Appreciations
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He
committed himself to serve the people Vanausten's father was teacher and his mother a housewife, people of modest means. And yet the two of them gladly, generously and selflessly, helped many, within the family as well as others, who had less and were perhaps in greater need. Vanausten was a 'people person', in the sense that people mattered to him. He committed himself to serve the members of his village and parish, by visiting them, listening to and understanding them, caring for them. This was how he often discovered their most pressing needs which urged him tirelessly, relentlessly, to care for them. Vanausten and his wife spent their lives in building up their family as a deeply Christian one. Their children had much to admire in them and adored them. During the twenty something years that I had known Vanausten before his death in May 2000, I found him to be a devoted and loyal friend, whose support and help I was assured of, unstintedly, at all times. His untimely death has left a void in me, and in several others, that none can fill. Vanausten was afflicted with a serious heart disease when he was only in his midforties. This required costly treatment both here and abroad. The many people who reached out to help him, both among family and others, were no doubt God's way of rewarding a man who was so generous in giving himself to others. His final ailment was a very painful one. For several months he could not lie down in a bed and got sleep only in a chair. It was only when the pain was unbearable that he winced, for he bore it with the patience and the courage of a man of great inner strength and stature. To his still-grieving wife and children, his inconsolable mother and sister, his family, friends, and myself, his passing away so early in life was an irreparable loss. -Fr. Egerton Perera A silent
and indefatigable social worker Ms. Gunasekara who passed away on February 14, twelve years ago, had her education at Visakha Vidyalaya. In the thirties and forties she was a carefree, popular socialite and was often called upon by several institutions such as the YMBA, Visakha Vidyalaya and Ananda College Colombo to take leadership and organise fetes, carnivals and other fund raising activities. In the midst of all these mundane activities she was conscious of her Buddhist background, observing sil every Poya and spending time on meditation. Being a devout Buddhist she once sponsored the ordination of a poor village boy, spending on his education till he finally entered the Maha Sangha. Many of her family members recall her having cared for several monks in a rented house during the annual Vas season, taking part in Katina pinkamas and also instances where she gave freely to uplift the living conditions of her less fortunate relatives. A little known fact is that once whilst being hospitalised in 1949, in the Merchants Ward of the General Hospital, she came to realise that the Buddhist nurses had little understanding of their religion. She promptly set about inaugurating a Buddhist Nurses Association in the Hospital (which I am not sure is still functioning). She was also a long standing and active member of the Mallika Home Mangement Committee, not working for plaudits and office but genuinely interested only in its welfare. Her pet project however was the Biyagama Children’s Home. When she realised that there was no proper place of refuge for poor abandoned, destitute Buddhist orphan girls she was keenly interested in establishing such a place. In this endeavour she was able to solicit the assistance of such benefactors as the then Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake, Prof. Dr. Gunapala Malalasekera , President of the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress and the Directors of the Chettinard Corporation. The Vihara Maha Devi Lama Nivasa thus came to be formed of which she was the President for many years. Such was her interest for her first love that right up to the time of her death at the ripe age of 88 years she insisted that she paid a weekly visit to this Home, 15 miles away from Colombo. She was a great organiser, and a silent and indefatigable social worker. Her life's work has been a great song to remember. Upali Salgado He
