Appreciations
View(s):Remarkable engineer and human being who stood tall
Lakshitha Weerasinghe
My first recollection of Lakshitha Weerasinghe is of him being a gifted batsman. That, and his height — he was close to 2 metres tall. He was a fresher at the University of Moratuwa, while I was about to graduate, but some friendships persist, mature and inscribe indelible memories. Lakshitha had that unforgettable quality about him and I am one of the many who could say this.
He stood tall, literally and metaphorically. Tall and engaging is how many would describe him. We students were for the most part a bunch of wanderers with no apparent sense of purpose, shabbily dressed. He, on the other hand was smart, dressed tastefully, and always had a clear sense of direction. Lakshitha entered University following quite a successful stint at a bank courtesy of the pre-uni employment luxury accorded to our junior batches by the second insurrection of the JVP.
We would spend hours and days arguing about whether life originated by itself or whether it had tell-tale signs of an intelligent design. That 30 plus year disagreement ended on March 10 this year.
Our friendship grew after we left Moratuwa. We ran into each other very often as either trainees or resource persons of many workshops and programmes. Conversations interrupted were invariably resumed. The one thing which impressed me most was his ability to explain complex technological matters in simple language to non-tech masses and our political leaders. He spoke eloquently in both Sinhala and English without mixing the two.
His most famous slide, that which showed how the system control team of the CEB is constantly battling to keep the load and generation in a delicate balance, told a story which cannot be told even spending 1,001 nights. Clever use of graphics made him a communicator par excellence, propelling him to the unenviable position of ‘sole representative of the CEB’ on many battle grounds. He was the ‘chosen one,’ for his clarity of thought and remarkable grasp of the subject, and for his remarkable ability to take a position and defend it in any hostile forum.
He was an exceptional writer, which saw him becoming the editor of the prestigious Sri Lanka Engineering News (SLEN), the flagship publication of the Institution of Engineers
Sri Lanka. His passion for puzzles overflowed to SLEN, leaving a fair slice of the monthly to ‘puzzles’ and ‘solutions’ he would so delightfully explain in the following issue. He was a generous editor and invited me to write a guest column on ‘anything of interest’. Thus began my ‘The Rumbling Strip’.
He was a very active council member of the IESL and reliable jack-of-all-trades in the Engineering Heritage Museum project. This work stirred in him an undying love for the rich engineering heritage of Sri Lanka and led him to reenact the monsoon steel smelting rituals, several hundred years after the craft had died off in the wind-ravaged slopes of Balangoda.
Similarly, his unmistakable words adorned pages of a diary printed by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and some of his pieces ended up on lobby walls of CEB.
Our encounters were far and few between during his stay at the Samanalawewa power station. This young engineer was able to drive the whole team at Samanalawewa to earn the coveted ISO9001-2000 and ISO 14001-2001 quality systems certificate for the power station, the first government entity to earn these prestigious certifications.
He went on to educate the whole ‘Samanalawewa team’ about the opportunity cost of water after unearthing the stubborn fact that in downstream Kalthota — 8m3 of water was being used to produce a kilogram of rice. Saving any water for power generation by increasing the water use efficiency in the rice production became his top agenda. This intense search for solutions allowed Lakshitha and the Samanalawewa team to develop and introduce the SRI method ‘system for rice intensification’ to Kalthota, working closely with the farmer communities.
A very different Lakshitha would emerge after work. He led many sports activities, especially cricket and badminton at the power station. He also arranged all night vigils whenever an important cricket match was on television. There was a wide screen – theatre style, food and non-alcoholic beverages all supplied by Lakshitha at his own expense and of course with the exceptional culinary skills of his lovely wife Surakshani. He even risked the wrath of authorities saving the lives of several stray dogs, by offering them a sanctuary within his quarters. Such was his compassion and the many and varied textures of his beautiful life.
He was the livewire at the System Control Centre when the LTTE took to the skies. Split second decisions had to be made to drown parts of the Colombo city in darkness to save lives when the attackers took off from their makeshift air strips in the Wanni jungles. Lakshitha was able to do this by closely coordinating with the security forces, minimising losses and damage in the city during those dreadful nights without letting the power system of the country collapse. The most remarkable mark he left at the System Control Centre, however, is believed to be the introduction of a dispatch audit system, a careful and precise narration of any deviation of the actual generation dispatch from the planned schedule. A much improved version of it is still carried out by the Centre even now, I was told.
