MP Hirunika Speaks About Mafia inside Prison

Government MP Hirunika Premachandra dropped a bombshell in Parliament today by claiming that there was a Mafia in the Prison and influential inmates were given all facilities.

Speaking during the Committee Stage debate on the Budget, the MP said influential prisoners were given all facilities, while the poor prisoners were neglected.

She said former Minister Duminda Silva was given all facilities following a medical report.

"Mr. Silva's medical report says he is suffering from a chronic headache, loss of consciousness, loss of memory and dizziness but all his relatives visited him at the Prisons hospital for his birthday on December 3 and threw a party," the MP said.

"Duminda Silva killed my father but I am not angry with him but I have to say what is going on inside prison," she added. (Yohan Perera)

Jayalalithaa captured the hearts of India's Tamil

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa also offered his condolences on the demise of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

 “Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa captured the hearts of India's Tamil community. My condolences to the family and people of Tamil Nadu” he tweeted.

Rajapaksa, during his presidency, invited Jayalalithaa to visit Sri Lanka to witness the post-war conditions.

Jayalalithaa had a checkered relationship with Sri Lanka.

While the Sinhala majority supported her strong anti-LTTE sentiments, they did not favour her for her pro-Tamil nationalist stance.

The Tamil minority in Sri Lanka favoured Jayalalithaa for her ability to bring pressure on New Delhi to nudge Sri Lankan political leadership to grant concessions to Tamils.

Jayalalithaa, hospitalised since September 22, suffered a cardiac arrest on Sunday and passed away late last night in Chennai

President to Visit Russia next March

President Mairthripala Sirisena will visit Russia on 23 March on the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Russian Embassy in Colombo, confirmed.

At a press briefing yesterday, Russian Ambassador Alexander A. Karchava said his government was working on welcoming the President of Sri Lanka, a President who is visiting Russia after several decades.

He added that his visit would mark the 60th anniversary of Russia – Sri Lanka bilateral and diplomatic relationship.

He also mentioned that the two governments had set up an intergovernmental bilateral joint committee, known as the Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC), to boost trade, economics, science and technology between the two countries.

The first committee sitting was held in February 2016 and the parties are scheduled to hold the next sitting next year during the 60th anniversary celebrations.

He added that agriculture is one of the main areas, after Ceylon Tea, that they would be concentrating upon.

He also said that they would be signing a bilateral agreement on fisheries as it will be important for their bilateral interaction.

He said Russia had invited the Speaker of the House Karu Jayasuriya last year, but unfortunately he fell ill and they would be expecting him to visit Russia next year in June or July.

The two top level visits are expected, by the Russian Government, to boost bilateral ties and he also recalled that after nearly 59 years Russia established a permanent embassy in Sri Lanka.

During the BRICS summit 2016, held in Goa, India, the two Presidents, Putin and Sirisena, had reached an understanding that President Sirisena would visit Moscow next year.

According to the Russian Ambassador, the bilateral trade ties are practically stable, but not growing. He said the general turnover was about half a billion US Dollars.

Hashan and Chandana given SLC assignments

 ‘Talent should not be measured by the runs, but a cricketer’s steady batting style, said Sri Lankan batting legend Aravinda de Silva after a cricket coaches’ conference conducted by the SLC at the Sports Ministry auditorium yesterday.

De Silva also stated that certificates and trophies should not be the basis to measure the talent. He was of the view that mental stability of a sportsman plays a vital role in bringing out his best while being consistent.

“As coaches we have to boost players’ self confidence,” said De Silva who heads the SLC Cricket Committee.

The conference was a part of SLC’s program to train cricket coaches islandwide systematically in order to produce top cricketers.

Former Test captain and a solid middle-order batsman Hashan Tillakaratne and former all-rounder Upul Chandana who was an outstanding fielder during his playing days have joined hands with SLC’s Skill Development Program which is run under the supervision of High Performance Manager Simon Willis, the former Kent coach.

Willis said that Sri Lanka has lot of talented youngsters and this development program has identified 20 fast bowlers to be trained under a long term plan.

“Our plan is to have a back up to be used as the requirement of the national side,” said Willis.

Tillakaratne will serve as an assistant batting coach for Sri Lanka ‘A’ team and the Development squad and also help to uplift the batting standards at provincial and district levels.

Chandana will look after the bowling at provincial and district levels.

Commenting on the recruitment of Tillakaratne and Chandana, De Silva said that SLC has launched a long term program to develop cricket where two former great cricketers have joined to educate and share their vast knowledge with young cricketers.

