Didn’t police ‘chiefs’ know of Rathgama killings ?

• Buddhika had been questioned by the police on two occasions in connection with the killing of a man
• However following a DNA test he was proved innocent
• Sri Lanka Youth Journalists’ Association complained about this place to the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission
• There had been no responses despite several written submissions to Police Commission

 2 April 2019

We received information about the killing of two persons after being abducted from Rathgama while we were engaged in an investigation to unearth the truth regarding a complaint of an alleged abduction by the police. 

According to the information two person from Beliatta had been abducted on January 9 by some people who identified themselves as officers of the Rotumba Police. 

However the authorities of the Rotumba Police refuted the alleged arrest of the two men 

Further inquiries revealed that a man known as Buddhika –a suspect of a heroin case and released on bail–had been arrested on January 7 from Dampahala, Urubokka area by a group who identified themselves as police officers. 

This man had revealed to the court that he was arrested by the police for having heroin in his possession, but added that he was only carrying a parcel given by someone without any knowledge of its contents.  

He had pleaded not guilty and was later released on bail. However since then he had been subjected to frequent harassment by the police. He had informed the top police officers about the difficulties he was facing. 

Buddhika had been questioned by the police on two occasions in connection with the killing of a man following a shooting incident on Hulankanda- Dampahala Road in Urubokka, Matara in October last year. However it was later revealed that the murder was committed by a close relation of the deceased. He was arrested again on suspicion in connection with a shooting incident in November in Rotumba and released. It appears that some police officers tend to arrest and harass the same suspect of earlier incidents when crimes repeat in respective police areas. 

A good example for this is a person called Dunesh, who was arrested for the alleged  killing a girl from Kotadeniyawa after raping her, and being beaten up. During this incident the police revealed to the media that the suspect had confessed that he had committed the offense. However following a DNA test he was proved innocent. Similarly Buddhika had also been the target of the police for different incidents that took place on different occasions in the area. Buddhika was abducted on January 7 by a gang that arrived in vehicles while he was at a work site. A witness had informed the emergency unit of the police about this abduction. Following the information Beliatta Police was able to trace the vehicle and order it to stop, but it had proceeded disregarding the police signal. 

Meanwhile Buddhika’s wife had become concerned when her repeated calls to Budhikka went unanswered. This was because Buddhika had the habit of  contacting the wife frequently. In the morning a businessman from Rotumba had visited Buddhika’s home and informed that the police had wanted him to inquire about the whereabouts of Buddhika and added that the police had told him that they would come in his vehicle to look for Buddhika. 

Then he had left with the police officers from the place where Buddhika was abducted. This was in search of Buddhika. He mentioned that what he had said could be verified by viewing the CCTV cameras fixed along the route they had travelled. 

Meanwhile Buddhika’s wife had kept inquiring from the police to find Buddhika. The law enforcement officers had repeated on several occasions that they had not taken him into custody. On Thursday she had informed the Emergency Unit of the Police about the matter.  Subsequently a senior police officer has been assigned to probe the matter. Following investigations he had also informed that Buddhika was not taken into custody by Rotumba Police. 

Two days had passed without success following the search for Buddhika. His wife went to the police again to lodge a complaint. Police however refused to record her complaint. She waited till the OIC had arrived and this officer then asked the officers, to record her complaint. Yet they were not willing to take note of her complaint. The woman again went to the OIC and gave details of her complaint, but it was still not recorded. When the OIC asked the officers one of them would tell something to the OIC. He called the Rotumba Police and asked the woman to meet the Rotumba OIC. 

By now it was night and we inquired about the situation from the Urubokka Police. He then told us that there was no need to record the complaint by the woman as Rotumba OIC had already said that the missing man is now in police custody . 

Meanwhile Buddhika’s wife, now dissatisfied with the response of Rotumba police, and taking into consideration her earlier experiences with the Rotumba police, decided to inform the emergency division of the police. As a result of not getting any response, she then informed the emergency unit of the Human Rights Commission. 

Ignoring Police warnings 

Rotumba Police now understand the gravity of the matter and in the morning of January 10 produced Buddhika in courts on the charges of keeping in his garden, weapons used in the murder mentioned earlier. Buddhika revealed in open court that he was badly beaten at the police station. But according to the JMO report there was no record of such a beating having taken place. 

Beliatta Police had called the driver of the relevant vehicle, which was owned by a businessman. We inquired from the Beliatta Police why the driver who had ignored police warnings and continued to drive was not taken into custody. The police replied that they had done so because the vehicle in question was carrying a suspect who was arrested at the time. 

The police had also informed the traffic unit regarding this vehicle. This incident confirms Buddhika’s arrest on January 9. And this suggests that the quick responses made by Director Nihal Chadrasiri at the Human Rights Commission and public relations officer there promptly  answering calls may have helped in saving Buddhika’s life. Otherwise Buddhika would have suffered the same fate the two businessmen had recently faced. 

I was at the house behind the other house. The van was stopped and parked facing the road. Four men got down from the van armed with weapons. There were 13 members in the gang and all were clad in uniform. They handcuffed Manju and Rasin with a single shackle

All these revelations indicate similar activities having taken place at the two police stations. However there is a slight change with the mediation of the HRC. This has helped to save the life of Buddhika who is now in remand.Unfortunately the Rathgama businessmen weren’t presented with this opportunity. 

The suspects of both Rathgama and Rotumba incidents had been taken into custody without the knowledge of their families or making them aware of the reasons behind the arrests. And lack of a procedure make the two incidents look like abductions. 

