4 Saturday 7th May, 2011 The Island Home News Tagore influenced Freedom from British Rule movement - President Postal stamp,book launch to mark Tagore’s 150th birth anniversary

BY ZACKI JABBAR Japan's Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Ms A postal stamp, first day cover Ramachandran, movement for people around the world with his Makiko Kikuta met Minister of External Affairs Professor G. L. and a commemorative volume titled said that the com- Freedom from novels, short stories, poetry, songs Peiris on Thursday. Kunio Takahashi, Japan's Ambassador in ‘Remembering Rabindranath memorative vol- British Rule. “As and paintings. His contribution to participated in the discussion. Tagore’ is to be released today in ume the founder of art was imense. As a poet, Tagore , to mark the nobel laure- ‘Remembering Santiniketan, for was mesmerized by mystery, beauty ate’s 150th birth anniversary celebra- Rabindranath research and teach- and love of nature. It was his song, Prof. Peiris briefs tions. Tagore, published ing, Tagore also originally known as ‘Song of Bengal’ Director of the Indian Cultural by the Colombo made an immense that was later adopted as the Indian Center M. Ramachandran told The University has contribution to the National Anthem, Ekanayake said. Japanese Deputy Island that Postal Services Minister been edited by development of Postal Service Minister Jeevan Jeevan Kumaranatunga would Professor musical tradition Kumarantunga said that Gurudev release the stamp and first day cover Sandagomi that inspired Sri Rabindranath Tagore’s visits to Sri FA Minister while Cultural Affairs Minister T. B. Coperahewa. It Gurudev President Lankans also to Lanka and active role in rejuvenat- Ekanayake will preside over the contains 15 articles Rabindranath Mahinda develop and appre- ing sensibilities with his literary Japan's Parliamentary Vice- The Japanese Vice-Minister book launch at the British School in English, Sinhala Tagore Rajapaksa ciate our own activities and talks gave impetus for Minister for Foreign Affairs, stated that Sri Lanka and Japan Auditorium in Narahenpita. and Tamil on music and song. finding new dimensions to under- Ms Makiko Kikuta, called on would be celebrating the 60th Among those who are scheduled Tagore’s contribution to literature, He, also had a great influence on stand Sri Lanka art and culture. Minister of External Affairs anniversary of the establish- to grace the occassion, he said, are music and art. Ananda Samarakoon, who wrote our “As a nation we are paying hom- Professor G. L. Peiris on ment of Diplomatic Relations the Indian and Bangladesh High The Colombo University celebrat- national anthem Namo Namo age to Tagore because he has left Thursday. next year. She added that under Commissioners Ashok K. Kanth and ed Tagore Day yesterday by conduct- Matha.” such an imprint on Sri Lankan cul- Japan's Ambassador in Sri the support of JICA and JOC a Mahbub Uz Zaman. ing an Essay writing competitions Cultural Affairs Minister T. B. ture with his multi-faceted contri- Lanka Kunio Takahashi partici- series of programmes had been The events are being organized by for school children. Ekanayake said that Rabindranath butions. In fact those great talents pated in the discussion. launched in Sri Lanka for the the Indian Cultural Centre in associ- President Mahinda Rajapaksa, in Tagore, in his native Bengali, was Minister Peiris explained the wellbeing of her people. ation with the Bangladesh High a mesage to mark the occassion, said referred to as ‘The Voice of Bengal’ among us became the cause and situation with the advent of a The Vice Minister also noted Commission in Colombo, Postal and that in Sri Lanka, as in India and but he would prefer to call him a reason for developing our culture stable peace and the enhanced the potential to work with Sri Cultural Affairs Ministries and the South Asia, Tagore was remembered ‘Poet of the World’. with an open mind and self confi- opportunities for collaboration Lanka to develop the tourism Tagore Society of Sri Lanka. for his profound influence on the Tagore has touched millions of dence.” between Sri Lanka and Japan. industry.As a result of the end He also described current ini- of conflict, she noted that there tiatives by the Government of has been a 30% per cent Sri Lanka with regard to recon- increase in Japanese tourists to struction and rehabilitation Sri Lanka.She said that Japan Lecture on and the work of the Lessons will assist further to launch Learnt and Reconciliation reconstruction and rehabilita- invasive Commission. tion programmes in the counry. species An illustrated lecture on the Emergency extended Invasive Species (plants and ani- mals) and their adverse impact The state of emergency Leader Anura Kumara was extended by one more Dissanayake asked for divi- on Sri Lanka’s fauna and flora month with a majority of 93 sion by name. The motion will be delivered by Dr. Devaka votes in Parliament on moved by Prime Minister D. Weerakon, senior lecturer, Thursday (6). At the end of M. Jayaratne received 116 University of Colombo, author, the debate, TNA group leader votes for and 23 against. The and the President of the Field R. Sampanthan asked for a UNP, DNA and TNA voted Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka. division and DNA Group against the motion. (SI) The lecture will be on Thursday the May 12 at 6.00 p.m. at the Institute of Engineers (Wimalasurendra Auditorium) Foundation laying ceremony 120/15, Vidya Mawatha, off Wijerama Mawatha (BMICH end) The foundation laying cere- Rajapaksa Colombo – 7. The lecture is under mony for ‘darmasalawa’ and The ceremony was presided the auspices of the Wildlife and ‘daham pasala’ at Waduramulla over by Ven. Doranegoda Nature Protection Society of Sri Deputy Minister of Rehabilitation and Resettlement, Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan was the chief guest at a Sri Punyodayarama Viharaya, Indrasena nayaka thero, the ceremony held to award certificates to hundred Tamil youth from the North who studied Sinhala. The cere- Panadura, was held yesterday chief incumbent of the Lanka. The lecture is open to the mony was held at the ‘Sadaham Sevana’, International Buddhist Centre in Rajagiriya on Friday (May 6). Also (6) at 10.02 a.m. with the partici- Panadura Gorakapola public and entrance is free. in the picture is MP Ven. Athureliye Ratana Thero. (Pic by Kamal Bogoda) pation of Speaker Chamal Vidyaraja Pirivena.

