Features

Herbert Cooray’s life lessons – from St. Benedicts to St. Joseph’s College

Published

2 years ago

2024/03/10

Herby’s political idols were Philip Gunaawardena and N. M. Perera. Here he is seen accompanying them in a protest parade in 1953. The photograph appeared in the newspaper the next day and got Herby into a lot of trouble at home. accompanying them in a protest parade in 1953. The photograph appeared in the newspaper the next day and got Herby into a lot of trouble at home.

(Excerpted from A Man in his Time – the Jetwing story and the life of Herbert Cooray by Shiromal Cooray)

The end of the war brought changes to the Cooray clan, as it did to the lives of many. Jeramius for reasons that are not recorded, decided to return to his hometown of Heenkenda near Ragama, Northeast of Colombo. His family had property here, including a large house and grounds belonging to his uncle, who having no children of his own, made heirs of his brother’s sons. The boys still being children, Jeramius and Lucy moved into the Heenkenda house and made it their home. By then there was another addition to the family by way of a girl, Lilian who was studying at Good Shepherd Convent, Kotahena.

Herbert fondly called Herby and Neville now lived within the bosom of family they had only occasionally known hitherto; there were uncles, aunts and cousins all down the street, the Mahagedera and Medagedera were all a mere five minute walk away. This abrupt transplantation must have been a significant, perhaps in some measure traumatic, experience for boys now in the initial stages of adolescence. Meanwhile, they continued their education at St. Benedict’s, which had resumed its former premises at Kotahena.

The boys would cycle to Ragama railway station, leave their bikes at the nearby house of a family friend and catch the train to Colombo. It was a long commute for those days, though not unbearably so. The friend who looked after their bicycles for them was also the owner of a radio set, still something of a rarity in Ceylon at the time. At his house, Herbert an ardent cricket lover, first heard commentaries on international cricket matches played in Australia, England, South Africa and the West Indies.

The radio became another window to the vast world outside. Herbert would often reminisce fondly about those adolescent listening sessions, remarking on how bad the signal had been, how hard one had to concentrate in order to follow even the gist of the commentary. It did not help that the little room with the radio was full of other cricket fans, all equally excited to hear the action described as it happened, and usually far more vociferous in their appreciation than Herbert! But all were friends together – and when there were no Test matches being played, the aficionados would turn cricketers in their own right.

Herby joined in the innumerable games that were played in an empty lot by the railway station, and when he mounted his bicycle to pedal home, it was often nearly dark. If radio was an occasional supplement to his education, reading was a constant one. He had picked up the habit as a youngster, voraciously devouring whatever came his way.

As with most of his educational influences, this too, could be traced to his mother, an avid lifelong reader herself. On Saturdays, Herbert would often make the long trudge back to the city, where the Colombo Book Club in the Fort displayed recent issues of foreign magazines and newspapers, not freely available elsewhere.

He would spend the entire day at the Club, reading. His appetite was for sporting tales and biographies, the classics and the riches of English poetry, and throughout life his conversation would be loaded with quotations from what he had read. Later, he developed an interest in politics and business and read everything he could find on these subjects. The Club librarian was so impressed by his thirst for knowledge that he began saving books and old magazines due for disposal and presenting them to the boy on his visits.

Herbert’s penchant for reading persisted throughout his life, and he actively cultivated it in his children and grandchildren. His travels abroad always included a book-buying expedition or two on their itineraries. On his first overseas visit, he shipped one big trunk-load of books for his collection. Later on, when he became a hotelier, he educated himself by reading every book or article on the subject he could lay his hands on.

The war years were instructive in another way: they gave Herbert Cooray his first lessons in hardship. This was not merely a matter of frequent changes of address, makeshift schoolrooms and improbably long commutes; there were also the very real deprivations of food and rationing suffered by all. Everybody managed somehow, but the period left lasting impression on Herbert, bringing home the lesson that nothing in life is permanent or to be taken for granted. It was an insight he often, later, repeated to his own children, advising them that they should “learn to sleep as well on a mat in a thatched hut as in a soft bed in a palace, just as the situation demanded”.

Wealth and leisure, he told them, were fleeting gifts; the only dependable treasure was a good

education, which was both the royal road to personal independence and the only treasure of which one could never be dispossessed. The period also taught him not to put stock in material comforts, but to make the most of the simple pleasures of life.

In due course, the Cooray brothers left St. Benedicts for St. Joseph’s College in Maradana in order to prepare for their university entrance examinations. Though St. Joseph’s was an unabashedly elite institution, Herby soon found a way to win the respect and admiration of his contemporaries. The eager listener to Test-match broadcasts had become an accomplished cricketer, and was quickly selected to play for the college, as he had earlier for St. Benedict’s.

