Features
A Royal-Thomian cricket match remembered not only for the cricket
by Hugh Karunanayake
The Royal Thomian match of 1951 will for long be remembered for its nail-biting finish, and for the manner in which the Royal College team led by skipper T. Vairavanathan extracted a five-run victory from the jaws of defeat. It will certainly occupy a top position in the history of the series, the second oldest school cricket encounter in the world, (the first game being played in 1880).
In the souvenir issued in 2004 to commemorate the 125th encounter in the series under the title “The impossible finish of 1951” a cricket scribe writing under the pseudonym “The Commentator” exclaimed “Even the boldest writer of sports fiction would not have dared to invent such an implausible finish to a cricket match”.
Royal batted first and made an unimpressive 146. The Thomians followed for only a couple of overs when rain washed out further play. This was the era of the two day game played on Friday and Saturday, and rain invariably meant loss of playing time, and a draw. Playing time for the Saturday was only five and a half hours for the completion of three innings…… A highly unlikely scenario for a decisive game. However Royal skipper Vairavanathan by astute captaincy had the Thomian struggling at 61 runs with seven wickets down.
Sensing the deteriorating nature of the wicket the Thomian skipper sent in the Royalists for their second turn at the wicket. As expected, the batting was not up to the challenge and except for skipper Vairavanathan and SS Jayawickreme who made 38 and 39 respectively, the Royal side struggled to get 105 when skipper Vairavanathan sportingly declared with eight wickets down.
Either of the teams could win the game and the Thomians would have the match in the bag if they scored 191. A dogged resistance cum counter punching saw the Thomians with only three wickets down after having reached 150 runs. Did Vaira make a blunder in declaring? Another 41 runs with seven wickets to go seemed a most likely event, but not in skipper Vaira’s mind. To revert to the words of the scribe.
“A good length off break, and batsman Jayewardene plays back. As Vairavanathan walks back he flashes a glance and a smile at the off-side fielders. In the heightened rapport among the team there is no need for words. Instantly they get the message…. The next one is pitched further and flighted even higher. The batsman has been playing back with increasing difficulty. He prods hesitantly, misses, the ball is through and heading for middle and off stumps, the bails go flying, and ROYAL HAS WON ….
WELL, THAT WAS THE CRICKET – NOW HERE IS THE OTHER STORY!
It was the morning of the first day of the match, and every Royalist over 15 years of age would want to be in the cycle parade which starts at Racecourse Avenue and winds its way past (and into) Ladies College, Bishops College, Holy Family Convent, Visakha Vidyalaya and thence to the match at the Oval. Invariably the procession would arrive about an hour later due to the high jinx and theatricals of the processionists. My classmate and buddy Chandra Putra Laxana asked me whether he could come with me on the cycle parade, and since he had no bicycle could he ride on the bar of my cycle. Agreed, no problems there, and he was to arrive at my home around 10.30 am.
In the weeks prior to the event I was on the hunt for a fez or “thambi thoppi”with my friend Oma Senaratne. One Saturday Oma and I were riding our bikes near Deans Road Maradana looking for a likely victim when we came across a Moor funeral procession with hundreds of mourners (all males) and most of them wearing fez hats; a scene which kept us licking our lips in anticipation.(We found out later that the funeral was that of Minister T.B. Jayah’s mother). We decided on a strategy. We would wait till the procession went up Dean’s Road and we would pounce on an unsuspecting straggler and remove his head gear, turn around and pedal fast in the opposite direction.
The fez was taken with one swift grab, and we headed towards Victoria Park with several men chasing us uttering choice expletives. Despite there being a prominent sign at the entrance to the park saying “NO CYCLING PERMITTTED.” We pedaled fast into the park and this time we were chased by the park watchers. We re-emerged in Green Path the loot still safe and unscathed.
