developing nations, all amid
declining multilateralism. In the midst of
conflicts and competition, development
cooperation suffered, impeding progress.
Assuming the G20 Chair, India sought
to offer the world an alternative to the
status quo, a shift from Gross Domestic
Product (GDP)-centric to human-centric
progress. India aimed to remind the world
of what unites us, rather than what divides
us. Finally, the global conversation had to
evolve — the interests of the few had to
give way to the aspirations of the many.
This required a fundamental reform of
multilateralism as we knew it.
Inclusive, ambitious, action-oriented
and decisive — these four words defined
our approach as G20 President. And the
New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration, unani-
mously adopted by all G20 Members, is a
testimony to our commitment to deliver
on these principles.
Inclusivity has been at the heart of our
Presidency. The inclusion of the African
Union (AU) as a Permanent Member of
the G20 integrated 55 African nations
into the forum, expanding it to encom-
pass 80 percent of the global population.
This proactive stance has fostered a more
comprehensive dialogue on global chal-
lenges and opportunities.
The first-of-its-kind “Voice of the Global
South Summit,” convened by India in two
editions, heralded a new dawn of multilat-
eralism. India has mainstreamed the
Global South’s concerns in international
discourse and ushered in an era where
developing countries take their rightful
place in shaping the global narrative.
Inclusivity also infused India’s domestic
approach to the G20, making it a people’s
Presidency that befitted that world’s larg-
est democracy. Through “jan bhagidari”
(people’s participation) events, the G20
reached 1.4 billion citizens, involving all
States and Union Territories as partners.
And on substantive elements, India
ensured that international attention was
directed to broader developmental aims,
aligning with the G20’s mandate.
At the critical midpoint of the 2030
Agenda, India delivered the G20 2023
Action Plan to Accelerate Progress on the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),
taking a cross-cutting, action-oriented
approach to interconnected issues, includ-
ing health, education, gender equality and
environmental sustainability.
Now and then: the Beatles legacy shines
G
DISHAN JOSEPH
rowing up as a teenager I
enjoyed the pulsating music
of three bands- The Beatles,
The Eagles and Journey. I
was delighted like millions of
fans to hear the new song of The Bea-
tles, released recently. It was an emo-
tional experience. Now And Then- was
originally a demo written and recorded
in 1977 by former Beatles’ member John
Lennon. An apologetic love song, it’s
fairly typical of John Lennon’s solo out-
put of the 1970s. The Fab Four’s “emo-
tional” farewell single Now And Then is
available for fans 45 years later. The
Beatles are widely regarded as one of the
most influential musical groups in con-
temporary history. Their triumphs were
a direct result of their talent and com-
mitment to experimenting with new
approaches. They were never hesitant to
try out new instruments and sounds.
The band consisted of John Lennon,
Paul McCartney, George Harrison and
Ringo Starr – 4 good friends who came
together.
The song was completed at last by
surviving members Paul McCartney and
Ringo Starr, among others, after new
technology helped extract Lennon’s
vocals from the original demo, while
George Harrison guitar parts from the
initial attempt to finish the track were
also incorporated into the song. The
Beatles are often regarded as the most
influential band of all time. What distin-
guishes them from the others is the last-
ing impact they have left on music. As
one of the decades’s defining bands of
the 1960s, the Beatles thoroughly
engaged themselves in everything. Their
love for their craft could be seen, heard
and felt even decades later.
Released on November 2, “Now and
Then” debuted on the UK’s Official Sin-
gles Chart at No. 42 the following day.
Just over a week later, on Friday, the
melancholic tune reached No. 1. The
Beatles set a new record coming back 60
years and six months after their first UK
No. 1, “From Me To You,” in May 1963,
according to Official Charts, beating
Elvis Presley’s span of 47 years and six
I am delighted that, during our presidency, India
achieved the extraordinary: it revitalized multilater-
alism, amplified the voice of the Global South,
championed development and fought for the
empowerment of women everywhere.
