Features

The minister just missed seeing the Rolls Royce picking us up for a sugar traders’ lunch

Published

3 months ago

2025/09/14

Thilina Walpola

London

More appointments and foreign visits

I have always believed that whatever you do, and whatever reputation you have gathered for yourself, an element of luck is necessary from time to time. This has been reflected in many ways, but one such outstanding example occurred when a delegation led by me was in London, on our way back home from Washington.

We were staying at a hotel where we found Mr. E. L.B. Hurulle, a Senior Minister also staying. We had met him in the lobby and spoken with him a few times. We happened to be in London, because we always made use of the opportunity of passing through London to Washington and back in order to have extensive discussions with our lawyers. When importing and shipping a large tonnage of food commodities, inevitably disputes arose. Some of these were settled amicably and by mutual agreement. But over some, we had to go in for arbitration in London, and some cases involved going to Court.

The Attorney-General in Sri Lanka could not handle all these matters himself. The volume was too great. We had therefore to have lawyers on the spot in London. Whilst in London, we usually spent about five to six working days sitting down with our lawyers and discussing each case coming up for trial or arbitration. Our departmental legal advisor brought with him 20-30 files, each of which constituted a dispute or a case.

Sometimes our Commercial Counselor in the High Commission joined our discussions, because he was our liaison with the lawyers on a regular basis. We kept him regularly posted with the facts of the various cases. Sometimes we had to see specialized counsel at consultations, in their chambers. When the discussions start we spent virtually a full working day with the lawyers, having a sandwich lunch at the conference table. Occasionally, when time permitted, we were taken out to a nearby pub for lunch.

Sometimes, the fact that we are in London gets around and then we get invited for lunch and sometimes dinner. Most luncheon invitations, we had to decline because of our work. There was one however, during this particular visit, that we couldn’t decline. This was a joint invitation from the major sugar trading firms, with which we had been doing business for a long time. This was to be a jointly hosted lunch by the Managing Directors of these companies.

On the one hand it would have been bad form for us to have declined. On the other, there was a distinct mutual advantage in meeting at this level, and exchanging views and discussing any problems. One also always learn at these discussions. We had been informed that they would send a car to pick us up at the hotel at 12 noon on the day of the lunch. This was to be a formal lounge suit affair. We were down in the lobby at about ten minutes to twelve to find Mr. Hurulle seated there. He was more casually dressed.

We exchanged pleasantries and were standing around chatting, when an old Ford Cortina drew up, somebody waved, Mr. Hurulle waved back, smiled at us and went with his host. The time was about three minutes to twelve. Sharp at noon, a splendid looking Rolls-Royce drew up and a tall liveried chauffeur strode to the front desk. We were lost, admiring the car, when I heard my name mentioned. I looked back and discovered that the Rolls-Royce was the car that had been sent to pick us up. On the way, the driver kept reporting as to where we were, over a radio communication system.

We all had the same thought. What would have been the impression created in Minister Hurulle’s mind, had he not left before we left and witnessed the splendour in which we were going to travel. We were certain that he would have gone back to Colombo and reported that we were living it up in London, and that Rolls-Royces were coming to pick us up. Most things when taken out of context would be damaging. But this would have been devastating. Explanations could come later. By that time lasting impressions could be generated and unfortunate suspicions aroused. Only a matter of three minutes saved us from the possibility of all these.

The lunch itself went off quite well. The heads of the sugar trading companies informed us that we enjoyed what they called Triple A status in the London sugar market. We did not know this. When we inquired what it meant they said that it meant that if we were to lift a phone in the Ministry in Colombo and say that we required a sugar cargo of 10,000 tons, they would ship it even without the opening of an L.C. They said that very few international customers enjoyed such a status. It was gratify ing to learn of this. I was tempted to tell them however, that their Rolls-Royce could have resulted in our relegation to triple F status in the Colombo market of innuendo and gossip.

Towards the end of 1981, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh visited Sri Lanka, and we fulfilled the customary duty of attending the garden party hosted by President and Mrs. Jayewardene. In a small society like Sri Lanka, such occasions can be a waste of time, since you happen to meet almost the same people most of the time. At the same time, they are important from the point of view of upholding settled international political social and diplomatic standards.

