The late A.C.L. Ratwatte - a man of varied interests
IN MY YOUTH, I heard so many wonderful things being spoken about a man
that I would have liked to meet. However, our lives and our paths never
crossed and I never did meet him.
He was none other than my grandfather.
Some of those wonderful things I have heard about him, I
would like to share with the readers in appreciation of his life.
He was born the eldest son of Sir Cuda Ratwatte and Lady
Ratwatte in January 1909 and was the eldest sibling amongst six brothers
and four sisters.
Often, more affectionately referred to by his friends
and peers as "Lennie" or "ACLR", my grandfather successfully completed
his education at Trinity College, Kandy, where he also excelled in
sports and was awarded colours for Rugby.
Thereafter, he pursued a career in Banking, by joining
the then Mercantile Bank of Kandy as Deputy Shroff, where his father was
the Chief Shroff (modern day equivalent of a Managing Director).
He soon succeeded his father and became Chief Shroff,
which led to the unusual situation where his grandfather, father and
himself, all became successive Chief Shroffs of the same Bank. Sometime
later, he was also appointed a Director of the Insurance Corporation.
His imposing stature and charming personality drew
admiration and respect from all those who associated with him. He
ventured to bring himself into close contact with people from varied
walks of life, particularly in Kandy, and this progressively led him
into the political arena.
Although his father was also involved in politics, he
branched out into politics not out of obligation to follow his father's
footsteps, but because he was aware that he possessed the natural
ability to communicate with people and transcend human barriers such as
religion, race, and creed, which made him a leader who was, above all,
easy to approach. Many say that he was a 'born leader' and that
leadership was an inextricable part of his character.
He entered politics not with the motive of seeking fame,
fortune or power, as he was a man who was already blessed with such
attributes or had already achieved them.
Driven by his untiring desire to genuinely serve the
community he was so fond of, he initially, joined the Municipal Council
of Kandy (KMC) as a member and subsequently served as its Deputy Mayor
(thrice) and in 1947 he contested the Municipal elections and was
appointed to the highest office of the KMC, as its Mayor, a position his
father too held, which led to another exceptional situation where not
only were the father and son Mayors of the same Municipal Council but,
sat together as Council Member and Mayor at council meetings of the KMC.
He served the KMC for 27 years.
His ability and unwavering loyalty to the United
National Party (UNP) was acknowledged by the party on many occasions and
consequently, he served on the Working Committee of the UNP and was
appointed President of the UNP's Youth League in Kandy.
His simplicity and charm in dealing with people of
varied backgrounds and his interests in local and national politics led
him to develop close ties with local and international leaders, which
fuelled his great desire to enter the diplomatic arena.
Consequently, in 1965, he was appointed Ceylon's High
Commissioner in Ghana and under his auspices Buddhism was, for the first
time, introduced to Ghana and the African Continent. Subsequently, he
was appointed as Ceylon's Ambassador in Malaysia and there too his
contribution to propagating Buddhism was legendary.
The Ven. Dr. K.C. Dhammananda; an erudite monk who wrote
many books on Buddhism in English, for the dissemination of the Dhamma
throughout the world, benefited greatly from the efforts my grandfather
put into popularizing Buddhism in foreign countries and the venerable
monk has, in some of his writings, expressed his gratitude to my
grandfather.
He was a man of many varied interests, which ranged from
growing Orchids to raring Elephants and promoting scouting to his avid
interest in special types of automobiles. His remarkable sense of
discipline helped him engage in all these activities yet, devote time to
his family as well. He was a naturalist by nature; well-versed in
elephant lore, plant life and exotic flowers.
In the jungles of Ratnapura, he discovered an orchid,
which was later named "Den Drobium Mac Carthae" ('Wesak Mal') and
subsequently the Orchid Circle of Ceylon adopted this Orchid as its
official emblem. His love for orchids and his vast collection of them
was recognized and acknowledged by orchid lovers and after he passed
away, a hybrid orchid was named "Van de Memoria Lennie", in his memory.
His great appreciation for the arts and culture of Sri
Lanka resulted in his taking a personal role to nurture the ancient art
forms of Kandy. Music was yet another source of great interest for him.
His leadership qualities were also evident in his social
life, which was just as colourful and varied as his interests. Apart
from being the President of the Rotary Club, he was a Director of the
Ceylon Red Cross Society, President of the Kandy Co-operative
Establishment, Vice President of the Trinity College Old Boys
Association, and the Kandy District Commandant of the St. John's
Ambulance Brigade.
His zeal for sports resulted in many popular sporting
events being organized in Kandy, at his behest. In 1951, he helped the
Ceylon Motor Cycle Club to make its first Kandy Road Race a successful
reality.
He also functioned as the President of the Kandy
District Cricket Association and the President of the Kandy District
Football Association.
Amongst his countless accomplishments, he was bestowed
the prestigious Member of the British Empire (MBE) accreditation and
during the 2nd World War, he was chosen as the first citizen to aid Lord
Louis Mountbatten in his operations in Sri Lanka.
Despite his achievements in diverse spheres, through his
unfailing modesty, unpretentious demeanour and endearing ways, he won
the hearts of the masses and never failed to address their grievances
and assist them in alleviating their poverty and hardships, often
sacrificing his own time and finances.
Many who knew him say that it is apt to refer to him as
a man who could 'walk with kings but not lose the common touch'. His
benevolence and generosity were rumoured to be as large as his heart.
My grandmother, the adorable, mild and gentle mannered,
late Chandra Divitotawela Ratwatte, was always a pillar of strength to
him and contributed greatly to his success. They leave behind their two
daughters Lilamanie and Areenie and three grandchildren.
My grandfather passed away in July 1971, after a brief
illness. Therefore, I was never a beneficiary of the love and kindness
he was so famous for bestowing on little children.
They say that the void created by his death has not been
filled ever since. I never knew him personally, but I have been in awe
of his exemplary life, undaunted spirit, and his wonderful qualities,
which have provided valuable illustrations to help shape my own life.
As Oscar Wilde said, "Life cannot be written, life can
only be lived". My grandfather lived all the days of his life to the
fullest and through what people tell me about him and by the fondness an
admiration through which they remember him, his memory will always
remain immortal.
I wish some day that I could, at least, be half the man
he was!
A proud grandson |