email forwarded by jks weerasekera.
Ceylon Daily News 27 March 2014
Citizens’
Mail] 2014-03-27
Some true human qualities and colours of the Tamil people
The
Mahinda Rajapaksa regime dispelled the differences which existed between the
Sinhalese and the Tamils, established peace among all nations, and made 'one
nation' out of the five communities and placed them as 'Sri Lankans'.
During the
era our country was a colony of the British Empire, my father was one out of
the few locals who were among the European rubber planters.
He was at
Hatbawe Group at Rambukkana.
The
workforce in this estate were Tamils of Indian origin who later became
citizens like in every other estate in the country.
Sinhalese
who lived in the bordering villages also were among them in small numbers,
like today.
The estate
staff had a weekly get-together with their families in one of the divisions
on rotation, to while away the loneliness which surrounded them.
Dr. A.B.J.
Rajendram from Jaffna was the estate Dispenser.
My father
and Dr. Rajendram were bosom friends.
I was 12
years old when I met him for the first time.
He was pious and kind, loved us
very much as he loved his only son Mangalanayagam who served in the RCyAF
(Royal Ceylon Air Force).
During one
such occasion in 1951 he suggested to my father to admit us to a school in
Jaffna.
My father
consented and within a few days I was in St. Patrick’s College, Jaffna with
two of my younger brothers under the Very Rev. Fr. T.M.G. Long O.M.I.
Furthermore,
Dr. Rajendram designated his intended son-in-law William to be our guardian.
William visited us every week and
attended to our needs throughout the entire period of our stay there in loco
parentis.
We
hostellers were allowed to go home during the weekends and return on Sunday.
Rambukkana
was a too long destination for the three of us to avail ourselves of this
privilege.
On the
courteous invitation of hosteller Ramanathan who took notice of the
situation, we spent the weekends with his parents.
On the left side of the Tellipalai railway station is a
level-crossing.
Immediately passing it on the right side was Ramanathan’s house.
His
merciful and hospitable parents treated us in the same manner they treated
their son.
We can
never forget the home made Jaffna string hoppers and puttu (pittu) with or
without sugar, or with curry, and fruits especially mangoes and other
varieties of tasty food we were treated with by his generous mother every
time we spent a holiday with them.
Her loving motherliness did not
make us feel the absence of our mother to whom we were able to go to only
once in three months.
When I was
with my parents awaiting results of the Higher School Certificate examination
I was invited to spend a holiday with this doctor who was then at Kirimittiya
Estate at Menikdiwela.
My
presence with them made the elderly couple happy because I filled the absence
of their only son away in employment.
I assisted
the doctor in his clerical work in the dispensary.
One day
the Superintendent of the estate Jack Burtons paid a surprise visit to the
dispensary.
On seeing
him I exited at once.
Having
observed my calligraphy during his inspection, the Periya Dorai had conveyed
his desire to see me at his bungalow.
The
following day as I stepped into his bungalow in the company of the doctor at
7 a.m. as appointed, “Do you like to become a planter young man?”, he
questioned me.
“Yes Sir”,
I replied. “This evening you will receive the letter”, he concluded.
On that
day in 1958 as destined, I began to apprentice as a Superintendent.
When
premier S.W.R.D. Bandaranayake was assassinated in 1959 I was Assistant
Superintendent of the Peak Division of that estate.
This is how the foundation to my
future was laid by a Tamil national for the second time.
During my
tenure of service in the Gal Oya Development Board, S.C.T. Sambandhan an
Assistant Superintendent from Kopay in Jaffna was an official who was close
to my heart. I first met him in 1962.
When he assumed duties as the
Sugar Plantation Manager, he placed me as his Senior Aide and when he assumed
duties as the General Manager he placed me as his Personal Assistant.
When my
six months old twins fell sick in end 1973, I happened to pay an informal
visit to my office mate Sinnathamby’s house on my way to the Batticaloa
hospital.
His
parents lived near the railway station close to the GODB’s transit stores.
I gave up
my idea of admitting my children to the hospital when Thamby’s mother
undertook to cure them.
So we
stayed with them in Batticaloa until she cured my children.
She
cleaned their wounds, washed them daily and having a box containing the
materia medica, treated them and cured them sooner than we expected.
She was no
second to my children’s own mother.
When my three year old second son was admitted to the Batticaloa hospital in 1974 to be treated for nephritis by Paediatrician Dr. S. Pathmanathan, it was the House Officer Dr. Ragunathan who looked after our son as we were 47 miles away in Hingurana.
According
to the nursing staff, Dr. Ragunathan had been carrying my son in the nights
trying to pacify him when he cried calling for his mother. These are the true
qualities of the
Tamils.
I am
placing this material before a new generation to enable them to understand
the true colours of the people of this country and give up spiteful
misconceptions rooted in rancorous writings and utterances of the misanthropists
of the past.
L.A.W. LIYANA ARACHCHI KADAWATHA |
This blog is about the entrants in the year 1960, to the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ceylon, Colombo. The email address for communications is, 1960batch@gmail.com. Please BOOKMARK this page for easier access later.Photo is the entrance porch of the old General Hospital, Colombo, still in existence. Please use the search box below to look for your requirement.
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Tamils of Sri Lanka.
Lasith Malinga's yorkers
email from "J. K. S. Weerasekera" -
Awesome
Awesome
As a youngster he was “that bugher from Galle”.
13 minutes of Yorkers at 139-144 Km per hour.
jksw
Subject: Slinger Lasith Malinga's yorkers - Awesome
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Coeliac disease and NSAIDS.
Is ibuprofen making us sick? Research suggests it may cause gut conditions such as coeliac disease
A National Institutes of Health study revealed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can cause intestinal inflammation and can increase the permeability of the intestines.
Full Story:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/
23 April 2014
http://www.dailymail.co.uk
A National Institutes of Health study revealed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can cause intestinal inflammation and can increase the permeability of the intestines.
Full Story:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/
23 April 2014
http://www.dailymail.co.uk
Spectacular Salsa - Paddy & Nico - Electric Ballroom | Britain's Got Talent 2014.
|
21 Apr (3 days ago)
 | | ||
Your never too old......................
THIS WILL MAKE YOU STARE IN TOTAL AWE ( and maybe disbelief! )
Whatever this sweet gal is taking, I want a full dose of it!.
Enjoy.
This is quite amazing.
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Hambantota harbour
"J. K. S. Weerasekera"
My comments on this harbour have been
picked up in Michael Robert’s blog.
I have visited the harbor thrice; under
construction before sea water was let in, soon after, and functioning as seen
in last week.
Please go to link below; control click.
jksw
Speed Painter
"J. K. S. Weerasekera"
Cc:
Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2014 22:00:02 +0530
Subject: FW: Fw: Speed Painter...WOW!!!
Cc:
Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2014 22:00:02 +0530
Subject: FW: Fw: Speed Painter...WOW!!!
Don’t miss. 90 seconds of painting.
Wow!
jksw
email from jks weerasekera
...WOW!!!
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