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A fitting memorial Suren Ratwatte traces the history of Colombo’s War Cenotaph built a hundred years ago The War Cenotaph: Now at Viharamahadevi Park and (bottom right), a section of the names engraved. Pix courtesy Quintus Andrade Source:Sundaytimes In 1923 Ceylon was a different place to the Sri Lanka of today. The land was ruled by the Empire’s masters, ensconced in their ‘Britishers Only’ Colombo Club near Galle Face Green. The Ceylonese had, however, formed their own rival Orient Club located near the racecourse. ‘Divide and Rule’ was the unwritten law. ‘Natives’ were not permitted to play in the Colombo Club’s cricket and rugby teams. Instead, they congregated in the Singhalese Sports Club, Tamil Union, Burgher Recreation Club, Moors Sports Club, Colombo Malay Cricket Club, etc, also constituted along ethno-religious lines. But just next to the exclusive Colombo Club, a memorial designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens (the famous architect who ...