More appointments

In November 1981, 1 was appointed to the Board of Directors of the People’s Bank. This was in my capacity as Secretary, Cooperatives. As was well known, the People’s Bank had its genesis in the Co-operative movement, and continued to have a special relationship with the movement. I was also appointed to the Rural Credit Advisory Board of the Central Bank, a Board chaired by the Governor. These appointments meant more work and more time.

Visit to South Korea

In January 1982, I had to go to South Korea. This was in my capacity as a Director of the Ceylon Shipping Corporation. One day, Mr. Caspersz, the Chairman of the Corporation, told me in his own inimitable style, “Dharmasiri, we want you to go to South Korea, attend a lunch, reply to a toast, drink a glass of champagne and come back.” I asked “Since when has the government resorted to such extravagance?” The fact was. one of our container vessels, “Lanka Siri” built in a Korean shipyard was ready for delivery. My job was to go and formally accept it. The Minister of Food and the Minister of Shipping had agreed that I should go and the President had approved it.

I left for Seoul on January 31, accompanied by Mrs. Geetha Wijeyapala, Manager Legal and Insurance of the Shipping Corporation. The technical people had gone ahead and were already in Seoul. Sea trials of the ship were taking place. The expectation was that all the technical aspects would have been satisfactorily concluded, paving the way for the formal acceptance of the ship.

When I met the technical officers in Seoul however, I was not reassured by the manner they spoke. I did not detect a confident assertion from them after the conclusion of the sea trials that the ship was completely and fully sea-worthy and that I could proceed to accept it. They were hedging my questions.

Therefore, I went on probing, until it emerged that “A few matters” needed attention. At this point, I made it quite clear to all that I was not prepared to accept a ship which was not complete in all respects. We now had to go to Pusan where the ship had been built. In over a four hour Journey from Seoul by train, we saw something of the countryside. South Korea was a mountainous country with relatively limited arable land. The cold during this time of the year was intense, particularly to those who had come from a warm tropical climate. One had however to admire what the Koreans had achieved, in spite of war and an inhospitable terrain. This was obviously due to their energy, their industry and their focus. During this time..

There was still a curfew on after midnight for security reasons. After the trauma of the war, there was not unnaturally an obsession with security. Many important figures of government, from the President downwards, were figures with a military background. The people appeared to be obedient and disciplined. Their capacity for work seemed to be remarkable.

Both in Seoul and Pusan I had the experience of going down for breakfast at about 6.45 a.m. and being unable to find a seat in the quite large coffee shops in the hotels. At practically every table there were lounge suit clad businessmen with their brief cases opened, calculators, note pads and reams of documents spread out, avidly engrossed in business discussions. I had never seen such a sight of mass business discussions, at such an early hour anywhere else in the world. We were told that if we wished to have undelayed seating, 5.45 a.m. was a better time than 6.45 a.m!

Whilst in Pusan I had extensive discussions with our officers as well as representatives of the ship building firm and others. Things were that much more difficult for us because we did not at the time have an Embassy in South Korea. I had therefore to do a lot of drafting by hand, whilst the Legal and Insurance Manager kept hand written minutes of our various discussions.

By now the Korean parties were getting frantic, because the day had been fixed for the acceptance of the vessel and invitations had gone out to important people. My refusal to accept the vessel without further investigation was heading towards delay and loss of face for them. I sympathized but could not compromise. I had also discussed the whole matter in detail with our Legal and Insurance Manager who fully supported me.

I informed the technical people, that I would accept the ship as it was, only if they vouched in writing to me that they certify it was complete in all respects and that they recommend its formal acceptance. This they could not do. It was not easy to get through to Colombo, but I managed to speak to Mr. Caspersz on at least two occasions over an unclear line. He thought, we should accept the ship subject to an understanding to rectify defects. I disagreed. The stability of the vessel was in doubt, and this to me was fundamental, and once we accepted the vessel the problem was going to be with us.

I was not prepared to accept on this basis. Anybody else could do so. The whole thing had turned into a nightmare. We were isolated in Pusan, with no comfort or assistance from an Embassy. In the meantime, the Koreans were exerting heavy pressure on us to accept the ship on deadline. They appeared to be both upset and angry. I got our whole team together and made my position very clear. They had to agree that the main technical defects should be remedied and the contract amended.

I also telephoned Norway and spoke to our former consultants on shipping and fortified myself with their advice. I further contacted some UNDP. experts on shipping whom I had previously met. As a result of all this, it was decided to add the necessary ballast to stabilize the vessel fully. The Koreans commenced work on this immediately. But I wanted to see for myself. Therefore, one morning in the biting cold I boarded a launch with the technical officers and went on board the vessel to see the work in progress.

