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| Dipavamsa and Mahavamsa - A comparative study Aryadasa Ratnasinghe As the title indicates, the Dipavamsa contains the history of the island. The preamble to the chronicle, (as translated into English by B. C. Law) reads: "Listen to me! I shall relate the chronicle of the Buddha's visits to the island, the arrival of the Tooth Relic and the Bodhi tree, the advent of the Buddha's doctrine, the rise of the teachers, the spread of Buddhism in the island and the coming of (Vijaya) the Chief of Men". According to B. C. Law, "Dipavamsa contains many stages of development concluding at different important historical events. There is an apparent lack of uniformity, an unevenness of style, incorrectness of language and metre and numerous repetitions, apart from many other imperfections which indicate it to be the outcome of a series of traditions collected together as a first attempt to record a connected history of the island". The chronicle embodies the oral tradition of the country handed down from the time of the advent of Buddhism to the island. With all its drawbacks, both literary and grammatical, it is a very useful source of information dealing with the ancient times, and written in Pali. Mahavamsa The preamble to the Mahavamsa reads: "Having made obeisance to the Sam-buddha the Pure, sprung from a Pure Race, I will recite the Mahavamsa, of varied content and lacking nothing". (Rendered into English by Prof. Geiger). When Maha-vamsa appeared after the Dipavamsa, it assumed such popularity and importance that it not only superseded the earlier work, but also prompted authors to gradually produce supplementary work based on it. The later chronicles of the island, written from time to time, are the Attana-galu Vihara Vamsa, the Dhatuvamsa, the Elu-Attanagaluvamsa, the Elu-Bodhivamsa, the Maha Bodhivamsa, the Thupavamsa, the Daladavamsa, the Viharavamsa etc. In the Culavamsa, it is stated that king Dhatusena, ordered the Dipavamsa to be publicly recited at the annual Mihindu festival held in Anuradhapura (Ch. 38:58). This indicates that at time it was available in some coherent form. The authors of Culavamsa, who made additions to it from time to time, were Ven. Mugalan Maha Thera of Thupa-ramaya in Polon-naruwa, Ven. Dharma-kirti Maha Thera who lived during the Dambadeniya period (1220-1293), Ven. Tibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha Buddha-rakshita Maha Thera, who lived during the reign of Kirti Sri Rajasinha (1747 - 1780), and Ven. Panditha Yagirala Sri Pragnananda, the Chief Sangha Nayaka of Gonagala Sudharma-kara Pirivena. Dissimilarities The Mahavamsa says that the Buddha, during his third visit to the island, had visited nine places, i.e. "Kelaniya, Samanala-kanda (Sri Pada), Divaguhawa, Digha-vapiya, Maha Megha-vanaramaya, Sri Maha-bodhi Isthanaya, Swarnamali Chaitya Isthanaya, Thuparama Isthanaya, Sila chaitya Isthanaya." Dipavamsa mentions the places as Kelaniya, Digha-vapiya, the place where the Bo-sapling was later planted within the Maha Mewna-uyana and the Megha-vanaramaya. It does not make any mention of the Buddha's footmark atop the Sama-nalakanda. We cannot construe with assurance the reference to Maha Meghavana-ramaya, since it was a place later presented to Arahat Maha Mahinda, the great apostle of Buddhism, by king Devanampiyatissa (BC 247-207), after the demise of the Buddha in 543 BC. According to tradition, it was an Aryan who first came over and settled down in Sri Lanka. The circumstances under which this first Aryan, prince Vijaya by name, happened to come to the island, are mentioned in the Mahavamsa. Aryan is a name given to a broad division of the human race who are supposed to have inhabited the vast stretch of country from Central Asia to Eastern Europe, and to have reached India about 3000 BC. According to the story in the Maha-vamsa, the country of Vanga was ruled by the king of Vangas, whose queen was the daughter of Kalingas, when a daughter was born to them, it was predicted that, when she comes of age, a lion would cohabit with her. Fearing what was foretold, she left the palace one day in disguise and joined a caravan going from Vanga to Magadha. As the caravan was going through a forest in Lala country, it was attacked by a lion, and took the princess away. With their union, she gave birth to twins whom were named Sinhabahu and Sinhasivali. (Ch. 6:8). The author of the Dipavamsa has, however, tried to be more factual in referring to the husband of the princess as a man named Sinha who was an outlaw that attacked caravans en route. In the meantime, Sinha-bahu and Sinhasivali, as king and queen of the kingdom of Lala, "gave birth to twin sons, sixteen times." The eldest was Vijaya and the second was Sumitta. As Vijaya was of cruel and unseemly conduct, the enraged people requested the king to kill his son. But the king caused him and his seven hundred followers to leave the kingdom, and they landed in Sri Lanka, at a place called Tamba-panni, on the exact day when the Buddha passed into Maha Parinibbana in 543 BC. The Dipavamsa mentions that the children of king Panduvas-deva (BC 504-474) were Abhaya, Tissa, Uttiya, Asela, Vibha-taya, Rama, Siva, Matta, Mattakala and Ummadachitra. The Mahavamsa does not give weight to these names, as mentioned in the Dipavamsa. The children of king Mutasiva (BC 367-307), according to Mahavamsa, were Abhaya, Devanam-piyatissa, Mahanaga, Uttiya, Mattabhaya, Mitta, Mahasiva, Suratissa, Asela