Features
THE HISTORY OF AMBALANGODA
By AN OCTOGENERIAN
Even though Ambalangoda is a little known sea side town, located approximately 54 miles south of Colombo it can claim to have a history which is not only interesting and significant but in many ways is unique. For these reasons especially its ‘uniqueness’, it is relevant to begin by describing the manner by which this ‘little known’ town derived its name.
One of the best is by referring to the celebrated historian D. W . Ferguson’s book ‘Ceylon in 1913’, in which he mentions that Ambalangoda had from earliest times been referred to as ‘The Rest House Village.’ The closest, if not the best translation of the words ‘Rest House’ into Sinhala is ‘ambalama.’ Hence ‘ambalama’ was transliterated to Ambalangoda.
Another oft repeated version is that a group of fishermen whose boat had been caught up in a violent storm which wrecked their sails as a result of which they were left drifting helplessly in the sea when suddenly they sighted in the near distance what appeared to be a plot of land located very near to a sandy beach. Whereupon in their joy and great relief they shouted to one another ‘ Aan Balan Goda.’ Which would mean Ambalangoda. This story though exciting can be dismissed as being a mythical.
At this point it is necessary to introduce the role of the Dutch in this town. Those readers familiar with the history of pre- colonial Ceylon would recall that the Dutch expelled the Portuguese from the island in 1658. However what is perhaps lesser known is that the first contact between the people of Ceylon and the Dutch was in 1602 when Admiral Joris van Spilbergen arrived in the port of Batticaloa and later proceeded to the Kandyan Kingdom to meet the reigning monarch Vimala Dharma Suriya the First and to have an audience with His Majesty in order to negotiate the terms by which the Dutch could conduct their trade in cinnamon.
As a result of the successful and cordial negotiations the Dutch as was traditional during that period delegated their authority to the Dutch East India Company from 1656 onwards till the British ousted the Dutch in 1796. It is a matter of interest to know that this company which was established on March 20, 1602 in the Netherlands has rightfully been recorded as being the first joint- stock company in the world.
This company is also referred to by its Dutch name as Vereenigde Oost -Indische Compagnie, and had its logo – VOC inscribed in many Dutch buildings scattered across the island. One prominent building being the Dutch Fort in Galle. A more prominent and certainly a more popular example is the DBU (Dutch Burgher Union) Club with its VOC Café in Colombo.
Many readers would be surprised to know that there was a time when cinnamon grew in abundance in the area around Ambalangoda. It was from the peeled bark of the evergreen branches of these trees that cinnamon was peeled. Ambalangoda by then had earned a reputation of having the best cinnamon in the world and had been referred to as the ‘Cinnamon Town’ which in Sinhala was ‘Kurundu Nagaraya.’ Furthermore, eight miles inland at the turn-off from the Southern Expressway there is a town referred to as ‘ ‘Kurundugahathepma ’which provides further proof regarding the prolific growth of cinnamon in the region.
It was the intention of the Dutch East India Company, to gain the sole monopoly of the cinnamon trade and consolidate their position against any foreigners specially the Arabian traders for which purpose they constructed an outpost in the town of Ambalangoda, consisting of a Court House which has since been identified as a protected historical monument by the Department of Archaeology.
Adjacent to the Court House there had been a remand cell for convicted prisoners and a stable for horses. On the front wall of the stable there can be seen even to this day a cemented plaque on which is inscribed the year of its construction which was in 1750 and also the name of the person who constructed it namely Adriaan Oustdyk, who was a high ranking official in the Dutch East India Company.
It is recorded that the stable was once used as the village church with a school master conducting the services in Sinhala. The floor of the church had been paved with tombstones taken from a nearby cemetery. In addition the Dutch also built a Rest House which served as the residence of the local Dutch magistrate. The Rest House was also a convenient and comfortable stop- over for Dutch dignitaries. During the British period it is claimed that the first British Governor of Colonial Ceylon, Sir Fredrick North ( 1798- 1805 ) spent a night at this Rest House during his tour around the island.
One of the attractions of this Rest House is that it is located on a rocky outcrop overlooking the sea and because of the protective rocks around it is safe for bathing. In fact it is very similar to that of a salt water swimming pool. However it is sad to mention that this Rest House was wantonly destroyed sometime between 2008 and 2009 on the instructions of a local politician, who wanted to sell the land to an entrepreneur for the construction of a hotel school. But for reasons best known to the parties concerned it was never built.
However a stone slab was erected mentioning the intended construction of the controversial hotel school. This was smashed and removed by residents of the town who were annoyed and angry by the chicanery of the local authorities. Sadly, the remnants of this once popular Rest House is now used by drug addicts and other undesirable elements.
