Dulip LUCK SHAN Fernando

ලැබුවාවූ මේ අලුත් අවුරුද්ද ඔබ සැමට කිරි ඉතිරෙන, සතුට සෞභාග්‍යය පිරි සුබම සුබ අවුරුද්දක් වේවා!

"May the blessings of Allah fill your life with happiness and open all the doors of success now and always. Eid Mubarak!"

YESTERDAY I WATCHED THE BEST CRICKET INNINGS BY A PLAYER.

FEARLESS × COURAGEOUS × INTELLIGENT × OPTIMISTIC × COOL HEAD.

I ENJOYED THIS INNING AND UNDERTOOD THE POTENTIAL POWER OF ONE INDIVIDUAL AND WHAT A CHANGE WE COULD MAKE EVEN THOUGH ODDS ARE AGAINST US.

ඉන්දියාවේ සැමන් ටින් අහුරලා වගේ ෆුල් පැක් වෙච්ච ක්‍රවුඩ් එකක්!

ලකුණු 254 ක ටාගට් එකක්. එහා පැත්තේ විකට් පෝළිමට වැටෙනවා. ගහන එක තියා ළඟට එන එකවත් පුදුමාකාර අමාරු කාරණයක්. හැබැයි ඉන්දීය පන්දු යවන්නන් ව තඹේකට මායිම් නොකර පොඩි කොල්ලෙක් ගහපු ඉනිම.

ජේකබ් බෙතෙල්ගේ ඉනිම කොච්චර ඉන්දියාවට හිසරදයක් වුණාද කියනවා නම් බෙතෙල් දැවී යද්දී ඉන්දීය ක්‍රීඩකයන් ඒක සමරපු විදිහ දැක්කා නම් ඇති. අවසන් පන්දුවාරයට ලකුණු 30 ක් තිබ්බත් බෙතෙල් විකට් එකේ ඉන්නකම් ඉන්දියාවට ඔලුව උස්සන්න පුළුවන් වෙලා තිබ්බේ නෑ.

මෑත කාලයේ පරාජය වුණ තරගයක දැකපු අති විශිෂ්ටතම ඉනිමක්.

අවුරුදු 22 ක කොල්ලෙක්ට ඉන්දියාවේ හොඳම පන්දු යැවීමේ බලඇණියට ඉන්දියාවේ ඇතුළෙම මෙහෙම ගහන්න තරම් හැකියාවක් තියෙනවා කියන්නෙම ඉතින් ආයෙ වෙන මොනවා කතා කරන්නද?

කොල්ලා තමන්ගේ පළවෙනි ටෙස්ට් ශතකය සිඩ්නි වලදී ගැහුවේ දැනට මාස කිහිපයකට උඩදී. අදත් තරගය ජයග්‍රහණය පේන මානයටම අරගෙන ගියා.

ඉන්දියාවේ විශිෂ්ට පන්දු රැකීම නොමැති වෙන්න කතාව මීට වඩා වෙනස් වෙන්නත් ඉඩ තිබුණා. නමුත් අවාසනාවකට බෙතෙල්ගේ ඉනිම ඉතිහාසයේ ලියැවෙන්නේ පරාජිත ශතකයක් විදිහට.

සන්ජු සැම්සන් තමයි මේ තරගයේ වීරයා සම්මානය දිනා ගත්තේ. ඒක ප්‍රශ්නයක් නෑ. ඔහුට ලැබිය යුතුමයි. නමුත් ජේකබ් බෙතෙල් කියන්නෙත් අද තරගයේ වීරයෙක්. ඊට එහා මේ ලියමනේ ලියන්න දෙයක් ඉතුරු වෙලා නෑ.

