Wednesday 29 October 2014

Of Cross-Overs and Tilting Scales

The Sri Lankan political enclosure has turned out to be one of perpetually tilting scales. Just, these scales tilt both routes; what with the traverse of Monk Uduwe Dhammaloka? The previous JHU front-running friar could well tilt the scales of force once more, this time all the more for UNP competitor Wickremasinghe. The Ven. Dhammaloka without a doubt brings with him a fervent after, developed over the long years of his organization. Wickremasinghe would maybe hurl a sigh of help; the most recent "intersection" may guarantee a bigger offer of the island's vigorous Buddhist vote-base. It may well serve to overcome emotions of detachment among country voters. The alluring minister was known to have been a persuasive identity as to Buddhist considering. 

Jadedness for the UNP on the other hand, is not in place. For the party's applicant to wrest control at the surveys from Premier Rajapakshe without a doubt keeps on being a tough undertaking. The last will be fulfilled – since the time that inking the 'Twelve Point Agreement' – that restored Singhalese Buddhist patriotism may guarantee him the Presidency. The friar in any case, has proclaimed that the arrangements of Wickremasinghe – both on monetary issues and on the 'national inquiry' much the same – to be of more prominent worth to the nation than those of Premier Rajapakshe. While proclaiming the recent as an altruistic individual and a decent Buddhist, Ven. Dhammaloka has maintained that Wickremasinghe is more qualified to administer Sri Lanka. 

November 17 will be an intriguing day. It will be specifically noteworthy to note voter turn-out in the northeast. In what manner will the LTTE respond? Will Dhammaloka be sufficient?

Wednesday 6 March 2013

Palana



Palana is an urban locality and the administrative center of Koryak Okrug of Kamchatka Krai, Russia. It is located on the west coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula on the right bank of the Palana River, within 8 kilometers from the Sea of Okhotsk. Population: 3,154; 3,928; 4,343.Administratively, Palana is subordinated to Tigilsky District. Municipally, it is incorporated as Palana Urban Okrug. It is served by Palana Old Airport and Palana New Airport. Palana serves as a social, political, and cultural center of the okrug. There are several dance ensembles, both professional and amateur, in Palana. Internet access is provided by KamchatSvyazInform from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

Friday 11 May 2012

Menispermaceae


Menispermaceae, the botanical name for a family of flowering plants, has been universally recognized by taxonomists. Tubocurare, a neuromuscular blocker and active ingredient in curare, is derived from plants of this family.

The APG II system, of 2003 (unchanged from the APG system, of 1998), also recognizes this family and places it in the order Ranunculales, in the clade eudicots.
It is a medium sized family of 70 genera totaling 420 extant species, mostly of climbing plants. The great majority of the genera are tropical, but with a few (notably Menispermum and Cocculus) reaching temperate climates in eastern North America and eastern Asia.

Thursday 24 February 2005

Life After the Tsunami - Where Does Sri Lanka Go Next?


Accountability now seems the need of the hour. It is something we Sri Lankans have called for from our public officials for days now unknown; but for sure, the future of Sri Lanka post-tsunami, has taken a dramatic twist. Let us remember however, that all is not lost. While accepting that the human death toll was unprecedented in terms of psychological damage to those who survived, there still appears more than a glimmer of hope for Sri Lanka at the end of the tunnel - that however is in economic terms; many thanks to the international community who's fiscal aid flowed into the nation's coffers in an hour of national need.

As a battered nation picks up the pieces and meanders down narrow streams of hope, the question that has since emerged is: where do we go next?

It appears essential that Sri Lanka's public officials now start working in the interest of the longer term. A contentious issue of the recent past has been the coastal "buffer zone," where the government has proposed building a barrier of mangroves - in light of the findings post tsunami on how the latter acted as a speed-breaker to the force of the waves on December 26. Initial proposals from the State were that the buffer zone stretched three-hundred metres inland; this was negotiated down to one-hundred metres by the local business community, in anticipation of what it viewed as a crippling blow that such a proposal would deal to the tourism industry, in terms of beach resorts. As we inch closer to two months since the tsunami, the issue remains unresolved. The result - reconstruction along the battered coastline stalled in its tracks.

The Government called for impartiality in dealing with the national crisis. It called for unification deviod of political and other differences. Yet, as it advertised its campaign "Helping Hambantota" in its post-tsunami reconstruction drive, the colours of the newspaper advertisements were unmistakable - striking shades of deep blue and red. Impartiality? Your guess is as good as mine.

The inability of the coalition heavyweight to reign in its partner in light of the latter's heavy politicising of aid distribution in the south was also no feature in the cap for the Government; the unsparing display of party flags and banners on relief convoys and refugee camps was evident for all to see.

The Opposition for their part, have been no saints. A campaign to free a jailed party strongman got back on track, with a prominent member of its ranks - also a leading constitutional law expert in the country - taking centre-stage at the BMICH in Colombo last month, to deliver a lecture on the legality of the imprisonment of the said strongman.

I wonder all over again, if it is at the least surprising to note that no reference was made whatsoever to the actual words uttered by the strongman concerned. Contempt of the Supreme Court were the charges levelled.

It must also be said that the traditional lighting of the oil lamp at this 'legal seminar' was done by none less than four prominent party parliamentarians. Impartiality? Let us think again.

It remains clear that the time for change is long overdue; and I'm not refering to a change in government. Sri Lanka's self-interested political culture has got to change. It is also pertinent to call into question, the nation's outdated electoral system. Proportional Representation may well ensure equitable distribution of seats in Parliament. However, with the heavy fragmentation of votes in the recent past, brought on by the recent influx of political parties into mainstream politics since the Constitution of 1978, it is high time that the nation looks towards systemic change.

Let us however return to the need of the hour. The peace process, stalled though it was, silenced the guns. The cruelty of nature however showed no mercy, as Sri Lanka struggled to return to her feet.

The Government for its own part, seized the opportunity to rectify long-standing shortcomings in grossly underdeveloped (and resultantly poverty-stricken) regions on the island, allocating considerable funding for redevelopment, on a scale hitherto unknown. Here of course, the necessary credit is due. However, while the State gathers its resources and produces a blue-print for new and improved townships, public focus has since shifted towards accountability.

Whether or not the funding would reach those most in need (at least for the moment), remains largely unknown. Hence it is apparent that transparency is the need of the hour.

The carpet was pulled under the nation's feet. Will the urgently necessary levels of transparency and accountability prevail for Sri Lanka to meet the magnanimous challenge that fate has set forth? Only time will tell.