Appreciations

I have been overwhelmed with sadness since I heard of Suren's untimely death in Singapore. The last time I met him was at his 65th birthday celebration on the 12th of January this year. It was not a big party, just a small group of close friends and family; he was his usual bubbly, effervescent self and little did I think that I would not see him again.

We spoke regularly on the phone and had the type of friendship that even if we did not meet, it was easy to pick up the threads and keep in touch over the phone. I was disappointed that he was unable to attend the publication of my book 'Fifty is Company' due to illness. He was one of the fifty personalities portrayed and called me soon after to tell me he had enjoyed reading the book.

The last time I spoke to him was early in September, soon after I had returned from a trip to England. He greeted me as he always did with a bright and breezy 'Hello sweetheart, nice to hear your cheery voice and your laugh." We chatted for a while but I felt his voice was rather weak, but didn't want to intrude on his privacy by asking questions. Suren and I had been good friends from our youth. His father and mine were both doctors and friends; his father was the leader of the Communist Party and our family had always been UNP. But that was a time when family bonds and background meant more than one's political beliefs and loyalties. I always enjoyed listening to him and learned a lot about communism by doing so.

Naturally, as the son of his father, Suren was a most loyal fan, who would play his part in all elections by canvassing for his father. His mother, too, who was British, had planted her feet firmly in the sands of time of our country's history by being the first foreign woman to win a seat in an Asian Parliament. Suren who was an artist and president of the young artists group in his youth, chose to go into architecture after job experience in motor engineering. It was while studying architecture in Moscow that he met and married Tanya, a fellow architectural student. They returned to Sri Lanka, first started a firm with some other architects and then formed their own firm, Tanya and Suren.

They have contributed to development here, in the field of architecture. Suren was very proud of the vast housing scheme they did in Hantane for the late President Premadasa when he was Minister of Housing. They went on to do a middle class housing scheme in Crow Island and have also done apartments, houses and a project in Hambantota for the Ports Authority. Although not a politician, Suren took a keen interest in politics.

Suren was a wonderful friend and has always been there whenever I needed advice or help; particularly after my husband's death, he was a pillar that I leant on. He was one of those rare beings who stood by his friends through thick and thin with steadfast loyalty. I think former President Chandrike Kumaratunga would endorse my words as he was a good friend to her too.
When he was President of the Eighty Club, he wanted me to be on his committee and was keen to make me a lady member of the Hill Club of which he was the President till his death. He would insist that I was his guest whenever I went there. Suren since his youth has always been one of my favourite dancing partners and during these last few years would give my ego a large boost by saying I dance like an 18-year-old. In Tanya he found his soul mate; they were on the same wavelength, two people who adored each other, who'd gone through it all together, who protected each other from the world. He enjoyed life, adored his children and his role as grandfather. Holidays were always family holidays in Matara or Nuwara Eliya.

He had both honour and integrity at a time when these two words seem to have lost their meaning. To Tanya, Maya, Sonia and Sashya and Surya, I would like to say that I will always be there for you as Suren was for me. Farewell Sweet Prince. You were simply the best.