Located 200 meters or 218 yards east from the railway station is the large and imposing Sunandarama Maha Viharaya, built in 1750 on five acres of sacred land. Planted within these premises is the sacred Bodhi. According to reliable sources the Viharaya was once occupied by bhikkhunis. These same sources claim that in 1970 the Viharaya was ‘systematically started.’ Regrettably the writer is unable to explain the significance of this term. Irrespective of these dates, the Viharaya is reputed to contain some of the best known frescoes in the island, vividly depicting numerous Jathaka stories.
Synonymous with Ambalangoda to both tourists local residents are the intricate, eerie looking masks which have bulging eyes, protruding tongues painted in red to signify blood and fanged teeth. These are worn by those conducting specific rituals, the best known are the Kolam which has a tinge of humor since it ridicules the island’s former colonial life. Sanni – which is a form of exorcism performed to hopefully heal a person’s persistent illness. Raksha which is used in popular local festivals also involves the use of these masks.
It is claimed that the history of the crafting of these masks dates back to the 15th century and are hand painted and lacquered and made out of a type of a light strong wood similar to Balsa which grows in the rain forests of South America. Within the precincts of the town is a Mask Museum in which master craftsmen demonstrate the method of making these masks and if one so desires these can be purchased if for no other reason then just as souvenirs. Ambalangoda is also well known for the creation of string puppetry (readers of an early vintage may remember the hilarious movie – ‘Puppet on a String’ featuring the popular Hollywood actor Danny Kaye)
To get back to our own Ambalangoda string puppetry which had originated in 1830. The pioneer in this art form was Kandegoda Master Podisirina. When the former Prince of Wales – Edward VIII visited the island in 1922, Podisirina made a presentation which was based on the historical episode of the life of Ehelepola Nilame. The Prince was so impressed that he presented Podisirina with Rs. 500/- which at that time was a handsome reward and a gold medal. This was undoubtedly the very first gold medal won by a Ceylonese/Sri Lankan !! This presentation was conducted in a spacious house referred to as Bagatelle Walawwa, which as its name indicates would have been located in Colombo most probably along Bagatelle Road.
The writer is now reluctantly compelled to refer to a rather disreputable characteristic of many of the people of Ambalangoda by quoting Sir James Emerson Tennent who in 1845 was appointed by the British Government as Colonial Secretary of Ceylon in which capacity he travelled around the island.
In his Reminiscences he refers to the people of Ambalangoda many of whom he describes as being ‘ porawakarayo.’or ‘axe-weiIders.’ Paul E. Pieris the eminent scholar and historian has added his comments to that of Sir James Emerson Tennent by mentioning that the ‘porawakarayo’ were so proud of their ‘reputations’ that they would rather lay down their lives than abandon their stocks of ammunition!
Despite the notoriety of the ‘porawakarayo’ the people of Ambalangoda have gained a reputation for the preparation of a delectable cuisine consisting of mouth-watering Billing Achcharu, Ambul Thiyal and Jaadi. If none of the other attractions of this town and there are many- cannot tempt a visitor to this town these spicy preparations most certainly would.
The history of Ambalangoda does not end here. A list of alumni of one of the leading schools in Ambalangoda namely Dharmasoka College makes interesting reading. In this list can be read that Sisira de Abrew was a Puisne Judge of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, Dinesh Chandimal was captain of the Sri Lankan cricket team in Test cricket, Upul Tharanga captained the Limited Overs cricket team, Saman Jayantha played in 17 One Day International cricket matches., Ajit de Silva who represented the country in Test cricket, but was most unfortunately debarred from all formats of the game for having played in the controversial AROSA matches in South Africa. Mahinda Deshapriya who was the former Chairman of the Election Commission, J.E. Jayasuriya who was the Professor of Education in the University of Ceylon.
Lest we forget it is essential to mention that Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka who was the 18th Commander of the Sri Lanka Army and the first army officer to be promoted to that rank received his early education at Dharmasoka College. Two other high ranking officers of the services are mentioned namely Air Chief Marshal Jayalath Weerakkody, former Commander of the Sri Lankan Airforce, Admiral Piyal de Silva, former Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy and Osmund de Silva who was a former Inspector General of Police , .
Moving on to politics we come across the name of C. P. de Siva who first distinguished himself as a member of the elite Ceylon Civil Service and later became a leading politician who was an Honorable ( this term is used to precisely mean what it is meant to mean ) Minister of different Cabinets in which he held several portfolios. To write more about C.P.de Silva will take an entire page of this journal. Suffice it to mention that he was described as being the ‘Prince Amongst Politicians’. Alas! when will our country ever have persons like this! And finally and fittingly mention must be made of yet another Dharmasokian – Rohana Wijeweera who led the Janatka Vimukthi Peramuna.
May we end this article by exclaiming ‘Jayawewa’
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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