Features

Going abroad with Prime Minister Premadasa: his genius to always maximize possibilities

Published

9 months ago

2025/05/25

Thilina Walpola

President Premadasa

How he got a place at the high table and rode in state with President Marcos through Manila

Premadasa liked to travel abroad and during his period of 11 years as prime minister, visited many countries. The term ‘prime minister of Sri Lanka’ gave him instant recognition and a status far above what he enjoyed customarily at home since J R was both head of state and head of government.

Constitutionally, he was nothing more than another minister. But abroad, except for the most scrupulous of protocol officers who knew Sri Lanka had an executive president, he was to all intents and purposes the head of government of his country. Our unstated policy was ‘if they don’t ask, don’t trouble to tell them’.

On a visit to the Philippines in 1981 he used a clever stratagem to win a seat for himself at the high table at the international conference convened for ministers of housing. As prime minister he was invited, and stayed at the Malacanang Palace in Manila, within the presidential complex buildings. President Marcos was to open the conference, and Imelda, who was then the Governor of Greater Manila was to receive him at the entrance to the Convention Hall.

Premadasa contrived to pay his courtesy call on Marcos at the Presidential Palace just before the time fixed for the formal opening of the Conference in down-town Manila, and managed to persuade Marcos to allow him to ride to the Convention Center with him in the presidential car. This gained him an unexpected and completely impromptu state drive into the city. It was marvelous to see the aplomb with which he acknowledged the cheers of the crowds who thronged the road to see Marcos with his new and unknown friend by his side.

The two of them, Marcos and Premadasa, marched up to the stage but there was no chair there for Premadasa since his assigned place was with the other ministers of housing in the front rows of the hall. After a hurried consultation on stage, another chair was produced, some shuffling around and space made, and all ended well. Premadasa finally got to make his speech first, from the stage and not from the podium as the other ministers of housing had to do.

The Premadasa family with PM Thatcher in London

I got the distinct impression that General Carlos Romulo, the famous war hero who was Marcos’ foreign minister and mastermind of the opening ceremony – peeved at what was happening – was not too pleased. But Premadasa had stolen the show and received a loud cheer from the small group of Sri Lankan expatriates present in the hall.

But in spite of all the adulation and honour he usually received there were some negatives for him in visits abroad. The basic problem was that it upset his carefully planned daily schedule and his avid preference for Sri Lankan cooking, above all the gourmet dishes and gastronomic delights the host would serve.

His tastes in local cookery revolved essentially around well-boiled red rice, vegetarian dishes with the simple kola mallun as an absolute necessity. So, our ambassadors abroad were to be frequently seen bringing in to the London Hilton, the Waldorf Astoria in New York or wherever he bedded-down for the night, string-hoppers with assorted sambols and other Sri Lankan delicacies in the early hours of the morning in food-warmers. They apparently did not mind it at all as it gave them credits which they could, and did later, cash-in to their benefit. Premadasa also disliked the cold, not only of winter which forced him to encumber his body with layers of socks, scarves, thermal underwear and overcoats, and even the chill of a June morning in London. On his visits to Europe and Canada, especially, he often commiserated with the Sri Lankan diplomatic staff who endured stoically, in his view, the generally miserable weather and could not comprehend their eagerness to seek foreign postings.

Mrs Premadasa, whom he would call Hemawathie – her full name and not the shortened Hema – which most others did, was a great support to him on these visits. She enjoyed making new friends and did not mind at all indulging in the small talk, which is an essential part of diplomatic conviviality. The host country leaders found her inherent charm and good looks appealing and she helped the receptions and dinner meetings go with a swing.

The only part of her which was a problem on foreign visits was her invariable inability to keep to time. This was mostly because of the inevitable last-minute shopping. There was a great deal of good-natured ribbing between husband and wife on this score but once or twice the delay would be serious and Premadasa would be fuming.

On these occasions he would turn to me for help and plead in Sinhala, “Bradman, please ask her to hurry up”, as he walked up and down the hotel lobby, ready for departure with the motorcade revving up.

