Features

D.S. and tales out of school

Published

4 years ago

2022/03/20

by ECB Wijeyesinghe

Had Don Stephen Senanayake been alive he would have been 95 yesterday. To use his own familiar phrase, actually, as a matter of fact, he was born on Oct. 20, 1884. By an ironic twist of Fate, this ardent crusader for temperance, first saw the light of day in the village of Botale, where his father Mudaliyar Don Spater Senanayake, owned broad acres of coconut and deep plumbago mines.

For some unaccountable reason, although Don Spater’s three sons had other names, they were all called “John”. The eldest D. C., the businessman, was “Colombo John”. The second, F. R., the barrister, was “London John” and the youngest, D. S., the engaging ruffian who loved to roam the jungles was known as “Kallay John”.

Though his two older brothers were always somewhere near the top of their classes at S. Thomas’ College, then at Mutwal, D. S. preferred wrestling, cricket and riding to reading, writing and arithmetic, and it so happened that he never passed a public examination.

Wooden spoonists in the academic sphere and those who have crashed in the recent “A” level examination have reason to take heart that eventually D. S. grew up to be one of the greatest men that Sri Lanka produced, so much so that European writers described him as the Abraham Lincoln of the East.

BACKWARD

D.S. was not unaware of his infirmities in the class room and it is said he often felt delighted that his distinguished and famous contemporary, Winston Churchill, had a similar dismal record. Churchill, historians say, spent three years in the Second Form at Harrow. When questioned about it, he had replied that he knew three times as much as his classmates knew.

That was one of D. S. Senanayake’s favourite quotes and it is more than a coincidence that Churchill was to Great Britain what D. S. Senanayake was to Sri Lanka. Both led their countries at critical periods and emerged triumphant not only by sheer force of character, but by a sort of intuition and a cheerful fearlessness that knew no bounds. Another common trait was the complete absence of inhibitions of any sort.

One recalls the episode of Churchill, during the last war, emerging from a bath-room without even a towel to cover him, and telling President Roosevelt that he had nothing to hide from the Americans. Once at “The Temple Trees” D.S. gave instructions to me when I happened to be in the Information Department, and in the process did a complete change of clothing from sarong to suit, without batting an eyelid. My presence in his dressing-room made no difference to him.

STORIES

Some of the best stories of the great D.S. however, concern his ebullient youth when he was just a bundle of rippling muscles. S. J. K. Crowther, his school mate and the first Editor of the “Daily News”, relates this one. Though Latin is a dead language in most schools now, the story will still be appreciated by a dying generation of Thomians, at least.

This is what Crowther wrote: “Term examinations in the Lower School at S.T.C. Desks are placed lengthwise and boys are seated side by side, one from each form: Lower Fourth, Upper Third, Lower Third, Second Form and so on. On my right sits a hefty youth who does

not waste time over a paper. He strikes me as just the lad to help me to decline RES, the mystery of the fifth declension nouns being foreign to me”.

“Do you know how to decline Res” Crowther inquires from his muscular neighbour whose name, written large at the top of a virgin sheet of paper, appears as ‘D. S. Senanayake’. “Certainly”, comes the ready response: “Take it down: Res, rerum, retis reti, rete”. On the day of reckoning later, the teacher, the Rev. Handel Smith, holding Crowther up to ridicule and contempt, asked him from what Latin Primer he learnt this novel declension of Res.

Crowther says Smith little knew that he learned it from one destined to give a new meaning to the entity “Res Publica” in Ceylon.

Herbert Hulugalle who wrote an exhaustive biography of D. S. Senanayake has quoted Crowther’s story along with another one which the famous editor used to relate at Lake House. It runs somewhat like this: “The train to the North is running express. It does not stop at Mirigama, even for a future Prime Minister. As it whirls its way in a cloud of dust, the door of a compartment opens and two youths step out, one after the other. They spin head over heels in a tangle of spread-eagled arms and legs on the platform.

Picked up, dusted and sticking–plastered they are produced in Court and discharged with a warning. The names of the accused are Don Stephen Senanayake and Douglas de Saram, one of the founders of the flourishing legal firm of D. L. and F. de Saram”.

