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Royal College fund raiser or fund plunder..? Concerned Old Royalist makes shocking revelations.!

(Lanka-e-News -07.Sep.2016, 11.55PM) Hereunder is a text of a  letter addressed to the Hon. Minister of education with copies to his secretary, and Lanka e news  by a concerned  Old Royalist and  parent exposing the outrageous corruption, bribes and frauds that raged under the name ‘Saga,’ a musical event  held at Royal College , Colombo .  

The Principal
Royal College
Colombo 07.
Dear Sir,

ROYAL COLLEGE “ SAGA ” MISHAPS

I would like to notice few points about the Royal College SAGA musical as a Royalist and a parent. I think you are aware that saga is the main fund raiser for the Royal College School Development Society so far and this was the main income for some teachers too.  With the help of former principal Mr. Upali Gunasekara the Masters in Charge (MIC) of Oriental Music in Royal College and SDS officials convert SAGA as their annual fund raising event from the following ways;
 
Taking Commission from the Stage Setup Providers and Sound Providers. 

Masters in Charge do not let anyone to interfere into this because they are taking a huge commission out of these providers. No quotations are called and if someone try to introduce a well established professional for stage setup and sounds then the MIC’s opposed to them saying they did not work with them hence do not have any idea about their work. The real reason is far beyond that and MIC’s are always working with the same group because it is easy to get their CUT. You can compare the high “SAGA” prices and the market prices for these services.
 
Taking Bribes From The Parents By Letting Their Children To Participate In The “SAGA” Musical. 

This happens regularly and is a well known secret among the parents. Rumors are circulating that by giving bribes “ so and so ” participated, after each and every SAGA musical. As a royalist I know some parents are willing to do anything to insert their child into the “SAGA” orchestra. MIC’S are keeping some favoured regulars every year to run the show and “ favouration ” is the key factor for others selected. There are players who have completed even the Royal College education after Advanced Level and still playing in the SAGA. You can get so many examples for these situations. Students who have real talents are keeping in a side and they never get any chance at all if their parents are not willing to bribe the MIC’s. You will see the same faces for each & every “SAGA” event. This actually frustrates the students and some of them even give out music because of these unfairness.

Misuse of the Monies Collected

One of Royal College past Vice Principal who once told this writer that there are 22 different accounts running without auditing under different names for the School Development Society. This could be true when you observe the past SAGA souvenirs. The minimum advertising amount is Rs. 3000/= and if you count them you will be able to get a clear idea about the monies collected through the souvenir. This souvenir ad collecting is done by forcing the students by making it compulsory and is a headache to all students. As a Royalist I have a clear idea that we need money to run the college in this level but it is very sad that this money is misused by some MIC’s and SDS officials.
 
Unusual Behavior of the SDS Officials

During the “SAGA” period you will notice that some SDS officials are working full time at the college. If they do not have an income will they sacrifice their time like this? They should be able to earn more from the college other than their regular earning to sacrifices their time to the college like that. I know Royalists always want their flag fly high but these SDS officials behaviors are exaggerated.
 
Dear principal you are new to the college but I do not think you will not be fooled by the MIC’s ( Mr. Ashoka Pushpakumara & Mr. Lionel Bandara) and the SDS officials. So please keep your eyes open and do not let these crooks run the same show this year too. Do not let “SAGA” to be called as “ ගසා ” .
 
LONG LIVE ROYAL
 
CC :   Education Minister
          Secretary to the Education Minister
          Lanka E news

---------------------------
by     (2016-09-08 03:07:56)

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  7 discussion on this news

The hilarity in what has been said above, is probably not something many readers would see, but being a past member of the SAGA orchestra myself, I can't help but have a good laugh at how ridiculous the letter above is! The fact that this fine gentleman truly believes that one could simply bribe their way into the orchestra alone is good enough for anyone who has even remotely been involved with SAGA to understand how blatantly misguided the writer is! SAGA has always stood above the rest, not because of anything else, but because of the high quality of entertainment provided, mainly owed to the highly talented orchestra. As far as "quality" is concerned, my word need not be taken. This fact has been acclaimed by countless professional artists since the day of SAGA's inception. Maintaining this quality has always been a priority, since we know that is what our success lies in. The orchestra annually replaces the school leavers, by admitting new members through a scrutinised system of auditions. During these yearly auditions, participants are picked out based on their notation reading skills, their ability to dedicate themselves to the strenuous practice sessions, and above all, their ability to play an instrument in a manner which sets them apart from the rest. So NO Mr. Anonymous, no average Joe can just waltz their way into the orchestra by dumping a wad of money on the teacher's desk! If that was the case, SAGA wouldn't be the widely proclaimed orchestra it is today! Furthermore Mr. Anonymous, I don't believe you to be half the person either Mr. Pushpakumara or Mr. Bandara are, for it was they who single handedly made the initiative to make SAGA a reality, thus bringing in wealth hitherto unheard of, to your alma mater! (I emphasise on the fact that this was wealth brought into the SCHOOL and nowhere else.) And for you to completely disregard this fact, and bring completely false and libelous allegations against Mr. Pushpakamara and Mr. Bandara, tarnishing their selfless service to college which spans over a decade, only reflects upon your character. I want to end by saying that I truly sympathise the writer for his incapacity to reveal himself, since what is written in anonymity is just as damning as mere heresay. Pulina Jayasuriya
-- by Pulina Jayasuriya on 2016-09-08

