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An Underground Library in the 1940s
Please do not say this is old hat and 80 years ago. That’s true. But to me during this very dire time, any glimmer of hope or shining example of generosity is a blessing. A war continues in Ukraine; the world faces a recession; and we in Sri Lanka are in crisis as never before. The worst is that our situation has been caused by a government led by the Rajapaksas with a sycophantic Cabinet and an apparently incompetent as Governor of the Central Bank. We have never had it so bad, even during WWII when Ceylon was involved as headquarters of the South East Asia Command; or during our 29 years of civil war. People in the North suffered even more than us now and armed forces personnel, especially soldiers, made the ultimate sacrifice with their lives. But though there were countries/persons who caused the war – Nazi Germany and Prabhakaran in our case, never did rulers lead us to such travails.
So here is my edited story from an article sent me from History Today June 2022 by Emily Putzke.
Surreptitious library
In 1939 at the very start of WW II the Jews were segregated in Poland and other countries. Laws were immediately promulgated circumscribing their lives. Among them were laws limiting access to books. Lending libraries were closed in the Jewish quarter and they were forbidden using public libraries. A ghetto was established in Warsaw in the autumn of 1940, enclosing half a million Jews to a small section of the city, surrounding it with a ten foot brick wall. Daily meagre rations were given them grudgingly. As many as 83,000 died from starvation in less than two years and hundreds of thousands were deported to Treblinka extermination camp during that summer.
Basia Berman was one of the few Jews to be employed by the Warsaw Public Library before the war. Even before segregation of Jews in the ghetto had begun, she was a one-woman-walking librarian with her ‘wandering library’ in her valise, delivery books to the homeless. When the Warsaw Ghetto was sealed in November 1940, a part of the Warsaw Public Library came within its boundaries. Berman managed to get permission to use this part of the building within the Ghetto and named it CENTOS, a children’s welfare organisation but covertly establishing an underground children’s library within. She got donations of banned books from closed libraries and made them available in spite of reading being banned to inmates of the ghetto and more so Yiddish and Polish books. The library was under a room deceptively decorated with pictures and cut-outs. Discussions and Yiddish book reading sessions were held to keep alive their Jewish traditions and culture. The kids were also taught Hebrew.
‘The thirst for knowledge that the children showed in those terrible times was truly wondrous’, Berman commented in her memoir, City Within a City (2012). ‘The book became a vital need, almost like bread.’ A survivor of the Warsaw Ghetto recalled how a boy continued immersed in the book he was reading while his home was destroyed and entire family bundled in for deportation to a camp. “But the 12-year boy was lost and swept in his newly discovered worlds, not hearing or seeing what was happening around him.”
Berman and her husband Adolf escaped from the ghetto in September 1942 and sought a safe haven in the ‘Aryan side’ of Warsaw and became leaders of the Jewish underground movement. As writer Emily Putzke wrote, “Berman helped to lead the Jewish community in a subtle, yet defiant form of resistance. Books were a source of life and sustenance for the human spirit, a way to preserve one’s humanity amid a dehumanising reality.”
Those who make special efforts to do more
I am personally rather tired of prophets of doom who keep harping on the troubles still to beset us. Of course we need to know the truth; most certainly we want to have stark realities made known, but please, not all the time. Scatter us some glimmers of hope, Prime Minister, and Dr Harsha de S too even if you have to seek diligently for them like the proverbial needle in a haystack. We hardly listen to other VVIPs and mea culpas, and thankful smiley cawing of crows; boasts of jogging lanes being built on ancient wewa bunds; and bon homie from one side of the mustachio-ed mouth and vituperation of the evilest sort from the other are ended now, kaput, thanks mostly to the Aragalaya youth who also taught the wonder of non-racial, non-religious togetherness.
We, the discerning public, are even more sick and tired of shouting, screaming, grousing in long queues of our people. Of course this situ is deplorable and the government needs to take positive, alleviating steps and not merely wait for donated or loaned-at-high-interest-rate ‘gifts’ from overseas. Lankans in the southern regions of the island are adept at grousing and vituperating and seem to enjoy the time spent in queues. Or to be charitable, stay in queues with no alternative. But it now looks as if when petrol stations are closed too, the queues of standing people continues. Maybe they wait in anticipation of being featured in a TV news clip!
I asked a young woman from Jaffna how it is over there. No queues. They know how to manage with what they have, since they have had to go through worse times. “Most houses have a compound to make an open fireplace and plenty of tinder is available” They do not waste time but are ever industrious in their cultivation mostly. So the spectre of shortage of food and soaring prices are also met to a certain extent.
Another breed, detestable as self interested politicians are, are the hoarders. Rice is not sold anywhere in her hamlet a weekly help said. Hoarded to sell when prices escalate.
Going out of their way to help
In this gloomy doom that shrouds us came sharp rays of light to gladden my heart. I heard tales of how people are going out that extra step or two to help others. We have communities self helping; villagers assisting each other. During the height of the civil war, I remember a young man from just south of Vavuniya saying that no racial bias was with them. Tamil farmers helped Sinhala and Muslim paddy workers to harvest their fields and they in turn helped the others.
We now help more the underprivileged. The three wheeler charioteers who help me say they spend at least two to three hours getting petrol pumped into their vehicles to run on hires the next day. So it’s paying double or treble their fare in appreciation.
I heard paediatrician Dr Priyani Pethiyagoda giving sensible, practical advice to parents to include as much nutrition as possible in a child’s meals; for example a handful of dried sprats in the vegetable curry. To me, the greater significance of what she said was how she said it. She spoke one to one as a mother and house manager, with conviction and obvious sincerity.
I have heard how difficult it was for the staff of Lady Ridgeway Hospital when Covid 19 attacked children. The doctors and nurses worked around the clock, giving of themselves with no thought of fatigue or danger. I personally know of last minute excuses offered by a paediatrician excusing herself from a lunch due to a child in her ward being direly ill and needing her attention. “I cannot leave the kid to others to manage.” It was a laborious process of dressing and then returning home late – six days of the week – shedding all that protective covering and clothes outside the home, bathing, and then coming together with husband and kids.
Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children is one among many where staff working in them have contributed money to better equip the hospital. For example at Lady Ridgeway, the staff have contributed to procure expensive medical equipment such as oxygen regulators, ventilators, infusion pumps and much more, Also trolleys, folding beds, and of course food and beverage items. We need to remember that often mothers or guardians caring for their children in the wards are also given food, clothes, money too by staff members. It is typical of Sri Lankans that poor though they be, they help each other. This the person I know at Lady Ridgeway told me that patients’ elders help poorer persons whose children are warded.
VIP doctors also procure donations from organisations; one instance, the Colombo Branch of the OGA of Girls High School, Kandy, donated a very expensive piece of equipment to Lady Ridgeway Hospital after one of their very successful fund raisers, which now raise millions.
There is so much good in the people of Sri Lanka. It lightens the mind and makes happy in the heart to hear of people helping each other. In the instance I write about, these medical specialists: specialist paediatricians , house officers, nursing staff, all give of their expertise, time and effort tirelessly and then help more by giving some of their hard earned money to help the less able.
With such, Sri Lanka has to overcome all evil political bloodsuckers and heal herself to become whole, beautiful and peaceful again.
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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