A eulogy: Douglas Wickremeratne

By Senaka Weeraratna

Douglas Wickremeratne became the voice of the voiceless Sinhalese overseas to combat minority communalism in the hour of its greatest need. He had a huge claim for the gratitude of Sri Lanka and its patriotic people for the stand he took soon after the civil unrest in July 1983, when he alone stood up to fight the disinformation campaign of the country’s detractors in London.

His brave stand triggered others, primarily Sinhalese in many parts of the world, to come out in support of national unity, territorial integrity, and an undivided Sri Lanka. He gave leadership to the cause against Tamil terrorism and separatism in an unblemished manner. 

The interviews that Douglas gave to British TV channels won him star status and a huge following of admirers both within and outside Sri Lanka. He was the pride of the nation as he was performing better than any of our diplomats stationed overseas. In almost every conversation on the subject of civil riots in Sri Lanka in the mid-eighties, Douglas’s name invariably came up in admiration.

When Sri Lanka’s diplomats particularly in London and other European capitals were helpless and struggling to respond effectively to false allegations of committing genocide and pogroms against the Tamils in Sri Lanka, having been caught off guard, it was Douglas who rose to the occasion to meet the challenge.

Douglas acted as a de facto representative on behalf of the Sri Lanka High Commission in London to combat increasing false allegations against the country, the Army, and the Sinhala people engineered by the LTTE and their supporters. The latter had planned these campaigns for a long time early and the Government machinery including the Sri Lankan embassies was simply overwhelmed.

Furthermore, the Sri Lanka High Commission in London as a matter of protocol was required to obtain prior permission from the Foreign Ministry in Colombo before responding to any sudden development, for example, a bomb explosion. Its hands were tied. When permission was granted for the Sri Lanka High Commission by the Foreign Ministry in Colombo to issue a written statement authorised by the latter it was too late. The delay had resulted in the stable door getting closed, and the horse bolting away.

Sinhala Association in the UK

Douglas was the founder of the Sinhala Sangamaya in London in 1976 following the interruption of a World Cup cricket match between Sri Lanka and Australia at the Kennington Oval London on 11 June 1975 by Tamil protestors demanding a separate state. The Sinhala Sangamaya stood for national unity and an undivided Sri Lanka, and was firmly opposed to separatism. The Sangamaya also promoted activities to ensure that Sinhala expatriates were able to maintain close cultural links with their motherland. They organised cultural shows and concerts by bringing famed musicians to perform in the UK and other European countries. 

Among those who performed were Amaradeva, Nanda Malini, Sisira and Indrani, H.R. Jothipala, Latha Walpola, Victor Ratnayake, Sunil Edirisinghe, T.M. Jayaratne, M.S. Fernando, Malini Bulathsinhala, Clarence Wijewardena and Mariazelle, Angeline Gunatilaka, Ivor Dennis, Gypsies, Desmond Silva and musicians like Stanley Peiris, Wijeratna Ranatunga, Rohana Weerasinghe.

The Sinhala Sangamaya organised Sinhala film shows, Vesak festivities, Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebrations, and they funded the dispatch of provisions to help villages in heavy rain-affected areas in Sri Lanka and financed repairs to ancient water tanks in the hinterland.

The Sinhala Sangamaya also invited Ven. Madihe Pannasiha Nayake Thera, Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thera, Professor (Dr.) Nalin de Silva, Dinesh Gunawardena, the late Gen. Lucky Algama and Minister Cyril Matthew, among others to address gatherings in London. Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thera was one of the mentors of Douglas during those dark days. Douglas represented the Sinhala Association in the UK. He bravely faced the country’s detractors in the West including LTTE supporters on all TV and radio debates, and in turn, won the hearts of the well-wishers of Sri Lanka in Britain and elsewhere.

Tissa Madawela’s video productions of the breathtaking services rendered by the Sinhala Sangamaya (UK) and sharp thrusts of Douglas as an interlocutor on British TV programs on the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka remain as veritable or indisputable evidence of Douglas’s eloquence and wit, and his glorious services to the motherland that he dearly loved.

Dr. Gavin Karunaratne says as follows: “Douglas excelled in speaking (in debates). His speech was organised well and full of facts all rattled from memory without a scrap of paper. His was a store of knowledge of how the ethnic problem commenced, full of historical detail of how facts had been misrepresented. There was pindrop silence as he spoke. Douglas excelled in presenting facts – it was a flow that kept listeners mesmerised. In answering the questions raised, Douglas was on the ball with specific details of the carnage caused by LTTE attacks on unarmed civilians and even novice monks at Arantalawa. Douglas was always the winner in arguments. 

There were occasions when he would telephone me in the morning to join him in a few hours to be present in a Room at the Houses of Parliament where members of parliament were being briefed by LTTE supporters. Douglas as usual always won the day whenever he spoke. He was then actually doing the task that should have been done by the High Commission for Sri Lanka. Douglas was in many years requested to be present at Geneva at the UNHCR Sessions and I am aware that he accomplished himself creditably well on all those occasions.” 

Overseas Sri Lankans’ Organization for National Unity (OSLONU) 

Around the same time, Sri Lankan expatriates in Melbourne formed the Overseas Sri Lankans’ Organization for National Unity (OSLONU) at a public meeting held at the University of Melbourne in September 1983 under the leadership of Professor C.G. Weeramantry who was elected as the first President of OSLONU. He delivered a brilliant oration on this occasion entitled ‘A Plea for National Unity and an Undivided Sri Lanka’. 

