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What keeps the Navam Perahera going in Colombo

Our grateful thanks, and we offer blessings and merit to every one of you who contributed toward the successful holding of the annual Colombo Navam Maha Perahera, a cultural pageant conducted by Gangarama Viharaya of Sri Jinaratana Road, Colombo 2.

It also applies to all spectators. We are mindful of your contributions in cash, kind or labour.

The Perahera which started in 1979 is devoid of communal, religious or political bias. Large numbers of spectators both local and foreign grace the occasion and their assistance also contribute to its grand success.

The late President Ranasinghe Prema-dasa originated this idea of an annual perahera. Sad to say he was the victim of a bomb attack.

Although the UNP governed the country, no one was willing to give a helping hand to continue this annual event. Everyone thought, the "Navam Maha Perahera’ is over. "Last ‘Udagama’ of late President Premadasa was erected at Mihintale. He did not live to declare it open. The Navam Maha Perahera Organisation held the perahera in Colombo for 2 days and proceeded to Mihintale on the 3rd day. From the Mihintale Udagama the Navam Perahera proceeded to Mihintale rock. This included 5000 dancers and drummers. At the Mihintale Rock an alms giving was held for 1500 Buddhist monks. Robes and hair cutters were offered in memory the late President Premadasa.

For the very inception the well to do donated large sums of money for the perahera. From far away villages devotees offered a rupee or two. With the passage of time the large sums stopped coming. But the Rs. 2/- donation continues.

In 1984 the Colombo Navam Maha Perahera had 157 elephants and 5000 dancers and drummers. Accor-ding to prevailing conditions in the country the elephants and the dancers had to be reduced.

In the year 2000 number of elephants was reduced to 42 and the dancers to 2500. Labour of the students of the Sri Jinaratana Technical Training centre helped make this event along with the contributions of the devotees.

In the year 2000 over Rs. 700,000/- was spent on postage stamps. Paper and printing charges were additional costs. Dayakas of the Navam Maha Perahera live all over the island. Letters addressed and posted to them were bundled and held back in the posting centre in Colombo. This certainly is an act of sabotage and whoever is responsible will pay for it.

Even after the death of President Premadasa this Navam Maha Perahera did not stop. If anyone tried to prevent the small contributions coming in, it’s a crime and those responsible will face the consequences.

The Gangara-maya has the blessings of the Noble Triple Gem. There are Buddha relics, Arahant and Seevali Maha Rahathan. There are the images of Gods done in gold, silver, bronze and granite, over 200 Buddha statues and ola leaf books. Such a place is sacred and has blessings.

No one can harm or damage a place of religious worship that has all this blessings. There are tuskers with "gajamuthu".

All those who help our place are blessed. They will always march forward and not lag behind.

Gangaramaya receives public assistance. Contributions are put to good and proper use. Our major service is to train and discipline the youth and make them useful citizens.

The pilgrims rest and common meditation centre at Kataragama accommodates over 4000 per day free. During the UNP regime the PA staged a protest march to Kataragama, and thousands of participants took residence at the Gangaramaya Rest. This rest is free from communal, political and religious ties. All join and make use of this free offer. There are forces to destroy this place too. Let the public be aware.

Homes for the disabled, orphans and elders are run by us. All over the country we run social service projects. These places offer relief to the needy. They can be happy, they are looked after and cared by us. Please visit these places and make your comments.

For those of you who could not help in the perahera, here is an opportunity. The Gangaramaya Bodhi Maluwa needs space. The adjoining 61 perches of land is for sale. We are making arrangements to obtain some land to extend our service to the public. You too can join. All contributions are exempted from Income Tax. Extent of the land is 61 perches — 16,592 sq.ft.

Each square foot costs Rs. 2,941/-. cost of one perch is Rs. 800,000/-.

Join this meritorious act. It’s a blessing to all of you. Offer merit to the deceased. Cheques etc. money orders in favour of "Sri Jinaratana Bhikku Abhyasa Vidya-laya", Kollupitiya.

Old discarded mechanical items in your homes including motor vehicles, may be donated for the use of students in our Technical Training Centres.

Kataragama Pilgrims Rest is also in need of household items.

Navam Maha Perahera Organisation,
Gangaramaya,
61, Sri Jinaratana Road,
Colombo 2.
Fax: 439508

An Alleluia for Earle de Fonseka

Earle de Fonseka conducted for us a week or so before his quick and sudden exit from the podium of life in the last days of February this year.

He played a recording of the National Anthem sung by a chorus of male voices to which he added his own as he rose on his toes and swung into action over an invisible choir. Then, to improve the shining hour, he played another version of the anthem for full symphony orchestra and a mixed choir, the one grander than the other, both infused with an ardour that was at the same time highly stirring musically and patriotic. Earle was an enthusiast of both causes but his devotion to music must be acknowledged as his supreme contribution in the 76 years of his life.

That he should have survived some extraordinary coronary aberration is in itself no small miracle but he attributed that to the intervention of a little girl, Sakuntala, his ward, who despite her extreme youth had taken the necessary initiatives to bring medical assistance to him. I recall visiting him shortly after that episode in 1997 when I found him beginning to teach Sakuntala to play the cello. He was quite overwhelmed by her role in bringing him help.