With all the fund raisers, the condition of the school buildings, furniture etc.. are in a very poor standard.
-- by Athula on 2016-09-09

To the anonymous freak, You have mentioned very proudly at the beginning of your so called letter, that you are Royalist. But dude, first I should say that Royalists are never anonymous. I don't know whether you are aware of that or not. And also you have said that you are a concerned Royalist and a parent. But sad to say Mr., I don't see you as a person who does even drives near Royal College at least once a month. I don't know actually how do you say that you are a concerned Royalist and a parent. Be careful when you use the word Royalist. Because it carries a lot of value. May be you have studied at Royal College. But you might have been just a student who came to Royal for the sake of your parents and did nothing at Royal, knowing nothing about its history and value. If you don't know those things, please don't call your self an Old Royalist. It is a shame to this Great place on earth. Getting down to the topic, I must first say that I'm also an Old Royalist and also a former member of the Royal College Orchestra who have been a part of 'SAGA' since its inception. Mr., I don't know whether you are aware of this or not. Before the arrival of Mr. Ashoka Pushpakumara, the standard of the Music arena of Royal College was not up to an acceptable level. But right after his arrival he did a dramatic change to the music arena of Royal College by picking up truly talented students and developing their skills and potential in Music. Later Mr. Lionel Bandara also came to Royal College and added lot of value and colour to the music arena of Royal College together with Mr.Ashoka Pushpakumara. All the present students and Old Royalists know that. But I don't know whether you have any clue about it or not Mr., although you say you are a concerned Royalist and a parent. Very doubtful. "SAGA" is a product of Royal College Orchestra. It was initiated in 2004, by the former Principal of Royal College Mr. Upali Gunasekara and the Master-In-Charge in Oriental Music, Mr. Ashoka Pushpakumara. Although they initiated it, the entire event is done by the members of Royal College Orchestra, simply the students of Royal College. I hope at least you know that the Royal College Orchestra comprises of the present students of Royal College. It is done by present students. When we were students, we organized everything in "SAGA" and we decided everything. As the members of the Royal College Orchestra, we decided that to whom the sound engineering will be given, to whom the stage setup and designing will be given etc. It is always decided by the members of the orchestra. Because the students are performing in "SAGA", not anyone else. Therefore, everything is decided by them because it is a school event. I hope you know that Mr., as a proud parent and a concerned Royalist. No body has ever opposed the student's decision and the students could always do what they wanted and they always did the best and continue to do so. The SDS does only the part of raising funds and they have always fulfilled the requirements of the members of the Royal College Orchestra and as a result, "SAGA" has always been best and extraordinary School Musical Extravaganza in Sri Lanka. As a concerned Royalist, you must know that Mr. Anonymous. Otherwise don't call your self a concerned Royalist. There are few more things to tell and that will make you understand that Royal College Orchestra and "SAGA" has always promoted the talent. If you look at the present Music industry in Sri Lanka, most of the best performing instrumentalists are from Royal College Orchestra. If you want to see how it happened, I can show you 9 video clips of all the past "SAGA" Musical Extravaganzas, as to how they performed as students. And also I can show you their profiles. Some of them are recognized Internationally. Is there anything else that I want to tell you to prove what I said earlier? If you want any further clarification, I can do it for you. So Mr. Anonymous, finally I have to tell you only one thing. First, if you are really a concerned Royalist, have some guts to go and speak to the relevant parties without being faceless like this. And do not consider yourself as a "concerned Royalist" with such little and unsound idea about Royal College. Thank You! I wish you all the best to become a concerned Royalist with true facts.
-- by Yashod Gamage on 2016-09-10