D. S. was one of the most popular boys in school, and two of his closest friends were Douglas de Saram, the idol

of his fellow-students, and another cricketer, Edo Abeyakoon, whose son, Maurice, later captained STC. All three of them were proud of their magnificent physiques, and their usual week-end pastime was to test their strength under the banyan trees at Mutwal in wrestling matches watched by cheering gangs of partisans. An occasional bet was also placed on the result.

Don Stephen was seldom beaten. Among the spectators who watched and cheered were the budding intellectuals who later on distinguished themselves in many fields. They included Sir Paul Pieris, historian and judge, Dr. Lucian de Zilwa, writer and physician, Sir Arthur Wijeyewardene, Chief Justice, and Dr. V. Gabriel, the eminent surgeon.

Little did they think that the wrestler from Botale would one day be wrestling successfully with problems that would have taxed even their golden brains. To solve these problems D.S. was humble enough to utilise the services of anybody and everybody willing to help him, irrespective of colour, caste or creed.

SIR OLIVER

During the War Years, however, his principal adviser and troubleshooter was Sir Oliver Goonetilleke who had to wade warily between the native politicians, the Governor and the Commander-in-Chief.

Blunt Admiral Sir Geoffrey Layton, the brusque and blunt C-in-C, after he retired, gave a candid interview to a Ceylon journalist in London, in which he said that D.S. at first mistrusted him.

Once bitten D.S. was twice shy and thought that at any moment there might be a repetition of 1915. But ultimately, everything worked out smoothly. Layton thought the world of Sir Oliver and made him Civil Defence Commissioner. It is common knowledge that in the whole history of the Public Service in British times, there has been no other instance of so much power being concentrated in the hands of a Ceylonese official.

Sir Oliver who, incidentally, was also born on October 20, but eight years later than D.S. discharged not only his War obligations competently but made straight the path for Ceylon to attain independence. One of the most remarkable Ceylonese of this century, Sir Oliver who died last December, has been compared to the Hindu God who had two legs but four hands. Everybody went to him with their troubles and no one was left unaided.

Sir Oliver was intensely loyal to D. S. Senanayake who first met him at the Orient Club. With the passage of years their friendship deepened and the time came when one could not do without the other. Sir Oliver even drafted some of the P.M.’s more momentous messages to the Nation. It is worth recording here that Sir Oliver was one of the politicians who never forgot the part played by the Press in winning freedom for Ceylon.

Somebody had to be honoured in the Fourth Estate and the winner turned out to be a dark horse. It happened in 1950 at an Independence Day party at “The Temple Trees” after D. S. had paid a radio tribute to the Press, among other things. There, Sir Oliver, who was probably responsible for this passage of praise, moved up quietly to Hilaire Jansz who was the Editor of the “Observer” for 22 years, and asked him if he had heard the P.M.’s message.

He then remarked that Jansz was about the oldest of the country’s journalists. There was a loud silence for a while, according to Jansz, and one could almost see a thought taking shape in Sir Oliver’s mind. Why should not Jansz be recommended for an Imperial Honour? D. R, Wijewardene had refused a Knighthood, and was now a very sick man. Hulugalle was no longer an editor. Nor was Crowther.

And so it came to pass that Hilaire Donald Jansz, OBE, one of the most versatile and brilliant journalists of his generation, was honoured, thanks to the efforts of D. S. Senanayake and Sir Oliver. And like the other two great men, Jansz was also born on October 20, in 1896 to be exact.

(Excerpted from Men and Memories first published in 1979)

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Features

‘The devil is in the details’ in West Asian peace

Published

47 mins ago

2026/06/18

Sahan Weerasooriya

President Donald Trump at the current G7 summit in France. Evelyn Hockstein/Getty Image

It is obviously too early for an outpouring of joy over the seeming cessation of hostilities between the main antagonists in West Asia. While the prospect of there being a measure of calm in the region is being welcomed by considerable sections of the international community, what is ‘on the table’ currently is only a Memorandum of Understanding between the US and Iran to give peace a chance. The hard part in the peace effort remains to be achieved.