“We are privileged to have our finest fast bowler Chaminda Vaas as the fast bowling coach of the national team and hopefully bring in former greats Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Asanka Gurusingha and incomparable Muthiah Muralitharan in the future,” De Silva said.

Head coach Graham Ford said, “The coaches training program is a milestone in developing Sri Lanka cricket. Apart from strengthening batting skills of batsmen we have to focus on developing batting of spinners who come as tail-enders. Strengthening the lower order will greatly benefit in the Test format.

“In teams like Australia and England the lower order batsmen do a great job to evade defeat. Cricket history has proved that many times surviving from the last ball of the penultimate day will have a great impact on the fate of the match on the final day.”

Colonial Era traitors To Be Named as National Heroes

Minister of Justice Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapaksa has submitted a recommendation to President Maithripala Sirisena to annul the Gazette notification, published by Governor Robert Brownrigg in January 1818, naming leaders including Keppetipola Adikaram who engaged in the 1818 upcountry rebellion as having committed treason.

When the Kanda-Udarata Agreement of 1815 was signed Sri Lanka became a colony of Britain and later in 1818, the upcountry Sinhala leaders launched a rebellion to save the nation and it was considered as treason against the British Crown.

Then British Governor Robert Brownrigg considered the main leaders of this national rebellion, Keppetipola Maha Adikaram and 19 other Sinhala leaders as turncoats who committed treason made it public in a gazette notification on 10.01.1818.

The Minister pointed out that by not annulling that gazette notification for a period of approximately 200 years, severe injustice has been done to those leaders.

Therefore Justice Minister Rajapaksa has submitted recommendations to the President to annul the label of treason which includes the names of these leaders who fought to save our motherland from the British and name them as national heroes instead.

The Minister has pointed out to the President the requirement and the importance of providing justice to the families of Sinhala heroes including Keppetipola Disawe, Kiwulegedera Mohottale, and Godagedera Rate Adikaram while appreciating the service they rendered to the country under British rule and the strong effort put into save the country at that time.

The Ministry of Justice requests the public to provide any relevant information to the Secretary of the Ministry regarding relatives who are descendants of these up country leaders' including that of Keppetipola Maha Adikaram who were involved in the rebellion.

Chief Minister M J Jayalalitha dies at 68

One of India’s most influential and colourful politicians, J Jayalalitha, has died at the age of 68.

The Apollo Hospital in the southern Indian city of Chennai said Jayalalithaa died at 11:30 p.m. local time after undergoing surgery Monday following a heart attack on Sunday night.

Known by her followers as “Amma,” which means “Mother” in the Tamil language, Jayalalithaa inspired intense loyalty among film fans and political supporters alike.

Thousands of her supporters had gathered to pray for her recovery.

Extra police have been deployed in the southern state amid fears of unrest among her supporters.

Apollo denies reports of Jayalalithaa’s death

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa passed away after suffering a cardiac arrest, Tamil TV channels reported on Monday evening. 

Violence broke out at Apollo hospital as soon as the news started trickling out, even though the hospital has not put out an official statement to this affect. Even at 6 pm, Apollo hospital dismissed as rumours the reports of Jayalalithaa’s death saying she is still alive.

The party flag too was flying at half mast at the AIADMK headquarters in Chennai after the reports of her death, but it started flying at full mast after hospital’s denial. The chief minister, who has been in Apollo since September 22, had suffered the cardiac arrest on Sunday evening.

The party MLAs are scheduled to meet later this evening apparently to chalk out the next course of action.  Though party sources did not reveal the agenda of the meeting scheduled in the evening, they, however, confirmed that the legislators would discuss key matters.

It came as a big setback for her supporters who had been waiting for her to recover from her earlier illness and return to office. The death has left a huge vacuum in Tamil Nadu politics.

The AIADMK chief suffered the cardiac arrest hours after her party told media that she has fully recovered and will be returning home soon.

Born in 1948, Jayalalithaa started her career as an actress in South Indian films. In 1982, she joined the AIADMK, which was founded by her mentor MG Ramachandran. She first became the chief minister of Tamil Nadu in 1991. She has ruled the state for over 15 years. (Source: Indian Express)

Party flag hoisted again at AIADMK HQs in Chennai

Karuna's bail application rejected

Vinyagamurthi Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman’s bail application was rejected by the Colombo Chief Magistrate today.

The former Minister was arrested on November 29 and remanded till December 7, for allegedly misusing a bullet proof state vehicle, worth Rs. 90 million.