Features
Derek Wickremasinghe – A Tribute
By Anura Gunasekera
In the latter part of 1971, whilst I was on Eskdale Estate, Kandapola, I received a letter from the estate agents, George Steuart & Co, transferring me to Chapelton Division of Kotiyagala, Bogawantalawa. I and my wife Malini were delighted at this unexpected directive as, at that time, Chapelton was a coveted Assistant Manager’s billet in the Standard Tea Company. Two weeks later, to our great disappointment, a second letter from the agents advised me of the cancellation of the move to Chapelton and, instead, confirmed my transfer to Sheen Group, Pundaluoya.
The sense of anti-climax was of twofold reasons. Firstly, the cancellation of the Chapelton transfer deprived me of an unexpected professional reward; secondly, the move to Sheen would bring me under Derek Wickremasinghe, then an estate superintendent with a well-earned reputation as a formidable disciplinarian and a very difficult master to please. However, In retrospect, as explained later in this writing, I came to the conclusion that the move to Sheen was the best thing that happened to me, professionally.
Derek Wickremasinghe’s entry to planting was, by his own account, unplanned and fortuitous. He had first schooled at St. Thomas’, Matale, and then moved to Trinity College, Kandy. He had been in Napier house and recalls sharing dormitory space with Maurice Hermon, later to become a well known planter, himself. Leaving school in 1952, he had applied to the then Royal Ceylon Air Force, for a trainee pilot position. Subsequent to several interviews and evaluations, which included a flying aptitude test, for which he had been taken up in to air by one Flight Lieutenant Underhill, he and one Len Rajapakse had tied for first place, as provisional candidates for training at Cranwell, UK. At that time the Royal Ceylon Air Force Commander had been Grp Cpt Bladon.
To Derek’s consternation, his father had refused to give consent to Derek’s career as a pilot. Apparently, Gordon Burrows, famous Trinity teacher, had visited the Wickremasinghe home and done his best to change Wickremasinghe Snr’s mind, but to no avail. Burrows’ argument, that even British Royalty sent their progeny to Cranwell, had failed to move the elder Wickremasinghe.
Soon afterwards, as an alternative, Derek’s father had arranged for him to start training as a planter on Wavendon, Kotmale, an estate belonging to the Thondaman family. Apparently Snr Wickremasinghe knew S. Thondaman very well. Whilst Derek was at Wavendon, Percy Gray, then superintendent of Sheen Group, Pundaluoya, had visited the Wavendon factory and been pleased with Derek’s responses to his questions on manufacture, and had advised Derek to apply for a position in the GS&Co agency. Some months later, whilst Derek was working on a Rubber estate in Bulathkohupitiya, owned by a relative, Gray had offered him a position on Sheen, to replace Claude Ratwatte, who was going to UK on a six month furlough. Thus, Derek had started his planting career, in 1953, as junior SD, on Upper Sheen Division. The senior assistant then had been Tom Meldrum, an Englishman, later replaced by Derrick Nugawela.
Following upon Derek’s example, Leonard, Derek’s younger brother, also entered the plantation industry.
Derek, single when he assumed duties on Sheen, had been told by Gray that he should put in at least five years service before considering marriage. That was an era in planting, when your superintendent could impose conditions on your private life as well. In 1958, no sooner the mandatory restriction ended, Derek married Manel Perera from Matale, a regal lady with a profile out of an ancient Greek coin. In around 1961 Derek had gone on six months overseas leave and, on his return, been appointed to Bridwell Division of Bogawana estate, Boganwanthalawa, under Hugh Connor. In 1964, consequent to an acting appointment on Bogawana, Derek had taken over Queensberry Estate, Kotmale, from David Parker.
In 1970 Derek had taken over Sheen from Brian Richards; in his own words, the most satisfying moment of his planting career, to be appointed custodian of the estate on which he started his career. Derek was on Sheen till 1976, when he left active planting and moved to the George Steuart’s office in Colombo. Nationalization of plantations followed soon after and at the invitation of Asoka Gopallawa, the first General Manager of the newly formed Janatha Estates Development Board, he moved to Kandy to set up the JEDB Regional Office. In 1977 Derek moved to Kurunegala, as Regional Manager, JEDB, running the operation whilst in residence on “Erlsonia”, his own coconut estate in Wellawa, till retirement a few years later. There he lived, till his passing on September 27 this year, three weeks short of his 90th birthday.
