News
JVP beats anti-India war drums over oil tank farm deal
By Sirimantha Ratnasekera
JVP last week called on people, civil society and religious organisations to line up with them to defeat what it termed as India’s expansionist plans by taking over Trincomalee oil tank farm.
“We have no problem with Indian people. We do not deny the fact that two nations have millennia long links. We have diplomatic relations and cultural links with India since time immemorial. Yet we cannot let the Indian government’s plans to capture Trinco oil tank farm and allow it to succeed its expansionist plans,” JVP Politburo Member and former MP Sunil Handunnetti said addressing a press conference held at the party headquarters in Pelawatte.
He said that the Trinco oil tank farm had been constructed there by the British during the time of the Second World War owing to its Geo-strategic value. “The oil tank farm gains its value owing to its proximity to the Trincomalee harbour which is known as the second-best natural harbour in the world. India somehow manipulated the incumbent government to finalize a deal to hand over the oil tank farm to them. As per the deal 14 tanks for India, 24 for Sri Lanka and 61 tanks to be developed jointly. Of those 61 tanks, 49 percent ownership would be for India. Accordingly, India gets 30 tanks from that lot. With 14 exclusively own tanks, India gets 44. Since we do not have dollars to renovate the rest of the tanks, it would be a matter of time before they too would end up in India’s hands. The agreement of this deal is to be valid till 2072.
“The government has been compelled to sign this agreement. It is Déjà vu of the Indo-Lanka agreement which was pushed down the throat of Lanka on July 29, 1987. India got the JR Jayewardene government to sign the agreement by coercion. They dropped ‘parippu’ here, violating our air space. They sent an army of 150,000 while Sri Lanka’s army had only 72,000 cadre strength. This time they have used economic means for the coercion.
“India had been planning to get hold of Trinco oil tank farm for decades now. In 2002, they proposed to construct a bridge between Dhanushkody and Talaimannar. There is a plan to link Talaimannar with Trincomalee A 12 road via Mannar, Periyankulam A 30 Road, Vavuniya, Kebitigollewa, Horowpathana A 9 road. The then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Indian transport minister studied that plan. However, it was suspended owing to political changes. Yet India has not stopped its plans to get hold of Trinco oil tank farm. This is a serious issue and we call on religious leaders and civil societies to line up with us to defeat this government handing over Trinco oil tank farm to India. We call on public to join us against this plan to remove the Lion flag from Trincomalee and to hoist the Indian flag there,” Handunnetti said.
He said that Lankan politicians should read American economic historian Dr Daniel Yergin’s Pulitzer Prize winning book ‘The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power’. “Time to time this book’s new editions are released and sold worldwide because it is so authoritative. This is like the Mahavamsa of energy industry. It identifies energy how some countries use energy to control other nations. At this rate we are being subjugated as a nation before India, it seems that soon the book will have a new chapter on how India tamed Sri Lanka using energy.”
The former MP said that there would have been no queues outside fuel stations if the Trincomalee Oil Tanks were repaired. “The tanks could have been repaired, even by borrowing funds from other countries. The Government would not have had to close down the Sapugaskanda refinery if the oil tanks were functioning properly, as India wants to build a new refinery at the place. It is us Lankans, who should want to build a refinery. Then we would not be impacted by the oil prices in the world market. We can sell oil to the Maldives. Then we have oil within our region, we have gas deposits in Mannar.”
Adding that India is a large region, Handunnetti that this proposed oil refinery would have been of great importance when Sri Lankans have found gas, and the citizens will not have to stay in line if the oil refinery stays within Sri Lanka’s control.
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
