Features
JRJ begins to lose control, gets me back to Colombo and some inside stories of the day
(Excerpted from volume ii of the Sarath Amunugama autobiography)
This was about the nadir of JRJ’s administration. He was beginning to lose control. On one side the JVP which was sent underground by his fiat, realized that the parliamentary road was not immediately open to them. Wijeweera is reputed to have said that it would take the JVP 50 years to win a popular election. Unlike in 1971 they succeeded in unleashing a reign of terror after the signing of the Indo-Lanka accord which paralyzed the country.
JRJ could not fight on two fronts – the north and south – which Premadasa compared to a fire at both ends of a `flambeau’ [Vilakku] used in Sinhala healing rituals. The northern situation was reaching a stalemate since India was exerting strong diplomatic pressure which crippled the efforts of the armed forces. When the army under Lalith Athulathmudali had the LTTE encircled in Vadamaradchi, they were forced to call off the assault by the President.
The LTTE was armed and trained by Indian irregulars. The West that JRJ turned to had comforting words but was not willing to take India to task. The socialist block saw no reason to come to the aid of a leader who claimed to ‘roll back socialism’. It was in those bleak circumstances for JRJ that Indira Gandhi was killed by her Sikh bodyguard, which led to another twist in the fate of the Sri Lankan government.
In Paris we were glued to our TV sets as pictures from the funeral ceremony of Indira in Delhi were beamed on ‘real time’ to our drawing rooms. The nation was in shock and the vast concourse that assembled in ‘Shand Vana’ saw Rajiv Gandhi not only taking the leading role in the ceremony but being positioned by the power brokers of the Congress to succeed his mother, even though he was initially uncertain.
But if the power brokers thought they could continue with business as usual, they were mistaken. After a short while a new generation of tech savvy advisors came to the fore. Businessmen like Tatas, of Parsee origins like the new Prime Minister, replaced the Gujeratis like the Ambanis and a new pro-West shift replaced Indira’s ingrained hostility to the West, which was also a contributory factor for her jaundiced view of JRJ and his government.
In Tamil Nadu affairs Parathasarathy as advisor was replaced by Romesh Bandari. I felt this immediately in Paris as GP lost his clout and was replaced as head of the Indian delegation by Foreign Service officers like Dixit and Kaul. Gamini Dissanayake, who was backed strongly by the Maharaja Group, now entered the scene in a big way because as the head of the Board of Control of Cricket he could interact freely with the Indian elite who were cricket fanatics.
At that time we were knocking on the door to be recognized for test cricket and Gamini with his charm and ample financial backing, was determined to gain entry. The key to unlocking this conundrum was Indian support and that was obtained by Gamini with his customary flair. A favourable factor, which can be now disclosed, was Gamini’s links with the Balfour Beatty company, a British giant which was the contractor for the Victoria Reservoir project. This company threw its weight behind our application.
The Head of the company in the UK was the chief fund raiser for Thatcher’s Conservative Party. Gamini used the clout of Balfour — Beatty to twist the arm of the MCC. I once went with Gamini and High Commissioner Monerawela to view an early match between England and Sri Lanka at Lords. We were welcomed to the distinguished visitors’ gallery and served champagne and wafer thin smoked salmon as well as cucumber sandwiches ordered from Fortnum and Mason. By that time Sri Lanka was in the select group with test status and in that match Wettimuny, if my memory serves, scored a century.
Another of Gamin’s `coup’s was to get Sir Garfield Sobers as a coach. He was at the height of his fame and his involvement was a great inspiration for our boys. Arjuna Ranatunga who is a fearless leader, brought the World cup won by our team straight from the airport to Gamini’s house and presented it to Srima in gratitude for her husband’s superb contribution, even though Gamini was dead by then and his rival Chandrika was President. It stands to Chandrika’s credit that she took this act of grace with dignity.
Cricket brought Gamini into contact with Ram of the Hindu newspaper group and they became firm friends. I can attest to this since I too was brought into the circle of Ram’s friends. When Gamini was killed, Ram flew down from Chennai for the funeral and I took him in my car to the cremation ground. An aside I can reveal that Ram gifted high class Labrador to both Gamini and Chandrika. Though they were rivals the Presidency their favourite dogs came from the same source.
Chandrika’s dog was well known when she was President pet would follow her everywhere and was a signal that CBK was near. Chandrika was congenitally late and we would anxiously await the entry of the dog, particularly at Cabinet meetings, we could prepare ourselves for the discussion as soon as the four-footed herald ambled in and curled itself under the President’s chair. It was the custom for us to get up when the President entered the room. However, one lady minister known for sycophancy would shoot up as soon as she saw the dog much to our amusement. When Chandrika left office this minister was the first to abandon her heroine and literally fall at the feet of Mahinda Rajapakse.
