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105th birthday of Dr. Gunapala Piyasena Malalasekera: 

Malalasekera recalls his life and times

by Nemsiri Mutukumara

In his colourful and checkered life of seventy-three fruitful years, Dr. Gunapala Piyasena Malalasekera goes down the memory lane to recall events and incidents from his innocent infancy of five years.

"I had my early education at Saint John's College in Panadura. I was admitted when I was about five years.

My father was a well-known and reputed Ayurveda Physician. He had an abiding interest to teach Western medicine. His desire was to teach me both the Western and Oriental Medicine. Since the "Sinhala Vedakama can be taught at home. Father straight away sent me to the Medical College to learn Western Medicine."

But that was not to be. Fate intervened. The demise of the father ended his Medical College education.

How the father - Veda Muhandiram Malalage Siyadoris Peiris Malalasekera Seneviratna Veda Ralahami taught him the Sinhala "Ayanna" the first letter of the Sinhala alphabet is quite interesting.

The Malalasekera Ayurveda Dispensary was located close to the sea-shore. The family also lived near the coast. Father accompanied the son to the shore whenever he was free.

On Saturdays son used to go to the clinic with the father. One day, after lunch, Veda Muhandiram told his infant of five years that he has to perform a "Mangala Katayutta" - an auspicious deed.

The time was around 2 in the afternoon. The Veda Muhandiram cooked kiribat.

"After eating kiribat, father took me to the sea-shore. Both of us played on the beach for some time.

Veda Muhandiram squatted on the sandy-beach under the shade of a coconut tree, combed the sand and said, 'now I am writing a Sinhala letter and wrote the 'Ayanna' - the first letter of the Sinhala alphabet.

"That is how," says Dr. Malalasekera, "I began to learn Sinhala under a coconut tree in the sandy-sea-shore in Panadura.

Dasa Graha Santiya

There was another popular book in Sinhala household. It was known as "Dasa Graha Santiya", written by Pelis Appuhamy. He was the Editor of the "Kavata Katikaya".

According to his belief, besides the nine planets - Nava Grahayo, the biggest influence is wielded by the 'Dasa Grahaya" or the tenth planet. The tenth planet is one's own spouse. Pelis Appuhamy wrote a complete Bali Pota including the tenth planet and called it the Dasa Graha Santiya.

My father knew I was very reluctant to read books at the time. However, he continued to bring more and more kavi pot, starting with Guttila Kavyaya, Budugunalankaraya and so on. Whenever a new Kavi Pota is brought, he used to bring a bottle of lozenges as well.

My father would invite all the neighbouring children to our kavi maduva and show them the bottle of lozenges. Anybody who learns one hundred verses from those books within one month will win the bottle of lozenges.

After one month, father organises a meeting of all those neighbouring children and would invite a suitable elderly person and hold a test to select the winner. Every time I won the prize. My winning bottle of lozenges was shared among all those in the sabhava. That is how we learnt to learn Sinhala poetry, Dr. Malalasekera explained.

He related many an anecdote while travelling in the Buddhist Congress Volkswagon vehicle driven by Francis.

He was a great friend of Sir John Kotelawala, one day both of them enjoyed a hilarious joke cracked at each other, said Dr. Malalasekera: "Sir John, now many people use svabhasha in writing their names instead of English initials. What about you writing initials in Sinhala as 'Jo La Kotelawala."

"All right I will do it. How ill it sound when you write Gunapala Piyasena in Sinhala as Gu.Pi." Sir John responded. For several minutes their laughter continued unstopped.

He was an admirer of Anagarika Dharmapala. One day, when he went to meet the Anagarika and introduced himself as George Peris', the Anagarika thundered 'change your Anglo-Portuguese names at once. From today you are Gunapala Piyasena, That is how Malalage George Peris became Gunapala Piyasena Malalasekera.

Sometimes his kindness and compassion were considered a weakness. Such an incident took place when he was preparing to contest a top United Nations Post.

As usual for any Ambassador, he too addressed a charming letter to friendly Ambassadors and those of friendly countries. Without sending the letter to those desired, it had been leaked out to all and sundry. And Sri Lanka lost the position. He did not find fault with any official in the mission.

Youngest Graduate

Dr. Malalasekera was the youngest Sri Lankan to pass the Bachelor of Arts Degree from the London University. The other candidate who sat for the Degree was Ratnakirti Senarat Serasinghe Gunawardena (later Sir Senarat). L. H. Mettananda who became the Principal of Ananda College, Colombo) and many others followed.

A fine raconteur, Dr. Malalasekera said, he was once nicknamed "Sarva Sekaradaris." He was chosen as Secretary of many a society, like the Sinhala Sastriya Sammelanaya, Ayurveda Sammelanaya; Lanka Kala Sangamaya, Bauddharakshaka Sabhava to mention a few.

In the records of the London University, the name of Sri Lanka's G. P. Malalasekera has created history. He is the only London University student who has obtained the Bachelor of Arts Degree and the Post Graduate Degree of Master of Arts at one and the same time. When the results were released, the University Authorities passed a rule preventing such occurrences in the future.

While one University after another was conferring awards and honours on him, he saw the recognition of the most eminent and aptly suitable section of our community being denied any such recognition. That the learned, erudite Bhikkhu Sangha, the mentors and advisors of the laity going unrecognised.

Dr. Malalasekera gave them the due recognition with the establishment of the Vidya Visarada Faculty in the University which provided the Bhikkhu Sangha enormous opportunity to broaden their horizons in the fields of modern technology, changing systems of world politics and different friends in conflict resolution manoeuvres within a course of three year study.

He is a trail-blazer in many matters. In this particular faculty, Dr. Malalasekera can be considered the first and the last.

When he was appointed Sri Lanka's first Ambassador to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics - the Soviet Union, he presented his credentials in Sinhala - the document composed by himself, contained a rich blend of Sanskrit-Pali-Sinhala. That is the first and perhaps would be the last.

The credentials were signed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second from the Buckingham Palace in England.

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