Features
Learning English at Maris Stella College, Negombo
“I was always coming third in the class – the first was Wilfred Jayasuriya and Carlo Fonseka was second”
(Excerpted from *Leo Fernando’s Biographical sketches of a professional generalist)
It was when I was nine years old that I was enrolled in a school in Negombo called Maris Stella by my eldest brother Peter, to learn English. Up till then I was innocent of the language of our colonial masters. Maris Stella imparted a solid education. My three older brothers, Peter, Cyril and Vincent were also students about this time. As we, my cousin Oscar and I used to talk in Sinhala during the school interval we had to beware of other students who were hovering about ready to pounce on us talking in the mother tongue.
One day, during the tea interval I got caught talking in my mother tongue to Oscar while another student who had the red baton, unknown to me, was prowling around for a possible victim. No sooner I received the baton I managed to find another boy indulging in his mother tongue to whom I handed over the dreaded baton. The rule in the school was that at the end of school session the victim holding the baton has to hand it back to the principal who would give him a caning. This method of punishment had both good and bad results. Good because it forced us to learn to speak English, bad because a punishment enforced for speaking in Sinhala, the mother tongue of 90% of the students was an insult to the ethos, dignity and spirit of the
One day our class lessons terminated early and we were free to go home. I proceeded to go through the Negombo town on foot as by this time my eldest brother was no longer there to take me on his bicycle. My landmark on the road through the main street was the high dome of the Grand Street church which was visible even to little boys like me from any corner of the town. Close to the church a gentleman in shorts addressed me and said something in English which I did not understand. I dared not ask him in Sinhala what he said considering it infra dig to speak in the mother tongue.
He was probably a Burgher. He kept asking me to do something for him. Finally, I used the words we were taught that morning at school “I cannot”. He still kept talking and I kept repeating the same words “I cannot”. Fortunately, my uncle Martin Rosa appeared on the scene and saved me the embarrassing situation. That gent only wanted me to drop a letter in the post box at the Negombo Post Office. He may have been somehow aware that I was passing the PO.
When Oscar and I were seen together, other students used to ask me whether we were brothers. As I did not know the English word cousin, I would simply nod my head. So we were known as Pandikutty, the Tamil word for piglings. This was because Oscar’s surname was Panditharatne and as first cousins we probably resembled each other as it happened when we were in our forties. An engineer friend of Oscar stopped his car on the road to ask me “Aren’t you Oscar?” when I didn’t recognize him.
In the second year, the fourth standard, we were taught by Rev Bro. Nizier, the Principal of the lower school and Mr. Shirley Lawrence. At the term test Mr. Lawrence got each student to say few words in English on a subject he chose. When my turn came, he asked me to say something about the elephant. By some fluke I used the word “gigantic” about this animal. He finished my test immediately. He did not expect me as I thought afterwards to use that big word.
My performance at the year-end test was good and I was placed second in the class. Those were the fee levying times. One morning I was asked to leave school for not paying fees. However, I managed to get the monthly fee from mother and settle the dues on the day after. In the following year we were lucky as our school became a free education school.
The fifth standard class teacher, Mr. Leonard Obris somehow found out that I had a good singing voice. So, he would persuade me to sing some English songs. The best song I remember was “You are always in my heart”. There was a difficulty in the pronunciation of the Anglicized French word “rendezvous” found in this song. Many years later, probably 50 years, a classmate, Wilfred Jayasuriya, remembering the words of this song wanted me to sing it. But with the lapse of time over 50 years, I could not recollect the words in order to oblige him. I learnt these songs from my eldest brother Peter, my loku aiya who in turn had learnt them from his close University friend, Shirley Fernando of Moratuwa.
Shirley was a versatile guy. He had come first in the Island at the SSC and HSC examinations and was reading for a special degree in Physics. I had later seen him singing while playing the Hawaiian guitar when he came to our home in Pitipana with some other Varsity friends of my brother. I then thought that I could improvise a musical instrument like the guitar by salvaging an abandoned antiquated Japanese mandolin which lacked the typewriter-like keyboard and the steel strings, lying in the store room of our house.
