Shortly after former Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike’s civic rights were removed following a judgment by the Supreme Court that she had violated the Land Reform Law, the United National Party (UNP) held five meetings to explain the matter to the people.
One such meeting was held at the Kiribathgoda junction in the late seventies. Minister of Higher Education Ranil Wickremesinghe, present leader of the UNP, was criticising the Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The head of the President’s Security Division, gangling six-footer, Senior Superintendent of Police Neil Weerasinghe, arrived at the ‘Press Box’ and requested me to see President J.R. Jayewardene.
As I went on to the stage, President Jayewardene told me to inform all the reporters to ignore the part of the speech made by Minister Wickremesinghe stating that Mrs. Gandhi was a close friend of his and he didn’t want to create any misunderstanding. Reporters agreed to do so. “Those Were the Days”…all government politicians including the ones in the Opposition treated the press with respect and hardly a request came from a politician for publicity.
Always the ‘Press’ vehicles followed the President’s entourage as the traffic was cleared for his vehicles. Returning from the Kiribathgoda meeting the same day, however, the vehicles came to an abrupt halt closer to Maradana junction.
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Knowing how notorious Maradana was in the “Good Old Days” we reporters and photographers jumped out of the vehicles to a pleasant surprise where we were told the “Press” were invited for a ‘Buriyani Feed’ at the ‘Hotel de Buhari’.
President Jayewardene, leading the pack of journalists and his security personnel, had a rude shock when the cashier told him that he would have to wait at least 15 minutes as the place was full. However, within minutes, the manager rushed in and saw the customer was none other than President Jayewardene, triggering a pandemonium at the Buhari Hotel. The unmoved President Jayewardene told the manager ‘don’t rush we can stay for a while’.
It all ended happily. We had a hearty Buriyani feed and President Jayewardene took out his long black wallet and paid the bill with a few hundred rupee notes. President Jayewardene’s buriyani feed was a gesture of gratitude to journalists who complied with his request not to publish the speech made by his young minister Ranil Wickremesinghe
criticising Indira Gandhi.
- Pandemonium at Hotel De Buhari Maradana as President Jayewardene invited journalists for a Buriyani feed
- Restaurant cashier tells President to wait 15 minutes for table
- Sudden motorcade stop was to thank journalists who omitted Minister Wickremasinghe’s statements against Indian PM Indira Gandhi
Hotel de Buhari restaurant in Maradana Sri Lanka.
Shortly after former Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike’s civic rights were removed following a judgment by the Supreme Court that she had violated the Land Reform Law, the United National Party (UNP) held five meetings to explain the matter to the people.
One such meeting was held at the Kiribathgoda junction in the late seventies. Minister of Higher Education Ranil Wickremesinghe, present leader of the UNP, was criticising the Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The head of the President’s Security Division, gangling six-footer, Senior Superintendent of Police Neil Weerasinghe, arrived at the ‘Press Box’ and requested me to see President J.R. Jayewardene.
As I went on to the stage, President Jayewardene told me to inform all the reporters to ignore the part of the speech made by Minister Wickremesinghe stating that Mrs. Gandhi was a close friend of his and he didn’t want to create any misunderstanding. Reporters agreed to do so. “Those Were the Days”…all government politicians including the ones in the Opposition treated the press with respect and hardly a request came from a politician for publicity.
Sri Lanka President Jayawardene (Left) wanted to protect relations with Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi (center).
Always the ‘Press’ vehicles followed the President’s entourage as the traffic was cleared for his vehicles. Returning from the Kiribathgoda meeting the same day, however, the vehicles came to an abrupt halt closer to Maradana junction.
Knowing how notorious Maradana was in the “Good Old Days” we reporters and photographers jumped out of the vehicles to a pleasant surprise where we were told the “Press” were invited for a ‘Buriyani Feed’ at the ‘Hotel de Buhari’.
President Jayewardene, leading the pack of journalists and his security personnel, had a rude shock when the cashier told him that he would have to wait at least 15 minutes as the place was full. However, within minutes, the manager rushed in and saw the customer was none other than President Jayewardene, triggering a pandemonium at the Buhari Hotel. The unmoved President Jayewardene told the manager ‘don’t rush we can stay for a while’.
President J.R. Jayawardene asked journalists to omit Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe's speech.
It all ended happily. We had a hearty Buriyani feed and President Jayewardene took out his long black wallet and paid the bill with a few hundred rupee notes. President Jayewardene’s buriyani feed was a gesture of gratitude to journalists who complied with his request not to publish the speech made by his young minister Ranil Wickremesinghe criticising Indira Gandhi.
