Prince Harry and Prince Aston Martin

Prince Harry has been fighting on the front lines in Afghanistan for 10 weeks, his presence there kept secret until Thursday in a remarkable deal between the British military and news media.

British military officials confirmed that Harry, 23, third in line to the British throne, deployed to Afghanistan on Dec. 14 and has been fighting Taliban forces from a forward operating base in southern Helmand province.

When the news was posted Thursday on the Drudge Report Web site, British newspapers and television stations instantly rolled out extensive special reports on the first British royal to see combat since the Falklands War more than 25 years ago. Those reports included lengthy taped interviews with Harry just before his deployment in December and last week at his Afghan base. Photos and video showed Harry firing a machine gun, patrolling on foot in full combat gear in an Afghan village and washing his socks in a camp sink.

“All my wishes have come true,” Harry told reporters in last week’s camp interview, wearing a brown military T-shirt and camouflage pants and noting that he had not showered in four days. “It’s very nice to be sort of a normal person for once; I think it’s about as normal as I’m going to get,” said Harry, now addressed with his rank as Cornet Wales. “It’s much better being here experiencing it rather than hearing all the stories of people coming back.”

Unfortunately, in Sri Lanka, the circumstances are entirely different. We have enough ‘CARDBOARD HEROES’ to fight the war only with words, but when it comes to making a real contribution they always back leaving the poor rural youth to be sent to war front, so that the powerful political leaders’ sons can enjoy life in London, Paris and New York, taking their girlfriends to clubs in Aston Martins. These self proclaimed ‘PATRIOTIC’ and ‘BRAVE’ fathers never think it is their duty to send their sons to the battle front to save the ‘RATA-JAATHIYA and AAGAMA’ (country, race and religion) they talk so much about. It is always the poor youth that sacrifice their lives in North and East, while all the fighting the politicians’ sons do is at clubs bashing innocent people.

Is this because our war-promoting political leaders just think that their words (uttered with clenched fists, of course) per se will win the war so no more commitment from their families necessary or just value the lives of poor rural youth so low or they just value the lives of poor rural youth so low?

Tyronne Fernando is no more

Tyronne Fernando, a former Foreign Minister and one of the long serving MPs of UNP (27 continuous years in parliament) passed away at a private hospital in Colombo this morning.

The Oxford educated, former senior parliamentarian has held several key ministerial posts in the past. He served as Foreign Minister in the UNF Government led by then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe. During his tenure as country’s Foreign Minister, he had also announced his candidature for the post of UN Secretary-General.

As President of the Sri Lanka Cricket Board in the early nineties, he was instrumental in building up a team, which won the World Cup in 1996. He is an author of eight books, journalist, cricketer and an expert on international relations (who has attended numerous international conferences and meetings.

Tyronne Fernando also contributed to Sinhala cinema by producing two famous Sinhala movies ‘Veera Puran Appu’ and ‘Kolomba Sanniya’.

May he attain Nibbana!

STAND FOR CHANGE: Barack Obama’s bizarre journey to change America and the world

American and the world history are being created right now, by an incredible human being called Barack Obama.

Obama’s rise to top is unbelievable and unprecedented. A nation once so racist to force blacks to sit is segregated areas in busses and drink from separate taps will most probably preparing to elect their first black president at the end of this year. No, by no means the fight is over. Hillary Clinton and John McCain might not give up so easily, but for the man in the street the game seemed to be almost over.

What makes Obama different from many other politicians is how he wins trust. As he correctly says it is not a fight between young and old; male and female or white and black. It is a fight between present and future. Who will deliver the best future for America and the rest of the world? If the voters have trust Obama can do so, they would not mind his colour of skin or relative inexperience as a politician to lead the most powerful nation in the world.

Are you too looking for a decent job?

In our society, employment decides not just the income, but also the social status of an individual. Therefore, finding a decent job is everyone’s dream.

On the other hand, not everyone is capable of achieving this dream. According to Central Bank of Sri Lanka, less than 8% of total workforce of Sri Lanka is doing what is normally termed as ‘white collar jobs’. The percentage of Senior Officials and Managers is 1.6%. Another 6.3% are termed as ‘professionals’ . This might include teachers and nurses too. The vast majority of 92% are involved in variety of jobs as industry workers, clerks, sales and service workers, farmers and fishermen, craft and related workers and other elementary occupations, which we broadly categorise as ‘blue colour jobs’.