I got the strings from a fisherman living close by and contrived to make a guitar like instrument for playing. For the “steel” that needs to be sliding along the strings in order to play the melody I used a small glass bottle. All the contraptions put together helped me play some of the Sinhala songs of Sunil Santha and also the melodies of the English songs my brother taught me.
About this time a friend of my older brother, Vincent, named Aaron Silva visited our house and saw me playing some melodies on the makeshift “guitar”. Aaron was a gifted singer and actor. In the village Sinhala school, he acted as St. Francis Xavier in a school play. Before that he acted as Andare, the court jester, in a school play written by the Principal Manamalage Gabriel Fernando. I recall the scene as to how Andare ate sugar in the King’s palace. In later life, Aaron entered the cinema world and was known as Pitipana Silva. He borrowed my guitar for a few days in order, I guessed, to learn to play it. Even after keeping it for months he did not return it.
I then told my mother about it. She had visited his home requesting him to return it. Still, he did not comply. I complained about it to my eldest brother who knew about the basic musical talents I possessed. As by this time University education was free, he had some savings with which he bought me a second-hand steel guitar, which I later came to know belonged to his friend Shirley Fernando. Along with the guitar I was given also a book showing the method of playing it along with the musical notations.
There was no one who knew the guitar notes to teach me how to play it. Peter aiya had, in fact, requested the Church organist John Master to teach me the musical notations. But he could not be of any help as he did not know to play the guitar although he knew all about playing the organ. The two signs or symbols I used to see in music books and in the books of my older brothers that fascinated me were the crotchet and the Greek letter sigma, later the integral, an elongated sigma, used in calculus.
My brother Peter invited some of his university friends to spend the night at our house in Pitipana. When our “help” Eliza had prepared dinner, she had informed Peter aiya in Sinhalese “Malli. dinner is ready.” On hearing her voice, his friends had asked as to how come that a sister had suddenly appeared in the scene when they had been told that he had no sister in the family.
I still remember how Eliza used to feed me lunch with her fingers and my protest about the hot curries which made my tongue and mouth smart unable to swallow the food. I was fond of her and called her Eliza akka as a sign of the sisterly bond I forged with her. During this period at Maris Stella College, , now in the fifth standard, I had to walk about three miles to school and another three miles back to Pitipana as Peter aiya was no longer there to take me to school on his bicycle. There was no bridge during our school days connecting the Pamunugama-Pitpana stretch of the peninsula with the Negombo town. So, we had to cross the lagoon at a point cheek by jowl to the sea in outrigger canoes.
There was no charge for the men folk unless one had to take a bicycle in the canoe when there would be a levy of 10 cents. One afternoon on the return journey across the lagoon the canoe capsized. Fortunately, we did not go down and our end of the canoe, called aniya in the language of fishermen, was near the land. I was taken ashore by a man who was already out of the water. The women returning from the Negombo market with their paraphernalia were in difficulty. They were ail saved.
I did not wear shoes to school. Those were difficult times for mother to feed the four members of the family. The coconuts from the land did not yield enough income for the boys to wear shoes or well-ironed clothes to school. I used to wash my trousers and a few shirts on Saturdays so that by Monday morning the clothes were ready for wearing.
One Monday morning the short trousers I was to wear to school were still wet due to rain the previous day. But there was one trouser available, one in two colors, partly deep brown on one side and light brown on the other which was never worn by my two older brothers. Complaining to mother was not going to help. So, I took the bold step of wearing it hoping no student in my class would notice the difference.
On the Monday I wore it no student noticed the slightly multicolored shorts. So, I happily wore it on the second day too. To my great surprise and some humiliation one student, the son of a doctor, was heard to tell the others “Look he is wearing a trouser of two colors”. I just turned away. The students did not laugh nor sneer, but out of sympathy probably, turned their attention elsewhere. Probably, I guess, they had some respect for me as I could sing English songs well and was the best at arithmetic, and was always coming third at the monthly and the two-term tests.
The first and second were Wilfred Jayasuriya and Carlo Fonseka. Wilfred was very good in English in which he later obtained a degree and a doctorate from a US university. Carlo was good in English too and would pronounce English words like the English schoolboys but was always second to Wilfred. Carlo became an Emeritus Professor of Physiology at the University. However, at the final government examination held in December, I happened to be placed first. I guessed this was due to the full marks I got for arithmetic.