Laxana lived with his parents in a house called “The Walauwwa” on High Level Road, Kirillapona, and probably the only Muslims to live in a “waluwwa”. A dear easy going friend he had no difficulty in agreeing to another friend asking him whether he could accompany him to the match. And so it was that on the morning of the match he came to my home with his friend Raja Silva, a 13-year old lad still wearing shorts. Raja was later to be known as Rahula Silva a dreaded cop.
Now with Laxana and Raja it was impossible for us to go on my bike so instead we called for a Quickshaw and went to Princes Restaurant at the Galle Road next to Pendennis Avenue then. Raja took a fancy to my trophy of a few days before, and was wearing the fez thereafter, and that was the last I saw of it! We had a glass of beer each including Raja who had not tasted beer before.
There was no peer pressure there: on the contrary I felt that the guy was too young to drink beer, but he insisted. From Princes’ we hopped into another Quickshaw to the Oval when somewhere near Alexandra Road, Raja was feeling the impact of the beer. We then deviated to Bake House on Deans Road, as Raja was staggering after consuming the first glass of beer. We drew up two chairs on which he was laid across, and a friendly waiter fanned him while we marked time.
I was hoping that we could use the delay caused by Raja’s misadventure to good use as I thought the cycle procession would by now have reached the Lipton Circus area where the three of us could have joined the procession. When we came out however there was no sign of the procession but an eerie feeling that something had gone wrong. As we walked half-way up Ward Place we met with a scene of desolation and some destruction. Placards taken by the boys to the match were strewn about, and something serious may have happened. On reaching the Oval we heard the story which turned out to be nothing but a display of police brutality.
From the accounts given to me by our school mates the problem began when the procession of about 500 schoolboys turned into Ward Place and saw two police constables standing near the phone booth at the intersection between Alexandra Place and Ward Place. The usual chant of “ado kosso” erupted but what seemed to have irked the displeasure of the cops was when a boy took off the slouch hat of one of constables and placed it on his own head in a mocking gesture. The cops were not happy and had rung the Cinnamon Gardens Police station saying they were under attack. Within a few minutes police reinforcements headed by a jeep, a paddy wagon, and all the cops available at the Cinnamon Gardens police station swooped down on the procession with the cops swinging their batons and abusing the boys in raw Sinhala filth. It was a stupendous melee as the cops were on a military like mission!.
Roger Modder on seeing the cops breaking up the procession had abandoned his bike and was darting towards Borella junction pursued by a cop shouting “Anna suddawa allaganda” with Roger sprinting away shouting “mama sudda nemay mata Sinhala dannawa” Roger was too fast for the ralahami. They managed to ‘capture’ 12 boys including Gamini Iriyagolle, CV (Puggy) Gooneratne, Jehan Raheem, Jeevaka de Zoysa. They were all taken to the Cinnamon Garden Police station and humiliated by being placed in the police lock-up, and denied access to drinking water or to the telephone.
Some of the boys in the cycle procession who reached the Oval contacted Mr Bernard Anghie, Warden of the College Hostel who came immediately with a couple of boys to the Police Station. Anghie was fondly referred to by the boys as Angus, and upon entering the police station, introduced himself to the inspector in charge from whom he asked permission to use the police station phone. He immediately rang Mr Sidney de Zoysa who was then a senior and well known police officer. As soon as he took the phone and said “Hello Sidney “a magical aura seemed to have enveloped the police station! Sidney asked the phone to be given to the Inspector who was given an order which the entire police station could hear “Release those boys immediately.”
Cops who had been taunting the boys earlier, had now became very solicitous about their welfare One particular sergeant who seemed to have had a bee in his bonnet about Royalists and had been vituperative and insulting, was nowhere to be seen and later sighted in the station in civil clothes.
There were rumours that the Old Boys Union wanted the cops to be dealt with, but after a few days the whole matter lost its significance, and everyone was in a conciliatory mood. No further action was initiated. Of the boys whose name were mentioned in this story, only Jehan Raheem who worked as the UNDP Coordinator for Asia, now living in the USA and Jeevaka de Zoysa retired architect are among the living today. Raja aka Rahula Silva passed away some years ago after a remarkable career in the Police Force.
