Morning
Spice by Ginger
Local gin
and brandy shortly
Ginger read an advertisement
saying a local sugar producing concern would be
putting out its own brand of gin and brandy. Now
how on earth are they going to do it? You may be
able to call a rose by any other name but it will
retain its sweet smell — not so with
molasses. Few drinks made of that base has ever
resembled the drink on the label. Brandy can only
be made out of grapes and only one distiller in
Sri Lanka does it but no one has succeeded in
getting the flavour and body of even the poorest
brandy produced elsewhere —not even plumb
brandy from East Europe.
Now rum is a different
proposition altogether. Sugar cane is the base
for it and the rum that comes from Jamaica and
Cuba are as smooth and palatable as any drink
going except that it is a little potent or rather
a little more fiery than the other drinks. But as
far as Ginger goes he would rather have a good
rum than a spurious and foul tasting brandy or
gin. Now Seagram is doing a sensible thing by
using Indian grain to produce whisky. We could
get Japanese expertise to produce rice whisky.
Here which would be better than arrack. It would
also help our cultivators with this new demand
for rice.
Pairs arrested for
attempted murder
Get it with poison if you can't
get it any other way. Nobody would have guessed
that this charming lady and her husband who
played host and hostess could be capable of
murder or at least attempted murder. Both Masum
Hayash and her husband Kenti were arrested for
attempted murder.
Their guest was hospitlized
shortly after having dinner. The police suspected
arsenic poisoning largely because the wife who
was an insurance agent would have benefitted to
the tune of one million dollars if he died as she
held the policy on her guests behalf.
Children fear
infections
Who can blame a kid for
hottering when given an injection. It can hurt an
adult at times. Children also play the merry
devil when the doctor pulls out the syringe as
those who remember having had an injection know
what they are in for. Now there seems a way out.
Kids need not go through the
suffering they went through all these days. There
is a skin patch that numbs juniors skin where the
injection is to be given. What it does is to give
a local anaesthetic to the place where the needle
would pierce the skin. Even grown ups can use the
patch but you must apply it at least one hour
before getting the shot.
No notes for Lankans
abroad
SRI LANKA has a population of
approximately 19 Million. Of this 50% are under
18 years of age. This leaves approximately nine
Million as eligible voters. In this group about a
Million will be in the age group of between 75
years to 100 years. Most of them will not be in a
position to cast their votes due to physical
disability.
In the final count down this
leaves about eight Million as eligible Voters.
With a very high Voter Turn Out the percentage
Votes cast will be about 80% of the registered
Voters. Thus the actual number of Voters cast
will be in the region of seven million. With the
proportional system (P.R) of voting in operation,
a party that can muster 3 1/2 Million votes will
win both the Parliamentary Elections and
Presidential Elections.
At present 1.2 Million Sri
Lankans are working abroad. In fact we run the
economy of this country with their remittances.
This 1.2 Sri Lankans are all in the voting age
group (Between 18 yrs. to 60 Years). This group
forms the most important economic prop to the
country. The Macro - Economic policies of which
Prof. G. L. Pieris is so proud of is sustained
because of the unceasing flow of Foreign Exchange
to this country, that is made possible by this
hard working group of people who were in the
middle class or poor in Sri Lanka. Our eternal
thanks should be to this group for the immense
Economic Benefit they bring to Sri Lanka. Without
them we would have perished long ago. It should
be also noted that is a direct spin off, of the
Free Economy that commenced in 1977.
The point I wish to make is
that this group of Sri Lankans have no voting
rights while they are abroad. Thus any Election
Result is devoid of the wish of this most useful
group of Sri Lankans. Since 90% of these workers
are in the Middle East, I wonder whether its not
possible to introduce a scheme of postal voting
for them. If this could be achieved the election
results in Sri Lanka will reflect more the true
will of the people.