This brief career synopsis outlines milestones, but does not reflect the quality of Derek’s contribution as an agro-manager, in the various positions he occupied. However, my personal experience of five years as his assistant on Sheen, entitles me to pay a deserved and credible tribute, to a man whom I consider to be one of the most competent planters I have met.
Many of the systems that Derek employed in his management were rooted in the lessons he had learnt from Percy Gray, his first mentor and superintendent, further refined by techniques developed by himself, personally. Although Derek’s predecessor on Sheen, Brian Richards, with his somewhat unconventional approach to agricultural management, had made startling changes to the strategies employed successfully by Gray for two decades, the evidence of Gray’s meticulous management style was still accessible and visible, especially in the many well preserved records which detailed his agricultural and management philosophy. One of Derek’s first moves on assuming custody of Sheen, had been to persuade the agents to remove the then Visiting Agent of Sheen, a senior British planter from an estate in Pussellawa. In an unusual move, he was replaced as VA by Gamini Salgado, then an executive director of George Steuarts.
Prior to my arrival on Sheen, I had been part of the St. Leonard’s Group, Halgranoya, where my manager had been Chris Mossop, a very fine, experienced planter, but certainly not the martinet that Derek was. That apart, in high yielding estates like St.Leonards and Eskdale, it was relatively easy to produce successful results. On Sheen, on the other hand, with its low-yielding tea and harsh terrain, results had to be ground out. My initial resistance to Derek’s uncompromising style led to much early friction between the two of us, but I was sensible enough to finally accept, that under Derek there was rarely any space for conflicting opinions. Within his tightly controlled strategies and systems, monitored stringently by him at every stage, there was no margin for error. In any event, with his relentless insistence on timely delivery and excellence, he did not accept any.
When I finally left Sheen, on a promotion, it was with both competence and reputation enhanced, simply because I had survived a five-year stint under a very competent, and exacting, superintendent. My worth was underwritten by a genuine improvement in both capacity and skills. As a result of Derek’s unwavering insistence on timeliness and quality of work, I came of age as a planter. Asoka Herat, my fellow SD on Sheen and Rohan Jagoda, my school friend, who had been Derek’s assistant on Queensberry, have echoed similar sentiments regarding their respective stints under Derek.
One significant aspect of Derek’s management style was that the strategic path to desired objectives was personally mapped out by him, with clearly defined protocols, and standards which never varied. Under-achievement was penalized whilst excellence, for which there were neither accolades nor immediate rewards, was accepted as the norm. His treatment of his assistants was fair, detached, unemotional and strictly within the prescribed protocols of the day. There were no indulgences. However, on the regular instances when he entertained us in his estate bungalow, he and wife Manel were very gracious and generous hosts, and we were welcomed by a cheerful, friendly, jocular man, in stark contrast to the unyielding manager who commanded our working life. He skillfully compartmentalized the personal and the professional.
On a visit to Erlsonia, about a year ago, Asoka and I, along with our respective wives, Amitha and Malini, found the Wickremasinghe couple as gracious and lavish as hosts, as they used to be. When Asoka and I gently teased him about the trials he put us through on Sheen, he professed a memory loss though Manel was quick to remind him, smilingly.
Derek also had a personal side which was very rarely on display. When Malini returned to Sheen after her confinement, with baby Mihirini, our first born, Derek and Manel were our first visitors, arriving with a gift of a delicate pair of gold earrings for Mihirini, obviously chosen by Manel herself. When Malini was hospitalized in Colombo for an illness, Derek visited her, carrying a large bunch of king-coconuts as a gift for the patient. I also recall the concern he and Manel both demonstrated, for my personal welfare, when Malini left for Colombo on a temporary professional assignment.
I have tried to draw an objective image of a man, who played a major role in shaping me as a competent manager, though I cannot recall him telling me that his tutelage was designed to make me a better planter. That was more a tangential result of the rigorous regime he subjected me to. This writing is also a tribute to a very proficient manager with a low-key personality, who deliberately maintained a muted profile. He never sought to actively promote his personal or professional image, but his performances spoke for him, whilst his integrity was unquestionable.
In my over half-century of involvement in the plantation sector, I have known many senior planters with deservedly great reputations for competence but, possibly because of his restrained personal style, not many class Derek alongside those plantation giants. In my view and personal experience, in terms of all round competence, and in the delivery of successful outcomes under challenging and restrictive circumstances, it would have been difficult to find a better man than Derek Wickremasinghe.
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 . )
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