Needless to say, I was not always successful in getting her down in the next few minutes. I found that she, like Mrs Bandaranaike before her, found the European habit of kissing the back of a lady’s hand when saying welcome or goodbye not very nice, to say the least.

Premadasa too on his day and in his element was a lively conversationalist. He had a fund of anecdotes illustrating some particular quirk in the human personality. He related these with an eye for detail and imagery which was riveting but the joke was usually on someone else. Balasuriya, his private secretary, and Evans Cooray, his press secretary, were often the butt-end of his stories for the crazy situations they sometimes got themselves into.

Between the two of them, Premadasa and Hema on their visits abroad made a host of Sri Lankan friends which led to many exciting projects – to image-building for Sri Lanka abroad and to the building up of a reservoir of expatriate funding for local social projects. One of the most innovative of these was the Sevana Foster Parents Scheme in which a small regular donation from an expatriate could be used to benefit the life of a poor child in Sri Lanka.

President Jayewardene used Premadasa liberally for foreign missions. He became a familiar figure at CHOGM (Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings). His contributions were listened to with attention and the observations he offered at Lusaka received appreciative notes from both the hosts, Chairman Kenneth Kaunda and Sridath Ramphal.

It was very encouraging and I was happy to have been part of it. The particular item for which Premadasa was lead-speaker was ‘community participation in development’, and with the first-hand local experience we had, we made a good job of it. He received a personal letter from President Kenneth Kaunda acknowledging his contribution.

At this meeting in Lusaka the future of Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) was the controversial issue. Premadasa entered into the spirit of the discussions with gusto and made some useful contacts. But as usual his primary purpose was to win something for Sri Lanka. He set his sights on clinching the British ODA grant from Britain for the Victoria Project.

Premadasa had always had an unreserved admiration for Margaret Thatcher. He respected her directness and the strength of her leadership. She had fought a hard battle to come up to where she was from her often referred to ‘grocer’s daughter’ background. He empathized with people who had got to the top by means of hard work and merit, not birth. Their acquaintance had begun in October 1975 at Blackpool in England at the Annual Conservative Party Conference when Margaret Thatcher was leader of the opposition.

In 1978, soon after forming his government, President Jayewardene had approached the Labour Government in Britain for funding of the Victoria Dam, one of the five projects of the Mahaweli scheme. The preliminary approvals had been given, but soon thereafter Harold Wilson’s Labour Government fell. The Conservative Government of Mrs Thatcher, facing an economic crunch, were not looking at Overseas Development Aid that favourably.

It was then that Premadasa decided to put on the pressure. On the way to CHOGM, he first stopped in London, seeking the customary courtesy call on the prime minister (which was in his case invariably granted). He met Mrs Thatcher and Lord Carrington at her No 10 office and pleaded the case for Victoria. Thatcher was impressed with the way he put forward the case. But try as he might, he could not get a commitment from her in London.

Premadasa knew he was going to have a further chance of meeting Margaret Thatcher in Lusaka. Thatcher was under extreme pressure at CHOGM and the frontline states, Zambia, Tanzania and Kenya, in particular, were cornering her for quickening the pace of Zimbabwe’s independence. Premadasa worked behind the scenes and at the conference table to work for a compromise acceptable to Britain.

He moved closely with Julius Nyerere of Tanzania. The seating order around the table helped since the alphabetical order put Sri Lanka and Tanzania together. Mrs Thatcher was mindful of the support Sri Lanka gave during the meeting.

Each delegation had been provided with a comfortable villa in the Mulungushi enclave, specially prepared for the CHOGM delegates. There was a good deal of inter-villa entertainment and Premadasa invited Mrs Thatcher to have lunch with him, along with a few others on the third day of the conference. Although she was indisposed that day, Mrs Thatcher came for the lunch. On leaving, she handed Premadasa a little card – the size of a post card – on which were typed these words :

Sri Lanka I am glad to be able to tell you that we are now in a position to offer a UK contribution to the Victoria Dam Scheme. This would he in the form of a grant of up to 100 million over six years towards the costs of the design and construction of the dam and power station. It would, of course, be subject to normal UK grant conditions.