With the help of the Sri Lanka
Embassies I’m sure a simple voting system
for this group could be formulated. Since they
all have Sri Lankan pass ports rigging of the
votes will be a clear impossibility if such a
scheme is implemented.
Prof. G. L. Pieris please
consider this. Over to you Elections Commissioner
for your comments.
Concerned Citizen
Avissawella
Unpardonable
At the GCE O/L 1998, in the
English Literature Question Paper under Fiction
section, candidates have detected two utterly
careless mistakes on the part of the all-powerful
officials of the Examination Department.
In the question on "Oliver
Twist" the criminal character Bill Sikes is
given as Bill Sykes, their own fanciful and
arbitrary spelling. As such I verified it with
the original edition of the novel thinking that
the ‘big shots’ must have wanted to do
justice to the great novelist Charles Dickens.
But in both editions Bill Sikes is found to be
identical.
And in the question on Madol
Doova the famous and popular character Podi
Gamarala has been changed into Punchi Gamarala
quite arbitrarily at their will and pleasure. So
they also might argue in defence, after all,
‘Podi’ and ‘Punchi’ are the
same. One student who took up the exam told me
that he is happy that it has not been changed
into Punchi Sinno, at least they have retained
Gamarala.
Regarding the first mistake
they would say that it is a printing error or
some such technical jargon thinking that we
lesser mortals are ever prepared to accept
anything and everything they preach. But with
regard to the second mistake, however high and
mighty they think, they are, in reality they have
no moral right to change names in a Hitlerite
"I am the monarch of all I survey"
fashion.
Actually is it not below their
dignity to be so careless in the execution of
their responsibilities? We feel mistakes of this
nature emanate due to irresponsible and
contemptuous attitude of the officials concerned,
towards our helpless students who are resourceful
enough and have the will-power to make an effort
to study a prestigious subject like English
Literature in spite of the hostile setbacks that
they are confronted with. Instead of providing
incentives and broad-basing opportunities to the
study of English Literature we witness
impediments like these careless mistakes in the
question paper itself.
Above all, the Examination
Department has a bounden duty to the younger
generation in particular and to the country in
general to be a precursor and set an example in
our march towards an ideal. Though a retired
teacher in the wilderness now, a crazy parallel
comes to my idle mind. Examination Department can
be compared to the ‘Kovila’ a
consecrated place and if the
‘Kapuralas’ are desecrating its
compound what can the innocent devotees do?
P. Lokugamage
Kottawa.
A
little bit of...
It was that irrepressible
political giant of an yester-era, the late Felix
Dias Bandaranaike who proclaimed sans any
inhibitions that a little bit of totalitarianism
will have a salutary effect on a country besieged
with problems. In a parallel of sorts, though
under different circumstances, celebrated medical
opinion advocates that a little bit of alcohol
will help keep the human body in fighting trim,
thus minimising the risks of heart attacks. The
recommended 'does' according to the eminent
medical fraternity, if I remember right, is 21
units of an alcoholic drink per week. An
experimental survey by medical men is said to
have revealed that a person who steps over this
medically recommended ‘ dosage’ and the
one who does not drink at all fall into the same
slot whereas the person who takes his drink as
medically prescribed will lead a healthy life.
It will be pleasantly exciting
to your readers to view the above in the context
of the religious teachings pertaining to the
consumption of alcoholic drinks. I believe that
all religions, Buddhism, Islam and Hinduism
particularly, frown upon the consumption of
alcohol, and the sermons delivered to the laymen
advocate total abstention. The layman is now
certainly placed in a state of bewilderment.
Should he hearken to medical science or to what
the religions advocate ? Where should one draw
the line if at all, and any hopes of a compromise
in this regard is thought to be remote and far
flung. All the same, will a person who consumes
just 03 units of alcohol a day any more person
non grata to society than one who abstains from
alcohol? Will the 03 units of alcohol in a man
lure him to the commission of rape. Murder or any
other indiscretions inimical to accepted canons
of moral rectitude? But the question mark that
looms large is to what extent a person could
exercise self-discipline to say 'enough is
enough’ at the 03 unit stage?
