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Ranasinghe Premadasa – the People’s President

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97th birth anniversary on June 23, 2021

The 97th birth anniversary of former President Ranasinghe Premadasa, which falls on June 23, 2021, evoke fond memories of a great leader who stood steadfastly by his party and the common masses through thick and thin.

My father, the late E. P. De Silva (EP), former Editor of the then Daily Mirror and Times, was a longstanding friend of Premadasa. In fact, he was a close family friend like Dr. N. M. Perera, Peter Keuneman and others who were engaged in trade unions and political activities at the time.

My father, a well-informed political reporter before he became the Editor, also had a close rapport with leftist leaders and trade unionists such as Alavi Moulana and Bala Thampo. As a result of these societal connections, President Premadasa consulted my father frequently as he knew the power of journalists and made good use of them to the advantage of the country.

In the good old days, the phone in our home at Rawathawatte, Moratuwa, started ringing from 5.00 am. The first regular caller was always President Premadasa. This was the pattern since he served as an opposition MP, deputy minister, minister and later Prime Minister.

My father kept an ear to the ground and was well tuned to the political affairs. He had a network of “contacts”, which kept him well briefed of the ‘behind the scene’ developments in the political firmament.

Ranasinghe Premadasa ventured into politics in 1950. He was first elected a Labor Party member of the Colombo Municipal Council and later ascended to the position of Deputy Mayor. In 1956, he joined the United National Party (UNP) under the leadership of the late Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake. Four years on, he was elected a Member of Parliament from Colombo Central.

In the late 1960, he was appointed Minister of Local Government, Housing and Construction. Thereafter, in 1977 when J. R. Jayewardene became the first President of Sri Lanka, Premadasa was appointed the Prime Minister.

Premadasa worked tirelessly to eradicate poverty in Sri Lanka. Among his major endeavors were the Janasaviya poverty alleviation program and the 200 Garment Factories initiative in addition to building model villages with infrastructure facilities and amenities. His mission in life was to give a better tomorrow to the common man.

When my eldest sister passed away on January 2, 1973, we informed our father, who was on a call with Premadasa. Though he was not told anything about the death by my father, he called over to console us. Later in the evening also, he visited again with Mrs. Premadasa, a simple and gracious lady.

In the same way, the both of them also paid their last respects to my father. Premadasa was such a grateful person that he never forgot us. Whenever he visited Badulla district, he made it a point to visit me. He came over when I was the Assistant Superintendent at Downside Estate, Welimada and when I served as the Superintendent at Shawlands Estate, Lunugala.

With Premadasa’s untimely death, the country lost a dynamic leader who had the vision to spearhead the development of the economy by taking small-scale industries to the villages and providing employment to rustic youth. This resulted in alleviating poverty in the rural sector to some extent.

President Premadasa made it a point to monitor and evaluate by sending his staff to visit sites and submit a report to him. When the inspection reports were received, he proceeded with comparing the statistics maintained by the Ministries. This enabled him to track officials who worked hard to achieve results and those who tried to bluff him.

If we could have continued with the era of President Premadasa, we would have been a nation like Singapore today.

– Lalin I. De Silva,

Senior Planter/Agricultural Advisor & Consultant/Freelance Writer



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US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development

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The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.

The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.

While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball.  The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court.  The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country.  Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.

“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung.  “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”

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Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees

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SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.

MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.

“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.

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CIPM successfully concludes 8th Annual Symposium

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Left to right, Prof. Arosha Adikaram - Chairperson of the Symposium, UAC Obeyesekere – Chief Executive Officer, CIPM Sri Lanka, Guest of Honor - Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer, MAS Holdings PVT Ltd., Sri Lanka, Ken Vijayakumar, President, CIPM Sri Lanka, Priyantha Ranasinghe,Vice President, CIPM Sri Lanka, Col. Saman Jayawickrama (Retd) – Secretary, CIPM Sri Lanka, Dr Dilanjalee Weerathunga – Co Chairperson of the Symposium

The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.

Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.

The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.

Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.

The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.

The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.

The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.

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