By Sarath de Alwis –
Sarath de Alwis
An otherwise obvious cliché needs to be reframed to draw out the lessons from the life of Ravi Jayewardene who passed away at the age of eighty whose obsequies will be held on Thursday 6th April.
It is not enough to say that he was the only son of President J.R. Jayewardene. It cries out for far more precise qualification.
He was the humble, fearless, bold and wise son of President J.R. Jayewardene, who did many things right and a few things not quite right. The mortal remains of his only son lies at ‘Wijayanthi’ the stately ancestral home of the Jayewardene family where he was born.
Ravi Jayewardene
The point needs emphasis. Giving to the nation is a dying art in this age when duty free sports utility vehicles are a must for the practice of the sport called politics.
Today it is the Library and Museum of the Jayewrdene center. That it is now in a state of disrepair in the custody of the state is a commentary on our indifference to our recent history as a civic nation and our preoccupation with the mythic history of the Sinhala tribe.
Ravi Jayewardene conceived the idea of creating a special combat force that could be rapidly deployed to execute special tasks at the height of the civil war. The force was organized trained and equipped under his watchful supervision and with his exceptional ability to involve and motivate others whose views and contributions he recognized and respected. He emphasized honour, courage and commitment.
We must celebrate the life of Ravi Jayewardene not so much for his self-effacing nature but for his lifelong contempt for sycophants. If he had any, they would have by now dubbed the Special Task Force with an inane moniker such as Ravi’s Regiment!
His cousin Mrs. Nallinka Jayawickreme daughter of Wilmot Jayawardene, President J R‘s youngest brother recalls how the police raided her home in search of Ravi during the first JVP insurrection. They virtually turned the house upside down despite our protests that he wasn’t there.
The Police later arrested him at the Ratmalana airport where he was getting ready for a routine Air Ceylon flight which he was then serving as a pilot in command. Recalls Nallinka , the police drove him off in police car with his ‘Simca’ driven by a police officer tailing. Ravi aiya told us let the law take its course.
He was a well-known marksman. He practiced shooting. He was the son of the Leader of the Opposition. The police may have been anxious to connect some of those dots with the dots of their dotty minds. Yet it is inconceivable that they acted independent of any political direction. The news of his arrest and detention reached parliament which was in session. This writer was then a Lake House reporter covering parliament.
The father was visibly angry. When he rubs his right index finger on his ample nose it was a signal of immense fury held in control by a steely resolve. Not a word from the Sphynx. Son Ravi remained impervious to the temporary inconvenience. Soon he was released at midnight. He refused to leave and waited till arrangements were made to take him back to his home in Ward Place.
A few years later Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike was stripped of her civic rights on grounds of abuse of power. When those events unfolded and many wondered about her alleged offenses and the punishment meted out, this writer recalled a conversation in the parliamentary restaurant which he overheard. Dr. N.M. Perera was telling some around him ‘This is something Dicky will never forgive.”
Ravi J was not J.R’s Achilles heel. Ravi was Perseus to JR’s Zeus. In his own right Ravi has slain many a Medusa.
Ravi Jayewardene was unbelievably humble. Born with the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth renunciation came to him early. In the many phases of his life he was a mischievous Siddhartha, a probing and curious Siddhartha and a tranquil Sidharatha. That said Renunciation was the overarching spirit that marked his eighty years on earth.
He was truly humble. He lowered himself to serve others with remarkable ease, immense charm and a mesmeric magnanimity.
He was incredibly bold. All most all his life, in the shadow of his giant of a father who made the pursuit of power his vocation, Ravi J was unhesitant to speak truth to power.
He was wise. He acquired an incisive knowledge of whatever that interested him. He was fearless to a fault.
It is said that President J.R. Jayewardane did not groom his son for a political career. Steeped as he was in history and philosophy why should he bother? It is not every father’s good fortune to sire a Siddhartha. Readers please note. The use of the term ‘Sidhdhartha’ is in the context of its use by Herman Hesse. Suffering, Joy, Rejection, Revival, Peace and finally wisdom.
Good by sweet prince, May flights of devas sing thee to thy rest.
Plato. / April 5, 2017
The arrest and incarceration in 1971 of Ravi.J.and the subsequent removal of the Civic Rights of Mrs.B. in the post 1977 period when JR wielded Power were events that were tied up:Tit for Tat!
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nimal fernando / April 6, 2017
I don’t know Ravi …… only know a few people who knew him. They all say he was a decent chap …… pure “old-school” as opposed to “modern-school.”
A man is never perfect …. cannot ever be perfect.
