Appreciations
View(s):The nation has lost a great personality
Prof. Carlo Fonseka
I came to know Prof. Carlo when he was a final year medical student in 1961 after my return from UK, following my postgraduate studies. I was appointed as Resident Obstetrician at the De Soysa Hospital for Women and taught him and others in the wards.
Although he was born a Catholic and had his education at Maris Stella College and St. Joseph’s College, he had leftist ideas while in the higher grades and thus had problems with the Rector, Fr. Peter Pillai.
As a medical student he became a member of the ‘Samasamaja Party’.
He was a brilliant student and passed with First Class Honours and Distinctions in the final MBBS.
After his internship in Colombo General Hospital, he was appointed as an MO to Gampaha hospital. He got married at that time to Pearl, his lifelong companion.
It was during this appointment that he gave up the idea of being a clinician, as he was newly married and he was getting disturbed several times at night from the wards. He joined the Physiology Department as a lecturer very soon afterwards.
He was a brilliant lecturer and was very much liked by the students. In addition to being a leftist and an atheist he became a rationalist and followed Abraham Kovoor.
He was so fond of him, he had Kovoor’s skeleton mounted in his office room, in the Medical Faculty.
He challenged the ‘gini pageema’ at Kataragama and proved that anyone can do the act of fire-walking without getting burnt, even after consuming alcohol.
In addition to being a medical man, he was very much a musician and was an admirer of my cousin, the great Sunil Santha.
His command of the Sinhala language was excellent and he composed many songs which are well known.
His song ‘Raththaran Duwe’ composed when his daughter got married is quite often sung at weddings.
He left the Colombo Medical Faculty, went abroad and subsequently returned to Sri Lanka.
Being a leftist he was always opposed to private medical education in the country, although in many parts of the world it was the accepted practice. Hence he was involved with the JVP in the 1980s after the J.R. Jayewardene Government established the North Colombo Medical College which was set up by Dr. G.M. Heennilame and several others from the College of General Practitioners, at the Ragama Hospital premises.
Thus, in 1981 the College of General Practitioners built the various pre-clinical departments in the land above the Ragama Hospital. The College built the 300 bed professorial units in the land adjacent to the Ragama Hospital. The JVP with the GMOA and the Dental Surgeons’ Association along with the lecturers and students of the Colombo Medical Faculty led by Prof. Carlo and a few others prevailed on the new President, R. Premadasa and in 1990 the College was taken over by the Government without any compensation to the CGP, which had spent over Rs. 100 million on the construction of the Prof. units, all the other pre-clinical departments and the three storeyed 350 bed professorial units; costing over Rs 50 million at that time.
It is in 1990 that I wrote several strongly worded letters, expressing my displeasure to Carlo as he was appointed as the first Dean at the Ragama Medical Faculty, which was established in 1992.
Twenty five years later, after seeing the products of the NCMC, Prof. Carlo told me that he was thoroughly impressed with the outcome of the NCMC and how its doctors have excelled in their careers.
He later became the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Medical Council. During this time I made an appeal to him to change the Constitution of the SLMC which was established by the British in 1929, along the lines of the General Medical Council in UK. At my request Prof. Sir Sabarathnam Arulkumaran from UK sent copies of the present Constitution of the GMC to Prof. Carlo expecting him to look into this and make amendments to the local constitution on the same lines. However, he did not bring about the required changes due to the strong opposition raised by the GMOA.
He always had high regard and respect for me. He attended the launch of my book titled ‘Memoirs of a gynaecologist’ which I published in 2017 and also attended my 90th birthday celebrations along with his wife, at the Jetwing hotel, although he was rather frail.
It was after his demise that I was made to understand that Carlo had kept all the letters which I sent to him long years ago, in safe custody.
The nation has lost a great personality.
May his soul rest in peace!
Prof. Wilfred Perera
Man of wit, great surveyor and most of all good friend
Samson Herat
Death has to take its toll sometime and Sammy must be laughing at all of us who are left behind – he was someone who found laughter in the most bizarre things. A funeral is a solemn occasion especially for the members of the bereaved family.He would whisper something in your ear, something funny, either about the dead person or the occasion that you had to suppress your laughter amidst all the mourners. I recall going to a funeral of one of our colleagues, who drank a little too much. Sammy looking down at the body said without batting an eyelid ‘He does not have to be embalmed’.