Some kind of large concrete blocks were being added to a part of the ship. By now it was clear that the ceremonial handing over could not take place on the scheduled date. The invitations would have to be cancelled. I was obviously not the most popular person with the Koreans, and the isolation, hard work and stress was perhaps making me a bit paranoid. Sometimes, the telephone by my bedside rang during the dead of night, when I was fast asleep. But when I lifted the receiver there was total silence.

I perhaps imagined that someone was trying to open my bedroom door. This was disturbing and I felt somewhat better after positioning against the door, a heavy armchair which was in my room.

In the end, there was no lunch and no champagne. The delivery of the vessel was postponed. I obtained a written guarantee on the ultimate stability of the vessel, from the ship builders. The letter of guarantee backed by a bank guarantee included the provision that any adjustments deemed necessary by the Classification Society would be made at their expense.

There also remained the question of some minor items of work. A separate agreement was signed that in respect of this work, both sides would jointly itemize and price this work, after which the Koreans would pay us that sum, so that we could get this work done in Colombo or elsewhere. Through all this, Geetha, the Legal and Insurance Manager was an unfailing source of competence and strength. It was fortunate that she came on this visit.

Thus ended for me the virtual saga of my first visit to South Korea. The reward lay in the satisfaction of overcoming numerous unforeseen obstacles, working hard, keeping one’s nerve and achieving a solution. There was an additional reward of Ministerial appreciation. My colleagues in the Ministry of Trade and Shipping told me, that on reading my report, Minister Lalith Athulathmudali .said, “Thank God, we sent Dharmasiri.”

A sudden visit to China and Pakistan

I had returned from the visit to South Korea and had barely settled down to work, when Lakshman de Mel rang me from the Trade Ministry, towards the middle of March 1982 and informed me that he and I with one or two others will have to go to China almost immediately, because the government had decided to purchase some extra rice for the buffer. This was completely unexpected, and our guess was that the government was thinking of some form of elections including perhaps a Presidential election, and wanted to ensure the availability of adequate food stocks. We already had the insurance of a buffer. This was going to be reinsurance.

Therefore, a delegation led by Lakshman, and consisting of Mr. Pulendiran, the Food Commissioner; Laurie Mariadasan, Director of Commerce; Mr. Dissanayake, Deputy Director Fiscal Policy, Ministry of Finance and myself left on March 21. The Chinese too, had to arrange this visit at very short notice. We were to have general discussions on food supplies and specifically negotiate for the purchase of 100,000 metric tons of rice.

Negotiations did not go as smoothly as before. The Chinese were really not prepared for this sudden visit. They did not have the quantity we needed in surplus with them. They therefore had to talk to Burma in order to procure stocks to meet the shortfall. The negotiation became tripartite. Beyond a point, the Chinese did not have control of the Burmese price. Rice shipped from Burma would cost us less due to the cheaper freight. We had to see that this advantage was not nullified in the overall result.

The negotiations did not go on, morning and afternoon. This was not the Chinese practice. There were sometimes half day breaks. On this particular occasion, these breaks sometimes even took longer because the Chinese had to consult the Burmese and await a reply from there. All in all, things dragged on. The Chinese, as was customary had arranged for our delegation to be flown out to the South-Western City of Kunming, known as the City of “Eternal Spring” close to the Burmese border, after the negotiations, for us to spend a few days there. The deadline for departure was now rapidly approaching, and we were still haggling over the price. We were to leave Beijing on March 27, but by the morning of the 26th, we had not yet reached agreement. Mr. Lakshman de Mel and I decided to stay on, and if necessary cancel the visit to Kunming.

(Excerpted from In Pursuit of Governance, autobiography of MDD Pieris) ✍️

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Features

Race hate and the need to re-visit the ‘Clash of Civilizations’

Published

2 hours ago

2025/12/25

Sahan Weerasooriya

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese: ‘No to race hate’

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has done very well to speak-up against and outlaw race hate in the immediate aftermath of the recent cold-blooded gunning down of several civilians on Australia’s Bondi Beach. The perpetrators of the violence are believed to be ardent practitioners of religious and race hate and it is commendable that the Australian authorities have lost no time in clearly and unambiguously stating their opposition to the dastardly crimes in question.

