Features

The Joys of writing

Published

4 years ago

2022/11/20

Vijaya Chandrasoma

I would like to apologize to my dwindling reading audience who opine that I waste valuable pages of the Sunday Island by writing mainly about American politics, a subject which interests very few readers. These critics include some of my closest friends. The other day, one of them called me and said, with more than a hint of annoyance: “Why the hell do you keep writing about bloody American politics? No one cares. You are a Sri Lankan. Why don’t you write about our country and our politics?”

That’s an easy question to answer. My aim is to die of natural causes, preferably in my sleep. Anyone who has read the essays I have written over the years for the Sunday Island will be aware of my hatred of former President Trump and the despicable Party of corruption and nepotism the Party of Lincoln has become.

I have similar contempt for Sri Lankan politicians and the massive corruption and nepotism that has impoverished a once vibrant, beautiful and economically stable island. I have not kept myself sufficiently informed of the nuances of local politics. Also, my style of aggressive criticism is such that my bookie wouldn’t give me any odds on enjoying a long and healthy life, had I publicly criticized the shameful acts of thievery and corruption of named local politicians, with their private armies of goons.

So I stick to American politics. America is my adopted country and my children’s home. And I can express my hatred towards Trump and his spineless cult to my complete satisfaction from 10,000 miles away in complete safety, especially as Sri Lanka is an insignificant, third world country. Most Americans are not even aware of its existence.

I have heard from a few Lankans resident in the USA and Australia who read my essays on-line. They retain a great love for the motherland. First generation Americans, however rich or famous they are, remain Sri Lankans by emotion, Americans by document, and perhaps by bank account. I am amazed that quite a few of these expatriates, including Sri Lankans, and even some misguided souls resident in Sri Lanka, support, even admire a vulgar crook like Trump. That brings me to my second reason for writing. I am certain that my violently anti-Trump articles will annoy the hell out of them. Though none of them has challenged my vituperation, and publicly explained the reasons for their continued support of a bigoted lunatic.

I doubt if any Jews would have endorsed the genocidal policies of Hitler during the 1930s. And Trump is a wannabe Hitler with an IQ of 60.Ever since my teens, I loved to read. Not just school books. My father was a voracious reader, and used to bring books home just about every week. I couldn’t wait until he finished so that I could get at them. I especially looked forward to a weekly magazine called Argosy, which I thought, in my early teens, had the finest stories. I hadn’t seen it in the bookshops in ages, so I looked it up on Wikipedia, which describes it as “a magazine made with inexpensive paper and printing, containing shocking or sensationalist text fiction by low-paid writers”. A kind of monthly English scandal rag like London’s News of the World. The magazine went out of business in the 1970s.

To my teenage mind, however, the prose in this rag was far superior to the authors we were forced to read at school, hacks like Shakespeare and Dickens.In my defence, I also thought that novels like Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged embodied an ideology that would save society. An ideology of “Objectivism”, describing “the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute.” Yes, I was that stupid.

I grew up. But many, usually Republicans, even members of my own family, didn’t. They continue to believe in this ultimate ideology of selfishness, they don’t care “two hoots” about helping sections of society who, for whatever reason, have been driven to vulnerability. Amazingly, many continue to support a vile human being, a proven felon and traitor. And they still call themselves Buddhists and Christians.It is also interesting that Ayn Rand lived in poverty until her death in 1982, dependent on her social security checks, the very antithesis of her capitalist ideology.

My interest in reading continued while I was studying for entrance examinations to universities in England. By this time, my father and the exceptional teachers at my alma mater, Royal College, had imbued in me an abiding love of British and American literature. So, passing, even excelling at English A Levels, a basic requirement for acceptance to British universities, was not a tough assignment. As the late, lamented Lakshman Kadirgamar stated, the achievements of his, and those of many outstanding Sri Lankans in various spheres, represented the icing on the cake that was baked at home.

My yearning for reading never stopped. However, it was largely suspended at a time when it was of vital importance, when I gained admittance to Oxford. Life is full of choices and priorities, and, at the tender age of 19, reading and study were placed firmly on the back burner, while I was being introduced to the irresistible pleasures of the demon drink, slow horses and fast women. Those pleasures got me kicked out of Oxford, and I continued heaping disappointments on my parents after I returned in disgrace to Sri Lanka.

