APPRECIATIONS 2009
Nation Sunday Nov 29
100TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF J. WILLIE AIYADURAI
A sportsman par excellence with fine sense of humour
When
I think of my dad on this day the 100th anniversary of his birthday, many vivid
memories come into my mind.
I remember most of all, his great sense of humour when he was with people. He
was the convivial raconteur par excellence.
He regaled us with stories of his school days at Trinity College, Kandy where he
excelled in cricket (won his Lion and captained in 1928 and 1929), in rugby (won
his colours) and college athletics and served as head prefect.
But the best school stories were about his antics when boarded at Napier House
at Trinity in the Fraser and Campbell eras, where he created a great deal of
amusement by his penchant for pranks that left his dorm mates (some of whom were
co-conspirators) laughing even decades later.
Many of
these antics are recounted in his article that appeared in the Ceylon Observer
of July 30, 1995. I am happy that they were published, for the sake of my own
three sons who were growing up physically distant from their grandpa since I
chose to reside permanently in Canada in 1974.
No one could help but feel at ease in dad’s presence because of his wit and
genuinely affable manner. He taught me that friendliness begets friendliness and
that genuine interest in a neighbour invites reciprocal interest. The friends he
made remained his friends for life.
I also remember him for his writing talents that had taken him into journalism
when he left school. In my growing years in Sri Lanka, The Ceylon Observer,
Ceylon Times and Sunday Observer were the platforms for his story telling.
I
remember especially the weekly serials on his unique street characters like
Pasthol Moosa or the king of beggars that put smiles on our faces. Earlier on in
his journalistic career he had shown a knack for poetry in the several years
that he courted his “Princess Golden Heart” - my Mom, via the columns of the
Ceylon Observer. And the clippings of these poems filled a locked cabinet in his
bedroom as I discovered one day.
Then there was his fine poetic piece “The Kandyan Love Song” that he dedicated
to Mom and to “Romance that grows sweeter with time” which was set to music by
Alesandra Castilleno. Ruth, my wife enjoys playing it today on the piano. And in
those courtship years before their marriage, he systematically showered Mom with
beautifully bound classics of English Literature which filled the bookcases of
our home in Schofield Place, Kollupitiya, and which I avidly read in my teenage
years. Each book was inscribed in his bold handwriting on the inside cover “To
Princess Golden Heart from Wilver Arden”; those initials my Mom told me stood
for “Great Heart”. He was a prince of a man to her.
Their
long romance was the prelude to a solid and happy marriage. A related memory is
a family home constantly open to a steady stream of friends, relatives and even
former domestic servants who tasted my parents’ warm hospitality whenever they
dropped in to visit.
It must also be said that my Dad who was openly given to joviality had a manly
reserve to openly showing grief. The prime example was when Mom deceased
suddenly following complicated surgery for a bad hip fracture in April 1983. My
brother-in-law Hubert Aloysius told me of Dad spending many a moment, several
times inside the home bathroom, shedding tears for her during that fateful time.
Today, I
keep and re-read his letters to me and to my children written in their early
primary and secondary school years in Canada before he deceased in 1998. All his
letters were hugely positive and inspiring as he encouraged my children on to
self-accomplishment and to having good character qualities, a reflection of his
own mould formed during his school days at Trinity College. So also were his
letters to me encouraging me to complete my graduate studies, and later, to move
on in life when I decided to settle permanently in Canada.
Looking back, although in my early teen years I did not follow in his large
footprints of excelling in sports at school (for which I was teased at Royal
College by teachers who knew my dad), I still feel I have many bits of him in me
- especially the importance of being positive and resilient, of cultivating good
friendships, of having a sense of good humour and the gift of community with
anybody you meet. I do also keenly follow the game of cricket which he played
and was an ardent lover of, because of his enthusiastic interest that affected
me in my growing years as we discussed matches and players together.
It was superb having him as my dad and I love him always for the wonderful
memories he has left with me.
Mark
Aiyadurai
Victoria BC
Canada
Dr Amal Uthum Heart
“Minisun atharey deviyek”
Unwavering
faith in the Lord, undying love for humanity
Tried and tested friend, Thomian staunch and true
Honourable, charitable, kind and gentle
Unassuming, understanding… unique in every way
Model human being for all to emulate
Honest to a tee, humble to a fault and a heart of gold
Erudite scholar, economist par excellence
Righteous religious worker… a rare gem
Admired for his intellect and integrity, adored by one and all
Teacher, Preacher and Deputy Governor of the Central Bank
“Uthumaaneni, obata apagey uththamaachaaraya”
May you attain eternal Glory, my sweet friend!
-Marky
36th Death Anniversary of the late Dr A. M. A. Azeez, MBE
‘Golden Era’ of Zahira College
November 24, 2009, marked the 36th death anniversary of Dr A. M. A. Azeez, C.C.S., Principal of Zahira College, Colombo for 13 years which records the ‘Golden Era’ of the college. It is specially appropriate to appreciate his invaluable services to the Sri Lankans, not only as an eminent educationist but also as a brilliant scholar who promoted ethnic harmony through his vision. A dedicated social worker, Abubucker Mohamed Abdul Azeez was born in Vannarpannai in Jaffna on October 4, 1911.
Dr Azeez was educated at the Allapichai Quran Madrasa, Vaidyeshwara Vidyalam and Jaffna Hindu College. His early education itself developed his liberal outlook that barred no race or ethnicity; instead there was the notion that there would be nothing that would succeed a good education. He maintained it firmly throughout his professional and personal life.
He
entered the University in 1929 and graduated with honours in History from the
University of London. Later he was awarded Government Arts Scholarship and
proceeded to St Catherine’s College, Cambridge.
Dr Azeez held several important positions in the Public Service. He started his
career as a young cadet at Matale and then he was assigned to the Customs
Department in 1942 during World War II. In Ceylon history, he was the first
Muslim Civil Servant - a distinction awarded through merit in the Ceylon Civil
Service Examination.
In 1942, he was transferred to Kalmunai as Assistant Government Agent to set up
an emergency Kachcheri to accelerate the food production of the southern region
of the Eastern Province from Batticoloa to Kumana. It was reported that 12,270
acres were cultivated with paddy during that time.
Soon the region was transporting rice to other areas in the country. As a mark of respect, the farmers have reserved a section of land in Dr Azeez’s name. A harvest festival was held on the farm in March 1943 for the first time to celebrate the accelerated production. This event was graced by the late Rt. Hon. D. S. Senanayake (Privy Councillor) and other dignitaries who were brought to the ceremony in a procession of carts. The highest productivity in the region of Ampara District contributed 62% of paddy cultivation of the country. Later he was the Deputy Food Controller, A.G.A., Kandy and finally he was attached to the Ministry of Health.
In 1948,
Dr Azeez quit the Civil Service to take over as the Principal of Zahira College,
Colombo. The 13 years of his stewardship have been referred to as the ‘Golden
Era of Zahira.’ With the intellectual capacity, vision, sincerity, dedication
and administrative skills, Zahira became one of the finest public schools and
one of the leading Muslim educational institutions in the country.
The college under the Free Education Scheme consisted of students from all
communities of the island irrespective of caste, creed, race or religion.
Students at the time lived as brothers with unity, integrity and communal
harmony to its best.
The writer bears testimony to this as he was admitted to the college at the time of its former Principal, T. B. Jayah and continued during the tenure of office of Dr A. M. A. Azeez. The writer’s article in Sinhala was published in ‘Az-Zahira’ College Magazine and also received the first prize for Sinhala, awarded by the then Prime Minister, Hon S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike for all of which writer extends his gratitude to “Mother - Zahira”. Dr Azeez was so humble that a telegram of best wishes was sent to the writer on the occasion of his wedding at YMBA, Colombo 08.
During
this time, the college excelled in studies, sports, scouting, elocution, oratory
and debating and nearly 100 students entered the University of Ceylon. The
standard of education and discipline Dr Azeez built up at Zahira was excellent.
It had a well equipped library and an excellent laboratory too.
No doubt, Swami Vipulananda of Karaitivu, the founder of Sivananda Vidyalam and
the poet, Abdul Cader Lebbe were in close association with Dr Azeez influencing
Tamil culture and Tamil literature at that time. He however, promoted social
harmony among all ethnic groups in the country. He also had a vision far ahead
that higher education should be available to women as well.
Dr Azeez founded the All Ceylon Young Men’s Muslim Association Conference in
1950. His role as a Muslim public figure has been etched in Sri Lankan history.
In 1952, he was awarded the MBE for his services to the country and in the same
year he was appointed to the Senate. In 1963, he became a member of the Public
Service Commission. Senator Azeez was honoured on a commemorative stamp in 1986.
In recognition of his contribution to literature and education, the University
of Jaffna, at its first convocation in 1980, conferred a doctorate of letters on
him.
He
fervently believed that all communities in this country could and should live in
amity through not just understanding and tolerance, but by learning from each
other.
Not only Muslims but also all Sri Lankans lost a great personality of social,
cultural and educational values with his sudden death on November 24, 1973 at
the age of 62. Let me appeal to the grateful Muslim friends to earmark his birth
centenary on October 4, 2011.
May Dr Azeez be in communion with his spiritual belief!
Bhikku
W. Rathana
Ananda Buddhist Meditation Centre
Indigolla
Gampaha
LakbimaNews Sunday Nov 29 2009
Thaaththi was my hero,my world, and my everything
15th death anniversary
Bertie
E. Wijeratne
Thaaththi was my hero, my world, and my everything. He being a member of a
family of planters followed the footsteps of his elder brother after completing
his studies at St.Thomas' College Matale with distinction. He was a very
courageous person and he used to take bold decisions when required.
A rigorous training under Europeans made him quite knowledgeable and hard
working. His superiors found in him, the makings of an efficient planter and
without any hesitation recommended and transferred him to larger plantations
from time to time. There was no doubt there was keen competition even during
those days to become a planter. I was told that from his young days he was very
keen, sincere and dynamic and mastered the techniques of all aspects of tea and
rubber planting and manufacture. It did not take much time to prove to the
different managements he worked for, that he was capable of managing large
plantations.
During this period the majority of the labour force on estates were Tamils and
he found it quite easy to work together in harmony with a diffrent ethnic
community and look after their interests while producing the best results. He
was very fluent in Tamil and he was quite close to the work-force and they loved
him very much.
He gave top priority to the well-being of the downtrodden labour force who were
trampled by the Europeans at every turn. Thathie's kindness and
large-heartedness brought him fruitful results in the many plantations he
managed.
In his day thathie was tall, good-looking and always smartly dressed. He was
highly articulate and charismatic too.
To his brothers and sisters Thathie was the darling of the family and they were
very proud of him. He was prepared to sacrifice anything for the sake of his
brothers and sisters. This rare quality was embedded in him from his schoolboy
days.
Thathi was also passionately interested in sports and had a great sense of
humour. He loved the company of his friends and wanted simple food. He needed no
invitation to sing at parties; He sang solo as and when he chose and at other
times dominated the chorus with his stentorian voice.
Thathie was a god-fearing man who never missed his morning prayers before
setting out for work every day.
