Appreciations
View(s):MANGALA MOONESINGHE
An old friend is no more
Lawyer, parliamentarian and diplomat, Mangala Moonesinghe as he was popularly known, passed away recently at the ripe age of 85 years. My good friend Nihal Seneviratne, former Secretary General of Parliament, paid a handsome tribute to him a few days ago and I thought I should also pay my felicitations being a long standing friend and associate.
Mangala celebrated his 85th birthday at his residence at Park Flats with a very few friends. I and my wife, Shakuntala, are very happy that we were able to join a very small number of friends to participate in the event.
Born in July 1931, he belonged to a family long dedicated to the study, practice and propagation of the Dhamma. He was closely related to Anagarika Dharmapala who undertook with great commitment and dedication to revive Buddhism in Sri Lanka in the early 20th century when the practice of this great religion was in jeopardy with foreign influence.
He had his secondary education at Royal College, Colombo, a Government school not committed to any religion or community but equally open to all sections of the population. It was an atmosphere in which students were able to study among colleagues from different religious and communal background. At the time English was the official language and the common factor that bound together the Sinhala and Tamil students. Now all three languages are taught in the school.
Mangala joined Royal in 1943 and was well known as a pole vaulter. I was myself at Royal at that time but a number of years behind him. He did not know me then but I knew him as a senior and a sportsman. At that time at Royal very few undertook pole vaulting. I could well remember at one of the College sports meets a handful of athletes participated in pole vaulting. As the bar was raised several times participants dropped out and finally Mangala was left adding gently to the height he was able to clear.
I still remember vividly in his final year at the sports meet he was challenged by Gamini Goonesena, the well known cricketer of Royal and Sri Lanka. At one point Mangala was unable to clear the raised bar in the first two attempts. On the third and final round the bar tilted and unfortunately fell down. Gamini was able to clear one or two more bars and was the winner of the pole vault event that year.
After leaving school Mangala proceeded to UK to study law and qualified as a lawyer at Middle Temple in London and later was an advocate at the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka.
After returning to Sri Lanka, apart from practising as a lawyer he took to left wing politics where his cousin, Anil Moonesinghe, was an established figure in the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) led by outstanding personalities such as Dr. N.M. Perera and Dr. Colvin R. de Silva.
In 1960 March general elections Mangala unsuccessfully contested the Bulathsinhala seat in the Kalutara District as a candidate of the LSSP. However, in the July Elections that followed it was a sure seat for the anti-UNP forces with a no contest pact among the anti-Government parties. However, the LSSP decided to nominate for that seat Edmond Samarakkody, who contested the late Prime Minister D.S. Senanayake at Mirigama in the 1947 elections and was a veteran of the LSSP. By the time of the next general elections in 1965, Samarakkody had left the LSSP with some others to form their own party due to ideological differences and Mangala was then the obvious choice of that party for Bulathsinhala. Mangala won that seat though the UNP formed the Government under Dudley Senanayake. From 1965-1970 he remained a Member of Opposition in Parliament.
I came to know Gnana Coomaraswamy in the Peradeniya Campus of the University of Ceylon from 1955-1959 and we both specialised in Economics. After leaving the university, I was a frequent visitor at Gnana’s residence in Barnes Place, Colombo 7, as she lived with her sister Meena Ratnam, wife of late Dr. Kumaran Ratnam, one time Mayor of Colombo who ran the Ratnam Hospital at Union Place. I was an observer to the developing romance between Mangala and Gnana. They have a son and a daughter.
Always with a ready smile, Mangala had friendly relations with members of his own political party and rival political parties. Tall and handsome he had an outstanding personality. At the same time he had the innate ability to walk with the highest without losing the common touch and mixed freely with ordinary peasants and workers.
In mid 1970s Mangala left the LSSP because of the policy differences and joined the SLFP influenced by Anura Bandaranaike, a leading figure of that party. In the 1977 general elections, which was a landslide victory for the UNP he was defeated in his own electorate Bulathsinhala but gave a good fight to his opponent.
In the 1994 general elections, although his party SLFP won under the leadership of Chandrika Kumaratunga, he was unable to win the seat in the Kalutara District in the newly introduced proportional representation system. He concentrated on his constituency Bulathsinhala and neglected other areas of the district which also counted under the new system.
The Government then sent him as a diplomat as the High Commissioner for Sri Lanka in London. Thereafter he assumed duties as the High Commissioner in India in New Delhi. He was in India during a difficult period when relations between the two countries were far from satisfactory. However, he used his charm and diplomacy to maintain good relations with those who matter in New Delhi.
At one time when he was out of active politics he played an important role in the establishment of Marga, an institution established by Godfrey Gunatilake, a former civil servant to conduct studies on political, social and economic matters of interest to the public.
Mangala had no enemies but only friends. Political differences were confined to the political arena and never beyond. His charming wife Gnana, whom we had known for a long period, is herself well known as a writer of short stories, a book on Buddhism titled “Thus have I heard” and numerous articles to leading newspapers on current affairs.
Mangala will be remembered by friends, political associates and political opponents for his charming and friendly demeanor always with a smile.
May this gentle personality living with good-will to all, the noble quality of Buddhism of Metta, realise early the peace and contentment of nibbana.
May all beings be well and happy!