I continued reading the latest books and the old classics sporadically when I was living with my parents in Colombo. However, the most popular, and sought-after book in our house was a little black book named Timeform, which my father used to religiously buy every Monday. A book that gave comprehensive details of the breeding, temperament, form and latest performances, with ratings, of every racehorse running in Britain. The competition for the use of this book was fierce in my family. The love for this wonderful literature continued till the book stopped publishing after Covid 19, a revered gospel sorely missed by all aficionados of the Sport of Kings.

My few years working with Minister Gamini Dissanayake rekindled my interest in reading and writing. The Minister was also an avid reader and an anglophile, and had an enduring love of the English language. Which in those rude, pseudo-nationalist days was seen to be more of a drawback for a politician.

Because of the violence, both political and ethnic, rampant in our country, I was toying with the idea of emigrating to the USA in 1990, especially when Minister Dissanayake, a senior cabinet minister of the UNP, fell out of favour with the Premadasa government. He was stripped of his portfolios and reduced to the lowly level of a backbencher. In those bad old days, the method of eliminating political rivals was, well, eliminating them, but permanently. Minister Dissanayake decided to pursue higher studies at the University of Cambridge, and advised me to duck out of sight for a while. I was widely known as a loyalist of Minister Dissanayake.

The decision to leave Sri Lanka was clinched after my good friend, Richard de Zoysa’s tortured body was washed ashore on Moratuwa beach. Richard was a journalist, actor, TV anchor and anti-government political activist, who produced a drama criticizing the Premadasa regime. He was also one of the smartest, most charming men I have been privileged to meet.

So my love of reading was once again displaced by our desperate effort at survival, after the decision to emigrate to America. I really do not remember how I managed during the initial 10 months when I was alone in Los Angeles, without a permit to legally seek employment. I have some close friends to thank for my survival.

Things became better when the rest of my family joined me, also on a tourist visa. We were able to apply for permanent residence, which also came with a document authorizing employment.

After a hard struggle of nearly six years, involving working for minimum wage, the artful manipulation of credit cards and help from my mother, we were finally awarded the much-valued Green Card. We also finally achieved our premier ambition, which made the ten-year struggle completely worthwhile. All three of our children completed their education most successfully with degrees from three of the finest universities in the country. Achievements based on merit and hard work, which all the resources available to my family couldn’t buy.

I resumed single life after 30 years of marriage, and moved to Phoenix. The five years in Phoenix were desperately lonely, but Phoenix’s wonderful public library network enabled me to pander to my favorite habit, devouring both the classics and the latest bestsellers at no cost at all.

When the war ended in 2009, I decided to retire in Sri Lanka. The best damned decision I have ever made. I kept on reading, and writing long, boring letters to my children and friends, which were either ignored or replied with a few, curt comments. I also wrote, usually in my cups, lengthy epistles, insulting, hateful letters to people I perceived to have wronged me. I did not send them, though getting all that hatred off my chest was immensely satisfying. I was writing for my own benefit, a form of therapy. The struggle of an old man fighting loneliness.

I have always been interested in American politics, and was a registered Democrat after I became a citizen. In fact, I was a vital volunteer in the Obama campaign office in Phoenix in 2008, performing, couple of hours a day, essential tasks of licking stamps and answering phones in my thick Sri Lankan accent.

On my return, my reading habit was satisfied by the resurgence of e-books, and I was able to keep reading the old classics and new best sellers at little cost. Reading and working out the English horse racing form also continue to provide hours of pleasure daily. And the ability to meet on a regular basis, and call and receive calls from my old and new friends in Sri Lanka at any time, keeps loneliness at bay, a pleasure denied to even the richest friends of my generation living in foreign lands.

I started writing only when the monstrous Trump fraudulently won the election in 2016, with the help of his master, Putin. I sent one of these articles to my old friend and cousin several times removed, a senior newspaper editor in Sri Lanka for over half a century, who today is the editor of the Sunday Island. Much to my surprise, he ran the piece.

Seeing my name in print for the first time reminded me of a story related by Dr Sashi Tharoor, the brilliant Indian diplomat, politician, writer and orator, about the addiction to writing. Briefly, he says that every reader is a potential writer. And the more he/she reads the greater the potential for writing becomes. He started reading when he was 10 years old, and his first writings appeared in the print media when he was 11.

He talks of an addiction, a craving that he felt after seeing his name in print. He has since authored 18 books, mainly on India and the oppression of the British Empire. His books, and the thousands of essays he has written, many of which have been published by the New York Times, the London Times and the Washington Post, provide an insight into Indian culture and how India has evolved into the largest democracy in the world.

