Features

Memories of archaeologists Paul and Siran Deraniyagala, father and son

Published

5 years ago

2021/10/17

by Raja de Silva

In my schooldays, everyone knew of Paul Deraniyagala, ‘Cambridge Boxing Blue’, who was a familiar figure judging the boxing at the Stubbs Shield contests in the Royal College Hall. Twenty years later, I would see him at close-quarters in his office at the National Museum, poring over the remains of a man in his plaster of Paris cocoon brought from an excavation in Balangoda. This man was later known as ‘Balangoda man’. That was in 1957, after Paranavitana had retired and Godakumbure, later to become Archaeological Commissioner was in England; Paul Deraniyagala, Director of National Museums, was appointed Acting Archaeological Commissioner in addition to his own duties.

Excellent idea

At the outset, the Acting AC told me, then the most senior officer in the Department, that I was to see him at the Colombo Museum, across the road from our Department, only on important matters such as signing statutory papers. Otherwise, a telephone call would do. One Saturday morning (then a working day till 1 pm) I was working in my laboratory and workshop in the Old SSC pavilion next door. I received a visitor at about 10.30. He was my friend Charlie Kannangara from Deniyaya, where he was the Member of Parliament; he was tired after driving non-stop and wanted to take me to the SSC for a hard-earned beer. I held him at bay with magazines till 11.30 when he began to show signs of becoming restive. But it was a working day. So, I telephoned the Acting AC, whereupon the following dialogue took place:

de Silva: de Silva here, Sir.

Paul D: Yes, what’s the matter? (The Acting AC did not like receiving telephone calls.)

de Silva: A friend has driven to Colombo from Deniyaya. He is tired and he wishes to take me to his club for a beer.

Paul D: An excellent idea.

And thus the conversation was concluded.

I was glad to have had an understanding Acting Archaeological Commissioner who gave me a free hand in managing the Department. I have (hopefully) perpetuated his name in Sigiriya by referring in official documents to a cave (B7) as Deraniyagala’s Cave. This is where he had earlier discovered several paintings containing female figures showing their whole bodies.

Like father, like son

In 1968, there was provision in the Estimates of the Archaeological Department for the appointment of an Assistant Commissioner (Excavations). The Public Service Commission (PSC) gazetted the notice calling for applications, and one day five members of the board of interview (myself included) sat in the board-room of the PSC waiting to interview each applicant. I noticed that the peon (later known as ‘Karyala Karyaka Sevaka’) had whispered to each of three interview board members that there was a telephone call at the office of Secretary/PSC, next door. I was the next to be similarly telephoned, whereupon the following conversation took place.

de Silva (AC): Hello.

Bradman Weerakoon, Secretary to the Prime Minister (S/PM): Hello, Raja, Brad here. I have a message for you from the PM.

AC: Is it the same message that you gave the other interview board members?

S/PM: Yes, the PM is interested in one of the applicants you are about to interview (and he named the applicant).

AC: Brad, the post is for an officer of my Department, and I want the best.

S/PM: Understood. Anyway, I was asked to convey the message.

AC: Message received.

Siran Deraniyagala was the best applicant, and he was appointed to the new post in 1968.

Resignation and re-employment

Some time after 1979, Siran Deraniyagala found that his presence was periodically required in Germany to attend to certain family obligations. This entailed his being abroad for longer periods than was permissible by the regulations of the Government. He told me of his decision to resign from his post of Deputy AC. I informed the Minister of Cultural Affairs, Edwin Hurulle, of the situation, and advised him that we could retain Siran’s services after his resignation by his re-employment as Advisor in Excavations. There was provision for such a procedure, and so he was re-employed.

MH Sirisoma, the next in line, was appointed Deputy AC and Siran Deraniyagala was appointed Advisor in Excavations, enabling him to continue heading the Excavations Branch of the Archaeological Department. On the premature death of AC Sirisoma in 1992, Deraniyagala was appointed Director General of Archaeology on 24 November 1992, and on his retirement in 1999, he resumed work as Advisor in Excavations. He is the longest serving officer of the Archaeological Department. He has had an outstanding career, and I consider myself fortunate in having had him as an Assistant Commissioner of Archaeology.

One final memory I recount concerns my late wife, Kamala. She had met Siran Deraniyagala periodically, and once took the opportunity to ask him why he used big words in physical geography like “aeolian” in his papers. His riposte was that it was for the purpose of confusing his readers. This was appropriately met by laughter all round.

Paul Deraniyagala and his son, Siran, are exceptional in many ways: both were alumni of Cambridge and Harvard universities, both had doctorates, and both served as heads of the same government department, i.e. of Archaeology. I am aware that the son brought great satisfaction to his family in this achievement.