As a teacher Earle believed strongly in a student’s individual instinct. I asked him once whether he thought a metronome would help arrive at the correct tempo at which a piece should be played. He was quite appalled at the idea. No, he said, the student’s own response to the music would be the proper guide; the interpretation should come from within his experience and his appreciation of the music. He would have no mechanical intervention.

It was this attitude that directed his approach to any performance of music that came under his baton. While the written note was sacrosanct and allowing for the individual response Earle took an orchestra painstakingly through the music to arrive at a reading that was both accurate in detail and articulate in expression.

I suppose it would be correct to describe Earle as a prodigy. The love of music was early instilled into all the members of his family and while all of them pursued their studies to exceptional levels of achievement, Earle spread himself over a broader scale from the time he picked up the baton left unattended by Hussain Mohammed. He was indefatigable. He was ever prepared to help anyone whosoever with his knowledge and experien. That he was able to divide his time between this consuming work and the demands of his profession in no small way speaks for Earle’s exceptional devotion to both causes.

Equally he was good-humoured and accepted criticism without the least rancour. I know this only too well because I had on some occasions many decades past made uncomplimentary comments on the performance of his beloved symphony orchestra but that never stood in the way of our personal relationships. We even worked together as on those wonderful productions of Gilbert and Sullivan directed by Arthur van Langenberg when Earle conducted the music and I designed the sets. We maintained close social contact with one another much to the surprise of some who believed that impossible.

Earle’s involvement with music was consummate. His mastery of the violin (of which we heard less and less as his association with the orchestra grew), his discerning collaboration in performances of chamber music, and his eventual dedication to the Catholic Choral Society and the musical craftsmanship of Fr. Ignatius Perera must become part of the mythology of the musical scene in Colombo. They struck a fine chord together both musically and in their individual religious enthusiasms.

Earle was devoted to much Catholic lore and had as the centrepiece of his gardens at Elibank Road and later at Layard’s Road, a grotto and fountain with a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He was perhaps even naive in his faith. When the young Ananda Dabare gave the first recital of his newly-formed chamber orchestra at the Navarangahala last year Earle was to play host to the players in his garden. It had been raining heavily all evening but Earle was certain it would cease in time for the supper he had laid out. To ensure this he had placed a statue of St. Joseph out in the rain in the stout belief that he would intercede and true enough, when the musicians arrived later that night the rain had indeed ceased and the party went off rousingly.

It had been one of Earle’s wishes that there be music at his birthday this year when it fell on 23 April. He was also preparing to conduct "The Messiah" at St. Mary’s church at Easter time. He was anticipating them eagerly but alas the musical score of Earle’s life did not extend to these diversions. We must expect rather that he is now listening to choirs of angels in their heavenly firmament as they sing out their Alleluias in sweet harmonies for a lifetime of fine music.

Earle de Fonseka, Professor of Public Health and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Colombo received many plaudits for his work in classical music. He was given the title of "Kalakeerthi" by the state, named a Chevalier and awarded the Ordre des Arts et Lettres by the French Government in 1991 but the enduring tribute must remain the spontaneous and sustained applause each concert drew for Earle’s musicianship.

Loud and long may it be heard

— Neville Weereratne

Red carpet welcome for Lankan crime reporter in Germany

by Kirthie Abeyesekera
Three decades ago, 1 walked on the Berlin Wall, swirled atop Frankfurt’s revolving restaurant, and feasted - only with mine eyes - on the flesh of fraulness in Hamburg’s naughty quarter, the Reeperbahn.

The Federal Republic of Germany, as the West German government was then known, rolled out the red carpet when they hosted the crime reporter from then Ceylon. My first stop was Hamburg where ‘Lufthansa’ flew me to from London. After freshening up, and lunch at the hotel Alsterh of, where ‘Inter Nations,’ the German ‘Visitors’ Office. had made reservations for me, my escort, Host, drove me direct to the Police Headquarters where the Chief of Police had arranged for me to join a police patrol squad to St. Pauli in the Reeperbahn - gerally known as Hamburg’s ‘Red Light District.’

Hundreds of tourists, in the gorgeous summer, were parading the Reeperbahn that day, peeking at the glass cages which exhibited the most daring display of flesh I’d ever seen. The ‘Palais d’ Amour - ’Palace of Love’ and the ‘Eros Centre;‘ drew much attention to watch women in various stages of dress and undress.

Prostitution in Germany, like in most Western countries is legal, while soliciting, as in most countries too, is not. Yet, the German government, in its wisdom, had a practical and realistic vision of the world’s oldest profession, by what it called, ‘containing’ the sex trade within certain bounds. For instance, the Reeperbahn was out of bounds for juveniles under 17. Women plying their trade had to register with the police and were subject to stringent health requirements, such as periodical medical checks. In this situation, there was no room for middle-men or pimps - thus minimizing the risk of whatever criminal element there was in the flesh trade

Real business

Police took me to a strip club where barmaids were topless and near-bottomless. Germans are heavy beer-drinkers. They start their sessions — upping down corn brandy off a funnel-shaped tumbler. Then, they get down to the real business of beer I drank ‘Becks,’ the popular German beer whose ingredients form the base of ‘Three Coins’ introduced to Ceylon by McCailum Breweries’ mudalali, U. K. Edmund.

Flying from Hamburg to Berlin, I was met by escort Ilse Beck-Todken, a charming, forties woman, who drove me to the Park Hotel Zellemayer, where I had a luxurious room overlooking the city. The room maid was a young English girl who had taken the summer job so she’d earn enough money to take home a Volkswagen.