Obviously a blue collar job cannot be not anybody’s first choice. Given all opportunities, everyone likes to be a doctor, an engineer, a lawyer, a pilot or a higher government officer. However in reality they end up much below. The question is whether we do something about this or just forget it as one’s karma.

How would we bridge the employment gap? Is there a way we can have most, if no everyone do what they like to do and earn a reasonable income?

The approaches of the key political parties are extremely different on this issue.

SLFP’s response to employment issue is to absorb youth into government jobs in bulk. One reason for this is SLFP’s inability to develop the private sector, thus creating job opportunities there. On the other hand, it is also a good strategy to provide jobs to party henchmen and be sure of their vote. Government jobs do not pay well, but to some, it offers a social status. For these purely sociological and psychological reasons enough people are ready to work for government even for a meager salary. It is this situation SLFP (and later JVP too) exploits.

However what is good for SLFP/JVP as a political parties can be detrimental for the nation.

What is wrong with creating jobs in bulk in the government ? The money used to provide such job opportunities does not come from SLFP politicians’ ‘budale’. That is the public money earned through the tax we all pay and kept for the development of the country. The inevitable result is using that money for creating jobs hinder development work. The only other options would be to find money either by increasing the money supply (=printing money) or taking commercial loans at higher interest rates. In long term both these measures bring no positive impact on the economy.

On the other hand this is not good for government as well.  This short sighted move has already made Sri Lanka one of the highest per capita public service workforce in Asia. We have one government servant per every 20 people. This is no joke. This is a burden to be carried by the people. This is to much for a small economy like ours. From where we find all that money? On the other hand, it does little good for those who are employed. Even they have to live a hand to mouth existence.

The UNP approach of employment creation is different. UNP does not believe in over expanding the public sector, especially if it is at the increased cost to the citizens. Instead it believes in developing the private sector so that it can absorb more people. That is how UNP created more than 200,000 jobs in the short period of 2 years from 2002-3. All this came no cost to the public, and definitely not by compromising the development. The number of people working in the formal private sector is three times higher what it is the public sector.

Past UNP governments on many occasions have created jobs for the people, when that was necessary.

One example is the introduction of three wheelers. This was done in early 1980s by then President J. R. Jayawardene. There were only few taxies then and their charges were too high for most. Three wheelers on the other hand, in addition to providing job opportunities also offered a cheaper alternative transport for public. UNP can be really proud of the fact that more than 300,000 individuals and their families today make a living through this self employment.

Photo: Running a three-wheeler is a popular self employment in Bandaragama area. Not everybody knows that all this was possible thanks to a UNP government of President J. R. Jayawardene.

However, UNP does not believe in confining youth to jobs of that level. Always our intention is to provide better opportunities for those who deserve. This is done not only by expanding the educational facilities but also creating markets.

E-Sri Lanka was one program launched under the UNP government for creating few hundreds of thousands of jobs in the IT sector following the example of India. That was after then Prime Minister realized that there can be enough opportunities in Sri Lanka for IT and IT enabled service job opportunities. Unfortunately he was not given an opportunity to drive that initiative for long. After few key milestones like setting up the HSBC call centre at Rajagiriya, (that itself created nearly 2,500 jobs) the government was prematurely dissolved and the employment creation did not proceed at the initially planned level. E-Sri Lanka program of the other hand was highly politicised and failed to create the job opportunities Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe has envisaged then.

Photo: HSBC call centre in Hexagon Building, Rajagiriya. Then Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe was instrumental in establishing this which now provides thousands of job opportunities

I have often being asked what sort of solution we would bring to the unemployment issue. I categorically say that we do not just want to create employment opportunities for the sake of creating them. Creating artificial job opportunities in government does more harm than good. Why absorb skilled youth to government to do clerical type of jobs when they can find enough decent well paid jobs in the private sector?

What we like to see is youth engaging in decent jobs they like to do, not any job. If one wants to be a doctor or computer scientist it is the responsibility of the government to provide them that opportunity. That does not mean they should be employed at public sector. The private sector of course can offer them higher salaries and better perks. However, it is the duty of the government to create that market. That can only be done by a government that opens its door to world economy. A government that discourages the private sector and does not know how to run economy will never be able to create job opportunities at large numbers. Neither such a government can provide decent jobs.

As a teacher who has taught tens of thousands of students, I know the aspirations of youth. It is not boasting, but a fact that nearly 2,500 lawyers of today are my former students at Centre for Professional Studies. I am happy that I could make a worthwhile contribution in assisting them finding jobs that they wanted to do.