had no savings and craved not for wealth Saba was the only child. His parents were Tamils by race and Hindus by faith. Admitted to Sri Palee, Horana for his education, he became an institution there first as a student, then as a teacher and finally ending his career as the Vice-principal of his beloved school. It was easy for him to become the Head of the school, but he preferred to be a teacher and even turned down an offer from the Education Ministry where his talents with his wide knowledge of English, Sinhala and Tamil would have been an asset. After retirement, he settled down in a rural setting at Imbulpe, a hamlet a little distance away from Balangoda, where he taught English to many neighbourhood children, mainly Sinhalese, during weekends free of charge. He continued this faithfully until his demise. Wherever he may have travelled during the week, he made it a point to dedicate his time for his onerous task during the weekends. Designated the 'Master' by all and sundry in the area, he used his meagre pension to assist the needy students and all this he did quite unobtrusively. At Sri Palee, he passed the S.S.C in the English medium with Sinhala and Tamil as subjects. Very early in life he became an adherent of Buddhism which became a way of life for him. Duty and service were his key words and rarely did he take a day's leave, endowed as he was with a healthy life. Saba made use of the extensive library at Sri Palee and became well versed in literature and philosophy, both Eastern and Western. He had a preference for philosophers of the subcontinent, such as Shri Radhakrishnan and Tagore whose literary works he consumed with relish. He spent his leisure time as a student travelling the length and breadth of Raigam Korale mostly on foot accompanying friends with a similar disposition visiting places of historical and other significance. Naragala Ella was a favourite bathing spot for them. Saba was a walking encyclopedia where Sri Palee and Raigam Korale were concerned. He was a great raconteur and a favourite in social circles where his anecdotes even when repeated for the umpteenth time would be consumed with eager anticipation and rapture; a rare gift for a man. Saba was generous to a fault. His car was common property and was virtually driven to a standstill to help his numerous friends and others needing his assistance, usually at his own expense. He had no savings and no craving for wealth. Even a valuable property bestowed on him by his father near Balangoda, was gifted by him to his less well-to-do relations. He never married apart from his marriage to his dedicated profession as an exemplary teacher. In his beloved rural setting at Imbulpe, surrounded by picturesque hills and valleys, Saba was buried according to Buddhist rites amidst his numerous friends, colleagues, students and relatives. It is our hope and desire that we will meet again in our sojourn through Sansara and may that journey be meaningful and brief. Chandra Gunasekera He
sacrificed a lot for the betterment of Muslim education Dr. Jayah was a great educationist, a legislator, active social worker, brilliant orator and an exemplary Muslim leader who sacrificed a lot for the betterment of the Muslim education. From the time he passed the Cambridge Senior he devoted his entire time to the upliftment of the Muslim community in general and the country in particular. He said, "Youths are the trustees of the future". Once in a few generations a man is called upon to guide the destinies of a community. In 1921 Dr. Jayah assumed office as the Principal of Zahira College which was then a mere secondary school with 6 teachers, 59 students and ill equipped buildings just sufficient for a primary school. Within a span of 27 years Dr. Jayah made Zahira a fully equipped Muslim institution. To use his own words "The radiating centre of Muslim thought and activity". To achieve his ends, Dr. Jayah retained Zahira in an exalted position as a leading institution in the island and also urged Muslim children to fit themselves for the higher and greater responsibilities of life in accordance with the teachings of Islam. Under Dr. T.B. Jayah's dynamic leadership, Zahira College became cradle of Muslim education in the Island. Besides education, he played a significant role in politics to free the country from British domination. From 1924 to 1931 he was a member of the Legislative Council and again from 1936 to 1947 he was a member of the State Council. When Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) gained independence in a most amicable manner in 1948, he was appointed Minister of Labour and Social Services in Ceylon's First Cabinet. Dr. Jayah had the distinction of being Ceylon's first High Commissioner to Pakistan from where he consolidated the mutual friendship and co-operation between the two countries. In 1960 as a devoted Muslim Dr. Jayah left for Mecca to perform Hajj as it is incumbent on every Muslim who is physically fit and financially capable to do so. He set off with the idea of erecting a "Ceylon House" to enable local pilgrims to stay during the Hajj season. While at Medina, he fell ill and was treated by a specialist flown from Jeddah by King Ibnu Sa'ud. I
remember my late father Al-Haj M.L.M. Farook who served under late
Dr. T. B. Jayah at Zahira College, Colombo once recalled that before
Dr. Jayah embarked on a pilgrimage to Mecca in 1960 he said, "I
wish I could die in Medina, the city of Holy Prophet Mohamed".
Like wise Almighty Allah accepted his Dua (supplication) and on
the morning of May 31, 1960, Al-Haj Dr. T. B. Jayah passed away.
Such was his true love and immense devotion towards the deen of
Allah. Fowzul Aleem Farook
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