Unexpected deaths
By the end of 1985 our group of friends in Paris had to two shocks. They were the unexpected deaths of Sarath Muttetuwegama and Esmond Wickremesinghe. Both were close to me and had stayed with us in Paris and the news their deaths was extremely disturbing. Sarath M. who was longtime friend and relative, had lived with his family on Siripa road just a few houses away from ours. His children – Ramani and Maitri – and ours were the closest of friends and were in and am of our respective homes.
On our invitation the Muttetuwegama children spent their long vacation with us visiting the tourist sites in France. They flew to Paris via Moscow by Aeroflot and their-return journey to Colombo, again through Moscow, led is a hilarious misunderstanding by the USSR officials. In typical bureaucratic style information had been conveyed by the Russian embassy in Colombo that Mr. and Mrs. Muttetuwegama were in transit. Officials had prepared a warm welcome to the rising star of the Ceylon Communist Party and his wife.
Imagine their surprise when two kids came down the gangway answering to the name of Muttetuwegama. To make matters worse young Maithri Muttetuwegama was waving the cowboy hat I had bought for him in Paris. I was told that the officials, loath to admit their error, had wined and dined the two children not forgetting to propose several toasts with good wishes for Sri Lanka-USSR friendship. Not long after, Sarath was killed in a road accident in Ratnapura and we lost a brilliant and incorruptible politician. His role as a brave Opposition Parliamentarian in the era of JRJ, as the lone Marxist voice, has entered the stuff of legend and is a lesson to all young politicians of today.
Esmond’s death was equally shocking. We had looked forward to his regular visits to Paris and the inside information about Sri Lankan politics that he freely provided. He was always conscious of his family’s proclivity to heart disease. His father and two younger brothers, Tissa and Lakshman, had died at a comparatively young age. In typical style he had studied the literature on heart disease, consulted his physician Dr. Thenuwara and selected Dr. de Bakey of Houston, who was the world’s best known heart surgeon, to perform a surgical procedure on him. On his way to Texas, he stayed with us in Rue Jean Daudin and a few of us took him to the airport for his flight to the US. He was in the best of spirits, and we knew that he was very keen to regain his vitality and get back to Colombo to resume his backroom involvement as JRJ’s chief political advisor and hatchet man.
Unfortunately, everything started going wrong in the US. De Bakey was planning to leave on a holiday and was ready to operate immediately without regard to an old man’s-tired condition after coming halfway across the world. By the time Esmond began to come to after his operation De Bakey had left on his holiday. When his kidneys began to fail there were no kidney specialists on call. Dr. Thenuwara was at his wits end but there was nothing he could do. Esmond held on for a few days.
Ranil managed to reach his father’s bedside after a marathon flight but Esmond breathed his last not long after. We were saddened by this misadventure, which in our estimation, could have been avoided had he sought treatment in an Asian hospital. Manu, Premachandra and I and several of the embassy minor staff organized a ‘dane’ in his memory at the Paris Vihara and I conveyed our condolences to Ranil when I met him at his home sometime later.
While these deaths cast a pall of sorrow on our group in Paris, the news from Sri Lanka was equally bad. The ethnic conflict had now transformed itself into a shooting war. Whenever I met my friends Gamini Dissanayake, and Wickreme Weerasooria I was told that in addition to the military debacles we were also losing the media war. As the Biafra and Belfast insurrections showed, the media could be manipulated by rebels to portray state forces as merciless killers – particularly child killers – and occupy moral high ground in the face of international opinion. In fact the Biafran war drew attention to the role of western advertising agencies who launched expensive global media campaigns to gain political support and funds for their rebel clients.
Today it is axiomatic that anti-state fighters need to use propaganda as much as guns in their battles, The LTTE with its tentacles in the Tamil diaspora and assiduous wooing of western journalists was winning the propaganda war. The Government information apparatus and the Foreign Service were no match for the fanatical LTTE propagandists, many of them having personal knowledge of the terror of July 1983.
Anandatissa de Alwis the Minister of Information, was ill and beset with family problems. He was also demoralized by what he perceived as JRJ’s unwillingness to recreate what had earlier been a ‘special relationship’ between the two of them.
Time had passed and new aspirants to leadership like Gamini and Lalith had overtaken him. In the Ministry, my batchmate in the CCS, Buddhin Gunatunga, who was my dear friend, was the Permanent Secretary. He was a laid-back bureaucrat who was not particularly interested in media affairs.
The Ministry had yet to play a positive role in the ethnic crisis. Buddhin may not have been in the best of health either as he was to die a few years later. In this background the President wanted me to come back and help him in the field of information at this crucial juncture. He wrote the following letter to M’Bow the DG of UNESCO and my employer in Paris on April 22, 1986.
“I am writing this letter to you to seek your assistance in a matter of considerable importance to Sri Lanka. As you may perhaps be aware, we have had to face many difficulties in the last few years due to terrorist activities in certain parts of the country.
