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Didi’s campaign theme song based on Yohani’s ‘Menike Mage Hithe’ Are we patriotic as a nation?

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I served as the First Secretary/ Defence Adviser at the Sri Lanka High Commission in New Delhi, India from November 2001 to April 2004. I served under two High Commissioners, namely late Professor Senake Bandaranaike and late Mangala Munasinghe, and two Foreign Ministers, Lakshman Kadirgamar and Tyronne Fernando.

I was occupying a house inside the High Commission complex in Kautilya Marg, Chanakyapuri, in the Diplomatic enclave of New Delhi. Our chief gardener was Perry Ram. He was a very experienced gardener who had served the High Commission for the past 30 years. A very dedicated person, he worked tirelessly to maintain the High Commission premises with beautiful flower beds and flower pots. From February to April, New Delhi looks beautiful with flowers blossoming in mild cold weather. The Sri Lankan High Commission garden looked magnificent during this period, thanks to Ram, who had been to school only up to Fifth Grade, and his two assistants. Our High Commission garden had won the ‘Best Garden in New Delhi’ award three times in the 1990s, thanks to then young Ram. He is old now and the award has been conferred on him for the garden in the residence of the Indian Chief of Air Staff (Indian Air Force Commander).

I had a CD containing Indian patriotic songs presented to me by the then Indian Chief of Naval Staff (Indian Navy Commander). I used to play those songs loud at my residence, because they were beautiful and could be heard even from my garden.

I noticed something unusual when the song ‘Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon’ sung by great Indian singer Lata Mangeshkar was being played. Ram, who was working in the garden, would stop work and stand at attention until the song was over. It is not the Indian National Anthem! Then why did Perry Ram stand at attention? I inquired about this from an Indian Naval officer I was acquainted with. He said, “Ravi, this song was sung by Lataji in honour of the Indian Armed forces personnel who died in the Sino-Indian War in 1962. So, everyone stands at attention when it is sung in honour of those brave service personnel who paid the supreme sacrifice.”

‘Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon’ (available on YouTube, please listen) was written by Kavi Pradeep saddened by the considerable loss of Indian Army personnel in the Sino-Indian War in 1962, accodring to Wikipedia. The bravery and valour of the Indian forces, at stopping the Chinese advance, were heard throughout India. The Indian public was saddened by the supreme sacrifices made by their army.

The inspiration for a new song, which could be dedicated to these gallant men, emerged during lyricist Kavi Pradeep’s morning walks on Mahim beach in Mumbai. He immediately borrowed a pen from a fellow walker and wrote down a few verses of the new song on the back of the foil paper in his cigarette pack.

The initial plan had been to have the song sung, as a duet, by Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle. However, the composer Kavi Pradeep had opposed the idea and it was sung only by Lata Mangeshkar.

The song was first sung, at the National Stadium of New Delhi on January 27, 1963, during the Indian Republic Day celebrations, by Lata Mangeshkar in front of the then Indian President S Radhakrishnan and Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The stadium was filled to capacity and it was only a few months after the end of the Sino-Indian War. The song had become an immediate hit. The story goes that Jawaharlal Nehru’s eyes brimmed with tears. Later, when inquired by a reporter, the PM had said, “Those who don’t feel inspired by ‘Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon’ don’t deserve to be called Hindustani.”

Artistes, technical staff and Mangeshkar agreed to donate the income from the song to the Indian Army welfare fund for the welfare of the families of Indian Army personnel killed in action.

The song received considerable public appreciation and even today, when it is sung, everyone stands at attention. At the end of the song, it says ‘Jaya Hind Ki Sena’ (Long live Indian Army!)

I wish we also had a song dedicated to our war heroes.

At the time of writing, Sri Lankan singing sensation, Yohani Diloka De Silva has set new records with her cover song ‘Manike Mage Hithe’, making a name for Sri Lanka in the world of music.

We military parents are always happy and delighted to see our children do so well in their lives. Her father, Major General Prasanna De Silva (Retired), a much-decorated war hero of our nation, provided leadership to the elite Sri Lanka Army Special Forces during a difficult and most crucial time in history. I can still remember how he came to Trincomalee in a civilian lorry and demanded he be airdropped with his Special Forces troops, when late Colonel Fazly Laphir, the Commanding officer of SF was killed on the battlefield in July 1996. It was a true display of patriotism, valour, bravery and comradeship.