My own contribution however, will not end there. We have more comprehensive plans to guide creative and intelligent to find the best opportunities in the job market.  In near future you will hear about the series of career guidance seminars that we plan to organize in the Kalutara district.

“වියදම සැරයි - අතමිට හිගයි - එදා වේල පිරිමහ ගන්න අමාරුයි” එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂය පෝසටර් ව්‍යාපාරය අරඹයි!

ඡායාරූප ලංකා ඊ නිව්ස්

රෝහන විජේවීර විජය කුමාරතුංගයන්ට විමුක්තිය දානය කිරීමෙන් විසි වසරකට පසු

 

Twenty years ago, then Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna ( JVP) terrorist leadership, while on the run from law, decided that Vijaya Kumaratunge, and actor turned politician who was becoming increasingly popular among masses should be silenced. His wish has been put to action by the hardcore ground workers by triggering a series of bullets to his face, at Vijaya’s Polhengoda home, in front of his children. Later JVP issued a pamphlet justifying the assassination, saying it is the common punishment for any ‘traitors’.

Hailing from a lower middle class family in Katana, Vijaya made debut to silver screen through ‘Hantane Kathava’ by Sugathapala Senarat Yapa, in which he played the lead role. Since then it was a continuous rise. He played lead roles in more than hundred films including Me Desa Kumatada, Eya Den Loku Lamayek, Hatara Denama Surayo, Mamai Raja, Vasana, Hingana Kolla, Diyamanthi, Jaya Apitai, Thushara, Pembara Madhu, Ganga, Maruva Samaga Vase, Sangeetha, Moneratenne, Sakvithi Suvaya and Anupama. Apart from the role of hero, he was famous to play he also played serious roles in films like Ganga Addara (by Sumitra Pieris), Baddegama (Lester James Pieris), Para Dige, Ahas Gavva and Bambaru Avith (all by Dharmasena Pathiraja) and Podi Malli (Sunil Ariyaratne). Perhaps his all time climax was Vasantha Obeysekera’s Kedapathaka Chaaya, where he played the role of a businessman, who rises to top from the lowest level.

Vijaya entered politics in mid 1970s, when people started recognizing him as an icon. He unsuccessfully contested 1977 for the Katana electorate. He also actively campaigned for Hector Kobbekaduwa, the SLFP candidate in the 1982 Presidential election. Later he formed Sri Lanka Mahajana Party (SLMP) with few walk-aways from SLFP, but within few years met the tragic death, before he could have converted it to a strong third force in Sri Lanka politics.

He was married to Chandrika Kumaranatunge in 1978 and they had two children Yasodhara and Vimukthi.

Vijaya firmly believed the ethnic issue in Sri Lanka could only be solved by a political solution. He took a brave step to visit LTTE controlled North to negotiate a peaceful settlement. However these efforts were in vain as the key parties were not ready to make a compromise.

He was shot in the head with a Type 56 Assault rifle outside his residence in the outskirts of Colombo on February 16, 1988 by Lionel Ranasinghe alias Gamini, who later confessed to the murder upon being questioned by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Ranasinghe, in a 141 page statement, confessed that he was merely carrying out orders given to him by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (”People’s Liberation Front”).

At his funeral Prof. Carlo Fonseka, a relative and close confederate of Vijaya, made a historical speech claiming some lunatics with ‘ugly faces’ killed him, largely out of personal jealousy. After this speech JVP’s wrath was directed at Prof. Fonseka and frequent death threats made him leave the county.

Vijaya was not the only artist who became a victim of the JVP orchestrated terror. Then ITN chairman Thevis Guruge and Premakeerthy de Alwis too met the same fate in front of JVP gun men. It was reported that Premakeerthy touched the feet of his would be assailant for mercy on behalf of his son. But obviously hardcore JVP activists had little concern for innocent children.

Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) publicly claim they have moved away from the path of terrorism and obey the rule of the land, but it is still a question mark why it is still led by somebody who has serious allegations for murders and the violation of immigration law.

Raigampura Heritage II – Alakeshvara (Alagakkonar) dynasty begins

This note will be the second of a series where I intend to go deep into the history of Raigampura kingdom. Alakeshvara dynasty, unalienable from the history of Raigama, would be an ideal starting point. The exercise is worthwhile because rarely anything on the subject is online.

Raigama, according to some historians, was the seventh capital of ancient Lanka, after Anuradhapura (4th Century BC – 10th Century AD), Polonnaruwa (10th Century  – mid 13th Century AD), Dambadeniya (1232-72 AD), Yapahuwa (1272-93 AD), Kurunegala (1293-1341) and Gampola (1341-47). They say it remained the Capital for 68 years, till Parakramabahu VI moved to the comforts of Sri Jayawardenepura-Kotte in 1415 AD.

