Features
A Tribute to Ena on her 100th Birthday
by Anila Dias Bandaranaike
Sunday, October 23, 2022 was the 100th birth anniversary of Ena de Silva, nee Aluwihare. During the past week, her unique contribution over 70 years, to reviving traditional crafts and to style, beauty and design in Sri Lanka and elsewhere, have been celebrated in many wonderful ways.
I was one of her younger generation, who was privileged to be a part of her amazingly rich life. She shared that life so generously with many, and among them, my brother Rajiva, her favourite travel companion; a circle of my closest friends, Shanthi, Priyani, Harin and Radhika; my immediate family, Romesh, Ravi and Anisha; her Ratwatte nephews and her daughter, Kusum. Together, we spent unforgettable holidays at “Alu” and elsewhere, experiencing Sri Lanka’s incredible bio-diversity and rich history, made all the more exciting by having Ena with us, learning from Ena’s vast knowledge, understanding, artistic perspective and forbearance.
Today, I look back with joy and gratitude on the many roles she played in my life as “Aunt”, friend, partner-in-adventure, confidante (after my mother died) and role-model.
Ena was born to many privileges and social advantages in life, as well as being gifted with incredible physical beauty, a razor-sharp intellect and artistic abilities bordering on genius. In this life, one cannot take credit for the advantages of birth, physical or intellectual attributes that one has been endowed with. To my mind, it is how one uses those advantages and gifts to make this world a better place in one’s journey through life, and the lives one has touched positively on that journey, that count in the final anaylsis.
Ena touched many lives, and that was what made “Aunt” so unique and so very special. She shared close and special bonds with each member of her immediate family. Yet, her world extended to another realm.
Her creativity, interests and expertise were not limited to any single sphere. She was friend and colleague to a host of architects, artists and designers of different generations, too numerous to mention here. At the same time, her interest in, and knowledge and understanding of botany, zoology, history, fiction, non-fiction, poetry, cuisine and landscaping, to name a few, were phenomenal. She collaborated closely with Geoffrey Bawa on many of his architectural projects; recognised Laki Senanayake’s varied artistic and landscaping talents, long before he came into the limelight; enjoyed discussing and debating literature and poetry with Regi Siriwardena and Rajiva; argued historical details with Ismeth Raheem and discussed research on molluscs with his daughter Dinarzarde; indulged in her culinary creativity and legendary hospitality with her loyal cook, Suja, and Man Friday, Piyadasa, for a team of culinary experts from the USA, whom she hosted to a 30-dish Sri Lankan lunch in her home; shared her bird-watching ecstasy on discovering a chestnut-backed owlet in the Alu garden with Shirley Perera and Suja, and the joys of their wild life photography with Nihal Fernando and Dr. Upen de Zylva; got stranded many times in the Menik ganga in Yala, with Anwer Deen and her long-suffering “Charioteers” Sena, and later, Carim; learnt and taught woodwork skills and brass work techniques with her “baases” at her carpentry workshop and brass foundry at Alu; designed batik, Sinhala embroidery, kabakuruttu embroidery and artificial flower extravaganzas with Chandra, Nanda, Suvineetha and her “Alu Girls”, now in their 60s and 70s; all with the same ease, grace and passion. She was NEVER afraid to experiment with technique or colour. Saying, “Daaahling, NEVER be afraid of colour”, she would create the most resplendent works of art in each of these different media. She was UNSTOPPABLE.
She created a pandal at Alu to welcome my son, Ravi, as a baby, and years later, entertained him and his young adult friends at Alu, discussing the world’s problems with them seated under the tamarind tree overlooking the knuckles range. She taught my nine-year old daughter, Anisha, to appreciate and learn Sinhala embroidery. She did so with the same interest in each person and enthusiasm on each subject, as she had shown a decade earlier to our generation of footloose and fancy-free young adults, just back from graduate studies and starting our careers. She introduced us to forays in the jungles of Yala, Wilpattu and Maduru Oya, the archaeological treasures of Maligawila, Hastha Kuchchi Vehera and Buduruvagala and the sheer wonder of the landscapes of the Sinharaja, Arugam Bay and the Matale hills.
Following on the first Aluwihare Heritage Centre Exhibition and Sale organised by Rajiva at the British Council, Romesh and I hosted their Annual Sale in our home for some years. Later, after my mother, Mukta, died, my father and Rajiva took it over in my parent’s home, Lakmahal. All friends and family were co-opted to help the “Alu crew”, who arrived with their sale items in large lorries and camped out in our several homes. We all helped in displaying, bill-writing, book-keeping and clearing up. Batik table linen and wall hangings; embroidered cushion covers and spectacle cases; wooden elephants, Hindu gods and gargantuan chess sets; brass animals and tableware; Christmas trees made from ekel brooms; Alu chicken, lamprais, polos pahi and cheeses, and breads baked in a barrel in our garden… the range of items goes on and on. What incredible fun we had – the colour, creativity and camaraderie.
Time with Ena was never dull. On one weekend visit to Alu, just she, almost 90 years, and I watched Tiger Woods playing in a golf tournament till late into the night, with a dictionary she produced for us to figure out golf terms, since neither she nor I knew anything about golf. But we learnt golf that night with the aid of the dictionary! On a later visit, we were watching her TV in silence. I asked her “Aunt, why is there no sound? ” She replied “Daahling, I can’t hear anyway, so I have turned the sound off”. The diamante Ena attached to her hearing aid was better treated than its battery.
Of course, Ena was not easy. She had no time for pomposity or hypocrisy or gossip, and did not suffer these kindly. She was a hard taskmaster and expected all who worked with her to put in the same 150% to every task, as she did. She had a temper. I would tell Kusum that, much as I loved Ena and was in awe of her creative genius, I would have found it really hard to live with such a phenomenon as my mother! Kusum had to deal with that. Ena did not have a business bone in her body. As Romesh will testify, Ena was incapable of taking the advice she asked for on this subject, so her creativity never made much money! The fact that all who worked with her felt the brunt of her temper and the weight of her work ethic, and yet, shielded her from her own inability to make the profits a more business-minded artist may have done, and remained intensely loyal and loving throughout her life, is testimony to how much they valued her.
When I look around my home, I see mementos of her creativity and thoughtfulness – my wedding saree, so uniquely stunning; a clay strawberry pot trailing plants in my porch gifted three decades ago; in my pantry, a stainless-steel tiffin career and thali platter I have used for over 25 years; guarding my entrances, a large painted wooden elephant and duck; a kabakuruttu table cloth from that first Alu sale – my valued treasures.
The memories are many and varied. One of my last memories is of a conversation we had when I visited her in Alu in 2015, towards the end of her life. While chatting at dusk, she quoted to me “Golden lads and girls all must, as chimney-sweepers, come to dust.”, and then said to me “Daahling, I think it is from Shakespeare’s Cymbeline. Could you please look it up” So I did, on google, and while doing so, the thought crossed my mind that here was a truly “Golden Girl” coming to terms with the end of her own life, with the same realism, grace and dignity with which she had lived it.
Throughout her life, which had its own share of tragedy and sadness, Ena performed her “worldly task” with zest and courage, sharing her gifts with so many. Ena has “gone home”, but she lives on vibrantly in her creations and in the hearts and minds of all of us whose lives she touched so beautifully and meaningfully.
Fear no more the heat o’ the sun,
Nor the furious winter’s rages;
Thou thy worldly task hast done,
Home art gone, and ta’en thy wages:
Golden lads and girls all must,
As chimney-sweepers, come to dust.
(from Cymbeline by William Shakespeare)
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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