A key area driving this progress is
robust digital public infrastructure. Here,
India was decisive in its recommenda-
tions, having witnessed the revolutionary
impact of digital innovations like Aad-
haar, Universal Payment Interface (UPI)
and Digilocker first-hand.
Through the G20, we successfully com-
pleted the Global Digital Public Infra-
structure Repository, a significant stride
in technological collaboration. This repos-
itory, featuring more than 50 digital pub-
lic infrastructures from 16 countries, will
help the Global South build, adopt and
scale such infrastructures to unlock the
power of inclusive growth.
For our “One Earth,” we introduced
ambitious and inclusive aims to create
urgent, lasting and equitable change. The
New Delhi declaration’s “Green Develop-
ment Pact” addresses the challenges of
choosing between combating hunger and
protecting the planet by outlining a com-
prehensive roadmap, in which employ-
ment and ecosystems are complementary,
consumption is climate-conscious and
production is planet-friendly.
In tandem, the G20 Declaration called
for an ambitious tripling of global renew-
able energy capacity by 2030. Coupled
with the establishment of the Global Bio-
months. “Now and Then” is the fastest-
selling single of the year so far in the
UK, with 48,600 physical and download
sales in its first week, as well as 78,200
combined UK chart units across sales
and streaming. Critics have been broadly
positive about Now And Then, with the
Guardian giving it four stars out of five,
and calling it “an affecting tribute to the
band’s bond”.
“Now and Then” features the sound of
every member of the British rock group,
including the vocals of the late John
Lennon decades after he wrote it, as
well as a guitar solo from the late
George Harrison. For Now And Then,
the software was able to “lift” Lennon’s
voice from the original cassette record-
OPINION
fuels Alliance and a concerted push for
Green Hydrogen, the G20’s ambitions to
build a cleaner, greener world is undenia-
ble. This has always been India’s ethos
and, through Lifestyles for Sustainable
Development, the world can benefit from
our age-old sustainable traditions.
Further, the Declaration underscores
our commitment to climate justice and
equity, urging substantial financial and
technological support from the Global
North. For the first time, there was a rec-
ognition of the quantum jump needed in
the magnitude of Development Financing,
moving from billions to trillions of dol-
lars. The G20 acknowledged that develop-
ing countries require US$ 5.9 trillion to
fulfill their nationally determined contri-
butions by 2030.
Given the monumental resources
required, the G20 emphasized the impor-
tance of better, larger and more effective
multilateral development banks. Concur-
rently, India is taking a leading role in the
United Nations (UN) reforms, especially
in the restructuring of principal organs
like the UN Security Council (UNSC),
which will ensure a more equitable global
order.
Gender equality took center stage in
the Declaration, culminating in the
ing, removing the background hiss that
had hampered previous attempts to
complete the song. In McCartney’s
words Lennon’s voice is “crystal clear”
on Now And Then.
Back in the day, The Beatles changed
the attitude of how the young behaved.
The band promoted the right to self-
expression and persuaded the genera-
tion that love was the answer. They have
inspired millions of people to see the
light in moments of darkness with their
works of peace, love, and anti-war songs,
bringing unbridled joy and uplifting
everyone who listened. Furthermore,
their songs’ messages still resonate
today, proving just how much one band
with good intentions could influence an
announcement of a dedicated Working
Group on the Empowerment of Women,
which will be formed next year. India’s
Women’s Reservation Bill 2023, reserving
a third of India’s Parliament and State
Legislative Assembly (SLA) Seats for
women, epitomizes our commitment to
women-led development.
The New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration
embodies a renewed spirit of collabora-
tion across these key priorities, focusing
on policy coherence, reliable trade and
ambitious climate action. It is a matter of
pride that, during our Presidency, the
G20 achieved 87 outcomes and 118
adopted documents, a marked rise from
the past.
During our G20 Presidency, India led
the deliberations on geopolitical issues
and their impact on economic growth and
development. Terrorism and the senseless
killing of civilians is unacceptable and we
must address it with a policy of zero toler-
ance. We must embody humanitarianism
over hostility and reiterate that this is not
an era of war.
