Features

An interlude in Sofia, doctorate, Indo-Lanka relations and Vijaya Kumaratunga

Published

3 years ago

2023/07/30

Thilina Walpola

Vijaya Kumarathunga with Former President JR Jayawardane and Former Minister Gamini Dissanayake

(Excerpted from volume ii of the Sarath Amunugama autobiography)

Following the successful Tashkent meeting, UNESCO geared up for its annual sessions to be held in Sofia in Bulgaria. This was a two week long meeting which was to map out the next two year programme for the institution. UNESCO’s International Programme for Development Communications (IPDC) had an important role to play and I was included in the large list of officials who were to move lock, stock and barrel to Sofia to manage the conference.

UNESCO also invited several Third World journalists to cover this meeting and I managed to nominate Gamini Wijetunga, editor of Desathiya’ to be a member of this group. He first came to Paris for a briefing and then accompanied me to Sofia to cover the General Conference.

The Bulgarians who had only recently asserted some independence from Russian domination went all out to make this event a great success. On the opening night they hosted a gala reception on the grounds of the Sofia museum. The museum was a fabulous place with many exhibits from the Greek and Roman civilizations which had covered much of Bulgaria’s Mediterranean territory. Famous Bulgarian wines and Russian Vodka flowed at this reception as the organizers wished to distance themselves from the drab Russian political culture which was now being assailed by the USSR leadership under Gorbachev.

Their new found commitment to freedom of action was so strong that they were lining up a female Bulgarian diplomat to succeed M’Bow when his term was over. Unhappy about the constant criticism from western media, M’Bow was not averse to being lionized by the USSR and the East European countries. In one of his adroit moves he asked me to visit GDR [East Germany] and repair the damage caused by an affair which could have come out of a spy novel.

A senior GDR official had been on the staff of UNESCO. He had been accused of spying for the West while being attached to our organization, by the GDR authorities. When he returned to his country for a holiday while being on the staff of UNESCO, he had been detained in East Berlin by his government. M’Bow took up the position that the relevant officer was a UNESCO/UN employee and could not be detained by a member state. Rather than accept this position, the GDR authorities remained adamant in detaining the officer.

M’Bow then had no alternative but to break off relations with the GDR. Since IPDC was relatively independent, I was asked to mediate. As soon as I landed in Tegel airport in East Berlin with my wife, who was also invited by the GDR, I sensed that they wanted to settle this matter and end the impasse. We were received with bouquets of flowers and much ceremony and driven to a state guest house where we had discussions about IPDC and UNESCO.

A visit had been arranged for us to see the sights of East Berlin which had been familiar to me from earlier visits as Director of Information of Sri Lanka. An unforgettable sight was the dilapidated Jewish synagogue which had been kept unrestored as a symbol of the `Kristalnacht’ in which the Jews of Berlin were attacked by the Nazis. We also visited the Pergammon Museum with its famous Egyptian collection. The impasse with the UNESCO official was resolved when he was allowed to come to Paris, resign his job and get back to Berlin.

Going against the grain of spy novels, he did not make a run for it from Paris but returned to East Germany to hold a position there. Maybe he was a double agent. From time-to-time UN agencies are rocked with allegations of spying by nationals planted there by secret agencies. It is an open secret that the UN in New York is riddled with spies from different camps and the New York Police Department is busy trailing such suspects. Not only are there spies but there are others who try to persuade officials from behind the iron curtain to defect or play a double game. The Chinese in my time were less subtle. My friend from Xinhua News Agency told me that they got all the information they want from the managers and cooks of the hundreds of Chinese restaurants which dot the city. Many of them are subsidized and our UNESCO friends from China would wine and dine us at the best Chinese restaurants in the city, which served exquisite dishes. French politicians and bureaucrats were also similarly entertained. They say that the best Chinese food outside of Shanghai can be found in Paris.

The long stay in Sophia helped me to explore the ancient city which had seen waves of cultural invasion including the Turks. The mix of cultures was seen by us in the Bulgarian cuisine which was an eclectic offering of Mediterranean, Western, Russian and Ottoman Turkish dishes. Due to the UNESCO `invasion’, Bulgarian restaurants and markets were doing good business. In the meanwhile Gamini Wijetunga had made contact with a large ` of Sri Lankan students who had come on scholarship to Universities in Sophia.

