Features

President Premadasa’s attitude towards Ministers and Secretaries

Published

2 weeks ago

2026/02/1

Premadasa

To cap all these (differences between Premadasa and Athulathmudali), there was the remarkable meeting the President summoned of Ministers. Project and State Ministers and Secretaries of Ministries in the auditorium of the Presidential Secretariat at Galle Face. At this meeting he laid down the principles of his administration, emphasizing speed, service, integrity and finding continuous solutions for the problems of the poor.

He spoke about the responsibilities of Ministers and Secretaries. Then he launched into a stunning critique of his Ministers. He said that he was not satisfied with the work of several Ministers. He said that he was aware that some of them were spending their time shoring up their private interests at public expense. He questioned their integrity. He said that he knew of Ministers who gave out their private houses on rent or lease on lucrative terms and lived in subsidized government houses.

He spoke of the abuse of government vehicles by them, as well as other Ministry and departmental property. Having gone on in this strain whilst we all sat in shocked silence, the President came out with an unbelievable directive to the Secretaries. He said that he required with immediate effect a confidential report on the workings of the Ministry addressed directly to him every month.

Here was an Executive President exercising his considerable powers commanding Secretaries to Ministries to send confidential reports directly to him by-passing the Ministers he had appointed to the Cabinet! We listened in disbelief. All of us had decades of public service behind us. Never in all that time were we faced with a situation of this nature. The gist of what happened that morning was that the President severely criticized his Ministerial team in the presence of the Secretaries, and indicated his lack of confidence in them by directing Secretaries to report confidentially to him.

At the end of the meeting, a universally embarrassed crowd trooped out silently from the auditorium. The Ministers were embarrassed for obvious reasons, and the Secretaries embarrassed because they were a captive audience at this remarkable meeting. Both parties felt too embarrassed to look at one another in the face as we walked out. In fairness to the President, much of what he articulated were not untrue, particularly in the case of some Ministers.

He was in a way demonstrating a sense of frustration and disillusionment at slow progress, insufficient commitment and doubtful integrity. We as Secretaries felt that there was certainly validity in some of the President’s comments. We thought he was mistaken however in articulating all this in our presence, and in the final directive he gave us. We also felt that there was unfairness in his generalizing and applying his strictures to all Ministers.

It would have been better if he had summoned any “problem” Ministers separately and chastised them in confidence, and put them on whatever notice he wished to. Needless to say the Ministers were deeply hurt and angry at what had happened. Acts such as these would definitely have contributed to the defections and the later attempt to impeach the President under the Provisions of the Constitution.

We as Secretaries were now faced with a very tricky problem. How were we to carry out the President’s directive without hurting and upsetting our Ministers and disturbing the balance of our relationships with them? I thought rapidly on this matter, at the meeting itself, and had reached my own conclusions by the end of it. I was ready therefore when several Secretaries came up to me after the meeting and inquired as to what to do and how to proceed. I said that as far as I was concerned I was not going to by-pass the Minister. The nexus, in fact the close cooperation and mutual trust between Minister and Secretary, I thought were vital to the smooth running of Ministries, departments and other agencies.

A relationship based on mutual suspicion would undermine not only efficiency but the whole structure. It was just not practical for a President to run Ministries in remote control fashion through their Secretaries. As for the reports, I said, that I had decided that they were going to be innocuous ones, shown in confidence to the Minister before dispatch. The Secretaries who spoke with me, that day, and some who discussed matters with me later, all agreed that they were going to do the same thing.

Instinctively they did not wish to be parties to this scheme. They spoke with me, only to find some formula to act in terms of their own instincts. There was no debate on substance. The search was for a modality.

My first report which I showed the Minister was so innocuous, that he chuckled and said “You will get sacked!” That, or at least displeasure, was a risk that had to be run in the interest of maintaining balance and working relations, which in turn impinge on efficiency and the output of work. That all Secretaries had thought so, and acted accordingly was revealed at a Secretaries’ conference a few months later, when the Chairman, Mr. Paskaralingam, Secretary to the Treasury informed us, “The President is very disappointed with your reports. He thinks they are useless. They did not contain the type of information he requires. He said that he had given you all the powers. He wished to know what other powers you required.”

This was greeted with total silence. No one had anything to say, because the problem was an insoluble structural one of Secretaries commenting on the work of their Ministers. In fairness to Mr. Paskarallngam, it should be said that he made his statement without any enthusiasm. One had the feeling that he was performing a not very agreeable duty in conveying the President’s sentiments to us. The matter was never resolved. More important political issues overtook the government.

