My brother Nihal died on May 20 and was cremated within 24 hours, in accordance with his wishes. There was no obituary notice, and he had said that he did not wish to be subject to a public viewing.
Consequently, many of his relatives, friends, colleagues and clients did not know about his death until later. Some who had heard about his demise came to the funeral parlour.
A sad ending for a much celebrated lawyer.
Nihal studied at St Joseph’s College, Colombo, where he showed journalistic and oratory skills even at a young age. At 15, he published a book of short stories titled “Makulu Della”.
After leaving school, Nihal read for his LLB degree. He edited the Ceylon Business Law Journal during the latter part of his law studies, and pretty much wrote all the articles himself for the journal. He was a brilliant writer, in both English and Sinhala.
Nihal was a dynamic lawyer. He was known as the “short firebrand of the Crown” in the early Seventies. Subsequently, he joined the unofficial bar and set up practice, first in Chilaw and then in Colombo. His chambers were in the Galle Face Courts, in Kollupitiya. He had a very good and lucrative practice.
He was a champion of lost causes, finding solutions for seemingly unwinnable cases. It was sad to see someone who had once been a vibrant lawyer lying helpless in a hospital bed, tubes connected to his body, unable to speak, eat or drink. He remained in this state for about two months, before succumbing on the evening of May 20.
Ananda M.N. Perera |
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