In the wake of the UNP appoint- ing a committee headed by Bradman Weerakoon to inquire into controversial ‘Darusman Report’, UPFA National List MP How UN funded LTTE operation Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha says he was amused and surprised by the zations. The Board that decided on who 3. Under what authority were UNDP the negotiations team of the incumbent greater reliability and accountability appointment. Weerakoon’s should get the money was one of the personnel able to function in a coordinat- Government’. Do you have detailed with what after all are public funds, how- appointment was announced by usual incestuous organizations, with staff ing capacity, and be paid as recorded, accounts of this last? A sum of $11,000 for ever distant they may be from their Daya Palpola, in his capacity as from the CPA, which Bradman had over the three year period? sundries seems excessive. sources? It seems to have been replaced the Acting Secretary General in helped set up, playing a prominent part. 4. How was the steering committee (or 12 The document refers to ‘the pro- by a wholly unaccountable ‘project team’. It should be noted that UN personnel committees) for the Small Grants (or ject’s strategy in working with civil socie- Who was in this team, how was it set up, the absence of , were also paid through this project, Small Grunts, as endearingly described) ty’ but I presume it should have been the and to whom did it report? MP, who was away from the coun- which one must assume would have been component established, and how was Peace Secretariats rather than UNDP 16 What is the ‘host country imple- try. in breach of some regulation (unless the SCOPP represented on this committee (it doing this for the purposes of the Project. menting agency…the government cooper- The UNP said that its position UN is particularly lax) since the money should after all have been set up in con- What involvement was there of the ating agency’ referred to in the first para- on the UN Panel Report would be was meant to promote the peace process, sultation with SCOPP, but there is no Secretariats with civil society through graph of Part IV of the project docu- announced once the committee not subsidize UN staff. record whatsoever of such consultation) the project, and what were the partner- ment? Were there any revisions made to finished its work. Who were the other members of this ships that the review claims were built the project document on the signature of Dear Mr Buhne committee?... up? You will note that the section in the the then UNDP Resident Representative? Asked how soon Mr. Thanks very much for your letter or 8 Even though the project document review on ‘Facilitating partnerships If so, please let me know what they were Weerakoon could finalize the 21st November regarding assistance pro- records that, at the time it was signed, between the Peace Secretariats and Civil and how they were authorized. If not, UNP’s response, Mr. Palpola vided by UNDP to the LTTE Peace there was ‘an impasse in the negotia- Society Organizations’ does not once how was funding provided, as you men- Friday evening told The Island that Secretariat from 2004 onward… tions’, the review keeps saying that the mention the Secretariats... tion, for a SCOPP negotiating team? he couldn’t give a time. ‘You’ll I am glad that, as anticipated, you were LTTE withdrew from negotiations during 13 Has the UNDP monitored the work 20 Who were the various consultants have to ask Bradman but I’m cer- able to confirm that the Project was with the period of the project. Is there any rea- of the Communication and Media Unit of provided to the LTTE Peace Secretariat? tainly aware he is working on it.” the approval of the Sri Lankan govern- son for this the LTTE Peace Were they all under the TOKETN pro- ment, through Mr Bradman Weerakoon obvious prevar- Secretariat? Is it gramme? For how long were they here, as Secretary to the Prime Minister at the ication, given aware that the and why were such large sums required time and Commissioner General for the that the LTTE website of this as sundries? BY PROF. RAJIVA WIJESINHA Coordination of Relief, Rehabilitation had categorical- Secretariat, 22 Why were Medical products was vastly amused to read that the and Reconciliation, and also External ly withdrawn which UNDP required for the LTTE web development United National Party, under its pres- Resources. I have since been able to dis- from negotia- funds have component of the project? What was the Ient leadership, has set up a committee cuss the Project with my predecessor who tions in the helped build up, office machinery obtained for that com- under Mr Bradman Weerakoon to report held office during the main period in middle of 2003 glorifies suicide ponent in 2004, and what was the office on the findings of the Darusman Panel. I which the Project was in operation, and I and the project cadres? Will