Features
Are we educating our children in right way?
Need for rethink on Sri Lankan education
By Professor W. A. J. M. De Costa
Senior Professor and Chair of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya
A few months ago, a former student of mine doing a PhD in Computational Biology in a top-ranked US university, while holding a teaching assistantship in the same university, called me. She was quite upset that the undergraduate students in her laboratory practical class had openly confronted her and told that her weekly quizzes were too difficult. On inquiring what was too difficult, they had said that her questions were not directly from their lecture notes or practical guidebook and that the students could not anticipate the type of questions that were coming. I knew that my former student spends a lot of time and effort in formulating questions for her weekly quizzes, making sure that her questions stimulate the thinking of students when searching for the answer and force them to apply the theory that they had learned in the lecture to solve a practical problem. However, the reaction of the students (she did not tell me whether the students who protested openly were a majority or not) clearly showed that they did not like being taken out of their comfort zone. While I was surprised that this incident happened in a top-ranked US university, it wouldn’t have surprised me in the least if it had happened in a Sri Lanka university. This would have been a common occurrence in Sri Lankan universities, if not for the semblance of outward respect (and a considerable measure of the fear of reprisal) for lecturers that is still maintained in Sri Lankan universities, thanks to the eastern culture. Nevertheless, it is an incident that begs the question whether the learning habits, that are nurtured by the system of education in Sri Lanka from childhood onwards, are in fact the right ones, both for the individual and for the country as a whole. Based on my experience of teaching in a leading Sri Lankan university for over thirty years, following a period of four years as an undergraduate in the same university, the answer to the above question is an emphatic ‘No’. What saddens and disappoints me is the observation that the learning habits of the students as well as the teaching habits of the lecturers have ‘moved in the wrong direction’ so that the future does not look promising in terms of producing a graduate who fulfils the needs of the country which spends so much on the so-called ‘free education’. In this article, I wish to highlight some of the fundamental flaws in the way Sri Lanka educates its young generation.
A system of education and a population of students driven by examinations and rote learning
Sri Lankan education is a succession of examinations, starting with the Grade Five scholarship exam, followed by the GCE O/L and the GCE A/L, and continuing in the universities. All these examinations are structured in a pattern that has been set for well over several decades, with very little change. They are also based on curricula which are very heavy on subject content. The extremely competitive nature of these examinations, especially, the Grade Five scholarship exam, which offers the possibility of entrance to the so-called ‘elite’ schools, and the GCE A/L, which offers admission to an extremely limited number of university places, forces students into a set of learning habits which are detrimental to the development of their creative capabilities and critical thinking. The private tuition culture which started in the late 1970s has developed into a very elaborate network, which caters exactly to the needs of the examinations. The teaching is meticulously focused on developing the students’ capabilities to do well in the competitive examinations. This teaching is accompanied by preparing the students for examinations by getting them to practice answering questions from examinations of previous years. This is widely prevalent even in the Physical Science stream, which consists of subjects such as Mathematics and Physics, where logical reasoning rather than memorising is the skill that needs to be developed. Instead, ‘practice makes perfect’ has been the rationale, with the perception that a student who has done a greater number of similar questions has a greater probability of doing well in an examination, where questions are set according to a pattern that has been set and continued for over several decades. I was surprised to learn about 10 years ago that in the GCE(A/L), this practice of answering questions from previous years has moved on to memorising model answers written by a tuition teacher. This culture of rote learning has advanced to such an extent that ‘tuition classes’ are held for prospective entrants to the medical and engineering faculties on the subjects that they will learn during their first year in the university.