This is how G. Somadasa (58) father of Manju, who was killed after being abducted from Rathgama, gives details about the incident. 

“It was January 23 and about 09.15 in the morning. We had undertaken to supply meat for two parties. My son was talking to the mother after delivering one load of meat to the shop. At the time Rasin had also come. My wife was at the other daughter’s home when the group of men came here. They came in a blue KDH van and a car.The car had been parked at a distant place. Later the car too arrived apparently as the van was delaying. I was at the house behind the other house. The van was stopped and parked facing the road. Four men got down from the van armed with weapons. There were 13 members in the gang and all were clad in uniform. They handcuffed Manju and Rasin with a single shackle. Residents told me that the police had taken Manju and Rasin into custody and they had seen among the group a person in uniform bearing  three stars. 

“We went to Rathgama Police to inform about the incident. But they didn’t record our complaint. A police officer named Bandula told us that the police would obtain the information about the whereabouts of Manju by evening and asked us to come after five. We returned and made our complaint. However the reference number relating to the complaint we made was not given to us. 

“Then we also went to the Galle Police. SP Sathis Gamage called the Rathgama Police from there, but there was no response” Manju’s father continued. 

“When we were holding the protest on 26th SP Gamage arrived at the scene and told us that he would find them within a week. We told him that we had doubts whether they would be alive after a week. Then he assured us that he would take the responsibility of the lives of these two men. The week began on February 3. We visited the police again and were told to have hope that they were alive. We kept on asking for our sons. On February 5 he told that they were fed up with these two people and added that they would hand over them to the CID. 
“When asked about the reason behind their arrests, he told that if he revealed the reasons it would hamper  investigations.  

119 informed

“Early morning on February 4 at about 4 my grandson had seen a few men in front of our house. We began to shout and made the neighbours aware of these men. There were only two of them. When the neighbours were rushing towards our house they ran away. Now we have fixed CCTV cameras. When we informed about the matter to 119, the officers from the Rathgama Police arrived, but they couldn’t catch them. After all this the CID officers came and recorded our statements. We think all these incidents happened with the knowledge of the police. We came to know about most of these incidents after receiving an anonymous letter. Usually we don’t receive letters by post. I think this was the first letter we have received. The letter came in the name of Samanthi. She is Manju’s wife. We call her Menika. No one here knows her by the name of Samanthi. 

“There was the name Rohana in the letter. He is a police officer and we know him. He visits our meat shop. The original copy of the letter is with police officer Sathis. 

“They had been abducted. When we rang their numbers their phones were ringing, but later there were silent. My son was in the Army, but he was later interdicted. He has been running a poultry farm for five years now” Manju’s father said. 

We do not wish to discuss the story of the two men killed in a house in Akmeemana after being burned. They were abducted. It’s an old story to most of the readers. 

However the point to ponder on is that it had taken one month to confirm the murder of the two men. 

The team of officers led by Chief Inspector Ranjith Munasinghe of the Investigation Division, working under the guidance of Senior DIG of the CID and Ravi Senevirathna and the Director General SSP Shani Abeysekera, was able to unearth most of the facts relating to the murder within a few days. This makes the functions of the relevant two police stations questionable as they have not been able to find what had happened during such a long period of time. 

They have done nothing on being informed of the missing duo on the day of the incident. They chose to ignore informing about the missing individuals to all the police stations and also the process of collecting of evidences such as examination of relevant telephone calls. These lapses create reasonable doubts and also fuels the thinking that there was a probable involvement of a higher ranking police officer in these incidents. 

The  police being tight-lipped about this incident until the CID under took the investigation adds to these doubts. 

Besides the police had kept trying to convince the relations that the missing people were living. There is suspicion in the minds of people that effort was taken by the officers of the Rathgama Police and some top level officers to conceal the abductions and killings of the two businessmen by the investigations unit; which functions under the Southern Province Senior DIG. The prevailing circumstance also induces the CID to investigate into these matters. 

The two victims are said to be suspects of a pending case, but reasons behind their latest arrests were not clear. 

It has now been revealed that the house, where the killings took place, had been occupied by police officers on many previous occasions; leaving it to fuel further doubts that the place was the venue for other past killings. 

Torture chamber 

There was evidence of the existence of a similar torture chamber in Kotadeniyawa. After the murder of a young girl by the name of Seya, at least ten villagers were brought to this chamber and tortured while being questioned. 

Sri Lanka Youth Journalists’ Association complained about this place to the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission and the National Police Commission offered support providing affidavits, but all these complaints were in vain. There had been no responses despite several written submissions to Police Commission. 

Had proper actions being taken regarding these complaints similar incidents would not have reoccurred. 

Now there are new techniques which can be used during questioning, but the police seems to prefer using the old methods. Two traffic police officers had arrived and taken down the telephone number of Manju’s father after the discovery of the place where the bodies had been burned. They have said that the numbers would be sent to the police headquarters. After that he received another call from police headquarters where the informant had informed that Manju had been arrested in connection with a drug offence and detained in a far away place. And the caller had also told him that some money would have to be spent to bring his son home. 

We told him that we had doubts whether they would be alive after a week. Then he assured us that he would take the responsibility of the lives of these two men. The week began on February 3. We visited the police again and were told to have hope that they were alive

The caller had phoned Manju’s father for the second time and asked him to come to the police headquarters two days after handing over the money to take his son home. 

