Tilak S Fernando

Hartal-Left and Trade Unionism. – Dr. Tilak S. Fernando During  Hartel ( the General strike) organanised by the Marxist parties in 1953 to express public dissatisfaction over the cost of rice of the GCSU ( General Clerical Services  Union). Mr. Kanakasamy was shot by the police lead by LSSP  stalwarts; Dr. N.M.Perera, Dr. Colvin de Silva and Lesley Gunawardena. The GCSU was  powerful and acted as in the form of real power to demand a prominent powerful upsurge until 1985. It was stated by Nicky Karunaratne, who was based on the LSSP hierarchy. ‘The old left’ liked to look back with heroic nostalgia of the  1953 general strike as the vital event of their, history. Consequently,  for many years to follow the general strike as an occasion for provoking speeches  by left party members. A review of the past showed that the old left of the SLFP, which benefitted out ...

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My Friend Athula Withanage – By Tilak S Fernando My friend, Mr Athula Withanage, who graduated in Russia, suddenly passed away in London seven days ago. This brought tears to everyone’s eyes as he was a role model in lecturing as a medical teacher to other pupils because, in his lectures, he used many similes so that anyone could remember them. Once, he was Clinical Director and lead Clinician in General Surgery at Withybush Hospital Haverfordwest, Wales. He remembered ‘putting back a seventeen-year-old boy, who was brought to the hospital with his arm in a bucket full of ice.’ The Surgeon can be described as a man with compounded ambitions and achievements from medicine, Surgery, literal activity to drama – with the scalpel in one hand and the pen in the other and blood pressure machine with the other hand and feet on the stage, as he started his pratic ...

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Many Sri Lankan Private Hospitals. – By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando Despite all the consumer items going up in prices on a daily basis, so are the channeling services in private hospitals. It varies from hospital to hospital!  For example , especially in Colombo hospitals, there are rumors floating about that the Nawaloka hospital is facing the brink of bankruptcy, but once one enters the hospital , it could be seen full of patients in every corner all the time! In Nawaloka there is a particular charge at the rate of Rs.4000.00 ( for a professor of Nephrologist  (the one who deals with  one’s kidneys) where the Hospitals charges vary from 1300 to for other specialists. This  exorbitant  amount is known as the ‘Professor’ , a distinguished title which is known for the specialists for this discipline. This extra charge of Rs.4000, (hospital charge for channelizing extra and a service ...

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MANY SRI LANKAN PEOFESSIOANALS ARE CONTEMPLATING LEAVING SRI LANKA – By Dr Tilak S. Fernando. Many individuals want to leave Sri Lanka because of the ever-increasing cost of living, the lack of medicine available to patients, and the new tax formula. The latest is that the  routine surgical operations  are to be placed on hold due to hospital drug shortages. The  former Minister of Health was remanded by Maligakande Magistrate until 15th Feburuary 2024, after  being listed as the eighth suspect in  the case  in connection  with  the procurement of substandard human immunoglobulin. Every  Deputy Solicitor Genaeral appearing for the prosecution, has been accusing the former Minister of Health of amending the  locating process of the Government imports  and the type of medicine, which made the Court to reject bail by terming him as a suspect under the Public Property act.. People have  suddenly started to starve due to the ...

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All PRIME MINISRTERS SOUGHT THEM ACCORDING TO THEIR OWN PRINCIPLES – By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando Since Independence was sought on 4th February 1948, without shedding a single blood drop, the first Prime Minister was chosen by the Colonials as the as Right Honorable D.S. Senanayake.  He was the Prime Minster from 24 September 1947 till 22 of March 1952 when he had an accident and died immediately (after falling from horse riding in the morning). After his death there was a battle with Sir John Kotelawala to be the Prime Minister of Ceylon. As a result, according to the wishes of Rt.Hon. D.S. Senananayake, his son,   became (Dudley Senananayake ) became the Prime Minister of Ceylon from 02 December to July  in 1947. Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike became the Prime Minister  from 26 September 1959, known by the Sri Lankan people as “The Silver Bell of Asia”, the fourth Prime ...

