Features

Scholars and Gentlemen

Published

2 years ago

2024/06/23

(Excerpted from Selected Journalism by HAJ Hulugalle)

There are now a large number of scholarships for education abroad, including many given by foreign governments and institutions. Fifty years ago (this article was written in 1976) there were only two scholarships (before that, only one) awarded on the results of the Intermediate examination held in Colombo by the London University. If I remember correctly they were worth Stg. 400 per annum for three years.

Young people of those days were just as keen as their successors of today to travel and to study abroad. But, with some exceptions, they came back to pursue their careers at home. Rich parents sent the more promising among their progeny to Oxford and Cambridge, to medical schools in the United Kingdom, and to the Inns of Court in London so that they could become barristers who had the right to practise in Ceylon.

A poor boy had to win one of the university scholarships to study abroad. Recalling the names of scholarship winners of the past, one is impressed by the number who reached the top in the professions, government service and public life. They were an intellectual elite. Among the judges, for example, there were Thomas de Sampayo, M.T. Akbar, V. M. Fernando and Arthur Wijewardene, among doctors Marcus Fernando, Lucian de Zilwa and Frank Grenier; and among Civil Servants Ponnambalam Arunachalam, Paul E. Pieris, Edmund Rodrigo, Arthur Ranasinghe and L.J. Seneviratne, the last two being my contemporaries.

Earlier, the Civil Service examinations were held only in London. Later there was an examination held in Colombo. Doubtless the papers were corrected in London. The results of the London examination were in three categories, according to the order of merit. The top layer went into the Home Civil Service, the next to India and the last to the Colonies. But one could choose to step down.

The Indian Civil Service took from Ceylon L.H. Arndt, A M. G. Tampoe, Elmar Mack, Donald Ratnam and M. Ramalingam.

Vincent del Tufo was selected for the Home Civil Service, in which he distinguished himself, winding up his career as British High Commissioner in Malaya.

Ponnambalam Arunachalam and Paul Pieris were bright stars of the Ceylon Civil Service. They had many interests and wrote books. Arunachalam was not made a Government Agent because of the colour of his skin. Instead he was appointed Registrar-General, in which office he did much research and wrote valuable reports. He was nominated to the Legislative Council as an Official Member, and was also a member of the Governor’s Executive Council. His style was cramped even so, and on his retirement he took to politics. He was one of the pioneers of the Reform Movement and was the first president of the Ceylon National Congress. James Pieris, who followed him as president, was also a university scholar.

In the same year that Arunachalam became a member of the Ceylon Civil Service, Cecil John Reginald Le Mesurier came out to join the same service. His father was a Channel Islander and his mother a Greek. He was the author of the Manual of the Nuwara Eliya District, established a peasant colony called Demasuriyagama, and was the joint author with T.B. Panabokke of a translation into English of the “Niti-Niganduwa”.

Le Mesurier is, however, best remembered for a matrimonial jumble which lost him his job. He was sued for a separation by his wife, whereupon he became a Mohammedan to enable him to marry again. He adopted the name of Abdul Hamid while his second wife, Alice, called herself Quadra. The result is best told in his own words:-

“On the 19th December last, I got a letter from the Government Agent asking me to state distinctly whether I had embraced the Mohammedan faith, and whether I had married a lady according to Mohammedan rites. I wrote in reply to the inquiry what concern my religion was to the Ceylon Government, and how it affected my efficiency or character as a public servant, and what concern my domestic affairs were to the Ceylon Government. On the 8th of this month I got a letter to say that the Lieutenant-Governor, being satisfied, that I had purported to marry a lady by Mohammedan rites while I had a legal wife alive and not divorced her in pursuance of instructions from the Secretary of State dismissed me from the Ceylon Civil Service”.

In general, Civil Servants were regarded as very desirable sons-in-law. But Arunachalam’s brother Ramanathan, was determined to be a lawyer. In due course he became Solicitor-General and after his retirement entered the political scene. He was elected to the Legislative Council to represent the “educated Ceylonese”. In his old age he gave much of his time to religion and philosophy. The 125th anniversary of his birth falls on the 10th of this month (April 1976).

Ramanathan sat the advocates’ examination with Harold Creasy and Joseph Grenier. Creasy himself entered the Legislative Council as the “European Member” and took up the cause of many Sinhalese Buddhist leaders who were wrongfully imprisoned in 1915. His father, Sir Edward Creasy, the Chief Justice, travelled to Jaffna for the bi-annual sessions in a palanquin.

After the exam, according to Grenier, “we were asked to come back a week hence, which happened, I think, to be a Monday. At two o’clock, at the adjournment for lunch, Ramanathan and I were summoned to the Law Library, which was a small room with very few books in it, next to the Chief Justice’s chambers. Ramanathan was very calm and composed, as he always is even in the most trying circumstances, but I was in a considerable state of excitement as I felt that my future would depend on the announcement to be made within the next few minutes.

