Sunday, April 26, 2015

ගැමුණු කුමරුනි කීර්ති කුමරුනි ඔබ විසින් රැ ක දුන් දේශයයලි විනාශය හමුවේ ය

Posted on April 24th, 2015-ධර්මසිරි සෙනෙවිරත්න


පුංචිම  පුංචි කාලයේදීත්  ගැමුණු කුමරු  හිතුවේ රට ගැනය පියා සමග  නොහොඳ නෝක්කාඩු  වුනෙත් එනිසාය  අතපය හකුලා ගෙන නිදා ගෙන  තම  වේදනාව  සහ අධිෂ් ට්හා නය පෙන්වුයෙත් සිංහල බෞද්ධයන් රැකගැනීමේ සටන  අත්‍යවශ්‍ය දෙයක්  නිසය් .පුංචි කීර්ති කුමාරයා කර කොළ කමින් වයස 12 සිට බික්ෂුන් වහන්සේගේ ආරක්ෂාව යටතේ  කැ ලේ හැංගී යුද හරඹ පුහුණුවෙමින් දුක් වින්දේ  සිංහලේ රකීමටය . අනේ ඔබ දෙදෙනා වින්ද දුක් කන්දරාව දැන් ඉන්න තරුණ න්   දන්නේ නැත ඉතිහාසය මෙලෝ හසරක් නුගත් උන් දන්නේ බය්ලා නටමින්  වල්බූරු නිදහස  භුක්ති වි දී න්නත් පමණයජේත්තු ජීවිතයකට ඉඩ ඇත්නම් උන් ඊලාමය යටතේත්  බය්ලා නටමින් සිටිනු ඇත .
                                                                        2015 අප්‍රේල් 14 අලුත් අවුරුදු දවසේ  කාතන් කුදියේ ඉස්ලාමික කෞතුකාගාරයක්  විවුර්ත කර  ඇත පැරකුම්බා රජ දවසෙත්  රජු යටතේ මුස්ලිම් වරු ඇමතිවරු වී සිටි බවත්  සිංහල දේශයේ  පේෂ කර්මය හා යකඩ කර්මාන්තයේ මූලිකයන්  හා ආදිතමයන්  මුස්ලිම් වරු බවත් එහි දක්වා ඇත .  මුස්ලිම් ඇමැතියන්ගේ පිලිරු  යය පිලිරූ හදා ඇත . දැන් මුන් හදන්නේ  දෙමලු මෙන්ම මුස්ලිම් වරුද  ලංකාවේ ආදිතමයන් යය දරුවන්ට ඒත්තු ගැන්වීමටය  මේවා ඉගෙන ගත දෙමල දරුවෝ වසර 30 ක් අපව විනාශ කළහ   මයිත්‍රී රනිල් රජයේ  අලුත් මුස්ලිම් ඇමතියා ලවා රජය මේවා කරවන්නේ  මුස්ලිම් චන්ද ගෙන සිංහල බලය නැතිකිරීමේ රනිල්ගේ අභිප්‍රාය ඉටු කිරීමටය රනි නාදය මානුෂික මෙහෙයුම් වලක්වා ප්‍රභා බේරා ගැනීමට  2009 දී  මැදවච්චි  පාමංකඩ  වැනි නොසන්ඩාල කතා කියමින් මහින්ද  මානසිකව වට්ට වීමට කටයුතුකළ හැටි මේ මොහොතේ  මතක් කර ගන්න මගේ  දරුවනි . සෝම හාමුදුරුවෝ මරා ගත අ  ය දැන් බුරුතු පිටින් හාමුදුරුවරු බිලීබා ගනිති මාදුළුවාවේ සෝභිත හිමි එදා ජාතියේ මුරදෙවන්ගේ පලමුවෙනියාය  එහෙත් ඉන්දියානුවොත් බට හිරයොත් එතුමා  විකුර්තිකළහ රතන චම්පික ආදීන් නම් හැමදාම ප්‍රතිපත්ති වෙනස් කලඅ  යය් හෙළ උරුමය යන නම එපාකරවන්නට  පරයෝ රනිල් ලවා මොවුන්ද බිලීබා ගත්හ . ගමේ මිනිහෙකුවූ මයිත්‍රී  දැන් මුන්ගේ හිරභාරයෙය.  ජේ ආර් 1932 දී ලංකාව ඉන්දියාවේ ප්‍රාන්තයක් කල යුත්යය්  සන්දේශයක් ඉදිරිපත් කල බව දන්නේ   මුහුණු පොත් බුවෝ කී දෙනාද . දැන් නිකන් දෙන  වය්  මගින් ගම්වල  සිංහල බෞද්ධ දේශප්‍රේමීන්ද  ”’හය්   ෆය් ” කරගන්නට රජය උත්සාහ ගන්නේ   නුතන මෙවලම් වලට ගිජුවූ විට ජාතිය අමතක වෙන   ප්‍රේත කුම්භාන්දයින්  ලංකාවේ සෑහෙන්නට ඉන්න නිසාය  .  අශ්රෝෆ්ෆ් ගේ කාලයේ කුරගල  බොරු සෙල්ලිපි  කොටවා ඒ භුමිය  මුස්ලිම් පුදබිමක් බව ඔප්පු කරන්නට   උත්සාගත් හ. ලත් තැන මේවා ලොප් නොකර සිංහලයෝ  බට හිටයන්ගේ ඉඳුල් කකා ඉන්දියානුන්ගේ පරිප්පු කකා සිටි නිසා   අද ලංකා පොලිසිය ත් අලුත් රජයත්  මුස්ලිම් අබුසාලියාට බයය . ඩී එස්     නම් එජා පයේ නිර්මාතෘ වරයා කන්නන් ගරගේ නිදහස් අධ්‍යාපනයට විරුධව  ක්‍රියා කලේ අය දය  අලුත් තරුණයෝ දන්නා වාද සිංහලයා ඉගෙන ගෙන ඉහල තනතුරු වලට ගියොත් බටහිරයන් ඩී  එස් ගෙන් බලා පොරොත්තුවූ  වහල්  ගැතිකම  සමාජයෙන් තුරන් වන බව ඔහු දන්නා නිසා ””’  මුන් ඔක්කොම ඉගෙන ගත්තොත්  පොල්ගෙඩියක් කඩා ගන්න වත් එකෙක්  ඉතුරු වෙන්නේ නැහැ”’ ඔහු කීවේ එනිසය්  .  