We were at the place when this call was received. By now the place where the bodies were burned had been discovered. However the relation did not reveal details of this telephone call because there was belief that the son could be saved. The CID must extend its investigations and find the link between demand made for the ransom and the police. The failure on the part of the Senior DIG of the province to take proper actions, when protests were held, and despite the revelation through the media in this connection, is also questionable. With regard to the killing of an SI in Kurunegala it was revealed that the suspect had attended a party, where liquor was served, where top police officer were among the invitees, before the killing took place. However this suspect was killed during the process where the weapons hidden were shown. 

President Maithripala Sirisena in a recent speech said that the DIG is responsible in the incident if  moonshine is found in the village. Hence the relevant DIG and the IGP are directly held responsible when a crime is committed by the investigation unit working under the directive of a DIG. 

The two weeks delay in transferring the DIG and failing to inform about the transfer to the National Police Commission (NPC) together with the failure in appointing a DIG to the Southern Province are also matters that should be investigated into by the NPC. 

If a vague policy is adopted regarding these grave matters, crimes of similar gravity can’t be avoided. 

(Courtesy Lankadeepa) 

Last month’s foreign debt repayment costs $ 813M

PANEETHA AMERESEKERE-APR 06 2019

Government of Sri Lanka’s (GoSL’s) foreign debt payments cost the country’s foreign reserves US$ 813.26 million last month (March) alone, latest official data showed.

Additionally, this month (April), at least one foreign debt amounting to $ 500 million which also matures has to be repaid. This is a $ 500 million sovereign bond (SB) raised in April 2014 and of a five year tenure borrowed during the last year of the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime.

Last month, Sri Lanka raised $ 2.4 billion by selling SBs. Consequently, the country’s foreign reserves, last month over February; increased by $ 1,586.74 million to $ 7,621.90 million. An increase of $ 2,400 million ($ 2.4 billion), equivalent to the sum raised by selling SBs was not possible, because of last month’s $ 813.26 million foreign repayment.

Forty seven potential hangman interviewed

(Colombo, AFP) -April 6, 2019, 12:00 pm 

Sri Lanka on Wednesday began interviewing 47 applicants for two positions as hangmen, officials said, as Amnesty International urged Colombo not to bring back capital punishment.

President Maithripala Sirisena announced in February that Sri Lanka would end a 43-year moratorium on executions this month in a Philippines-inspired war on drugs.

An official said that 47 male applicants would be interviewed on Wednesday and Thursday, after the government advertised the vacancies in February.

But the successful candidates may face a delay in carrying out their new role.

"Since there is no living person in Sri Lanka who has carried out an execution, we need to send the new recruits abroad for training," the official, who asked to remain anonymous, told AFP, adding that Colombo was also yet to identify a country to provide training.

"The rope (used for hangings) has not been used at all since it was imported (in 2015), it will have to be tested and certified."

Rights group Amnesty International meanwhile said resuming hangings would not end drug-related crime and that innocent people could be executed due to flaws in Sri Lanka’s criminal justice system.

Sirisena has said that he was inspired by the anti-drug war in the Philippines and was keen to replicate the success of his counterpart Rodrigo Duterte. Sirisena has since deployed security forces in his battle against drugs.

In a nationally televised event in Colombo, Sirisena pledged to end the spread of narcotics within two years.

Restoring capital punishment is a centrepiece of his anti-drugs policy.

Criminals in Sri Lanka are regularly given death sentences for murder, rape and drug-related crimes but until now their punishments have been commuted by the president to life in jail.

Sri Lanka’s last judicial hanging was in 1976, but an executioner was in post until his retirement in 2014. Three replacements since have quit after short stints at the unused gallows.

On Monday, Sirisena witnessed the destruction of nearly 800 kilos (1,280 pounds) of cocaine seized between 2016 and 2018.

In February, police seized nearly 300 kilos of heroin worth $17 million, the island’s biggest haul, at a Colombo shopping mall. In 2013, police seized 260 kilos of heroin brought into the country hidden inside tractors imported from Pakistan.

Sri Lanka’s biggest drug haul, by weight, was in December 2016 when police seized 800 kilos of cocaine. Six months earlier, authorities discovered 301 kilos of cocaine inside a shipping container.

Authorities believe the Indian Ocean island is also being used as a trafficking transit point.

USJ does it: Bold attempt at combining innovation with art

Monday, 8 April 2019

Relying on manpower or divine powers?

The University of Sri Jayewardenepura or USJ, celebrating its 60th Anniversary as a recognised university this year, had hosted two main events to mark it. One involved in kicking-off of USJ’s long-term vision of becoming the University of Innovation, tag-lined ‘Innovate Sri Lanka’. The other was the staging of the in-house produced performing art in the style of a musical titled ‘Sandesavali Kavinaluwa’. This was a dramatic recreation of five different Sandesa Kavyas or poetical works using birds as messengers to plead with guardian deities for boons. These five Sandesas belonged to the Jayewardenepura-Kotte period of Sri Lanka’s history when Parakramabahu, the Sixth, ruled Lanka during 1411-66 CE.

The messages delivered by these two events, respectively, were in contrast with each other. The first one was concerned with the commercial application of scientific and engineering inventions created mainly by USJ’s students and academic staff. It is a project relying on human efforts, abilities and skills for success.

The other was to engage the five messenger birds to appeal to God Upulvan to protect ‘the university named the University of Sri Jayewardenepura to be established in the capital city’ in the future. It relied on divinity to deliver success to the university.
Paradox of seeking divine intervention to protect university in an era of science and technology

Apparently at first sight, these two events offer a paradox. The first one calls for human power to build the university. The second one appeals to the supernatural powers to do the job.

