King Sasanka – Sri Lankan Writer & Retired Aviation Professional.

The Voice: Who Recorded It? The person who spoke the words "Ayubowan" ( ආයුබෝවන්) into deep space is Dr. Kamal de Abrew (K. Kamal de Abrew). He is a highly respected Sri Lankan scholar, linguist, and academic. Rather than a voice actor or a political figure, he was an intellectual dedicated to the study of languages, particularly English and colloquial Sinhala. 2. The Backstory: How Did He Get This Rare Opportunity? The opportunity came entirely by chance in early 1977. The Cornell Connection: NASA had tasked the famous astronomer Dr. Carl Sagan to head a committee to create the Voyager Golden Record. Carl Sagan was a professor at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. The Search for 55 Languages: Sagan's team wanted to record brief greetings in 55 different global languages. Instead of dealing with the bureaucratic red tape of contacting global embassies and foreign ministries, Sagan and his team walked around the Corn...

Sri Lanka continues to amaze me. Despite endless inefficiencies, frustrations, and systemic failures, the country somehow manages to survive without descending into complete chaos, unlike some nations that have struggled under institutional collapse. The other day, I wrote about my experience with the Consumer Affairs Authority. Ironically, the word “Authority” appears to exist in name only. Today, I had another reminder of how deeply dysfunction has seeped into everyday life. I called two of the country’s largest supermarket chains. The first greeted me with a recorded message: “Press one for Sinhala, press two for Tamil, and press three for English.” Naturally, I pressed one. The recording continued without taking me anywhere. I then pressed two, despite not understanding a word of Tamil, hoping perhaps that something might work differently. It did not. Finally, I pressed three for English, still optimistic that a human being might eventually appear on the other end. Un...

2009 මැයි 19 වැනිදා , දශක තුනක් පුරා ඇදී ගිය ඛේදවාචකයක නිමාව නිල වශයෙන් ප්‍රකාශයට පත් කරන විට , මුළු මහත් ජාතියක්ම සහනදායී සුසුම් හෙළුවෝය. එදා මගේ සිතට නැඟුණු ‘පුතුනේ මේ අහගන්න’ ගීතයේ සංවේදී පද වැල් අදටත් මගේ මතකයේ රැව්දෙයි . වර්ග සැතපුම් 25,000 කට වඩා මඳක් වැඩි භූමි ප්‍රමාණයකින් යුත් , ලෝක ජනගහනයෙන් සියයට තුනකටත් වඩා අඩු ජනතාවක් වෙසෙන මේ කුඩා දිවයින , මුළු ලෝකයම කළ නොහැක්කක් යැයි සිතූ දෙයක් ජයගත් බව එදා අපි ආඩම්බරයෙන් ප්‍රකාශ කළෙමු .   එම අසීරු ජයග්‍රහණය හුදෙක් සටන් බිමේ සිටි රණවිරුවන්ට පමණක් සීමා වූවක් නොවේ. ජීවිත පරිත්‍යාග කළ සහ දිවි පරදුවට තබා කටයුතු කළ ත්‍රිවිධ හමුදාවට අපගේ අසීමිත කෘතවේදීත්වය හිමි විය යුතුමය . එහෙත් , මෙම යුද ප්‍රයත්නයට උර දුන් තවත් නිහඬ වීරයන් පිරිසක් සිටියහ. තමන්ගේ මව්බිමේ ආර්ථිකය පවත්වාගෙන යාම සඳහා වෙහෙස වී විදේශ විනිමය එවූ විදෙස්ගත ශ්‍රමිකයෝ ද , හදිසි අවස්ථාවලදී රෝහල්වල පෝලිම් ගැසී සිය රුධිරය පරිත්‍යාග කළ සාමාන්‍ය ජනතාව මෙන්ම වෘත්තිකයෝ ද ඒ අතර වූහ. එබැවින් , මේ ජයග්‍රහණයේ අයිතිය සහ කෘතවේදීත්වය සමාජයේ එක් කොටසකට පමණක් නොව , සමස්ත ශ්‍රී ලාංකික සමාජයටම...

  Beyond Ancient Origins: A Shared Future for a United Sri Lanka The overwhelming scientific consensus confirms that Homo sapiens originated in Africa.  From that singular cradle, humanity branched out to populate every corner of the globe.  This profound genetic and archaeological truth renders bitter geopolitical debates over "who arrived first" on any shore fundamentally obsolete. Instead of looking backwards to score historical points, the defining question of our era must be: How do we live, work, and prosper together while fiercely respecting one another’s languages, cultures, beliefs, and traditions? Today, Sri Lanka faces challenges far too severe to waste collective energy on ancient grievances.  Our nation is navigating an unprecedented economic crisis, burdened by a total public debt that sits near US$97 billion, with over US$37 billion in external liabilities alone.  The resulting economic hardships, systemic instability, and deep anxiety abou...

