.

People and Events
Humour - A life saver

by Nan
I've often written in this column that without hope we cannot live. Hope is almost as important for life as the air we breathe, the food we take. Let me qualify what I say, in case a reader or readers scoff at the idea. By life I mean living and not mere existing; leading as full a life as possible, not just going through from day to day, month to month, year to year like a paralyzed patient in bed. This is what T. S. Eliot and other modern poets railed against - the living dead - modern man who goes through life insensitive and almost a machine himself "To spit out the butt-ends of my days and ways."

Another important ingredient to life and living is humour, fun, laughter, comedy. Otherwise how explain the existence of these from earliest times?

Comedy, as the encyclopedia says, is literary work that aims primarily at amusement. While tragedy seeks to engage profound emotion and sympathies, comedy strives to entertain, chiefly through criticism and ridicule of man's customs and institution. Dramatic comedy grew out of the boisterous choruses and dialogues of the fertility rites of the feasts of the Greek God Dionysus.

Humour and jokes are not strictly literary; rather are they basically verbal. Though people like James Thurber, Dan Barry and Art Buchwald have made millions through humour put down as newspaper articles or books, there are entertainers like Bob Hope and Jerry Senfeld who verbally and histrionically entertain. Remember Manappuwa - Eddie Jayamanne?

If not for the ability to laugh and look on the comic side of things, how could we in Sri Lanka continue to live - at least we older ones who see the deterioration in morals from top to bottom from the politician and top bureaucrat to the petty clerk. Actually the lower rungs in the ladder of success are comparatively more honest. How else contend with the fight to keep body and soul together in the face of rising costs of life's necessities and awareness of the millions that are wasted, secreted away or busted up by the fortunate few.

Humour is specially present, encouraged and indulged in during times of national discontent and political suppression, coloured albeit with a tinge of black. Remember the jokes and jingles that crept around during the latter years of the 1980s. There was a favourite jingle about Panadol, netball and football and more risque stories and songs that kept us cheerful during dark days of assassinations and threatening Big Brother tentacles.

Freedom evaporates secretive Fun
I remember a Polish librarian saying she and her compatriots were glad the iron curtain had been torn apart and liberation brought to the satellite countries of the Soviet bloc. "But we miss the fun we used to have partying surreptitiously, tossing jokes and jibes against the oppressors."

All too true. There is a heady delight in cocking a snook at powers that be when they are totalitarian, dishonest or plain stupid. How else to suffer the madness of the American legislators following Starr to destroy their political opponent but by laughing at a non-milk moustache on Monica L, the many uses of a cigar and Linda Tripp as a drag queen!

Here's the latest good joke I read in a newsletter.

Two acquaintances who had died met at the entrance to the pearly gates. "How did you die?" asked one. "Frozen to death," replied the other, and queried; "And you?" "I suspected my wife was having an affair. Went home early, looked all over - inside the cupboards, under the bed, behind the curtains - and the strain caused a heart attack." "You stupid fool! Why didn't you look inside the fridge. You could have saved my life and yours."

Quotations worth remembering
Morris K Udall, Democratic presidential candidate who died a couple of weeks ago was a man who overcame many a reversal by resorting to humour. He filled his memoir: Too Funny to be President with other people's sayings which are most interesting. He came close to defeating Jimmy Carter in 1976 for presidentia1 nomination but invariably ended second in the primaries. His comment: "Politics has got so expensive that it takes a lot of money to even get beat with." He said of another politician: "He can compress the most words into the smallest idea of any man I ever met".

He quotes Golda Meir: "Don't be humble. You're not that great," and John F Kennedy: "There are three things that are real: Cod, human folly and laughter. The first two are beyond comprehension. So we must do what we can with the third."

"Laughter is the tonic of a free society, the great ally of the democratic spirit. Humour is the enemy of pretension, self importance and despair."

Its a good resolution to make for 1999 - smile, see the funny side of things, maintain proportion between the gravity of life and the fun of living. Smiling is the easiest thing to do - just relax muscles and let goodness rise up from the heart.