They were mostly from families which had links with the Lankan Communist Party and had been rewarded for the fidelity of their parents for the cause. These students were very helpful in taking us to small eateries which cooked delicious local meals. They also invited us to their University dorms and cooked rice and curry meals for us. But what surprised us was the vehemence with which the students complained of the old Communist regime.

This was seen even in East Germany among the young; even though GDR was the most orthodox of the Communist regimes. All this was to boil over in the coming years leading to the fall of the Soviet Union. Bulgaria too had been strongly in the Soviet camp due to its undisputed leader Dimitrov, the head of the Comintern, who defied the Nazis after being falsely accused in the Reichstag fire trial. He later became the leader of Bulgaria as a confidante of Stalin and later one of the geriatric leaders of the USSR. Today Bulgaria is a free state and very much in the western camp.

Doctorate

The break in Sofia helped me to revise my thesis which was to be submitted for a doctorate in Social Anthropology [Called Ethnology in the French system] to the University of France. I was fortunate in having two South Asia specialists, Jean-Claude Galay and Eric Meyer, as my supervisors. Since I was a senior student, it was a friendly interaction involving their reading chapters of my thesis and sharing a meal in a cafe or Jean-Claude’s apartment while talking about it.

It was plain sailing but for the fact that it had to be submitted in the French language. Following many foreign students, I wrote my thesis in English and had it translated into French. Once it was accepted, a day was fixed for the defence of the thesis at the EHESS (École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales – School of Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences) . According to French tradition it is a public event which is held after a notice is published in the newspapers. Accordingly my defence of the

thesis was held with the public accommodated in the hall.

Most of those who turned up were South Asia specialists with a few well-wishers like Ananda Guruge, Jacques Renault and his wife. On the high table was the jury which comprised the Chairman from College de France, Collette Caillart of the Sorbonne, Eric Mayer of the CNRS and Jean Claude Galay who was my supervisor- I made a brief presentation in French giving a summary of my thesis. Then the Board, especially the Chairman asked a series of questions which I easily answered because I knew the subject better than him, followed by Caillart and Eric Meyer who bowled a few full tosses at me.

Then the discussion was opened to the house and I easily answered the questions directed at me. In the French system after a short break the jury delivers its verdict. We remained in the hall and the jury returned after a while and announced that I had successfully completed the requirements for a doctorate and signed the book to attest to that effect. After the usual congratulations we retired to a nearby pub to celebrate. That night my wife had arranged a dinner at our home to thank our friends, Ananda Guruge, Eric Meyer, Manu Ginige, Jacques Renault, Navaz and many others who were treated to a rice and curry dinner.

A few days later I called over at the EHEESS to collect my certificate. One of my objectives in coming to Paris was now satisfactorily concluded. But I continued to keep up with Eric and Jean-Claude for quite some time. Jean’Claude went to Cambridge, Eric retired and Louis Dumont died at a ripe old age to be celebrated by the world of social science as one of the great scholars of our time.

Indo-Lanka Relations

In the latter part of Indira Gandhi’s ‘reign’, relations between India and Sri Lanka went from bad to worse. This period was marked by the rise of the LTTE and the elimination of all those Tamils, including Tamil militants, who did not join them. The LTTE argued that Tamil ‘traitors’ had to be eliminated before they took on the Sinhala forces. Sabaratnam, the EPRLF leader and his whole central committee was gunned down in Chennai and in Jaffna.

While it may not have been the official line of the Indian Government, RAW which had a history of going ‘rogue’ against the Indian establishment, was strengthening the LTTE. At the same time they were introducing ‘moles’ into the LTTE exploiting caste differences. Initially LTTE was seen as a `Karaiyar’ (Karawe) outfit just as the JVP leadership was dominated by its Sinhala Karawe members. It was the sea that gave the LTTE the edge as it could cross over to the southern tip of India by boat when pressed by the army in the North. Velvettiturai was a staging post for the LTTE which could travel to South India and back with impunity. VVT was the home town of Prabhakaran.

