Opinion

Appreciation: Eng. S. A. Karunaratne

Published

2 years ago

2023/02/10

Singappuli Arachchige Karunaratne had his school education at the St. John Bosco College in Hanwella and Dharmapala Vidyalaya, Pannipitiya. He was among the top performers at the GCE (Ordinary Level) examination of 1956; and graduated with a BSc Engineering degree from the Department of Civil Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering in the Peradeniya Campus of the University of Ceylon in 1966. Since graduating from Peradeniya, Eng. S.A. Karunaratne worked for 55 years in structural engineering, around 10 of those overseas. He died in harness, while being the Managing Director of Stems Consultants (Pvt) Ltd.

Like many other eminent structural engineers of his vintage, Karunaratne started his professional life at the State Engineering Corporation (SEC), coming under the influence of the legendary Dr A.N.S. Kulasinghe. After this he had a spell of around 10 years overseas, first in Nigeria, and later in Brunei and Oman too. However, the bulk of his practice was at Stems Consultants, a firm that he helped to set up with his SEC colleagues Dr B.M.A. Balasooriya and Eng. Ananda Senarath. He was Managing Director of the firm since the untimely demise of the former in 1994, until his own demise on the last day of the year 2022.

Stems at its inception was unique in that it was a specialist structural engineering practice. It continues to be special also in the training it imparts to young recruits and even undergraduate trainees, in addition to the quality of the work it produces. Eng. Karunaratne is widely known to have contributed directly and immensely to the afore-mentioned training. Undergraduate trainees were required to meet him weekly, and report to him not only on what they had learnt at their various construction sites, but also on what they had read in the daily newspapers! He was in the business of producing engineers with rounded personalities, not least of which involved the instilling in his young charges a sense of honesty and integrity. Graduate engineers were so well trained at Stems that some of them developed the confidence to start their own consulting firms.

Some of the major projects he was directly involved in at Stems are the Tri-Zen High Rise Development Project with 3 towers over 50 storeys, the ‘On 320’ at Union Place, Colombo with 3 towers of 39 storeys, the 39 storey Empire Residencies at Braybrooke Place, the 22 Storey Secretariat Building for Personnel Identification at Battaramulla, the 17 storey Ceylinco Seylan Towers at Colombo 3, the 14 storey Administrative Building for the Sri Lanka Ports Authority at Hambantota, the Head office for the National Development Bank at Nawam Mawatha, and Phase II of the Katunayake International Airport Project in collaboration with Japan Airport Consultants, a feature of which is a novel roof design.

Perhaps greater even than his contribution through Stems has been Eng. Karunaratne’s contributions to structural engineering through learned society and professional association activities. He was one of the few Sri Lankan Fellows (since 1990) of the Institution of Structural Engineers, U.K. and an active Fellow (also since 1990) of the Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka (IESL). He was also a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, U.K. since 1970. He was a regular member of examination panels for the Charter Examination of the IESL. He made significant contributions through the Institute for Construction Training & Development (ICTAD) in the committee for drafting the Construction Industry Bill, and in the panel for the Construction Excellence Awards. He served on and chaired many of the code drafting panels for the Sri Lanka Standards Institution, making notable contributions in developing Sri Lankan Annexes for the globally established Eurocodes.

His greatest contributions were however, through the Society of Structural Engineers, Sri Lanka (SSESL), of which he was a founder member in 1990. He was wholeheartedly involved in the Society, especially as President from 2004 to 2008, significantly raising the profile of the profession in the process. He co-authored an SSESL publication titled Reinforced Concrete Detailing to Mitigate Seismic Effects and spearheaded the introduction of seismic design and detailing to Sri Lankan practice. He was made an Honorary Fellow of the Society in 2009.

Eng. Karunaratne also engaged with academic institutions, especially at the Universities of Moratuwa and Peradeniya, serving on their Industry Consultative Boards. He was much sought after by these institutions for such engagement, since he always had constructive suggestions. He was not averse to helping even emerging institutions such as the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), in spite of heading a busy consulting practice. He was a visiting lecturer at the University of Moratuwa Master’s programme in Structural Engineering. Over and above all this, he obtained the specialist services of engineering academics in his practice, thus giving them opportunities for industrial experience. Many of them were much younger than him, but he always treated them with deference and respect.

On the other hand, Eng. Karunaratne was outspoken when defending the interests of the various groups he belonged to, most of which needed a voice to plead their causes. He looked after the interests of private sector consultancies vis a vis their much larger state sector counterparts. He canvassed for a better fee structure for structural engineers vis a vis the much better positioned architects. But he was a spokesman for the entire construction industry as well; and was recognized by all relevant parties as a leader in their common cause. Such recognition came probably because he did not hesitate to speak truth to power. He once told an over-enthusiastic Head of State that a piling project could not be completed on time – while all the engineers at the meeting knew this, only SA Karu as he was affectionately known, had the guts to articulate it.

