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What’s Happening to Cricket?- By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando Everyone in Sri Lanka, from children to grown-ups, know about cricket. Though volleyball is known as Sri Lanka’s national game, cricket took its place due to its popularity. There was a time when even Kussi Ammas were engrossed in the game whenever cricket matches appeared on TV screens. When players such as Duleep Mendis, Kumar Sangakkara, Roshan Mahanama, Bandula Warnapura, Sanath Jayasuriya, Brenden Kuruppu or Arjuna Ranatunge batted, crowds were enthusiastic. The game’s enthusiasm peaked when Arjuna Ranatunge won the world cup in 1996. Cricket is a pitch and tosses game, where one team wins today and the rivals win tomorrow. The rule book says that players must act on numerous regulations and disciplinary codes vested upon the umpires, captains, and the Governing bodies. The game needs to be played according to the game’s rules and within the spirit of ...

May 11, 2022 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Tilak S Fernando Tagged Bandula Warnapura, Brenden Kuruppu or Arjuna Ranatunge, Colombo Cricket Club, Danushka Gunathilake, Duleep Mendis, Gamini Dissanayake, ICC, KUMAR SANGAKKARA, Kusal Mendis, Nirosha Dickwella, Roshan Mahanama, Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka Cricket Board, Sri Lankan cricket, World Cup in 1996

POWER CUT EFFECTS – by Dr. Tilak S. Fernando The Government needs to refrain from obtaining short-term at high interest rates. It will further compound Sri Lanka’s woes and reflect on the foreign debt trap. The country became paralysed by the Covid-19 Pandemic and a global economic crisis. Rather than repeating the same mantra repeatedly, Sri Lanka should re-negotiate and restructure the repayment of our sovereign debt by coming to a moratorium agreement. Reeling under its worst economic crisis Sri Lanka’s power cuts continue for up to 13 hours a day. The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) indicated that power disruptions will be according to a zone system. Yet, invariably the power cuts and restoration times vary. It confuses the public as no one can organise anything properly. Hungry and sweaty children have to use candlelight to attend to their schoolwork in the dark. Housewives cannot keep ...

May 11, 2022 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Tilak S Fernando Tagged CEB, Electricity Board's Union, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Labour Government, London Electricity Board, power cuts, Public Utilities Commission Oil prices, Sri Lanka

British Royal Debacle – by Dr. Tilak S. Fernando Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born on 21 April 1926. She married the Duke of Edinburgh on 20 November 1947 and had four children. The young couple were on tour in Kenya, when they had to return to England to attend King George VI, her father’s, funeral. He died in his sleep on 6 February 1952. Princess Elizabeth’s coronation took place on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey in London and she was crowned the Queen of Great Britain, Northern Ireland, and Head of the Commonwealth. Queen Elizabeth II goes down in British Royal history as the longest reigning monarch. She marks her 70 years on the throne on 6 February 2022. During her stint as the Queen of England, she toured thousands of miles in England and worldwide, shaking millions of hands. However, being the mother of Prince Andrew, ...

May 11, 2022 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Tilak S Fernando Tagged British Royal history, Federal Government, Judge Kaplan, King George VI, Lady Diana, Platinum Jubilee celebrations, Prince Andrew, Prince Charles, Queen of England, Queen of Great Britain, Royal Family, Sarah Ferguson, Virginia Roberts Giuffre

Retired DIG’s Anguish – by Dr. Tilak S. Fernando The writer and his partner were invited on 1 January 2022 by the Ceylon oldest living Olympian boxer-retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, Sumith Liyanage, with some guests. Our conversation at the lunch table discussed details of Sumith’s career in Sri Lanka’s Police Force. During the 1960 Olympics in Rome, Sumith Liyanage fought in the same ring where young Cassius Clay as an amateur fought (earlier )in the light heavyweight category. It was at the Palazzo Dello Sports arena against Poland’s Jerzy Adamski. Sumith Liyanage was an old Anandian and Nalandian. He showed his liveliness in cricket when he played for Ananda and Nalanda. He was an opening fiery right-hand bowler, but his forte was boxing. Olympics During New Year’s lunch when the topic of Boxing came up, the writer asked Sumith Liyanage whether he ever confronted Cassius Clay in ...

May 11, 2022 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Tilak S Fernando Tagged Black Panther, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Jerzi Adamski, Palazzo Dello Sports, Senior Police Officers, Sri Lanka Army, Sumith Liyanage

The Interminable Patriot is no more! – by Dr. Tilak S. Fernando Douglas Wickramaratne answered the final call from this world on 1 December 2021. He was born on 9 April 1938 in Colombo. He lived in North London and was an interminable patriot. He always argued with the international community to safeguard the reputation of Sri Lanka. His funeral took place on 14 December at the West Chappal of Golders Green, Crematorium, London NW11. He was educated at Ananda College, Colombo and was the leader of the debating team for both Sinhala and English, until Dr Buddhadasa Bodhinayake succeeded him. After leaving Ananda, he worked at the Bank of Ceylon as a manager and subsequently with the National Savings Bank in Sri Lanka. Douglas arrived in London in 1970 to pursue further studies. Upon completing his studies in London, he joined the Lloyd’s Bank of London as a ...

