Features
THE SPORT OF KINGS
by Vijaya Chandrasoma
Thoroughbred horse racing began as one of the favorite pastimes/sports of the British monarchy and aristocracy over 300 years ago. During the British occupation of Ceylon, horse racing was both a sport and an industry, with beautiful racecourses in Colombo, Galle and Nuwara Eliya. On independence in 1948, we inherited a large horse racing industry from the British, popular till the late 1950s, when it died.
The reason for this demise was the politicians’ sanctimonious but accurate assertion that gambling was against the precepts of Buddhism. But gambling in casinos in Colombo was perfectly in tune with Buddhist principles as long as the pious politicians were adequately compensated.
The real reason for the demise of the sport in Ceylon was that the local industry relied on the importation of racehorses, instead of establishing a breeding industry. When the nation was dragged into a foreign exchange crisis in the late 1950s, we ran out of money to import thoroughbreds. Our neighbor, India, took the wiser course, and today boasts of a large horse racing industry, with home-bred racehorses and nine racecourses, making a significant contribution to the nation’s employment and economy.
My father, former civil servant, M. Chandrasoma, was a keen racegoer, and rarely missed a day of racing. We lived five minutes from the racecourse in Colombo, and spent our April holidays in Nuwara Eliya, when that beautiful town and racecourse had its annual “season”. Galle was a few miles from my father’s hometown of Hikkaduwa, a couple of hours’ drive from Colombo. The whole family was sometimes included in these memorable excursions, and I learnt to have my first bet on a horse (usually 50cts. each way) at the tender age of eight.
I went to England, where my father was on overseas assignment with the Shell Company, just before horse racing ended in Colombo. He had earlier served in the Ceylon Civil Service, the quintessential public servant, the epitome of the characteristics of justice, honesty and integrity for which that elite service was renowned. (Of course I am biased!). He resigned from the service after 19 and a half years, the last two running the Port of Colombo, the love of his life.
I mentioned the precise period of his 19 and a half years of service, because, had he served an extra six months, he would have been eligible for his pension. However, my father was nothing if not pigheaded, and when he saw an injustice caused by political expediency which went against his principles, time was of the essence, financial benefits be damned, he couldn’t abide the situation a minute longer.
He had a dispute regarding the operation of the Port of Colombo, which was his responsibility, with that consummate politician, Prime Minister SWRD Bandaranaike. When his objections were summarily rejected by the PM, at whose pleasure he served, he saw no alternative but to tender his resignation immediately. He cleaned up his office that very afternoon. Truth be told, there was little to clear except a few London Times crossword puzzles; he was not the type of civil servant who regarded a full in-box as a sine qua non of a hard worker). He came home to the lady, my mother, who had, unbeknownst to her, been promoted, once again, as the only love of his life, now that he had been jilted by the Port of Colombo.
In the good old days, it was customary for rich parents to be on the lookout for young civil servants, considered by society to be the most eligible partners for their daughters. Of course they had to check other vital boxes, ethnicity, religion, caste and in some cases, skin color and even shoe size. The marriage of my parents, which was not arranged by their parents, checked many of the boxes, except the one considered to be the most socially offensive. My father hailed from the barely acceptable Karawa caste, which was however a few steps higher than that of my toddy tapping mother.
However, she possessed one even more essential asset, which sent her vaulting to the heights of the basically hypocritical, ever bigoted Sri Lankan society – money. So, by happy accident, my father achieved with much more finesse what many of his civil service colleagues had to negotiate – he met my mother in the university, fell in love with her and achieved the enviable outcome of marrying both the woman he loved and a pension guaranteed till death did them part.
I have many memorable experiences of our many visits to the racecourses in Sri Lanka. To recount them all would be impossible in a short essay, but I recall a most memorable trip to Boossa with one of my father’s closest friends, Mr. Singham Sellamuttu. They had planned a Saturday at the races in Galle, but for some reason that escapes my mind, my father couldn’t make it. Uncle Singham suggested that I accompany him – I was 16 years old – and I jumped at the pleasure of spending a day at the races with a man I greatly admired. We had a wonderful day at the races, and our return drive to Colombo was punctuated by many stops at resthouses from Galle to Colombo – Hikkaduwa, Ambalangoda, Bentota, etc. where we stopped for yet another one for the road. As in many endings of children’s stories of yore, I returned home, tired but happy, with a slight twist. I was also very drunk.
We got to Colombo way past midnight, a two-hour drive which took over five, and my father was pacing up and down our driveway at our home, worried sick, imagining all types of disasters which could have befallen us. When we finally reached our destination, he was horrified to see the state we were in. He started angrily upbraiding Uncle Singham, accusing him of corrupting his teenage son. (Though he did have an inkling that the process had already begun, he was no fool). Uncle Singham, with that considerable charm he could muster, defused the situation, saying, Relax, Tissa. Your son is much better company than you are, and drove away, leaving us both with smiles of affection in our faces.