Credit should go to daughter Yohani for inspiring all military children with her achievements.

Her song, dedicated to her father, brings tears to any military father who fought in our conflict against LTTE terrorists. Dear daughter, all our children feared for our safety. I can imagine your fear as a young girl. We wholeheartedly wish you all the success in future endeavours.

Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of Indian State of West Bengal from 2011, of All India Thinamoor Congress, fondly known as ‘Didi’ (elder sister in Bengali) faced a ‘do or die’ battle at the election last week. She defeated the Communist party of India (Marxist) after 34 years. This 66-year-old Iron Lady is from a Bengali Hindu Brahmin family with a basic degree in history, education and law and Masters in Islamic history. She was later honoured with a Doctorate of Literature (D. Litt.) from Calcutta University.

Even though her party won the last State election with a huge majority, she lost her seat Nandigram. Still her party appointed her the Chief Minister. As per Indian Constitution, she should be elected to the State Assembly within six months. Consequently, the Bhabanipur by-election was a ‘must win’ for her to remain Chief Minister. Six days ago, she won the seat with more than 58,300 votes.

What is significant here is that Didi’s campaigners based the election theme song on Yohani’s ‘Manike Mage Hithe’ melody. It was widely broadcast during the by-election campaign and crowds danced to the music and immensely enjoyed it. (Google the YouTube version of the song).

A father-daughter duo had remixed the chartbuster as a tribute for Didi. We are so proud of you Yohani! Do not forget that our ancestors came from West Bengal. Prince Vijaya with his 700 followers in seven ships (circa 543 – 505 BCE) came from Kalingadesha (present day West Bangalore) as per Mahavamsa, historical chronology of our country. In my opinion, your tour of India was to visit our relatives. Do visit West Bengal also in the near future.

Dear Yohani, keep singing and reach greater heights.

Most significant is that all this time you were introduced as ‘General Prasanna De Silva’s daughter’. Now, you have changed it. In the future, your father will be introduced as ‘Yohani’s father’. What a great achievement by a young lady. I wish the same for my own son.



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Issues in ‘terror’ refusing to go away

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It’s the biggest single loss of life from terrorism in Moscow since Chechen separatists took hostages in 2002 at the Nord-Ost theatre, where at least 170 people, including the dozens of attackers, died during a botched rescue mission.

The hearts of sensitive people the world over are bound to be with the Russian people in this their hour of profound grief. Those 140 or more men, women and children who were brutally killed, besides others who were seriously wounded, at a concert hall in a Moscow suburb recently by rampaging gunmen, were part of the peace-loving ‘silent majority’ of Russia. Their agony is bound to make all righteous hearts bleed for them in empathy.

The mindless act of terror will stand condemned by all right-thinking people and it would be correct for civilian publics and governments the world over to increasingly and unanimously decry the maniacal burst of brute force and stand in solidarity with the Russian people.

This is a time of formidable challenge for the Putin regime. The domestic and international issues growing out of the tragedy are numerous and wide-ranging and the impartial analyst would be right in taking up the position that ‘course correction’ by the regime is needed in a number of areas. To begin with, the question needs to be asked whether President Putin did right by stating unreservedly that ‘radical Islamists’ were behind the attack.

It could very well have been that the attackers were driven by some sort of fanatical religious zeal but considering the harm it could do to the religious susceptibilities of peace-loving followers of Islam, the term ‘Islamists’ could best have been avoided by the Russian President. Former US President Donald Trump resorted to phrases, such as, ‘Islamist terrorists’ quite often and the practice, as could be seen, did not do the world any good.

The likes of the Russian President ought to know by now that indiscreet and controversial labelling of people has the effect of alienating them and eventually radicalizing them against governments and polities.

However, what the world needs now is reconciliation and bridge-building among communities. Putin’s words could result in Muslims further distancing themselves from the wider Russian public. The consequences of such distancing could be distressing for the Russian people.

