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Remembering
Nanda He was the
boss's nephew (only son of Mr. D. R. Wijewardene's sister, Mrs.
A. F. Senewiratne), but he put on no airs and had no desire to impress
anyone with his family connections or wealth. He was just an extra-friendly
guy who liked to talk to people, and it made no difference to him
whether they were peons, clerks, typists, managers or journalists
- he was equally happy in the company of the lowly and the great.
It was no surprise
to me to hear a close family member say that the garbage men who
came to their gate in Malabe in recent times, were extremely fond
of him because of the way he treated them, calling one and all putha.
That word came naturally to him, even when he addressed beggars
on the road. A vivid recollection
I have of him is his splendid car - a large and spacious limousine
it seemed, with folding seats that could be pulled out to accommodate
extra passengers. He was always generous with offers of lifts after
work to those who commuted by bus. I was pregnant at the time and
greatly appreciated his kindness on many occasions when he would
insist on our getting into his car with him and tell his driver
to go to remote Rajagiriya where we resided, a far cry from his
own home in Gregory's Road. That was typical of Nanda. Nanda was Transport
Manager at Lake House until he left when Associated Newspapers were
taken over in July 1973 by the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Government.
He rejoined Lake House for a few years during the UNP regime from
1977 but later left to work for Wijeya Newspapers Ltd., where he
remained up to the time of his death. He was a Royalist
and played rugger for Hartley House. Nanda was a graduate of the
old School of Agriculture in Peradeniya where he won the prize for
the best all-round student 1942-44. A carryover from this was, perhaps,
his love of gardening. "Things grew under the touch of his
fingers," his family said and the evidence was clearly shown
in the exquisite garden he created in their home in Malabe. His other love
was wild life, an interest shared with his wife, Clare. The two of
them would go off to wild life reserves and bird sanctuaries whenever
they could and Nanda became an expert photographer of birds and
animals in their natural habitat. His fine pictures
illustrated Clare's book, 'The sun at my back', and one of his colour
photographs won first prize at an exhibition of Wild Life Photography.
Their son, Viraj, too has inherited their love of animals. Nanda
was always very supportive of Clare and proud of her work as Editor
of the Lanka Woman from its inception in 1984. They met at Lake
House where Clare began her journalistic career and theirs was a
happy union of nearly 50 years. Growing up
in a devout Buddhist background, Nanda was extremely knowledgeable
about Buddhist rituals and practices and about the origins and procedures
of peraheras. "Relatives would often come to tap his store
of knowledge about these things," his son said. It was doubtless
the same background that gave him a philosophical bent and the ability
to remain unruffled by life's ups and downs. One of his favourite
sayings was "We must negate the 'I' in us." Right through
his life, he dispensed many kind deeds - "little, nameless,
unremembered acts of kindness and of love" which the recipients
will recall when they think of him. Nanda was a simple, kindly man who radiated goodwill to people and to all creatures - would that there were more like him around. - A.A.A. A
right Royal scheme Royal College
is a school established way back in 1835 and stands as one of the
leading educational institutions for boys. "But there is so
much that we can do to improve the facilities available for present
students." The school
has provided a silent yeoman service throughout the years and what
the RCU proposes to do is to ask Royalists, young and old, to take
a 'Loyalty Pledge' at a Ceremony to be held on November 21 at the
Navarangahala at 7.00 p.m. "It's somewhat similar to the Oath
taken by the young men of Athens - pledging their continued support."
All those who take the pledge for the project, which is the first
of its kind, will make a regular financial contribution to the RCU. Past and present
Royalists, parents and teachers are all welcome to take the pledge.
All those who take the loyalty pledge will receive a loyalty pledge
momento. Past and presents Royalists will also receive a Certificate
of Merit in addition. The objectives
of their new project will range from student and teacher welfare
to school development. "We found that the scholarship students
who enter the college in Grade Six find the entire procedure difficult
to come to terms with. No longer are they surrounded by people and
places they are familiar with. Add to that the fact that they have
to live up to an astounding number of expectations. It's a difficult
transition to make. Through this project, we hope to make the transition
easier and make them complete individuals proud of their Royal heritage."
With the monies
collected the RCU proposes to create a database for all students.
The database will include basic information about each student and
also his special abilities and talents. Through this each student's
CV will be available at the touch of a button. A careers desk will
be set up at the RCU office to assist school leavers seeking employment. Another initiative
of the RCU is to introduce a programme to supplement and support
weak students with required knowledge and skills. This will include
proficiency in English and communication skills. More sports activities
will also be funded by RCU. A document
that illustrates the history and traditions of Royal will be compiled
by a group of eminent old boys and introduced to all new students.
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