Features

Elephants, monkeys and kidneys

Published

11 months ago

2025/01/19

by Dr. Upatissa Pethiyagoda

I have chosen this seemingly peculiar title for the reason that each summarizes the plight of our farmers, unresolved challenges that warrant greater attention of politicians, administrators and researchers. These are real and urgent problems.

All three share the common feature that easy solutions remain elusive and most likely to involve a number of causes and disciplines (multi-factorial) and thus a simple or single solution is unlikely.

Farmers are the most affected by elephant and CKDU (Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Aetiology), while the monkey menace troubles urban communities as well. All three are not new, but have come into prominence lately. The economic consequences are very clear. The helplessness of the victims is pathetic.

Unfortunately, the major affliction is upon the poorer segments, of our society. In particular, the plight of farmers in the Dry Zone is harrowing, and ample media coverage is enough to stir our collective conscience. The poor farmers in the drier zones are reeling, already suffering under the ill-effects of the “Vasa visa” caper.

They are desperate, being unable to even pay their dues on bank loans. They are justifiably bitter, seeing no future for themselves or their children. The fact that the NPP, with several important persons with power and a better understanding of poverty and with sympathy and empathy with the poor and the rural sector, may be more willing to offer some much delayed relief is a plus.

These desperate farmers direct their anger mainly at the Wildlife officials, whose plight is also pitiable. They themselves can do little to comfort the rightfully agitated farmers, whose livelihoods and all too often their lives, and those of their children are in peril.

The “Elephant problem”

So much has been written about the Elephant/human conflict that, I have no appetite to be drawn into flogging a dead horse, but focus instead on possible remedies. The size of the ever- increasing dimension/s of the problem is (virtually daily), deservedly dramatized by the media. The expressions on the faces of the victims in the video clips clearly shows their desperation.

The fundamental realization should be that we are the intruders into elephant territory, and not the other way round. Experts hold that elephants have moved along traditional “corridors,” in search of food and water. It is we who are the (thoughtless) intruders into their traditional habitats. For starters, it should really be the “Elephant/Human Conflict” and not the other way round.

Without any expertise or information whatsoever, my wild (and bold) vision is that the ideal situation for the Dry Zone, would be a “Strip- mosaic” system, where farmed (and settled) land would alternate with forest, on a rotation of forest and farm, on a “Cyclic” basis. The widths (ranging say, between about 500 to 1,000 meters), depending on the site and terrain. This might even mimic the current practices of shifting (Chena) cultivation, while also keeping the elephant in a less aggressive and destructive mode.

I can sense the howl that might arise that the commitments of settlement (covering the early Colonization Schemes and later the Mahaweli), have already been done and (irrevocable) and to suggest any changes now would be lunatic and (impracticable). The cycle may be about 25 years or so, allowing the forest to grow sufficiently to be a suitable size for timber. Where practicable, site dimensions to suit preservation of traditional migratory elephant tracks should be taken to account.

This might even mean re-locations of settlements (and laws/rules). I am mindful that even this might be an option, however inconvenient it my be, if we are to save the lives of elephants may be as many as (200 + per year currently, and rising) and of course a like number of humans (sadly, many of them being school children)

`Such tragic figures may be high enough, to make the operations look decidedly justified. The alternating intervals may be revised to longer periods than the 25 years as tentatively suggested above. The task of operating such a change need not be impossible and would necessitate a virtual replication of new settlements. A virtual de-colonizing. Difficult, but can do.

Of course, knotty management problems will arise and demand resolution. The obvious issue would be the cost of changed housing. But it might still be feasible with a longer cycle, above the 25 years.

It may sound ridiculous to suggest that in the absence of any ready solution, despite the considerable and sustained efforts of indisputably competent scientists, environmentalists, doctors, and other relevant specialists, we are far from anything like a viable and practical solution, except that many issues and factors are involved. Any solution would also need to be economically adequate and feasible. When faced with such a vital and intractable problem, all options need to be considered, even though some may seem crazy. (This applies in the case of the CKDU problem as well).

In both, the very lives of hapless farmer-settlers are at stake, and this alone should readily attract assistance, from UN bodies (FAO, WHO, UNICEF and others), Multi National Bodies (such as SAARC, European Union and others) and our own diaspora abroad. The superb personal image adds to the astonishing eloquence and sincerity of President AKD, will melt many hearts for sure. He is best suited to personally spearhead such a drive to win tangible support.

