News
JVP has told India it won’t do anything to upset regional security and peace
… no discussions related to China during meetings with Indian officials
By Rathindra Kuruwita
The National Peoples’ Power (NPP) delegation that recently visited India had not discussed anything related to China during its meetings with Indian officials, academics and researchers, Secretary of the National People’s Power (NPP) and former Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Nihal Abeysinghe said.
Dr. Abeysinghe said that during the visit to India they engaged in discussions at the Observer Research Foundation and the Vivekananda International Foundation, two of the leading Indian think tanks that work closely with the government. The meetings helped them better understand what the Indian establishment feels about the region.
Dr. Abeysinghe added that researchers at the Observer Research Foundation and the Vivekananda International Foundation are paying close attention to geopolitical developments in the region. The NPP delegation informed that the party’s foreign policy is the non-aligned foreign policy that had served Sri Lanka so well in the past.
“We informed them that we had no intention of doing anything that upset regional security. We are committed to regional peace, too.”
Abeysinghe said the JVP had a long-standing relationship with the Communist Party of China (CCP) and other leftist organizations across the world. In December, the CCP invited the NPP to send a delegation to China.
“NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayaka, MP Vijitha Herath, Attorneys-at-law, Sunil Watagala and Harshana Nanayakkara visited China. We met many Chinese officials and think tanks. The NPP delegation also used the opportunity to learn about Chinese industry.”
Abeysinghe said India should be aware of the JVP’s relationship with China and they wanted to know what the NPP foreign policy was.
“This is why we had NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayaka and MP Vijitha Herath, who are from the JVP, as well as Prof. A.A.J. Fernando and I, who are from the NPP. We spent five days in India, and I think that India now understands that we are a movement that stands for and supports regional peace.”
Abeysinghe said it will be difficult to develop Sri Lanka without the support of India. Sri Lanka’s geography compels the country to engage constructively with India.
“We told them we are ready to work with India, but this has to be transparent. The government has engaged with India in a very opaque manner. We told them this. I think India now understands where we are coming from.”
The NPP Secretary said they visited the Amul factory in India. Amul is a farmers cooperative and out of the profits it makes, 80 percent goes back to the farmers.
“This is a very successful operation and ultimately farmers run the company and benefit from it. But we have problems with the way the government is planning to bring Amul into Sri Lanka. We told them we are opposed to any opaque interventions in Sri Lanka. We said we are also not happy about the coercive manner in which some Indian companies have been introduced to Sri Lanka.”
NPP is currently expanding and reviewing the manifesto it presented at the 2019 presidential election and the recent visit to India has helped the party in this process, he said.
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