Another of JRJ’s miscalculations was his belief that the USA would take his side and balance his relationship with India. He sent his close associate Ernest Corea as Ambassador to the US to cement the relationship. But the US stance was that we should settle this problem with India’s assistance. President Reagan sent his personal envoy General Vernon Walters to Colombo with that message. Walters repeated that advice at an impromptu press conference held on the tarmac in Katunayake en route to New Delhi.

In Delhi he warned the Indian policy makers not to miltarize the conflict. The US facilitated a meeting with the Israelis to help modernize the SL army and also recommended the use of British mercenaries. This was negotiated by Ravi, JRJ’s son who had taken on the role of security advisor much to the relief of the father who had a troubled relationship with him. I was told that JRJ had a secret meeting with Israeli leader Yiztak Rabin in the Hotel Crillon in Paris during a State visit to France.

But the LTTE was on the offensive and I was present with Gamini Dissanayake and the President in the President’s lodge in Kandy when Generals Attygalle, Ranatunga and Seneviratne wanted talks to begin with India and the LTTE as the military situation was grave. Though JRJ did not give it much thought the US-Pakistan-Israel axis troubled India and undercut his attempts to woo her.

Vijaya’s Visit To Paris

While being pushed to the wall in the North, JRJ’s dealings with the Opposition also took an unfavourable turn. The strong showing of the Kobbekaduwa campaign came as shock to him and he responded by calling his opponents Naxalites and imprisoning them. Some of the radicals – Vasudeva and the JVP, went underground creating further problems. The impression that JRJ was using these tactics to get revenge and cripple the legitimate democratic opposition gained ground. His venom was particularly directed at Vijaya Kumaratunga who was the live wire of the Kobbekaduwa campaign.

He was arrested and detained in the magazine prison under inhuman conditions. Vijaya’s candidacy to enter Parliament for the Mahara constituency, a part of JRJs old Kelaniya seat, was thwarted by the use of force. It was all getting very personal and bitter, and JRJ was fast losing his popularity. After many appeals Vijaya was released and his wife Chandrika arranged for him to recuperate with a holiday in France. She had many friends there and Manu Ginige who acted as a coordinator told me that we should spend some time with Vijaya.

I was happy to oblige as we had many common friends in the Sinhala film industry. We first met for dinner in the house of one of Chandrika’s friends who was now a rich stockbroker. Through Vijaya was the chief guest he was withdrawn and was recovering from the effects of his unfair detention. He was missing his wife and children and was spending time with the children of his host rather than engaging in a conversation with them. He seemed spaced out and uncomfortable.

The following day he called me at UNESCO and suggested having lunch as he was missing rice and curry. Manu Ginige had found a restaurant which specialized in ‘Paella’, a popular Spanish food with a lot of rice and meats which we all enjoyed eating. Vijaya was very reflective that day and spoke very little. He was keen to get back to Sri Lanka where he was to be a key player in the anti-UNP resistance. However he was the leader of the left who kept a line at communication to the Tamil leaders as a strong supporter of devolution of power to the north and east even when it was an unpopular proposal at that time.

He became a chief target of the JVP which assassinated him in cold blood. Had he lived he would have been elected President which would have changed much at Sri Lanka’s subsequent history. His name must be added to Premadasa, Gamini and Lalith who would have each enhanced the Presidency had they lived. It was Sri Lanka’s tragic fate that it lost its leaders to violence and be succeeded by others who did not have their charisma and competence.

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Features

More state support needed for marginalised communities

Published

2 days ago

2026/02/13

Thilina Walpola

A landslide in the Central Province

Message from Malaiyaha Tamil community to govt:

Insights from SSA Cyclone Ditwah Survey

When climate disasters strike, they don’t affect everyone equally. Marginalised communities typically face worse outcomes, and Cyclone Ditwah is no exception. Especially in a context where normalcy is far from “normal”, the idea of returning to normalcy or restoring a life of normalcy makes very little sense.