- Rajah Kuruppu
Nadeepa Dharmasiri
A borrowed Angel
It was the night before Christmas
And as I knelt before the crib
I prayed for a baby brother
He was my Christmas wish.
Along came September the following year
A bundle of joy arrived with full cheer
The light of our home; my baby brother
He filled our hearts with love and
laughter.
Little bro, you were always there
To lend a hand when life wasn’t fair;
Through thick and thin, we laughed and cried
The loving bond was never untied.
A life so young and yet so sweet
A boy with a gift, a gift of love,
Whe God called you home you didn’t think twice
As glorifying God was always your choice.
I’ll miss you so, I cannot lie
But I’ll go forward with head up high
For in my heart, you’ll always be
Moving forward you with me.
You are an angel in heaven above
Safe in the arms of God’s pure love,
Watch over us with a glorious shine
Rest in peace, little brother of mine.
- Loving Akki, Navodi Dharmasiri
DOREEN VITARANA
A gracious lady who enriched the lives she touched
It’s a year since the passing away of my mother-in-law, Doreen Esmee Vitarana on September 8, 2015.
Every human being is unique. And, there are a very few whose lives will profoundly impact the lives of others in unforgettable ways. When such people touch our lives we are blessed because their positive influence is permanent. My mother-in-law was one such gracious and admirable human being. Her love and company will be missed forever.
Our hearts are full of affection, gratitude, appreciation and honour for her. She was a devoted wife, caring mother, lovable grandmother and a very good friend to all.
Born to Joseph and Freeda Ranasinghe, she had two elder sisters Sheila and Renee. She began her education at Holy Family Convent and completed her studies at St Bridget’s Convent, Colombo. She married my father-in-law, Nihal Vitarana and was a great support to him when he worked in Sri Lanka and also in Dubai for 17 years.
When the children were in school, she lived in Colombo ensuring that the household ran smoothly and they were well cared for. Wherever possible, she would travel to Dubai to be with her husband. However, when the children completed their studies, she spent more time in Dubai. Both family and friends in Colombo and in Dubai adored her. Her culinary skills were par excellence and she was also a great host, a hallmark of her character. One would not ever visit her home in Colpetty or in Dubai and return without having tucked into a mouthwatering meal prepared by her while enjoying her company.
She treated all alike. Be it her three children, her sons-in-laws or her daughter-in-law. She kept the family bound together. Her traditional Sunday lunch was one we all looked forward to. The menu she meticulously planned throughout the week with much care. Unless someone had a valid reason for not attending or a family member was overseas, it was mandatory for the close family to have Sunday lunch at her home. It was a much-loved practice she devotedly continued until the week of her demise.
Though she was the youngest of the three sisters, she performed the role of the matriarch. She hosted family for birthdays and other functions and most importantly she hosted the Christmas dinner also for the extended family for years. It was an event no one wished to miss. She was a devout Catholic who went to mass every Sunday, but never imposed her beliefs, even where her closest family were concerned. She practised compassion towards other beings to the last letter.
Everyone felt welcome in her home and there wasn’t a single day that she didn’t greet one with her infectious smile and lovable personality. She had an admirable ability to relate both to the young, of every age group and with the not so young and also those socially affluent but mostly to those not. If one had a personal issue they would seek out and confide in “Aunty Do” as she was better known. And, those who did were assured of valuable advice and a strong hand of support.
She also had an adventurous side to her. Having travelled to all continents, her most memorable was the overland camping trip she embarked on with her husband. For over 30 days they travelled in their new car from England to Sri Lanka, through most countries in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, and also the infamous Khyber Pass. The memories of this trip, she cherished forever.
She was a very good pianist and enjoyed classical music and opera. As members of the Colombo Symphony Orchestra, she and my father-in-law seldom missed a performance. They had a wide circle of friends some of whom were much younger in age, but loved her company. My father-in-law was an ardent cricket fan and having watched the game of cricket with him, she developed a rare knowledge of the game. Her knowledge used to surprise many her age and even those younger. In her free time she used to sew as she was an excellent seamstress but mostly she enjoyed her crocheting and was a master of the art. This kept her busy and there was never a moment when she lay idle.
Over the years, she kept in touch with her sewing group and her old Bridgeteen friends whom she met monthly. She kept her interest in these groups even though most of the friends bowed out silently due to age and illness.
With her kind, caring qualities she never showed her true age. Her life was rich and complete. Hers was a life most would have loved to live. A life not measured merely by material comforts, but of basic human qualities that she displayed and shared with others that brightened many lives. We are all honoured to have been part of her life. And, part of a family.
Mummy, we will miss you so much, but you will always remain in our hearts forever.
- Nilam Jayasinghe
SHIFA ZAIN JALEEL
She soothed my heart
I called her Shifadhatha and she was like a mother to me. When I had problems, she would give me advice that would soothe my heart. Her lovable qualities are shared by her five siblings.
Shifadhatha was always very soft-spoken. Even to her domestics, she was so caring and concerned about their wellbeing. Whenever I visited her she was always so bubbly and concerned about my husband and children, inquiring about their progress. I do not think there will be another golden lady like her now or in the future.
If I had to relate everything about her, 24 hours would not be enough. I pray to Allah Subuhanahuwa Tha’ala that she will attain Jennathul Firdous.
- Zanuha Ismail