News
Field Marshal tells Wiggy not to try to emulate Prabhakaran
By Saman Indrajith
SJB Gampaha District MP Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka told TMTK MP C.V. Wigneswaran not to try to emulate Velupillai Prabhakaran by making racist statements because he was too old for that.
Participating in the debate on Vote on Account, Field Marshal Fonseka said: “It was sad to observe MP Wigneswaran making a statement undermining other communities. MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, too, supported Wigneswaran’s views. I would like to tell both of them that we consider it as an insult to us by denigrating the motherland in this House and violating the honour of this august assembly. According to Wigneswaran the oldest language in this country is spoken by the Tamil people. That means according to him Sinhala people came to this country after the Tamil people. I would like to remind him that we would never bow our heads to anyone who attempts to undermine the Sinhala nation in this country and any such movement undermining the Sinhala nation would not last long. Wigneswaran must remember that there were people in the past, too, who tried to undermine the status of the Sinhalese. Amirthalingam instigated Tamil youth against Sinhalese and finally he got a bullet from the very same Tamil youth. Then there was Prabhakaran, who thought that they could carve out a separate state in this country. You saw what happened to him. Unfortunately, Wigneswaran cannot be Prabhakaran because he is too old to emulate Prabhakaran.I am telling you to be happy with what you have and never try to undermine the Sinhalese of this country. If you try to do that you’ll face consequences and you’ll repent.”
Participating in the debate Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said: “There is a spree of media reports on controversial statements made by MPs CV Wingeswaran and Selvam Adaikkilanathan. There is an enormous public displeasure against what they had said. There is no need to repeat those racist sentiments. It is sad to notice that MP Adaikkilanathan too made a statement conforming with what MP Wigneswaran said. I request them not to make such inflammatory statements which would pave the way for another communal conflict in this country. We have no need to see a war in this country again. The hope of this government and the President is to create an environment where Sinhala, Muslim, Tamil, Malay and other communities live as one nation and each citizen enjoys his or her citizenry rights irrespective of his or her communal identity. We have no hope of favouring any single community or to discriminate against any community. We know that you are making fiery speeches to rouse communal feelings among people in your electorates and to show off as the saviours of your community. But those statements would result in disharmony among communities at a time when these communities are working together.”
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