For the students who come through this dizzying maze of tuition classes, revision classes and practice examinations, and get into the university (only about 2% of the population in any age cohort), a set of learning habits that strengthens their habit of rote learning awaits in the university system. They are given access to the lecture notes of senior students and a group of supposedly competent senior students conduct what are called ‘Kuppi Classes’, which is a system ‘tuition classes’ aimed at filling the brain with subject content prior to the examinations (hence the meaning ‘filling the small bottle’ which is the brain). During a visit to a leading university in the Western Province which coincided with an examination period, I came across a ‘Kuppi Time Table’ for students in the Faculty of Science in the students’ canteen, which demonstrated the extent to which this culture of rote learning aimed at passing examinations was prevalent among the university student community. In science-based degree programmes with significant components of laboratory and field practical classes, it is common practice for a large majority of students to copy the lab report of a few supposedly competent students in the batch. This whole culture is strengthened and perpetuated by the institutionalised practice of ‘ragging’, strongly supported by the Students’ Unions, where students who do not subject themselves to ragging are denied access to the ‘Kuppi classes’ and the lecture notes of their seniors. The end product of all this is a graduate who expects a previously set pattern to bench mark his preparations to every single challenge that he/she faces in his/her profession. Preparation based on the practice of solving/meeting a similar problem/challenge that had occurred in the past is often the only strategy that these graduates know about. Hence, it is no wonder that they become almost clueless when the problems/challenges that come their way in their profession deviate even slightly from those that had come previously. This also explains the widespread incompetence in problem-solving among the government officials, at all levels of administration. While the politicians are rightly blamed for the current plight of Sri Lanka and its long-term post-independence failure, the system of education that has produced a set of mediocre and sub-competent officials, technical experts and bureaucrats should share the blame in equal measure.
The role of educators
A system that produces a majority of ineffective/sub-standard graduates, devoid of key competences, cannot have survived for so long if it has not been strengthened, wittingly or unwittingly, by its other stakeholders. In this regard, the educators, consisting of the curriculum experts in the relevant governmental institutions such as the National Institute of Education, and academics in the university faculties have failed in designing and implementing a system of education, curricula and examinations which are much less dependent on rote learning practices for success. Curricula have been progressively expanded with more and more information reflecting advances in the respective subject areas and disciplines. However, there has not been a proportional removal of outdated information so that the subject content that the students have to study has continued to expand in volume. Such an expansion reduces the space for students to engage in learning by exploration via reading and discussion, thus forcing them towards repeated reading and memorising of a set of lecture notes. The examinations have been made highly structured, which takes the novelty out of the questions. What makes the matters worse are the evaluation schemes where only answers containing specific words or sentences are considered ‘correct’ while answers containing the same meaning but written in different words and sentences are considered ‘incorrect’.
This practice is especially prevalent in the evaluation schemes of the GCE A/L examination. Such highly structured and repetitive examination papers and marking schemes inevitably condition the students’ minds to anticipate a certain structure and type of questions and write a certain type of answer, which has been memorised and/or practiced in advance. While such psychological conditioning helps the students to do well in examinations, it also leaves them clueless when confronted with an examination paper or a question, which deviates even slightly from the pattern of the previous years. Therefore, it is no wonder that the majority of students who graduate through such a system of evaluation are incapable of problem-solving and ‘out of the box’ thinking when confronted with real-life problems in their professional work environments. Such work environments include the very institutions which provide education where generations of teachers and lecturers who have come through this system perpetuate the same system.
During the 1990s, almost all universities and faculties in Sri Lanka converted their curricula to the so-called ‘course unit’ system. The whole subjects, which had hitherto been taught over the course of one academic year and evaluated in year-end examinations, were broken in to several smaller ‘course units’, which were evaluated at a higher frequency (the so-called continuous evaluation) via a series of quizzes, written assignments and mid-term and end-term examinations. This system of teaching and learning is practiced in an overwhelming majority of universities globally and the merits of continuous evaluation appear to be advocated by an equally overwhelming majority of education experts. However, as a product of the old ‘whole subject-one examination’ system, I have observed, over the course of the last three decades, several flaws in directly transplanting the ‘course unit’ system (which at that time was predominantly prevalent in the US and Canadian Universities, but not in the European Universities) in Sri Lanka on a student population who are psychologically conditioned in to rote learning within an examination-oriented system of education. The biggest flaw is the fragmentation of the process of learning and the subsequent knowledge gained and retained by the students. When one whole subject is broken down to several smaller units which are evaluated separately, the students’ learning is focused on getting through the smaller units. In this process, understanding the connections between different smaller units and building inter-relationships between different aspects of a whole subject, which is an integral aspect of deeper learning, is neglected. It has been a common experience for us teachers to find that students have forgotten most of what they had learned previously in the course units which had been completed and examined. It is a direct result of the ‘Kuppi’ type of learning where the ‘small bottle’ which is filled just before the examination is emptied as soon as the examination is over!