May 11, 2022 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Tilak S Fernando Tagged Ananda College Colombo, Bank of Ceylon, Dr Buddhadasa Bodhinayake, National Savings Bank, Overseas Sri Lankan's Organisation for National Unity, Senaka Weeratana

A Tribute to Podi hamuduruwo – By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando When I was in London my niece Shyamala Fernando asked me to interview Dr Galagoda Gnanissara Thera when I visited Sri Lanka on holiday in 2000, one of the most respected Buddhist prelates in Sri Lanka. He’s popularly known as Podihamuduruwo, the Chief Incumbent at the Gangarama Temple. Venerable Nayaka Thera was born on 14 December 1943, ordained in the village of Galagoda, Matara, on 8 November 1954. After completing his primary education, he entered Vidyodaya University in 1961 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He took up robes at the age of 10, graduated at 17 and had to take the reins of Gangarama Viharaya at the age of 17 when his guru Venerable Devundera Sri Vachissara passed away. Many admire his guidance. The Venerable helps orphans to face life with a strong sense of ...

May 11, 2022 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Tilak S Fernando Tagged Gangarama Temple, J.R. Jayewardene, Podihamuduruwo, Sri Jinaratana Technical Training Centre, Sri Lanka, Vidyodaya University

DOMESTIC GAS EXPLOSIONS – By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando During the past few weeks, Sri Lankans experienced an appalling condition where wives, cooks at various hotels and restaurants and other family members became subjected to explosions of many a kind due to the use of domestic LP gas out of cylinder explosions. There have been 244 explosions from the 1st of January to the 5th of December 2021. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed an eight-member committee to investigate recent reports of liquid petroleum (LP) gas cylinder fires and make recommendations within three days. The Committee, after the initial investigations, recommended the following guidelines for the public to follow. The Committee’s recommendations were as follows: “(1) The public must ensure that the gas cylinders purchased have no leaks at the point of purchase. (2) Should there be a leak in an LP gas cylinder needs reporting to the local police and ...

May 11, 2022 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Tilak S Fernando Tagged fire incidents, Gas companies, gas cylinders, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, LP gas cylinder, LP gas leakages

Tribute to my Elder Brother – by Dr.Tilak S. Fernando My elder brother, M. R. Fernando, passed away on 5 May 1995. On his 27th death anniversary, I write this to him tribute because at the time of his death I was living in London. Everyone called him MR. He missed his university entrance as our father suffered from Typhoid fever. Later ‘MR’ joined the Technical College at St. Sebastian Hill, Maradana, and qualified B.Sc. (Hons) London in Civil Engineering. After he qualified he worked as a lecturer at the same Technical College. We, three brothers hailed from an engineering background, my father was a Government Civil Engineering Contractor. My elder brother joined the Public Works Department (PWD) as an Assistant Engineer, and his first appointment was in Kandy. The Public Works Department metamorphosed over the years and is known today as the Road Development Authority. At the time ...

May 11, 2022 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Tilak S Fernando Tagged Director of the Territorial Civil Engineering Organisation, Government Civil Engineering Contractor, he Institute of Engineers Sri Lanka, MR, Public Works Department, Sri Lankan Airways, Territorial Civil Engineering Organisation

The Pond, Butterflies and Rainbow – by Dr.Tilak S. Fernando Recently the surgeon Dr. Athula Withanage translated into Sinhala for the first time, ‘Evgeni Onegin,’ a Russian romantic novel written in verse and a masterpiece of the great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. Simultaneously, he translated it into English, making it the 46th English translation. This achievement by Dr. Athula Withanage can be hailed as a historical event, as it was declared impossible to achieve by many authors in the past including the great translator, Oruwala Bandu. This was because of cultural differences and the era (1880) when it was written, as well as the different meaning Alexander Pushkin gave his own poetic words. Dr. Withanage escaped the shackles of rhyming by producing the masterpiece in Sinhala using the unique form of ‘Nisandas Kavi’. The books were presented to the First Secretary of the Russian Embassy in Sri Lanka, and the ...

May 11, 2022 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Tilak S Fernando Tagged and Rainbow, Butterflies, Covid 19, Dr. Athula Withanage, Living Capsule, Neville Fernando Hospital, The Pond, Wound Care and Management

A shining example for Buddhist Clergy – By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando Venerable Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera was recognised as a noble Buddhist monk who committed his whole life to social service. The Venerable monk never indulged in selfish motives. Some Buddhist monks have joined various political parties and dabble actively in politics. Venerable Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera focused on working for the ordinary man. Therefore, the late Thera was considered one of the holiest priests, who earned respect from the public. Venerable Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera’s sixth death anniversary was commemorated at the Rajamaha Viharaya in Kotte a few weeks ago. Early Life He was born to Pathirage Don Peiris Appuhamy and Kuruwita Arachchige Karalinahamy in a remote village called Maduluwawe. Educated initially at Maduluwawe mixed school, as a child, he displayed unique qualities that were different from other young children and decided to take up robes as a Buddhist monk ...

May 11, 2022 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Tilak S Fernando Tagged Buddhist Culture, Buddhist philosophy, history of Ceylon, Lankan Buddhist society, Prof. Sarath Wijesuriya, Rajamaha Viharaya in Kotte, Vidyodaya University, Walpola Rahula Thera