and Kira. But, the name of his daughters are simialr in both chronicles. The union of prince Gamini and Umma-dachitra, the childhood days of prince Pandu-kabhaya, the building of the Mahamewna-uyana, the questions asked by the Arhat Maha Mahinda from king Devanampiya-tissa, the ordination of Anula and other women, the stone pillar erected within the precincts of the Ruvanweliseya etc., are not mentioned in the Dipavamsa, but the Mahavamsa describes them in detail. The Pirivenas Kalapasada, Lohapasada, Suna-hatha, Dighachan-kamana, Phalagga and Therapassa, built by king Devanampiya-tissa, are not mentioned in the Dipavamsa, but the Mahavamsa makes mention of them to prove the spiritual zeal of the king. Sect Rivalry Although the Mahavamsa mentions the names of those who came to the island along with Arhat Maha Mahinda, it does not refer to those who came along with the Theri Sanghamitta carrying the Bo-sapling from India. Dipavamsa mentions them as Uttara, Hema, Masaragalla, Aggi-matta, Dasika, Pheggu, Pabbatamatta, Malla and Dhammadasi. Most of the bhikkunis who assisted Theri Sanghamitta in the propagation of the Dhamma and Vinaya are found in the Dipavamsa only. The planting in the soil of Sri Lanka the Bo-saplings of the three previous Buddhas is not mentioned in the Mahavamsa though Dipavamsa makes reference to them. The Mahavamsa covers ten chapters pertaining to the activities of king Dutugemunu and his religious zeal, but Dipavamsa does not contain more than ten stanzas and makes the story short. The Sirisanghabo story is well described in the Mahavamsa, but the Dipavamsa says that the king ruled for two years only. The arrival of the heretical bhikku Sanghamitta, during the reign of Gotabhaya (302-315), and the establishment of the 'Vaitulya' doctrine in the island is not mentioned in the Dipavamsa. The controversy that arose between the two Naga kings Mahodara and Chulodara, to possess the jewel-throne, and how the Buddha averted a serious offensive by reconciling the two contending factions, during his second visit to the island, is not clearly mentioned in the Dipavamsa, although Mahavamsa mentions about it (CH. 1:47). Prof. Geiger is of the view that the "defects in the Dipavamsa, which, naturally, could neither nor should be disputed, concern the outer form and not the contents. But, that the author of the Dipavamsa, simply invented the contents of his chronicle, is a thing impossible to believe. The Dipavamsa is a sort of chronicle of the history of the island from the legendary beginning onwards and presents the first clumsy reaction in Pali. The Mahavamsa is a new treatment of the same thing distinguished by greater skill in the use of the Pali language by more artistic composition and literal use of the material contained in the original work." When Sir Alexander Johnston (1811-1819), Chief Justice, desired to obtain the most authentic information that could be obtained relative to Buddhism, usages, manners, and feelings of the people who professed the faith, he was presented with the two books Dipavamsa and Mahavamsa as the main authority. These two chronicles, according to their considered opinion, "contained the most genuine account of the origin of Buddhism, its doctrine, its introduction into the island and of its effects, both moral and political. With the displacement of the Dipavamsa, as a result of the appearance of the Mahavamsa, the authority and the value of the latter chronicle has always remained the outstanding treatise." Buddha Maitreya In 1874, the then Governor, Sir William H. Gregory, having consulted the scholars of oriental studies in England, assigned the translation of the Mahavamsa, from Pali into Sinhala, to the reputed and erudite scholars who were Ven. Hikkaduwe Siri Sumangala Nayaka Thera of the Vidyodaya Pirivena, and Ven. Batuwantudawe Sri Devarakkhitha Maha Thera (later known as Panditha Batuwan-tudawe). Their work was highly commen-ded and honoured by those scholars who were not proficient in Pali. However, the initiative to have the chronicle translated into Sinhala came first from the Governor Sir William Henry Robinson. In the meantime, George Turner had translated the first 37 chapters of the Mahavamsa into English, having secured the required information from the Malwatte and Asgiriya Chapters in Kandy. According to Mahavamsa, the monastic institution next in importance to the Mahavihara of the Theravada tradition is the Abhayagiri Vihara built by king Vatta-gamani Abhaya (AD 78-88). When he became the undisputed ruler of the country, he demolished a monastery belonging to the 'nighanta' Giri, and built in its place the Abhayagiri vihara, enjoining the names Abhaya and Giri. Later, a faction of bhikkus broke away from the Mahavihara and formed themselves into a new sect known as the Dhammaruci Nikaya. The thera Mahatissa, who helped king Vattagamani Abhaya to recover the lost sovereignty, was given the incumbency of the newly built Abhayagiri Vihara. The Mahavihara, which assumed in no time a supreme place in the religious and educational life of the country, held its authority until the Abhayagiri Vihara entered into the scene. The second famine known as 'beminitiya-says', lasting twelve years, is said to have occurred during the reign of Vattagamani Abhaya. The Maha-vamsa does not mention of such a famine, but says "in the fifth month after Vatta-gamani ascended the throne, a brahmin in Rohana named Tissa, encouraged