Such labelling could also have grave implications on the foreign policy front for the Putin regime. If the ISIS was indeed the mastermind behind the concert hall carnage, Putin’s pronouncement could only further antagonize ISIS and other such outfits that have been waging wars of attrition against the Russian state in the Middle Eastern theatre in particular.

If some intelligence agencies are apprehensive about more terror attacks inside Russia they could very well be correct because the Putin regime, even at this juncture, is not perceiving the advisability of following a reconciliatory course in its foreign relations. The Putin regime is obliged to halt in its tracks and take cognizance of the possible fallout on the Russian people of its policy indiscretions.

Interestingly, intelligence failures are currently occurring in what seem to be the most security conscious states of the world. There was the case of Israel in October last year and now Russia. If the Russian state thinks that rule in perpetuity by President Putin could bring it enduring stability, the recent bloodbath has proved it wrong.

Apparently, national security could not be the sole key to good governance. While national security is indispensable for effective governance, good governance is also a coming together of a number of major elements, such as, redistributive justice and cordial coexistence among communities and religions. A policy of attaching priority to national security could enable repressive governments to remain in power for some time but it would not help the people concerned much.

On the question of intelligence failures, the Putin administration seems to have attached too great an importance to ‘national pride’ and not taken into consideration intelligence information coming from the US. Going by current reports, the Russian security establishment had been warned of an impending ISIS terror attack by its counterparts in the US but had failed to act on the warning. If this is true, the security of the Russian people has not weighed heavily with the Putin regime. Well-wishers of the Russian people are likely regret such neglect on the part of the regime.

Given the complexities of the issue of ‘terror’, there is unlikely to be an international consensus on its definition and on ways of resolving it any time soon but states could cooperate for the time being on managing the conundrum effectively. Accordingly, Russia could cooperate on this basis with the US and vice versa, for example. Information-sharing should not be fought shy of, besides other ways of cooperation.

Right now, the world has no choice but to collaborate on managing ‘terror’ until long term solutions are found to it. What needs to weigh on governments’ minds is the fact that ordinary publics pay a prohibitive price for their blunders in handling ‘terror’.

This is a crucial point that the political and security establishments in small Sri Lanka as well need to keep in mind, particularly in relation to the Easter Sunday bombings. In the latter case, governmental blundering and negligence of duty at the highest levels of the state brought catastrophic consequences for the people. To make matters worse, the wrong-doers in this crisis are yet to be brought to justice.

With the allegation that Ukraine had collaborated with the perpetrators of the concert hall carnage, President Putin seems to be in an attempt to deflect accountability for the blood-letting from his regime to an external quarter. This allegation, though, remains to be proved. Moreover, the fact remains that a massive intelligence failure on the part of the security agencies of the state brought about the devastation.

These attempts to point to an external source for the current tribulations of the government should also be seen as part of the Putin regime’s strategy to remain powerful at home. The strategy has been tried out time and again by repressive governments that are apprehensive about their power ebbing away from them in the wake of internal crises. The ploy enables political strongmen to resoundingly rally the people behind them, while giving the impression that they are remaining strong and in total control of the state.

If civilized norms are to be given a chance to prosper in international relations, democratic development needs to be prioritized by governments and the world community under the leadership of the UN. ‘Terror’ has its roots in mainly socio- economic deprivations and the world has no choice but to strive towards ending them.

Repressive rule, however, is no guarantor of social and economic equity and it is only democratic dispensations that aim at socio-economic equity or democratic development that could bring about this state of affairs to at least a degree.

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Kate, the brave!

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Kate and William

By Dr Upul Wijayawardhana

BBC viewers were in for a great surprise when the main news bulletin at 6 pm on Friday 22nd went straight to a video of Kate, Princess of Wales, without the customary mention of news headlines. Dressed in a long-sleeved white top with narrow black bands across and light blue jeans, seated on a bench in the +-Windsor Castle with spring blooms in the background, what she told whilst nervously moving her fingers and faltering voice at times, shocked the nation. Many an eye would have been wet by the time she finished her two-minute statement wherein she explained that following the planned surgery she had in mid-January, a cancer had been detected unexpectedly and she is in the early stages of having preventive chemotherapy. She added:

“This of course came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family. As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment. But, most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be ok. As I have said to them; I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal; in my mind, body and spirits.”