This is not in line with the thinking of two prominent former Vice Chancellors of USJ. Its founding Vice Chancellor, Ven. Weliwitiye Sri Soratha Thero, is reported to have advised the students that they should be ‘challenging, probing and critical’. The wisdom so enunciated by the erudite Buddhist scholar required students follow principles of scientific inquiry when making decisions. Thus, a belief should not be accepted unless it is validated by evidence.

USJ’s fifth Vice Chancellor, Ven. Walpola Rahula Thero, in a booklet published in 1932 titled Sathyodaya had advised fellow Sri Lankans not to seek boons from divinity because they are inferior to humans. This book can be downloaded from the digital repository of USJ at http://dr.lib.sjp.ac.lk/handle/123456789/1791. Both these erudite Buddhist scholars preferred human power to divine powers.
Science and technology has no meaning without creativity

But at close examination, it is clear that there is no paradox in the two events hosted by USJ. In fact, they are complimentary to each other. The first one relates to USJ’s role as a catalyst in framing Sri Lanka’s future based on science and technology combined with entrepreneurship. As a nation aspiring to become a rich country within the next 25 to 30 year period, Sri Lanka’s future depends on being a nation of creativity.

It is the responsibility of Sri Lanka’s universities, higher learning institutions and research institutions to deliver the country to the new phase of technological development. In this sense, USJ’s vision to make it an innovative university will help the country to fill a much needed vacuum.

Countries like Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong which were at the same stage of development as Sri Lanka about half a century ago became rich nations by mastering science and technology. The university systems in those countries were effectively used by the respective political leaders to attain this goal. Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore compelled its universities to get affiliated to the best of the best universities in USA to make that country a nation of science and technology. Even as late as 1999, the Singapore government advised its higher learning institutions to concentrate in the new millennium in genetic engineering, ICT, nano technology and entertainment, a combination of science with creativity, to deliver Singapore to the future.


South Korea built world class institutes of science and technology to feed the growing private sector enterprises with new knowledge. Moving forward with this tradition, South Korea was able to fully implement the Fifth Generation or 5G internet technology recently, the first nation to do so in the globe. Both Taiwanese and Hong Kong universities were the catalysts in the science and technology that made those two countries rich nations within a generation.

However, this was done not in isolation but in combination with creativity that comes from performing arts. This concept is not alien to Sri Lanka. According to Chulavansa, King Parakramabahu, the First, who ruled Lanka during 1153-86 CE from Polonnaruwa made it compulsory for prospective king’s servants to learn ‘sciences dealing with elephants and horses, fencing, foreign languages, dancing and singing’.

Thus, in the learning modules, science was combined with creative art. In modern learning, science, technology, engineering and mathematics, abbreviated as STEM, has been highlighted as the goal of learning. As I have argued elsewhere, this should be supplemented by adding Arts, making it not just STEM, but STEAM (visit: http://www.ft.lk/columns/-Khema-s-Boy--does-it--Comes-up-with-a-non-election-budget-in-an-election-year/4-674359 ).

A masterful creative work called Sandesavali Kavinaluwa

Sandesavali Kavinaluwa is a masterful creative work combining music, dancing, singing and performance into a single dramatic event. It is a teamwork that has drawn the talents of many artistes specialised in music, dancing or singing within the university. Yet, its creator, Hansamala Ritigahapola, deserves special credit for doing the impossible. She had directed hundreds of raw USJ students who are not professional artistes to give the best of their performance on stage.

The facial expressions made by these young performers while moving their lithe and supple bodies rhythmically to the background music and sounds of drums could have been done only by trained professionals. The busy commercial streets and the grandeur of the palace in Jayewardenepura-Kotte in the 15th century had been created on stage.

The colourful dresses of the stage performers, whether they are messenger-birds, ordinary citizens or members of royalty, have been a testimony to the artistic taste of those who had created the drama. Music, especially the use of ancient Sri Lankan drums, had been in tune with the melodious recitation of the select verses from the Sandesas involved. The lighting of the stage to focus the appropriate act had been done skilfully.

This was in essence a human creation; not even God Upulvan would have been able to do it.

Kavinaluwa is a human creation and not a divine one

The five birds, chosen for delivering the pleading to deity had been pigeon, cuckoo, lark, parrot, and swan in their female form. Ritigahapola had concealed the young girls playing the respective role in appropriate costumes in colours specific to the bird. Each one of them entered the stage surrounded by attendant birds offering a dancing style characteristic of them, while selected verses from the relevant Sandesa Kavyas were being recited melodiously in the background. The scene in the court of Parakramabahu, the Sixth, with top officials and Queen Ulakudaya Devi had been another dramatic recreation. Finally, the same unique message was delivered by each bird that pleaded with God Upulvan to protect the university called the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. It was a one and a half hour entertainment for the audience.

Need of the day for Sri Lanka is to go for high technology

USJ’s long term vision to become the University of Innovation is timely and opportune.

Sri Lanka is at present facing the most difficult challenge in its history with respect to making a turnaround in the economy. It needs to have an annual average economic growth of about 9-10% to become a rich nation within a generation. However, the average economic growth it has maintained from independence in 1948 has been mere 4.4%. In the last six-year period, its growth had been declining from a high 9% in 2012.

The paradox created by USJ in its 60th anniversary celebrations is a beneficial one. USJ has sought divine intervention to protect the university in its Sandesavali Kavinaluwa just to follow the tradition of Sandesa Kavyas. It should not be used for the present and future strategic development of the university. But it is a marvellous creative work setting an example to USJ’s other faculties of study. What it should do now is, instead of educating students in segregated disciplines, offering multidisciplinary courses in all faculties in which science students will learn arts and arts students will learn sciences. In other words, USJ should implement STEAM to full extent.

