ISSN: 1391 - 0531
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Vol. 42 - No 07
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Let us carry on the work of this great visionary

~ Prof. V. K. Samaranayake

Much has been said and written about Vidyajoti Professor V.K. Samaranayake, often referred to as the Father of IT (Information Technology) in Sri Lanka, who served the country and very particularly the Colombo University. My memories of him during my student days in the Physical Science Department of the Colombo University are of a young lecturer, both brilliant and approachable who worked for the welfare of all students. Whether it was through his work with the World University Service (WUS) promoting student welfare and social action or in bringing good discipline through his role as University Proctor, he always achieved the “impossible” for the benefit of the students.

I vividly remember how he gave me a “guided tour” through his computer centre housing the Data General Computer, explaining his role as operator, programmer and manager. That was him -- he did it all.

During his chairmanship at CINTEC (Computer and Information Technology Council), he initiated the project to develop the relevant laws and his contribution in getting them passed was appreciated by the legal community. Amongst many other initiatives, I wish to mention one that concerned banking. Around 1993 he initiated a discussion group for the creation of a common ATM switch. After two years, the bankers still could not agree on the modalities of operation and the project never got off the ground.

Professor Samaranayake requested me to take it over and carry on through a Central Bank initiative. A meeting scheduled for January 31, 1996, 10.30 a.m. was cancelled at the last minute as one of the key persons was unable to attend. At 10.45 a.m. that day, the Central Bank was destroyed by the bomb blast. So sadly a great initiative which could have benefited the country never happened due to no fault of the visionary who initiated it.

On that fateful day all the computers at the IT department of the Central Bank went up in flames and it became my responsibility to suggest to the management the action to be taken to recover fast. The senior officers of the IT department of the Central Bank discussed with our vendor and other IT professionals on the ways and means of long and short term recovery. I kept in touch with my guru, Professor Samaranayake who offered his valuable inputs. Finally it was decided that, as an interim measure, we needed to get similar equipment to the main frame we lost and rebuild our data bases from the tapes stored at the back-up centre. The Central Bank did not have space to set up these computers. Government tender procedures to obtain rented space would have taken many months which we could ill afford. Professor Samaranayake called me and said, “There is some space at the 1st floor of the Institute of Computer Technology (ICT) at the Colombo University, use it and just pay the electricity charges”. He took immediate action when necessary and obtained the necessary approvals subsequently. That is how he helped the Central Bank in its darkest hour.

I was very closely associated with him in the “Y2K” project. As Chairman, he worked untiringly; going from meeting to meeting, presentation to presentation, media interview to media interview always shouldering the responsibility. We are proud that Sri Lanka achieved “Y2K ready” status much before many other countries in the region or even for that matter, some developed countries.

He was a member of the Computer Society of Sri Lanka (CSSL) and found time to keep in touch with and support its activities. As Chairman of CINTEC, which was the highest policy making body in Information Technology of the Government of Sri Lanka, he obtained formal recognition for CSSL, by allocating a place on its board. He helped the CSSL by facilitating the training of student teams they presented for international competitions of the South East Asia Regional Computer Confederation (SEARCC) through his role in the University.

Professor Samaranayake obtained Cabinet approval for declaring an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) week in October 2006. The 2006 SEARCC conference was held in Sri Lanka during this period. As Chairman of the INFOTEL society Professor Samaranayake was the Chairman of the committee responsible for organizing the exhibition, conference, workshops etc. for this event. This created a milestone in uniting all ICT related organizations.

Many great people are never acclaimed until they die. This however was not the case with Professor Samaranayake. I still remember the 10th anniversary celebration of the Institute of Computer Technology, of the University of Colombo in 1997, held at its auditorium, later very fittingly named the Professor V.K. Samaranayake Auditorium.

Many reputed persons acknowledged the great contribution made by him. I was so happy to hear such praise about him that I sent an email to my good friend, his brother, expressing my joy at the things that were said.

The ceremony held to say farewell to him on his retirement from the University in 2004 was another occasion where his unparalleled contribution to the Colombo University was acclaimed by many eminent persons. The video produced secretly by his colleagues at the University of Colombo School of Computing (UCSC), on this occasion, gave many of us an opportunity to pay a tribute to him.

None of us who attended the launch of the felicitation volume for Professor Samaranayake, “Partners in Progress” on June 4, 2007 could have imagined that we were in fact saying goodbye to him. His speech that day started with a Thank You to his late parents. He also paid a tribute to the late Professor Stanley Wijesundera, late Professor P.P.G.L. Siriwardena and also late Samanthilake of the UCSC. He ended by thanking his wife and two sons for their role in being his Partners in Progress.

To Samita and Nayana I would say – you should take solace in the fact that your father was very happy and proud of your achievements. To his beloved wife Sriya, I can only say that you should be happy of the life you had together, you were truly his “Partner in Progress”.

It is the responsibility of those that were inspired by his creativity, dedication and vision to jointly carry on his life’s work thereby paying a tribute he richly deserves.

By Nayeni Fernando

 
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Copyright 2007 Wijeya Newspapers Ltd.Colombo. Sri Lanka.