පොත පතින් ඊ-පොතට

මිනිසා තොරතුරු වාර්තා කිරීමට පටන් ගත් දා සිට කියවීමේ කලාව විවිධ හැඩතල ගත්තේය. ගල් පර්වත, මැටි පුවරු, තල්පත් සහ පසුව මුද්‍රිත කඩදාසි හරහා පැමිණි මේ ගමන, අද වන විට ඩිජිටල් තිරයක් මත නතර වී ඇත. "නවයුගසර" අද විමසා බලන්නේ පොතේ පිටුවෙන් ආරම්භ වී 'ඊ-පොත' (E-book) දක්වා විකාශනය වූ කියවීමේ මෙම අපූර්ව චාරිකාව පිළිබඳවයි.

මුද්‍රණ යන්ත්‍රයේ විප්ලවය
15 වන සියවසේදී ජොහැන්නස් ගුටෙන්බර්ග් විසින් මුද්‍රණ යන්ත්‍රය සොයා ගැනීමත් සමඟ ලෝකයම වෙනස් විය. එතෙක් රජවරුන්ට සහ ප්‍රභූන්ට පමණක් සීමා වූ දැනුම, සාමාන්‍ය ජනයා අතට පත් විය. ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේද වසර සිය ගණනක පුස්කොළ පොත් සම්ප්‍රදායෙන් පසු, මුද්‍රිත පොත පත අපේ සංස්කෘතියේ කොටසක් බවට පත් විය. සුවඳවත් කඩදාසි පිටු පෙරළමින් පොතක් කියවීම තරම් වින්දනයක් තවත් නැති බව බොහෝ දෙනා අදටත් විශ්වාස කරති.

ඩිජිටල් යුගයේ ආගමනය
21 වන සියවස උදාවීමත් සමඟ කියවීමේ කලාවට 'ඊ-පොත' (E-book) යන සංකල්පය හඳුන්වා දෙන ලදී. 1971 දී මයිකල් එස්. හාර්ට් විසින් ලොව ප්‍රථම ඊ-පොත නිර්මාණය කිරීමේ සිට ආරම්භ වූ මෙම ගමන, අද වන විට Amazon Kindle වැනි උපකරණ හරහා ඉතා ඉහළ තලයකට පැමිණ ඇත. 2026 වන විට ලංකාවේද බොහෝ තරුණ පිරිස පොත් දහස් ගණනක් තම ජංගම දුරකථනයේ හෝ ටැබ්ලට් යන්ත්‍රයේ ගබඩා කරගෙන සිටීමට පුරුදු වී සිටිති.

කියවීමේ කලාව අභාවයට යයිද?
සමහරුන් තර්ක කරන්නේ ඩිජිටල් තිරය නිසා මිනිසාගේ කියවීමේ රුචිකත්වය අඩු වී ඇති බවයි. නමුත් ඇත්ත වශයෙන්ම සිදුව ඇත්තේ කියවීමේ 'ක්‍රමය' වෙනස් වීම පමණි. අද මිනිසුන් වැඩිපුර කියවන්නේ කෙටි ලිපි, බ්ලොග් අඩවි සහ සමාජ මාධ්‍ය හරහාය. ශ්‍රව්‍ය පොත් (Audiobooks) හරහා පොත්වලට සවන් දීමේ නව ප්‍රවණතාවක් ද දැන් ලංකාව තුළ වර්ධනය වෙමින් පවතී.

පොත මුද්‍රිත වුවත්, ඩිජිටල් වුවත් එහි අන්තර්ගත 'දැනුම' නොවෙනස්ව පවතී. තාක්ෂණය දියුණු වන විට කියවීමේ මාධ්‍යය වෙනස් වීම ස්වාභාවිකය. වැදගත් වන්නේ මාධ්‍යය කුමක් වුවත්, කියවීමේ පුරුද්ද ජීවිතයට සමීප කර ගැනීමයි. "නවයුගසර" අප බලාපොරොත්තු වන්නේද මෙම ඩිජිටල් අවකාශය හරහා නැවතත් කියවීමේ සංස්කෘතිය ලාංකීය සමාජය තුළ ප්‍රබල කිරීමයි.

The True Meaning of Valentine’s Day and Our Responsibility as Youth

As February 14th dawns each year, cities around the world are painted in shades of red roses and heartfelt greeting cards. Known as Valentine’s Day, this occasion carries a history much deeper than the modern gift-giving trends suggest.