The island-wide survey (https://ssalanka.org/reports/) conducted by the Social Scientists’ Association (SSA), between early to mid-January on Cyclone Ditwah shows stark regional disparities in how satisfied or dissatisfied people were with the government’s response. While national satisfaction levels were relatively high in most provinces, the Central Province tells a different story.

Only 35.2% of Central Province residents reported that they were satisfied with early warning and evacuation measures, compared to 52.2% nationally. The gap continues across every measure: just 52.9% were satisfied with immediate rescue and emergency response, compared with the national figure of 74.6%. Satisfaction with relief distribution in the Central Province is 51.9% while the national figure stands at 73.1%. The figures for restoration of water, electricity, and roads are at a low 45.9% in the central province compared to the 70.9% in national figures. Similarly, the satisfaction level for recovery and rebuilding support is 48.7% in the Central Province, while the national figure is 67.0%.

A deeper analysis of the SSA data on public perceptions reveals something important: these lower satisfaction rates came primarily from the Malaiyaha Tamil population. Their experience differed not just from other provinces, but also from other ethnic groups living in the Central Province itself.

The Malaiyaha Tamil community’s vulnerability didn’t start with the cyclone. Their vulnerability is a historically and structurally pre-determined process of exclusion and marginalisation. Brought to Sri Lanka during British rule to work for the empire’s plantation economies, they have faced long-term economic exploitation and have repeatedly been denied access to state support and social welfare systems. Most estate residents still live in ‘line rooms’ and have no rights to the land they cultivate and live on. The community continues to be governed by an outdated estate management system that acts as a barrier to accessing public and municipal services such as road repair, water, electricity and other basic infrastructures available to other citizens.

As far as access to improved water sources is concerned, the Sri Lanka Demographic Health Survey (2016) shows that 57% of estate sector households don’t have access to improved water sources, while more than 90% of households in urban and rural areas do. With regard to the level of poverty, as the Department of Census and Statistics (2019) data reveals, the estate sector where most Malaiyaha Tamils live had a poverty headcount index of 33.8%; more than double the national rate of 14.3%. These statistics highlight key indicators of the systemic discrimination faced by the Malaiyaha Tamil community.

Some crucial observations from the SSA data collectors who enumerated responses from estate residents in the survey reveal the specific challenges faced by the Malaiyaha Tamils, particularly in their efforts to seek state support for compensation and reconstruction.

First, the Central Province experienced not just flooding but also the highest number of landslides in the island. As a result, some residents in the region lost entire homes, access roadways, and other basic infrastructures. The loss of lives, livelihoods and land was at a higher intensity compared to the provinces not located in the hills. Most importantly, the Malaiyaha Tamil community’s pre-existing grievances made them even more vulnerable and the government’s job of reparation and restitution more complex.

Early warnings hadn’t reached many areas. Some data collectors said they themselves never heard any warnings in estate areas, while others mentioned that early warnings were issued but didn’t reach some segments of the community. According to the resident data collectors, the police announcements reached only as far as the sections where they were able to drive their vehicles to, and there were many estate roads that were not motorable. When warnings did filter through to remote locations, they often came by word of mouth and information was distorted along the way. Once the disaster hit, things got worse: roads were blocked, electricity went out, mobile networks failed and people were cut off completely.

Emergency response was slow. Blocked roads meant people could not get to hospitals when they needed urgent care, including pregnant mothers. The difficult terrain and poor road conditions meant rescue teams took much longer to reach affected areas than in other regions.

Relief supplies didn’t reach everyone. The Grama Niladhari divisions in these areas are huge and hard to navigate, making it difficult for Grama Niladharis to reach all places as urgently as needed. Relief workers distributed supplies where vehicles could go, which meant accessible areas got help while remote communities were left out.

Some people didn’t even try to go to safety centres or evacuation shelters set up in local schools because the facilities there were already so poor. The perceptions of people who did go to safety centres, as shown in the provincial data, reveal that satisfaction was low compared to other affected regions of the country. Less than half were satisfied with space and facilities (42.1%) or security and protection (45.0%). Satisfaction was even lower for assistance with lost or damaged documentation (17.9%) and information and support for compensation applications (28.2%). Only 22.5% were satisfied with medical care and health services below most other affected regions.