These dates, let alone the claim, are matters of controversy. Given the fact that the period between the fall of Pollonnaruwa and the rise of Kotte kingdom was a one was a turbulent one, where civil wars were not uncommon, finding authentic records is not easy. Chroniclers, as well as poets of Sandesha kavyas have either intentionally or not recorded their own versions, which often provide contradictory information. So everything we know today might not be accurate, but the fact remains that Raigama was a key political power center of the island somewhere from early to mid 14th century to early 15th century.

Image: An early map of Lanka showing the three power centers of the times. (circa 1340 AD)

Alakeshvaras were the supreme rulers of Raigampura kingdom. Their sovereignty varied from time to time. So were the limits of the kingdom.

Current Raigam Korale is an area of 350 sq km that covers the electorates Bandaragama, Horana and part of Bulathsinhala, but this should not be taken as the limits of ancient Raigampura kingdom in its heyday. The kingdom has spread over large sections of the provinces, Western, Southern and Sabaragamuwa from time to time.

The centre, of course, was at Bandaragama. The fictitious peacock that carries a message to Devinuwara, in ‘Mayura Sandesha’ spends the second night of his travel in the palace of ‘Prabhuraja Alakeshvara’. This place has been clearly identified as the current Pathahawatte Sri Pushkararama Raja Maha Viharaya, in Bandaragama.

 

Image: Pathahawatte Pushkararama Rajamaha Viharaya today stands at the same land once was the palace of Prabhuraja Alakeshvara. A three meter wide wall surrounding the temple land can still be seen.

But who were Alakeshvaras (aka Alagakkonars)?

Early history of Alakeshvara family remains largely a grey area. If we overlook what Prof. Paranavitana has written later (which is extremely controversial and still not accepted by any other historians) the earliest evidence of an Alakeshvara appears in a rock inscription from ‘Kithsirimevan Kelani Vihara’ supposed to be done in 1344 AD. It mentions about the 10th predecessor of Alakeshvara lineage, who has renovated the temple under the guidance of Vigammula Sangaraja Thero. It does not mention anything about Buvanekabahu IV, parallel king in the Gampola kingdom, supposed to be then official capital of Lanka. This, point out historians as an evidence of an independent Raigam kingdom towards the South-west of the Kelani river.

The name points to a South Indian origin. ‘Alaga’ in Tamil stands for god Kuvera, the celestial controller of wealth, and ‘Konar’ indicates a chieftain. Alaga+Konar=Alagakkonar. This could have been transformed to Sanskrit as Alakeshvara.

 The rock inscription at Niyamgampaya and Attanagalu Vamsaya trace Alakeshvara family to Vanchipuram in India. This was the capital of ancient ‘Chera’ kingdom (present state of Kerala in South India) and a famous port for international trade. Most probably Alakeshvara family too could have been involved in international trade and travelled other countries for business purposes. It is not known exactly when this family moved to Sri Lanka. Most probably they won power during the Polonnaruwa kingdom days, where the influence of South India on local politics was prominent. According to Prof. Paranavitana, the first Alakeshvara was a mercenary leader from Malabar, who later became an agent for Burmese Lanka international trade, but this is not a widely accepted fact.

Ibn Batutta, the Arab explorer who supposedly visited Lanka in 1344 AD provides some important information about Raigampura kingdom and Alakeshvaras. These are his words:

Then we came to Konakar, the capital of Sultan’s kingdom.  It was built on a valley between two mountains, and famous for gems…The Sultan of Konakar is called ‘Al-Konar’. He has a white elephant. I have never seen such a white elephant in any other place I have visited. Sultan rides on this elephant decorated with emeralds, on festive occasions. The aristocrats of the land rebelled against the Sultan, made him blind and offered the kingdom to his son.

Images: A modern version of Batutta’s travelogue and an early painting depicting Batutta’s meeting with the emperor in Delhi.

Prof. Paranavitana was of the opinion that this place is Ratanapura (note the two mountains and gems) but there is no evidence on such  kingdom in Ratnapura in 14th century. If the references to two mountains and gems are treated as a mistake by Batutta, (which is possible as his travelogues  were reportedly penned by another scholar long after) the Konakar he mentions can be Raigampura and ‘Al-Konar’ is obviously an Alagakkonar (Alakeshvara). However, it is not certain it refers to the same individual the Kithsirimevan Kelani inscription does.