කන්නන්ගර නිදහස් අධ්‍යාපන පනත අනුමත කරවා ගත්තේ ඩී  එස් රටින් පිටවූ අවස්තාවකය .. ඩී  එස්  මේ නිසා කන්නන්ගර චන්දයෙන් පරදවන්නට වැඩ කළේය  .ඒ ජා පය හැමදාම කලේ  මේවාය ඩී  එස් ඩඩ්ලි ටිකක් හරි හොඳ වුනත් අනිත් උන් නම්  අසමත්ජාතියෝය  මෙයි න අන්තිම ද්‍රෝහියා රනිල්ය   චන්ද්‍රිකා නම් චව්ර  ගැහැණිය රනිල්ටම උපන් ගැහැනියකි  මේ දෙන්නා මයිත්‍රී විනාශ කර ඇත  ඉන්දීය මෝඩි අනුගමනය කරන මෝඩයෙකු බවට මයිත්‍රී පත් කලේ මුන් දෙන්නාය   තමන්ටන්  පිටරටි  ඇති තෙරපුම ගැන  දැන් මයිත්‍රී මැසිවිලි කියය්  තැන තේරෙනවද   මගේ දරුවනේ  මේවා දන්නා අයගේ බඩ  පපු  දනවා දරුවනේ හිරුනොබසින අධිරාජ්ජයටවත් සිංහල බෞද්ධයන් 4% කට වඩා කිතුනුවන් කර ගන්නට නොදී දේශය ආගම රැක  ගත් දේශ ප්‍රේමීන් නොහිටින්නට උඹලා එක්කෝ දෙමළය කිතුණුය නැත්නම් මුස්ලිම්ය . සිංහලයන් විසින් තනා  හදා වඩා  වසර දහස් ගණනක් රැකගත් එකම දේශය නැතිකරන්නට  යහපාලන යය කියන   ය. ම පාලකයින්ට ඉඩ දෙන්න එපා දරුවනේඋතුරේ සිටි 25000 ක්සින්හලයන් කෝ කොලඹ  දෙමලු  අල්ලා ගත්තේ කොහොමද  අධි ආරක්‍ෂිත කලාප  වල ඉඩම් දැන් ආපසු  දෙන්නේ  සිංහල දේශය රක ගන්නටද  බැසිල්  ගොඨ  මහින්ද අත්අඩංගුවට ගන්නට වලිකන ආණ්ඩුව විග්නේශ්වරන් රටට විරුද්ධව කරනදෙවල් ගැන නොසොයන්නේ අය ‘ ඊලාමය  ප්‍රකාශ කල රටින් පැනගිය  වර්ධරාජා පෙරුමාල් ලංකාවට  නැවත ආවේ මේ යහපාලන  කාලයේ ය මහින්ද හිටියා නම්  මේ ත්‍රස්තයා එය් ද.  වෙනස තේරෙනවද . 
                                                      අඩුම ගනනේ  රනිල් චන්ද්‍රිකාගෙන්   මය්ත්රීව වත් බේරාගන්නට සටන් කරන්න  මේ මනුස්සයා  අරුන් විසින්  විකුර්තිභාවයට පත් කර ඇත .  ඒ බය්යා අර ටෝය්ය ලාට වඩා””’ හොඳ””’ වියහැක අඩුගනනේ උත්සාහයක් වත් ගන්න . පේදුරු තුඩුවේ සිට දෙවුන්දර තුඩුව දක්වා තිබු බෞද්ධ විහාර නටබුන්   අද දෙමල කක්කුස්සි හැදීමට අරගෙන ඇතිබව ඔබ දන්නවාද .එජා පයේ ම සිටි  සිරිල් මැති ව්  විසින් පල කල   සිංහල බෞධ්ධයිනි අවදිවව්   පොතේ ඇති එදා පැරණි විහාරාරාම ගැනවත් එජා පයෝ කියවා නැද්ද  සිරිල් ව එළවා දැම්මේ  ජේ ආර් ය .
                                                   මහින්ද බලය තිබු විට 13අ අහෝසි නොකිරීමේ වැරැද්ද  නිසා අද රනිල් ද්‍රෝහියා බලයට පත්විය  ප්‍රභා මරුමහින්ද පසුව පිටරටුන් ට ටිකක් බය වුනා විය හැක  . එහෙත් එය අහෝසි කරවා ගත හැක්කේ මහින්ද හැර රනිල් ලවා නම් නොවේ එනිසය් නැවත මහින්ද අවශ්‍ය රට බේරාදී  ගෝඨා  වැනි සුදුසු කෙනෙක් පත්කර මහින්දට වීරයෙක් ලෙස විශ්‍රාම ගිය හැක 
                  ගැමුණු පුතනුවනි        කීර්ති පුතනුවනි   නැවත සිංහලේ ඉපදී  නුතන නොදරුවන්  ට අපේකම හඳුන්වා දෙන්න  මාගේ දේශය රැ  ක දෙන්න   දැන් ඇත්තේ ඇති බිහිසුනුම අවස්තාවය්     සිංහලේද   ඊලාමයද ? දෙකෙන් එකක් තෝරා ගන්න දරුවනි    විහාර මහා දේවී මාතාවනි ඔබවැනි වීර මාතාවන්ගේ කුසින් ඉපදුන දරුවෝ   අද විනාශය අභිමුඛයේය    ඉන්දියාවේ හා බටහිර  ම්ලේච්චයින්ගෙන්  රට බේරා ගෙන රනිල් වැනි උන්ගේ ඒජන්තයින්  අවීචි මහා නරකාදියට දක්කන කෙනෙක් වහාම රටට අවශ්ෂ්‍ය ය  