The first night I was wined and dined on the 20th floor of the Hilton International where Beck-Todken led me to the dance floor. The next morning was a visit to ‘Axel Springer’, a Newspaper Centre I was taken for a walk on the Berlin wall beside the offices. Asked to put my left leg out while walking on the wall I was told that leg was now in East Berlin, while my right was in West Berlin.

I was shown pictures of men shot dead while trying to escape from Soviet controlled East Germany to the Federal Republic’s West Germany. Crossing the border.

On a tour of East Berlin, I had to surrender my passport to be collected on my return. The Berlin Wall is no more. The German people, now united as a nation, are however, still haunted by the spectre of Adolph Hitler whose ambitions of bringing Europe under his iron heel, led to the tearing asunder of his own people

At the Berlin Buddhist Centre, Dr. N. M. Perera and R. Premadasa had stolen a march over me. Their names were on the Guest Book I was asked to sign. Dr. Perera’s visit was shortly before he became Finance Minister in the 1970, Sirima Bandaranaike cabinet. Mr. Premadasa, grooming himself for the Presidency, was to take the top seat in Colombo Central, with over 69,000 votes, pushing Falil Caffor and Pieter Keuneman to the second and third spots, respectively.

A night on the town in Berlin, paid for by the West German government, took me to eight night clubs where an African girl in one strip club demonstrated primitive love-making.

Frankfurt was fantastic, primarily because of my bewitching escort, Frau Liselotte Hinz who welcomed me literally, with open arms. Our first visit was to Goethehaus, where Goethe, the renowned German poet was born. We then toured the city which included the popular ’Romer.

‘Akasa Kade’

The evening at the revolving tower, ‘Henninger Turm’ towering above the Henninger breweries, was a dream. A romantic night with candlelight and wine, and the lovely Liselotte, a lively companion, we feasted on the choices of Frankfurt meats. Soft German music was nectar to the ears. It was my first experience of a revolving restaurant that took 45 minutes to do the complete round. It was an unusually clear night for a usually foggy Frankfurt, I was told. The view was captivating, but I must say, not as magical as the city and harbour of Colombo from the ‘Akasa Kade’.

A highlight of the German visit was my meeting with Dr. Max Busch, an expert penologist. He had prepared a paper for presentation at the Kyoto session of the United Nations Congress, on ‘Modern methods in Social Work‘ in relation to Young Offenders He had observed that ‘the degrading deprivation of liberty as a punishment is gradually being replaced by the deprivation of liberty connected with measures enabling the offender to resume an orderly life in society, on his release trom prison.’

At the time, Germany had among the most progressive penal systems in the world. Adding considerable interest to my discussions with Dr. Busch, was the participation in the talks by Liselotte - herself, a student of sociology, working for her Master’s Degree. A visit to a Youth Detention Home m Wiesbaden, and Frankfurt’s Police Museum, contributed greatly to my learning experience which was to come in handy on my crime beat in Colombo.

My escort then drove me to the picturesque Taunus Mountains at Kronberg where the view was breathtaking. Having had several meetings with German government officials, I told Iiselotte that it would be nice to meet Frankfurt’s ‘ordinary folk,’ the common man. So on the eve of my departure; she took me to a restaurant frequented hy Frankfurt’s working class. We sat on a wooden bench at a long table. The place was packed with office and industrial workers after their day’s work was done.

Liselotte ordered apple cider, as everybody else did. I was told it contained a fair percentage of alcohol. A live band was in attendance. A minstrel with a guitar was serenading at the tables. He walked up to our table and sang what was said to be a popular German love song. Patrons joined the singing. Fiselotte and I joined hands as all the others did, with whoever sat next to them.

Swinging to and from in rhythm with the music, we drank more apple cider till late. We then took a midnight stroll,

The next morning, after a hectic, yet fruitful stay among the warm and friendly German people, it was a tearful parting at the Frankfurt airport. Liselotte and I locked ourselves in an embrace. I then boarded a Scandinavian Airlines flight to Copenhagen, my next destination.

A Cable Car will destroy Horton Plains

By Dr. Brendon Gooneratne
Dr. Brendon Gooneratne MBBS DAPE Phd internationally acclaimed Conservationist and Environmentalist, is the President of Project Jonah Australia — The premier Whale & Dolphin Conservation Society. Dr. Gooneratne is also the Chairman of the Friends of the Ancient Cities of Sri Lanka, and has recently accepted the Chairmanship of the Sri Lanka Pugwash Group. Pugwash International and its co-founder Sir Joseph Rodblatt were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1955.

Horton Plains is a pristine area in Sri Lanka and one of our few remaining wilderness areas, which is part of our national treasure. Situated at an altitude of nearly 7000’ (2100 m) it is a plateau of some 32 kilometres. Horton Plains is one of the most ecologically important areas in the world and is unique in providing a sanctuary for a number of amphibian frog species found nowhere else. Besides providing a home for other fauna like sambhur, deer and the odd leopard, it is home to many other animals, in particular the bear, monkey, giant squirrel and numerous bird species. Fifty percent (50%) of the plants in Horton Plains are endemic to Sri Lanka and The Horton Plains wilderness contains all 21 endemic bird species in Sri Lanka (Mangala de Silva and Charles Santiapillai - Sri Lanka Nature, September 1999).