We saw at the doorway the huge, burly figure of the Chief Justice, with his leaning head and piercing eyes, and heard him say, in his sonorous voice: `Gentlemen, I am glad to say that all three of you have passed’…. Need I add that I was overjoyed? I said to myself: ‘You were a teacher barely three months ago drawing a salary of Rs.30 a month, and today you are an advocate of the Supreme Court with the possibility before you of making your thousands a year”.

Leading lawyers like Fredrick Dornhorst and H.J.C. Pereira spent years in England during their careers. “H.J.C- came from a brilliant family which produced Mr. Justice Walter Pereira and R.L. Pereira, among others. He was recognized as the lion of the Ceylon Bar, greatly respected by English Attorneys-General such as Sir Anton Bertram and Sir Henry Gollan. He was president of the Ceylon National Congress in 1921-23. He made a felicitous speech when Mrs. Sarojini Naidu, the Indian poet, visited Ceylon, calling her the sweet singing bird of India. His holidays in England were beneficial to the national movement of Ceylon because when some plea had to be made to the Secretary of State for the Colonies he was always available. All that was needed was a telegram from Colombo.

Ceylon is now not in a position to allow freedom of movement to all and sundry to travel and holiday abroad. The foreign exchange position does not permit it. But it is this very lack of freedom which makes so many professional men leave the country and work even where they may be second-class citizens.

The summary of the report of a sub-committee of the Cabinet recently published by the Press deals with the flight of talent from Ceylon. It would appear that last year over 300 professionally qualified persons left for employment abroad, bringing the total to well over 2,000 in the last five years. Around 700 doctors and 300 engineers have gone during this period. The trend continues despite certain concessions made by the Government in respect of leave facilities, use of exchange earned abroad and issue of passports for longer periods.

It is probable that the exodus is largely due to economic reasons. There is no easy solution to the problem. A young man has to think of his own career and a parent is not always the best person to advise him. I declare my interest in saying that. Three of my own children work abroad and visit me when they can. Life has to be enjoyed, not merely endured. There is a human problem in each case and it is only under dictatorships that it is completely ignored.

(This was first published in April 1976)

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Features

Crucial test for religious and ethnic harmony in Bangladesh

Published

3 hours ago

2026/02/12

Sahan Weerasooriya

A political protest that led to governmental change in Bangladesh mid last year. (photograph: imago)

Will the Bangladesh parliamentary election bring into being a government that will ensure ethnic and religious harmony in the country? This is the poser on the lips of peace-loving sections in Bangladesh and a principal concern of those outside who mean the country well.

The apprehensions are mainly on the part of religious and ethnic minorities. The parliamentary poll of February 12th is expected to bring into existence a government headed by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Islamist oriented Jamaat-e-Islami party and this is where the rub is. If these parties win, will it be a case of Bangladesh sliding in the direction of a theocracy or a state where majoritarian chauvinism thrives?

Chief of the Jamaat, Shafiqur Rahman, who was interviewed by sections of the international media recently said that there is no need for minority groups in Bangladesh to have the above fears. He assured, essentially, that the state that will come into being will be equable and inclusive. May it be so, is likely to be the wish of those who cherish a tension-free Bangladesh.

The party that could have posed a challenge to the above parties, the Awami League Party of former Prime Minister Hasina Wased, is out of the running on account of a suspension that was imposed on it by the authorities and the mentioned majoritarian-oriented parties are expected to have it easy at the polls.

A positive that has emerged against the backdrop of the poll is that most ordinary people in Bangladesh, be they Muslim or Hindu, are for communal and religious harmony and it is hoped that this sentiment will strongly prevail, going ahead. Interestingly, most of them were of the view, when interviewed, that it was the politicians who sowed the seeds of discord in the country and this viewpoint is widely shared by publics all over the region in respect of the politicians of their countries.

Some sections of the Jamaat party were of the view that matters with regard to the orientation of governance are best left to the incoming parliament to decide on but such opinions will be cold comfort for minority groups. If the parliamentary majority comes to consist of hard line Islamists, for instance, there is nothing to prevent the country from going in for theocratic governance. Consequently, minority group fears over their safety and protection cannot be prevented from spreading.

Therefore, we come back to the question of just and fair governance and whether Bangladesh’s future rulers could ensure these essential conditions of democratic rule. The latter, it is hoped, will be sufficiently perceptive to ascertain that a Bangladesh rife with religious and ethnic tensions, and therefore unstable, would not be in the interests of Bangladesh and those of the region’s countries.

Unfortunately, politicians region-wide fall for the lure of ethnic, religious and linguistic chauvinism. This happens even in the case of politicians who claim to be democratic in orientation. This fate even befell Bangladesh’s Awami League Party, which claims to be democratic and socialist in general outlook.