The average economic growth which hovered around 4% during 2013-2018 has been on a declining path. In 2018, it recorded a growth rate of only 3.2% down from 3.4% in 2017. The best estimate for the next four-year period happens to be a growth rate of about 4% or less. Corresponding to this dismal record, Sri Lanka’s exports too have been poorly performing during the previous two decades or so. Its production structure based on simple technology like tea, rubber and coconut as well as apparels cannot deliver prosperity to the country unless it moves into the high tech area. At present, only about 4% of its exports constitute this category compared with a share of about 40% reached by a country like Thailand.
In the very short term, the country has to borrow technology from outside as was done by countries like Singapore and South Korea in the initial phase of their economic growth. But, in the medium to long run, Sri Lanka has to develop its own capability for coming up with new technologies if it is to be a leader among peer nations. It is the responsibility of Sri Lanka’s universities, higher learning institutions and research institutions to deliver the country to the new phase of technological development. In this sense, USJ’s vision to make it an innovative university will help the country to fill a much needed vacuum.

Combining inventions with entrepreneurship

As a preliminary to this, USJ has created an Innovation, Invention and Venture Creation Council known as IIVCC. It is armed with the mission to promote innovation, invention and venture creation together with industry, business and public sector ventures.

As Austrian-American economist Joseph Schumpeter had presented in 1911 in his The Theory of Economic Development, there is a major difference between invention and innovation. Invention is the creation of new things by scientists and engineers for the benefit of mankind. They would remain just prototype models in research laboratories unless they are commercially produced. That part known as innovation is being done by entrepreneurs who after assessing the commercial viability would convert such inventions to marketable products.

Therefore, without risk taking entrepreneurs, inventions mean nothing to an economy. For instance, the first Apple Mackintosh Desktop computer was invented by an engineer called Stephen Wozniak. But it is not for the entrepreneur Steve Jobs who took the risk to produce it commercially, it would have just remained a prototype invention. Similarly, the gorilla glass which is being used in all smart phones today had been invented by USA’s Corning Incorporation in 1960 for the US Air Force. However, since the US Air Force did not want to use it, it remained as an unused invention for 44 years until Steve Jobs chose to fit his iPhone with that gorilla glass. Today, all smart phone manufacturers without exception make use of this gorilla glass to present a scratch free screen to their customers.
New business model of USJ

This is why the business model underlying USJ’s IIVCC is important today for Sri Lanka. It aims at combining new creations by its students and staff with entrepreneurs. The latter is supposed to make use of them for making commercial productions. Coinciding with its 60th anniversary celebrations, USJ has organised an innovation and invention competition and exhibition (IICE 2019).

More than 80 new inventions mostly in the robotic and ICT category have been presented for the competition by students and the academic staff of USJ. To promote private entrepreneurs to make use of these inventions for commercial production, USJ had mounted a two day innovation exhibition at BMICH. What is important is establishing this link. It should be a continuous process wherein as and new inventions are made, they should be made available to businesses for adoption commercially.
USJ should go for full STEAM 

Thus, the paradox created by USJ in its 60th anniversary celebrations is a beneficial one. USJ has sought divine intervention to protect the university in its Sandesavali Kavinaluwa just to follow the tradition of Sandesa Kavyas. It should not be used for the present and future strategic development of the university. But it is a marvellous creative work setting an example to USJ’s other faculties of study. What it should do now is, instead of educating students in segregated disciplines, offering multidisciplinary courses in all faculties in which science students will learn arts and arts students will learn sciences. In other words, USJ should implement STEAM to full extent.
Develop successor lines to carry forward the innovative process

But there is a problem with this type of enterprises being implemented by both private and public entities. That is, once the existing leadership changes, there is no incentive for the successors to carry it forward. To ensure it, it is suggested that a young group of leaders should be trained at the second, third and fourth levels of succession in the university. Their job is not just continuing with the innovative process. They should improve it constantly in line with the emerging global developments. If this is not done, even the best organisation in the world will be subject to a natural death. It is assumed that the USJ’s present leadership is well aware of this important requirement.


(W.A. Wijewardena, a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, can be reached at waw1949@gmail.com.)      

Traffic light alerts for solid foods

 Nadira Gunatilleke-Monday, April 8, 2019


A food colour coding (traffic light system) will be introduced this month for solid food, especially biscuits and sweetmeats, by the Health Ministry, Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said.

According to Minister Senaratne, this international traffic light system will soon be implemented with the support of local biscuit and sweetmeat manufacturers with the aim of lowering the risk of non-communicable diseases.

According to Consultant Dr. Lakshman Gamlath, if the sugar content is 22 grammes per 100 grammes of a specific food, the colour code will be red, and if this quantity is between eight grammes and 22 grammes per 100 grammes, the colour code will be amber. If the sugar content in 100 grammes of a specific food is lower than eight grammes, it will have a green colour code.

If the salt content in 100 grammes of a specific food is 1.25 grammes, the code will be red and if it is between 0.25 grammes and 1.25 grammes, the colour code will be amber. The code will be green if the salt content is less than 0.25 grammes.

 

If the fat content in 100 grammes of a specific food is 17.5 grammes, the code will be red and if it is between three grammes and 17.5 grammes, the colour code will be amber. The green colour code will be given if the fat content is less than three grammes.