අනුග්‍රහය ලංකා වෙබ්

Friday, April 24, 2015

Sri Lanka National Flag

Sri Lanka National Flag

The National Flag of Sri Lanka represents the country and her heritage as rallying device that integrates the minorities with the majority race.

When Vijaya, the first King of the Sri Lanka, arrived in Sri Lanka from India in 486 BC, he brought with him a flag with a symbol of a lion on it. Since then the Lion symbol played a significant role in the history of Sri Lanka.

SYMBOLISM OF THE NATIONAL FLAG

THE BO LEAVES

Buddhism and its influence on the nation.

They also stand for the four virtues of Kindness (Mettha), Compassion (Karuna), Equanimity (Upeksha) and (Muditha) Happiness.

YELLOW BORDER

YELLOW BORDER People from other cultures living in Sri Lanka

ORANGE STRIPE The Tamil community

GREEN STRIPE The Muslim community

SWORD The soverignty of the nation

rTHE LION The Sinhalese ethnicity and the strength of the nation

1948 -1951 KING SRI WICKRAMA RAJASINGHE FLAG
This is the flag that was raised by D.S. Senanayake, the first Prime Minister of Ceylon on Independence Day 1948. It did not have the two saffron and green stripes as well as the four bo leaves. This was based on the original lion flag of King Sri Wikrama Rajasinghe

1951 -1972: MODIFIED FLAG OF KING SRI

The necessity of a National Flag was discussed even before Sri Lanka gained independence on February 4,1948. Mr. A. Sinnalebbe, MP for Batticaloa tabled a motion in the State Council on January 16,1948 suggesting that the Lion Flag of King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe which was taken to Britain in 1815 should be made the National Flag.

