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Remembering an April half a century ago
The month of April 1971. Fifty three years ago. Never to be forgotten by the older of us. Ceylon that year was embroiled in anarchy and the country was on the brink of being taken over by insurgents. We were still known as Ceylon then since the name change to Sri Lankan was in 1972.
1971 JVP Insurrection
I need not detail or even refer to most of what happened in 1970 and 71. ‘Kill’ was the operative word; youth to the forefront; rivers turned red with human blood; smoking tyres with bodies inside fouled the air and dread, dread an utter uncertainty prevailed. Names in the forefront on the government side were Srimavo Bandaranaike, PM; Felix Dias Bandaranaike, Minister of Justice; Sepala Attyglle, Army Commander; SA ‘Jungle’ Dissanayake, former IGP brought back as Addl. Secretary to the Ministry of External Affairs and Defense. The top person in the JVP was of course Rohana Wijeweera, with Wijesena Vidanage, Somawanse Amarasinghe and a couple of others his next tier leaders.
The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna’s ruse to transfer messages to its cadres distributed almost all over Ceylon was unique – fictitious obituary notices printed in newspapers and announced over Radio Ceylon, indicating times of meetings, more importantly attacking police stations, and which. Four missions were planned and assigned to the nationwide 5 April attack, main responsibility devolving on the Student Wing called the ‘Red Guard.’ Targets were: the Panagoda Army Cantonment, RCyAF Katunayake, abduction of the PM, capture of the city of Colombo, Welikada Prison, Radio Ceylon, Sravasti and burning of houses of govt VVIPs. Also, attack of police stations to obtain arms and ammunition.
Unfortunately for the JVP and with destiny’s blessings for the country and its people, the Wellawaya police station was attacked prematurely, the JVP leader there mixing directions. Thus began the apprehension of insurgents from all over and mass killings. The PM had to give the order – KILL – but the police rounded up innocent youth and thus the rivers red with blood and bodies strewn all over. Several countries came to Ceylon’s aid. The insurgency was crushed but damage caused was immense. The JVP was proscribed; many of its leaders apprehended until Prez JRJ in 1977 released Wijeweera from his Jaffna prison. They regrouped to rise in revolt and create worse disaster in the late 1980s.
Personal narrative
Detailed accounts of the 1971 insurgency, the JVP, the then government are available aplenty on Internet and in print form. Memories of those who lived through those years as adults are fresh still, indelibly inscribed in their minds, facts pertaining to the nation and individually to each of them,. I am haunted even now, 53 years later, by my clearly etched remembrances of the disaster faced by the nation and even more so by my personal suffering as a mother.
The Avurudhu season was beginning when the JVP were stymied in their huge undertaking of taking over the rule of the land. Stocks of essentials were low in homes and difficult to come by. Queues had to be positioned in to get the bare needs of rice, dhal, milk powder et al. My husband and I were in separate queues when our cook/ child minder came hurriedly to say our son had developed patches on his skin. He had developed a temperature the previous day and because of curfew at 3.00 pm and general uncertainty, we had seen our GP, Dr TDD Perera, who said it was flu. We hurried home to find the 11-year old with a high temperature. A fourth year medical student in the neighbourhood diagnosed it as meningitis and recommended his removal to the Lady Ridgeway Hospital. The patches were capillary bleeding. We phoned Dr Perera, who booked us a room at Sulaiman’s Nursing Home in Grandpass, promising the best medical care; which proved to be true.
And thus my staying a full three weeks from April 10 with my son in hospital with not even a visit home; completely separated from what was going on outside and barely hearing the news of the country. Dr Stella de Silva came immediately we settled the sick child in the nursing home. I must note here that I never dilly dally when illness is the issue, but in this case everything was done in double quick time which was essential and a godsend in this particular illness. He had a severe headache the first night but not one moan or groan. The deep anxiety and searing emotional suffering were soon lessened because my son responded well to treatment given. We soon settled down to hospital routines, me cut away from the unrest and urgency outside, except experiencing it with visits of doctors and husband and relatives.
Doctors
Dr Stella de Silva, that marvelous and totally dedicated pediatrician, used to visit twice at the beginning and then reduced her visits to once in the afternoon and that at around 2.15 pm. She’d make herself comfortable on my son’s bed and play soldiers with him and comment on his drawings of the day. I palpitated as the minute hand got closer to 12. I intruded by saying curfew time was drawing close. Her reply: “But I must get this child well.”
The army officers on duty were very severe in having the public observe curfew times. One story that went around was handsome neurologist specialist being challenged as he drove just after 3.00 pm. Ordered to get out of his car and raise both arms, he was asked to identify himself. He did with the answer “neurosurgeon.” Raised was the army officer’s gun to shoot because his limited English twisted the answer to insurgent. Mercifully his finger on the trigger hesitated!
A young medical officer wore miniskirts but retained dress decorum with her below the knees white coat. She was met outside the hospital minus her doctor’s coat and had trouble lifting both arms when ordered to. One was tugging down her skirt. The two soldiers desiring seeing more, shouted: both arms up.
Three women doctors were house officers at Sulaiman’s. One was Dr de Zoysa who I later came to know was Richard’s mother – that brilliant actor on stage, writer, activist and super human being who was abducted and murdered and dumped in the sea on February 18, 1990 to be lost forever. But his body washed ashore at Lunawa and thence his mother, Dr Manorani Saravanamuttu’s work with distressed women.
Manorani asked me to accompany her to visit a seriously ill patient one morning. I was naturally reluctant but she insisted. I went with her to a room and there was the bed laden with Indian saris – a magnified kaleidoscope spread out.
Another house officer, Zaiboon, was an ex-classmate of mine driving her white Benz and absolutely glamorous. She’d change her hairstyle daily. I commented. “Oh they are wigs. I lost my hair after a recent attack of typhoid.” Stunned, I was rudely brought back to the reality of life.
Much was going on outside my temporary haven, a haven now with my son much better. Could we take him home, my husband asked after 15 days. Dr Stella asked whether it was economics. No, we replied. “Why give ladders to prancing monkeys?” she asked in its Sinhala translation. We understood she meant the best for the recovered child was a longer period of convalescence within hospital discipline.
Those three weeks I thought of myself as a pebble, buffeted by worry but now assured of my son recovering and me lying quietly as the river of life beside me flowed smooth in the routine of the hospital. I hardly heard the thunder of the outside white waters as armed forces’ trucks sped around; soldiers and police swarmed all over and yet the smoking tyres, the red water of rivers, fear and searing wails of mothers losing their teenagers to a cause they could not comprehend.
1971 and 1989
The JVP reared its bloody head and rose even more viciously to drown the island in chaos, murder, torture and fear, around 18 years after its first failed insurrection. Everyone was affected. In the earlier uprising the people themselves were not involved unless of course family members were in the movement or as teenagers, caught and killed by police and armed forces.
The second uprising had hastily scribbled notes of warning sending shops and businesses closing; patients with attached tubes leaving hospitals and general mayhem. Schools and universities closed; teenagers needed protection from JVP conscription; burning and destruction all over; restrictions like no lights, no watching TV and forced entry to homes in search of guns. FEAR ruled the centre and south of the island while the north was held captive by the LTTE.
Ranjan Wijeratne was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs and State Minister of Defence by President Premadasa and he, aided by commanders of the three forces and police, brought the parlous situation under control. Rohana Wijeweera was caught; he ratted on the second tier of command in the JVP; and was executed in Kanatta, Borella. The backbone of the violent JVP was broken asunder.
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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