As a member of the inaugural SAGA way back in 2004, its really sad to see a false letter written by a backboneless coward with an intention of tarnishing the names of two great personalities at my school who have done a tremendous job to uplift the school music to its top over the past decade. The arrival of Mr. Ashoka Pushpakumara not only changed Royal College’s music, also he introduced a new school music trend to many schools in the island. There are number of examples at present in Sri Lankan music industry courtesy the guidance given by him. Royal SAGA is not just an ear end “Vivida Prasangaya”. The key to its success over a decade is maintaining its high quality. We, most of the Sri Lankans are good at playing cricket.But only a handful get selected to the national team based on their talents. The same thing is being applied here. The talented instrumentalists who have some extra skills such as notation writing, improvisation skills, correct pace and tempo are the ones who get the seats at the show’s orchestra. But that doesn’t mean that others are not allowed as there are plenty of opportunities for them at school to polish up their skills. Mr. Pushpakumara and Mr. Bandara themselves conduct lessons sacrificing their valuable time after school without charging a cent. Therefore I am really frustrated to see one accusing on totally baseless facts to two teachers who can be called as “Guru Dewiwaru”. Please ask this from any Royalist and check whether I m wrong. Sounds is a major part of the show. Though there are many sound engineers, only few have experiences and capable in handling a mega event like this with an orchestra of about 50 plus hundreds of singers. And that’s why the hiring cost is expensive but still to maintain such a good standard we have to go for it. You can never get an outside quotation from this as there is no show in the island with such a huge orchestra. The funds of the show is being handled solely by SDS as it is the main fund raising project. If one has any doubt simply you can ask for the annual audit report for clarifications. Finally I must say that SAGA has not come along a soft pathway upto 2016 since 2004. We personally know how difficult it was to conduct this show in early years as we were a part of it. But the utmost effort of Mr. Pushpakumara and Mr. Bandara has lifted the school music up to the highest position now. So if anyone tries to destroy the good name of the two, should keep in mind that it is not possible. Ill stop like this..”I saw Ashoka sir in 2004 for the first time wearing a simple shirt and trouser driving a Toyota townace van. And even in 2016 I still see that simple kind hearted noble man in same type of outfit coming in the same vehicle. Nothing has changed and their valuable service to the school will be continued despite all these”
-- by Dr.Randula Caldera on 2016-09-13

In my point of view just reading this letter is enough to understand that it is based on mere thoughts and jealousy rather than actual facts. It also reflects what an incapable and unconfident personality, the writer is. This letter has proven only one thing. That is the fact that the fame and excellence of Royal College and ‘SAGA’ cannot ever be ruined or challenged by this sort of futile efforts. Let me remind you so called concerned old Royalist, that we, the past members of SAGA, will never allow this type of backboneless gossips to ruin the fame of our Alma mater. I need to mention, as a past member of ‘SAGA’, that it is a dream of Royal College, which was made true by intense effort and courage of Asoka sir and Lionel sir. They deserve the gratitude of Royalists for making such an excellent event in Royal College calendar. Over years ‘SAGA’ has become an extraordinary event praised by many great artists in the country. In fact ‘SAGA’ was a model of music for other schools as well. It is very sad that false rumors are made instead of appreciating these two teachers who led the Royalists towards the excellence of music. We, the past members of ‘SAGA’ remember how we got together, practiced, rehearsed and performed onstage. We remember how Asoka sir and Lionel sir were behind us guiding step by step. I would say ‘SAGA’ is not an event but rather a real family. That bond is very very very strong . Asoka sir and Lionel sir, I know, will always give their blessings to SAGA family along with great inspirations. As Randula very correctly stated they are the very same personalities we saw at the beginning of ‘SAGA’ and not for their presence ‘SAGA’ would still have been a dream. Finally I need to say that just uttering gossip anonymously is not the way of Royalists, but a true Royalist would be sharp enough to make a rational point. Whoever the writer of this letter I would suggest at least to be wise enough not to stammer based on mere assumptions which would exhibit stupidity but nothing else.
-- by Dr. Dileepa Perera on 2016-09-18

It is with immense regret that I commence penning this note after reading the above letter posted by someone who call himself a Royalist, but leaving me lot of doubt about it. If you have really gone through the above comments posted by some factual Royalists, you wouldn’t do this kind of cheap work at least in the future. Dude, this is just to make you aware of what “SAGA” and Royal College Orchestra is all about. My life is completely devoted to music as I’m professionally a musician. I completed my education at Royal College Colombo, and I’m a former member of the Royal College Orchestra since its inception. The first “SAGA” musical extravaganza was staged in 2004 and I was the main percussionist at that time. That gave me a solid grounding to develop my skills and potential in playing percussion instruments and lead me to become the founder of my own percussion troop “Naadro”. “Naadro” is internationally recognized and it could be proven to you in tact. Not only myself, there are few other Royalists as well who perform in “Naadro”, under my supervision. They are, Nuwan, Guyrika, Hashan, Ashvin, just to name a few. Should I tell you anything more to prove that “SAGA” promotes true talent. You must have some common sense to understand the truth. If you don’t, please don’t call your self a parent because a parent should have common sense to handle children. Further, it seems that you are very much concerned about the funding part of “SAGA”. First what I have to tell you is, to know the true facts before you open your mouth as a small kid with no knowledge at all. I’m personally involved in “SAGA” as an Old Royalist to give my assistance in whatever the way possible, from training the orchestra at the beginning to the point of staging the concert. Because that is what expected of an Old Royalist, not posting such nonsense on social media. I know how everything happens and Mr. Ashoka Pushpakumara and Lionel Bandara have dedicated themselves to uplift the musical skills and potential pf students. They are not paid anything extra for doing that. Mr. Ashoka Pushpakumara has done a great job in bringing me unto this level. He was not paid for that. So dude, at the end, what I can tell you is, please don’t tarnish your reputation in public by posting clueless stuff. First go and learn about the history of Royal College, and then open your mouth. Be wise. Thank You! Rakitha Wickramarathna from Naadro
-- by Rakitha - Naadro on 2016-09-20

