Features
Some trimmings from my tonsorial adventures
by Dr Nihal D Amerasekera
The human hair grows from cradle to grave. The need to maintain its length existed since the beginning of time. Two statuettes from the Ice age dated 30,000 BC called the Venus of Willendorf and Venus of Brassempouy, show features of hairstyling and braiding. The earliest record reaches back to the bronze age when they used sharp instruments to resize the hair. Hair cutting and styling were well established in Egypt and Ancient Greece. Barbering evolved further until the Middle Ages when religious clergy took on this work.
With the haircutting, they encroached on human surgical procedures and also dentistry, pulling out teeth. Apparently, this shocking practice went on for six centuries. As the disastrous results of human surgery became commonplace, news of its tragic consequences reached the Vatican. This barbaric practice was then banned by a Papal decree. Thankfully barbering and surgery went their separate ways, never to meet again. In the 21st century hair cutting and styling is a prestigious occupation. Nowadays, it is done with great care and consideration for which they charge a small ‘fortune’.
The hairdressing world is renowned for its gloss and glamour. The Salons are mostly unisex. The modern salons and the industry have evolved to care for the lady’s hair which they do with great expertise. With the variety of services available for the ladies that is where the salons make their money. Men’s hair is mostly confined to a haircut. Hence doing men’s hair is just a job that needs doing and is never as lucrative to the Salons. For vanity or sanity, it is the youth of today that keep the barber shops in business.
My earliest recollection of a hair cut goes back to the late 1940’s. I was living with my grandparents in Nugegoda which was then a small town. As a five-year-old, I held on tightly to my grandpa’s hand as he walked me along High-Level Road. I was curious but also unhappy. Grandpa bought me some sweets. The barber shop was a tiny shack with a revolving door.
I can still recall the rapid clicking of the barber’s scissors and the sights and smells of that small salon. I was bitten by hordes of bed bugs and returned home itching, the back of my thighs having turned into angry red blisters. We never went there again.
Much of my school years were spent ‘incarcerated’ in the college boarding. In those days school rules were harsh and draconian. Long hair was taboo. The haircuts were done by a visiting barber. This was performed in the open air on a Wednesday, after school, in the cycle shed. We wrote our names in his book which gave us the ‘batting order’. The barber was a law unto himself. He never asked any questions and cut the hair as he wished. We could recognise his handiwork easily as all the boarders had ‘military’ haircuts showing the scalp that glistened in the sunlight.
I was a medical student at the Faculty of Medicine, Colombo, in the 1960’s. Money then was tight. The parental monthly remuneration was never enough. In those distant days Punchi Borella was a place for the trainee barbers to perfect their skills. This was performed under the shade of a spreading Banyan tree. There was a generous offer of a free haircut to those who dare.
The victim had to hold the mirror himself to see their handiwork. The crows above were a menace. The customers and the barbers were constantly bombarded with their excrement. Some said, “the crows provided the Brylcreem”. The clicking of the scissors was their sign that action has begun. They hadn’t yet mastered the use of the scissors and the razor. If you walk out with your ears intact you’ve done well. Although I was greatly tempted to try my luck to tide over the financial crisis, I didn’t want my hair vandalised. Good sense prevailed but I remained an occasional spectator of this amazing spectacle.
During those busy years as a medical student an elderly betel-chewing barber in Borella came to my rescue with budget haircuts. Always with a mouthful of betel he did not speak much. Despite his silence he had the ability to radiate friendship and kindness with a broad smile showing off his red coloured mouth and stained teeth. Squinting through his small circular glasses he added some elegance to my hair.
Sadly, his days ended when he developed mouth cancer when I was in my final year. I felt the shock deeply. The old man’s demise detonated my finances only to be rescued when I received my first pay as a medic.
Hairdressing is not an easy profession. They have to be psychologists to understand what the client wants. “I want it short” could mean many things. Getting the message wrong can be disastrous to the client and the hairdresser. To my great delight barbers are inveterate talkers. Usually, its idle chitchat. When their hands are busy their tongues are hardly ever still. This can get them into serious trouble too.
My current barber once worked for an upmarket lady’s hair salon. He did a haircut and colouring for a posh lady with ‘difficult’ coarse black hair. At the end of the process the lady wasn’t happy with the final result. She refused to pay and made an awful lot of noise about it. This angered the hairdresser. He blurted out the well known aphorism “I’m only a hairdresser, not a magician, so please lower your expectations.” This upset the lady. The hairdresser had to leave his job.