The new traffic light system will not be applied for any primary agricultural product, spices, single ingredient product, foods recommended by medical practitioners, bulk packs of retail products and infant milk formulae.

A similar system was introduced in 2016 for sweetened drinks available in the local market.

According to the rule, manufacturers or importers should display the red label if the sugar content of a drink is over 11 grammes per 100 millilitres. All locally produced and imported soft drink and fruit drink cans, bottles and packets except milk should display labels in all three languages. An amber-coloured label should indicate the medium level sugar content (between two and 11 grammes per 100 ml). A green label should be displayed for drinks which contain less than two grammes of sugar in 100 millilitres.

The Health Ministry conducted islandwide raids through MOHs and PHIs to detect beverages that had no sugar content labels. Legal action was taken under Article 32 of the Food Act Number 26 of 1980 against manufacturers, sellers and distributors for not having sugar content labels on beverages.

Royal Institute: Kamal Gunaratne Resigns – Owner’s Daughter Says Supreme Court Is Heartless & Vows To Use Political Influence

APRIL 6, 2019

Dr. Nirodha Bandara the Academic Director of Royal Institute addressing a gathering of teachers, parents and students at their Kohuwela, Nugegoda Branch premise claimed that the Judges who gave the order to demolish their Nugegoda Branch and cancel of their business license are heartless.

Dr. Nirodha Bandara

“The Supreme Court has been heartless went it came to this. We are now trying to find the best possible outcome” Dr. Nirodha Bandara went on to say, according to the audio recording which is in the possession of Colombo Telegraph.

The emotionally stirred up Academic Director Dr. Nirodha Bandara did not hold back her emotions when she said “The Supreme Court does not seem to care that there are 1600 students and 200 staff attached to the school. It is a crime to close down a school. The Supreme Court has given three months for the order to be executed.”

Making a bold statement further Dr. Nirodha Bandara threatened the Supreme Court three Judge bench ruling when she went on to say “We will exhaust all our possible options legally and also politically and we will try everything possible.”

Her above statement left many in the audience baffled as there are no more appeals she could make legally.

However what appears more of concern is her threat of using her political powers against an order given by a three judge bench of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka.

These bold statements are similar to what Politician and former Minister S. B. Dissanayake made ridiculing the Judiciary and also ended up serving a prison sentence for being in contempt of court.

Furthermore in her speech Dr. Nirodha Bandara also went on to instigate all those present to go and scold the residents who filed the case against Royal Institute.

“If you all are really angry go and scold them,” she said.

Dr. Nirodha also confirmed that she did get phone calls from Politician Mohan Lal Grero the founder of Lyceum International School and Dr. Harsha Alles the Director of Gateway College, who had said they will fight this battle with Royal Institute, especially as it is a member of TISSL which is the Association of Premier International Schools in Sri Lanka.

Chairman G.T. Bandara Speaking in between Dr. Nirodha Bandara’s speech also reiterated that “unfortunately the learned judges did not take into consideration that 1600 students are going to suffer because of this. Let us stand together and overcome this challenge” he said.

Earlier Chairman Royal Institute G.T. Bandara dispatching a letter to the parents rebuffed the Supreme Court’s Order which was given last Wednesday.

Read More

World Autism Awareness Day organized by SocialService.lk

8 April 2019

Internationally the World Autism Awareness Day is recognized on the 2nd of April every year. World Autism Day is one of the seven official health-specific UN Days that brings individual autism organizations all around the world to aid in things like research, diagnoses, treatment, and acceptance for those affected by this developmental disorder.   
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that affects communication and behaviour.
SocialService.lk is a humanitarian non-profit organization working to create a lasting change in the lives of children, families and communities living in poverty and deprivation which serves all people regardless of religion, caste, race, ethnicity or gender since 2014. 

"SocialService.lk is a humanitarian non-profit organization working to create a lasting change in the lives of children, families and communities living in poverty and deprivation which serves all people "

SocialService.lk organized Jigsaw where they brought children with special needs from two different schools Menhandy–School for the Exceptional Child and Ash Shifaa – Home for children with special needs to Excel World and gave the children the opportunity to play, sing and dance and gave them the exposure to be themselves. 
“We are so grateful to the Excel World Management, our Sponsors, Donors and volunteers for extending their support to make the event a success,” one member of the organisers said.

 

How strategic is your strategy?

 Friday, 5 April 2019

The word strategy has become colloquial in usage today; as a word loosely used today, and also commonly used in places where it should not be. Often when we need to perform a task or improve something, we use the term ‘we must have a strategy’.

However, strategy has a broader and a deeper meaning than its current use. Its intended meaning is very different to current understanding. This diffused knowledge results in a negative impact on some of the practices, thinking processes and actions adopted by leaders and their teams in organisations today.

In fact, some leaders and teams go to the extent of complaining that strategy has no bearing on business results and instead blame strategy.

In my opinion the primary reason is due to leaders lacking in understanding of what strategy is, they also do not act on the wisdoms and teachings of strategy.

Thus, the aim of this article is to clarify the basics of strategy and help leaders craft and execute strategy to win, especially in the market place.

Firstly, let us focus on a very basic question, which we often do not ask – ‘What is a strategy?’

Strategy: Is it operational effectiveness?

What really is strategy? Many believe strategy is all about making improvements. However, are not improvements essential to enhance productivity and day-to-day activities?

None would concur that we should not make improvements to what we do daily. We must relentlessly strive to improve what we did yesterday, today and continue tomorrow.

This in my mind is Operational Effectiveness (OE). It is about doing things more effectively and/or efficiently today than yesterday.