My government has tried its utmost to find ways of settling this issue through negotiation with the different groups involved. It is clear to me that in order to assist this process of negotiation and conciliation it is necessary to inform the public both of my country and abroad of the issues involved and to create an environment conducive to a peaceful settlement. For this purpose, I intend to reorganize the information services of Sri Lanka in the near future.
“I will be greatly assisted in this task if I could obtain the services of Mr. Sarath Amunugama, Director of the International Programme for the Development of Communication of UNESCO, for a period of six months beginning June 1986. Prior to his joining UNESCO Mr. Amunugama was the Secretary to the Ministry of State which is responsible for Information and Broadcasting. He has established good working relations with the local and foreign media which can play a very important role in the present context of Sri Lanka. I sincerely hope it would be possible for you to release Mr. Amunugama for the period requested by me”.
M’Bow had extended my tenure for another four years in a letter dated August 11, 1986, which thanked me for my services and looked forward to a continuing association. I had only to respond positively to carry on in Paris with an enhanced salary. My two children were well settled in University and the overseas British school respectively. My wife was keen to continue in Paris where the family would be together and enjoy all the creature comforts.
On the other hand if I continued in Paris I would have ended up as a permanent resident in a foreign land. All my friends who remained behind were reconciled to their children marrying locals and settling down to a life in France. As parents they did not come back home after retirement or came back much later in time in their lives when they were ill or infirm. I was averse to the idea of coming back only to die in my motherland as some of my colleagues had done.
M’Bow helped me defer taking a decision when he responding to JRJ’s letter gave me a month’s paid leave to get back to Sri Lanka. This was a great gesture since the preparatory work for the annual General Meeting of IPDC had begun and my input was necessary at that juncture. I thought that a month-long visit to Sri Lanka would help me to clarify my situation and chart my future course of action. I made ready to leave for Colombo.
Rajiv and Romesh Bhandari
The death of Indira Gandhi and the succession of her son Rajiv as PM of India brought about a sea change in India’s approach towards the Sikhs as well as the Tamils in Sri Lanka. Most of the Tamilian officials principally Parathsarathy and Venketeshwaran were moved out and his personal loyalists like Romesh Bhandari, Chidambaram and Ram became his advisors on the Sri Lanka issue. Having won the Parliamentary election following Indira’s death, with an unprecedented majority, Rajiv had the freedom to change policies as well as infuse a sense of urgency in foreign -Affairs.
He was not dependent on the Tamil vote in the Lok Sabha. His tilt towards an open economy and closer relations with the west, a departure from his mother’s outdated socialism, summarized in her slogan ‘Garibi Hatao’ [Abolish Poverty], which proved to be a failure, made him a favourite of western governments and the media. I was in Paris when he made a successful state visit to France. Its high point was the pouring of Ganges water Rajiv had brought with him, into the Seine highlighting the confluence of their cultures and aspirations.
But what most impressed the Europeans was the shifting of arms procurement from the Russian arsenal to French, Italian and Swedish products. Thus French attack airplanes like the Dassault and long range guns from Bofors of Sweden entered the weaponry of the burgeoning Indian armed forces. This led to much criticism from the left leaning politicians and media practitioners who were constantly harping on the Italian birth nationality of Sonia, the PM’s assertive wife. They launched an attack on Rajiv’s purchase of modern long range guns from Bofors but could not deflect him from following modern economic policies.
This shift helped Rajiv to get western support for his initiatives in both Punjab and Sri Lanka. After the bloodbath of Sikhs living outside the Punjab following Indira’s assassination, a compromise was worked out and the Khalistan issue was laid to rest, at least for a long time. Rajiv then turned to the Sri Lanka issue with the same philosophy of cooperation, maximum devolution and a good neighbour policy. This approach held much promise and all in India and Sri Lanka were enthusiastic about giving it a chance.
His point man in this effort was Romesh Bhandari, a senior Foreign Service officer who was an amiable person unlike the dour Tamils who were Indira’s advisors. Accordingly, both Rajiv and his Foreign Secretary struck up a cordial relationship with JRJ. Rajiv called JRJ ‘uncle’ and I was aware that our wily leader reminisced about his friendship with the PM’s grandfather Nehru and his experiences with the Congress leaders of his youth when he participated in the Ramgarh Congress meeting prior to independence.
JRJ referred to his correspondence with Nehru is the pre-Independence period. At my urging he wrote an article about his links with the Congress leaders of that time. He wanted it published in India. I contacted my friend Dilip Padgoankar who was an advisor to the Jain family, the owners of the Times of India group of newspapers. Later Dilip became the Editor of the Times of India. We decided that the article should be published in the Illustrated Weekly of India which also was owned by the Jain group.
The article was published by the magazines editor Rafik Zakaria. This magazine was very popular among top elite and we were able to position JRJ as ‘a lover of India’ in the context of much anti Sri Lanka feeling generated during the time of Indira Gandhi. The fly in the ointment was Zakaria’s unhelpful headline which read “An Old Fox Remembers”.
