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The Visit of Rajmohan and Usha Gandhi to Sri Lanka
13th
to 19th
February 2010
The Visit
The visit of Rajmohan and Usha Gandhi was on the invitation of Initiatives of
Change, Sri Lanka. The visit, the main purpose of which was to meet friends from the
past and in relatively small groups, those who could help in building bridges between
the many groups, who over the years had allowed barriers to arise and divisions of
mistrust to be created. The visit had as its theme, ‘ Onward with Truth and
Integrity for Justice and Peace. ’
The Gandhis were met on arrival at 2230 hrs, at the VIP lounge of the Bandaranaike
International Airport by Ms. Rohini de Mel and Hiran Fernando.
Their host in Colombo was Mrs. Shirani de Fonseka, President of the YWCA –
Colombo.
On the 14th
those named above, together with Vijayalakshmi Subrahmanyan, Nivanka
Bhagwandas and Mahesha Adhikari, left for Kandy with a brief stop at the Inter-
cultural research and Education Foundation headed by Dr. Antony Fernando who over
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the years has taught numerous young people, whose mother tongue is not English, to
speak the language effectively. This was also the launch of the book, ‘Teaching
English ….. the effective way,’ authored by Dr. Fernando who presented the first
copy to Rajmohan.
In Kandy, the Gandhis made their home at Castle Hill, overlooking the city and the
Temple of the tooth.
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Dinners were with prominent personalities in Kandy, Prof. Gananath Obeysekera,
distinguished academic, and Derek Nugawela, in whose ancestral home Mahatma
Gandhi had been a guest in 1927.
Discussions were held with the IofC team who were in Kandy with regard to the Sri
Lanka programme, the persons to meet and with emphasis on the future programmes
to strengthen the work of IofC, Sri Lanka, to meet the immediate challenges the
country is faced with, and reconciliation after nearly 30 years of war.
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Useful discussions were held at Castle Hill with Professors of the University of
Peradeniya.
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On 16th
February afternoon, a meeting was held at the Kandy YWCA with several
members of civil society. A welcome dance by young girls of the YWCA hostel
preceded the meeting which terminated with time for question and answer.
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Back to Colombo
The YWCA Colombo was the host to Educationists and representatives of NGOs on
the afternoon of the 17th
. Following the speech by Rajmohan a lively discussion
ensued.
On 18th
February Rajmohan met Mangala Moonesinghe, the former Sri Lankan High
Commissioner for India and also UK. Following which was an Interview for
television, broadcast over several channels of the television company and also over
their Radio. This was carried as a news item in Tamil, Sinhala and English.
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Lunch followed in the home of Rohini de Mel attended by former President
Chandrika Banadaranaike-Kumaratunge and also Bala Tampoe, Trade Unionist, who
has been the General Secretary of the Ceylon Mercantile Union for 62 years.
The second programme at the YWCA Colombo was a meeting with the Business
Community, together with Community leaders. Among those present were State
Minister Ferial Ashraff, Chairman of Dilmah Tea Merrill J. Fernando, Chairman of
Bartleet and Co., Eraj Wijesinghe and others. The meeting was chaired by
Ambassador Jayantha Dhanapala., who was a candidate for the post of Secretary
General United Nations.
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On the 19th
, the day of departure, Rajmohan and Usha met with the Leader of the
Opposition in Parliament Ranil Wickremasinghe.
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Prior to departure
At the entrance to the VIP Lounge
HF – 22nd
Feb 2010
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