Siran Deraniyagala, a foremost archaeologist, has left us (on October 4) on his longest journey. The only member of his family known to mine, from her infancy, is his daughter Lily Juleff (born 1997, resident in the UK) to whom we send our thoughts of deepest sympathy. I conclude by warmly wishing Siran Deraniyagala bon voyage.

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Features

Political violence stalking Trump administration

Published

14 hours ago

2026/04/30

Sahan Weerasooriya

A scene that unfolded during the shooting incident at the recent White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington. (BBC)

It would not be particularly revelatory to say that the US is plagued by ‘gun violence’. It is a deeply entrenched and widespread malaise that has come in tandem with the relative ease with which firearms could be acquired and owned by sections of the US public, besides other causes.

However, a third apparent attempt on the life of US President Donald Trump in around two and a half years is both thought-provoking and unsettling for the defenders of democracy. After all, whatever its short comings the US remains the world’s most vibrant democracy and in fact the ‘mightiest’ one. And the US must remain a foremost democracy for the purpose of balancing and offsetting the growing power of authoritarian states in the global power system, who are no friends of genuine representational governance.

Therefore, the recent breaching of the security cordon surrounding the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington at which President Trump and his inner Cabinet were present, by an apparently ‘Lone Wolf’ gunman, besides raising issues relating to the reliability of the security measures deployed for the President, indicates a notable spike in anti-VVIP political violence in particular in the US. It is a pointer to a strong and widespread emergence of anti-democratic forces which seem to be gaining in virulence and destructiveness.

The issues raised by the attack are in the main for the US’ political Right and its supporters. They have smugly and complacently stood by while the extremists in their midst have taken centre stage and begun to dictate the course of Right wing politics. It is the political culture bred by them that leads to ‘Lone Wolf’ gunmen, for instance, who see themselves as being repressed or victimized, taking the law into their own hands, so to speak, and perpetrating ‘revenge attacks’ on the state and society.

A disproportionate degree of attention has been paid particularly internationally to Donald Trump’s personality and his eccentricities but such political persons cannot be divorced from the political culture in which they originate and have their being. That is, “structural” questions matter. Put simply, Donald Trump is a ‘true son’ of the Far Right, his principal support base. The issues raised are therefore for the President as well as his supporters of the Right.

We are obliged to respect the choices of the voting public but in the case of Trump’s election to the highest public position in the US, this columnist is inclined to see in those sections that voted for Trump blind followers of the latter who cared not for their candidate’s suitability, in every relevant respect, and therefore acted irrationally. It would seem that the Right in the US wanted their candidate to win by ‘hook or by crook’ and exercise power on their behalf.

By making the above observations this columnist does not intend to imply that voting publics everywhere in the world of democracy cast their vote sensibly. In the case of Sri Lanka, for example, the question could be raised whether the voters of the country used their vote sensibly when voting into office the majority of Executive Presidents and other persons holding high public office. The obvious answer is ‘no’ and this should lead to a wider public discussion on the dire need for thoroughgoing voter education. The issue is a ‘huge’ one that needs to be addressed in the appropriate forums and is beyond the scope of this column.

Looking back it could be said that the actions of Trump and his die-hard support base led to the Rule of Law in the US being undermined as perhaps never before in modern times. A shaming moment in this connection was the protest march, virtually motivated by Trump, of his supporters to the US Capitol on January 6th, 2021, with the aim of scuttling the presidential poll result of that year. Much violence and unruly behaviour, as known, was let loose. This amounted to denigrating the democratic process and encouraging the violent take over of the state.

In a public address, prior to the unruly conduct of his supporters, Trump is on record as blaring forth the following: ‘We won this election and we won by a landslide’, ‘We will stop the steal’, ‘We will never give up. We will never concede. It doesn’t happen’, ‘If you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.’

It is plain to see that such inflammatory utterances could lead impressionable minds in particular to revolt violently. Besides, they should have led the more rationally inclined to wonder whether their candidate was the most suitable person to hold the office of President.

Unfortunately, the latter process was not to be and the question could be raised whether the US is in the ‘safest pair of hands’. Needless to say, as events have revealed, Donald Trump is proving to be one of the most erratic heads of state the US has ever had.

However, the latest attempt on the life of President Trump suggests that considerable damage has been done to the democratic integrity of the US and none other than the President himself has to take on himself a considerable proportion of the blame for such degeneration, besides the US’ Far Right. They could be said to be ‘reaping the whirlwind.’

It is a time for soul-searching by the US Right. The political Right has the right to exist, so the speak, in a functional democracy but it needs to take cognizance of how its political culture is affecting the democratic integrity or health of the US. Ironically, the repressive and chauvinistic politics advocated by it is having the effect of activating counter-violence of the most murderous kind, as was witnessed at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Continued repressive politics could only produce more such incidents that could be self-defeating for the US.