This was debated and later Prime Minister Rt. Hon. D.S. Senanayake named an Advisory Committee for the formulation of a National Flag.

WIKRAMA RAJASINGHE

The Members of the National Flag Committee Mr. S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike (Chairman),

Sir John Kotalawela,_

Mr.J.R.Jayewardene,

Mr.T.B.Jayah,_

Dr. L.A. Rajapakse, Mr.G.G.Ponnambalam

Senator S. Nadesan,_

Dr.Senarath Paranavithana (Secretary).

The National Flag recommended by the special committee was presented to Parliament by Mr. D.S. Senanayake on March 2,1951 and adopted. It had two strips, one green and the other yellow. Each of these strips had to be equal to one seventh the size of the flag.

1972 TO PRESENT

When Sri Lanka was first made a Republic in 1972 the stylized Bo Leaves depicted in the National Flag were changed to resemble natural Bo leaves. The amended flag was first unfurled at the Republic Day celebrations held on May 22,1972.

The National Flag is incorporated in Section 6 Second Schedule of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka of September 09,1978.

DISPLAY OUT OF DOORS *

Whenever the National Flag is flown, it should occupy the position of honour and be distinctly placed.

The National Flag should always be hoisted slowly and ceremoniously and the same as for lowering.

The National Flag should be flown with the two vertical stripes next to the flag-pole.

The flag may be flown on buildings at night but only on very special occasions. On all such occasions, the, flag should always be floodlit while it remains hoisted. Religious flags should be displayed at the same level.

When a number of flags of localities or pennants of societies, school and dub flags, etc., are grouped and displayed from staffs with the National Flag, the National Flag should be at the centre and at the highest point in the group.

When the flags of provinces, pennants of schools, etc., are flown on the same halyard with the National Flag, the latter should be at the peak.

When other flags are flown, the National Flag should be hoisted first and lowered last

When the National Flag is displayed from a window sill, balcony or in front of a
building, it should be placed at the peak of the staff unless it is at half-mast.The
staff should be at an angle 45 degrees and not horizontal.
When the National Flag is displayed across a street it should be flown horizontally along its length with the lion upright.

When the National Flag is displayed on a speaker's platform, it shall be flown on the speaker's right as he faces the audience or flat against the wall above and behind the speaker.

INCORRECT DISPLAY

A damaged, disfigured or faded National Flag should not be displayed.

The National Flag shall not be dipped in salute to any person or thing.

No other flag or bunting shall be placed higher than or above or, except as hereinafter provided, side by side with the National Flag nor shall any object including flowers or garlands or emblem be placed on or above the flag-mast from which the National Flag is flown.

The National Flag shall not be used as a festoon, rosette or bunting or in any other manner for decoration; nor shall other coloured pieces of cloth be so arranged as to give the appearance of the National Flag.

The National Flag shall not be used to cover a speaker's desk nor shall it be draped over a speaker's platform.
The National Flag shall not be displayed with the Lion upside down.
The National Flag shall not be allowed to touch the ground or the floor or trail in water.
The National Flag shall not be displayed orfastened in a manner that may damage it.
The National Flag should not be displayed on a float in a parade except from a staff.

The National Flag should be attached to the halyard before hoisting-and the flag should be folded and either placed on a high object (never on the ground) or held by hand.
The chief guest at the function should hoist the National Flag smartly. During the ceremony all should stand to attention, refrain from smoking, drinking, eating, conversing, laughing or acting in a way that distracts from the solemnity of the occasion. Service personnel in uniform will salute as prescribed in respective service
Immediately after the National Flag is hoisted the National Anthem should be played or sung by a choir and preferably by all those present. Non- nationals are not expected to join in the singing but they stand as a mark of respect.
During rendition of the National Anthem when the National Flag is displayed all persons present except those in uniform should stand to attention facing the National Flag. Persons in uniform should render the appropriate salute. Men not in uniform wearing head-dress and not saluting should remove their headdress.
http://srilanka.travel-culture.com/guide/srilanka-flag.shtml

A Soldier's Film Journal of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) 1944-1945

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3c3tU9qD5w

A sample of Tamil Tiger (LTTE) atrocities against civilians shown on the U-Tube.


Click here for other interesting posts.

The Tamil Tigers were the first terrorist group to perfect the body-detonator that they supplied to the various middle-eastern terror groups and Jihadists as well. Many of the suicide blasts carried out in Sri Lanka have been captured in video and are available as U-tube videos. Another genre of killing took place in the absence of photo evidence except for photos taken by the propaganda wing of the Tigers. Prabhakaran wanted to see the action at the war front, as well as visual evidence that prisoners were eliminated. But these are not easily available.

