Features

As I remember, from 50 years ago: the 75-80 Katubedda Engineering Batch

Published

6 months ago

2025/06/15

University of Moratuwa

On a wonderful morning in May in the year 1975, a group of around 140 young men and women entered the engineering faculty at the Katubedda Campus of the University of Sri Lanka. Only around 12% of them were women, a statistic that has improved slightly to around 20% over the past 50 years! There appeared little to differentiate us from previous entrants to this campus. However, Dr L.H. Sumanadasa, who had previously been instrumental in setting up both the Institute of Practical Technology and the Ceylon College of Technology at Katubedda, had become the Vice-Chancellor of the (entire) University of Sri Lanka in 1974. Whether through his personal offices or through government policy or both, it had been deemed that all engineering entrants in 1975 from the Colombo District be sent to Katubedda.

I myself had wanted to go to Peradeniya, at that time undisputedly the more established faculty; not least because Professor E.O.E. Pereira, the former Engineering Dean and Vice-Chancellor at Peradeniya, had told me in no unmistakable terms that I should head to the Hanthane hills, when I was sent to meet him by the head of my school. Only three physical science entrants in our year had obtained four A grades at the A-level examinations. Getting an A grade was a significant achievement in those days – recently some 1300 had obtained 3 (out of 3) As for the same stream!! Anyway, all three with 4 As in our year were at Katubedda. One of them went, as I recall, to the University Grants Commission (UGC) to effect for himself a transfer to Peradeniya, but had been told not to be a fool. This may have been prophetic, because from our batch onwards, the intake quality to Katubedda increased significantly, or so I like to think.

The engineering faculty in those days had seven departments – civil, mechanical, electrical, electronics, chemical, materials and mining. The latter three disciplines were termed ‘applied sciences’ but are now all engineering programmes at Moratuwa. In addition, the faculty now has computer science, earth resources (a rebranding of mining), textile technology and transport management departments. We did experience our share of ragging at the hands of seniors, perhaps the most vociferous of whom went by the intimidating nickname of ‘Boo Bamba’ – rumour has it that he was later a professor of artificial intelligence at some U.S. University.

One of our batch nearly fainted at a rather physically demanding phase of the rag, and had to be escorted home by a few seniors – inadvertently creating history by being probably the first fresher to rag the seniors! Tales of exponential curves (‘e to the power x’) being drawn on cement floors using bare bums at the ‘Aachchi Palace’ also circulated during this rag period.

In spite of being in an institution that taught only professionally oriented programmes (engineering, architecture and technology) with almost guaranteed employment for its products, our university life was not devoid of the student activism that is such a major feature of state universities in Sri Lanka. The country had just seen the quelling of the first JVP uprising in 1971, surprisingly during an essentially socialist SLFP regime; which itself was toppled unceremoniously in 1977 by the avowedly market oriented UNP. Student activism was not viewed benevolently by the powers that be, whatever government was in office.

In our second year, a confrontation between students and the police at the Peradeniya campus had resulted in a student being shot dead. In our final year, an internal confrontation between the student union and the administration led to a hunger strike at Katubedda, causing our final examinations to be postponed from 1979 to 1980. There was no graduating batch in 1979, but two in 1980 – one in February (ourselves) and the other in November (for our junior batch, as scheduled). Political violence became much worse in the late 1980s, with the then vice-chancellor and a security guard being shot dead while in campus; and the entire Sri Lankan university system shut down for around two years.

Another issue in the background of our university life was the government policy on university admission. In 1971, the government introduced language-wise standardization, seen as a corrective against the perceived disproportionate numbers of Tamil students entering university, mainly to medical and engineering faculties. This ‘corrective’ was clearly repugnant to Tamil citizens, and may have been a factor in the formation of the LTTE in 1976. Such standardization was done away with in 1977, but a district quota system, also introduced in 1972, continues albeit with some modifications to this day. The district quota system is widely considered to deliver compensatory justice in our under-resourced education system, but also seen as a mechanism that continues to reduce university entrants from large population centres, including the Jaffna District. At any rate, the 1970s probably sowed the seeds of the two most disruptive social upheavals in our country, namely the LTTE uprising and second JVP one, both in the 1980s.

Just before we entered our specialization streams in the second year, the student union held a meeting to discuss the student response to the proposed introduction of calculators. Calculations in the first year were tackled using logarithmic tables, but we were about to graduate to (and invest in) slide rules in the next. The need to substitute slide rules with scientific calculators may appear to be a ‘no brainer’ today, but in the very real context of students from deprived backgrounds, the outcome of the discussion was by no means one sided. Anyway, we ended up using calculators from our second year onwards, and may in fact have been deprived for not having a ‘slide rule experience’ – slide rules were considered to be almost synonymous with an engineering outlook, if nothing else because they required users to keep track of orders of magnitude in their minds; the discipline of which is perhaps less developed in users of calculators!

