Features
Portrait of an old master
by ECB Wijeyesinghe
Today (March 1980), on the eve of the Big Match, let us begin the week by raising a rousing cheer to the oldest Old Thomian alive who makes another big hit which brings him closer and closer to the Century of this Century.
You may not believe it when you see his sprightly walk and hear his witty talk, but the truth is that Gate Mudaliyar A. C. G. S. Amarasekara is 97 today, and by the Magic of his Art has contrived to keep the minions of Anno Domini at bay, while hundreds of his contemporaries have succumbed and gone the way of all flesh. He first saw the light of day at Dodanduwa, south of the Bentota River, and the Mudaliyar is possessed of many admirable qualities. One of them is his capacity for friendship. Like Michelangelo, he never forgets the face of an old acquaintance.
Hopes
When he was born on March 2, 1883, his father, the pious and scholarly padre, the Rev. A. S. Amarasekara, and his maternal uncle, Canon G. B. Ekanayake, M.A., D.D., the eminent Anglican theologian, had high hopes that one day he would follow in their footsteps. But Doctors of Divinity were not able to shape his ends in the way they wanted, and he drifted headlong into Art.
Young Abraham Christopher Gregory Suriarachchi preferred the roses and raptures of the paint-pot to the lilies and languors of the pulpit. When the family moved to Moratuwa from the South, little ACGS was admitted to the Prince of Wales College, then under the baton of J. G. C. Mendis. The Mudaliyar will tell you that one of his earliest recollections is drawing pictures with his fingers on the golden sands of the Moratuwa beach. At school, too, he filled his slate with sketches, but what fascinated him immensely was the calligraphy of the Sinhala script.
The story is also told that young ACGS who was fond of drawing on walls once accompanied his father while he was calling on one of his parishioners – a fat lady. The child, they say, is father of the man, and ACGS was mischievous even then and full of wholesome fun. In order to keep his son quiet, the kindly padre put him in a corner behind a tall chair. When it was time to leave, the chair was removed and, lo and behold!, on the wall was a drawing – of the fat lady.
The realistic quality of the lady’s picture on the wall has been the hall-mark of the Mudaliyar’s work. It is a realism that he has captured in the thousands of portraits he has since painted of men and women in every stratum of society in Ceylon. Two of India’s greatest sons, Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore, also sat for him and their portraits have won international acclaim.
Dr. Tagore is often described as the Serene Sage of Shantiniketan, but he used to become impatient and restless when he was asked to sit quietly for his portrait. It had happened in India. It happened in Ceylon, too, in 1934 when the Poet was a guest at the Kollupitiya residence of Mrs. Helena Wijewardene, the grandmother of President Jayewardene. The old mansion, Sri Ramya, is now the home of the American Embassy.
Though he was somewhat reluctant to pose at first, Tagore was gently persuaded by the Mudaliyar to sit, but the painting had to be done while the Poet was at work. And so the artist pitched his easel in a corner of the study while men, women and children filed past the Sage in veneration, giving the impression that they were in the presence of a deity. All the while, Tagore took no notice of his hero-worshipers, until one man, bolder than the rest, used a psychological gimmick to attract his attention.
“Sir, I saw your paintings at the Paris Exhibition”, said the admirer, and for the first time, Tagore looked up and straightened in his chair. According to the Mudaliyar that was just the posture he wanted for the portrait. A splendid likeness was the result and it was eventually acquired for the New York World’s Fair. The purchase was made on the recommendation of Sir William Rothenstein of the National Gallery to represent Ceylonese painting.
Immediately after that the fat was in the fire and there was the usual uproar. Some so-called Nationalists protested that representative Ceylon art should be done in the Sigiriya manner. The Mudaliyar referred to this incident at the historic felicitation dinner on his 84th birthday when he said: “Just imagine, Ladies and Gentlemen, my painting our lady-politicians like the Sigiriya pin-up girls. Why, none of them have even that shape like an hour-glass. Some of them look as if the sand in their hour-glass had run down to the bottom – to the bottom of the hourglass I mean!”
