I have NO inside knowledge of how her
name was proposed, or who proposed it, but after an 18 month absence and a
search high and low, where all those who were asked refused the position, I am
told that the Chairperson of Swadeshi Industrial Works, a successful FMCG
manufacturer of the popular Kohomba Soap and Rani Sandalwood Soap (my choices)
amongst other brands, namely Ms Amari Wijewardene has been proposed as the SL HC to
London.
Amari is one of the most successful
women entrepreneurs, Sri Lanka has produced, who has grown her father’s
business into what it is today, in a highly competitive field, where the
Unilever Brands with the huge advertising and marketing budgets dominate the
space. I was therefore not amused at the sort of uneducated comments from the
Colombo Telegraph cacophony of parrots, which you can read from the link below,
that accused the PM of nepotism!
I know the information below is of no
relevance except in informing the public of who she really is! Her Great Grand
Parents on her Mothers, and Fathers side
were Tudugalle Mohandiram Don Philip Wijewardene, a descendent of King
Parakrama Bahu VI of Kotte, and Helena Wijewardene, born a Christian (an arrack
renter’s daughter) who reconstructed the Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihare.
A little known fact is that she is
currently the Chief Dayakaya(f. dayikawa) of the Kelani Temple. Ranil Wickremasinghe is the
Chief of the Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihare Dayake Sabha and Dammika Atygalle, the
Basnayake Nilame of the same. Her both grandfathers being brothers, and the two
eldest sons of Helena, means she has more Wijewardene inheritance than most,
and she reverted to her maiden name after marriage.
All devout Buddhists know that Swadeshi
sponsors MORE Aloka Poojas at Temples than most other institutions, be they
Wijeya who does, Tantirimale, Upali Group does Sithulpahuwa, Lake House who does, Mihintale, Swadeshi does
Kelaniya, Devundera Shri Vishnu Devale, Dambedeniya Raja Maha Vihare,
Sabaragamuwa Maha Saman Devale in Ratnapura, Kiri Vehera in Kataragama amongst
others.
The article above gets their facts
completely wrong in true Sri Lanka journalistic traditions, as she is NO aunt
of Ranil or Ruwan. He mother Ira and her father Donald are first Cousins of
Ranil’s mother and Ruwan’s father, which makes her second cousins of both of
the above. SO when it comes to family bandism or nepotism if we stretch it to
that level, in a small island of Sri Lanka, looking for those capable and
willing to do the job, outside the circle is sometimes hard to find, and I
challenge someone to suggest someone better who will take the job, as it
involves spending one’s own money, if one is to make the most of the
connections in London, and does the required PR job to the extent necessary in
the current Honeymoon period that Sri Lanka is going through with the British
Establishment.
Frankly NO career diplomat can do this
particular job, and it always has been a political appointment just as it is
for the UNITED STATES too! The Ambassadors sent to London especially from the
Commonwealth from all parts must be able to communicate with one another, to
make the posting a successful one. It is important for Sri Lanka foreign policy
to have a Businesswoman, representing her.
Critics said how Nonis marketed his
Mackwoods Tea while in London, and that Amari will try to do the same! If you
take that tack I would tell her to go to Unilever and fight their unfair trade
practices at the heart of the Unilever Offices to show them that using their
predatory pricing to kill home grown outfits like Swadeshi and the new products
and perfumes they are bringing on, and battle head on with the deep pockets of
Unilever is a David and Golliath battle. She has battled Unilever in Sri Lanka,
she deserves to go to London and fight them there too! What Aloka pooja has
Unilever sponsored? Time they sponsor the lot Amari!
Hey Media cut her some slack please and
give her a good write - up as I am the only fair and unbiased write up I have
so far seen to date on the matter of her appointment.
WE MUST BE PROUD that we are sending a
successful Businesswoman to London, and we can cut the critics in the media in
one swoop with her pluses that outnumber her minuses. So stop your broken
record of Nepotism and judge your criticism fairly.
Yes she travels to
London at least twice a year, yes she is rich and Colombo 7, yes she is from a
famous family, and yes she is part of the Laity of the Buddhist heritage. So
what is wrong?
She has the courage to take this thankless task of a London
posting that few really have the CHUTZPAH to carry out successfully. I just
hope the Foreign Ministry increases the paltry entertainment allowance of their
London diplomats so that they are able to show off the Country, and who better
than always ELEGANT Amari Wijewardene, the best dressed diplomat!
Finally a Princess at the Court of St. James - This is a good one, go for it!
ReplyDeleteIf she allowed free reign! she will definitely become the 'doyen of the diplomatic corps to the Court of St James' and will do Sri Lanka proud, and the critics will have to eat humble pie.
ReplyDeleteSo basically your point is that appointing relatives for Foreign service is ok as long as they have money and gives money to temples.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how people like u have selective amnesia about about your own opposition to the previous govt.
If this was a relative of MR you would be dedicating pages and pages why nepotism is wrong and how uneducated the government is. But now that your glorious leader of the UNP is doing that it's not a problem. ROFL
Political appointment is OK even if a relative and the following blog entry clarifies my thinking. If you have a better and willing person who can carry out the job, and who has the confidence of the ruling junta let me know, I could possibly replace this appointment, knowing the PM does not favor it, but please let me know within 24 hours with rationale, so I can send it up to TT for consideration.
ReplyDeleteStop Whingeing. Give the lady a chance to prove her ability and then make your comments.
ReplyDelete