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| Thursday, 13 January 2005 |
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An icon leaves us - the passing away of Regi Siriwardena by Prof. C. Suriyakumaran On Wednesday, the 15th of December, Regi Siriwardena passed away at the age of 82 - to which this mortal too humbly lays claim. Regi came from a world in which he and I both dreamed from the days we were fellow beings at what was then University College at Thurstan Road - the one and only undergraduate institution then in the country. We were both in totally different faculties, he in English, brilliant and due to pass out with first class honours; I in a totally fledging, faculty at the time called Economics, all sitting for the London Degree, the institute headed by a principal with a university still in formation. The staff everywhere then were truly brilliant indeed giving 'Peradeniya' its quality that it was able to boast of later. Yet we met at fora, some classified by the authorities as respectable - the union society, drama society, others condemned as rebellious, anti-establishment, even dangerous. Regi was to all appearances, gentle in the extreme. So, indeed, he was the least of those one could expect in the last category of the anti-State and the rebellious. Regi as socially conscious and concerned, as he was academically brilliant and secluded, came out soon as the out and out committed member of the Sama Samaja Movement, with a galaxy of the country's outstanding intellectuals, led by Dr. N.M. Perera through to Hector Abhayawardena, Bernard Soysa and others. There was as we all know, the other brilliant left wing group led by Dr. S.A. Wickremasinghe, Peter Keuneman, N. Shanmugadasan and others. These two in opposition to each other, perhaps sadly determined the unfortunate future political history of our troubled country. Regi was never in any direct confrontations whether in these left political rivalries or with the high authorities of State, but he was deeply committed to what he considered his own crusade for justice, so much so that soon he was a member of the inner circle of the LSSP and played key role anonymously or otherwise in his day. During this, it was also Regi's quality that he pursued his own crusade in offering and encouraging English writings in its various forms, as medium for indigenous literary and political expression of high commitment. In all these, Regi had a way, almost childish of enjoying himself, so much so that a complete outsider would never think he was so filled inside him with fire and commitment. We went our ways to pursue our careers. Regi's death has seen his documented in the columns lately. For myself having persued a highly rewarding tenure of contributing especially under S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike on fundamental issues of the country I had reluctantly and finally to leave for shores abroad, striking fortunately some extremely rewarding pathways in international careers and, in a third phase upon retirement, back here again for over two decades - a academic abroad, and witness at home to our miseries. It was in this last that Regi and I got in touch, in what we knew was the last phase of our lives compulsively writing articles like I did on the so called ethnic situation and our so called development. I found these resulting in series of articles beginning the early '80s, and closing in 2003. It was this memory that now I cherish and keep with me most. With only an idea suggested, and without even the slightest urging, it was Regi who faithfully scribed the foreword for the three publications called Anguish I, II, III, the first from 1980 to 1990 to 1990s, the second from 1990 to 1995 and the third from 1995 to 2003. In the third, I had mentioned that given our age, this would be the last of the 'Anguishes', at least for me. Regi noted this with his usual smile. In a foreword Regi quoting Auden had written: 'The enlightenment driven away, The habit - forming pain, Mismanagement and grief: We must suffer them all again'. He has gone; I remain, still writing occasionally despite physical handicap, simply out of compulsion, how long more it does not matter, but with what use for the country one sadly wishes to know. Regi would have considered this as a good last conversation between him and me if he could hear me somewhere.... A rare person has passed away. |
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