Man and woman of the Year
It is customary at this time of the year, a la Time

magazine, to select the most outstanding man or woman or both of the year. They are selected for reasons of newsworthiness and contribution to the general welfare of the human race; and as generally admired people.

My choice for international Man of the Year is Prince Charles, yes, Prince Charles and international Woman of the Year- Aung San Suu Kyi and Hillary Clinton tying for the honour. Prince Charles for the way he has drawn closer to his two sons to try to compensate the loss of their sparkling mother, for continuing to be a benefactor of charities, developing his sense of humour and common touch while trying to erase his aloofness from people; and keeping mum about all he would truly have suffered with a wife and then ex who pronounced to the whole wide world over TV that he was unfit to be king.

The choice of the two women is obvious.

My local choices?

Definitely Radhika Coomaraswamy, UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, as Person of the Year. Sorry I cannot think of any Sri Lankan male whom I would consider outstanding in the year past.

Dr. Coomaraswamy because of her dedicated work; because of her charm, her beauty, her dress sense, the smile she constantly radiates herself with, sending out bonhomie with not an iota of artifice. She's good to look at, good to have at seminars and meetings. Most important of all she has absolutely no airs about her - no sense of eliticism though a true elite. Instead, she'll chat to anyone and give praise to even a minor person who does a good job of work.

Despicables
The temptation now is to select dudes and dolls who've made themselves prominent with their stupid antics and high-handedness. Politicians come crowding in:, racing for the honour of being named Despicable Man of the Year.

Two or three guys come to mind but I am too scared to name them. The girl ~ consider the worst 'let down case', the kiss and tell, boast and shirk type is - yes you've guessed right - the ex-sprint queen. Even in sprinting, isn't taking part as important as winning gold? And didn't she spoil our chance at the relay? Good luck to her down under, though natures never really change.

A smileful 1999 to you!!

Electricity and Environment

by A.R.P. Wijeyesekera
"Environment" was not a word in the English language in the early thirties. This word does not appear in the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary of Historical Principles 1933. Environment is defined in the Concise Oxford Dictionary 1968 as "surrounding; surrounding objects, region, or circumstance". The Chamber's Dictionary 1950 defines environment as 'a surrounding: conditions influencing development or growth". This is the definition which has been expanded today to cover many aspects, some of which could retard the growth of developing countries.

Among many factors, there are 3 which deserve serious consideration when studying the growth of a developing country. The most important factor is the increase in population. The population of Sri Lanka (Ceylon) was less than 3 million in 1891. It rose to 4.5 million in 1921 and to 8.0 million in 1953. The population was 12.7 million in 1971 and 18.3 million in 1996. It will soon reach the 20 million mark.

The next most important group of factors is food, clothing and shelter. It could be said that Sri Lanka has made great strides in clothing and shelter over the last few decades. It is a fact though that the country does not yet grow sufficient food. The annual imports are too great.

Electricity has advanced rapidly as a vital need for development. It now joins food, clothing and shelter as a measure of the state of development of a country. Let us look at clothing first. There are many textile and garment factories in Sri Lanka today. The design and layout of the buildings are good. The imported machinery is modern though the factories are not fully automated. The conditions of work are satisfactory. Electricity is vital for this industry.

Sri Lanka has done well in recent years in providing housing for its population. The mud huts in the villages in colonial days, have given place to structures with cement, bricks and clay tiles. Line rooms on estates are giving way to twin cottages. There are many new multistoried buildings in cities and towns. The search for votes has prevented successive Governments from reducing the drift to cities and the squatting on public property. Increase in housing stock has resulted in substantial increase in the consumption of electricity. Well-lit housing is today recognised as a basic need and this has to be done with electricity.

Electricity does not play as great a part in agriculture as it does in clothing and shelter. Factories processing food, use electricity for refrigeration and drying. The lack of success in agricultural policy in Sri Lanka could be attributed, to some extent, to an excessive emphasis on environmental considerations. The needs of humans must take priority in any decision to increase reservations. Special fauna and flora should be confined to defined areas.

A wild elephant destroying paddy, or a leopard threatening a village must receive short shrift. A rare plant must be transplanted or propagated in the Sinharaja forest or other appropriate location.