A bright young spark once asked
me the question as to who commits the greater
sin, one who consumes the flesh of a cow, goat,
pig etc. or the one who relishingly serves
himself a dishful of small sea-fish like sprats??
He argued rather convincingly that according to
Buddhist and Hindu teachings killing in any form
is a sin. Therefore killing, of a million sprats
he insists is a greater sin than slaughtering a
single cow. There are some others who have
advanced their debating skills to their personal
advantage to underscore that as long as a
particular quadruped, fish or bird is not
slaughtered particularly for one’s own
consumption, it was not a sin to consume its
flesh. As for me, I am enmeshed in this
convoluted conundrum of uncertainty and wish
somebody provides me the replies to the above
posers.
Till then, I will remain
convinced that a little bit of totalitarianism, a
little bit of alcohol and also a little bit of
sprats will not be a harmful proposition!
Bandula M. Abeyewardene
Battaramulla
A Bouquet for a doctor
Approaching old age brings with
it many fears, and probably none as great as the
fear of loss of sight. I was confronted by this
fear when I went for what I thought would be just
a routine check up some weeks ago and was told
that I have a cataract which required immediate
surgery.
I have often been told that
with all this advanced technology eye operations
are very simple matters now. But when I was told
that I have to go through eye surgery, all of a
sudden I began to feel nervous and perhaps even a
little scared. But I was fortunate. The person in
front of me who gave me this news was not just a
doctor who I was meeting for the first time in my
life; he also turned out to be one of the most
remarkable human beings I have ever encountered -
Dr. Saliya Pathirana, Consultant, Eye Hospital.
Dr. Pathirana must have seen
and understood my feelings, even though I was
trying to hide my growing fear. Perhaps he is
used to seeing similar emotions in many of his
patients. He began to talk to me, explaining my
condition and the desired remedy to me simply and
quietly. And as I listened to this doctor who is
young enough to be my son, I felt my fears ebbing
away. Slowly but surely confidence returned. I
knew I could trust this man who combined
intelligence and expertise with a kindness and
consideration that we encounter rarely in this
world of ours. He answered all my questions (and
many unasked ones) with patience until I felt my
nervousness leaving me completely.
I think some of it came back as
I was waiting to be taken in for my operation -
thus my high pressure level. But Dr. Pathirana
once again helped me to cope with it with a smile
and a kind word.
Now that I’m well on the
way to recovery, I am glad that I got my Eye
problem attended to promptly, not only because my
sight has improved but also because it brought me
into contact with an unforgettable human being -
Dr. Saliya Pathirana. May the Noble Triple Gem
Bless You Dr. Pathirana.
Ms. Indra Wimalaratne
Maharagama
Ban on Footboard Travel
The ban on footboard travel
which the police have just begun to enforce will
probably go the same way as the ban on tinted
glass, the ban on bull- bars and the various
other bans which have been imposed from time to
time only to be quietly forgotten after a week or
two at the most.
Footboard travel is against the
law, and there is no doubt that it is dangerous,
but it is a symptom not a disease. No one in his
right mind will hang precariously on the
footboard of a bus being driven at breakneck
speed, swaying alarmingly from side to side, if
he has any alternative. The reason for footboard
travel is that there aren’t enough buses on
the road. No amount of banning or fining or
whatever is going to do any good because people
have to get to work in the morning and get home
in the evening and if there is no room inside the
bus, they will travel on the footboard. The only
thing this move will accomplish is to make an
unpopular government even more unpopular on the
eve of an important election.
K. D. C. Wijesinha
Dehiwala.
Posters
at Elections
We are now in the midst of the
above election and daily we hear of incidents of
Violence. These include assault on rival
activists and even burning of election offices of
rivals. From the available reports one could
expect an escalation of violence as we near
election day.