He had the impressive ability to overhaul a system wherever he worked and, in many instances, to introduce a whole new system. His passion for human life and the well-being of the poorest Sri Lankans and struggling SMEs caused him to start a long journey into least cost generation planning. His vision was simple: ‘electricity should be provided to all Sri Lankans at the lowest possible cost and the best possible reliability through a stable grid.’ He stood for this grand vision until the very end of his life.
Being passionate teachers and lecturers, we enjoyed our long hours together in the committee appointed to formulate the National Energy Policy and Strategies for Sri Lanka. He was the living bridge among the diverse stakeholders and was much saddened about the poor implementation of this policy mainly due to the political turmoil which ensued after its acceptance in Parliament in mid-2019.
During this eventful period, he tried his best to recruit me to his famous ‘Dharma Kawaya’ – crudely translated to English as the ‘circle of followers of Buddha’s teachings’.
I might leave a big gap here if I fail to mention his relevance to the CEB’s Engineers Union (CEBEU). I can see the great loss of ideological tenacity which will be very hard to fill.
Dr. Tilak Siyambalapitiya who shaped Lakshitha’s and many such others minds wrote in a WhatsApp group thus:
‘Lakshitha is an example to our young generation and professionals of a person in state service, who could keep his head straight but let his point of view be known, firmly and conclusively. Utmost politeness, precision were the hallmarks of his approach to work….’
Leaving the many technical capabilities of Lakshitha aside, his ability to touch and change lives for better will be remembered by many. There are numerous beneficiaries of his desire to uplift people. The student exchange programme he launched after visiting the Twente University in the Netherlands is a case in point.
Being good friends, Lakshitha, Ajith Alwis and I ridiculed each other’s weaknesses whenever there was an opportunity. He would often poke fun at my addiction to the guitar, saying that all artists are destined to go to the ‘Payasa’ after death. I thought it was a branch of heaven, reserved for us, the entertainers. “You fool… ‘Payasaya’ is not a heaven, it is a hell.”
I quote a verse from the lovely song by Senaka Batagoda in memory of my beloved friend.
(We rush through life, burdened with hopes…
But only our deeds will follow us like a shadow…)
It certainly sums up his beautiful life well lived. I hope the loved ones, the engineering fraternity and anyone whose life was touched by Lakshitha would join me in wishing him a safe and short Sansaric journey to the serene shores of Nirvana.
Harsha Wickramasinghe, a friend
The great Principal who moulded a generation
Premachandra Dissanayake
Premachandra Dissanayake’s ninetieth birth anniversary fell on June 5. He was born in 1934 at Kuliyapitiya and passed away peacefully at the age of 86 years in 2020. He received his bilingual education at Central College, Kuliyapitiya (CCK), where he excelled both in academic and extra-curricular activities becoming the school’s head prefect in 1954.
He entered the University of Peradeniya and received his BA in 1959. Joining his alma mater for his first teaching appointment he produced a group of excellent scholars.
His served as a School Inspector at Galgamuwa and head at Nagollagoda and Baragedara schools. Following a short spell at the Kuliyapitiya Education Office and the Technical College, he became the Principal of CCK at the request of parents and Minister Lionel Jayathilake, serving for 16 years.
He had a precise vision and a mission with a dedicated bunch of handpicked extraordinary teachers. He worked long hours and drew satisfaction in seeing the positive changes in students’ lives. Essentially, he moulded a generation with a classy education, strict discipline, and humane qualities.
Appachchi was known both locally and nationally; the Presidential Award, he received as the best past pupil of CCK was close to his heart.
His life was simple and good. He wore the national dress and eschewed material assets, exuberance and excess. He cycled to school, leaving his MG (Morris Governor) car behind. He led his whole life through the five precepts of the Dhamma, was a teetotaler and vegetarian.
In his exemplary, self-disciplined career, words like ‘bribes’ were anathema to him. He envisioned four precepts for the school as cleanliness, orderliness, humility and dedication. For worship, he introduced flowers on betel leaves instead of traditional tobacco for its harmful and addictive properties. This practice caught on in many schools.
Being a student at CCK under him, I had abundant opportunity to observe his dignified, calm, confident and efficient performance.