The needs of human beings in Sri Lanka today are far more important than any other considerations. What is more important? The preservation of sanctuaries for birds within a few miles of the centre of Colombo city or the use of such lands for housing as the city gradually expands outwards? Should wild elephants be allowed to destroy sugar plantations or vital paddy fields? If a pest destroys vital agriculture, then such pests must be effectively eliminated.

Let us now look at two instances where unacceptable environmental considerations impede progress on projects which are as vital to the progress for this country as our increase in food, clothing and shelter.

The first of this is the Upper Kotmale power generation project. This has been stymied by people to whom the Government has given excessive powers which, even in good faith, can retard development. We have an absurd and laughable situation in which one set of persons appointed by the Government threatens to take another set of persons appointed by the Government before the judicial authorities of this country. Surely, Government could knock heads together and instruct the two authorities to stop acting like peevish school girls.

It appears that a change in scenery is the main objection adduced by the Environment Authority in support of its objection to the implementation of the Upper Kotmale power project. Most specifically, it is said that a few water falls will lose their water and disappear when the Upper Kotmale power project is completed. Cannot environmentalists project their thoughts forward to the not-too-distant future when thirty million Sri Lankans hungry for electricity would not care a damn as to whether there was even one six foot high waterfall in the country. Does even one environmentalist in Sri Lanka dare place the St. Clare's falls in Talawakalle alongside Niagara falls or the Victoria falls? The Environmental Authority must be put in its proper place.

The other power project which is encountering heavy weather today is the coal-fired power station in the Kalpitiya Peninsula. People with no knowledge of the subject are enjoying themselves drawing on their imagination. They claim that a church in the neighbourhood will be damaged very seriously. Crops will disappear and fertile agricultural land will soon turn in to a desert. Plant life and forest trees on the mainland, downwind of the power station will diminish. Fisher folk in the areas will lose their livelihood. This is nonsensical!

The whole industrial Revolution in England and Europe was powered by coal. There were some mills powered by water wheels. America too would have depended on coal during the initial stages of its industrialisation.. There was some oil. This brought the motor car to the fore. Middle-East oil started flowing into America and Europe only after the Second World War.

London was lit by electricity from coal-fired power stations until long after the Second World War. So too was the rest of the United Kingdom and most of Europe. Can any visitor to England and Europe say with conviction that he can see signs of deterioration attributable to the Age of Coal. Are not the cities clean and countryside green?

Was it not acceptance of pollution during their developing years the chief reason why western countries are the richest in the world today?

Should not Sri Lanka send its Environmental Authority home immediately and concentrate its Government's attention on rapid development of all its resources for the benefit of its human beings. All obstacles must be dealt with swiftly, summarily and without sentiment.

Let the government therefore authorise Ceylon Electricity Board to override the objection from the Environmental Authority or other like misguided persons. Let the Ceylon Electricity Board proceed, even faster than it can, with the implementation of upper Kotmale Power Project and the Kalpitiya coal-fired Power Station. Let the Ceylon Electricity Board also speed up the Kukule Dam and the associated power station.

Let the CEB also introduce rapid movement in to the Uma Oya Project. Electricity from this project too must be brought on stream as quickly as possible.

The writer is a former railway engineer who subsequently served the CTB at Chief Engineer and Chairman. He is a past president of the Institute of Engineers and of the Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The pioneers responsible for Badulla Visakha Vidyalaya

By Kirthie Abeyesekera
In his tribute to the late Stanley Abeyesekere, the well-known Badulla lawyer, (Sunday, Dec. 6), B. H. S. Jayasekera refers to Mr. Abeyesekere's "pioneering efforts in the establishment of Visakha Vidyalaya, the premier Buddhist Girls' School in Badulla."

Mr. Abeyesekere certainly played a distinctive role as Chairman of the Board of Directors governing the school. It seems appropriate however, to place 'pioneering efforts' in its proper perspective.

The Badulla Visakha Vidyalaya was founded by the Uva Young Mens' Buddhist Association. At the helm of this venerable institution at the time, was Amarananda Gunapala, a humble Kachcheri clerk who dedicated the best years of his life in selfless and devoted service to the Uva YMBA, as its general secretary.