Another opinion is that ‘Konakar’ is Kurunegala kingdom, but that would be taking the clock few years forward and also assuming Alakeshvaras ruled from Kurunegala, a fact not supported by any other evidence.

Does this mean that there was an independent kingdom in Raigama, even before the fall of Gampola kingdom? Was it possible that Ibn Batutta landed at the port of Colombo (or alternatively Panadura) and travelled along the same Panadura - Horana Road to reach Sripada? We will never know, but the possibilities cannot be neglected.

In my next post on this series I plan to discuss about other Alakeshvaras, though some of them were not known by the very name.

(Note: I thank Mr. Gunasena Gamage of Bandaragama, who provided most of the information above. His latest book ‘Raigampura Rajadhaniya’, Sarasvathi publications, Divulapitiya was released recently)

Sripathi Sooriyarachchi dies in an accident. Will we ever learn the truth now?

Gampaha district MP Sripathi Sooriyarachchi today met with his tragic death exactly one year after he was stripped of his ministerial portfolio by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on February 9, 2007. According to ‘Daily Mirror’, the death toll of the accident which claimed his life has also risen to four now.

Defence.lk reported he met this fatal road accident at Madagama, in the Galgamuwa area. According to the police sources the vehicle carrying Sripathi has crashed into a tree around 1.15.p.m. when it was slipped off the road due to high speed. The vehicle was travelling from Anuradhapura to Colombo on the route via Thambuththegama, it further said.

Sripathi left the government last year after making serious allegations against the present government about a secret deal with LTTE to make nearly 700,000 of voters of North and East boycotting the Presidential election of 2005. This boycott resulted in opposition leader Ranil Wickramasinghe losing a large number of votes from the Northern province, where the voter turnout has been found to be highly favorable from previous opinion pools and consequently changing the results of the election.

With Sripathi’s death, it is doubtful that the questions he raised will ever be answered.

I wish to take this opportunity to pass my condolences to Sripathi’s wife, children and other family members. He was a friend and brave politician who should have been with us during these turbulent times of the country. It was a great loss.

May he attain Nibbana!

(Photo: www.dailymirror.lk)

CELEBRATIONS AMIDST PRICE HIKES, BLOODSHED, FEAR AND CONFUSION: Kavuda mevata vaga kiyanne?

‘Independence Day’ celebrations were conducted yesterday, in grand scale and perhaps also coinciding with the funerals of some of the innocent civilian victims of Dambulla and Colombo Railway Station bombs. Those who received serious injuries at the twin bomb blasts on the previous day and their families might not have been in the mood to celebrate. Neither been the millions of poor who find it hard to make a living with the continuous and sharp price increases of all essential commodities. Still for the higher echelons of the society it was ‘independence’. For the vast majority of the have-nots, the faceless human beings from Point Pedro to Devundara and from Chilaw to Batticaloa, who live in constant fear worrying  not only whether they would be a victim of next bus bomb, but also whether they could afford the next meal, given the hyper-inflationary price increases the words ‘independence’ and ‘freedom’ have different meanings.

 

‘Rivira’ cartoon on Sunday

No civilized society would celebrate at a time of mourning, but perhaps we have passed that stage. What importance a few more lives could have when more than 5,000 lives of civilians and armed forces were lost, since the restart of the war immediately after the 2005 Presidential Election? That would be the popular thinking of the day. Gone and long forgotten are the days of 2002-3, the only era in the recent history the terms of ‘FEARLESNESS’ (‘Abhaya’) and ‘FREEDOM’ (‘Nidahasa’) were truly meaningful. Most find it difficult to believe we had such peaceful environment in this country, under Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe, a long two years completely free from a single bus bomb, anywhere in the country. How it became am almost weekly event now is a different question.

An image worth thousand words: This page taken from yesterday’s ‘Divaina’ tells it all. The entire page is covered with photographs of the victims of bomb blasts while a solitary advertisement in the bottom left says ‘KIREN PIRUNU NIDAHASAK’.

The bomb blast at Fort Railway station raises serious questions. This was Central Colombo, just walking distance from Galle Face, where the Independence celebrations were held. The entire area was quarantined for long house during the last few days for rehearsals, causing numerous inconveniences for general public. Pedestrians were thoroughly checked. It was the very day morning Mr. Dullus Alahapperuma, Minister of Transport guaranteed the safety of the bus and train passengers, saying he has taken every measure. It is ironical that even before his words were broadcast, a bomb blasted within the Fort Railway station, the second one at the very place in few weeks, causing 12 casualties. If we cannot stop preventing a bomb blast in the heart of the city would there be any meaning talking about the safety of unarmed civilians in Okkampitiya?