He didn’t ask to be born JR’s son. How did he play the hand that fate dealt him? One feels he did a decent job. A very decent job. That’s appreciated out here.
I’ll simply say ……… hope his soul rests in a good place.
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Vahara Mihira / April 5, 2017
Mr Alwis’ erudite self seems to follow the dictum “Nil nisi bonum” (Of the dead nothing but good is to be said), to the letter in paying his tribute to Mr Ravi Jayawardene.
Though RJ doesn’t exactly deserve the put down “He’s dead. Good!”, Mr Alwis needs to realise that there is only so much he can do to guild a lily. Without wanting to disrespect the late Ravi J, some facts need to be put out in the open for historical accuracy.
In terms of the Jayawardene family ancestry Mr Alwis is waxing lyrical about, one must not forget the first recorded person of the Jayawardene lineage, Adrian Wijesinghe Jayawardene (Tombi Mudaliyar)1768-1830 – a Chetty who came to then Ceylon and married a Jayawardene lady from Hanwella, and like many Indians in Ceylon at the time – took her name.
He was a spy for the Dutch against Sri Lankan kings. The British arrested him during their invasion, and was on the verge of executing him when he talked his way to becoming a spy for them! The treachery flourished, and the British gave the lands of the Herath family of Madampe (who refused to betray the nation) to Jayawardene. He was in the arresting party of Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe, together with that other traitor Ekneligodsa Mohottala.
You can read the detail on this man in Chapter 1 of “J.R. Jayewardene of Sri Lanka: 1906-1956” by K.M. de Silva and Howard R. Higgins.
As to Ravi, he quietly enjoyed his privileged circumstances, moving in similar circles. He was too lazy to get involved in any ‘difficult’ jobs or to deal with the ‘hoi polloi’.
RJ may RIP, but attempts of Jayawardene sycophants to paint him as the most noble character born in SL will be in vain!
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srinath gunaratne / April 5, 2017
Very revealing! Thank you! It is obvious most of his achievements are thanks to his well connected friends and family, Not everyone gets a free hand to go and build an army.
Yet compared to the dicks we have we must appreciate his gentle and simple nature, not robbing public money, using his influence to get rich!
I mean selling your car permit out rightly and making money out of it?
Is going to umba gaha handiya in Pettah at night and pleasuring market boys orally a more decent way to make a living?
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Liyanamahathaya / April 5, 2017
Who in the readership remembers the killing of a beautiful Air Ceylon lass called Hiranthi de Silva said to be a “Contract” job (something unusual in those 1960s)in the Colombo’s Victoria/Vihara Mahadevi Park area. The Case, sensational for sometime then, went out of the public mind and memory. The inconvenient truth is almost everyone in elite society has some skeleton in the cupboard to hide.
Liyanamahathaya
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Kalagola Abe / April 5, 2017
Ravi J did not have anything to do with that.
It was the dentist Dr Bandula Perera’s illicit affair that led to his and the woman’s death.
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crazyoldmansl / April 5, 2017
Aha! the poor adulterers! they simply dropped dead eh?
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PalRaj / April 6, 2017
Aha! If that is the case, all the bastards at Lakbima who stole my little Habibi there would have dropped dead a few years back.
But they are thriving while I am rotting in the jobless heap.
What a world?
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The Oracle / April 6, 2017
Liyana mahatthaya(?)
The lady you named in your pathetic comment above is very much alive today in North America .Try to get your facts right before you slander someone – low life .
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The Oracle / April 5, 2017
A brilliant insight into some interesting aspects of the life of a great Sri Lankan . Thank you Mr.Sarath De Alwis .
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K A Sumanasekera / April 5, 2017
Cousin Dr Batalnda Ranil is a shame.
Ravi helped save the Nation from Tamil Terrorists by creating the STF, which did a fabulous job to protect innocent civilians.
Although the Tamil Tigers penetrated the STF security cordon and killed thousands of civilians by hacking, chopping and shooting them.
Cousin Dr Ranil is now dancing to the Tiger mates tune, full on.
And promising to sell all Government Land to Indians, Diaspora and the Chinese..
The latest claim Dr Ranil made is that he is selling a large area of Galle to Andra Pradesh.
And he is giving Trinco Harbour to Indians and the Indian Oil Company.
What the Fug is Andra Prdesh going to do in Galle, may I wonder.
Besides that Indians hated Ravi’s old man , and trained and sent Tamil Terrorist Pirahaparan to take care of him.
Now the cousin is in bed with the same Indians trying to destroy the Sinhala Buddhist influence in the Nation.
Ravi and Daddy both must be rolling in their graves.
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Nimal / April 5, 2017
KAS
Perhaps you are not aware of it.
