Appreciations
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He
went through life with courage and honour The Police Dept. with the IGP, all the DIGs and most of the Senior SPs in attendance, could not have been better represented. The retired senior officers who continued to look up to him for inspiration; and the ladies of the Police Families Welfare Association were all there. A spontaneous and genuine feeling of loss was written in the faces of all. It
is hard to expect a citation at an official funeral ceremony to
be more than a brief narration about the deceased and his achievements.
The eulogy by Anton Jeyanathan was no doubt a glowing tribute within
the time constraints. Albeit with profound sadness, it gives me a sense of intense satisfaction to pen a tribute to Rudra Rajasingham the policeman whom I had known and associated with for 48 years. He was indeed a rare human being who possessed courage, admirable qualities of leadership, forbearance, rectitude, humane kindness and a glowing sense of humour. The many situations in which I had the good fortune to be associated with him; and many other incidents in his long and illustrious career, which are within my personal knowledge, bear ample testimony to these noble qualities that he possessed in abundance. It was way back in 1958 that Rudra Rajasingham came to be admired as a courageous officer who could stand up for a principle which he thought was right. I had just joined the Police as a Probationary ASP and he was a Senior ASP. The IGP Osmund de Silva had retired and a serious crisis had developed with brothers C.C. Dissanayake and S.A. Dissanayake; and Sydney de Zoysa, all DIGs with equal seniority hotly contending for the plum. S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike the shrewd Prime Minister seized this opportunity gifted by the internecine conflict within the Police Department to appoint a man of his choice as the IGP. A meeting of all Senior Gazetted Officers, about seventy in all was summoned by the Prime Minister. Due to space considerations in the Prime Minister's office the meeting was held at the Officers’ Mess, Brownrigg Road. At this meeting, the Prime Minister in his characteristically domineering style introduced M.W.F. Abeykoon the Land Settlement Officer of the time as the new IGP, to succeed Osmund de Silva. There was stunned silence. The DIGs were speechless. Bandaranaike looked triumphant. Rudra Rajasingham who was seated one row in front of me got up. All eyes turned to him. "Prime Minister Sir, what will be the plight of officers who have even joined the police direct from the University to make the police a career?" Somebody whispered to the Prime Minister that it was Rajasingham. "Oh Rajasingham, Rajasingham I know your father... Things will get sorted out," was the Prime Minister's reply. "Does that satisfy you Rajasingham?" asked the Prime Minister again. "Thank you Sir," was Rudra’s polite reply. The
long term apprehensions that Rudra Rajasingham entertained on that
day materialized in 1962 when under the very nose of Abeykoon a
coup was plotted against the first regime of Mrs. Bandaranaike.
Abeykoon the former Settlement Officer, the non-career policeman
was playing Bridge at the Orient Club when his own officers were
putting the coup plans into operation. A separate co-ordinating secretariat for Police operations-COSECPO, was set up on the fifth floor of the Times Building. The unqualified success of this police operation will remain one of the memorable organizational achievements of the Police in the 20th Century. The
leadership role that Rudra Rajasingham played in finalizing all
police arrangements for this historic event in Sri Lanka will remain
one of his crowning achievements. He played a similar role with
distinction when Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh visited
the country about a decade later. When
the Secretary Defence who was with the President expressed his disagreement,
Rudra Rajasingham showed what he was made of. "Sepala, go out
and see what is happening. Hooligans in Army vehicles are cheering
the goons," was his agitated outburst. The President was in
a quandary. He too had received this information. But the curfew
came far too late. This is because he believed in being close to his subordinates and working as a team leader. So convinced was he that the police had done its utmost, he ensured that almost all the OICs of the Colombo police stations were promoted to Gazetted rank. He never gave credence to gossip and rumour; and he was immune to prejudice. Working with Rudra Rajasingham was a pleasure. He possessed a charming personality and a delightful sense of humour. Even in official correspondence he appreciated finesse. When he was S/DIG Admin. he once received a Ministry directive to start Home Gardens at Police Stations (food was scare at the time). When he passed this down to me as the S.P. Planning I put up a draft circular minuting a quote from Francis Bacon, "God Almighty first planted a garden; indeed it is the purest of human pleasures'. When the file came back to me, quoting Mao Tse Tung he had added - " And let a thousand flowers bloom." He bore no malice or hatred towards anyone; and had the ability to face adversity with a stoic smile. The greatest setback in his career was when he was overlooked for promotion to the post of IGP. The remarkable patience with which he endured this cruel blow exemplified the character of this unique human being. But he was the ultimate victor. Many will remember how on the occasion of the opening of the new Police Headquarters complex President Jayewardene openly expressed his regrets to IGP Rudra Rajasingham for not having given him his due place at the correct time; and admitted he (the President) had erred. During his tenure of office as the Inspector General of Police, the Department enjoyed a period of stability, dignity and independence. He treated all DIG's as equals with himself as primus interpares. He had great faith in the trust he placed on his officers. No politician not even the Head of State interfered with his work, nor did he allow any subordinate to be overawed by politicians. He always stood up to the cherished traditions of the service and fervently defended its independence. When the history of the Sri Lanka Police of the second half of the 20th Century is written the verdict is likely to be, "After Rudra Rajasingham came the deluge." Mrs. Sita Rajasingham, his daughter Sharmani and the rest of the family can take consolation in the fact that he has departed having completed his life's journey with honour and his duty done. Edward Gunawardena A brave
soldier and loving batch mate On enlistment to the 14th Intake Officer Cadets, I found him grouped in my troop - Charlie. As a veteran cadet, his experience and knowledge was of immense value to my batchmates and me. During the tough intensive training period he helped every one of us. He was a tough campaigner when the going was tough and as a human being he was compassionate enough to give a hearing to anybody who came for help. Always with a smile, he was an inspiration to us. He was a team man to the word. I recall his commitment to arrange his area of responsibility for Commanding Officer's Billet Inspections (the most difficult area for which he volunteered). He worked all night and brought credit to our intake. Popularly known as 'Rama' within the intake, he participated in almost all the activities in the intake; be it the Parents’ Day, English Day presentations, dramas etc. Buddhika was also a good sportsman who represented KDA Hockey team. He was a source of strength during crisis situations. I can remember how he once backed and strengthened me when I faced a crisis. He was a truly respected colleague. After passing out from KDA, I met Buddhika when we gathered at the Academy for our convocation. He was smart and proud in his 'Gemunu Watch' uniform and was the only Officer from our batch to join the prestigious 'Gemunu Watch.' I last met him when he called on me, at my camp asking for some support with regard to his elder sister's wedding arrangements. Later, he rang me up all the way from Jaffna to thank me and invite me for his sister's wedding. That was prior to the Sinhala and Tamil New Year in 2001. He said he would return for his sister's wedding after the New Year. I can remember wishing him a Happy New Year and the blessings of the Noble Triple Gem. He did return after the New Year, but not the way we expected. He had made the supreme sacrifice to safeguard his motherland. He was a loving son to his parents, a loving brother to his brother and sister, a loving batch mate and a fine human being. Capt Buddhika Ramanayake was awarded the 'Deshaputhtra Padakkama' for his bravery in the battlefield. We lost a dear friend, the Army, a brave officer and the country, a true son of soil. My
dear 'Rama' it's been five years since you left us, but we still
remember you with the same warmth you had. You will be remembered
for your good deeds. Lt (S) Akhila Mendis, SLN |
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