Finally, the comment may be made that this whole episode also reflected the ability of a bureaucracy to thwart the wishes of even a President as powerful as Mr. Premadasa. In fact this is nothing new. There is a considerable body of literature on the subject of the interaction between political and bureaucratic actors. For instance, Dr. Kissinger the former United States Secretary of State, in his book “White House Years” refers to this in relation to the State Department. He writes as follows:

“The State Department, when it receives an order of which its bureaucracy approves, is a wondrously efficient institution. When it wishes to exhaust recalcitrant superiors, drafts of memoranda wander through its labyrinthine channels for weeks and even months. But when it receives an instruction it considers wise, paper work is suddenly completed in a matter of hours and the bureaucracy springs to marvelous action. “

So it is in Sri Lanka. This particular order of the President was one which did not find favour with the bureaucracy. It was therefore undermined. That it was done on the grounds of decency and ensuring effective work was a different matter. This of course, is a subject that will never be exhausted as long as there are governments and human society.

Death of my mother

During 1990, after my appointment to the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, amidst a very heavy work load and hectic activity, I had also to cope with my mother’s final illness. On March 28′, she passed the milestone of 95 years. Sheer old age was taking its toll. She was getting disoriented from time to time and therefore needed close care and attention. This, my wife provided with the assistance of a faithful female servant, who had been long with us. My wife was so concerned that she might wander off and fall in the night, that she took to sleeping on a mat by her bedside. Later, when she became totally bed-ridden, and eventually had to have a catheter on and needed to be fed nasally, it was my wife who personally. attended on her.

We used to have two attendants one for the morning hours and one for the night. But introducing liquid nourishment into the nasal tube and washing and sponging her daily below the waist were personally undertaken by my wife. Since my mother had a catheter on, she would not trust the attendant to do the sponging. Those were duties she took upon herself voluntarily and without any persuasion or request. It gave me great peace of mind, and assisted me greatly in coping with my own considerable load in running a large Ministry.

Towards the end, I became disturbed by the visible strain my wife was undergoing. My mother’s situation required so much care and constant attention that she found herself unable even to leave the house. The last three weeks or so towards the end became an extremely stressful period for me. I had to cope with three major problems. One was the workload in the Ministry as well as other official responsibilities. Next was my mother’s condition. The third was my wife’s position, which began to worry me most. I was fearing for her health. The reason why we did not enter my mother to hospital at this stage was because the doctors treating her advised that it would be best if she could be made comfortable at home.

My mother died during the early afternoon of Sunday August 12. The undertakers stated that the body would be brought home only during mid-morning next day. Since there seemed to be a custom not to cremate a body on a Tuesday, the funeral was fixed for Wednesday the 15th afternoon at the General Cemetery Kanatte. The Minister, Mr. Athulathmudali not only visited my mother when she was earlier in hospital, but came home everyday, on Sunday evening, Monday and Tuesday, and acted as a pall bearer on Wednesday.

These were singular acts of solidarity and concern. We wanted to have a simple funeral without decorations and wreaths as was the case when my father died. This time too, many came forward volunteering to decorate the road, to print hand bills with my mother’s picture and to do numerous other things. We thanked them and explained that we would prefer to have a simple and quiet funeral. But it became a little more public than we anticipated due to another reason.

One morning an officer from the President’s personal staff rang and said that the President would like to come and pay his respects, and inquired as to whether I had any objection if his visit was televised. I of course had no option but to say that I had no objection. I was later told that this visit came on the Rupavahini news that night. This led to an unexpected result. Many persons who had not seen the newspaper obituary, now got to know and we had to cope with large numbers of people visiting, some from quite far.

It was a great strain, coming after the strain of dealing with my mother’s illness. The fact that I was an only child compounded matters, for courtesy demanded that I remain and greet all the visitors. I had no brothers or sisters to share this burden and from morning till almost 11 p.m. it was a case of greeting and talking to people. At the end of it I had lost most of my voice and every bone in my body ached. There were also compensations and emotional moments. Some of my friends I met after decades, so too some of my teachers. One of my teachers sneaked out of the intermediate coronary care unit of the general hospital and came home. A few days previously he had been transferred there from the intensive care unit. He looked weak and visibly ill. When I remonstrated with him for coming he said simply, “It is my duty to come. How can I not come?” It was profoundly touching. Sadly a few months later he was dead. Tired as I was, I had many precious moments with relations, friends, teachers and colleagues.

