Major discovery in Afghanistan

Major discovery in Afghanistan

by Chamari SENANAYAKE

The monastery found while digging for the copper mine

In 2001, Afghanistan's ruling Taleban blew up two giant Buddha statues in defiance of international efforts to save them. United Nations former Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in Pakistan on a tour at that time, described the Taleban's acts as a disservice to themselves and Islam.

The monuments, in Bamiyan were once a big tourist draw, and one of them was the tallest of its kind in the world. They dated back to between the Second and Fifth Centuries AD, before the advent of Islam, when Afghanistan was a centre of Buddhist learning and pilgrimage.

The 2,000-year-old Buddha statues were believed to have been carved during the time of the Kushan dynasty which is thought to have been the ancestors of the Hazara tribe that inhabits Bamiyan, the heart of the Hazarajat region.

Nine years after this barbaric event that produced a global public outcry, a Chinese company digging an unexplored copper mine in Afghanistan had unearthed ancient statues of the Buddha in a 2,600-year-old Buddhist Monastery in Mes Aynak.

Knowing the dangers posed to them by the Taleban, international archaeologists are rushing to salvage what they can from a major Seventh Century BC religious site along the famed Silk Road connecting Asia and the Middle East.

The ruins include a monastery and 'Stupa' and were discovered as labourers excavated the site on behalf of the Chinese Government-backed China Metallurgical Group Corp (MCC), which intends to develop the second largest copper mine in the world, lying beneath the ruins.

This picture is believed to have been taken by the Taleban, as they got ready to blow up the Bamiyan statue

MCC wanted to start construction work on the mine by the end of 2011, but under an informal understanding with the Kabul Government, it has given archaeologists three years to carry out a salvage excavation. Archaeologists working on the site since May say that there won't be enough time for a full preservation. The monastery complex has been dug out, revealing breathtaking hallways and rooms decorated with frescoes and filled with clay and stone statues of standing and reclining Buddhas, some as high as 10 feet and mighty in their grandeur.

Mini stupas

An area that was once a courtyard is dotted with mini stupas standing four or five feet high. More than 150 statues have been found so far, though many more are believed to be in place.

The larger ones are too heavy to be moved, and the team lacks the chemicals needed to keep the small ones from disintegrating when extracted.

"That site is so massive that it is easily a 10-year campaign of archaeology," said Laura Tedesco, an archaeologist brought in by the US Embassy to work on the sites in Afghanistan.

The team hopes to lift some of the larger statues and shrines out before winter sets in this month. Around 15 Afghan archaeologists, three French advisers and a few dozen labourers are working in the area, a far smaller team than the two dozen archaeologists and 100 labourers normally needed for a site of such size and richness. They say that the salvage effort is minimal due to lack of funds and personnel.

Important points

An Afghan archaeologist standing inside the monastery Pic: AP

"This is probably one of the most important points along the Silk Road," said Philippe Marquis, a French archaeologist engaged in the project. "What we have at this site, already in excavation, should be enough to fill the (Afghan) National Museum."

Mes Aynak's (20 miles from the south of Kabul) religious sites and copper deposits have been bound together for centuries and throughout the site's history, artisan miners have dug up copper to adorn statues and shrines.

When China won the contract for the mine in 2008, there was no discussion with Kabul about the ruins, only about funds, security and building a railroad to transport the copper out of Logar's dusty hills.

But a small band of Afghan and French archaeologists raised a stir and put the antiquities on the agenda. Some believe that Afghan archaeologists have known since the 1960s about the importance of Mes Aynak, but almost nothing had been excavated.

Although the mine could be a major boost for the Afghan economy, worth tens of billions of dollars, a Mining Ministry official working on the antiquities issue said MCC shares the government’s goal of protecting their heritage while starting mining as soon as possible.

But people all over the world are worried that the Taleban will soon destroy this historic site as they do not allow 'non-Islamic' relics or religious sites to exist in their country.

http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2010/11/21/spe01.asp

Murali speak about all time Sri Lankan destroyers , JVP's move

Murali speak about all time Sri Lankan destroyers , JVP

Muttiah Muralitharan has made a confusing claim about the recent Sri Lankan political history, when he told an Australian newspaper that a lot of Sinhalese were killed when “Communist Party came”.

Murali who is currently touring Australia had made this statement during an interview with renowned cricket writer Peter Roebuck. It was published in the leading Australian newspaper Sydney Morning Herald.

“Do you think that these troubles and growing up in a mixed community helped to give you strength of character? The Tamils had a hard time” Roebuck had asked Murali.

“The Sinhalese as well. They had hard times when the Communist party came, they were targeted and a lot of people were killed” had been Murali’s reply.

Murali has also recalled how his house and his father’s biscuit factory was burned down during violence in 1977, and has said that they have forgiven things because they are not “politicians”.

“Our factory and our house were burnt down in 1977 and that was painful for a time. We were saved by Sinhalese. They came and stopped the crazy people before they killed us. We never forgot that. We rebuilt them and moved on. That was our family way. We are businessmen, not politicians. My father kept things as simple as possible.”

Mural has also recalled the 1983 violence during the interview “There were riots but after 1983, it became normal. Remember I was staying at hostel in school for seven years and living with many Sinhalese and Tamils in the same dormitories so it was not that difficult.”

Murali also claimed that he was never interested in the captaincy of the team.