He also had a fierce sense of intellectual independence and a deep interest in
national issues; in the arena of national political conduct he would insist on
righteousness at all times, oblivious to the inherent murkiness of political
realities.
At the time of his death he had more than forty years experience in planting and
was a well-recognised ‘Visiting Agent’ for so many large plantations in the
private sector. The vast areas he has replanted in many plantations that he was
managing in the low country would undoubtedly bear testimony to the invaluable
services rendered by him to the industry and the country at large.
His 15th year Death Anniversay falls day after tomorrow (December 1)
May he attain Nibbana.
- Son Haren
Sunday Island Nov 29 2009
A. M. A. AZEEZ – eminent Educationist and Scholar
by Deshabandu Prof. Tuley de Silva
It is with great respect that I remember late Al Haj Dr. A. M. A. Azeez, the exemplary Principal of Zahira College, Colombo on his 36th death anniversary which fell on the 24th of November 2009. He was an eminent and an erudite scholar who became an educationist par excellence. He served with dedication and devotion to uplift the education of the Muslim Community in Sri Lanka. This was achieved through a number of activities, the major being the development of Zahira to be one of the leading schools in the country.
Summary of his path to success is apt to demonstrate why we all admired his leadership as a role-model. Having had his early education in Jaffna, he entered the then University College and graduated with Honours in History from the University of London. He won a Government scholarship to pursue post-graduate studies at the University of Cambridge but returned without completing his studies to fulfil his mission of service to the country by joining the prestigious Ceylon Civil Service. He was the first Muslim Civil Servant in this country and held many important positions within the Ceylon Civil Service, excelling in each and every one of them. He was then offered an opportunity to accomplish his vision of providing a radiating centre for educating the community by becoming the Principal of Zahira College, which he gladly accepted after prematurely leaving the elitist civil service where he would have had a very bright future.
As the Principal, he was innovative, authoritative and effective in introducing numerous reforms to make Zahira the foremost school in the field of Muslim education. During his tenure as the Principal, Zahira College excelled in education, sports and other extra-curricular activities like cadeting, oratory, debating etc.
His success largely depended on the selection of teachers with commitment, perseverance, dedication and loyalty and the improvement of infrastructural facilities such as the. establishment of well equipped laboratories for sciences, a valuable library and facilities for sports and other extracurricular activities backed by a strong involvement in religious activities.
During his stewardship, Zahira gained significant academic achievements with record numbers entering the University of Ceylon. Well over 100 students gained admission to Universities during the glorious period of Azeez and many became leading academics while the others became eminent professionals and administrators in Sri Lanka and abroad. The high standards of education and discipline introduced by Dr. Azeez have yet to be surpassed.
I am proud to be one of the record number of 13 from Zahira who entered the University of Ceylon in 1956, two for Engineering; four for Science; one for Medicine and six for Arts. Among them A.G.A. Barrie is an International Project Management Consultant; K.R.L. Perera preferred to join the Navy to become a top naval engineer and retired as Rear-Admiral; R. C. Ratnapuli specialized in Physics and worked in Brazil for many years; M.Y. Mohamed is a Management Accountant; A. Ariyaperuma became a high ranking Army officer and was killed in action and the others ended up as professionals and administrators. At the Peradeniya campus the popular large group of Zahirians held sway in all fields and were affectionately called the "Arab League".
Dr. Azeez played a dominant role and rendered yeoman service to the renaissance of the education of Muslims of Sri Lanka, worked for their progress and welfare and devoted all his life to the service of his community.
He worked with determination to achieve his vision of helping Muslim students with financial difficulties to pursue higher education by establishing the Ceylon Muslim Scholarship Fund, which by now has assisted a large number of Muslim students from every part of the country to continue higher or professional education.
Dr. Azeez believed in catering to all communities as close interaction was essential to bring about multi-racial and multi-religious understanding and respect. Thus students from all communities and from all parts of the country and abroad sought admission to this prestigious leading Muslim college. The staff too hailed from many communities. Irrespective of the community we came from, we as a body of students, had the rare opportunity of living with all communities in harmony, tolerance and friendship and respect to each other.
I am one of those who benefited by his graceful action of allowing non-Muslim students to learn at Zahira College. It is sad that such opportunities are not readily available for the present generation so much so that some have not even socially met members of other communities.
I would like to share some of my reminiscences during my student days under the leadership and guidance of Dr.Azeez, whom I held in high esteem as a mentor, guide and a teacher.
After my secondary education at Rahula College in Matara, I joined Zahira to continue my pursuit of higher education and was at home from day one with the fellow students. I had the opportunity to be in the Hostel of the College with many students of different communities and from all parts of the country. Hostellers were a united lot who belonged to one house "Angora". We were formidable in all spheres of student activity as we could help each other and devote time for extracurricular activities as well. I had the rare opportunity of becoming the first non-Muslim Senior Prefect of the Hostel which changed things for the fellow hostel mates. No Muslim student could avoid or cut prayers early in the morning as I did rounds to all dormitories making sure that all went to the mosque on time. I may not have been popular on this count but my friends appreciated the fact that they were made to seriously study during the allocated times. As the Senior Prefect I had to be the secretary of Angora House which added more responsibility of organising winning teams both in sports and extracurricular activities for inter-house competitions.
We won most of the competitions as we were a united and a dedicated set of friends with a common purpose. Dr. Azeez gave a free hand to the Boarding Master, Mr. Issadeen, fondly called "Bulldog", who was also a task master, to run the hostel. The mischievous deeds and pranks of the hostellers are reminisced with delight even now, when old Zahirians and ex-hostellers meet.
The next memorable event was when I was appointed a Prefect of the College. We were proud of the badge that we were given and had to fulfil our tasks with dedication. I had to continue with the task of sending all students to the mosque after school as my brother Prefects also had to go for prayers. No one could sneak out of the gates without being questioned.
As Prefects we looked forward to the meetings with the Principal as these were exciting, stimulating and rewarding. He not only took students into confidence and entertained suggestions for improvement, but was also perceptive to them. We learnt from our close interaction with him, the proper sense of duty, commitment and attitudes towards harmony and tolerance in the multi ethnic and multi religious community.
In the academic activities, I distinctly remember the time that I as a biological science student, won the Senior Arithmetic Prize after competing with the Mathematics stream students. I also remember with gratitude, the School Prize Days where I won both the Senior biological and physical science prizes. It was a treat to listen to the eloquent and flowery speeches of our Principal at Prize Days in the presence of distinguished chief guests and invitees.
We as hostellers arranged annual trips lasting days as we could enjoy the generous hospitality of the hostel mates from different parts of the country. This was an occasion for us to learn the cultural practices of all communities and religions.
Not being a good sportsman, my activities centered on inter-school debating, oratory and Do You Know competitions. Our victories were well appreciated by our Principal with mention at the weekly assemblies where we enjoyed listening to his religious quotes. After victories I recall the many times that Dr & Mrs. Azeez entertained us at their home ‘Meadow Sweet’ in Barnes Place
Dr. Azeez’s contribution to the Senate was noteworthy. We never missed any speech made by him in the floor of the Upper House of Parliament during Senate debates and discussions as these were rich in content and demonstrated his flair for the language. These speeches were not tainted with trifling consideration of community or religion but were precise and enriched with forethought, illustrating his eminence as a good orator, educationist and an administrator.
I must congratulate the Dr. A. M. A. Azeez Foundation for giving the present generation an opportunity to enrich themselves by reading the printed collection of Dr. Azeez’s speeches in the Senate.
Besides, Dr. Azeez initiated the All Ceylon YMMA Conference which has now grown to cover all parts of the country and worked with distinction as a member of the Public Service Commission, Court, Council and Senate of the University of Ceylon and as President of many Associations. His contributions as a writer in English and Tamil are well acclaimed and admired.
We will remember with gratitude the yeoman services rendered by Late Al Haj Dr. A.M.A. Azeez as an erudite scholar, distinguished educationist, innovative leader, eminent administrator, prominent Senator, exceptional orator, reputed writer and above all a community worker for the enrichment of our country and the society. He was a caring and helpful gentleman of great vision, geniality and understanding who demonstrated what he believed in by example. His lifetime contributions, performance, steadfastness and commitment ought to be emulated by the present day leaders of all communities.
(Prof. Tuley de Silva hails from Matara and was a student of Zahira College, Colombo during the Azeez era. He entered the University of Ceylon in 1956 and graduated with Honours in Chemistry in 1960. He obtained the degree B.Pharm. from the University of London in 1965. He was awarded the M.Sc. and Ph.D. from the University of Manchester, UK in 1969 and 1971 respectively. In 1996 he was awarded a Honorary D.Sc. from the University of Sri Jayawardenepura. He was Professor of Chemistry at the University of Sri Jayawardenepura, Visiting Professor at University of Maryland, U.S.A. and Pharmaceutical University of Shenyang in China. He served as Special Technical Adviser of UNIDO in Vienna, Austria and as a Consultant at the International Centre for Science and Technology in Trieste, Italy. He has headed many professional associations and is on the Boards of many institutions and universities. He was awarded the National Honour of Deshabandu)
Sunday Times Nov 29 2009
A credit to the bank he served, pillar of the Methodist Church and exemplary citizen
Charlie Kunanayagam
The late Charlie Kunanayagam, retired Assistant General Manager of the Bank of Ceylon, chief steward of the Methodist Church, and past President in the Lions movement, passed away on Monday, October 5, 2009. His funeral was attended by family members, relatives, his large circle of friends and associates from the Bank of Ceylon, other banking institutions, priests and members of the Methodist Church.
Charlie was born on January 4, 1934. He lost his father when he was 11 years, and his mother had to start working to maintain her family of five children. After an early education at Union College, Tellipallai, Charlie joined Wesley College in Colombo to do his London Advanced Level studies, which he passed with distinction.He joined the Bank of Ceylon as a junior clerk at the age of 20. He decided to work and study and do his duty as a son of the family.
While at the Bank of Ceylon, he worked nights and studied during the day. He obtained a degree from the University of London in 1957. He was the first Bank of Ceylon clerk to get a degree. He was promoted to the post of Sub Accountant. He excelled in the field of credit.
He was a teacher and guide to all the staff during his time at the bank. With his logical, incisive mind he made an exemplary banker, respected by his seniors and juniors alike. Several sections of the bank’s credit manual and credit operating circulars benefited from his expertise. He was an authority on credit lending. His talents, contribution and hard work were recognised and he was duly promoted, ending up as Assistant General Manager, a post he held till his retirement in 1990.
As president of the Bank Staff Employees’ Association, he worked hard to make sure all staff were treated fairly. After retirement, he was invited by several banking institutions, including the National Savings Bank and the Housing Development Finance Corporation, to train their staff and act as their consultant.
Charlie was married to Sakunthala, daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. I. P. Thurairatnam. They were blessed with one daughter, two sons, and four grandchildren.
Charlie was an active leader of Methodist Memorial Church. He was a society steward for a number of years and later became circuit steward of the then Moor Road Jampettah Circuit. Together with the Minister at the time, Charlie played a leading role in constructing the Women’s Hostel at Wellawatte, and also in the management of the hostel. Charlie also helped in the financial management of the Methodist Church of Sri Lanka. He joined the world’s largest service organisation, the Lions Club International, as a member of the Lions Club of Jaffna, in 1979, and later the Lions Club of Inner Colombo, as a charter member, in 1993. He was the Lions Charter Secretary and later President in 1996-1997.