As a gifted educationist, he was blessed with enormous skills in reading and writing. He was well read in Sinhala, English, Pali, and Sanskrit. Reading was his passion and his personal library at our Kuliyapitiya Mahagedara bore testimony to that. He read widely including on philosophy, history, education and religion and that gave him strength to reach deeper layers of his consciousness. He fuelled all his knowledge and insights into great orations at school assemblies, parent-teacher-old pupils meetings, seminars, workshops, prizegivings, Dhamma school, religious gatherings, etc. Even after retirement, Appachchi was fully engaged with orations across Sathkoralaya and nationally through the mass media.
With his excellent writing skills he published several books on many topics.
Appachchi was a good farmer true to tradition. He got us involved in paddy, crops, and coconut cultivation. Today, as a consultant physician in the UK, I still cherish the freshness, vastness and the serenity of the paddy fields offered to us, embracing Appachchi’s toil and sweat.
Appachchi gave us a vision and showed us the path. My elder brother graduated from the Peradeniya Medical Faculty while my two sisters and I graduated from the Colombo Medical Faculty. Appachchi’s humility was such that I have never seen him bragging about all his children becoming doctors. He wanted to see us becoming decent, disciplined and serving human beings.
Appachchi had an excellent family life. Amma’s understanding of Appachchi’s sacrifice and his appreciation of her hard household chores were both beyond belief. We never saw them being intolerant to each other by word, deed or thought. They had 56 long years of exemplary wedlock.
In his mindset and vision he was largely a free man. I have never seen him reading cheap news materials, political debates or novels, watching movies or teledramas or engaging in hollow talk. Every piece he read or word he uttered was a gem in disguise. Apart from Buddhist philosophy he was nourished by two other great philosophers – Dr. J. Krishnamoorthi and Dr. E.W. Adhikaram,
In later life Appachchi’s philosophical pursuit for happiness resulted in a book – Happiness & Beauty. I would discuss philosophy, history, religion, language, education, environment etc. almost daily with him.
His demise created an immeasurable void in our lives. Dear Appachchi, your caring touch and invaluable advice is dearly missed every day. You left behind many fragrant memories with Amma, Ayya, Akka, Nangi and me which we will cherish in our hearts forever. Your memory will also live on in the generation left behind who are comforted by the vast knowledge, great skills and the exponential wisdom you delivered.
May you attain the supreme Bliss of Nibbhana.
Dr Dheerachandra Dissanayake
My Seeya, the most kind-hearted, and selfless person I’ve known
W.P. Upasena
Born on September 27, 1934, Seeya was indeed a very strong presence in our lives. He was a great human being with an incredible knowledge on current affairs – not forgetting his core competency which was Insurance.
He started from humble beginnings at Maradana, born into a family of five, the third in the family. He started his insurance career at Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation as a clerk and worked his way up rising to the position of Insurance Consultant.
After his retirement he joined SANASA Insurance Co. Ltd where he worked for 25 long years being the oldest serving ex-employee at the Insurance Corporation. None of this would have been possible if not for Dr. Kirivandeniya who was not just a mentor to Seeya but also a dear friend and colleague.
Seeya was the most determined, kind-hearted and selfless person I’ve ever known. I’m sure this can be affirmed by everyone who knew him well. He would always go out of his way to help people. His broad knowledge and fluency in Sinhala, Tamil and English was put into great use as he also did various translations related to insurance. He gave English lessons to whoever requested as he had a passion for teaching. He would invite his students to his home and conduct the sessions during his free time.
He was a caring and loving husband to our grandmother Rupa, a loving father to his three children, and an amazing grandfather to us. Seeya lived a fruitful life and we all made wonderful memories together. I can go on to write more about our dear Seeya but words are not enough to express all my thoughts.
He passed away peacefully at the age of 89 on February 18, surrounded by our family. To conclude with a Dhamma phrase by Lord Buddha “Sabban Pahaya Gamaneeyan” which means One day, everything will have to leave”.
May you attain the Supreme Bliss of Nirvana, Seeya.
Fondly remembered by Achchi, children and loving grandchildren
The entrepreneur who forged his own path
Ananda Jayasinghe
Ananda Jayasinghe, after his school life as a Cambrian (Prince of Wales, Moratuwa) followed a diploma at the Katubedda campus and joined the Paddy Marketing Board – the Chawalakade paddy processing station in the Eastern Province. As a bachelor he enjoyed his life in Pottuvil and Arugam Bay with his friends and close relatives during holidays.
