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Analyzing the non-representation of Tamils in the 2020 parliamentary elections in the Thikamadulla district, Sri Lanka
Full text linkThis study examines the reasons behind the absence of Tamil representation in the 2020
parliamentary elections in the Thikamadulla electoral district of Sri Lanka, an area with a multiethnic population predominantly composed of Sinhalese and Muslims. Although Tamils form
a significant minority, various political, social, and psychological factors contributed to their
electoral marginalization. The study aims to identify the main causes of this nonrepresentation, explore the internal dissatisfaction among Tamil voters—particularly with the
Tamil National Alliance—and analyze how the false promise of employment opportunities
misled the Tamil youth and distorted their voting behavior. Key findings reveal that deliberate
efforts by the ruling party, including the strategic role played by Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan
(Karuna Amman), successfully fragmented the Tamil vote. Additionally, the lack of faith in
Tamil political leadership and growing voter apathy led many to disengage from the electoral
process. The research concludes that a combination of external manipulation and internal
disillusionment contributed to the loss of Tamil political voice in the region, underscoring the
need for renewed strategies to ensure inclusive representation in future democratic processes
Building a sustainable future: a concept paper on unleashing the potential of the bio-economy in Sri Lanka
Full text linkThe more comprehensive goal of this concept paper is to argue for the creation
of a bioeconomy as a novel development model towards a sustainable Sri Lankan
economy focusing on its emerging nature as well as its vulnerability to challenges
like environmental degradation, resource depletion and economic vulnerability.
A bioeconomy involves the reorganization of the resource base with a focus on
biological assets and the utilization of plants, animals and microorganisms for
their generation of food, materials and energy in a sustainable manner. The
strategic location of Sri Lanka as a country with extensive agricultural land,
diverse bio-diversity, and the need for economically sustainable and equitable
growth. Therefore, this paper formulates a conceptual framework that can be used
to build a bioeconomy structure in Sri Lanka with main sectors such as
agriculture, energy and biotechnology. This concept paper seeks to outline a
coherent strategy on how to overcome these challenges and it is proposed that the
solutions should be informed by the collaborative effort of government, the
private sector, academia and the communities. Thus, this paper identifies the key
components and implications of a bioeconomy for Sri Lanka and seeks to
contribute to further theoretical analysis, policy debate as well as practical
implementation plans for developments that are both economically prosperous
and environmentally benign. This work advances knowledge of bio economies in
emerging nations and provides practical guidance for Sri Lanka’s bioeconomic
growth
Oral history, historical aerial photography, and machine learning in Namibia and Sri Lanka
Full text linkThe use of historical aerial photography offers the potential to quadruple the time-depth of
available geo-spatial mass data from 20 years to 80 years to assess past, present and future
environmental and climate change. While satellite imagery only attained sub-1-meter resolution in
the early 2000s, aerial photography with the same resolution had already become ubiquitous in the
1940s, covering all land territories across the globe at 5-10 years intervals. A huge challenge,
however, is how to interpret the features visible on historical aerial photography because the
environments depicted in the imagery have been dramatically transformed by development,
population growth, and modernization. As a result, conventional ground truthing to assess what
the features visible in the photographs represent in the real world is no longer possible. The authors
propose to use a new historical ground truthing methodology using life history interviews to
compile data on land use, climate, vegetation, and the environment contemporary to the times series
of historical aerial photography for each case study. This methodology will allow more historically
accurate interpretation of the aerial photography and facilitate developing machine learning data
sets and culminate in the ability to machine-read historical aerial photography for a more
comprehensive understanding of environmental and climate change from the 1940s through today
A sociological study of Sinhala new year rituals and the functional role of women within the environmental context
Full text linkThe Sinhala New Year, celebrated annually on either the 13th or 14th of April, marks the
beginning of the month of Bak in the Sinhala calendar. The day preceding this is the final day
of the previous year, and the rituals associated with this transitional period are divided into two
parts: the “Old Year” rituals and the New Year rituals. These traditions are deeply rooted in
folk medicine, games, beliefs, and customs, while also showing the influence of Indian Vedic
religion and deity worship.This study investigates the potential indirect connections between
the origins of Sinhala New Year rituals and Indian cultural influences. The primary aim is to
examine the unique characteristics of this influence and how it has been integrated and
sustained within the local context, particularly in relation to ecological knowledge and
traditional practices.Three sub-objectives guided this investigation:To explore the embedded
local knowledge within these rituals as reflected in folk traditions. To examine how the rituals
relate to human life transitions and the environmental knowledge they convey. To analyze the
ecological dimensions of New Year rituals through a feminist lens. Employing a qualitative,
descriptive methodology grounded in interpretivism and human-centered paradigms, data was
collected through interviews with ten individuals—including astrologers, fortune tellers,
researchers, and scholars—selected using snowball sampling. Thematic analysis was applied to
explore key patterns related to the research objectives.The study identifies Sinhala New Year
rituals as cultural practices that are intricately connected to the local natural environment.
