14th September 1997

Goolbai Gunasekera’s new book-Chosen Ground part 8

The beginning of an ‘oriental’ experience

For the following article I am indebted to information given to me by the following old Visakhians - Mrs. Manel Ratnatunga, Mrs. Sita Rajasooriya, Mrs. Leila Wijesekera, Mrs. Grace Jayasuriya, Mrs. Thercy Samarajeewa.

Strangely enough, Mother was not the first American principal of Visakha. Dr. Bernice Banning had first taken charge of 20 children of leading Buddhist nationals as Principal of the first girl’s Buddhist school situated in a small building in Turret Road. The parents of these 20 guinea pigs had the courage to ‘sacrifice’ their offspring in the cause of Buddhist education. Among these ‘sacrifices’ were a few boys. One was Dudley Senanayake, a future Prime Minister of Ceylon, the first woman Health Minister (Mrs. Vimala Wijewardene), a Finance Minister (Mr. M.D.H. Jayawardene) and a leading Heart Specialist (Dr. Jinadasa Attygalle).

Several able Principals had preceded her - all foreign but none except Mrs. Pearce stayed long enough to make any impact. One Britisher, I am told, resigned because her English friends disapproved of her association with local Sinhalese parents. Mother inherited Mrs. Pearce’s efficient administration.

Now what of Mother’s experiences as a new and amateur educationist in a country as different from her home as if she had stepped into the pages of an oriental novel? She loved the Sri Lankans from the start but a few shocks awaited her. One day an irate parent arrived at Mother’s office. "You have the daughter of a low caste family in school," she was told, "and this child sits next to mine in class." Coming from the State of Kentucky which certainly must have practised some form of racial discrimination, Mother was nonetheless deeply shocked when she was asked to not only move the child’s desk but to preferably banish the ‘intruder’ from Visakha.

Mother was a very tall person and could, when she so desired be queenly. At this point she so desired. She drew herself up to her fullest height. "Mrs. X," she said coldly, "when I enrol a student in Visakha I do not enquire to which caste she belongs. I am quite unconcerned with social status. I am only concerned with the child’s mind and her behaviour in school, but if you feel so strongly about the matter please write me a letter and I shall lay the matter before the Board." Mother shrewdly guessed that putting such a complaint in writing would never be done. She was right.

But it taught her something. To the end of her days Mother never inquired as to social standing or financial standing of any of the school’s parents. This probably irritated the affluent but endeared her to all others.

Visakha had a lovely hostel with long airy dormitories, large windows and a sunny atmosphere. The ‘baby’ dormitory was her special love. Boys and girls aged 4 to 6 were lodged here and special pets were Manilal Gunawardene and Neomal Dias, grandson of the founder.

She would kiss all 18 babies goodnight each evening. Manilal kept her in the room as long as he could. "May I have some water Mrs. Motwani?" he would ask just as she was ready to turn out the light. The Matron would try to hush him up but Manilal had a battery of requests. He always had to go to the bathroom. He was scared of going alone. He needed Mother to hold his hand. In short Manilal just wanted her there while he fell asleep. His two older sisters had no patience with him and in any case were in other dorms.

As Manilal left Visakha to go to a boy’s school, saying goodbye to Mother was hard for them both. "No one writes to me," he told her sadly. All letters from home would go to his older sister. "Will you write me a letter?" It was the first letter Mother ever wrote to a cute little 5-year-old and Dr. Gunawardene told her he treasured it a long time.

Romantic minded teenage Visakha girls were also terribly interested in my handsome North Indian father who put in an appearance from time to time dressed in Jodhpurs, Indian Sherwani and Gandhi cap. "He set the tone of romance round the new Principal.

My Hindu Moon Star

I love you

I love you

Yes I do

sang the Seniors to whom a North Indian lover was the ultimate of their unspoken dreams. And all the world, especially these Asian girls, brought up in that era for nothing else but marriage, loved a lover. Clara and Kewal became instantly loved," wrote Manel Ratnatunga (nee Hewavitarna.)

During Mother’s first years at Visakha she naturally introduced certain very American ideas. Sita Rajasooriya well known at the moment for her dedication to the Girl Guide and Sarvodaya Movement, writes, "Just before the Senior Cambridge exam Mrs. Motwani occupied us with other activities. We felt this was a serious drawback to that last minute cram.

‘‘She told us to put away our books and on the night before we sat for the first paper the examination class were feted to a gala dinner given by the Staff. Mrs. Motwani told us this was an American custom and there is no doubt that our excellent results were due, thanks to Mrs. Motwani who helped us clear our minds and avoid last minute agitation. I was also one of the first to give Mrs. Motwani the Sinhala "ayubowan" greeting on the first day she entered Visakha. She returned it so gracefully we were enchanted."

The observance of Sil on Poya days was made compulsory. Day girls joined boarders in a full day’s programme arranged by Venerable Bhikkhu Narada. Mother joined the girls, sat on the floor with everyone and observed the customs. Rev. Narada conducted a meditation class one day and saw Mother seated with a perfectly straight spine (she always had a straight spine) hands correctly folded, eyes closed. He switched to Sinhala. "See girls," he told them. "Open your eyes and look at your Principal. THAT is the posture you must assume at religious functions." Mother opened her own eyes to find the whole school’s collective gaze on her. She blushed confusedly and asked the venerable monk if anything was wrong. "No, no Mrs. Motwani," he assured her. "I was just telling them to copy you." Mother used to say afterwards that it was a compliment she never forgot.

Leila Wijesekera writes that she grew very fast to be so tall Mother always gave her the male lead in any drama. She was always the centre "V" in the double "V" meant to represent "Visakha Vidyalaya." Mother ranged all the children downwards from her towering figure.

Grace Jayasuriya (nee de Silva) goes back even further. "I remember presenting a bouquet to Lady Stanley, wife of Sir Herbert Stanley when she visited Visakha; I was a tiny girl. I was twelve when Mrs. Motwani came. She was very beautiful. She allowed us to have midnight feasts and shut her eyes to the fact we were breaking rules. We had "Boarder’s Days" when normal rules were suspended. I had no mother and my father wanted me to marry young. Mrs. Motwani objected to an early marriage and persuaded him to allow me to join the Lady Irwin College Home Science Course at Visakha. Those were Golden Days, the memory of which will always linger in my heart."

Thercy Samarajeewa writing to mother said, "A scene rises before my eyes. I see you with us students at dinner. I see us hostellers sitting at your feet in the garden while you told us stories of your home in Kentucky. I see the queue waiting to say goodnight to you at the end of the evening. I hear your voice telling us "Remember only what you GET never what you have GIVEN."

It was an axiom Mother herself followed all her life. She always remembered a favour and never bore a grudge. Father was not over pleased with Mother’s selective memory. "There is a special God for Angels and Fools," he would tell us, his two daughters, "and your mother qualifies for His attention on both counts." Mother smiled serenely and went calmly along thinking thoughts that pleased her and remaining true to her own code of ethics. At this distance of 50 years from childhood, I can see how strong parental example can be, and how difficult it is to emulate it!

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