Features

Visit of Prime Minister Morarji Desai

Published

6 months ago

2025/06/29

Thilina Walpola

PM Desai

(Continued from last week)

To Shanghai

On the morning of the 4th, we were taken at 8.30, to see the Yili Food Products factory, producing chocolates, confectionery and bread. We got back thereafter and by 12.30 p.m. we were at the central railway station, Beijing. At 1.04 p.m. precisely, according -o the railway time table, we began our train journey to Shanghai, a journey of a little over 19 hours. Our carriages were quite comfortable, with comfortable sleeping bunks. The food served was also quite good.

During the night we passed over the Yellow River and the bridges over the Yangtze. Early in the morning I wanted to shave. It was quite cold and I looked for some hot water. There was none. But there was some hot green tea in a flask. So I shaved in hot green tea. On a later visit to China, again whilst, travelling to Shanghai by train I shared a berth with Mr. Lakshman De Mel Secretary to the Ministry of Trade.

Again in the morning we had only hot green tea in a flask, and when I began to shave using it, Mr. de Mel who was quite amused suggested that I immediately apply for a patent for this innovative technique! We arrived at Shanghai at 8.15 a.m. and were accommodated at the spacious Ching-Chiang hotel. At 10 a.m. we visited the Shanghai Port. It was a river port, situated on the Huangpo river. For the next two hours we toured the facilities, including warehouses; open air stacking arrangements; loading and unloading arrangements; documentation procedures; etc. What struck us was that in spite of its size it was a clean and well-maintained port. Of course under the Chinese system, they would have had their own methods of dealing with even a hint of labour indiscipline.

An interesting feature on the waterfront outside the Port was a patch of well maintained grass, chained off on the four sides, so that nobody could walk over it, bearing the notice “Chinese and dogs not allowed.” This had been a notice put up by the authorities of the Western Colonialist powers that resided, and having obtained various concessions traded, in Shanghai. Their sense of superiority impelled them to reserve the scenic waterfront to themselves.

Therefore, they did not want any Chinese to spoil the scenery by their presence. Dogs were prohibited for obvious reasons. For all they cared, Chinese and dogs could be classed together. The waterfront was an enclave within an enclave. The Chinese now preserved this notice in order to remind themselves of the humiliations they had suffered in their own country.

We got back to the hotel for a quick lunch, before leaving at 2 p.m. to visit a rice processing factory. We were back in time to attend the banquet hosted in honour of the Minister by the Vice Chairman of the Shanghai Municipal Revolutionary Committee. We continued with our field visits the next day the 6th, starting fairly early at 8.30 a.m. The visit was to a large grain storage facility, which was a complex of stores storing rice, paddy, maize, sesame and other grains.

The entire store complex was a model of cleanliness, orderliness, systematic stacking and meticulous documentation. There was also an attached laboratory for the testing of grain. We spent quite some time here, asking many questions and taking down some notes, because there were many practices, which were relevant to our situation. We came back for lunch, and thereafter at 3.15 p.m. visited a “Children’s’ Palace.

” This turned out to be a really marvelous place where hundreds of little children were engaged in doing various things from playing; to practicing music on several instruments; absorbed in handwork and drawing; learning about the working of radio and T.V. sets, and a host of other activities. Pink cheeked little children in colourful surroundings were a joy to see. On arrival, a little girl was attached to each of us as a companion and guide, and each of them led us everywhere, holding us firmly by the hand. This was something really relaxing and enjoyable, after the concentration on all the technicalities of harbours, shipping, warehousing and laboratory investigations.

We ended our visit to Shanghai on this pleasant note, and at 8 p.m. we flew out to Canton. We spent the next day the 7th in Canton, visiting a Commune and spending some time there and ending up with having lunch there. We got back in the afternoon to the state guest house where we were lodged, and at 7 p.m., attended the final official engagement in China, which was a banquet hosted by the Vice Chairman of the Canton Provincial Revolutionary Committee. The next day the 8t” we were back to Hong Kong by train, this time crossing the railway bridge in the opposite direction, and thereafter flying home a day later.

Visit of Prime Minister Morarji Desai

In the early part of 1979, Prime Minister Morarji Desai of India visited Sri Lanka, and we as Secretaries were invited by President Jayewardene, to the reception he was hosting in his honour at Kings Pavilion in Kandy. Some Secretaries, I was later told, reflecting on a visit to Kandy and back, just for the sake of a two hour reception had politely inquired from Mr. Menikdiwela, Secretary to the President, whether it was absolutely necessary for them to attend, to which the laconic reply had been, “If you wish to continue as Secretaries, yes.” I did not ask the question, because of my previous experience in the Prime Minister’s office and the Ministry of Defence and Foreign Affairs.

The acceptance of an invitation by the head of state is mandatory unless one is seriously ill, or abroad. All of us therefore attended the reception in the cool of the evening on the well-manicured and spacious lawns of Kings Pavilion.

The President enjoyed excellent relations with the Indian Prime Minister. Both were elderly persons, who had known each other for a long period. Both were Finance Ministers of their countries, and had met each other and developed a firm friendship over the course of many official meetings. The rapport between the two would have been close to the excellent relations between Mrs. Gandhi and Mrs. Bandaranaike.