Restoring services proved nearly impossible in some areas. Road access was the biggest problem. The condition of the roads was already poor even before the cyclone, and some still haven’t been cleared. Recovery is especially difficult because there’s no decent baseline infrastructure to restore, hence you can’t bring roads and other public facilities back to a “good” condition when they were never good, even before the disaster.

Water systems faced their own complications. Many households get water from natural sources or small community projects, and not the centralised state system. These sources are often in the middle of the disaster zone and therefore got contaminated during the floods and landslides.

Long-term recovery remains stalled. Without basic infrastructure, areas that are still hard to reach keep struggling to get the support they need for rebuilding.

Taken together, what do these testaments mean? Disaster response can’t be the same for everyone. The Malaiyaha Tamil community has been double marginalised because they were already living with structural inequalities such as poor infrastructure, geographic isolation, and inadequate services which have been exacerbated by Cyclone Ditwah. An effective and fair disaster response needs to account for these underlying vulnerabilities. It requires interventions tailored to the historical, economic, and infrastructural realities that marginalized communities face every day. On top of that, it highlights the importance of dealing with climate disasters, given the fact that vulnerable communities could face more devastating impacts compared to others.

(Shashik Silva is a researcher with the Social Scientists’ Association of Sri Lanka)

by Shashik Silva ✍️

Features

Crucial test for religious and ethnic harmony in Bangladesh

Published

3 days ago

2026/02/12

Sahan Weerasooriya

A political protest that led to governmental change in Bangladesh mid last year. (photograph: imago)

Will the Bangladesh parliamentary election bring into being a government that will ensure ethnic and religious harmony in the country? This is the poser on the lips of peace-loving sections in Bangladesh and a principal concern of those outside who mean the country well.

The apprehensions are mainly on the part of religious and ethnic minorities. The parliamentary poll of February 12th is expected to bring into existence a government headed by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Islamist oriented Jamaat-e-Islami party and this is where the rub is. If these parties win, will it be a case of Bangladesh sliding in the direction of a theocracy or a state where majoritarian chauvinism thrives?

Chief of the Jamaat, Shafiqur Rahman, who was interviewed by sections of the international media recently said that there is no need for minority groups in Bangladesh to have the above fears. He assured, essentially, that the state that will come into being will be equable and inclusive. May it be so, is likely to be the wish of those who cherish a tension-free Bangladesh.

The party that could have posed a challenge to the above parties, the Awami League Party of former Prime Minister Hasina Wased, is out of the running on account of a suspension that was imposed on it by the authorities and the mentioned majoritarian-oriented parties are expected to have it easy at the polls.

A positive that has emerged against the backdrop of the poll is that most ordinary people in Bangladesh, be they Muslim or Hindu, are for communal and religious harmony and it is hoped that this sentiment will strongly prevail, going ahead. Interestingly, most of them were of the view, when interviewed, that it was the politicians who sowed the seeds of discord in the country and this viewpoint is widely shared by publics all over the region in respect of the politicians of their countries.

Some sections of the Jamaat party were of the view that matters with regard to the orientation of governance are best left to the incoming parliament to decide on but such opinions will be cold comfort for minority groups. If the parliamentary majority comes to consist of hard line Islamists, for instance, there is nothing to prevent the country from going in for theocratic governance. Consequently, minority group fears over their safety and protection cannot be prevented from spreading.

Therefore, we come back to the question of just and fair governance and whether Bangladesh’s future rulers could ensure these essential conditions of democratic rule. The latter, it is hoped, will be sufficiently perceptive to ascertain that a Bangladesh rife with religious and ethnic tensions, and therefore unstable, would not be in the interests of Bangladesh and those of the region’s countries.

Unfortunately, politicians region-wide fall for the lure of ethnic, religious and linguistic chauvinism. This happens even in the case of politicians who claim to be democratic in orientation. This fate even befell Bangladesh’s Awami League Party, which claims to be democratic and socialist in general outlook.

