Features

Ending my tenure at the Employees’ Trust Board

Published

5 months ago

2025/10/19

Thilina Walpola

Chandrika and her mother, late PM Sirimavo Bandaranaike, waiting to vote in an election in the early 1990s

LESSONS FROM MY CAREER: SYNTHESISING MANAGEMENT THEORY WITH PRACTICE – PART 24

For those who have not read my previous stories, I continue with my experiences as the Chairman of the ETF Board.

Southern Provincial Council Elections of 1994 The Southern Provincial Council Elections were announced, and it was obvious that the present government would lose. A new entrant to politics was Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, who had returned from overseas. She was the daughter of two Prime Ministers and thus became a new attraction. When electioneering was in full swing, I was careful to be seen as neutral and to avoid violating any election laws.

The election date was fixed for late March 1994. After the demise of President Premadasa, His Excellency D. B. Wijetunga was at the helm as President. One day, he called me and said, “You are a political appointee and therefore should be engaged in canvassing. I want you to actively participate and campaign in one of the difficult areas.” I responded that I had no knowledge of electioneering and was totally unfit for that sort of work. He did not take no for an answer. I was wondering how to get out of this and was planning various excuses.

It was the first day of the Royal Thomian match in 1994, and I was there with some friends. I suddenly received a call from President Wijetunga. Still, I couldn’t hear a word he was saying because the papare bands and Baila music were in full swing. I quickly moved to a quieter corner and spoke. The Prime Minister Ranil WickremEsinghe was going to the Southern Province, he said, and arrangements had been made for him to address a meeting at Beliatta. Beliatta was the electorate where our ancestral home at Getamanna was located. Apparently, the PM was planning to have lunch at my parents’ place. I was ordered by the President to go to my ancestral home, meet the PM, and attend the meeting.

I went early the next day to our ancestral home in Getamanna, which was at the edge of the Beliatta electorate. The PM came, had lunch, and was leaving when he looked at me and said, “If you are coming for the meeting, you may come with me”. I had no choice. I asked my driver to follow and travelled with the PM. Although my plan was to get to Colombo after the PM left for the meeting after lunch, I was dragged into this. My attempts to scoot off without climbing to the stage were also nullified because the entire entourage was escorted to the stage, including me. I was given a seat in the second row and was probably noticed by supporters of Hon. Mahinda Rajapaksa. After some time, I quietly left the stage and came back to Colombo. I had done my duty as a “political appointee”.

The election was heating up, and the President called me and asked what the general feeling was in the province. I said, “No chance, sir.” He didn’t believe me and said, “But the tide is again turning back to us, isn’t it?”. I had to bring him to reality. The election result was as expected, thanks to the new hope offered by the People’s Alliance’s leader.

The Presidential Election

With the government’s defeat at the Provincial Council Elections, I knew my time was up. I had anyway had enough of a high-ranking Government job. Even if the UNP returned to power, the new policy was to give high posts to those who worked on the elections and to party loyalists. The Premadasa policy of appointing young professionals was no longer in vogue. So, I would be out in any event.

This was when I decided it was time to start a career in consulting and training. During my tenure at the ETF Board, I was frequently invited by government and private organisations to speak on productivity techniques — my pet subject — and on the Japanese techniques I had mastered. I did not get paid, but received a gift which had no real value to me. I ended up with a vast collection of expensive and cheap pens, ties with the company logo that I could not wear anywhere else, and shirts that were far from my taste. I recall being invited to deliver a lecture to the top rung of the Air Force. I was told that the Air Force top brass would only listen to another Chairman or someone at that level, which is why I was selected for the lecture. These were unsafe times, and I was told that the venue could not be disclosed, but I had to be ready on time, and an air force vehicle would pick me up and whisk me to the venue.

The lecture was attended by the Air Force Chief, a few other deputies, and other senior ranks. I received a nice Air Force tie, which I still preserve but never wore. Therefore, I believed that I could turn all these opportunities into money. I registered a company called “Productivity Techniques Pvt Ltd” and kept it dormant until I resigned from the ETF Board. Within a month or so of my departure from the ETF Board, I had my first seminar. All stories in this new exercise will be in a new chapter.