Karu’s natural flair for the aesthetics of structures may well have originated from his gift for drawing and painting, for which he won many prizes in school, and also a poster competition for the yearly calendar of the then Shell Company. He was also highly commended, at the Peradeniya Art Circle, for a portrait of Professor M.P. Ranaweera, another SSESL Honourary Fellow and Peradeniya’s most recognised structural engineering academic.

Eng. Karunaratne is survived by his wife for 53 years Manrl and his children – Dushyantha, originally a pilot but now a successful restaurenteur in the U.S., and Missara, herself an architect married to a Moratuwa University civil engineering graduate and domiciled in Canada. We extend our condolences to them, and to his wider family at Stems.

As Managing Director of one of the earliest structural engineering practices, Honorary Fellow of the Society of Structural Engineers (and President for five consecutive years), and elder statesman for the entire construction industry, Eng. S.A. Karunaratne came to be known as the face of Sri Lankan structural engineering. Although his would be a difficult act to follow, he has now passed his mantle on to others, who will no doubt strive to continue his commitment to excellence, while staying true to the priorities he held and the values he lived by.

Emeritus Professor Priyan Dias

On behalf of the Executive Committee of the Society of Structural Engineers, Sri Lanka.

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Opinion

LG polls, what a waste of money!

Published

2 days ago

2025/03/13

Sahan Weerasooriya

If the people of this country were asked whether they want elections to the local government, majority of them would say no! How many years have elapsed since the local councils became defunct? And did not the country function without these councils that were labelled as ‘white elephants’?

If the present government’s wish is to do the will of the people, they should reconsider having local government elections. This way the government will not only save a considerable amount of money on holding elections, but also save even a greater amount by not having to maintain these local councils, which have become a bane on the country’s economy.

One would hope that the country will be able to get rid of these local councils and revert back to the days of having competent Government Agents and a team of dedicated government officials been tasked with the responsibility of attending to the needs of the people in those areas.

M. Joseph A. Nihal Perera

Opinion

What not to do

Published

3 days ago

2025/03/12

Sahan Weerasooriya

Trump and Zelensky arguing in the White House

By Dr Upul Wijayawardhana

It is immaterial whether you like him or not but one thing is crystal clear; Donald Trump has shown, very clearly, who is the boss. Surely, presidents of two countries are equal; perhaps, that is the impression Volodymyr Zelensky had when he went to the White House to meet Trump but the hard reality, otherwise, would have dawned on him with his inglorious exit! True, the behaviour of President Trump and VP Vance were hardly praiseworthy but Zelensky did what exactly he should not do. Afterall, he was on a begging mission and beggars cannot be choosers! He behaved like professional beggars in Colombo who throw money back when you give a small amount!!

Despite the risk of belonging to the minority, perhaps of non-Americans, I must say that I quite like Trump and admire him as a straight-talking politician. He keeps to his words; however atrocious they sound! Unfortunately, most critics overlook the fact that what Trump is doing is exactly what he pledged during his election campaign and that the American voters elected him decisively. When he lost to Biden, all political commentators wrote him off, more so because of his refusal to admit defeat and non-condemnation of his supporters who rioted. When he announced his intention to contest, it only evoked pundits’ laughter as they concluded that the Republican Party would never nominate him. Undaunted, Trump got the party to rally round him and won a non-consecutive second term; a feat achieved only once before, by Grover Cleveland around the end of the nineteenth century. His victory, against all predictions, was more decisive as he got more collegiate votes and, even though it does not matter, won the popular vote too which he did not get when he got elected the first term. Even his bitterest critics should accept this fact.

Zelensky was elected the president of Ukraine after the elected pro-Soviet president was deposed by a ‘peoples revolution’ engineered by the EU with the support of USA. After this, the EU attempted to bring Ukraine to NATO, disregarding the Munich agreement which precipitated the Russian invasion. He should have realised that, if not for the air-defence system which Trump authorised for Ukraine during his first term, Russian invasion would have been complete. It may well be that he was not aware as when this happened Zelensky may still have been the comedian acting the part of the president! Very likely, Trump was referring to this when he accused Zelensky of being ungrateful.

Zelensky also should have remembered that he disregarded requests from Trump, after his defeat by Biden, to implicate Biden’s son in some shady deals in Ukraine and that one of the last acts of Biden was to pardon his son and grant immunity to cover the alleged period. Perhaps, actions of the European leaders who embrace him every time they see him, as a long-lost brother, and invitations to address their parliaments has induced an element of the superiority complex in Zelensky that he behaved so combative.

Trump wanted to be the mediator to stop the war and spoke to Putin first. Instead of waiting for Trump to speak to him, egged on by EU leaders Zelensky started criticising Trump for not involving him in the talks. His remark “He should be on our side” demonstrated clearly that Zelensky had not understood the role of a mediator. His lack of political experience was the major reason for the fiasco in the White House and the subsequent actions of Trump clearly showed Zelensky where he stands! PM Starmer and President Macron seem to have given some sensible advice and he seems to be eating humble pie. In the process Trump has ensured that the European nations pay for their defence than piggy-backing on the US, which I am sure would please the American voter. By the way, though Macron talks big about defence France spends less than 2% of GDP. Trump seems vindicated. Of course, Trump could be blamed for being undiplomatic but he can afford to be as he has the upper hand!