Charlie will be greatly missed by his family, his friends in the Methodist Church, the Lions Movement and the banking institutions he served.
May his soul rest in peace with the Lord Almighty.
Emmanuel Joseph
Portrait of a gentleman who was also a wonderful father
Lakshman Andrew Noel Abeyesundere
Fifteen years ago, on November 18, 1994 to be precise, my father passed away. To those who knew him, his death was indeed sudden. He was hearty and healthy, although recovering from his second heart attack. For me, his death was both sudden and shocking.
When my father survived his second heart attack, just a month before his death, I thought things would be fine. I thought he would be there to see me finish my schooling, get my first job, see me enjoy a successful career and get married and have children.
All these hopes vanished when his two close friends broke the news to me, his only child. As I pen this tribute, 15 years later, I do not feel that Dada passed away that long ago. It seems like last year. I refuse to believe in my heart that he is "gone" and that I will not see him again for as long as I live. I make myself believe that he has gone away temporarily and that I will see him again, some day. It is as if he is gone to another country and we will soon see each other. That is how I console myself.
I often think about how things would have been if he was still alive. Would he be happy with my achievements? Would he advise me on my career and life decisions? Would he be happy with the choices I have made, the decisions I have taken? These are questions I ask myself when I think of my father.
My father was a gentleman. I believe anyone who associated with him in his 58 years with us would agree with me on this point. I never ever heard him talk ill of anyone, nor did I ever hear him raise his voice in an argument.
He was God-fearing. He instilled in me very early in my life that no matter what happened, to have the utmost faith in God. He would say, "Tell the truth and shame the devil", showing me the importance of being truthful under all circumstances.
He taught me patience and good manners and groomed me to be a lady in society. "Sorry", "excuse me", "please" are words he was very keen to hear me use, as a girl. These simple but powerful words have helped me forge good and strong relationships with friends and colleagues over the years.
He encouraged me to read and would buy me books and write witty comments in them. One comment was, "Read and get fat!" This was a reference to my being a skinny teenager. He took great pride in my artistic ability, often saying I had inherited my talent from his mother (my grandmother, Laura Marian Abeyesundere). He showered me with drawing materials, even going so far as to ask friends overseas to send me oil paints. This was at a time when oil paints were not freely available in Sri Lanka.
My father never forced me to do anything. He left me to make my own choices. He made sure I knew the value of a sound education. He would walk me to school every morning, and keep waving to me until I disappeared into the school building.
This was our daily ritual, which we continued daily for 16 years. It sadly ended when I switched schools for my Advanced Levels and started taking public transportation.
I am sorry I did not inherit my father's outstanding singing ability. He mesmerised audiences with his vocal performances, from his schooldays at St Aloysius College, Galle, to his years at Lake House newspapers. He even sang out loud at home and entertained our neighbours!
He took pride in whatever he did, paying close attention to detail. He did everything with dedication and enthusiasm, whether he was writing a review of a concert or writing publicity material for his school's Old Boys' Association. He was also actively involved in church matters, while finding time to chair the parent-teacher committee of my school, St. Lawrence's.
My father was not a rich man in the sense of having worldly possessions, but he was rich in heart. He possessed a kindness, a genuineness, a love and a warmth that he gave of freely to whoever came his way.
I miss him greatly, even after 15 years. And I know I will miss him even more in the years to come.
Aruni Abeyesundere
Daily News Nov 26 2009
Appreciation - Lynnette Fernando
She is now in the hands of God.
Such a gentle creature of His making. With no harsh word spoken or anger shown. She cared, and was caring.
A companion and mate to Oliver, for 50 years and more, she quietly and lovingly shared the changing seasons of their life at home and abroad. A mother to Ian, Anil and Dayamal, she served them encouragement and hope through trial and test to bring them each to their goal.
In the 70s, when Oliver was responsible for the Provincial General Hospital Services in Kurunegala, the Ministry Secretary, after completing his inspection there, remarked “Dr. Fernando, I have been to more hospitals than I can count, but yours ranks as the best” To which Oliver humbly replied “Sir for this praise, I have only my wife to thank.” Lynnette never grudged the extra working time, and they were long hours that Oliver put in at the hospital.
The evenings in Kurunegala would lead me often to Oliver’s for talk in the way that friends do, and Lynnette would prevail on me to share a meal. Her hospitality was without ostentation, and like everything about her, came straight from that gracious heart.
In Nigeria, when Oliver was a Senior Lecturer in Epidemiology at the University of Ile-Ife, she made use of her talents in the fine arts to teach children the fundamentals of aesthetics.
A few months ago, we were at lunch, when she told me that she was not all that well, and on meditation. I was strangely uneasy, and struggled with the thought that the days ahead may see her taken.
So it happened, and I am left now to write this tribute, which I willingly do to honour her memory. He who made the lamb made thee.
Dr. J.G. Hattotuwa
Sunday Times Nov 22 2009-11-22
Goodbye Piyal, goodbye Aiya
Henry Jayasena
I was woken up on Wednesday, November 11, by a call from a friend in the UK to give me the sad news of the demise of veteran artiste Henry Jayasena.
I had met Henry only two months earlier, at a dinner party in Colombo, when I was in Sri Lanka for a short holiday. He was hale, hearty and jovial, but there was a tinge of sadness about him. His mood had changed with the death of his beloved wife, Manel, three years earlier.
I cherish my memories of working with Henry Jayasena. I called him Piyal, after the character he played in the film “Gamperaliya”. We did three major films together. Our friendship stretched over a period of five decades. Whenever we met, we talked about the good old days, making “Gamperaliya”, and later “Kaliyugaya”.
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Punya and Henry as Nanda and Piyal in the movie Gamperaliya |
He was more of a big brother to me than a fellow artiste. We had long, serious discussions about cinema, theatre, literature, and other topics. Bernard Shaw said “simplicity is the canon of high art”. Everything about Henry was simple. His dramatic creations, his lyrics, his poetry, his acting method, his literary work, his dress, his behaviour, his walk, his mesmerising smile – all were genuine, heartfelt, and simple.
In “Gamperaliya”, Piyal gives Nanda (the character I play in the film) the book “Robinson Crusoe” to read. He is tutoring her in English. Unable to express his feelings for her in speech, he smuggles a love letter or two inside the books he passes on to her. In real life, Piyal would send me his literary works, and almost all his books had a letter for me tucked between the pages.
I believe it was in his “Nim Nethi Kathaavak” (“Endless Story”) that he referred to Zambia as a Scandinavian country. I immediately wrote to him and pointed out that Zambia was a landlocked country in central Africa, where we had been living for a couple of years. He wrote back saying he regretted the mistake, adding that he never scored more than 4 out of 100 for geography at school.
Simple and unpretentious as he was, this great man had no airs. But he did have an aura of dignity that went with his simplicity. His many talents extended into theatre, television, literature, and translation work. At the time of his death, he was in the middle of translating the biography of a celebrity into Sinhala.
After the death of Manel, his wife and soulmate, Piyal became a lonely man. Thanks to Manel and their only son Sudaraka, Piyal enjoyed a happy life of retirement, surrounded by his son’s family and grandchildren.
Whenever I was in Sri Lanka, I made it a point to call or visit him. When he received an honorary degree from his alma mater, Nalanda College, I called and addressed him by his long and decorative title. He was silent for a moment, then said, “Is that Punya calling”?
He would gently reprimand me if I ever forgot his birthday. When he became a heavy smoker, I expressed concern for his health. He retorted.“Yako, umba mage ammada, mata cigarette bonna epaa kiyanne?” (Are you my mother to tell me not to smoke?). I apologised. I said, “I may not be your mother, but I am like your sister. As a national treasure, you are obliged to listen to lesser mortals like us. You had a nasty illness and you are in remission, so don’t add fuel to the fire by smoking.” He calmed down, but he did not give up smoking.
Our lighthearted banter was very much in the spirit of a big brother and an erring little sister having an argument, rather than two fellow artistes sparring. He lived to see the revival of “Gamperaliya”, and the French accolades that were bestowed on the restored version of this masterpiece of Sinhala cinema.
Now, one half of the “Gamperaliya” duo – Piyal and Nanda – is no more. Another multi-talented national treasure – multi-faceted Lankan jewel – is gone. The “all-in-one” individual, such as Henry Jayasena was, is a very rare phenomenon.
As a fellow artiste I was privileged to have worked and associated with him. The world of cinema, theatre, television and literature will miss him, but his creations will live on in the hearts of his colleagues, fans and family.
Goodbye, Piyal. Goodbye, Henry Aiya. May you attain the supreme bliss of Nibbana.
Punya (“Nanda”) Heendeniya
Classmates remember tragic loss of a dear friend
Sarath Ambepitiya
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Many years ago an eminent Queen’s Counsel said: “In the field of justice and fair play, right is right and wrong is wrong and the two can never meet. … To compromise the two takes an elastic conscience. … Such men should be shunned, for they are the bane of society.”
You stood by this priceless piece of wisdom, and you paid dearly for it. Five years later your grieving family continues to feel the pain of the tragedy that took you away, while civil society endures an irreparable loss. Your stamp of professional integrity was appreciated at a time when the pillars of Hulftsdorp seemed to be shaky.
We salute
you, Sarath, in death, as much as we admired and respected you in life. We
continue to share the pain and heartache your dear wife, Vajira and son Sithira
have endured since that fateful day in 2004.
May you attain Nirvana.
Your Classmates, Royal College Group of ’59
Fond memories
Years
five have passed since that fateful day;
For the course of justice your life down you lay.
Are memories short? No! We remember still
The void you left that no one can fill.
In this
land called “blessed”, crime marches on
The Vendors of Terror, diverse dresses they don,
The battle between good and bad continues,
The good are few, while the bad come with retinues.
The
unfolding drama that ended in your death
Has been retold after studies in depth;
Justice caught up with the fleeing criminals,
And the story has entered medico-legal journals.
You left
behind a name that is everlasting;
Loved and grieved by citizens law-abiding;
Honesty and integrity are our great pride,
Sterling qualities do not change with tide.
Prayers
and alms given in your memory
Will serve wherever you are as your armoury;
The good that you did in good stead,
We all hope to travel the path you tread.
Vajira & Sithira
Popular vet saw his practice grow with Nugegoda’s rising fortunes
Dr. Vasantha Unantenne
Dr. Vasantha Unantenne’s popularity as a veterinary surgeon was virtually synonymous with the rise of Nugegoda as a commercial hub and a key link town of Colombo. With the dawn of economic liberalisation in the late 1970s, Sri Lanka began to experience rapid changes. There were growing opportunities everywhere for economic advancement.
The development of Kotte and its environs in the 1980s had a favourable impact on neighbouring areas, especially towns like Nugegoda, with its reach and accessibility. On the one hand, commerce began to expand, and on the other there was a steep rise in population.
Economic advancement means social change, and the lifestyles of the rising middle class evolved along with the social changes. The new lifestyles included, among other things, a heightened interest in pets – more precisely, in the rearing of dogs of different breeds.