The Tigers killed many of the civilians that they trapped as human shields, as they wanted to eliminated the dead and wounded. They also wanted to put the blame on the government and evoke international sympathy. Some authenticated examples of where they did that are: In some instances, the wounded were loaded in an old bus and set fire. They would move sick people to the firing zone at war front, allow the sick (Tamil) civilians to get shelled, and announce to the red cross that the area had a hospital! Later they would claim that a hospital was shell after they declared the area to be a hospital!

Such Atrocities and misrepresentations cannot be tolerated under any circumstance.


Warning - some of the links are graphic.

Keep your audio on







Sri Lankan (Sinhalese and Tamil) victims murdered by the Terrorist LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) seem to be forgotten by the UN and the `Human Rights' NGOs. In fact, the blame for ALL THE LTTE killings has been transferred to the army, using propaganda films like those of channel-4 British-LTTE co-production. The UN has been hoodwinked into releasing reports claiming `credible sources' with no sources revealed! Hack writers have claimed 40,000 missing persons, without counting those in Indian camps, `refugees' in the West, Australia etc.

However, Sri Lankans be they Tamils, Muslims or Sinhalese, they are forever indebted to the soldiers. Now people can venture out without the fear of being blasted.



Here is a small sample of the Bomb Blasts- suicide attacks.


  • Abimanpura LTTE Terrorists attack a civilian bus 18 killed by Tamil Tigers abi 1 abi 2 abi 3
    Moratuwa Bomb Blast 2008.06.06 19 killed by Tamil Tigers
  • Moratuwa
    Piliyandala Bus Bomb Blast on 25th April 2008 at 6.40 PM 10 killed by Tamil Tigers
  • Pili 1
  • Pili 2
  • Pili 3
    Anuradhapura MORE THAN 120 KILLED by Tamil-Tiger KILLING FIELD IN SRI LANKA.
  • Anu 1
  • Anu 2
  • Anu 3
    KANDY WATTEGAMA BUS BOMB BLAST killed by Tamil Tigers.
  • Watte 1
    LTTE Terrorist Bomb Blast in Nugegoda by Tamil Tigers - 28 Nov 2007
  • Nuge 2
    Bomb Blast in Colombo by Tamil Tigers - Detail News 16/05/2008
  • Colombo-2008
    LTTE Terrorist Blast Another Bus Bomb - Sep 16 2008
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpD153VfZYY&feature=related
    Social Services and Social Welfare Ministry by Tamil Tigers
  • Welfare min
    Mt. Lavinia, Sri Lanka Bus Bomb – killed by Tamil Tigers 23-02-2008
  • Mt. Lavinia
    LTTE Terrorists Bomb Kills 4 Including 2 School Children by Tamil Tigers
  • School kids
    LTTE Attack Kebithigollewa 26 killed by Tamil Tigers
  • Kebilithi

Adapted with thanks from a compilation by James Corea.

Click here for other interesting posts.

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http://dh-web.org/place.names/posts/tiger-atr.html