Chandra Putra Laxana worked as The Chief Editor of The Straits Times in Malaysia and later migrated to Melbourne Australia where he passed away 20 years ago. Oma Senaratne trained as an automobile engineer in Chelsea, UK and worked in Kuwait. He passed away about two decades ago. Gamini Iriyagolle joined the Ceylon Civil Service, and on retirement passed away also about two decades ago. Puggy Gooneratne served as a Minister in Government and was assassinated by a terrorist bomb 24 years ago. Roger Modder was a Director of the firm Carson Cumberbatch and died following a motor accident. All of them are remembered with great affection.
by Dr Gotabhya Ranasinghe
Senior Consultant Cardiologist
National Hospital Sri Lanka
When we sought a meeting with Hon Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Minister of Health, he graciously cleared his busy schedule to accommodate us. Renowned for his attentive listening and deep understanding, Minister Pathirana is dedicated to advancing the health sector. His openness and transparency exemplify the qualities of an exemplary politician and minister.
Dr. Palitha Mahipala, the current Health Secretary, demonstrates both commendable enthusiasm and unwavering support. This combination of attributes makes him a highly compatible colleague for the esteemed Minister of Health.
Our discussion centered on a project that has been in the works for the past 30 years, one that no other minister had managed to advance.
Minister Pathirana, however, recognized the project’s significance and its potential to revolutionize care for heart patients.
The project involves the construction of a state-of-the-art facility at the premises of the National Hospital Colombo. The project’s location within the premises of the National Hospital underscores its importance and relevance to the healthcare infrastructure of the nation.
This facility will include a cardiology building and a tertiary care center, equipped with the latest technology to handle and treat all types of heart-related conditions and surgeries.
Securing funding was a major milestone for this initiative. Minister Pathirana successfully obtained approval for a $40 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank. With the funding in place, the foundation stone is scheduled to be laid in September this year, and construction will begin in January 2025.
This project guarantees a consistent and uninterrupted supply of stents and related medications for heart patients. As a result, patients will have timely access to essential medical supplies during their treatment and recovery. By securing these critical resources, the project aims to enhance patient outcomes, minimize treatment delays, and maintain the highest standards of cardiac care.
Upon its fruition, this monumental building will serve as a beacon of hope and healing, symbolizing the unwavering dedication to improving patient outcomes and fostering a healthier society.We anticipate a future marked by significant progress and positive outcomes in Sri Lanka’s cardiovascular treatment landscape within the foreseeable timeframe.
by Fr. Emmanuel Fernando, OMI
Jesuit Fr. Aloysius Pieris (affectionately called Fr. Aloy) celebrated his 90th birthday on April 9, 2024 and I, as the editor of our Oblate Journal, THE MISSIONARY OBLATE had gone to press by that time. Immediately I decided to publish an article, appreciating the untiring selfless services he continues to offer for inter-Faith dialogue, the renewal of the Catholic Church, his concern for the poor and the suffering Sri Lankan masses and to me, the present writer.
It was in 1988, when I was appointed Director of the Oblate Scholastics at Ampitiya by the then Oblate Provincial Fr. Anselm Silva, that I came to know Fr. Aloy more closely. Knowing well his expertise in matters spiritual, theological, Indological and pastoral, and with the collaborative spirit of my companion-formators, our Oblate Scholastics were sent to Tulana, the Research and Encounter Centre, Kelaniya, of which he is the Founder-Director, for ‘exposure-programmes’ on matters spiritual, biblical, theological and pastoral. Some of these dimensions according to my view and that of my companion-formators, were not available at the National Seminary, Ampitiya.