But this man with a vision to choose his path, bade farewell to government service and started to forge his own destiny at his home town in Piliyandala.
He believed in himself and was determined to do something of his own. With his primary venture, Agra Chemical Industries, he produced a PVC paint with the name of Ascolite in 1979. From there he saw the opportunity in screen printing and it gained ground with orders from the leading garment factories. At the same time he manufactured a detergent which won the trust of housewives.
With the expansion of his company with diverse products, he renamed it the Antler Group of Companies. Antler managed to enter the international market with world renowned brands. Sportswear for IPL, the Australian Open tennis tournament and the Olympic Games were printed.
Antler was awarded the 5S award for quality factory management and received the best entrepreneur award in 2012. In successive years Antler Products were awarded with similar recognitions.
Ananda set up a foundation to help genuine causes and people but never flaunted his generosity. Under his guidance hundreds of lunch packets were distributed among the residents of the area on poya days for many years. The foundation helped families needing food, clothing and items and donations were made to temples in the locality where Antler factories were located. He also set up much needed maternity and child clinics for people in Jamburaliya and Kahapola in the Kesbewa electorate.
In 2018, he also set up a two-storeyed MOH building complex in Piliyandala along with a maternity clinic with all equipment costing over 500 lakhs.
His vision was to set up a Japanese-style workforce and create an “Antler family”. He was very particular in uplifting the living conditions of employees as well as the wellbeing of their families. All round the year there were events, where employees could participate.
Ananda and his wife Jayanthi had known each other from their teens. She too was a member of the board of directors of the company. A down-to-earth lady with a warm heart, she was his follower or originator in all his meritorious acts. She was adored by her family circles, her school and Katubedda campus mates. Many of them were shocked by her death just four months after the demise of her husband.
May you, my beloved nangi Jayanthi and adorable brother-in-law Ananda, live together wherever you are, as we mourn your departure 72 years after both of you were born.
G. D. Abhayarathna (Loku Ayya)
He was available to all – rich or poor at all times
Bishop Marius Peiris
The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka lost an admirable priest with the demise of Bishop Marius Peiris recently. Hailing from Moratuwa and St. Sebastian’s College, he was proud to be a loyal son of the hometown. He did his higher studies at the University of Peradeniya and with a special degree in Economics, he worked for some time before he joined the seminary. He thus gained experience as an office worker and as a priest of God. He studied Political Science at the University of London and later gained his PhD.
After being a professor in Ampitiya and parish priest in Halpe, he came to serve in Dehiwela parish – a difficult place to handle. After having served in rural parishes, he said at his first appearance at Dehiwela that it was a situation of Banda coming to town. He made this remark at the two masses he said that day, and many appreciated his sense of humour laced with reality.
Soon he won the hearts and minds of parishioners with his willingness to serve the people. He moved freely with them and the youth especially were drawn to him. He won them over with his advice and helpfulness. He blessed their cars, bikes and homes, whenever and wherever he was called upon to do so even in far-off places. He was available to all – rich or poor at all times.
The old and sick were his special concern. When a poor resident of the beach area had her house blown away by the wind and rain and was in danger of becoming homeless, he appealed to the SVP for assistance and was helped by the society to rebuild her house.
Like Nerius to Marius, he once said. Fr. Nerius, one of his predecessors at Dehiwela had turned the parish into one of the leading parishes in the Colombo Diocese with innovative ideas like the Cottage Group movement and collection of lunch packets for the needy. Fr. Marius paid a glowing tribute to his predecessor saying if he could only achieve a fraction of his success in working with the Lord, he would consider himself to be blessed.
He advised, guided and helped the youth with whom he had a special rapport. On one occasion when they were putting out a souvenir for a parish event, he helped them with proofreading the articles spending hours with them. He gave the youngsters his own textbooks to help them. He once went all the way to Kottawa to bless a new residence and enthrone the sacred heart there for a relocating young parishioner. He never asked for family books or other proof when heeding such requests.
All too soon, he was elevated to higher ranks and left our parish, much to our disappointment. He was a person with great potential but the Lord’s plans were different. Sadly ill heath came his way and called a halt to many of his activities, yet he served the Lord with courage.
A man of great humility, faithfulness and courage, he submitted to the Lord’s will.
The Lord will certainly say “Well done thou good and faithful servant – enjoy the place reserved for you by your Master from the beginning of time.”
Audrey De S. Wijeyeratne
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