The run-up to the election was also tricky. I had to refuse the Minister’s request to paste a poster all over with the ETF benefits and the Minister’s photograph. The Board agreed with me that we may be accused of violating election laws. The Minister, being a reasonable man, accepted the position. The President wanted me to join the campaign in Polonnaruwa, but I escaped once again.

The stock market was in a bear run because market participants preferred a UNP government to a more socialist People’s Alliance. Our investment committee felt that it was a good time for ETF to buy at attractive prices, given our ability to hold for an extended period. Despite this position of ours, at a meeting with the business community, the opposition presidential candidate openly accused the ETF of selling in the market to create fear among investors and destabilise the market. The accusation was that selling out of the ETF portfolio was taking the stock market down. Actually, we were buying, not selling, and there was plenty of proof. Politicians sometimes make sweeping statements without evidence, which I witnessed firsthand during my time in government. The Minister asked me to write to the candidate and explain the correct position, which I did. This led to anonymous calls being received, threatening that I would be thrown out as soon as they came to power, and many other life-threatening threats.

Post Election

As expected, Her Excellency Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga was elected with a thumping majority, and Hon Mahinda Rajapakse became the Minister of Labour. I still went to the office for a day or two, until I was told by the Ministry’s Secretary to hand in my resignation as per the new Minister’s request. I did so and went home.

I had a visitor from the UK and was boasting to him about the new female President, the daughter of two Prime Ministers and enlightened him that we produced the first female PM in the world. He retorted, “Oh, I know all that. In fact, we Britons blame Sri Lanka for setting the trend and giving us Margaret Thatcher!”

My experience at the ETF Board was rewarding because I turned a very sleepy, lethargic institution into a highly efficient and progressive one. It was full of challenges, too. I learned to manage politicians, trade unions, unhappy employers, and the staff. I had used the theoretical concepts learned in my MBA. I synthesised them with my tacit knowledge gained over the years in many other organisations. I had a very experienced and wise Board of Directors who shared their tacit and functional expertise with me. In fact, my management style and achievements had been noticed by employers and Human Resource Managers in organisations. After I started my consultancy and training practice, I had many clients. Many of these clients told me they hired me because of how I synthesised theory and practice and managed the achievements we made at the ETF Board. They told me that they recognise me as a man who actually practices what he preaches.

I heard that the new Minister had taken office in his new portfolio and held a press conference. The following Sunday, the Divaina newspaper published an article based on the Minister’s press conference about numerous frauds and wrongdoings at the ETF Board.

I was furious because they were farthest from the truth. In my fury, I picked up my phone, called the Minister directly, and asked whether I could see him now. He agreed. I showed the article and pointed out all the untruths in it. I told him that since I am not a politically appointed person but appointed for my professional competence, such articles would damage my reputation. He mumbled that he had been told about some wrongdoing and was surprised that it was published. Before I could say anything further, he promised to correct the misinformation.

Immediately, he changed the subject and asked me in Sinhala, “Is Aunty in Colombo or at Getamanna?” He was referring to my mother. He would visit Getamanna on and off, and my mother was fond of him. My mother would always speak on behalf of the villages and knew firsthand their requirements. Once, my mother told Mr Mahinda Rajapakse during an election campaign visit that the villagers want electricity rather than jobs.

He had promised, “Aunty, I will somehow give electricity to this village”. When other politicians, on their visits, hear my mother’s request, they explain the electricity master plan and how this village cannot be given electricity soon. As promised, Mahinda Rajapaksa arranged for electricity to be given to our village despite the so-called master plan. Therefore when he suddenly asked about my mother, I could be forgiven for letting my anger dissipate immediately. How could you continue that anger now? After that, I left after a cordial but brief chat. I have learned much from many Ministers I worked with. Still, Mahinda Rajapaksa, being a very shrewd and experienced politician, was, above all, the best.

