Features

A tale of Two Schools and themselves beginning of my primary education

Published

7 months ago

2025/11/2

The man dubbed the Father of Free Education, CWW Kannangara (CWWK), was pivotal to my primary and secondary education at two very good schools: first at Thurstan College from 1950 to 1956, and then the neighbouring Royal College from 1957 to 1964 respectively.

CWWK was the Minister of Education in the post-independence government of Prime Minister DS Senanayake. He wanted to establish a comprehensive secondary school in every province in the island, later called, Central Schools. The objective was to make available to all provincial students a quality secondary education, free of charge, in their own provinces. Kannangara’s grand strategy, eventually, was to extend this concept to every district in every province. A visionary Minister of Education set in policies to benefit the socio-economically challenged parents and to give their offspring a chance of good start in life.

Further, he wanted to implement a policy of providing scholastically deserving students from across the island, selected through a competitive examination, an opportunity to study at the most prestigious public schools, rather than limiting them to a privileged few from the upper classes.

Kannangara chose the two leading government boys’ schools, Ananda College and Royal College , to implement this policy on an island-wide basis, commencing 1950 with secondary school students. All costs were to be borne by the parents and there were no scholarships offered. I restrict this narrative initially here to Thurstan College and to Royal College, where I was fortunate to have my secondary education.

The country’s premier Teacher Training School in its early years was located on Thurstan Road, Colombo 3, before it was moved to Maharagama, a suburb ten kilometres away from the capital in 1948. Its buildings were then utilized to house the students of the newly formed Government Senior School (GSS).

Until 1949, all Royal Primary School (RPS) students completing Standard V, average age 11 years, gained direct entry to Royal College (RC) Form-1 in the following year. Kannangara changed this system and held a competitive examination open to all students, beginning November 1949.

There was one condition, however, which favoured RPS students. Irrespective of the marks obtained, 80% of the intake was mandated to be from RPS. The balance 20% was to be sourced from outside RPS, based on the results of the open competitive examination. This was a concession granted to the then powerful Royal College Old Boys Union, now Royal College Union, who fought tooth and nail to prevent “first past the post on merit”.

Up to that time, students of Royal Primary, majority of whom came from Colombo and its prestigious suburbs, were generally the children of elite, powerful and wealthy residents. A minority however, were children of teachers at Royal and Public Servants although there were some other minor exceptions. Those from Royal Primary who could not make it to form one of Royal College were transferred to GSS, which came into being on 1 January 1950. Thus the new school began with first formers in 1950.

School that I missed

It all began due to my unfamiliarity with the sea, that body of water surrounding the whole country. Else, I would have ended up at the Ananda Primary. Ananda College, the premier Buddhist school in the country, was inaugurated as the ‘English Buddhist School’ by the Buddhist Theosophical Society in 1886, the main benefactor being an American, Colonel Olcott. Dharmaraja College (initially named Kandy Buddhist High School), 72 miles away in Kandy, came into being the following year.

The first two schools in Ceylon were established by the Dutch Wesleyan Methodist Missionary in 1814. They were Galle School and Matara Buddhist School. Former was renamed Richmond College, Galle and Matara School. The latter today is President’s School.

At four plus years old, my father took me for the Pre-Primary admission test at Ananda College, in late October 1950. The test consisted of three elements to determine the skills in Arithmetic, Logic and General Knowledge. The test was conducted in Sinhala. It was a one- on -one encounter in a classroom with a teacher as the sole examiner.

The teacher was seated and on the opposite side of the table, while the boys being tested stood before her answering the questions. It was, I believe, to address the height imbalance between an adult and the tiny tot.

The test went something like this:

• What is three plus seven?

• Sort these pictures of children and adults in ascending

order of their ages; and

• A tricky question in general knowledge.

I was intrigued by the last question. The test lasted less than three minutes in total. My father was at the exit door and was very eager to know how his eldest offspring performed. I gave him a summary, including the answer I gave for the tricky question. He did not show any reaction or emotion on hearing the last answer. Nor any of the answers.

Father and son then walked to the Maradana Railway Station and took a train to Bambalapitiya. We got off there and my father led me from the platform down to the beach. I was just a tiny slip of a child, and in full height midway to his thigh. I was tugging at his trousers. At the beach, he asked me to remove my shoes and to get a feel of the waves whilst still holding my hand. Having followed his commands, I was asked to taste the water.