OE needs to be embedded in the workings of an organisation and something we need to do every day.

Management tools and techniques such as total quality management, total productive maintenance, 5S, 6-Sigma, etc. will certainly have a significant impact in improving business operations and processes and yield good results.

Moreover, there are consultants and companies who can assist businesses to implement these programs. However, all that is available to one company is also available to all others and the only differentiating factor will be the level of execution. This kind of operational effectiveness and improvements about doing things better is necessary but not sufficient to compete in today’s highly-competitive market.

It is widely-accepted that the business world has never been as complex as it is today; customers are becoming savvy and rivalry among competitors getting intense on a daily basis. Hence being better or being the best is necessary but not sufficient for long-term value creation. To create value consistently for customers, employees and shareholders, businesses must strive to be unique or different. Sadly, leaders of today are mindlessly focused to be the best and to beat competition by focusing only on OE as the driver of creating superior value.

While engaging in benchmarking, they become more indistinguishable. Their businesses become similar and they lose their individuality. In other words, when more things are done in terms of improvements such as outsourcing, the outsourcing company improves in terms of job performance and the businesses becomes more generic vis-à-vis the competitors.  That uniqueness of the business or the differentiator is lost when the focus is relentlessly to beat the competitor especially by trying to be better through OE. Businesses need to improve operational efficiency every day but this should not be its ‘strategy’.

Therein lies the difference between operational effectiveness and strategy. Operational effectiveness is all about trying to perform the value chain activities more efficiently and effectively than rivals. When a business becomes better than its rivals in its value chain it is called improving operational effectiveness. But strategy is not about being better instead it is about being different.
What is a strategy?
Strategy is doing things differently and doing different things to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. Though simple, it is not well understood.

Strategy is not about doing things better. Strategy is the creation of a unique position – a position in the minds of the customers and other stakeholders. Dilmah, Apple, Air BNB, Uber, Tesla – they are all different, each one has a unique position. This unique position is created only through crafting and executing a brilliant strategy.

Strategy requires three key principles. Firstly, strategy needs to create a unique and valuable position through a different set of activities performed by the organisation. Secondly strategy requires trade-offs to be made, deciding on what to do and what not to when competing in the market. Lastly, strategy needs to create a ‘fit’ among the company’s activities.

Strategy relies on a different set of activities 

The best example to illustrate that strategy should rest on an unique set of activities is to study Southwest Airlines, which was the first mover in introducing low cost air travel to the world.

They realised that people have to travel to one place from another, that most people do not need great food and neither do they opt for the best of wines. All this can be enjoyed when they are not travelling! Instead, people come to an airport to travel – from one place to another – at the cheapest possible fare, to get to their destination on time, at a convenient time, with the best possible connection. Southwest Airlines did all that. They introduced the world to low cost, convenient air travel!

The whole positioning was on low cost, convenient travel. The world had never thought about this before as air travel was expensive. Very few people would fly because many could not afford it also timings and connections were not convenient.

Southwest saw this as an opportunity and consciously chose a different set of activities to deliver ‘low cost convenient travel’ to its customers.  Southwest selected airports and routes to avoid congestion and worked on rapid gate turnaround, which allowed them to facilitate frequent departures and greater use of aircraft.

Even today, they adopt strict limits on the type and length of routes to make standardised aircraft possible. Facilitating automatic ticketing at the gate, they encourage customers to bypass the travel agents and avoid paying commissions. They also did not offer meals, seat assignment and internal baggage transfers to ensure the cost was low.

Of course, this was a challenge for full service airlines as they could not perform these activities to secure a differentiated positioning. Southwest Airlines was able to establish a unique low-cost convenient travel position by performing these activities differently than its competitors.

Strategy: It’s all about trade-offs

In today’s business world we often witness that most leaders want to do everything, despite knowing full well that we cannot do everything, and we cannot be everything to everybody. It is very clear that we can be something to somebody which means some competitive activities are incompatible. Therefore, gains in one area can be achieved only at the expense of other, known as trade-offs. Business leaders have the pivotal role in understanding this and deciding on trade-offs.

The ideal example to explain trade-offs is Neutrogena, a brand positioned as a medicinal product that delivers the promise ‘kind to the skin’. For example, unlike other products in the category frame of reference, Neutrogena accomplishes this strategic position foregoing manufacturing efficiencies, achieving the desired attributes of its soaps and their marketing strategy looks more like a drug company.

With the strong equity of the brand, it would have been tempting for Neutrogena to look at line extensions as part of its brand architecture to get into fields such as perfumery. But they chose not to. They are very clear in terms of their positioning and are also very clear in terms of strategy. They do not want to blunt this differentiation. Thus, it is about trade-offs.

Strategy also involves understanding what you are good at – essentially what you are best at – and being unbeatable in that realm and understanding what you do not do equally well.

World-renowned Continental Airlines is an ideal organisation to explain this phenomenon. Managing a very successful full-service airline with good market share, Continental flights are mostly long haul and the airline offers the best of privileges to its customers.

Based on this success, Continental saw an opportunity to attract the bottom-end traveller by introducing a low-fare airline or rather another airline wing. The leadership thought, since they were doing well, as a full-service airline, with a strong brand, with the best of people, processes and technology, why not offer a low-cost airline as well.

In addition, they also thought if Southwest can do it, they can too. They were of the syndrome like most other leaders, ‘We are good in this, so we can be good in the other one also’. Sadly, the new venture turned into a disaster! It did not work because Continental could not be both. They struggled to be the best full-frilled airline and be the best low-cost airline at the same time!