The university administration too tried to provide cheap food and drink to cater to student poverty in these deprived 1970s. As I recall, a kahata (only tea) was just 3 cents but if one wanted a small piece of hakuru (jaggery) with it, it was a cent more. A ‘plain tea’ (i.e. tea with sugar added) was 5 cents, while a kiri kahata (tea with milk only) was 6 cents; a kiri kahata with hakuru was a cent more, while the priciest brew, i.e. ‘milk tea’ (tea, milk and sugar) was 8 cents. So the kahata was as cheap as it could get, but additions relatively pricey!! Imagine my surprise when I was studying in London in the early 1980s that one could add any amount of milk and sugar to one’s heart’s content after paying (of course around two orders of magnitude more than the above rates) for the basic cup of what we would have called kahata!!

The nature of the student union also changed during our student days. When we entered, the students were represented by the Engineering Students Scientific and Cultural Organization (ESSCO in short). All proceedings were conducted in English, and any contributions in other languages required translation. When an irate student once referred to the administration as “Waathayo”, the then President of ESSCO himself had to translate it as “Air guys”. By the time we graduated, ESSCO was no more, and had been replaced by a student union as in all state universities, with election outcomes based on proportional representation of competing groups; and Sinhala being the predominant language of discourse.

English vis-à-vis the vernacular languages is a struggle that continues to date. All programmes at Moratuwa were and are taught in English, with complete endorsement by students, who continue to see it as a passport to the world. However, everyday conversations were conducted largely in Sinhala or Tamil; especially in Sinhala, which was seen as part of the student ‘culture’, at least at campuses in the south like Moratuwa. This meant that even students with greater English language proficiency tended to hide that fact and converse in the lingua franca of the campus.

As I recall, only a few students tried deliberately to improve their English language skills by practising it with others more competent than they. Tamil students had the additional challenge that vendors and traders in the vicinity of the campus spoke largely in Sinhala; however, many such students ended up being trilingual after their campus experience! Language, in my opinion, continues to be a vexation in various ways in Sri Lanka. We need a way to find the best way forward that preserves our culture while being open to the world at large, and does not leave anyone behind.

Another significant change in our time, brought about by the Universities Act No. 16 of 1978, was the splitting up of the single University of Sri Lanka into six separate universities at the time (Sri Lanka now has seventeen state universities). In addition, our name changed from Katubedda to Moratuwa – i.e. from being the Katudebba Campus of the University of Sri Lanka we became the University of Moratuwa. There were mixed feelings regarding this, as I recall.

Some felt that we would lose the identity we had been trying to create (for the engineering faculty, one that was distinct from Peradeniya), an identity linked to the name Katubedda; someone even opined that ‘Katubedda’ had a more pleasing or aesthetic ‘ring’ to it compared to ‘Moratuwa’. Others however felt that the new ‘Moratuwa’ name would help the fledgling institution to break away from its lowlier ‘practical technology’ beginnings associated with the ‘Katubedda’ name. At any rate, the university community at Katubedda in Moratuwa had little say in the change, since it was the prerogative of the Minister in charge, in consultation with the University Grants Commission (UGC); and it was from the University of Moratuwa that we graduated.

In our final year, it was mostly our batchmates who were in the Sports Council as captains of the various sports, and a musical evening was arranged by them featuring a very well-known musical band. The unfortunate band leader was unable to comprehend the campus culture, because whatever he sang, whether Sinhala or English, slow or fast, every song was greeted with loud hooting. Although the organizers tried to explain that this was the student way of expressing appreciation, and in spite of trying to mollify the man with cups that cheer, he stalked off in disgust, leaving the rest of the band to entertain us!

One of the most colourful personalities in our batch was an old Anandian, who had acquired a reputation for teaching A-level physics tuition classes even before he entered. He maintained this avocation right through his university career, juggling examination timetables with his class schedules – other students have done such multi-tasking as well, but very few if any actually taught the classes they attended outside of university.

The fact that he was able to commute in a white Volkswagen car, purchased from the proceeds of his enterprise, no doubt helped in the balancing act. At any rate, it is his business and entrepreneurial skills in education that he made a career of – no doubt based on sound (mechanical) engineering instincts; and he ended up by establishing an enviable network of ‘international’ schools (named after the one set up by Aristotle himself) that were eminently affordable to middle class parents. Not content with being limited to such endeavours, he ventured into politics as well, serving for a while as the State Minister of University Education.