I am delighted that, during our presi-
dency, India achieved the extraordinary: it
revitalized multilateralism, amplified the
voice of the Global South, championed
development and fought for the empower-
ment of women everywhere.
As we hand over the G20 presidency to
Brazil in South America, we do so with
the conviction that our collective steps for
people, planet, peace and prosperity will
resonate for years to come.
The writer is the
Prime Minister of India.
entire generation and more generations
to come.
The Beatles grew creative with their
music. They popularized the concept of
a full-length album in the late 1960s, set-
ting the groundwork for other bands’
artistic evolutions. The Beatles were the
masters of experimenting – they were
always trying out new sounds, lyrics,
studio technology, and even cover art.
To them, music and art aren’t something
to settle with but a medium that you
could stretch to the limits and create deft
and bold creations with.
The album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely
Hearts Club Band has repeatedly been
classed as the greatest album ever to be
made. It might not have been the band’s
most creative album, but it was one that
further revolutionized recording pro-
cesses. The production of Sgt Pepper
was the result of new standards in exper-
tise and innovation. An estimated 700
hours of work went into recording the
album according to producer George
Martin.
Throughout the majority of the
1960s, the Beatles dominated pop
charts, breaking several sales and atten-
dance records all over the globe. This
quick rise to success sparked “Beatle-
mania” in 1963 – a term used to describe
the incredibly devoted fans that would
follow the band all over the country.
These (mainly female) fans paved the
way for boy band culture, influencing
how fans react at shows even to this
day.
The Beatles sparked changes in the
way teenagers walked, talked and
dressed. The shaggy haircut, known as a
mop-top, suddenly became popular in
the early 60s and long hair became more
socially acceptable. The band also popu-
larized Cuban-heeled boots, known as
“Beatle boots”. Later, in their more psy-
chedelic phase, they inspired imitators
to grow moustaches and beards.
John Lennon’s anti-war campaigns –
and his song of peace, ‘Imagine’ – still
resonate five decades later. One must
remember that what The Beatles com-
municated in their music, was unbridled
joy. They will shine forever.
page 11 DN
Rukshan does not age
T
he 30th of November, 2014 was a Sunday I wish
never came. The 29th of November, Saturday, was a
long day but not atypical as those who work for
Sunday newspaper know. Sunday was therefore a day to
sleep late into the morning. Slow recharge of batteries. It
was not to be.
Around 5.45 am I received a call. There was only one
reason for anyone in the editorial staff of ‘The Nation’ to
call me at that hour. So I picked up the phone.
Pushpika, graphic designer, wanted to know where I
was.
‘Office,’ I said. Yes, those were days when I spent many
nights in my office. Typically Saturdays.
‘Api dan ohata enava (we are coming there now).’
We. So I knew she wasn’t alone. And I knew she was in
a three-wheeler.
‘Api Ragamata yanna ona (we need to go to Ragama)’
she continued.
‘Rukshan?’ I asked.
‘Ow (yes).’
By this time I knew she was in a three-wheeler and I
figured out she was not alone.
‘Rukshan nathi vunada (has Rukshan passed away)?’
I sensed it.
‘Ow.’
He had died the previous night, maybe a short while
after we put the paper to bed, so to speak. I wasn’t shocked
but that’s not because it was something expected. I was
exhausted and not because of a long and tedious Saturday.
I was tired and so were we all, i.e. Rukshan Abeywansa’s
friends at ‘The Nation.’
Five months earlier Rukshan met with a tragic accident
which left him paralyzed neck downwards. We were devas-
tated. We would have been as upset had it been anyone else
and would have certainly expended the same efforts to
make sure that the best treatment was obtained, I am sure.
At the same time I cannot think of anyone who was more
loved by one and all not just at ‘The Nation,’ but the entire
Rivira Media Corporation (Pvt) Ltd.
Rukshan was the best photojournalist we had. He was
adjudged Photojournalist of the Year 2013 while he was in
hostpital; his wife Sharm had to collect the award on his
behalf and we His photographs lifted the newspaper. He
was indefatigable. Never once complained. Always, always
smiled.