I recall that day in the early '40s when we cut the first sod and laid the foundation stone on which Uva's premier Buddhist girls' school stands today. Just out of school, I had the honour of being elected secretary of the YMBA's literary branch.

Gunapala spent many months doing the spade work to set up Visakha Vidyalaya. He and a team of us knocked on the doors of thousands of Badulla homes, seeking the assistance of the community for the project. We mustered a strong contingent for a massive ''Shramadana'' activity. On that eventful day, armed with mammoties, pick-axes and spades, hundreds of men, women and children turned up at the site to clear the land on which we were soon to see the walls of Visakha Vidyalaya come up. They also brought 'kevun,' 'kiribath' and other traditional delicacies for the festive event.

Among those prominent in the field were the President of the YMBA, S. A. Peeris, a later UNP member of Parliament for Badulla, a Junior Minister, and thereafter, MP for Passara; J. C. T. Kotelawela, LSSP member for Badulla who moved Parliament for the incorporation of the YMBA, D. D. Jayasinghe, Municipal Commissioner - another live wire of the Association, and many others drawn from various walks of life.

Badulla was then reputed for its racial and religious harmony. As an office-bearer of the YMBA at that time, I am Personally aware of the contributions made in various ways for building Visakha, by men like K. V. Nadarajah, a leading criminal lawyer and a Hindu who later, as an Independent, won the Bandarawela parliamentary seat - a predominantly Sinhala-Buddhist electorate; A.M. Abdulla Sahib, the popular vice chairman of the Badulla Urban Council; Fred Blaze, a respected member of the Badulla bar and many, many other community members, drawn from a broad spectrum of Badulla society, who supported with heart and soul, the setting up of a Buddhist girls' school in the Provincial Capital.

Apart from the vast Sinhala business community that gave generous support were many Tamil and Muslims, including Badulla's leading textile merchants, N. Vaitilingam & Co and others too numerous to mention. Among the formidable list of course, was Stanley Abeyesekere (no relation), but a family friend, We worked together in the YMBA. I was a clerk in the Badulla Urban Council when he was Chairman of the Council - an office he held with great dignity. It is in recognition of his stature as a man of honour and integrity that the YMBA placed its trust in him to head the Governing Board of visakha - a position he held with universal appeal.

Soma Goonetilleke, now in Canada, was Visakha's principal in the 'Abeyesekere' management-era, when she was only 21. she speaks in glowing terms of him as "a very fine man" who steered the institution in its teething years. She says in her career as an educationist, her term at Visakha under the guidance of Stanley Abeyesekere, "made me quite a strong person."

Many years after Visakha Vidyalaya was well on its feet, Gunapala, a premier founding member, by then, a probation officer, was transferred to Kandy. On the eve of his departure, the people of Badulla gave him a send-off at which he was presented with 20 gold sovereigns - one for each year of his service to the YMBA. He handed one to his wife, Sumithra and returned the rest to the YMBA. Now, an octogenarian, Gunapala is still a community activist in the Hill Capital.

In 1983, the once-harmonious Badulla was torn apart by sec tarian strife. And that's another story that must one day be told.

Yet, the Badulla Visakha Vidyalaya still stands high as a proud monument to the Uva YMBA and those many pioneers of an era gone by, who rose above the petty politics of race and religion which plague the country today.

The Selalihiniya tragedy

by Gamini G. Punchihewa
King Vikkama Pandya of the 11th century is said to have built his castle on the hillock opposite the Kalutara Bodhiya. The Gangatillake vihara built by him stood on that hillock. The Portuguese, invaders of the 16th-17th century AD destroyed all those royal edifices and the Gangatillake vihara and a built a fort on those remains.

Selalihiniya's death
The king's doting pet a selalihiniya (grackle) was adored by him. This fascinating bird one day fell ill. All efforts by the king to save his pet's life failed. As the king was attached to his pet Selalihiniya, he was forced to take asylum in the sylvan solitude. He renounced his royal trappings and became a recluse.

