[APPRECIATIONS - (26-11-2018)] | Daily News

[APPRECIATIONS - (26-11-2018)]

Sarath Malalasekera

Epitome of gentility

Having read the fitting tribute to senior journalist Sarath Malalasekera published in the Daily News on November 19 , I considered it my duty to write this appreciation of our friend Sarath with whom my association commenced in 1981 when I was the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) ASP.

Ishara Jayawardane, in his write-up on Sarath, had presented a great tribute to him with relevant facts concerning the most respected court journalist covering the Judiciary, court proceedings and the police for over 42 years in the Daily News, as well as facts revealed during an interview with him.

Sarath was extremely honest and precise in his assertions that he always obtained hard facts and never provided wrong information on court proceedings or police investigations. He always said that the journalists could not add or deduct anything that was said in court, and that accuracy was the most important thing citing the facts contained in the B report filed by police to report the progress of investigations to courts.

I assert the fact that Sarath’s professionalism won him the admiration of the police; he worked closely with all police officers. Our relationship with him was founded on mutual respect, and he was honest in what he wrote and never presented incorrect facts in his reportings. He never distorted evidence to mislead the public and/or to attract public attention.

I may cite a few instances where Sarath proved his professional trust as a journalist, especially reporting matters concerning National Security. I was the CID’s DIG when I was grievously injured on December 18, 1999, when a female LTTE suicide cadre exploded herself targetting former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga at the final Presidential Election rally held at the Colombo Town Hall.

After surgery was performed on me, I was transferred to the Merchants Ward at the General Hospital, Colombo. I was directing an investigation from my hospital bed when the then CID Director Keerthi Gajanayake and other senior officers were briefing me on its progress. After the briefing was over, Sarath came to my room to check on me and ask about the progress of the investigation.

I informed him that the CID was successful in tracing the LTTE cell operating at Dehiwela and also tracing the shop called Aprakka Stores at Dehiwela town from where the red frock worn by the female suicide bomber at the time of the attack, was purchased. I requested him not to report any matter as it would disrupt the investigation and he agreed.

After the investigation was completed successfully, with the arrests of the suspects who transported the suicide kit from Vavuniya to a kovil at Kotahena, Sarath obtained details and published a detailed report in the Daily News. He thanked the CID for its efforts in arresting the Pusari at the kovil and his wife for planning the attempted assassination of the former President.

Another case was the attack on the Bandaranike International Airport (BIA) on July 23, 2001. The CID traced the safe house of the LTTE at Kattuwa in Negombo by analysing calls taken from a mobile phone. A private telephone company assisted the CID to conduct the analysis of the calls taken by LTTE cadres planning the attack from the safe house.

The CID also traced a mini bus in which a group of suicide cadres travelled to the Raj Fernando playground situated close to the Air Force Camp in Katunayake. Sarath contacted me to obtain the progress of the investigation; I informed him of the progress and requested him not to report anything until the suspects were arrested after mounting surveillance around the safe house.

On completion of the investigation, with the arrest of suspects and the recovery of the suicide kits, cyanide capsules and T50 rifles from the safe house, Sarath obtained details and published the report.

We salute Sarath for his professionalism as a highly-principled journalist, especially when reporting on police investigations into sensitive matters related to national security.

I am personally aware of the intensity of his involvement in exceedingly useful social work and altruism. He was the epitome of gentility.

May he attain the Supreme Bliss of Nirvana!

Punya de Silva, Former DIG

****

Bakthika Simon

A brilliant scholar

It is with profound sorrow that I pen these few lines as a tribute to our ever-loving friend Bakthika Hemasiri Simon of Rajapihilla Mawatha, Kandy.

Bakthi, or Pat, as he was affectionately addressed by all his relatives and close friends, had been a beacon that illuminated the lives of all those who were close to him. His untimely departure from this world has plunged us all into an abyss of darkness.

Writing a tribute of Pat is not an easy task because there are so many things to disclose. To summarise, one could say he had all the good qualities a great person should have, such as intelligence, wisdom, kindness, charisma and above all else, a large heart full of compassion. Our Pat had all these qualities and many more.

He was a product of Mahinda college, Galle and St. Sylvester’s collage, Kandy. Although he had studied Science subjects at the school, his knowledge of other subjects were astonishingly wide. He was well versed in literature, sociology, philosophy, history, geography, religion, world affairs and a host of many more subjects. He could easily speak for hours, either on simple gardening or space science with equal proficiency.