First Ceylon Independence ceremony – Colombo, 10 Feb 1948


Feature article published in Ceylon Today broadsheet newspaper on 3 February 2013
http://nalakagunawardene.com/2013/02/04/vishva-karma-of-ceylonfirst-independence-celebration/
First Ceylon Independence ceremony - Colombo, 10 Feb 1948, painted by H R Premaratne
First Ceylon Independence ceremony – Colombo, 10 Feb 1948, painted by H R Premaratne
Although Ceylon gained Independence on 4 February 1948, the formal ceremony took place on February 10 with the Duke of Gloucester representing King George VI of Britain. The impressive ceremony was held at a colourful Assembly Hall at Torrington Square in Colombo.
When it was confirmed that Ceylon was soon to be granted independence, the country’s rulers wanted to build a new meeting hall in Colombo for the occasion. But there was just no time.
Then somebody had a bright idea: convert an aircraft hanger – a relic of World War II — into a temporary but grand hall. The task required both engineering skills and familiarity with the country’s traditional arts.
This extraordinary responsibility was entrusted to a talented engineer in the government’s Public Works Department. His name was Hapugoda Rankothge (H R) Premaratne.
The department, better known as the PWD, was one of the largest and oldest government departments in Ceylon with its history going back to 1796. Before the proliferation of state bodies, it maintained public infrastructure, key government buildings and airports.
Even among the PWD’s experienced fixers, however, Premaratne was a rare breed – one who blended technical functionality with good design sense and fine aesthetics rooted in the country’s cultural heritage.
Colourful transformation
Veteran journalist D B Dhanapala, in his book Among Those Present, recorded it thus: “H R Premaratne had converted an enormous, ugly aeroplane hanger left behind by the RAF at Torrington Square into a veritable Palace of Pageantry. Kandyan ‘Reli Paalams’ by the hundred, each the size of a bridge turned into a solid rainbow, spanned overhead turning the ceiling into the finest riot of colours this Island had ever seen on a single occasion. Sinhalese designs, writ large, blazoned from all the pillars, themselves richly decked…”
Dhanapala was full of praise for the man behind this transformation: “It seemed the palace was some kind of new Oriental Valhalla transported into Ceylon by a new electroplated Vishva Karma working with all his hands…”
The hanger was solidly built, but decorating this high-roofed structure was indeed a mammoth task. Some 20,000 yards of white cloth, and nearly 20,000 yards of colour paper were used for the ‘reli paalam’ alone. Another 9,000 yards of jute Hessian covered up the ceiling.
H R Premaratne
H R Premaratne
Adding to the décor were ancient Sinhalese (lion) banners, Nandi flags from Jaffna, as well as cultural motifs that represented the muslims. At that time, such an inclusive approach was a matter of routine.
Having pulled off this small miracle, Premaratne didn’t stop there. In those days before colour photography, he was determined to capture the moment for posterity. So he drew a full scale oil painting of the occasion.
Decades later, this historic painting was purchased by President J R Jayewardene who added it to the art collection at the President’s House in Colombo where it is still on display (main photo).
The stately assembly hall was the most talked about structure prepared under Premaratne’s overall supervision during those hectic months. He helped renovate several key buildings as well.
Chief among them was the Colonial Secretary’s residence ‘Temple Trees’, originally built in the early 19th century, which soon became the official residence of the first Prime Minister D S Senanayake.
Premaratne restored a condemned postal structure into the Senate Building, and renovated the inner chamber of the State Council building at Galle Face to accommodate a larger number of members elected to the 1947 Parliament.
“We added a floor, and altered seating arrangements in the chamber,” he reminisced in an interview with me in 1990.
Those key renovation and restoration projects had to be done on parallel tracks, while chasing seemingly impossible deadlines.
“We worked day and night. We had a very good chief architect, a Welshman named Wynn Jones. It was shortly after the War, so some construction materials were in short supply. But in the end, we completed everything in time and in quality,” he said.
Shaping New Nation
Premaratne was a member of the British qualified and nationally minded team of technocrats who took over Ceylon’s affairs when the British left. Along with the elected representatives, they shaped the young nation — yet remained, for the most part, in the background.
After graduating with a BSc in civil engineering from the University of Edinburgh in 1931, Premaratne joined the PWD in 1935 as a Junior Assistant Engineer. In all, he spent 30 years there, capping his career as its director from 1957 to 1965.
During that time, he rose to many and varied challenges, combining the roles of engineer, designer, administrator and trouble-shooter at large.
The massive Dry Zone floods of August 1957 took place within weeks of his becoming Director of Public Works. PWD was the first to go to Batticaloa, as soon as the flood waters allowed, and within hours made the main roads accessible again.
When ethnic riots erupted in May 1958, Governor General Sir Oliver Goonetilleke assumed direct control appointed Premaratne as Competent Authority in charge of all relief operations. Working with civilian and military personnel, Premaratne set up temporary shelters for the displaced, ensuring their safety and providing amenities.
If that was demanding, more was to follow. One day Premaratne received urgent summons from the Governor General. In the presence of the minister in charge Maithripala Senanayake, Sir Oliver revealed how the Nagadeepa temple (a key Buddhist shrine on a small island off the Jaffna peninsula) had been damaged during riots.
Premaratne was asked to urgently repair it – but in utmost secrecy. The astute Sir Oliver knew that this news, if it spread, could provoke a new southern backlash.
Operation Nagadeepa
“Sir Oliver arranged everything directly and discretely. Even my ministry’s secretary wasn’t told. Within hours, the Air Force flew me to Jaffna — I couldn’t tell even my wife where I was headed. Once there, the Navy escorted me. I met the Nagadeepa chief priest, and realised the damage was considerable,” Premaratne recalled.
Returning to Colombo after two days of assessment, Premaratne moved swiftly. He assembled a team comprising a contractor, building overseer and some trusted workmen and embarked on a fast-tracked restoration.
While they carried out that task in record six weeks, Sir Oliver used the media to repeatedly pooh-pooh ‘rumours’ ofNagadeepa being damaged. (D B Dhanapala’s biographer Gunadasa Liyanage believes that Sir Oliver actually took key newspaper editors into confidence. Either way, it never leaked.)
Mission accomplished, Sir Oliver organised a special pooja and invited devotees to ‘go see the intact Nagadeepa temple’. Everyone involved in the operation remained silent – not under any oath of secrecy, but because they realised the implications of loose talk…
The real story of Nagadeepa restoration didn’t come out until many years later. Such a covert operation is inconceivable today with modern communications technologies!
After retiring from the public service in 1965, Premaratne devoted all his time to artistic pursuits. He copied key temple paintings and Sigiriya frescoes. He also developed a method of making authentic fibreglass replicas of moonstones, Buddha statues and other historical artefacts.
2001 A Space Odyssey (1968) Space Station One by Robert McCallUsing this method, he made over 20 replicas of prominent statues of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa for an exhibition on ‘Ceylon Through the Ages’ the National Geographic Society organised in Washington DC in 1969-70.
Recommended by his friend Arthur C Clarke, he spent a few months at MGM studios in Borehamwood, London, during 1966-67 where Clarke and Stanley Kubrick were filming their movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.
“Prema’s expertise in art and engineering was very valuable in the production of the movie’s special effects, and he assisted in building the spectacular space station,” Clarke said. (See: The artist who built a space station for 2001)
Premaratne was an erudite, soft-spoken man who remained creative into his 80s. I am privileged to have known him in his last few years. Some of his paintings are on permanent display at the National Art Gallery in Colombo and at the British Museum in London.
H R Premaratne tribute in Ceylon Today, 3 Feb 2013
H R Premaratne tribute in Ceylon Today, 3 Feb 2013
H R Premaratne tribute in Ceylon Today, 3 Feb 2013 continued
H R Premaratne tribute in Ceylon Today, 3 Feb 2013 continued