Introduction of the course unit system to Sri Lankan universities caused a change in student behaviour which, arguably, has had far-reaching consequences. The increased frequency of assessments and examinations on an already examination-oriented student population directed them even more towards preparing for examinations (often via rote learning methods and ‘Kuppi’ classes) at the expense of spending time on sports and extra-curricular activities, which are essential components of the holistic development of a ‘complete’ graduate and a human being. The weaning of students away from sports and extra-curricular activities from the 1990s onwards was clearly evident in a large residential university such as the University of Peradeniya, which offers a wide range of facilities and opportunities for sports and extra-curricular activities. There is no doubt that the introduction of the ‘course-unit’ system of curricula was the major cause of this shift in student behaviour. During my time as an undergraduate in Peradeniya in the early- to mid-1980s, I remember many of my own batchmates, who had not previously engaged in sports and extra-curricular activities during their school days, getting involved and participating in games and activities and thoroughly enjoying the experience despite not being in the official university teams.
Concluding remarks
The underlying structural flaws in the Sri Lankan system of education, teaching and learning is often hidden by the argument that many (but only a tiny fraction of the whole) Sri Lankans who have come through this system have gone on to reach top rungs in their chosen professions in the developed west. However, the true test of an education system of a country is that it should produce a human resource base equipped with competencies (and values) which are required to address the multi-pronged challenges that the country faces in trying to bring about its national development and prosperity. The trajectory that Sri Lanka has travelled as a nation during its 75-year post-independence period and the patently evident current trend of brain drain brings into stark question whether its ‘free-education’ has achieved its intended objectives. It is clear that a comprehensive re-think and a careful overhaul of the current Sri Lankan education system, including its core principles, values and modes of operation, is essential for the country to realize the full potential of its human resource base for the benefit of its own development and prosperity.
The writer has been a university teacher and a researcher for more than thirty five years and has received special training in university staff development, including teaching and learning methodology, at the University of Kassel, Germany.
by Dr. Anushka Kahandagamage
Last week began with the disturbing news of a brutal sexual assault on a female doctor at the Anuradhapura Hospital. From the moment of birth, women are taught to conform to societal expectations of how they should dress and behave, which shapes their sense of vulnerability. This feeling of being at risk knows no boundaries—whether it’s social status, wealth, or education, women experience it universally. It follows them everywhere, day and night. Even in the presence of men who consider themselves progressive, women still feel unsafe. Ideological beliefs or personal views don’t change this reality—women are constantly exposed to the threat of harm. Even when fully covered, from head to toe, they are not immune. In Western societies, which pride themselves on freedom and equality, women still face fear and danger. Vulnerability persists, even in their own homes or among those closest to them.
In a country like Sri Lanka, ravaged by decades of war, the pressure on women is even more intense. This is largely due to the celebration of military masculinities as the norm. In general, masculinity constantly tries to distance itself from femininity. These divisions are deepened by military models. To be seen as a ‘real man,’ one must embody military traits. This doesn’t necessarily mean being part of an official army or wearing a uniform; rather, any man who adopts characteristics like violence and physical risk-taking aligns with this military masculinity model. Nearly thirty years of war have normalised and solidified these military ideals, glorifying them more than ever. In such a society, women are subjected to and oppressed by these restrictive and harmful models of masculinity.
Men’s Unions
Referring back to the unfortunate incident involving the doctor, the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) organised a symbolic strike in protest. While it’s important to acknowledge their support for their female colleague, the issue is not solved by the strike itself or by the reactive nature of professional actions that only address problems after they have occurred. The GMOA has two presidents, four vice presidents, six assistant secretaries, a treasurer, an editor, two assistant editors, and thirty-five committee members, making a total of 51 office-bearers. Of these, only one committee member is a woman, meaning 50 of the board members are men. Meanwhile, the ratio of women to men in the medical community is roughly equal, and the number of female medical students is increasing, surpassing that of male students. In this context, the lack of female representation in the GMOA is deeply concerning.
Some may argue that it is the fault of female doctors for not running for these positions, but the real reason women avoid trade union politics is that these spaces are often unwelcoming. Women’s voices are suppressed and ignored, and many women do not feel these environments are safe or inclusive. The overwhelming male presence discourages women from participating, which is why they remain underrepresented in these spaces.