I spent quite some time in brushing up JRJ’s image prior to the SAARC meeting to be held in Bangalore in November 1986. At this meeting the two leaders were to discuss the ethnic issue on the sidelines of the meeting which according to its mandate did not formally discuss bilateral matters. In consultation with JRJ, I decided that we should make a special media effort to woo Rajiv. I also, in discussion with my friend Gamini Dissanayake on whom JRJ was depending more on and more to handle the ethnic issue, decided to come back to my home country and assist him and JRJ in a more sustained manner. Accordingly, I terminated my employment with UNESCO with the following letter to M’Bow:
“I thank you for your letter in which you kindly inform me of your decision to extend the engagement of my services to UNESCO. I would have been very happy to accept but the President of Sri Lanka has requested me to return so that he could make use of my services in a very crucial area of his Government. In these circumstances I have decided, reluctantly, that I will not seek an extension of my contract. May I thank you most sincerely for the courtesy, understanding and friendship you have extended to me during my tenure of office. I look forward to working closely with you in the future.”
by Dr. Anushka Kahandagamage
Last week began with the disturbing news of a brutal sexual assault on a female doctor at the Anuradhapura Hospital. From the moment of birth, women are taught to conform to societal expectations of how they should dress and behave, which shapes their sense of vulnerability. This feeling of being at risk knows no boundaries—whether it’s social status, wealth, or education, women experience it universally. It follows them everywhere, day and night. Even in the presence of men who consider themselves progressive, women still feel unsafe. Ideological beliefs or personal views don’t change this reality—women are constantly exposed to the threat of harm. Even when fully covered, from head to toe, they are not immune. In Western societies, which pride themselves on freedom and equality, women still face fear and danger. Vulnerability persists, even in their own homes or among those closest to them.
In a country like Sri Lanka, ravaged by decades of war, the pressure on women is even more intense. This is largely due to the celebration of military masculinities as the norm. In general, masculinity constantly tries to distance itself from femininity. These divisions are deepened by military models. To be seen as a ‘real man,’ one must embody military traits. This doesn’t necessarily mean being part of an official army or wearing a uniform; rather, any man who adopts characteristics like violence and physical risk-taking aligns with this military masculinity model. Nearly thirty years of war have normalised and solidified these military ideals, glorifying them more than ever. In such a society, women are subjected to and oppressed by these restrictive and harmful models of masculinity.
Men’s Unions
Referring back to the unfortunate incident involving the doctor, the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) organised a symbolic strike in protest. While it’s important to acknowledge their support for their female colleague, the issue is not solved by the strike itself or by the reactive nature of professional actions that only address problems after they have occurred. The GMOA has two presidents, four vice presidents, six assistant secretaries, a treasurer, an editor, two assistant editors, and thirty-five committee members, making a total of 51 office-bearers. Of these, only one committee member is a woman, meaning 50 of the board members are men. Meanwhile, the ratio of women to men in the medical community is roughly equal, and the number of female medical students is increasing, surpassing that of male students. In this context, the lack of female representation in the GMOA is deeply concerning.
Some may argue that it is the fault of female doctors for not running for these positions, but the real reason women avoid trade union politics is that these spaces are often unwelcoming. Women’s voices are suppressed and ignored, and many women do not feel these environments are safe or inclusive. The overwhelming male presence discourages women from participating, which is why they remain underrepresented in these spaces.
As a result, the specific challenges, insecurities, and forms of marginalisation faced by female doctors are not addressed within the trade union politics of doctors. These issues are never recognised as professional concerns. The troubling incident in Anuradhapura is not an isolated case; it is part of a broader pattern of difficulties faced by female doctors, with these issues going unheard by higher authorities. Therefore, instead of reacting after an incident occurs, the GMOA—currently shaped by political agendas—should take steps to create long-term solutions to address the problems of female doctors and bring them to the attention of the government. One key step would be to create a space within the GMOA where women can contribute their ideas and share their concerns. Rather than maintaining trade unions dominated by male professionals, unions should be established that include women’s voices as well. A platform should be created where women can actively engage in politics and contribute to shaping the future of the profession.
Women’s Unions
Additionally, the female doctor has the opportunity to speak up for herself due to her professional status. But what about the women who come from humble backgrounds? Do they have a platform to raise their voices regarding their troubles? Women’s voices should never be defined by their social class, status, or profession. A woman picking tea leaves in a garden may face harassment from someone more powerful and influential, yet this common form of abuse often goes unnoticed by society.
She may choose silence to protect her job. Similarly, a woman working the night shift in a garment factory may have to endure harassment and abuse without a chance to speak out. Many women in this country lack the platform a high-ranking professional woman has to raise their voices when they experience such mistreatment. This doesn’t mean that the problems faced by high-ranking professional women should be dismissed. On the contrary, it highlights that all women are equally ensnared by the economic, political, and patriarchal systems that dominate society. We all, to varying degrees, participate in upholding these oppressive social, political, economic, and military patriarchal structures. The crucial task is to identify these oppressive models and create counter-narratives that can challenge and dismantle them.
