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Easter Sunday Carnage debate: SJB blasts govt for trying to palm blame on India for their own lapses
By Saman Indrajith
The main opposition SJB in parliament on Thursday found fault with government MPs trying to apportion the blame of Easter Sunday terror attacks on India.Participating in a three-day debate on the Easter Sunday carnage, Chief Opposition Whip SJB Kandy District MP Lakshman Kiriella said that it was India that provided intelligence warnings of the imminent attacks.
“Those who received these warning reports specifying the date and time of the attacks, the name of the attackers and the places to be attacked kept that information to themselves. Now the government MPs are trying to place the blame on India, which had cautioned us. This is ridiculous,” Kiriella said.
He said that the warnings came several times. “There were warnings of the imminent attacks several days prior to the attacks. There had been three prior warnings on the day of the attack. India had given five warnings of these attacks. These warnings were received by the then SIS head Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena. It was later found that he had erased data from his mobile phone and devices. If this information were not erased, the investigators could have found to whom Nilantha Jayawardena had spoken of these warnings.
Former President Maithripala Sirisena is here today. He has stated several times that he was not informed of these warnings. This is why Nilantha Jayawardena erased his data before surrendering his devices to the investigators. We hope ex-president Sirisena will inform this House during this debate what information he has. What we now know is that those responsible for preventing Easter Sunday attacks, despite there being prior warnings, let the attacks take place. We believe that the data has been erased to prevent finding to whom Jayawardena had passed the warnings. The presidential commission of inquiry has recommended legal action against Jayawardena, but nothing has been done,” Kiriella said.
He said that India had always stood for Sri Lanka’s security, and it lost over 1,500 lives of its military personnel during the war against the LTTE to ensure territorial integrity of this country.
“The government MPs are trying to shift the blame on India to save their leaders. We as Buddhists believe in ‘Dittadhamma Vedaniya Karma’ doctrine which says that we must suffer the consequences of our actions within this life. This country is facing the consequences of heinous crime on Easter Sunday. Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had to flee the country, the Prime Minister and the Cabinet had to leave, the country faced an unprecedented crisis and bankruptcy. To those who now try to mislead this House, I am telling that they could escape from the courts and legal liability, but they should get ready to be punished by the natural law principles. They can’t escape the judgment of Gods.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