Since there was no correction in the newspapers as promised, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I telephoned Dr Seevali Ratwatta, Chairman of Upali Newspapers, to tell him my story and asked him to publish my version. I faxed it directly to his private fax machine, and it was published the very next Sunday. Many advised me not to challenge a new government, but since I had no skeletons in the cupboard, I believed what I did was correct.

Postscript

About two years after I left the ETF Board, I was reappointed as a Board member. I realised that the management was not very transparent and did not disclose some material information to the Board. I picked holes in many board papers and became a nuisance to the management. One such instance occurred when the members’ interest rate was being discussed. I challenged the calculation on the basis that the portfolio’s value diminution was not taken into account. I questioned whether it had been done in previous years and was assured that it had been duly accounted for. I asked that the diminution provided for the last three years be tabled at the next meeting. At that time, the “mark to market” methodology was not in the accounting standards. We were required to provide only for the diminution in the portfolio’s value.

In fact, during my tenure, I challenged this with the Public Enterprises Division, why only diminution was accounted for and not the appreciation of the share value, only to be told that there are many aspects of accountancy that an engineer would not understand. I could not see the logic of it at all. It should be done both ways. Many years later, the rules were changed to “mark to market,” so that all share investments would be marked at market value as at 31 December, thereby giving higher values to those investments that had appreciated. I was elated by this turn of events, which proved that engineers were ahead of the curve compared to accountants.

Coming back to the dispute over diminution, at the next meeting, a board paper was presented stating that no diminution has been provided for the last three years. This was a complete reversal of the earlier position. The management had misled the Board. Adding insult to injury, the board paper continued to say that if they had provided for diminution, they could not have paid a high interest rate. I explained to the Board the seriousness of this statement. Thereafter, I asked whether the Auditor General had commented on the non-provisioning for diminution. Once again, management said no, that no adverse comments were made.

I asked for the Auditor General’s report to be brought to the Board immediately and pointed to the relevant paragraph where the Auditor General clearly states that the profits are overstated due to the non-provision for diminution. By then, the other board members’ faces were red, and some suggested disciplinary action against the concerned officer. I could not resist the temptation and, completely disregarding my training in diplomacy, I blurted out that I would rather take disciplinary action against the Board for their apparent lapse.

At the ETF Board, the term of a director was 2 years, and when the 2-year term was up, I was the only one not reappointed. All the others were. If you rock the boat, you get thrown out. This is why it is essential to have an alert and qualified Board for a State-Owned Enterprise. As they say, “the fish rots from the head”. The Board of Directors is the head.

ETF directorships were coming to me again and again. First, it was as a nominee director of the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon. My role was to protect the funds employers contributed. I was unhappy with some of the Human Resource decisions but chose not to interfere, warning that I would not allow the funds to be misused. At the end of my two years, I opted out. Once again, I was appointed as a nominee Director, but my tenure was short-lived. I was appointed as the Chairman of NDB Bank.

Since the ETF held a substantial number of NDB shares, this affected my independence status. I once again resigned from the ETF Director Board. I have had no connection with the ETF Board since 2013.

The next episode will describe my foray into consultancy and training.

by Sunil G Wijesinha
(Consultant on Productivity and Japanese Management Techniques
Retired Chairman/Director of several Listed and Unlisted companies.
Awardee of the APO Regional Award for promoting Productivity in the Asia Pacific Region
Recipient of the “Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays” from the Government of Japan.
He can be contacted through email at bizex.seminarsandconsulting@gmail.com)

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Features

Illegal solar push ravages Hambantota elephant habitat: Environmentalist warns of deepening crisis

Published

6 hours ago

2026/03/19

Sahan Weerasooriya

Land earmarked for the project

A large-scale move to establish solar power plants in Hambantota has triggered a major environmental and social crisis, with more than 1,000 acres of forest—identified as critical elephant habitat—cleared in violation of the law, environmental activist Sajeewa Chamikara said.