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Independence Day, February 4, 1948

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth presides over the ceremonial opening of the third session of the Parliament in April 1954
British defeats in Europe and Asia during the 1940-1942 period of the Second World War-epitomised by the humiliating fall of Singapore-turned out to be the final blow to the country's already floundering Empire. Military and economic power, on which the imperial system depended, had been severely eroded. And on a political level, from the end of the First World War unrest and agitation for independence had begun to manifest in many parts of the Empire, exemplified in the then Crown Colony of Ceylon by the Trotskyist-inspired Lanka Sama Samaja Party.

Consequently, in the immediate post-war years independence was granted to many countries within the British Empire. In South Asia, India gained independence on August 15, 1947. Burma followed on January 4, 1948, and exactly one month later, on February 4, Ceylon became a Dominion, which in reality meant that the country had not completely divested itself of its colonial past.

Independence Day, February 4, 1948

Declaration of Independence was an occasion in which a member of the British monarchy, not necessarily of the higher echelons, was always present. "Slightly less prestigious representatives of the Queen than Prince Philip and Princess Margaret, but perfectly respectable ones, were the stalwarts of independence ceremonies," comments Philip Murphy in Monarchy and the End of Empire (2013). "The Duke of Gloucester [Prince Henry], the younger brother of King George VI, presided over the independence day of Ceylon."

The choice of the Duke of Gloucester was an appropriate one as he had made two prior visits to the Island. The first was in 1929 when he landed on his way to Japan. The second in 1934 concerned cultural heritage: the return of the golden throne of the Kandyan Kingdom (previously housed at Windsor Castle), now displayed at the National Museum, Colombo, together with the crown and regalia.

Fortunately the ritual and celebration of Ceylon's Independence Day was captured on film by the leading newsreel company, British Pathé. Ceylon Independence (1948)-alas without narration online-begins with the touch down at the Royal Airport Katunayake (now the Bandaranaike International Airport) of a silver-liveried RAF Avro York carrying the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. One York was used by Winston Churchill as his "flying conference room" during the war. And this aircraft was no stranger to Ceylon; another served as the "flying office" of Lord Mountbatten, head of South-East Asia Command in Kandy, and a squadron was based at RAF Ratmalana.

The film shows the Gloucersters being greeted by the Governor of Ceylon, Sir Henry Monck-Mason Moore, who at Independence became Governor-General, which illustrates how the country's freedom was not yet absolute. Ceylon remained a dominion within the Commonwealth of Nations from 1948 to 1972, when the country's formal name was changed to the Free, Sovereign and Independent Republic of Sri Lanka. In 1978 it was modified to the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.