We have it on the authority of Taslima Nasrin in her ground-breaking novel, ‘Lajja’, that the Awami Party was not of any substantial help to Bangladesh’s Hindus, for example, when violence was unleashed on them by sections of the majority community. In fact some elements in the Awami Party were found to be siding with the Hindus’ murderous persecutors. Such are the temptations of hard line majoritarianism.

In Sri Lanka’s past numerous have been the occasions when even self-professed Leftists and their parties have conveniently fallen in line with Southern nationalist groups with self-interest in mind. The present NPP government in Sri Lanka has been waxing lyrical about fostering national reconciliation and harmony but it is yet to prove its worthiness on this score in practice. The NPP government remains untested material.

As a first step towards national reconciliation it is hoped that Sri Lanka’s present rulers would learn the Tamil language and address the people of the North and East of the country in Tamil and not Sinhala, which most Tamil-speaking people do not understand. We earnestly await official language reforms which afford to Tamil the dignity it deserves.

An acid test awaits Bangladesh as well on the nation-building front. Not only must all forms of chauvinism be shunned by the incoming rulers but a secular, truly democratic Bangladesh awaits being licked into shape. All identity barriers among people need to be abolished and it is this process that is referred to as nation-building.

On the foreign policy frontier, a task of foremost importance for Bangladesh is the need to build bridges of amity with India. If pragmatism is to rule the roost in foreign policy formulation, Bangladesh would place priority to the overcoming of this challenge. The repatriation to Bangladesh of ex-Prime Minister Hasina could emerge as a steep hurdle to bilateral accord but sagacious diplomacy must be used by Bangladesh to get over the problem.

A reply to N.A. de S. Amaratunga

A response has been penned by N.A. de S. Amaratunga (please see p5 of ‘The Island’ of February 6th) to a previous column by me on ‘ India shaping-up as a Swing State’, published in this newspaper on January 29th , but I remain firmly convinced that India remains a foremost democracy and a Swing State in the making.

If the countries of South Asia are to effectively manage ‘murderous terrorism’, particularly of the separatist kind, then they would do well to adopt to the best of their ability a system of government that provides for power decentralization from the centre to the provinces or periphery, as the case may be. This system has stood India in good stead and ought to prove effective in all other states that have fears of disintegration.

Moreover, power decentralization ensures that all communities within a country enjoy some self-governing rights within an overall unitary governance framework. Such power-sharing is a hallmark of democratic governance.

Features

Celebrating Valentine’s Day …

Published

3 days ago

2026/02/12

Sahan Weerasooriya

Valentine’s Day is all about celebrating love, romance, and affection, and this is how some of our well-known personalities plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day – 14th February:

Merlina Fernando (Singer)

Yes, it’s a special day for lovers all over the world and it’s even more special to me because 14th February is the birthday of my husband Suresh, who’s the lead guitarist of my band Mission.

We have planned to celebrate Valentine’s Day and his Birthday together and it will be a wonderful night as always.

We will be having our fans and close friends, on that night, with their loved ones at Highso – City Max hotel Dubai, from 9.00 pm onwards.

Lorensz Francke (Elvis Tribute Artiste)

On Valentine’s Day I will be performing a live concert at a Wealthy Senior Home for Men and Women, and their families will be attending, as well.

I will be performing live with romantic, iconic love songs and my song list would include ‘Can’t Help falling in Love’, ‘Love Me Tender’, ‘Burning Love’, ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight’, ‘The Wonder of You’ and ‘’It’s Now or Never’ to name a few.

To make Valentine’s Day extra special I will give the Home folks red satin scarfs.

Emma Shanaya (Singer)

I plan on spending the day of love with my girls, especially my best friend. I don’t have a romantic Valentine this year but I am thrilled to spend it with the girl that loves me through and through. I’ll be in Colombo and look forward to go to a cute cafe and spend some quality time with my childhood best friend Zulha.

JAYASRI

Emma-and-Maneeka

This Valentine’s Day the band JAYASRI we will be really busy; in the morning we will be landing in Sri Lanka, after our Oman Tour; then in the afternoon we are invited as Chief Guests at our Maris Stella College Sports Meet, Negombo, and late night we will be with LineOne band live in Karandeniya Open Air Down South. Everywhere we will be sharing LOVE with the mass crowds.