Women’s roles within these rituals are primarily centered around the family, but their functions
are revealed to be multidimensional. Women act as facilitators in food production and
distribution, and as providers of diverse forms of labor. They demonstrate integrated
environmental knowledge rooted in everyday experience—knowledge not used merely for
consumption but for planning, conserving, and sustaining resources. Rather than being passive
consumers, women emerge as active agents in conservation, investment, sustainability, and
productivity. They primarily utilize locally available resources such as water, food, fuel (fire
wood and fire), simple tools, and physical labor in their roles
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No full textSri Lanka, renowned for its natural beauty, historical significance, and cultural heritage, is a major
global tourist destination. Among its key tourist locations, the Kandy district plays a crucial role in
the country's tourism industry and has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While
tourism brings various direct and indirect socio-economic and cultural benefits to the Kandy
district, one of the significant negative impacts is the occurrence of crimes against tourists.
Notably, a large number of tourists visiting Kandy fall victim to various criminal activities in
markets, railway stations, bus stops, public roads, parks, and tourist sites. These crimes range from
obscene comments and physical harassment to serious offenses such as sexual assault, theft,
robbery, and financial fraud. This issue forms the central problem of this study. Therefore, the
primary objective of this research is to identify the crimes committed against tourists. Additionally,
the study aims to determine the causes of these crimes, analyze the related issues, and propose
appropriate solutions. The research is based on a mixed method approach, utilizing both primary
and secondary data sources. The findings indicate that perpetrators of these crimes range from
ordinary three-wheeler drivers to government officials, with even some tourists themselves
contributing to the problem. Based on these findings, the study proposes several recommendations
to enhance tourist safety. These include installing surveillance cameras, appointing personal
security guides, permitting only legally authorized tourist services, implementing preventive
measures against fraudulent activities, and collaborating with international security organizations.