As a result, the specific challenges, insecurities, and forms of marginalisation faced by female doctors are not addressed within the trade union politics of doctors. These issues are never recognised as professional concerns. The troubling incident in Anuradhapura is not an isolated case; it is part of a broader pattern of difficulties faced by female doctors, with these issues going unheard by higher authorities. Therefore, instead of reacting after an incident occurs, the GMOA—currently shaped by political agendas—should take steps to create long-term solutions to address the problems of female doctors and bring them to the attention of the government. One key step would be to create a space within the GMOA where women can contribute their ideas and share their concerns. Rather than maintaining trade unions dominated by male professionals, unions should be established that include women’s voices as well. A platform should be created where women can actively engage in politics and contribute to shaping the future of the profession.
Women’s Unions
Additionally, the female doctor has the opportunity to speak up for herself due to her professional status. But what about the women who come from humble backgrounds? Do they have a platform to raise their voices regarding their troubles? Women’s voices should never be defined by their social class, status, or profession. A woman picking tea leaves in a garden may face harassment from someone more powerful and influential, yet this common form of abuse often goes unnoticed by society.
She may choose silence to protect her job. Similarly, a woman working the night shift in a garment factory may have to endure harassment and abuse without a chance to speak out. Many women in this country lack the platform a high-ranking professional woman has to raise their voices when they experience such mistreatment. This doesn’t mean that the problems faced by high-ranking professional women should be dismissed. On the contrary, it highlights that all women are equally ensnared by the economic, political, and patriarchal systems that dominate society. We all, to varying degrees, participate in upholding these oppressive social, political, economic, and military patriarchal structures. The crucial task is to identify these oppressive models and create counter-narratives that can challenge and dismantle them.
Models and narratives that perpetuate gender inequality need to be challenged and dismantled, and women’s active participation in politics is crucial in this process. These models, which often portray women as passive or secondary, limit their agency and reinforce systemic discrimination. To break free from these constraints, it is essential to create counter-narratives that highlight women’s leadership, resilience, and power. These counter-narratives not only challenge existing stereotypes but also empower future generations to believe in their ability to shape society.
Women’s participation in politics is vital to this shift. However, political engagement goes far beyond traditional party politics. It involves advocating for one’s rights, raising a voice for the marginalised, and sharing personal and collective stories that highlight the struggles women face. This form of political engagement helps to create awareness, foster solidarity, and inspire action within broader society. For example, women’s involvement in activism and trade unions plays an equally crucial role in challenging the status quo. Activism allows women to directly confront and protest against systemic injustices, while trade unions provide a platform for collective bargaining and the fight for fair working conditions.
Maybe Cassandra is small-minded venturing to the world stage to air her personal opinions. But opinions are allowed and speech and writing permitted in this island of ours now mercifully peaceful. So, she will air her views.
Opinions on the Trump-Zelensky confrontation
Cass cheers President Zelensky after his February 28 meeting with President Trump in a media crowded Oval Office. He was put down, nay, insulted by Trump and his Vice President. He admirably held his own and did not apologise even though he was shown the door.
Zelensky but were tactful. After all, good relations with one of the two largest, most powerful and economically elevated countries had to be maintained. They did not fault Zelensky, who offered no apology to the Prez of the US. After all, the insults heaped on him for his dress, his not being grateful to Trump, etc., he was shown the door. The outcome of negotiations between the US and Ukraine brokered by the Head of Saudi Arabia are still to be known.
Not so muted were the replies to Prez Trump (actually to Musk, who seems to be the puppeteer in the White House) regards his unreasonable tariffs, the latest on metal and steel products imported to the US. PM Justin Trudeau was outspoken about the unfairness of the tariffs and replied Canada was also doing likewise and added the corollary that never would Canada be a state of the US. Even the likes of Cassandra were shocked at the audacity of Musk to even suggest such a monstrously absurd idea.
In favour of Trump
A Sri Lankan, now a US citizen, mentioned how many ex-Sri Lankans, now Americans, are of the Republican Party and so must be approving of Trump as Prez. They are, she added, the rich ex-Sri Lankans, mostly doctors who have done very well in the US.