Some of the incidents of
violence are connected with the bringing down of
flags, & posters put up by rival parties. In
this connection it is interesting to refer to the
election law relating to display of Handbills,
Posters etc that is in force at the moment and
which should cover the present provincial Council
Election as well.
Section 74 of the Provincial
Councils Elections Act No 2 of 1988 lays down the
provisions relating to this matter.
According to this section
during the period commencing from the first day
of the nomination period at an election and
ending on the day following the date of the
election no person shall for the purpose of
promoting such election display - in any public
or private premises or across any public road any
flag or banner, any hand bill, placard, poster,
drawing, notice, photograph of a candidate,
symbol or sign, or display any such thing on any
vehicle except the vehicle that is used for the
conveyance of a candidate at such election.
This Section also makes the
violation of the above provisions or the attempt
to violate these provisions an offence liable to
a fine or imprisonment or both after summary
trial before a magistrate.
Thus these provisions of the
law make it abundantly clear that the display of
posters, Placards, Flags, Photographs of
candidates and their symbols in any form in any
public or private place is illegal. These same
provisions are found in the law relating to
parliamentary Elections and Local Government
Elections as well.
Although this is the law what
do we see today and at every election? All
parties without exception be they blue, green,
red or pale pink, they all violate these
provisions of the law. Nobody has yet dared to
take action against any party to stop this
illegality. On the contrary we have seen every
government party in power including the present
government party indulging in this illegality and
taking advantage of all the power at its command
to do better than its nivals at elections.
This law is therefore of no
effect and our purpose in writing on this matter
at this stage is to raise the issue as to whether
there is any purpose in having those provisions
in our election law. For if there is a legal
provision it must be observed at least by those
who are for the time being entrusted with the
implemantation of such a law. If that is not done
or cannot be done, the most honourable thing
(that is if there is anything honourable at
election time!) to be done is to remove these
provisions from our election law.
While we are on this matter it
may be noted that this provision of law entered
our statute book after 1956 and first came into
force in the 1960 elections. The reason for the
introduction of this provision as well as the
provision on transport of voters was to ensure
that the elections were conducted on a basis that
was fair to all parties in the fray and was not
weighed in favour of the rich candidates or
Candidates or Candidates of rich parties who
could afford the money to have these posters,
flags etc displayed. That of course was then. But
today it appears that all the parties and
candidates who contest elections are rich enough
to afford what was then a luxury of a few. Or may
be today only those who can afford all this could
contest an election. In either case it seems best
to get rid of this provision of law that no one
wants to or cares to observe. Then perhaps
elections would be more free than even now!.
Percy Wickremesekere
Are
we barbarians?
A few days back, over the
radio, I heard, under the programme "Tell
What You Have to say for the whole country to
hear", soon after the early morning Sinhala
news item, a very interesting complaint. He said
that while coming from Katunayake Inter-national
airport, one sees on either side of the road
carcasses of cattle being hung on hooks or
chopping of meat in open cadjan or open make
shift sheds. He also said carcasses of pigs being
tied to bicycles and transported with blood
pouring down. A very ghastly and nausiating
sight. The first impression a foreign tourist
gets is that we are barbarians and live in very
unhygienic conditions as the meat is not covered
and exposed to dust and other external matter.
The other depressing sight, if
I may not hurt the feelings of other religious
faiths are the statues all along the road from
Katunayaka to Wattala, with bleeding hearts,
arrows piercing the body of some saint melancholy
looks on other statues.
Tourists certainly would wish
to see something pleasant to confirm what they
have heard of this Paradise Isle, as soon as they
step out. If the first sight and the last when
leaving the island, they will be carrying away
horror memories.