Models and narratives that perpetuate gender inequality need to be challenged and dismantled, and women’s active participation in politics is crucial in this process. These models, which often portray women as passive or secondary, limit their agency and reinforce systemic discrimination. To break free from these constraints, it is essential to create counter-narratives that highlight women’s leadership, resilience, and power. These counter-narratives not only challenge existing stereotypes but also empower future generations to believe in their ability to shape society.
Women’s participation in politics is vital to this shift. However, political engagement goes far beyond traditional party politics. It involves advocating for one’s rights, raising a voice for the marginalised, and sharing personal and collective stories that highlight the struggles women face. This form of political engagement helps to create awareness, foster solidarity, and inspire action within broader society. For example, women’s involvement in activism and trade unions plays an equally crucial role in challenging the status quo. Activism allows women to directly confront and protest against systemic injustices, while trade unions provide a platform for collective bargaining and the fight for fair working conditions.
Maybe Cassandra is small-minded venturing to the world stage to air her personal opinions. But opinions are allowed and speech and writing permitted in this island of ours now mercifully peaceful. So, she will air her views.
Opinions on the Trump-Zelensky confrontation
Cass cheers President Zelensky after his February 28 meeting with President Trump in a media crowded Oval Office. He was put down, nay, insulted by Trump and his Vice President. He admirably held his own and did not apologise even though he was shown the door.
Zelensky but were tactful. After all, good relations with one of the two largest, most powerful and economically elevated countries had to be maintained. They did not fault Zelensky, who offered no apology to the Prez of the US. After all, the insults heaped on him for his dress, his not being grateful to Trump, etc., he was shown the door. The outcome of negotiations between the US and Ukraine brokered by the Head of Saudi Arabia are still to be known.
Not so muted were the replies to Prez Trump (actually to Musk, who seems to be the puppeteer in the White House) regards his unreasonable tariffs, the latest on metal and steel products imported to the US. PM Justin Trudeau was outspoken about the unfairness of the tariffs and replied Canada was also doing likewise and added the corollary that never would Canada be a state of the US. Even the likes of Cassandra were shocked at the audacity of Musk to even suggest such a monstrously absurd idea.
In favour of Trump
A Sri Lankan, now a US citizen, mentioned how many ex-Sri Lankans, now Americans, are of the Republican Party and so must be approving of Trump as Prez. They are, she added, the rich ex-Sri Lankans, mostly doctors who have done very well in the US.
Of course, everyone and anyone is free in their choices. Dr Upul Wijayawardhana in his article What not to do in The Island of Wednesday March 12 writes: “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 …”
As Cassandra wrote earlier, all are free to make choices. Dr W is brave to declare his admiration for a politico who is being disapproved of universally. What Cass does not agree with is Dr W, while saying “the behaviour of Trump and VP Vance were hardly praiseworthy”, he censors the smaller nation Ukrainian: “but Zelensky did what exactly he should not do. After all, he was on a begging mission and beggars can’t be choosers! He behaves like professional beggars in Colombo who throw money back when you give a small amount!” Cass disagrees with Dr W. Zelensky was on a visit to sign an agreement for the US to exploit Ukraine’s mineral deposits; tied up with aid and arms to war against Russia but not on a begging mission per se. And they were both Presidents so there cannot be superiority at such a meeting.
Banker to Prime Minister
Looks very much like Canada is girding up its loins to fight an aggressive USA or rather the combination of Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Justin Trudeau has given notice he wishes to relinquish his premiership to spend more time with his family. And, his and the Liberal Party’s choice to vote as leader of the Party and thus PM designate is an ex-banker. No intelligence is needed to guess why this choice. To counter the trade and tariff wars instigated by Trump.
The Liberal Party of Canada, founded in 1867, is the longest serving and oldest active federal political party and had dominated federal politics in Canada for much of its history, holding power for almost 70 years in the last century. Pierre Trudeau’s name stands out as Party Leader and PM from 1968 to 79 and 1980 to 84. Son Justin held power from 2015. From March 14, 2025, Mark Carney will hold the fort, mostly against the economically conquering and property eyeing Trump.
Born in 1965 in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, Carney was raised in Edmonton, Alberta. He graduated in economics from Harvard University in 1988 and earned a Master’s degree and doctorate from the University of Oxford in 1993 and ‘95. After holding various positions at Goldman Sachs, he joined the Bank of Canada as Deputy Governor in 2003. The next year he was named senior associate deputy minister for the Department of Finance Canada. He was head of the Canadian Central Bank until 2013, after which he was appointed Governor of the Bank of England, leading it through Brexit and the Covid lockdown. He left in 2020.
Listening to a couple of videos of his acceptance speech as Leader, Liberal Party, he appeared to be of statesman quality. He is married to Diana Fox, an economist he met in London. They have four daughters, the eldest an ardent environmentalist.
