The new electricity tariff is sending shock waves around the country and seems to have somewhat awakened the long overdue political consciousness of Sri Lankan households. On Wednesday, Colombo was paralyzed by a rally for a few hours, with resentment over the proposed tariff.andnbsp; Beyond the motives of politicians who took part in the rally, it is a resonant message from the public to the Rajapaksa regime, the war-victory rhetoric is a speedily diminishing trump card.

The death toll of the Bangladshi Savar tragedy has risen to more than 900, now. In the middle of this, last Wednesday, a fire broke out in another garment factory in Bangladesh taking the lives of eight people. Fingers are pointed at many in a blurred context of who is responsible for what, when and where. Above the messiness in the line of responsibilities, one thing stands out crystal clear, the respect and dignity of human life is no consideration in the profit- making world in which we live.

Corruption and integrity are intertwined concepts. Corruption is the abuse of entrusted power for personal gain. Often corruption is identified with money. But its scope extends beyond monetary terms. It includes nepotism and favouritism, which often take place through peddling political or social influences. The scope of integrity extends beyond the boundaries of corruption. According to Transparency Internationalandrsquo;s working definition, integrity is andlsquo;behaviours and actions consistent with a set of moral or ethical principles and standards embraced by individuals as well as institutions that create a barrier to corruptionandrsquo;.

Once, I was an observer of a consultation which sought people's opinion in identifying development priorities in a village in Ampara. Given the cultural dynamics, consultations of men and women were done separately. As a priority, the men emphasized on having a community centre for the village. Engaging in recreational activities after work and weekends were the focus of the claim.

Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Theraandrsquo;s efforts on reforming the Constitution has brought to surface the timeworn discussion on abolishing the Executive Presidency. We have always been in a governance crisis in this country, more so since we became a republic in 1972. The set of proposals presented by a group called Movement for Social Justice seemed to have presented a set of structural changes to remedy this crisis. At the outset it looks all well and good, a set of reforms, which were as old as the 1978 Constitution, abolishing the Executive Presidency, electoral reforms, introduction of the Westminster Parliamentary model, entrenchment of human rights in the Constitution, the Constitutional recognition of diversity of Sri Lanka and so forth.

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In December last year, son of slain Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto re-emerged in fiery Pakistani politics. As the country is gearing up for elections in early May this year, the presence of this articulate young graduate from Oxford is adding a much needed muscle and momentum to the Pakistan People's Party's campaign. However, in essence, his presence in politics reaffirms the unfortunate reality in South Asian Politics, the continuing legacy of domineering political families in South Asia.

Arecent article that appeared in a daily English newspaper went on rampage, bashing Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).

The United States-sponsored resolution passed at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is neither a victory nor a defeat for anyone. The content of the resolution speaks for itself. The anti-western rhetoric will continue to cloud the true meaning of its content.

It is the meaningfulness of our work that makes us do what we do. The impact of the work of those who work on social justice issues tends to regularly get questioned by those looking for absolute tangible results.

Corruption is inherently attached to power and this factor often makes the issue a taboo subject. This is more so in the military and defence sectors, as these are fundamentally associated with power. In the Sri Lankan context, the powers the defence sector wields, in terms of its hierarchy and political influence, control over public finances and even over the people, can make the task of criticism of any form, particularly daunting.