Into this picture of societal transformation entered Vasantha, who located himself at the centre of a dynamic town. And what a success he made of his career. There were also significant personal attributes that helped him. He was friendly and outgoing. He had a passion for life and an uncanny knack for relating to people. More important, Vasantha was a consummate communicator.
Life and career, however, have twists and turns that are not brought about by cosmic alterations and transfigurations. They are more often of man’s own making, however strange and inexplicable they may appear to be.
The Japanese have a simple saying: “Life is what you make of it’. When Jayanthi and I learnt of Vasantha’s death, we were greatly saddened. We recalled those effervescent years of our association with Vasantha.
Vasantha’s life bore a curious parallel to that of another departed friend, Vasantha Karaliyadde. Physically very different – one was rotund, the other pencil slim – they both hailed from excellent families in Kandy. Both left the hallowed portals of the same great educational institution in Kandy around the same time. Both became professionals, though in different disciplines. Both were knowledgeable in their own way, and both were humorists par excellence.
Vasantha Unantenne’s practice also gained from his ability as a diagnostician. With great accuracy he would identify a disease, and he would never consciously prolong the treatment of a pet.
In the early years of his practice in Nugegoda, we would do our weekend marketing together, and such occasions included a meal at his house. Though we intended to take lunch, it was more like supper that we finally sat down to, the meal punctuated by loud laughter.
Vasantha
then was a quintessential foodie, and this was perhaps inimical to him in later
years.
Economic growth has another side. Although Vasantha, like many other
professionals, along with trades and businesses, gained from Nugegoda’s growth,
it was that very growth and the invasive urban spread it entailed that made him
relocate.
Vasantha moved down High Level road to a three-storeyed building with ample parking space, although on the main road. Despite personal problems, he continued to enjoy a lucrative practice. He also retained his special charm and allure.
My family remembers with joy the many trips we made down to Delkanda, along with the dogs, moaning and howling alternatively. A man for all seasons, fair or foul weather, Vasantha never lost his form as a humorist. It was good fun to be in his company.
In his last years, Vasantha was a virtual recluse. But he made the annual trek to watch the Bradby, school rugby’s most anticipated event.
I cannot help noting the striking similarity in the two Vasanthas awaiting the inevitable. Jayanthi joins me in offering a silent prayer for Vasantha – for his life and his work.
Jagath Savanadasa
‘Chief’ proudly steered hundreds of officers and sailors in the Navy
Tuan Kamaldeen Rahim
Fondly known as Chief (G.I.) among his colleagues, Tuan Kamaldeen Rahim joined the Royal Ceylon Navy in 1944, during World War II.
He was among the first batch of 100 sailors who helped to build the formidable modern Sri Lanka Navy of today.
He was also one of the very few sailors to be sent to the United Kingdom on three occasions for training and to take delivery of ships for the Sri Lanka Navy. One of these ships was the famous and last warship, H.M.Cy.S Parakarama.
During his 18 months’ training in the UK, he consistently achieved his “target”, thus impressing the British naval officers. On completing his training in the UK and India, he passed out as a fully fledged Gunnery Instructor, Class I.
As a trainee, he participated at the funeral of King George VI, the present Queen’s father, and he was among the organisers of the naval-style state funeral accorded to Prime Minister S.W.R. D. Bandaranaike, in 1959.
Chief (G.I) Rahim guided hundreds of officers and sailors of the Regular Sri Lanka Navy and Volunteer Naval Force. He was also proud to be the first Sri Lankan Gunnery Instructor, as his predecessors were all Europeans from the Royal Navy.
In his last years, my grandfather lived with us. His loving wife, Gnei Mass Rahim, continues to live with us. My grandfather left Darul Fana on June 14, 2009. May Almighty Allah bless him and grant him Jennathul Firdouse.
Arshad Musafer
DN Sat Nov 14 2009
Memories of a loving grandmother
'Death is not the end of life but rather, the putting out of the lamp when the dawn breaks.'
It is hard to imagine that it has been a year since Lakshmi Wanigasinghe, my beloved grandmother passed away.
I can still hear her voice correcting me over some mistakes I did, being extremely worried that the food was not good when it was actually delicious or giving us one of her most valuable advices. Dear Acha, if I am to say that I won't be writing this appreciation today it not for the letters you taught me, I don't think anyone would disagree.
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Acha was one of the greatest hosts who made any person who visited her home feel very welcome. She was such an ebullient and entertaining character and therefore makes life harder for us when we miss her.
Acha would never forget to keep the Buddha Pooja daily. She was a devoted Buddhist who observed sil every poya, lived by the Dhamma and taught all her grandchildren the value of it. She also served the community in every possible way.
She was an unpretentious, simple, lovable and a wonderful role model to all of us.
I truly miss Acha's bright smile which was always present, even when she was sick. She was my guiding light, inspiration and pillar of success.
I recall the memories of how Acha along with Seeya took us on vacations to historical and enjoyable places. Then Acha and Seeya would teach us everything they knew and their knowledge amazed me. I can say these were the happiest memories of my childhood.
"Perfection" was one of Acha's favourite words.
She wanted every tiny thing to be done without any fault and that is probably a reason why her home was always prim and proper which we still identify as Acha place. Recently I found a book which Acha had written for me when I was in Grade 1 which contained so many essays and Maths sums. The effort she had put into this brought tears into my eyes. It made me dream of how I stayed with Acha everyday after school. Without having her meals she waited until I came with the delicious lunch prepared just for me.
The most significant quality in Acha's life was she always wanted to help someone.
This was clearly seen when her body was given to the Medical Faculty according to her will.
She always gave her best, whatever the situation was with dignity, charm and profound dedication.
Acha lived by the dictum "If we can help someone around us enjoy a better quality life, we have not lived in vain." Dear Acha, you certainly made a difference by the way you lived your life.
You will live on in the bright and fond memories of all of us who had the privilege of knowing you.
Your death is a great loss to our family. There are no words invented to show my gratitude to you. The inevitable reality of life is that those we love will leave us some day, but the memories they leave behind stay with us forever.....
May you attain Nibbana, Acha!
Shashikala Wanigasinghe
NATION Sunday Nov 15 2009
Reminiscences of my brother Rajah Kumarasinghe
I recall
down memory lane since my happy childhood
In uncorrectable ways you were the pride of true brotherhood
Never’ll the aches in my heart fade ‘n vanish away
Profound sorrow bitter heart burns’ll remain, forever sway.
Till memory fails your absence felt day after day
How much we miss you nor tears or words could ever say
Undying nostalgic memories stand engulfed in my painful heart
Par excellence you played lovingly many a heavy part, so smart.
Numerous awards won for extraordinary talents outstanding
Reputed boxer, a celebrity, teetotaler, integrity abounding
Though after a brief illness your demise bound belief
Loved ones aghast deeply stunned, we in unbearable grief.
Extended generous selfless hand to needy, less fortunate,
Without you they wouldn’t have become so fortunate
Regardless of reward meritorious deeds in silence for charity
Your sincere attitudes expecting unity, lucid harmony, no disparity
A few decades ago won prestigious titles for body building, weightlifting
Respected honoured personality cynosure of manhood over flowing
Never proud of achievements rare calibre unassuming
In you humble heart forgiveness, togetherness loving kindness soaring
May his only son, Roshan, with countless blessings of deities
For a fruitful life acqure his gentle father’s sterling qualities
A pillar of strength instructed many unto justice
Never pompous arrogant, ever ready by nature to sacrifice.
This sentimental tribute I owe with gratitude at least this way
Sathya sai devotee lives in cheer in your lips as you passed away
By virtue of myriad meritorious deeds performed in sansara
May you my loving brother attain the supreme bliss of Nirwana.
Kumari
Kumarasinghe
Tennakoon
Sarath Ambepitiya
Civil society endures an irreparable loss
Many
years ago, an eminent and highly respected Queens Counsel said “In the field of
justice and fair play right is right and wrong is wrong….the two can never
meet….To compromise the two takes an elastic conscience….such men should be
shunned for they are the bane of society.’’ You stood firmly by this priceless
saying and yet paid dearly for it. Five years beyond, that tragedy continues to
be bravely borne by your grieving family, whilst civil society endures an
irreparable loss. In an era where the once erect pillars at Hulftsdorp appear to
be struggling to remain upright, you left behind a stamp of professional
integrity worthy of both memory and emulation.
We salute you Sarath in death, as much as we admired and respected you in life.
We continue to share the intense pain and heartache that your dear wife, Vajira
and son, Sithira have endured since that fateful day in 2004.
May you
attain Nirvana!
Your classmates
Royal College Group of 59
An ode to a sister - Sita
We did
as many trips to Bharata Boomi
To tally with the voyages of Sinbad
Sometimes with others in tow
But more often - just you and I.
We worshipped.as many do
At all the renowned shrines
And went farther, where few go¬ –
Mookambikai, Mahanandhi at Nandiyal,
Shantha Durga, Athi Shankar / Sri Saratha and many more.
We took many a perilous risk -
At Hogenakal where the mighty Kaveri
Cascades from Karnataka into Tamil Nadu
You were keen on the mega boat ride
But couldn’t go down to the river;
I made you sit atop the crag
And inch by inch, helped you
Slide down to the Water’s edge
And into the enormous round “Vallam,”
Which spun wildly in the swift, swirling currents;
The booming rapids jettisoned a spray
Making the air cloudy - and oh so scary!
But we came home safe.
Boating in the deep, dark waters of Kodai Lake
We said to each other
It was a foolish risk when kith and kin
Knew not where we were -
But we came home safe.
Cruising on the Santa Monica in Goa
Down the River Manduvi, to where
The waters mingled with the Arabian Sea - and back,
In the gloaming hours and after -
But we came home safe.
A nasty fall in the temple city of Madurai
A row of twenty bikes came down with you
And again in Madras, on the side-walk of Mount Road,
But you sprang to your feet with never a bruise-
And we came home safe.
The last joyous trip together was in ’97
The cool, healing falls of Courtallam
Left you ironically with phlegm in the lungs
But we came home safe,
India, never again you said!
Years lapsed with nary a thought
Of the country we loved so much;
Then a few years ago you asked me
How about one last trip? I said No,
But, you went this year, without me And never, never came back.
Thilaha
G. Kalyanaratne
A prominent social worker
G.
Kalyanaratne of Katukurunda, Pannipitiya, passed away recently. I came to know
Kalyanaratne somewhere in 1985 and thereafter he became a friend. Thereafter, I
met him frequently as he became a committee member of Vadihiti Nivasaya at
Hokandara Road, Pannipitiya.
He was helping to the Buddhist temples in the area. At the same time he was a
prominent figure in assisting Athu Perera Vedihiti Nivasaya. He was a religious
minded person and had always been in calm mood. He was moving with his friends
in a very cordial manner. In fact, I never expected his sudden death so soon. As
a result of his sudden death we lost a sincere friend. Actually that type of
people is very rare in the present day society.
May he attain the supreme bless of Nibbana!