Sam Popham

At this point, I cannot help but include a reference to something, which I found absolutely entrancing. Sam Popham, was a tea estate superintendent, who had developed some unconventional ideas about forestry, soil fertility and land restoration. He was keen to test his ideas, on the ground. To this end, he used his entire gratuity payments to purchase some 18 acres of “clapped out” Dry Zone scrub, to put his ideas to test.

His basic was that nature is the better forester that no human effort can surpass. Thus was established the classic “Popham Arboretum”, All he did was to help the seedlings of the naturally established trees to grow, No fertilizer or even irrigation was allowed. All weeds, especially those capable of choking the growing seedlings, were eliminated. This was the single costliest labour operation. The hazard of bush fires was met by providing fire-gaps. Damage by animals, for cattle, it was by barbed wire fencing. Humans were also by limited access for a very small number of selected guests. This “Suddha Hermit” was seen as a quaint white freak, with strange ways. The locals were led in their sullen hostility by the high priest of the local temple.

Such was the transformation (enlightenment), that the priest even reserved a plot in the temple premises, to inter the ashes or body of his friend upon his death. He must have been depressed when the much alive Popham left for England.

Popham held a Master of in Arts from Cambridge. This was reflected In an elegantly phrased little booklet, titled “DAMBULLA-a sanctuary of tropical trees” in which he describes the philosophy, history and experience in this unique exercise. Some sections where satinwood had established, the appearance was a far cry from the untidy typical Dry Zone scrub, and could easily pass as a meadow in the Temperate Zone.

In a tribute to one of its steadfast patrons, his favoured waterhole in Dambulla town, the bar is named the “Sam. Popham Bar,” adorned with hanging photographs and memorabilia of this extraordinary character, who virtually turned on its head, the sanctified, current forestry practices. “Nature”, he would say “is a better forester than humans could ever be.”

Options for managing the “elephant/human conflict”

Even the most superficial and cursory glance at wild life photographs of herds in Africa and to a lesser extent in Sri Lanka, show that elephant herds are massive. An adult elephant would consume up to about 125 kilograms of fresh leaves, and many gallons of water per day. This vastly exceeds the capacity of most scrubby dry environments to provide. Fortunately, elephants are not choosy and will eat any foliage and tender twigs that are within their reach. However they would be attracted by the ample greenery available in farmers’ fields of paddy, and upland crops such as banana, maize and young coconut trees. They may also be attracted by the likely availability of their precious dietary requirement sf salt and hence the pitiful devastation of their houses suffered by poor farmer families.

In African countries elephants are often smaller in stature than the Asian. They are not amenable to domestication. A Sri Lankan family residing in Botswana was engaged in trying to do so.

Unlike the Asian elephant, where tuskers are very rare, the African tusker is common, with nearly all males having tusks (?). This may drive a willingness to participate, in the culling operation. In Sri Lanka, the elephant is nearly venerated, mainly because the Tooth Relic Casket is carried by a tusker, carefully selected according to some stringent physical traits that mark it as special, and noble enough to qualify for this very special position. In fact the Sinhala idiom recognizes this exalted position in the popular “Elephants are of two types, ones which hauls logs, while the others walk in the Perahera.”

Thus, “culling” as a means of population management, is simply out of the question. For instance, when an elephant is the victim of a train accident, or falls into an unprotected well, the crowd of villagers who come to see the victims, are clearly emotionally overcome. So, even the slightest suggestion of killing this “noble” marauder, would be heresy. .Other measures have to be found.

Deep trenches and electric fences

Both of these, especially the latter, have predictably failed. It is an insult to elephants to not quickly see that fence posts can easily be knocked over, or stepped over by a log or branch cast across the flimsy wiring. Constructing and maintaining miles of electric fencing is so prohibitive that one is tempted to assume that a lucrative trade awaits the suppliers of materials and labour that may be shared by a compliant officer. It is a puzzle why such a patently hopeless, costly and difficult to check method is still promoted. The poor victims have probably been coerced to believe that the massive outlay has the slightest hope of success.

Relocation

From time to time, attempts have been made to re-locate troublesome elephants to ‘safe locations’ in the vicinity. Elephantine cunning, directs them back to their accustomed place in record time.

Defence crops

It is a popular belief that elephants shy away from chilli plants. Barriers of chilli beds, usually combined with trenching can deter marauders.