The hospital bills continued to mount during those long
months at Asiri Central Hospital. Almost at the same
speed contributions towards meeting these expenses
poured in. The entire newspaper fraternity chipped in for
Rukshan was known by fellow photojournalists in other
newspapers. He was known by others too. Friends asked
other friends. Unknown people responded to requests.
Kumar De Silva contributed all proceeds from his exhibi-
tion ‘Nostalgie.’ In fact he continued to help Rukshan’s
family even after Rukshan passed away channelling what-
ever was earned from subsequent editions of ‘Nostalgia.’
I remember the then President, Mahinda Rajapaksa call-
ing me one morning over something. As was his way he
asked me how I was. I told him, in Sinhala, ‘I am ok, but
something has happened and I feel absolutely helpless.’
And I told him about Rukshan.
‘Oh my god,’ he said and told me to send him all the
details. He released Rs 1.4 million from the President’s
Fund. Dian Gomes, a friend, responded to an email almost
immediately, asking for the account numbers. He made a
substantial contribution.
It may have eased the minds of Rukshan’s family, but
then again, we had told them, especially his mother, ‘all
you can give and should think about giving is love; we will
take care of all other matters.’
Rukshan melted people’s hearts during those months
when he was rendered helpless and immobile. When we
rushed to the Accident Ward, he wanted to know if Kavin-
da Vimarshana, who was riding the motorcycle that fateful
morning, was alright. Then he asked if he had lost his legs
because he had lost all feeling. Then he smiled at me and
asked ‘thaaththata kohomada?’ He knew my father hadn’t
been too well. He was like that.
About two years before the accident, Rukshan came to my
office and said ‘boss, mama vena rassaavak hoyagannada (is
it ok if I look for another job)?’ I told him to wait, because
we were understaffed and were in the process of putting
together a good team of journalists. He smiled and said ‘ok,
boss.’ A few months before the accident I called him to my
office and told him that it is time he thought of developing
his career somewhere else. He smiled and said ‘ok, boss.’
The last time I saw him, he told me that all he wanted
was to recover some control over his fingers so that he
could use a touchpad and select photographs for an exhibi-
tion. He knew that chances of recovery were close to non-
existent. He was resigned to this and yet had lost none of
his zest for life.
‘Such courage,’ I told myself. As always, I spoke a few
words which I felt would offer some comfort and left.
And then came that Sunday. Rukshan, who had been
transferred to a rehabilitation facility in Ragama, had
passed away. A few days earlier when a friend, who hap-
pened to be single, visited him, Rukshan had told him that
there are lots of pretty young nurses there. He always
found ways to make people smile during those terrible
days. And they all cried after leaving his bedside.
And then we tried to find consolation, each in his or her
own way. I thought back on all the prayers murmured in all
places of religious worship — Buddhist temples, Hindu
temples, churches — the blessings, the bodhi poojas etc.
We had prayed individually and collectively for Rukshan.
We wanted him to heal. He did. Nine years ago I wrote a
note:
‘He brought into this world a karmic life expectancy. He
paid for ancient sins. He paid all his dues, I am convinced.
When the final payment was made, however, the physical
body was beyond repair. There was no reason for him to suf-
fer. He left. It was not the ‘escape’ or the ‘healing’ we want-
ed, but it was freedom nevertheless. Rukshan went well.’
Sunday the 30th of November, 2014. I remember that
day clearly, although nine years have passed. Our Nation
lost its heartbeat that day. We were left diminished. And
since then, almost every single day, I think of Rukshan and
hope he is making more tender the regions he travels now,
unencumbered by paralysis of any kind.
malindadocs@gmail.com.
www.malindawords.blogspot.com.
 S AT U R D AY, D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 0 2 3 page
12

Sports Editor : 011 242 9223 e mail : sports.dailynews@lakehouse.lk

New trainer and physio for CR and FC go out favourites

national cricket team
DHAMMIKA RATNAWEERA
Sri Lanka Cricket ( SLC) is
expected to get new trainer and
physiotherapist for the National
team to focus on next year Nation-
al team assignments . SLC Chief
Executive officer Ashley de Silva
has confirmed National team
Trainer Grant Ludan and Physio-
therapist Chris Clarke have already
resigned form their respective
posts after recently concluded ICC
world cup cricket tournament held
in India.
