Appreciations
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Remembering
a rare General It was a great privilege for me to be his ADC (Aide De Camp) when he was Army Commander. Having earned due promotions, he rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel on January 1, 1980 and was appointed Commanding Officer, Sri Lanka Mechanical Engineers on the same date. Subsequently he commanded the 1st Battalion Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment, 1st Reconnaissance Regiment, Sri Lanka Armoured Corps and 1st Battalion, the Rajarata Rifles. Thus he had the rare opportunity of commanding four different battalions. He was appointed the Commander Northern area in 1985 and thereafter Southern Commander and General Officer Commanding 1st Division and Commander of Combined Operations in 1989. He was responsible for the security of the Colombo Metropolitan area too. His strong personality mixed with intelligence and efficiency paved the way for his promotion to the rank of Major General, upon which he was appointed Chief of Staff in 1989. On November 16, 1991 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General and was appointed Commander of the Army. Having rendered more than 34 years of distinguished and unblemished service to the army, he retired on January 1, 1994 and was promoted to the rank of General with effect from the same date. General Waidyaratne, on retirement was appointed the Ambassador for Sri Lanka in Thailand and continued to serve the nation as a diplomat. The last I saw of this great gentleman was when I went to see him at the Asha Central Hospital, to say goodbye and good luck. I remembered he spoke a few words with me and left the hospital to the airport to go to India for an operation, which sad to say, was not a success. His life ended on December 18, 2001. We were extremely distressed to learn of the demise of General Waidyaratne. His death was a great loss not only to the Armed Forces but also to the nation as a whole. He
was married to Thillaka Jayawardane who hailed from a military family
herself. Her grandfather, Colonel T. G. Jayawardane, was the first
Sinhalese to command a unit in colonial times — the Ceylon
Light Infantry in 1921. He was presented with the Prince of Wales
Colours by the Prince on March 22, 1922. Her father was Major T.
F. Jayawardane also from the Ceylon Light Infantry. My
Seeya, my best friend As a child, I was always told that God sends angels to protect us in this world. My Seeya was truly one of them. God decided to make my life a challenging one from the time I was born. From an early age, I knew that I was different from so-called “normal” kids. In Sri Lanka, society’s reaction to a person changes dramatically based on his disabilities. It is a traumatic experience fraught with much heartache both for the individual concerned as well as his loved ones. As a child and later as teenager it was difficult to come to terms with my life. Together my parents, my Seeya and my brother helped me to face life, much scarred by a narrow-minded society. Seeya would always boost my confidence when the chips were down. When I started school for the first time, the distance from the main gate to the classroom was a five-minute walk, but it seemed like an eternity as I was afraid to go in front of a slightly critical audience. This went on for over a year. Seeya used to take me to school every day and never once got angry or lost his patience with me. He had this fascination for calling me and my brother by our full names. In turn, we called him Mr. Pintoe. Mr. Pintoe, you gave me the confidence and the willpower to face life, to overcome the obstacles that life put in front of me. You were one of the handful of people who believed in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself. You said that I would go places in life.Yes Seeya, I will. Words cannot convey the admiration and the gratitude that I have for you. I know that you will be looking over our family as you have always done. There is a big void in my life at the moment, yet the thought that we are on a very short journey on this earth will bring me comfort. Both you and achchi will be together now, until we meet again. Thank you and God bless Mr L.C. Pintoe.
Primal Aubert A quiet
life in retirement His beloved wife predeceased him in 1992. They were blessed with three girls and three boys. I came to know Mr. Thahir closely when his son Abdul Cader married my wife's sister's daughter Fathima Hazri in 1990. Mr.
Thahir was tall and handsome with a prominent beard and a commanding
personality. He was well read and resourceful in religious matters.
Whenever we met, we had thought-provoking discussions on religion
and other subjects. Before my wife and I went to perform Haj in 1996, when we asked him what he wanted, he mentioned two things: to pray to Allah that he be given an opportunity to perform Haj and to bring him a plain Musalla (prayer mat) without any decorations. On our return, I told him that I had fulfilled both his requests. He was thankful to me and to my great surprise and delight, he performed Haj in 2003. He was also writing a manuscript titled 'The Life of a Policeman' which described his experiences in the Police Force. I wonder if he was ever able to complete it as it would have no doubt served as an example to all. I miss my knowledgeable and erudite friend who had to leave this world according to the will of Allah. May Almighty Allah grant him absolute peace and Jennathul Firdous! M.L.M. Jabir Epitome
of forgiveness and reconciliation Margie was a gentle, good-humoured, roly-poly character, bubbling with laughter. She was always willing to share a joke even if it was directed at her. She had her own collection of humorous anecdotes which she would relate with a mischievous glint in her eye. Her
husband, Richard, passed away about a year ago, but her only child
and son, Nimal (NUG), a senior planter ensconced her in their lovely
cottage home at Aruppola, Kandy with a retinue of devoted domestic
aides and provided her with every possible comfort during the last
stage of her sojourn on earth. She led a frugal life and her needs were few. She expected nothing in return. The little ones in the Home loved her dearly for the care and concern which she lavished on them unceasingly. Margie was a faithful and devoted follower of the Lord's work and made many sacrifices in her quest to bring about peace and harmony in the lives of people who were confronted with family disputes and problems which threatened to disrupt their lives. In
her gentle, affable and soft-spoken manner, Margie touched the hearts
of many people and brought reconciliation and happiness to aggrieved
people. She endeared herself to everybody with her warm and winsome
smile. We
believe that this solicitude and concern for the poor and under-privileged
members of society is a noble streak which she had inherited from
her illustrious ancestors well known for their generosity and munificence. Irangani
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