There were only three subjects along with Arithmetic, namely, English and General Intelligence. Later in life, I remember hearing Dolly Parton’s song about the coat of many color she sang and nostalgically remembering those good old days of my boyhood at Maris Stella where my three older brothers had their entire education in the English medium. In the final term, there was an inter-school drama competition. Mr. Obris, the class teacher prepared those of us who could sing and were good in elocution for a Christmas play.
Our play won the first prize. Wilfred acted as mother Mary of infant Jesus while Carlo played the role of Joseph and I was the narrator, the pothay gura. Our class won a trip to Colombo when we were taken to see the zoo just before X’mas. Our music teacher, Mr. Ferdinand, taught us to sing a X’mas song which I have never heard afterwards in my life. Its melody had a X’masy flavor and the only line I remember is “we wish to bring pleasure by singing in measure ……..
(*The writer worked as a senior SLAS officer in several government departments and public corporations. He is a professional accountant who took a Master’s degree and Ph.D, while working in the SLAS)
It was a few years back that a former President of Sri Lanka took it on himself to pronounce SAARC ‘dead’. Since then there have been other sections of Sri Lankan opinion that have joined the critics of SAARC and taken the solemn stance that SAARC has indeed died what may be called a natural death.
Their fatalism is understandable. SAARC has failed to meet at heads of government or state level for the past several years to take the SAARC process notably forward. Regional cooperation has more or less been only an appealing idea. No substantive concrete projects have taken off to make the idea a hard reality. ‘Inner paralysis’ seems to be SAARC’s lot. Hence the fatalism in these circles.
However, being one of the worst cash-strapped regions of the world and a teemingly populated one with people virtually left to their devices, what choices do the ‘SAARC Eight’ have other than to try their best to band together and continue with their cooperation efforts, however small they may be?
There is no escaping the mounting debt trap for many of these countries and bankrupt Sri Lanka is a glaring example, but ‘throwing in the towel’ and abandoning themselves entirely to the diktats of the strongest economies and their agencies will prove a ‘living death’ for many countries in the SAARC fold.
The gains may be meagre but giving-up on SAARC cooperation in full would prove self-defeating for the organization and South Asia. Right now, the collective intention ought to be to salvage what the region could from the tenuous cooperative efforts. Moreover, such initiatives could go some distance to generate a degree of goodwill among the Eight and help in sustaining a dialogue process.
Given this backdrop it proved ‘a stich in time’ for the Regional Centre for Strategic Studies (RCSS), Colombo, to recently host the SAARC Secretary General Ambassador Md. Golam Sarwar to a round table discussion on the unifying potential of SAARC and its future possibilities, besides other related issue areas.
Held on June 24th and moderated by RCSS Executive Director and former ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha, the forum brought together a vibrant, wide ranging audience comprising academicians, diplomats, senior public servants, civil society activists and many others. Following the presentation by Ambassador Golam Sarwar titled, ‘Reigniting SAARC: Achievements, Challenges and the Way Ahead’, a lively Q&A followed.
The above forum could be described as an act of lighting the proverbial ‘candle’ rather than ‘cursing the darkness.’ It surely is a ‘darkness’ that could be seen as daunting considering that the region’s pivotal powers, India and Pakistan, are failing to act in a spirit of accord but are engaged in bitter finger-pointing on a number of questions of vital importance to SAARC.
On the other hand, what is the rest of the region doing to bring the above sides together? It is disappointing that to date the rest of SAARC has failed to launch a major diplomatic drive to bring peace between the feuding regional heavyweights. It needs to act without delay and establish its earnestness and this effort would need to prove SAARC’s staying power in the unfolding months and even years.
In assessing SAARC’s seeming failure local opinion in particular has failed to factor in what could be described as weak leadership. Since Sheikh Mujibur Rahman of Bangladesh, the founding father of SAARC, the region has failed to produce a visionary leader who could advance the SAARC cause with charisma and drive.