It was only after the event and peace and quiet were restored that the void left by my mother’s death came into full focus. There was a strange emptiness about the house, and an even greater emptiness in the heart. We had been together for nearly 53 years in a relationship that was very close and on the part of my mother, very protective. She had been clearly the most important influence in my life as guide, friend, philosopher, moral tutor and protector. She had been as steadfast as a rock throughout the vicissitudes of my life.

The very fact that I entered the civil service was due primarily to her. She believed I would pass even though I did not share that belief. When I was vacillating, it was she who gave me the money and compelled me to apply to sit the examination. She was a person of strong values and had a direct and frank approach to anybody and anything. She just didn’t know how to dissemble or prevaricate. There was nothing clandestine in anything she did.

Her only major flaw was that it was not easy for her to reconcile sincerity with tact. Many a time she proceeded on the basis that an attempt at being tactful would compromise the expression or manifestation of sincerity of purpose. She never fully understood the difference when this was pointed out to her.

(Excerpted from In Pursuit of Governance, the autobiography of MDD Pieris)

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Features

Crucial test for religious and ethnic harmony in Bangladesh

Published

15 hours ago

2026/02/12

Sahan Weerasooriya

A political protest that led to governmental change in Bangladesh mid last year. (photograph: imago)

Will the Bangladesh parliamentary election bring into being a government that will ensure ethnic and religious harmony in the country? This is the poser on the lips of peace-loving sections in Bangladesh and a principal concern of those outside who mean the country well.

The apprehensions are mainly on the part of religious and ethnic minorities. The parliamentary poll of February 12th is expected to bring into existence a government headed by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Islamist oriented Jamaat-e-Islami party and this is where the rub is. If these parties win, will it be a case of Bangladesh sliding in the direction of a theocracy or a state where majoritarian chauvinism thrives?

Chief of the Jamaat, Shafiqur Rahman, who was interviewed by sections of the international media recently said that there is no need for minority groups in Bangladesh to have the above fears. He assured, essentially, that the state that will come into being will be equable and inclusive. May it be so, is likely to be the wish of those who cherish a tension-free Bangladesh.

The party that could have posed a challenge to the above parties, the Awami League Party of former Prime Minister Hasina Wased, is out of the running on account of a suspension that was imposed on it by the authorities and the mentioned majoritarian-oriented parties are expected to have it easy at the polls.

A positive that has emerged against the backdrop of the poll is that most ordinary people in Bangladesh, be they Muslim or Hindu, are for communal and religious harmony and it is hoped that this sentiment will strongly prevail, going ahead. Interestingly, most of them were of the view, when interviewed, that it was the politicians who sowed the seeds of discord in the country and this viewpoint is widely shared by publics all over the region in respect of the politicians of their countries.

Some sections of the Jamaat party were of the view that matters with regard to the orientation of governance are best left to the incoming parliament to decide on but such opinions will be cold comfort for minority groups. If the parliamentary majority comes to consist of hard line Islamists, for instance, there is nothing to prevent the country from going in for theocratic governance. Consequently, minority group fears over their safety and protection cannot be prevented from spreading.

Therefore, we come back to the question of just and fair governance and whether Bangladesh’s future rulers could ensure these essential conditions of democratic rule. The latter, it is hoped, will be sufficiently perceptive to ascertain that a Bangladesh rife with religious and ethnic tensions, and therefore unstable, would not be in the interests of Bangladesh and those of the region’s countries.

Unfortunately, politicians region-wide fall for the lure of ethnic, religious and linguistic chauvinism. This happens even in the case of politicians who claim to be democratic in orientation. This fate even befell Bangladesh’s Awami League Party, which claims to be democratic and socialist in general outlook.

We have it on the authority of Taslima Nasrin in her ground-breaking novel, ‘Lajja’, that the Awami Party was not of any substantial help to Bangladesh’s Hindus, for example, when violence was unleashed on them by sections of the majority community. In fact some elements in the Awami Party were found to be siding with the Hindus’ murderous persecutors. Such are the temptations of hard line majoritarianism.

In Sri Lanka’s past numerous have been the occasions when even self-professed Leftists and their parties have conveniently fallen in line with Southern nationalist groups with self-interest in mind. The present NPP government in Sri Lanka has been waxing lyrical about fostering national reconciliation and harmony but it is yet to prove its worthiness on this score in practice. The NPP government remains untested material.

