Features

How the visionaries transformed the land by lighting the hill

Published

3 years ago

2023/09/11

Thilina Walpola

St. Michael’s College, Batticaloa – 150th Anniversary

By B. Nimal Veerasingham

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house” (Matthew 5:14-16)

‘Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another’ said 19^th century English poet Gilbert K. Chesterton. Nelson Mandela put that in practical terms as ‘Education being the most powerful weapon which one can use to change the world’.

It is not difficult to grasp why Education is glorified as being the ‘truth that will set one free’, as has been witnessed by the mottos of many Universities around the world. This includes Johns Hopkins University, the premier research University in the US with affiliation to 39 Nobel laureates.

Our nation’s constant high literacy rate is a testimony to the placement of education. It is a result of locally inborn instincts of curiosity and advancement, aided to some extent by the arrival of foreign visionaries and missionaries. Many renowned educational institutions around the country are marking centuries of continued awakening of minds and uplifted lives, cornerstones of a progressive society.

The Eastern township of Batticaloa is no stranger to this phenomenon. Little known is the fact that one of the first English educational institutions in the country has its origin at Batticaloa. The Methodist Central College was founded in 1814 by the Wesleyan missionaries. On the other hand, St. Michael’s College Batticaloa rose from its humble beginnings, starting in 1873, to the monumental towers at the centre of the town, lighting the hearts and minds of the population.

St. Michael’s college Batticaloa is marking its 150^th year of service to the region, and country, this 29th September, on the feast of its patron saint Archangel Michael, the slayer of ignorance with truth.

The humble beginnings could be traced back to Fr. Francis Xavier, Ceylon’s first secular priest, who was born in Jaffna and served in Bolawatte and Chilaw. He was commissioned to start an English boys school at Batticaloa with the sum of Rs, 500.00, but the energised and driven Fr. Xavier started not one, but three schools, including St. Cecilia’s Girls English school and St. Mary’s Tamil school. The first headmaster of St. Michael’s College was Joseph Sethupathy Abraham of Karampon who served the school tirelessly for more than 50 years. Though French Jesuits took over the diocese of Trincomalee, in 1895, which includes the administration of St. Michael’s College, it’s the local visionaries who breathed life into the concept of education that eventually lift countless as productive souls of the society.

The results from the journey envisioned by the local futurists might have been elusive during their lifetime, but 150 years later the region and the country applaud and admire their boldness in sowing the seeds of education, without any expectation of a foreseeable and bountiful harvest.

The monumental building that dominates the Batticaloa town’s landscape for nearly one and a half centuries did not happen without a reason, both metaphorically and corporality. It is clearly a sign of a structure up on the hill in relative terms.

‘Puliyanthivu’, as the Batticaloa town is called, is an Island surrounded by the legendary lagoon of the ‘Singing fish’. For the naked eye though it might seem geologically flat, the centre is on higher elevation. Most of us as students at different times have felt it when coming to college from the surrounding streets. I certainly felt it coming to school both from the Southern and Northern flanks, climbing steadily up from both ends of Central Road. The upper elevation also allowed a clear hearing of the ’long bell’ to all in the surroundings, that rang from the Eastern tower announcing the initial readiness for the beginning of classes.

I cannot say with certainty when the visionaries who negotiated with almost 42 individual owners who held ownership to the plots that hold the present-day Saint Michael’s college, had any idea that they were constructing a foundation, a mortar and brick space for the public good, up on a hill. Why did the idea be at the centre, rather than closer to the much-desired lake or in the surrounding spacious outskirts; a question naturally appears to an intrigued mind?

The Jesuits, who took over the school transforming the character and instilling progressive ethics, were in fact living up to the scope and vision of a lamp on the hill. Many a times while acknowledging the local visionaries with similar construes, we tend to query as to how differently the Jesuits, who mostly arrived from North America and Europe, envisioned the path to complete growth, intrigued minds and strengthened bodies.

