In Focus

Organic Farming: Is it a bad omen? Few lessons learned through experience

Admin August 9, 2021 642

U. L. Mabruk Yala crop season has started, but farmers are frustrated due to the lack of chemical fertilizer needed at this stage. Farmers in the Ampara district are suffering due to the high prices they have to pay when buying fertilizer. You can see them wasting time searching for fertilizer

In Focus

Chemical Detoxification and Food Security in Sri Lanka

Admin August 6, 2021 874

Dilhani Thantirimudalige  “Food and medicine are not two different things: they are the front and back of one body. Chemically grown vegetables may be eaten for food, but they cannot be used as medicine.” Masanobu Fukuoka, The One-Straw Revolution The recent decision to ban the use of chemical fertilizer on farmlands is seen as a […]

Freedom of expression and fundamental rights Gender and Identity In Focus

Garment Factories: Fueled by Exploitation and Gender Discrimination

Admin August 6, 2021 743

Kamanthi Wickramasinghe  Long working hours sans lunch breaks or intermittent rests to meet an overwhelming number of targets in a largely unfriendly working environment sums up what a garment factory worker goes through on a daily basis. But this is just a fraction of the larger picture. Even though the Asia-Pacific region is known as […]

In Focus

The Ban on Chemical Fertiliser

Admin August 3, 2021 652

Arulkarki In Sri Lanka, chemical fertilisers were in use for paddy, vegetables, and fruit cultivation and also for tea, rubber, and coconut cultivation in the plantations. Through this, farmers were able to supply considerable quantities of their products to local and foreign markets. Chemical fertilisers and insecticides increased the harvest. But, the government’s

In Focus Society

Work from Home and the Pain of Women

Admin August 3, 2021 1750

Haya Arwa The impact of the coronavirus in Sri Lanka, including the frequent imposition of travel bans and lockdowns by the government has caused various changes and impacts on the lives of citizens. Both public and private sector employees and school children have been pushed into new life experiences and vulnerabilities. With the “Work from […]

Gender and Identity In Focus

Gender injustice: Some men experience what all women do

Admin August 2, 2021 1404

Kamanthi Wickramasinghe  Gender-related matters are often polarized towards the female sex. The common notion is that women tend to be at the receiving end of patriarchal dominance. While this has largely been proven as the truth, there’s another side to the story – the diverse male perspectives.  #MeToo : From humble beginnings to a global […]

In Focus

Agriculture in the North in Crisis due to Corona Lockdown

Admin July 5, 2021 787

N. Mathiyalakan  “I sold the bananas grown in my garden at nothing less than Rs. 40 per kilo during the same period last year. Today it cannot be marketed for even Rs. 20. I now have 500 to 600 kgs of sour bananas, 300  kg of idarai bananas, and 400  kg of curry bananas. If […]

In Focus

The Truth Hidden in the Ashes of the Burnt Ship

Admin July 5, 2021 854

Aruna Lakshman Fernando     The ship X-Press Pearl drowned near the Colombo harbour. The author believes that it is reasonable to describe what took place as enormous environmental devastation than just another shipwreck. The burning of the vessel brought on irreparable damage to Sri Lanka’s marine environment and biodiversity. It also negatively affected

In Focus Transparency and corruption in public service

COVID-19 Deaths in Sri Lanka

Admin June 23, 2021 868

Rifthi Ali The spread of COVID-19 is intensified by the day in Sri Lanka. As a result, the COVID-19 death toll is also constantly on the rise. The Director General of Health Services, Dr. Asela Gunawardane issues daily announcements of COVID-19 deaths through the Government Information Department. However, the Ministry of Health has not released […]

In Focus

Viruses infecting private media during COVID-19 The pandemic can create a rebirth for journalism

Admin May 11, 2020 564

Lasantha De Silva COVID-19 pandemic has paved the way for a revival of journalism. The media must display why reliable news is crucial for people, society and democracy. The need of the hour is for media that reflects the truth to citizens. Ulrik Haagerup of the Institute of Constructive Journalism stated that “The news media […]