Horton Plains is the origin of many of our national river systems - the Mahaweli, Kelani and Walawe rivers which have served this country well for thousands of years. Despite this, all of us remember a stupid and destructive scheme produced by a former agricultural minister who in his own form of wisdom decided to start a potato cultivation program here, originally planning to plant 5000 acres, but following the protests of the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society this was reduced to 500 acres. This amateurish plan produced much destruction in the 10 years of its existence, before a public outcry, including intense protest from the conservationists, - luckily put a stop to this folly. In the process however the entire trout population in the clear flowing waters of Horton Plains was almost totally destroyed to the detriment of the attractiveness of this ecosystem.

Soil erosion

The folly of this venture is seen in the fact that potatoes can be grown in many other parts of Sri Lanka and can also be imported cheaply from India, and elsewhere. In mountainous terrain, soil erosion is one of the main problems and the near disastrous plan produced enough of damage while the project lasted. Horton Plains survived however, and was preserved because it was relatively inaccessible until recently, and only genuine lovers of wilderness and some anglers and trout fishermen during British times ever went there. Because of this, its terrain, and fauna and flora were spared the ravages that affected other areas of Sri Lanka. Today however, the scene has changed and there is constant visitation with hundreds of local and foreign tourists trampling underfoot which can easily destroy this fragile ecosystem of precious wilderness. Besides this, the evils of pollution and the throwing of litter have been a great cause for concern for over the past 25 years because there has been an immense multiplication of local and international tourism. The blaring of music and noise pollution add to the already existing problems the area has to face.

We all know what happened to Hikkakduwa and its famous Coral Gardens - the coral itself has now largely vanished by the onslaught of overvisitation, overuse, and oil pollution from the outboard motors, and also from the destructive dynamiting of coral for the production of lime for building purposes. The town of Hikkaduwa has now become a ‘third rate joint’ catering to hippies, pot smokers, drug addicts, and other deviants. Is this what we want to do with all the beautiful areas we have in Sri Lanka? Sell it to foreigners for a song and destroy it in the process? We should learn not only from our own past experiences but also from the example of other countries like Thailand where they polluted Pataya beach to such an extent that 4-star and 5-star hotels on the beach had signs erected, warning guests against swimming in the seas - the very reason they came there originally! A point of importance to be noted here: countries like the Seychelles and Bhutan also have tourist programs but they control the numbers that can visit their scenic spots in beaches and mountains respectively, by having a quota for the year. They also earn 5-10 times as much foreign exchange per visitor because they charge such fees that they can regulate the type of tourist and how many can come to their countries as visitors and tourists. Why can’t we rethink our tourist program so that fewer numbers come in but the type of tourist will be charged more and also spend more within the country itself?

No visa charge

Another perplexing thing we have in Sri Lanka is that we make no visa charge for tourists and visitors. Even the affluent USA charges US$ 50 for a visa and Britain charges Stg. 50, while India too has a visa fee. Why are we opening up our country to large numbers of low class tourists and making it easier for them to come here on cheap holidays even without a visa charge? We are surely short-charging ourselves. I trust this article will catch the eye of the Tourist Board, its Chairman and Minister who ought seriously to consider this suggestion. A visa fee of Rs. 1000 or Rs. 2000 is not high today for foreigners especially when the present pound or dollar incomes these foreigners enjoy are quite large.

Recently there has been a lot of media information that a cable car is to be installed to transport tourists quickly and in large numbers to the summit of Horton Plains from Idalgashinna near Haldummulla. Why? Instead of making it more difficult to destroy the Horton Plains area why are we providing the wherewithal for this to happen? Will we never learn to prevent the predictable destruction that will occur? Short-sighted expediency will only think of the few jobs and business opportunities that will be opened up for a handful of influential people and their relatives, regardless of the environmental destruction of such a scheme coming into operation. Once Horton Plains has been destroyed there will be many who will shed crocodile tears over it but it will then be too late to remedy the situation.

In the 1960’s and 1970’s another disastrous government project was set in operation to log the Sinharaja forest, a unique rainforest in Sri Lanka, to feed a plywood factory which would anyway have lasted only a few years, as once the forest would have been logged like parts of the Amazon rainforest and Malaysian rainforest have been, there will be no more forest to log. Luckily, public outcry and the determination of many genuine lovers of Sri Lanka including environmentalists of the calibre of Thilo Hoffman, a Swiss national who made an immense and tenacious contribution to aborting the mind boggling destruction, the project was abandoned. Why and how it was put into operation in the first place is too terrifying to think of.

Horton Plains is too precious to our country to lose. The inevitable destruction of this unique and pristine ecosystem of national and international importance must be prevented, and this whole idea of a cable car must be shelved. What folly! The Provincial Governor, the Provincial Council for the Uva Province and the Central Government and its Minister for Tourism in particular should act quickly and put an end to this disastrous plan and keep Horton Plains as it is, for the people of Sri Lanka to whom this precious gem belongs.

Bishop’s College Commemorative Volume

Bishop’s College is one hundred and twenty five years old - officially. There was an earlier school established in 1857 which the present school definitely traces its lineage to, but since it closed down after a few years, the date of its re-establishment in 1875, is taken to be the birth of the present school.

Bishop’s College, or BC as we affectionately call this wonderful school by the Beira, celebrated its anniversary early this year with, among other activities, a church service and a splendid evening ceremony in the school auditorium when Yasmine Gooneratne, one of BC’s distinguished past pupils, delivered an oration titled Women in White on the Sisters of St. Margaret who founded and ran the school.