Chamikara, speaking on behalf of the Movement for Land and Agricultural Reform, said that 17 companies have already begun clearing forest land along the boundaries of the Hambantota Elephant Management Reserve. The affected areas include Sanakku Gala, Orukemgala and Kapapu Wewa, which are known to be key elephant habitats and long-used movement corridors.

He said that what is taking place cannot be described as development, but rather as a large-scale destruction of natural ecosystems carried out under the cover of renewable energy expansion.

According to Chamikara, the clearing of forests has been carried out using heavy machinery, while large sections have also been deliberately set on fire to prepare the land for solar installations. He said that electric fences have been erected across wide stretches of land, effectively blocking elephant movement and fragmenting their natural habitat.

“These forests are not empty lands. They are part of a living system that supports wildlife and nearby communities. Once destroyed, they cannot be easily restored,” he said.

The projects in question include a 50 megawatt solar development undertaken by five companies and a larger 150 megawatt project implemented by 12 companies. The larger project is reported to be valued at around 150 million US dollars.

Chamikara stressed that these projects are being carried out in a coordinated manner and involve extensive land clearing on a scale that raises serious environmental concerns.

He further alleged that certain companies had paid about Rs. 14 million to secure support and move ahead with the projects. He said this points to a troubling failure of oversight by state institutions that are expected to protect forests and wildlife habitats.

“This is not only an environmental issue. It is also a serious governance issue. The institutions responsible for protecting these lands have failed in their duty,” he said.

Chamikara pointed out that under the National Environmental Act, any project of this scale must receive prior approval through a proper Environmental Impact Assessment process.

He said that clearing forest land before obtaining such approval is a direct violation of the law.

He added that legal requirements relating to archaeological assessments had also been ignored. Under existing regulations, large-scale land clearing requires prior evaluation to ensure that sites of historical or cultural value are not damaged.

“The law is very clear. You cannot go ahead with projects of this nature without proper approval. What we are seeing is a complete disregard for legal procedure,” Chamikara said.

The environmental impact of these activities is already becoming visible. With their natural habitats destroyed, elephants are increasingly moving into nearby villages in search of food and shelter. This has led to a sharp rise in human-elephant conflict in several areas.

Areas such as Mayurapura, Gonnooruwa, Meegahajandura and Thanamalvila have reported increasing encounters between humans and elephants. According to Chamikara, more than 5,000 farming families in these areas are now facing growing threats to their safety and livelihoods.

He warned that farmers are being forced to abandon their lands due to repeated elephant intrusions, while incidents involving damage to crops and property are rising. There have also been increasing reports of injuries and deaths among both humans and elephants.

“This is turning into a serious social and economic problem. When farmers cannot cultivate their lands, it affects food production, income and rural stability,” he said.

Chamikara also raised concerns about the broader environmental consequences of clearing forests for solar power projects. While renewable energy is promoted as a solution to reduce carbon emissions, he said that destroying forests undermines that goal.

“Forests play a key role in absorbing carbon dioxide. When you clear and burn them, you are increasing emissions, not reducing them. That defeats the purpose of promoting solar energy,” he explained.

He added that large-scale deforestation in dry zone areas such as Hambantota could also affect local weather patterns and reduce rainfall, which would have further negative impacts on agriculture and water resources.

Chamikara called for a shift in policy, urging authorities to focus on more sustainable approaches to solar power development. He said that rooftop solar systems on homes, public buildings and commercial establishments should be given priority, as they do not require clearing large areas of land.

He also recommended that solar projects be located on degraded or abandoned lands, such as areas affected by past mining or other low-value lands, rather than forests or productive agricultural areas.

“Renewable energy development must be done in a way that does not destroy the environment. There are better options available if there is proper planning,” he said.

Chamikara urged the Central Environmental Authority and the Department of Wildlife Conservation to take immediate action to stop ongoing land clearing and investigate the projects. He stressed that all activities carried out without proper approval should be halted until legal requirements are met.