Both of them had to complete
two year contract period which has
to conclude next January but both
of them handed over their resigna-
tion due to personal reasons .The
CEO also said before completing
contract period they have gone and
SLC is looking to get new Trainer
and Physiotherapist for the Nation-
al team.We wanted to call inter-
view and select suitable persons
for the vacated posts but we have
not decided they are either foreign
or the local supporting staff mem-
bers.This has to be decided after
discussion with Exco committee.
After the disappointed perfor-
mance of National team at the
recent World Cup SLC have not
decided what are the changes for
the National team .There is a
rumour about changing selection
committee and supporting staff
members but it has not yet been
finalised
Meanwhile the High Perfor-
mance Head Tim McCaskill from
head coach Chris Silverwood briefing the Sri Lanka players during a match
team took place at the R.Premada-
sa stadium MAX Academy and
after this argument the two coach-
es decided to resign from their
posts .However Anton Roux from
South Africa fielding coach and
head coach Chris Silverwood will
continue while Assistant coach
Naveed Nawaz,spin coach Piyal
Wijetunga ,fast bowling coach
Dharshana Gamage are still with
the National team.
Busy schedule for
Sri Lanka team
Sri Lanka Cricket team has busy
schedule next year starting with
Zimbabwe ODI three match series
at Pallekele and three T-20 matches
at Dambulla in January followed
by Afghanistan series one test
,three ODI'’ s and three T-20 ‘ s
January/ February both hosted by
three ODI'’ s and 3 T-20’ s and
three test series against England in
England next August / September.
Meanwhile New Zealand team
will tour Sri Lanka for two test
matches next September and West
Indies team will arrive here for 3
ODI and 3 T-20 ‘ s in October.Once
again New Zealand team will tour
here next November for 3 ODI
and 3 T-20’ s and Sri Lanka team
will tour South Africa in Novem-
ber/ December for two test match-
es next year. 2024 December and
2025 January Sri Lanka team is
scheduled to leave for New Zea-
land for 3 ODI’ s and 3 T-20’ s .
Sri Lanka cricket not given per-
mission to the fast bowlers for
ongoing franchise cricket tourna-
ments and this is mainly to focus
on National team schedule as fast
bowlers easily get injured with
their heavy workload .In addition
tee has decided to select players
for NSL based on the performance
of Major clubs cricket tournament
SLC suspension may be
removed very soon
SLC CEO Ashley de Silva said
they hope ICC will remove suspen-
sion very soon to continue this
schedule.Despite this suspension
there aren't any obstruction to play
the scheduled matches and SLC
tour organizing committee and
Exco committee are really plan-
ning this cricket series .
Meanwhile SLC also expected to
host ICC Annual Meeting in Sri
Lanka next June and SLC Exco
committee hope to get green light
from ICC .
Sports Minister says under
19 world cup is big loss
We have missed good opportu-
nity to host ICC under 19 world
cup which is scheduled to be held
in January and February and due
to this suspension that is moved to
South Africa.However Sri Lanka
earlier planned to conduct this
tournament and ICC spent some
money to arrange this under 19
world cup and due to hosting
change to South Africa SLC had to
return that money to ICC.
We missed that great opportuni-
ty and lost more than 600 million
Dollars for hotel accommodation
and transport and that is a very
big loss for Sri Lanka said new
Tikiri Ellepola, President of CR & FC receiving the sponsorship cheque from Dilshan Wirasekara,
MD/CEO of First Capital Holdings. Others in the picture from left to right Ramesh Schaffter,
MD/Group CEO, Janashakthi Group and Jacques Diasz, General Secretary, CR & FC
CR and FC will be at full strength as they go
out favourites aginat Army in their first game
with new sets of sponsors at the Nippon Paint
Sri Lanka Rugby Major League XV-a-side
Rugby Tournament game at Panagoda today.