Dr. Ranjith Hettiarachi and H.L.D. Mahindapala was elected as the Joint Secretaries. Senaka Weeraratna served as Assistant Secretary jointly with Astrid Edrisinha. Dr. Olga Mendis (Hony. Treasurer), and Soma Perera, Tony Edrisinha, Chris Lawton, Eddie Gray, and Hanif Badurdeen, were elected as Committee members. All of them were founder members. 

It grew into a sizable body to counter anti-Sri Lanka propaganda worldwide. Sri Lanka newspapers carried statements of OSLONU regularly. Even Australian academics at the University of Melbourne who attended the inaugural sessions of OSLONU later commented that they have now realised that there was another valid and highly tenable point of view contrary to what the LTTE detractors were saying. OSLONU used to liaise constantly with Douglas Wickremeratne.

Douglas was born on 9 April 1938. Douglas was 83 years old when he passed away on 1 December 2021. His hometown was in Dehiwala. His father owned the reputed ABC Cabs business in the 1950s and 1960s. Douglas is an old Anandian. At Ananda College, he excelled in debating and led the English debating team. He was also a good cricketer. In 1953, he was a classmate of Indrajith Malalasekera (son of Dr. G.P. Malalasekera), D.B. Nihalsinghe (filmmaker), Ananda K. Wijetunga, Ranjith Rathnayake, Palitha Premasiri (Cricket Captain 1957), Neville Gajaweera, and Dr. Ranjith Hettiarachi.

World Federation of Sri Lankan Associations

Douglas was a founder member of the World Federation of Sri Lankan Associations and a distinguished speaker at the inaugural sessions of the World Federation held in Toronto in 1984. Dr. Jeeva Ganepola (New Jersey, USA) was elected as its First President. The Sri Lanka United National Association of Canada (SLUNA) under the leadership of its President Tilak Wickremasinghe hosted this event.

The Sinhala Sangamaya hosted the Second Convention of the Federation held at the Hilton Hotel in London in 1985 where Douglas was duly elected as the second President of the World Federation. It was attended by delegates from the USA, Canada, Australia and France.

Several distinguished speakers from Sri Lanka including Minister Lalith Athulathmudali, Anura Bandaranaike (Leader of the Opposition), Earnest Corea, Dr. Jeeva Ganepola (USA), H.L.D. Mahindapala (Australia), Dr. Walter Jayasinghe (USA), and Walter Jayawardana (Los Angeles, USA), spoke at this International Conference. Betty Boothroyd, M.P. and later Speaker, House of Commons was a Guest Speaker at this Conference.   

Sri Lanka United National Association (SLUNA) of Canada published the first ‘Overseas Sri Lankan’ Journal which was distributed at the London Convention.

Even the Government of Sri Lanka gave him high recognition and VIP treatment when he visited Sri Lanka as the President of the World Federation at that time. The interviews that Douglas gave to British TV channels won him star status and a huge following of admirers both within and outside Sri Lanka. He was the pride of the nation as he was performing better than any of our diplomats stationed overseas. In almost every conversation on the subject of civil riots in Sri Lanka in the mid-eighties Douglas’s name invariably came up in admiration.

Prime Minister R. Premadasa hosted a meeting at the Office of the Prime Minister in Colombo in 1985 to gauge the views of the overseas-based Sri Lankans. Douglas Wickremeratne, Dr. Ranjith Hettiarachi, Senaka Weeraratna, Dr. Jeeva Ganepola, and Jayantha Dhanapala were among those who attended this discussion. 

Rupavahini conducted a TV program in 1985 focused on the contributions that the overseas Sri Lankans were making to the cause of combating anti-Sri Lanka propaganda. It had Douglas Wickremeratne, Dr. Ranjith Hettiarachi, and Senaka Weeraratna as the participants, and Dayananda de Silva, famed Radio Ceylon personality as the moderator. M.J. Perera, Civil Servant, was the Chairman of the Rupavahini at that time.

Professor C.G. Weeramantry succeeded Douglas as the third President of the World Federation of Sri Lankan Associations. In January 1987 a meeting was held at the residence of Senaka Weeraratna in Colombo and attended by visiting Sri Lankans to review the progress being made in protecting the fair name of Sri Lanka internationally. Professor C.G. Weeramantry, Douglas Wickremeratne, Mahinda Gunasekera, Hema Jinadasa, Senaka Weeraratna, and a couple of others were present. 

Douglas is a real hero by any definition. He is an old Anandian with a firm commitment to the ‘Rata, Jathiya, Agama’ idea. The adage ‘Come the hour, Come the man’ was strikingly illustrated in the manner that Douglas Wickremeratne stepped forward to defend Sri Lanka in the hallowed portals of elite British institutions, universities, and mainstream TV channels. He scored debating points convincingly in front of British TV audiences.  

May Sri Lanka find the strength to show remembrance and gratitude at a national level to this great patriot. A man with such a backbone and spine is a vital need for the country more so today. 

He deserves a commemorative postage stamp issued in his honour.

May he attain the supreme bliss of Nirvana.