Opinion

Deshamanya Cyril Herath – a peerless leader

Published

4 years ago

2021/09/6

The 10^th death anniversary of Deshamanya Cyril Herath falls on the 8^th of September this year. It is my view that he was a peerless leader who deserves to be remembered, emulated, and revered.

I was the General Manager, Director, and Executive Director of the National Savings Bank, when Mr Herath was Chairman. While I am deeply grateful to Mr Herath for appointing me to these positions, I must say that it was the most rewarding, productive, and life-changing period of my banking career that gave me immense pleasure, satisfaction, and pride to work under a great leader of the calibre of Mr. Herath. Despite the fact that he was my boss and his eminent standing in this country, he was like an elder brother with whom I maintained a very intimate relationship until his death.

Deshamanya Cyril Herath studied at St. John’s College, Nugegoda and Royal College, and graduated from the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya. In 1957 he joined the Police service as an ASP and in 1985 he was appointed as Inspector General of Police. He was Chairman of National Savings Bank from, 1994 to 2002 and 2004 to 2005.

He also held the following positions: Director General of Directorate of Internal Intelligence (DII) at the Ministry of Defence, Defence Secretary, and National Security Advisor.

Most of the new generation in the Sri Lanka Police service and the banking sector may not know about this peerless leader who was responsible for the phenomenal transformation of NSB.

=He possessed leadership qualities such as integrity, humility, intellect, pragmatism, communication ability, and empathy. Above all, he walked the talk and was fearless; he was every inch a leader.

=Believe it or not, he queued up with other employees (including the lowest grade of employees) every morning and waited for his turn to enter the lift to proceed to his office which was on the sixth floor. This shows his humility, and it is unthinkable for Chairman, NSB, to do so.

=He was humble, approachable, and any employee could meet him on Wednesdays without an appointment to have their grievances redressed.

=He believed in empowering staff and gave them a great deal of freedom

=He never raised his voice when speaking to subordinates and was always conscious of their self-respect.

=At bank parties, he and his wife went round and spoke to each and every staff member and sang and danced with them.

=Ostentation, which is now the order of the day, was anathema to him. His official vehicle was an unostentatious car (Mitsubishi Lancer and later a Honda Civic). And when travelling abroad, he travelled Economy class (unless of course it was upgraded by the airline at no extra cost.)

=He could effectively communicate both in English and Sinhalese, and he always conducted himself with dignity and decorum.

=His humane qualities motivated the staff to contribute towards taking the bank forward. One good example is that he reinstated several employees who were unfairly dismissed or victimised as well as those who were deprived of their pensions. Like most other heads of organisations, he never washed his hands off saying that they happened before his tenure and therefore he was not responsible.

=He took up the challenge posed by the World Bank in their report to the Sri Lanka government in the mid-nineties stating that there is no justification for continuing the operations of NSB, and therefore its branches should be sold by auction to private and foreign banks. Mr Herath, the top management, and staff were infuriated by these unwarranted, imbecilic, and humiliating remarks. However, he with the support of the CEBU and the top management proved the World Bank wrong and transformed the bank as a stable, profitable, and customer-oriented modern bank. The secret was his singular leadership. (I wrote about this in detail in my tribute published in the newspapers on his 5^th death anniversary)

Deshamanya Cyril Herath will therefore go down in history as the epitome of a great ` leader who was responsible for the dramatic and stupendous transformation of NSB. The only way I can describe him is by saying that he was a great, noble human being, and a peerless leader. This is not only my opinion but universal as you would see from a few sentences I quote from the The Retired Senior Police Officers Association in a statement issued following his death, with due acknowledgement.

“He was a role model for his honesty, and integrity. This was a valiant attempt, firing the first shot to maintain the independence of the Police and retired prematurely at the age 54 years and 10 months against undue political interference. He was known for clear thinking and a knack of presenting his ideas forcefully and convincingly and was fearless in expressing his opinion and most of all had a very strong backbone. He never feared to do what he thought was right and he never avoided or neglected his duty. He was also very forthright in his views and never hesitated to push them forward. He was quite open in trying stamp out corruption in any form. An absolute gentleman in all his dealings, he was an excellent brother officer and companion. No one could ask for a better friend, and to all others he was an officer and a Gentleman. He stood for justice and fair play and had the courage to stand by his convictions. He was a source of encouragement and inspiration to the offices and the subordinates. He was always held in high esteem among his superiors, peers, junior, and subordinates.”

I would also like to quote from a letter sent by Mr Tilak Fernando (I don’t know him) to a newspaper which endorses my views on Mr Herath

PROMPT ACTION BY NSB CHAIRMAN

A few days ago, I wrote to the Chairman, National Savings Bank (NSB) Cyril Herath to bring to his notice certain shortcomings at the NSB.

