Appreciations
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Humane
doctor who lived a full life Ananda died in Oman on September 4 after a brief illness. His body was brought to Sri Lanka for cremation. In accordance with his wishes no obituary notices were published and the cremation took place on September 6. Amidst all these restrictions there were hundreds of people - his relations, friends, and professional colleagues as well as very many others whom he had helped as a humane doctor - who came to pay their last respects to Ananda. I came to know Ananda about 15 years ago when he was a young doctor. He was very friendly and cheerful at all times, and most generous with his time and expertise to anybody who needed his assistance. He was a "family" doctor in the true sense of the term to a whole lot of people. Although Ananda left Sri Lanka a few years ago his heart was here. Ananda visited the country regularly, sometimes twice a year. I know that when he was in the country in August he planned a project here with the intention of returning permanently to the country. But that is a dream that he did not live to realise. All of us who knew Ananda find it hard to reconcile ourselves to his untimely death. But we have the satisfaction of knowing that he lived a full life, performed his duties as a doctor humanely and meticulously, and left behind an enormous reservoir of goodwill and fond memories. Ananda is survived by his wife Dushyanthi, son Channa, as well as Ananda's mother, three sisters and four brothers. Shirley Jayawardena He
brought joy and laughter to all Uncle Nissanka was a student of S. Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia and captain of the boxing and swimming teams. His passion was music. He had a lovely tenor voice and he would sing lustily all the golden favourites and hymns. It was a joy to be around him. Our family functions were never complete without his impersonation of a night club dancer which would have us in fits of laughter. He would also cleverly get his shy nieces and nephews to perform to the family audience. He was the livewire of every get-together. We will miss him very much. As we grew-up and left the shores, he held our families together with his birthday cards and little notes. He was a wonderful father to his four daughters and a caring husband to his wife. Having lived 14 years in the Sultanate of Oman, he appreciated family life immensely and was a proud grandfather of five. His final years were spent serving God with his work at the church. Tearfully we bid farewell to our precious Uncle Nissanka whose memories will leave an indelible mark forever in our hearts. Nieces and nephews from UK A
physician and author Dr. Sathasivam was not only an eminent physician who rendered yeoman service to the people of Bandarawela, but also an author of several Tamil books depicting the lifestyle of the people of the hill country. With the passing away of Pulolyoor Dr. Sathasivam Sri Lanka has lost a great Tamil writer and author who guided and helped several men in their literary works. Dr. Sathasivam who had progressive ideas from his schooldays came under the benign influence of the late Mr. Kamadamurgesanar, a great scholar in Tamil literature. He was a source of encouragement and a tower of strength to young students. So much so that at the age of 19, Sathasivam won the first prize in the All-Island Tamil Language Competition. Thereafter he continued with his writings spanning a period of four decades. He was a charming, cultured, and sincere gentleman. He has done a lot for the betterment and upliftment of the people of Puloly. The great Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar had said that "a man is judged by what he leaves behind". In fact, he has left behind a good wife who was a dedicated teacher. She found happiness only in his happiness. His son who is a doctor and daughter who is a graduate have earned the respect of the community. Though his mortal remains were consumed by flames, his deeds, his tremendous service in the field of writing will remain.
Chelvatamby A
sincere person, full of life and vigour I met Mani about 25 years ago in Nairobi, Kenya and we have been good friends since then. I still can remember the day I met Mani and her husband Chula at the home of my friend Ivan. At that time in Nairobi there were about 20 Sri Lankan families. But I moved closely with the family of Ivan Fernando and the Ratnatungas. As I am a mathematics teacher I helped Mani's children in maths. Her husband who was the Chief Mechanical Engineer at the Kenya Breweries at that time and the three children Ranmi, Charitha and Sanji were like family members to me. I never wanted to miss a dinner given by Mani because of the delicious dishes and desserts she made. We enjoyed those parties organised by Mani very much. Almost every weekend there was a party either at Mani's or at her good friend, Rani's place. I left early from Kenya and came back to Sri Lanka to get married and later Mani and her family also came back to settle down. Since then every year we used to meet each other at Ivan's place on Christmas day to enjoy a grand dinner. Mani was a good artist and used to conduct classes for the children at her place. She taught art in an international school in Lusaka, Zambia. She was also good in sewing and I can remember many UN people visited her home in Nairobi for sewing. She was an active member of the Lanka Mahila Samithiya and a volunteer at Women in Need. After her death I came to know that she had been sick for a couple of months and did not want any visitors. I pray and hope we shall meet Mani again in the long journey of sansara. We lost an honest and sincere person who was full of gusto. May she attain the Supreme Bliss of Nirvana! Bandula Welaratne He
