Appreciations
View(s):A business magnate but above all a fine human being
J. J. Ambani
In the course of life, we meet people we would have liked to have met earlier or associated longer than the time we shared with them. Jawaharlal Jamnadas Ambani better known as JJ to many, was one such person for me. I knew JJ for about 20 years but, had the privilege of counting him as a friend only in about the last six years. My wish is that we were friends for much longer.
Of Gujarati origin, born Sri Lankan, schooled at Ananda and Royal Colleges, he was in every sense a son of the Sri Lankan soil. There was never a compromise on that identity for him. Though primarily a business leader, his interests went far beyond the confines of trade, commerce and industry. He was quite at home whether playing golf at the RCGC or discussing socio political issues, sports, his varied hobbies that included photography and its obvious extension to wildlife. On socio political issues in particular, he held strong convictions and social injustice was anathema to him.
Conversations with JJ on varied subjects were always a pleasure and reflected not only on his extensive knowledge but, his willingness to share, listen and learn. Many who enjoyed the lighter side of his character with his infectious sense of humour and exuberance, may not have been privy to the sublime nature that lay beneath his outward personality.
His rise in the ladder of the tough business world was not easy but, to gloat over winnings or publicly lament his losses was not his style. Neither was ostentation for him. He shunned it as being offensive. This is not to say that his lifestyle was frugal but, it was never the ugly splurge that society is now accustomed to among a wealthy few.
Above all, his was a caring life. The concern he displayed towards friends and those working with him in companies under his control is legendary. He took immense pleasure in seeing them and their families living well and often outsmarting him in terms of symbols that have now unfortunately come to signify social status.
With another friend, I met him last March in his plush Braybrooke Place offices, attending to the final touches of the transfer of his businesses which he did successfully. That was to be my last in-person meeting with him. Over short eats and tea he told us that he had no more business worries to address but that his concerns were for the people who worked with him. He seemed confident enough however, that they will not be let down.
JJ lived the full biblical span of three score and ten years. He courageously fought a terminal illness for two or more years and met his maker with dignity on May 30. The grief and loss to his immediate family; wife Juthika and daughter Ravina on whom he doted, must be irreparable. My sympathies go out to them. Their grief is shared by so many who were fortunate to have known their loved one.
JJ Ambani was a Chartered Accountant by profession, a business magnate, and indeed a wealthy and generous man, but above all; he was a fine human being and that is exactly how he would have wanted to be remembered. Speaking for his fellow “Walkers” at the SSC; we will sorely miss him but will certainly cherish his memory for long years to come.
Gota D.
A simple, sincere, and noble person
James Henry Lanerolle
James Henry Lanerolle was one of five candidates who were successful at the Ceylon Civil Service examination in 1951. He held many prestigious positions in the Public Service and subsequently seconded to the corporate sector.
He was the first Managing Director of the nascent Industrial Development Board and participated in the planning and establishment of several promotional agencies launched and nurtured by the Board, including the Investment Information Bureau, the Technical Services Agency, the Exports Promotions Agency, the Industrial Estates Agency and the M.D.P.C (now the NIBM) etc.
He left the Public Service in 1973 and lived abroad for some time and was re-employed as a Counsellor at the Sri Lanka Embassy in Washington DC, USA where he was in charge of economic affairs and later served as Secretary, Ministry of Shipping, Aviation and Tourism where ‘inter-alia’, he participated in formulating plans for the new airlines and major improvements in the Colombo Port. He was then appointed Secretary, Ministry of Power and Energy and Chairman CEB, and was also the Chairman of the Special Committee on Energy. A 15-year development plan for electricity which included provision for coal-fired thermal generation plant was prepared under his supervision. Further he was employed by the Commonwealth Secretariat as Advisor/Liaison Officer to the CHOGRM Group on Energy. Some of his close associates were D.I.P.B.S. Siriwardena, W.T. Jayasinghe, David Loos and Bradman Weerakoon.
In 1984 he joined Upali Newspapers Ltd as Managing Director. He developed immense love and respect towards his employees maintaining a close rapport with them and at times being personally involved in resolving their individual problems. He opened doors to many young budding journalists, listened to and valued their views.