A tradition among paddy farmers is to set aside an unharvested section of the holding for birds (s. Kurulu Paaluwa) There could be a modification of this by a co-operative planting of rejected or surplus planting material (eg. manioc sticks, banana suckers etc) planted specifically for elephants, with raw material and labour contributed by the farmers themselves. Such self-help projects have been successfully accomplished by programs like the “Gammedda” projects, financed and assisted by the private sector. One can only hope that such could succeed. But the likelihood of success is most remote. No harm in trying it out. There may be hopes of the impossible becoming the possible,

Weaponized honey bees

An innovative method appears to have met with some success among Thai paddy farmers. It is a cunning innovation based on several sound assumptions. The basic assembly consists of a widely spaced (about 50 feet apart) concrete pillars, each topped by a beehive with a functioning colony of bees, the concrete pillars are then connected to their neighbours on each side by sturdy ropes. If an elephant attempts to enter the enclosed area (or farm) they would cause the rope to be shaken, and with it, the two connect bee hives. The irate bees then swarm towards the unsuspecting intruder. Elephants feed through their trunks, which have a sensitive lining. The rudely displaced bees enter the trunk – and all hell breaks loose. The legendary memory of the intruder (elephants never forget) comes into play (once burnt, twice shy) and cunning humans have outwitted the intruders.

Since none of these options is unlikely to offer a “stand alone” solution, it may be wise to consider a multifaceted approach, ideally combining two or more that could provide an additive or synergistic effect.

Monkeys

Monkeys and their cousins ( Rilawas/Macaques and Wanduras ) have always been with us, but have drawn more attention recently apparently by an increase in fecundity. Along with rapid urbanization, their numbers have increased markedly. Monkeys have been known for their mischief. They indulge in stealing things off the table and kitchen and leaving behind a right royal mess. Destructive actions such as dislodging of roofing tiles are intolerable.

More seriously, along with flying squirrels, and polecats they cause huge losses on coconut plantations. A recent pronouncement virtually granted growers freedom to use whatever means (including shooting) of such intruding pests. Widespread protests led to withdrawal of this, as also a proposal to export monkeys to an East Asian country, on suspicion that they would face slaughter for meat.

The current thought of relocating them on an uninhabited island, of which Sri Lanka has right of ownership, will not come o fruition or would have to remain inoperative, because such animals would have no food or drinking water and so die, a painful and slow death. No organization concerned with animal welfare would condone this and on ethical and moral grounds, such a project will encounter stiff resistance.

Kidney disease (CKDU)

This is possibly the largest researched medical problem in our country, but with no finality. Distressingly large numbers of new cases, continue to rise in the most severely affected areas. Numerous meetings, workshops, conferences and seminars, (including one convened in Colombo by FAO) have been conducted. Although providing much data, none has been able to identify conclusive evidence of a single cause. While it would be reasonable to suggest (or suspect) a water-related condition, definite proof is lacking.

What the data does show, is that the condition is not confined to the NCP Dry Zone, Well water (especially when it is turbid (s. ‘Kiwul’) is unsafe, while irrigation (tank) water is safe. Fluoride is partially suspect, but not Arsenic, Aluminum, weed-killer or fertilizer leachate, were not. Gender-wise men were marginally more prone Nelum-ala, Tilapia and other lake fish and Kasippu were not implicated.

Since the condition is fatal, dialysis is the preferred option against kidney implants. There are insufficient dialysis units and hospital space to accommodate the increasing numbers of patients.

As the condition seems to be related to impurities in drinking water, the attempted remedy is to provide water cleaned by reverse osmosis. One is a little surprised at this choice, as the operational and maintenance costs are so high and probably beyond reach.

One less prohibitive option would be refined rainwater, collected off roof-tops. There is also a method developed in Sudan (and Egypt) to clarify Nile water by a simple method using powdered Murunga seeds. I have detailed this in several of my letters and article in which I offered to help anyone who would have access to the simple facilities required. Despite my willingness expressed, along with my contact address, there was not a single taker. The methodology is so well documented, that it would be unforgivable cheek on my part to doubt that this enormously useful and doable method has not been considered and duly tried and fairly tested. It should not be brushed off lightly.