After I emigrated to the UK I lived in Wood Green in North London. In the 1970’s this was the enclave of Greek Immigrants. I went to the local Greek barber in town. He was a kindly, verbose, elderly man who chatted incessantly about his childhood in Athens. He recalled the hustle and bustle and the good times growing up in that ancient city.
The barber had a multitude of medical complaints from pain in his brain to bleeding piles. He asked for my views of the diagnosis and treatment for his diverse conditions. While I tried to make sense of his many health problems, he took good care of my hair. Although I paid full fare for his services, he got his medical advice free of charge.
For over three decades I lived in the leafy suburb of Letchworth in Hertfordshire. In this quaint little town, I went to an Italian barber. He was in his early forties and spoke English with a charming Italian accent. He was a walking encyclopaedia of Roman history.
His detailed descriptions and wonderful narratives brought to life the grandeur and the many tragedies of Roman history. I still recall his stories most fondly. He charged me for the hair cut but the lessons in history were complimentary.
After retiring from all professional work, I returned to live in London. I have used many barbers in the city. The nearest was an émigré from Hong Kong. After the former British colony went back to Mainland Chinese control some residents were unhappy. My Chinese barber expressed his displeasure about the politics in his country and swivelled the scissors aggressively as he lost his temper.
My other barber is an Egyptian who had similar issues about the Middle east and the plight of the Palestinians. A hair cut is a good time for an exchange of views. I have always been a good listener not wanting to upset the barber with my personal views. After all the barber had all the necessary implements to cause serious damage to anyone crossing his path.
Many hair dressing salons in the UK provide a special dispensation for senior citizens. They are offered discounted haircuts. I have made use of this privilege often. On one occasion I found that my usual hairdressers were busy. I ventured further to find a large salon in a posh part of the city. As I stepped in, I was simply mesmerised by its elegance. This was the crème de la crème of hair salons.
The guy who ushered me in said this was a one stop beauty shop providing cuts, colour and styling complete with hair and facial massage and also a blow dry. He said the price starts at £100. This was a far cry from my usual £15 no frills haircut. He showed me the seat where I would be indulged and pampered for an hour. The chair was fit for a Prince. The hairdresser wasn’t surprised to hear from me that I was a pensioner in search of a cheap haircut. He politely ushered me out into the afternoon sunshine. It was much later that I learnt this was a flagship salon frequented by the rich and famous.
The Covid-19 epidemic hit us all like a tsunami. With the lockdown we were housebound for months. As all human gatherings and meetings were discouraged. Barber shops were closed for business. Many electric shavers, cutters and trimmers were sold on the internet for would be DIY barbers. There were detailed visual instructions on YouTube how to cut your own hair with an electric hair trimmer.
I viewed many of them and bought a machine but lacked the courage to use it on myself. A wrong move can have such ominous consequences!! The task to keep my hair under control fell to my dear wife who did so without much coaxing or complain. I had the traditional short back and sides with a trim at the top, in my garden, under a blue sky and a gentle breeze.
Hairstyles have played a significant role in men’s fashion, changing and evolving with the passing of time. The side parting and the crew cut of the early 20th century gave way to many variations and to the more recent spiky hair. With all the past trends and modern innovations, we must find the perfect hairstyle that suits us. Unlike for the lucky ladies, for us men hair cutting will always remain a necessity until the end of our lives. After all, when the hair stops growing nothing ever will matter anymore!!
by Dr Gotabhya Ranasinghe
Senior Consultant Cardiologist
National Hospital Sri Lanka
When we sought a meeting with Hon Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Minister of Health, he graciously cleared his busy schedule to accommodate us. Renowned for his attentive listening and deep understanding, Minister Pathirana is dedicated to advancing the health sector. His openness and transparency exemplify the qualities of an exemplary politician and minister.
Dr. Palitha Mahipala, the current Health Secretary, demonstrates both commendable enthusiasm and unwavering support. This combination of attributes makes him a highly compatible colleague for the esteemed Minister of Health.
Our discussion centered on a project that has been in the works for the past 30 years, one that no other minister had managed to advance.
Minister Pathirana, however, recognized the project’s significance and its potential to revolutionize care for heart patients.
The project involves the construction of a state-of-the-art facility at the premises of the National Hospital Colombo. The project’s location within the premises of the National Hospital underscores its importance and relevance to the healthcare infrastructure of the nation.
This facility will include a cardiology building and a tertiary care center, equipped with the latest technology to handle and treat all types of heart-related conditions and surgeries.
