21 January 2026 | Vol. 12, #12

DIFFERENT PRIORITIES IN THE SINHALA AND TAMIL PRESS

Virakesari: Submit the no-confidence motion before it catches mould; Government side announces readiness to debate it in the House | “The Opposition will decide on the no-confidence motion; the Government cannot decide” – says the Leader of the Opposition

Thinakaran: Monthly salary for the private sector increases to Rs. 30,000; daily wage, which was Rs. 1,080, increases to Rs. 1,200 | Government takes steps to increase plantation workers’ salary up to Rs. 1,750; Rs. 5,000 million for incentive allowance

Thinakkural: “President and Prime Minister are against Buddhism; Monks imprisoned; Government’s planned conspiracy; 8 kovils illegally constructed along the Trincomalee coastline” – Former Minister Sarath Weerasekera rages | Grade 6 English textbook issue: Several education officials suspended! | “We are the reason for the President’s visit to Jaffna” – Secretary of SLPP

Thamilan: “The entire Cabinet will go to prison due to the coal issue!” warns MP Chanaka; also challenges them to come forward for a debate | Karamunai belongs to the Muslim people: MP Hizbullah says evidence is available | New education policy with amendments; MP Harsha says cooperation will be extended

Lankadeepa: Social media propaganda: absurd allegations to the court; Judicial Service Association stands firm; writes to the commission as well | “Why do you demand what the prime minister herself admitted was incorrect?” – Chief Prelate of the Malwatta Chapter questions the forum of parents of Grade 6 students

Divaina: “Prisons are overcrowded by 300%: 27,000 out of the 37,71 inmates have been convicted on drug charges; delay with government analyst reports is also an issue; 82 new government analysts; 2,246 in Dumbara which can only house 699; the president has advised to provide funds for rehabilitation as necessary” – Minister of Justice Harshana Nanayakkara | “Although Rs. 500 million had been allocated for rehabilitation in 2025, only Rs. 10 million has been allocated this year” — SJB MP Chamindranee Kiriella

Mawbima: Decision to bury Nandana Gunathilaka’s body instead of cremating it, due to a video that was released regarding his death | Do not surrender to the disruptive medical threats – Association of Medical Specialists requests the government 

Dinamina: Public, private, and estate sector wages up: private sector minimum wage raised to Rs. 30,000: Rs. 1,750 for estate workers

Aruna: A knock [on the head] from the chief prelate to those requesting the module: ‘‘the prime minister herself has accepted the error; one group says it is needed, another says it is not. This is a problem for us” – Chief Prelate of the Malwatta Chapter

Anidda: This newspaper was unavailable at the time of publishing FrontPage

TAMIL PRESS PRIORITIES

Full support for education reforms; Jaffna educational community expresses: condemnation for the attacks on the Prime Minister

Virakesari

A group of over 55 professionals from Jaffna, including former university vice-chancellors, professors, lawyers, and doctors, issued a statement condemning the “disgusting and anti-woman” personal attacks against Prime Minister and Minister of Education Harini Amarasuriya.

The group asserted that these defamatory campaigns insult democratic values and intellectual integrity, representing a regressive political culture that was rejected by the public during the Aragalaya movement.

Highlighting the economic and social costs of past racism and emotional politics, the statement emphasised that such tactics are intended to obstruct necessary structural changes.

The professionals expressed full support for Amarasuriya’s leadership in spearheading education reforms, which they consider the foundation for long-term national growth and global competitiveness.

They concluded by urging the government to firmly advance these reforms based on the clear mandate provided by the people.

“Set GSP tax concessions as a condition to ensure land and housing rights of the Hill Country community” – Mano Ganesan urges France

Virakesari

Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) leader MP Mano Ganesan urged France to advocate for making the land and housing rights of the Hill Country community a condition for Sri Lanka’s GSP+ tax concessions.

During a meeting with French Ambassador Remi Lambert, Ganesan expressed concern over the systematic exclusion of plantation residents from the government’s ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ housing initiative.

He alleged that families displaced by Cyclone Ditwah are being denied promised land and Rs. 5 million in financial assistance, characterising it as “institutionalised discrimination.”

