Over the past few days I have been reading a most interesting book about some of our nation’s leading personalities of the last century.

Written by H.A.J Hulugalle, the book entitled Some friends in profile provides fascinating pen portraits of men like D. S. Senanayake, D. R Wijewardena, G. G. Ponnambalam, T. B. Jayah, L. E. Blaze – and of course Sir Mohamad Macan Markar.

What made the book even more interesting for me was that some of these people (like Dr Andreas Nell, Professor Milroy Paul and Canon R.S.de Saram) I had actually met in my much younger days – while others (like Sir Gerard Wijeyekoon, A. E. Keuneman and D. R. Wijewardena) I recognized because I knew their children and grandchildren. Reading about these personalities was like going back to that bygone era in the middle of the last century when our country was feeling its way from being a crown colony of the British to gaining the place it felt it deserved among the independent and prosperous nations of the world.

It is noteworthy that the ‘Friends’ that Hulugalle profiles are all men. Was it that females in those days were not considered important enough to play significant roles in state and society?!

These were all men of integrity to whom even today we could look up as role models. Just consider what he had to say of D. S. Senanayake: "He thinks for himself, is the best informed member of the cabinet, dreams dreams and sees visions of a happier land for his people – while cleverer people are chopping logic and exchanging wisecracks in their clubs."

Or his observation of Communist Party leader Pieter Keuneman "He has given up much in material things to follow his principles." How the description of this man stands out in contrast to many of today’s politicians who utilize their positions to achieve profit and power!

I started today’s article with the quotation about Sir Mohamed Macan Markar because I happened to be reading the piece about Sir Mohamad last night. Having noted Hulugalle’s observation about how he used even his daily constitutional on Galle Face Green to absorb information, I pondered while doing my own morning walk along Galle Face this morning how things have changed since Sir Mohamed’s time.

The fresh morning air and the smart sea breezes on Galle Face haven’t changed over the past fifty years – but the Green, where a hundred years ago horse races were held, has now been fenced off for several months, ostensibly to allow the grass to grow. There is today a line of slowly growing ornamental trees bordering the Green, adjacent to the ribbon of tarred road that separates it from the Army complex to its east. Unlike in the old days, those who want the pleasure of a walk on Galle Face now have to walk along the path bordering the sea side of the Green, at either end of which are armed security guards – policemen on the south side and navy personnel on the north.

At the end of my walk I tarried awhile to have a chat with Meeran Saibo, the man who for the past twenty years or so has been the unofficial parking attendant who "keeps an eye" on the cars that early morning walkers park in front of the Galle Face hotel. From him I confirmed my own observation that the number of morning walkers and joggers has dwindled over the years. Four years ago I remember writing in this column about the numbers of "prosperous politicians and powerful businessmen seen walking together and enjoying the crisp morning breezes on Galle Face Green". Today one is lucky to come across twenty other exercisers during a 45 minute morning walk!

Where have they all gone? Have they stopped exercising? Do they still walk and jog at other venues - at the Racecourse, at Independence Square, near the new parliament, on expensive treadmills in their own homes or in fashionable gyms?

I don’t know – and I am afraid that Meeran couldn’t enlighten me.