Following the king's sudden desire to become a hermit, there followed a severe drought and a virulent plague around the royal cities of Velupura (Kalutara south) and Deshatra Kalutara (present Kalutara north). The horror struck people in desperation went in quest of their 'hermit' king. Whose subjects persuaded the king to give up his robes and take over the kingdom. The wise king bowed to his subjects' pleadings. To get over the king's mental predicament, the Buddhist clergy chanted Pirith for many days and lit oil lamps and offered poojas and flowers to the Buddha and guarding deities.

At the end of these religious obligations, a golden image of a selalihiniya was carved and offered to the gods to appease their wrath and to restore peace, prosperity and for the king to take over the throne which he had given up earlier. Soon peace, prosperity, abundance and the throne returned.

Six abodes of Lord Muruga

by Nirmala Ramachandran
Kali Yuga, the age indicating a period of darkness and degeneration commenced about 3100 BC. Many Hindus believe that the presiding deity of this yugam is Lord Muruga ( Kali yuga varathan ) whose Vel, which symbolises the spear of victory, will eventually restore peace and harmony, destroying arrogance, violence, and injustice. The worship of Lord Muruga goes back to the pre-Christian era and forms an important facet in the religious life of Hindus.

One of the many legends associated with the origin of Lord Muruga states that Lord Shiva emitted sparks from his third eye and these fell into the Saravana Poihai (lake) to become six infants. The wives of six Rishis nurtured the babies and were subsequently rewarded to appear as the Constellation Pleiades. When the Divine Consort Parvati beheld the beauty of these children, she embraced them all forcibly together to become one form with six heads and twelve arms. In this form Lord Muruga is known as Shanmuga or Arumugaswamy.

The poet Nakeerar of the Sangam age sang many songs in praise of the Lord, among them the well known composition Thirumurugartrupadai which describes the six most important abodes of Lord Muruga (Aarupadai veedu). They are

1. Tiruperunkunram.
2. Tiruchendur.
3. Palani.
4. Swamimalai.
5. Tiruttani.
6. Palamuthircholai.

The Subramaniam temple at Tiruperunkunram situated 6 miles south of Madurai is an ancient shrine dating back to the 2nd century BC. According to legend it was here that Lord Muruga wed Deiveyani, daughter of Indra, after his victory over Soorapadman and the Asuras. The temple built on the northern side of the hill at an elevation of about 300 ft from the foot of the hill has a 150 ft tall gopuram of seven tiers over its entrance. The main sanctum carved into the rock enshrines a well chiselled form of the Lord. Also hollowed within the rock are many mandapams with carved pillars, platforms, and other shrines with decorative relief and carvings on all surfaces. All Abishekams are performed to the Vel in the main sanctum. At the summit of the hill is a shrine dedicated to Kasi Visvanathar, beside which is a statue of the poet Nakeerar in an attitude of great reverence.

One of the most popular fanes dedicated to Lord Muruga is situated at Tiruchendur by the shores of the Indian ocean. The 137 ft tall gopuram of nine tiers facing west was constructed in the 17th century AD. The main sanctum enshrines the Lord as Senthilnathan while facing south is a sanctum with a most beautiful and majestic icon of Sri Shanmuga. About 200ft northis Valli's cave cut within natural sandstone rock with a image of Sri Valli. On the southern side of the temple is the nazhi Kineru (well) which has a smaller well of crystal clear water within it. According to mythology, the well the spot where the Lord threw his Vel to obtain water for his devotees who were parched with thirst. Legend states that it was here at Tiruchendur, after six days of prayer and fasting that Lord Muruga defeated Soorapadman with the Vel given to him by his Divine mother. After his victory he returned to Tiruchendur to offer a prayer to Lord Shiva. The main festival at this fane is held for six days in Oct/Nov each year to enact the defeat of Soorapadman. Hundreds of thousands of devotees throng the temple premises and its surroundings to observe six days of fasting and prayer. The faith and love of these devotees for Lord Muruga is demonstrated by the fact that in spite of immense hardship they come to this beautiful and picturesque shrine year after year.

