The ugly face of indiscipline again raised its head at Royal and was the subject of many recent articles, chiefly relating to the son of Minister Keheliya Rambukwella. As an old boy of the school whose life at Royal was both joyous and playful, I write this note in disgust. For those who are unaware of this case, let me put you in the picture.

• Young Rambukwella was caught (he denies any involvement) with four other boys breaking into the office of the Senior Games Master Sudath Liyanagunawardene to lay their hands on a file that had all the evidence of a previous inquiry in- to the assault of another child at the school. The four boys mentioned were involved in that incident but not young Rambukwella.
• The five of them broke into the room using a crow-bar one evening, obtained the file they were looking for and left the school in young Rambukwella's car.
• A few boys including a hosteller had noticed the five culprits lurking in the area that evening and soon it was evident who the culprits were. The Principal, Upali Gunasekera requested the Vice Principal Mr. Upashantha to inquire into the matter and the four boys who participated in the break-in admitted to the crime, except young Rambukwella, despite the other four stating that Rambukwella was the chief culprit and that it was his idea to steal the file in question.
• Police were called in to the scene and fingerprints were taken as breaking into school property which belongs to the state is a criminal offence punishable under section 439/440 of the Penal Code and is not bailable.
• The Principal handed out a lenient punishment (perhaps taking into account the power behind the chief culprit) to the four boys who admitted guilt, of suspension from all co-curricular activities for a period of one month (later brought down to two weeks) and put young Rambukwella on a suspension of three months, since he denied his involvement against overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
• That was when all hell broke loose and the elder Rambukwella and his wife came to the defence of the young man. They were shown the written admission of the four boys, all of whom stated that indeed, young Rambukwella was right in the forefront of the action. A hosteller, who was passing on his way to studies also confirmed having seen young Rambukwella around the time of the crime in the vicinity of the Senior Games Master's office. Minister Rambukwella stood his ground and told the Principal that his son was innocent and that he should be exonerated without punishment and be allowed to participate in co-curricular activities, forthwith.
• What happened thereafter was not only ugly but vulgar.The Royal College Old Boys’ Union (RCU) at their monthly meeting on June 11 having been told of the incident by the Principal, passed a unanimous resolution proposed by Mr. Jed Gooneratne, Senior Partner of Julius & Creasy, that the Principal was right in his decision to punish young Rambukwella and that under no circumstances the boy should be let to go with a lesser punishment than that meted out to the other four boys. The old boys were furious, as discipline has been a high note in the priorities of Royal and all boys, however high and mighty their parents be, have been treated equally over its 173-year history.
• Come Friday, June 13, two gentlemen, one an Advisor to Minister Rambukwella and another, arrived at the school around 3.30 p.m. at the office of the Principal, insisting that young Rambukwella be exonerated forthwith and be permitted to participate in co-curricular activities promptly. The decision had to be made today, they insisted. This was because young Rambukwella could then participate for Royal in a cricket match in two days time (15th).
• Ironically, the Advisor happened to be a neighbour of the Senior Games Master and had been covertly pressuring him with drastic consequences, if the boy was not released without punishment. Eventually, under severe emotional stress, the Principal exonerated young Rambukwella and removed the punishment meted out to him. Young Rambukwella not only got off scot-free, he played for Royal that Sunday at cricket, even though it was a trial match.
• Three eminent old boys furious with the Principal for his let up, brought it to the notice of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who had just returned from a trip abroad and on Sunday (15th), were to call the Principal to remind him that discipline has to be maintained at all times and that he will back the Principal in all the actions he had taken to protect the good name of the school. The President had tried to get hold of both the Minister of Education Susil Premajayantha (who was out of the country) and Minister Rambukwella, but had not been able to do so. It was then that he called Principal Gunasekera.
• Even with the backing of the highest in the country, Principal Gunasekera was too scared to re-impose the initial punishment on young Rambukwella. So the boy was free as a bird!
• The Sunday newspapers were rampant with articles about the incident and quite unfortunately, some of them tried to nail the Govt, for the indiscretion of a Minister and his truant son.
• On Monday 16th, the Minister's Advisor returned to Royal, this time with a Director of the Foreign Employment Bureau, and requested the Principal to give him a letter to the effect that he and his colleague who visited the Principal the Friday before, did not in anyway threaten the Principal. By then, the Principal armed with the directions given to him by the President on Sunday, asked the Advisor to leave him alone and that he was not prepared to give the letter requested by them. They left the premises unhappily.
• The matter did not end there. Minister Rambukwella had obviously met the President with his version of events and on Thursday 19th, the President rang the Principal again and instructed him to issue a letter addressed to him, that Minister Rambukwella did not threaten him at any stage. This was of course true because it was not Minister Rambukwella who aimed veiled threats at the Principal, the Vice Principal and the Senior Games Master, it was his 'catchers'. The Principal had little option but to comply, and this he did.

What then in the final analysis are the effects of these actions? The discipline of the school has suffered irreparably. One set of rules for the high and mighty and another, for the sons of lesser mortals like us.

Minister Rambukwella himself as he says, is a sportsman, at the school by the sea. Another newspaper reported him as having said, "I captained the Under-15 team at the three racket sports I played but I am definitely not a racketeer."

Thomians must be holding their heads in shame at the actions of this Ministerial product! Esto Perpetua!

Shame on you Minister Rambukwella. Praise on you Mr Gunasekera for standing up to the might of powers in the name of Royal but shame on you for having given in subsequently.

Praise on the three old boys who took up this ugly incident with the highest in the land. Praise on you, Your Excellency for the right action you took at first and shame on you, for giving in to the unforgiving Minister, later. Shame on you Minister Premajayantha for not asking Minister Rambukwella to mind his affairs and not to interfere with school heads on matters of discipline, which come under your sphere of influence.

In the entire history of our school, this was the first intrusion from powerful politicians to circumvent what we have learnt over the years. Principals of the past would certainly have handled the situation differently. It was the British who began the formal school system in this country - and together with the American missionaries in the North - provided quality education after the old temple school era of yore. The colleges they started with hand-picked Principals and dedicated teachers nurtured generations of disciplined and well-mannered citizens, well-equipped to fill the administrative service of the country.

It was the late Viji Weerasinghe, that doyen of Royal, who said, "No-one was born noble, but thy character proves thee." All those involved in this saga, take note. It is now for the old boys to rally round the college flag and deride this kind of unhealthy interference. Otherwise Royal itself will have to "Disce Aut Discede".

PROBE (Patriotic Royal Old Boys Establishment)