He warned that failure to act now would lead to long-term environmental damage that could not be reversed.

“If this continues, we will lose not only forests and wildlife, but also the balance between people and nature that supports rural life. The consequences will be felt for generations,” he said.

The situation in Hambantota is fast emerging as a critical test of whether development goals can be balanced with environmental protection. As pressure grows, the response of authorities in the coming weeks is likely to determine whether the damage can still be contained or whether it will continue to spread unchecked.

By Ifham Nizam

Features

Why Mahatma Gandhi’s teachings need to be at the heart of conflict resolution

Published

6 hours ago

2026/03/19

Sahan Weerasooriya

Mahatma Gandhi

All credit to the Tamil Nadu government for taking concrete measures to perpetuate the memory of the renowned Mahatma Gandhi of India, who on account of his moral teachings stands on par with the likes of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Confucius and Jalaluddin Rumi, to name a few such all-time greats. The time is indeed ripe to draw the world’s attention to the Mahatma’s humanistic legacy which has resonated in the hearts of peace-oriented sections the world over down the decades.

Under its mega developmental blueprint titled ‘ Tamil Nadu 2030’, the Tamil Nadu government, among other things, intends transforming villages into centres of economic growth in conformity with the Mahatma’s vision of making the village the fundamental unit of material and spiritual advancement. Thus will come into being the ‘Uttamar Gandhi Model Villages Project’, which will be initially covering 10 village Panchayats. (Please see page 3 of The Island of March 11, 2026).

The timeliness of remembering and appreciating anew the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi resides in the utter lawlessness that has been allowed to overtake the world over the last few decades by none other than those global powers which took it upon themselves to usher in a world political and economic order based on the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Mainly in ‘the dock’ in this regard are the permanent members of the UN Security Council.

As is plain to see, the international law and order situation has veered out of control. Principal priorities for the international community or what’s left of it is to prevent the current mainly regional war in the Middle East from degenerating dangerously into another world war, coupled with the task of eliminating the possibility of another nuclear holocaust.

The most scorching of ironies is that the world’s ‘number one power’, the US, has virtually lost its way in the ‘Global Disorder’ it has been party to letting lose. For instance, instead of making good its boast of militarily neutralizing Iran and paving the way for the constant flow of fuel and gas from the Strait of Hormus by itself and Israel, it is now appealing to the rest of the West to come to its assistance. Not surprisingly, US allies are indicating their unwillingness to help pull the US’ ‘chestnuts out of the fire’.

Oil and gas are the veritable life blood of countries and going ahead it should not come as a surprise if impatience gets the better of the major powers and the nuclear option is resorted to by some of them under the dangerous illusion that it would be a quick-fix to their growing economic ills and frustrations.

All the above and more are within the realms of the possible and the need is pressing for humanistic voices to take centre stage in the present runaway crisis. As pointed out in this column last week, Realpolitik has overtaken the world and unless the latter is convinced of the self-destructive nature of the major powers’ policy of ‘meeting fire with fire’ to resolve their disputes, annihilation could be the lot of a good part of the world.

For far too long the voice of humanity has been muted and silenced in the affairs of world by the incendiary threats and counter-threats of the big powers and their allies. No quarter has been bold enough in these blood pressure-hiking slanging matches to speak of the need for brotherly love and compassion among nations and countries. But it’s the language of love and understanding that is the most pressing need currently and the Mahatma in his time did just that against mighty odds.

At present the US and Iran are trading threats and accusations over military-related developments in the Gulf and it’s anybody’s guess as to what turn these events will take. However, calming voices of humanity and moderation would help in deescalating tensions and such voices need to go to the assistance of the UN chief and his team.

The Mahatma used the technique of ‘Satyagraha’ or the policy of non-violent resistance to oppose and dis-empower to a degree the British empire in his time and the current major powers would do well to take a leaf from Gandhi. The latter also integrated into the strategy of non-violent resistance the policy of ‘Ahimsa’ or love and understanding which helped greatly in uniting rather than alienating adversaries. The language of love, it has been proved, speaks to the hearts and minds of people and has a profoundly healing impact.