machinery obtained for Activity 10 in was reminded by this of Mr Weerakoon’s gather he was aware of it, though was not document UNDP, as other 2005? previous official involvement with the involved in its implementation. seems to recog- donors to that 23 Who was the beneficiary of the UN when, as Secretary to the Prime I will seek within SCOPP for further nize this? Peace Secretariat Individual Service Contract under Minister, he approved a Project which clarifications, but meanwhile I would be 9 What were have done, indi- Management in 2004. and why did the provided a massive sum of money to the grateful if you could give me further the joint activi- cate to the LTTE cost go up so much over the next two LTTE Peace Secretariat. information with regard to the following ties that took Peace Secretariat years despite the fall off in activity? Why Much of this was used to develop its – place between that such an out- was so much spent on subsistence, and website, which was subsequently used to 1. You mention ‘equipment notionally the three secre- come based on are any reports available following local glorify suicide bombers. I must confess I agreed upon to SCOPP and the Muslim tariats? $14,000 international travel? was disappointed when the UNDP Peace Secretariat’. What was meant by seems to have Bradman Prof. Rajiva support for peace I hope this is not too much of a Resident Representative at the time – who ‘notionally’, since what was supplied to been spent on Weerakoon Wijesinha is inappropriate, worry, but I am sure the staff who were was not responsible at all for the Project – these two was much less than that given this in 2006, through grants to institutes and urge that such items be removed responsible for the project will not have refused to remonstrate with the LTTE to the LTTE Secretariat? In this context, and other beneficiaries, and $25,000 earli- from the website? difficulty finding the required informa- about this. Conversely, the Norwegian would you know who were meant to be er through Svc Co-Social Svcs. Were there 14 What records are there of the regu- tion in the files. I would be happy to look Ambassador, Tore Hattrem, did so, and the Muslim beneficiaries at the time the any joint learning experiences or joint lar monitoring and evaluation that the through the files with them if you this contributed to my view that, whatev- Project was signed? The project docu- workshops? UNDP country office undertook during thought it would be easier. I look forward er one thought of Mr Solheim’s relation- ment notes there was only a ‘Muslim 10 Were any study tours arranged for the lifetime of the Project? Has there to hearing from you. Yours sincerely ship with the Tigers, there were Peace Advisory Unit under the Prime the LTTE? What was their travel alloca- been a formal review at the end? Could c. Secretary to the President Norwegians in their Foreign Ministry Minister’s office’ in existence at that time tion spent on? And what was the need for you please make available to us, as indi- Secretary, MFA who would have liked to have had no (Page 9 of the document, which may have a large sum for transportation of equip- cated in the project document, the works Sujatha Cooray, ERD truck with terror. told us more about this Unit, is missing ment? plan as well as the progress report and Since there was no reply, I wrote again I append below extracts from my letter from the copy you sent me)…. 11 …Who were the other beneficiaries evaluation if anything exists apart from in March – ‘I should note that of the fund- to Neil Buhne of November 24th 2007 2. The combined review envisaged did of the sums disbursed for a ‘sub contract what has been sent already? ing for what were termed peace promo- regarding that preposterous project. not take place. At the bilateral review for street theatre production’ that was 15 Why was the Steering Committee tion activities.’ I did then finally received Needless to say, he did not answer my with SCOPP it was noted that the min- supposed to be a SCOPP responsibility? A envisaged in the project document not set a reply in May, but basically to say my questions, and it was clear that the UN utes of all reviews would be shared with total of $77,000 seems to have been dis- up? It was supposed to have quarterly queries could not be answered and that had not monitored this Project at all, but all partners. Could I please have copies of bursed for this, though your letter sug- meetings, facilitated by UNDP, but these we should have a joint meeting to find out had simply dished out money to the LTTE the other minutes, since they do not seem gests that some of this may in fact have do not seem to have occurred ever. What more. My ready acceptance of this offer as well as to several Civil Society organi- to be available in this office?... been used for ‘the training provided to mechanism does UNDP have to ensure was then ignored.