It was more than ploughing back the scientific knowledge of the West; rather a determined dedication as per their calling to promote science and education as a way of serving God. By the eighteenth-century Jesuits had contributed to the development of pendulum clocks, pantographs, barometers, reflecting telescopes and microscopes to scientific fields as various as magnetism, optics and electricity. They theorized about the circulation of the blood, the theoretical possibility of flight, the way the moon affected the tides and the wave-like nature of light. At a time, in presumption when theology seemed to be in conflict with science, the Jesuit order spearheaded the scientific knowledge-based education to thousands of institutions around the world.

During my time at college, I did personally experience that mixture of practical application of science and visionary drive many of us were familiar with. Education, ethics, and sports in the Jesuit tradition is a call to human excellence.

Once the inter-school soccer season starts at Batticaloa, late Rev Fr Harold Weber SJ would be the most robust as the dedicated guardian of the game. Depending on the age groups he will ensure the right measured soccer fields are ready for practices and matches, both within the current stadium and outside near the old courthouse.

Though I have accompanied Fr. Weber many times in his scooter, holding soccer balls for practices, never thought of asking a question of principle, that came to haunt me later and at the same time provided a glimpse to the spirit of those who came to serve others.

Once the Rev Father is in the town’s spacious main playground irrespective of the time of the day, he would be looking for any small stones that accidently ended up in the field. It would look like a natural gentle walk, but his eyes are glued to the ground all the time. There could be many reasons why stones end up in the field, but for most athletes barefooted, it was deadly in a fast-moving soccer game or any kind of short or long-distance running. Fr. Weber always would be looking for those show stoppers to prevent accidents and injuries and at times even when the blazing sun is high above at noon.

A Jesuit and a student councillor attached to St Michael’s college looking after the welfare of all citizens of Batticaloa provides a conclusive answer to the ethics held high and nourished at the helm. It might be a small act of concern for others but when the ethics get stretched it touches all walks of daily lives and becomes the centre of harmony and peace embracing all without conditions. His appearance in his best cassock at any sports or public events foretells his view of respect and appreciation to all, rather than limiting his flock within the walls of college towers.

One of the greatest Tamil scholar Swami Vipulananda’s time both as a student and a teacher at Saint Michael’s captures this appreciation for excellence and acceptance spirit of Jesuits, Fr Weber showcased in the playing field and beyond.

Swami Vipulananda, with his birth name Samithamby Mylvaganam, appears many times in Saint Michael’s College journals as a contributor of essays where he was also noted as an excellent trained teacher later. One of the greatest minds that ever rose from the East spent nearly eight years (1906 – 1914) within the College walls closely associating with Jesuits, especially with Rev Fr Bonnel, the architect of the current school buildings that we see today. The fundamentals of Cambridge Senior examination that he passed with flying colours, while at Saint Michaels, no doubt would have allowed him to slide at ease later through his Bachelor of Science degree at University of London.

Late Mr. K Kanapathipillai, former Principal of Shivananda Vidyalayam who himself was a student at College, noted how as the science teacher, Fr. Bonnel bound volumes of the past question papers of the Cambridge Senior Examination in Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, botany and geography along with solutions, and then distributed among the students. ‘He labored hard to build up and maintain the first science laboratory in Batticaloa for the advancement of the students in a more meticulous and inspiring manner’ noted Mr. Kanapathipillai.

Swami Vipulananda was more than a literary scholar; he was a genius, Master of science. Though he became the first Tamil Pundit passing the Madurai Tamil society examinations he was a multilingual scholar. After researching for more than 14 years he produced the seminal book of scientific research in Tamil called ‘Yazh Nool’. The book was an effort to understand and explain the intricacies and technicalities of the Tamil music genre in general, especially with string instruments, using calculation methods based on mathematics and physics. Many experts of the subject still say that it is not for the ordinary.

He also wrote ‘Mathangaculamani’ a translation of Shakespeare’s twelve plays in the literary traditions of Sanskrit, Greek and English focusing on aspects of plot, structure, sequence of action, characterisation, subjective experience, and gestures. He was editor to many publications and wrote several books including a dictionary of technical terms in Chemistry. He wrote extensively on Vedanta philosophy, Tamil literature, and translated selected poems of Subramanya Bharathi, Sangam literature and devotional hymns from Tamil to English.

The disciplined higher education at Saint Michael’s College and its backbone Jesuits certainly would have impacted and enabled Swami Vipulananda’s reach as a multi-talented scholar and an incorporator of global scientific and literary traditions.

