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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