His father got the Tamil assistant(commissioners) Immigration officers to arrest my innocent American Business friend who put up 3 factories, giving nearly 600 jobs to people like us.
We personally knew the father and the son,alaways pretend to do some good work at a temple in Kalaniya.
When we wanted move up to another venture using funding from a foreing bank,perhaps IMF,WB or ADB,he wanted a top place for his sibling,another Jaywardane who came drunk by force to our office(4E) at the Cylinco building and we were offended and our secretary to him and JR to fly a kite.
JR was the ministry of State under Dudley and while my friend was locked ast the Slave Island Police Station,we tried to approach Dudley as advised by Hon Philip Gunawardana.600 of us protested outside Dudley’s office at the senate house, where Dudley saw us when he was entering the building after a session of the nearby parliament and got Bradman Weerakoon to speak to us, instead Bradman threatened us with arrest.
My friend was deported and I was given his vehicles and the entire contents of his factory, to be shared among the employee. I took none of it but the good police officer, a burgher of the Slave Island Police station gave our car a rapid escort to the Fort Railway station where I handed the keys to my secretary, rest to the driver to be given to the staff and went back to Kandy in the night train with only my salary of Rs210 and the packet of bubble gum that was given to me my departing American friend. The authorities felt so sorry for me,a teenager was allowed to walk up to the steps of the plane at the RAF base at Ktunayake(now BIA).A person rushed out there to say good bye was our good friend one Mr Upali Wijewardana,a no nonsense business rep working for Liver brothers.He was so disgusted made arrangements for me to go to Germany with a Shipping line ticket.Also an ex PM one R.E.Jayatilleke tried to get him out of the lockup and he or some one good god the Burgher OIC to hose him in a police staff flat when the horrible Tamil assistant immigration officers left, who came to visit twice a day.These two immigration did not have the last contacts at the airport,where they tried to impose themselves and their authority and the final moments of we saying good bye at the steps of the Quantas airline going to Landon as the Burgher OIC told them to bugger off.I found later that Duly was shocked about this case when I met at the London HC at a function.But he was defeated after a short spell,due to bad people around him.I heard Upali went into Chocolate business where he bought the Kandos Factory owned by the Berenger family who are my relatives and the other Berangers sold the present Cylinco groupto Justin Kothalawala.
Onec I am employed with the right people found out that Bradman Weerkoon was close to the separatist tigers where he had a personal friendship will Pulladavan. Our politics are truly dirty and shameful and the outward appearances are deceiving and that’s why we will never progress.
By the way the packet of bubble gum is still with me, well preserved and stored since mid 60s.
I found that those who pretend to be religious and wearing the national ambude are truly deceitful and dishonest. I take religions with a pinch of salt and always ready to meet the creator any time, nothing to be guilty of.
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K A Sumanasekera / April 6, 2017
Nimal,
Seems you are an old hand with mammoth first hand experience of dirty deeds of UNP politikkas going back to uncle Dickie.
I am totally flabbergasted that Dr Batalanda Ranil’s uncle who was affectionately called Yankee Dickie would do that to an American , especially when he was doing real Development , unlike the nephew’s Hoax Wagon mates from the Diaspora.
And trying to fix up our good politicians like Gammanpila by trying to frame bogus charges of ripping off a crooked Aussie, who is facing the slammer in his own country.
Without knowing the nitty gritty I would like to leave it at that.
One thing though, Yankee Dicky didn’t harm the Sinhala Buddhist majority .
In fact he has done a few good things for them, like enshrining Buddhism in the Constitution.
In contrast, Dr Batalanda Ranil is going after the poor Sinhala Buddhists with a vengence to please his Tamil and Muslim political partners and mates.
Look what he has done to the poor working inhabitants EPF to enrich his diaspora buddy Mahendran.
And Dr Ranil is hell bent on destroying the Sinhala Buddhists and their
traditional lands by selling them to Indians.
His strategy seems to give the Indians total control of the Island and get the Indian Forces to protect him and his UNP Government, after Dr Ranil completes his MOU with the TNA and the Diaspora.
Dr Ranil has already given the Trincomalee Harbour and Pallalay Airport to the Indians which will be in the Vellala Homeland.
Now he is selling half of Galle to Andra Pradesh.
Do you know what they have in Andra Pradesh which our Galle inhabitants are craving for?.
Some of the stuff you have told me is fascinating, especially the Economic and Admin prowess of the Burgers ,some of whom are my close fiends now.
And some Berengers are among them.
Thank you Nimal. Good luck and Good Health.