In the Middle East of today we have one of the most complex conflicts to break out in modern international politics and the observer would be naive in the extreme to expect a facile and early closure to the tangle. Yet, for the sake of the world’s publics who have been hurting badly in the prolonged hostilities one could only hope that the US-Iran MoU that is expected to be signed by the sides on Friday would lead eventually to a substantive peace. The world’s thanks are due to Pakistan in this connection for its sustained support in the peace drive.

While the sides have agreed to a ceasing of hostilities in the most general terms and have reached accord on the facilitation of uninterrupted oil and gas supplies to the rest of the world, for instance, the ‘devil will prove to be in the details’ in an envisaged comprehensive peace settlement. It is these details that would make or break peace if the negotiations go on in earnest.

Nevertheless, the details would need to be worked out consensually in a spirit of compromise with an eye to the greater good of the world community. Realpolitik or a narrow focus on solely the national interest among the protagonists, for example, would need to give way to a measure of humanity that would encompass within it a consideration of the overall well being of the world. In other words, it is statesmanship that would crucially matter.

The next few weeks would establish whether humanists are ‘asking for far too much’ when they broach the questions at issue in these terms. Yet it is essentially self interest and national security considerations of the first importance that drove the conflict from even prior to February this year and these questions would need to be taken up and resolved to the satisfaction of the US and Iran in the main if some headway is to be made towards a durable settlement.

The nuclear issue would prove to be the proverbial Gordian Knot. From a realistic viewpoint, Iran could not be expected to be without a potential nuclear deterrent in the face of perceived nuclear threats emanating for it from the West and Israel. In the short term, Iran would need to possess this deterrent to a measure, within a mutually agreed international legal framework maybe, until wide agreement is reached on the nuclear tangle. Specifically, Iran’s immediate threat perceptions with regard to her nuclear-powered rivals would need to be defused during initial negotiations.

Ideally it is a world free of nuclear weapons that must be aimed at but since this goal cannot be achieved in the near or medium terms, unfolding negotiations would need to ensure Iran’s absolute security in a world of powers that continue to swear by the nuclear deterrent, if it is to give up the suspected latter capability.

However, it is to the degree to which the present nuclear powers divest themselves of this capability that Iran could be put at ease on this score. Accordingly, it is nothing short of a complete elimination of nuclear weapons from the world that could dissuade keenly security conscious states from developing nuclear weapons of their own with a mass destruction capability.

This is the number one dilemma the international community needs to grapple with going forward and it is to the extent to which it resolves it that a nuclear weapons free world could be envisaged. No doubt, an uphill challenge.

Compelling Israel to support the present negotiatory process constitutes another grueling challenge for the US. Currently the Iranian position essentially is that a Middle East peace is inseparable from a normalization of the security situation in Lebanon. That is, the present Israeli attacks on the Hezbollah presence in Lebanon must cease if a comprehensive peace is to be realized in West Asia.

However, Israel is showing no signs of drawing back from its attacks on Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon since the security of the Israeli state is being seen as threatened by the militant group. Co-opting Israel into the negotiatory effort therefore would turn out to be a matter of paramount concern for the US.

Moreover, elements in the rightist administration in Israel are seeing the current peace efforts as a ‘sell out’ to the enemies of Israel. They would have none of it. It is left to be seen how the US would be managing these virtual storm centres in the diplomatic process that could very well bring down the overall purported peace drive.

A recent pronouncement by US Vice President J.D. Vance points to yet another problem area in the US’ current peace overtures. He said that, ‘Regional peace and stability includes stopping the funding of terrorist organizations.’ He was obviously referring to the support extended by Iran to Hezbollah when he mentioned ‘terrorist organizations’ but he has given fresh life to the age-old conundrum of ‘Who is a terrorist?’ by these words.

To the Netanyahu government the Hezbollah and other militant organizations fighting Israel are ‘terrorists’ but from the viewpoint of the Iranian regime they are ‘freedom fighters’. This seemingly insurmountable definitional issue would not only stubbornly bedevil the peace effort but could even figure in bringing about its collapse, unless judiciously handled.