As a piece of post-prandial wit the Mudaliyar’s speech was a masterpiece and worthy of the occasion, because in the audience was everybody who was anybody in Ceylon, from the Governor-General downwards.
Pupils
It was at this dinner that the Mudaliyar revealed that Sir John Kotelawala was one of his earliest pupils. It somehow got bruited about that Art consisted in the Pursuit of the Beautiful, and young John Lionel Kotelawala promptly sought admission to the Mudaliyar’s school. Sir John, it may be added, did not take to Art as a profession, but he never ceased to pursue the Beautiful. And, according to reliable sources, the Beautiful have not ceased to pursue Sir John.
The list of the Mudaliyar’s pupils who have taken to Art as a profession is formidable. They include painters, commercial artists, Art teachers and inspectors, but there are also many competent amateurs who practice Art for Art’s sake’s and are emotionally moved by it, at least during the week-end.
Through the Atelier or Amarasekara School of Art have passed at various times, some of the finest painting talent in the country including Justin Deraniyagala, Harry Pieris, Reggie Candappa, Donald Ramanayake, G. S. Fernando, Paul Deraniyagala, A. J. Ranasinghe, Edmund Blacker, Russell Gonsal and Amarasekara’s brilliant son, the versatile Douglas.
Among the long list of women students who have made their mark not only in Art, but in other fields as well, are Mrs. Saraswathie Rockwood, Mrs. S. H. Moosajee, Lady Vaithianathan, Mrs. M.W. M. de Silva, Bertha Jansz and Lilian Amarasekara. Every picture of the Gate Mudaliyar, like the advertisement for a popular cure for rheumatism, tells a story. The one in connection with his portrait of Mahatma Gandhi has a flavour of its own.
The Mudaliyar once revealed it to my friend Neville Weeraratne, an old “Observer” galley-slave like myself. It all happened at a time of intense political activity in the late twenties when reforms were in the offing and the Mahatma had come here to promote his khaddar campaign. There was a public reception to Gandhi in Colombo at which S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike acted as Master of Ceremonies.
The Mahatma was seated cross-legged on a table, while the Donoughmore Commissioners, who were then in Ceylon, sat at his feet. The Mudaliyar meanwhile was stalking the great man, armed with his brush and box of many colours. Working under great stress he managed to secure a likeness of the Mahatma who was very pleased with it. But he agreed to autograph it only on condition that the Mudaliyar, too, got into khaddar, because the object of his visit to Ceylon was to do a bit of propaganda for his movement.
ACGS, whose sartorial tastes are well-known, managed to wriggle out of the difficulty by saying that, as Gate Mudaliyar, he had to wear specific insignia, but he promised to promote the khaddar campaign. This portrait, a water-colour, autographed by the Mahatma himself in English and Gujerati, was acquired for the British nation, and I believe was hung in the Horniman Gallery after it was exhibited in Paris.
Magic
Even if he did not paint a single picture, the Gate Mudaliyar will be remembered by posterity for his artistry as The Gay Deceiver. Age has not been able to wither nor custom stale the infinite variety of his bag of tricks. He has been the centre of the Sri Lanka Magic Circle for the past 50 years and some of the most enthusiastic members at the circumference have been R. Bodinagoda, Brigadier C. P. Jayawardana. Earle H. Nicholas and Linden de Alwis.
Bodinagoda was one of the prime movers along with Dr. M. V. P. Peiris and the late lamented L. P. Goonetilleke, in the production of the magnificent Felicitation Volume which was presented on his 84th birthday. On that occasion, N. K. Choksy QC one of his pupils sent this message to the doyen of Ceylon Painters. It aptly summarizes the sentiments that are surging today in the hearts of his friends and admirers.
If from life you take the best,
And in life you keep the jest,
And if love you hold,
No matter how the years go by
No matter how your birthdays fly,
You are not old
(Excerpted from The Good Among The Best first published in March 1980)
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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