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Features

Why Sri Lanka Still Has No Doppler Radar – and Who Should Be Held Accountable

Published

8 hours ago

2025/12/14

Thilina Walpola

Eighteen Years of Delay:

Cyclone Ditwah has come and gone, leaving a trail of extensive damage to the country’s infrastructure, including buildings, roads, bridges, and 70% of the railway network. Thousands of hectares of farming land have been destroyed. Last but not least, nearly 1,000 people have lost their lives, and more than two million people have been displaced. The visuals uploaded to social media platforms graphically convey the widespread destruction Cyclone Ditwah has caused in our country.

The purpose of my article is to highlight, for the benefit of readers and the general public, how a project to establish a Doppler Weather Radar system, conceived in 2007, remains incomplete after 18 years. Despite multiple governments, shifting national priorities, and repeated natural disasters, the project remains incomplete.

Over the years, the National Audit Office, the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA), and several print and electronic media outlets have highlighted this failure. The last was an excellent five-minute broadcast by Maharaja Television Network on their News First broadcast in October 2024 under a series “What Happened to Sri Lanka”

The Agreement Between the Government of Sri Lanka and the World Meteorological Organisation in 2007.

The first formal attempt to establish a Doppler Radar system dates back to a Trust Fund agreement signed on 24 May 2007 between the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). This agreement intended to modernize Sri Lanka’s meteorological infrastructure and bring the country on par with global early-warning standards.

The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on March 23, 1950. There are 193 member countries of the WMO, including Sri Lanka. Its primary role is to promote the establishment of a worldwide meteorological observation system and to serve as the authoritative voice on the state and behaviour of the Earth’s atmosphere, its interaction with the oceans, and the resulting climate and water resources.

According to the 2018 Performance Audit Report compiled by the National Audit Office, the GoSL entered into a trust fund agreement with the WMO to install a Doppler Radar System. The report states that USD 2,884,274 was deposited into the WMO bank account in Geneva, from which the Department of Metrology received USD 95,108 and an additional USD 113,046 in deposit interest. There is no mention as to who actually provided the funds. Based on available information, WMO does not fund projects of this magnitude.

The WMO was responsible for procuring the radar equipment, which it awarded on 18^th June 2009 to an American company for USD 1,681,017. According to the audit report, a copy of the purchase contract was not available.

Monitoring the agreement’s implementation was assigned to the Ministry of Disaster Management, a signatory to the trust fund agreement. The audit report details the members of the steering committee appointed by designation to oversee the project. It consisted of personnel from the Ministry of Disaster Management, the Departments of Metrology, National Budget, External Resources and the Disaster Management Centre.

The Audit Report highlights failures in the core responsibilities that can be summarized as follows:

· Procurement irregularities—including flawed tender processes and inadequate technical evaluations.

· Poor site selection

—proposed radar sites did not meet elevation or clearance requirements.

· Civil works delays

—towers were incomplete or structurally unsuitable.

· Equipment left unused

—in some cases for years, exposing sensitive components to deterioration.

· Lack of inter-agency coordination

—between the Meteorology Department, Disaster Management Centre, and line ministries.

Some of the mistakes highlighted are incomprehensible. There is a mention that no soil test was carried out before the commencement of the construction of the tower. This led to construction halting after poor soil conditions were identified, requiring a shift of 10 to 15 meters from the original site. This resulted in further delays and cost overruns.

The equipment supplier had identified that construction work undertaken by a local contractor was not of acceptable quality for housing sensitive electronic equipment. No action had been taken to rectify these deficiencies. The audit report states, “It was observed that the delay in constructing the tower and the lack of proper quality were one of the main reasons for the failure of the project”.

In October 2012, when the supplier commenced installation, the work was soon abandoned after the vehicle carrying the heavy crane required to lift the radar equipment crashed down the mountain. The next attempt was made in October 2013, one year later. Although the equipment was installed, the system could not be operationalised because electronic connectivity was not provided (as stated in the audit report).

In 2015, following a UNOPS (United Nations Office for Project Services) inspection, it was determined that the equipment needed to be returned to the supplier because some sensitive electronic devices had been damaged due to long-term disuse, and a further 1.5 years had elapsed by 2017, when the equipment was finally returned to the supplier. In March 2018, the estimated repair cost was USD 1,095,935, which was deemed excessive, and the project was abandoned.