Kay Jay (Singer)

I will stay at home and cook a lovely meal for lunch, watch some movies, together with Sanjaya, and, maybe we go out for dinner and have a lovely time. Come to think of it, every day is Valentine’s Day for me with Sanjaya Alles.

Maneka Liyanage (Beauty Tips)

On this special day, I celebrate love by spending meaningful time with the people I cherish. I prepare food with love and share meals together, because food made with love brings hearts closer. I enjoy my leisure time with them — talking, laughing, sharing stories, understanding each other, and creating beautiful memories. My wish for this Valentine’s Day is a world without fighting — a world where we love one another like our own beloved, where we do not hurt others, even through a single word or action. Let us choose kindness, patience, and understanding in everything we do.

Janaka Palapathwala (Singer)

Janaka

Valentine’s Day should not be the only day we speak about love.

From the moment we are born into this world, we seek love, first through the very drop of our mother’s milk, then through the boundless care of our Mother and Father, and the embrace of family.

Love is everywhere. All living beings, even plants, respond in affection when they are loved.

As we grow, we learn to love, and to be loved. One day, that love inspires us to build a new family of our own.

Love has no beginning and no end. It flows through every stage of life, timeless, endless, and eternal.

Natasha Rathnayake (Singer)

We don’t have any special plans for Valentine’s Day. When you’ve been in love with the same person for over 25 years, you realise that love isn’t a performance reserved for one calendar date. My husband and I have never been big on public displays, or grand gestures, on 14th February. Our love is expressed quietly and consistently, in ordinary, uncelebrated moments.

With time, you learn that love isn’t about proving anything to the world or buying into a commercialised idea of romance—flowers that wilt, sweets that spike blood sugar, and gifts that impress briefly but add little real value. In today’s society, marketing often pushes the idea that love is proven by how much money you spend, and that buying things is treated as a sign of commitment.

Real love doesn’t need reminders or price tags. It lives in showing up every day, choosing each other on unromantic days, and nurturing the relationship intentionally and without an audience.

This isn’t a judgment on those who enjoy celebrating Valentine’s Day. It’s simply a personal choice.

Melloney Dassanayake (Miss Universe Sri Lanka 2024)

I truly believe it’s beautiful to have a day specially dedicated to love. But, for me, Valentine’s Day goes far beyond romantic love alone. It celebrates every form of love we hold close to our hearts: the love for family, friends, and that one special person who makes life brighter. While 14th February gives us a moment to pause and celebrate, I always remind myself that love should never be limited to just one day. Every single day should feel like Valentine’s Day – constant reminder to the people we love that they are never alone, that they are valued, and that they matter.

I’m incredibly blessed because, for me, every day feels like Valentine’s Day. My special person makes sure of that through the smallest gestures, the quiet moments, and the simple reminders that love lives in the details. He shows me that it’s the little things that count, and that love doesn’t need grand stages to feel extraordinary. This Valentine’s Day, perfection would be something intimate and meaningful: a cozy picnic in our home garden, surrounded by nature, laughter, and warmth, followed by an abstract drawing session where we let our creativity flow freely. To me, that’s what love is – simple, soulful, expressive, and deeply personal. When love is real, every ordinary moment becomes magical.

Noshin De Silva (Actress)

Valentine’s Day is one of my favourite holidays! I love the décor, the hearts everywhere, the pinks and reds, heart-shaped chocolates, and roses all around. But honestly, I believe every day can be Valentine’s Day.

It doesn’t have to be just about romantic love. It’s a chance to celebrate love in all its forms with friends, family, or even by taking a little time for yourself.

Whether you’re spending the day with someone special or enjoying your own company, it’s a reminder to appreciate meaningful connections, show kindness, and lead with love every day.

And yes, I’m fully on theme this year with heart nail art and heart mehendi design!

Wishing everyone a very happy Valentine’s Day, but, remember, love yourself first, and don’t forget to treat yourself.

Sending my love to all of you.