Margaret Thatcher

Lusaka 6th Aug 1979

Premadasa’s persistence had paid off. But he was not fully satisfied. There was one more nail to be struck to make the picture perfect. The card had not been signed. Anyone else would have been happy to go home with 100 million pounds. But as usual Premadasa wanted it not only in writing but signed, sealed and delivered as well.

Before the afternoon sessions commenced, he directed me to go around to the UK delegation side of the table and get Mrs Thatcher’s signature on the note. It was with some embarrassment that I pushed through the officials to Mrs Thatcher’s side. But she was all typically British courtesy. “Of course,” she said, pulling out her pen from her handbag, “how forgetful of me!”

(Excerpted from Rendering unto Caesar, Autobiography of Bradman Weerakoon)

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Features

A long-running identity conflict flares into full-blown war

Published

11 hours ago

2026/03/5

Sahan Weerasooriya

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei / President Donald Trump

It was Iran’s first spiritual head of state, the late Ayatollah Khomeini, who singled out and castigated the US as the ‘Great Satan’ in the revolutionary turmoil of the late seventies of the last century that ushered in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The core issue driving the long-running confrontation between Islamic Iran and the West has been religious identity and the seasoned observer cannot be faulted for seeing the explosive emergence of the current war in the Middle East as having the elements of a religious conflict.

The current crisis in the Middle East which was triggered off by the recent killing of Iranian spiritual head of state Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a combined US-Israel military strike is multi-dimensional and highly complex in nature but when the history of relations between Islamic Iran and the West, read the US, is focused on the religious substratum in the conflict cannot be glossed over.

In fact it is not by accident that US President Donald Trump resorts to Biblical language when describing Iran in his denunciations of the latter. Iran, from Trump’s viewpoint, is a primordial source of ‘evil’ and if the Middle East has collapsed into a full-blown regional war today it is because of the ‘evil’ influence and doings of Iran; so runs Trump’s narrative. It is a language that stands on par with that used by the architects of the Iranian revolution in the crucial seventies decade.

In other words, it is a conflict between ‘good’ and ‘evil’ and who is ‘good’ and who is ‘evil’ in the confrontation is determined mainly by the observer’s partialities and loyalties which may not be entirely political in kind. It should not be forgotten that one of President Trump’s support bases is the Christian Right in the US and in the rest of the West and the Trump administration’s policy outlook and actions should not be divorced from the needs of this segment of supporters to be fully made sense of.

The reasons for the strong policy tie-up between Rightist administrations in the US in particular and Israel could be better comprehended when the above religious backdrop is taken into consideration. Israel is the principal actor in the ‘Old Testament’ of the Bible and is seen as ‘the Chosen People of God’ and this characterization of Israel ought to explain the partialities of the Republican Right in particular towards Israel. Among other things, this partiality accounts for the strong defence of Israel by the US.

For the purposes of clarity it needs to be mentioned here that the Bible consists of two parts, an ‘Old’ and ‘New Testament’ , and that the ‘New Testament’ or ‘Message’ embodies the teachings of Jesus Christ and the latter teachings are seen as completing and in a sense giving greater substance to the ‘Old Testament’. However, Judaism is based mainly on ‘Old Testament’ teachings and Judaism is distinct from Christianity.

To be sure, the above theological explanation does not exhaust all the reasons for the war in the Middle East but the observer will be allowing an important dimension to the war to slip past if its importance is underestimated.

It is not sufficiently realized that the Iranian Islamic Revolution of 1979 utterly changed international politics and re-wrote as it were the basic parameters that must be brought to bear in understanding it. So important is the Islamic factor in contemporary world politics that it helped define to a considerable degree the new international political order that came into existence with the collapsing of the Cold War and the disintegration of the USSR .

Since the latter developments ‘political Islam’ could be seen as a chief shaping influence of international politics. For example, it accounts considerably for the 9/11 calamity that led to the emergence of fresh polarities in world politics and ushered in political terrorism of a most destructive kind that is today disquietingly visible the world over.