Is this what this island called
Dhamma Deepa, the hallowed preachings of Lord
Buddha of Ahimsa is showing the foreigners. My
advise is, the government may not step in as this
a delicate matter, is to call upon those stall
holders to display the sale of meat in a more
humane and hygenic manner and the religious
statues be confined to the premises of the place
of worship. In the alternative the people should
show their displeasure and perform a consumer
protest.
Kamal Jayatileke
Primrose Gardens, Kandy.
Toilets
in the City
I write in support of the
letter published in your esteemed paper written
by Dr. Hemantha Wickremasinghe of Ambepusse.
As mentioned by the good
doctor, the city is gradually getting a better
outlook - thanks to the environmentally friendly
City Father. With regard to the main topic - the
toilets. Yes, I write as a female who has had
bitter experience and much embarrassment in my
attempt to ease myself prior to embarking on a
long journey in an Inter City Bus originating
from the Central Bus Stand in Pettah in the early
hours.
Inquiries revealed that there
was one at the far end which was not visible to
the naked eye due to bad lighting, and
understandably I dreaded to take a chance in this
particular area! Please City Father, command your
Lieutenants to erect two separate
"good" toilets for Men and Women in an
area in the Central Bus Stand and levy a charge
from the users. Appreciate if the Women's toilet
is erected for easy access by the women.
Let its doors be opened from 4
a.m. onwards and of course maintained by hired
janitors to get the best results.
Mrs. Priyanthi Perera
Nawinna
The year naught or zero
Congratulations at first! You
have made known to your readers one of the
greatest inventions mankind has ever experienced.
The year naught-naught-naught-naught, the year
0000. In case no computer is around and can hear
you, it is easier to call it the year naught, the
Year 0.
Although it is a completely new
and until now unknown product, I doubt, whether
patents can be obtained, as the real event dates
back almost two thousand years. Anyway, one can
try in a country, where patents are easily
granted.
The year naught or zero must
have been an extremely happy one. No deaths are
reported, no war broke out and apparently no
other calamity has happened like floods,
earthquakes, landslides and so on. It is true
that also no war ended in the year 0000 and no
birth was recorded, but as far as the latter is
concerned, there was also no unwanted population
growth.
All people were living one year
longer and Augustus, governing the Roman Empire
from 27 B.C. to 14 A.D. could reign one year
more, i.e. through the year 0 between the years 1
B.C. and 1 A.D. Probably he has taken vacations
during that newly invented year, which otherwise
he could not afford. The history books, at least,
do not report of any activities of the great
emperor during the year naught.
That this new product was not
found out earlier, is understandable. None of us
has got any training in changing milleniums and
thousand years ago the media were underdeveloped
or under control of the church, which was not
interested to extend the life of Jesus by one
year, thus nothing is handed down to us about
possible problems our ancestors could have
encountered when they had to change milleniums or
millenia.
We are lucky people as we do
not have to wait another thousand years until
such an old error is corrected.
Hans Koerper,
New Kandalanda Estate,Urapola.
A bouquet to Dr. Attygalle
I read with much interest the
letter of S. D. Tammita of Matara about the late
Sir Nicholas Attygalle. By some stroke of luck I
happened to be one of the many babies brought
into this world by the famous Dr. Attygalle. I
recall the description given many years later by
my mother who had been attended on by him during
her confinement. In fact she was all praise when
she described to people his attitude towards hard
work, punctuality and devotedness to one’s
duties during her brief stay in hospital. He
would be stern and rough with doctors &
nurses alike when the necessity arose and she
recalled how clean the maternity ward had been
during the time he attended to patients. She was
sad indeed to hear of his passing away nearly 30
years ago. Although she herself left us a few
years later, the remarks made by her regarding
his attitude to work still remain fresh in my
memory. It is a great pity that he had been
forgotten all these years by those in power, and
it is heartening to learn that a Rs. 2/50 postage
stamp has been issued.
As a past student of the
University of Ceylon during his early days as
Vice-Chancellor, I earnestly hope that as a
fitting tribute to this great man - the proposed
Conference Hall at Peradeniya be named after him.
