Appreciations
|
|
|||
|
A
man of humility, he never hurt anyone Amit and I were colleagues both in the Supreme Court service and as Hansard Reporters in Parliament. It was while we worked as Parliamentary Reporters that I came to know Amit's gentle, kind and exemplary character. As the fastest shorthand writers in the country, both the legal fraternity and the NGOs relied on us to record proceedings in courts and at international seminars in leading hotels. He was efficient, reliable, and never let me down or for that matter anyone. As we had to supply proceedings the very next day before the day's proceedings started, we worked late into the night - often going home at 2 a.m. One such case we worked on was the Arbitration case between Oberoi and the Ceylon Hotels Corporation which was heard by three British judges. It was here that I learnt of his gentle and gentlemanly manners.He would not leave office until I had finished my work and he saw me safely home. Many Members of Parliament sought his assistance to find them old speeches in Hansard for them to quote in their speeches. He obliged them willingly and speedily. He had a good memory and was a kind of "walking Hansard index”. Many a time he was a shadow Editor to erstwhile Editors of Hansard. They relied heavily on Amit and he didn't let them down, obliging them willingly and cheerfully. After I retired from Paliament, I joined the Islamic Development Bank in Jeddah as Economic Reporter. As Sri Lanka is not a partner of the IDB, this post was specially created for Sri Lanka purely on merit. After five years of service there, I decided to quit. Before I left, I wanted that place reserved for a Sri Lankan. My wish was granted by the authorities. My choice as my successor was Amit. He served the Bank with commendable diligence for one year and then resigned. The reason, I came to know later, was that he was a family man and could not live away from his wife and children. He was very fond of his mother and spent every Sunday with her. If anyone asked him to come for any activity on a Sunday, he would say, "I have to be with my mother. Sunday is kept apart for that purpose, I can't come". Thereby he earned the love of his mother and the reward that is promised to him by our Prophet (on whom be peace) who said, "Paradise lay at the feet of mothers." After my return to the country, Amit and I partnered as freelance stenographers in recording Admiralty Court proceedings in the High Court and proceedings in labour courts. By this time efficient English stenographers were a dying breed. We were eagerly sought after. We worked in some of the biggest cases in labour disputes. He won the respect of judges and lawyers alike. Amit was a perfect gentleman, humble, sincere, humane and witty. I remember once a member of his staff asked him "Do you know how to handle an e-mail?" He replied, "I do not know how to handle an e-mail but I do know how to handle a female.” The questioner was a female. He never hurt anyone. In my 30-year association with him, I never saw him pick a quarrel with anyone. Even if someone was rude to him, he remained calm and avoided his adversary's arrogance. The hallmark of his character was humility. His greatest magnanimity was clearly visible after he became the Editor of Hansard. He was kind and courteous. He moved with every one high or low. He cared for his subordinates. When they made a mistake, be it minor or glaring, he did not rudely summon them to his office and throw the script in their faces. Instead, he walked up to them, sat down by the computer, explained the seriousness of the mistake and had it corrected. It was because of this that there was a spontaneous overflow of powerful sentiments. His entire staff cried unashamedly when the news of his disappearance was announced by his driver. They still cry when he is discussed among friends. When I decided to migrate to New Zealand in 2001, I still remember how he walked into my house. Tucked under his arm was a copy of the Translation of the Qur'an by Allama Yusuf Ali. He expressed many regrets and summed up his farewell message with the words "You are not only my friend but you are my brother. I shall miss you always." When I got ready to come to Sri Lanka just before the tsunami, the first gift I purchased was for my dear friend whom sadly I could not see, not even his corpse, for it had already been buried. He was, in a sense, the last of the Mohicans - of the Reporters of the old Parliament. He exhibited genuine leadership qualities. He has left a void that cannot be filled by any one in the Hansard Branch. At least not for a long time to come. It is the belief in Islam that those who die violent deaths such as drowning, incurable diseases, childbirth and accidents receive a reward equal to that of a martyr (one who dies in a holy war). The Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (on whom be peace) has taught us, 'when you ask Allah for Paradise (Jannah) ask for Jannat-ul-Firdous. It is the highest heaven which lies directly under the "Arsh (the Throne) of Allah. I pray, May Allah in His mercy forgive his sins and grant him Jannat-ul-Firdous. M.C.A. Hassan A mentor
to journalists, he guided them like a father Mr. Subasinghe, a typical villager from Weweldeniya near Danowitta never forgot his village despite his education at Ananda College and subsequent job as a journalist in two leading newspaper companies - Associated Newspapers Ltd and Wijeya Newspapers Ltd. He joined the profession of journalism as a staff writer and rose to the position of Editor in several dailies, weeklies and periodicals where he left his mark as a thinking and creative journalist. He lived in the picturesque hamlet of Weweldeniya, just a few metres away from the Colombo-Kandy road surrounded by hills and dales. He belonged to the old school of journalism. Among his colleagues were Meemana Premathilake, D.D. Wettasinghe, Edmund Ranasinghe, Wally Perera, Nimal Perera, D.C. Ranatunga, L.E. Samararatne, H.K. Mahindadasa, Mahinda Karunaratne, Benedict Dodampegama, Elmo Gooneratne, G.S. Perera, Eamon Kariyakarawana and Wimalasiri Perera. Mr. Subasinghe who helped to mould public opinion for over four decades had the inspiration and influence of the greatest newspaperman in the history of Sri Lanka - late D.R. Wijewardene. He was a calm and collected man. He was