Appreciations
View(s):D.W. ‘Bacon’ Abayakoon
Lawyer, visionary and grandfather
Winston Churchill once said, “You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.” In the recent history of Sri Lanka’s legal system, I believe that there has been no man who has done these words greater justice than my late grandfather, D.W. Abayakoon.
It was a Sunday morning, and I had just come back from brunch. My mother had been cleaning out her wardrobe, and discovered a small black box of newspaper clippings containing articles that dated back to when my grandfather had contested for the Bar Association Presidency. As I slowly read through the articles, I was reminded of a man; a man who in many ways I had always thought of as completely ordinary, yet in that moment, whose enduring courage, integrity and simplicity, seemed so extraordinary to me.
Having recently spent some time in Sri Lanka and witnessing first-hand the state of political affairs, I wondered whether perhaps it was the nation’s current desolate political landscape and the sad lack of integrity of many of its incumbent politicians, which allowed me to now truly appreciate the calibre of men such as my grandfather. However, context notwithstanding, I believe that the contributions of all those who once tirelessly fought for justice in the face of adversity, who spoke with unceasing veracity, and worked towards a good much greater than themselves, deserve to be remembered. And so, in light of his death anniversary, I would like to reflect on the achievements of a man whose greatness, I believe, was most importantly defined by both his strength and humility.
Affectionately known as Bacon or Donald to his friends and family, D.W. Abayakoon hailed from a legal family.He was the son of the late W. E. Abayakoon, District Judge and Chairman of the Public Services Commission, nephew of former Speaker, Cabinet Minister and Ambassador, T.B. Subasinghe, and brother-in-law of former Legal Draftsman, Nalin Abeyesekere.
Following in the footsteps of his forefathers, my grandfather was no exception in his aptitude for success. He served in the Attorney General’s Department as Crown Counsel for several years. He later contested on the SLFP ticket in 1978, and functioned as an SLFP member of the Colombo Municipal Council from 1979-83. A President’s Counsel with a passion for human rights and justice, he was also appointed Chairman of the Human Rights Committee, and concurrently served on the Legal Aid Committee. In 1993, he claimed victory as President of the Bar Association, in one of the most contentious Bar Association elections in Sri Lankan legal history.
However, it is not simply for his colourful career that I remember my grandfather. While he was no doubt a fine criminal lawyer as well as a skilful human rights lawyer, for me it was his qualities as both a leader and humanist that separated him from all those who preceded and succeeded him to date.
One of my uncles recently asked me, “What makes a good leader?” Before I had the chance to answer, he responded, “A leader is someone who has a vision and a commitment for supervision. Someone who sees things that others don’t.” And that is exactly what my grandfather was. He not only envisioned the future, but he also actively worked towards it.
Those who knew him would recall that D.W. was an avid supporter of minority rights. In particular, he very vocally fought for the rights of the Tamil population at the height of the civil war. While many people, including his Bar Association rivals used this to discredit him, what resonates with me most is how calmly he shrugged aside the criticism and continued to fight for what he believed to be right. He defended the poor, the vulnerable and the defenceless, even at times when it worked to his own detriment. A soft-spoken man in day-to-day life, I vividly recall that his deep voice carried an unexpected might when he rose to public address.
While many fight for right only at times when victory is assured, my grandfather was a man who never shied away from a battle, even when he knew defeat was imminent. He had no regard for winning popular opinion if it required compromising his own values. And he never once failed to champion a cause that he duly believed to be just. Suffice to say, he was a strong advocate for human rights and good governance, long before it became fashionable.
Unlike most Marxist thinkers at the time, my grandfather was one of the few who lived by the principles he espoused. He sought not to accumulate wealth, like so many of those in power today, but rather used what little he had to affect positive change for others. Whilst his ideological beliefs may have led some to consider him a bit of a revolutionary figure and a forerunner for change at the time, my grandfather was not one to assume self-importance or dictatorial tendencies. Rather, he carried himself with a quiet dignity and humility that won him the respect and admiration of both his supporters and his adversaries.
Recognising his qualities as a leader, former President Chandrika Bandaranaike, had asked him to contest for her in the 1994 elections, to which he replied, “I’m sorry, but I cannot be part of a system, which I no longer believe in.”