But it goes beyond. He would have witnessed the self sacrifices of the Jesuits, what Mr. Kanapathipillai noted as ‘their purpose was a divine one, inspired by no less divine call; to set aflame the spark that was already in one’s pupil’.

As the records show austerity was the hallmark of Fr. Bonnel’s entire career. A bare plank served as his bed and a brick or two propped up his head and served as his pillow. From early morning till late in the evening; till the hour he had his head on the hard pillow, it was a day every minute which he was aware of; and each minute he endeavored to put to the best use; a walking university.

The College journal from 1924 noted with pride that Pandit Mylvaganam had been promoted to the rank of Sanyasi in the Rama Krishna Mission, under the name Srimath Swami Vipulananda and was now attached to Rama Krishna Mutt in Madras. Ramakrishna mission is a unique order of ascetics and volunteers dedicated to serve the weaker segments of community, irrespective of religious, caste creed, or language differences through schools, hospitals, and orphanages.

Why Swami Vipulananda chose Ramakrishna Mission as his life mission and to which extent his exposure to austerity, science, sacrifices and dedication of Jesuits especially Fr. Bonnel playing in the decision is anybody’s guess. All we know are the selfless actions of giants who walked among us in our lifetime like Fr. Weber, who embraced the whole community with his unlimited dedication, love, and concern.

We all hold the spark to ignite greater good for the future and to light the world, just like those who founded and shaped the journey at St. Michael’s College without expectations. Are we willing to invest and envision a bountiful harvest beyond our lifetime? The school that was built on the hill cannot be hidden; the light lit by the local visionaries and foreign missionaries continues to glow as Saint Michael’s College, Batticaloa steps into its one and half century of excellence.

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Features

Proactive peacemaking becomes a paramount need

Published

9 hours ago

2026/06/4

Sahan Weerasooriya

Wasting wars: Some war-displaced people in Lebanon. BBC

It may be some time before the full impact of food inflation is felt in the West. Until such time the world would continue to keep itself in suspense over whether the Trump administration is in earnest when it seeks to convey the impression that it is backing a negotiated solution in West Asia.

As is usually the case, consumer stress would be one of the final determinants of political change. To the degree to which the average US consumer somehow ‘muddles through’ and puts the food on the table, to the same extent would the Republican sections of the US public in particular be tolerant of the Trump administration’s inconsistent handling of the West Asian war and the main issues stemming from it. That is, there would be no grave popular disaffection and a demand for political change in the short term.

However, the indications are that the Trump administration’s support base is suffering some erosion in the wake of the current economic crisis. While reports indicate that Democratic sections are firming-up their opposition to the political centre, Republican support for Trump is also showing signs of waning, we are given to understand.

The above developments are probably why Trump is on record as having given Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a ‘dressing down’ recently on his seeming intransigence on the question of giving negotiations a chance in West Asia. The show of displeasure could be really aimed by Trump at containing the impatience of the American public.

However, the current ground situation in the Middle East, particularly the uncontained bloodshed, is likely to impress on the thinking sections of the world that more than temporary political change is needed in West Asia and the US.

A well thought out political solution that addresses all the contentious issues at the heart of the Middle East conflict is what enlightened opinion would demand, and very rightly. Right now, the ‘peace efforts’ initiated by the Trump administration give the impression of being piecemeal solutions at best.

There have been, of course, numerous initiatives in the past aimed at bringing permanent peace to the Middle East. These failed mainly because they did not address in full the root causes of the conflict.

At bottom the Middle East conflict is mainly about race and religious hate bred by socio-economic and material inequalities. For instance, if the Palestinian people were not displaced and deprived of land occupied by them at the time of the founding of the Israeli state, ethnic enmities would not have grown to the current unmanageable proportions.

When addressing the above questions, though, it must be remembered that the Israelis too were a displaced people who were entitled to land and a state of their own in the Middle East. Basically, out of these seemingly irreconcilable and conflicting demands have grown the Middle East imbroglio.

Middle East peace is considerably about reconciling these demands and arriving at a solution that would ensure the creation of two states that would opt for peaceful co-existence thereafter.