simple and had few needs. But he was able to bring about a revolution in the fields of humanity, culture, arts and traditions through the newspapers he edited. He always attempted to be impartial and present a balanced view. Mr. Subasinghe trained in Fleet Street, was a source of inspiration to young journalists and helped many others including me to develop and sharpen skills. His compassion and kindness was boundless. He guided newcomers and taught them the secrets of the trade like a fatherly figure. He was the pioneering editor of the second era of the Sunday Lankadeepa published by Wijeya Newspapers. He was the editorial kingpin behind the birth of Wijeya Newspapers when it got publishing rights of the defunct Lankadeepa published in the former Times Building, Fort. He joined Lake House or the Associated Newspapers in 1953 when we were still in school. He came to Janata, the evening daily founded by respected editor Denzil Pieris. Denzil had chosen him and from the day he joined the editorial he showed his colours. Lake House at that time consisted of the best of journalists who later rose to great heights here and abroad. Mr. Subasinghe had the rare distinction of editing two leading Sunday newspapers - Sunday Lankadeepa and Silumina. Later he edited the Dinamina twice in the seventies. He had the ability to tackle tricky problems through his inborn satirical approach through which he won the hearts of all. He also used the same tactics to enforce discipline and punctuality among his men. He was a mentor to me. His generous advice and encouragement moulded and expanded my journalistic horizons. He once created a record by making the Silumina the largest selling newspaper in South East Asia. The takeover of Lake House in 1973 by the government under the pretext of broadbasing its ownership worried him. Although it was a bad time for him he took it calmly. Subsequently he joined the Wijeya and saw the birth of another newspaper group flourishing as he wished. Siri Ranasinghe A chance
meeting and a friendship of three decades The Burghers and the Tamils had begun migrating even earlier. But the brain drain began in increasing numbers when the standardization of marks for university entrance threatened the Sinhala elite in the south. In particular, Sinhala and Tamil doctors concerned about future prospects of their children were looking abroad to stabilize the future of their children. Dr. Theagan Kunaratnam and I are among the first in the mass migratory wave of the seventies. I left shortly after the attack on Lake House. Dr. Kunaratnam, who was the head of Colombo Municipal Medical Services, left in 1972. Neither of us knew each other when we were in Sri Lanka. But on one Saturday afternoon in 1972 when I was shopping in the Prahran Market in Melbourne I bumped into him. I spotted him as a Sri Lankan and we were delighted to find each other. The friendship that began that day lasted till he passed away on February 13, last year. In the seventies meeting a Sinhalese or a Tamil in Melbourne was a rare event because the flood of Sri Lankan migrants had not poured into this popular home from home in Australia. He was in Prahran - a popular market place - exploring the lie of the land. Then and there I invited him home for lunch. That was not the only way we bonded. To our pleasant surprise we discovered that his wife, Rita, and my wife, Rangi, were schoolmates in Jaffna. Up close and personal links from the past never fail to seal friendships. And so our relationship progressed over three decades. Over the years I learnt that he was a Major in the Volunteer Medical Corps. He was in the thick of the JVP riots in Anuradhapura caring for the injured Sinhala youth. It was an experience he never forgot. In Australia he was awarded the St. John's Ambulance medal by the Governor of Victoria. To this day I have yet to meet another father who was committed to his family like Theagan. He was very protective and everything revolved round his family. In his eyes his wife Rita and the three children - Renuka, Manjula and his only son Ishan -- came first. Perhaps, his attachment to his family is a result of the death of his distinguished father, Dr. Isaac Kunaratnam at an early age when he was a student. He played the role of the father that he did not have. Dr. Isaac Kunaratnam was a leading surgeon of the time and he served for quite some time in Galle. Theagan grew up in Galle -- a place that carried nostalgic memories for him. When he visited the south with me he did a detour to his old haunts in Galle just to touch base, as it were. When his father died of a sudden heart attack it was a great loss not only to the Kunaratnam family but also to the high society of the day. The list of pall-bearers (a list published in the Daily News as a ritual in those spacious days) indicates that practically everybody who was somebody was present at the funeral. Among them was the legendary Prof. E. F. C. Ludowyk, judges of the supreme court, politicians, Churchmen and socialites. Ensconced in the bosom of his family Theagan lived a quiet life. One of the regular features of his life in Melbourne was the annual Christmas party, presided over by him and his wife Rita. It was an occasion for his family and his circle of friends to gather round him. As far as I can remember that was the noisiest event in his life. Of course, when the grandchildren came he got used to a noisier life. He adored them. He was a devoted husband. A great father. Great grandfather. And a great friend. It was comforting to be with him. That's all that one can ask from a friend. My wife and I miss him. But his courageous wife, Rita, is there with us to carry on from where he left. H. L. D. Mahindapala A
friendly colleague Later on he continued his sporting activities to adult life and was a member of the railway cricket team for a number of years. Having left school he joined the government service and soon climbed to an important administrative slot in the Government Railway Department. He was an able administraand a friendly colleague to all. He was also a tower of strength to all his relations both in Panadura as well as in Kegalle. His colleagues remember him as being a soft spoken, well-mannered person with a magnanimous heart. Noel Wickremasinghe |
||||
Copyright © 2001 Wijeya
Newspapers Ltd. All rights reserved. |