It would have taken enormous courage to declare to the whole world that she is being treated for cancer at the age of 42 but it would have been even more difficult for Kate to explain to their three young children aged 10, 8 and 5 years that she is afflicted by a disease that usually affects much older people. The public announcement coincided with the start of the Easter break in schools, which may have been done purposely to protect the three young royals. There was a tremendous outpouring of public sympathy not only because of her predicament but also for the graceful manner in which she delivered her message. Many thoughts that her staff may have written the message but it transpired later that she had written the message herself and the recording had been done in one-go by BBC studios.

She won the hearts of many families affected with cancer as she ended her message with the following: “At this time, I am also thinking of all those whose lives have been affected by cancer. For everyone facing this disease, in whatever form, please do not lose faith or hope. You are not alone. “

At the time of a great personal tragedy, thinking of others similarly affected showed the great humane qualities of the Princess and it becomes even more significant considering the horrible period she went through.

On 17 January, it was announced that the Princess of Wales had undergone planned abdominal surgery for an undisclosed medical condition that was not cancer, at The London Clinic and that she had postponed all of her public engagements and duties until after Easter. Around the same time, King Charles was admitted to the same hospital for planned prostatic surgery and it was later announced that an unrelated cancer had been detected during the procedure. As the King was to have a course of treatment for this, he too was forced to withdraw from public duties but he continued to conduct the affairs of state including the weekly meetings with the prime minister. The absence of two of the most senior royals from public duties piled the pressures on Queen Camilla and Prince William.

On 27 February, a thanksgiving memorial service was held for King Constantine II of Greece, the last monarch of the country and godfather to Prince William, at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle where Prince William was due to give a reading but he withdrew at the last moment citing ‘an urgent family matter’. Rumour mills went to overdrive to explain all these and conspiracy theories abounded. In addition to extensive media attention, social media were full of inuendoes.

To calm the waters, a photograph taken by Prince William showing Princess of Wales embraced by her three children was released on Mother’s Day, 10 March, but it was a disaster, mostly due to an overreaction on the part of news agencies. As the photograph seem to have been edited, they issued a ‘kill’ notice in spite of many commentators pointing out that almost all royal photographs released since the time of Queen Victoria have been edited! Wonder whether there was a secret hand behind this action!

To her credit, Princess of Wales, who is a keen photographer issued an immediate apology admitting that she, like many amateur photographers, “occasionally experiments with editing”. But it was not enough to stem the tide in the sewer of social media and Kate had no choice but to come out with the statement which, hopefully, would make conspiracy theorists leave her in peace for recovery from a major unexpected illness.

Associate editor Camilla Tominey’s comment in the front page of The Daily Telegraph of 23 March on this is hard to better:

“We already knew that social media was a sewer, occupied by faceless rats intent on infecting others with their disease of hatred. But their cruel treatment of Kate since it was announced she was undergoing abdominal surgery in January has been sickening beyond belief. From the peddling of hurtful conspiracy theories to the propagation of unsubstantiated lies, the keyboard warriors have inflicted an unnecessary amount of suffering on a woman now undergoing chemotherapy after a major operation. Shame on them.”

Whilst Kate received numerous messages of support from ordinary folk as well as world leaders, perhaps the best being from President Macron, the message from her estranged brother-in-law and his American wife is most intriguing: “We wish health and healing for Kate and family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace.”

In addition to increased awareness of prostatic problems and cancer due to King Charle’s illness, Kate’s diagnosis has raised the issue of cancer in the young. Many experts are expressing the opinion that cancers in the young are on the rise and this may be due to environmental factors. I am sure, when she returns to active duties, Kate would actively support further research in to this issue, in addition to continuing her many charities.

Our hearts go out to you Kate and we wish you a rapid and complete recovery!

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Mother…her pillar of strength

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Chit-Chat

Minanga Abeyesundere

Over the past few weeks, I’ve had readers inquiring whether it’s possible for me to do a little Chit-Chat scene with the spotlight on some of our models as that would also make interesting reading, they say.