Among other reasons, weak leadership accounts considerably for the faltering and stuttering status, as it were, of SAARC. Badly needed are leaders who could go the extra mile, think less of narrow national interests and work diligently towards the collective well being of the region but SAARC’s millions of ordinary people have been made to wait in vain for leaders of such stature. Instead, they have been burdened with politicians who seem to be relishing the apparently moribund state of SAARC.
Looking back, it could be said that it was the dynamic leadership factor that led to the launching of the Non-Aligned Movement and for its sustenance for a few decades. True, it could be seen in some quarters that NAM is no more, but as in the case of SAARC, the former too has been unfortunate to be burdened over the years with politicians who lack the vision and drive to unflaggingly advance the fortunes of the South. NAM and SAARC lack the dynamism and vision of leaders of the stature of Jawaharlal Nehru, for example, to give them the required guidance and intellectual depth.
The reasons are complex for there not being among us currently political leaders with the vision and the steadfast commitment to advance the legitimate interests of the South. However, it could be stated with conviction that the majority of Southern leaders have too easily caved in to the demands of the global North and its financial agencies.
These leaders have failed to see, for instance, that the largely market economy oriented Northern governments would not view with favour a centrist economic model that attaches priority to the interests of the dis-empowered publics of the South. This realization ought to have dawned on the current government in Sri Lanka, for instance, some while ago but it has no choice but to abide by IMF dictates since economic survival at present is unthinkable without the latter’s succour.
Accordingly for SAARC this should be the time for some soul-searching. Priority needs to be attached to ending the feuding between India and Pakistan since at present the material fortunes of the region hinge largely on these regional giants giving peaceful relations among them a try. This is no easy challenge to meet but some daring, visionary diplomacy needs to take hold among the rest of SAARC.
There is some sense in SAARC bringing the peoples of the region together through programs that address their best collective interests. A meeting of minds among SAARC nations could enable SAARC and its agencies to build a region-wide people’s movement for progressive political and economic change that could in turn lead to the region’s political leaders sensitizing themselves more to the neglected needs of their publics.
However, the time is ‘now’ for the initiation of these progressive changes and the voice of SAARC well wishers would need to drown out those of their critics.
A seminar, “Sri Lanka’s Economic Crossroads: Navigating Recovery, Resilience and Growth” was recently held by the Organisation of Professional Associations of Sri Lanka (OPA) at the OPA Auditorium, bringing together economists, OPA members, and professionals from diverse fields for an insightful discussion on Sri Lanka’s economic recovery and future growth prospects.
The event was held under the patronage of Jayantha Gallehewa, President of the OPA, and was jointly organised by the National Issues Committee (NIC) and the Seminars, Workshops and Programmes Committee of the OPA. The event reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to advancing professional excellence, fostering insightful intellectual engagement, facilitating interdisciplinary knowledge exchange and creating a constructive platform for informed dialogue on issues of national importance.
The panel of speakers comprised Dr. Harsha Aturupane, Lead Economist and Programme Leader for Human Development at the World Bank for Sri Lanka and the Maldives; Dr. Achinthya Koswatta, Senior Lecturer in Economics at the Open University of Sri Lanka, and Anushan Kapilan, Lead Economist at Verité Research.
In his welcome address, the President of the OPA emphasised that Sri Lanka was at a critical juncture in its economic recovery journey where sustained reforms, effective implementation, and collective national commitment are essential to achieving long-term stability, resilience and inclusive growth. He noted that the country had experienced one of the most severe economic crises in its history with the economy contracting by 7.8 percent in 2022 and a further 11.5 percent in 2023, resulting in significant economic and social challenges.
Delivering his introductory remarks Bhanu Wijeyaratne, Vice President of the OPA and Chairman of the National Issues Committee, underscored the need to move beyond short-term economic stabilisation towards a comprehensive agenda of structural transformation. He observed that the economic crisis had revealed deep-rooted weaknesses within the economy, including persistent fiscal pressures, rising public debt, foreign exchange limitations, and insufficient diversification of the export base. He stressed that addressing these challenges through strategic reforms, institutional strengthening and long-term economic planning would be essential to establishing a more resilient and competitive economy.
While acknowledging recent positive developments, including improved inflation management, tourism recovery and signs of economic stabilisation, Wijeyaratne stressed the need to advance reforms aimed at strengthening fiscal discipline, enhancing productivity, improving competitiveness, developing human capital and reinforcing governance and institutional effectiveness.