Plummeting from the brilliant to the mediocre, while Dr Tharoor had his articles published when he was 11 years old, my first essay was published by the Sunday Island when I was 75 years old, when The Donald was aspiring to, and cheated his way into the White House. When I saw my name in print for the first time, I was hooked. Examples of Trump’s vulgarity, his ignorance, his cruelty and his incredibly narcissistic incompetence provided me with ample fodder to write on a weekly basis. After about a year of submitting articles venting against Trump, I asked my friend, the editor, whether I should continue on this journey of hatred. He said, “Keep them coming. The hatred is shared.”

In summary, I keep writing. I take great personal pleasure and satisfaction in writing. I keep writing to express my opinions about the horror I feel that that a cultish sect of white supremacy, led by a vulgar traitor, is attempting to take control over the country which gave me and my family a second chance in our hour of need. I write to feed my addiction to seeing my name in print. I write to provide myself with a meaningful diversion as an antidote against loneliness. Most of all, I write to share with my grandchildren, already avid readers, a part of my life which will otherwise not be known to them.

They are the only reading audience for whom I write.

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Features

Why ‘Southasianness’ should continue to matter for the ‘SAARC Eight’

Published

23 hours ago

2026/09/24

Sahan Weerasooriya

Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha (at centre of top table), other dignitaries and the RCSS team at the formalization of the SAU-RCSS agreement.

At a time when Sri Lanka’s foreign policy is coming under intense scrutiny by some local sections it is only right that impartial and independent commentators shed some clarity on what fundamental foreign policy directions Sri Lanka ought to take. The extremely fluid and complex nature of current international politics renders such an understanding crucially important.

Given its vulnerabilities in a number of spheres Sri Lanka has no choice but to persist in broadly following the path of Non-alignment. That is, it should be ‘a friend of all and an enemy of none’, to the extent possible. However, it does not follow that in the process it could compromise what is seen as its national interest.

The latter point needs stressing against the backdrop of the criticisms the Sri Lankan government has been attracting from some quarters over what is made out to be some opaqueness in security and defence cooperation agreements it has entered into with India. It remains advisable for the Sri Lankan government to enter into pacts of this nature with India, but the government is obliged to disclose the contents of these agreements to the Sri Lankan people without undue delay in consideration of the uncompromisable sovereign rights of a people in a democracy.

However, there is no denying that the government should make it a central foreign policy premise to always work in cooperation with India. A consideration of what it cost Sri Lanka in the past to be in a disharmonious relationship with India and how such policy missteps worked against Sri Lanka’s best interests ought to dictate to Sri Lanka the advisability of maintaining uninterrupted cordial ties with India. Moreover, common sense ought to drive home to a country the costs of being at loggerheads with one’s closest neighbour who has also proved a ‘ready friend in deed.’

That said, it is the bounden duty of Sri Lanka’s diplomatic community or establishment to ensure that such cooperation does not degenerate into a policy of subservience towards India. That is, finesse and farsightedness in local diplomacy become prime requirements.

While India’s geographical location and physical size, besides her other strengths, contribute towards her centrality in regional and world affairs, her neighbours would be thinking and acting far-sightedly if they not only focus on India and her legitimate interests but also ensure continuous friction-free intra-South Asian relations. That is, for them collective South Asian well being should be of fundamental importance.

Much more than for India perhaps, such harmonious ties are of inestimable importance to India’s neigbours who are up against multiple vulnerabilities which are to a great extent regionally rooted. The latter could never, that is, afford to take their minds off the region’s collective development prospects.

The above are some of the reasons why it could prove highly counter-productive and self-defeating for the ‘South Asian Eight’ to render dormant and ineffective the historic SAARC organization. Rather than ‘dead’ SAARC has been allowed to drift into the ‘Limbo of Forgotten Things.’

The growing inter-dependence of the ‘SAARC Eight’ ought to impress on the collectivity the need to step-up regional cooperation in multiple areas which impinge on its members’ legitimate interests. For instance, the youth-led ‘Cockroach’ revolts, first in India and subsequently outside, should convince South Asia that it is continuing to be plagued in a major way by poverty and equity-linked issues. That is, West-inspired, largely market economics-dictated ways to see an end to poverty are simply not working completely.

Likewise climate-related questions are ravaging South Asia in unimaginable ways; Nepal being just one case in point. The rationale for regional cooperation remains valid and undefeated. It is time for revived and stepped-up SAARC cooperation. That is, the solutions to the region’s development dilemmas need to be found in mainly the region.