My first visit to a sea.

And there I found the answer to the tricky General Knowledge question: “Is the seawater salty or sweet?” I realized, with the first sip of seawater, that I had given the wrong answer. I recalled the lady teacher’s lively smile at the start of the question changing at the end, realizing now, that the change of expression was a sign of her disappointment. Although my father did not show any concern at the time, I believe he realized his contributory negligence to my lack of knowledge.

My debut at, as they say, in ‘seeing the sea’ was now complete. English can be both ambiguous and melodious to the listener. Answers to two of the three questions was not enough for a clerk’s son to get through to Ananda College Pre-Primary Class. On the way back walking home, father also taught his monolingual son some English terms as ‘the sea’ and ‘the beach’, ‘the waves’, ‘the shore’ and ‘walking’, etc., the last of which was to lead to a hilarious incident later during schooling.

The day after the test at Ananda, I followed the usual routine to get to kindergarten school. My paternal grandmother walked with me from our home in Kirula Road to Mrs Schockman’s Montessori, opposite Roberts Horse Stables. The school was about half a kilometre from our home in Kirula Road, Thimbirigasyaya. School hours were nine a to one pm. After school, I, a famished student, was hurrying home for his lunch, leaving my poor old grandmother well behind. She was saddled with my school bag.

One of my achievements, in learning the English alphabet was to learn, in addition to “A” for Apple, “B’ for Banana, I could now add from my own knowledge, “S” for Sea and “B” for Beach and so on to letter Z for “Zebra”. My vocabulary had expanded considerably.

Not having gained admission to Ananda, my father had the onerous responsibility of finding a new school for me. He obviously lacked confidence in his eldest child’s capabilities. He registered me with GSS, a week after the Ananda debacle. Admission to GSS was free: no entrance examination. It was direct entry to Pre-Primary class in January 1951. Being a new school in search of students, admission was easy. It was also easier travel, less time by bus than to Ananda.

At GSS, what was of special importance to me was whether I should spend the five cents given for bus fare at the tuck shop and suffer the 30-minute walk home, using the shortcut through the Race Course and past Radio Ceylon, Torrington Road flats etc. It was a no contest, tuck shop was the winner by the veritable two miles or its equivalent of three kilometres.

GSS changed its name to Thurstan College in 1953 – the name of the road it was located on. The name remembers the pioneer Englishman & Anglican Missionary Rev A J Thurstan who established a Private Industrial School in this site in 1859 which he maintained out of his own funds which provided both agricultural & craft training.In the next compound, adjoining our house, were two Burgher families sharing a house. A brother and a sister shared a single house with their respective spouses and families. The sister, within my earshot, told her son not to associate with the likes of me as I was a “godaya,” an epithet in Sinhala vernacular for a person unable to converse in English. Fortunately, the son, Annesley, a ‘Peterite’(he attended St Peter’s College at Wellawatte, Colombo-6) and of my age, did not follow the advice of his mother.

We used to play cricket and marbles. He got complexion from his mother and was like me in colour. The Burgher brother of Annesley’s mother was light skinned, with a complexion like that of a sudda (white man), and so was his wife and their only child Tony who was also of my age. Tony joined Annesley with me to play “pol pithi” cricket with bats made of coconut branches. Their command of Sinhala improved, as did my conversational English, especially in using a four-letter word beginning with ‘F’’ which they used whenever they got out playing cricket or when they missed their target with marbles. My vocabulary also advanced to include “Bastard” and “Bugger”. I thought the latter was a derivation of “Burgher”.

I once asked my father why Tony’s father calls his wife “Beach” and their son Tony “Son of a Beach” especially when angry. He laughed and said it is not “Beach”, but “Bitch”. A new word learned at the age of five in 1951.

Both Burgher families were quite musically inclined, playing the piano, guitar and the trombone. The daughter, elder to me by about two years, played the piano, and to my ears her efforts sounded very good. Let us call her Sybil.

