Rowena Ahlip
She was an inspiration
A shining light has gone out of the Malay Community in Sri Lanka with the passing of the doyen of the Padang Triumvirate (the Colombo Malay Cricket Club, the Sri Lanka Malay Association, and the Sri Lanka Malay Association Rupee Fund), Rowena Ahlip, in September, 2017, just two months short of her 101st birthday.It was only in November, last year, that she turned a glorious 100 years, when past and present spread across the globe, from down under to up yonder, counting four generations, gathered at her Mount Lavinia residence to celebrate this remarkable lady and rejoice her 100th birthday.
While not wanting to mourn her death, let us rejoice Rowena’s life. In doing so, I wish to go back in time and provide some insight for people who may not remember that there was a world before the advent of Facebook, the worldwide web, and the internet.
The eldest progeny of that great Malay Statesman and Cabinet minister in then Ceylon’s first post independent government, the late Dr. T. B. Jayah, I have known Rowena for well over 50 years, which is more than two thirds of my life time. In 1972, as Assistant General Secretary of the Colombo Malay Cricket Club, which is the oldest Ceylonese cricket club, it was my privilege to have been in the committee organising its centenary celebrations and the golden jubilee of the Sri Lanka Malay Association, alongside many stalwarts of the Club, including Rowena.
Playing a pivotal role, I greatly benefitted in enhancing my organizational skills, thanks to Rowena’s counsel. Whatever she embarked on, she did it with great finesse, and it was indeed a pleasure to have her on board the continuing committee.
For everyone who knew Rowena, especially her children, she was a loving matriarch devoted to family and friends. For her six children and their spouses, nine grandchildren, and eleven great-grandchildren, she was not only a repository of memories from every family and holiday occasion or party, but someone who was always vibrant. To her children who grew up in her warm and loving home, she was more than a mother—she was an inspiration.
She leaves behind a legacy made up of all facets of her life. To my mind, a portrayal of her time in this world is that she chose to live until death without spending time dying until death occurred.
May her journey through the gardens of Jennah be devoid of all obstacles, and in the fullness of time, may Allah grant her the bliss of Jennathul Firdouse.
Branu Rahim
Newton Gunasekara
Brilliant and enthusiastic
A remembrance of my friend Newton Gunasekera cannot be written without his good qualities as friendship with correct friends and love with all he associated as friends or relatives.
He was able to form a Novelists Association of Sri Lanka with popular novelists, namely Kumara Karunarathne and Edward Mallawarachchi as his vision was to join hand with all the novelists together in Sri Lanka and produce good novels for the sake of the readers in the country.
Others associated with him to set up this Novelists Association of Sri Lanka were Raja T. Basnayake, Deeman Ananda, Wimal Thilaratne, Laksaman Mallawarachchi, Chandi Kodikara, Shantha Kumara Withana, etc.
I was close to Newton during my younger days while I was studying at Bandaranayake Central College at Gampaha. He was a popular student at that time and was residing at Gampaha itself, but I was a boarder at late Dr. Kapurubandar's house. He was a brilliant and enthusiastic character during his school days If he found a problem faced by a friend, neighbour or relative, he was able to write a very interesting short story on the above issue in a very favourable manner.
After he graduated from the Colombo University (B.A. Ceylon), he was able to produce a large number of novels for the sake of the Sinhalese readers in Sri Lanka. He also supplied stories to Sinhala weekend newspapers as well. After he graduated from the university, his maiden appointment was to the Ceylon Tourist Board in the capacity of information and administrative assistant. I was fortunate to associate with Newton Gunasekara again at the Ceylon Tourist Board, when I served as its officer-in-charge of the Samudra Art Gallery.
Newton Gunasekara suggested the then chairman of Ceylon Tourist Board, late Dharmasiri Senanayake, to print and publish a family magazine for the Ceylon Tourist Board, and proposed its name as Sancharika. I contributed regular articles to Sancharika as Newton was keen to publish it on a monthly basis, and distributed the magazine in all Sri Lankan tourist resorts and hotels. He left the Tourist Board and joined his second employment under Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation as its news editor. Then he handed over the printing and publishing of Sancharika to me.