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Plato. / April 5, 2017
Dudley Senanayake died somewhere in April 1973,44 YEARS AGO.
JRJ making the funeral oration, from the lines of Hamlet,made the final reference to Dudley;
Good Bye sweet Prince;May flights of Devas sing thee to thy rest.
The original version of-course is …..
Good night sweet Prince;And flights of Angels sing thee to thy rest.
Robert Senanayake younger brother of Dudley publicly accused JRJ OF HAVING HIS TONGUE IN HIS CHEEK when he made that oration.The path was now clear for JRJ to take over the Leadership!
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Bensen Berner / April 5, 2017
Yes indeed, Ravi was humble having inherited the trait from his mother. If he was a failure in life, it was”apparently because he was the “son of a pillar of success.” May his soul rest in peace Bensen
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MalinSen / April 5, 2017
Yes indeed.
Fathers place so much burden on sons to be successful ‘like them’, (in my case as an example, to make me a writer/journalist for which I never had the capacity)making life hell. I suspect Ravi J was subject to the same pressures by a dictatorial father and he became silent as a result.
Being a failed son of a CAS father, I can identify with Ravi’s situation. Poor fellow, I will be empathising with him as long as I live my miserable life!
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SJ / April 5, 2017
The sequence of events is a little confusing.
Ravi J was arrested by the police. On whose instruction or information?
Ravi J was released soon after. On whose instruction?
JRJ falls out with Dudley S in 1972 and wants to join PA. Mrs B was inclined to accommodate.
NM & Co block the move.
When a few years later Mrs. B was stripped of her civic rights on grounds of abuse of power. The writer recalls overhearing N.M. Perera telling some around him ‘This is something Dicky will never forgive.”
Some pieces are missing in the jigsaw.
There was more to the act by JRJ I suspect.
Will someone help?
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Billa / April 5, 2017
…and can someone say something about this ‘Sidhdartha’s married life ?..and to whom please ?
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Splendewinder / April 5, 2017
Married and divorced. Both apparently had affairs. Not sure if he remarried; But Sons were sort of torn because the woman apparently was rumoured to be held with great “affection” by the Father in law.. It was an odd situation. The ex-wife remarried a hugely rich businessman and powerful business empire. One of the kids from her remarriage died playing Russian Roulette or committed suicide by gun.
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crazyoldmansl / April 5, 2017
It was pretty clear for all to see…and hear as well from the lady herself…king oedipus himself did sing with glee…”methinks this man by far has outdone me”…
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Perriamama / April 5, 2017
Not to speak ill of the dead but he did achieve what he did thanks to his connection but compared to the progeny of our recent rulers he was a gem. The same could also be said of CBK’s children, they have despite their mothers many faults turned out well (or it seems compared again to recent progeny)
It must also be acknowledged that Ranil wouldn’t be where he is without his family connections to the media and politics. He would be a nobody without those two crutches to hold him up!
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R. Varathan / April 6, 2017
As for CBK, she had many faults. She certainly was not snow white in terms of personal integrity. But she seems bent on bringing the Sinhala and Tamil people together in a long term reconciliation process. Is she trying to make good the wrongs of both her parents in the ethnic issue – both of whom brought the country to this impasse?
If she is, we will wish her well. Ranil and Mangala are committed and reliable partners in the journey. The problem is the slippery Gamarala, whose only aim in life is to protect the stolen loot placed in various names in the immediate family. If a Mahanayaka grits his teeth in his presence Gamarala goes into a purgatory mood. The strong peace that is
needed in Sri Lanka cannot be produced by such unreliable, meek cattle.
R. Varathan
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sarath de alwis / April 5, 2017
Plato,
Indeed. JRJ did end his eulogy of Dudley with the same quote. Felix Dias later made fun out of it hinting it was somehow slightly farcical. Dudley and JR had differences. Yet they were men who never abandoned civility in public discourse. The suggestion that his eulogy lacked sincerity is a travesty.
It is a pity that disciplined scholars do not get access to the private papers of leaders to reconstruct events of import. It opens the gate for parvenus to interpret history!
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Maharage, Nimal / April 5, 2017
Thank you Sarath,for this nice piece of writing on Ravi J. which subtly ridicules the progeny of corrupted politicians like MaRa. Ravi J, the only son of JR never formed mysterious killing machines like GoTa’s “White Van” regimes to kill political opponents and journalists mysteriously. JR never wanted to make his only son a notoriously corrupted and stinking bud of southern politics like Namal R or a despicable vulture like Yoshitha R. who killed most talented rugby in the country that challenged him in the field.
