Saturday, August 11, 2007 will never be forgotten since it is the day my father, Paul Perera, died. I was the last of his four sons to rush to the ICU of the Asha Central Hospital to be by his side. My brother Arnold called me urgently to say that his blood pressure and breathing were dropping rapidly and his condition was deteriorating fast. At around 11 in the morning he breathed his last. (Our sister Pushpa flew from Brisbane to Colombo on Monday August 13).
My father suffered a stroke 10 years earlier while on a visit to Japan and was in a serious condition. After he was stabilised, the doctors decided it was safe to bring him back to Sri Lanka. In addition to my mother who was with him when he fell ill, my sister, a doctor and a nurse were with him on the trip back to Colombo. He was on a direct Airlanka flight to Colombo. However, while over Thailand his condition deteriorated rapidly, his breathing became erratic and blood started filling the saline drips and the pilot was compelled to make an emergency landing at Bangkok Airport.
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The authorities rushed my father in a military ambulance through an adjoining Air Force base to a hospital nearby where the doctors took emergency action and his life was saved. I remember the frantic telephone call from my sister giving the shocking news while I was on my way to the Katunayake Airport. My father was to stay in Bangkok for almost three months, most of the time on life support systems, before returning to Sri Lanka.
In spite of the stroke, my father managed to live an almost normal life. There were two main reasons for his survival; his fighting spirit and the love and care of my mother. My mother embodied the marriage vows fully, "in sickness and in health". However by the end of June 2007, over 10 years after his stroke, his health took a turn for the worse. We expected the worst during the last weeks of his life as his indomitable heart was finally giving way. I remember leaving his room on August 11. I felt an unspeakable sorrow knowing that we will never hear his voice again, his laughter, his lectures, his numerous anecdotes about well-known persons, his views on all manner of topics. I also realised that we will never have him in our corner fighting for us, to be our safety net and steadfast rock, in all situations.
My father was born to Eluppitimudiyanse-lage Rupert Perera and Dona Mary Angeline Basnayake on June 29, 1929 in Negombo, the Feast Day of the two Apostles, St. Peter & St. Paul, the patron saints of Rome. He was named after these two great Apostles. Like St. Peter, he was the rock not only for his family but for all organizations and persons he was associated with.
He had his entire secondary education at Maris Stella College Negombo. He was very proud to recall how he walked to school most of the time. He excelled in studies as well as sports, representing his school in athletics, football and cricket. He won the Best Performance Trophy for his achievement in the High Jump at the Public Schools Meet. He passed the SSC and the HSC with flying colours and entered the University of Ceylon, Colombo to read for his Bachelor of Arts Degree.
At the age of 18 he left Negombo to commence his University education and never returned to live permanently in his home town. He recalled how he left Negombo with all his worldly possessions in just one black trunk box (which still exists!) and that whatever he had gained was a very big improvement compared to what he started with. He excelled in many sports at the University and toured India with its football team. He was to be the first graduate from his family.
He graduated with a Second Class Upper Division Honours Degree in History. He remained a historian all his life. He was a great lover of western and war films, James Bond films and spy thrillers.
While an undergraduate he met my mother, Wadduwa Gurunnanaselage Dona Kulaseeli Wijeratne. They married at the St. Lucia's Cathedral and also had a Poruwa Ceremony in my grandparents' house in Kotahena. I wonder how both sets of my grandparents agreed to this union during those very conservative times where mixed marriages were not very common. My father was a Roman Catholic from Negombo while my mother was from a conservative Buddhist family from Haburugala in the south. There were obvious cultural shocks. My mother recalls how her family was bewildered at the Homecoming Ceremony in Negombo where some of the female raban players who were in very high spirits used not only their hands but also their posteriors to play the instrument!
In our home both religions were practised. All five children were baptised Roman Catholics. My father took us to church but our mother took our religious knowledge lessons! She knew Christianity as she was a student of Good Shepherd's Convent Kotahena. My father knew more about Buddhism than the average Buddhist. We regularly visited places of worship of both religions in Sri Lanka. Madhu Church, Anuradhapura, Dalada Maligawa, Kataragama were some of the major places. Tolerance of all religions and races was the main principle that was drummed to us from a very early age.
My father joined the Ceylon Civil Service after his graduation. His first appointment was as Assistant Government Archivist at a time when the Department was at Nuwara Eliya. He won a Government scholarship to study law at the Ceylon Law College. In 1958 he joined the then newly formed Port (Cargo) Corporation as its Board Secretary. He was enrolled as an Advocate on April 5, 1960. He was thereafter appointed as the Legal Officer of the Port (Cargo) Corporation which later became the Sri Lanka Ports Authority. Our birth certificates chart my father's climb through the ranks. Mine as the eldest son gives the father's occupation as "Assistant Government Archivist" while my youngest brother Rodney's gives it as "Legal Advisor, Port Cargo Corporation".