Ever since that time, our Oblate formators/ accompaniers at the Oblate Scholasticate, Ampitiya , have continued to send our Oblate Scholastics to Tulana Centre for deepening their insights and convictions regarding matters needed to serve the people in today’s context. Fr. Aloy also had tried very enthusiastically with the Oblate team headed by Frs. Oswald Firth and Clement Waidyasekara to begin a Theologate, directed by the Religious Congregations in Sri Lanka, for the contextual formation/ accompaniment of their members. It should very well be a desired goal of the Leaders / Provincials of the Religious Congregations.
Besides being a formator/accompanier at the Oblate Scholasticate, I was entrusted also with the task of editing and publishing our Oblate journal, ‘The Missionary Oblate’. To maintain the quality of the journal I continue to depend on Fr. Aloy for his thought-provoking and stimulating articles on Biblical Spirituality, Biblical Theology and Ecclesiology. I am very grateful to him for his generous assistance. Of late, his writings on renewal of the Church, initiated by Pope St. John XX111 and continued by Pope Francis through the Synodal path, published in our Oblate journal, enable our readers to focus their attention also on the needed renewal in the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. Fr. Aloy appreciated very much the Synodal path adopted by the Jesuit Pope Francis for the renewal of the Church, rooted very much on prayerful discernment. In my Religious and presbyteral life, Fr.Aloy continues to be my spiritual animator / guide and ongoing formator / acccompanier.
Fr. Aloysius Pieris, BA Hons (Lond), LPh (SHC, India), STL (PFT, Naples), PhD (SLU/VC), ThD (Tilburg), D.Ltt (KU), has been one of the eminent Asian theologians well recognized internationally and one who has lectured and held visiting chairs in many universities both in the West and in the East. Many members of Religious Congregations from Asian countries have benefited from his lectures and guidance in the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) in Manila, Philippines. He had been a Theologian consulted by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences for many years. During his professorship at the Gregorian University in Rome, he was called to be a member of a special group of advisers on other religions consulted by Pope Paul VI.
Fr. Aloy is the author of more than 30 books and well over 500 Research Papers. Some of his books and articles have been translated and published in several countries. Among those books, one can find the following: 1) The Genesis of an Asian Theology of Liberation (An Autobiographical Excursus on the Art of Theologising in Asia, 2) An Asian Theology of Liberation, 3) Providential Timeliness of Vatican 11 (a long-overdue halt to a scandalous millennium, 4) Give Vatican 11 a chance, 5) Leadership in the Church, 6) Relishing our faith in working for justice (Themes for study and discussion), 7) A Message meant mainly, not exclusively for Jesuits (Background information necessary for helping Francis renew the Church), 8) Lent in Lanka (Reflections and Resolutions, 9) Love meets wisdom (A Christian Experience of Buddhism, 10) Fire and Water 11) God’s Reign for God’s poor, 12) Our Unhiddden Agenda (How we Jesuits work, pray and form our men). He is also the Editor of two journals, Vagdevi, Journal of Religious Reflection and Dialogue, New Series.
Fr. Aloy has a BA in Pali and Sanskrit from the University of London and a Ph.D in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Sri Lankan, Vidyodaya Campus. On Nov. 23, 2019, he was awarded the prestigious honorary Doctorate of Literature (D.Litt) by the Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, the Most Venerable Welamitiyawe Dharmakirthi Sri Kusala Dhamma Thera.
Fr. Aloy continues to be a promoter of Gospel values and virtues. Justice as a constitutive dimension of love and social concern for the downtrodden masses are very much noted in his life and work. He had very much appreciated the commitment of the late Fr. Joseph (Joe) Fernando, the National Director of the Social and Economic Centre (SEDEC) for the poor.
In Sri Lanka, a few religious Congregations – the Good Shepherd Sisters, the Christian Brothers, the Marist Brothers and the Oblates – have invited him to animate their members especially during their Provincial Congresses, Chapters and International Conferences. The mainline Christian Churches also have sought his advice and followed his seminars. I, for one, regret very much, that the Sri Lankan authorities of the Catholic Church –today’s Hierarchy—- have not sought Fr.
