{"id":80518,"date":"2013-04-04T17:29:15","date_gmt":"2013-04-04T17:29:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=80518"},"modified":"2013-04-14T11:28:04","modified_gmt":"2013-04-14T11:28:04","slug":"the-happenings-at-the-convocation-of-basl-re-kindled-in-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/the-happenings-at-the-convocation-of-basl-re-kindled-in-me\/","title":{"rendered":"The Happenings At The Convocation Of BASL Re-Kindled In Me"},"content":{"rendered":"

By\u00a0S. L. Gunasekara<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\u00a0–<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

S.L.Gunasekara<\/p><\/div>\n

Mr. Upul Jayasooriya<\/a><\/span>,
\nAttorney-at-Law,
\nPresident, Bar Association of Sri Lanka,
\nNo: 152, Mihindu Mawatha,
\nColombo 12. ,<\/p>\n

Dear Upul,<\/p>\n

Convocation Of BASL\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Reading the newspapers today about the Convocation of the BASL<\/a><\/span> and the things that were said there, I do wish that I had not precipitately declined your kind invitations and not come there. I declined the invitations as a matter of course, which I have been doing for many years, because I have found the convocations of the Bar Association to consist ‘ merely of occasions when a number of pious platitudes are uttered and nothing really changes. I always preferred to spend that time in my so called ‘estate’ as I did this time. The fact that things will now be different seems plain from the fact that you have invited Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake<\/a><\/span> to attend the convocation and not invited the current purported holder of that office Mohan Peiris<\/a><\/span> PC therefor. I need hardly say that this needed courage and it is something that needed doing.<\/p>\n

I also found that the reports of the speeches<\/a><\/span> and particularly your speech<\/a><\/span> which was reported in full in the Sunday Times contained so many home truths that I do hope that the Bar Association of Sri Lanka will, under your stewardship become a meaningful organization and cease to be the “Bum Association of Sri Lanka” as I earlier described it. You have definitely got off to a very good start – indeed an excellent start and I do hope that you will live up to what you have said.<\/p>\n

Being a total pessimist and one who has lost such element of faith as he had in human nature, I had grave doubts about whether you would deliver on the things you said prior to the election. However, judging from your speech it would appear that you intend doing so. I genuinely hope that you will and if so you can count, for what it’s worth, on my unstinted support.<\/p>\n

The happenings at the Convocation re-kindled in me, at least to some extent, the pride I once had about being a member of the Bar. For that, I thank you most sincerely and hope that that spark of pride which I never thought I would live to see again will not be doused but will burst into a full fledged and unquenchable flame. However, as you must know, the knives will now be out to slit your throat. I trust you will face such threats and dangers with fortitude. You can count on my support when (not if) that happens.<\/p>\n

Yours Sincerely<\/p>\n

S. L. Gunasekara<\/p>\n

Read the\u00a0original letter here<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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