COPA proceedings

The Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) discussed the radar project on August 10, 2023, and several press reports state that the GOSL incurred a loss of Rs. 78 million due to the project’s failure. This, I believe, is the cost of constructing the Tower. It is mentioned that Rs. 402 million had been spent on the radar system, of which Rs. 323 million was drawn from the trust fund established with WMO. It was also highlighted that approximately Rs. 8 million worth of equipment had been stolen and that the Police and the Bribery and Corruption Commission were investigating the matter.

JICA support and project stagnation

Despite the project’s failure with WMO, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) entered into an agreement with GOSL on June 30, 2017 to install two Doppler Radar Systems in Puttalam and Pottuvil. JICA has pledged 2.5 billion Japanese yen (LKR 3.4 billion at the time) as a grant. It was envisaged that the project would be completed in 2021.

Once again, the perennial delays that afflict the GOSL and bureaucracy have resulted in the groundbreaking ceremony being held only in December 2024. The delay is attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic and Sri Lanka’s economic crisis.

The seven-year delay between the signing of the agreement and project commencement has led to significant cost increases, forcing JICA to limit the project to installing only one Doppler Radar system in Puttalam.

Impact of the missing radar during Ditwah

As I am not a meteorologist and do not wish to make a judgment on this, I have decided to include the statement issued by JICA after the groundbreaking ceremony on December 24, 2024.

“In partnership with the Department of Meteorology (DoM), JICA is spearheading the establishment of the Doppler Weather Radar Network in the Puttalam district, which can realize accurate weather observation and weather prediction based on the collected data by the radar. This initiative is a significant step in strengthening Sri Lanka’s improving its climate resilience including not only reducing risks of floods, landslides, and drought but also agriculture and fishery“.

Based on online research, a Doppler Weather Radar system is designed to observe weather systems in real time. While the technical details are complex, the system essentially provides localized, uptotheminute information on rainfall patterns, storm movements, and approaching severe weather. Countries worldwide rely on such systems to issue timely alerts for monsoons, tropical depressions, and cyclones. It is reported that India has invested in 30 Doppler radar systems, which have helped minimize the loss of life.

Without radar, Sri Lanka must rely primarily on satellite imagery and foreign meteorological centres, which cannot capture the finescale, rapidly changing weather patterns that often cause localized disasters here.

The general consensus is that, while no single system can prevent natural disasters, an operational Doppler Radar almost certainly would have strengthened Sri Lanka’s preparedness and reduced the extent of damage and loss.

Conclusion

Sri Lanka’s inability to commission a Doppler Radar system, despite nearly two decades of attempts, represents one of the most significant governance failures in the country’s disastermanagement history.

Audit findings, parliamentary oversight proceedings, and donor records all confirm the same troubling truth: Sri Lanka has spent public money, signed international agreements, received foreign assistance, and still has no operational radar. This raises a critical question: should those responsible for this prolonged failure be held legally accountable?

Now may not be the time to determine the extent to which the current government and bureaucrats failed the people. I believe an independent commission comprising foreign experts in disaster management from India and Japan should be appointed, maybe in six months, to identify failures in managing Cyclone Ditwah.

However, those who governed the country from 2007 to 2024 should be held accountable for their failures, and legal action should be pursued against the politicians and bureaucrats responsible for disaster management for their failure to implement the 2007 project with the WMO successfully.

Sri Lanka cannot afford another 18 years of delay. The time for action, transparency, and responsibility has arrived.

(The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of any organization or institution with which the author is affiliated).

By Sanjeewa Jayaweera

Features

Ramifications of Trump Corollary

Published

8 hours ago

2025/12/14

Thilina Walpola

President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth look on, at the White House, in Washington, Dec. 2, 2025

President Trump is expected to close the deal on the Ukraine crisis, as he may wish to concentrate his full strength on two issues: ongoing operations in Venezuela and the bolstering of Japan’s military capabilities as tensions between China and Japan over Taiwan rise. Trump can easily concede Ukraine to Putin and refocus on the Asia–Pacific and Latin America. This week, he once again spilled the beans in an interview with Politico, one of the most significant conversations ever conducted with him. When asked which country currently holds the stronger negotiating position, Trump bluntly asserted that there could be no question: it is Russia. “It’s a much bigger country. It’s a war that should’ve never happened,” he said, followed by his usual rhetoric.

