Features

PATRIARCH OF THE PRESS

Published

4 years ago

2022/01/16

by ECB Wijeyesinghe

The Ides of March are coming. Let them come. But before that fateful day, let us eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow, Herbert A. J. Hulugalle (whom God preserve) will celebrate his 81st birthday.

In the kingdom of journalists where Old Mortality takes a premature toll, Hulugalle, who is universally regarded as the grey eminence of the profession, has managed to thumb his nose at the Psalmist and to retain his enthusiasm for life.

When men younger than himself, with the ball-points running dry, are turning to get on the shelf, the Patriarch of the Press is busy at his typewriter rattling off the eventful story of his boyhood in the hamlet off Kurunegala where his father was the President of the Village Tribunal. When Herbert Alexander Jayatilaka was born on March 10, 1899, his grand-uncle, Adigar Hulugalle, summoned the astrologers, as was and is the custom even today among some Christian families. While the wise men conferred and cast his horoscope, they were horrified by the unusual features that appeared to dot the landscape of his life. Judging by the extraordinary position of the planets at his birth, young Herbert was built to defy convention all along the line.

His mother, a very conservative lady from the proud old Rakkawa Seneviratne clan was greatly worried. She was a devout Buddhist and had a little more faith in the occult sciences than her husband who was a Christian. She was a small-made woman who believed in maintaining the traditions of language, race and religion. Her husband was a domineering and sceptical six-footer, who wished to be known as a progressive. While the other people in the village went about in a hackery, Herbert’s father even at that distant period, rode an enormous Harley Davidson.

As President of the Village Tribunal this mode of transport gave him an immediate sense of importance and power even if he could not aspire to be a Dissawa or an Adigar like his uncle. According to his horoscope Herbert was destined to be a cross between Marco Polo, the Italian, and Ibn Batuta, the Arab. He had the characteristics of both men. Together with the inquisitive traveller’s lust for knowledge he had the scholar’s gift of describing his adventures in limpid prose, untouched by journalistic jargon.

HOROSCOPE

For once the astrologers were right. The young man who was groomed to be a Kachcheri clerk, was sent to Trinity College, the nursery of Kandyan chieftains. After a short spell under Fraser and Senior, he proceeded to S. Thomas’ College where he studied Science but narrowly missed the University Scholarship. He was beaten by M. V. del Tufo, the rotund but brilliant son of an Italian lady photographer. Then he took another unexpected step. Instead of building on his scientific foundation to become a doctor, he joined the Law College. He also read widely, and it is recorded that his knowledge of British politics and personalities. for a Ceylon boy fresh from school, was phenomenal.

When he took to journalism it was like the proverbial duck taking to water. Meanwhile he passed out as an Advocate and D. R. Wijewardene, who was just then dreaming of being the Napoleon of the newspaper world made Herbert his aide-de camp. He joined the staff of the Daily News in 1918 when the paper was only a few months old and stuck on patiently for 30 years. For 17 of these tempestuous years he was the Editor of the Daily News. He worked in close association with his Boss and together they moulded and mirrored public opinion until Ceylon attained her political freedom.

After that, of course, he was Ceylon’s first Information Officer and our Envoy in Rome and Athens. He has also written nearly a dozen books covering a wide range of topics, but his two biographies – those of D. R. Wijewardene and D.S. Senanayake – will probably be his most valuable contributions to the history of Ceylon.

EARLY DAYS

When Hulugalle joined the Daily News there was no Editor as such. The clever Jaffna lawyer, A. V. Kulasingham, obliged Wijewardene by sitting in the editorial chair and dictating his leaders to one of the junior members of the staff. Kulasingham was a facile writer, but not a newspaperman in the broadest sense. His sentences, according to Hilaire Jansz, the old Lake House stalwart, marched across and down the column with a certain staid dignity.

One of the things that amused the early inhabitants of the Daily News was the confusion created among people who came to the building and saw Herbert Hulugalle at one desk and Hilaire Jansz at the other. In their youth there was a striking resemblance between the slim Kandyan from Kurunegala and the gaunt Dutch Burgher from Dehiwela. Even their wives would not have been able to tell them apart. Luckily, they were not married at the time.

Both men, however, were endowed with a keen sense of humour and enjoyed the fun at being called the Heavenly Twins or the Dolly Sisters (then the rage in London). Even to Editor S. J. K. Crowther they were like Tweedledum and Tweedledee and he once reprimanded Hilaire for a mistake made by Herbert. Crowther was full of apologies later for not being able to tell the difference between a blue-blooded Kandyan and a red-blooded Dutch burgher.

As the years passed, old Father Time played havoc with Herbert’s head and the resemblance between the two men receded with their hairlines. Crowther left the Daily News in a huff owing to a potty dispute, but he retained the highest respect for Hulugalle who succeeded him as Editor. He even made him one of the executors of his Last Will and Testament.

TRAVELLER

Like the eminent Indian diplomat, K. P. S. Menon, Hulugalle had an irrepressible itch to wander throughout the world. One of the first things he did when he had saved up a little money was to take a slow boat to Palestine and the Isles of Greece whither he went later as Ceylon’s envoy. There was something about the Jews and their way of life that fascinated young Herbert. Perhaps this was partly due to his interest in the Old Testament prophets, but he carried his studies into the modem age and there was not a single Semitic celebrity with whose career he was not familiar.

Once, while roaming about in Syria he got off the train and asked a taxi to take him to Thomas Cook’s. The swarthy driver, with grizzled beard and stained teeth, drove on merrily for a couple of hours before he suddenly applied the brakes and asked Herbert to get down. “Is this Thomas Cook’s?” asked Herbert in mild protest, because there was no office in sight. “Yes, this is Damascus,” growled the driver who had brought him far, far away from his destination. The Arabs pronounce Damascus in the French style and “Damas-coos” can sound very much like Thomas Cook’s when spoken rapidly.

After his visit to the Holy Land and a close study of the Scriptures, it occurred to Herbert that it would be better to marry than to burn. About this time he had the good luck to fall in love with a good woman.

Her grand-father was a millionaire. So was her father at one time. but he had lost a vast fortune owing to a series of unwise investments. It was with a heavy heart that he had to part with his magnificent mansion, Regina Walauwa, in Thurstan Road, to appease some of his creditors.

When Herbert met Lillian.,her father, T. H. A. de Soysa was practically in penury. But the daughter had a heart of gold. Herbert had only a paltry income, but however unconventional and uncomfortable the circumstances, the couple were determined to go through with the wedding. It proved to be a copy-book marriage. Though the stiff-necked friends of both parties were at first inclined to look at it in askance, they have since then had nothing but secret admiration for the pair who defied the dead hand of caste prejudice and raised a family that is the envy of the aristocrats, plutocrats and all the other rats that tried to destroy their happiness.

Unfortunately, one month before their Golden Wedding, Lillian left Herbert in obedience to a higher call, but the fragrance of her life still lingers in her five sons and two daughters to whom she has passed on her sweet and generous nature. As his 81st birthday dawns tomorrow Herbert Hulugalle will rise with the birds to say a little prayer, tend his little garden and write a little note to his sons who are generally dispersed, like the Jews, in the four corners of the world. At present one is in Geneva, the other in Las Vegas, and the third in Stockholm. The fourth is getting ready to go to Kuala Lumpur, while the fifth commutes regularly between London and Colombo.

They are the Rolling Stones that gather the Moss.

(From Men and Memories first published as a newspaper article in 1980)

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Features

Political violence stalking Trump administration

Published

16 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

16 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

16 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.