Farewell of Trudeau
Cass listened to a video recording of Justin Trudeau’s farewell address to the Liberal Party. It was noteworthy. His teenage daughter introduced him and said he had given his life to the Liberal Party and Canada and it was now important that he spend undivided time with his family of wife and three children
Justin Pierre James Trudeau was born in 1971 in Ottawa, the eldest son of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Holds a BA degree in English from McGill University and a BEd from the University of British Columbia. He taught in secondary school until in 2008 he was elected an MP and in 2013 as leader of the Liberal Party and Prime Minister in 2015, the second youngest PM in Canadian history.
As Cass mentioned, his farewell speech was excellent, speaking alternatively in French and English with French portions translated to English. He recalled all that Canada had achieved: true democracy and people’s rights, including women’s right to choose what they wanted in their lives. He said Canada could and would meet challenges, even fight for its sovereignty as Canadians, even the indigenous, united.
In conclusion, Cass surmises the world is still in uproar, in contrast to Sri Lanka. No, that is not true. Doctors are on strike as she writes, extending their one day of stoppage of work, demanding greater protection for women medical personnel. Good demand but bad to strike.
And the Batalanda problem surfaces itself.
By Admiral Ravindra C Wijegunaratne
WV, RWP& Bar, RSP, VSV, USP, NI (M) (Pakistan), ndc, psn, Bsc (Hons) (War Studies) (Karachi) MPhil (Madras)
Former Navy Commander and Former Chief of Defense Staff
Former Chairman, Trincomalee Petroleum Terminals Ltd
Former Managing Director Ceylon Petroleum Corporation
Former High Commissioner to Pakistan
(Extract from book “THOSE WERE THE DAY”)
It was in 1984, 41 years ago, that I returned to Sri Lanka, from India, after completing my Sub Lieutenant Technical course. My new appointment was at the Northern Naval Command and I was based in SLNS Elara shore establishment, in Karainagar.
Six batchmates of mine were also transferred to the North. It was in mid-1984. I now feel that transferring seven batchmates—boisterous Sub Lieutenants—was a very big mistake on the part of the Navy. We had just completed three and a half years in service. Whatever the situation, our parties went on till late at night. Thanks to the Indian food, which we ate for nine months, all of us were very thin.
It is believed that if you want to gain weight you have to drink toddy from the same palm, every day, before lunch. So, we owned one palm each at the Karainagar base. Our toddy tapper, Kandaiah, was paid 30 rupees every month (one rupee per day per one bottle). Kandaiah will mark our bottles and hand them over to the Officers Mess steward to keep them in the refrigerator. (The Navy Officers Mess is called the Ward Room in the Navy parlance). The Naval base in Karinagar, followed the “summer routine” due to the very hot weather in Jaffna. The working hours were from 07.30 hrs to 13.30 hrs. We gathered for lunch around 14.30 hrs, after all the senior officers had left. First, the bottle of fresh chilled Thal toddy, then delicious Navy lunch with sea food or mutton, followed by fruit salad or caramel pudding.
After our heavy lunch, we will rest for one hour in very warm weather and then go to the basketball or tennis courts by 16.00 hrs. Games would go on till sunset. Whether we gained weight that way is a moot question. Soon our ‘Christmas’ came to an end. We were detailed to ‘Mothership-daughter craft operation’. Seven sub-Lieutenants were in Command of seven boats, fiberglass dinghies (FGDs) fitted with 40 HP Out Board Motors. (OBMs). They move faster than fishing boats and our mission was to be attached to bigger ships (Gunboat, OPV or to trawler A521 ) and chase away any Indian bottom trawlers poaching in Sri Lankan waters and catch any smuggling or terrorist boat coming from India. Terrorists camps were situated in the Tamilnadu coast at that time. On 1 July 1984, (Sunday), my crew consisting of three junior sailors were due to proceed to sea. Senior most among my sailors was Leading Seaman Hibutugoda with eight years’ experience in the Navy. Able Seaman Buddhakorale, Marine Engineering Mechanic Bandara and I had been in service for less than four years. I was leading this young boat crew to action. During the daily briefing, I was told our boat was to join SLNS Jayasagara. (Offshore Patrol Vessel) anchored off Kachchativu on the Indo-Sri Lanka International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) by afternoon.
It was a fairly long sea journey for an FGB fitted with 40HP OBM. But that is how we started fighting terrorists out at sea in 1984!