Sometimes, for some unknown reason; the mind registers and remembers some inconsequential point. Accordingly, what I remember to this day is the iron grip of the Indian Prime Minister, then in his eighties, when I shook hands with him. The Prime Minister, who was a vegetarian, was reputed to drink a glass of his own urine first thing in the morning. If the strength of his grip was anything to go by, there seemed much to recommend in both practices.

There was an interesting issue that arose during the Prime Minister’s visit. The High Commissioner for India had organized a reception for his Prime Minister at “India House” – his official residence. The Secretaries to Ministries were invited by him. But almost no one including myself had accepted. The reason for this was the code of conduct promulgated by the new government. Secretaries were prohibited from attending cocktail parties or receptions.

They could only attend an official lunch or dinner and that too only if absolutely necessary. This prohibition extended to National day receptions. Even Ministers were forbidden to attend, and the Cabinet decided on a Minister for the month, to represent the government at these receptions.

There were good reasons for these stern measures. Many Ministers, politicians and public servants had become very lax in their behaviour at these parties and receptions. Some of them got drunk on the liquor that flowed. Others became loose tongued and seriously inappropriate in their behaviour. Protocol and dignity were forgotten. There were pictures of Ministers holding glasses at parties given by third Secretaries of Embassies. The correction when it came may have been somewhat over strict.

But a correction was necessary. It was as a result of this blanket prohibition that the Secretaries declined the Indian High Commissioner’s invitation. He had hastily brought this to the attention of government, since he had been quite surprised at all the Secretaries boycotting his reception in honour of his Prime Minister.

The next thing we knew was that the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration, Mr. DBI Siriwardhana was instructed by the President himself that all Secretaries should attend the reception, and that he should personally ring up each Secretary and tell him so. So, the matter was resolved. D.B.I’s call to me gave us the opportunity to engage in our usual banter. “Bring your wife also,” said DBI “That won’t be possible,” I said. “There’s nothing in the contract I signed with her at our marriage, that would oblige her to go to receptions which she usually doesn’t like to go to.” “Give your mind to amending the contract,” he replied. “Not likely,” I said. “This contract seems likely to outlive both President Jayewardene and Prime Minister Moraji Desai.” We ended on that note.

Parliamentary Consultative Committees

During the early part of 1979, the Parliament of Sri Lanka took the progressive step of establishing Parliamentary Advisory Committees, later renamed Parliamentary Consultative Committees. These committees set up under the standing orders were to be chaired by the Ministers of each Ministry and were to consist of the Deputy Ministers of such Ministries, as well as selected members from both the government and opposition sides. The intention was that these committees would dwell on important national policy issues pertaining to each Ministry, and help to forge a degree of bi-partisanship in their resolution. Unfortunately, these expectations were belied.

I have seen these committees functioning from the vantage point of several Ministries of which I was Secretary. From the beginning what came up for discussion were parocnial issues of appointments, transfers and what benefits a particular member of Parliament could obtain for his electorate through the Ministry. Not that these were unimportant. They were, to particular individuals, or a number of them. But obtaining a focus on important policy issues was next to impossible. In a large Ministry 60 to 70 officers had to participate at these meetings given the rules of attendance.

It was unfortunate, that practically everyone thought that it was a lost morning or a lost afternoon. Probably, the sustained discussion concentrating and focussing on the relevant that a debate on policy requires cannot be undertaken in a fairly large committee of mixed skills, backgrounds, experience and attitudes. There is also the not unimportant issue that we set up various mechanisms, but do not seem to have a procedure for evaluating their efficiency and effectiveness, or for that matter as to whether they fulfill their original objectives and expectations.

In this light, it would I think be necessary to evaluate as to whether the Parliamentary Consultative Committee has not become, with some occasional exceptions, a modified version of the Public Petitions Committee.

At the end of May 1979, the Minister organized a senior team from the Ministry and all the departments and agencies under the Ministry to go to Jaffna, and spend a few days there attending to peoples’ needs and problems. We left on the 31st of May by car. The Minister and some of us stayed at the President’s lodge. We began our programme on the 1st of June, with a morning visit to the Naga Vihare. This was followed by a conference of Members of Parliament and officials at the Kachcheri.

After lunch, we met the Presidents of Multi-Purpose Co-operative Societies and other Co-operative representatives at Veerasingham Hall. The morning of next day, the 2nd was taken up with the opening of some new food stores at Kankesanturai. After lunch, we spent the afternoon and part of the evening visiting some of the Textile Unions and Power Loom Centres.

The 3rd of June, was a Sunday, and in the morning, we visited the Ceynor Project at Karainagar. We were hosted to dinner that night by the Jaffna Harbour Workers Union. During the following two days, we visited Kayts; Pungudutivu; Delft; the Nagadeepa Buddhist Temple and the Amman Kovil. We ended the visit by going to see the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation Station at Mandativu. Some of these visits were by boats. This was only my second visit to Jaffna and I found it quite fascinating.

The first visit had been brief, and mainly to K.K.S. and the Food Stores at Navatkuli. This was a comprehensive one, where we stayed long, visited many places, and met lots of people. We were very well received, and the hospitality was warm and genuine. The people appreciated the fact that we came in such numbers and also the fact that we stayed for a number of days.

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

All News Advertisement

Features

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

Published

13 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

13 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

13 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.