Aloy’s expertise for the renewal of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka and thus have not benefited from the immense store of wisdom and insight that he can offer to our local Church while the Sri Lankan bishops who governed the Catholic church in the immediate aftermath of the Second Vatican Council (Edmund Fernando OMI, Anthony de Saram, Leo Nanayakkara OSB, Frank Marcus Fernando, Paul Perera,) visited him and consulted him on many matters. Among the Tamil Bishops, Bishop Rayappu Joseph was keeping close contact with him and Bishop J. Deogupillai hosted him and his team visiting him after the horrible Black July massacre of Tamils.
Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement
By Gomi Senadhira
senadhiragomi@gmail.com
“You might tell fairy tales, but the progress of a country cannot be achieved through such narratives. A country cannot be developed by making false promises. The country moved backward because of the electoral promises made by political parties throughout time. We have witnessed that the ultimate result of this is the country becoming bankrupt. Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet.” – President Ranil Wickremesinghe, 2024 Budget speech
Any Sri Lankan would agree with the above words of President Wickremesinghe on the false promises our politicians and officials make and the fairy tales they narrate which bankrupted this country. So, to understand this, let’s look at one such fairy tale with lots of false promises; Ranil Wickremesinghe’s greatest achievement in the area of international trade and investment promotion during the Yahapalana period, Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA).
It is appropriate and timely to do it now as Finance Minister Wickremesinghe has just presented to parliament a bill on the National Policy on Economic Transformation which includes the establishment of an Office for International Trade and the Sri Lanka Institute of Economics and International Trade.
Was SLSFTA a “Cleverly negotiated Free Trade Agreement” as stated by the (former) Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate on the SLSFTA in July 2018, or a colossal blunder covered up with lies, false promises, and fairy tales? After SLSFTA was signed there were a number of fairy tales published on this agreement by the Ministry of Development Strategies and International, Institute of Policy Studies, and others.
However, for this article, I would like to limit my comments to the speech by Minister Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate, and the two most important areas in the agreement which were covered up with lies, fairy tales, and false promises, namely: revenue loss for Sri Lanka and Investment from Singapore. On the other important area, “Waste products dumping” I do not want to comment here as I have written extensively on the issue.
1. The revenue loss
During the Parliamentary Debate in July 2018, Minister Samarawickrama stated “…. let me reiterate that this FTA with Singapore has been very cleverly negotiated by us…. The liberalisation programme under this FTA has been carefully designed to have the least impact on domestic industry and revenue collection. We have included all revenue sensitive items in the negative list of items which will not be subject to removal of tariff. Therefore, 97.8% revenue from Customs duty is protected. Our tariff liberalisation will take place over a period of 12-15 years! In fact, the revenue earned through tariffs on goods imported from Singapore last year was Rs. 35 billion.
The revenue loss for over the next 15 years due to the FTA is only Rs. 733 million– which when annualised, on average, is just Rs. 51 million. That is just 0.14% per year! So anyone who claims the Singapore FTA causes revenue loss to the Government cannot do basic arithmetic! Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I call on my fellow members of this House – don’t mislead the public with baseless criticism that is not grounded in facts. Don’t look at petty politics and use these issues for your own political survival.”
I was surprised to read the minister’s speech because an article published in January 2018 in “The Straits Times“, based on information released by the Singaporean Negotiators stated, “…. With the FTA, tariff savings for Singapore exports are estimated to hit $10 million annually“.
As the annual tariff savings (that is the revenue loss for Sri Lanka) calculated by the Singaporean Negotiators, Singaporean $ 10 million (Sri Lankan rupees 1,200 million in 2018) was way above the rupees’ 733 million revenue loss for 15 years estimated by the Sri Lankan negotiators, it was clear to any observer that one of the parties to the agreement had not done the basic arithmetic!