Once we had an opportunity to meet a university don from a Western country. Using his eloquent language skills, Pat made a superb description of our ancient kings and the nature of elephants in Sri Lanka. No presenter in radio or television could ever match his proficiency. When departing, the guest told me, “Your friend is a walking encyclopaedia and you are so lucky to have a such a scholar friend.” My face beamed with pride and pleasure because we all knew that pat was a brilliant scholar to the core.

His door was always open to anybody who sought his help. I have seen hundreds of people of all walks of life coming there to ask his assistance. Among them were schoolchildren who wanted to improve their knowledge of English language, professionals who wanted to get their documents translated into English, Government officials who were going abroad to attend seminars and conferences to get their country reports prepared, of which Pat was an expert. Whatever the work, he handled it meticulously.

He retired from the government service prematurely due to the fact that fate had cruelly robbed his eyesight. However, when he was working, his service was admired immensely by his superiors, colleagues, as well as the public. I was also retired by that time and hence, had many occasions to meet him. Whenever I visited him at his home, to my great amusement, he always used to say, “Welcome to my humble abode.” He always said that with a charismatic smile and an extended right hand.

When his eyesight was good, Pat had the habit of reading hundreds of books at a stretch; no one in our circle of friends could match him. Even after he became visually handicapped, his thirst for information never ceased. He used to ask his family members and friends to read articles from newspapers and magazines. Apart from that, he was a keen listener of radio and television broadcasts.

After he lost his vision completely, he realised what a pathetic life a blind man had to spend. Henceforth, Pat sacrificed all his assets to give at least a ray of sunshine to blind people. He rendred yeoman service to the blind community in and around Kandy; Pat organised health camps for blind children, devising a scheme to provide them assistance with Braille typewriters, special recording equipment, special software for their computers, as well as cellular phones.

Furthermore, on Pat’s request, one kindhearted lady recorded textbooks and many other reading materials for such students. Pat became overjoyed to learn that some of these blind children who received his help were able to enter universities for higher education.

He then started raising funds to purchase special electronic equipment that were useful for blind people who often visited the Braille section of the D.S. Senanayake Memorial Library. I have seen many blind persons using this special computers to do their work. Of late, some of his relatives and friends who live abroad sent him a hoard of English audio books (talking books) which are now popular in America and Europe.

Later on, the kindhearted lady friend volunteered to record Sinhala novels and short stories for him and once again, he was able to talk for hours on current Sinhala literature and other such subjects as he did in the old days. Pat had the habit of talking to many authors about recording their books for the use of blind people. Almost all the authors were happy to hear that blind persons were also using their books. A famous novelist had even donated their new books for this recordings.

Pat’s most remarkable achievement was to introduce these audio books to the Braille section of the D.S. Senanayake Momorial Library in Kandy. Visually-handicapped persons who visited the library were overjoyed to receive this unexpected gift. There is a big demand for audio books. By word of mouth, many blind persons came to know that there are hundreds of audio books in the Braille section of the library. Requests soon flooded from visually-handicapped people who lived in distant places such as Ampara, Polonnaruwa, Badulla and Matara. As you could upload about 15 novels to one pen drive, those persons could use that for months.

Other friends of his who lived abroad had sent a large number of compact discs and pen drives to him. However, purchasing special envelopes to post them to those who live far away, as well as the postage, was borne by Pat using his personal funds. Such was his magnanimity.

It was a moving scene to observe that a large number of visually-handicapped persons who came to pay their last respects to him lamenting around his casket as if they had lost a close relative.

Setting a good example, Pat, in his last will, had asked his wife and son to donate his remains to the Peradeniya University’s Medical Faculty. His death created a vacuum for all alike.

After he became visually handicapped, his loving wife Pushpa looked after him like a mother who cares for her only child. His son Umanga was the apple of his eye.

To have such a noble friend is indeed a greatest blessing that I had ever received. I firmly wish that during our sojourn in this Sansara, that I may able to meet my great friend again and again!

Susantha Kodituwakku, Kandy

****

N.B. Amarasinghe

He lived an exemplary life

Nawaratne Bandara Amarasinghe, who served as a Registrar at the University of Kelaniya, passed away on January 31, 2013. This is in appreciation of his irreplaceable service to the university, as well as for his social contributions. He was born in Kegalle, Mawanella on November 24, 1940.