A commemorative volume brought out titled Bishop’s College, 1875-2000 to mark this event, was launched on the occasion. I feel I must write about the publication. I write because I am so impressed by it. I write because I admire the dedicated work of the editors and helpers who saw it through compilation and publication. I write because I was part of BC for seven years as a teacher and loved the school greatly; admired the Principal and Vice Principal of the time - Ms. A. C. B. Jayasuriya and Brenda Jayasinghe respectively; had a jolly good time with colleagues, and was kept on my teaching toes by the lively yet perfectly mannered students.

Some words and phrases come to mind as first impressions of the book: elegant; a professional job; very informative; easy style of writing; full of pictures; a true historical record.

Yes, it is all this and more. The editorial board, headed by Brenda Jayasinghe and ably assisted by seven others, has done an excellent job.

The dust jacket, in pale beige, has an arresting shaded-in sketch of the front and side of the school as seen from the Boyd Place entrance. The hard cover of the book is in the school colours - purple with gold wording. Inside the book is the same picture as on the dust jacket but standing out more sharply on the white paper. The back inside cover has a sketch of the BC Auditorium, all done by Niloo Gunasekera, symbolic of the development of the school.

The text of the School Song is followed by a message from the Bishop of Colombo. The book is dedicated to "all those who have been, and are, and will in the future be a part of Bishop’s College".

The Tradition Continues

The Preface states: "This book is an attempt to set out the history as we know it." The present Principal, Lindley B. Jayasuriya quotes in the Foreword Bishop Rollo Campbell at the prize day of 1956. "Good education should produce three results. Firstly to see a thing as it really is, and to have the courage to look things in the face; secondly to resolve to do all we have to do, as well as we could, and thirdly to live one’s life by right values. We need to return to greater simplicity of life and singleness of aim, to strive for one thing above all, and that the best." This encapsulates what Bishop’s College and all those who held positions of authority strove to do. They sincerely guided those in their care to do their best and give of their best. The tradition continues.

History we usually assume to be dry as bones. Not so in the written and pictorially presented history of Bishop’s. The entire book makes for easy, relaxed, absorbingly interesting reading. It traces the passage of the school from foreign hands to local, from small beginnings to one of the best in Sri Lanka. Anecdotes are in abundance. Anyone who had anything much to do with the school is mentioned. Several past pupils have contributed their reminiscences about school and boarding life.

"For us, every day spent at BC was memorable. Our alma mater always believed in us and our abilities. Our friendships that blossomed in school will remain strong for ever, for we will always be bound by that special bond of being ‘Bishopians of the past, present and future."

Fine praise. True predictions

The book is divided into four main sections: The Origins 1857-1875; At Bishop’s Gate 1890-1932; The Sisters of St. Margaret 1887-1955; After Independence 1955-2000. You can judge how comprehensive and systematic a history it is.

The volume is a veritable picture gallery with approximately 21 pages of photographs, working out, according to my arithmetic (which I taught at Bishop’s!), to 12 percent of the total book. Photographs range from those of Bishop Chapman and Bishop Coppleston and the first teachers and Bishopgate school to the prefects of last year. The book is as much a pictorial record as it is a written history.

A very interesting section, included with justifiable pride, is Generations of Bishops College, which includes family trees and family portraits, tracing in one family six generations of BC girls.

This book, reasonably priced judging by the fact it is a well printed and bound compendium of information, is a must for all Bishopians. It makes for a good coffee table edition. It is a gift that can be passed on with pride from grandmother to grand daughter with the caption - see what I looked like/did when I was your age.

Copies are available at Bishop’s College, Boyd Place, Colombo 2, telephone 422691; or with Ann Anthonis, telephone 874088. Proceeds of sales go to a very worthy cause: the 125th Anniversary Building Fund.- NWP

Tales of a lifetime
Heroes of the sky

by Gerald Cooray
Easter Sunday, 5th April, 1942. At about 8.00 a.m., Japanese planes bombed Colombo. Earlier, at about 5.00 a.m., my brother Dennis, a Sub Lieutenant in the Ceylon Navy telephoned from naval headquarters and informed us that a Japanese invasion fleet was approaching Ceylon, accompanied by two aircraft carriers. He said that an air raid was expected shortly . This, if successful, would probably be followed by an invasion of the island of Ceylon.

My mother was very upset and disturbed. She dressed hurriedly and decided to leave immediately with my brother and sisters to our country estate, about twenty miles from Colombo. I was an University student and had volunteered for Civil Defence and was attached to a Mobile Squad, with responsibilities in the event of an air raid. I stayed behind.

The public were advised in a radio broadcast, to be calm and pursue their normal activities. I went for morning service to St. Michael’s and All Angels which was within five minutes walking distance from my home. The Governor, Sir Andrew Caldecott, was present at the Service. When the Air Raid Siren sounded during the service, the Governor, with a grave face and looking somewhat uneasy, if not terrified, got up from his seat and left to join the war council.

This was the first air raid that Ceylon experienced and hence the congregation, probably unaware of the grave danger, flocked to the wide windows of the Church to watch the battle in the skies, just over the church. We all witnessed a dog fight between a Royal Air Force and Japanese plane. The Royal Air Force pilot was already on the trail of the Japanese plane. According to reports reaching us later, the Japanese plane had been shot down and destroyed. The pilot had committed HARI KARI before he was apprehended.