As long as the US does not see the need for a non-partisan solution that addresses the needs of both ethnicities and religions and goes all-out, as it were, to have it implemented, the Middle East would continue to bleed.

However, staunching the blood flow through the creation of two states would be only half the job done, though a very important part of it. More pernicious, pervasive and difficult to remedy are the inter-ethnic and inter-religious hatreds that have been unleashed over the decades.

However, if substantial, long-lasting peace is to be fostered in the region the latter ‘demons’ would need to be exorcised from the hearts and minds of the communities concerned. No doubt an uphill task but one that must be undertaken by those who wish the region well.

The UN would need to put its ‘best foot forward’ in such undertakings but it is time that it dawned on the international community and other caring quarters that Middle East peace, and all other such uphill challenges, require proactive peacemaking on the part of all civilized sections for their effective management. That is, public involvement in peacemaking too is a must.

Since hatreds are harboured in the human consciousness the enmities embedded in the latter need to be managed and defused judiciously alongside other undertakings in a peace process. In the case of West Asia, such enmities could be even spread globe-wide besides being multi-dimensional. For instance, it ought to be thought-provoking that Iran is insistent on a peace initiative that would also include Lebanon.

Besides security considerations it is also ethnic and religious affiliations that account for Iran making this demand. For instance, the Shias are a numerically important religious community in Lebanon and they provide a significant number of Hizbollah fighters, who are in a vital sense carrying out a ‘proxy war’ for Iran. It also needs to be factored in that Iran is a Shia-majority country.

Thus trans-border religious affiliations could add to the complexities and enormity of ethno-religious conflicts. However, the task of managing centuries-long enmities needs to be launched and prodded on with by peacemakers since a downing of arms alone would not guarantee substantive peace.

It is not realized sufficiently that the process of ending hatreds begins with mutual apologies by antagonists to a conflict for the harm inflicted on each other. This would be anathema in some ears but there is no getting away from the requirement. It is the vital first step to permanent peace anywhere.

In fact there could be no reconciliation worth speaking of without such mutual apologies. It is a point worth re-iterating in these times when even the government of Sri Lanka is voicing the need for national reconciliation. Well, without the words, ‘I am sorry’, there could be no permanent end to enmities – they would do well to remember.

The above requirements may not go down very well with governments, but they resonate in the hearts and minds of most people, since they are inheritors of religious traditions of some kind.

This is a principal reason why peacemaking works well when publics too are involved in them. The effectiveness of such campaigns increases several fold when they have a Mahatma Gandhi or a Jawaharlal Nehru at their helm. A strong proactive involvement by the public in peace could lead to the emergence of such leaders at some point in these campaigns.

Features

Dialog Brings Sri Lanka’s Largest Digital Vesak Experience to Matara

Published

9 hours ago

2026/06/4

Sahan Weerasooriya

From left to right: Hon. Saroja Savithri Paulraj, Hon. Sunil Handunnetti, and Lasantha Theverapperuma experience the Dialog 5G Ultra-powered VR tours.

Official Digital Partner of the 2026 ‘Dakshina Prabha’ National Vesak Zone

Dialog Axiata PLC, Sri Lanka’s #1 connectivity provider, collaborated with the Ministry of Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs to bring one of Sri Lanka’s largest and most technologically advanced Vesak experiences to the ‘Dakshina Prabha’ National Vesak Zone. The three-day celebration, in Matara attracted more than hundred thousand visitors, who engaged with a series of innovative digital activities powered by Dialog 5G Ultra, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Virtual Reality (VR) experiences, digital pandols and a Data Dansala. The opening ceremony was attended by Hon. Sunil Handunnetti, Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development and Hon. Saroja Savithri Paulraj, Minister of Women and Child Affairs, along with distinguished guests and Dialog’s senior management.

One of the key attractions at the venue was the Dialog 5G Ultra-powered Virtual Reality (VR) experience, which attracted more than 35,000 participants. The activation enabled devotees to virtually visit and pay homage to sacred Buddhist sites, including the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi in India and the Atamasthana in Anuradhapura, directly from the Vesak zone in Matara.

Visitors receive complimentary mobile data through Dialog’s QR-powered Data Dansala.