On a flight from Delhi to Colombo in 2005, a young girl sat next to me. I got into conversation with her. She was in a band with two famous vocalists Bhatiya and Santush, and played the piano and on more inquiry revealed she was Sybil’s daughter and lived in Colombo and that her father was a musician from Kandy. I inquired about Tony and his parents. Tony had settled down in Victoria and Annesley, was a member of a band in Leeds, England.

by Nihal Kodituwakku

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Features

US’ anti-migrant stance set to intensify tensions in Western camp

Published

13 hours ago

2026/06/11

Sahan Weerasooriya

Migrant boats land on Western beaches. Credit: PA

The announcement by the US authorities of an anti-migrant stance during a recent commemoration in France of the epochal D-Day Landings of June 6, 1944, ought to strike impartial observers as a supreme irony. Whereas what should have been expected was a vibrant celebration of the beginning of the process of Western Europe freeing itself decisively from Nazi or fascist control during the crucial stages of World War Two, this was not to be.

What the world heard instead was a call to contemporary Western Europe to arm itself against a seemingly rising and threatening migrant presence in the region. In other words, the migrant must be despised and ‘shown the door’.

Instead of a commemoration that rejoiced in the flourishing of liberal democracy and its values what one got was a strong affirmation of fascism and racial chauvinism. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth vented his spleen against the migrant or foreigner presence in Europe reportedly thus: ‘Sadly today different European beaches are stormed by different dangerous ideologies.’ To ‘beaches in Spain and Italy and Greece and Bulgaria, boats and men arrive. When will European capitals do something about that invasion?’

While at the outbreak of World War Two it was Nazi Germany that was doing the invading and bringing some principal European countries under its suzerainty, this time around we are being given to understand that it’s migrants to the West who are seeking to colonize the latter. It goes without saying that such inflammatory rhetoric would have the deleterious effect of keeping racial tensions alive in the West and jeopardize all possibilities of the countries concerned cementing and maintaining social stability.

The Trump administration gives the impression of taking a leaf from the politically underdeveloped regions of the South to keep the US polity stable and united. In South Asia, for instance, we are not short of ambitious demagogues who use what is referred to as the ‘race card’ to gather unto themselves a following and thereby further their political fortunes. By seeking to stir and sustain anti-migrant hysteria, the Trump administration is also essentially replicating Nazi Germany’s policy of anti-Semitism. That is, fascism is very much alive in the US under President Trump.

Such efforts at churning racial hysteria at this juncture in the US should not come as a surprise. For all intents and purposes, the Trump administration is nowhere near achieving its aims in West Asia, for instance, in the short term. It has failed to bring Iran down to its knees, as it hoped to do, but is adopting the expedient of keeping the world guessing and confused on what it is doing in the region, since it cannot withdraw from the theatre in a hurry without losing face.

While perhaps working out an escape strategy the Trump administration it seems, is hoping to maintain its following at home intact and silent by playing on their racial biases and insecurities. Hence, the anti-foreigner campaign.

Simultaneously, the Trump administration will need to keep a close eye on how economic pressures on the domestic front are panning out. Anti-administration sentiments first break to the surface at meal tables. On this score, the news cannot be good because the average US family’s spending power ought to be shrinking on account of rising energy and oil prices. Consequently, it would not be a bad idea to keep the attention of the US consumer diverted by adeptly playing ‘the race card’; once again, lessons from intellectually bankrupt Southern politicians are coming in handy.

To be sure such comparisons many politicians in vibrantly democratic countries would find quite unflattering. But the stark truth is that racism cannot be tolerated in civilized societies and those politicians who resort to it risk being branded as racists of the first degree. In fact they could be seen as being on par with the likes of German dictator Adolph Hitler and his close collaborators.

However, on the question of migrant policy the Trump administration would likely be at polar opposites with the most vibrant of liberal democracies of the West. This will be the case with the UK, France and Italy for instance. The latter continue to keep their doors open to legal migrants and they are likely to view a virtual blanket ban on migrants as reprehensible.

Moreover, in the foremost democracies of the West debates are vibrantly ongoing on the need to keep racism or any hint of it completely outlawed in the public plane. There is the case of the UK, for instance, where the authorities continue to emphatically pinpoint their adherence to the principle of anti-racism in the conduct of public affairs.

One proof of the above was the parliamentary debate relating to the killing of 18-year-old Henry Nowak in Southampton. Police handling of the victim came in for sharp scrutiny by particularly the opposition in the House of Commons but there seemed to be a consensus over the main political divide that the matter should not be politicized.