The Australian Prime Minister is on record as stating in this connection: ‘ New laws will target those who spread hate, division and radicalization. The Home Affairs Minister will also be given new powers to cancel or refuse visas for those who spread hate and a new taskforce will be set up to ensure the education system prevents, tackles and properly responds to antisemitism.’

It is this promptness and single-mindedness to defeat race hate and other forms identity-based animosities that are expected of democratic governments in particular world wide. For example, is Sri Lanka’s NPP government willing to follow the Australian example? To put the record straight, no past governments of Sri Lanka initiated concrete measures to stamp out the evil of race hate as well but the present Sri Lankan government which has pledged to end ethnic animosities needs to think and act vastly differently. Democratic and progressive opinion in Sri Lanka is waiting expectantly for the NPP government’ s positive response; ideally based on the Australian precedent to end race hate.

Meanwhile, it is apt to remember that inasmuch as those forces of terrorism that target white communities world wide need to be put down their counterpart forces among extremist whites need to be defeated as well. There could be no double standards on this divisive question of quashing race and religious hate, among democratic governments.

The question is invariably bound up with the matter of expeditiously and swiftly advancing democratic development in divided societies. To the extent to which a body politic is genuinely democratized, to the same degree would identity based animosities be effectively managed and even resolved once and for all. To the extent to which a society is deprived of democratic governance, correctly understood, to the same extent would it experience unmanageable identity-bred violence.

This has been Sri Lanka’s situation and generally it could be stated that it is to the degree to which Sri Lankan citizens are genuinely constitutionally empowered that the issue of race hate in their midst would prove manageable. Accordingly, democratic development is the pressing need.

While the dramatic blood-letting on Bondi Beach ought to have driven home to observers and commentators of world politics that the international community is yet to make any concrete progress in the direction of laying the basis for an end to identity-based extremism, the event should also impress on all concerned quarters that continued failure to address the matters at hand could prove fatal. The fact of the matter is that identity-based extremism is very much alive and well and that it could strike devastatingly at a time and place of its choosing.

It is yet premature for the commentator to agree with US political scientist Samuel P. Huntingdon that a ‘Clash of Civilizations’ is upon the world but events such as the Bondi Beach terror and the continuing abduction of scores of school girls by IS-related outfits, for instance, in Northern Africa are concrete evidence of the continuing pervasive presence of identity-based extremism in the global South.

As a matter of great interest it needs mentioning that the crumbling of the Cold War in the West in the early nineties of the last century and the explosive emergence of identity-based violence world wide around that time essentially impelled Huntingdon to propound the hypothesis that the world was seeing the emergence of a ‘Clash of Civilizations’. Basically, the latter phrase implied that the Cold War was replaced by a West versus militant religious fundamentalism division or polarity world wide. Instead of the USSR and its satellites, the West, led by the US, had to now do battle with religion and race-based militant extremism, particularly ‘Islamic fundamentalist violence’ .

Things, of course, came to a head in this regard when the 9/11 calamity centred in New York occurred. The event seemed to be startling proof that the world was indeed faced with a ‘Clash of Civilizations’ that was not easily resolvable. It was a case of ‘Islamic militant fundamentalism’ facing the great bulwark, so to speak, of ‘ Western Civilization’ epitomized by the US and leaving it almost helpless.

However, it was too early to write off the US’ capability to respond, although it did not do so by the best means. Instead, it replied with military interventions, for example, in Iraq and Afghanistan, which moves have only earned for the religious fundamentalists more and more recruits.

Yet, it is too early to speak in terms of a ‘Clash of Civilizations’. Such a phenomenon could be spoken of if only the entirety of the Islamic world took up arms against the West. Clearly, this is not so because the majority of the adherents of Islam are peaceably inclined and want to coexist harmoniously with the rest of the world.

However, it is not too late for the US to stop religious fundamentalism in its tracks. It, for instance, could implement concrete measures to end the blood-letting in the Middle East. Of the first importance is to end the suffering of the Palestinians by keeping a tight leash on the Israeli Right and by making good its boast of rebuilding the Gaza swiftly.

Besides, the US needs to make it a priority aim to foster democratic development worldwide in collaboration with the rest of the West. Military expenditure and the arms race should be considered of secondary importance and the process of distributing development assistance in the South brought to the forefront of its global development agenda, if there is one.