We left the Karainagar base soon after breakfast at 07.00 hrs and reached Nainativu (Nagadeepa temple) pier by 09.30 hrs. I met Podi Hamudruwo, (a young priest) who was my close friend and worshipped the place, which the Buddha visited. Then we had tea at our Naval Detachment and proceeded back to sea. It was the height of the South West monsoon and usually sea South of Delft Island was very rough during this period. The funnel effect of Delft channel further made the sea even more furious. Leading Seaman . suggested that we turn back and return to base due to rough seas. I was not in agreement. Young and enthusiastic, I was determined to intercept terrorist craft or a smuggling boat in my first patrol on a FGD. So, we continued at a slower speed heading towards SLNS Jayasagara. Our only Navigational aid was a boat magnetic compass. The sea was very rough. As per my calculations, we should reach Mothership (SLNS Jayasagara) by noon.
We packed all our weapons and radio set in polythene covers and kept them safely under the bow- locker of the boat. We were riding the head sea, which tossed our boat up and down like a rubber ball. By 13.00 hrs, I knew something was wrong. Mother ship was not in sight, which was unbelievable. Our efforts to contact mother ship by our 10 Watts radio Communication set was unsuccessful. When we sighted the tall radio mast of Danuskodi (India), we realised that we had come too far away from the Mothership. (Later, we learnt the Mothership had moved to the North of Delft Island due to rough seas and the Naval base at Karainagar had failed to inform them of our departure). We were in Indian waters! We immediately turned back to our reciprocal course and headed towards Nainativu, none of these Islands were within our sight. All our calculations were done on the basis of our speed, boat compass directions and a photocopy of the Northern area sea chart.
The situation took a turn for the worse. After we started heading towards Sri Lankan waters, the wind and the sea coming from the stern of the boat made the handling of the vessel on a steady course extremely difficult. After a few minutes, waves broke on to boat, which started sinking. We jumped off. Marine Engineering Mechanic Bandara held on to a lifejacket. Others were swimming in various directions. The boat disappeared in deep waters within a few minutes. Wooden floorboards of the boat were floating. I grabbed one wooden floorboard and gathered others around it.
Now we were all together. Bandara was a non-swimmer and he wore a life jacket. Others were in a state of shock, even though they could swim. What they saw around them was only the sea with no land in sight.
What about me? I am a good swimmer thanks to Late Master Chief Petty Officer (PTI) PPR Silva, who was our swimming instructor during our cadet time. Further, my training at Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC), Dartmouth, UK, where Royal Navy takes ‘survival at sea’ training very seriously. They put you in a life raft and keep you out at river Dart for a whole night during winter. Midshipmen from Asian and African countries who did the International Midshipman Course at BRNC with me cursed the Royal Navy instructors the whole night for keeping us exposed to very cold weather in river Dart. I realised the importance of that training in BRNC. However, the situation there was different. We were on a liferaft in River Dart, and not floating in water. Due to the cold weather in the UK during winter, if you fall into water, you will survive only a few minutes. You will die of hypothermia. The situation here in warm Sri Lankan/Indian waters is different. We would survive a longer period, maybe 24 hours.
I ordered all the sailors to stay together by holding on to the floor board and reassured them that help would be forthcoming even though I knew it would take hours to both CO SLNS Jayasagara, my CO SLNS Elara and Commander Northern Naval Area to realise our boat was lost at sea and to initiate Search and Rescue (SAR) mission. Then, I ensured that Bandara was comfortable with his life jacket. I instructed my sailors to just hang on to the wooden floorboard, not to expend energy by trying to swim. My instructions and reassurance had a calming effect on the sailors. We were riding waves, holding onto the floorboards. I told my sailors that a rescue team would come searching for us before sunset. Time as per my waterproof watch was 14.00 hrs.
I had one fear. After returning from India a few weeks back, I watched Steven Spielberg’s award-winning film ‘Jaws’, on man-eating great white sharks. The film is based on Peter Benchley’s 1974 novel JAWS. I thought such a shark would appear and swallow one of us whole. Further I knew for sure that there were no man-eating Sharks in our waters, but silently prayed that sunset would come fast in the hope that sharks would not see us in the dark.
Thankfully, at sun set, we saw an SLAF Aircraft on the horizon. It was patrolling along the India-Sri Lanka IMBL. We were in the Indian waters. Our morale went down to the lowest with sunset. No search would be conducted at night because aircraft and ships/boats could not sight us. We had to keep going. I told the sailors, “The aircraft must have seen us, but as you know, help would not come at night. We should somehow survive till next morning July 2, 1984)”. Something told me I was hoping for the impossible.
I prayed that it would not be the last sunset I was watching. I thought of my parents, my brothers and sisters, especially my sister closest to me, Lalani. who would die in an accident in Russia two years later. She was so close to me and I was her hero in uniform. I was determined to live and keep my sailors alive till morning.
As soon as the sun set, the new moon rose. The new moon was in the waxing crescent phase with only 7% illumination. That meant we were heading for a very dark night. I started singing, joined by my sailors. Leading Seaman Hibutugoda grabbed the ‘mike’ from me. He is a very good singer. I regretted having disregarded his advice that we turn back at Nainativu. A wonderful sailor, he mentioned it again. I respect him even today for his discipline. They were “old school” sailors who believed that”officers were always right”. The new moon started dipping down by the time Hibutugoda stopped singing. I wished if I had my hip flask was filled with rum. If I had been able to give him a tot, Hibutugoda would have gone on singing till dawn.