As a first step towards national reconciliation it is hoped that Sri Lanka’s present rulers would learn the Tamil language and address the people of the North and East of the country in Tamil and not Sinhala, which most Tamil-speaking people do not understand. We earnestly await official language reforms which afford to Tamil the dignity it deserves.

An acid test awaits Bangladesh as well on the nation-building front. Not only must all forms of chauvinism be shunned by the incoming rulers but a secular, truly democratic Bangladesh awaits being licked into shape. All identity barriers among people need to be abolished and it is this process that is referred to as nation-building.

On the foreign policy frontier, a task of foremost importance for Bangladesh is the need to build bridges of amity with India. If pragmatism is to rule the roost in foreign policy formulation, Bangladesh would place priority to the overcoming of this challenge. The repatriation to Bangladesh of ex-Prime Minister Hasina could emerge as a steep hurdle to bilateral accord but sagacious diplomacy must be used by Bangladesh to get over the problem.

A reply to N.A. de S. Amaratunga

A response has been penned by N.A. de S. Amaratunga (please see p5 of ‘The Island’ of February 6th) to a previous column by me on ‘ India shaping-up as a Swing State’, published in this newspaper on January 29th , but I remain firmly convinced that India remains a foremost democracy and a Swing State in the making.

If the countries of South Asia are to effectively manage ‘murderous terrorism’, particularly of the separatist kind, then they would do well to adopt to the best of their ability a system of government that provides for power decentralization from the centre to the provinces or periphery, as the case may be. This system has stood India in good stead and ought to prove effective in all other states that have fears of disintegration.

Moreover, power decentralization ensures that all communities within a country enjoy some self-governing rights within an overall unitary governance framework. Such power-sharing is a hallmark of democratic governance.

Features

Celebrating Valentine’s Day …

Published

15 hours ago

2026/02/12

Sahan Weerasooriya

Valentine’s Day is all about celebrating love, romance, and affection, and this is how some of our well-known personalities plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day – 14th February:

Merlina Fernando (Singer)

Yes, it’s a special day for lovers all over the world and it’s even more special to me because 14th February is the birthday of my husband Suresh, who’s the lead guitarist of my band Mission.

We have planned to celebrate Valentine’s Day and his Birthday together and it will be a wonderful night as always.

We will be having our fans and close friends, on that night, with their loved ones at Highso – City Max hotel Dubai, from 9.00 pm onwards.

Lorensz Francke (Elvis Tribute Artiste)

On Valentine’s Day I will be performing a live concert at a Wealthy Senior Home for Men and Women, and their families will be attending, as well.

I will be performing live with romantic, iconic love songs and my song list would include ‘Can’t Help falling in Love’, ‘Love Me Tender’, ‘Burning Love’, ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight’, ‘The Wonder of You’ and ‘’It’s Now or Never’ to name a few.

To make Valentine’s Day extra special I will give the Home folks red satin scarfs.

Emma Shanaya (Singer)

I plan on spending the day of love with my girls, especially my best friend. I don’t have a romantic Valentine this year but I am thrilled to spend it with the girl that loves me through and through. I’ll be in Colombo and look forward to go to a cute cafe and spend some quality time with my childhood best friend Zulha.

JAYASRI

Emma-and-Maneeka

This Valentine’s Day the band JAYASRI we will be really busy; in the morning we will be landing in Sri Lanka, after our Oman Tour; then in the afternoon we are invited as Chief Guests at our Maris Stella College Sports Meet, Negombo, and late night we will be with LineOne band live in Karandeniya Open Air Down South. Everywhere we will be sharing LOVE with the mass crowds.

Kay Jay (Singer)

I will stay at home and cook a lovely meal for lunch, watch some movies, together with Sanjaya, and, maybe we go out for dinner and have a lovely time. Come to think of it, every day is Valentine’s Day for me with Sanjaya Alles.

Maneka Liyanage (Beauty Tips)

On this special day, I celebrate love by spending meaningful time with the people I cherish. I prepare food with love and share meals together, because food made with love brings hearts closer. I enjoy my leisure time with them — talking, laughing, sharing stories, understanding each other, and creating beautiful memories. My wish for this Valentine’s Day is a world without fighting — a world where we love one another like our own beloved, where we do not hurt others, even through a single word or action. Let us choose kindness, patience, and understanding in everything we do.

Janaka Palapathwala (Singer)

Janaka

Valentine’s Day should not be the only day we speak about love.

