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FOUR MUSKETEERS FOR THE ARAKAN FRONT
by ECB Wijeyesinghe
Lord Mountbatten’s recent visit to Sri Lanka and the death of Captain Uyangoda of the Galle Face Hotel, one of the few Ceylonese heroes of the Arakan Front, have prompted me to make a short journey into the past, when the noble lord asked the Editors of four Ceylon newspapers to come to Burma and watch the final stages of the war against the Japanese.
I am not sure whether any other journalists from this part of the world were invited to take a ringside seat and watch the Allied blow that was intended to send the Japanese reeling. But Mountbatten, especially after his sojourn in Peradeniya, where the gardens were bristling with the loveliest flora and fauna, had a soft corner in his heart for Ceylon.
Hundreds of Kandy residents have seen him ride on horseback in the beautiful Udawattekelle, or drive a jeep all alone on the road to Katugastota where watching the elephants bathe in the Mahaveli was not the only diversion. In another country, during a World War, a whole battalion of security men would have accompanied the Supremo. But there was no need for such precautions in this peaceful island on which no invader had set foot since the days of Sri Wikrama Rajasinghe.
After Mountbatten moved the Allied headquarters, quietly but reluctantly, to less salubrious climes, he did not forget the little island that had given him so much hope and happiness. He wanted the people of Ceylon to see through the eyes of its newspapers the upper-cut that he was going to deliver in Lower Burma.
The invitations came to the four Editors to go and see for themselves the vastness of the undertaking to push back the Japanese steam-roller which had crushed everything in its path from Singapore northwards along the Malay peninsula. Incidentally, during that drive one of Ceylon’s best-known sons, Manicam Saravanamuttu was locked up by the Japanese in Penang and spent nine months in jail.
How Sara survived it all and was eventually appointed Ceylon Commissioner in Singapore is another story which has been related in a most graphic manner by Sara himself in his Saga which he published a few years before his death.
To come back to the Editors who were invited to go and watch the fun at the Front: they were A.C. Stewart of “The Times of Ceylon,” H.A.J. Hulugalle of the “Ceylon Daily News,” H.D. Jansz of the “Ceylon Observer,” and Iswara Iyer of the “Virakesari.”
SCOTSMAN
Stewart was a Scotsman to whom the idea of being a non-paying guest of Lord Mountbatten for three weeks made an instant appeal, however much he had to face the hazards of war. So, he accepted the invitation with alacrity. Besides, it gave him the chance of indulging in his pet hobby and making a few rupees on the side by collecting stamps from some of the most God-forsaken areas in South-east Asia.
But he was a good companion and had his own way of showing his appreciation of a friend’s kindness. He carried in his hip-pocket a flask of Hennessy’s Three Star Brandy, which he raised to his lips whenever the temperature dropped, and offered you a swig if there were not too many people about.
Herbert Hulugalle, one of the three other Editors invited, though he had a weakness for roaming round the world in peace time, thought twice before he went among the bombs. And the thinking was done by his wife, Lillian, a courageous woman at all times, but who somehow did not relish the idea of her husband spending the rest of his days in a Japanese prison camp.
But the statement which clinched her argument was the grim reminder: “Remember dear, we have seven children.” That was true. They had seven children, five of whom were sons, and one or two of them were not too easy to manage. Finally, Lillian managed to persuade Herbert that after all it was better not to take the risk and lay down his life on what he described as the purple plains of Burma.
There were heaps of purple spots in Ceylon, she told him, where he could die in greater comfort. Had the sweet-natured Lillian been alive today she would have confirmed the truth of my statement.
But Mountbatten’s kind request could not go unheeded. Someone had to go from the “Daily News” and Hulugalle’s deputy was sounded. His name was Gordon Jayanta Padmanabha, the handsome grandson of Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam, and with a brain as agile as that of his celebrated grandfather. His mother was an English woman. Hence, his mother’s people called him Gordon, while his father’s folk, especially the top-drawer Jaffna Tamils in Cinnamon Gardens with marriageable daughters, lovingly called him Jayanta.