Meanwhile, US allies that fail to adequately fund defence and shirk contributions to collective security will face repercussions, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth declared at the 2025 Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, California. Hegseth singled out nations such as South Korea, Israel, Poland, and Germany as “model allies” for increasing their commitments, contrasting them with those perceived as “free riders”. The message was unmistakably Trumpian: partnerships are conditional, favourable only to countries that “help themselves” before asking anything of Washington.

It is in this context that it becomes essential to examine the Trump administration’s National Security Strategy, issued last week, in order to consider how it differs from previous strategies and where it may intersect with current US military practice.

Trump’s 2025 National Security Strategy is not merely another iteration of the familiar doctrine of American primacy; it is a radical reorientation of how the United States understands itself, its sphere of influence, and its role in the world. The document begins uncompromisingly: “The purpose of foreign policy is the protection of core national interests; that is the sole focus of this strategy.” It is the bluntest opening in any American NSS since the document became a formal requirement in 1987. Whereas previous strategies—from Obama to Biden—wrapped security in the language of democracy promotion and multilateralism, Trump’s dispenses entirely with the pretence of universality. What matters are American interests, defined narrowly, almost corporately, as though the United States were a shareholder entity rather than a global hegemon.

It is here that the ghost of Senator William Fulbright quietly enters, warning in 1966 that “The arrogance of power… the belief that we are uniquely qualified to bring order to the world, is a dangerous illusion.” Fulbright’s admonition was directed at the hubris of Vietnam-era expansionism, yet it resonates with uncanny force in relation to Trump’s revived hemispheric ambitions. For despite Trump’s anti-globalist posture, his strategy asserts a unique American role in determining events across two oceans and within an entire hemisphere. The arrogance may simply be wearing a new mask.

Nowhere is this revisionist spirit more vivid than in the so-called “Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine”, perhaps the most controversial American hemispheric declaration since Theodore Roosevelt’s time. The 2025 NSS states without hesitation that “The United States will reassert and enforce the Monroe Doctrine to restore American preeminence in the Western Hemisphere.” Yet unlike Roosevelt, who justified intervention as a form of pre-emptive stabilisation, Trump wraps his corollary in the language of sovereignty and anti-globalism. The hemispheric message is not simply that outside powers must stay out; it is that the United States will decide what constitutes legitimate governance in the region and deny “non-Hemispheric competitors the ability to position forces or other threatening capabilities… in our Hemisphere”.

This wording alone has far-reaching implications for Venezuela, where US forces recently seized a sanctioned supertanker as part of an escalating confrontation with the Maduro government. Maduro, emboldened by support from Russia, Iran, and China’s so-called shadow fleet, frames Trump’s enforcement actions as piracy. But for Trump, this is precisely the point: a demonstration of restored hemispheric authority. In that sense, the 2025 NSS may be the first strategic document in decades to explicitly set the stage for sustained coercive operations in Latin America. The NSS promises “a readjustment of our global military presence to address urgent threats in our Hemisphere.” “Urgent threats” is vague, but in practical military planning, vagueness functions as a permission slip. It is not difficult to see how a state accused of “narco-terrorism” or “crimes against humanity” could be fitted into the category.

The return to hemispheric dominance is paired with a targeted shift in alliance politics. Trump makes it clear that the United States is finished subsidising alliances that do not directly strengthen American security. The NSS lays out the philosophy succinctly: “The days of the United States propping up the entire world order like Atlas are over.” This is a direct repudiation of the language found in Obama’s 2015 NSS, which emphasised that American leadership was indispensable to global stability. Trump rejects that premise outright. Leadership, in his framing, is merely leverage. Allies who fail to meet burden expectations will lose access, influence, and potentially even protection. Nowhere is this more evident than in the push for extraordinary defence spending among NATO allies: “President Trump has set a new global standard with the Hague Commitment… pledging NATO countries to spend 5 percent of GDP on defence.”

In turn, US disengagement from Europe becomes easier to justify. While Trump speaks of “negotiating an expeditious cessation of hostilities in Ukraine”, it requires little sophistication to decode this as a form of managed abandonment—an informal concession that Russia’s negotiating position is stronger, as Trump told Politico. Ukraine may well become a bargaining chip in the trade-off between strategic theatres: Europe shrinks, Asia and Latin America expand. The NSS’s emphasis on Japan, Taiwan, and China is markedly sharper than in 2017.