Mahatma Gandhi defined the ideal of ‘Ahimsa’ thus: ‘In its positive form, “Ahimsa” means the largest love, the greatest charity. If I am a follower of “Ahimsa”, I must love my enemy or a stranger to me as I would my wrong-doing father or son. This active “Ahimsa” necessarily includes truth and fearlessness.’ (See; ‘Modern Indian Political Thought; Text and Context’ by Bidyut Chakrabarty and Rajendra Kumar Pandey, Sage Publications India, Pvt. Ltd., www.sagepub.in).

In the latter publication, the authors also defined the essence of ‘satyagraha’ as ‘protest without rancour’ and this is seen as ‘holding the key to his entire campaign’ of non-violent resistance. From these perspectives, the teaching, ‘hatred begets hatred’ acquires more salience and meaning.

Accordingly, the voice of reason and love needs to come centre stage and take charge of current international political discourse. The UN and allied organizations which advocate conflict resolution by peaceful means need to get together and ensure that their voices are clearly heard and understood. The global South could help in this process by seeing to the vibrant rejuvenation of organizations such as the Non-aligned Movement.

An immediate task for the peace-oriented and well meaning is to make the above projects happen fast. In the process they should underscore afresh the profound importance of the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, who is acclaimed the world over as a uniting and healing political personality and prophet of peace.

If the Mahatma is universally acclaimed, the reason is plain to see. Put simply, he spoke to the hearts and minds of people everywhere, regardless of man-made barriers. The language of peace and brotherhood, that is, is understood by everyone. The world needs more prophets of peace and reconciliation of the likes of the Mahatma to drown out the voices of discord and war-mongering and ensure that the language of humanity prevails.

Features

Exciting scene awaits them …

Published

6 hours ago

2026/03/19

Sahan Weerasooriya

The Future Model Hunt extravaganza, organised by Rukmal Senanayake, and advocacy trainer Tharaka Gurukanda, held in late January 2026, has brought into the limelight four outstanding contestants who will participate, at the international level, this year – Sandeepa Sewmini, Demitha Jayawardhana, Diwyanjana Senevirathna, and Nimesha Premachandra.

Nimesha took the honours as Mrs. Tourism Sri Lanka 2026 and was featured in The Island of 05th March,

Sandeepa Sewmini was crowned Miss Supranational 2026 and will represent Sri Lanka at the big event to be held in Poland later in the year.

A Business Management and Human Resources student, she will be competing under the guidance of Rukmal Senanayake from the Model With Ruki – Model Academy & Agency.

The Mister Supranational Sri Lanka crown went to Demitha Jayawardhana, a 20-year-old professional model and motocross rider.

Apart from modelling he is engaged in his family business.

Demitha Jayawardhana: Mister Supranational Sri Lanka 2026

Demitha is also a badminton player with a strong passion for sports, fitness and personal growth.

In fact, he is recognised for his strength, discipline, and passion for fitness.

A past student of Wycherley International School and St Peter’s College, Colombo, Demitha is currently in his second year of Economics Management at the Royal Institute of Colombo.

He will represent Sri Lanka at the 10th edition of the Mister Supranational pageant, in Poland, in August, 2026.

Mister and Miss Supranational are annual international beauty pageants, held in Poland, and are designed to discover new talent for the modelling and television industries and produce instant celebrities.

The competition focuses on elegance, intelligence, and social advocacy, with contestants, representing their countries.

The newly appointed Miss Teen International Sri Lanka 2026 is Diwyanjana Senevirathna.

She was crowned at the Future Model Hunt and will represent Sri Lanka at the Miss Teen International 2026 pageant in India.

Diwyanjana is noted for her grace and dedication to representing the country at this prestigious event that aims to celebrate talent, intelligence, charm, and individuality, and provide a platform for young girls to showcase their skills.