by a prophecy of another brahmin, that he was destined to be the ruler of the country, revolted against the king. At the same time seven Tamils from India came to the island and marched against the king, who managed to escape with barely his life." The Rajavaliya mentions of the famine, said to have occurred" due to the curse of a brahmin woman whose husband was unjustly killed on the orders of king Milinda because he coveted his wife." An almost true story by Tissa Devendra Among the distinguished guests was a wickedly handsome French diplomat escorting a lissom brown beauty in a micromini of gold mesh. A charming raconteur, he claimed to be the fourteenth Frenchman at the South Pole while frankly confessing he had flown — not slogged there on skis. Clad in a nondescript lounge suit, swamped and outgunned by the gold braid, crimson, white and blue of service commanders I represented the civil administration as the Government Agent of Trincomalee District. Wine flowed, women danced and song resounded — a magnificent finale before the proud tower of complacent "stability" crumbled round our ears. While revelry reigned fast and furious in the decorated hangar, the radioman in his lonely cabin listened aghast to the ominous message that crackled through his earphones. He scribbled it down and sent his orderly hot foot to the dance. The service commanders and I were loosely grouped together, cheerfully chatting, slightly removed from the youthful revels. With a great clatter of boots the radio orderly breathlessly rushed into our midst, saluted smartly and handed over a message to his commander. When he read it the commander gasped, his eyes popped and his luxuriant airforce moustache quivered. He steadied his nerves with a long gulp from the glass in his hand, took a deep breath and addressed us sombrely. "Gentlemen, I have just received a very important message that concerns us all. Let's go into my office to discuss it", Puzzled and worried we trooped along behind him — the Navy Commander, the senior Army Officer, the Superintendent of Police and the G.A. Soon after we sat down, despatch riders from the Navy, Army and Police rushed in with identical messages. Police stations had been attacked, mutiny was suspected and the Insurgency of 1971 had been launched! After a brief discussion, sharing of information and establishing lines of communication we dispersed to our respective headquarters, tense and gloomy. The revels quietly petered out as officers and men were withdrawn to strengthen defence establishments. Emergency The sleepy old Kachcheri became a hive of abnormal hyper activity. Officials were detailed to requisition food and fuel. A rudimentary rationing scheme was put in place. All licensed firearms were requisitioned — including an enormous elephant shooting gun treasured by a retired English planter. As always, curfew passes became status symbols and it needed all the tact ofmy Asst G. A. to say ‘No’ to the supplicants and yet remain friends. We also established a rudimentary "intelligence gathering" operation. All divisional officers passed on whatever information they collected — largely of Sinhala youth who had disappeared from their homes in colonization schemes, work places in government institutions or local schools. There was also the occasional red herring such as the European padre quietly investigated as a possible member of Italy's Red Brigade. The Navy too had its suspects. A leading insurgent set off from Jaffna to raise a mutiny in the Trinco Dockyard but was shot dead. A search for potential mutineers uncovered the sentry guarding the GA's Residency! Marusinghe As there was no road communication with the rest of the country it was unlikely Marusinghe had fled to join his fellow insurgents in his southern home. It was assumed that he had taken to the jungle to gather a band of insurgents and attack security installations. Among the papers he had left behind in his hurried getaway was an interesting map hidden in a bundle of the Pyongyang Times. It was a diagram of the roads in town leading to "targets" with exact positions indicated by numbering lamp posts and other such simple fool proof indicators. I knew the GA was an "enemy" to the insurgents, but it was yet unnerving to find my Residency narrowed in this map as a specific target for attack. The hunt begins The first searches began at Abhayapura, a Sinhala suburb, home to many of Marusinghe's pupils. Timid parents, roused by the midnight knock, and their nervous teenage sons were questioned by Police and all likely hiding places searched. We drew a blank — no boys had disappeared, no Marusinghe appeared. As our patrol was about to leave they heard suspicious scrabbling sounds and whimpering from a well nearby. They rushed to it with torches and shotguns, cock sure that their suspect had got himself well and truly trapped. The torches focused on the yellow and angry eyes of a large wildcat fallen in while raiding poultry. Spitting and scratching, it was rescued from a watery death and locked up in the barred vault of the old Dutch Kachcheri. By morning we found it had clawed its way to freedom! Our next tip-off was from Andankulam, not far from town, a settlement bordered by the Navy water works on one side and several rocky outcrops on the other. It was reported that dim lights and suspicious movements were seen at night from a cave among these rocks. The Navy suspected that Marusinghe may have planned to sabotage its