has left his mark both in Church and in society I remembered the late Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru's words to the world over All India Radio when Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated: "the light has gone from us." For us, Bishop Lakshman was the "light". I first met Bishop Lakshman when I was Secretary of the Trinity College Student Christian Movement in 1958. He had then moved to Peradeniya as the National Christian Council Peradeniya University Chaplain. Our Chaplain at Trinity, Fr. John Elliott, had invited the then Fr. Lakshman to do a Bible study with us at Trinity. It was an after-dinner meeting. Fr. Lakshman walked in with Fr. John. All of us in that room that night were highly captivated by this tall, fair, handsome priest, in his well-ironed white cassock. He was the focus of all our eyes. After the formalities, he wanted a passage from the Bible read for the study and discussion. The response was absolute silence. Looking back I think we were all so centred on his presence that we were not even prepared to read!!! So he said, "I am surprised, by the silence, anyway can we ask the Secretary of the T.C.K.S.C.M. to read." Thus began a twenty-five-year old friendship, 1958-1983. Reflecting on his life, his work and words, 21 years after his untimely death, the pertinent question is, what has he left behind? His contribution is multi faceted. He has left his mark both in Church and in society. A critical study of his legacy will make the student realize that what he was able to do could be traced to his home, education and worship. From this crucible emerged a well-rooted and grounded spirituality which he used for ministry and discipleship. I discovered this when I began the process of getting to know him. From Trinity I had moved to Peradeniya for my studies. As Chaplain he was more than a Chaplain. He became a friend. While living all alone in that spacious Chaplaincy he had enough room to make one of the rooms his private chapel. There he spent hours. He once said that he began the day looking at Jesus on the Cross and meditating on the absolute love of God for all creation and life. Sustained and nurtured by that kind of spirituality, Bishop Lakshman lived and worked in Church and society. His was a God-centred life. From that wellspring emerged his life as a human being, Christian and an ordained person. There are stories about his life after ordination from people in the U.K. where he worked for a while as a priest; then in Mutuwal and certainly from Peradeniya and Kurunegala. His last letter to me from Birmingham, a few months before he died said, "I have lived long enough to see you grow as a priest." Bishop Lakshman recognized growth in others because he was one who was prepared to change and grow under God. For example at Peradeniya when he was Chaplain he had reservations when we, his students in the Chaplaincy, organized help, medical and English classes for the "workers" living in the vicinity of the Chaplaincy. This was because he thought that they were squatters on property acquired by the University. But when the 1970 Government took over the estates and places like Kandy were getting "flooded" with the workers from the estates, Bishop Lakshman entered the scene to take care of them. To help these folk to earn a living, Bishop Lakshman began projects in plantation areas in his diocese, for example the basket-making project in Pussellawa etc. Bishop Lakshman's spirit of ecumenism went beyond churches getting together. His ecumenism was incarnational in that taking the theology of God in Christ becoming human, Bishop Lakshman led the way in the Church, the people of God serving humanity as the servant of the servants of God. It was this spiritual, ecumenical giant of our times, a first class in Political Science who lived and worked on the thinking that politics is the affairs of the polis, the city. His theology motivated him to enable the City of God entering the city of humanity. Bishop Lakshman's formation was in Fr. Basil Jeyawardene's, then St. Paul's Kynsey Road, under the influence of persons like Canon Foster and Dr. R.L. Hayman at Gurutalawa during the war days and certainly Fr. Celestine Fernando when Bishop Lakshman was a student at the then University in Colombo. All this made Bishop Lakshman enter the affairs of society in a very big way. Hence his bonds with the Christian Workers Fellowship, the Civil Rights Movement and Devasarana. His involvement in society was such that in the 1977-1983 era the then President J.R. Jayewardene once asked at a public forum in Dompe, "why are Lakshman Wickremesinghe and Tissa Balasuriya so angry with us?" The CRM responded to that Jayewardene intervention. It was, however, the national problem that became Bishop Lakshman's main concern till he died. Bishop Lakshman once told me that his brother Esmond had asked him to come back from Britain to participate in the post-1956 era in Ceylon. To this Bishop Lakshman responded creatively. At Peradeniya he organized studies and debates on the issue of the national languages. Through the CRM and as Bishop in Kurunegala he was involved in our society fully. In September 1983, he said, "I am one of those who has tried and failed to solve our national problem." This was his response to July 1983. Bishop Lakshman was also more than Kurunegala. He was involved with the work of the Sri Lanka National Christian Council, the formulation of a relevant syllabus in Christianity for O/L and A/L students.He was also involved with the Christian conference of Asia, the World Council of Churches, the Lambeth Fathers, the Anglican Consultative Council, the Church Mission Society etc. Therefore, when Bishop Lakshman died, the then Bishop of Ripon, David Young said, "the last voice from Asia is gone." I think it is time for those of us who knew and loved Bishop Lakshman, to work on his life so that we could leave for generations to come the legacy of Lakshman Wickremesinghe, Bishop. Sydney Knight |
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