Charles Henry de Soysa whose birthday is marked on March 3 each year, is remembered by his descendants, representatives of the hospitals he built, past and present students of Prince and Princess of Wales Colleges, with gratitude, appreciation and pride. Philanthropists come and go, but his name stands out as one who gave unstintingly; with sincerity, whose word was his bond and who possessed a vision which was far ahead of his time.
In retrospect, from what I have heard about his life from my father, his grandson and what I have read, I am aware, that his was a life filled with the joy of giving. But what is extraordinary, is his thinking, proved by the fields which benefited by his largesse. Religion, Agriculture, Education and Health were the main avenues in his unmatched and unprecedented philanthropy.
Although a Christian, there is proof that Charles Henry donated to and built temples, kovils and mosques, as well as churches. Although agriculture is most important in a country like ours, where we should long have been self-sufficient in our needs, education is, to my mind, the most important investment for our children.
Today, we see more than ever before, the need for educated thinking which reaches far beyond the barriers of race, class or creed. Dedication and commitment to whatever our individual choice of education or religion may be, can take us to unbelievable heights.
The combination of religion and education is unbeatable, and quite naturally transcends our thinking, beyond violence and intimidation. Health again, is an integral part of our wellbeing. To have good health starts with the family and ultimately benefits the nation as a whole.
The late Charles Henry had all this and probably much more on his mind, when he sought, through his philanthropy; to endow these four fields so abundantly. He also reached out to the landless, the homeless and gifted land, paddy fields and houses to a hundred poverty stricken farmers in Walapane, far away from his hometown Moratuwa. This deed in itself shows that even in those days, when bias and prejudice dominated most minds, narrow peripheries were simply non-existent with him. His kind heart reached out to whoever was in need, to all parts of the country; irrespective of differences in attitude, perspective, race, class, political slant or social standing.
He was reputed to be the wealthiest Ceylonese of his time. He lived in an era of peace and prosperity, gracious living, and contentment. He could have lived in an ivory tower; involved only with his kith and kin, inviolable and unconcerned about his fellow men. There is no doubt that he inherited wealth from his father, but his business acumen, good sense and astuteness, made him venture into new fields of enterprise and development; which increased his wealth more than triple-fold, which he shared with others. Although he was a Ceylonese pioneer in tea and coffee planting, his inherent wisdom prevented him from investing his entire wealth in these ventures, thus he was untouched by the coffee crisis. He owned 74 plantations, several valuable residential properties in Colombo, its suburbs and other areas. He shipped his own tea to markets abroad, was the first Ceylonese banker and a founder member of the Ceylon National Congress.
The late Charles Henry’s statue stands tall at De Soysa Circus. Whenever I pass it, I say a silent prayer of blessing for his soul, as we, his descendants and the nation too, owe him so much. Every mother, whose child was born at The De Soysa Hospital for women, has him to thank for what undoubtedly is a national treasure.
While talking to an educated, cultured friend the other day, she told me that her father, when she was a child; would take them to all the statues, monuments and places of historic interest, in our country. He would insist that they read the inscriptions and question them on these later on. That perhaps is how interest in history and in those who have given much to our nation is born. It is a good example for parents of today to practise. There are many roads named after Charles Henry, as they are all part of property, once owned by him. Alfred Place, Alfred House Gardens, Charles Place, Charles Way, Charles Circus are among them. Some of the beautiful old family homes built by him, or his sons, are also living monuments to his memory.
He was a rare Ceylonese, in the fact that his philanthropy reached far beyond our shores. The Great Ormond Street Hospital for children in London, Brompton Hospital, The Royal Free hospital, Victoria Chest Hospital, The Hospital for accidents to Dock labourers, were all richly endowed with donations by him and some of these carry plaques with his name as a benefactor.
Service to God and man seems to have been his motto. He was said to be a modest man who loved his fellowmen and loved animals too.
As Christians we are told to give till it hurts and Charles Henry, as an obedient and faithful servant of God, fulfilled this command to the letter.
‘His grandeur he derived from Heaven alone,
For he was great, ere fortune made him so.’