This is not strategy. Strategy is about trade-offs and about being clear on what the business should not be doing.

This is a clear lesson for business leaders today, who most often than not say ‘yes’ to everything that come by. Their thinking is based on the belief, ‘I have done many things in my career and hence I can do anything and everything’.

Today, leaders want to do everything to please people and do not say no. This thinking is completely against strategy as strategy is all about occupying a unique position in the minds of the target customers for sustainable competitive advantage. The moment a choice is made to occupy a unique position it is not possible be anywhere else. This is where leaders have to make trade-offs.

Creating a strategic fit

Once leaders decide on a strategy, among the most important roles of leadership is to enlist the entire organisation around this chosen strategic roadmap. Most of the time strategies are created in boardrooms and its people are not engaged. To enlist people, strategy has to be simple and can be remembered. The power of people is greater when they come together and support the leadership and when that happens in organisations it is immeasurable!

Everywhere and in every process – whether in IT systems, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), performance evaluations or goal setting – everything should be linked to strategy. This is called creating a strategic fit.

This kind of a strategic fit provides direction and links the company activities interdependently with each other with the sole objective of building economic value for all its stakeholders. Fit eliminates imitators by creating a chain that is strong but only as strong as its weakest link.

BIC is a brand that produces low cost pens to attract low-end customers. The company has achieved this by creating a strategic fit by focusing on the cost drivers across its value chain from low cost manufacturing processes, product design that emphasises the ease of manufacturing, aggressive purchasing to minimise material cost and in-house parts production.

They introduced the BIC pen, the BIC razors – the disposable razors – and all forms of low-cost consumer products, their target customers could afford. You do not want to carry a BIC pen in your pocket – it is not a ‘self-esteem’ need they were planning to meet. BIC is very clear in their brand positioning. They do not want their target customers to use a BIC razor over and over again as it is a disposable razor. But it is attractive to the target segment at the bottom of the pyramid. That is how BIC became the pioneer of disposable technology!

Getting strategy right 

In today’s hypercompetitive world, businesses are under pressure to grow. Most companies enter different businesses for the sake of achieving growth. With enthusiasm to grow, companies introduce variants, enter new categories or launch products in new markets without a long-term strategic intent. Most often than not the consideration is others - if others have got into it we can do it too and we also execute it. Companies then become the same as their competitors and this is not a strategy.

Today most of the organisations don’t pick and choose what fits their businesses best based on their core competencies – processes, people and work culture. Instead, by trying to do many things without choosing the best fit, they end up slashing innovation budgets and cutting marketing expenditure of their core businesses. They even cut training and development which will often lead to strategic failure. Organisations take all these moves without fully understanding their own strategy!

Today more and more companies work with consultants on crafting strategies who often prescribe various approaches to strategy – These consultants often opine, ’Look at your value drivers, look at your key challengers, look at your must-win-battles!’ These models are new to most leaders and they love these buzz words and embrace them. Subsequently, leaders ensure the entire organisation fill an endless number of forms. Finally, this results in ‘big book reports’ and not engaging people about the strategy. Soon after, the ‘big book report’ is soon forgotten. People get into a cycle where they continue to do things as and when they come and in their own way and life persists unchanged.

Leaders forget to ask themselves whether they have the right strategy. Whether through that strategy they help their businesses to occupy a unique position in the market? When formulating the strategy have leaders been bold enough to make trade-offs? Is the entire company, in terms of structure, activities and commitments aligned with their strategy? If any of the answers is ‘no’ leaders need to rethink. This is the very foundation upon which strategy is built.

Leaders need to understand that strategy should be created with a fair and an open process by enrolling the right people across the organisation. When leaders get the right strategy with the people on board, the project management techniques of the company also need to come into play to brilliantly execute the strategy. Leaders cannot leave it to executives to oversee the implementation plan.

Role of leadership in executing a strategy 

Strategy and leadership need to go hand in hand. Without strong leaders, a strategy cannot be crafted or executed. Sometimes organisations have good strategies, but they cannot be executed as leaders have not engaged the people in the strategy crafting process. Hence, in today’s business world leadership has become vital than ever before to craft and execute a strategy.

Leaders need to understand clearly what leadership is really about as most leaders often misunderstand their role. They think leadership is only about doing things better as opposed to doing things differently or doing different things. Some even believe leadership is about command and control as opposed to influencing and inspiring people. Leadership is about building self and the team and getting the best out of the team, not about merely getting rid of people.

Leadership intervention is necessary in setting up cross-functional project teams to execute the strategy. Set and track key performance indicators and hold people accountable in terms of sticking to the plan. If leaders do not give strategy execution due importance, their company will be seen as not being serious enough to make the required changes and the sacrifices necessary to execute strategy.

Rediscover strategy 

We as leaders need to rediscover strategy. To make sure that we have got it right, firstly we need to ask ourselves what is the unique position we are trying to build for our organisation? Secondly, it’s about the trade-offs: What is it that we should do, and what is it that we should not. Thirdly, we need to check the pulse of the people and the culture of the company: Can we create a fit? Do we have the core competencies?

We cannot be everything we want. We need to choose what we are good at.

Strategy is all about deliberately choosing a different set of activities or doing different things.

Strategy is about a unique position. Strategy is about trade-offs. Strategy is about creating a fit in the organisation. Can you create that fit with the culture you have? If the answer is no, do not do it.

(The writer is President of CIM Sri Lanka and Executive Director/Chief Marketing Officer of Diesel & Motor Engineering PLC.)