Securing funding was a major milestone for this initiative. Minister Pathirana successfully obtained approval for a $40 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank. With the funding in place, the foundation stone is scheduled to be laid in September this year, and construction will begin in January 2025.
This project guarantees a consistent and uninterrupted supply of stents and related medications for heart patients. As a result, patients will have timely access to essential medical supplies during their treatment and recovery. By securing these critical resources, the project aims to enhance patient outcomes, minimize treatment delays, and maintain the highest standards of cardiac care.
Upon its fruition, this monumental building will serve as a beacon of hope and healing, symbolizing the unwavering dedication to improving patient outcomes and fostering a healthier society.We anticipate a future marked by significant progress and positive outcomes in Sri Lanka’s cardiovascular treatment landscape within the foreseeable timeframe.
by Fr. Emmanuel Fernando, OMI
Jesuit Fr. Aloysius Pieris (affectionately called Fr. Aloy) celebrated his 90th birthday on April 9, 2024 and I, as the editor of our Oblate Journal, THE MISSIONARY OBLATE had gone to press by that time. Immediately I decided to publish an article, appreciating the untiring selfless services he continues to offer for inter-Faith dialogue, the renewal of the Catholic Church, his concern for the poor and the suffering Sri Lankan masses and to me, the present writer.
It was in 1988, when I was appointed Director of the Oblate Scholastics at Ampitiya by the then Oblate Provincial Fr. Anselm Silva, that I came to know Fr. Aloy more closely. Knowing well his expertise in matters spiritual, theological, Indological and pastoral, and with the collaborative spirit of my companion-formators, our Oblate Scholastics were sent to Tulana, the Research and Encounter Centre, Kelaniya, of which he is the Founder-Director, for ‘exposure-programmes’ on matters spiritual, biblical, theological and pastoral. Some of these dimensions according to my view and that of my companion-formators, were not available at the National Seminary, Ampitiya.
Ever since that time, our Oblate formators/ accompaniers at the Oblate Scholasticate, Ampitiya , have continued to send our Oblate Scholastics to Tulana Centre for deepening their insights and convictions regarding matters needed to serve the people in today’s context. Fr. Aloy also had tried very enthusiastically with the Oblate team headed by Frs. Oswald Firth and Clement Waidyasekara to begin a Theologate, directed by the Religious Congregations in Sri Lanka, for the contextual formation/ accompaniment of their members. It should very well be a desired goal of the Leaders / Provincials of the Religious Congregations.
Besides being a formator/accompanier at the Oblate Scholasticate, I was entrusted also with the task of editing and publishing our Oblate journal, ‘The Missionary Oblate’. To maintain the quality of the journal I continue to depend on Fr. Aloy for his thought-provoking and stimulating articles on Biblical Spirituality, Biblical Theology and Ecclesiology. I am very grateful to him for his generous assistance. Of late, his writings on renewal of the Church, initiated by Pope St. John XX111 and continued by Pope Francis through the Synodal path, published in our Oblate journal, enable our readers to focus their attention also on the needed renewal in the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. Fr. Aloy appreciated very much the Synodal path adopted by the Jesuit Pope Francis for the renewal of the Church, rooted very much on prayerful discernment. In my Religious and presbyteral life, Fr.Aloy continues to be my spiritual animator / guide and ongoing formator / acccompanier.
Fr. Aloysius Pieris, BA Hons (Lond), LPh (SHC, India), STL (PFT, Naples), PhD (SLU/VC), ThD (Tilburg), D.Ltt (KU), has been one of the eminent Asian theologians well recognized internationally and one who has lectured and held visiting chairs in many universities both in the West and in the East. Many members of Religious Congregations from Asian countries have benefited from his lectures and guidance in the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) in Manila, Philippines. He had been a Theologian consulted by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences for many years. During his professorship at the Gregorian University in Rome, he was called to be a member of a special group of advisers on other religions consulted by Pope Paul VI.
Fr. Aloy is the author of more than 30 books and well over 500 Research Papers. Some of his books and articles have been translated and published in several countries. Among those books, one can find the following: 1) The Genesis of an Asian Theology of Liberation (An Autobiographical Excursus on the Art of Theologising in Asia, 2) An Asian Theology of Liberation, 3) Providential Timeliness of Vatican 11 (a long-overdue halt to a scandalous millennium, 4) Give Vatican 11 a chance, 5) Leadership in the Church, 6) Relishing our faith in working for justice (Themes for study and discussion), 7) A Message meant mainly, not exclusively for Jesuits (Background information necessary for helping Francis renew the Church), 8) Lent in Lanka (Reflections and Resolutions, 9) Love meets wisdom (A Christian Experience of Buddhism, 10) Fire and Water 11) God’s Reign for God’s poor, 12) Our Unhiddden Agenda (How we Jesuits work, pray and form our men). He is also the Editor of two journals, Vagdevi, Journal of Religious Reflection and Dialogue, New Series.
