Appreciations
View(s):A genuine friend, mentor and philosopher
Sellathurai Rajasingam
Sellathurai Rajasingam, a member of an almost extinct generation of morally upright and enlightened men holding the old values of now-gone Jaffna, passed away in Colombo on the evening of April 12. The news left everyone he knew, particularly his students, feeling sad and despondent, despite the fact that he had had a full life that embodied the qualities of a truly admirable human being.
Hailing from a well-known family in Karainagar, Jaffna, the young Rajasingam spent his early years and received his schooling in Malaya, where his family resided while his father worked as a station master. Like many other migratory officials working in Malaya at the time, his family, too, returned to Jaffna following the outbreak of World War II.
He continued his studies in his motherland, and after obtaining a distinguished degree in English, he became employed as a teacher, serving at various schools, including those in Trincomalee and Batticaloa, as well as Stanley College and Skandavarodaya College, two of the most reputable institutions in the North. His services soon earned him recognition as a highly esteemed teacher of English language and literature.
Following a significant number of years at ‘Skanda’, the English literature lecturer, who loved modern African creative works, especially Nigeria’s thriving literature at the time, gladly accepted an offer from Nigeria, as it provided the opportunity to witness the life of the soil personally, and started serving in the state of Kaduna.
After completing the assignment of about eight years in Africa, he returned to Sri Lanka, where both the Government Technical College and Junior University College in Jaffna were fortunate enough to benefit from his services as a visiting lecturer in English literature.
The student population greatly benefited from this second phase of his teaching in his native land. Teaching English literature was a passion rather than a profession for Mr. Rajasingam, who was equally skilled in both classical and modern English literature.
Despite his lack of interest in producing and publishing his own works, he was always ready to support others. In any case, he translated a few notable modern Tamil poems and short stories into English at the encouragement of his friends, the late A. J. Canagaratne and late Prof. Chelva Kanaganayagam. These works were published in reputable anthologies and periodicals.
He loved to remain in Jaffna and keep helping the students during the hardest times and produced an impressive number of notable individuals from his students, many of whom still recall his care, concern, and teaching style. For everyone who sought his intellectual counsel, he consistently demonstrated himself to be a genuine friend, mentor and philosopher.
Mr. Rajasingam was also a passionate hockey fan and accomplished player who, with his colleagues, established an organisation to promote the sport in Jaffna almost 50 years ago. Unfortunately, the hockey association suffered the same fate as many other positive things that disappeared in the years that followed.
Being a devout follower of J. Krishnamurthy and a deeply spiritual individual on the inside, Mr. Rajasingam’s actions were silent testaments to his spirituality.
His good words and acts were duly rewarded by the heavens with good things.
His memory will always be honoured by everyone who knew him. May his soul achieve the ultimate bliss.
Ayathurai Santhan
An irreplaceable loss to the rubber industry
W.T. Ellawala
Mr. W.T. Ellawala, a stalwart of the rubber industry of Sri Lanka passed away two weeks ago at the age of 88. His funeral was held within 24 hours according to his wishes with the participation of his immediate family members only.
Mr. Ellawala according to my knowledge held almost all the key positions in the rubber industry starting from the Ceylon Trading Company. Even though he came from a distinguished aristocratic family, he never displayed even a touch of arrogance and ego in the discharge of his duties.
I had the privilege of working closely with him while I was the Executive Director of the Rubber Research Institute (RRI). He had the distinction of serving the Rubber Research Board (RRB) as a board member for a couple of decades and was also the founder/Chairman of the Sri Lanka Rubber Industry (SRI).
Whenever the bureaucrats of the RRB, the regulatory body of the rubber industry, brought forward insensible and unproductive policy reforms, Mr. Ellawala was in the forefront to voice his professional opinion against such proposals for the sake of the rubber industry. He was held in high esteem whenever he expressed his candid opinions. He fought tooth and nail until his demise against the ill-advised decision of the government of removing the extension wing of the RRI and the creation of the Rubber Development Board (RDB) and it is unfortunate that his relentless efforts to combine research and extension as a part and partial correlation did not fall into the wisdom of the bureaucrats.
