Sri Lanka, March 8 -- Both of them were born in free, independent Sri Lanka. As the Motherland marked its first Anniversary of Independence, they were born; one was on March 2, 1949, and the other was on March 24, 1949. They entered the same class, the same school on the same day in January 1954. They walked to the school from their residences - Ranil Wickremesinghe from Flower Terrace residence and Dinesh Gunawardena from Reid Avenue (now Phillip Gunawardena Mawatha) residence.

Two youngsters who walked to school seven decades ago must have had many thoughts in their tender minds, but they had no idea whatsoever that they would be the President and Prime Minister 70 years later and work together to bring the nation to the path of progre...