On the morning of February 4 the Duke was driven, with a vanguard of mounted soldiers, from Queen's House to the specially prepared, fabric-roofed Assembly Hall to deliver the Declaration of Independence from a dais overlooked by two sets of elephant tusks. It was hot inside: the select audience busily fanned themselves with programmes, while a vast sea of ordinary Ceylonese surrounding the hall stoically endured the tropical sun to witness this historical occasion.
“Independence Day Celebrations In Ceylon Resembled An Imperial Fête With A Few Of The Artifices Of The Nation State – National Anthem And Flag”
Today, within an area called Independence Square, renowned for its atmosphere and jogging tracks, stands the Independence Memorial Hall, a monument to the Assembly Hall built on the original podium. Adjacent is the awesome newcomer to Colombo's shopping complexes, the Arcade Independence Square, which, ironically, is a restored British colonial building.

Nora Wickramasinghe, in Sri Lanka and the Modern Age, feels that "Independence Day celebrations in Ceylon resembled an imperial fête with a few of the artifices of the nation state - national anthem and flag." The confirmation of these two artifices came next. Just before noon the Union Jack was lowered. As a recording of London's Big Ben chimed noon-courtesy of Radio Ceylon-the nation's new yet traditional flag, the lion rampant, was hoisted by Prime Minister D S Senanayake. During the flag-hoisting, the selected National Anthem, Sri Lanka Matha, was played by the radio station.

At that moment a nation with a glorious history and depth of culture, suppressed for five centuries by three consecutive colonial powers, was able to begin an awakening, to rediscover its past, re-establish an identity, emerge from the imperial shadows, and take its place in the modern world.

Celebrations later that day centred on an impressive water pageant in Colombo's harbour, which included a choir on a floating platform. "The boom of guns, the crash of fire-crackers, the peal of bells, and the whine of ships' sirens proclaimed the birth of the new dominion of Ceylon," declared the Associated Press.

Independence: The Awakening of a Nation
On February 4, 2015, Sri Lanka celebrates 67 years of Independence. There have been many achievements during that time in the economy, civil administration, social services and development in general. Other accomplishments, mostly in the arts and sport, are due to the post-independence exposure of the Island's people to the world, resulting in a new confidence on the international stage.

For instance, the new nation's ability to compete with the world's best was witnessed at the 1948 Olympic Games in London, just a few months after independence, when Duncan White won the silver medal in the men's 400-metre hurdles. Silver was also won by Susanthika Jayasinghe in the women's 200 metres at Sydney in 2000.

But where sport is concerned, it is cricket, a colonial irony, which has brought Sri Lanka immense recognition since international status was gained in 1981. The team quickly shifted from being underdogs to world-beaters, winning the Cricket World Cup in 1996 and the 2014 ICC World Twenty20. Sri Lanka has produced some iconic cricketers: Muttiah Muralitharan was voted the greatest bowler ever in 2002, and Kumar Sangakkara is one of the greatest batsmen of all time. Many other players have made an impact on the game internationally: Aravinda de Silva, Arjuna Ranatunga, Sanath Jayasuriya, and Mahela Jayawardene come to mind.

The blossoming of modernist post-independence art in Ceylon resulted in the formation of the '43 Group by Lionel Wendt, the Island's first and foremost photographer of international repute. This Group consisted of an extraordinary array of creative painters such as Harry Pieris, Geoffrey Beling, George Claessen, Aubrey Collette, Richard Gabriel, George Keyt, L T P Manjusri, and Ivan Peries. Their work is acknowledged internationally, their paintings highly valued.

Sri Lankan cinema properly began in 1956 with the film Rekawa, directed by Lester James Peries. From then until 2006, Peries directed 28 films, many shown at premier film festivals, many receiving awards. Nidhanaya (1972), Peries' best film, won a Silver Lion at the 1972 Venice International Film Festival, was selected as an outstanding film of the year at the London Film Festival, and chosen as the best film of the first 50 years of Sri Lankan cinema. Peries, best appreciated by French cineastes, was awarded in 1997 the Légion d'Honneur, France's highest order. He remains the doyen of Sri Lankan cinema, but in recent decades further talented directors-Prasanna Vithanage, Asoka Handagama, Dharmasena Pathiraja, Dharmasiri Bandaranayake-have begun to receive international recognition.

These are just a few of the Sri Lankans who have honoured the country with their international achievement since, and largely because of, Independence.
http://www.serendib.btoptions.lk/article.php?id=1612&issue=62#image-4

ජපානය ජපනුන්ගේ රටනම් සිංහලේ සිංහලුන්ගේ රටයි.

ඇමරිකාව ඇමරිකානුවන්ගේ රටයි. ජපානය ජපනුන්ගේ රටයි. චීනය චිනුන්ගේ රටයි. රුසියාව රුසියානුවන්ගේ රටයි. සිංහලේ සිංහලුන්ගේ රටයි. සිංහලේ රට(ceylon...