The popular hill temple of Palani in the Western Ghats dates from a remote past and enshrines the Lord as Sri Dandayuthapani. At the foot of the hill is an even more ancient fane named Tiruvavinankudi, also dedicated to Lord Muruga. According to mythology, the origin of the temple is based on the story when Lord Shiva offered a mango as a prize to the son who encircled the world first. Lord Muruga set off at great pace on his peacock, while Lord Ganesha went round his divine parents indicating that they were the Universe, and thereby won the prize Mango. Lord Muruga in his frustration, clad only in a hermit's garb and carrying the staff Dandam left Mt Kailas for the south. His divine parents tried to dissuade him saying "Palam Nee", which in Tamil means "Thou art the fruit of all wisdom and knowledge" (hence the derivation of Palani). He was not appeased and took up residence at Tiruvavinankudi and later moved to the top of the hill: During this time the Sage Agastyar requested his disciple Idumban to bring the twin hills Sivagiri and Saktigiri from Mt Kailas to the south. Idumban carried them in the form of a "kavadi" and set it down near the Palani hills in order to rest for a while. When he tried to lift it he found that it could not be moved. He saw a boy with a baton atop one hill and an altercation ensued. Idumban was killed by the boy who was Lord Muruga. On a plea by Agastyar, Idumban was restored to life, and granted the wish that all who carry Kavadees to his temples in fulfilment of vows shall be blessed. A shrine to Idumban is seen at the top of the hill. It is believed that a Siddha named Bogar, a younger contemporary of Agastyar, created the icon of the Lord which is enshrined in the sanctum sanctorum. It was made from 9 different medicinal minerals, and all materials coming in contact with the icon gained curative properties. However, in recent years it was discovered that certain parts of the icon was wasting away and hence all Abishekams are performed to another icon placed in the main sanctum.

In the past pilgrims had to climb 697 stone steps to reach the temple at the hilltop. Since 1966 a haulage winch transports the pilgrims to the shrine, the entrance of which is an extensive quadrangle. The temple itself is very spacious with beautiful mandapams and carved pillars. Throughout the year there is an endless stream of devotees to this shrine. The main festival Panguni Uttiram is celebrated for 10 days in March/April each year at the temple at the foot of the hill. The icon of the Lord as Muttucumaraswamy is taken in procession each day to the delight of the thousands of devotees.

Six miles from Kumbakonam and built on an artificial hillock stands the temple of Sri Swaminathan at Swamimalai. To reach the main sanctum devotees have to ascend 60 steps representing the Hindu cycle of 60 years. A shrine dedicated to Meenakshi and Sundareshwara constructed by Varaguna Pandyan of Madurai, and another to Ganesha stands at the foot of the flight of steps.

Midway up the steps is a life-sized icon depicting Lord Muruga imparting the Pranava Mantram to his divine father Lord Shiva who assumes a posture of folded hands and bowed head before his guru. In the sanctum santorum the presiding deity is represented by a 6 ft tall granite icon in a standing posture offering darshan to all his devotees.

About 1 mile from the temple is the main centre where artistic icons in bronze are created by highly skilled craftsmen in continuance of the Chola tradition. Many foreigners order icons of their choice from this centre which is well equipped to despatch their selections to their respective countries.

The name Tiruttani means " blissful repose" and it is here that Lord Muruga went to lead a life of meditation, and where he is known as Thanikasalam. This temple, about 60 miles from Chennai is on the hill called Thanihai malai and can be reached by ascending 365 steps or by a motorable road. According to mythology it was here that the divine marriage of the Lord to Sri Valli took place. The main festival at this temple is on Adi Karthigai day in July/August each year when the temple precincts becomes a sea of humanity. On this day thousands of Kavadees of various types are borne across their shoulders by pilgrims dressed in yellow, in fulfilment of vows made to the Lord of Tiruttani. These devotees cheerfully dance their way up the steps overcome by the hypnotic music and kavadi songs. A float festival also takes place on this day at the Saravana Poihai at the foot of the hil1.

The jungle shrine of Palamuthircholai stands on the slopes of the Alagar hills about 12 miles east of Madurai. The temple is composed of three shrines dedicated to Ganesha, Muruga and Lord Shiva. This fane surrounded by thick jungle presents a picturesque scene of peace and quiet, the only disturbance being created by hoardes of monkeys. Nearby are many waterfalls and spas where pilgrims take a ritual bath. This shrine is of special significance as according to legend, it was the place where the Lord with his two Consorts gave darshan to his devotees.