The kick-off off is at 3.45 p.m.
The defending Clifford Cup champions and
League Tournamnet runner up, CR and FC
will be led by Suhiru Anthony this year. Suhi-
ru Anthony, a former Peterite and Kandy SC
player later donned the Longden Place club
jersey will have the services of over 20 senior
players who have been playing as a unit for
the last three years.
They have also included several prominent
school boy players including Rinesh Silva,
Costa from Isipathana, Randul Senanayake,
Royal, Colombo, Navin Marasinghe St.
Josephs, Colombo, Aadil and Mohamed from
Zahira,Colombo,Vindya de Mel and, Tharindu
Kushan both from St.Peters, Bambalapitiya,
Eran Corea Wesley while some experienced
players like Adeesha Weeratunga, Navy, Venu-
ra Kodagoda( CH), Sugath Nanayakkara
(Army), Randy Silva and Eranga Ariyapala
from Havelocks have joined with the red jer-
sey men to strengthen their squad this season.
CR has appointed two of their senior and
experienced players Murshid Dooray former
Wesley Skipper and former Isipathana captain
Manilka Ruberu as joint vice captains. Mean-
while, CR which celebrated its centenary, will
lock horns with First Capital Holdings as their
Platinum sponsor.
“To prosper in any business there has to be
a collective team effort without any individual
brilliance. Like wise when two legendary
teams come together a great legacy penned
for history. As we know CR is now a champi-
on outfit and has a legacy with a rich Rugby
heritage in the country.
“We had several other requests from some
other clubs in the competition. But we opted
to join hands with CR which has produced
some champion sides and players too. Last
years performance has proved it. We wish the
players all the very best.” Said Dilshan
Wirasekara, MD/CEO of First Capital Hold-
ings Plc
Tikri Ellepola the President of CR & FC
briefing the media said “ We are delighted to
have First Capital a pioneer institution part-
nering with us as our Platinum sponsor. We
are very grateful and thankful to them. With-
out a sponsor a game like Rugby cannot be
played which needs a huge budget. With this
joint venture we expect to grab all the titles
on offer."

Havies in smashing 49-8 win over Air Force

Australia and Foreign supporting
staff members with the National
team were highly criticized after
the World Cup and an argument
between Local coaches and foreign
coaches who work with National
Sri Lanka and then Bangladesh
match series 2 tests ,3 ODI ‘ s 3
T-20 ‘ s in Bangladesh in February/
March. After this series next June
/ July I CC T - 20 world cup in USA
and West Indies. India team will
travel to Sri Lanka next July for
after this three day major clubs
tournaments SLCwill conduct
National Super League ( NSL)
cricket tournament which is the
highest domestic tournament.
The provincial selection commit-
Sports Minister Harin Fernando.
now we are unlikely to get the
hosting rights Sports Minister.is
hoping at least ICC Annual Meet-
ing could be hosted by Sri Lanka
next year
Havelock Sports Club scored a smashing sion League Rugby Tournament played
49 points (4 goals, 3 tries, 2 penalties) to 8 under lights at Havelock Park yesterday
(1 try, 1 penalty) win over Air Force in the after leading 21-8 at half time.
curtain-raiser of the Nippon Paint A Divi- Referee: Gihan Yatawara

Swimming stars compete for
World Championship spots
Matthew Abeysinghe
SAJEEWA JAYAKODY
In a bid to secure spots for four swim-
mers at the World Aquatic Championship
in Doha in February 2024, the Sri Lanka
Aquatic Sports Union (SLASU) is set to
conduct a Selection Trial at the Sugatha-
dasa Stadium Swimming Pool today (Satur-
day) starting from 8:30 AM for a three-
hour duration.
Sri Lanka has the opportunity to send
two male and two female swimmers to the
World Aquatics Championship in the Qatari
capital, Doha, scheduled from February 2
to 18, 2024. Notably, two out of these four
swimmers will also qualify for the 2024
Summer Olympics in Paris.