“Did you ever want to captain?” asked Roebuck and Murali replied “No! I thought it was a burden”

Muralitharan has also detailed his plans to build a village with all facilities in the Tamil areas of the country

“ After the [2005] tsunami we did something because the infrastructure was down. We provided free medicine and nurses, empowered women and built a village with 1000 houses and facilities like cricket fields, schools. I want to build the same in the Tamil area in the north next. [The] President has given us 50 acres of land to build 300 houses and nurseries and the rest. We expect 15,000 people to benefit for this project” Murali said.

www.dailymirror.lk

--------------------------------------------------------------------

He means about JVP avtivities. They are the only Communist Party active in those days. Then, there isn't any confusing parts in the Murali's speech as Dailymirror news said.

------------Sir. Priyantha De Silva

Swarnawahini Mega Star Debacle - Unseen and untold story

Mega Debacle .........................
Grand finale ends abruptly


The much-hyped grand finale of the Mega Star reality show was marred by hostility and humiliation late on Saturday night after the irate audience at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium turned furious hurling empty bottles and stones on to the stage when the top management of the EAP Group including its chairperson Soma Edirisinghe were preparing to present the Mega Star Trophy to the winner Ajith Weerasinghe.

Angry fans said the whole country believed the trophy was a cakewalk for UNP parliamentarian Dayasiri Jayasekara who showed consistency right from the beginning of the programme. Dayasiri was placed second, Suresh Gamage third and parliamentarian Upeksha Swarnamali fourth.

A senior police officer who was at the scene claimed the main architect behind this mega programme was also manhandled by some angry fans and he had managed to flee the area with Ms. Edirisinghe.
The Mega Star contest itself took a shocking twist during the past few months amidst allegations of large-scale malpractice and manipulations within the reality singing programme which had 36 participants representing diverse fields. Besides actors and actresses there were three print media journalists, a doctor, a nurse, a police officer, a model and parliamentarians in the singing show.

Analysts said this was probably the first time in history that the finals of a reality programme came to such an embarassing end, with the channel abruptly abandoning its live coverage due to brawls that took place at the venue.

All 36 participants of the Mega Star show were not invited to the grand finale and the channel was unable to give a valid reason for this lapse.

The participants charged the whole show which went on for one year was manipulated by one individual who had the whole programme under his control.

Mega Star winner Ajith Weerasinghe was not reachable for his comments.
Informed sources said the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium had also suffered serious damage due to the commotion.

Earlier last week, a group of leading artistes protested that they had not been invited to the grand finale of the mega reality television event.

A globally renowned film actress who is also known for her singing prowess charged that she and several other participants were subjected to what she called unfair treatment because they spoke openly whenever they saw injustice.

Popular actress Damitha Abeyratne said all participants in this programme were popular figures representing diverse fields like cinema, tele drama, fashion, media, health, police and politics.
“It is therefore the responsibility of the organizers to ensure the dignity of the participants too. We did not even receive an invitation for the final, leave alone participating. We feel this is an injustice from the people’s point of view too. The people obviously expected the show to be a glamorous one with all the participants. Some of our colleagues were run down by the channel just because they spoke out against the unjust acts that were taking place. We can’t fathom the attitude of the organizers for trying to humiliate the very people who boosted their programme,” they said in a frustrating tone.

But the main players of the programme declined to respond to some queries posed at them over those allegations. We asked them if the 36 participants would be invited for the grand finale or not, whether they would be given any performances or not at the finals, whether they would be called up onto the stage and whether any prizes would be given to the 36 stars….

Film sources said instead of inviting the 36 participants, the organizers got senior film stars to take part in a filler event. But many film world personalities asked how the senior stars took part in a programme which blatantly let down and humiliated their junior colleagues.

Despite the final alcking credibility, many people asked why a panel member was praising the main architect of this show, insisting that he was a better organizer than those who organized Bollywood film festivals.

The True Story of Swarnawahini Mega Star Finale 2010

The True Story of Swarnawahini Mega Star Finale 2010

menna eththa kathaawa ethana hitiya kenekk gema wachana walinn...

mulinma methana wune suresh kapuna nisa kattia poddak awissila hitiye but echchara awulak wune na eeth sureshge boards wisikkarakara thamai kattiya hitiye. final desicion eka dunnata passe kattia hu kiwwa, awards denna yanakotya aaaathin water bottle ekak stage eka maddata wisikkara hariyata kamal gawata wage awe, e welawe mervin silva stage ekata awa. eyawa eyage security eka wata karagatta. mr silvagen kisima prashnayak ethana wune na, ethana crowd support eka wadiyenma thibbe dayasiritai sureshtai, so ajith apu nisa dayasirige kattia awissuna, ekata sureshge kattia join wuna, sureshwa kattiya ussagena cheers kara, ethana godak wela awulak giya dennek ambaneta guti kawa kattiya kiyanne SMS ganan karapu aya kiyala. Kamaltath sure na decision eka eya 6 , 7 parak wage kole balanawa, brake eka welawedith kole balanawa, passe meya judge board eka nidos kara by asking the winner shirly nagitalama kiwwa dayasiri kiyala anith dennamath ehemai. so ethakota judge board eke force ekak na, anith eka ajith kiyanne multi millioner kenek eyata bmw factoreis thiyena kenek.