Of course, everyone and anyone is free in their choices. Dr Upul Wijayawardhana in his article What not to do in The Island of Wednesday March 12 writes: “I must say that I quite like Trump and admire him as a straight-talking politician. He keeps to his words however atrocious they sound! Unfortunately, most critics overlook the fact that what Trump is doing is exactly what he pledged during his election campaign …”
As Cassandra wrote earlier, all are free to make choices. Dr W is brave to declare his admiration for a politico who is being disapproved of universally. What Cass does not agree with is Dr W, while saying “the behaviour of Trump and VP Vance were hardly praiseworthy”, he censors the smaller nation Ukrainian: “but Zelensky did what exactly he should not do. After all, he was on a begging mission and beggars can’t be choosers! He behaves like professional beggars in Colombo who throw money back when you give a small amount!” Cass disagrees with Dr W. Zelensky was on a visit to sign an agreement for the US to exploit Ukraine’s mineral deposits; tied up with aid and arms to war against Russia but not on a begging mission per se. And they were both Presidents so there cannot be superiority at such a meeting.
Banker to Prime Minister
Looks very much like Canada is girding up its loins to fight an aggressive USA or rather the combination of Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Justin Trudeau has given notice he wishes to relinquish his premiership to spend more time with his family. And, his and the Liberal Party’s choice to vote as leader of the Party and thus PM designate is an ex-banker. No intelligence is needed to guess why this choice. To counter the trade and tariff wars instigated by Trump.
The Liberal Party of Canada, founded in 1867, is the longest serving and oldest active federal political party and had dominated federal politics in Canada for much of its history, holding power for almost 70 years in the last century. Pierre Trudeau’s name stands out as Party Leader and PM from 1968 to 79 and 1980 to 84. Son Justin held power from 2015. From March 14, 2025, Mark Carney will hold the fort, mostly against the economically conquering and property eyeing Trump.
Born in 1965 in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, Carney was raised in Edmonton, Alberta. He graduated in economics from Harvard University in 1988 and earned a Master’s degree and doctorate from the University of Oxford in 1993 and ‘95. After holding various positions at Goldman Sachs, he joined the Bank of Canada as Deputy Governor in 2003. The next year he was named senior associate deputy minister for the Department of Finance Canada. He was head of the Canadian Central Bank until 2013, after which he was appointed Governor of the Bank of England, leading it through Brexit and the Covid lockdown. He left in 2020.
Listening to a couple of videos of his acceptance speech as Leader, Liberal Party, he appeared to be of statesman quality. He is married to Diana Fox, an economist he met in London. They have four daughters, the eldest an ardent environmentalist.
Farewell of Trudeau
Cass listened to a video recording of Justin Trudeau’s farewell address to the Liberal Party. It was noteworthy. His teenage daughter introduced him and said he had given his life to the Liberal Party and Canada and it was now important that he spend undivided time with his family of wife and three children
Justin Pierre James Trudeau was born in 1971 in Ottawa, the eldest son of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Holds a BA degree in English from McGill University and a BEd from the University of British Columbia. He taught in secondary school until in 2008 he was elected an MP and in 2013 as leader of the Liberal Party and Prime Minister in 2015, the second youngest PM in Canadian history.
As Cass mentioned, his farewell speech was excellent, speaking alternatively in French and English with French portions translated to English. He recalled all that Canada had achieved: true democracy and people’s rights, including women’s right to choose what they wanted in their lives. He said Canada could and would meet challenges, even fight for its sovereignty as Canadians, even the indigenous, united.
In conclusion, Cass surmises the world is still in uproar, in contrast to Sri Lanka. No, that is not true. Doctors are on strike as she writes, extending their one day of stoppage of work, demanding greater protection for women medical personnel. Good demand but bad to strike.
And the Batalanda problem surfaces itself.
By Admiral Ravindra C Wijegunaratne
WV, RWP& Bar, RSP, VSV, USP, NI (M) (Pakistan), ndc, psn, Bsc (Hons) (War Studies) (Karachi) MPhil (Madras)
Former Navy Commander and Former Chief of Defense Staff
Former Chairman, Trincomalee Petroleum Terminals Ltd
Former Managing Director Ceylon Petroleum Corporation
Former High Commissioner to Pakistan
(Extract from book “THOSE WERE THE DAY”)
It was in 1984, 41 years ago, that I returned to Sri Lanka, from India, after completing my Sub Lieutenant Technical course. My new appointment was at the Northern Naval Command and I was based in SLNS Elara shore establishment, in Karainagar.