The letter was posted by me during the weekend and to my surprise on Tuesday morning around 9 a.m. I received a telephone call from Chairman Herath.

The Chairman thanked me for bringing the shortcomings to his notice which he said would be taken up with the senior managers. I am happy that there are persons such as Herath at the top of these government institutions. Usually when some shortcoming is pointed out the management either finds excuses or justifies what was done. I wish there are at least a few more officers such as Herath in the state and corporation sector.

Another point I wish to make is that the Chairman is at his desk by 9 a.m* whereas some heads of Corporations are having breakfast in their homes, at this time.

Tilak Fernando
Colombo 6

* With due respect to Mr Fernando, I need to correct the time as 8.30 am

I have no doubts that Mr Herath’s children, Arjuna, Sanjaya, Priyanthika, and Dishan will follow the footsteps of their beloved father. Furthermore, on behalf of the people of Sri Lanka, I wish to express our gratitude to former President, Madam Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga for appointing the ideal leader to head the National Savings Bank.

I think it is appropriate to mention about his beloved wife, Mrs Ranee Herath who passed away within one year of his death. She was a gracious and virtuous lady who made it possible for Mr Herath to fully concentrate on coping with challenges of his job. She graced all events and ceremonies of the bank, mixed with the staff who adored her. Her presence created a great deal of goodwill among staff that was a significant factor which made it possible for NSB to move to greater heights.

I am deeply grateful to you dear Sir, for your affection, the lessons I learnt from you, and for changing my life. Beloved Sir, on behalf of all the employees of NSB, past and present, I wish you and Mrs Herath peace and serenity in your sojourn in samsara.

NBSB Balalle

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Opinion

Missing 52%: Why Women are absent from Pettah’s business landscape

Published

10 hours ago

2026/02/23

Thilina Walpola

Pettah

Walking through Pettah market in Colombo, I have noticed something both obvious and troubling. Shop after shop sells bags, shoes, electronics, even sarees, and yet all shops are owned and run by men. Even businesses catering exclusively to women, like jewelry stores and bridal boutiques, have men behind the counter. This is not just my observation but it’s a reality where most Sri Lankans have observed as normal. What makes this observation more important is when we examine the demographics where women population constitute approximately 52% of Sri Lanka’s population, but their representation as business owners remains significantly low. According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2023 report, Sri Lanka’s Total Early Stage Entrepreneurial Activity rate for women is just 8.2%, compared to 14.7% for men.

Despite of being the majority, women are clearly underrepresented in the entrepreneurial aspect. This mismatch between population size and economic participation create a question that why aren’t more women starting ventures? The answer is not about capability or intelligence. Rather, it’s deeply in social and cultural barriers that have been shaping women’s mindsets for generations. From childhood, many Sri Lankan girls are raised to believe that their primary role is as homemakers.

In families, schools, and even universities, the message has been same or slightly different, woman’s success is measured by how well she manages a household, not by her ability to generate income or lead a business. Financial independence is rarely taught as essential for women the way it has been for men. Over time, this messaging gets internalised. Many women grew up without ever being encouraged to think seriously about ownership, leadership, or earning their own money. These cultural influences eventually manifest as psychological barriers as well.

Years of conditioning have led many skilled women to develop what researchers call “imposter syndrome”, a persistent fear of failure and feel that they don’t deserve success kind of feeling. Even when they have the right skills and resources, self-doubt holds them back. They question whether they can run a business independently or not. Whether they will be taken seriously, whether they are making the right choice. This does not mean that women should leave their families or reject traditional roles. But lack of thinking in a confident way and make bold decisions has real consequences. Many talented women either never start a business or limit themselves to small, informal ventures that barely survive. This is not about men versus women. It’s about the economic cost of underutilising 52% of the population. If our country is genuinely serious about sustainable growth. we must build an inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem through confidence building programs, better finance access to women, and a long term societal mindset shift. Until a young girl walking through Pettah can see herself as a future shop owner rather than just a customer, we will continue to waste our country’s greatest untapped resource.

Harinivasini Hariharasarma
Department of Entrepreneurship
University of Sri Jayewardenepura

Opinion

Molten Salt Reactors

Published

10 hours ago

2026/02/23

Thilina Walpola

Some essential points made to indicate its future in Power Generation

The hard facts are that:

1) Coal supplies cannot last for more than 70- 100 years more at most, with the price rising as demand exceeds supply.

2) Reactor grade Uranium is in short supply, also with the price rising. The cost is comparable to burning platinum as a fuel.

3) 440 standard Uranium reactors around the world are 25-30 years old – coming to the end of their working life and need to be replaced.