When the Air Sirens went off, twenty two Royal Air Force planes took off to engage the raiding Japanese. About seventy five planes participated in the Air Raid in Colombo. Actually, about a hundred planes had left the two aircraft carriers. On their way to Colombo, they had encountered Seven Sword Fish - outdated bombers - on a routine flight from the naval port of Trincomalee to Colombo. Part of the Japanese squadron probably under the impression that the seven Sword Fish were part of a larger unit, diverged to meet them in combat.

The seven Sword Fish were all shot down, destroyed or damaged. One of the pilots who was shot down, but survived with only a slight injury to his right foot, was Ian Cape. He was a personal friend of my Uncle, Devar Surya Sena. A few days after the incident, he was a guest at a luncheon hosted by my Uncle, at which I was present. He told us the following story:

"Evidently, when the Japanese encountered us, they thought we were a larger fleet than we actually were and therefore about twenty five planes diverted to attack us and thereby reduced the numbers that went to Colombo to about seventy five. Although we were all shot down, that diversion would have made a significant difference to the eventual outcome in view of the fact that there were only twenty two Royal Air Force planes to engage the enemy in Colombo".

The Royal Air Force pilots did a magnificent job, though heavily outnumbered. They proved themselves true heroes of the sky. Their courage and skill turned what might have been a route to a complete repulse. What was left of the Japanese planes, completely outgunned, turned back. And so did the invasion fleet.

The anti aircraft guns which were manned by Ceylonese service men brought down several Japanese planes. Nearly all the Royal Air Force planes were damaged or destroyed. Several pilots were killed. If the Japanese planes had returned the next day, there would have been little or no resistance. An invasion would have been inevitable and successful in a matter of hours, if not minutes.

And if Ceylon was captured, India could have been the next target. And the plan of the Axis powers, Germany and Japan to meet at Suez may have been realised. These are, of course, just speculations, but the question arises - "Why did the Japanese not return the next day or days following? Was it due to lack of intelligence regarding the real situation in Ceylon following the Air Raid?" Who knows?

However, following the near disaster, the British Government decided to fortify Ceylon and within a month, Ceylon became a fortress. Admiral Mountbatten was appointed Supreme Commander in Chief of South East Asia Command (SEAC) with his headquarters in Peradeniya.

The tide had turned. It was the first nail in the Japanese coffin.

Mahila Samiti improves the lot of rural women

By Lalitha K. Witanachchi
At this time of year when the world celebrates Women’s Day the focus has been on the achievements of women. It is also the time to evaluate the work done by various organisations to bring relief to women and improve their living conditions.

One of the oldest associations in Sri Lanka is the Lanka Mahila Samiti which recognised very early the right of women itself employment - where women could be taught a craft to be done at home without juggling between home and career.

Several Lanka Mahila centres have been set up offering courses to train women in income generating subjects like cookery, sewing, handicrafts and agriculture with the focus on environmental health as well.

The Mahila Samiti Training centre at Wewegedera is in the Gampaha district.

It is a quarter mile from Divulapitiya and is set in idyllic surroundings amidst acres of paddy land. A cool breeze blows across the ripened paddy that swirls in gentle waves while white herons wade in the adjoining marshes. Wetakeiya grows in abundance and provides the raw material for the handicrafts taught here.

A large building with L-shaped hall, a nursery, kitchen, dining room and demonstration room provide ample space for the young women who are trained in various fields.

The one-acre block of land on which this building stands was donated by Mr. Upajeeva Ratnatunga, former Chairman of the Freedom from Hunger Campaign. (FFHC).

The centre was started in 1995 to train young women from 10 villages within a radius of 3 to 10 miles of the centre. School leavers of the area who are Mahila Samiti members are trained here. They follow courses in Sewing, Cookery and handicrafts. Mrs. K. Winifred Perera of the Jathika Shilpa Sabhava of the National Handicrafts Board, Battaramulla Jana Kala centre is in charge of the handicrafts section. About 20 women are learning to make fruit baskets, shopping bags, table mats, waste paper baskets etc. from the wetakeiya that grows nearby. The fibre is prepared by boiling, then soaking in water and drying in the hot sun. The fibre is then placed out to catch the dew for two nights, after which the fibre turns white. It is then dyed in natural dyes called ‘Kukul sayam’.

Classes are held 5 days a week for school leavers. Most of them have passed 2 or 3 Advanced Level subjects. The girls working here when we visited them on March 10 were Banduwathi Alwis, A. N. Tilakawathi, Nirosha Shiranthi, Asoka Adikari, Manel Podimenike and Nishantha Priyanka from Divulapitiya, Watinapaha and Hapuwalana. Unable to find jobs they opted to learn a craft that would bring them a steady income. Each trainee is paid Rs. 450 per month by the Jathika Silpa Sabha, Battaramulla for a six month course. Cookery and dressmaking classes are also eagerly followed by the trainees. At the end of the course those who pass the test conducted by recognised examiners are awarded certificates that would open doors for them to find some employment.

There is also a Nursery School attached to this centre. This enables young mothers to leave their young children aged 3 to 5 years in the daycare nursery while they do domestic work or a part time job.