China looms over the 2025 NSS like an obsession, mentioned over twenty times, not merely as a competitor but as a driving force shaping American policy. Every discussion of technology, alliances, or regional security is filtered through Beijing’s shadow, as if US strategy exists solely to counter China. The strategy’s relentless focus risks turning global priorities into a theatre of paranoia, where the United States reacts constantly, defined less by its own interests than by fear of what China might do next.

It is equally striking that, just nine days after Cyclone Ditwah, the US Indo-Pacific Command deployed two C130 aircraft—capable of landing at only three locations in Sri Lanka, well away from the hardest-hit areas—and orchestrated a highly choreographed media performance, enlisting local outlets and social media influencers seemingly more concerned with flaunting American boots on the ground than delivering “urgent” humanitarian aid. History shows this is not unprecedented: US forces have repeatedly arrived under the banner of humanitarian assistance—Operation Restore Hope in Somalia (1992) later escalated into full security and combat operations; interventions in Haiti during the 1990s extended into long-term peacekeeping and training missions; and Operation United Assistance in Liberia (2014) built a lasting US operational presence beyond the Ebola response.

Trump’s NSS, meanwhile, states that deterring conflict in East Asia is a “priority”, and that the United States seeks to ensure that “US technology and US standards—particularly in AI, biotech, and quantum computing—drive the world forward.” Combined with heightened expectations of Japan, which is rapidly rearming, Trump’s strategic map shows a clear preference: if Europe cannot or will not defend itself, Asia might.

What makes the 2025 NSS uniquely combustible, however, is the combination of ideological framing and operational signalling. Trump explicitly links non-interventionism, long a theme of his political base, to the Founders’ moral worldview. He writes that “Rigid adherence to non-interventionism is not possible… yet this predisposition should set a high bar for what constitutes a justified intervention.”

The Trump NSS is both a blueprint and a warning. It signals a United States abandoning the liberal internationalist project and embracing a transactional, hemispherically focussed, sovereignty-first model. It rewrites the Monroe Doctrine for an age of great-power contest, but in doing so resurrects the very logics of intervention that past presidents have regretted. And in the background, as Trump weighs the cost of Ukraine against the allure of a decisive posture in Asia and the Western Hemisphere, the world is left to wonder whether this new corollary is merely rhetorical theatre or the prelude to a new era of American coercive power. The ambiguity is deliberate, but the direction of travel is unmistakable.

[Correction: In my column last week, I incorrectly stated that India–Russia trade in FY 2024 25 was USD 18 billion; the correct figure is USD 68.7 billion, with a trade deficit of about USD 59 billion. Similarly, India recorded a goods trade surplus of around USD 41.18 billion with the US, not a deficit of USD 42 billion, with exports of USD 86.51 billion and imports of USD 45.33 billion. Total remittances to India in FY 2024 25 were roughly USD 135.46 billion, including USD 25–30 billion from the US. Apologies for the error.]

by Nilantha Ilangamuwa

Features

MEEZAN HADJIAR

Published

8 hours ago

2025/12/14

Thilina Walpola

selfmade businessman who became one of the richest men in the Central Province

I am happy that a book about the life and contribution of Sathkorale Muhamdiramlagedara Segu Abdul Cader Hajiar Mohamed Mohideen better known as Meezan Hadjiar or Meezan Mudalali of Matale [1911—1964] written by Mohammed Fuaji -a former Principal of Zahira College Matale, has now been published by a group of his admirers and relatives. It is a timely addition to the history of Matale district and the Kandyan region which is yet to be described fully as forming a part of the modern history of our country. Coincidentally this book also marks the centenary of Meezan Hadjiars beginning of employment in Matale town which began in 1925.

Matale which was an outlier in the Kandyan Kingdom came into prominence with the growth of plantations for coffee and, after the collapse of the coffee plantations due to the ‘coffee blight’ , for other tree crops . Coffee was followed by the introduction of tea by the early British investors who faced bankruptcy and ruin if they could not quickly find a substitute beverage for coffee.They turned to tea.

The rapid opening of tea plantations in the hill country demanded a large and hardworking labour force which could not be found domestically. This led to the indenturing of Tamil labour from South India on a large scale. These helpless workers were virtually kidnapped from their native villages in India through the Kangani system and they were compelled to migrate to our hill country by the British administration .