Thus, it’s the thorny details that need to be watched to keep the West Asian peace process afloat, once it gets going in earnest. There is no doubt that US President Trump would be receiving a considerable amount of support from the G7 in this historic peace undertaking and his personal appeals to the grouping currently meeting in France for continuous support are likely to elicit a positive response from it.

Likewise, Trump would need to appeal to also the BRICS countries if almost total global support is to be garnered for the peace drive in West Asia. BRICS’ solidarity with the US and the West is likely to carry considerable weight with Iran and other Eastern actors who are key to a sustained peace drive in the Middle East.

Features

Sri Lanka’s elephant paradox: Govt. counts tourism dollars while playing a dangerous numbers game: Expert

Published

48 mins ago

2026/06/18

Sahan Weerasooriya

At a time when Sri Lanka is enjoying a resurgence in wildlife tourism, with elephants remaining the undisputed stars of the country’s national parks and one of its most marketable natural assets, elephant conservationist Supun Lahiru Prakash has sounded a stark warning: the nation is in danger of losing the very species that helps attract millions of tourism dollars while sustaining some of the island’s most important ecosystems.

Supun says repeated claims by authorities that Sri Lanka’s elephant population is increasing, despite the absence of a final survey report and amid continuing elephant deaths, risk creating a misleading narrative that could undermine conservation efforts and encourage retaliation against elephants.

According to Supun, the issue is not merely about numbers. It is about political priorities, scientific credibility and the future of one of Sri Lanka’s most iconic species.

“Repeatedly claiming that the elephant population is increasing appears to be an attempt to hide the Government’s inability to manage the rising annual elephant death rate and the complications of human-elephant conflict,” Supun said.

For decades, the Sri Lankan elephant has been a symbol of the country’s rich natural heritage. It is the centrepiece of wildlife tourism, drawing visitors from across the globe to national parks such as Yala, Udawalawe, Minneriya, Kaudulla and Wilpattu. International wildlife documentaries, tourism campaigns and social media promotions frequently place elephants at the heart of Sri Lanka’s nature tourism brand.

Yet, according to Supun, the country’s conservation policies do not reflect the value of the species.

“On one hand, the Government is enjoying increasing tourism revenue, and elephants remain one of Sri Lanka’s most important wildlife attractions. On the other hand, narratives are being promoted that could encourage retaliation against the very species that contributes significantly to the country’s tourism industry,” Supun said.

According to the First Countrywide National Survey of Elephants conducted in 2011, Sri Lanka had 5,879 elephants. However, official statistics show that 4,167 elephants died between 2012 and 2024.

Supun stressed that these figures represent only the deaths officially recorded by the Department of Wildlife Conservation.

“In a context where more than 70 percent of the country’s elephant population reported in 2011 has died within 13 years, it is difficult to accept claims that the population has increased,” Supun said.

The conservationist pointed out that elephants have the longest gestation period among land mammals and that scientific studies have reported increasing interbirth intervals among female elephants together with high calf mortality.

“When such biological realities are taken into consideration, claims of a dramatic increase in elephant numbers become difficult to understand,” Supun said.

Supun believes that repeated references to increasing elephant populations risk fuelling public hostility towards elephants, particularly among farming communities already affected by crop raids and property damage.

“Such claims can create the impression that elephant populations are exploding and thereby promote retaliation against elephants as well,” Supun said.

According to Supun, Sri Lanka’s elephant crisis cannot be understood solely through population estimates. The real issue lies in the country’s failure to address human-elephant conflict through long-term, science-based solutions.

Sri Lanka continues to record among the highest levels of human-elephant conflict in the world. Every year, hundreds of elephants and dozens of people lose their lives as competition for land and resources intensifies.

Despite the scale of the crisis, Supun says authorities continue to rely on strategies that have repeatedly failed.

Lahiru Prakash

These include driving elephants into protected areas, strengthening electric fences to confine them there and allocating additional manpower to maintain fencing systems.

Supun was also critical of several proposals that emerged from district-level discussions on conflict mitigation, including the sowing of paddy and corn using Air Force drones and the planting of fruit orchards within protected areas.

“Such proposals fail to address the real ecological and social dimensions of the conflict,” Supun said.