He further highlighted the important role of professionals, businesses, academia and other stakeholders in contributing to evidence-based dialogue and supporting Sri Lanka’s journey towards a resilient, inclusive and sustainable economic future.
Delivering the keynote presentation, Dr. Harsha Aturupane provided a comprehensive assessment of Sri Lanka’s economic prospects within the broader context of global economic transformation. He argued that Sri Lanka functioned as a small open economy whose performance is significantly influenced by developments in the global marketplace. External factors could not be controlled, and the country must strengthen its domestic capacity and resilience to respond effectively to international economic shifts, he noted.
Tracing the evolution of global economic systems, Dr. Aturupane highlighted the transition from ideological divisions between state-controlled and market-oriented economies towards increasingly pragmatic approaches focused on growth, competitiveness and development. He noted that Sri Lanka’s own economic journey reflects a similar evolution, with contemporary policy debates now centred on practical solutions for sustainable economic progress.
The presentation also examined the transformative impact of globalisation. Dr. Aturupane observed that global economic integration had enabled several East Asian economies, including South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong, to achieve remarkable economic advancement through export-led growth strategies. Sri Lanka similarly benefited from this process through the expansion of its apparel industry and increased integration into global value chains.
Turning to Sri Lanka’s recovery programme, Dr. Aturupane emphasised that the ongoing stabilisation process should be viewed as a national programme supported by the International Monetary Fund rather than solely as an IMF initiative. He observed that strong worker remittances, improved tourism earnings, enhanced government revenue mobilisation and prudent import management have contributed significantly to economic stabilisation.
Despite this progress, he cautioned that rebuilding foreign exchange reserves and meeting future debt obligations remain major challenges. He underscored the need to strengthen export performance, attract investment and generate sustainable foreign exchange earnings to ensure long-term economic resilience.
The discussion also focused on monetary stability, inflation management and exchange-rate policy. Dr. Aturupane stressed that maintaining price stability was fundamental to sustainable growth and household welfare, while sound monetary policy remains essential for preserving economic confidence.
Looking beyond stabilisation, he argued that Sri Lanka must transition towards a broader economic transformation agenda. Sustainable growth, he noted, will depend on expanding productive capacity through investment, technological advancement, innovation, skills development and structural reforms.
Among the key constraints identified was the high cost of energy, which continues to affect competitiveness and investment attractiveness. Dr. Aturupane emphasised the importance of improving efficiency and affordability within the energy sector to enhance Sri Lanka’s business environment.
He further highlighted the social dimensions of the crisis, noting the rise in poverty and economic vulnerability among households. Strengthening social protection systems and ensuring inclusive growth, he argued, must remain central components of the national development agenda.
Another critical challenge identified was Sri Lanka’s demographic transition. With an ageing population, outward migration and evolving labour market dynamics, the country is increasingly confronting labour shortages in several sectors. Dr. Aturupane suggested that greater automation, increased labour-force participation and strategic workforce planning would be necessary to address these emerging realities.
Concluding his presentation, he emphasised the need to improve governance, strengthen institutions, enhance competitiveness and create an enabling environment for private sector investment. Sri Lanka’s future success, he noted, will depend on its ability to move decisively beyond crisis management towards a development model founded on resilience, innovation, productivity and inclusive growth.
Dr. Achinthya Koswatta reiterated the importance of policy consistency and predictability in fostering investment and industrial development. She observed that frequent policy changes create uncertainty and discourage long-term investment decisions, whereas stable and coherent policy frameworks build confidence and support sustainable economic transformation.
Meanwhile, Anushan Kapilan highlighted the substantial progress achieved in restoring macroeconomic stability following the recent crisis. He noted significant improvements in fiscal performance, including increased government revenue, reduced reliance on debt financing and a historically low fiscal deficit.
He further observed that public debt levels are declining faster than anticipated, economic growth has exceeded expectations and inflation has been brought under control more rapidly than forecast. Nevertheless, he cautioned that the recovery remains uneven, particularly within the industrial sector and that many households have yet to experience a meaningful improvement in living standards.