Despite having won the acceptance of his peers, he did not lose his hatred of injustice and inhumanity, whether he himself or another was the victim of it. His cricketing career thus came to an abrupt end when he was dropped from the college team at the eleventh hour under circumstances he deemed unfair. Having spoken his mind out to the master in charge, he resigned from the team for good, never to play another match.

The incident however, did not sour him against the sport; he retained a lifelong interest in it, and became a proud supporter and cheerleader at college matches when his son Hiran became a member of the St. Joseph’s First XI. However, the incident was an example of the difficulty Herbert would always have in conforming to the formal expectations of society and authority.

The Rector of St. Joseph’s in his time was a strict disciplinarian, named Rev. Fr. Peter Pillai who often chided Herbert for his waywardness. ‘You will never qualify to enter university,’ predicted the good Reverend, who often compared him with his studious and “proper” brother Neville. He was however proved wrong when the examination results were published and Herbert Cooray was found to have passed within the upper division, an outcome which surprised the young scholar almost much as it did those who knew him.

Amusingly, Rev. Peter Pillai had summoned Herbert’s father to complain about yet another misdeed of his rebellious son on the very same day that the results arrived. Fortunately for Herbert, they were posted minutes before his father’s arrival rather than after! It was a case of being saved, almost literally, by the bell.

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Features

Misinterpreting President Dissanayake on National Reconciliation

Published

16 hours ago

2026/02/10

Sahan Weerasooriya

President Dissanayake

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has been investing his political capital in going to the public to explain some of the most politically sensitive and controversial issues. At a time when easier political choices are available, the president is choosing the harder path of confronting ethnic suspicion and communal fears. There are three issues in particular on which the president’s words have generated strong reactions. These are first with regard to Buddhist pilgrims going to the north of the country with nationalist motivations. Second is the controversy relating to the expansion of the Tissa Raja Maha Viharaya, a recently constructed Buddhist temple in Kankesanturai which has become a flashpoint between local Tamil residents and Sinhala nationalist groups. Third is the decision not to give the war victory a central place in the Independence Day celebrations.

Even in the opposition, when his party held only three seats in parliament, Anura Kumara Dissanayake took his role as a public educator seriously. He used to deliver lengthy, well researched and easily digestible speeches in parliament. He continues this practice as president. It can be seen that his statements are primarily meant to elevate the thinking of the people and not to win votes the easy way. The easy way to win votes whether in Sri Lanka or elsewhere in the world is to rouse nationalist and racist sentiments and ride that wave. Sri Lanka’s post independence political history shows that narrow ethnic mobilisation has often produced short term electoral gains but long term national damage.

Sections of the opposition and segments of the general public have been critical of the president for taking these positions. They have claimed that the president is taking these positions in order to obtain more Tamil votes or to appease minority communities. The same may be said in reverse of those others who take contrary positions that they seek the Sinhala votes. These political actors who thrive on nationalist mobilisation have attempted to portray the president’s statements as an abandonment of the majority community. The president’s actions need to be understood within the larger framework of national reconciliation and long term national stability.

Reconciler’s Duty

When the president referred to Buddhist pilgrims from the south going to the north, he was not speaking about pilgrims visiting long established Buddhist heritage sites such as Nagadeepa or Kandarodai. His remarks were directed at a specific and highly contentious development, the recently built Buddhist temple in Kankesanturai and those built elsewhere in the recent past in the north and east. The temple in Kankesanturai did not emerge from the religious needs of a local Buddhist community as there is none in that area. It has been constructed on land that was formerly owned and used by Tamil civilians and which came under military occupation as a high security zone. What has made the issue of the temple particularly controversial is that it was established with the support of the security forces.

The controversy has deepened because the temple authorities have sought to expand the site from approximately one acre to nearly fourteen acres on the basis that there was a historic Buddhist temple in that area up to the colonial period. However, the Tamil residents of the area fear that expansion would further displace surrounding residents and consolidate a permanent Buddhist religious presence in the present period in an area where the local population is overwhelmingly Hindu. For many Tamils in Kankesanturai, the issue is not Buddhism as a religion but the use of religion as a vehicle for territorial assertion and demographic changes in a region that bore the brunt of the war. Likewise, there are other parts of the north and east where other temples or places of worship have been established by the military personnel in their camps during their war-time occupation and questions arise regarding the future when these camps are finally closed.

There are those who have actively organised large scale pilgrimages from the south to make the Tissa temple another important religious site. These pilgrimages are framed publicly as acts of devotion but are widely perceived locally as demonstrations of dominance. Each such visit heightens tension, provokes protest by Tamil residents, and risks confrontation. For communities that experienced mass displacement, military occupation and land loss, the symbolism of a state backed religious structure on contested land with the backing of the security forces is impossible to separate from memories of war and destruction. A president committed to reconciliation cannot remain silent in the face of such provocations, however uncomfortable it may be to challenge sections of the majority community.