After two years, he received a transfer to the Rajarata Service of the Broadcasting Corporation on the promotion as its Controller. He helped hundreds of creative radio artists in Rajarata to come froward, produced radio programmes, and also wrote some novels on the influence of the Rajarata environment.
All of Newton Gunasekara's novels were published by the Dayawansa Jayakody Publishers Company, Limited at Maradana. I feel truly blessed to have been able to associate with him for more than 50 yeas of my life. I hope to always remember and follow the principles of life you taught me.
May you will attain the Supreme Bliss of Nibbana!
W. A. C. P. Wijayaratne
Dayasiri Udawatta
Pillar of strength
Appachi, it has been only three months, but it seems like a lifetime since you passed away. Words can never express how much I miss you. Everything I see around me reminds me of you, bringing me to tears. The times we held hands was a journey and story that I hold so precious in my heart, with loads of love and gratitude to you.
Amma could not have asked for a better husband, and the two of us were blessed with the most precious father. We take joy and pride in looking back as you lived a life to the fullest and gave us nothing but the best. You gave us hope, strength, and grace to make our world a better and brighter place. You were by our side to help and support us, to celebrate, to understand our problems, and accept our defeats.
You taught me the value of hard work, good judgment, courage, and integrity and said until the end, take it with a pinch of salt. Appachi, you were like no other. Your unconditional love was a blessing to my life. You went even further and spoilt your grandchildren to your best and never missed a single responsibility towards them. And best of all, they have your wit to carry on in life's journey.
I could go on and on, Appachi; you were just wonderful in a million different ways. For that we are forever grateful. I will always hold your precious memories in my heart; that special smile, that caring heart, and for being there for me, rain or shine. Your love will forever dwell in my heart, and it has been a blessing that I count every day in my life. Thanks for being the pillar of strength in my life.
Appachi, you are deeply missed, but your legacy will live on.... Goodbye, Appachi, until we meet again in this sansara journey. Love you to the moon and back, stars and back, space and back.
Tharuka Udawatta
D. H. Jayaindra Fernando
Man of many talents
A remembrance of my grandfather, D. H. Jayaindra Fernando, cannot be written without the mention of his greatest love; building and construction. The oldest son of Jason Fernando, he hailed from a family dedicated to the construction industry in Sri Lanka. He was the driving force behind many constructions projects in Sri Lanka, such as the original Savoy cinema and Mount Lavinia Hotel, however his greatest achievement was truly a monument of love.
He spent many months travelling to Kandy, to supervise the building of the Kandy Market which was inaugurated on the September 23, 1959, under the auspices of S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike. The constant visit to Kandy to the building site of the Kandy Market was also fueled by the presence of Devika Perera, an undergraduate at the Peradeniya University at the time—my grandfather’s greatest inspiration. They subsequently got married in January 1960 and were the proud parents of Deepa Wijetunge (nee Fernando) and Sajit Fernando.
Jayaindra was a man of many talents; he was an artist, with the ability to design jewelry and produce beautiful drawings of trees endemic to Sri Lanka. He was also a very talented cook; I still recall vivid memories of how we would all gather in his kitchen every Friday after school, to assist him with his latest Chinese culinary dishes, however this task did not include cleaning up thereafter, a task which always fell to my grandmother. A great lover of good food, he would always take the whole family to any new restaurant that opened in Colombo, attempting to improve and recreate the dish subsequently.
He was always generous with his family and friends equally, lending a helping hand in any crisis, with any form of help needed. He was a dutiful son to his parents, as well as a pillar of strength of all his siblings.
My grandfather was a pious Buddhist, and I am always proud of see tables donated by him and built by Rovim Concrete Works Ltd. (where he was the chairman) at various temples throughout Sri Lanka. He was true follower of the Dhamma.
Seeya, I feel truly blessed to have been able to spend 29 years of my life with you, and I hope I will always remember and follow the principles of life you taught me. I feel privileged to have learnt our family history from you, and will always cherish the many chats we had over all those years.
I miss you every day!
Until we meet again in Sansara.
To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.
Thomas Campbell
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