The seminar was expertly coordinated by Eng. Chamil Edirimuni, Vice President of the OPA and Chairman of the Seminars, Workshops and Programmes Committee, while the technical moderation and interactive discussion session were facilitated by Bhanu Wijeyaratne, Vice President of the OPA and Chairman of the National Issues Committee.
The event was attended by Tisara De Silva, President-Elect of the OPA, Eng. Ravi Rupasinghe, General Secretary, Past Presidents, members of the Executive Council, representatives of the General Forum and professionals representing a wide range of disciplines.
The seminar concluded with a vibrant exchange of ideas and perspectives, reaffirming the importance of evidence-based policy dialogue, institutional collaboration and collective national commitment in advancing Sri Lanka’s economic recovery, resilience and sustainable growth.
Yes, for UK-based presenter and artiste Samantha Kay, home is where the heart – and the roots – are. And her roots run deep in Sri Lanka.
In an exclusive interview with The Island, Samantha says “I’m proud to be Sri Lankan. My mum is from Kandy and my dad is from Colombo, so Sri Lanka has always held a very special place in my heart.
“Whenever I visit Sri Lanka, I love spending time on the beautiful south coast, especially Hikkaduwa and Mirissa. It’s somewhere I always feel connected to my roots and completely at peace.”
Now living in Bournemouth, on the south coast of England, where, she says, she is lucky to be close to some of the UK’s most beautiful beaches, including the iconic Sandbanks, Samantha has built a career that refuses to fit into one box.
She is a radio presenter, podcast host, singer-songwriter, personal trainer and life coach.
“I genuinely love the variety because every role allows me to connect with people and, hopefully, make a positive difference in someone’s day.”
Of course, music has taken her far.
One of her proudest achievements, she says, was releasing a song with 90s music icon Angie Brown, which reached No. 9 in the UK Club Charts.
She also reached the final stages of The X Factor and performed at Wembley Stadium in front of thousands.
Beyond music, Samantha competed in bikini bodybuilding across the UK, winning several titles. “It taught me discipline, resilience and self-belief,” she recalls.
Today, her focus is on radio, podcasting and coaching women. Her podcast encourages people to live life on their own terms rather than feeling pressured to follow society’s expectations.
Says Samantha: “Whether someone is single, changing careers, travelling solo or simply trying to find their purpose, I want them to know that it’s never too late to create a life that feels authentic. If you’ve ever felt like you don’t fit into the box, maybe you were never meant to.”
Samantha Kay also spent a year in Dubai, performing at five-star hotels, including FIVE, and coaching at the iconic outdoor gym on Palm Jumeirah.
“I taught strength and conditioning classes, and hosted wellness retreats, combining my passion for music, health and inspiring others.”
However, with family matters calling her back to the UK, she made the choice to return. “Family comes first,” she says.
Looking ahead, Samantha plans to grow her radio and podcast work, release more music, and expand her wellness retreats.
“My biggest passion is helping people, especially women, build confidence and believe in themselves,” she says.
“Wherever my career takes me, I hope to continue inspiring others to live with courage, kindness and authenticity, while never forgetting my Sri Lankan roots.”
Current El Niño Status in Sri Lanka
A few showers may occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Kandy, Nuwara-Eliya, Galle and Matara districts.
Argentina face fine for Falklands banner in semi-final win
US launches fresh strikes on Iran as Trump warns Tehran it ‘better behave’
Govt. move to extend retirement ages of top judges: Opp. complains to UN
Dengue surge pushes hospitals to the brink as cases near 70,000
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
News6 days agoHerath warns prospective migrant workers not to get fleeced by racketeers
-
Features4 days agoPrison riots and politics: NPP’s biggest challenge and Sri Lanka’s biggest opportunity
-
Editorial5 days agoWhat’s the world coming to?
-
Foreign News6 days agoTensions erupt in Indian state after 11-year-old raped and murdered
-
Features6 days agoDevanesan Annan – in Memoriam
-
Editorial6 days ago
Punishment in hellholes
-
News7 days agoRepresentatives of the Organization of Professional Associations (OPA) of Sri Lanka meet the Prime Minister
-
Features1 day agoDirty Money