Features
Memories of Geoff Weinman
The news of the recent demise of Geoff Weinman after a long span of 93 years did not come as a surprise to me. I am saddened, nevertheless, as over the years, beginning from around 1957 I had enjoyed a very rewarding relationship with him.
He spent his last years in an Elders’ Home well cared for by its professional staff. I was in constant touch with him on a regular basis even after he emigrated to Australia until unfortunate circumstances made him incommunicado. Thereafter, it was a case of obtaining regular updates on his health from the professional staff of the Elders’ Home. Perhaps the last Sri Lankans to visit him there were two of my former teammates, long-time residents in Sydney, Dr. Shivantha Arudpragasam and Rex Perera, inseparable second-row forwards of my time!
Old Buddies of a Feather -Ashey Cader and Geoff Weinman
Geoff was my first rugby mentor at Royal College way back in 1957. As a youngster of barely 15 years I was simply overwhelmed by his commanding presence. So were the others present at practices. With a Jeff Chandler look about him, and oozing with geniality, he made his presence a mesmerising experience, indeed! And so began my journey with him as many others did, who were moulded by him into more than competent rugby players.
In school and thereafter Geoff had been a superlative sportsman. To be more specific, he first played Rugby for Royal in 1948 under the indefatigable Ashey Cader. It was a memorable year because Royal won the coveted Bradby Shield for the first time after it was awarded in 1945, with 14 freshers, Ashey Cader being the only coloursman.
In an airmail communication to me way back in the late 90s Geoff related how disappointed he was that he could not make it to the Royal team in1947, due to a misunderstanding or an indiscretion on his part. His name had been included among those selected and posted on the College Notice Board, which fact was conveyed to him by his elder brother John who was also playing in the team at that time. Unfortunately, Geoff had to forfeit his place because he had not attended the last day of practice.
So, when he played in that winning team of 1948 as Ashey Cader’ s Deputy “it was with the pent-up fury of an unleashed tornado, which probably had something to do with the success of 14 freshers and the fact that I received a Ceylon Cap a year later” (air mail communication to me in 1999) An year later i.e. in1949 Geoff captained the team and his superlative performances as a wing forward (flanker in today’s parlance) enabled him to earn his first National Jersey in the All-India Tournament of that year. Thus he became the first Sri Lankan to represent the national team as a schoolboy.
This was, indeed, a great achievement considering the fact that rugby in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) was dominated by Europeans and only a few outstanding locals, so to speak, were able to gain national selection. Being one of them as a schoolboy was an outstanding accomplishment, indeed! The other Ceylonese who played with him in that Tournament for Ceylon, captained by L.E.F. Simpson, were Ray de Zilva, William Molegoda, Summa Navaratnam, Fred Aldons and Mahesa Rodrigo.
In an airmail communication dated 19 July 2001 Geoff described his approach to sports thus “……talent alone does not by itself succeed. What eventually does is the hunger to be better than the best. This enhances your natural ability to an extent that when the ‘opportunity’ comes, as it eventually does to everyone, you are more than ready to make the most of it….”. Hunger to be better than the best that was what he attempted to instil into us.
It was not only in Rugby Football that Geoff excelled in school. Apart from captaining the rugby team in 1949, as aforesaid, he had also captained the College Athletics team that year and won his Boxing colours as well. So he belongs to a special class of sportsmen, a Triple Coloursman in Rugby, Athletics and Boxing, and the captain two of the sports he represented, in addition to being a Lance Sergeant in the College Cadet Contingent as well.
On leaving school Geoff represented the Ceylonese Rugby and Football Club (CR) as a wing forward (flanker) between 1950 and 1961. There had been four players at the CR vying to play in the Third-Row, of whom Geoff was one. Others were Ashey Cader, H. Numan and Norman Gunawardene, Ashey Cader as No.08 being the constant factor. Geoff had played in the company of his elder brother John in the CR Third-Row as well.
It was a treat to watch Geoff Weinman, Ashey Cader and Norman Gunawardene working zealously together not only for the CR but for Colombo Clubs (or Low Country) vs Upcountry in the annual Capper encounters and for All-Ceylon as well. He captained the CR first in 1957 but had to give up due to a bugging knee injury for Ashey Cader to take over for the rest of the season. He captained the CR again in 1961 before hanging up his boots for good. He was also the President of the CR&FC in 1970 and was elected an Honorary Life Member in 1974.