But I digress. My father carried on his passion for horse racing during his stay in England. We were, however, confined to our books in our efforts to gain access to a good university. But there was horse racing on television almost daily, and I was entranced with the beauty of horseflesh competing in the most attractive of racecourses in England.
In due time, my parents left us to our own devices and returned to Sri Lanka. I had secured a place at Christ Church, Oxford, but the offer was made in October 1959 to start my academic career in October 1960, one full year later. That was the stage of my life when I made the first of numerous mistakes and wrong choices which ruined a possibly promising career.
There were family reasons I couldn’t spend that year in Sri Lanka. So I led the life of Riley in London, with many Sri Lankan friends, generally having a lot of fun. We received the princely allowance of 45 pounds per month (about Rs. 600 in those good old days), which enabled us explore the many delights that London had to offer an 18-year-old. The relative innocence with which I had arrived from Colombo swiftly evaporated when I was happily introduced to the pleasures of the demon drink, fast women and slow horses.
The environs of London are peppered with some of the finest racecourses in the world. Epsom Downs, where the most famous horse race in the world, the Epsom Derby is run; Royal Ascot, which is the midsummer championship of horses of all categories, sprinters, milers, middle distance horses and stayers. Glorious Goodwood, renowned as the most beautiful racecourse in the world. All these, and even a few lesser courses, were well within our means, and I took every opportunity of attending, especially when big races were on the program.
These famous English courses, and their French counterparts like Longchamps in Paris, had a great advantage over the thousands of great courses all over the world. Those international courses host the most famous events, like the Breeders Cup in the USA, the annual world championships of horses in training; and the venues of the horse races with the biggest purses, the Saudi Cup in Riyadh ($20 million) and the Dubal World Cup ($12 million). And many others.
But these are all flat tracks, one pretty well much like the other. Like flawlessly made up and manicured models, most pleasing to the eye, but paradoxically lacking in appeal entirely because of that outward perfection. Undoubtedly, the betting, dining, service and entertainment facilities in these racetracks were far more luxurious than their British and French counterparts. Many are sited in spectacular locations.
Like Santa Anita in Los Angeles, California, set against the scenic backdrop of the San Gabriel Mountains, and Del Mar, creation of “The Old Groaner”, Bing Crosby; a coastal track, “where the turf meets the surf”, two hours south of Los Angeles. But while their surroundings are often most appealing, the flat, circular tracks themselves are totally devoid of personality or character.
My home racetrack while I was living in Los Angeles was Santa Anita. I used to go there many Saturday afternoons during their season. While I enjoyed the racing, they never made my heart skip a beat as did the prospect of the joyful excitement of a day of racing at Royal Ascot.
To add a little comic relief, I was once invited to Royal Ascot by an undergraduate friend at Oxford, whose father had a private box. I must have cut a pretty ridiculous figure, a brown-skinned man decked in the full paraphernalia of top hat and tails! I had even picked a rose from the Dean’s Garden for my lapel. Thank God I was at an age when I was completely devoid of any sense of shame.
The tracks of most of the racecourses in England and France are contoured according to the undulations of their terrain, the ups and downs which make them more beautiful and even more challenging. I wish I had the talent and the space to describe the wonderful memories I have of these courses. Even today, I get goosebumps when I see on TV a group of the best-bred and most beautiful of animals, thundering around Tattenham Corner at Epsom, with four furlongs (880 yards) of an uphill finish ahead of them to the winning post, testing the stamina and courage of the finest three-year olds of the year.
As high as the purses for winners of classic races are, the real money to be made in the industry is in breeding. A stallion, after he is retired from racing, is allowed by the US National Thoroughbred Racing Association and the Jockey Club in Britain to service a maximum of 140 broodmares per year. A Kentucky or Epsom Derby winner will command around $300,000 per foal, fetching an annual income of $4.2 million, and a stud value of over $70 million.
Those stallions with the best blood lines usually retain their potency till age 20, or 17 years spent out in pasture, frolicking with the fillies. Retirement that adds real meaning to the phrase “Golden Years”.
I had the great good fortune to see such a stallion in action at the breeding shed of a trainer in Rotorua in New Zealand. The beautiful animal was led to the mare obviously in heat, with great expectations. Our hero climbed on top, and the whole operation took about 30 seconds, at the end of which he started dismounting. But not before the mare, in furious frustration, delivered a well-aimed kick at his chest.
Some things never change, whatever the species. As Dean Martin used to sing, “Wham! Bam! Thank You Ma’am! Hope you’re satisfied!”
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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