Furthermore, the study emphasizes the role of the government in the tourism sector, the
importance of social awareness, and the need to strengthen the participation of local communities
in ensuring tourist safety
Factors affecting consumers’ intention to purchase ecofriendly products
Full text linkConsumers who are concerned about the environment have seen a positive and
noteworthy increase over the past few decades in environmental protection
knowledge, attitudes, and activities. Developing countries are now increasingly
cognizant of the green movement and its significance for environmental
preservation as well. As a result, the aim of this research is to determine the most
causal factor, affecting consumers’ purchase intention of environmentally
friendly products. In this study, there were four independent variables such as
environmental concern, environmental attitudes, subjective norm and willingness
to pay. The dependent variable of this study was purchasing intention. The target
research population of this study was the population in the Galle district. The total
population in the district is 11,014,000 according to a census. Based on the
population, the study includes 384 consumers in Galle district according to
Morgan table. The simple random sampling techniques were the sampling
technique. This research used an online survey to gather data. The questions in
the questionnaire were about both independent and dependent variables of the
study. Respondents were requested to fill in the questionnaire. The five-point
Likert scale guides the construction and posing of all questions in the study's
questionnaire. SPSS was used to analyze the data gathered from the
questionnaires. The study finds that consumers' purchase intentions for ecofriendly products in Galle are significantly influenced by environmental concern,
attitudes, subjective norms, and willingness to pay. The findings emphasise the
necessity of fostering environmental awareness in order to improve the adoption
of green products and sustainable consumer behaviour
Co-movement and information transmission between conventional and Islamic equities in Sri Lanka
No full textThis study aims to investigate the co-movement and information transmission between conventional and Islamic equity indices in Sri Lanka. This study uses daily data of All Share Price Index and Dow Jones Islamic Market Sri Lanka Index from 2013 to 2023 for conventional and Islamic proxies. Descriptive statistics, cross-correlation, dynamic conditional correlation (DCC)-GARCH and wavelet analysis were used for the investigation. Analyses reveal synchronous correlation yet lead-lag dynamics between the indices. The Islamic index has lower volatility, clustering and persistence than the conventional index. Localized volatility patches and scale-dependent synchronicity suggest diversification opportunities to optimize risk-adjusted returns. The insights from this study are important for investors to optimize diversified portfolios by exploiting time-varying correlations. The identified lead-lag dynamics, bidirectional information flows and scale-dependent synchronization between the indices enable both investors to predict market movements for effective asset allocation and regulators to monitor market efficiency and stability and implement shock mitigation measures. This study uniquely integrates DCC-generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH) and wavelet analysis to examine the dynamic, time-varying relationships between Islamic and conventional equity markets in Sri Lanka’s dual financial system. This approach helps embrace both short-run changes and long-run movements to gain in-depth co-movement and spillovers, as well as potential diversification gains within an emerging financial market
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No full textThis paper investigates colonial cantonments in India as strategic spaces of power tha played a
pivotal role in shaping urban landscapes and socio-economic structures during the British rule.
Designed as controlled environments to house military personnel, these cantonments were marked
by rigid spatial segregation, infrastructural planning, and distinct governance mechanisms. By
examining the impact on adjacent civilian areas, this paper explores how cantonments catalyzed
the growth of infrastructure, trade, and employment, while also reinforcing social divisions along
lines of race, class, and occupation. Cantonments are established primarily for military purposes
by the British during the colonial period, they evolved into distinct urban entities characterized by
unique administrative structures, planning norms, and segregated living spaces. The study
examines how these cantonments influenced the development of surrounding civilian areas,
altered patterns of land use, and introduced new infrastructural and institutional frameworks. It
also investigates the long-term socio- economic effects, including employment opportunities,
commercial growth, and demographic shifts triggered by the presence of military settlements.
Through historical analysis and case studies of prominent cantonments, the paper highlights how
these colonial legacies continue to influence contemporary urban governance, spatial organization,
and socio-economic disparities in Indian cities
A comparative analysis of inter-rater reliability: analytic vs holistic writing assessment methods
Full text linkThis study explores the reliability and effectiveness of holistic and analytic rubrics in ESL
writing assessment, focusing on how rater experience of novice and experienced raters’ scoring
system influences scoring consistency. Using quantitative methods and analyses like Intraclass
Correlation Coefficient (ICC) and Mixed-effects model, the study compares inter-rater
reliability across both rubric types, highlighting their strengths and limitations. Results show
that analytic rubrics offer greater scoring stability due to their criterion-specific structure.
Novice raters exhibited significant inconsistencies when using holistic rubrics. Experienced
raters achieved higher reliability across both rubrics, showing systematic accuracy (ICC 0.72 to
0.80). These raters preferred analytic rubrics due to its structured approach. The study
recommends the use of analytic rubrics for novice raters It also emphasizes the need for
training and calibration to improve novice raters' consistency. Despite limitations such
as a small sample size, and convenience sampling, the study provides valuable insights for ESL
learners, teachers, policymakers, and evaluators. Selecting the appropriate rubric based on rater
experience, combined with proper training, can improve the fairness and reliability of ESL
writing assessments, ensuring more consistent and accurate evaluations
