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MP Pathirana alleges bid to promote ganja as substitute for tobacco
By Saman Indrajith
The tobacco mafia had commenced a campaign to promote ganja as a substitute and hired intellectuals and professionals to recommend the use of psychoactive narcotic, Matara District SJB MP Buddhika Pathirana told Parliament on Wednesday (7).
“Professors, doctors, professionals including health experts are now on the payroll of tobacco companies and are writing articles, books and speaking the values of ganja.
Their campaign is to get the narcotic plant legalised here and this should be stopped immediately,” the MP said during the Questions to Prime Minister Session.
The MP said the cigarette sales had dropped drastically in recent times and the tobacco mafia had resorted to promoting ganja instead as a substitute. “Just like the milk powder mafia, flour importers mafia there is a tobacco mafia. The tobacco mafia has got hold of several key persons and got them to promote ganja here. The articles are talking of the possibilities of earning huge sums of foreign exchange by growing them in this country. We demand to know from the Prime Minister what action his government would take to save the nation from this imminent threat.”
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said that tobacco sales had decreased owing to high prices resulting from prohibitive taxes and increased awareness among the public of the ill-effects of cigarettes. “There is no evidence and reports about a campaign promoting ganja, but there are posts on social media platforms to that effect. Some individuals and companies have sought the government’s permission to import the plant to be used as raw material for various products including medicine. However the government would not legalise the narcotic substances.”
Prime Minister Rajapaksa said that a committee had been appointed in terms of provisions of the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board Act No 11 of 1980 to study the threats from the cannabis plant. “The government authorities have been continuously conducting programmes to raise awareness of the dangers of the psychotropic effects of cannabis. In addition to such awareness programmes in schools, universities and vocational training institutes, teachers and teacher trainees are being informed of the measures to be taken to curb the drug menace.”
MP Pathirana:
Dr Nimal Karunasiri conducted a thorough study on the uses of cannabis. He published a book too. The chief guest at the launch of the book was the Prime Minister. Recently Dr Karunasiri mentioned that at the launching ceremony the prime minister in no uncertain terms stated that ganja was a dangerous narcotic and should not be promoted in our society. Dr Karunasiri engaged in a campaign against ganja. While being thankful and appreciative of that act of the Prime Minister I would like to know whether he could take the lead from Parliament to fight against the narcotic plant in addition to the expert committee.
Prime Minister Rajapaksa:
No need to worry about parliament. None of the MPs are using ganja.
MP Pathirana:
Are you sure?
Prime Minister Rajapaksa:
To the best of my knowledge none of the MPs smoke ganja. If you know any you can bring that to our notice so that we could take action.
MP Pathirana said that during the shortage of narcotics, the drug addicts resorted to use cough syrup and some painkillers. “Now, after the abuses had been pointed out those medicines are available only at state pharmaceutical outlets and sold under strict procedures. This is a country where medicines are used as narcotic drugs. If a narcotic was given a label of medicine what would be the result?
MP Premnath C Dolawatte raising a point of order: It is one of their MPs who once said that there are cocaine users in parliament. Now this MP is querying whether we are sure that there are no ganja smokers in parliament. This is another attempt to bring this House into disrepute. This could be a privilege issue.
Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena:
That is not a point of order
MP Pathirana said that the Sri Lanka Medical Council, the College of Psychiatrists and the College of Community Medicine Physicians had issued statements on the danger of cannabis. “We hope that government ministers would refrain from making statements in favour of ganja.”
Prime Minister Rajapaksa said that he would look into the matter.
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