M. G.
Asoka Karunaratne
Pannipitiya
Sunday Times Nov 15 2009
Modest, gentle, wise, kind to all living things – and above all a great teacher
Rachel Monica Strange
Miss Monica Strange, who died a fortnight ago, was an exemplary teacher. She could have been regarded as an ideal school marm. She rejected the arbitrary distinctions of caste, race, nationality, religion. To do good and avoid evil was her credo.
Miss Strange obtained her degree from the University of London in 1940, when World War II was getting into stride. She was the daughter of a teacher, her father being Cyril Strange, a mathematics teacher at Nalanda College in the 1930s.
Miss Strange too wanted to teach, and approached her old school, Methodist College, for a teaching position. This she did not get, and so she turned to her next preference, Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya, where she spent her entire teaching life, working with the establishment to guide hundreds upon hundreds of educated ladies, most of whom, in due course, migrated Down Under and to countries in the West. Those surviving may be long past their middle age, if not old, but they would have shed a tear to learn of Miss Strange’s demise.
Miss Strange never married and therefore had time and opportunity to devote herself to her vocation. She lived all by herself in a modest annexe off Lauries Road which, as the years rolled on, became a miniature Mecca for students and parents. She gave those who wanted guidance all the advice they needed, and was happy to see her efforts produce good results.
She
taught mainly English and Mathematics. She was like an elder sister or aunt to
all her charges. She appreciated mischievousness, seeing it as unbridled energy
that could be channelled into something good. She was tolerant and patient to a
fault. Never did she utter an angry word. She was quite aware that not all girls
are alike. She would say: Quot homines, tot sententiae – many men, many
opinions.
She would deal with erratic behaviour or neglect of studies with kind and
encouraging words. She believed that proper encouragement and advice was the
answer for all schoolgirl maladies. She enjoyed being counsellor, friend and
guide to all entrusted to her care.
Her philosophy, as teacher and individual, was to refrain from harming any living thing, and to reply to harsh words with kind, loving words. On her retirement, because she found it difficult to manage on her teacher’s pension alone, she took in private pupils. Her fees were nominal, and she taught many free of charge.
In her active days, she would be seen riding her bicycle – a tall figure, always dressed in frock, and wearing thick-lensed glasses – cycling along Galle Road, between Bambalapitiya and Wellawatte, her bag of books and whatnot tied to the pillion.
Her wish was that she die unseen, unwept, unknown, and that not a stone should indicate her resting place. Her wishes have been granted. Her mortal remains were cremated and her ashes returned to the elements. She was in her early 90s.
The last
time I met her was at the General Cemetery, Kanatte, at the funeral of a
Hulftsdorp lawyer.
It may be wondered why I am writing this epitaph. It is mainly to honour a lady
who was my contemporary at the University College, Colombo, in the late 1930s.
We were in the same class, following lectures on English Literature given by
Professor E. F. C. (Lyn) Ludowyke and Herbert Passe (who would become a
professor later).
I graduated the same year as Miss Strange, in June 1940 – 69 years ago.
R. L. N. de Zoysa
Lankans in America will greatly miss their bubbly, beloved ‘CEO of SODA’
Merrill Cassell
On a sunny afternoon, at about 3 p.m., our good friend Merrill went out for his usual bicycle ride to nearby Tarrytown, in suburban New York. He waved goodbye to his beloved wife Maxi, saying he should be back in 15 minutes or so. Alas, that was his last goodbye to Maxi. He was knocked down by a bus and succumbed to his injuries shortly after.
When I heard the sad news in New York later that evening, I was in total shock. Merrill was one person I truly loved and respected among my friends. He was a great husband to Maxi, wonderful father to his only daughter Tania, affectionate father-in-law to Tim and doting and proud grandpa to his grandson and granddaughter.
Merrill was very fond of the country of his birth, Sri Lanka, and was always nostalgic about his happy years, growing up in that tropical isle. He was also proud of his heritage as a Burgher of British origin. “I am one of the better Burgher buggers,” he would joke.
As a youngster, he started off as a cost clerk at Walkers, Colombo, and worked under his hero and mentor, Mr. Alagaratnam (chief engineer). After completing his cost and management exams, he rose up the management ladder quickly. He later joined the United Nations, worked in countries such as Bangladesh, and finally ended up at UNICEF, New York, where he was budget director at the time of his retirement, some years ago. While working at UNICEF, he studied for a Master of Public Administration degree at the New York University Wagner School of Public Service.
Merrill was a very likable and unpretentious person. Because he was non-judgmental, he made friends easily among the Sri Lankan community in the US and the Americans. He was devoted to his adopted country, the US of A. I remember the day he became a US citizen. He was ecstatic.
As a friend, he was phenomenal. Can we ever forget the founder of SODA – Sri Lankans Online Discussion Association? We are all beneficiaries of this unique organ. Merrill would give pen-names to all his buddies at SODA. I was given the name “Poet”, for my esoteric expressions, I suppose. Luke de Silva of Stamford, Connecticut was called the Duke of Stamford. Brahman Sivaprakasapillai was referred to as “Your Highness”, and ChandraRaj was affectionately called the “Moon King”.
Merrill was fondly called the “CEO” by us all. Whenever some of us fell behind, owing to lack of time or just plain lethargy, our CEO would give us a pep talk and the e-mail traffic would start humming again. How we enjoyed his messages. They were priceless.
Those of us in our twilight years found SODA a great vehicle to keep us occupied and informed. There were jokes galore, too, as our CEO was a man of humour. He loved jokes of all kinds, the darker the better. Below-the-belt jokes were very welcome.
In the meantime, our CEO started a blog of his own. It was brilliant, and a resounding success. Our CEO was a veritable intellectual who could write on any subject, from management, accountancy and economics to health, life, sports and a lot more. His writing was balanced and poised.
Merrill was cool, calm and collected. He had a unique, non-confrontational way of communicating, with that soothing mellow voice of his. And we all listened.
Merrill was a sportsman. He was a runner. He ran many marathons till his feet gave way. He was a champion swimmer. And he was a bicycle aficionado. He was an expert on sports bikes and had four great ones in his garage, next to his Toyota Avalon. He promoted biking to all and wrote many articles to the local newspaper on the environmental benefits of biking.
All of us are reeling from the blow of Merrill’s death. Some of us still refuse to accept the fact that he is gone. My heart is heavy.
Till we meet again, Merrill.
Thayaparan
Chorus of loving tributes for a great singing teacher
Ruwani Seimon
It is two years now since you left us for a better place. You are still sadly missed, and I don’t think I speak only for myself.
Ru, you didn’t stop at being just a choral director/music teacher, did you? You made an effort to understand a student beyond his or her musical prowess. You committed yourself to forming friendships. As a result, many students found in you a source of support and comfort. Here was someone with whom they could enjoy a candid conversation and a good laugh.
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As a teacher, you knew how to challenge your students without jeopardising the spirit and joy of learning. As an accompanist at the piano, you had this ability to sense when a singer was short of breath, and subtly up the tempo and see the singer through to the end of the song. If the singer was slightly over-pitched or flat, he or she would surely note the raised eyebrows from behind the piano.
Your
love, desire and passion for music were insatiable. Your desire to innovate and
experiment knew no limits. It went hand in hand with your dedication and
discipline. There was no compromising in that department. You instilled
qualities necessary in life, and many of your students will thank you for that.
There are also those who will remember you as this hot-tempered tough
personality who never minced her words. But the truth is that deep down you were
big-hearted, warm and compassionate. And it did not take long for those
qualities to surface.
You always gave of your best, Ru. Even in anguish, you fought to live your life to the fullest – no one can deny that. Like strands of light lacing the night sky, you will not fade from the hearts and memories of many.
God bless you, Ru
Trader who believed in honesty and honour in business and personal life
Abdul Majeed Rajabdeen
Abdul
Majeed Mohamed Rajabdeen was born into a middle-class family, his father Abdul
Majeed hailing from Mattakuliya and his mother Mariam coming from the Panendam
Kanthoori Ootar of Grandpass.
An only child who lost his mother when he was barely two months old, Abdul
Majeed was looked after by his paternal aunt, Mathugan Natchiya, and later by
his maternal uncle, Abdul Majeed of Grandpass.
His childhood days were spent in the loving care of his uncles and aunts. As a young man, he was employed for a short period by his uncle in the medicinal shop of Aliya Marikar & Sons, in Negombo. Adventurous and enterprising, he later worked in a Colombo hardware store owned by leading trader Abdur Rahman of 3rd Cross Street, Pettah.
In 1935, with a minimum of capital and an abundance of goodwill, he opened a small hardware store in Pettah. He was helped by the leading merchants of the time because of his enthusiasm, integrity and dedication. He built up a wide customer network and expanded into the estate supply sector, where he was immensely successful. The war years boosted his fortunes, and in 1940 he set up another shop, at 72, Third Cross Street. This shop was used as a godown and later as Abdul Majeed’s head office.
In 1936, Abdul Majeed married Noor Nizara, daughter of Abdul Hameed and Ummu Habeeba of Temple Road, Maradana. The couple set up home in Dematagoda, Abdul Majeed’s birthplace. Allah blessed Abdul Majeed with a large family and later showered him with wealth. By the end of the war years, he was a leading merchant and a landed proprietor.
He was actively engaged in the Zaviya Movement in Colombo, just as his father and grandfather were prominent members of the Shazuliya Tareeka. A devout and practising Muslim, Abdul Majeed would go for his daily prayers to the mosque in Dematagoda. The Thakkiya in Dematagoda was also a favourite place of prayer. Abdul Majeed bought a property adjoining the mosque, and it has been proposed that this property be given to a Madrasa run by the mosque.As founder of the sole proprietorship A. M. M. Rajabdeen, Abdul Majeed later formed a partnership with his three sons, calling the business A. M. M. Rajabdeen & Sons. It is on this solid foundation that Rajabdeen & Sons Ltd now stands, at 192 Nawala Road, Colombo.
Abdul Majeed believed in honesty, hard work, dedication and honour in both business and in personal life. The merchant fraternity held him in high esteem, and spoke of him as a man who kept his word – so much so that two leading banks, Mercantile Bank Ltd and the National Bank of India, spontaneously offered him facilities, which he graciously turned down because of the riba (interest) factor. He said he could manage his own finances.
Abdul Majeed earned his fortunes single-handedly. Despite his success, he was a simple man with no trace of conceit or haughtiness. He was the same person towards the end of his life that he was at the beginning.
He often quoted from religious discourses. Some of the wise sayings he quoted were: “Never look down on the man who is walking when you are on horseback, for tomorrow the position may be reversed”; “Pay the labourer before the sweat on his brow dries up”; “Success built on trust will stand the test of time”, and “Pride precedes a fall”. How very true!
He taught us by example to care for the elderly, to cherish righteousness, piety and simplicity and to love the relatives of both sides of the family. In this he was assisted in no small measure by his wife, the epitome of grace and love, a wonderfully devoted person to whom all her relatives were an integral part of her life.
Abdul Majeed was a devoted father. An only child, he found love and comfort in all his children. Upon his advent to Makkah for Haj in 1960, he bequeathed his business to his sons, dividing his wealth and business equally.
Never envious of the good fortune of others, Abdul Majeed wished for the children of others whatever he wished for his own children.