Six batchmates of mine were also transferred to the North. It was in mid-1984. I now feel that transferring seven batchmates—boisterous Sub Lieutenants—was a very big mistake on the part of the Navy. We had just completed three and a half years in service. Whatever the situation, our parties went on till late at night. Thanks to the Indian food, which we ate for nine months, all of us were very thin.
It is believed that if you want to gain weight you have to drink toddy from the same palm, every day, before lunch. So, we owned one palm each at the Karainagar base. Our toddy tapper, Kandaiah, was paid 30 rupees every month (one rupee per day per one bottle). Kandaiah will mark our bottles and hand them over to the Officers Mess steward to keep them in the refrigerator. (The Navy Officers Mess is called the Ward Room in the Navy parlance). The Naval base in Karinagar, followed the “summer routine” due to the very hot weather in Jaffna. The working hours were from 07.30 hrs to 13.30 hrs. We gathered for lunch around 14.30 hrs, after all the senior officers had left. First, the bottle of fresh chilled Thal toddy, then delicious Navy lunch with sea food or mutton, followed by fruit salad or caramel pudding.
After our heavy lunch, we will rest for one hour in very warm weather and then go to the basketball or tennis courts by 16.00 hrs. Games would go on till sunset. Whether we gained weight that way is a moot question. Soon our ‘Christmas’ came to an end. We were detailed to ‘Mothership-daughter craft operation’. Seven sub-Lieutenants were in Command of seven boats, fiberglass dinghies (FGDs) fitted with 40 HP Out Board Motors. (OBMs). They move faster than fishing boats and our mission was to be attached to bigger ships (Gunboat, OPV or to trawler A521 ) and chase away any Indian bottom trawlers poaching in Sri Lankan waters and catch any smuggling or terrorist boat coming from India. Terrorists camps were situated in the Tamilnadu coast at that time. On 1 July 1984, (Sunday), my crew consisting of three junior sailors were due to proceed to sea. Senior most among my sailors was Leading Seaman Hibutugoda with eight years’ experience in the Navy. Able Seaman Buddhakorale, Marine Engineering Mechanic Bandara and I had been in service for less than four years. I was leading this young boat crew to action. During the daily briefing, I was told our boat was to join SLNS Jayasagara. (Offshore Patrol Vessel) anchored off Kachchativu on the Indo-Sri Lanka International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) by afternoon.
It was a fairly long sea journey for an FGB fitted with 40HP OBM. But that is how we started fighting terrorists out at sea in 1984!
We left the Karainagar base soon after breakfast at 07.00 hrs and reached Nainativu (Nagadeepa temple) pier by 09.30 hrs. I met Podi Hamudruwo, (a young priest) who was my close friend and worshipped the place, which the Buddha visited. Then we had tea at our Naval Detachment and proceeded back to sea. It was the height of the South West monsoon and usually sea South of Delft Island was very rough during this period. The funnel effect of Delft channel further made the sea even more furious. Leading Seaman . suggested that we turn back and return to base due to rough seas. I was not in agreement. Young and enthusiastic, I was determined to intercept terrorist craft or a smuggling boat in my first patrol on a FGD. So, we continued at a slower speed heading towards SLNS Jayasagara. Our only Navigational aid was a boat magnetic compass. The sea was very rough. As per my calculations, we should reach Mothership (SLNS Jayasagara) by noon.
We packed all our weapons and radio set in polythene covers and kept them safely under the bow- locker of the boat. We were riding the head sea, which tossed our boat up and down like a rubber ball. By 13.00 hrs, I knew something was wrong. Mother ship was not in sight, which was unbelievable. Our efforts to contact mother ship by our 10 Watts radio Communication set was unsuccessful. When we sighted the tall radio mast of Danuskodi (India), we realised that we had come too far away from the Mothership. (Later, we learnt the Mothership had moved to the North of Delft Island due to rough seas and the Naval base at Karainagar had failed to inform them of our departure). We were in Indian waters! We immediately turned back to our reciprocal course and headed towards Nainativu, none of these Islands were within our sight. All our calculations were done on the basis of our speed, boat compass directions and a photocopy of the Northern area sea chart.