Some past US Presidents were assassinated but the present political violence in the country brings into focus as perhaps never before the role that an anti-democratic political culture could play in unraveling the gains that the US has made over the decades. A duty is cast on pro-democracy forces to work collectively towards protecting the democratic integrity and strength of the US.

Features

22nd Anniversary Gala …action-packed event

Published

14 hours ago

2026/04/30

Sahan Weerasooriya

The Skyliners: Shanaka Viswakula (bass), Mario Ranasuriya (lead guitar), Daryl D'Souza (keyboards) and Kushmin Balasuriya (drums)

The Editor-in-Chief of The Sri Lankan Anchorman, a Toronto-based monthly, celebrating Sri Lankan community life in Canada, is none other than veteran Sri Lankan journalist Dirk Tissera, who moved to Canada in 1997. His wife, Michelle, whom he calls his “tower of strength”, is the Design Editor.

According to reports coming my way, the paper has turned out to be extremely popular in Toronto.

In fact, The Sri Lankan Anchorman won a press award in Toronto for excellence in editorial content and visual presentation.

However, the buzz in the air in Canada, right now, is The Sri Lankan Anchorman’s 22nd Anniversary Gala, to be held on Friday, 12 June, 2026, at the J&J Swagat Banquet Convention Centre, in Toronto.

An action-packed programme has been put together for the night, featuring some of the very best artistes in the Toronto scene.

The Skylines, who are classified as ‘the local musical band in Toronto’, will headline the event.

Dirk Tissera and wife Michelle: Supporting Sri Lanka-Canada community events, in Toronto, since launching The Anchorman
in 2002

They have performed and backed many legendary Sri Lanka singers.

According to Dirk, The Skylines can belt out a rhythm with gusto … be it Western, Sinhala or Tamil hits.

Also adding sparkle to the evening will be the legendary Fahmy Nazick, who, with his smooth and velvety vocals, will have the crowd on the floor.

Fahmy who was a household name, back in Sri Lanka, will be flying down from Virginia, USA.

He has captivated audiences in Sri Lanka, the Middle East and North America, and this will be his fourth visit to Toronto – back by popular demand,

Cherry DeLuna, who is described by Dirk as a powerhouse, also makes her appearance on stage and is all set to stir up the tempo with her cool and easy delivery.

“She’s got a great voice and vocal range that has captivated audiences out here”, says Dirk.

Chamil Welikala, said to be one of the hottest DJs in town, will be spinning his magic … in English, Sinhala, Tamil and Latin.

Both Jive and Baila competitions are on the cards among many other surprises on the night of 12 June.

This is The Anchorman’s fifth annual dance in a row – starting from 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 – and both Dirk and Michelle, and The Anchorman, have always produced elegant social events in Toronto.

“We intend to knock this one out of the park,” the duo says, adding that Western music and Sinhala and Tamil songs is something they’ve always delivered and the crowd loves it.

“We have always supported Sri Lanka-Canada community events, in Toronto, since launching The Anchorman, in 2002, and we intend to keep it that way.”

No doubt, there will be a large crowd of Sri Lankans, from all communities, turning up, on 12 June, to support Dirk, Michelle and The Anchorman.

Features

Face Pack for Radiant Skin

Published

14 hours ago

2026/04/30

Sahan Weerasooriya

* Apple and Orange:

Blend a few apple and orange pieces together. Add to it a pinch of turmeric and one tablespoon of honey. Apply it to the face and neck and rinse off after 30 minutes. This face pack is suitable for all skin types.

According to experts, apple is one of the best fruits for your skin health with Vitamin A, B complex and Vitamin C and minerals, while, with the orange peel, excessive oil secretion can be easily balanced.

* Mango and Curd:

Ripe mango pulp, mixed with curd, can be rubbed directly onto the skin to remove dirt and cleanse clogged pores. Rinse off after a few minutes.

Yes, of course, mango is a tasty and delicious fruit and this is the mango season in our part of the world, and it has extra-ordinary benefits to skin health. Vitamins C and E in mangoes protect the skin from the UV rays of the sun and promotes cell regeneration. It also promotes skin elasticity and fights skin dullness and acne, while curd, in combination, further adds to it.

* Grapes and Kiwi:

Take a handful of grapes and make a pulp of it. Simultaneously, take one kiwi fruit and mash it after peeling its skin. Now mix them and add some yoghurt to it. Apply it on your face for few minutes and wash it off.

Here again experts say that kiwi is the best nutrient-rich fruit with high vitamin C, minerals, Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E, while grapes contain flavonoids, which is an antioxidant that protects the skin from free radical damage. This homemade face pack acts as a natural cleanser and slows down the ageing process.