Appreciations
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He
excelled in diplomacy and peacemaking That was A.C.S. Hameed, the rotund politician from Akurana with a small physique and a large intellect. He was the first Minister of Foreign Affairs in independent Sri Lanka, a portfolio that was by tradition kept under the Head of State. The Jayewardene regime that came to office in 1977 was set to dismantle the decades-old social structures and revamp its ideology on a totally open economy. This needed a change in the foreign policy while maintaining the neutrality we were always proud of as a democratic society. J.R. Jayewardene no doubt, wanted a highly articulate, versatile, politico-diplomat to head the Foreign Ministry. He had no better choice than A.C.S. Hameed to take up that responsibility. Hameed the diplomat passed every test he faced with excellent accomplishment and what better tribute could one give him than what he earned from the tough negotiators of the LTTE? He was a man with far-sightedness and a man who had the patience to work upon it till he achieved it. His was a perfectionist approach, very well-seasoned with patience and linguistic excellence. He used his English language teaching experience to push through his diplomacy with pre-planning. "Indeed he planned his argument as if playing a game of chess. He treasured every word, in anticipation of an expected reply to which he had a contingency answer," says Adele Balasingham in her book "The Will to Freedom". In fact, his diplomacy made him the only political leader from the South to meet LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran to date. Adele Balasingham who was associated with peace negotiations with President Premadasa's government along with husband Anton Balasingham had high praise and respect for Hameed the diplomat in her book. Hameed had been a master at conflict resolution throughout his political career ever since he bade goodbye to the noble vocation of teaching. For Hameed it was his duty to resolve all conflicts and contradictions to keep the party stable and in line for political power. My political reading tells me that if Hameed was not among the leadership of the UNP the deep-rooted political tussle between the two major stalwarts in the UNP, Dudley Senanayake and J. R. Jayewardene, would not have left the party in a position to take power in 1977, though Dudley was no more by then. It was again Hameed who worked out a formula to keep the party firm and intact in 1994 when presidential candidate Gamini Dissanayake met with a tragic and unexpected death. It was Hameed who worked steadfastly to keep the flock together. Hameed was not only an international diplomat competent in handling foreign delegations and conflicting issues but also a very local, homegrown politician. Proof of it lies in his career as a people's representative in Parliament for more than 39 consecutive years - voted to Parliament at every election since 1960 by the people of Akurana. Though Minister of Foreign Affairs, he was never foreign to his constituency carrying with him the trust and loyalty of party members and all others, equally well. It is no easy task for a politician to be with the people of his chosen village and play diplomacy with international communities in this modern world. But Hameed was with the people in local politics till the end of his career and life. He is indeed an ideal for all future politicians whatever the colour of politics they choose.
Dr. Rajitha Senaratne Lawyer
and gentleman Bertram was a nephew of the partners and the last of the traditional legal family associated with the firm. He belonged to the third generation of lawyers and was the son of the late J. Aloysious Fernando who practised in Kalutara. He was known for his legal acumen and as an indefatigable opponent in court. Bertram, nurtured in the best traditions of the law, brought to his work a trained and cultured mind. He adhered to the tenets of the profession with dignity and took a strictly legal approach to a problem. This approach with warmth of conviction satisfied his clients. Paradoxically, it is said that his first reaction to a client's problem was to avoid litigation unless inevitable. But once in the fray he left no stone unturned to vindicate his client's cause. In
his retirement he continued to be on the directorate of many companies.
He also had time to visit and spend time with his children and grand-
children. May
God grant him eternal rest. His
medicine was empathy and sympathy During his tenure as a healer, rest was a luxury which he couldn't afford. The luxury which he had in abundance was the hearts of millions of people in Sri Lanka and around the world who are deeply saddened by the demise of their beloved guru. A saga which unfolded 50 years ago saw him treat patients from 140 countries free. From the late Pope John Paul II and other religious dignitaries, members of royal families, presidents, prime ministers, the rich and the poor - all were treated equally with his undeterred belief which he often quoted, "It's not allopathy, homeopathy, osteopathy or any other - ‘pathy’ but sympathy and empathy which cure patients." His relentless, untiring, selfless commitment to heal patients earned him a unique place in the BBC Dictionary as an example of a practitioner. He truly exemplified the definition of a guru. Guru in Sanskrit means teacher, derived from combination of two words: gu-meaning darkness or ignorance; ru-meaning light or knowledge. Guru is thus a person who leads you from ignorance to knowledge; comparable to a lamp which defies darkness and gives light. His unorthodox way of teaching produced many practitioners of international repute. His teachings were not confined to the art of healing but also to the art of living and human values. He inculcated and impressed upon his students the importance of caring for patients and the need for hard work. He often said: "There is nothing more important than patients." Hard work, he said was the key to success and quoted Archimedes, "As there is no royal road to geometry, there is no royal road to success". He lectured in more than 110 countries. More than 2,39,000 students from 137 countries have been taught alternative medicine at the Medicina Alternativa Institute in Sri Lanka. In affiliated associations worldwide, more than 3 million practitioners have been trained by him in alternative medicine. He pioneered a medical system where integration of all medicines is advocated as he believed that all medicines are made by man; but man himself is imperfect hence all medicines made by man are imperfect. With this humble spirit he integrated all medicines for the betterment of mankind. He has authored more than 87 books, most of which are bestsellers. More than one million copies of his book "Clinical Acupuncture" have been sold around the world and it is used as a textbook in acupuncture institutes in China and other countries. His extensive research revealed archaeological and paleontological evidence proving that acupuncture originated in prehistoric Sri Lanka. Our beloved professor will be present in all of us as we continue the legacy which he initiated with the spirit of serving mankind, as service to mankind is service to the Lord. May his soul rest in peace! Dr.
Selvakumar Principal
with principles My husband tells me that he was a strict disciplinarian who wielded the cane on errant schoolboys when found guilty of various misdemeanours. Thereupon I used to tell him that I could hardly believe that he did so, when considering the kind-hearted person he always was. When I met a couple of his loyal old boys from Kingswood recently, they commented on his sterling qualities and said he rarely resorted to punishment in this manner and that too only if the boys really deserved such treatment. All his former pupils have a high regard for him and some have even said that they are what they are today owing to the manner in which their old principal had influenced and moulded their early lives. He
was a gentleman to his fingertips, soft spoken and refined. When our daughter was born I asked my mother-in-law whether my father-in-law was disappointed in that the baby was a girl and not a boy to which she promptly replied that he was not sorry at all. Being the only grandchild, my in-laws lost no time in showering her with all their love. Our daughter reciprocated in good measure so much so that whenever they heard her crying as a baby, they used to come from next door to comfort her. I was fortunate to have such an adorable father-in-law and also a loving mother-in-law who did so much to make my life happy and enjoyable. Nilanthi Nonis |
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