This amounts to making a case for a continued sense of ‘Southasianness’ among the SAARC countries. That is the conviction should be firm that they know their developmental challenges best and that answers to these issues must be primarily evolved by the grouping itself in cooperation with concerned sections.

From the above viewpoints the Regional Centre for Strategic Studies (RCSS), Colombo did very well to tie-up with the South Asian University (SAU), India, to increase public awareness on the developmental problems affecting South Asia and for initiating a number collaborative measures that aim at ameliorating them. The relevant agreement was formalized in early September at the RCSS. The sealing of the pact took place under the aegis of SAU President Prof. K.K. Aggarwal and RCSS Executive Director Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha.

A press release issued by the organizations said the collaboration aims ‘to foster research networks, partnerships and collaborations for transformative change across South Asia.’ It also mentioned that the partnership marked the first agreement to be signed by SAU with an independent think tank in Sri Lanka.

Among other things, pacts such as the above are bold moves in the direction of fostering a spirit of intellectual independence in those areas of the South facing some of the stiffest developmental challenges. Rather than ‘import’ solutions to these challenges from outside the region, the SAU-RCSS initiative aims at fostering fresh approaches to evolving solutions to problems that are uniquely South Asian.

It is hoped that the SAU and RCSS initiative while leading a to a greater degree of Southern intellectual independence in the area of development thinking would also help in kick-starting the SAARC process all over again in a major way.

What ought to lend fresh urgency to the latter undertakings are fast-breaking current developments in international politics. It ought to be perceived by the most underdeveloped regions of the South that going forward their well being would matter least or not at all to the major powers of both East and West.

For example at the time of writing the foremost among US and Chinese political leaders are meeting in the US in what is made out to be a historic coming together of sorts to address issues of common concern. It is highly unlikely that the parties would be addressing the economic preoccupations of the least developed countries. The same goes for other states that matter from the East and West.

Essentially, the US and China would be looking at ways of strengthening business ties that matter majorly for them. The South and its issues would prove to be of peripheral interest, if at all they happen to matter to the protagonists. Such developments ought to be fresh reminders to the South and their collaborative organizations that there is no escaping self-help and joint solidarity.

Features

Is Sri Lanka prepared for global literacy crisis?

Published

23 hours ago

2026/09/24

Sahan Weerasooriya

by Prof. M.W. Amarasiri de Silva

Adult literacy has for a long time been one of Sri Lanka’s greatest sources of pride, serving as a social indicator that has set the country apart from several of its neighbours in the region. For many years Sri Lanka has been recognised for keeping its literacy rates at a level like those of middle-income countries and even some high-income ones, even though it has faced economic difficulties and political instability. However, since new global research has now shown an unexpected and concerning decline in adult literacy in several high-income countries, it is important to consider what this means for Sri Lanka.

The phenomenon described by Jishnu Das, Yash Dhuldhoya and Ethan Sager, the unexplained fall in functional literacy among adults in wealthy nations. calls for a more thorough examination of the nature of literacy, the pressures exerted by the modern information environment, and the vulnerabilities that Sri Lanka might encounter as it moves towards a more digital, ageing and complex society. Even though Sri Lanka’s basic literacy rates remain high and steady, the global trend acts as a warning that literacy is not a fixed accomplishment but a dynamic capability which must be continually fostered, safeguarded and adapted to changing circumstances.

Decline in functional literacy

The drop in literacy rate in high-income countries is not due to people losing the ability to read or write in the ordinary way. On the contrary, it reflects a decline in functional literacy, which is the capacity to deal with, understand, and apply information in real-life situations. This kind of literacy involves following instructions, comprehending official documents, using digital interfaces, interpreting medical information, and making sense of complicated texts that demand continuous attention.

Researchers stress that the decline cannot be attributed merely to disruptions caused by COVID-19 or the increasing use of smartphones; instead, there is going on something more fundamental: a weakening of the cognitive and informational bases that adults need to function properly in modern society. In countries such as the United States, the percentage of adults regarded as functionally illiterate has increased significantly, indicating that even highly educated societies are having difficulty in keeping up the skills required to handle ever more complex streams of information.

Sri Lanka immune?

At first sight, Sri Lanka seems to be immune from this trend. The country’s adult literacy rate is still above 92 per cent and youth literacy is even higher. According to the 2024 Census, literacy rates exceed 97 per cent among people aged ten and over, with nearly equal levels between the sexes. These figures show the continued strength of Sri Lanka’s system of free education, a system which in the past has guaranteed widespread access to school and has produced generation after generation of citizens who could read and write at a basic level.