His life has left an indelible impression on us all. May Allah in His infinite mercy grant him the highest abode in Jenna.
Mohinudeen Rajabdeen
Sunday Times Nov 8, 2009
A man who lived after the manner of his name “Uthum”Dr. Uthum Herat
When H. L. de Silva, PC, passed away in April this year, the small Methodist Church at Mount Lavinia, where he (with his wife Manel) was a devout worshipper, became smaller, diminished. Now a little over six months later it has become still smaller, more diminished, with the sudden and untimely death at 52 of Dr. Uthum Herat on October 23.
Uthum was an inseparable part of the little church on the hill. He served as Superintendent of the Sunday School, which he had attended as a schoolboy. He was also a lay preacher at this church, and each time he preached, his well-prepared message touched a chord in every heart that listened. He conducted Bible studies for a small group of church members, who found them of absorbing value in strengthening their knowledge and understanding of God’s word.
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He was a learned man with a first class B.Sc. degree from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura and a doctorate in Economics and Finance from Purdue University, Indiana. But he did not flaunt his learning ever. He was too humble, too simple, for such enormities.
To me, an ordinary member of the Mount Lavinia Church, Uthum, like H.L., belonged to the elite of the congregation and I was in awe of both of them for their intellectual prowess. They both helped me, though they never knew it, to be sure of God and of my faith in Him, particularly when an old friend, himself an intellectual, ridiculed me for going for Sunday worship.
He had been baptized as an infant, went to a Christian school, and had married a Christian. He, however, despised the faith to which he was born and in which he was nurtured, for what reason I wouldn’t know and never sought to know.
“Stupid” is how he described those who believed. I used to say to myself while listening to him belittling my faith, “Who am I to question God when there are H.L., the country’s leading constitutional lawyer, and Uthum, the brilliant Central Bank economist, who believe in God and attend church more regularly than I do?”
Uthum rose to the position of Deputy Governor of the Central Bank. He was also the Central Bank’s alternative Director to the IMF and served in Washington on an assignment. He also made an impressive power point presentation in Geneva to attract investors to Sri Lanka. He made keynote addresses and inaugural speeches at various important professional events in Colombo, not long before his death.
On Sunday October 18, which sadly turned out to be his last Sunday at church, he told my wife he was going to visit me, as he had not seen me for a long time. And then, death struck with such unforgiving finality as to leave Uthum’s fellow worshippers at Mount Lavinia, all of them without exception, shattered and bereft.
One of Uthum’s favourite hymns has this refrain:
We have an anchor that keeps the soul steadfast and sure while the billows roll; Fastened to the rock which cannot move, Grounded firm and deep in the Saviour’s love!
Led by Roshan Mendis, we sang the hymn amid audible sobs and sighs as we watched over the mortal remains of a man who lived after the manner of his name “Uthum”.
Farewell, Uthum, you were too dear for our possessing.
C. N. S.
Remembering the ‘elder statesman’ of Royal College
Vijitha Weerasinghe
It is two years since Vijitha Weerasinghe, the esteemed and respected “elder statesman” of Royal College, left us. Tempus fugit, as he would have said.
He was fond of saying he was associated with Royal for more than 70 years, first as a pupil, then as a teacher and a Deputy Principal, and finally as Vice President and Advisor to the Royal College Union, the “old boys’” arm of Royal College. We who were taught and guided by him would say that Mr. Weerasinghe will be associated with Royal for a great many more years – until the last Royalist he taught and guided breathes his last.
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Mr. Weerasinghe was a unique man – a gentleman with a kindly disposition. He liked music, quality tobacco and a single quiet drink in the evenings, listening to his beloved western classical music. He had that rare ability of being able to walk with kings while keeping the common touch.
He was a vast storehouse of knowledge regarding English language and literature, Latin, and the history and lore of Royal College. In his younger days he was an orchid enthusiast who scientifically grew orchids.
Mr. Weerasinghe exuded joie de vivre. Vishunusharman, the ancient pundit from King Sudharshana’s court, would have had a man like him in mind when he said:
“Kavyashastravinodena kalo gachchathi dheematham Vyasenena cha moorkhanan nidraya kalahena va.” (Wise men spend their time in the study of enjoyment of sciences, literature and poetry: fools in vice, sleep and quarrels.)
After his retirement in 1997 at the age of 70, Mr. Weerasinghe immediately took up duties at the Royal College Union as its Advisor and Vice-President.
Many Royalists, including principals, sought his advice and guidance, including this writer. I became the Royal College Union Secretary in July 2007, and Mr. Weerasinghe passed away a few months later, on October 31, 2007. This was a great personal loss to me.
The school’s 175th anniversary is next year, and the Royal College Union is planning a number of events to mark the occasion. Mr. Weerasinghe’s advice and guidance would have been a source of much strength to me. His mere presence would have given me strength, just as the presence of a father gives strength and courage to a son.
I am sure I speak for all those who served as Royal College Union Secretary when I say this. Even non-Royalists who worked with him have this glowing feeling about him.
May he flourish – wherever he is.
M. Rizan Nazeer, Honorary Secretary,Royal College Union
Father could fill a room with his quiet humour, a whole house with his warm presence
Asoka Abayaratna (03.08.34-31.10.08)
About a month ago I saw my father’s smile again. Not in a photograph or a home video but on the face of my eight-week-old baby girl. It felt like a gift, a blessed inheritance from a grandfather she never met but who knew she was on the way.
It is now a year since our last conversation, when I told my father that he would be a grandfather once again. He died a few days later. A year on, it is hard to believe he is not in his study, or fixing something in the house, and that he will not appear at any moment.
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Asoka Abayaratna was never loud or overbearing, but he could fill a room with his quiet humour, a whole house with his warm presence, and the hearts of his whole family with his kindness.
Dad adored spending time with his loved ones and friends, talking and laughing and exchanging views, sympathy and advice. He spoke proudly of his happy childhood, his hometown Kandy, and his school, Trinity College. He talked affectionately of growing up with his brothers and sisters in Lewella, the family home he often wished he could preserve for future generations.
His first visit to England in 1963 was the source of some of his best stories. At the time, England was not the liberal, cosmopolitan country it is now, and my father’s search for lodgings involved landlords who were disinclined to take in young men from South Asia, with their exotic “cooking smells and strange foreign ways”.
My father did, however, find lodgings in the home of a Norwegian lady and her small son. Happily settled in for many months, my father was surprised at Christmas to receive a pair of pajamas from the landlady, who then dropped to one knee and proposed marriage. Anyone who knew my father can imagine his embarrassment. On that occasion my father lost both a wife and a flat.
His return to Sri Lanka for a holiday in 1969 was a turning point in his life. He was interviewed for a job at IBM, where he would spend the next three decades of his life. Dad would never have said it, but he was in fact one of the pioneers of the technology age. His first encounter with a computer was when he was working at a research station in England. The computer was regarded with deep suspicion by his colleagues. Deeply curious, he volunteered to work on it, and thus began the other enduring love of his life.
After joining IBM, he was offered work in England and then in California, where he was part of the founding generation of Silicon Valley. More important, IBM led him to my mother, Michelle. She was working at the reception desk, and no one, my father included, could have failed to notice her.
I never knew my Dad to move fast. Patience, precision and thorough investigation were the trademarks of his style, whenever he had to make a big decision. Over the next 37 years of marriage, this slow, precise style would drive my mother crazy. He was the perfect foil for a lady who moved like a hurricane. Their partnership was the best template for a supportive and loving marriage. It was the bedrock of my brother Lalith’s and my happiness and the foundation of Dad’s confidence to take us to live in different parts of the world, knowing that wherever we were, he would always be home.
Our house was always full of fun, activity, friends and family. Dad made a point of showing us and our guests as much of a country or continent as he could. His road trips were legendary.
Dad looked after people, always. It seemed to be his mission in life. His kindness and generosity were immense, and he expected neither recognition nor reciprocation.
He was loved by his friends and his extended family. The family expanded when I married John. His first grandchild was just hours old when I placed her in Dad’s arms.
We are all happy that in the last difficult year of his life, my father found an entirely new joy in his first grandchild. He threw himself, cameras and all, into the role of grandfather. He called her the light of his life. It will be some years before my daughter will be able to appreciate the great compliment her grandfather paid her.
Piyanjali Feeney
Cheerful and full of ideas, he was a friend indeed
Shyamlal Rajapaksa
Shyam was a dear friend and I cannot begin to think of life without him. It is so hard to believe that someone as lovely, smiling and considerate as him is gone, especially when he was such an important and necessary part of our lives here in Tanzania. But I do have the fondest memories of the time spent with him (which almost always make me smile).
I don’t actually remember when I met Shyam properly for the first time at the Rwandan War Crimes Tribunal, but because he was so popular with everyone, I knew of him even in my early days at the Tribunal and recall seeing him walking down the corridors on his way to court wearing his black gown and white bib (with a pencil in his hand!), flashing that cheerful smile and always saying hello!
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A few months later I met him more frequently at group dinners mostly at Twiga (the Sikh Club in Arusha), and he was always the easiest person to get along with – open, friendly and always with a sense of fun. That was Shyam. You could speak to him for under a minute about something entirely casual (including the quality of the curry at a restaurant) and feel so accepted as a friend. He always made people feel welcome, and put them at ease. Of course, the day I moved into an office on his floor, he was among my first visitors and came by to see me to make sure I was settling in alright.
It was such a privilege to be Shyam’s friend in so many ways. He used to come by our offices, almost every morning with that happy smile, just to say hello. There could not have been a better start to the work day than with that visit from Shyam. However bad the work day looked, or whatever troubles one had, it all vanished in his presence.
There were so many times when he would just listen to my problems, even if they were just ordinary and mundane issues. You could always count on him to come up with some solution to make things easy. If I had a cold he would prescribe steam inhalation, and keep reminding me about it if I had forgotten. If I did not know the way somewhere, he would offer to drive in front of my vehicle to show me the route. If my car needed to be fixed, he would come with me to the mechanic to help. He always had the time to help a friend.
I have never heard him say no to anyone when his help was sought. And even when the situation was out of his hands and there was little anyone could do to set it right, he would tell you a funny story (often involving him) to make you laugh and distract you.
As a friend, Shyam was never judgmental of anyone. I admire him for his incredible ability to make friends across every possible barrier – nationality, gender, social strata. I used to joke that going with him anywhere was like being part of a celebrity’s entourage – he knew so many people at the Tribunal and in town, and was so well liked by everyone.
I remember him saying that he just loved to go to the main vegetable market on some weekends with his housemaid Joyce because it was so vibrant and throbbing with the energy and pulse of people. Just as he was!
We always used to say that he needed people and friends around him. But I think it was much more the reality that people whom he came into contact with, however brief and his friends needed him. He lit up this place and our lives with his sparkling smile, happy attitude and generosity of spirit.
There were so many people to whom he had shown such immense kindness and generosity – and life will really never be the same without him.
Shyam always had a fantastic sense of humour, and could find something funny and wonderful in any situation. There were so many wonderful admirable qualities in Shyam – none more than his ability to just live life to the fullest. There are so many of us who spend so much time complaining about the state of things or letting the daily stress get to us. But Shyam was so refreshing and unique that way.