4) Climate Change is increasingly making itself felt and forecasts can only be for continuing deterioration due to existing levels of CO2 being continuously added to the atmosphere. It is important to mention the more serious problems associated with the release of methane gases – a more harmful gas than CO2 – arising from several sources.

5) Air pollution (ash, chemicals, etc.) of the atmosphere by coal-fired plants is highly dangerous for human health and should be eliminated for very good health reasons. Pollution created by India travels to Sri Lankans by the NE monsoon causing widespread lung irritations and Chinese pollution travels all around the world and affects everybody.

6) Many (thousands) of new sources of electric power generation need to be built to meet increasing demand. But the waste Plutonium 239 (the Satan Stuff) material has also to be moved around each country by lorry with police escort at each stage, as it is recovered, stored, processed and formed into blocks for long term storage. The problem of security of transport for Plutonium at each stage to prevent theft becomes an impossible nightmare.

The positive strengths to Thorium Power generation are:

1) Thorium is quite abundant on the planet – 100 times more than Uranium 238, therefore supplies will last thousands of years.

2) Cleaning or refining the Thorium is not a difficult process.

3) It is not highly radioactive having a very slow rate of isotope decay. There is little danger from radiation poisoning. It can be safely stored in the open, unaffected by rain. It is not harmful when ingested.

4) The processes involved with power generation are quite different and are a lot less complex.

5) Power units can be quite small, the size of a modern detached house. One of these can be located close to each town, thus eliminating high voltage cross-country transmission lines with their huge power losses (up to 20%).

6) Thorium is ‘fertile’ not fissile: therefore, the energy cycle has to be kick-started by a source of Neutrons, e.g., fissile material, to get it started. It is definitely not as dangerous as Uranium.

7) It is “Fail – Safe”. It has walk-away safety. If the reactor overheats, cooled drain plugs unfreeze and the liquid drains away to storage tanks below. There can be no “Chernobyl/ Fukoshima” type disasters.

8) It is not a pressurized system; it works at atmospheric pressure.

9) As long as reactor temperatures are kept around 600 oC there are little effects of corrosion in the Hastalloy metal tanks, vessels and pipe work. China, it appears, has overcome the corrosion problem at high temperatures.

10) At no stage in the whole chain of operations is there an opportunity for material to be stolen and converted and used as a weapon. The waste products have a half- life of 300 years, not the millions of years for Plutonium.

11) Production of MEDICAL ISOTOPE Bismuth 213 is available to be isolated and used to fight cancer. The nastiest cancers canbe cured with this Bismuth 213 as Targetted Alpha therapy.

12) A hydrogen generation unit can be added.

This information obtained from following YouTube film clips:

1) The Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor – what Fusion wanted to be…

2) An unbiased look at Molten Salt Reactors

3) LFTR Chemical Processing by Kirk Sorensen

Thorium! The Way Ahead!

Priyantha Hettige

Opinion

Foreign degrees and UGC

Published

10 hours ago

2026/02/23

Thilina Walpola

There are three key issues regarding foreign degrees:

Recognition: Is the awarding university recognized by our UGC?

Authenticity: Is the degree genuine or bogus?

Quality: Is it a standard, credible qualification?

1. The Recognition Issue (UGC Role)

The UGC addresses the first issue. If a foreign university is listed in the Commonwealth Universities Yearbook or the International Handbook of Universities, the UGC issues a letter confirming that the university is recognized. However, it is crucial to understand that a recognized university does not automatically imply that every degree it issues is recognized.

2. The Authenticity Issue (Employer Role)

The second issue rests with the employer. It is the employer’s responsibility to send a copy of the foreign degree to the issuing university to get it authenticated. This is a straightforward verification process.

3. The Quality Assurance Gap

The third issue

—the standard and quality of the degree—has become a matter for no one. The UGC only certifies whether a foreign university is recognized; they do not assess the quality of the degree itself.

This creates a serious loophole. For example:

Does a one-year “top-up” degree meet standard criteria?

Is a degree obtained completely online considered equivalent?

Should we recognize institutions with weak invigilation, allowing students to cheat?

What about curricula that are heavy on “notional hours” but light on functional, practical knowledge?

What if the medium of instruction is English, but the graduates have no functional English proficiency?

Members of the UGC need to seriously rethink this approach. A rubber-stamp certification of a foreign university is insufficient. The current system ignores the need for strict quality assurance. When looking at the origins of some of these foreign institutions (Campuchia, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Sudan..) the intentions behind these “academic” offerings become very clear. Quality assurance is urgently needed. Foreign universities offering substandard degrees can be delisted.

M. A. Kaleel Mohammed
757@gmail.com
( Retired President of a National College of Education)