In 1966 my father resigned from his position at the Port (Cargo) Corporation and commenced private practice. This was a move opposed by both our grandfathers as they felt my father was plunging into unchartered waters as he had five children and numerous commitments without any guaranteed income. However he took the plunge and was proven successful.
My father was fluent in Sinhala, English and Tamil. This enabled him to have wide practice in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. I recall many interesting trips to Jaffna, Chavakachcheri & Trincomalee with my father for his legal work.
My father worked under Mr. H.W. Jayewardene Q.C., Mr. Neville Samarakoon Q.C. and Mr. M. Tiruchelvam Q.C. He was appointed a President's Counsel in December 1988.
Although my father was a life-long supporter of the United National Party and we lived at Ward Place since 1964 opposite J.R. Jayewardene's house, he began closely associating with JRJ only after the massive defeat suffered by the UNP in 1970.
My father was actively involved with the very many sathyagraha, political campaigns and other political activities where the UNP were involved during 1970-1977. Eventually UNP came to power in 1977 to the great delight of my father. He loved the country and the UNP and looked down upon those who crossed over to fulfil their personal agenda. I remember many instances my father was pressurized to cross-over. This was particularly so in 1994 after the UNP defeat. But he did not betray his principles and the loyalty towards the UNP.
Soon after the formation of the UNP Government, my father was appointed as the Competent Authority of the Times of Ceylon Newspapers in August 1977 and a Director of the Bank of Ceylon. He was appointed the Deputy Director General (Administration) of the newly formed Greater Colombo Economic Commission (GCEC) which was later called the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka. It established Sri Lanka's first Free Trade Zone in Katunayake. My father gave up his legal practice at this stage as the GCEC was more than a full time job.
Thereafter my father was involved in the establishment of the second Free Trade Zone at Biyagama and was appointed second DG of the GCEC in 1982. He entered Parliament in July 1983 representing Kaduwela. He was appointed as the District Minister of Polonnaruwa in October 1983. In this capacity he was specially tasked by the President to handle issues arising from illegal settlements in the Maduru Oya area.
My father was appointed Deputy Minister of Justice in 1988 and thereafter served as Minister of Justice. By mid-1988 when President Jayewardene's term was drawing to an end, there was a movement by some members to permit him to contest the Presidential Election in 1988 as he had only contested one Presidential Election in 1982. At a UNP Working Committee meeting in mid-1988 three members, namely, Lionel Jayatilleke, Merril Kariyawasam and my father, spoke in support of President Jayewardene contesting again. But this proposal was not accepted and R. Premadasa was made the UNP Presidential candidate. My father successfully contested the 1989 Parliamentary General Election from the Gampaha District representing the Attanagalla electorate. Although he was the Minister of Justice, he was demoted to State Minister of Science & Technology, a non-Cabinet appointment, when the new Ministers were sworn!
However when there was an attempt to impeach President Premadasa, my father supported the President fully. Many of those who supported the impeachment wanted my father's support on the basis of his demotion as State Minister. My father did not agree. He said the President was his leader and was working for the betterment of the country. My father did not allow personal matters to mar his better judgment and policies.
I appeared as a Junior Counsel for President Premadasa at the Presidential Election Petition filed against him. My father took an active part in defending President Premadasa.
My father was appointed as Cabinet Minister of Lands in August 1993 after President D.B. Wijetunga took office. He was the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee and the Committee on Public Enterprises in Parliament. He functioned in these posts independently and fearlessly.
My father was unsuccessful at the general elections held in August 1994. This led to many issues for our entire family. One of my brothers was falsely charged for murder and was arrested. He was on remand for two months. We found it even difficult to get him food from home which remand prisoners are entitled to. My father appealed to Ranil Wickremesinghe who had resigned as Prime Minister a few weeks prior to assist us. RW had to visit the remand prison and appealed to the authorities to permit food to be supplied to my brother from home. Finally after a High Court trial my brother was acquitted of all charges. As usual my father was the rock during this time.
When I think of my father's life and the legacy he left behind it is encapsulated in probably his favourite saying from the Bible; St. Mark's Gospel 8:36 - "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul". These words are inscribed on his tomb at Kanatte.
Dearest Thaththa, as Shakespeare said:
Fear no more the heat of the sun; Nor the furious winter's rays; Thou thy worldly task hast done; Home art gone and taken thy wages. |
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