When the government cannot guarantee the safety of citizens, the next best thing it could do is to minimize mass gatherings. Mass gatherings give enemy an ideal opportunity to achieve its objectives. But common sense is lost in the wake of earning political milage. Next week the grand exhibition, conducted by spending the tax payers’ money at a time of financial difficulties, would attract millions. For government desperate to save its image now, its publicity, but how fair risking the lives of innocent people for political needs?

Finally, somebody asked me why UNP did not celebrate 60th Independence. Was it of no importance to us? No, on the contrary, perhaps UNP is the only political party in Sri Lanka, that truly understands the independence, having won it for the nation. It is just that we decide to commemorate it in a more meaningful manner. Yesterday we were at temples, not only remembering those who made independences but also wishing that the people of this country would be able to enjoy the independence in its true sense as soon as possible. That was the least we could give back to the nation which has been so much to us.

Tribute to the men who gave us the National Flag

The verge of the 60th independence celebrations brings an ideal occasion to pay tribute to those who gave us the national flag that we flaunt so proudly now.

The story of E.W. Perera, the ‘Lion of Kotte’, tracing the national flag of Lanka to the Chelsea Royal Military Hospital in London is well known. The flag was taken by British at the collapse of the Kandyan Kingdom in 1815 February. Controversy remains whether it was the national flag or the flag of the Kandyan kings. A proto type of the lion flag appears in a mural in Dambulla caves, depicted as held by the troops of king Dutugemunu in 2nd Century BC, but the paintings were made during the Kandyan period and it is also possible that the painter transposed a contemporary symbol to the past. Still that does not negate the fact that lion had been used to symbolize the nation in ancient times, as seen clearly from the ruins of, among other places, Yapahuva.

Photos: Evolution of the National flag: First Row: ‘Lion Flag’ found in Dambulla murals and original ‘Lion Flag’ of the Kandyan kingdom; Second Row: Flag of Ceylon from 1875-1948 and Flag from 1948-50; Third Row: Flag 1950-72 and modern version we use since 1972

It is unfortunate that the contribution made by another patriot in not only finding but establishing the lion flag has gone unnoticed. D. R. Wijewardene, the press baron, grandfarther of opposition leader Ranil Wickramasinghe, not only encouraged E.W. Perera in this task, but also provided much needed financial support.

Original Lion flag became a centre piece of attraction and the public became aware of the actual design after the fall of the Kandyan Kingdom was when the Dinamina, leading local language newspaper of the day published by D. R. Wijewardene’s Lake House, issued a special edition of the paper on March 2, 1915 to mark the centenary of the end of independence, with the intention of re-kindling the desire of the people to win back the freedom they had lost to the British. On the front page were portraits of the last King and Queen of Kandy surmounted by the royal insignia Crown and the Lion flag in colour.

Photos: Men behind the National Flag saga: E. W. Perera, D. S. Senanayake and D. R. Wijewardene

In the Independence ceremony in 1948, held at the land later known to be the ‘Independence Square’ Rt Hon. D. S. Senanayake, first Prime Minister of independent Lanka, hoisted the original lion flag while the girls from Musaeus College sang “Sri Lanka Matha, Paala yasa Mahima” – the national anthem of the day. Later, “Namo Namo Matha” – popular gramophone song then, written by Ananda Samarakoon replaced it.

It was Mudaliyar A. L. Sinnelebbe, the Member of Parliament for Batticaloa moved the motion in parliament stating that, “This house is of the opinion that the Royal Standard of King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe depicting a yellow lion passant holding a sword in its right paw on a red background, which was removed to England after the convention of 1815, be once again adopted as the official flag of free Lanka.” , just nineteen days prior to the historic occasion.

On March 6, 1948, Prime Minister D. S. Senanayake appointed a seven member National flag Committee headed by the leader of the House Mr. S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike to advise him on the question of the National flag of independent Ceylon. After two years and several controversies, the committee gave its final recommendations on February 13, 1950. Two vertical stripes of equal size in saffron and green represent the minority communities; the Muslims and the Tamils. The stripes in relation to the entire flag are in proportion 1:1:5.

Photo: Opposition leader with the National Flag, his grandfather has been instrumental in finding and popularising

Lion Flag today stands as a symbol of national unity.  It represents all communities in Sri Lanka.