The Tree Tunnel..........

Sunset Boulevard, I never been there but I have watched the movie. It was the first time I saw Cecil B DeMille as an actor. I n Sri lanka we don’t have  boulevards.

Boulaverd the name itself related to French.Sri Lanka lucky or unluckily never become  a colony of  France. We have almost every British ,Dutch urban design features such  as   water fountains, crescents, esplanade, tea gardens, forts, forecourts’, but not French urban planning not even a  single word of it.

Typical boulevard character is large wide road running through the city which allows vehicles to move and both side pedestrian walkway with a buffer of trees. It says during the time of Louis XIV, that he wanted run his royal carriage without any obstructs, so he cleans the road and widen it. Also it says during the French revolution the  king wanted widening of the road   for military purpose.

 Still the famous Champs-Élysées one of the best tourist attraction on 14 th of July for its military Parade. 

Apart from that those who visited France will never miss this boulevard because it is connecting the triumph of arch and Place Charles de Gaulle. The other best thing is very expensive shops.  So far I have not done shopping in Champs-Élysées but someday who knows.

As an urban design feature the boulevard concept nicely adopted in many countries. The famous sunset boulevard does not have large tree like France, but it has palm trees which gives   certain uniqueness and different feel. Anyway I never had been to Sunset Boulevard either. 

Who cares that Edgar Rice Burroughs never been to Africa, but still he wrote Tarzen and whole series is about Africa, the jungle .I think we don t have to be the place to enjoy it.We never been to moon but we feel it and enjoy it.Writing poems about it.

But in Sri Lanka I do pass the Denzil Kobbakaduwa Mawatha. Well it’s not even remotely close like Champs-Élysées in Paris or Sunset Boulevard in LA either .But it has nice large canopy of trees which reminds something different where I can’t  expect  close to Colombo.

 Lieutenant General Denzel Kobbekaduwa is a Sri Lankan war hero who died long before the Final battle in Pudu Matalan. Actually he died in Kytes island, if you are been to Naga deepa through island Kytes there is a road post showing Araly.That is the place Lieutenant General Denzil  Kobbekaduwa was assassinated  including another ten or more high rank army offcers,Even his death was subjected to lot of rumors and his wife called for an international commission into the incident. But this was not granted, again the Sri Lankan government set up their own commission to investigate. A Presidential Commission carried out by the Sri Lankan Government and it concluded making two people directly responsible for this incident, one of them was a former Sri Lankan President. Well that al belongs to history, now we have only this road named after him,

During the time he was assassinated he had, successfully won the Vadamarachchi Operation in 1987.(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vadamarachchi_Operation)

As per the war expertise there was a propensity of ending the Sir Lankan civil war If Lieutenant General Denzel Kobbekaduwa was alive,

The last time when I was in Jaffna, I really wanted to go Araly at least to see the monument but the sandy road does not give the permission to my small car, so I had to turn back. I’m not a person who simply turns back, I started walk but it was burning sun it was dam too hard to walk and alone. My mother strongly refused the idea of walking.

Again back to the Denzel Kobbekaduwa Mawatha, when I heard this road first time I was working as an apprentice in Arch.Sumangala Jayatilake’s studio spaced out. I was in second year or third year in my architectural education. As an apprentice   one duty was answering to the landline. It was a famous advertising owner who called to  our office saying that he wanted to help with building for Army veterans,we helped with the design and drawings were submitted to a famous Buddhist monk .At that time this road did not look green as today.

 Now the building we designed. can be seen on the left side of the junction from Battaramulla side. The planting of trees was a one of very clever idea I’m not sure who made that decision. But I am pretty sure this road did not belongs to recent Colombo city modifications, Because still I don t see the red paving blocks  on the  pedestrian walk.

The road continues up Koswatta Junction, but the tree canopy has only 2/3 of this road which is quit shame. There are several government offices are located, but I am more regular to the fish market which is nearly on the end of the road. Also there is a small park recently has opend. 

I too have nice memories on this road. It does not matter whether you drive, walk or standing under a tree it sort of nice experience. I have done all of these at the moment the pedestrian walk way under renovations, seems  it’s going to  be cement block paving’s. I wish instead of that tree canopy will continue up to the Koswatta Junction.

We also this as an alternative access to the parliament road to avoid Battaramulla city traffic. I think it may be the idea of this road because public transport has not encouraged yet. Some of you may not recognize this road by its name or   canopy of trees, yet you may be gone to Havai restaurant perhaps for a drink at night with friends where you cannot notice any of above.