Recalling this story as I read the newspaper articles, I realised that my grandfather had been part of a dying generation of statesmen, who once fought for justice, peace and democracy without hidden intent; who willingly devoted their own lives and personal resources to bettering conditions for their fellow citizens; and most importantly, who envisioned a future of greatness not for themselves, but for
Sri Lanka.
Accordingly, the legacy my grandfather passed on to both his family and his country is not one that can be measured by wealth or money. Rather, it is instilled in the veneration and goodwill he evoked through his service to his fellow countrymen. While I believe my grandfather’s death is a great sadness for not just our family but for the country as a whole, I can rest assured in the fact that even 13 years on he continues to set an esteemed example for all those who follow in his footsteps.
Although at times it may seem that the journey to the future of justice, equality, honour and good governance he once envisioned for our nation is never-ending, this does not mean that we should stop trying. For the day we stop trying, the efforts of all those before us are in vain.
- Devoushi Cooray
Professor Mahroof Ismail
I will never feel you have left us
Papa, paps, papasudon,
You have left us but I don’t feel like you have. In fact, I don’t think I’ll ever feel like you’re gone. You are a part of me that I will carry for the rest of my life.
You have taught me how to be hardworking, humble and above all else, passed on your wicked sense of humour. I’m not the best at putting my feelings into words and the love I have for you and Mama cannot really be described in words, so, lucky me.
Just know Papa that I won’t stop loving you and never have I met a more genuine and caring person. You are my role model and if I can become half the man you were, I know I would have done well for myself.
- Aamil Ismail
ASOKA DEVENDRA
An illustrious teacher and Buddhist scholar
It was with deep sadness that I learned of the passing away of our beloved teacher, Asoka Devendra in January of this year. He was my class teacher at Mahinda College, Galle. In our pre-senior class he taught us arithmetic, geometry and algebra. He used very extraordinary methods to teach and it made a very undeniable mark on our young minds. I especially valued his method of proving geometry theorems using algebraic equations! I valued it so much I used it myself to teach geometry to my younger brothers and sisters. It was very heartbreaking when he left Mahinda to join the staff of the Maharagama Teachers Training College in 1953.
I still remember him stroking my head and his words that I was one of his best students and that I will do well in the future. I went on to enter the Engineering Faculty of the University of Ceylon and pass out in 1965 with Honours. I won a Fulbright Scholarship in 1969 to do my Master’s degree in the USA. I was to stay in the USA for the next 37 years but kept in touch with him through the mails. He was one of the pioneering teachers who were to shape my future. The other teachers at Mahinda who were to educate and guide us such as E.A. Wijessooriya, Peter Danthanarayana, H. Somadasa, D.A.P. Perera and Waidyaratna are also remembered fondly.
I always visited him with my family at his home in Maharagama whenever I came to Sri Lanka. I was truly amazed at his knowledge of Buddhism and how he taught us to lead a simple life and to apply the Buddhist doctrine to our daily life. On one occasion I took my friend who was a very high ranking officer in the Army to see him. He was at that time actively engaged in the war effort and was worried about killing of the enemy soldiers as he was a devout Buddhist. Mr. Devendra on that occasion was teaching one of his students in the garage of his home. I was again impressed by the way he explained the equation y=x^3 to that student and drew the curve represented by that equation on a little blackboard. This was the time he had given up his home next door and moved into a room next to the garage.
He explained that at that stage in his life his needs were very simple and therefore gave up the larger residence next door, again emphasising the need for simplicity in life. After finishing with the student Mr. Devendra gave us a very illuminating talk and it really helped my Army friend to put his mind at ease.
When I purchased the land to build the New York Buddhist Vihara I wanted his advice about the procedure to follow in donating the land to the Vihara. In reply he wrote me a long letter with the restrictions I should include in the title deed. These were mainly to preserve the Temple remaining a Theravada Buddhist Temple and prevent any commercial activity using the Temple premises. I have included them in the title deed and these restrictions run with the land and cannot be changed and are recorded in the Land Registry of the City of New York thanks to his foresight.
A few years ago I had to persuade him to come with us to attend a function of the Mahinda College Old Boys get together organized by the Colombo Branch. He came with reluctance but was only interested to meet some of his friends who taught at Mahinda.
So like all things an illustrious life has come to an end and he lived by what he preached and taught us all to lead a very simple life. May he attain the supreme bliss of Nibbana!
- Ananda S.C. De Silva