The situation took a turn for the worse. After we started heading towards Sri Lankan waters, the wind and the sea coming from the stern of the boat made the handling of the vessel on a steady course extremely difficult. After a few minutes, waves broke on to boat, which started sinking. We jumped off. Marine Engineering Mechanic Bandara held on to a lifejacket. Others were swimming in various directions. The boat disappeared in deep waters within a few minutes. Wooden floorboards of the boat were floating. I grabbed one wooden floorboard and gathered others around it.
Now we were all together. Bandara was a non-swimmer and he wore a life jacket. Others were in a state of shock, even though they could swim. What they saw around them was only the sea with no land in sight.
What about me? I am a good swimmer thanks to Late Master Chief Petty Officer (PTI) PPR Silva, who was our swimming instructor during our cadet time. Further, my training at Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC), Dartmouth, UK, where Royal Navy takes ‘survival at sea’ training very seriously. They put you in a life raft and keep you out at river Dart for a whole night during winter. Midshipmen from Asian and African countries who did the International Midshipman Course at BRNC with me cursed the Royal Navy instructors the whole night for keeping us exposed to very cold weather in river Dart. I realised the importance of that training in BRNC. However, the situation there was different. We were on a liferaft in River Dart, and not floating in water. Due to the cold weather in the UK during winter, if you fall into water, you will survive only a few minutes. You will die of hypothermia. The situation here in warm Sri Lankan/Indian waters is different. We would survive a longer period, maybe 24 hours.
I ordered all the sailors to stay together by holding on to the floor board and reassured them that help would be forthcoming even though I knew it would take hours to both CO SLNS Jayasagara, my CO SLNS Elara and Commander Northern Naval Area to realise our boat was lost at sea and to initiate Search and Rescue (SAR) mission. Then, I ensured that Bandara was comfortable with his life jacket. I instructed my sailors to just hang on to the wooden floorboard, not to expend energy by trying to swim. My instructions and reassurance had a calming effect on the sailors. We were riding waves, holding onto the floorboards. I told my sailors that a rescue team would come searching for us before sunset. Time as per my waterproof watch was 14.00 hrs.
I had one fear. After returning from India a few weeks back, I watched Steven Spielberg’s award-winning film ‘Jaws’, on man-eating great white sharks. The film is based on Peter Benchley’s 1974 novel JAWS. I thought such a shark would appear and swallow one of us whole. Further I knew for sure that there were no man-eating Sharks in our waters, but silently prayed that sunset would come fast in the hope that sharks would not see us in the dark.
Thankfully, at sun set, we saw an SLAF Aircraft on the horizon. It was patrolling along the India-Sri Lanka IMBL. We were in the Indian waters. Our morale went down to the lowest with sunset. No search would be conducted at night because aircraft and ships/boats could not sight us. We had to keep going. I told the sailors, “The aircraft must have seen us, but as you know, help would not come at night. We should somehow survive till next morning July 2, 1984)”. Something told me I was hoping for the impossible.
I prayed that it would not be the last sunset I was watching. I thought of my parents, my brothers and sisters, especially my sister closest to me, Lalani. who would die in an accident in Russia two years later. She was so close to me and I was her hero in uniform. I was determined to live and keep my sailors alive till morning.
As soon as the sun set, the new moon rose. The new moon was in the waxing crescent phase with only 7% illumination. That meant we were heading for a very dark night. I started singing, joined by my sailors. Leading Seaman Hibutugoda grabbed the ‘mike’ from me. He is a very good singer. I regretted having disregarded his advice that we turn back at Nainativu. A wonderful sailor, he mentioned it again. I respect him even today for his discipline. They were “old school” sailors who believed that”officers were always right”. The new moon started dipping down by the time Hibutugoda stopped singing. I wished if I had my hip flask was filled with rum. If I had been able to give him a tot, Hibutugoda would have gone on singing till dawn.
It became one of the darkest nights after the moon set at 9.00 pm. It was so dark that we could barely see each other. During my training at BRNC, I learnt that our body temperature was in water for a long time and body fluids transferred to sea water by natural osmosis; we would get dehydrated, feel drowsy and then drown. I was worried about my sailors, specially of Bandara, who started shivering. I told the sailors to keep talking and if anyone felt drowsy to inform others without falling asleep. I had the worst fear that one of them would feel drowsy and drown. To keep them alert, I showed them how to find North by reading stars and how to trace the star- conciliation of ‘Orion’.