So Jayanta was asked to act as a substitute for Hulugalle and a signal was accordingly sent to the Allied Headquarters, as arrangements had to be made to confer on them the rank of Honorary Majors in the Army. The reason was that if the journalists by some stroke of ill-luck fell into the hands of the Japanese they would probably receive an additional potato and a cupful of congee with the prisoner’s rations.
So “Major” Padmanabha was asked to present himself before the Commander-in-Chief of Lake House, D.R. Wijewardene, who gave him his blessing and Rs.100 to cover out-of-pocket expenses for three weeks.
The third Editor to receive Mountbatten’s note was Hilaire Donald Jansz of the “Ceylon Observer” whom Lionel Wendt described as the “quaint, gaunt, saint,” a quiet Burgher with a puckish sense of humour, whose Sunday editorials, notable for their cynical levity, have evoked the highest praise from every journalist, British or otherwise, who worked in Ceylon.
Though his grandfather Ezekiel Jansz was a bit of a thug and once horse-whipped a British Government Agent, Hilaire was so meek and mild that people doubted whether he had the strength to hurt a fly. But to compensate for his physical infirmities, Providence compensated him with colossal intellectual gifts. I am saying all this to lead up to the point that D.R. Wijewardene considered Jansz indispensable.
Once, in a weak moment – and such moments were very rare – D.R.W. had confessed to one of his buddies : “Where can I get another Jansz.” Hence it was useless even to suggest to send Jansz to the battle-front. Somebody had to represent the “Observer” and he had to be dispensable. It was not difficult to find such a man.
For nearly 15 years Jansz had a deputy to do the odd jobs that he was physically incapable of doing. That was my business. Without further ado, Wijewardene decided, that I was the other man from Lake House to go on the Mountbatten mission, and the magnificent sum. of Rs. 100 was slipped into my hands also, to cover expenses.
The fourth invitation went to Iswara Iyer, the Managing Editor and part-proprietor of the Tamil daily, “Virakesari.” Iyer was a South Indian who had been educated in England and was fully conversant with the niceties of European culture. Though he was a Brahmin he was not too fastidious regarding what he ate, and had a liberal attitude towards what he drank.
He was a vegetarian and considered brandy a close relative of grape juice, and whisky as something extracted from concentrated barley water. There was no mention of alcohol when either of these potent liquors was consumed, the emphasis being on the grapes and the barley. Therefore, they were ideal drinks for vegetarians, especially rich Brahmins.
Iswara Iyer, however, was too busy with office matters to find the time to go to the Arakan and K.V.S. Vas, the chief leader writer and virtual editor of the paper, was pressed into service to take his boss’s place. Vas was also a Brahmin and except for a swig of brandy from Stewart’s flask to keep the cold out, he generally adhered to the diet and tenets of a conservative Hindu.
MAJOR
So one day in January nearly 32 years ago the four Musketeers, some of whom had never handled a musket in all their lives, were given the honorary rank of Major, and asked to assemble on the old racecourse, where an aircraft was waiting to whisk them off to India.
It was one of those ancient Dakotas with two long metal benches to serve both as seats and for luggage. The aircraft had been on the racecourse since early morning exposed to the rays of the burning sun and when we got in about noon, the temperature inside must have been according to a modest estimate, about 150 degrees Fahrenheit. All of us, except Vas, wore fairly heavy clothes as we were warned that it would be somewhat cold in North India through which we had to travel.
There was neither pressurizing nor air conditioning gadgets in our section of the plane and for the first half hour, wrapped up in my tweed suit, I was just wondering what sins I had committed in my previous birth, if any, to deserve this punishment. Not beads, but torrents of perspiration ran down my face, back and chest and reduced me to a kind of pulp. I well remember, when crossing our Palk Strait I felt that I had just emerged from a shower bath.
Then came the climb to higher regions when the temperature started to fall so rapidly that it was a mercy I did not contract double pneumonia before reaching Bangalore, our halt for the night. The next morning we resumed our journey and after a short stop at Vizagapatam reached Calcutta. We were billeted at the Grand Hotel and were now ready to take the Great Leap Forward to the Arakan Front, regarding which I hope to write some day soon if I manage to survive the present hot spell.
(Excerpted from The Good Among the Best first published in March 1976)
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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