R. D. Perera
Maharagama
Married women to use their
family names
In a the context of the present
social fabric that prevails in society it may be
of advantage to married women to identify
themselves in the presentation of documents and
in dealing with their day-today activities.
Taking a cue from Her
Excellency the present incumbent President of Sri
Lanka I suggest that all married women should use
their family names too, in all transactions.
To give an example - Miss
Kumudini Savithri Rodrigo marries Mr. Don
Carnolis Samarasinghe. After marriage, Miss.
Rodrigo could to her advantage write her name as
"Mrs. Kumudini Savithri Rodrigo
Samarasinghe".
Of course, if the marriage goes
asunder, under the process of law she can drop
the name of her husband and use her maiden name.
Earle R. de Zoysa,
Ratmalana.
Dr. L. E. J. Salgado
It is one year since Dr L. E.
J. Salgado, Uncle Lucien to us passed away to his
Maker. He died on the 13th of January 1998
shortly after celebrating his 89th birthday,
Uncle Lucien was a man of remarkable character, a
fact which remained obscured to many due to the
humble and modest life style he led.
Uncle Lucien was a medical
practitioner by profession. He belonged to the
"old school" of doctors who believed
that practicing medicine was a vocation not to be
exploited for pure financial gain. A rare breed
of professionals who have sadly disappeared from
our midst. The general practice which he began in
the early 1940’s became the leading medical
practice in Panadura in due course. His patients
were from all walks of life and at times
overlapped three generations of the same family.
A matter of great pride to him. He worked long
hours and was one of the last of the doctors who
undertook night calls to patients homes when the
need arose. The sprit of service which he
practiced, endeared him to many and his patients
often looked to his wise counsel on many issues
out side medicine. On his retirement after
fortyfive years he magnanimously handed over his
practice to his two young assistants.
The success of his career could
have easily given him a life of luxury. However
he chose to remain a simple man and enjoy the
simple things of life. He led a disciplined life.
A daily egg flip, followed with a two mile wall;
on the beach which was continued for an unbroken
period of over forty years kept him in excellent
health. His birthday celebration particularly at
the later stages of his life was a much looked
forward to event where all his friends and loved
ones gathered in large numbers to enjoy with him.
Uncle Lucien was a great family
man. Family to him extended far beyond the
confines of his own wife and children. It
included his brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces,
in-laws, domestic, dispensary staff, estate staff
and many others. His generosity to his kith and
kin particularly for the education of children,
his church and his school knew no bounds. To him,
the call of duty extended to providing a home to
his two unmarried sisters’ in-law, looking
after them through a difficult process of old age
right up to their death. He in turn was blessed
with a wife and four children who loved him
dearly. Together with his wife Aunty Moni they
formed one of life’s great partnerships,
each one complementing and supporting the other
so as to bring out the best in both. It was
therefore not surprising that they were rewarded
with a union, which extended well beyond their
own golden wedding anniversary.
The greatest revelation of his
character was the forbearance and fortitude in
which he bore the terminal illness, which struck
him several years ago. This possibly robbed him
of a centenary on this earth. He battled with his
illness to the best of his ability with hardly a
complaint; always mindful of the strain it caused
his family, particularly his wife. He was finally
spared of further suffering when the end came
quickly and peacefully on the morning of the 13th
of January with his family around him.
There are many lessons to be
learnt from the life of this simple man. In his
life we see success tempered with humility, we
see a spirit of giving with no expectation of a
return, we see pain and suffering borne with
dignity. A better example of true Christian
living will be difficult to find today.
A Grand Nephew
Christopher Manohar Abeysundere
We were College mates over a
span of well nigh 14 years and were the thickest
of chums. Being kindred we were imbued with
similar values and shared a similar outlook.