If the fire-breathing religious demagogue’s influence is to be blunted worldwide, then, it is development, understood to mean equitable growth, that needs to be fostered and consolidated by the democratic world. In other words, the priority ought to be the empowerment of individuals and communities. Nothing short of the latter measures would help in ushering a more peaceful world.

Features

The perennial challenge of peace-keeping and reconciliation

Published

2 hours ago

2025/12/25

Sahan Weerasooriya

Christmas

Peace on Earth to all people of good-will is the perennial and the pristine song of Joy and hope aired in every nook and corner during every Christmas season commemorating the Birth of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. In his own day, Jesus of Nazareth was himself a wonderful instrument of peace and reconciliation in his own homeland of Palestine. He was open to all classes of people, whatever their ethnicity, race, language or social class with preference particularly to the sectors of the poor among these social strata. He would freely crisscross the various regions of Palestine which at that time was tri-partite: Galilee in the north with its fishing villages, lakes graced with wonderful beaches and imposing ranges of hills and valleys; Samaria in the middle and Judea in the deep south which located the religious centers of Judaism with its magnificent temple and also housed the State buildings of the Roman prefectures.

Liberation from Oppression

Entire Palestine was colonized with Caesar sitting in Rome his capital and having his legates governing the local provinces. People too were living in the expectation of a Messiah who would fight the colonial power and thus bring liberation to their oppressed motherland. There was a strongly prevalent messianic current of hope circulating and the longing for the day and the appearance of the Messiah, the liberator. Though inundated by Roman paganism and constantly under the threat of foreign invasion, the people kept to their traditional religious beliefs with their festivals, pilgrimages, rituals and rites and laws.

Unfortunately, there was a historic breach with the breakaway of the Samaritans from the Jews, both claiming to be authentic descendants of their earliest patriarchs. They had different holy centers of worship. Jews considered the Samaritans a hybrid race enabled by the inter-marriages encouraged by the invading Assyrian foreigners (721 BC) with the local population that were not deported by the invaders. It was a historic schism that had very sad socio-cultural, religious and political repercussions. As time went by, this enmity had created many tensions and had percolated into many other serious issues that caused estrangement within the country. The story of the Good Samaritan who came to the rescue of the Jew fallen among the robbers along the road to Jericho and the sole leper who returned to thank Jesus following his healing and who happened to be a Samaritan are gospel incidents that strived to heal this division and bring reconciliation among the two dissenting groups. Creating confusion among the general public was also the fact of the misunderstanding of the mission of the Messiah wholly thought of as a purely political liberation which was only a partial truth.

The homeland of Jesus was desperately in need of a profound spiritual and religious revolution. There had to be a more humane understanding of the Law of Moses, the great code of the national ethic and putting relationships in their correct perspective despite the fact that the land was surrounded on all sides with kingdoms and ruling monarchs who were pagan and the worship of idols was rampant. People treasured their religious and cultural traditions and were in great fear of them being lost when invading foreigners threatened their sovereignty and even territorial integrity. Their very land was sacred for it was the land of their God and therefore defended against any foreign pagan aggression. In fact, there had been often and on many insurrectionist movements rebelling against the Roman colonial rule that were summarily crushed.

Religion at the service of Freedom & Liberation

Jesus Christ saw the need of introducing a new spirituality based on a new ethic to restore the religious sensibilities of Israel. From the mountain he taught the classical sermon on the Beatitudes which declared the poor as blessed and those who suffered persecution for the sake of justice and righteousness as blessed too. It would be the meek who will inherit the earth and those who are merciful would be the true children of God. Pharisaical spirit of religion that is subservient to the letter of the Law that kills and false religiosity limited purely to rites and rituals were to be empty of meaning. Love of God to be total had to be matched with the love for the neighbor. Even enemies were to be loved without conditions. Self-righteousness had no place in the spirituality he propounded. People have to be fed both with spiritual food of truth as well as material nourishment to feed their hunger as he multiplied fish and loaves in the Galilean mountains to cater to the thousands who had flocked to hear him and sought blessings of healing and solace. Many were stunned wondering how the son of a carpenter could have such wisdom and powers even over demons who rattled at his presence. Simple jealousy, unfounded fear and a great amount of misunderstanding and suspicion finally caved in from his enemies, the religious authorities of Jerusalem and the Roman governor that led to that shamefully blatant and unjust condemnation ever recorded in legal history: the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.