From the moment we are born into this world, we seek love, first through the very drop of our mother’s milk, then through the boundless care of our Mother and Father, and the embrace of family.

Love is everywhere. All living beings, even plants, respond in affection when they are loved.

As we grow, we learn to love, and to be loved. One day, that love inspires us to build a new family of our own.

Love has no beginning and no end. It flows through every stage of life, timeless, endless, and eternal.

Natasha Rathnayake (Singer)

We don’t have any special plans for Valentine’s Day. When you’ve been in love with the same person for over 25 years, you realise that love isn’t a performance reserved for one calendar date. My husband and I have never been big on public displays, or grand gestures, on 14th February. Our love is expressed quietly and consistently, in ordinary, uncelebrated moments.

With time, you learn that love isn’t about proving anything to the world or buying into a commercialised idea of romance—flowers that wilt, sweets that spike blood sugar, and gifts that impress briefly but add little real value. In today’s society, marketing often pushes the idea that love is proven by how much money you spend, and that buying things is treated as a sign of commitment.

Real love doesn’t need reminders or price tags. It lives in showing up every day, choosing each other on unromantic days, and nurturing the relationship intentionally and without an audience.

This isn’t a judgment on those who enjoy celebrating Valentine’s Day. It’s simply a personal choice.

Melloney Dassanayake (Miss Universe Sri Lanka 2024)

I truly believe it’s beautiful to have a day specially dedicated to love. But, for me, Valentine’s Day goes far beyond romantic love alone. It celebrates every form of love we hold close to our hearts: the love for family, friends, and that one special person who makes life brighter. While 14th February gives us a moment to pause and celebrate, I always remind myself that love should never be limited to just one day. Every single day should feel like Valentine’s Day – constant reminder to the people we love that they are never alone, that they are valued, and that they matter.

I’m incredibly blessed because, for me, every day feels like Valentine’s Day. My special person makes sure of that through the smallest gestures, the quiet moments, and the simple reminders that love lives in the details. He shows me that it’s the little things that count, and that love doesn’t need grand stages to feel extraordinary. This Valentine’s Day, perfection would be something intimate and meaningful: a cozy picnic in our home garden, surrounded by nature, laughter, and warmth, followed by an abstract drawing session where we let our creativity flow freely. To me, that’s what love is – simple, soulful, expressive, and deeply personal. When love is real, every ordinary moment becomes magical.

Noshin De Silva (Actress)

Valentine’s Day is one of my favourite holidays! I love the décor, the hearts everywhere, the pinks and reds, heart-shaped chocolates, and roses all around. But honestly, I believe every day can be Valentine’s Day.

It doesn’t have to be just about romantic love. It’s a chance to celebrate love in all its forms with friends, family, or even by taking a little time for yourself.

Whether you’re spending the day with someone special or enjoying your own company, it’s a reminder to appreciate meaningful connections, show kindness, and lead with love every day.

And yes, I’m fully on theme this year with heart nail art and heart mehendi design!

Wishing everyone a very happy Valentine’s Day, but, remember, love yourself first, and don’t forget to treat yourself.

Sending my love to all of you.

Features

Banana and Aloe Vera

Published

15 hours ago

2026/02/12

Sahan Weerasooriya

To create a powerful, natural, and hydrating beauty mask that soothes inflammation, fights acne, and boosts skin radiance, mix a mashed banana with fresh aloe vera gel.

This nutrient-rich blend acts as an antioxidant-packed anti-ageing treatment that also doubles as a nourishing, shiny hair mask.

* Face Masks for Glowing Skin:

Mix 01 ripe banana with 01 tablespoon of fresh aloe vera gel and apply this mixture to the face. Massage for a few minutes, leave for 15-20 minutes, and then rinse off for a glowing complexion.

* Acne and Soothing Mask:

Mix 01 tablespoon of fresh aloe vera gel with 1/2 a mashed banana and 01 teaspoon of honey. Apply this mixture to clean skin to calm inflammation, reduce redness, and hydrate dry, sensitive skin. Leave for 15-20 minutes, and rinse with warm water.

* Hair Treatment for Shine:

Mix 01 fresh ripe banana with 03 tablespoons of fresh aloe vera gel and 01 teaspoon of honey. Apply from scalp to ends, massage for 10-15 minutes and then let it dry for maximum absorption. Rinse thoroughly with cool water for soft, shiny, and frizz-free hair.