Features

Sinharaja and the Cultural traingle

Published

4 years ago

2022/12/11

Excerpted from Rajiva Wijesinha’s Exploring with Ena

In 1983 I did not know what to expect from Ena. We went up by bus, me and Nigel Hatch who was a regular companion in those days. He was a tower of support in those difficult days and was great fun too on trips, game for any adventure as I had found when I took him along with my old friend from Oxford, Gillian Peele, on a delightful tour over the Christmas holidays

Within a few minutes of us arriving at Aluwihare, Ena asked whether we were willing to go off to the Sinharaja early next morning. There was no reason to refuse and so, after a fantastic dinner, the first of many, we were woken up at 2 am for the expedition, also the first of many.

Ena had a double cab which Sena drove. Apart from her and me and Nigel we also took along Suja her cook, and one of the girls from the Centre, Suwineetha, who was herself an Aluwihare, a retainer called Perumal and a dogsbody called Mani. This last travelled on top of the van most of the time for there was no room for him at the back, packed as it was with loads of supplies.

We drove through the night, not quite sure of our route, but after much cogitation over a map we managed to arrive at the entrance to the Sinharaja by mid-morning. There we found that we needed to have a permit. Things had clearly changed since the days when Ena had been an honoured friend of the Wild Life Department, but they did let us in for a brief walk. This was not however very productive so, after an hour or so, we decided to resume our journey and explore some more.

It was my suggestion that we go on to Deniyaya. I had heard. of the Hayes-Lauderdale Road and its scenic beauty, and Ena was quite happy to revive ancient memories. So off we went, lumbering along in the laden pick up, and night fell and lights started twinkling in the distance, and each town we arrived at turned out to be merely a village. It was around 9 pm when we finally got to the Resthouse at Deniyaya, only to find it full. The keeper took pity on us however, and said he had one large if decrepit room at the back which we were welcome to have.

So we spent the night there all together, Ena and Nigel and me and Suwineetha and Suja, and several dogs that crept in for warmth in the course of the night, as did Sena. He was far too distinguished to spend the night in the van as Perumal and Mani did. We were given a good dinner, and an excellent breakfast too, and were able to admire the fantastic view across the valley from what must be one of the best situated Resthouses in the country.

The next day was what cemented the friendship. I found Ena as keen as I have always been never to retrace footsteps, so we found another route back, across Sooriyakanda and Embilipitya. We decided then to have lunch at the Walawe reservoir and settled down there while Suja cooked a fantastic meal on a hearth she made up amidst the trees on the bank of the lapping waters. Nigel decided he would fish in emulation of the villagers and actually caught a few small creatures which were added to the meal.

Ena and I lay on the loungers she had brought along and continued to talk. We talked about her youth and her elopement, about Ossie’s DIGs and the coup of 1962, about S. Thomas’ and her relations, and everything else in the world. We continued to talk as we travelled on after that idyllic lunch, taking the road over the hills from Balangoda through Bogawantalawa. This was an indulgence which I had craved since, three years earlier, travelling with some friends from England, we had gone on this route against the better judgment of the driver and got stuck at a stream which was gushing too deep to ford. We had had to spend the whole night in the car, arriving at the estate in Dickoya we were due at after the waters subsided in the morning.

I wanted to prove that the route was not a bad one, and it certainly satisfied Ena’s and my craving for continuing adventure. Once more night fell and lights twinkled in the valleys, and we drove on and talked on while Nigel slept. We stopped on the way at the Bogawantalawa Resthouse, where some enthusiastic boys produced the worst coffee I had ever drunk — until the experience was repeated a year later, at mother Resthouse, at Vakarai, at which point we recognized the boys who had been transferred by then to the East.

Before the journey ended we had another epiphany. It was Wesak and as we passed through Geli Oya, between Gampola and Kandy, we saw the whole town celebrating, or rather all its young men, dancing vigorously in the middle of the road. It was an enchanting sight, even though it slowed us up considerably, Sena having to navigate very carefully, whilst the enthusiastic youngsters teased him by refusing to go out of the way, even while their grins as he shook his hoary locks made it clear they knew exactly how irritated he was becoming.

But we forgave them easily, and for Ena and me it was a sight we talked of for years, in reflecting about life in rural areas. It brought to her mind, she said, Ossie’s efforts to engage the police in community development, for he had told her how dull were the lives of the villagers and how it was important to provide them with entertainment and additional occupation.

We reached Alu well after midnight, two full days after we had set out, on what I still think of as one of the most important portant journeys I took in Sri Lanka. We had to leave the next day, but clearly this was a show that would continue to run. I had a friend coming out from England in July, and obviously Alu was the best place to which to bring him, not only to explore the ancient cities, but also if possible to do a loaf, as we thought of the journeys into unknown distances we booth relished so much. I had found a soulmate, and I belive Ena felt the same.

So when Nick, one of my best friends at Oxford during my last couple of years, arrived in early July to stay for three or four weeks, staying with Ena was a priority. Apart from that I had a very full programme arranged for him, beginning with the launch on the evening he landed of The New Lankan Review. I had decided to start the journal when Richard de Zoysa and I found ourselves out of jobs after being sacked from S. Thomas’ and occupied ourselves with teaching at a house in 8th Lane which my father looked after.

We wrote a lot while waiting for our pupils, while I had become familiar with the writings in English of other Sri Lankans for I had a radio programme to introduce poetry and prose which Richard would read. Those were days in which the social and academic elite looked down on Sri Lankans writing in English, and I believe my publishing some of this in the New Lankan Review, which I continued with for seven years more, proved a vital influence in making such writing acceptable.