How did Valentine’s Day begin?
The origin of this day traces back to the 3rd century AD in Rome, centered around a priest named St. Valentine. At that time, Emperor Claudius II believed that unmarried men made better soldiers than those with wives and families. Consequently, he passed a law banning young men from marrying.

Believing this law to be unjust, St. Valentine secretly performed marriage ceremonies for young couples. When the Emperor discovered this defiance, Valentine was imprisoned and eventually executed on February 14th. Legend says that before his death, he wrote a letter to the jailer's daughter, whom he had befriended, signing it "From your Valentine." Since then, the day has stood as a symbol of love and sacrifice.

A Day of Love and Our Ultimate Goal
Love is a beautiful emotion that adds color to life. However, as students in schools and universities, it is vital to view this day with a sense of perspective. Today, Valentine’s Day has largely become a commercial event driven by marketing.

While it is natural to experience feelings of affection during youth—often described as the "springtime of life"—we must never lose sight of our future and education. The personality and economic stability you build through a successful education will serve as the foundation for a stable and respectful relationship in the future.

Prioritizing Education
Even on a day dedicated to love, remember that the sacrifices you make today pave the way for your victories tomorrow. It is your responsibility to prioritize your studies for the sake of your parents' aspirations and your own dreams. True love does not hinder one’s growth or goals; instead, it acts as a pillar of strength.

So, while you embrace the sentiment of the day, do not forget your targets. By becoming a person enriched with knowledge and wisdom, you gain the power to share meaningful love with the entire world.

Is an Aimless Life Like a Bus Journey Without a Destination?

Imagine waking up early, heading to the bus station, and hopping onto the first bus that arrives without checking its route or where it's going. What would that journey look like? Most likely, you would end up lost. Or worse, you’d find yourself in a place you never wanted to be.

Our lives are no different. A person who wakes up without a clear goal or plan for the day is exactly like a passenger boarding a bus without knowing the road.

Success in life isn’t determined solely by talent; it is determined by the plan that directs that talent. When you wake up without a purpose, you spend your day reacting to others' needs or wasting time on trivial matters. Without a destination in mind, even the smallest obstacle can knock you off course.

Almost every highly successful person in the world follows one common habit: listing their tasks (To-Do List) before the day even begins.

When you know exactly what needs to be done, you don't waste hours wondering what to do next. Having a plan reduces anxiety and boosts your motivation to work. By winning small daily goals, you pave the way to conquer massive life goals.

If you woke up today with a firm determination like "I will learn something new today" or "I will finish this specific project" then you are on the right bus. But if you are still sitting there wondering "What should I do?", you are still a passenger searching for a road.

Life is a one time journey. You are the one in the driver’s seat. Therefore, start your journey with a clear understanding of the road and the destination.

Tomorrow morning, when you open your eyes, make sure you have a clear plan for your day. Don't be a lost passenger; be a traveler moving swiftly toward a specific goal. Remember, the world makes way for the man who knows where he is going.

"Our freedom is the legacy of heroes, but its future is the work of our hands. As we celebrate 78 years of independence, let’s pledge to build a nation where unity is our strength and progress is our language. Proud to be Sri Lankan!

78 Years of Independence
Lessons from the Past and Dreams for the Future

It has been exactly 78 years since our motherland, which was under the grip of Portuguese, Dutch, and British colonial rule for over 400 years, emerged as a free and sovereign nation. The Lion Flag that was hoisted at the Independence Memorial Hall in Colombo on February 4th, 1948, continues to flutter with pride today, thanks to the immense sacrifices made by thousands of heroes.

The Unforgettable Struggle for Freedom
Our independence was not gifted to us; it was earned. It was the result of a long journey spanning from the rebellions of 1818 and 1848 to the non-violent political movements of the 20th century. Behind this freedom lie the blood, tears, and sweat of national icons like Ehelepola Kumarihami, the heroes who served during the malaria epidemics, and Anagarika Dharmapala, alongside thousands of unsung warriors who laid down their lives. Because Sri Lankans stood together as one, setting aside differences of race and religion, the British Empire was compelled to grant us our sovereignty.