He was also the Chairman of C.W. Mackie & Company for over two decades and rendered an incalculable service for the development of the rubber industry by having a close interaction and rapport with the researchers of the RRI. He had an indelible memory and indeed was fortunate to attain a rewarding age of 88 years despite his heavy responsibilities to the industry. He continued to function as Chairman of C.W. Mackie & Co until about the middle of 2023 with distinction.
In particular, he understood the value of research for the development of the industry and safeguarded the scientists particularly myself, while being a member of the RRB despite objections of the board members who acted without a clear vision of the role of research and the constraints faced by the researchers.
It would be a lapse on my part if I do not quote a part of the message he wrote for the launch of the Rubber Master Plan that reflects his dedication and commitment to the rubber industry.
“Rubber Industry have served this nation for over a century and should continue to be relevant to national economy for another century or more. As a versatile material demanded by makers of numerous products and applications, rubber can never be erased from inventories of industrial ventures. However, rubber material has become an entirely different offering internationally within the last few decades due to technological advances and innovations. Has the Sri Lankan industry been able to keep pace with these changes and gained due successes? May be few and far between but otherwise the Sri Lanka rubber industry has been resting on its laurels. Can we afford to continue like this and ignore the competition?”
His demise is an irreplaceable loss to the rubber industry and to all Sri Lankans.
May he attain the supreme bliss of Nirvana.
Dr. L.M.K. Tillekeratne
Rest well dear friends
Ranjith and Delani Perera
As we entered April 2025, my thoughts went back to one year ago when we said goodbye to our dear friend Ranjith. Although we worked with your beloved wife, you too were one of our own. We watched with sadness as you gradually faded away. I am sure that you understood the tender and loving care that your beloved wife, children, grandchildren and others bestowed on you. Your beloved daughter and son left no stone unturned to make life easy for both of you. It was not just the necessities but also the extras that were taken care of so well. Amidst their busy schedules, they were always keen to see that you both were happy.
I met both of you in India, celebrating your 40th anniversary. The two love birds had decided to spend their milestone anniversary participating in a week-long religious retreat. It was amazing to watch the complete harmony of your two souls. The hours we spent sharing our thoughts were so fruitful as we learnt so much from the two of you.
Delani, as you completed your loving task of taking care of your beloved Ranjith, it was time for you to take care of yourself. You started the uphill task of your own medication. It was a trial of pain but you never once complained. With you it was always about the others’ pain, never your own. It always amazed me. Never a grumble, never asking ‘Why me?’ Till the end, the battle was silently and gracefully fought.
It must be destiny that we friends were able to celebrate Ranjith’s 75th birthday and later your 70th birthday. A loving gathering of friends from far and beyond. In spite of your pain, you opted to spend the day with us. On both days as we sang “Happy Birthday”, the tears started to flow from your eyes. We understood your sadness but there was nothing we could do but just be there and pray for you. Just a few months later, you left us for good. It pained us so much.
The last time I visited you both in Moratuwa, I admired your beautifully tended garden. In particular a lovely lush fern. You tried hard to give me a small plant but I didn’t have the heart to take it from your garden. On the day of your funeral, as I sat in your garden I saw the same fern at the entrance to your home, swaying gently in the breeze, unaware that the hands that cared for it so tenderly would not touch it anymore. It made me reminisce about the life you both had lived. As you journey ahead of us, the people you tended and nurtured, your loving family and friends are left behind as a mark of your legacy. They will, I am sure, carry on the journey in honour of both of you.
As your casket was lowered to your final resting place, my heart was breaking to pieces, then a lone male voice started singing “Nearer, my God, to Thee”. I turned towards that voice and to the left I saw a lone white cross with the name “Ranjith Perera – 21/04/2024”. Then I felt a peace knowing that not only were you drawing nearer to the safe arms of the Creator but also nearer to your beloved.
Rest well, dear friends. You both have left your mark in your journey on earth. Now reap the harvest across the bridge, where there is no more sorrow and pain.
Priyanthie Jayawardena
She worked hard, sang lustily and loved unconditionally
Emily Johanna Karunaratne
I can hardly believe that it is 22 years since our beloved mother passed on to be with her Maker. Though her life’s journey on earth is over, and we can no longer see her or hear her voice, she has left us with such a treasure chest of memories that it seems as if she is still with us.
