APPRECIATIONS
View(s):Her home was always open to Sri Lankans who visited Bangkok
Erika Dias
Erika Fraulien Jayawardena was born on July 15, 1933 in Palana, Weligama in the Matara District. She had four siblings Sybil, Berryl, Cyril and Artie. Erika was the third in the family. Her father was Diamond and her mother was Dona.
Erika completed her schooling in Matara and joined the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya in 1958. Her two cousins Arundathie Ramawickrama Jayawardena and Achala Pandita Gunawardena joined her at the same university.
Her university batchmates called her Swan, because of her graceful walk. By that time, Hiran Deva Dias had completed his postgraduate studies (PhD) in Cambridge University and worked as a faculty member of the same university. The newly built university located on the right bank of Mahaweli river in a fantastic romantic location was where Cambridge scholar Hiran met beautiful student Erika. They married on 8-7-1959.
They had two sons Agashan and Neshan who now live in Sydney, Australia, with their families. In 2019, Hiran and Erika celebrated their happy 60th wedding anniversary.
I came to know Prof. Hiran D. Dias during the late 1960s when I was a graduate student at the University of Colombo. He was my geography lecturer, a kind-hearted, dedicated teacher and strict disciplinarian.
The Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka offered me a scholarship in 1985 to the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Bangkok, to do an MSc in Human Settlements. As AIT allowed family members to accompany students, I decided go with my wife Chandani and daughter Rowanthi. When we visited my wife’s grand aunt Derbi Pandita Gunawardena, she told us that her niece was married to Hiran who was then a faculty member in AIT and gave us an introductory letter.
Erika Akka was very busy with her Buddhist meritorious work and had an international group of friends. When Sri Lankan government servants visited Thailand on official matters, most of them (mainly friends and Hiran’s students) spent their last few days with the Dias family in Bangkok while shopping, visiting Buddhist temples and going on city tours. Erika was a Consultant to UN-ESCAP in Bangkok from 1978-1987.
Erika published more than ten books of poetry and had won international awards from Thailand, Australia, and the US. She received an honorary doctorate from the World Academy of Arts and Culture in California, USA in 1991. She wrote poetry for Queen Sirikit of Thailand on the celebration of her 60th birthday in 1992.
In 1995, they returned after 17 years in Bangkok and settled in Mirihana, Nugegoda. Erika Akka organised a monthly Circle of Dhamma Friends with 20 to 30 participants followed by a wonderful lunch. When I visited Sri Lanka, I too stayed with them for one month.
They were closely associated with the Meditation Centre, Pagoda, Nugegoda where the Chief Monk was Ven. Aggamaha Pandita Davuldena Gnanissara Thera. In the mid-1970s a young man Rudy Hammelberg from the Netherlands was ordained as Ven.Olande Ananda, as a student monk under the Chief Monk.
Both their funeral rites were led by Ven.Olande Ananda Thera.
May her journey in Samsara be short and may she realise the ultimate truth!
Senaka A. Samarasinghe
The Coconut Growers Association will feel a great void
Ranjit Dias
Ranjit Dias passed away on October 8, after a brief illness that made him inactive for a few months.
Ranjit’s parents owned large extents of coconut lands in the Divulapitiya area and had other business interests as well. His father, Percy Dias was the Chairman of the Wattala- Mabole Urban Council for a long period, and President of Dunagaha Coconut Growing, a large and successful business.
Ranjit was educated at St Joseph’s College, Maradana and went on to join Walker and Sons, the engineering sub-department as an apprentice. He was sent to England for further training, specialising in plantation machinery, particularly those used in the tea plantations. On his return, he had further exposure to repairs, installation and preparation of cost estimates.
After a few years, he was posted to the Hatton Branch of Walkers, where he could make the full use of his training for a long period covering the entire Nuwara Eliya District and the adjoining up country tea areas. It is there he met his wife Nirmala. They have a daughter, Nishanthi, who is a senior marketing executive at Dilmah and a son, Ramindra, presently employed in Australia
Ranjit made a committed contribution in the numerous fields he was engaged in, as a devoted member of the Mabole Church Parish Council, the Wattala branch of the Past Students Association of St Joseph’s College and the Lions movement at Wattala
It is through his assignments at the Coconut Growers Association of Sri Lanka, where he made the most significant contribution. Being the owner of a coconut estate, which he inherited from his father, he was a committed grower visiting his land every week, spending one whole day nurturing it with the best inputs to enhance production.
He played a significant role in the formation of the Coconut Growers Association, a long felt need to protect the interest of the growers, present their grievances and promote modern cultivation practices. He was elected the treasurer at the inaugural meeting of the Association, 27 years back, which was attended by a handful of growers. Within ten years, the membership grew to over thousand. In subsequent years, he was elected the Secretary, Vice President, ending up finally as President. He also served as the Editor of the quarterly newsletter. These recognitions were a testament to his hard work and commitment.
It is unlikely that his record would be equalled by any other member.
In recognition of his expertise, he was appointed as a member of the Board of Directors of the Coconut Cultivation Board and of the Board of Directors of the Coconut Research Board at a later stage.
He had contacts with the members at the grass root level in Jaffna, Batticaloa, Matara, Puttalam, Kurunegala, Gampaha and other branches of the Association, travelling to participate in their Annual General Meetings and informal discussions. During the formative years of the Association, the executive committee had their monthly meetings at his residence for over two years, where, after the meeting Ranjit and his wife Nirmala warmly hosted all to drinks and dinner.
Ranjit’s demise is a profound loss to the Association and the coconut industry and would be felt by the growers for a long time. The whole membership joins me in conveying our heartfelt condolences to his wife Nirmala, daughter Nishanthi and son Ramindra. He will be sadly missed
May he rest in peace.
Denzil Aponso
You will always be in the hearts of the Batticaloa people
Dr. S. Thangavadivel
It was sad to read the demise of Dr. S. Thangavadivel. He was the only Obstetrician who served in Batticaloa for over three decades.
My relationship with him began as a house officer in his ward in 1995 where he worked tirelessly the entire day. His routine surgeries were so neat that there never was an incident of post-operative complications.
He was a gem of a person who dedicated his whole life to his profession not forgetting the contributions he made to the poor children in Batticaloa.
Sir, you would always be in the hearts of the Batticaloa people.
Dr. Ananda Kannadurai
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