High-minded leadership

The controversy regarding the president’s Independence Day speech has also generated strong debate. In that speech the president did not refer to the military victory over the LTTE and also did not use the term “war heroes” to describe soldiers. For many Sinhala nationalist groups, the absence of these references was seen as an attempt to diminish the sacrifices of the armed forces. The reality is that Independence Day means very different things to different communities. In the north and east the same day is marked by protest events and mourning and as a “Black Day”, symbolising the consolidation of a state they continue to experience as excluding them and not empathizing with the full extent of their losses.

By way of contrast, the president’s objective was to ensure that Independence Day could be observed as a day that belonged to all communities in the country. It is not correct to assume that the president takes these positions in order to appease minorities or secure electoral advantage. The president is only one year into his term and does not need to take politically risky positions for short term electoral gains. Indeed, the positions he has taken involve confronting powerful nationalist political forces that can mobilise significant opposition. He risks losing majority support for his statements. This itself indicates that the motivation is not electoral calculation.

President Dissanayake has recognized that Sri Lanka’s long term political stability and economic recovery depend on building trust among communities that once peacefully coexisted and then lived through decades of war. Political leadership is ultimately tested by the willingness to say what is necessary rather than what is politically expedient. The president’s recent interventions demonstrate rare national leadership and constitute an attempt to shift public discourse away from ethnic triumphalism and toward a more inclusive conception of nationhood. Reconciliation cannot take root if national ceremonies reinforce the perception of victory for one community and defeat for another especially in an internal conflict.

BY Jehan Perera

Features

Recovery of LTTE weapons

Published

16 hours ago

2026/02/10

Sahan Weerasooriya

Sri Lanka Navy in action

I have read a newspaper report that the Special Task Force of Sri Lanka Police, with help of Military Intelligence, recovered three buried yet well-preserved 84mm Carl Gustaf recoilless rocket launchers used by the LTTE, in the Kudumbimalai area, Batticaloa.

These deadly weapons were used by the LTTE SEA TIGER WING to attack the Sri Lanka Navy ships and craft in 1990s. The first incident was in February 1997, off Iranativu island, in the Gulf of Mannar.

Admiral Cecil Tissera took over as Commander of the Navy on 27 January, 1997, from Admiral Mohan Samarasekara.

The fight against the LTTE was intensified from 1996 and the SLN was using her Vanguard of the Navy, Fast Attack Craft Squadron, to destroy the LTTE’s littoral fighting capabilities. Frequent confrontations against the LTTE Sea Tiger boats were reported off Mullaitivu, Point Pedro and Velvetiturai areas, where SLN units became victorious in most of these sea battles, except in a few incidents where the SLN lost Fast Attack Craft.

Carl Gustaf recoilless rocket launchers

The intelligence reports confirmed that the LTTE Sea Tigers was using new recoilless rocket launchers against aluminium-hull FACs, and they were deadly at close quarter sea battles, but the exact type of this weapon was not disclosed.

The following incident, which occurred in February 1997, helped confirm the weapon was Carl Gustaf 84 mm Recoilless gun!

DATE: 09TH FEBRUARY, 1997, morning 0600 hrs.

LOCATION: OFF IRANATHIVE.

FACs: P 460 ISRAEL BUILT, COMMANDED BY CDR MANOJ JAYESOORIYA

P 452 CDL BUILT, COMMANDED BY LCDR PM WICKRAMASINGHE (ON TEMPORARY COMMAND. PROPER OIC LCDR N HEENATIGALA)

OPERATED FROM KKS.

CONFRONTED WITH LTTE ATTACK CRAFT POWERED WITH FOUR 250 HP OUT BOARD MOTORS.

TARGET WAS DESTROYED AND ONE LTTE MEMBER WAS CAPTURED.

LEADING MARINE ENGINEERING MECHANIC OF THE FAC CAME UP TO THE BRIDGE CARRYING A PROJECTILE WHICH WAS FIRED BY THE LTTE BOAT, DURING CONFRONTATION, WHICH PENETRATED THROUGH THE FAC’s HULL, AND ENTERED THE OICs CABIN (BETWEEN THE TWO BUNKS) AND HIT THE AUXILIARY ENGINE ROOM DOOR AND HAD FALLEN DOWN WITHOUT EXPLODING. THE ENGINE ROOM DOOR WAS HEAVILY DAMAGED LOOSING THE WATER TIGHT INTEGRITY OF THE FAC.