water supply scheme and launched a search operation one morning. Late in the evening the heavily armed patrol returned to the Dockyard greeted by raucous laughter. Their leading seaman flaunted on his bayonet the trophy of their chase — a black brassiere! This was all they found, with a mat, lamp and cook pot in the first cave they searched after a classic belly crawl and a blood curdling bayonet charge. All caves they searched were free of humans and were the rank smelling shelters of wild animals. Stern questioning of the nervous informant by the Navy made him confess that his wife had eloped with a young neighbour. He had located their love nest in a cave. Planning sweet revenge he tipped off the Navy that Marusinghe had been seen in this neighbourhood. He led them to the cave expecting the Navy to go in with guns blazing, blowing the lovers to smithereens. But the lovers had left the cave and disappeared. The Navy drew a blank. The deserted husband earned a resounding slap — and Marusinghe remained at large. More sightings More news came from Kantalai where the Sugar Corporation had a sizable managerial cadre of young graduates, some of whom counted Marusinghe as a friend who visited them. This was more than enough for the investigating Police Inspector who subjected them to a brutal and humiliating grilling which revealed nothing. I found these young men, badly battered and broken spirited, squatting in an open shed. I took them into my custody and bussed them off to a camp in Colombo before worse could befall. (Years later this policeman shot himself dead in spectacular fashion, to escape indictment for murdering a lawyer). It was now presumed that Marusinghe had taken to the huge expanse of pathless jungle that stretched between the road to Colombo and the road to Anuradhapura. Mysterious movements were sighted on the distant jungle verges of Kantalai reservoir. An army patrol stealthily crept their way through the jungle to the suspect site — only to find a lonely band of migrant fishermen drying fish in their lean-to-huts. No, they had seen no insurgents. Meanwhile, when yarns were swapped in the wardrooms and service messes Marusinghe quietly acquired the stature of the elusive pimpernel. He was never actually seen, nor had he ever really struck. But this was a period of suppressed panic when the very foundations of the state seemed to have been shaken — and the services felt exposed and vulnerable. Secret agents Police Intelligence from Colombo now entered the act as Marusinghe's name had kept cropping up in interrogations. A pleasant young men visited me, looking mild and un-police-like, sent by HQ to look for Marusingha. His cover story for walking around the jungle was that he was a Forest officer. One night, in utmost secrecy he brought me his star informant, a bearded Moulana from the Muslim village of Rotaweva on the road to Anuradhapura. He swore that a youth, who fitted Marusinghe's description, was occasionally seen on jungle foot paths on the way to chena cultivation. He believed that this youth had even bought provisions from a wayside kiosk. A good lead, we thought. The Navy mounted a textbook counter-guerrilla operation. The bearded informant (code named Castro) to his great joy, was togged up in Navy blues and helmet to conceal his identity. He led them here, he led them there, he led them everywhere, but the quarry was no where. A dispirited patrol returned at dusk and a devalued informant reluctantly surrendered his uniform. Sources of information gradually dried up. The Services now took every rumour with more than a grain of salt. As months passed, the insurgency petered out, the roads opened and Trinco was no longer a town under siege. It became increasingly difficult to believe in a man who had never really been seen and an insurgent who had never mounted any attack. Finale? Our hosts were tall and taciturn Muslims, breeders of graceful white long-horned cattle. Sharing their simple, but ample, lunch we got talking. Our Land Overseer had heard a vague story of Marusinghe having been sighted in this area, headed towards Polonnaruwa. We questioned our hosts abut this possibility. They replied that no unarmed man, unfamiliar with this elephant and bear infested jungle could ever make such a journey. However, they added, some months earlier they had come across a skeleton crushed by an elephant. It would not have been a local man as no villager had ever gone missing. The hunt for Marusinghe had ended. Never had so many, hunted for so long for — nothing? Tailpiece A pen portrait
of the remarkable rugby master at Royal M. T. Thambapillai, our revered guru, was on the verge of his 88th birthday when he passed away on April 19. Yet it is hard to believe that he is no more largely because of the tremendous impact he had on the lives of a good many of us, who came under his caring tutelage. Moses Thirug-nanasingham Thambapillai, to give his full name, or endearingly Thamba to all of us, was born in Jaffna on April 15, 1910. He cut his initial teeth at Chundukuli Girls School and thereafter was nurtured at Trinity College, Kandy. For good measure, he had attended Royal before circumstances compelled him to join Trinity. But what Royal missed in him as a student, she gained in ample measure later on when he joined her staff as an Assistant Science master in 1946 and served her with dignity and distinction for well-nigh 25 years. He had a short teaching spell at STC before finally