Well, why not…and this week I’m doing just that, with more to follow.

01. Tell me something about yourself:

My name is Minanga. I’m 20 years old. My close friends and family call me Mini. I have completed my degree in Visual communication and currently focusing on my modelling career. I’m the youngest in my family. I am a person who sets certain goals for myself and will definitely try my very best to achieve them the right way. I generally don’t give any thought to people’s negative words and opinions. I love to travel with my family and cherish my time spent with them.

02. What made you decide to be a model?

I have always liked to do modelling for as long as I can remember. Then, as I grew older and taller, than most people my age, my friends and relatives kept telling me to go into modelling. This made my desire stronger to pursue this field. I decided to first start my studies and then, subsequently, start my modelling career. I must state that it was Brian Kerkoven who saw my potential and gave me a chance to show my talents and capabilities. My first runway show was modelling one of Brian’s designs. I will always be thankful to my mentor and agent, who has taught me everything I know about this field. He is always willing to give his feedback whenever I ask him.

03. What do you think sets you apart from other models?

I would say I give my 100% to every show and photo shoot and am always willing to learn from my senior models. I can adapt to different styles and looks, whether it’s high fashion, casual, or even themed shoots.

04. What clothing do you prefer to model?

As a model, one cannot really have a preference, but I prefer not to model very revealing clothing. That is my personal preference.

05. What do you think is the most important aspect of modelling?

I believe that as a model, you must always remember to model every outfit to do full justice to the hard work that has gone into making it by the designer and their team.

06. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

Minanga: Currently focusing on her
modelling career

I don’t really want to change anything about myself. I am very happy with myself. My flaws, despite their imperfections, are what make me who I am.

07. School?

Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya. I was in the basketball ball team for a short period.

08. Happiest moment?

There have been so many wonderful moments in my life that it’s hard to choose just one! But if I had to pick, I would say one of my happiest moments was when I achieved a personal goal that I had been working towards for a long time. It was such a fulfilling feeling to see all my hard work pay off, and to know that I had accomplished something meaningful to me.

09.What is your idea of perfect happiness?

My idea of perfect happiness is doing what I’m passionate about and living in the present moment because, if you really think about it, that’s all we have. It’s always only that present moment. It’s all about being happy in that moment and making the best of it.

10. Your ideal guy?

A person who is confident enough in himself to give me the freedom to follow my dreams and goals.

11. Which living person do you most admire?

The person I admire the most is none other than my mother. She has always been my biggest motivator, supporter, and pillar of strength. She has always supported me in following my dreams and never discouraged me from pursuing my interests, providing me with invaluable advice whenever needed. My mother has such a significant influence on every aspect of my life. She has been there for me through thick and thin, guiding me and teaching me valuable life lessons. I will always be grateful for her presence.

12. Which is your most treasured possession?

My most treasured possession, up until now, is an emerald ring I got from my mum, which she had from her childhood. As we are both May born, we share the same birthstone.

13. If you were marooned on a desert island, who would you like as your companion?

I would love to have my brother and sister as my companions. They’re always there for me, and we have so much fun together. We could keep each other company, come up with creative ways to survive, and keep each other’s spirits up.

14. Your most embarrassing moment?

It’s a secret for me to know and you to find out.

15. Done anything daring?

Not anything as of now but there are some on my list, like sky diving, travelling overseas alone which I would love to do.

16. Your ideal vacation?

Spending a weekend at Kandalama Hotel. I love the vibe there. I also love the architecture of the hotel and how it blends into the jungle around it. It’s so calming and peaceful.

17. What kind of music are you into?

I like pop music and even music from the ’80s.

18. Favourite radio station:

I don’t really listen to the radio. If I do, it’s in the car with my family, and we listen to Gold FM. I would say I am an old soul when it comes to music.

19. Favourite TV station:

I’m also not a person who watches TV. I watch Netflix movies, and movies at the cinema. I love watching movies with my mum. She is my movie buddy.

20. Any major plans for the future?

Yes, first, I want to be a supermodel, here in Sri Lanka, then model internationally and bring pride to my country. I also want to start up my own business in Merchandising.

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