Posted on April 7th, 2021
KAMALIKA PIERIS
Philip
Gunawardene returned to Sri Lanka in 1932 after ten hectic years abroad. Of all the socialist politicians in the
island, Philip Gunawardene is the only politician to have had close contact with
socialist movements abroad, observed Ananda Meegama. He had met with
revolutionaries and freedom fighters in four continents. Philip said he
has associated with socialists of different brands from pale pink to dark red
in various parts of the world.
His
father got to know something of his son’s activities when
Queen’s Counsel R.L. Pereira returned
from New York. Pereira had watched a massive demonstration by the Hotel Workers
Posted on March 14th, 2021
KAMALIKA PIERIS
SOCIAL LEGISLATION
Bandaranaike‘s
government made a lasting contribution
to the social legislation of the country, specially Labour legislation. The MEP government set up Conciliation
Boards , Labour tribunals, The Employees Provident Fund and passed the Prevention
of Social Disabilities Act, No. 21 of 1957.These laws and bodies are now taken for granted. The pioneer role of the MEP is forgotten.
MEP government set up
Conciliation Boards to
facilitate amicable settlement of disputes. The
Conciliation Boards Act No. 10 of 1958
was passed amidst opposition from vested interest. Conciliation Boards were to operate
in all villages. Boards were empowered to settle dispute of a civil nature,
COLOMBO
Thirteen-year-old Kumuduni Perera (not her real name) was found outside the Suvasetha orphanage in Panadura town, Kalutara District, when she was just two months old. The authorities from the orphanage believe Kumuduni was left at the entrance early one morning by one of her relatives who has not visited her since. Raised in the orphanage, Kumuduni says that some day she hopes to find her parents.
In Sri Lanka today institutional care is the fate of many children who have been abandoned by their parents. According to UNICEF, out of over 21,000 children in orphanages in Sri Lanka, one or both parents of over 19,000 of them are still alive.