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Victory in a war is determined by the political leadership – Minister Sarath Weerasekera
by Saman Indrajith
The then corporal of the school cadet platoon is today a cabinet minister, while the sergeant of the same platoon now is an opposition MP, Public Security Minister Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera told Parliament on Thursday.
Participating in the budget debate under the expenditure heads of the Ministries of Defence and Public Security, the Minister said that Gampaha District SJB MP Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, in his speech said that he (Fonseka) gave leadership to the army to win the war and the corporal, while he was the sergeant of the school cadet platoon has now become a cabinet minister.
“It is true. I was the corporal in the cadet platoon when Fonseka was the sergeant. Today I am a cabinet minister,” Weerasekera said.
Field Marshal Fonseka: I said so without any ill-will. I wish you all the luck with your appointment. I am only asking you to take care and be vigilant of those on your side today.
Minister Weerasekera: I don’t think that our past would hinder any of us doing our duties and our present positions will harm our friendship.
Minister Weerasekara however said that he disagreed with Field Marshal Fonseka’s view that political leadership should be deprived of the credit of victory for the war. “I was one of the five top military personnel honoured at the end of the war. I admit that the army went from strength to strength under Field Marshal Fonseka, but I have to say that the victory of a war is determined by the political leadership. War is an extension of politics. There can be politics without war but there cannot be war without politics”.
He said that World War II was won by Winston Churchill. It was lost by Adolph Hitler. The names of generals and admirals come only after those names. Today, thousands of people in Vietnam are walking thousands of miles braving the sun and rain to come and respect Ho Chi Min, the political leader of the Vietnam war. They don’t come to respect the war winning general Vo Nguyen Giap.
There is a museum in honour of Ho Chi Min and no museum in the name of General Giap. Similarly, when General MacArthur tried to extend the Korean war up to China, the then US President Harry Truman removed him and appointed General Matthew Ridgeway in his place. That is how the politicians decide the outcome of a war. So it is always the political leadership that determines the victory of war, the Minister further said.
“We know that in 1987, we were very close to ending the war with the Vadamarachchi operation. The then political leadership got cold feet when India dropped lentils from the air and stopped the operation. We still remember the tears in the eyes of General Denzil Kobbekaduwa for depriving him of victory. Similarly, on May 19, 2009, we saw the end of Prabhakaran. Several days prior to that David Miliband from England and Bernard Kuchner from France came to pressure the then president and defence secretary to stop the war. If the then political leadership decided to stop the war, you would not become a hero today”, he added.
Field Marshal Fonseka: I spoke about soldiers. You speak about politicians.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