After receiving his primary education at the Galapitamada Maha Vidyalaya, Kegalle, he received his secondary education from St. Anne’s College, Kurunegala. Thereafter, he entered the University of Sri Jayewardenepura in 1967 and earned a BA Honours degree in Archaeology in 1970. After finishing higher his education, he served at the Department of Archaeology for a short period.

In 1973, he joined the University of Kelaniya as an Assistant Registrar and rendered a yeoman service prior to taking up the posts of Senior Assistant Registrar and then Registrar in 1990. After retiring, he was a Council Member of the Ruhuna University and later joined the same University as a Visiting Lecturer in Archaeology.

His field of teaching was Numismatics, which is one of the rarest and most significant areas of Archeology. Amarasinghe was a popular Visiting Lecturer among the students who followed the Numismatics course at the University of Kelaniya.

He lived an exemplary life as a Registrar, preserving both the administrative and human qualities that many officers and certain laymen in society lack.

In his honour, I wish to remind how he supported all who were at the University, starting with the Vice-Chancellor, the teaching and non-teaching staff, and particularly, the students. He supported others when a person was met with problems.

After retirement, he carried out a remarkable service to develop the Welfare Society at St. Jude Lane Dalugama, Kelaniya, where he spent a benevolent life until his demise.

Loving kindness, charismatic leadership, philanthropy and audaciousness were some of his qualities, which everybody in society should stick to.

May he attain the Supreme Bliss of Nibbana!

Prof. W.A. Weerasooriya,  University of Kelaniya

****

Wimal AmArasekera

Honest and down-to-earth

November 18, 2018 marks the 25th death anniversary of veteran public servant Wimal Amarasekera, who among his many an important posting, occupied the stewardship of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority for over 10 years since its inception in 1979.

The name Sri Lanka Ports Authority and the name of its first Chairman are interwoven and port employees who talk about their days at the Port still remember him as an unmatched personality who commanded high respect.

Born at Imaduwa in the Southern Province as the second son of an estate field officer, Amarasekera received his education at Telijjawila Central College and later at Royal College, Colombo, before he entered the Peradeniya University.

Having graduated comparatively at a very young age, he successfully sat the Ceylon Civil Service Examination.

Those were the days when only six were recruited in a year to that prestigious service as compared with the several hundreds now recruited annually to the Ceylon Administrative Service, which replaced the former Ceylon Civil Service.

As a member of that elite service, Amarasekera had the good fortune to work in the early years of his public service career in provincial administration, initially as a government agent in the newly-carved-out district of Moneragala and later, in Jaffna.

These assignments enabled him to work closely with people at a grassroots level, and to be intimately involved in numerous development projects launched for the improvement of living conditions of the rural folk, who speak of fond memories of him even now.

On completion of his term in Jaffna, Amarasekera was hand-picked by then Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike to be the Colombo Government Agent, a position considered to be the pinnacle of provincial administration.

He served in this position till 1977 when he left for France on a scholarship offered by that government to do his postgraduate studies.

On his return to the island, he served as the Ceynor Foundation Chairman for a brief period. When the Sri Lanka Ports Authority was established in 1979 with the amalgamation of three institutions, a government department and two state corporations, the Minister in charge, Lalith Athulathmudali, invited his Royal College buddy Wimal Amarasekera to head to the new organisations.

It was no easy task in bringing nearly 18,000 employees belonging to hundred-odd categories and trades with different salary structures under a single unified administrative set up.

Problems were many, however, Amarasekera was able to accomplish the task within a short period with no heartburn to any sector of employees. Such was the astute administrative ability of this distinguished public servant.

It is no exaggeration that during his 10-year stewardship in the organisation, the Colombo Port developed into a formidable transshipment hub in the region, making it a major contributor to the national economy. People still say that Amarasekera’s period was the golden era of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority.

Amarasekera was a technocrat by training and inclination, but he never overlooked the human element when making a decision or analysing an issue. He was approachable by all levels of personnel at all times and was courteous and considerate to everyone. His gentle manner, honesty and integrity, as well as down-to-earth simplicity, were features one would not forget.

Memories of people of outstanding qualities and human values remain in one’s memory for a long time. Amarasekera was such an outstanding person. On his 25th death anniversary, we remember him with utmost respect and gratitude.

H.D. Gunaratne


Add new comment