Dialog also conducted an AI Digital Vesak Greeting Card Competition from 21 May to 01 June 2026, attracting numerous entries from across the country. The shortlisted designs were showcased across 20 large LED screens throughout the venue and across Matara City, and were also made available for download via mobile devices. Further, through the use of AI, traditional Jathaka Katha were reimagined in a digital format, demonstrating how technology can be used to preserve and enhance cultural and religious heritage. Together, these initiatives blended traditional Vesak celebrations with emerging technologies, offering visitors a unique and immersive way to engage with Vesak traditions.

Extending the spirit of Vesak through connectivity, Dialog conducted a special Data Dansala powered by its QR Reload platform, enabling visitors to receive complimentary mobile data by scanning QR codes placed across the venue. In addition to the Matara National Vesak Zone, similar Data Dansala activations were also conducted at the Gangaramaya and Bauddhaloka Vesak zones in Colombo.Visitors also had the opportunity to create personalised Vesak-themed digital photos through an AI Photo Booth, generating AI-enhanced portraits using their own photographs and adding a contemporary digital element to the Vesak celebrations.

Visitors watch AI-generated Jathaka Katha

Commenting on the initiative, Hon. Sunil Handunnetti, Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, said, “The 2026 Dakshina Prabha Vesak Festival marked the first time AI-powered digital innovations were incorporated into a National Vesak Festival in Sri Lanka. Presenting Buddhist stories and teachings through technology created a new and engaging way for visitors to connect with these traditions. We thank Dialog for supporting this initiative and for working closely with us to bring our vision to life. Their contribution played an important role in making this first-of-its-kind event a reality.”

Lasantha Theverapperuma, Group Chief Marketing Officer of Dialog Axiata PLC said, “We thank the Government of Sri Lanka for the opportunity to support the 2026 Dakshina Prabha National Vesak Festival and for embracing technology as part of this year’s celebrations. As the Official Digital Partner, we were privileged to contribute through our Dialog 5G Ultra and AI capabilities, creating new ways for visitors to engage with Vesak traditions while preserving their cultural significance for future generations.”

Beyond supporting the National Vesak Zone in Matara, Dialog also enhanced the Gangaramaya and Bauddhaloka Vesak zones through a range of digital activations during the Vesak season. The company additionally continued its sustainability initiatives, including the Thirasara Aloka Poojawa, which illuminated rural places of worship through solar-powered lighting solutions.

Features

Beauty, elegance and talent…for women

Published

9 hours ago

2026/06/4

Sahan Weerasooriya

Universal Woman is an international pageant focused on “beauty, elegance, and talent” for women, positioning itself as a platform to shape global ambassadors. The 2026 edition will be held in Cambodia, and Sri Lanka will be there, as well.

According to reports coming my way, contestants, at the international event, will work with industry trailblazers, under international standards.

Sri Lankan supermodel, runway and pageant trainer Chulpadmendra Kumarapathirana, is the National Director for Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026.

With over two decades in the industry, Chula was crowned Miss Sri Lanka 2006, and has since shaped the next generation of titleholders through her Colombo-based Chulpadmendra Catwalk Studio, widely regarded as one of the country’s leading modelling academies.

The team behind Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026

A former host of Derana Miss Sri Lanka for Miss World 2008 and a judge for Miss Universe Sri Lanka 2025, Chula now serves as National Director for Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026, leading the franchise’s search for Sri Lanka’s delegate to the international final in Cambodia.

Applications for Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026 are being taken, via WhatsApp: 077 659 4994, says Chula.

The judging panel for Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026 includes Senaka De Silva, Pageant Aesthetic Advisor & Chairperson of the Judging Panel, Angela Seneviratne, Caroline Jurie, Rozelle Plunkett, and Suraj Mapa.

Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026 officially began its journey with a first round of auditions, held in Colombo, marking the start of an exciting new chapter in Sri Lanka’s pageant industry.

Launching the first round of auditions

The platform aims to empower women while selecting an intelligent, confident, and inspiring representative to compete at the Universal Woman International Pageant 2026 in Cambodia, this September.

Universal Woman Sri Lanka now moves forward with the vision of creating one of the country’s most prestigious and empowering pageants while preparing to crown a queen who will proudly represent Sri Lanka on the international stage.