All five of us – Devsiri, Devapriya, myself, Nimal, and Geetha, have memories of a loving mother who always put our needs first, showering us with her love and tenderness. I recall how she tiptoed into each bedroom whenever it rained hard, whatever the time of night, to ensure that the windows were shut and that we were all cosily tucked in—a practice that she continued even when we were grown up.
When we were in our teens and twenties and had an evening out, she would always stay up until all her “lambs” were safely home. When we stayed up studying, she would stay up too, making a nourishing drink to help us keep awake. We were woken up every morning to a cheery “Good morning” and a delicious cup of tea that she brought to each child, a task that was never delegated to a domestic helper.
I remember the gentle discipline she brought into our lives, each of us being allotted little household chores during weekends. She supervised our homework, setting aside a time each day for studies, even during holidays. She read with us until we discovered the joy of reading ourselves, a habit that has given us immense pleasure over the years.
I recall her devoted nursing whenever any one of us fell ill. Our family practitioner was always presented with a carefully maintained temperature chart and a detailed history of past illnesses. No trained nurse could have been more skilled and dedicated than my mother when she nursed me at home during an attack of diphtheria with suspected myocarditis when I was just six years old, requiring strict bed rest for one-and-a-half months.
As, one by one, we got married, each son and daughter-in-law was welcomed lovingly into the family. She reveled in having five more children — Dharma Basnayake, G. P. V. Somaratne, Mahendra Amarasekera, Priyani Abeyratne, and Rev. Duleep de Chickera. She was immensely proud of her brood of 12 grandchildren and, eventually, nine great-grandchildren. She was a devoted wife, working beside our father and supporting him in all his endeavours. She tenderly cared for him during his terminal illness.
Her love extended beyond her family. It touched and changed the lives of her students at S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, where she was the class teacher of Form I A for 25 years. Her students were her pride and joy, and many of them have excelled in the diverse careers they have chosen. I was moved when one of her former students, now an eminent consultant physician practising in the UK, forwarded a copy of a letter written to him by my mother in 1964, which he had carefully preserved. One of her past pupils, who came to pay his last respects to my mother, said, “She was the kindest, sweetest teacher I have ever known.”
She cared for her neighbours, particularly those who were housebound, and visited them regularly, offering the warmth of her love and companionship. She was the favorite of her extended family, all 108 of them in her capacity as sister, aunt, and grand-aunt. She had immense compassion for the poor and needy and was generous to a fault, carefully using her pension to help several people on a regular monthly basis.
Our mother was no stranger to pain and suffering. She was a severe asthmatic, requiring regular medication and frequent nebulisation, and underwent surgery several times. When she sustained a fracture of her hip and required a prosthesis, she amazed the surgeon by insisting on getting out of bed and learning to walk just 36 hours after surgery.
She had a lovely sense of humour and a heartwarming smile. She was always ready to join in the fun. I recall her dressing as a schoolgirl in a Methodist College uniform with her hair in two pigtails at a fancy-dress party when she was over 70 years old. I remember how she made the audience laugh out loud, playing the role of the ‘Sick Master of STC’ at the farewell concert for Warden de Saram, performed by the staff and prefects.
A woman of many talents, my mother was an expert at crochet. Exquisite altar cloths in four churches bear silent testimony to her skill. She was gifted in creative writing and would delight us on our birthdays and anniversaries with loving wishes couched in poetry. She has passed on her gifts of creative and performing talents to her grandchildren, particularly Ruwanthie and Gihan de Chickera, Manique Abeyratne and Sean Amarasekera.
She was a great prayer warrior, upholding each one of us ceaselessly in her prayers. We were all comforted knowing that Amma was praying for us, particularly when we faced crises, challenges, or illness. She enriched our home by frequently singing hymns and songs in her melodious voice, her favourite being Blessed Assurance.
She taught us how to live contentedly, counting our blessings, not so much by her words as by her example. She taught us to be kind, honest, and gentle, to be brave enough to speak up when necessary, and always to put our best effort into anything we did. She worked hard, sang lustily, and loved unconditionally. She was our role model and inspiration. We were indeed blessed to have had her as our mother. We look forward to the glorious day when we can be united with her once again.
-Suriyakanthie Amarasekera
Searching for an ideal partner? Find your soul mate on Hitad.lk, Sri Lanka's favourite marriage proposals page. With Hitad.lk matrimonial advertisements you have access to thousands of ads from potential suitors who are looking for someone just like you.