Professor Panduka Karunanayake of the Faculty of Medicine, Colombo has issued a very welcome book: mostly a collection of essays and notes he wrote to newspapers and two public lectures. They cover huge areas of social policy and therefore are very likely to give rise to public debate, all very welcome.
Panduka (if he will pardon me) belongs in a tradition of medical personnel who have interested themselves in problems in this society, well beyond health and medical care. Gunadasa Amarasekera, a dental surgeon, is the grand master of them all. He contributed innovation in Sinhala fiction and poetry and more recently has been very articulate about public policy on a large number of issues. Carlo Fonseka was a superb academic leader, a fine teacher of Physiology, a public intellectual of the first order who was a member of the LSSP all his adult life, a rationalist who did much to dispel superstition, a lyricist, a connoisseur and patron of the arts and a debater par excellence in
Post National Day
Plenty of articles about independence, nationality et al. Most were disheartening. A bleak future is seen for this little Indian Ocean State. It is hoped India is not too piqued by the unilateral decision to not award them the Colombo Port’s East Terminal.
Cass makes mention of one article:
Celebrating ‘Independence’ Day again – hopefully last! By Prof Susirith Mendis in
the Mid Week Review of
The Island on Wednesday February 10. The Prof starts his argument not to celebrate independence from the British as it was only “self rule under the tutelage of the Queen of England” we received on February 4, 1948. He says we should instead, mark with celebration Republic Day on May 22. Cass’ brief rejoinder is that we do not now celebrate Independence day from the British but February 4 is celebrated and marked as