We have it on the authority of Taslima Nasrin in her ground-breaking novel, ‘Lajja’, that the Awami Party was not of any substantial help to Bangladesh’s Hindus, for example, when violence was unleashed on them by sections of the majority community. In fact some elements in the Awami Party were found to be siding with the Hindus’ murderous persecutors. Such are the temptations of hard line majoritarianism.

In Sri Lanka’s past numerous have been the occasions when even self-professed Leftists and their parties have conveniently fallen in line with Southern nationalist groups with self-interest in mind. The present NPP government in Sri Lanka has been waxing lyrical about fostering national reconciliation and harmony but it is yet to prove its worthiness on this score in practice. The NPP government remains untested material.

As a first step towards national reconciliation it is hoped that Sri Lanka’s present rulers would learn the Tamil language and address the people of the North and East of the country in Tamil and not Sinhala, which most Tamil-speaking people do not understand. We earnestly await official language reforms which afford to Tamil the dignity it deserves.

An acid test awaits Bangladesh as well on the nation-building front. Not only must all forms of chauvinism be shunned by the incoming rulers but a secular, truly democratic Bangladesh awaits being licked into shape. All identity barriers among people need to be abolished and it is this process that is referred to as nation-building.

On the foreign policy frontier, a task of foremost importance for Bangladesh is the need to build bridges of amity with India. If pragmatism is to rule the roost in foreign policy formulation, Bangladesh would place priority to the overcoming of this challenge. The repatriation to Bangladesh of ex-Prime Minister Hasina could emerge as a steep hurdle to bilateral accord but sagacious diplomacy must be used by Bangladesh to get over the problem.

A reply to N.A. de S. Amaratunga

A response has been penned by N.A. de S. Amaratunga (please see p5 of ‘The Island’ of February 6th) to a previous column by me on ‘ India shaping-up as a Swing State’, published in this newspaper on January 29th , but I remain firmly convinced that India remains a foremost democracy and a Swing State in the making.

If the countries of South Asia are to effectively manage ‘murderous terrorism’, particularly of the separatist kind, then they would do well to adopt to the best of their ability a system of government that provides for power decentralization from the centre to the provinces or periphery, as the case may be. This system has stood India in good stead and ought to prove effective in all other states that have fears of disintegration.

Moreover, power decentralization ensures that all communities within a country enjoy some self-governing rights within an overall unitary governance framework. Such power-sharing is a hallmark of democratic governance.

Features

Celebrating Valentine’s Day …

Published

3 hours ago

2026/02/12

Sahan Weerasooriya

Valentine’s Day is all about celebrating love, romance, and affection, and this is how some of our well-known personalities plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day – 14th February:

Merlina Fernando (Singer)

Yes, it’s a special day for lovers all over the world and it’s even more special to me because 14th February is the birthday of my husband Suresh, who’s the lead guitarist of my band Mission.

We have planned to celebrate Valentine’s Day and his Birthday together and it will be a wonderful night as always.

We will be having our fans and close friends, on that night, with their loved ones at Highso – City Max hotel Dubai, from 9.00 pm onwards.

Lorensz Francke (Elvis Tribute Artiste)

On Valentine’s Day I will be performing a live concert at a Wealthy Senior Home for Men and Women, and their families will be attending, as well.

I will be performing live with romantic, iconic love songs and my song list would include ‘Can’t Help falling in Love’, ‘Love Me Tender’, ‘Burning Love’, ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight’, ‘The Wonder of You’ and ‘’It’s Now or Never’ to name a few.

To make Valentine’s Day extra special I will give the Home folks red satin scarfs.

Emma Shanaya (Singer)

I plan on spending the day of love with my girls, especially my best friend. I don’t have a romantic Valentine this year but I am thrilled to spend it with the girl that loves me through and through. I’ll be in Colombo and look forward to go to a cute cafe and spend some quality time with my childhood best friend Zulha.

JAYASRI

Emma-and-Maneeka

This Valentine’s Day the band JAYASRI we will be really busy; in the morning we will be landing in Sri Lanka, after our Oman Tour; then in the afternoon we are invited as Chief Guests at our Maris Stella College Sports Meet, Negombo, and late night we will be with LineOne band live in Karandeniya Open Air Down South. Everywhere we will be sharing LOVE with the mass crowds.

Kay Jay (Singer)

I will stay at home and cook a lovely meal for lunch, watch some movies, together with Sanjaya, and, maybe we go out for dinner and have a lovely time. Come to think of it, every day is Valentine’s Day for me with Sanjaya Alles.