blossoming at Royal. He took over as master-in-charge of rugby at Royal in 1947 when Mr. J. C. A. Corea, the principal was quick to recognise his capabilities. The principal could not have made a better decision as subsequent events were to amply demonstrate. Thereafter for over twenty years he was to influence not only the game of rugby at Royal, which he loved so much, but also the lives of everyone of us, who had the good fortune to come under his care. During his stewardship there was nothing he cared for more than Royal rugby to make men out of the countless number of the proteges. To describe him as a teacher would not do justice to him. Rather, he was one, who created for us that essential learning environment both on and off the field, to enable us to learn of books, learn of men and learn to play the game. Caring He carried these wonderful qualities right through to the end. In his final hours lying in hospital following the accident that eventually proved fatal, he refused to give a statement to the police. I had occasion to ask him why he had so refused, which query, too, he dismissed with a characteristic shrug, referring to the bus-driver, who callously felled him at a pedestrian crossing as' that poor fellow: he wouldn't have intended what he did'. Such was his magnanimity even in distress. It is no exaggeration to say that he never spoke ill of anybody, though he was intensely critical, especially when he genuinely felt that an injustice had been perpetrated. This was especially manifest when any rugby referee made a mistake (deliberate or otherwise), which proved costly for his team. Here, more than anything else, he was conscious of the sweat and toll that went into the hard endeavour at practice sessions, which was almost instantly negated by the referee's callous blast of carelessness! His benign presence helped us to learn in no unmistakeable terms, to play the game of life, like the game of rugby he taught us, the only way he knew--in honour and dignity. His secret of good living, he used to always implore us, was a strict abiding, adherence to the four W's, as he called it. WORK: to which he was intensely dedicated. Those who were closely associated with him in school, particularly on the rugby field would assert with what meticulous care and concern he set about the tasks at hand, not the least of which was his untiring effort to set up the schools rugby section of the Rugby Union, assisted by Commander Eustace Maththysz and Dr. Larry Foenander and others who were in the higher echelons of rugby administration, who were his personal friends. WALK: He walked miles on end to sustain a vigorous health, which he had in ample measure to the end. Ironically, it was his fervour for walking, inspite of admonition to the contrary, that proved eventually fatal. WATER: which he took in plenty too as he asserted, cleanse the system. WORSHIP: which he did most assiduously to cleanse his mind and keep it on even keel. None can deny that he did things with supreme equanimity, treating everyone alike with no fear or favour. Of course, he used to invariably add in a lovingly enthusiastic whisper the 5th W: the woman in his life, Lolita, his Lolita, the one behind his bliss, who stood by him in unrelenting support, unobtrusively for well-nigh 55 eventful years: years filled with the joy of living and caring, years with the bliss of nurturing four dutiful and discerning sons, who are now themselves excelling in their own chosen professions, while deriving the best of the qualities of their rare and wonderful father. Dedicated Teacher He also had the supreme ability to have a good laugh especially at himself, while laughing along with others, often recalling, with that very special cherubic smile of his, the rugby misdemeanours of a Bulla de Silva; a Ralph Wickrama-ratne; an irrepressible Puggy Gooneratne; a Summa Amarasinghe or an Abeysinghe (Singho, as he was called), who bound his rugby boots assiduously with coir rope for greater security! Yet he loved them all with a very genuine sincerity. His continued contact with his proteges was mutually rejuvenating. He was much sought after at most gatherings of old Royalists, here and abroad, not only because he was loved and respected by one and all but also because he was a superb raconteur, a more than welcome speaker and a good singer, whose stentorain voice helped to wrap the gathering together with a gorgeous rendering, inter alia, of 'Among My Souvenirs' or the 'Song of the Hypotenuse'. At all these gatherings he was most deservingly an honoured guest. For, by his simple approach to life and the concern for his pupils, which never wavered, he was able to reap a rich harvest of goodwill, a reciprocal concern and unmitigated respect from them. He never missed our annual '54 Group rendezvous, except when abroad, where he used to regale us as usual with his wry humour and the never ending fund of stories of the past and the present, in the company of other great teachers of our time such as Lennie de Silva, Harold Samara-weera, Viji Weera-singhe et al. His one regret at our '54 Group gatherings was that he couldn't meet his schoolmate, and probably the oldest living Trinity rugby lion, John Hill, who was also on the staff at Royal and who now understandably prefers to lead the life of a recluse inspite of many invitations. His contribution to Royal rugby cannot be easily measured. With an unswerving devotion he dedicated himself to developing rugby