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Mano Ratwatte / April 5, 2017
Actually Hon JR’s overtures to join SLFP or Mrs. B was made at a time he was in conflict with Hon Dudley S over the UNP leadership. This is because in 1970 the Haal seru deka Coalition of the SLFP-LSSP-CP scored a big win in 1970(which in turn was trounced by an overwhelming double innings win in 1977 under Hon JR for the UNP because of chronic economic stagnation and corruption accusations). Hon JR Would have been the PRo US pro Capitalist economy man if he joined Mrs. B. But a lot of people did not trust him and thought he would have eventually joined Anura B and split the SLFP; Hon JR was anti Communist and also anti socialist so that was part of the plan.
Even in 1974 he used late General Sepala Attygalle as a messenger and quietly wanted Anura B to contest Kekirawa by-election to get Anura into Parliament. Why did he do that? out of fondness or perhaps more devious reasons? but anyway the damned socialist elements in the SLFP_LSSP camp opposed Hon JR coming into the then government. Mrs. B’s close advisors and siblings were split on this too. The side opposing his entry won the day and rest as we say is history. I think there was a powerful arrogant cabinet member in her government who caused Ravi J to be arrested. But that was irrational, and out of fear is why they opposed his entry; whereas JR had given all his support to crush the JVP in 1971.
Ravi J and his sons were also low key unassuming people and that is a reflection of classy upbringing.
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SJ / April 5, 2017
“…anyway the damned socialist elements in the SLFP_LSSP camp opposed Hon JR coming into the then government. Mrs. B’s close advisors and siblings were split on this too.”
Is the idea that JR should have been admitted to the UF goernment?
My guess is that he would have got done a few years earlier all the evil jobs he did after 1977. The UNP led by Dudley S or his then likely successor Premadasa would then have looked look lily white.
It was improper for Anura B to seek nomination for faraway Kekirawa in the electorate-based system of the time. Mrs B acted correctly. Those who encouraged AB aggravated the crisis in the family and in the Party.
The “damned socialists” were not quite responsible for the defeat of the SLFP in 1977. Many things went wrong after Colvin RdeS did the dirty work for the SLFP in 1972 to which the “damned socialists” contributed minimally.
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maalumiris / April 5, 2017
“Ravi J and his sons were also low key unassuming people and that is a reflection of classy upbringing.”
Absolutely !
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K A Sumanasekera / April 6, 2017
May be cousin is different because he has no sons…
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sbarrkum / April 10, 2017
Ravi J has three sons from Charmaine Vanderkoen. One (Pradeep)is the SLFP district organiser for Gampaha.
Penny White is a Sri Lankan from Bamba Flats.
(Relative of Duncan White?, the first Olympic Medalist (silver) for Ceylon in 1948)
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Mano Ratwatte / April 5, 2017
But similar pathetic arrests and far worse were done by JR to exact revenge.
You all forget the pathetic comic “Naxalite” plot accusations and how he got Vijaya Kumaratunge, the charismatic people’s man incarcerated. He wanted revenge.
And also he wanted his old nemesis Mrs. B to come running to him to get his release. I think JR spoke to Mrs B when his son was unfairly arrested in 1971 and she enabled his release.
But Mrs. B did not go groveling to get her son-in-law released and neither did CBK. His release(Vijaya was kept jailed without charges filed) was orchestrated by a classy member of the family who is above politics. You also forget the bogus “bombs were found at SLFP HQ on Turret Road/Dharmapala mawatha plant given headlines in Daily News and blaming JVP for 1983 Black July. Is that leadership? or the Attack on Supreme Court justices houses? Is that leadership?
We all know that the damned socialist wing prevailed and the nation suffered chronically, food queues, rations, and it gave the massive 5/6th majority and all the anti democratic transgressions and violence against Tamils, rigged elections, outright open thuggery, rigged referendums and expelling moderate Tamils from Parliament.
So with the economic boom and free trade zones, came the most egregious trampling of Democracy and the unleashing of the Thug era. Can anyone say why Hon JR failed to impose curfew for 4 days when innocent Tamils were being slaughtered and houses attacked even on Horton Place and close to Ward Place? Why oh why?
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Perriamama / April 5, 2017
Well Ranil was a senior minister in 83, maybe he can answer for his uncle’s and HIS silence?
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SJ / April 5, 2017
Starting from the writer recalling overhearing N.M. Perera telling some around him ‘This is something Dicky will never forgive’.
When was this comment made, and how is the writer sure of the context of the utterance and reference to Mrs B?
Mano Ratwatte cleared one of my doubts. He identified the one who secured the release of RJ and the one whose requested the release. That makes JR owing one favour to Mrs B.