There has also been a steady improvement in educational attainment, with an increasing number of adults finishing secondary education and a larger proportion going on to tertiary institutions. Unlike the mysterious drops observed in rich countries, Sri Lanka’s literacy figures demonstrate stability and even a slight improvement.

However, although the surface appearance is reassuring, an even more complicated reality exists. The literacy figures for Sri Lanka only record basic literacy, that is, the ability to read and write simple sentences, and they do not include measures of functional literacy. It is impossible to tell from these statistics whether adults can interpret a bank statement, understand a medical prescription, use an online government portal, or critically assess information that is spreading on social media. As is shown by the global trend, having a high level of basic literacy does not ensure a strong degree of functional literacy. On the contrary, functional literacy can fall even if basic literacy stays the same. This difference is important for Sri Lanka, particularly since the country is currently experiencing rapid digitalization, demographic ageing, and social change.

Major risk factor

A major risk factor is the move towards digital information environments. In high-income countries, researchers believe that the prevalence of smartphones and short-form digital content may be diminishing people’s ability to engage in deep reading. Nowadays, individuals take in information in short, rapid segments by scrolling through social media feeds, quickly reading headlines, and viewing short videos. Such behaviour decreases the opportunity for sustained reading, which is necessary for keeping comprehension, critical thinking, and the capacity to deal with complex information intact.

Sri Lanka is going through a comparable change. There has been a sharp increase in the number of people using smartphones, and social media sites have become the main sources of news, leisure, and communication. Although there are many advantages to having digital access, it also results in a situation where superficial reading becomes the standard approach and could therefore lead to a decline in functional literacy over time.

Demographic ageing as challenge

A further challenge that is coming up is demographic ageing. Sri Lanka is rapidly moving towards becoming an ageing society, with an increasing number of older people who might experience cognitive decline, have less exposure to new information, and enjoy few opportunities for further learning. In high-income countries, ageing populations have led to a fall in functional literacy since older individuals have had difficulty adapting to digital systems and complicated bureaucratic procedures.

The older generation in Sri Lanka, many whom were educated many decades ago under different curriculum standards, could end up becoming increasingly vulnerable in a world in which essential services, such as banking and healthcare, are being moved online. If appropriate support is not provided, the country may witness a growing gap between basic literacy and functional literacy among older adults.

In Sri Lanka, the way in which administration and the workplace are organised has in the past placed greater trust in personal communication and on basic forms of documentation. What in high-income countries would require complex reading is instead carried out through face-to-face contact in Sri Lanka. Nevertheless, this situation is now changing. Government services are becoming available online, banks are introducing digital systems, and in workplaces there is an increasing need for employees to use electronic systems. Since these changes are happening at a faster rate, the demand for functional literacy will increase. Should adults not be able to meet these new demands, Sri Lanka might start to see the kind of decline in literacy that has been seen in other places.

Misinformation and disinformation

Another worry is the spread of misinformation and disinformation. In Sri Lanka, there has already been the quick dissemination of false information via social media, with this having an impact on public health, politics, and social cohesion. Since functional literacy is essential for allowing people to assess sources, doubt the claims made, and tell the difference between reliable information and falsehoods, a lack of functional literacy causes societies to be more open to manipulation, polarisation, and confusion.

The fact that there has been a global drop in functional literacy at the same time as misinformation has increased points to a dangerous feedback cycle: when literacy is low people become more prone to misinformation, and the misinformation in turn damages their ability to think critically about information. Given that the country has a high level of social media use and a lack of digital literacy training, Sri Lanka should take this risk seriously.

Even though there are these risks, Sri Lanka has several advantages which can assist in avoiding a drop in functional literacy. The country’s system of basic education is still strong, showing high enrolment figures and good results in basic literacy.

Families in Sri Lanka still place a great deal of importance on education and reading is still a respected cultural activity. Furthermore, because of its relatively small size and the fact that it has a centralized form of government, it is more efficient than in bigger countries to carry out nationwide literacy campaigns. These strengths offer a firm basis for developing new strategies for protecting and improving functional literacy.

Literacy a process

It should be realised by Sri Lanka that attaining literacy is not a single accomplishment achieved in childhood. In the modern world, literacy must be a skill that is constantly put into practice, kept up to date and adapted to changing circumstances. The fact that adult literacy is declining worldwide shows that even in wealthy countries with well-developed education systems deterioration can occur if adults are not supported in keeping their cognitive and informational abilities. Sri Lanka cannot afford to be careless.