I knew Ena would enjoy that first volume, not least for its account of my adventures at S. Thomas’ which I had called ‘Slippery Pantaloons’, since previously she had been overwhelmed by the criticisms of her sister and others who had heard only the other side of the story. But she was as interested in the creative writing, appreciative of the work of older polished writers such as Alfreda de Silva and Anne Ranasinghe but, like me, relishing most the sheer energy of Jean Arasanayagam. And over the years Ena and I would discuss avidly, which I could not do with my other relations, the writings I published.

Nick and I went up soon after the launch to Aluwihare, for me to present Ena with her copy of the Review, talk about which must have bored Nick silly over the next few days. Our first excursion from there was to Polonnaruwa, and I still remember our pre-dawn start which allowed for breakfast on the banks of the Parakrama Samudraya before exploration of the sites. We had a long day thereafter, though with a break for lunch, lying under massive shady trees while the waters lapped at our side. Ena paced herself sensibly, getting down only at places she particularly relished, avoiding the sun as much as possible.

I was reminded of that first visit nearly a decade later, when I took her to see Polonnaruwa lit up at night through a project I administered for the British Council. It had been designed to develop the place as a site for night visits, to encourage tourists to stay in the area, whereas they were used to travelling from the bigger hotels some distance away on day trips. Sadly the Cultural Triangle administration was not able to focus on this aspect, a problem I found endemic in Sri Lanka, since planning so as to involve a number of different agencies and aspects was almost impossible.

The Cultural Triangle made up for this deficiency however by unstinted graciousness in agreeing to command performances for anyone we suggested. I did not quite think it correct to ask for one for my aunt, but I thought it would be acceptable when the mother of Scott Richards, who had done much work for us at the British Council, was visiting. My good friend Nirmali Hettiarachchi, who had also done much work for the Council, was with us too that evening, February 14, 1991, and we had a delightful time watching Fria and another formidable old lady working out how to cope with each other.

Those nights were magical. The Consultant we had hired had a most fantastic eye, for stone as well as for greenery, and he lit his subjects up in different ways, bright focus on gateways and statues in some temples, highlighting of columns and carvings in the central area of image houses, spotlights from amidst greenery on the looming palace. Ena walked more than she had done for years amongst the ruins, and was also deeply appreciative of the fact that the Gal Vihare, one of the most impressive sights anywhere in the world, had not been obtrusively highlighted.

The Project had also included work at Anuradhapura, and I remember dropping in with Ena one morning on Raymond Allchin, an old and distinguished and self-opinionated British archaeologist who was working on site there. Not entirely absurdly, he felt that the Triangle was not spending enough time and money on careful analysis based on field work, but his patronizing approach had to yield to Ena’s long-standing familiarity with the site.

I only realized then, as she talked of the times she had spent there when her father was Government Agent, the comprehensive role such officials played in the days before increasing specialization led to restrictive compartmentalization. Obviously we cannot go back to the days of gifted amateurs, but it is a pity that the wide-ranging interests and commitment of officials of an earlier era, based on a strong sense of responsibility, cannot be revived.

The encounter with Allchin was in July 1990, when I was administering two programmes for the British Council that involved travel in Ena’s vicinity. One was the Cultural Triangle project, another was to provide furniture to schools. This had originally been for rehabilitation work in the North and East after the 1987 Peace Accord, but when war broke out again we could not continue to work in the three Districts originally selected, Vavuniya and Trincomalee and Amparai.

But we convinced the British Overseas Development Administration that they should allow the money to be spent in neighbouring Districts that had been affected by the war. In addition to Amparai I proposed Matale and Matara, both of which were areas I loved, and had good reason to visit. Matale was ideal for the entire Cultural Triangle, and I had spent the Thursday I left Colombo looking at what our Consultants had done with the Queen’s Bath and the proposed Interpretation Centre in Kandy, before going on to inspect furniture in nine schools in the Matale District. And then I stayed at Alu and Ena accompanied me to Anuradhapura next day to see Allchin and his protege Robin Coningham. But the best part of that day was having on the shores of the Basavakkulama Tank the picnic lunch which Ena had packed for us.

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Features

The challenge of being positive about SAARC

Published

17 hours ago

2026/07/16

Sahan Weerasooriya

The RCSS forum addressed by SAARC Secretary General Ambassador Md. Golam Sarwar in progress. (Pic courtesy RCSS)

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.

Features

OPA seminar examines Sri Lanka’s economic recovery, resilience and growth pathways

Published

17 hours ago

2026/07/16

Sahan Weerasooriya

(L to R) Dr Achinthya Koswatte, Anushan Kapilan, Dr Harsha Aturupane, Bhanu Wijeyaratne, Vice President, OPA and moderator of the discussion, and Eng Chamil Edirimuny, General Secretary, OPA, at the head table.

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.

Features

Her roots run deep in Sri Lanka

Published

17 hours ago

2026/07/16

Sahan Weerasooriya

Samantha Kay: Now based in the UK Samantha’s biggest passion is helping people, especially women, build confidence and believe in themselves Today, her focus is on radio, podcasting and coaching women Whenever she visits Sri Lanka, she says she loves spending time on the beautiful south coast, especially Hikkaduwa and Mirissa She released a song with 90s music icon Angie Brown, which reached No. 9 in the UK Club Charts

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.”