Ranil on Al Jazeera

Zelensky has shown what not to do: instead of being diplomatic being aggressive when you need favours! Meanwhile, Ranil has shown what not to do when it comes to TV interviews. God only knows who advised him, and why, for him to go ‘Head to Head’ with Mehdi Hasan on Al-Jazeera. Perhaps, he wanted to broadcast to the world that he was the saviour of Sri Lanka! The experienced politician he is, one would have expected Ranil to realise that he would be questioned about his role in making Sri Lanka bankrupt as well, in addition to raising other issues.

The interview itself was far from head to head; more likely heads to head! It turned out to be an inquisition by Tiger supporters and the only person who spoke sense being Niraj Deva, who demonstrated his maturity by being involved in British and EU politics. The worst was the compere who seems keen to listen his own voice, reminding me of a Sinhala interviewer on a YouTube channel whose interviews I have stopped watching!

Ranil claims, after the interview was broadcast, that it had been heavily edited reduced from a two-hour recording. Surely, despite whatever reason he agreed to, he should have laid ground rules. He could have insisted on unedited broadcast or his approval before broadcast, if it was edited. It was very naïve of Ranil to have walked in to a trap for no gain. Though his performance was not as bad as widely reported, he should have been more composed at the beginning as he turned out to be later. Overall, he gave another opportunity for the Tiger rump and its supporters to bash Sri Lanka, unfortunately.

Medhi Hasan should watch some of David Frost interviews, especially the one with Richard Nixon, and learn how to elicit crucial information in a gentle exploratory manner than shouting with repeated interruptions. He does not seem to think it is necessary to give time for the interviewee to respond to his questions. I will never watch Al-Jazeera’s “Head to Head” again!

Ranil’s best was his parting shot; when asked by Hasan whether he would contest the next presidential election, he said “No, I will retire and watch Al-Jazeera and hope to see you better mannered”!

Opinion

Ajahn Brahm to visit SL in May 2025

Published

4 days ago

2025/03/11

Sahan Weerasooriya

The Ajahn Brahm Society of Sri Lanka (ABSSL) is pleased to announce that Ajahn Brahm will be visiting Sri Lanka for a short stay in May this year. Many, both Buddhists and non-Buddhists, know him and have listened to his addresses made on earlier visits, including his 2023 public talk at the BMICH, which was attended by over 4,000 people.

Ajahn Brahmavamso, popularly known as Ajahn Brahm, is the Head Abbot of Bodhinyana Monastery in Serpentine, Perth. He was a pupil of the famous Thai forest monk Ajahn Chah, considered the best Theravada meditation teacher in the last century. By his own choice, Ajahn Brahmavamso shortened his name and was extra pleased that the initials represent the major religions of the world. He is renowned world-wide as an outstanding meditation bhikkhu, teacher and instructor, guiding thousands of practitioners.

As in previous visits, Ajahn Brahm’s schedule will be packed with addresses, meetings with senior professionals, business leaders, and researchers. This year, a special session has been included for teenagers and young adults.

The agenda planned for him includes:

Public address at the BMICH to all irrespective of religion and age; then to a younger audience.

· Exclusive Leadership Forum for senior professionals and business leaders.

· Forum with academics engaged in research at the Centre for Meditation Research, University of Colombo.

· A week-long meditation retreat for the Ven Sangha and experienced lay meditators.

Public Addresses

The public addresses will be on Sunday, May 18, 2025, from 7:00 am to 11:00 am, at the BMICH Main Hall and Sirimavo Halls; Ajahn Brahm moving from one hall to another so the entire audience sees him. Each hall will be well equipped with audio and video presentation. The first address: The Art of Meaningful Living, is designed for all, age notwithstanding, offering wisdom and practical insights for a fulfilling life. The second: Coping with Life Transitions and Emotional Challenges, is a special session tailored for teens and young adults, addressing key challenges faced by them in today’s fast-paced, competitive world. Both talks will be in English, with concise translation to Sinhala by Ven Damita Thera.

Exclusive Forums

On Saturday, May 17, 2025, two exclusive forums will be held at the BMICH Committee Room, Jasmine Hall. The first such session will be with eighty invited Sri Lankan academics and scientists engaged in research on meditation at the Centre for Meditation Research of the University of Colombo. This will be followed in the evening by an interactive session for a hundred invited senior professionals and business leaders, featuring a talk on leadership followed by a Q&A session.

Meditation Retreat

The most significant item on Ajahn Brahm’s programme will be a week-long meditation retreat at the Barberyn Waves Ayurveda Resort in Weligama. Focus is intended to be on the fifty members of the Ven Sangha. A limited number of experienced lay meditators will also have the opportunity to participate.

Participation & Registration

Those interested in attending the public talks at the BMICH are kindly advised to register at to secure free passes. For further information, please contact the Ajahn Brahm Society of Sri Lanka at .