THE PROJECTILE WAS LATER HANDED OVER TO THE NAVAL WEAPONS EXPERTS WHEN THE FACs RETURNED TO KKS. INVESTIGATIONS REVEALED THE WEAPON USED BY THE ENEMY WAS 84 mm CARL GUSTAF SHOULDER-FIRED RECOILLESS GUN AND THIS PROJECTILE WAS AN ILLUMINATER BOMB OF ONE MILLION CANDLE POWER. BUT THE ATTACKERS HAS FAILED TO REMOVE THE SAFETY PIN, THEREFORE THE BOMB WAS NOT ACTIVATED.

Sea Tigers

Carl Gustaf 84 mm recoilless gun was named after Carl Gustaf Stads Gevärsfaktori, which, initially, produced it. Sweden later developed the 84mm shoulder-fired recoilless gun by the Royal Swedish Army Materiel Administration during the second half of 1940s as a crew served man- portable infantry support gun for close range multi-role anti-armour, anti-personnel, battle field illumination, smoke screening and marking fire.

It is confirmed in Wikipedia that Carl Gustaf Recoilless shoulder-fired guns were used by the only non-state actor in the world – the LTTE – during the final Eelam War.

It is extremely important to check the batch numbers of the recently recovered three launchers to find out where they were produced and other details like how they ended up in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka?

By Admiral Ravindra C. Wijegunaratne
WV, RWP and Bar, RSP, VSV, USP, NI (M) (Pakistan), ndc, psn, Bsc (Hons) (War Studies) (Karachi) MPhil (Madras)
Former Navy Commander and Former Chief of Defence Staff
Former Chairman, Trincomalee Petroleum Terminals Ltd
Former Managing Director Ceylon Petroleum Corporation
Former High Commissioner to Pakistan

Features

Yellow Beatz … a style similar to K-pop!

Published

16 hours ago

2026/02/10

Sahan Weerasooriya

Yes, get ready to vibe with Yellow Beatz, Sri Lanka’s awesome girl group, keen to take Sri Lankan music to the world with a style similar to K-pop!

With high-energy beats and infectious hooks, these talented ladies are here to shake up the music scene.

Think bold moves, catchy hooks, and, of course, spicy versions of old Sinhala hits, and Yellow Beatz is the package you won’t want to miss!

According to a spokesman for the group, Yellow Beatz became a reality during the Covid period … when everyone was stuck at home, in lockdown.

“First we interviewed girls, online, and selected a team that blended well, as four voices, and then started rehearsals. One of the cover songs we recorded, during those early rehearsals, unexpectedly went viral on Facebook. From that moment onward, we continued doing cover songs, and we received a huge response. Through that, we were able to bring back some beautiful Sri Lankan musical creations that were being forgotten, and introduce them to the new generation.”

The team members, I am told, have strong musical skills and with proper training their goal is to become a vocal group recognised around the world.

Believe me, their goal, they say, is not only to take Sri Lanka’s name forward, in the music scene, but to bring home a Grammy Award, as well.

“We truly believe we can achieve this with the love and support of everyone in Sri Lanka.”

The year 2026 is very special for Yellow Beatz as they have received an exceptional opportunity to represent Sri Lanka at the World Championships of Performing Arts in the USA.

Under the guidance of Chris Raththara, the Director for Sri Lanka, and with the blessings of all Sri Lankans, the girls have a great hope that they can win this milestone.

“We believe this will be a moment of great value for us as Yellow Beatz, and also for all Sri Lankans, and it will be an important inspiration for the future of our country.”

Along with all the preparation for the event in the USA, they went on to say they also need to manage their performances, original song recordings, and everything related.

The year 2026 is very special for Yellow Beatz

“We have strong confidence in ourselves and in our sincere intentions, because we are a team that studies music deeply, researches within the field, and works to take the uniqueness of Sri Lankan identity to the world.”

At present, they gather at the Voices Lab Academy, twice a week, for new creations and concert rehearsals.

This project was created by Buddhika Dayarathne who is currently working as a Pop Vocal lecturer at SLTC Campus. Voice Lab Academy is also his own private music academy and Yellow Beatz was formed through that platform.

Buddhika is keen to take Sri Lankan music to the world with a style similar to K-Pop and Yellow Beatz began as a result of that vision. With that same aim, we all work together as one team.

“Although it was a little challenging for the four of us girls to work together at first, we have united for our goal and continue to work very flexibly and with dedication. Our parents and families also give their continuous blessings and support for this project,” Rameesha, Dinushi, Newansa and Risuri said.

Last year, Yellow Beatz released their first original song, ‘Ihirila’ , and with everything happening this year, they are also preparing for their first album.