at Royal towards sustainability ably assisted by such great men in the game as Sidney de Zoysa, Summa Navaratnam, Mahes Rodrigo, Geoff Weinmann, and Stanley Unamboowe for others to follow later on. It is that same devotion that impelled him to learn the finer intricacies of rugby football as the years progressed. When Royal was on the field his figure was unfailingly seen, with umbrella in hand, strutting up and down the touch-line in a frenzy of enthusiasm urging his team onto greater success. Mrs. Thamba-pillai would surely have had to keep account of the number of umbrellas that were sacrificed in the name of Royal rugby! It was hell to pay for those who made the silly mistake. These were reminded in no unmistakable terms that rugby was played not only with brawn but with brains also--a point that was sadly missed on some. But he never failed to compliment the good work done as well--all this in the interest of Royal rugby and with avowed concern to make men of us all. In the evening of his life, it caused him much pain to see his country getting dismembered and his fellow Sri Lankans maiming and mangling each other. Indeed, he was a true Sri Lankan. Everyone was equal before him--his sole yardstick being honesty, integrity and merit. Jaffna He was not entirely free of peccadilloes either; such as the ones he used to commit, in retirement, at glorious bridge sessions at a Royal nook at Nawala, especially when partnering his life-long pal, Harold Samara-weera, with whom he had a bridge partnership of over fifty years! Channa Gunasekera, a former Royal cricket captain and his pupil, could say more of these bridge sessions and the accompanying indiscretions!! When I visited him in hospital along with his youngest son, Nirmo, he certainly was in some pain going through a traumatic experience, though seemingly stable and on the way to recovery. I had taken with me some photographs from last year's Old Royalists' Rugby Dinner, where he was honoured with a felicitous publication. In those photographs he was in the effervescent company of Summa Navaratnam, Mahes Rodrigo, and Geoff Weinmann, three of his most loyal accomplices at Royal rugby, and who were among his best friends off the field as well. The photographs were an instant elixir! His face lit up as he livened to the occasion, Stories started rolling out in smooth, multi-faceted succession, his memory sharp as ever, never failing to touch on the minutest of detail of the glorious days of yore. He talked lovingly of his charges: of Roti and Bala, the reference being to Ratna Sivaratnam of Aitken Spence and Ken Balendra of Keells. He talked of mercurial Maurice Anghie, brilliant fly-half/centre in his day. He talked of H. S. de Silva as a fine chap and an equally fine forward; of Dudley Fernando, who, he said, was a special son; of Ralph Wickrema-ratne, who had unreservedly declared to him what a wonderful father he had been to him. These and many more, who were nurtured to manhood under his magnificent influence. Indeed, he was a father to every one of us, who came under his care. He talked most endearingly of the men whose photographs he was now fondly scrutinising and whose unfailing and tireless endeavours helped him to make rugby flourish at Royal. Yet, for all that, those who really knew him would readily assert that he was not a man just for the rugby season alone. Rather, he was a man for all seasons: a veritable colossus who bestrode our world with a calm dignity and whose influence was very much a boon to all who knew him. Now, death has taken him away from us. There will never be another Thamba. But death has not, and cannot, take his spirit away from us. The sanguine spirit of Thamba will live on in the hearts and minds of everyone who knew him and loved him-and they were many and countless, the world over. Always Sought After Yet, he remained the humble self he always was with that Fussels Lane humility of a simple school master-the type of humility that was to shower blessings on all around him, after having thanked his God, just before he closed his eyes for the final time in the wee hours of that fateful Sunday morning. With such credentials behind him, it is hardly surprising that the Angels would sing unending Hossannahs for a man, whose life was well-meant and well-spent in the service of his fellow beings. Vale! Sir. Fare-thee-well. 'To us you were so wonderful, We will always keep that cherubic smile that spoke a million among our souvenirs. May you reap the rich rewards that you rightly deserve. ULK by Anouk Illangakoon The elasmobranch fishes, including sharks, rays and skates have a body frame composed primarily of cartilage. These cartilaginous fishes have a long evolutionary history dating back some 400 million years. Today's oceans are inhabited by approximately 800 different species of elasmobranch fishes of which around 360 species are sharks. Despite this large variety of species sharks comprise only about 1% of all living fishes. Sharks, with their long evolutionary history, hydrodynamic body shape and highly developed sensory systems are supreme predators in the oceans of the world, filling an ecological niche at the apex of the marine food chain. As such they have a very important role to play in maintaining the ecological balance of the oceans and affect the lives of most other living organisms in their habitat. However, the interaction between sharks and humans — both occupying the place of top predator in their