Ganesan further stated that several requests for a meeting with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to discuss these grievances have been ignored.

He called on France to pressure the government to ensure equal rights, resources, and dignity for the Hill Country community.

“The expulsion of Muslims from the North is a major scar in the history of the Tigers’ struggle; Muslims are not contrary to the basic aspirations of Tamils” – says Hakeem

Virakesari

SLMC Leader MP Rauff Hakeem, speaking at a book launch in Colombo, expressed profound regret over the 1990 expulsion of Muslims from Jaffna and the current decline of historic institutions like Osmania College.

Hakeem recounted past peace negotiations in Kilinochchi, noting that LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran paused meetings for prayer and shared a personal account of being protected by a Muslim family in Chilaw during the IPKF period.

During these discussions, the MP confronted the LTTE leader regarding the taxation of Muslim traders, asserting that the community perceived it as extortion rather than a legitimate tax.

Consequently, Prabhakaran reportedly ordered an immediate cessation of tax collection from Muslims, overriding the visible hesitation of his regional commanders.

Hakeem concluded by noting that while the LTTE leadership later described the expulsion as a “tragic incident,” the affected community maintains a stance of “forgiving but not forgetting.”

“Coal tender process; conduct an independent investigation!” – Leader of the Opposition urges

Thamilan, Thinakkural

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa called for an independent investigation and a forensic audit into the coal procurement process for the Norochcholai Lakvijaya Power Plant.

Speaking in parliament yesterday (20th), he described the procurement as an “administrative failure that jeopardised national energy security and public funds, rather than a mere technical error.”

Premadasa questioned the reduction of the tender period to 21 days and the alleged relaxation of technical and financial requirements to accommodate inexperienced distributors.

He asserted that the use of substandard coal, which failed to meet the required 5,900 kcal/kg calorific value, has increased hourly boiler consumption from 107 t to 120 t.

The Opposition Leader warned that these issues could cause a loss exceeding Rs. 10 billion and risk damaging the plant’s boilers, leading to a premature depletion of annual coal stocks.

SINHALA PRESS PRIORITIES

“Why do you demand what the prime minister herself admitted was incorrect?” – Chief Prelate of the Malwatta Chapter

Lankadeepa, Aruna

Chief Prelate of the Malwatta Chapter, the Most Venerable Thibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thera, questioned a forum of parents that visited him as to why they are requesting that the same education reforms be implemented when even the prime minister has accepted that certain errors have occurred.

The Chief Prelate expressed these views when the parents of Grade 6 students called on him yesterday (20th) and handed over a memorandum requesting his intervention to implement the education reforms within this year.

Expressing further views, Sumangala Thera stated: ‘‘The government has accepted that there are certain errors in this reform process. The duties of several individuals who are said to be involved have even been suspended, and the implementation of the reforms has been postponed by a year.

Given these circumstances, it is a problem for us that there is a request to implement the same module for children once again.

One group says these reforms are harmful to children and should be stopped, while another group requests that they be implemented.

As we see it, wouldn’t it be better if these reforms were carried out in a formal and proper manner by involving experts, scholars, and professors in the field of education? There are plenty of experienced professors in this country.’’

Do not let the authority of the AG be meddled with – BASL requests

Lankadeepa, Aruna

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) stated in a release that it is deeply concerned regarding the recent social media posts targeting the Attorney General (AG).

The statement issued by the President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka Kaushalya Nawaratne and Secretary Isuru Balapatabendi states that the AG is empowered to exercise quasi-judicial powers regarding criminal matters.

The association points out that the decisions of the AG can be subjected to review by submitting a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition to the Supreme Court (SC) or a writ petition to the Court of Appeal, and that certain decisions taken by judicial officers and quasi-judicial officers may not be popular decisions.

While mentioning that every citizen has a right to criticise the decisions of state officials, including the Attorney General, the association states that it must occur in a manner that does not harm the independence of the Attorney General or the rule of law.

COMMON PRIORITIES: SINHALA & TAMIL PRESS