Fr. Aloy has a BA in Pali and Sanskrit from the University of London and a Ph.D in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Sri Lankan, Vidyodaya Campus. On Nov. 23, 2019, he was awarded the prestigious honorary Doctorate of Literature (D.Litt) by the Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, the Most Venerable Welamitiyawe Dharmakirthi Sri Kusala Dhamma Thera.
Fr. Aloy continues to be a promoter of Gospel values and virtues. Justice as a constitutive dimension of love and social concern for the downtrodden masses are very much noted in his life and work. He had very much appreciated the commitment of the late Fr. Joseph (Joe) Fernando, the National Director of the Social and Economic Centre (SEDEC) for the poor.
In Sri Lanka, a few religious Congregations – the Good Shepherd Sisters, the Christian Brothers, the Marist Brothers and the Oblates – have invited him to animate their members especially during their Provincial Congresses, Chapters and International Conferences. The mainline Christian Churches also have sought his advice and followed his seminars. I, for one, regret very much, that the Sri Lankan authorities of the Catholic Church –today’s Hierarchy—- have not sought Fr.
Aloy’s expertise for the renewal of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka and thus have not benefited from the immense store of wisdom and insight that he can offer to our local Church while the Sri Lankan bishops who governed the Catholic church in the immediate aftermath of the Second Vatican Council (Edmund Fernando OMI, Anthony de Saram, Leo Nanayakkara OSB, Frank Marcus Fernando, Paul Perera,) visited him and consulted him on many matters. Among the Tamil Bishops, Bishop Rayappu Joseph was keeping close contact with him and Bishop J. Deogupillai hosted him and his team visiting him after the horrible Black July massacre of Tamils.
Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement
By Gomi Senadhira
senadhiragomi@gmail.com
“You might tell fairy tales, but the progress of a country cannot be achieved through such narratives. A country cannot be developed by making false promises. The country moved backward because of the electoral promises made by political parties throughout time. We have witnessed that the ultimate result of this is the country becoming bankrupt. Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet.” – President Ranil Wickremesinghe, 2024 Budget speech
Any Sri Lankan would agree with the above words of President Wickremesinghe on the false promises our politicians and officials make and the fairy tales they narrate which bankrupted this country. So, to understand this, let’s look at one such fairy tale with lots of false promises; Ranil Wickremesinghe’s greatest achievement in the area of international trade and investment promotion during the Yahapalana period, Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA).
It is appropriate and timely to do it now as Finance Minister Wickremesinghe has just presented to parliament a bill on the National Policy on Economic Transformation which includes the establishment of an Office for International Trade and the Sri Lanka Institute of Economics and International Trade.
Was SLSFTA a “Cleverly negotiated Free Trade Agreement” as stated by the (former) Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate on the SLSFTA in July 2018, or a colossal blunder covered up with lies, false promises, and fairy tales? After SLSFTA was signed there were a number of fairy tales published on this agreement by the Ministry of Development Strategies and International, Institute of Policy Studies, and others.
However, for this article, I would like to limit my comments to the speech by Minister Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate, and the two most important areas in the agreement which were covered up with lies, fairy tales, and false promises, namely: revenue loss for Sri Lanka and Investment from Singapore. On the other important area, “Waste products dumping” I do not want to comment here as I have written extensively on the issue.
1. The revenue loss
During the Parliamentary Debate in July 2018, Minister Samarawickrama stated “…. let me reiterate that this FTA with Singapore has been very cleverly negotiated by us…. The liberalisation programme under this FTA has been carefully designed to have the least impact on domestic industry and revenue collection. We have included all revenue sensitive items in the negative list of items which will not be subject to removal of tariff. Therefore, 97.8% revenue from Customs duty is protected. Our tariff liberalisation will take place over a period of 12-15 years! In fact, the revenue earned through tariffs on goods imported from Singapore last year was Rs. 35 billion.
The revenue loss for over the next 15 years due to the FTA is only Rs. 733 million– which when annualised, on average, is just Rs. 51 million. That is just 0.14% per year! So anyone who claims the Singapore FTA causes revenue loss to the Government cannot do basic arithmetic! Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I call on my fellow members of this House – don’t mislead the public with baseless criticism that is not grounded in facts. Don’t look at petty politics and use these issues for your own political survival.”