It does not follow from the foregoing that Islam, correctly understood, inspires terrorism of any kind. Islam proclaims peace but some of its adherents with political aims interpret the religion in misleading, divisive ways that run contrary to the peaceful intents of the faith. This is a matter of the first importance that sincere adherents of the faith need to address.

However, there is no denying that the Islamic Revolution in Iran of 1979 has been over the past decades a great shaper of international politics and needs to be seen as such by those sections that are desirous of changing the course of the world for the better. The revolution’s importance is such that it led to US political scientist Dr. Samuel P. Huntingdon to formulate his historic thesis that a ‘Clash of Civilizations’ is upon the world currently.

If the above thesis is to be adopted in comprehending the principal trends in contemporary world politics it could be said that Islam, misleadingly interpreted by some, is pitting a good part of the Southern hemisphere against the West, which is also misleadingly seen by some, as homogeneously Christian in orientation. Whereas, the truth is otherwise. The West is not necessarily entirely synonymous with Christianity, correctly understood.

Right now, what is immediately needed in the Middle East is a ceasefire, followed up by a negotiated peace based on humanistic principles. Turning ‘Spears into Ploughshares’ is a long gestation project but the warring sides should pay considerable attention to former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami’s memorable thesis that the world needs to transition from a ‘Clash of Civilizations’ to a ‘Dialogue of Civilizations’. Hopefully, there would emerge from the main divides leaders who could courageously take up the latter challenge.

It ought to be plain to see that the current regional war in the Middle East is jeopardising the best interests of the totality of publics. Those Americans who are for peace need to not only stand up and be counted but bring pressure on the Trump administration to make peace and not continue on the present destructive course that will render the world a far more dangerous place than it is now.

In the Middle East region a durable peace could be ushered if only the just needs of all sides to the conflict are constructively considered. The Palestinians and Arabs have their needs, so does Israel. It cannot be stressed enough that unless and until the security needs of the latter are met there could be no enduring peace in the Middle East.

Features

The art and science of communicating with your little child

Published

11 hours ago

2026/03/5

Sahan Weerasooriya

The two input gateways of communication, sight and sound, are quite well developed at birth. In fact, the auditory system becomes functional around 24 weeks in the womb, and the normal newborn can hear quite well after birth. However, the newborn’s vision is a little blurry at birth, and the baby sees the world in shades of grey, while being able only to focus on things 20 to 30 cm (8–12 inches) away. Coincidentally, this is perhaps the exact distance to a mother’s face during breastfeeding. By 2-3 months, there are colour vision capabilities and the ability to track. By 5-8 months, there is depth perception, and by 12 months, there is adult clarity of vision.

By the time a child turns five, his or her brain has already reached 90% of its adult size. This astonishing physical growth is not just happening on its own; it is, to a certain extent, fuelled by experience, and the most vital experience a young child can have is communication with his or her parents.

Modern developmental neuroscience has shifted our understanding of how children learn. We used to think babies were passive sponges, slowly absorbing the world. We now know they are active characters from day one, constantly seeking interaction to build the architecture of their minds. This architecture is not built by apps, vocabulary flashcards, or educational television. It is built through simple, loving, back-and-forth interactions with anyone they come across, but mostly their parents.

The Foundation: Serve and Return (0–12 Months)

Communication with an infant from birth to one year of age begins long before they speak their first word. In the first year, the goal is to master a phenomenon called Serve and Return. This is a basic scenario picked up from the game of tennis. At the start of each game of a set in tennis, a player serves, and the opponent returns the serve. Just imagine a tennis match, where a baby “serves” by making a sound, making eye contact, reaching for a toy, or crying. The job of anyone in the vicinity, who very often are the parents of the baby, is to “return” the ball. If they babble, you babble back. If they point at a cat, you look and say, “Yes, that’s a furry cat!” This simple act does two things. The first is Brain Building, which creates and strengthens neural pathways in the language and emotional centres of the brain. The other is Emotional Security, a thing which teaches a baby that he or she has some help in the learning processes. The baby absorbs the notion that when he or she signals a need, his or her world will respond. This forms the basis of a secure attachment. Scientists have advocated that during this stage, people, especially the parents of a baby, should embrace what is called ‘parentese’. It is the use of a somewhat high-pitched, exaggerated voice. Research has shown that babies pay more attention to parentese than to regular adult speech, helping them to map the sounds of their native language more quickly.