A simple, sincere, and unassuming person with a noble and magnanimous heart, James Henry Lanerolle was an outstanding student at Richmond College, Galle where he won the prestigious Darrel Medal for the best academic achievement, actively participated in oratory, debating, literary activities and athletics. He was also editor of the College Magazine, Head Prefect and went on to obtain an Honours Degree in Political Science from the University of Ceylon.
He cherished his schooldays and the education and values he received from Richmond -to strive to be humble but at the same time cultivate good qualities, honest persistence of hard work and of achievement. He loved the School hymn and remembered it word to word.
‘Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less’- the quote by C.S. Lewis, vividly brings to life the way my Uncle lived. He was indeed a humble and honest man who walked the talk of his learnings. He used to remind us most often that ‘It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God…’
The eldest son of W.A. Lanerolle and Lilian Lanerolle, he spent his entire childhood in Galle, Richmond Hill. The eldest of seven children, two younger brothers, Cyril and George, and four younger sisters Kathleen, Rose, Dora and Rachel, he was ‘Loku Aiya’. For the nieces and nephews, he was ‘James Mama’.
In 1963 he married Lilani Dias and they have a son, Dr Rushika Lanerolle, a loving daughter-in-law and two grandsons, whose company he enjoyed very much. He was a loving husband, father, and loving son to his parents. I remember how my grandparents used to sit outside under the porch and wait for his arrival. He sat on a certain chair in the house and always hummed a song when he was not chatting. I was attached to a British organization and whenever I met him his question was ‘when are you going to be the High Commiss-ioner?’ He was always cheerful and used to crack many jokes with his nieces and nephews.
We will miss you, but we have many fond memories to cherish and smile over. May your soul rest in peace until we meet you, James Mama.
“And we know that God works all this together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.” – Romans 8:28
Savanthi de Silva nee Gurusinghe
Man with a vision for rural development
Amaradasa Gunawardena
My oldest memory of Amaradasa Gunawardena goes back to the days when we were students reading the magazine “Sanskruthi” that carried important articles on Sinhala literature. One of its editors was Amaradasa Gunawardena. My personal acquaintance with him began with an official engagement when I was appointed to the Polonnaruwa District as the Additional Government Agent in February 1975.
The gentleman occupying the Government Agent’s Office in the Kachcheri was Amaradasa Gunawardena – a simple, soft-spoken, friendly person. The formalities of a newcomer disappeared soon, leading to a brotherly relationship. I found this attitude was a common narrative in him extended to clergy, politicians, subordinates and the public. In time, his qualities of informality, friendliness and brotherly love extended to our families in abundance, ably navigated by Mallika, his loving wife and children.
Polonnaruwa, a district of irrigated colonization schemes in the main, with a comparatively lesser number of purana villages, opened vast opportunities for him to focus on people’s needs, based on his cumulative experience as an Assistant Commissioner of Agrarian Services and Land Development Officer. He carved his way to be an excellent Government Agent in an agricultural district that faced challenges in natural disasters, irrigation, land administration and agricultural planning and implementation.
He wished to be explorative in development issues and concurrently people-centric. Not many are aware that he was one of the district officials who thought of the Maduru Oya Scheme. He explored the old dam sites, ruined canal systems with parliamentarian Leelaratana Wijesinghe and General Sepala Attygalle, Colonel Prasanna Dahanayaka et al. His visits to the old sites, Yakkkure village, enjoying kurakkan pittu and honey at the tiny Yakkure village school with the people showed his enthusiasm to combine exploration while being rural folk-centric. He organised the Thamankaduva Milk Producers’ Cooperative Society and was its President until 1980. Value addition in milk, infrastructure building for milk farmers in an organized manner resulted from this exercise.
This grassroots involvement was observed in other cultural and religious activities too, which was best calibrated in the organisation of the Poson Perahara with public support that attracted thousands of pilgrims who visited Polonnaruwa the day after Poson Poya.
He organised a group “Ape Kattiya” with those who served in Polonnaruwa that later did development projects in the district. While in Polonnaruwa he was into broadcasting Sinhala radio programmes on socio-cultural subjects.
From Polonnaruwa, he joined the Ministry of Plan Implementation and was the Director in charge of the Job Bank Scheme and coordinated the instant lottery which has expanded its scope greatly now. He was later appointed as the Secretary to the State Ministry of Power and Energy and Deputy High Commissioner in Australia. The Sandeshaya programme he initiated while in Australia was a great attraction then.
