Features
The puritanical culture and customs of our days in the Faculty of Medicine, Colombo
By Dr Nihal D Amerasekera
Even now, a song that often strikes a chord is that one with the poignant lyrics and haunting melody composed by Pete Seeger “Where have all the flowers gone?”. It took the whole world by storm. In 1962 the version by the Kingston Trio engulfed our little island like no other. Although attributed to the Vietnam War it reminds me of medical school and our time together. We had a large contingent of girls in our batch and I’ve often wondered where have all those flowers gone?
My mother schooled in the 1920’s and 30’s. Then education in Ceylon was costly. Parents had to be selective and reserved higher education for the boys in the family. With the introduction of free education in 1945, doors opened for the girls to further their studies in the University. When I entered the faculty of medicine in 1962 approximately 35-40% were girls. But the contentious conflicts, excessive formality and the old conventions still prevailed. Bridging these deep divides took a lot longer.
With my Evangelical Christian upbringing, I spent my teenage years in an all-boys school. Not having any sisters, I never learnt how to socialise and be friends with girls. As I entered the portals of that temple of wisdom in Kynsey Road, there were many girls in the faculty. They sat next to me at lectures. I was rather self-conscious in their presence and had to learn rather quickly how to be social. It certainly didn’t come easy to be gallant and courteous!!
Although 1960’s was the era of Sex, Drugs and Rock’n Roll such pleasures hadn’t arrived in our little island, yet. We then lived in a rigidly puritanical and austere society. Social distancing was built in, separating the boys from the girls. On arrival at the faculty, some of the lads were self-assured. They had easier rapport with the girls. They were not radical extremists but just lived lives expected of university students. I simply had to adjust. I stopped blushing at their unbridled erotic humour. They poked fun at girls. It was a good couple of years until I learnt these new social skills and not be distressed of what the world thought of me.
The girls too were from all-girl institutions and were overwhelmed by parental pressures and the existing norms fed by our own Sri Lankan culture. Many of the girls were reserved not wanting to be seen as ‘easy game’ in the patriarchal society of 60 years ago. They conformed to the social rules on what was appropriate and preferred to play hard to get. Some of the girls from the Colombo schools were more posh and rather pushy. They showed off the flesh below the neck and flashed a bit above the knee, for good measure. They even thrust their chests forward, moving the centre of gravity, dangerously!! The majority, however, preferred to retain their modesty covering their wares with glamourous sarees of vibrant colours.
It was not until I entered the Faculty of Medicine that I appreciated the freedom that dancing brought to this world. Like many in my batch I found it hard to get a female partner from the faculty to join me at the dances. Many girls felt restricted by social norms and cultural constraints. Some were just unwilling to be out all night with a boy. The boys were too shy to ask the girls. The men fell for the idiom “there are plenty more fish in the sea”. They took the path of least resistance and found partners from further afield. The excitement and the pleasure of dancing has no equal. The pounding rhythms drove us all into a frenzy. It was at University I learnt to combine the rhythmic music and the twirls, swirls and the gyrations of contemporary dancing. The University calendar had many dances held at King George’s Hall in Reid Avenue. Those were wonderfully exciting times that also brought the sexes together.
The old caste and dowry system still prevailed in the mid 20th Century. Arranged marriages were still in vogue. But Cupid had his way in the faculty and shot his golden arrows to change the status quo. The wisdom of the phrase, “Omnia Vincit Amor” (love conquers all) from Virgil’s poem has survived from Ancient Roman times to modern day. Despite the prevailing ethos, love did blossom in the faculty. Many of the blossoms survived a lifetime. Sadly, a few faded to litter our golden years before we left the hallowed precincts in 1967. The faculty was a hotbed of gossip. News swirled around its lecture rooms and corridors about couples, affairs and the breakdown of relationships. This idle speculation broke the monotony of the never-ending examinations. Perhaps, a welcome distraction from the daily toil we all endured.
With our inability to have a good rapport with the girls there was a certain gratuitous tendency to be unkind to them. In the first few years, girls were seen in small groups chatting and giggling in their own world. Three pretty girls who were always together were unkindly labelled – anorexia, nausea and vomiting. These are the side effects common to most medicines. Even now when I see them it is as if those names are tattooed on their foreheads. I do respect their wish to maintain their modesty and cultural values all those years ago.
Five years in medical school seemed a long time. Towards the end of our course the social climate had improved immeasurably. The icy chill gave way to a thaw. There was better understanding and friendships all round between the sexes. Personally, I was very fortunate to have girls in my group who mixed freely. They endorsed our crass humour and tolerated the questionable behaviour. The girls also learnt to stand their ground and give as much as they got!! There were a few girls in our batch who were sassy trailblazers keeping up with the boys with their racy jokes and mischievous fun. I do respect their boldness in not conforming to the futile cultural constraints in our adult seat of learning.
On looking back what amazes me was my inability to connect with many of the girls during the entire years in medical school. My only contact, perhaps, was to raise a cursory smile when passing them on the endless corridors of our domain. The powers that be in the Faculty of Medicine, in their wisdom, kept us apart giving us a Mens’ Common Room where girls never dared to visit. The few who ventured in were greeted with catcalls and wolf whistles. Much has changed since and we are in a different age.
Now when I meet the girls from our batch at gatherings and reunions it generates such a sense of warmth and accelerated intimacy. They are such lovely and friendly people. I do regret not being friends with them at the faculty. Now we can talk and laugh openly about our younger-selves and how we behaved conforming to the austere world we knew. Friendship is a two-way street and I do acknowledge that for some there were social and cultural barriers that were far too difficult to transgress. Being shy is not a crime but it feels like that now.
I cannot think of many things that humanity has benefited in this time of Covid-19. One that comes to mind easily is reuniting people via Zoom. It has been a great pleasure to see several from our batch both male and female and to speak with them. Amazingly they don’t look any older than when I saw them last in 1967. They all seem to have retained their wicked sense of humour. The girls have not lost their sense of style and good looks. The boys have lost much of their hair but perhaps not their heads!!
Now in this age of easy communication, digital phones and social media this unwanted segregation has ended. Social media platforms have brought the sexes ever closer together, at times too close. There may even be a feeling that all this is far too intrusive. As the years have passed the women can nip and tuck, facelift or use Botox to look young and pretty. Men have the pleasure of Sildenafil to raise the fallen. We all benefit from the 120-year evolution of women’s suffrage and the enormous strides in gender equality. Women can mix freely, speak without fear and even lead a country. Just like the men, the ladies from our batch went on to enjoy prestigious careers in the profession and hold celebrated positions in society.
This is a reminiscent glimpse into an era now long gone when intellectual liberalism was not at all fashionable. As I wander into those happy days as a medical student I still lament the separation of the sexes as an unwanted remnant of a prudish past. As it is often said “even God can’t change the past”.
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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