The Language Explosion: Toddlers (1–3 Years)

When a child starts speaking words, the game changes considerably and quite profoundly. This period is defined by a rapid increase in his or her vocabulary and the beginning of grammar. It is very important to narrate everything. The people around, especially the parents, need to become kind of sports commentators for your life. While dressing them, one could say, “First we put on the red sock. After that, we put the other red sock on your left foot.” What we are doing by this is to give them the labels for the world they see.

It is also important to expand, but not truly correct, whatever the child says. If a toddler points to a car and says “Car!”, don’t just say “Yes.” Expand on it: “Yes, that is a big, fast, red car!” You are adding a new vocabulary and grammatical structure through a natural process. If the child says “Me go,” respond with, “Yes, you are going!” rather than correcting and saying “No…, you should say ‘I am going’.”

Toddlers love reading the same book, even one hundred times. While it may be tedious for those around the baby, it is important to realise that such repetition is vital for their learning. They are predicting what comes next, which is a core cognitive skill.

The Preschooler: Building Stories and Logic (3–5 Years)

By age three, the focus shifts from “what” to “why.” Preschoolers are beginning to understand complex emotions, time, and causality. This is the age at which it is best to ask questions which require thought and understanding. Such indirect open-ended questions would sound like “What was the best part of the park today?” or “How do you think that character in the story is feeling?“

A preschooler’s world is full of “big feelings” they cannot yet manage. When they are upset because they cannot have a cookie, avoid saying “Don’t cry over nothing.” Instead, name the emotion: “Don’t cry, you can have a cookie after dinner“. This teaches them emotional literacy. Parents and others around in the home could share stories about when they were little, or make up fantasy tales together. Storytelling teaches sequential logic (beginning, middle, end) and strengthens their imagination.

The Absolute Master Class: Learning Through Play

If communication is the fuel for brain development, play is the engine. For a child under five, play is not a break from learning; play is learning. It is how they explore physics (stacking blocks), mathematics (sorting shapes), social dynamics (sharing toys), and language (pretend play). We can boost their development exponentially by weaving communication into their play.

When a child is playing with blocks, dough, or puzzles, they are building fine motor skills and spatial awareness. It is also useful to use three-dimensional words: “Can you put the blue block on top of the red one?” “The puzzle piece is next to your knee.” One could also ask them to describe the texture: “Is the dough soft or hard?“

Pretend play, such as acting as a doctor, an engineer, a chef, or a superhero, is one of the most cognitively demanding things a child can do. It requires them to understand symbolic thought and to take on another person’s perspective. Join their world as a supporting character, not the director. If they are the doctor, ask, “Doctor, my teddy bear’s tummy hurts. What should I do?” This encourages them to use vocabulary relevant to the scenario and practice complex social problem-solving.

Playing with water, sand, slime, or safe food products allows children to process sensory information. This is the perfect time for descriptive vocabulary. Use contrasting words: wet/dry, hot/cold, sticky/smooth, loud/quiet.

A few special words for parents. You do not need an expensive degree or specialised toys to build your child’s brain. The most powerful tool you have is your own responsiveness. Modern science tells us that the basic recipe for a thriving child is simple: Look at them when they signal you. Respond with warmth and words. Narrate their world and Join their play.

You are not just talking to your child; you are building his or her future, even via just one conversation at a time. So, go on talking to your child and even make him or her a real-life chatterbox.