In some ways the celebration of Christmas, which is the commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ is being caricatured with commercialism and mere external fanfare with décor and illuminations. The deeper truth is that we are celebrating a spiritual event that was decisive in history: God entering the world in the real physical and bodily appearance of a human being. He made humanity make its peace with God and brought enlightenment about the mystery of life and death declaring the importance of love and respect of others in neighborly love and forgiveness. Like an industrious fisherman he cast his net into the deep and distant waters for an abundance of harvest that would bring civilization itself a mighty haul of blessings. Christianity is very much alive in its two millennia history cutting across cultures and civilizations witnessing to the belief in God and the dignity of man who has an eternal destiny. This religion is pro-life in all dimensions: safety of the unborn, the sacredness and inviolability of every life, the sanctity of marriage, life-beyond death, no violence of any kind, no wars, no nuclear weapons, no arms race or unwarranted ethnic or racial superiority, no danger to sovereignty of nations and their territorial integrity and safe haven for refugees and migrants of every hue.

It is in some of these very difficult issues that peace-keeping and work of reconciliation are becoming global priorities. Science and technology alone are no saviors of humanity embattled as it is in problems that appear to be very dramatic and far extensive. In no way should human beings become victims of their own creations however impressive they may be. Humanity must be the center of our global concerns and innovations with everything serving it towards a better quality of life. A Human being must never be instrumentalized in dehumanizing experiments. On the contrary, he must be served in all things so that his unique place in creation may not be displaced and continue to be the final point of reference in all world’s undertakings and ventures. To this must all regional and international bodies commit themselves in earnest. Christianity considers Jesus Christ the Lord to be the goal of human history, the focal point of the longings of history and of civilization, the center of the human race, the joy of every heart and the answer to all its yearnings as the great Vatican II Council document put it (Gaudium et Spes 45) while the joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ. Indeed, nothing genuinely human fails to raise an echo in their hearts (Gaud. et Spes 1).

Christianity & Secularity

It is this spirit of Jesus Christ that impels Christianity to be closely involved in the world society’s journey which registers the triumphs and failures of history. Wherever it has gone, it has opened hospitals for healing the sick, schools for education and other charitable institutions thus playing the role of the Good Samaritan in keeping the fires of charity and compassion alive in a society always prone to various kinds of natural disasters and human conflicts that bring misery and suffering. Christianity favors an economic system that is neither radically socialist nor downright capitalistic and holds primacy of labor over capital, thus taking a clear anti-Marxist stand in this ever important socio-political issue. The dignity and working conditions of the worker with the issue of a living wage, pension benefits, sharing of profits, private enterprise are considered important human issues to be dealt with within the parameters of social justice and labour rights. Democratic principles are preeminently Christian in outlook empowering people to make the needed political options in constructing a system of governance and rule that benefits the common and the greater good. Christianity wishes its voice to be heard in international fora and in contexts in which important decisions affecting people globally are made.

If the spirit of Christmas is to endure beyond its usual annual celebration, the challenges of the Christmas event must be faced and due response to its newer questions met with courage and hope. In the concrete, they are the peace among nations, inter-religious harmony, war against terror and fundamentalisms, economies without disparities and respect for human rights as well as basic freedoms. These are all elements for reconciliation and building-blocks for peace-keeping. Military superiority and economic imperialism are the most satanic forms of modern paganism that plague our world creating so much suspicion, instability and tensions. More spirit of listening, dialogue and understanding are in demand for a stable world and a new form of warm humanism. In emulation of Jesus Christ the eminent peace-maker and reconciler, it behoves that all those who claim to be peace-makers and agents of reconciliation pursue the same mission. Thus, the spirit of Christmas is preserved ever alive.

by Rev. Fr. Leopold Ratnasekera OMI
Ph.D., Th.D.

Features

So this is Christmas …

Published

2 hours ago

2025/12/25

Sahan Weerasooriya

The world over, Christmas is being celebrated today. However, in our part of the world, Christmas, and the lead up to the New Year, will be observed on a sombre note.

With this in mind, I wish my readers a Blessed Christmas and let’s hope 2026 will be a good one … without any fear.