While welcoming reports that the Government intends appointing a national-level mechanism to tackle human-elephant conflict, Supun said the challenge required intervention at the highest level of government.

“Given the gravity, complexity and geographical spread of human-elephant conflict, appointing any committee other than a Presidential Task Force is not useful,” Supun said.

He argued that a Presidential Task Force chaired by either the President or the Secretary to the President would be better positioned to overcome the bureaucratic delays and institutional fragmentation that have hindered previous efforts.

Supun also stressed the urgent need to restore and protect elephant corridors and home ranges that allow elephants to move safely across landscapes.

He cited the Koholankala elephant corridor in Hambantota as one example where removing obstacles could help reduce conflict while improving habitat connectivity.

At the same time, Supun questioned policies that permit the allocation of forest lands in areas identified by environmental assessments as crucial elephant ranges and movement corridors.

“The opening of elephant corridors and the protection of elephant home ranges must be carried out scientifically and consistently if they are to succeed,” Supun said.

Beyond tourism, Supun emphasised the ecological importance of elephants.

“Elephants are ecosystem engineers. Through their feeding habits and movements, they help maintain habitats that support numerous other species. In many ways, they create safer and healthier environments for wildlife,” Supun said.

According to Supun, protecting elephants means protecting entire ecosystems and the biodiversity upon which Sri Lanka’s wildlife tourism industry depends.

“By protecting elephants, we are also protecting the biodiversity that makes Sri Lanka one of the world’s premier wildlife tourism destinations,” Supun said.

As Sri Lanka seeks to expand tourism earnings and strengthen its reputation as a wildlife destination, Supun believes the country faces a defining choice: continue with policies that have failed to stem elephant deaths and human-elephant conflict, or embrace a science-based conservation strategy that safeguards both people and wildlife.

Without a fundamental shift in policy and political will, Supun warned, Sri Lanka risks losing not only one of its most iconic species but also the ecological and economic benefits that elephants continue to provide.

“The suffering of both farmers and elephants will only intensify unless meaningful action replaces rhetoric,” Supun said.

By Ifham Nizam

Features

Top Model of the World 2026

Published

49 mins ago

2026/06/18

Sahan Weerasooriya

Back-to-back victory for Colombia

Katherine Castaño of Colombia claimed the Top Model of the World 2026 crown, securing a historic back-to-back victory for her country. Angelica Sanchez of Puerto Rico was named first runner-up, and Eunice Deza of the Philippines finished as second runner-up.

Katherine was crowned by outgoing titleholder Natalia Garizabal Vera of Colombia.

Several special category awards, and subsidiary titles, were also presented during the Top Model of the World 2026 pageant.

These awards recognised excellence in modelling, peer support, and regional representation.

Primary Subsidiary Titles

Sri Lanka’s Netalie Withanage: Top 16 at
the grand finale

Miss Globe 2026: Valentina Tabares (Ecuador) — Awarded to the contestant who perfectly balances fashion modelling with traditional beauty queen qualities.

Queen of Europe 2026: Mia Danielle Williams (United Kingdom) — Given to the highest-ranking candidate from a European nation.

Special Awards Recognition

Audience Iconic Award: Charly (Dominican Republic) — Won via the official public online vote, granting her a fast-track direct entry into the Top 6.

Exotic Model of the World: Angel Emeka (Nigeria) — Awarded for exceptional editorial presence and strong runway performance.

Best Body Award: Thailand — Voted directly by fellow contestants at the Flow Spectrum Hotel. The highest-ranking runners-up for this category included Zambia, South Africa, Colombia, and Ghana.

Angelica Sanchez (Puerto Rico): 1st Runner-up

Final Placement

Winner: Katherine Castaño (Colombia)

1st Runner-Up: Angelica Sanchez (Puerto Rico)

2nd Runner-Up: Eunice Deza (Philippines)

Top 6 Finalists: Included contestants from the Dominican Republic, Romania, and Germany.

The pageant, known for focusing on professional modelling careers over just beauty, brought together 36 models from around the globe for two weeks of runway, photoshoots, and cultural events.

Sri Lanka’s Netalie Withanage walked among 36 of the world’s best and powered her way into the Top 16 at the grand finale.