It was in 1957 when he was temporarily compelled to stop playing due to injury that he began coaching his Alma Mater for four consecutive years. (1957-1960). There is no doubt that he was responsible in no small measure, (ably supported by that indefatigable and highly respected rugby Master-in-Charge Mr. M.T. Thmbapillai) in rekindling the embers of Royal rugby at that time flickering with uncertainty. The 1957 side he coached (led by star flanker Ratna Sivaratnam) marked the turning of the tide, so to speak, of Royal rugby, while the 1958 team (ably led by Dudley Fernando) progressed from the previous year to beat arch rivals Trinity to regain the coveted Bradby Shield after a lapse of seven years.
Space will not permit me to set out in detail how it was achieved. Suffice it to say that Geoff paid constant attention on building confidence in his charges and developing strategies designed to get the better of our opponents. His pre-match talks to the teams just before his charges got on the field were masterpieces of motivation.
The fact that in 1958 and 1959 the Royal line was crossed only once is a measure not only of the pool of talent available but also the remarkable ability of the supremo to hone and harness that talent. In his second coaching stint at Royal in 1968/9 this writer had the privilege and pleasure of assisting him. More than anything else it was a terrific learning experience; in particular, to get invaluable insights into how his strategic rugby mind worked.
When he took over in 1968 as coach of Royal Rugby for the second time, he had just returned from the UK, having been sent for further management exposure by his employer, the Ceylon Oxygen Company, where he worked as the Sales Manager.
He had used his stay in the UK to learn more and more of rugby as well. The knowledge he gained abroad was more than evident in the manner he shaped the two very talented teams of 1968 and 1969, ably led by Chitta Ranjan ‘Bulla’ de Silva and Harin Malwatte’ respectively.
Before Geoff emigrated to Australia after serving Ceylon Oxygens he had been in employment with the Canadian Aerial Survey; Shaw Walles & Hedges, where my teammate Nihal de Run had played mercantile ‘Sevens’ with him; and at Associated Motor Ways (AMW). Though living and working in Sydney Australia as an accountant his heart was in Sri Lanka.
He never forsook his roots. He kept coming back to witness his Alma Mater at rugby and to catch up with his former team mates at the CR and in the Ceylon teams such as Mahesa Rodrigo, Devaka Rodrigo, Summa Navaratnam, Kavan Rambukwella et al and, of course, his former charges of the teams he served as coach, too numerous to mention here. They simply adored his company and showered him in ample measure reciprocal care and concern they themselves experienced when coached by him.
This writer had the good fortune of visiting Geoff in Sydney in 1996 along with teammate Rex Perera. He entertained us to drinks in his apartment at Ithaca Road, Elizabeth Bay before taking us across to Charing Cross for a sumptuous dinner and for a joyous time recalling our good old rugby days. In September/October 2017 too I visited him twice. But this time to the Elders’ Home where he was being professionally cared for. The first of these visits was in the company of Jayawardene brothers, Sunil and Indrakumar, who were coached by him and a former colleague of his at AMW, Lakshman Tilakaratna.
On the second visit I went alone, the very next day, hoping to draw him out of his silence which we experienced the previous day. I sat with him for nearly an hour striving to draw out something from him by jogging his memory with matters, events and people familiar, and of interest, to him such as the teams and players he coached at Royal, friends and teams he played with and against etc.
All to no avail. When I got up to bid good-bye to him he stood up, too. I asked him why he stood up. His firm respons to me was, verbatim, “I want to say a proper good bye to you!” while at the same time attempting to walk with me to the exit. I was, of course, cautioned by the nurse in charge not to allow him reach the exit. It was indeed a proper good bye, touching my shoulder, his voice firm and powerful and still ringing in my ear!
Geoff Weinman the superlative sportsman, genial personality, and mentor par excellence has moved on having played his part and touched our lives. His memory will surely be treasured by those whose lives he touched. Thank you Geoff for being a part of a rewarding and unforgettable relationship! For the goodness of you may you find just repose in your new Abode.
· U.L.K.
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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