Several known personalities also send their greetings and best wishes to The Island readers:

* Noshin De Silva (Actress):

Happy Holidays to everyone across our beautiful island! As we move toward the end of the year, my heart goes out to all communities affected by the recent floods and severe weather. In these challenging weeks, we have also witnessed the true spirit of Sri Lanka through the humility, compassion, and unity of people coming together to support one another. May this season bring comfort to those rebuilding, gratitude to those giving, and hope to us all. Wishing everyone Peace, Healing, Great Health, and a very Happy New Year!

* Melloney Dassanayaka (Miss Universe Sri Lanka 2024):

As we celebrate the blessings of Christmas and step with hope into a brand-new year, I am reminded of the strength, resilience, and spirit that define us as Sri Lankans. This festive season invites us to reflect, to appreciate what we have, and to look ahead with courage.

Be positive and embrace every opportunity that comes your way. Be smart, be brave, and work hard for yourself, because your future is shaped by the determination you carry within.

May this Christmas fill your hearts with peace and joy, and may the New Year bring you endless possibilities, renewed strength, and the confidence to pursue every dream.

Wishing you a Blessed Christmas and a Bright, Prosperous New Year!

With love and warm wishes.

* Raffealla Fernando (Photographer/Designer):

Wishing you a beautiful, light-filled Christmas and a New Year overflowing with inspiration.

As a photographer and designer, I’m constantly searching for the moments, colours, and stories. that make life extraordinary and this season always reminds me how much beauty there is in the simple things: warm laughter, shared memories, and the quiet magic of togetherness.

Thank you for being part of my creative journey this year.

May your holidays be filled with genuine joy, and may 2026 bring you new adventures, brighter light, and endless reasons to smile.

This season, I’m also wishing for something close to my heart: for Sri Lanka to rise up bigger, better, and stronger. Nothing more to ask for than peace in these turbulent hearts, peace of mind for every soul, and the strength to rebuild our country in the coming year.

Merry Christmas, and a Vibrant, Inspiring New Year.

* Andrea Marr (Singer – Australia):

Wishing you all a Blessed Christmas and a Joyful New Year. May the message of Christmas remain in your hearts and give you peace.

* AROH (Music group):

We thank you for sharing your year with us, for every lyric sung, every rhythm embraced, and every stage shared. Your incredible support fuels our passion and continues to inspire the music we create.

Although the past few weeks have seen heaps of problems cropping up, may your Christmas be filled with Joy, Peace, and the beautiful harmony of family and friends.

Also, may the New Year bring you prosperity, health, and a score of exciting new possibilities.

We look forward to connecting with you through music in the coming year, as well.

* Melantha Perera (Singer):

Music heals the soul, and sharing its gift this season fills our hearts with joy.

May our melodies spread love to every soul, making our Creator smile as we celebrate His birth.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a New Year in perfect harmony!

* Natasha Rathnayake (Singer):

As we close another year and step into a new one, may this season remind us of what truly matters — kindness, connection, and love for all living beings.

Let’s carry forward the lessons, the healing, and the gratitude we’ve gathered, and step into 2026 with open hearts, courage, and compassion.

Wishing you and your loved ones a Christmas filled with blessings and joy, and a New Year that inspires clarity, creativity, and love in all that you do.

With love, and abundance of blessings!

God bless.

AROH

* Sohan Weerasinghe (Singer):

Yes, Christmas is back and 2026 is around the corner. It’s time once again to convey my good wishes and also to remind myself to be careful of my waistline as I have a weakness for goodies, especially Christmas cake!

Have a fabulous Christmas and New Year and you also must do your utmost to help the needy people around you, especially those affected by the disaster that took us all by surprise; give till it hurts!

* JJ Twins (Duo):

As the magic of Christmas fills the air and a brand-new year approaches, we extend our heartfelt thanks to our wonderful community for your continued support. May this festive season bring you joy, peace, and time spent with those you cherish.

We also take this moment to warmly wish Ivan Alvis a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year filled with success and happiness.

Jesus bless you all, and may you have a Christ-filled Christmas and New Year!

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Bright, Successful New Year!

* SEVEN NOTES (Music group – Dubai):

SEVEN NOTES

As we celebrate the joy of Christmas and welcome the dawn of a brand-new year, we extend our heartfelt wishes to the readers and the dedicated team of The Island newspaper.

May this festive season bring peace, love, and harmony into your homes, and may the New Year 2026 be filled with success, good health, and new opportunities.

Thank you for inspiring communities across the globe with trusted journalism and unwavering service.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year 2026.