IF......

The general Sri Lankan believes about government service is not positive. They are well known for being inefficient. I too have unpleasant experiences in some government offices.But we cannot forget that we have free health care, free education that all government services. To be honest most of educated Sri Lankans are products of free education.

During the colonial period In Sri Lanka we had reputed civil service, if we are blaming to the civil service today we blaming to ourselves. After the long years of free education which includes university education as well if someone not doing his job properly it’s a personal problem. Nothing wrong with the country. We can pointed politicians for appointing unqualified people to the high rank of the government service, but again most cases they have fairly good education qualifications. But their performances are not quit acceptable. Well educated people kneed in front   of politicians those who not even got through grade 8.That’s why I think this is a personal problem, but after long period of education if it is the result that is a problem with our education. Did our education system provide scholars without personality?

Professor Nalin De Silva bending over ex parliamentarian  Namal Rajapaksha. Professor Nalin De Silva former university professor in Quantum Physics. Few Sri Lankans who obtained a doctorate degrees in quantum physics. Where is the problem? Education or person? I don t know….

But out of all there is a still one person in Sri Lanka which we can be proud. That is no other than our commissioner of election; Mr.Mahinda Dehspriya.He is a complete Sri Lankan Product.Studied in government schools and  being graduated from University of Peradeniya.

The  Department of Elections was created on October 01, 1955, amalgamating the then existing two Departments of Parliamentary Elections and Local Body Elections.

But during the time of President Chandrika Kumaratunga ,the Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution was enacted to provide for an Election Commission appointed by the President on the recommendations of the Constitutional Council. This was in October 2001, 

 Actually Sri Lanka got influenced from India, somehow this was a one of the best things that CBK did during her period.

We had several commissioners of election, including one who suffered stress during his period and got retired giving that excuse in 2010 .Mr. Mahinda Deshapriya was appointed after that by the President. The first time when I saw Mr. Mahinda Deshapriya I understood that he was a complete different person.

Generally all Sri Lankan government official wear white collar dress with suitable tie, it does not matter even if it’s sweating outside, because their offices’ are have air condition. The other dress is which Sri Lankan known as” Kapati suit” (cunning dress).this is an adaptation of both European and Asian .It is trouser and the shirt with a Chinese collar. A lot of Sri Lankan politicians wear this specially those who wanted to show that they hate western influences in this country. Our beloved politician who called to prime minister by using nicest filthy words in the parliament wears this “Kapati suit”.

Actually we have funny clothes, during the colonial time some Sri Lankan wealthy people worn the Sarong over the trouser, they were showing while they are serving to British Still BE Sri Lankan by wearing the “Sarong”.

Somehow Mr.Mahida Dehapriya also wearing this and the first press conference with Medias for me he did not sound nicely. He has very sarcastic loud way of talking. Sometimes he stood up and demonstrated how vote correctly. During his period we had several local elections and former presidents party got landslide victories most of the time. Those elections were reported to be extremely corrupted.

The government with the power used everything to win those elections, they were distributing goods targeting votes, using government vehicles so many misuse of government property etc.

The last election before the presidential election was in Uva province, Sri Lanka .Badulla is the capital of the Uva province, Ex-president’s nephew, was running for the post of chief minister and he was the chief minister of the Uva province over five years, But it is the poorest province in Sri Lanka.We can imagine what kind of election happened and how they won it.

But before the election, commissioner of election been to the area and he address the media. With his loud casual voice he told there are not any significant violations of election law to be identified in the Uva province. But it was not true; everybody knew that it was not true.

Even I thought Mr. Mahinada Deshapriya, no any different from other government workers, but I was wrong. Most of us were wrong .Really appearances are deceptive. It was the presidential election that Mr. Mahida Deshapriya prepared for.

Mr.Mahinda Deshapriya with his brothers,sisters,three generations of his family.
  

He was far sighted not to lose his position on trivial matters such as local election, he knew if he speak against the existing governments that time he will be at home in few days. So he waited till presidential election making government to believe he is only a moppet.

During the time of presidential election he used his maximum power to have fair and non-violent election. It was not easy, at one point he had to openly said shoot straight to the head if someone comes to vote forcefully.

Mr. Mahinda Deshapriya  is the brother of journalist Sunanda Deshapriya, now who is seeking political asylum in some western European country.Mr Sunanda Deshapriya was an very active  member of the 1971 unsuccessful revolution in Sri Lanka.Then he turn in to a journalist and most of his life he spent with lifelong struggles to keep this country on the correct path. But finally he had to leave the country. 