Nonconformism was a specific trait which did not
endear us to those pedagogues who thought that
all children should only be good and obeying at
all times. It remains a truism that the teachers
suffered at our expense but then those were
gentlemen (and a lady) who opted to understand
our cantankerism!
If ‘Gabbo’ Pieris
thought that he was an incarnation of Duke
Ellington,, Mano thought in similar vein ala
Elvis Presley! Those were the days of Vevil de
Kauwe, Carl Cook and the Coconut Grove and the
Cafe Society at Lion and Mayfair at which those
of us mere underlinings, thought it fit to debate
the Vietnnam War, the Profumo Affair, the
‘real plot’ that killed President
Kennedy and similar important subjects. Mano was
very much a vibrant contributor towards such
‘serious’ discussions which were well
attended by people from Bamba and its environs
(including ofcourse Royal, Thurstan and the
Varsity with the Thomians being given outstation
membership) such as the Sirimannes, Dhulambe and
Lal (sired by Justice DQM but who thought
themselves as legal luminaries!), the Mouthstrong
brothers Herman, Norman and Gordon, Patchy
Nadesan, Boxer Theivendran, ‘Massie’
Perera, Doug Senaratna, ‘Prof’
Abeywickrema, Maniam Ratnasinham, ‘Major
G’ Mohamed and ‘Ledde’ Abdullah
the GM at Mayfair who obliged us with credit
facilities as and when we required (which was
quite often!) and a host of others too numerous
to mention.
Even though we were always in
want, the word ‘syndicate’ helped us
through to meet our needs of Light Tea and
innocent cigarettes( in the words of Madame Marie
Curie even though men of medicine such as SR de
Silva, Mahen Wijesuriya et-al will opt to
vehemently disagree!). The tables at Mayfair
quite often got a pounding at the hands of Gabbo
who thought such furniture as medieval drums
whilst Mano’s rendition of ‘Its Now or
Never’ was thought to be melodius only by
himself!
Upon leaving College Mano took
to a career in planting and soon came under the
expert guidance of that Master Planter, Manilal
Abeywardena. Mano tilled the soil, plucked the
leaves, paid the labourers and overlooked the
thottam of Pitaratmalie in the same fashion as
did his ‘Master’. Very much in similar
idiom, Mano also became a gracious host to those
known as well as unknown. A reference to Mano and
Pitaratmalie would not be complete without
mentioning at least some of his ‘click’
in the Uva-Dhulambe Sirimanne, the late Senaka
Gunawardena, Ranjith Perera, Kallar de Silva,
Tryonne Howie, Pemba Premaratna, the late LGN de
Silva, Policemen Nalin Perera, Senaka de Silva
and Shelton with Doc ‘Bongo’ Rajendra
providing an open invitation to dine, wine and
enjoy his warm hospitality. Mano never failed us
with his signature tune of ‘JOL
BANNANA’ at these many and frequent
get-togethers.
Mano’s professional
expertise was recognised by the powers-that-were
with career advancements at regular intervals
until he was thrust into Regional Management at
Avissawella by the JEDB. The supremo in the field
became equally successful in office and held sway
with the late Aelian de Silva, Ranjan
Siriwardena, Ranjith Ellegala et. al. before
Wendy and the nuptial knot allured him to cooler
climes in Canada.
I last met Mano in 1992 and was
eagerly expecting his return in mid year but it
was not to be. A man who was only good and kind
to others did not think it necessary to look
after himself. It was only his ashes that I could
see on the 1st of December but such remains
nudged me into a journey down memory lane during
which the sterling qualities of Christopher
Manohar Abeysundere showed up unmistakably and
through every step of the way.
Dearest Mano, you were too good
to lose and that too so early but such are the
realities of life. We will treasure your memory
as a wonderful human being who traversed this
sometimes topsy turvy world.
Our profound sympathies go out
to Wendy and the two Children and Niranjan and
Aunt Marion.
Nimal Dias Jayasinha
|