The Gateway of Light: Where the Mountain Meets the Sea at Kalutara Bodhiya   If you travel along Sri Lanka’s famous Galle Road, you will encounter a landmark that demands a pause. The Kalutara Bodhiya is more than just a temple; it is a spiritual crossroads. It is a common sight to see vehicles of all kinds, buses, tuk-tuks, and luxury cars, slowing down as passengers offer a coin to the roadside tills. This gesture of "subscription" for a safe journey transcends religion, uniting road users in a moment of shared respect. However, for those who choose to step out of their vehicles, a rare geographical spectacle awaits, one that is likely unique in the entire country. A 360-Degree Theater of Nature The Kalutara Bodhiya sits in a privileged position where the Kalu Ganga river meets the Indian Ocean. Because of this unique placement, on a clear day, the horizon offers a double gift: The Dawn of the Peak: Looking East over the river, you can witness the sun ris...

In many Sri Lankan coastal towns, "Kings Watta" is a name that appears in land registries dating back to the early 1900s, often associated with prominent local families who held administrative positions under the British. Matara, often referred to as the "City of the Nilwala River," is a region where history is layered like an onion—sometimes salty from the sea air and occasionally making you tear up with its colonial complexity.  Kings Watta (or King’s Garden) is a specific locale within this historic district that mirrors the broader evolution of the Southern Province. While "Kings Watta" is primarily recognized today as a residential and commercial neighborhood, its history is tied to three distinct eras: 1. The Era of the Ruhuna Kingdom Long before colonial maps were drawn, Matara was a vital part of the Kingdom of Ruhuna .  The area surrounding the Nilwala River was known for its lush vegetation and strategic importance.  Local lore often sug...

Investigation Report: NDB Operational Fraud Incident Date: April 6, 2026 Subject: Analysis of LKR 13.2 billion Internal Fraud & Institutional Stability   1. Liquidity Analysis: Does the bank have the cash? The Claim: NDB claims they have enough liquidity to withstand the hit. The Data: * Total Assets: NDB’s total asset base is approximately LKR 990 billion . The LKR 13.2 billion loss represents roughly 1.3% of their total assets. While a significant sum, it is not "existential."   Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR): At the end of 2025, NDB reported an LCR of 257.3% (Rupee) and 208.5% (All Currency)—well above the regulatory minimum of 100%. Capital Adequacy (CAR): Even after absorbing this loss, NDB remains above the regulatory minimums for Common Equity Tier 1 (7%) and Total CAR (12.5%). The Verdict: YES. The bank is technically solvent and liquid. The loss is being absorbed by internal reserves and capital , not by dip...

The protests staged this morning in front of a major ride-share headquarters in Colombo raise a fundamental question that goes beyond the headlines: Where does corporate responsibility end and personal financial accountability begin?   As a publicly traded company on the Colombo Stock Exchange, this entity operates under a microscope of transparency and regulatory standards. Yet, the narrative being pushed by protesters, centered on low pay and high deductions, often ignores the underlying economic mechanics of the "gig economy."   The "Herd Mentality" Trap   Many drivers and riders claim they cannot meet their financial obligations. However, reading between the lines, the issue often isn't the company’s commission, it’s the mortgage. Following the herd, many individuals purchased high-end vehicles beyond their means, lured by the promise of "big money" without doing the necessary homework.   When a person makes a private financial decision t...

Our biweekly shopping routine is usually dictated by three factors: the availability of fresh morning produce, competitive pricing compared to wet markets, and a personal stake, as we are part-owners of this listed company. However, a recent experience highlighted significant gaps in service and system integrity that every shopper should note. 1. Pricing Errors and Staff Attitude Yesterday, I ordered local red rice (unpolished). While the weight was correct, the price was not. I was overcharged by Rs. 40 per kilo . When I pointed out the discrepancy, there was no apology—only a curt, annoyed acknowledgment before the salesperson relabeled the item. The Lesson: Always double-check the price-per-kilo on your labels before heading to the checkout. 2. Operational Inefficiency On multiple occasions, I’ve noticed that scales run out of label stickers during peak morning hours. This causes a 4-to-5-minute delay while rolls are replaced. In a fast-paced retail environment, time is m...

OPEN LETTER: A Call for Efficiency and Market Liberalization in Vehicle Plate Issuance To: The Commissioner General of Motor Traffic   Subject: Addressing the Chronic Delay in Official Number Plate Issuance To the Department of Motor Traffic, The current state of our roads reveals a glaring administrative failure: a significant percentage of newly registered vehicles are forced to operate using temporary or non-standard plates. While vehicle owners fulfill their legal and financial obligations immediately upon purchase, the state continues to fail in its reciprocal duty to provide the necessary identification plates in a reasonable timeframe. In an era of rapid digital transformation, it is unacceptable that a simple metal plate requires weeks or months of processing. This is not a matter of "Quantum Physics"; it is a matter of basic supply chain management. The Case for Market Liberalization   If the current centralized system is unable to meet the demand, th...