Six years later, according to a report published by “The Morning” newspaper, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) on 7th May 2024, Mr Samarawickrama’s chief trade negotiator K.J. Weerasinghehad had admitted “…. that forecasted revenue loss for the Government of Sri Lanka through the Singapore FTA is Rs. 450 million in 2023 and Rs. 1.3 billion in 2024.”
If these numbers are correct, as tariff liberalisation under the SLSFTA has just started, we will pass Rs 2 billion very soon. Then, the question is how Sri Lanka’s trade negotiators made such a colossal blunder. Didn’t they do their basic arithmetic? If they didn’t know how to do basic arithmetic they should have at least done their basic readings. For example, the headline of the article published in The Straits Times in January 2018 was “Singapore, Sri Lanka sign FTA, annual savings of $10m expected”.
Anyway, as Sri Lanka’s chief negotiator reiterated at the COPF meeting that “…. since 99% of the tariffs in Singapore have zero rates of duty, Sri Lanka has agreed on 80% tariff liberalisation over a period of 15 years while expecting Singapore investments to address the imbalance in trade,” let’s turn towards investment.
Investment from Singapore
In July 2018, speaking during the Parliamentary Debate on the FTA this is what Minister Malik Samarawickrama stated on investment from Singapore, “Already, thanks to this FTA, in just the past two-and-a-half months since the agreement came into effect we have received a proposal from Singapore for investment amounting to $ 14.8 billion in an oil refinery for export of petroleum products. In addition, we have proposals for a steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million), sugar refinery ($ 200 million). This adds up to more than $ 16.05 billion in the pipeline on these projects alone.
And all of these projects will create thousands of more jobs for our people. In principle approval has already been granted by the BOI and the investors are awaiting the release of land the environmental approvals to commence the project.
I request the Opposition and those with vested interests to change their narrow-minded thinking and join us to develop our country. We must always look at what is best for the whole community, not just the few who may oppose. We owe it to our people to courageously take decisions that will change their lives for the better.”
According to the media report I quoted earlier, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Chief Negotiator Weerasinghe has admitted that Sri Lanka was not happy with overall Singapore investments that have come in the past few years in return for the trade liberalisation under the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. He has added that between 2021 and 2023 the total investment from Singapore had been around $162 million!
What happened to those projects worth $16 billion negotiated, thanks to the SLSFTA, in just the two-and-a-half months after the agreement came into effect and approved by the BOI? I do not know about the steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million) and sugar refinery ($ 200 million).
However, story of the multibillion-dollar investment in the Petroleum Refinery unfolded in a manner that would qualify it as the best fairy tale with false promises presented by our politicians and the officials, prior to 2019 elections.
Though many Sri Lankans got to know, through the media which repeatedly highlighted a plethora of issues surrounding the project and the questionable credentials of the Singaporean investor, the construction work on the Mirrijiwela Oil Refinery along with the cement factory began on the24th of March 2019 with a bang and Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his ministers along with the foreign and local dignitaries laid the foundation stones.
That was few months before the 2019 Presidential elections. Inaugurating the construction work Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the projects will create thousands of job opportunities in the area and surrounding districts.
The oil refinery, which was to be built over 200 acres of land, with the capacity to refine 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, was to generate US$7 billion of exports and create 1,500 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs. The construction of the refinery was to be completed in 44 months. Four years later, in August 2023 the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to cancel the agreement with the investors of the refinery as the project has not been implemented! Can they explain to the country how much money was wasted to produce that fairy tale?
It is obvious that the President, ministers, and officials had made huge blunders and had deliberately misled the public and the parliament on the revenue loss and potential investment from SLSFTA with fairy tales and false promises.
As the president himself said, a country cannot be developed by making false promises or with fairy tales and these false promises and fairy tales had bankrupted the country. “Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet”.
(The writer, a specialist and an activist on trade and development issues . )
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