I am sure like the rest of us, he had hard times at work and otherwise. But he never seemed to let it get to him. We almost never saw that side of him. Before an American thanksgiving dinner at Kirsten’s house last year, while most people said they were thankful for very specific things that had happened to them the previous year, Shyam said that he was thankful for generally everything. And that was what made him so special. He loved his life and lived it with such passion and zest.
Very few
could remain unaffected by his positive and infectious attitude towards almost
everything.
Although there are days when I still can't quite believe that he is no longer
here with us, I’d like to remember him as he was, full of ideas and plans, ever
helpful, wonderfully cheerful and always smiling. He had a remarkable gift –
that of making other people happy, and I’ll always feel privileged to have had
him as my friend.
Priyadarshini Narayanan, Appeals Counsel – UNICTR – Arusha, Tanzania
He would not have lived his life any other way
Dr. Uthum Herat
I first met Uthum Herat over 25 years ago as my student, when he followed the M.Sc., Programme in Applied Statistics at the University of Colombo for which I was a visiting lecturer. Later, our roles were reversed, as I found Uthum more knowledgeable than I on most Bank-related subjects, including my own, Statistics and I would seek his opinion and clarification on economic and financial issues at the Central Bank where we both worked. Finally, while following a short course in Corporate Finance at the Bank, I became his student! We began as professional colleagues, but soon developed a close friendship that spanned those same 25+ years, throughout my career in the Bank and later, until his untimely death on October 23. We would discuss the economy, professional ethics, work stress, bringing up children, American cheesecakes and other diverse topics. I appreciated his thoughtful insights and always learnt something new from our discussions.
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Uthum’s advice and wise counsel were sought by the highest in the land, yet, he wore his importance lightly. He worked with many different Governors, different Monetary Board members and senior management, yet there were none who spoke ill of him or disliked him, even though they knew, in no uncertain terms, that Uthum would never take a decision that would compromise his integrity or his professionalism. He earned their respect. Among his many academic and professional achievements, he had a doctorate from Purdue University and was a qualified accountant. Yet, he was so modest, that you could know him for years and never hear mention of any of these.
He was conscientious about his work to a fault. He would often miss out on social occasions due to work pressure, coming in to the Bank at 6.30 a.m. and never leaving before pitch dark. He literally worked himself to death, maintaining an astounding commitment to the Central Bank. Yet, however busy he was, he always had time for little kindnesses which extended to everyone. In my own personal experience, on one occasion, Uthum learnt that my husband was fond of a particular snack from his student days in the USA, which he had never found in Sri Lanka. Some weeks later, Uthum dropped off two packs of this very snack that he had managed to track down in a supermarket in Mt. Lavinia!
Throughout my children’s formative years, he would send them carefully selected story books which he thought they would enjoy. He and a mutual friend in the Bank would jointly send the children birthday cards, usually enclosing book vouchers. My son is now 20 years old and at university, but even this June, Uthum found the time for an e-mail to wish him on his birthday, though I know Uthum was inundated with critically important work as Deputy Governor in charge of financial stability in the country.
During his stint at the IMF, he would always find time to inform his many friends of an upcoming visit to Sri Lanka to ask what we needed from there. No request was too trivial for his attention, and usually, a parcel would be delivered enroute from the airport - such thoughtfulness, even though he never allowed himself time to come over for a meal. Unusually, on my birthday in 2007, the year I retired from the Central Bank, it was such a treat to see him walking in that evening, straight from work, carrying his signature umbrella! This year too, a birthday card arrived by post, spot on time, just two weeks before he fell ill.
I considered Uthum a close friend, but also recognised that he was a private person. One never quite grasped the true depth and breadth of the man. There were, I know, many, many people, young and old, to whom Uthum was as close a friend. He was extremely generous with his worldly goods and his intellect and yet, his good deeds were done anonymously, so that even his left hand did not know what his right hand did. The massive gathering at his funeral - young and old; subordinates, peers and superiors; personal and professional contacts; friends from his school days and university years; worshippers from his much-loved Mt. Lavinia Methodist Church, from his bible study group and FOCUS group - reflects the enormous love and respect in which he was held by so many. As his close friend, Prof. Priyan Dias, said so eloquently at the beautiful and moving funeral service held at S. Thomas' College, Mt. Lavinia, Uthum was self-effacing, humble and never forced his opinion on anyone.
This man, with a brilliant intellect, never looked down or passed judgment on others. He lived up to his name “Great” in all respects, but was also most human, with a wonderfully sharp wit. I remember, when we, his self-appointed “older sisters” in the Central Bank, felt he was being exploited because he would never say “no” to any task assigned to him, even if he was already inundated with work, we would scold him and suggest that he find a wife to take care of him. All our match-making failed, as he would say ‘your prescription is worse than the disease!'
He once said to me that his time as a graduate student at Purdue and as Alternate Executive Director for South Asia at the IMF were two of the happiest periods in his life. Perhaps, he felt less stress and responsibilities there and made more time for himself to enjoy his many interests - browsing in book stores, walking with nature and visiting museums, among others. He was self-contained, content with his own company and did not need a host of others to enjoy himself.
Uthum was truly, a very special person - a man of God. To me, it was more than coincidence that Uthum died on the same date, October 23, as another man of God from the previous generation, my much-loved uncle, the late Bishop Lakshman Wicremesinghe. He, like Lakshman, was blessed with a powerful intellect, unquestionable integrity and loving, gentle heart that embraced everyone.
He, like Lakshman, chose to live a life of simplicity and humility and tread this mortal world lightly. Despite significant intellectual and professional achievements, neither sought the conventional social trimmings of such achievement - no house, no car, no spouse, nor children to call their own. Yet, each shared of themselves with others, almost to a fault, loving and caring for all God’s children as their own. Neither was a saint, both enjoyed a good joke and witty conversation. Neither was ever condescending or superior. Each lived by his Christian faith, led by example and commanded respect. Uthum, like Lakshman, chose to ignore his health towards the end in the interests of his chosen vocation and he too, has died young, before the ravages of old age could leave their mark. It is we who are left behind who suffer their loss.
I remember, with gratitude, his friendship, his wise counsel, his concern and love for children, his sharp but gentle wit, his love of books and beauty, his many kindnesses and never-failing thoughtfulness and compassion. He lived his life for others at great cost to his health, but would not have lived any other way.
Uthum’s life is epitomised in many passages in the Bible. I have chosen one, Philippians, Chapter 4, verse 8, to salute him -
''Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on those things”.
In the greater presence of God, may he rest in peace and have infinite time to smell the roses. I will never forget him.
Anila Dias Bandaranaike
Serving the people was her only ambition
Mallika Lakshmi de Mel
“Full many a gem of purest
ray serene,
The dark unfathomed caves of ocean bear,
Full many a flower is born to blush unseen
And waste its sweetness in the desert air.”
– John Gray ‘Elegy in a Country Churchyard’
Mallika
Lakshmi de Mel who passed away on October 12 walked with kings, presidents, and
prime ministers, the biggest bankers, financiers and businessmen of the world,
but never lost her common touch and her compassion and deep feeling for the
poor, the dispossessed and the downtrodden.
The thousands who flocked to her house in Devinuwara for help during her
lifetime and the thousands more who filed passed her coffin bore testimony to
the immense love and affection in which she was held.
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Hundreds, including mature men, who came to her funeral cried and wailed aloud. For, she had given them new hope by helping them to find jobs and build houses. Many were the people who were educated upto university level through her own Educational Trust.
Hundreds of unemployed young women were given training in her training centres for sewing, cooking and dressmaking. She also ran centres to teach English.
In times of floods in Bulathsinhala, Matara, Kamburupitiya or Akuressa, she would come wading in the water carrying food to extend help. She loved serving the poor and helping them in every way. Thus it was no wonder that they came in their tens of thousands in unbroken file to pay their last respects.
Mallika was indeed a remarkable embodiment of womanhood. She never wanted to contest a parliamentary seat or run for office, being content for over 40 years to help her husband in his Parliamentary constituency work, but when her husband decided to quit active politics in 2000, not only her party leader but also the common people of the area urged her to contest her husband’s seat. She acceded to their request and won with a handsome majority. She felt one term in Parliament was enough and refused to contest again despite requests from her party.
She retired from Parliament on the grounds of ill-health as she was then recovering from knee-replacement surgery. Power was not what she craved for. Service to the people was her only motive and her ambition. After all her father, Sir Leo Fernando, one of Sri Lanka’s richest men in the past century, was a Member of Parliament till his death. She wanted to devote more time to work for the poor in her usual way without being encumbered by the trappings of office and that was what she did. Even the day before her sudden death, she addressed two meetings in the poorest villages of Matara.
Mallika leaves behind a fragrant memory of a wonderful human being, always smiling, always laughing, always cheerful to a fault, always ready to help people irrespective of their race, caste, creed or station in life.
It was no secret that she even went alone to the Welikada Prison to meet Rohana Wijeweera as she had known his family in Tangalle and sympathized with them and their sufferings at the hands of the authorities from time to time. That visit to Welikada was indeed Mallika at her best, sympathizing and helping anybody in distress, regardless of any consequences or any reward.
Leaders of all political parties paid their last respects to her either at her Colombo residence or at Devinuwara. Among them was President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his wife Shiranthi, Opposition UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and JVP Leader Somawansa Amarasinghe.
The JVP Leader’s only comment was: “My leader Rohana Wijeweera would have wanted me to pay our respects to this great lady. That is why I have come all the way from Colombo to Devinuwara today.”
May this great and noble lady attain Nirvana!
R. Rajaratnam
A humane educationist who touched our lives
Viji Weerasinghe
October 31 marked the second anniversary of the death of Viji Weerasinghe of Royal College who was a great educationist but never honoured either by a university or the government.
I would like to mention that probably never in the history of the teaching profession has a teacher received so much love, adoration, admiration and respect during his lifetime as Viji Weerasinghe of Royal College.
He was connected to Royal College for nearly 74 years - first as a student, teacher, Deputy Principal and later as senior advisor to the Royal College Old Boys' Association at the college premises itself. The huge crowds who came to his funeral bore ample testimony to the popularity of this great but humble human being. Many distinguished leaders of our country have been taught by this great teacher and they always remember him with love and respect.
Though I am not a Royalist (I studied in the school adjoining Royal in the mid 1950’s) I got an assignment to coach one of the Royal College Under-13 Cricket teams in 1982 and 1983.
During this time Mr. Weerasinghe was the Deputy Principal of the middle school and as he looked a humane person I asked him whether it was possible to admit my son to the Grade III class. I also noted during this time that he treated and spoke to everybody on the staff from the minor employee to the teachers in the same manner without any discrimination.
He told me that a new Principal would be assuming duties the following week and if he agreed he would let me know.
Just one week later he called me and said the new Principal had agreed to admit my son. This action of Mr. Weerasinghe changed our lives forever. Today, my son is holding a high post in the banking sector.
Ranjan Goonetillake
A musical tribute to Ru
Remembering Ru - a musical tribute to Ruwani Seimon will be held on November 7 at the Russian Cultural Centre.