There are some dark areas in his role as a journalist but he tried most of the time .Mr. Mahida Deshapriya was unaware of most of Sri Lankans till he become commissioner of election, but what he did to this country is remarkable. If there is no fair election on 8^th of January things would have been changed so many different ways of this country.

“If you can keep your head when all about you  

    Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,  

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

    But make allowance for their doubting too;  

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

    Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,

Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,

    And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:”

               -Rudyard Kipling

Mr. Mahida Deshapriya did most of above……

facing to a selfi  with next genaration of sri lanka

Birds of a feather flock together...........................?

I have a cousin sister elder to me. Now she has a daughter who is going to sit for the grade 5 examinations in this month. When I was ay my niece’s age my cousin was in her early twenties. She never had a time to play with me, but she had a considerable amount of papers which were known as “Mal Pathara” .These some kind of papers which were very popular during early 90s.These papers are not pornography, but full of sentimental love stories, every weekly published .Most of the time with the paper publishers issues a colored photograph of Bollywood actor. My cousin really loved those papers and weekly she was buying.

 My mother would rather prefer that I am going to my cousin’s home than playing with the boys. I don t think that she ever knew that I am going there to read this papers, When I was about 10 years old I have finished most of children books.

Every day I wanted to read something different, I ‘m  not going to Justify reading  those youth papers at that time, but frankly that was happened.

                                                             Mr.Bandula Padmakumara
The first time that I came to know Upul Shantha Sannasgala was from that paper. That paper was “Araliya” which means flower temple trees. The editor of that newspaper was Bandula Padmakumara, he is the one who started first adults only magazine in Sri Lanka, even I have seen this magazine with one of my cousin brother who was actually over ten years elder than to me.But I never got a chance to read, By the time I got in to his room the magazine was not there, god knows where it was?

                                           Mr.Upul Shantha Sannasgala

 Both Budula Padmakumara and Upul Shantha Sannasgala I met when I was in grade 7 again ,.Bandula Padmakumara  had started a newspaper  “Samudura”.It was a time where we never got a chance to sit in front of a computer,  not  to mention that  we never had smart phones or I  Pad and surf internet.

I was very much curious to know what s happenings outer world. The “Samudura “basically translation of Readers’ Digest, National Geographic, Life etc. . .And it was full of images.Bandula Padmakumara was the editor of that paper. Upul Shantha Sannasgala was a very popular tuition teacher; He was a pioneer of starting whole classes’ students over 1000.

Then suddenly Bandula Padmakumara started” Lakbima “newspaper which is a national newspaper now. 

The Lakbima was the first newspaper which started issuing an entertainment tabloid magazine with the newspaper in Sinhalese. The first newspaper with the entertainment tabloid was “the Sunday times”. People love gossip, and  Bandula Padmakumara knew it very well.

While I was moving from child hood to youth hood Bandula Padmakumara also had moved from “Mal pathara karaya” to “Praveena Madhyawedii”.But still Upul Shantha Sannasgala stays as tuition teacher. But he was popular with youth writing a novel “Adaranneya wassanaya” which means loving spring I guess so.

Mr.Padmakumara while he was doing Mul pituwa

It was the  love story  Kasun and Chapa ,I too read it.That book was a very popular among the youth I  can remember my mother was scolding saying it’s cheap literature, but who cares ,that  book was a best-selling book in Sri Lanka .Even they produced a movie out of it, but movie was a  horrible crap from  the beginning to the end I watched it too.

From the beginning of the new millennium Sri Lankans started celebrating Valentine’s Day. The Valentine’s Day was implanted to Sri Lanka by the medias specially FM radios.Eventhogh my parents were married over 30 years they were never heard about this day.
 But  now even five years old kindergarten kids are exchange roses on that day. After  A/L examinations I was spent very lethargic time without knowing what will be next. Upul Shantha Sannsgala again appeared to the stage by organizing lover’s camp first time in Sri Lanka.

 The camp was held at Wihara Maha Devi Park, Colombo if I am not mistaken. Of course I did not go but I was close by .Those days I was spending lot of time in Public Library Colombo,Vihara maha devi park was next to the library. I still remember before start the camp there was a   protest by lovers they were asking for what that I don t remember. But all the couples walked around the Vihara Maha devi  Park holding banners. The entire event was not free. First time in Sri Lanka people paid to protest.