Moreover, the UK authorities stressed in the House the government’s strict adherence to the policy of non-racism. It was also pointed out that British institutions set up to manage racism at the national, county and neighbourhood levels, for example, were very much intact. In fact, Sri Lanka could gain considerably by studying and implementing locally, legislation modeled on the relevant UK laws if it is in earnest when it speaks of ‘reconciliation’.

Accordingly, it is highly unlikely that Western Europe would ‘cave in’, so to speak, to US pressure on issues related to migration. The liberal democracies of Western Europe in particular would remain for the foreseeable future migrant-welcoming, multi-ethnic and plural democracies.

Nor is it likely that Western Europe would be passively receptive to US demands that it drastically increases its defense spending to meet the latter’s aims. Within the Western fold the EU is remaining committed to backing Ukraine, for instance, in its ongoing armed resistance to the Russian invasion and it is not giving any indication of being deferent to US pressure.

However, although tensions would continue to bristle within US-Western Europe relations on the above and numerous other matters of contention it would be far too premature to announce a parting of company between the two sections of the West. In that sense, the post-World War Two order remains essentially intact. There are still many things in common between the two, particular on the economic plane, that will ensure the continuance of the partnership.

Features

A decade among Yala’s ghosts of gold

Published

13 hours ago

2026/06/11

Sahan Weerasooriya

YM75 "James" surveys his territory from a tree-top vantage point, demonstrating the leopard's commanding presence in the landscape.

The first rays of dawn creep over the ancient rocks of Yala. The Indian Ocean glimmers in the distance, and the wilderness slowly awakens. Somewhere amid the scrub jungle, a pair of amber eyes scans the landscape.

For wildlife conservationist and leopard researcher Milinda Wattegedara, moments such as these have defined more than a decade of dedication to one of Sri Lanka’s most iconic creatures—the Sri Lankan leopard.

What began as fascination evolved into a remarkable conservation journey that has transformed the understanding of Yala’s leopard population and placed Sri Lanka firmly on the global wildlife research map.

“Long before I ever lifted a camera, leopards had already captured my imagination,” says Wattegedara. “What fascinated me was not merely their beauty but the complexity of their lives—their hunting strategies, movements, reproductive behaviour and their remarkable ability to adapt to changing environments.”

That fascination led to the birth of the Yala Leopard Diary in 2013, an ambitious long-term project dedicated to documenting individual leopards and unraveling the mysteries surrounding their lives.

For many visitors, a leopard sighting is a fleeting thrill. For Wattegedara and his team, every encounter is a chapter in an ongoing scientific story.

“Each photograph was never the end of an encounter,” he explains. “It was the beginning of deeper questions. How did a particular leopard use the landscape? How did its behaviour change with the seasons? What environmental pressures shaped its decisions?”

These questions drove years of meticulous fieldwork. Every sighting was carefully recorded with details including location, habitat, behaviour, date and time. Photographs were analysed to identify individual animals through unique spot patterns, allowing researchers to distinguish one leopard from another with remarkable accuracy.

What followed was groundbreaking.

YF77 “Shelly” pauses in quiet observation, embodying the alertness
and grace that define Yala’s leopard population.

From 2013 to 2026, the Yala Leopard Diary identified an astonishing 189 individual leopards within the Yala Block 1. The research revealed a leopard density of approximately 0.524 leopards per square kilometre, making Yala one of the highest leopard-density landscapes ever recorded anywhere in the world.

Such findings have elevated Yala’s status among global wildlife researchers.

Nestled between the Indian Ocean and a mosaic of habitats, ranging from rocky outcrops to dense scrub forests, Yala offers an ecological stage unlike any other.

Here, leopards are photographed silhouetted against ocean horizons, perched atop ancient granite formations, resting on tree branches and stalking prey across sunlit grasslands.

The images tell stories of extraordinary lives.

There is Haminee, a devoted mother navigating the challenges of raising cubs in a competitive landscape. There is Lucas, one of Yala’s most frequently documented males, striding confidently across the Gonalabba Plains with the vast ocean forming an unforgettable backdrop.