I was surprised to read the minister’s speech because an article published in January 2018 in “The Straits Times“, based on information released by the Singaporean Negotiators stated, “…. With the FTA, tariff savings for Singapore exports are estimated to hit $10 million annually“.
As the annual tariff savings (that is the revenue loss for Sri Lanka) calculated by the Singaporean Negotiators, Singaporean $ 10 million (Sri Lankan rupees 1,200 million in 2018) was way above the rupees’ 733 million revenue loss for 15 years estimated by the Sri Lankan negotiators, it was clear to any observer that one of the parties to the agreement had not done the basic arithmetic!
Six years later, according to a report published by “The Morning” newspaper, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) on 7th May 2024, Mr Samarawickrama’s chief trade negotiator K.J. Weerasinghehad had admitted “…. that forecasted revenue loss for the Government of Sri Lanka through the Singapore FTA is Rs. 450 million in 2023 and Rs. 1.3 billion in 2024.”
If these numbers are correct, as tariff liberalisation under the SLSFTA has just started, we will pass Rs 2 billion very soon. Then, the question is how Sri Lanka’s trade negotiators made such a colossal blunder. Didn’t they do their basic arithmetic? If they didn’t know how to do basic arithmetic they should have at least done their basic readings. For example, the headline of the article published in The Straits Times in January 2018 was “Singapore, Sri Lanka sign FTA, annual savings of $10m expected”.
Anyway, as Sri Lanka’s chief negotiator reiterated at the COPF meeting that “…. since 99% of the tariffs in Singapore have zero rates of duty, Sri Lanka has agreed on 80% tariff liberalisation over a period of 15 years while expecting Singapore investments to address the imbalance in trade,” let’s turn towards investment.
Investment from Singapore
In July 2018, speaking during the Parliamentary Debate on the FTA this is what Minister Malik Samarawickrama stated on investment from Singapore, “Already, thanks to this FTA, in just the past two-and-a-half months since the agreement came into effect we have received a proposal from Singapore for investment amounting to $ 14.8 billion in an oil refinery for export of petroleum products. In addition, we have proposals for a steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million), sugar refinery ($ 200 million). This adds up to more than $ 16.05 billion in the pipeline on these projects alone.
And all of these projects will create thousands of more jobs for our people. In principle approval has already been granted by the BOI and the investors are awaiting the release of land the environmental approvals to commence the project.
I request the Opposition and those with vested interests to change their narrow-minded thinking and join us to develop our country. We must always look at what is best for the whole community, not just the few who may oppose. We owe it to our people to courageously take decisions that will change their lives for the better.”
According to the media report I quoted earlier, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Chief Negotiator Weerasinghe has admitted that Sri Lanka was not happy with overall Singapore investments that have come in the past few years in return for the trade liberalisation under the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. He has added that between 2021 and 2023 the total investment from Singapore had been around $162 million!
What happened to those projects worth $16 billion negotiated, thanks to the SLSFTA, in just the two-and-a-half months after the agreement came into effect and approved by the BOI? I do not know about the steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million) and sugar refinery ($ 200 million).
However, story of the multibillion-dollar investment in the Petroleum Refinery unfolded in a manner that would qualify it as the best fairy tale with false promises presented by our politicians and the officials, prior to 2019 elections.
Though many Sri Lankans got to know, through the media which repeatedly highlighted a plethora of issues surrounding the project and the questionable credentials of the Singaporean investor, the construction work on the Mirrijiwela Oil Refinery along with the cement factory began on the24th of March 2019 with a bang and Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his ministers along with the foreign and local dignitaries laid the foundation stones.
That was few months before the 2019 Presidential elections. Inaugurating the construction work Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the projects will create thousands of job opportunities in the area and surrounding districts.
The oil refinery, which was to be built over 200 acres of land, with the capacity to refine 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, was to generate US$7 billion of exports and create 1,500 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs. The construction of the refinery was to be completed in 44 months. Four years later, in August 2023 the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to cancel the agreement with the investors of the refinery as the project has not been implemented! Can they explain to the country how much money was wasted to produce that fairy tale?
It is obvious that the President, ministers, and officials had made huge blunders and had deliberately misled the public and the parliament on the revenue loss and potential investment from SLSFTA with fairy tales and false promises.
As the president himself said, a country cannot be developed by making false promises or with fairy tales and these false promises and fairy tales had bankrupted the country. “Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet”.
(The writer, a specialist and an activist on trade and development issues . )
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