These reminiscences would not be complete without mentioning a few charismatic teachers as well. Most of us would remember the one who at times devoted 10% of his lecture time to thermodynamics, and the rest to politics; this same teacher had returned to Sri Lanka after his PhD in London, driving a Morris Oxford all the way. We may recall too, a mathematics professor who asked us “How much is one plus one?”; and proceeded to gaze out of the window in deep thought, counting on his fingers and saying “Let me think”, as if to search for an answer – I think he was trying to teach us the notion of correspondence; or have I got it wrong? Let me think… Then there was a Dean whom all of us quaked to meet one-on-one. One of our batchmates who had to so do, had reportedly persuaded another to exchange shirts and footwear, so that he would appear more presentable to the irascible administrator.

We should not forget the Department Head who managed to get a new car with 10 Sri 1 as its registration plate; and then proceeded to convert it (probably in our Auto Lab) to run on LP gas – soon after we graduated he was named one of Ten Outstanding Young Persons by the Sri Lanka Jaycees. Finally, there was this teacher in charge of a somewhat snake-infested survey camp (for our junior batch), who when interrogated by a student representative as to who would be responsible if a student was bitten by a reptile, replied without batting an eyelid that “the snake will be responsible”. Jokes apart however, we are who we are because of the dedication and sacrifice of especially our academic staff. They had to teach in a relatively unknown institution at the time, and consistently put the institution and its students first; that is, ahead of developing their own academic careers. We were the beneficiaries of their labours, which by no means were in vain.

And so we graduated in early 1980, with around 15 first class holders among us. Almost as a symbol that the university was having a new beginning with our batch, we were the first to have a convocation (probably of course because we were the first to graduate after the 1978 Act under a University of Moratuwa banner) – and that too at the impressive new BMICH, under the chancellorship of Arthur C. Clarke, the eminent science fiction writer. We later produced over 20 doctoral degree holders, maybe 10 full professors, a few engineering deans and authors of scholarly books, and even some researchers in the so-called Stanford-Elsevier database of top 2% scientists (based on citation impact).

Others have become organizational leaders, and hence ‘movers and shakers’. Apart from the gentleman mentioned earlier, we have another who has been CEO of both a bank and a manufacturing company; and at least two entrepreneurs – one in furniture and the other in high tech start-ups (based in the U.S. but back-ending his operation with Moratuwa students and graduates); also a lady CEO of a large state-owned utility provider. Some are working in high tech environments in developed countries, pushing the boundaries of disciplines such as aerospace and nuclear and biomechanical engineering. Others have put Sri Lanka on the map through their involvement in signature projects; or coordinating multi-nation initiatives, for example in disaster mitigation. There is one of us still playing representative cricket! I am doubtless unaware of other significant contributions – our batch, while not large, is not small either.

More importantly, we have all, in different ways and contexts, been helping to “direct the great sources of power in nature for the use and convenience of humans” – and nowadays safeguarding the environment while doing so as well. Our degrees from Moratuwa have brought us socio-economic mobility, and I suppose all of us have been trying to ‘give back’ to family, community or country (motherland or adopted) in various ways and degrees, whether through technical or humanitarian ventures.

Most if not all of us contributed to a Moratuwa University scholarship scheme in the memory of a batchmate who tragically perished in the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami. Some of us have already gone the way of all the world, while the rest are awaiting our calls; probably trying to become better human beings, whether in the interests of the hereafter, or just to make life easier for those who will care for us in the bard’s seventh act of life!

But what of the university itself? If I may be permitted a personal reflection, I was one of five batchmates who returned to the university to serve on its academic staff. As a young staff member, I used to envy Peradeniya’s stature – many of its engineering faculty staff had Cambridge PhDs (for example) and their graduates seemed to have an open door to that ancient seat of learning. However, by the time I retired, some 40 years after joining the academic staff, our own graduates had been regularly accepted for PhDs not only at Cambridge but also at Oxford, Imperial, Caltech, MIT, Princeton and ETH Zurich. In addition, it goes without saying that Moratuwa is undisputedly the first choice now (from among seven engineering faculties) of the majority of those 1300 university aspirants with 3 As at their A-levels. I like to think that 1975-80 (our batch, in fact!!) was the turning point for Moratuwa University’s fortunes.

Written by a member of the 75-80 Katubedda Engineering batch who was later a Moratuwa University teacher for 40 years (with apologies for any inadvertent errors or omissions).

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Features

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

Published

8 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

8 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

8 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.