The writer seems to have erased important dots to connect others with his own dots to create a picture hinting that Mrs B was in some way responsible for the arrest.
There were other detainees like Vasudeva Nanayakkara and N Sanmugathasan. Vasudeva was suspected of contact with some of the insurgents. No LSSP leader in parliament— not even a minister —could secure his release.
There was nothing on Sanmugathasan but for a few provocative comments in Kamkaruwa/Thozilaali in the days preceding the insurrection. (But he was the harshest critic of the JVP on ideological grounds.)
Fellow members of his party were detained too, all for many months. Those in Jaffna went underground and were protected by the Jaffna Muslim community among others.
There were some doubts about the activities of RJ in the months preceding the insurrection, and I think that he left the country shortly after the insurrection to return when the UNP returned to power. (Correct me if I am wrong here.)
For understatement, “Jayewardene, who did many things right and a few things not quite right” takes the cake.
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Plato. / April 5, 2017
Sarath de Alwis.
Your line…….
The suggestion that his eulogy lacked sincerity is a travesty…..
When that Prince among men Dudley Senanayake died I was in my mid 20s.
When differences broke out between Robert Senanayake and JRJ AFTER THE DEATH OF Dudley,there were a series of letters between the two in the Public domain to boot the Media.It was in one of these letters wherein Robert.S. claimed that JRJ was insincere.It was by no means my interpretation of the event!
The good that men do are interred with their bones.Ravi J.was classy no doubt as opposed to the children of political heavy-weights of recent times.Class has disappeared from public life over the past couple of years.
I will not say anything further.
De mortuis nihil nisi bonum.
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Sirisena Yatawara / April 5, 2017
The Key issue is NOT Ravi J…..but his father-JRJ was traitor of Ours Nation who had mess up every things A to Z of country civilization during his 12 years of UNP administration since 1977 to 1988?
Ravi J… may be having most simplest personal character that we have seen there is no argument about that.
Look at what JRJ-UNP did to our nation by misruled and mismanagement of whole state and system of Democracy upside down by a small country ?
It has not recovered yet or review of our house put into order is not a simple task since then ?
The things are running more complex of Parliamentary -Democracy is confuse . No wisdom think-tank in UNP? Its leadership by mishap?
No replacement within UNP Old-Ranil W… and New Leadership Mathripala Sirisena in the near future? Nation living in uncertainties, in the time being .
Looking for another sale of Island by whole stock at once by UNP Old Leader Ranil W…
Who’s leadership was an accountability of LTTE-Tamil Terrorist War ?
Is that a baby of UNP -JRJ .
How many years had been spend which paid for the life and wealth of our nation for the End war against LTTE-Tamil Terrorism ?
What a sacrifice of lifes paid by our Security Forces and ordinary citizens of Sri Lankan of their past 30 years?
Recently Indian writer has estimated cost of War of 30 years said US $ 200 Billion. Who has taken our People for Ride.
That was JRJ -UNP responsibility and accountability of War By UNP leadership ?
What else do you want from JRJ-UNP ?
I assume Ravi J …… has realized simple facts that his father was traitor of our nation, who betray ours 2500 years of civilization has not kept NO any room for him to engaged politics of country which he was born?
The leader who end war of LTTE Terrorism has been claim as “War Criminal” by current ruling Govt.?
Poor Mahinada Rajapakase has to pay for every thing?
What a historical tragedy of Country that politics work on?
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Real Siva Sankaran Sarma / April 6, 2017
Ah Tamil hating Sirisena Yatawarra with a Tamil derived name. Sinhalese Yati or Yata meaning under is derived from Tamil Yadi/Adi meaning under. Warra meaning boundary or limit is derived from Tamil Varai or varambu meaning limit border. What a wanker. Like most Sinhalese including the Jayawardenes have a recent Tamil origin from India but anti Tamil to the core. In your case even a pure Tamil derived name.
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Thassim / April 5, 2017
Credit goes to him, if as reported he was the brainchild behind the STF. Tigers were so afraid of the STF and never was able to beat the STF in combat. Also from a UNP standpoint the STF Was considered a UNP place and that is why they used the STF for security and also for VVIP security details. STF was tough and had very high standards until Chandrika relegated them and used the Army for security. SLFP leaders did not trust the STF even though it was a highly professional force and deadly force. Tigers had their arses handed to them by STF. So kudos to Ravi J
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Real Siva Sankaran Sarma / April 6, 2017
Yes the STF was busy arming Muslims home guards to the teeth in the east to kill rape and ethnically cleanse thousands of eastern Tamils. Now many of these Tamils are languishing in refugee camps in India and in the north unable to return to their homes lands and farms in the east that are still occupied by settler Sinhalese goons and Muslims, who will not allow them to return to their lands. Nothing is being done about this, as it suits the Muslims and Sinhalese to keep these eastern Tamil refugees away from their lands, for if they return the ethnic balance in the east will again tilt more favourably to Tamils who are the real owners of the east. JR was a racist and so was is son, despite their origin from Tamil Nadu. No wonder the STF is wonderful to ungrateful Muslim backstabbers like you. Remember the Muslims in the arrived as refugees and asylum seekers and were given refuge by the eastern Tamil chiefs, as the Sinhalese did not want them in the Kandyan areas.