respective environments — has been antagonistic for centuries. In historical times the legendary animals of most oceanic cultures have figured sharks as villainous creatures and this legacy has found its place in modern day cultures too, where sharks are portrayed as murderous killing machines in literature and films. In addition to this negative public image about sharks the developing fisheries industry throughout the worlds oceans has targeted sharks as a major fishery resource to be exploited without limits. A large variety of shark products are used by people all over the world today, including flesh and fins as food, liver oil as vitamins and pharmaceutical products, skin as leather and for surgical implants, blood and cartilage as supplementary health-food and even the teeth for making jewellery. In recent times the medicinal uses of shark products have been tested and many new curative properties have been discovered using different parts of sharks. For instance, in the United States shark corneas have been successfully transplanted to humans, while some scientists believe that extracts from shark cartilage can be used to suppress the growth of tumours and is therefore a potential treatment for cancer. The uses for shark products have been expanding and the demand for sharks even as a source of food has been growing rapidly since the mid 1980's. Therefore, targeted shark fisheries have become a more lucrative venture of late. However, scientists and conservationists throughout the world are realising that unlimited exploitation of sharks is not sustainable and many targeted species are already believed to be over-exploited. Some shark fishery practices such as 'fining' are also extremely cruel and wasteful, raising ethical issues as well. Often the fins are removed while the shark is still alive and the severely maimed animal is thrown back in the sea to die. In addition to targeted shark harvesting by traditional, artisanal and industrial fisheries, trawl and tuna fisheries operating in most oceans are also taking significant numbers of sharks as bycatch. At present, reported worldwide landings of cartilaginous fishes exceed 700,000 tons as year but most of the accidental bycatch is not recorded. The fisheries industry is not however taking into consideration the fact that most sharks are long-lived species with a low reproductive rate. Unlike most bony fishes sharks have small litter sizes and long gestation periods making them extremely vulnerable to population collapse through over-exploitation. Harvesting populations of any long-lived species that produces small numbers of young has to be done very carefully unlike when harvesting short-lived species that produce large numbers of young. Studies have revealed that wherever there has been a targeted fishery of a particular species of shark the catch rate will peak within a few decades and be followed immediately by a drastic decline, indicating an overall decline in the species, possibly due to a collapse in the stock caused by low levels of recruitment. Most experts believe that a shark fishery can be sustainable only if harvesting is limited to less than 10% of the biomass. A further threat to the survival of sharks comes from habitat modification and pollution of near-shore nursery areas due to both land and ocean based sources of pollution. Coastal settlements and industrial expansion is causing pollution in the coastal waters of many countries throughout the world. Likewise increased marine traffic and seepage from oil storage and refinery facilities releases more than 2 million tons of oil into the oceans annually. The increased chances of oil spills causing contamination of the marine food chain which must affect apex predators such as sharks adversely, as well as contamination of important nursery habitats is another a growing threat. Many species of shark need protected nursery areas such as bays, estuaries, sea grass beds and mangrove swamps in which the young must survive during the vulnerable first years of their lives. As human populations expand, many such areas are undergoing habitat modification for human development purposes and in the process vital nursery areas are lost to local shark populations. Even inland land use practices can have an adverse impact on such sensitive coastal ecosystems in the form of sitltation and changes in the influx of fresh water or water temperature. Fishing methods such as bottom trawling and scallop-dredging can also cause adverse habitat modification. Therefore, it is now time for a concerted effort to limit exploitation, regulate the fishery to attain sustainable levels, discontinue wasteful practices such as finning, protect sensitive habitats and put conservation and effective management measures in place where necessary, before it is too late. Just like control measures were put in place in time to bring back the large whales from the brink of extinction in the 20th century the 21st century should be the turn of the elasmobranch fishes. Already, scientists are sounding the alarm bells and certain species have been legally protected in the waters around particular countries. For instance the notorious Great White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias), which is implicated in most fatal attacks on people, is known to be severely depleted throughout its range and is now protected in South Africa, Australia and several states of the United States of America. Likewise, it is