For the Selection Trial, SLASU has
specified that only male swimmers with
650 or above FINA points and female
swimmers with 600 FINA points are eligi-
ble to compete. Additionally, swimmers
currently undergoing training in foreign
countries will be considered based on
their timing for the selection. One hopeful
participant is Dilanka Shehan, who under-
went training in the USA for Open Water
Swimming. SLASU is optimistic about his
chances of securing a spot in the Open
Water Championship, which runs concur-
rently with the World Aquatic Champion-
ship in Doha.
Due to the majority of swimmers train-
ing overseas, the Selection Trial is expect-
ed to feature fewer than 15 participants.
Swimmers such as Akalanka Peiris, Mina-
giRupesinghe, Ramudi Samarakoon, and
Dhinal Weerasinghe are among those cur-
rently training abroad.
In the male category, the competition for
the two available spots will be intense, with
contenders like Matthew Abeysinghe, Kyle
Abeysinghe, and Akalanka Peiris vying for
selection. On the female front, the battle for
the two spots will feature swimmers such
as Ramudi Samarakoon, Ganga Senevi-
ratne, and Hiruki de Silva.
Vihanga (10 wickets) and Chamoda (281)
shine in Under-19 Division 3 Tier B Cricket
Vihanga Induwara from Raja-
paksa Maha Vidyalaya Ahungalla
claimed 10 wickets for 8 runs
against Batapola MMV in their
Under 19 Division 3 Tier B Inter
Schools Limited Overs Cricket
Tournament, yesterday.
In another match, Nenamal
Royal College Siyambalape posted
503 runs for 9 wickets in 50 overs,
thanks to opener Chamod Gim-
hana of Nenamal Royal College
Siyambalape who scored an
impressive 281 runs in 151 deliv-
eries with 38 boundaries and 15
sixes against Kalyani Pradeepa
Invitational Women’s Major Club 50 Over
Tournament – 2023
Air Force SC and Army SC enter final
Air Force SC and Army SC entered
the final of the Invitational Women’s
Major Club 50 Over Tournament 2023
conducted by Sri Lanka Cricket yester-
day.
Air Force SC beat Chilaw Marians CC
by 24 runs in the semi final played at
BRC and Army SC beat Navy SC by 2
wickets according to the D/L method in
the semi final at Moors.
At Moors (Army SC won by 2 wick-
ets according D/L method) Navy SC:
130/8 (50) (Nilakshana Sandamini 25,
Hashini Perera 22, Nimasha Madhusha-
Pirivena Delgoda. Openers Cham-
od Gimhana and Geeth Pahasilu
had a 302-run stand for the first
wicket.
In the match at Ahungalla, Raja-
paksa Maha Vidyalaya Ahungalla
beat Batapola MMV by 128 runs,
with Vihanga Induwara completing
his 10-wicket haul from 6 overs.
The match between Nenamal Royal
College Siyambalape and Kalyani
Pradeepa Pirivena Delgoda ended
without a result due to rain.