Meezan Hadjiar

The route of these indentured workers to the higher elevations of the hill country lay through Matale and the new plantation industry developed in that region thereby dragging it into a new commercial culture and a cash economy. New opportunities were opened up for internal migration particularly for the more adventurous members of the Muslim community who had played a significant role in the Kandyan kingdom particularly as traders,transporters,medical specialists and military advisors.

Diaries of British officials like John D’oyly also show that the Kandyan Muslims were interlocutors between the Kandyan King and British officials of the Low Country as they had to move about across boundaries as traders of scarce commodities like salt, medicines and consumer articles for the Kandyans and arecanuts, gems and spices for the British. Even today there are physical traces of the ‘’Battal’’or caravans of oxen which were used by the Muslims to transport the above mentioned commodities to and from the Kandyan villages to the Low country. Another important facet was that Kandyan Muslims were located in villages close to the entrances to the hill country attesting to their mobility unlike the Kandyan villagers.

Thus Akurana, Galagedera, Kadugannawa, Hataraliyadde and Mawanella which lay in the pathways to enter the inner territory of the Kings domain were populated by ‘Kandyan Muslims’ who had the ear of the King and his high officials. The’’ Ge’’ names and the honorifics given by the King were a testament to their integration with the Sinhala polity. Meezan Hadjiars’’ Ge ‘‘name of Sathkorale Mohandiramlage denotes the mobility of the family from Sathkorale, an outlier division in the Kandyan Kingdom, and Mohandiramlage attests to the higher status in the social hierarchy which probably indicated that his forebears were honoured servants of the king.

Meezan Hadjiar [SM Mohideen] was born and bred in Kurugoda which is a small village in Akurana in Kandy district. He belonged to the family of Abdul Cader who was a patriarch and a well known religious scholar. Cader’s children began their education in the village school but at the age of 12 young Mohideen left his native village to apprentice under a relative who had a business establishment in the heart of Matale town which was growing fast due to the economic boom. It must be stated here that this form of ‘learning the ropes’ as an apprentice’was a common path to business undertaken by many of the later Sri Lankan tycoons of the pre-independence era.

But he did not remain in that position for long .When his mentor failed in his business of trading in cocoa, cardamoms, cloves and arecanuts and wanted to close up his shop young Mohideen took over and eventually made a great success of it. His enterprise succeeded because he was able to earn the trust of both his buyers and sellers. He befriended Sinhalese and Tamil producers and the business he improved beyond measure took on the name of Meezan Estates Ltd [The scales] and Mohideen soon became famous as Meezan Mudalali – perhaps the most successful businessman of his time in Matale. He expanded his business interests to urban real estate as well as tea and rubber estates. Soon he owned over 3,000 acres of tea estates making him one of the richest men in the Central Province.

With his growing influence Meezan spent generously on charitable activities including funding a water scheme for his native village of Kurugoda also serving adjoining villages like Pangollamada located in Akurana. He also gave generously to Buddhist causes in Matale together with other emerging low country businessmen like Gunasena and John Mudalali.

Matale was well known as a town in which all communities lived in harmony and tended to help each other. As a generous public figure he became strong supporter of the UNP and a personal friend of its leaders like Dudley Senanayake and Sir John Kotelawela. UNP candidates for public office-both in the Municipality and Parliament were selected in consultation with Meezan who also bankrolled them during election time. He himself became a Municipal councillor. The Aluvihares of several generations had close links with him. it was Meezan who mentored ACS Hameed – a fellow villager from Kurugoda – and took him to the highest echelons of Sri Lankan politics as Minister of Foreign Affairs. He was a supporter and financier of the UNP through thick and thin.

Though his premature death at the age 53 in 1965 saved him from the worst political witch hunts under SWRD Bandaranaike who was his personal friend it was after 1970 and the Coalition regime that Meezan’s large family were deprived of their livelihood by the taking over of all their estates. Fortunately many of his children were well educated and could hold on till relief was given by President Premadasa despite the objections of their father’s erstwhile protégé ACS Hameed who surprisingly let them down badly.

It is only fitting that we, even a hundred years later, now commemorate a great self made Sri Lankan business magnate and generous contributor to all religious and social causes of his time. His name became synonymous with enterprise in Matale – a district in which I was privileged to serve as Government Agent in the late sixties.He was a model entrepreneur and his large family have also made outstanding contributions to this country which also attest to the late Meezan Hadjiars foresight and vision of a united and prosperous Srilanka.

by SARATH AMUNUGAMA.