A Journey of 78 Years
In the seven decades following independence, we have achieved much and learned even more. Through free education and healthcare, we were able to elevate our human resources to a global standard. Despite facing numerous challenges, economic crises, and a brutal 30-year war, the unshakable strength and unity of the Sri Lankan people have kept us standing tall as a resilient nation.

What is True Freedom?
Independence is more than just the end of foreign rule. True freedom is found in a nation becoming economically self-sufficient, building a society where equal opportunities exist for all, and fostering respect for each other's diverse cultures. As we celebrate our 78th year, we must ask ourselves: "Have we fulfilled our responsibility to our country?"

Mapping the Path Forward
Our goal must be to create a powerful Sri Lanka that can conquer the world of tomorrow. This requires a disciplined, hardworking population armed with modern technology. It is our supreme responsibility to pass down the freedom won by the heroes of history to the next generation in a way that is meaningful and prosperous.

Let us move forward together as "Sri Lankans," loving this fertile soil and the blue skies above us.

Wishing all Sri Lankans a peaceful, joyful, and proud 78th Independence Day!

Listen Before You Read, The Golden Rule of Intelligent Communication..

The famous philosopher Epictetus once said, "We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak." In today’s fast-paced world, most people aren't listening to understand; they are simply listening to reply. However, to become truly wise and effective in life, one must first master the "Art of Listening."

The Discipline of Listening
Listening develops patience and self-discipline. By listening to the world before "reading" into things or rushing to publish an opinion, we build a more accurate and balanced worldview. In the age of social media, where everyone is quick to react or comment without fully understanding, those who pause to listen stay several steps ahead of the crowd.

A great communicator is not the one who speaks fluently, but the one who listens patiently. Practice this today at home, school, or the office. Try to understand the speaker's intent without interrupting. You will find that when you listen well, you begin to "read" the world much more clearly.

Remember, the person who listens well is the one who truly understands the language of life.

Beyond Book Knowledge: The Soft Skills That Make You a Professional "Pro"

When applying for a job, your certificates and degrees (Hard Skills) might open the door for you. However, to truly succeed within that role and climb the career ladder, you need a different set of abilities that aren't written on any diploma. We call these "Soft Skills."

Simply put, while "Hard Skills" demonstrate what you can do, "Soft Skills" demonstrate how you interact with others and manage your work.

1. Communication: The Art of Sharing Ideas
No matter how brilliant you are, if you cannot clearly convey your ideas to someone else, that brilliance remains hidden. Communication is not just about speaking; it’s also about Active Listening. In an office environment, effective communication is essential to prevent misunderstandings and boost overall productivity.

2. Leadership: The Ability to Take the Lead
Leadership isn’t just about giving orders. A true leader is someone who inspires their team, recognizes individual talents, and guides everyone toward a common goal. Every organization looks for individuals with "Leadership Qualities" those who can take responsibility, whether working alone or heading a project.

3. Teamwork: "We" Over "Me"
In the workplace, you will encounter people with various opinions and personalities. Those who can step away from a "Me first" mindset and embrace a "Let’s do this together" attitude are in high demand. Respecting others' ideas and working collaboratively is the secret behind every successful business.

4. Problem Solving and Adaptability
Problems are an inevitable part of work. The ability to stay calm and find logical solutions under pressure is a vital soft skill. Furthermore, being adaptable the ability to adjust quickly to new changes makes you an invaluable asset to any modern employer.

Why Are These More Important Than Book Knowledge?
Today, many technical tasks can be performed by robots or Artificial Intelligence (AI). However, AI still cannot recognize human emotions, build deep relationships, or make nuanced ethical decisions. That is why the future job market will place its highest value on people with strong soft skills.

Final Thoughts
Your academic knowledge is your foundation, but your soft skills are the palace you build upon it. Whether you are a student or already employed, start working today on improving your communication, leadership, and teamwork. It is the "well-rounded" individuals who ultimately conquer the world.