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An enduring love relationship that started with a question
“He looked at me with those amazing, extremely bright eyes. ‘Must you go?’ he said. ‘No, it’s not absolutely essential’ I said.” This in spite of her heavy household duties as wife of a politician and mother of six children. He gave her a lift home having stayed on till 2.30 am at the party long over. She invited him in and they shared Champagne till 6 in the morning. “… but of course the real recklessness was mine.”
That is somewhat the beginning of Antonia Fraser’s diary style biography Must you go? My Life with Harold Pinter, Doubleday, 2010, 328 p. The Times comment as given on the back cover reads: “Neither autobiography nor biography but a love story, romantic, poignant and very funny, illuminating her husband’s character and creativity.” The Observer: “Unremittingly delicious: strange, rarefied and frequently hilarious.” I found the book absorbingly interesting,
gently tugging heart strings, often joyful, at the end unbearably sad; giving insights to the theatre and people of the time (1975 – 2008). It’s all about Harold Pinter and their life together with bits coming in about Antonia Fraser – her writing and family, as they cohabited for five years totally disregarding family and societal censure and gossip, until Pinter’s wife finally consented to a divorce and they married. They were together for thirty three and a half years; the attraction and love for each other unchanged, the literary successes for both mounting with Pinter crowning it all with the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2005.
Biographer – She
The author’s full name and title are: Lady Antonia Margaret Caroline Fraser, CH, DBE, FRSL. She is listed as a British author of history, novels, biographies and detective fiction. She was born in 1932 to Frank Pakenham, Seventh Earl of Longford and Elizabeth Longford, who also was a well-known biographer whose autobiography The Pebbled Shore, I read recently. In 1956 Antonia married Major the Right Hon. Sir Hugh Fraser MBE, MP and Under Secretary for the Colonies in 1960-62. She writes she was “happy in her marriage” in spite of her husband lacking “emotional intimacy and preferring detachment.”
She was a devoted mother to their six children; she too having been in a large family. She was already an acknowledged author at age 40 when she met Harold Pinter – rising theatre actor, playwright, director and film screen writer. She admits she was impressed when twice she saw him previous to their meeting at the party given by her sister to mark the first night of Pinter’s The Birthday Party. She had been promised a lift home so when it was time to leave with her friends, she said she would say her goodbyes to the chief guest. Then ensued the question he asked and her acquiescing answer pushing aside all the chores needed to be done as preparation for her children’s school day and husband’s day in Parliament.
One strong impression I got was that Antonia is a generous and good-at-heart person. Never does she fault a person or write maliciously. Not a word of complaint or blame on Vivien Merchant who maligned her and was cruel in not giving Harold a divorce while their marriage had long been on the rocks, mostly due to her tantrums and excessive drinking, I surmise. No airs at all in Antonia, though of distinguished lineage.
Biographee – He
Harold Pinter was born in 1930 to a Jewish tailor of London’s East End in a working class area. He attended a local school, then studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1948, but left before the course was over to join a repertory company as a professional actor. After 1956 he began his writing career, his first attempts being the one act stage plays The Room and The Dumb Waiter. He was influenced by Samuel Becket and his Theatre of the Absurd method. Pinter’s first full length play was The Birthday Party in which he introduced his particular styles of understatement, small talk, reticence, even silences; theatrical devises used to indicate the substance of a character’s thoughts. He was soon considered one of the most outstanding playwrights internationally and much in demand as a theater director/producer and screenwriter.
He married actress Vivien Merchant in 1956, a year older than him and had one son who soon was estranged from Harold and though later Antonia and her elder children attempted drawing him into the family, did not respond. He changed his name not wanting to bask in Pinter publicity and did not attend his father’s funeral. About his wife Pinter told Antonia, which she recorded in her diary and later book: “…That he had never been in love before, but once loved Vivien very much, her essential vulnerability inspiring him with a wish to protect her, before other matters drove them apart.” She seemed to be a very difficult woman, almost paranoid though Antonia does not once write ill of her nor blame her. She was very nasty to Antonia, refused to divorce Harold and took to drinking heavily. She died of alcoholism in 1982, aged 58.
Book
In the Preface, Antonia makes clear that her book is based on her diaries she kept since October 1968 “when I suffered from withdrawal symptoms after finishing my first historical biography Mary Queen of Scots.” She also used recollections and conversations remembered, and quoted Harold. She ends her one paged Preface with: “Harold and I lived together from August 1975 until his death thirty three and a half years later on Christmas Eve 2008. ‘O! call back yesterday; bid time return’ cries one of his courtiers to Richard II. This is my way of doing so.”
The fact that the narrative is staccato-like being quoted or referred to diary entries, long and short interspersed with a couple of long passages, does not mar the enjoyment of reading it. For me, the love story which it really is, moved smoothly. I was amused, touched with tinges of sorrow, more so at the end and also enjoyed all their travels. People from the theatre and film worlds of Britain and Hollywood; politicians including Prime Ministers; those of the aristocracy and socially elite; even Queen Elizabeth, the Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Charles are referred to; some at length, some passingly. Thus the greater draw of the book to me.
The style of writing is informal, almost a friendly conversation at times, and Pinter particularly emerges as a real person whom the reader almost sees, so well captured are his dynamism and cleverness.
He and she together
Their relationship can be summed up as a very deep and devoted, passionate love affair that did not dim nor admit conflict or fade away. It would have changed from passion to caring but it was strong through the entire 33 years they were together. They would have faced plenty nasty music when they decided to live together. Her mother and others warned Antonia that Harold was not the marrying kind. Pinter had had his affairs and one strong, but Antonia brushed that aside with admitting she too had had her dalliances. He integrated well with her large family.
Another talked about inappropriateness was the social disparity – one of working class origin and the other near aristocracy. However they hit if off well and she met often his parents whom he settled well in life.
Pinter was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus in 2001 and underwent surgery and immense suffering. He was cleared of the cancer but developed other complications and was in and out of hospital, but valiantly was on stage: acting, reading or receiving honours and felicitations; Antonia and her children always at his side. He died seven years later.
Pinter catered fully to the romantic in her – constantly gifting her expensive jewellery and flowers. He wrote several poems to her, his first a burst of love and his last:
I shall miss you so much when I’m dead
The loveliest of smiles
The softness of your body in our bed
My everlasting bride….
Antonia’s October 11, 2008, diary entry goes thus: “At times Harold issued poignant apologies along the lines: ‘I know I’m not the gallant you married’ to which I would reply perfectly correctly: ‘And I’m not the romantic beauty you married.’ Both statements were true.”
She then quotes: “The truest lines on love that Shakespeare ever wrote, and I have always thought absolutely appropriate to us in these last years.
Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love,
Which alters when it alteration finds.”
The final paragraph in Antonia Fraser Pinter’s biography/memoir reads thus:
“I leant forward and found no breath. He looked white and dead. I sat for a while. Then I kissed him. His dear body was already quite cold. Must you go? Yes, it was time. Before I left the room, after another last kiss, I said ‘Goodnight, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing you to your rest.’”
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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