Vihara Maha Devi Park Colombo
I do remember this because of another thing that was the time Manjula Wediwardhana was writing to by his heart touching words in “Rawaya” newspaper. He had made an interview with Upul Shantha Sannasgala about this event, and had asked why this whole thing has become paid event. He asked much better way, like why love is expensive on valentine day or something like that. Upul Shantha Sannsgala had replied his ass is not aching to do things free.

But I don’t think Upul Shantha Sannasgala did everything  hoping only profit. He was the producer for Ashoka Hadagama’s movie” Aksharaya” which was banned showing in Sri Lanka.

By that time Bandula Padmakumara started reading newspaper headlines in the morning in a television channel .Common thread for both of them was they always think little different from  most of us. Both of them were never afraid of trying something new.

Bandula Padmakumara with Mr.Gotabhaya Rajapaksha

Then again Upul Shantha Sannasgala was charged stealing Advanced Level exam paper and discussing the questions before the exam in his tuition class. But end of the story Upul Shantha Sannasgala was found not erroneous and he wrote a book to prove that he is not guilty.

During the past years Bandula Padmakumara ended up being very faithful journalist to the previous government. Also he was appointed as the head of the Lake house; it’s a government publishing newspapers. But Upul Shantha Sannasgala ended up being out spoken against the government. He also made appear   that time opposition leader now prime minister in his tuition class. That was also first time in Sri Lanka .A politician addressing students in a private tuition class. 

Upul Shantha Sannasgala the president and the prime minister

Sometimes later Upul Shantha Sannasgala started acknowledging that he missed his parents specially his mother during his struggling years in Colombo. He started being ultimately genuine and explained to media what terrible life that he spent in his childhood. Not only was that he accusing his father being abusive. He did not stop at that level.

Upul Shantha Sannasgala  adressing at AMMA  book lounch

 He wrote a book “Amma” the mother ,well we can’ t compare this book with Maksim Gorky’s  the mother, Sannasgala’s  book does not have such gravity at all, but as usual after years it was again best –selling booking SriLanka.Even  the book launching was very dramatic ,very heart touching. While the distinguish guest addressing the audience a painter did a portrait of Sannasgala’s mother.

                                                             Sannasgal's Book "Amma"

My mother is not fan of Sannasgala at all. But due to the heavy publicity of this event she insisted that she wanted to participate, so I went with her. Throughout  the programme my mother was crying. This time Upul Shantha Sannasgala had touched most sensitive nerves of the Sri Lankan s.Sannasgala did not stop at that even he gave his for a tele drama director to do a soap opera in local television channel.

At this time Sri Lankan politics also started changing, Presidential election was announced two years in advanced and Sannasgala was supporting to the “Yaha palanaya” the good government. First week this year the good government came to power.

Since that Sannasgala appeared in almost every government’s every media channels. Meanwhile Bandula Padmakumara was kicked out of the both the Lake house and early morning newspapers reading from the TV channel. The good government ignored him completely and two weeks ago I saw he has come to the same tv channel has taken an award which his programme won during his time, unfortunately he had to return this because the tv channel had complaint to the police.

Upul Shantha Sannasgala did not start reading newspapers, but he started talk show “Sathya garaya” the chamber of truth, but all the peoples appeared in the programme was well known liars. As it appears to me the aim of this programme is  to clean their black spots look them clean and ensure make justify  what they did during the past time. 

This is not the first time we are experiencing this kind of programmes,

For the previous government this role was played by popular actor Jackson Anthony. He did this cleaning business at that time for everyone not only the politicians. Few years ago brought one of his fellow actor who was charged for raping a 14 years old girl at that time and let him to show his innocence by using government media channel. This person later found guilty and sentenced to 10 years imprison. But again he appealed and found not guilty the clever lawyers brought an argument saying it was not rape it was consensual sex they had and they won.

Now Sri Lanka child law has changed and it does not matter what is the verb or adjective, the age below 18 any sexual intercourse is a rape. Ironically this year for the parliamentarian election the same actor requested nominations from the good government, but he was rejected.

But from the good government Upul Shantha Sannasgala able to get nominations and now he already started his political campaign. But his victory in the election unpredictable but I ‘m sure he is well prepared to appear on behalf of the good governments whether it is good or bad. I wish he will not get inspired by his esteemed friend Jackson Anthony.

It was William Shakespeare said that;

“All the world is a stage

And all the men and women merely players;They have their exits and their entrances,”

But these clever actors do not allow us to see different play, they are changing only the actors, but the play remains.as it was before.

Do we want to see to again?