Then, I asked them to count stars, and anyone whose count was the same as mine, would get a bottle of rum from me when we reached the base. They kept counting and recounting stars!It was the longest night in my life. The sunrise of 2nd July 1984 was the most beautiful one I have seen. I suddenly realized 1st July was Sunday and Indian trawlers would not go fishing on Sundays.
Morale, however, was up with the sunrise. I saw a few smiles. We did something unbelievable. We survived one whole night in water! We had broken all previous records by the Sri Lanka Navy on survival.
I saw Kachchativu Island on the horizon, where a small church was built by a fisherman, who was a survivor of a storm, and dedicated it to St. Anthonys. We were too weak to swim towards the island. I told my sailors that help would come soon. I am a Buddhist and firm believer in God Skanda (God Kataragama) and St. Anthony. When we get a sea appointment, we go to St. Anthony Church, Kochikade and light a candle because St. Anthony is the Saint who looks after seafarers like us. Our ships in the Colombo harbour, before proceeding to the sea on patrol first, turn towards St. Antony’s Church to invoke its blessings. Before taking over my sea appointment in the North, I lit a candle there. I prayed to St. Antony.
A book written by the late
W. T. Jayasinghe, the former External Affairs and Defence Secretary, titled, Kachchativu: And the Maritime Boundary of Sri Lanka, says: “The sea surrounding Kachchativu are
fertile fishing grounds and fishermen from Sri Lanka have from time immemorial been venturing into these waters. It is recorded that fishermen of Point Pedro went as far as Kachchativu to catch turtles during particular seasons.
The Portuguese administered Kachchativu as part of Jaffna and Sri Lanka has been exercising sovereignty and jurisdiction over Kachchativu and its adjacent waters without interruption.” (Page 18)
We were very weak by morning. Around 9.00 hrs / July 2, 1984, we saw a fishing trawler at a distance. They saw us floating and came towards us. I silently prayed again that it should not be an Indian trawler. We the SLN are not the best friends of Indian trawlers poaching in our waters.
It was a Sri Lankan trawler which came from Gurunagar. They took us on board. I looked at my waterproof watch. Time was 10.20 hrs. We had been floating for 20 hours and 20 minutes. All of us survived. The Tamil fishermen were very kind to us. They gave us water to drink, which tasted very sweet. We had not taken any water or food for almost 24 hrs. Most of us were shivering from the cold and had signs of dehydration. The fishermen gave us sugar and bread. This was the breakfast of these humble people. I ate a piece of bread with sugar with tears in my eyes.
I thanked St Antony for being kind to us. I was determined to come back to the small St Antony’s Church in Kachchativu soon to light a candle. Soon we were spotted by a SLN ship. The happy news communicated to the Naval Base, Karainagar “Ravi and his boys are safe. We are bringing them home”. A reception at the Naval base was unbelievable, led by my senior batch Lieutenant Parakrama Samaraweera (Pol Samare or Nalaka who died in Mullaitivu in 1996) and six of my batch mates. All these happened when I was a 21-year old, way back in 1984. Thank god for allowing me to live. Thanks St. Anthony
My mother was 82-years old and she broke her hip in 2017, when I was Navy Commander. She gave me most of the valuable documents she was keeping with her. One of those documents was my horoscope, written by a world-famous astrologer who was a very close friend of my late father. My horoscope was written only up to 1st July 1984, and the astrologer had said the remaining part of it would be completed some other day. My late father or mother did not know why the astrologer had postponed writing the second part. Now, I know why he did so. However, I survived on July 1, 1984.
When I was the Navy Commander, I was given the opportunity by His Lordship, Rt Rev Dr Justin Ganapragasam, Roman Catholic Bishop of Jaffna to build a new St Anthony’s Church at Kachchativu. I was more than happy to do so. Former Navy Commander, Admiral Piyal De Silva was the Northern Naval Commander at the time. I grabbed this golden opportunity with both my hands. Piyal did a wonderful job and built a beautiful church for St. Anthony in six months. I do not miss attending the yearly feast, which attracts thousands of Indian and Sri Lankan devotees. On 1st of July, I remember how lucky we were to survive in the sea.
Our government has reaffirmed its commitment to breaking barriers that limit women’s full participation in the economy, recognizing their vital role in national development. – Dr. Harini Amarasuriya
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