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Appreciation – Gamini Weerakoon – By Tilak Fernando Everything in this world must come to an end. This happened to Gamini Weerakoon, Journalist and former Chief Editor of “The Island,” Gamini Weerakoon, who passed away on 11 November 2023 peacefully after a brief illness. I saw it, the ‘Sunday Observer.’ With deep sadness, I announce the death of the Chief Editor, who passed on Tuesday, 11 November 2023. He is surviewed by his wife Rajitha, who is also a well-known journalist and one daughter. He was an old boy of St. Thomas College, Mount Lavinia. He began his journalistic career at the Sunday Observer five decades ago. There, he served as a News Editor. When I was living in London as a student, and I had gone through a course in Journalism, in between my studies, the Chairman of the ‘Island’ Dr Sivali Ratwatte arrived in London. He was a ...

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RE-VISITING SWITZERLAND – By Dr Tilak S. Fernando Unlike Sri Lanka, Switzerland is an excellent and clean country with no muddy patches or heaps of rubbish dumps in various parts of the country. Residents usually do not come in cars like in Sri Lanka and dump their domestic rubbish in bags in multiple places. Switzerland has been named the best country in the world by Indiantimes.com. It says, “One of the most beautiful nations on the planet dotted with lakes, valleys, and the Alps.” In Switzerland, outside the town area, the scenery will be a lot of mountains and rocks. Mount Riggie could be seen from my son’s sitting room when clouds do not interfere with the mountain. Concerning some domestic garbage, electronic systems are installed for domestic waste bins. so no outsider is able abo to dump in other’s waste. Electronic systems are installed for domestic waste bins. So, ...

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Will The Agreement Between France and Sri Lanka be signed after the French President visits Sri Lanka-By Dr Tilak S. Fernando Following a meeting former Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama had with his counterpart Bernard Brice Kouchner in Paris, in 2009, with other senior French officials, on a three-day tour to Paris, it was agreed to accommodate job opportunities for migrants from Sri Lanka in France. It mainly dealt with professionals, skilled workers, and IT and natural science students. It was also proposed that a protocol be signed between the Governments of Sri Lanka and France in this connection, as per Dhamith de Silva in Paris, attached to IMO (the International Organisation for Migration and part of the United Nations), the IMO has connections with 175 member states at in over 100 countries. ...

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SRI WICKRAMA RAJASINGHE ERA ECONOMY DURING THE COLONIAL ERA FROM 1815- 1832 – By Dr Tilak S. Fernando Since Sri Wickremara Ranasinghe became King of Senkadagala (Kandy), many conflicts existed between the elite and society. When it became so aggressive to take revenge in April 1802, there was an incident in British-occupied Puttalam, where a Muslim group was battered, and their belongings were seized with the help of Pilimathala Chief Adikam using Ceylonese lots. During the 18th Century, the British Indian Trading Company owned many parts of India. Meantime, The United States of America had a battle with the British. Simultaneously, the Dutch were fighting for their independence against the British. On January 05, 1782, Under Admiral Sir Edmond Fuse of the Navy sent a contingent and a walking platoon, to the up-county, with the help of Commander Lord Hector Senadipathy (Admiral), who held the position of the Governor of ...

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SRI LANKAN PRISONS SHOULD BE UPTO INTERNATIONAL STANDARD – By Dr Tilak S. Fernando It was recently disclosed that Sri Lankan Prions should be called a persistent issue, but nothing has been done to make inmates comfortable to international standards. Today it is recorded that a 260 per cent increase in prisons, criticised as ‘dungeons’ and some over-crowded prisons, make the worst criminals. Some International prisons, which are said to be in developed, counties such as the USA or Britain, humanely treat prisoners with separate rooms for inmates and library facilities with separate toilets and washrooms. After all, prisoners are also human beings made out of feelings, blood and bones. Just because they are tempted to be criminals or drug addicts, should they be treated crudely?  In some cases, toilet pans and wash basins are the same room where one sleeps on a mat on the ground. Mosquito-infested rooms make ...

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