Leaving aside his wit Sammy was an exceptionally clever person. He did mathematics in college, got into university and excelled there as well. He had joined the Survey Department where I briefly lost contact with him. But I caught up with him there as I too joined the Survey Department later on.
He excelled academically in whatever he did. He taught many surveyors in his free time to pass the ‘Senior Examination’ and qualify for promotion. He obtained his MSc in Geodesy from a foreign university. He was appointed Superintendent of Surveys in charge of the Air Survey Branch. Air Surveys being a new concept to the Survey Department he worked hard to refine what had already been set up by Mr Murugesan, another brilliant academic.
I recall Sammy visiting my camp at Hingurakgoda on his way to inspect some surveyors engaged in ‘air surveying’. He had collected two other stragglers like me to keep him company. His stragglers comprised a Muslim, a Tamil and two Sinhalese. Such was the amity fostered by Sammy, something he had learnt way back in school.
Sammy became the Surveyor General and served diligently for three years. After retirement he joined the Sabaragamuwa University where a degree course in Geodesy and Land Surveying had just been started. He was conferred with a Doctorate by the university, but he never used the title Dr. in front of his name. He wanted it to be a secret.
I was his best man. My wife and family have been very close to Sammy’s family. The children went to the same schools. The wives recall the two families going in the Observation Car to Diyatalawa. The two families did a stint together in Bahrain.We had so much in common.
We are deeply saddened by his passing. Our heartfelt condolences to Ramani, the children Athula and Tamara, son-in- law Sampath, daughter-in-law and grandchildren.
May he attain the supreme bliss of Nibbana.
Neil Seneviratne
Versatile actress who strode the stage, radio, film and television
Chandra Kaluarachchi
Chandra Kaluarachchi, stage actress and versatile artiste in film, television and radio, wife of singer and musician Lakshman Wijesekera passed away at her residence at the age of 76 years.
Born in Narahenpita in 1943, she showed her innate abilities in the radio programme “Lamapitiya” at the tender age of nine. Later playing a role in “Wahalak Neti Geyak” by dramatist Premaranjit Tilakaratne, she won the ‘Best Actress’ award at the State Drama Festival in 1964 which had given her immense inspiration. In 1967 she played a grandmother in “Erabudu Mal Pipila”. Then in Gajaman Puwatha of Dayananda Gunawardena, first in the genre of “docudrama” which was introduced to the Sinhala stage in 1975, she portrayed the colourful figure of “Ranchagoda Lamaya”.
Chandra Kaluarachchi who was seen in the 1975 production would note with nostalgia the fact that almost all of the original cast was there in the new production, 31 years later.
Chandra came into Sinhala film in 1968 with a role in “Dahasak Sithuwili”. In all she had acted in about 40 films up to 2007. A few other popular films she acted in were “Weli Kathara” in 1971, “Bakmaha Deege”, “Thum man Handiya” and “Pauru Walalu”. Her last role was in “Nisala Guru” released in 2007.
I knew Chandra and Lakshman Wijesekera very well before migrating to Australia, having lived in the same neighbourhood. Both were very helpful, humble and down-to-earth personalities. Lakshman was a devoted husband who attended to family activities at all times particularly when his wife was unwell.
Chandra could be classified as one of the most versatile actresses in film, television, radio and stage in Sri Lanka.
May she attain the supreme bliss of Nirvana.
Sunil Thenabadu
The memories help us fill the void
Raymond Perera
Although it will almost be two years since your demise on January 17, 2018, we still cannot come to terms with the fact that you are no more with us having gone on a long journey never to return.
Not a single day passes without our remembering you. We, your wife, son Samudra and daughters Sarah and Chandhima remembered you on your birthday. The vacuum you have left is unbearable.You were such a gentle person to your children and family. You were faithful and dedicated to your bosses and friends. Everybody had a good word for you.
Those are the memories you have left behind. Your children too follow your footsteps.
Wherever you are we pray to God to keep you safe in his arms till we meet again.
May God bless you Raymond.
Nilani Perera