very important to learn more about the biology and ecological needs of different species of sharks and rays if we are to effectively protect them in the long-term. Much of what was known about sharks and rays in the past was based either on myths and legends or at best on studies carried out using dead specimens. However, today scientists are carrying out research on living sharks both in aquariums and in their natural habitat. This is slowly leading to a change in human attitudes and perceptions on sharks and rays based on scientific facts rather than on fiction as in the past. There is still much to be learnt and discovered about these perfectly adapted, elegant predators of the deep. As recently as 1976, a new species the Megamouth Shark (Megachasma pelagios) was discovered when an unusual specimen was accidentally caught in the waters off Hawaii. This open ocean., deep water shark is a large species, growing to some 5.2 meters in length, yet it remained undiscovered till 1976. As we learn more about sharks and rays, our perceptions change from thinking of them as purely dangerous fish to considering them as an important and integral part of the marine ecosystem. This has led to the new development of shark watching as a form of ecotourism in many parts of the world. Some commercial sport dive operators have specific shark watching operations, located at sites where shark encounters can be guaranteed either throughout the year or at certain seasons. Some experienced operators use bait to make sure that their clients get good viewing and photographic opportunities. This practice is referred to as 'chumming'. This kind of development is bringing a new dimension to the economic potential of sharks as a resource. It is now becoming possible for countries to earn from keeping sharks alive rather than harvesting them to the extent of stock depletion. However, this change in perception is taking place only slowly, while the adverse publicity created by a few shark attacks that take place each year, plays a major role in directing the negative public image on sharks in general. Likewise the demand for shark products is also growing worldwide and therefore the fishery will continue to grow if no regulations are put in place. The extent of the shark fishery in the Indian Ocean is not particularly well documented and catch statistics are not readily available. The artisanal fisheries of many coastal states have been catching sharks for centuries but since the advent of the commercial fishery in the mid 1950's an extensive bycatch as well as some targeted harvesting of sharks and rays takes place. In recent times the shark fishery in the Indian Ocean too has expanded due to increasing demand for shark products in general and specially the export market for shark fins. Many coastal states practicing the method of long-line fishing for tuna also target sharks which account for a substantial proportion of the catch. These are generally used for food while the fins are also used for the export market. Oceanic species such as the Mackerel sharks are also often caught in gillnets in addition to long-lines. There is also a purse seine fishery operating under a licensing scheme in the western Indian Ocean. This fishery practices the extensive use of FADs Fish Aggregation Device which also attract non-target species including sharks. The bycatch from the purse seine fishery is generally discarded, but in the case of sharks the wasteful practice of finning takes place. However, no records are maintained on the bycatch of sharks in this fishery and therefore the extent of shark mortality due to the purse seine fishery in the Indian Ocean goes unrecorded. The harmless but huge plankton feeding Whale Shark (Rhinodon typus), the largest fish in the worlds' oceans, inhabits the inter-tropical waters of the Indian Ocean and is taken in nets or harpooned in some areas such as Senegal, Pakistan, India and Taiwan. On the whole except for the statistics maintained on targeted fisheries, no information is available to assess the extent of shark by catch in the Indian Ocean. However, as the main target of most fishing operations in the Indian Ocean is tuna, bycatch of associated species including sharks inevitably takes place. Therefore, it is important to monitor his bycatch in order to estimate the extent of the shark fishery and assess its possible impact on Indian Ocean shark populations. Meanwhile, a few sites in the Indian Ocean are now becoming known for the eco-tourism potential of sharks. For instance, dive operators at Ras Muhammad in the Red Sea off the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt have discovered that certain areas off the reef wall there are excellent sites for divers keen on shark viewing. Likewise, live-aboard dive boats operating from Phuket, Thailand are exploiting the potential of shark watching off the Similan and Surin Islands in the Andaman Sea. There are many other yet unexploited out tentially lucrative recreational shark watching sites that can be developed for his type of eco-tourism throughout the Indian Ocean. 1998, having been declared the International Year of the Oceans, would be an appropriate time to initiate serious measures to ensure the continued existence of the elasmobranch fishes, which form the apex of the entire marine food chain and thus have a vital role to play in the health of the oceans throughout the world. |
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