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Personal recollections of Her Gracious Highness -Queen Elizabeth II
Hearing the announcement that HRH Queen Elizabeth II had died brought on such a sad feeling. But there was no surprise or sorrow. This was what I felt and to see whether there was a difference in the emotions as I thought there was, I went to Internet and got this answer “Sadness is a state of unhappiness while sorrow is a
sense of deep distress, disappointment, or sadness. Therefore it can be concluded that sorrow is a more intense form of sadness, which is the basic feeling of unhappiness.”
Of course I felt more than unhappiness and the sadness continued as I watched BBC detailing all the events that surrounded the last journey from Balmoral to Scotland and then to London and the several temporary resting places. There was also gladness that Prince Charles whom I always admired and even sided with in conversations during the turbulence of his marriage to Princess Diana, is now King Charles III.
Sightings of Princess Elizabeth
Reams have been written and said about the Queen, along with day long telecasts, and it will go on till even after her funeral with immense pageantry and centuries old traditions followed on Sept. 19, the funeral day. We older people have always had an interest in the British Royal Family and special regard with admiration and affection mixed for the queen. One fact that impressed us was the refusal of her parents to leave London, move to one of their country castles or send the two daughters away, due to the constant bombing by the Luftwaffe during WW II. No, they stayed in Buckingham Palace which once had a bomb exploding away from living quarters. The entire family visited bombed areas and commiserated with the people.
We followed her romance with a Greek prince who was near-adopted by Lord Louis Mountbatten who was resident in Peradeniya during the Japanese sector of WW II, and went riding in Udawattekelle as reported by an older brother. When we were teenagers, we lapped up info on her love for Philip, marriage, having children and Princess Margaret’s love relationships. We have seen TV repeats of her wedding many times over. I well remember watching her entire coronation in the Empire Cinema in Kandy. Also remembered with wry amusement is my little niece letting out a loud cry just as the Archbishop lifted the crown to place it on Elizabeth’s young head.
Pugnacious timing of the niece and consequent hassle as my brother carried her out! Sombre but to be admired was the scene seen many times later of the women of the royal family, heavily veiled, at the funeral of George VI. There was Queen Mary, mother of the monarch, his wife Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother), his elder daughter, immediately succeeding him to be proclaimed Queen Elizabeth II, and still unmarried but flighty younger daughter, Margaret.
Incidentally, as shown on TV on Sunday September 10, the heir is proclaimed king/queen immediately at the death of the reigning British monarch. TV cameras for the first time entered St James Palace, close to Buckingham Palace for the formal pronouncement of the succession on the morning of Saturday September 10. So tradition-bound and dignified. The proclamation dates from the time of the Anglo Saxon rulers and the announcement made by the Privy Council dates from the death of Elizabeth 1 with kingship passing to James I.
The Queen’s life from the time she was post teenage was narrated in the Netflix-BBC film series The Crown. The production was approved by the Queen and claimed to be true. It revealed many incidents that the public was not privy to and traced her life from the time of Prince Philip asking King George VI for his elder daughter’s hand in marriage and the father extracting a promise that he, Philip, would always care for her and see to her well-being. Prince Philip fulfilled these promises very well; always two paces behind the Queen in public and her greatest support and only love. I tend to believe his death about a year and a half ago completely bereft her; her frailties came on after she had to live without him, though of course surrounded by carers and family.
It was said the Queen felt closest to her youngest son Edward and daughter-in-law Sophie – the Earl and Countess of Wessex, but her favourite was son Andrew who recently was relieved of all royal duties due to his shenanigans with Virginia Giuffe as accused by her, of sex when she was a teenager. However a commentator a couple of days ago mentioned that, of the second generation, Catherine – Kate, now Princess of Wales, seemed to genuinely care for her while grandson William appeared to be extra close to her.
The less said about Prince Harry and Meghan, the better. While the Queen was old and ailing, Meghan brought on a spate of gossip with her allegations against the Royal Family of colour consciousness in the interview with Oprah Winfrey. A TV announcer during this week mentioned Meghan’s ire was because their son was not permitted the title of Prince. No wonder when they forsook all duties as members of the royal family, parted from them to live in California, and even created bad blood between the brothers.
Crosses borne
Though one of the richest women (Rishi Sunak’s Indian wife – Infosys tycoon’s daughter – is said to be richer); and most respected and admired worldwide, much loved too by many from top to bottom; Queen Elizabeth had travails assailing her. She bore them well, came through triumphant but we are sure at a price. Basically a vulnerable woman though showing stoicism, she would have suffered internally and the worst of it, not able to show it. The stiff upper lip and never shed tears in public being a British rigid rule, as it were.
By her own admission in a speech made in London marking the 40th anniversary of her accession to the throne, 1992 was an ‘annus horribilis’ and “not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure.” The marriages of her two older sons and Princess Anne’s were on the rocks and gossiped about viciously, and a part of Windsor Castle she so loved, was burnt.
It is a well known fact that though she was devoted to her husband, Prince Philip, though devoted in return performing well his duties and courtesies as consort to a queen, once in a while strayed from the straight and narrow. The most infamous was depicted in the Netflix series The Crown. Philip was persuaded by his physiotherapist that he was under stress and invited for a weekend out. The Queen had planned they travel to Sandringham, but acquiesced. On Monday morning, Princess Margaret storms in with a newspaper carrying a large photograph. She said a back view was clearly Philip’s and in the picture was the infamous Christine Keeler. When Philip returned, the queen was cold and uncommunicative. He knelt beside her as she sat on a window sill and reminded her that he had kept the promise he made to her father. He held her hand and was reciprocated. Thus her greatness and considering duty first and family before personal emotions and disappointments.
The Queen in Sri Lanka
I well remember seeing her in Kandy during her 1953 visit when she resumed the tour to many countries interrupted by her father’s passing and her coronation in 1952. She traveled in an open car to the Maligawa and Assembly Hall; wonderfully beautiful in a bright yellow dress and a hat with yellow flowers. Also remember noticing how long Sir John Kotelawala, the PM, held her hand as she descended from her royal ship Britannica to the quay at the newly expanded Colombo Port.
I felt she felt she needed no helping hand to step on land and being held too long!
A tale told by a reliable source is that on that 1953 visit, the Queen, after her stay in the Polonnaruwa Resthouse was invited to climb Sigiriya. Going up to the frescoes, the wind was strong. The Queen never wore trousers in public, thus her skirt was blown by the wind. Sir John Kots who was directly behind the Queen shouted to official photographer Rienzie Wijeratne “Ganing bung pinthurayak!”
None of those, unfortunately and sadly, are alive today to contest that story. But many Sri Lankans have met and chatted to her. Leelananda and Rukmal de Silva narrate how during Ascot Week they would stand outside their flat in Windsor. The Queen, taking the direct route from the castle to the racecourse would pass them and bow to them, latterly smile and wave friendlily. They have met her at garden parties at Buck Palace and at Commonwealth meetings and conversed both formally and informally. ‘Charming and friendly’ is their summation of her.
I end with affection this sincere tribute to the Queen who gave Britain a second Elizabethan Era, with one of her many quoted sayings: “Grief is the price we pay for love.”
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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