John Dryden
Ilica Malkanthi Karunaratne
He was never ashamed of his humble beginnings, even after achieving great success
Gabo Peiris
'Gabo', the name synonymous with the travel trade, is no more. My association with this magnanimous human being goes far back to our childhood and school days when we happened to live down the same lane and attended rival schools. His parents and my mother too had a very cordial friendship as neighbours and the next generation of our children too seem to maintain the same relationship.
Gabo began his career in life as part of the cabin crew in Air Ceylon at the same time pursuing his love for music. He displayed his talent as an excellent drummer.
If I recall right, he played with the band 'Thunderbirds' and 'Sam the Man and The Gaylords' but blossomed out and became the most sought after when he formed his own group - 'Gabo and the Breakaways'. They played for almost all the big dances and beat shows. A hallmark of his repertoire was the Santana music which was very popular at the time where he took charge of the percussion, playing a variety of drums, including the conga drums. I remember how once the stage got burnt accidentally, with fire that was lit in containers to release smoke and incense to add effect to the Santana sounds, compelling the authorities thereafter to charge a massive refundable deposit whenever a hall was booked for a musical performance.
Gabo recalled how he sorted out my fan mail and postcards for request programmes I voiced at Radio Ceylon while I had the joy of recording and presenting him on radio as a member of the 'Thunderbirds' and later introducing Gabo and his musicians - 'The Breakaways' as the foremost and extremely popular band, at various musical events and dances. He gave up his successful musical career, literally overnight, at the pinnacle of his success when he and his band played at a dance on a Saturday night and disbanded by Monday.
Gabo was a down to earth, humble human being who stood with his friends in good times and not so good times. I know of instances where he took great risks to help a friend. He never hesitated or thought it infradig to recall his simple beginnings. I remember him saying: "Machang our children go to 5-star hotels to enjoy dessert, whereas you and I considered it a treat to have a five cent toffee after meals. It made me realise that both of us had to work hard, often keeping up the whole night and burning the candle at both ends, to get to where we were”.
Gabo also related how another of our wonderful neighbours, Adam, who predeceased him in a motor accident, was his classmate and came from a more affluent home and was privileged to travel to Royal College on a motor bike. Adam would dash home for lunch, and return in time to lend his bike to Gabo to get home for lunch to travel the 5 cent distance by bus and get back, thus saving 10 cents with which he bought a cigarette and shared a few puffs with Adam.
That was Gabo- who was never ashamed of his simple beginnings and remained simple even after achieving great success.Fortunately for him, his capable wife Savi is competent enough to carry on what he started and I have no doubt she will take the business to greater heights in the future. Gabo was blessed to see his three lovely children settled in life and also to enjoy his grandchildren.
When Gabo slowed down after sickness a few years back, I made it a point to walk down and see him whenever I found the time. I was moved to see that he was no longer the lively, flamboyant personality he had been, but was not lacking in hospitality.
I share the grief of Savi, his children and only sister Chaturani whom he has left behind and can say, together with my family, that we will truly miss a good friend and neighbour.
Vijaya Corea
Too young to die, you will remain an inspiration to your Devi Balika friends
Thilini Dinushika Silva
News of the demise of my good friend Thilini Dinushika Silva – Thilini Akki, as she was affectionately called – was received with shock and tears. Diagnosed with dengue, she suffered a sudden and brief illness. She was 19 years old. Fond memories of her will remain in the hearts of all who had known her.
My association with Thilini dates back to 2004, when we both entered Devi Balika as Grade 6 students.
Thilini had an extraordinary character. She was confident yet polite and intelligent, humble and strong yet gentle. She led a simple life, but never failed to achieve what she was born to achieve. As president of the Senior English Literary Association 2010/2011, she organized two English Days on a grand scale. Hard work, determination and dedication paved the way for her success.
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The eldest in the family, she fulfilled her responsibility towards her two siblings. She took good care of her younger sister and brother. They were an ideal and happy family, with Thilini as a central figure. She moved in close harmony with her peers at Devi. Her hospitality knew no bounds.
Thilini was an active member of the drama circle, and appeared on stage portraying characters such as Shylock in “The Merchant of Venice”. She always had a prominent place in drama, recitation, singing and dancing, at zonal and provincial levels.
With Thilini, there was never a dull moment. She always acted with impeccable integrity. Thilini, your life was perfect and well lived. Devi Balika will never find anyone quite like you.
May you attain Nibbana.
Senuri
Suriarachchi |
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