Dr B. J. C. Perera

MBBS(Cey), DCH(Cey), DCH(Eng), MD(Paediatrics), MRCP(UK), FRCP(Edin), FRCP(Lond), FRCPCH(UK), FSLCPaed, FCCP, Hony. FRCPCH(UK), Hony. FCGP(SL)

Specialist Consultant Paediatrician and Honorary Senior Fellow, Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Features

Promoting our beauty and culture to the world

Published

11 hours ago

2026/03/5

Sahan Weerasooriya

Tourism is very much in the news these days and it’s certainly a good sign to see lots of foreigners checking out Sri Lanka.

With this in mind, Ruki’s Model Academy & Agency recently had a spectacular event to select Mrs. Tourism Sri Lanka in order to promote Sri Lanka in the international scene.

Nimesha Premachandra was crowned Mrs. Tourism Sri Lanka 2026.

She says she owes her success to Ruki (Rukmal Senanayake), the National Director and model trainer, and personality and advocacy trainer Tharaka Gurukanda.

Nimesha is a school teacher by profession, an actress and TV presenter by passion, and an entrepreneur by spirit.

She believes in balancing grace with purpose, and using her platform to inspire women, while promoting the beauty and culture of Sri Lanka to the world. And this is how our Chit-Chat went:

Nimesha Premachandra: Mrs. Tourism Sri Lanka 2026

01. How would you describe yourself?

I am a passionate, disciplined, and people-oriented person. I love learning, performing, and guiding others, especially young minds, through education.

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

I would probably try to be less self-critical and allow myself to celebrate achievements more often.

03. If you could change one thing about your family, what would it be?

Nothing major. I am grateful for my family’s love and support, which has shaped who I am today.

04. Is Mrs. Tourism Sri Lanka your very first pageant?

No. I have been part of pageants before, but Mrs. Tourism Sri Lanka is very special because it represents purpose, culture, and global representation.

05. What made you take part in this contest?

I wanted to represent Sri Lanka internationally and use this platform to promote tourism, culture, and women’s empowerment.

06. Obviously, you must be excited about participating in the grand finale, in Vietnam; any special plans for this big event?

Yes, I am extremely excited. My focus is to showcase Sri Lankan elegance, hospitality, and authenticity, while building meaningful connections with participants from around the world.

07. How do you intend promoting tourism, in Sri Lanka, during your rein?

I plan to highlight Sri Lanka’s diverse experiences in culture, heritage, wellness, nature, and local hospitality through media appearances, digital storytelling, and tourism collaborations.

08. School?

Kaluthara Balika. School life played a big role in shaping me. I actively participated in sports and performing arts, which later helped me build confidence as an actress and presenter.

09. Happiest moment?

Being crowned Mrs. Tourism Sri Lanka 2026 and seeing the pride in my family’s eyes – definitely one of my happiest moments.

10. What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Peace of mind, good health, and being surrounded by the people I love while doing work that has meaning.

11. Which living person do you most admire?

I most admire Angelina Jolie because she beautifully balances her work as an actress with meaningful humanitarian efforts. She uses her global platform to support refugees, advocate for human rights, and inspire women to be strong, compassionate, and independent.

12. Which is your most treasured possession?

My memories and experiences because they remind me how far I’ve come, and keep me grounded.

13. Your most embarrassing moment?

Like everyone, I’ve had small on-stage mishaps, but they always taught me to laugh at myself and move forward confidently.

14. Done anything daring?

Participating in pageants while balancing teaching, media work, and family life has been one of the boldest and most rewarding decisions I’ve made.

Keen to use her title to promote Sri Lanka globally

15. Your ideal vacation?

A peaceful destination surrounded by nature; somewhere I can relax, reconnect, and experience local culture.

16. What kind of music are you into?

I enjoy soft, soulful music because it helps me relax and stay inspired.

17. Favourite radio station:

I enjoy stations that blend good music with meaningful conversation and positive energy.

18. Favourite TV station:

Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation. It’s where it all began for me. It played a significant role in my journey as a TV presenter and helped shape my confidence and passion for media.

19 What would you like to be born as in your next life?

Someone who continues to inspire others because making a positive impact is what matters most.

20. Any major plans for the future?

I hope to expand my work in media and entrepreneurship while continuing my role as an educator and using my title to promote Sri Lanka globally.