Lord Muruga has graced many of his ardent devotees with the capacity to compose poems and songs of praise. Noteworthy among them are Kumara Guruparan, the author of Pillai Tamil, and Devaraya Swamigal, the author of Kantha Shasti Kavasam. In some instances he assisted them by himself composing the first line of the leading verse of these songs of praise, and further, endowed them with the talent to write them. Arunagirinather who composed the Thirupugazh, and Kachchiappa Sivachariar the composer of Kandapuranam have been recipients of this rare privilege. These literary works have greatly enriched the Tamil language and culture.

These six abodes together with numerous other temples dedicated to Lord Muruga are a vibrant testimony to the continuing worship of this deity by hundreds of thousands of his devotees. At these shrines they find themselves liberated from the narrow prejudices of caste and language. They all become devotees with one goal, of having a darshan of Lord Muruga when they find peace and tranquility for a short while.

Death of a living saint

by Joe Segera
He was no ordinary priest or preacher. This young Roman Catholic priest was a veritable institution in Negombo. Father Sunanda Wanasinghe who died a few days ago was not only hero-worshipped by thousands if not tens of thousands, but venerated as a man directly sent by God to preach his word.

When he preached at Negombo's St. Peter's Church grounds every Friday people from practically all parts of the country except perhaps from the North and East came to listen to him. A gifted preacher, he could be described as not a silver-tongued orator, but as the priest with the golden tongue. They listened with rapt attention to him when he studded his sermons and enriched them with those alluring biblical verses and psalms, not to mention the Gospel in the most entrancing phrases in the Sinhala language. It was prose that he used, but they sounded like melody of poems enriched with rhyme and metre.

In this evening of the twentieth century when science is challenging God and Nature, it sounds strange that there was a man among us who did not claim to have worked miracles, but according to many has worked miracles. The sick were brought to him and he laid hands on them and prayed. Many are the stories of terminally ill patients who claim to have been mysteriously cured. And also broken homes and family disputes beyond repair which have been the subjects of his prayers with many a claim that they have been granted.

This saintly priest who took Negombo described as "Little Rome", by storm died a tragic death. He was drowned in the swirling waters of Chilaw's Deduru Oya while on a day-out with some relatives and friends during Christmas week.

All traffic on the road from Chilaw to Negombo was blocked by the funeral procession in which the flower bedecked hearse bearing Father Wanasinghe's mortal remains was drawn by his parishioners, admirers and disciples taking turns. Not only men and women wept aloud, even priests cried aloud. There were banners and flags on the streets proclaiming. "A saint has died."

Although it was Christmas tide it was funeral tide along the Negombo Road right up to Pamunugama, his birthplace where he was laid to rest at his Parish church of St. Jospeh. Colombo's Archbishop, other Bishops, priests, brothers, nuns and laymen mingled with the crowds, not to mention cabinet ministers, parliamentarians and politicians. Even, tough, hardened policemen could not hold their tears for this saintly priest who had captured their hearts.

The eldest in a family of four, Father Wanasinghe had still not reached forty when he answered the call. Among the several orations delivered there was one a priest colleague and close friend of Father Wanasinghe at the Seminary who, short of "canonization" described him "as the second Saint John the Baptist who has prepared the way for the coming of Christ".

What was most unique in the late Father Bede Sunanda Wanasinghe was his astounding grasp of the Bible which he interpreted in simple, flowery Sinhala to his audiences both Catholic and non-Catholic with relevance to the world of today. Father Wanasinghe had so many followers seeking his prayers and intercession to God that a recent issue of the "Catholic Messenger" carried a half page advertisement, requesting people to E-Mail their requests for prayers to Father Wanasinghe.

He called his mission, "Catholic Good News Ministry." And in his last stirring message to the people, carried in the "Catholic Messenger", Father Wanasinghe said "give your life a chance and make Jesus your guest of honour at Christmas this year".

| NEWS | PROVINCIAL | POLITICS | EDITORIAL | DEFENCE | LEISURE | BUSINESS| SPORTS | ADS |