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Richard Heyns / April 5, 2017
I don’t know either Ravi J or Sarath de Alwis or any of those who have made comments here from Adam or otherwise.However, some of the horrifying comments reflect how sick Sri Lanka’s so called educated society has become.It is said ordinary folk discuss about people (skeletons in the cupboard, both real and imagined , malicious gossip etc)while great people discuss about issues and ideas.With our so called intelligentsia having sunk to such low depth what can we expect from the likes of Mahinda Rajapaksa,Gota ,Basil, Namal , Yoshitha,Gamanpilla ,Weerawansa etc?Look at the TV ,listen to the radio,and one finds that nothing is complete without a little mud slinging which is invariably met with guffaws and laughter.
Wake up from your slumber and get out of the cocoon.Otherwise Sri Lanka does not stand a chance.Thank you CT for vicariously exposing one of Sri Lanka’s seemingly incurable Achilles Heels.
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shasha / April 5, 2017
JR got away lightly for what he did for the countrys future and for the tamils.history should not be kind to him.and the sons STF was a killing machine wgich has too many murders and human rights abuses on his credits
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Douglas / April 5, 2017
Dear Sarath: How did you forget to mention Mr. Ravi J as the “Architect” of Air Lanka and installing his friend pilot Capt Rakitha Wickramanayake as its Chairman. There were stories widely known that same Mr. Ravi J was instrumental in getting a “Presidential Commission” appointed to examine the affairs of Air Lanka under Capt. Wickramanayake and got the entire Board of Directors including his friend pilot Chairman to resign. You cannot be deaf and blind to what was going on at that time and also why a “Presidential Commission” was brought in to get rid of Ravi J’s own friend – Chairman. The reasons and the circumstances that led to the appointment of that “Presidential Commission” would have been well within your knowledge, as you too were holding a Managerial position in Air Lanka under the Chairmanship of Ravi J’s friend Chairman Capt. Wickramanayake.
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vishvajith / April 6, 2017
Douglas, now you ‘must’ tell us, why the Presidential Commission was held post Capt RJ.
As it was recent, investigating the shenanigans of AirLanka/Srilankan Airlines, lot of noise was made then and nothing happened.
No need to take this to the grave, let it be known. A digital artifact must be left for the future.
Best,
Vishva.
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Pygmalion / April 5, 2017
The Jayewardenas are now History.Depriving the civic rights of Mrs.B.ostensibly on the charge of abuse of Power was the hallmark of JRJs revenge and vindictiveness. Abuse of Power? What was the legacy of the Jayewardenas?
Rape of Democracy! Genocide against defenseless Tamils living among the Sinhalese! Perhaps RaviJ AND HIS CHILDREN AVOIDED PUBLIC LIFE OUT OF SHAME!
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K.Pillai / April 5, 2017
Sarath de Alwis has opened a Pandora’s box. Among the unsavory worms we see here are the “pillars” which prop up politicians – nepotism, impunity and corruption. During the husting for the 08 January 2015 election these “pillars” were exposed and used to change the regime but we ended up with stronger version of these “pillars”. Out of disappointment people have now accepted that “a strong leader” will tolerate the “pillars” protected by a fence of guns.
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Pygmalion / April 5, 2017
Douglas.
Thanks for the exposure.
Sarath de Alwis has written out this essay,in gratitude for the favours granted by Ravi.J!
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Nimal / April 5, 2017
I must say that Hon Dudly Senanayake was a honest gent,we did our best to get him elected, with a Chines scare, who were suppose to follow him every where in his election campaigns but they were from Dematagoda. We gave our company vechiles to move the supporters but after the victory,likes of JR exploited the power for personal
gain.
Sadly likes of JR and several corrupt people ruled the roost and his government only last a short time. Mrs SWRD came to power, resulting in bread queues,etc.
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Native Vedda / April 6, 2017
Nimal
“Mrs SWRD came to power, resulting in bread queues,etc.”