Chief scores:
+At Ahungalla (Rajapaksa
Maha Vidyalaya won by 128 runs)
ni 3/12, Achini Kulasooriya 3/26) Army
SC: 117/8 (43.2) (Anushka Snjeewani
32, Nethmi Senarathne 24, Udeshika
Prabodhani 2/8)
At BRC (Air Force SC won by 24
runs) Air Force SC: 109 (43) (Sanduni
Abeywickrama 30, Malsha Shehani 20,
Sachini Nisansala 3/16, Dewmi Vihanga
3/28, Kavisha Dilhari 2/14, Sanduni
Nisansala 2/21) Chilaw Marians CC:
85 (34) (Dewmi Vihanga 31, Tharuka
Shehani 5/16, Inoshi Fernando 2/8,
Tharushi Thathsarani 2/9)
(YK)
Rajapaksa Maha Vidyalaya: 176
(24) (Sapna Chamodya 73, Pehe-
sara Dinindu 42, Ranuk Diyunaka
5/70, Chathuka Hiroshima 3/34)
Batapola MMV: 48 (12) (Arosha
Githma 27, Vihanga Induwara
10/8)
+At Kirindiwela (No result)
Nenamal Royal College Siym-
balape: 503/9 (50) (Chamod Gim-
hana 281, Geeth Pahansilu 74,
Swarnajith Samanara 41, Dinuwan Chamod Gimhana - scores 281
Dewsara 21 n.o., Lakindu Chamo- Pirivena Delgoda: 64/8 (17)
dya 21, Waruna Sasantha 3/79, (Waruna Sasantha 27, Dulan Mad-
Chathuka Keshan 3/84, Chamindu husanka 4/15, Dewun Ranasinghe
Prathap 2/83) Kalyani Pradeepa 2/12). (YK)
Under 19 Division Inter
Schools Cricket
Bowlers call the tune
at Mount Lavinia
S. Thomas’ College Mt. Lavinia: 109 (39.2) (Kavin-
Lavinia led on first innings du Dias 35, Akash Fernan-
against Prince of Wales Col- do 25, Rasindu Fernando
lege Moratuwa on day one 5/49, Rusanda Silva 2/8,
in their Under 19 Inter Uneth Fernando 2/19) and
schools Traditional cricket 69/4 (17) (Sadew Soysa
fixtures yesterday. 28, Rusandu Silva 2/6)
24 wickets fell on day Prince of Wales College
One. Match will continue Moratuwa: 80 (24.3)
today (2) for day two. (kavindu Dias 4/27,
In Day One Abheeth Paranawidana
At Mt. Lavinia. S. 2/13, Nathan Caldera 3/26)
Thomas’ College Mt. (YK)

Biography of Premasara Epasinghe to be

Nalanda's Susal and Wycherley's Oshini claim top spots
SAJEEWA JAYAKODY
Susal de Silva and Oshini
Gunawardhana won runner-up
positions in the Western Asian
Juniors and Girls Rapid Chess
Championship held on Novem-
ber 29 at the Board of Investors
Auditorium, World Trade Cen-
tre.
Susal de Silva, a student from
Nalanda College, clinched the
second runner-up spot after a
four-way tie for the champion-
ship with 5.5/7 points. The title
went to International Master GB
launched on Wednesday
Harshavardhan of India, title in this cate- format with a time con-
with Vepaly Halynyazow gory was claimed trol of 15 minutes plus a
of Turkmenistan secur- by WIM Zeinep 10-second increment Text and pic by PRIYAN DE SILVA
ing the runner-up posi- Sultanbek of from move 01, the event 'Golden Voice of Cricket in Sri Lanka: Pre-
tion. Kazakhstan, brought together a masara Epasinghe' the biography of veteran
In the Western Asian with WFM Lala diverse and competitive cricket commentator and journalist Kalasuri
Junior Girls Rapid Shohradova of field. Premasara Epasinghe will be launched at Nal-
Championship, Oshini Tu rk m e n i s t a n Organized by the Sri anda College's Malalsekera Hall on Wednes-
Oshini day, December 6, at 3 pm.
Gunawardhana of securing the sec- Susal de Silva Lanka Chess Federation
Gunawardhana Premasara Epasinghe, who represented Nal-
Wycherley International ond runner-up position. under the purview of the Asian
School scored an impressive 6/7 The tournament featured a Chess Federation and the World anda College Colombo in cricket later served
points. Despite her stellar per- total of 40 players from Sri Chess Federation, the champion- as a teacher and Master in Charge of Cricket at
formance, she secured the first Lanka, Bangladesh, India, Mal- ship showcased the skill and his alma mater. Journalist Athula Ranjith
runner-up position due to tie- dives, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, sportsmanship of young chess Wedamisthrige compiled the biography, which
break rules. The championship and Turkmenistan. Using a rapid enthusiasts in the region. has been published by Susara Publications,
with the launch facilitated by Nalanda Cricket.

Printed and Published by The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd., at No. 35, D.R.Wijewardene Mawatha, Colombo 10, on Saturday, December 2, 2023