Nihal’s step in the right direction

The series of books being authored by leading public interest activist and reputed professional consultant Nihal Sri Ameresekere on real case studies, dealing with subjects of fraud, corruption, economic crime, public finance, governance and the rule of law,  recently reached a number of 12 books being released by the leading US Publisher and Distributor AuthorHOUSE to the global market. These books have received excellent commendations from renowned international personalities.

Among the prestigious libraries which carry these books are the Libraries of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, Texas US, United Nations Anti-Corruption Academy, Vienna, Austria, Centre of Anti-Corruption Studies, Independent Commission Against Corruption, Hong Kong and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Academy.   

As revealed in his website – www.consultants21.com/publications – he had commenced the first release of the books in Washington in May 2011, and had thereafter had presentations and showcasing of books in New York, Miami, Los Angeles, United Kingdom, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Macao, Singapore and Morocco.

These had been at conferences and seminars of the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities, International Consortium on Governmental Financial Management, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, The Cambridge International Symposium on Economic Crime at Cambridge University and at the Center of Anti-Corruption Studies of the Independent Commission Against Corruption, Hong Kong.

To make his very first presentation in Sri Lanka, Nihal chose the Public Library of Jaffna, which had been completely burnt during the night of 31 May 1981, while the people of Jaffna slept. The Jaffna Public Library which was a national treasure, had been completely burnt down by mentally deranged persons, including over 97,000 books and over 10,000 manuscripts, some of which were written on dried palm leaves and specially stored, which could never be replaced.

This burnt the very heart of the people of Jaffna and the Tamil community. It is in such background that Nihal had chosen the Jaffna Public Library for the first presentation of his books in Sri Lanka.

He was ably assisted in this mission by his long-time friend and colleague, another Chartered Accountant, Kumar Praba Chandran, now Certified Public Accountant in Los Angeles, California. Chandran had studied at the famous Jaffna Hindu College, where students had been addressed by the great Mahathma Gandhi and the spiritual leader Swami Vivekanandan.  Chandran was visiting his hometown Jaffna after nearly 35 years.

Chandran and Nihal upon the invitation of the Principal of Jaffna Hindu College visited the College on Monday, 30 July and were warmly welcomed. They were called upon to address the senior students at the College Assembly, and also the Scouts, with Chandran having been a Queen’s Scout in his day. Both of them going around the premises had spent some quality time with the staff and senior students of the college.

On the next day, Tuesday, 31 July, arrangements had been made to have Nihal’s first book presentation in Sri Lanka at the Jaffna Public Library. A select group of academicians, professionals, bankers and persons from private and public sectors, had been invited. This included the Deans of the Faculties of Law and Management Studies of the Jaffna University and other lecturers, the President of the Jaffna Bar Association, lawyers and judges, and school principals, librarians and students. Members of the Chambers of Commerce and the Rotary Club of Jaffna had also been invitees.

The book presentation proceedings commenced with the chanting of Vedas by Shri Pasupatheeswarasrma Ganesharaja Kurrukkal of the famous Muruga Moothi Kovil, Nallur, who found the time to grace the occasion, notwithstanding that the famous Nallur Festival was in progress. Shri Ganesharaja Kurukkal addressing the gathering thereafter paid glowing tributes to Nihal for his courageous endeavours in fearlessly acting in the public interest.

Thereafter Chandran conducted the proceedings and invited Dr. T. Kalamanay, Head of the Department of Law, University of Jaffna, Shantha Abhimanasingham, PC, President of the Jaffna Bar Association, Noel A. Vimalendran, Principal of Jaffna College, and P. Gnanathesigan, Deputy Principal, Jaffna Hindu College, to ascend the podium.  Nihal however had opted to be in the audience.

Chandran briefly addressed the gathering giving a background of Nihal’s book project, and how it has progressed, where 12 books had been released in the global market, between May 2011 and July 2012, and disclosed that these books had been highly commended by international experts on the subjects dealt with in the books. The books are available globally on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, WHSmith, Borders, Angus & Robertson, etc. and other global book stores and e-retailers and the Publishers AuthorHouse US and UK.

To give an overview and insight, Chandran presented an excellent slide show, giving a brief narration of each book, and also depicting presentations at different fora of the books to international personalities engaged in combating fraud and corruption, and advocating good governance, transparency and accountability.  

Thereafter he called upon P. Gnanathesigan, Deputy Principal, Jaffna Hindu College, to address the gathering. Gnanathesigan paid eloquent tributes to Chandran and Nihal for their gesture in arranging the presentation of these research publications for the education of the students of Jaffna, after a turbulent war torn period of nearly 30 years. He said that Chandran and Nihal were a good example as to how two people from different communities could have a bonding lifelong friendship.

After the address of Gnanathesigan, the first set of 12 books was presented to him by Nihal for the benefit of all students of Jaffna, and therefore he in turn deposited the books with Chief Librarian Imelda Karunaharan of the Jaffna Public Library.

Subsequently, Dr. T. Kalamanay, Head of the Department of Law, University of Jaffna, was invited to address the gathering. Dr. T. Kalamanay stressed the necessity to inculcate in the youth the requirement to adhere to and respect the rule of law, and that for such purpose the books authored by Nihal revealing facts and realities would be of very high educational value to the students of Jaffna University, as well as the Faculty Members. He called upon the Jaffna University Librarian to receive the set of 12 books from Nihal.

Thereafter, Chandran invited the President of the Jaffna Bar Association, Shantha Abhimanasingham, PC, to address the gathering. Abhimanasingham observed that having read the description of the contents of the books, that the books will be of high educational value, revealing facts hitherto unknown, and would be invaluable to the Members of the Bench and Bar and to the students of law. On behalf of the Law Library Jaffna Abhimanasingham received the set of 12 books from Nihal.  

Finally, Noel A. Vimalendran, Principal of Jaffna College was invited to address the gathering. He reminded those present that the Jaffna College at one time had the best library in Asia, and that many undergraduate and graduate students used the Jaffna College Library for their reference work. He complimented Nihal for having authored this series of books to record sociopolitical realities which would be of high educative value to the youth of Jaffna. On behalf of Jaffna College Library he accepted the set of 12 books from Nihal.

To conclude the proceedings, Chandran invited Nihal to speak a few words. Nihal thanked all those present for affording him the opportunity of making the public presentation of his books for the first time in Sri Lanka, in the city of Jaffna, at the Jaffna Public Library, which had been tragically burnt down in a despicable manner. He said that such tragedy and also his recognition that the Tamil community always had a thirst for knowledge and valued books very much, prompted him to choose the Jaffna Public Library.  

Nihal, disclosing that he had visited Jaffna very often from the early 1970s, paid high tribute to the Tamil community and recalled his association with several persons from the community. He made special mention of late P. Navaratnarajah Q.C. and K. Kanag-Isvaran P.C. He also referred to one of his first clients, K. Gunaratnam, who was the father of the Sinhala film industry, facilitating the growth of icons in the industry. He also remembered another of his first clients, the pioneering hotelier in Jaffna, late A. Sangaran, who established the famous Subash Hotel, and thanked his son for being present at the occasion.

Nihal disclosed that his books essentially contained facts, and not fiction, and that he had narrated the facts in a readable manner, without any comment, but raising questions, and leaving it to the readers to come to their own conclusions, and that the series of books was a historical record of the socio-political realities that he had experienced in interacting with the public and private sectors, and the international community.

Nihal ended his few words on an emotional note saying that he made these presentations in the memory of his beloved mother, who passed away the previous month.