It is necessary for the country to invest in adult education, in programmes concerning digital literacy and in the development of cognitive skills for all age groups. It also needs to establish ways of measuring functional literacy rather than just basic literacy so that policymakers can detect emerging weaknesses and act in advance.

A vital measure is to increase the opportunities for adult learning. Although Sri Lanka has effective literacy programmes based in schools, the country’s infrastructure for adult education is limited. Community centres, libraries, universities, and vocational institutes should take on a more significant role by providing courses, workshops, and reading programmes which are tailored for adults. The programmes should place an emphasis not just on reading and writing but also on digital navigation, critical thinking, and information processing. Adults should be given the chance to practise the skills that are necessary for them to function effectively in a rapidly changing world.

Importance of digital literacy programmes

It is just as important to have digital literacy programmes. Since an increasing number of services are being offered online, adults need to learn how to use digital tools with confidence and in a safe manner. This involves knowing how to fill out online forms, moving around on government websites, using banking apps, and being able to spot misinformation. The digital literacy courses available should be accessible, affordable, and adapted to different age groups, especially older adults who might feel put off by technology. Schools can also contribute by incorporating digital literacy into their curriculum so that future generations acquire good functional literacy skills from an early age.

Sri Lanka should also investigate introducing policies which promote cognitive health among older people. Since cognitive decline can lead to a deterioration of functional literacy, it becomes more difficult for older individuals to deal with information. It is possible to help keep cognitive function by setting up programmes that promote reading, social interaction, physical activity, and continued learning. During regular medical visits, healthcare professionals should include cognitive assessments so that any problems affecting literacy-related skills can be picked up early.

Sri Lanka needs to create tools for measuring functional literacy, since the figures available on basic literacy give an incomplete account of the country’s capabilities. By using assessments of functional literacy like those employed in high-income countries, Sri Lanka would be able to monitor how well its adults can apply their literacy skills in real-life situations.

Features

From Colombo to Vegas: Sri Lankan talent shines at WCOPA

Published

23 hours ago

2026/09/24

Sahan Weerasooriya

Chris with Sachini Ayendra, the very first contestant who represented Sri Lanka at WCOPA 2015 / Bronze winner at WCOPA 2026 Natharie Wickramasinghe with her parents

The World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA) is known globally as the Olympics of performing arts, but Sri Lankans came to know of it more closely when Natharie Wickramasinghe, representing Team Sri Lanka at WCOPA 2026, in Las Vegas, earned a Bronze Medal in the Ethnic/Folklore Dance category.

Behind Sri Lanka’s WCOPA journey is Sri Lanka-born Chris Rajendra, who migrated to the United States in 2007, and deserves special congratulations.

Passionate about discovering and promoting talent, Chris has been actively involved in the pageant and performing arts, industry since 2002.

A major milestone came in 2015, when he introduced WCOPA, to Sri Lanka, for the first time, creating an international platform for Sri Lankan performers.

Sachini Ayendra became the very first candidate to represent Sri Lanka at WCOPA, in 2015, marking the beginning of Team Sri Lanka’s journey.

Chris served as National Director for Team Sri Lanka from 2015 to 2018, and has returned to the role for the 2026–2027 term, continuing his commitment to identifying, developing and promoting Sri Lankan talent internationally.

His involvement in pageantry and performing arts includes:

Recruiter, Miss Nevada United States – 2014

Chris Rajendra: National Director – WCOPA Team Sri Lanka

Manager, Miss Colombia Las Vegas – 2013 to 2017

Director for the West Coast and International Divisions of Ms. Latina International and Ms. International World – 2017

National Director for Team Sri Lanka – WCOPA, 2015–2018 and 2026–2027

Co-National Director for Team USA – WCOPA 2026

In the USA, Chris began his career in retail before transitioning into insurance and financial services, where he built extensive experience in sales, marketing, leadership and business development.

He owned and operated a brokerage, affiliated with multiple insurance companies, and later served as Marketing Director with Transamerica and World Financial Group.

As his business expanded across Las Vegas and California, he continued to hone his expertise in sales, marketing and client relations. He now works as a Sales Executive at Hilton Grand Vacations.

Looking ahead, Chris will shortly launch the application process for Team Sri Lanka 2027, giving talented Sri Lankan performers another opportunity to represent the country on the world stage.

The 2027 World Championships of Performing Arts will take place in Las Vegas, USA, in July or August 2027.

Through his work in both the corporate and performing arts worlds, Chris Rajendra continues to combine leadership, networking and talent development — creating opportunities for Sri Lankan performers to showcase their abilities on a global platform.