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A group of former members of Voices in Harmony, together with the Merry An Singers, the Revelations and CoroCantAmici as invited guest performers, will pay this musical tribute to Ruwani who died on November 7, two years ago.
Ruwani gained admission to a Sri Lankan university, but was compelled to leave for Canada in 1988, due to the turbulent times here which led to the closure of universities. She returned home in 1993 with a B.Sc in Math and a B.A in Music (Voice)-Summa Cum Laude.
Music was always her first love and it was to music that she devoted her entire life. While in Canada, Ruwani sang with the McMaster Musical Theatre, the McMaster Choir, the Hamilton Opera Company and the pop band ‘Tropical Breeze’. On her return to Sri Lanka, she did a few solo vocal performances, but finally concentrated on her career as a teacher.
From 1994 to 2007, Ruwani taught singing individually to over 150 students, ranging from children to lawyers, to vocalists in bands and even to a grandmother!
She
trained not only her own choir, ‘Voices in Harmony’ but also the school choirs
of St. Bridget's Convent, Wycherley International School, Bishop’s College and
Good Shepherd Convent, Panadura.
Admission to 'Remembering Ru' is only by invitation.
Nation, Sunday Nov 1 2009
Young at heart and yet soft with age – Mohamed Isack Bin Ismail
He was a grandson of the famous Arabi Ibrahim, who hailed from Zebedee in Yemen and settled down in Ceylon with his beautiful wife from Surat, India. He came as a trader and later came to own the Avissawella town and its environs besides several properties and estates acquired by him. The British who were the masters of the time described his rise as ‘from peddler to prince.’ His son was Ismail Bin Ibrahim to whom was born Hassan and Isack. His only daughter was married to the late Sir Razik Fareed, the leader of the ‘Ceylon Moors.
Isack was born on January 1, 1927, had his early education at Kingwoods College in Kandy which moulded him to what he was, an attorney-at-law and notary public by profession, a great sportsmen excelled in captaining school cricket and hockey team and thereafter he entered the Ceylon Law College and in 1952 as a opening batsman who scored a rare century in the annual Law¬ Medical Cricket Match. A gentleman par excellence, he was a lover of the outdoors and wild countryside. As a lawyer, he was highly respected in the legal field as an honourable and fine gentleman.
While a student at the Law College he joined the Moors Sports Club in 1948 and was active in all club affairs, played pivotal role as wicketkeeper and opening batsman, in 1952 he captained the Moors Team. Isack played tennis in the Moors Clay Lawns, and his team annexed the Hildon Sansoni Challenge Shield, and he spent half his life playing tennis at the Moors Tennis Club which kept him fit and active. He inaugurated hockey to the Moors S.C. and due to his tireless efforts the team reached its peak in the game in the very first year and annexed the coveted ‘Beacon Cup.’ He took to planting in the land bequeathed by his father, Zeabeediya Estate at Demmanhandiya, Katana, which was also his home.
M. I. Bin Ismail elected Assistant Secretary from 1956 to 1961, elected honorary General Secretary from 1961 to 1988 - a record 27 years as Secretary - President from 1988 to 1991, Immediate Past President from 1992 to 1998, Patron from 2002 to 2009. He was the longest surviving committee member up-to-date and after his demise, moreover, he has the unique distinction of having served the club for 52 long years, quite a feat by any standards in recognition of his unwavering loyalty and devotion to the club.
On May 25, 2001 Past President Al Haj Bin Ismail was felicitated and as a token of appreciation for his yeomen service towards the Moors Sports club named and declared open the Al Haj M. I. Bin Ismail Auditorium on the third floor of the new pavilion with the presence of a large distinguished gathering and unveiled a portrait of Bin Ismail by the Chief Guest Hon Rauff Hakeem, MP Minister of Internal and International Trade, and Commerce, Shipping Development and Muslim Religious Affairs, At the felicitation ceremony Al Haj Bin Ismail spoke and said that usually, unveiling of a portrait was to commemorate the demise of distinguished past members, but in his case, the club members unanimously decided to “hang him whilst alive.” Bin was loved by all, where he was present in the evenings playing his favourite game of tennis. He was a very loyal member of the club and a pillar of strength, a friend and guide to all who had the good fortune to know him. Always a picture of sartorial and tonsorial elegance he resembled a prince from Surat with his neatly trimmed moustache, which would have made Errol Flynn proud.
On the eve of the centenary celebrations of the club, he was honoured as a long-standing member who had contributed immensely towards the revival and popularity of sports. He was the patron, and fathered the Moors constitution and advised me upon the completion of the New Club pavillion. He was on all counts a true friend, age was not a barrier but his humour and his journey down the memory lane at many committee meetings was a pleasure to listen to. Young at heart and yet so soft with age. We all loved to be amongst this great man.
I had the pleasure of his company for over three decades, enjoyed his trust, learned immensely from his wisdom and courteous qualities. A very rare person indeed. When I was elected as the President of the Moors Sports club Mr. Bin Ismail called on me and extended a word of advise and said, “Son, this position of President of this club has been held by great men in the past and having upheld the highest traditions of the Moor community with Islamic values amongst sporting men in the Island,” and later at the felicitation ceremony for me being elected to Parliament, I remembered the words of my mentor, and delivered a key note address that I was a simple businessman then, having upheld the highest traditions, I held the position of a Municipal Councillor, Provincial Councillor and today as a Member of Parliament whilst holding the position of President of Moors Sports Club.” In my close association with him, he was one who inspired me into political life, advised me as a true friend. His demise has been a great loss to me, to our great club and its membership, specially a great loss to the Muslim community of the island.
He leaves behind a great son, Iqbal, who is also another livewire at Moors to carry on the legend of Bin Ismail for years to come and his two daughters. The fond memories of a great and gallant gentleman remain evergreen whose love for the MSC was only superseded by his love for the family.
May Allah grant him the highest abode in Jenna.
Shafeek Rajabdeen MP
Late Dr B M Mahboob
A consultant surgeon with charisma
Most
of the eastern regions from Batticoloa to Pottuvil were soaked with sadness and
submerged in an unexplained sorrow by the news of the untimely demise of DR B M
Mahboob, a Consultant Surgeon attached to Teaching Hospital Batticoloa on the
October 18, 2009 at the age of 52. People were bemused and perplexed without
knowing as to what to do on learning the death of Dr Mahboob who was born and
breathed his last at Kathankudy where he lived with his beloved wife and
children. He was selected as a medical student to the University of Jaffna where
he completed his graduation and passed out as a doctor in 1983.
He was, thereafter, appointed as medical officer in charge to D H Sammanthurai at a time when the people of this area had a dire need for a doctor. At this juncture, the appointment of Dr Mohboob was felt as a boon blessed by the heaven. The patients of this area really benefited immensely by Dr Mahboob who had all characters of humanism. During ethnic clashes took place in Kalmunai region in 1988 as I was a medical student I had to take some victims who sustained severe gun-shot injuries from Kalmunai to Ampara Base Hospital with the help of the Indian Peace Keeping Forces. These patients on their way to Ampara Base Hospital were given necessary emergency treatments by DR Mahboob who worked single handedly through out the day at the district hospital,Sammanthurai. He, outside of his profession, maintained convivial and cordial relationship with patients and people of this area.
After many years of service at Sammanthurai, he was transferred as Medical Officer at the Eye Hospital in Colombo. He again got an appointment to the eastern region as Medical Officer of Health at Kathankudy. The surgical cases that Dr Mahboob handled during his many years of service in these strife-stricken and war-torn areas necessitated him to further his carrier in surgery. With that intention, he got through his MS part I examination while he was working as MOH at Kathankudy. After that he was appointed as Registrar at the Teaching Hospital Karapittiya where we both worked in different surgical units.
On his completion of MS part II examination and training period, he was appointed as an acting surgeon to Ashraff Memorial Hospital, Kalmunai. He was the first general surgeon who started surgical intervention and treatment for patients in this region.
Even the poorest of the poor was able to seek treatment in his private channeling place. He never failed to consider seriously the socio-economic situation of his patients. The way he talked to his patients in common parlance attracted those who sought treatment from him. The patients who were treated by him always prayed for his health and wealth.
After a few years of service at Ashraff Memorial Hospital, he was transferred to teaching hospital Batticoloa where he worked until his last day. When he worked at this hospital, he went for his overseas training. On his return, he again assumed duty at the same institution. He always approached his patients with sympathy and much needed empathy. Whenever he came to know the adversity of his client he never failed to extend his assistance to those patients in all possible ways and means. He never bowed down to power and privilege. He treated and cared for all people alike irrespective of their race religion and ethnicity. During festive seasons, his charity was not limited to the poor people but extended to other low wage earner who worked in his units. Dr Mahboob established a name for charity in the minds of people. In spite of all these he never failed to pay his thanks to the creator whom he believed firmly. This was the very basic reason for his humane characters that he inherited from the soil where he was born.
He was, in any occasion, it could be an official meeting or a social gathering, seen intermingled with all people without staying aloof considering his position and post which is now a day a very rare scene among educated stock. The name of Dr Manboob as a first Muslim General Surgeon with diligent and intelligent from eastern region will definitely go down to posterity.
On October 18, 2009 a mammoth crowds of people from all communities, from all the areas wherever Dr Mahboob worked, flocked towards his residence at Kathankudy where his remains was lying in state to pay their last homage. Most of the business establishments at Kathankudy were closed to mark of the irreparable lose of its most esteemed and dignified son of the soil who was there to bid his last bye to them.
The late Dr Mahboob led a life as a prestigious doctor to his patients, beloved husband to his wife and caring father to his three children. Any amount of words can not console the grief of his beloved wife and children who lost her beloved husband and most caring father and a good friend to all of them. I humbly convey my deepest condolence to the bereaved family members and pray the Almighty Allah to bless late Dr Mahboob with Jannathul Firthowse, Ameen!
Dr U L Sarafdeen
Kalmunai
Ubesena Godahewa
A great social worker
Ubesena
Godahewa, General Secretary, the Pension Association, Maharagama passed away
recently and his funeral took place amidst a large gathering. He had been
attached to the Ministry of Health and later retired. He was born in Ambalangoda
area and he built a home at Daham Mawatha, Maharagama while he was working in
the government service. After the retirement he was engaged in social service
and meanwhile he was helping to the Buddhist Temples in the area. As for the
Pension Society he was doing a yeoman service. In fact, we lost a good friend
and we never expected his sudden death so soon.
Godahewa is no more with us. He was of great service to the society. May he
attain the Supreme Bliss of Nibbana!
M. G. Asoka Karunaratne
A superior human being standing above all – Dr Amal Uthum Herat
Dr.
Amal Uthum Herat, one of the leading lights making up the top brains of the
Central Bank got extinguished permanently last week. He was the Deputy Governor
overlooking the financial system stability at the time. In addition, he was
Chairmen of both the Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka and the Credit
Information Bureau of Sri Lanka, two responsible positions he held
simultaneously.
Having completed his primary and secondary education the S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, young Herat joined the University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka, to read for a special degree in Mathematics and Statistics. However, the ethnic disturbances that broke out in Jaffna at that time did not permit him to complete the degree at that university. He, along with others in his batch, was relocated at the