There is Ruki demonstrating the species’ incredible strength by hoisting prey onto branches, and Shelly, quietly surveying her surroundings in a moment of feline vigilance.

Together, these individuals have become familiar characters in a living wilderness drama.

YM31 “Ruki” secures prey on a branch, illustrating the remarkable strength and coordination of the Sri Lankan leopard.

Recognising the immense value of long-term documentation, Wattegedara joined forces with fellow researchers Dushyantha Silva, Raveendra Siriwardana and Mevan Piyasena to establish the Yala Leopard Centre in 2020.

Located at the Palatupana entrance to the Yala National Park, the centre is believed to be the world’s first information facility dedicated exclusively to leopards.

“The centre serves as a repository of knowledge, accumulated through years of observation and research,” Wattegedara says. “Our goal is to connect visitors with the science behind conservation and foster a deeper appreciation of these magnificent animals.”

The project’s impact extends far beyond Sri Lanka’s borders.

Research arising from the Yala Leopard Diary has been published in internationally recognised scientific journals. One study introduced an innovative framework for identifying individual leopards, while another documented an extraordinary and previously unrecorded case of a leopard cub being consecutively adopted by two different adult females—first a relative and later an unrelated leopardess.

The discovery attracted international scientific attention and highlighted the complexity of leopard social behaviour.

Yet for Wattegedara, the most important lesson remains one of humility.

“One conclusion has become increasingly clear,” he reflects. “Our understanding of these leopards remains far from complete. We are only beginning to understand how they live, adapt and persist in one of Sri Lanka’s most dynamic protected landscapes.”

YF15 “Hope” descends Rukvila Rock at dawn, showcasing the agility and adaptability of Yala’s leopards.

His words underscore an essential conservation truth: the more we learn about nature, the more mysteries emerge.

As Sri Lanka navigates growing environmental challenges, the Yala Leopard Diary stands as a shining example of what sustained observation, scientific curiosity and public engagement can achieve.

Beyond the stunning photographs and remarkable sightings lies something even more valuable—a growing body of knowledge capable of informing future conservation decisions and ensuring that future generations inherit a wilderness where leopards continue to roam free.

For more than a decade, Wattegedara and his colleagues have followed the tracks of Yala’s elusive predators through dust, rain and scorching heat.

Their work has revealed that every leopard has a story, every sighting has significance and every photograph can contribute to conservation.

And perhaps, most importantly, it has reminded us that the golden ghosts of Yala still have many secrets left to share.

By Ifham Nizam

Features

Glamour, music and community spirit …

Published

13 hours ago

2026/06/11

Sahan Weerasooriya

Sri Lankans are quite active, all around the globe.

News has just come my way, from Glasgow, in Scotland, where the glamour of masks, music, dancing, and community spirit, came together, in spectacular fashion, at Masquerade Night, bringing together members of the Sri Lankan community for an evening filled with music, fashion, food and entertainment.

Organised by Mahesh Balaaratchi (DJ Mowgli) together with Sulochana Asmone, Hiroshini, Prasad, Ashi, and Shawn, the evening provided guests with an opportunity to socialise, enjoy live entertainment, and celebrate in a unique and elegant setting.

Guests arrived from 6:00 pm, dressed in formal attire and decorative masks, creating a colourful and vibrant atmosphere throughout the venue.

DJ Mowgli: The main
organiser of
Masquerade Night

There was a delicious selection of Sri Lankan cuisine and street food, which proved popular throughout the evening.

The buffet offered a variety of traditional favourites, giving attendees a taste of home while adding to the festive atmosphere.

Entertainment was provided by DJ Mowgli, whose performance kept the audience engaged throughout the night. His playlist featured a mixture of popular favourites, dance classics, and cultural music, remixed for a younger generation.

One of the highlights of the evening was the Baila session, which brought a distinctly Sri Lankan flavour to the event.

The Baila segment highlighted the importance of preserving and celebrating cultural traditions, while bringing people together through music and dance.

As familiar rhythms filled the room, guests enthusiastically took to the dance floor, creating one of the most memorable moments of the night.

The crowd was described as lively, energetic, and welcoming, with attendees embracing the spirit of the masquerade theme while enjoying the opportunity to reconnect with friends and meet new people. The family-friendly atmosphere ensured that guests of all ages could take part in the celebrations.