It became one of the darkest nights after the moon set at 9.00 pm. It was so dark that we could barely see each other. During my training at BRNC, I learnt that our body temperature was in water for a long time and body fluids transferred to sea water by natural osmosis; we would get dehydrated, feel drowsy and then drown. I was worried about my sailors, specially of Bandara, who started shivering. I told the sailors to keep talking and if anyone felt drowsy to inform others without falling asleep. I had the worst fear that one of them would feel drowsy and drown. To keep them alert, I showed them how to find North by reading stars and how to trace the star- conciliation of ‘Orion’.
Then, I asked them to count stars, and anyone whose count was the same as mine, would get a bottle of rum from me when we reached the base. They kept counting and recounting stars!It was the longest night in my life. The sunrise of 2nd July 1984 was the most beautiful one I have seen. I suddenly realized 1st July was Sunday and Indian trawlers would not go fishing on Sundays.
Morale, however, was up with the sunrise. I saw a few smiles. We did something unbelievable. We survived one whole night in water! We had broken all previous records by the Sri Lanka Navy on survival.
I saw Kachchativu Island on the horizon, where a small church was built by a fisherman, who was a survivor of a storm, and dedicated it to St. Anthonys. We were too weak to swim towards the island. I told my sailors that help would come soon. I am a Buddhist and firm believer in God Skanda (God Kataragama) and St. Anthony. When we get a sea appointment, we go to St. Anthony Church, Kochikade and light a candle because St. Anthony is the Saint who looks after seafarers like us. Our ships in the Colombo harbour, before proceeding to the sea on patrol first, turn towards St. Antony’s Church to invoke its blessings. Before taking over my sea appointment in the North, I lit a candle there. I prayed to St. Antony.
A book written by the late
W. T. Jayasinghe, the former External Affairs and Defence Secretary, titled, Kachchativu: And the Maritime Boundary of Sri Lanka, says: “The sea surrounding Kachchativu are
fertile fishing grounds and fishermen from Sri Lanka have from time immemorial been venturing into these waters. It is recorded that fishermen of Point Pedro went as far as Kachchativu to catch turtles during particular seasons.
The Portuguese administered Kachchativu as part of Jaffna and Sri Lanka has been exercising sovereignty and jurisdiction over Kachchativu and its adjacent waters without interruption.” (Page 18)
We were very weak by morning. Around 9.00 hrs / July 2, 1984, we saw a fishing trawler at a distance. They saw us floating and came towards us. I silently prayed again that it should not be an Indian trawler. We the SLN are not the best friends of Indian trawlers poaching in our waters.
It was a Sri Lankan trawler which came from Gurunagar. They took us on board. I looked at my waterproof watch. Time was 10.20 hrs. We had been floating for 20 hours and 20 minutes. All of us survived. The Tamil fishermen were very kind to us. They gave us water to drink, which tasted very sweet. We had not taken any water or food for almost 24 hrs. Most of us were shivering from the cold and had signs of dehydration. The fishermen gave us sugar and bread. This was the breakfast of these humble people. I ate a piece of bread with sugar with tears in my eyes.
I thanked St Antony for being kind to us. I was determined to come back to the small St Antony’s Church in Kachchativu soon to light a candle. Soon we were spotted by a SLN ship. The happy news communicated to the Naval Base, Karainagar “Ravi and his boys are safe. We are bringing them home”. A reception at the Naval base was unbelievable, led by my senior batch Lieutenant Parakrama Samaraweera (Pol Samare or Nalaka who died in Mullaitivu in 1996) and six of my batch mates. All these happened when I was a 21-year old, way back in 1984. Thank god for allowing me to live. Thanks St. Anthony
My mother was 82-years old and she broke her hip in 2017, when I was Navy Commander. She gave me most of the valuable documents she was keeping with her. One of those documents was my horoscope, written by a world-famous astrologer who was a very close friend of my late father. My horoscope was written only up to 1st July 1984, and the astrologer had said the remaining part of it would be completed some other day. My late father or mother did not know why the astrologer had postponed writing the second part. Now, I know why he did so. However, I survived on July 1, 1984.
When I was the Navy Commander, I was given the opportunity by His Lordship, Rt Rev Dr Justin Ganapragasam, Roman Catholic Bishop of Jaffna to build a new St Anthony’s Church at Kachchativu. I was more than happy to do so. Former Navy Commander, Admiral Piyal De Silva was the Northern Naval Commander at the time. I grabbed this golden opportunity with both my hands. Piyal did a wonderful job and built a beautiful church for St. Anthony in six months. I do not miss attending the yearly feast, which attracts thousands of Indian and Sri Lankan devotees. On 1st of July, I remember how lucky we were to survive in the sea.
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