Following letter is forwarded to the Principal of Royal College, Minister of Education and the Secretary to the Education Minister. Dear Sir, Response To The Letter Alleging Fraudulent Activities at Royal College ​We write to you regrettably, in light of the letter posted on the website www.lankaenews.com on 07/09/2016 (a copy of which is attached herein) accusing the Masters in Charge of Oriental Music (MICs) in Royal College, Mr. Ashoka Pushpakumara and Mr. Lionel Bandara and the others concerned, of having misappropriated funds/profits gained by the annual musical event organized by Royal College; SAGA. ​Being past members of the SAGA Orchestra ourselves, and knowing how things in fact work in preparation of the event, we cannot reiterate enough, just how outrageously misleading the falsehood of these allegations is. The first allegation made by the writer is with regard to commissions made by the MICs on agreements arrived at with the sound providers and stage setup providers. The writer bases this allegation on the false connotation that the organizers have stuck to the same providers of these services throughout the years. Nothing can be further from the truth! ​The SAGA musical event, which has now grown into a brand of its own, has always maintained a very high standard, in comparison to other such musical events organized at a school level. Thus SAGA has set itself apart and well above the rest, proving itself to be a highly lucrative venture for College, bringing in funds which play a huge role in the sustenance of the school all year round. Therefore it is understood that in order to provide the best entertainment possible we need to utilize the best of the services we can, of course within the budget margins allocated. Accordingly, whoever proves to be the best in the field at the time in question, will be hired by College in order to provide these services for SAGA. So quite evidently, the providers of sound equipment and stage setup hired for SAGA differ from time to time depending on many practical considerations which need to be taken in employing an individual with such a responsibility. This is so, since after all; it is the sound providers and stage setup providers that hold a huge stake in determining the success of the event. ​Furthermore, it must be stated that the choice of sound providers etc. is not the result of an arbitrary decision of the MICs. Since the inception of SAGA, the decision as to who to go with for the provision of sound equipment has always been subject to long hard discussions between the MICs and the students of the Orchestra. During such discussions, the top candidates in the field are taken into consideration and the final decision is made by the MICs and the students of the Orchestra in unison. It is because the organizers understand that there is no one more competent than the players of instruments within the Orchestra to make this decision, that the students are allowed to voice their opinion as to the most suitable providers of sound equipment and stage setup. This fact signifies the fallacy behind the writer’s baseless allegation of the MICs collecting commissions from the sound providers etc. ​The writer then goes on to criticize and accuse the MICs of taking bribes from parents in return of letting their children participate in SAGA. This alone is sufficient for one to see how blatantly misguided the writer is. As mentioned above, SAGA has always stood above the rest, not because of anything else, but because of the high quality of entertainment provided, mainly owed to the highly talented Orchestra. As far as “quality” is concerned, our word need not be taken. This fact has been acclaimed time and again by many professional artists since SAGA’s inception in 2004. Maintaining this quality has always been a priority, since we know that is what our success lies in. The Orchestra annually replaces the school leavers, by admitting new members through a scrutinized system of auditions. During these yearly auditions, participants are picked out based on their notation reading skills, their ability to dedicate themselves to the strenuous practice sessions and above all, their ability to exceptionally play an instrument in a manner which sets them apart from the rest. So it is quite evident that no average student can simply bribe their way into the Orchestra. If that was the case, SAGA wouldn’t be backed by the widely proclaimed Orchestra it is today! ​What causes us grave disappointment, is the fact that these accusations were made against two individuals (Mr. Ashoka Pushpakumara and Mr. Lionel Bandara), who have dedicated their career at Royal College for the establishment and upbringing of the “music arena” in school. Having single handedly made the initiative with the support of the Principal in office at the time to make SAGA a reality, and in view of their selfless and honest service to College, it is our opinion that these two Masters in Charge especially, do not deserve to be slandered in such a disgraceful manner. Therefore Sir, we the Old Royalists Association of Orchestra write to you having felt obliged to bring to your attention the completely false and libelous allegations made in the letter discussed about earlier and attached herein. Thankyou. Yours faithfully The Old Royalists Association of Orchestra
-- by ORAO on 2016-09-22

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