Maneka Liyanage (Beauty Tips)

On this special day, I celebrate love by spending meaningful time with the people I cherish. I prepare food with love and share meals together, because food made with love brings hearts closer. I enjoy my leisure time with them — talking, laughing, sharing stories, understanding each other, and creating beautiful memories. My wish for this Valentine’s Day is a world without fighting — a world where we love one another like our own beloved, where we do not hurt others, even through a single word or action. Let us choose kindness, patience, and understanding in everything we do.

Janaka Palapathwala (Singer)

Janaka

Valentine’s Day should not be the only day we speak about love.

From the moment we are born into this world, we seek love, first through the very drop of our mother’s milk, then through the boundless care of our Mother and Father, and the embrace of family.

Love is everywhere. All living beings, even plants, respond in affection when they are loved.

As we grow, we learn to love, and to be loved. One day, that love inspires us to build a new family of our own.

Love has no beginning and no end. It flows through every stage of life, timeless, endless, and eternal.

Natasha Rathnayake (Singer)

We don’t have any special plans for Valentine’s Day. When you’ve been in love with the same person for over 25 years, you realise that love isn’t a performance reserved for one calendar date. My husband and I have never been big on public displays, or grand gestures, on 14th February. Our love is expressed quietly and consistently, in ordinary, uncelebrated moments.

With time, you learn that love isn’t about proving anything to the world or buying into a commercialised idea of romance—flowers that wilt, sweets that spike blood sugar, and gifts that impress briefly but add little real value. In today’s society, marketing often pushes the idea that love is proven by how much money you spend, and that buying things is treated as a sign of commitment.

Real love doesn’t need reminders or price tags. It lives in showing up every day, choosing each other on unromantic days, and nurturing the relationship intentionally and without an audience.

This isn’t a judgment on those who enjoy celebrating Valentine’s Day. It’s simply a personal choice.

Melloney Dassanayake (Miss Universe Sri Lanka 2024)

I truly believe it’s beautiful to have a day specially dedicated to love. But, for me, Valentine’s Day goes far beyond romantic love alone. It celebrates every form of love we hold close to our hearts: the love for family, friends, and that one special person who makes life brighter. While 14th February gives us a moment to pause and celebrate, I always remind myself that love should never be limited to just one day. Every single day should feel like Valentine’s Day – constant reminder to the people we love that they are never alone, that they are valued, and that they matter.

I’m incredibly blessed because, for me, every day feels like Valentine’s Day. My special person makes sure of that through the smallest gestures, the quiet moments, and the simple reminders that love lives in the details. He shows me that it’s the little things that count, and that love doesn’t need grand stages to feel extraordinary. This Valentine’s Day, perfection would be something intimate and meaningful: a cozy picnic in our home garden, surrounded by nature, laughter, and warmth, followed by an abstract drawing session where we let our creativity flow freely. To me, that’s what love is – simple, soulful, expressive, and deeply personal. When love is real, every ordinary moment becomes magical.

Noshin De Silva (Actress)

Valentine’s Day is one of my favourite holidays! I love the décor, the hearts everywhere, the pinks and reds, heart-shaped chocolates, and roses all around. But honestly, I believe every day can be Valentine’s Day.

It doesn’t have to be just about romantic love. It’s a chance to celebrate love in all its forms with friends, family, or even by taking a little time for yourself.

Whether you’re spending the day with someone special or enjoying your own company, it’s a reminder to appreciate meaningful connections, show kindness, and lead with love every day.

And yes, I’m fully on theme this year with heart nail art and heart mehendi design!

Wishing everyone a very happy Valentine’s Day, but, remember, love yourself first, and don’t forget to treat yourself.

Sending my love to all of you.

Features

Banana and Aloe Vera

Published

3 hours ago

2026/02/12

Sahan Weerasooriya

To create a powerful, natural, and hydrating beauty mask that soothes inflammation, fights acne, and boosts skin radiance, mix a mashed banana with fresh aloe vera gel.

This nutrient-rich blend acts as an antioxidant-packed anti-ageing treatment that also doubles as a nourishing, shiny hair mask.

* Face Masks for Glowing Skin:

Mix 01 ripe banana with 01 tablespoon of fresh aloe vera gel and apply this mixture to the face. Massage for a few minutes, leave for 15-20 minutes, and then rinse off for a glowing complexion.

* Acne and Soothing Mask:

Mix 01 tablespoon of fresh aloe vera gel with 1/2 a mashed banana and 01 teaspoon of honey. Apply this mixture to clean skin to calm inflammation, reduce redness, and hydrate dry, sensitive skin. Leave for 15-20 minutes, and rinse with warm water.

* Hair Treatment for Shine:

Mix 01 fresh ripe banana with 03 tablespoons of fresh aloe vera gel and 01 teaspoon of honey. Apply from scalp to ends, massage for 10-15 minutes and then let it dry for maximum absorption. Rinse thoroughly with cool water for soft, shiny, and frizz-free hair.