On the day we visited the centre there was a Singithi Pola. Little girls dressed in cloth and jacket had brought various products from their home gardens and sweets prepared by their mothers for sale. The day’s sales brought in a sum of Rs. 825 which they propose to use for the New Year celebrations in April.

There are 20 children in the daycare centre which is run by Mrs. E. A. Karunaratne assisted by Dilrukshi Edirisinghe. The former was trained at the Mahila Samiti Kaduwala training centre while the latter was trained at the Asia Lanka Friendship Association. The nursery is a boon to the working mother as their children are taken good care. They are thaught religion, good manners, art, clay work etc. Story time is a subject the little ones are very interested in. At play time there are swings and see-saws and plenty of space to run around in the well maintained garden.

There are altogether 18 such samithis in the area offering six month training courses. The Mahila Samiti is divided into 32 unions in different districts. One district can have 2 or 3 unions.

Representatives of these samiti come together for Union meetings twice a year to exchange ideas. Members of the parent association trained in field work are in charge of these samitis and give guidance. The Mahila Samiti has these many years helped rural women to run their homes well, care for their children and be financially independent so that they could live in dignity.

A review
"No, cousin I’ll to Fife" - Memoir of a public servant

– by Victor Wirasinha

Reviewed by A. C. Alles
This memoir contains the experiences of a distinguished public servant of yesteryear who has provided the reader with interesting information in regard to his activities during the Donoughmore and post-independence eras. While holidaying at Matara the 12 year old Victor Wirasinha came across an illustrated copy of Shakespeare’s work in his uncle’s library, and, on reading Macbeth, was fascinated by the scene where Macduff decline to attend the investiture of the murderous Macbeth at Scone, saying, "No, cousin, I’ll to Fife".

These words had deeply impressed young Wirasinha, since he has included them in his Memoir. Macduff became one of young Wirasinha’s heroes, and he resolved, like Macduff, "never to seek preferment at the expense of integrity". This is the guiding star that Wirasinha adopted throughout the period of his service as a public officer from the time he was interviewed by the Commissioners at the viva voce for admission to the Civil Service. One of the Commissioners, Wodeman, adopted bullying tactics towards the young applicant, but Wirasinha was equal to the task and was successful in being admitted as a Cadet to the Civil Service.

Victor has given us detailed descriptions of the stations to which he was posted throughout the Island. He describes his residential quarters and their advantages and disadvantages, the interesting places within his jurisdiction, the numerous friends he made at his stations, and various facets of social life, which make interesting reading. At times his reminiscences are not without humour, as for instance when the gullible A.G.A.’s wife was fooled with scented cannas, which was the result of rose scent being stealthily sprayed on the blooms by the gardener without her knowledge, and the occasion when Victor described himself as a Cadet and was asked to which school battalion he was attached.

He describes other interesting episodes during his peregrinations. At Hambantota he found his terrier dogs barking every evening near his garage door. On investigation he found a viper sneaking away, which he had a police officer come and dispatch with a gun. Also at Hambantota his wife, driving his car at dusk, ran over a hare that darted across the road. The hare was handed over to the police with a confession of hare slaughter under grave provocation. If such an incident had occurred while I was at the wheel I would have taken the carcass home and asked my wife to prepare a fine dish of jugged hare.

Pleasant recollections

Victor’s descriptions of the towns to which he had been posted and the friends he had made have been of particular interest to me. In the course of my official career and during holidays I have had pleasant recollections of the places he has described and the numerous friends he had made, many of whom have been friends of my wife and myself - Fr. Wickremasinghe, the hunter of Hambantota, Drs. Leslie Fernando and Pasupathy of Batticaloa and Laurie Fernandes of Nuwara Eliya - whom I remember with affection. Even during his holiday abroad Victor and his wife were guests of the Abbot of the Benedictine Monastery at Bruges in Belgium, where my wife and I were entertained in similar fashion. Victor’s Memoir therefore brings back to me nostalgic memories of happy days spent at the same places and with the same friends.

In whichever station Victor was posted to he had the fullest cooperation of his entire staff, and he carried out his duties efficiently and with dedication, to the satisfaction of his superiors. In some stations there were special problems to be tackled apart from the routine administrative work. At Matale it was the careful nurturing of the infant colony at Elahera that was the prime concern. When he was A.G.A., Batticaloa, during the War years, Food Production, Food Control and the Internal Purchase of Paddy along with Air Raid Precautions were major concerns, while both long term Mapping out and Land Development did not cease to engage Victor’s earnest attention.

The Civil Servants during Victor’s time were required to do some judicial work, and were appointed Magistrates and were required to sit with the permanent judge to learn judicial procedure. Victor had his fair share of magisterial work, particularly when he was posted to Mannar. He was required to hold court at Mannar and travel across the country to Vavuniya and Mullaitivu for the same purpose. He performed his duties satisfactorily and was once complemented by Queen’s Counsel G. G. Ponnambalam at the conclusion of a case for a job well done.

Closely connected

The most onerous duties that fell upon Victor’s shoulders commenced when he was appointed Commissioner for the Registration of Indian and Pakistani Residents, and soon afterwards Commissioner of Parliamentary Elections. Both Acts were closely connected, and Victor had to tread warily to satisfy his Minister and the Prime Minister. It was during this period that he came into close- contact with Mr. D. S. Senanayake, Prime Minister, Sir Edwin Wijeratne and Sir Oliver Goonetilleke and A. Ratnayake, Ministers of Home Affairs, also Prime Ministers Dudley Senanayake and Sir John Kotelawala, and the Leader of the opposition, S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike.

