Culture & Heritage

Sri Lanka’s first World title winner M.J.M. Lafir is being remembered on his 41st death anniversary, he is the man won the first ever World title for our country, that was the prestigious trophy in the World Amateur Billiards Championship in 1973 in Bombay in a round robin contest against Indian Satish Mohan. Lafir also scored the highest break of …

When one talks of the history of Sri Lanka in the decades before independence, the issues which come to mind immediately are the Sinhala-Buddhist nationalistic awakening;controversies over Indian migrant labour; and the Tamils’ struggle for equality with the majority Sinhalese. The Muslims’ struggle to organise themselves and fight for their rights is not recognised.  But the fact is in the …

Ibn Sina would influence philosophers and scientists for centuries after his lifetime (Wikimedia)   Known as Avicenna in the West, the Persian polymath had a huge impact on the study of disease, astronomy and logic Born in 980 CE to a Persian family near the city of Bukhara in modern day Uzbekistan, Abu Ali al-Hussain ibn Abdullah al-Balkhi would go …

Hilali Noordeen has the interesting distinction of being the only living Sri Lankan President of the Oxford Union (1983); the other two, Lalith Athulathmudali and Lakshman Kadirgamar were both assassinated. Mr. Noordeen is now a reputed and highly sought after consultant spinal surgeon who lives in London. He is also a lecturer and medical consultant who publishes regularly in his field. He …

Hilali Noordeen has the interesting distinction of being the only living Sri Lankan President of the Oxford Union (1983); the other two, Lalith Athulathmudali and Lakshman Kadirgamar were both assassinated. Mr. Noordeen is now a reputed and highly sought after consultant spinal surgeon who lives in London. He is also a lecturer and medical consultant who publishes regularly in his field. He …