His attachment to his university life was reflected in the organisation of the Past Residents of Ramanathan Hall of the University of Peradeniya annually. He was the first President of the State Administrative Services Association (SASA) serving for five years and was instrumental in initiating its branches in outstations.
Upon retirement, he did yeoman service leading several voluntary organizations. He was the President of the Sri Lanka Council for the Blind, the Sri Lanka China Society, and the Sri Lanka Belgium Association. He served the visually impaired, mobilized foreign assistance for a large number of grassroots projects around the country such as pre-schools, drinking water schemes, offered scholarships to needy students, houses for Tsunami affected, etc. President Maithripala Sirisena honoured Amaradasa Gunawardena by conferring him with the ‘Deshamanya’ honour in 2017 for his services to the nation.
He was active in planning and implementing these activities and was a ‘Supervisor Extraordinary’ to ensure the projects were completed and handed over to the clientele punctually. Up to his last breath, he was pursuing these activities. His departure created a large void but fortunately, he had developed a second-tier in all these organizations for sustainable continuity.
He departed a year back, but proving the truth of “Roopam jeerathi machchaanam, Naama goththam najeerathi.” Even in his absence, his name will ever glow in society for the service he rendered as a public officer and humanitarian.
May he attain Nibbana.
Austin Fernando
He lived his life the way he served the police
SBW DE SILVA
Seekku Baduge Wimalasena De Silva, well known as “SBW,” departed this world on June 25. He was a household name in the police, and enjoyed the respect and admiration of society for he was an exemplar of honour, rectitude, honesty and principles.
SBW lived the way he worked as a policeman, and he applied to his profession, the same principles he observed in his private life. He left no room for anyone to find fault or raise questions; and he assiduously practised the same standards in his profession.
To think that I sing praises of someone who retired only as a Senior Superintendent of Police may confound many. What requires to be told is how and why he retired prematurely, at a relatively young age of 51 years. Of course the rank of SSP was a highly respected post then, whereas we now cannot escape brushing against a surfeit of Senior DIGs and DIGs.
SBW retired prematurely because the way he lived and worked convinced him that he should not accommodate the injustices evident in the 1970s and 1980s where juniors, abetted by politicians, plundered promotions at the expense of the line of seniority. To a good officer, his place in the line of seniority would at all times be sacred and inviolate; and in the case of SBW, he was not the type to chase after a politician to protect and safeguard his position in the line of seniority. How he reacted to an injustice was not to fight it with unjust methods, but to retire from a service in which he had lost all hope. In a way, by such premature retirement, he exercised greater prescience than all of us, for he knew exactly which way the wind was blowing.
But the service lost a unique officer, not only for his sterling ethics and qualities, but also his knowledge, experience and efficiency. He adorned the roles he played in the CID and the Intelligence services. He is yet talked about as being a model officer in charge of police stations, and probably the best director of police training, basic and advanced. SBW received the baton for the best overseas student at a course steered by the Metropolitan Police in Hendon, UK. It was unfortunate that those in the highest seats had failed to exploit this remarkable achievement. It was a tragedy that his full potential was not tapped. His enormous and exceptional talents and skills could have helped the service bloom if there was an environment propitious for the growth and development of the service.
Having known SBW well for long, I feel that he would have been a unique asset in respect of reforms and far reaching changes to the police. At one time, and hopefully if the wind blew my way, I had in mind to canvass the expertise of SBW and another officer who is no more with us, Achilles Joseph, to completely reorganise police headquarters. SBW, with his sharp intellect, probing mind, capacity to see the larger picture, and above all, his unerring skill to spot loopholes in any situation, would have been ideal to help usher reforms to the service which is desperately in need of them.
SBW never sought material assets. He did not chase after prominence or a “place in the sun”. He derived great pleasure from being the fulcrum of the Retired Senior Police Officers Association for countless years, a service he rendered selflessly. He was a role model not only to those who aspire to be professionals, but in the art of living as well. He was a martinet, because the compromise of sacred principles and ethics was alien to him.
SBW was a good Buddhist in every sense, for when living, and at work, he kept a considerable distance from craving, desire, acquisition, and ambition: All he sought at work was a sense of fulfilment and achievement. We express our profound sorrow to his grieving spouse Dharma, and his daughters. We have already seen ample proof as to how they had imbibed the ethics and values of a truly great human being, a legend of the police.
Merril Gunaratne