For the 1952 Election Victor put forward a three-day-scheme whereby the elections were to be held on three days, with the areas demarcated for polling on each day. This apparently pleased the Minister, but the Prime Minister, Dudley Senanayake, wanted the Electorates in which elections were to be held on the first day to be chosen by him, so that he could select for polling on that day the electorates where the ruling party had the best chances of success. This was to be repeated on the second day too. This had drawn the caustic comment from Victor, who describes the device as one of "the greatest democrats in action exploiting a situation to bolster his chances of victory".

The UNP won the Election, much to the disappointment of Bandaranaike, who was convinced, quite wrongly, that Victor had manipulated the Election. Victor submitted his report on the Election, but it was not published.

In his Memoir Victor deals with problems he had with Sir John Kotelawala and also with Bandaranaike, which make interesting reading. Victor’s confrontations with them were forthright, and he always appears to have got the better in the arguments.

On his return from a holiday abroad Victor was appointed Commissioner of National Housing, a post which he held for almost five years, during which period he was able to implement many useful housing schemes, which are mentioned in his Memoir. But although he earned the blessings of the country, Bandaranaike, when Prime Minister, was hostile to him. But Victor stood firm against intense pressure by him when he wanted applications for loans for his henchmen granted immediately despite paucity of funds, and disregarding a large number of prior applicants on a waiting list.

While functioning as Housing Commissioner, Victor had an opportunity of legitimately securing for himself a most advantageous allotment of land for housing, but turned it down because, in his own words, he "could not treat himself" - thereby being true to the principles he had laid down for himself of never seeking preferment at the expense of integrity.

Most senior

When Victor was Director of Commerce, his Minister, T. B. Illangaratne, convened a meeting of all the Heads of Departments under his Ministry and addressed them at length on the subject of loyalty, and at the end of his address invited those present to make their comments. Victor, who was the most senior of those present, then made his comments, which are worthy of reproduction. A public servant, he said, was committed to serve the people in allegiance to the Constitution, implementing the policies of the Minister under whom he served, since the Minister was the representative of the people. If an order given by the Minister contravened the law, the public servant would express his doubts to the Minister and have them resolved. If any final order was contrary to the law, he would decline to carry it out, no matter what the consequences might be to himself.

If the order was in conformity with the law but obnoxious to his conscience, but the Minister persisted in it and demanded its execution, the public servant would seek a transfer and, if that was denied, tender his resignation. These are words of wisdom and useful guidelines to the performance of the duties of a public servant even at the present day, being an expression of views of a public servant of high stature.

But apparently they were not sentiments accepted by the Minister, and, when Victor returned from a trip abroad, he found that his post as Director had surreptitiously been passed on to another officer.

Ticklish problem

He was next posted to the Ministry of Health, where he assisted the Minister in dealing with a strike by Nurse Aides, and dealt with a ticklish problem relating to the Director of Health Services who had opted to retire before his sixtieth birthday but later wished to continue until an inquiry pending against him had been concluded. This resulted in a confrontation between Victor and the Public Service Commission, which was ultimately satisfactorily settled.

After 29 years of service in the Government Victor retired at the early age of 5l, when he was offered a lucrative post as Managing Director of Lewis Brown & Co Ltd where he served for a period of 13 years. However, his connections with the Government resumed when he was appointed Chairman of the National Institute of Business Management and later Secretary of the Ministry of industries. But after a short period he was compelled to resign in disgust when he had some serious differences with the Minister. President Jayewardene then offered him the Chairmanship of the Public Service Commission’s Education Service Committee.

The President stood firmly behind the committee, which he himself wanted, to stop the scandal of unconscionable political interference in teachers’ appointments and transfers. Victor and his two co-directors went about their duties with conscientious skill and thoroughness. But then Jayewardene himself ordered Victor to cancel the transfer of a teacher who had served more than twenty years at a stretch in Colombo and Mount Lavinia. Victor refused to budge, insisting that the transfer must stand. Threatened with dismissal, Victor did not flinch, and was dismissed. That, he says, was the end of the story.

Political pressure

Throughout his career as a public servant Victor never yielded to political pressure from any quarter, be it the Prime Minister or the President, but always acted fairly and justly in the performance of his duties. There are several instances in his Memoir which display the forthright manner in which he acted as a public servant, which should serve as examples to the public servants of today in the performance of their duties.

I have known Victor from his young days. We were both educated at Galle, he under the watchful eyes of Principal Sneath of Richmond, while I pursued my secondary education under the strict supervision of the Jesuits at St. Aloysius. We were in the same class under Professor Whiteley at the University College, where Victor had a brilliant career, obtaining his degree in Classics. He subsequently entered the Civil Service. We then parted company, and pursued our different spheres of work until retirement, when we again renewed our friendship.

Victor had a happy married life, and is the father of four daughters - the eldest now deceased, to his deep sorrow - devoted to him.

I am happy that on the one occasion when he consulted me as Solicitor General on an official matter which he has recounted in his Memoir, he has referred to me as a friend.

Both in his public and in his domestic life his example is worthy of emulation. His Memoir is one that can profitably be read by all public servants in fashioning the manner in which the ideal public servant should conduct himself in the execution of his duties as a servant of the public.

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