SJ/Sekere cannot and will not tolerate your criticism of his crush the weeping widow.
If ever there were bread queues please blame it on Chelvanayagam’s Federal Party.
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Sirisena Yatawara / April 6, 2017
Says by Nimal … “Mrs SWRD came to power, resulting in bread queues, etc”
Bread Queues inside country it was recovered by few months.
Indeed but we as nation has to end we were in the front of UNO UNHRC and before World community over 30 years.
The Queue of War was the an endless game of Our nation?
Until Mahiada Rajapakase come to power 2005 there was long-queue awaiting to END War by cost of millions of the life’s of People?
We lost US $ 200 Billions national Wealth for that War-oriented politics that initial by UNP-JRJ in 1977 onwards.
That was politics result of Ravi-J…. father’s the politics of UNP-JRJ.
Even now current UNP has not learn any lessons form JRJ-UNP that by UNP new and old leadership of MS +CBK and Ranil W… of old leadership UNP!
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Sirisena Yatawara / April 6, 2017
Says by Nimal … “Mrs SWRD came to power, resulting in bread queues, etc”
Bread Queues inside country it was recovered by few months.
Indeed but we as nation has to end we were in the front of UNO UNHRC and before World community over 30 years.
The Queue of War was the an endless game of Our nation?
Until Mahiada Rajapakase come to power 2005 there was long-queue awaiting to END War by cost of millions of the life’s of People?
We lost US $ 200 Billions national Wealth for that War-oriented politics that initial by UNP-JRJ in 1977 onwards.
That was politics result of Ravi-J…. father’s the politics of UNP-JRJ.
The was War not end ,but it has enlarge into “War Criminals” by advocating by UNP new alliance TNA and USA UK EU and Indian RAW.
We were force to answer to World Community, why is that we are Not a nation of the “War Criminals” ?
Even now current UNP has not learn any lessons politics of gun-rule form JRJ-UNP! The current of UNP new and old leadership of MS +CBK and Ranil W… of old leadership not learn lessons for Old days UNP-leadership !
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sarath de alwis / April 6, 2017
Douglas,
“How did you forget to mention Mr. Ravi J as the “Architect” of Air Lanka and installing his friend pilot Capt Rakitha Wickramanayake as its Chairman.”
I did not forget to mention it. There was no need to.
Ravi was not the Architect of Air Lanka. He did play a role in persuading the President to form a new national carrier after a commission of inquiry recommended the closure of Air Ceylon. I can only say or write on matters I am privy to.
“Once in a golden hour
I cast to earth a seed.
Up there came a flower,
The people said, a weed.” Lord Tennyson
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Upali / April 6, 2017
Whatever said and done JRJ stands as a colossus compared to our present and past rulers. [DAN INNE THUTTU DEKE AYA.] We still live on good deeds of JRJs Free Trade Zones and Mahaweli and the open economy concept.Srilanka embraced open economy concept well before India and China. JRJ had the foresight to do so. Tracing the ancestry of a person is resorted to when your position is week.Today there is a monument built at Mawanella for the bandit and hooligan Saradiel where school principals take their children on pilgrimage.
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R. Varathan / April 9, 2017
Upali,
Add to your list the Tourism Industry – an important pillar in the
economic landscape today. I suffered in 7/83 but have no qualms in admitting he was the best leader we had in recent time – the point of the good of the country. I could never understand the anti-Tamil streak both in him and his brother Harry. I know if he was not sabotaged by some of his own Cabinet Ministers (Premadasa, Lalith et al) at the latter stage, he would have brought Sri Lanka in par with Malaysia. Forget Singapore.
His main faults was his over-reliance on the USA and deliberately getting on to the wrong side of Indiraji. He acted unwisely in trying to be extra-close to Morarji – Indiraji’s enemy. The imperious Indira would never take that. The rest is history.
R. Varathan
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Douglas / April 6, 2017
Dear Sarath: Thank you. I am glad to hear from you: “He did play a role in persuading the President to form a National Carrier..” So, he (Ravi) planted the seed and he himself called it a weed in persuading the President to appoint the “Presidential Commission”.
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Little Arrow / April 6, 2017
Douglas,
Sorry you appear a bit dense.SdA has clearly stated that RJ only had a hand in “suggesting the creation of new airline.”He did not persuade as you say.See the difference between the two words.
The matter regarding the Commission of Inqiry was for the loss making Air Ceylon and not for Airl Lanka and RJ had no hand in that as SdA makes clear.Old Tennyson would have clearly had the likes of you in mind when he wrote those lines about the serious confusion between flowers and weeds ! Or is it another game of mud slinging?
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