Appreciation:

Deshamanya Dr. J B Kelegama

I was chairing the first meeting of the year of the Council of the Sri Lanka Economic Association (SLEA) when I received the sad and shocking news of the demise of my friend Dr. Kelegama. My sadness and shock were even greater because I could not personally pay my last respects to his remains, as I had to leave for the Air Port immediately after the meeting to join my wife who was in UK.

I have known Dr. Kelegama, commonly addressed by his friends of my vintage as 'Kele', for more than 57 long years. We first met when we entered the University of Ceylon in July 1948, he from Trinity, Kandy and I from Dharmasoka, Ambalangoda. He went into residence at Catholic Hostel, Havelock Road and I at Union Hostel, Guilford Crescent where Kele ultimately came to live. Though we came from different backgrounds, we soon became friends as we had begun to follow the same courses at the Faculty of Arts in the first year and enrolled for the Special course in Economics in the following year.

Two years later, both Kele and I graduated B.A. (Honours) in Economics, specialising in Banking and Accountancy respectively. Several avenues of employment were open to us then unlike now. He chose to join the Central Bank while I preferred the University. A few months later in 1952 September, I had to move up to Peradeniya when the faculty of Arts shifted to that campus. Although we lost the close touch we had until then, we followed each other's progress closely. Our closeness was also not too much distanced because of Kele's academic interest.

He was one of those rare individuals in the Bank who maintained a close academic link. While working in the Bank he also served (on a part-time basis) as the Professor of Economics of the University of Kelaniya (then Vidyalankara University) until it was able to make its permanent arrangements.

Our paths crossed again in 1965 when I shifted back to Colombo campus as the Lecturer-in-Charge of the Economics Department in the second faculty of Arts, University of Peradeniya. Kele had by this time left the Central Bank and joined the Public Service.

He soon rose through the higher echelons of the Public Service and ended up in 1970 as the Secretary of the Ministry of Trade and Commerce with the late T B Ilangaratna as his Minister, under whose direction, he had a lead role to play in the nationalisation of banking and insurance in the country.

It was also during this tenure of his as Trade and Commerce Secretary that the National Prices Commission was established of which I too was appointed a Director and Acting Chairman several times.

Politicization of the public service had gone so bad by this time, Kele had to retire from the public service with the change of Government in 1977. Knowing the merit of this public servant, the United Nations immediately snapped him as a technical advisor. He was working in this capacity until recently.

After his retirement from active service as an international civil servant, Kele devoted his time to the cause of the cancer and mental patients. His untiring work to alleviate the suffering of these unfortunate fellow human beings is too well-known to dwell upon here. He took greater pleasure in this work than what he done before as a public or an international civil servant. This work alone, will no doubt, shorten his journey in samsara.

He also was a regular weekly commentator on current socio-economic issues until a few days before his demise when he seriously fell sick and rushed to hospital. His views have contributed in no small measure to the fashioning of economic thinking of this country.

His feature column will be missed by many, but they will always remember Kele for his liberal thinking, pragmatic approach and forthright writing and his unwavering commitment to an indigenous mixed economy for our country.

Kele's contribution to the public and civil life of our country is well- known and has been recognized by successive Governments by conferring upon him, among others, the honour of 'Deshamanya' and appointment of him as the first Chancellor of the Rajarata University. But what may not be so well- known is his contribution to the Sri Lanka Economic Association (SLEA).

I am, therefore, writing this brief appreciation of Kele not only as one of his long standing friends but also as the President of the Sri Lanka Economic Association (SLEA). Kele was associated with SLEA from its very inception in 1985 as a founder member and Vice-President.

He had contributed to its progress immeasurably in its formative years. It was mainly in recognition of this service that Kele was made one of the first three fellows of the Association along with Dr. Gamani Corea and Dr. Neville Karunatilake. I am, in fact, happy that I had the distinction of delivering the citation on his induction.

Kele, we all have to die one day. That is the only thing certain in life. Yet to your family your demise is an irreparable, irreplaceable loss. Your friends who have survived you will miss you and your advice during the rest of their lifetime. Nevertheless, you would carry with you in your journey of Samsara, the merit of the service you had rendered to your fellow human beings. You also have the solace of leaving a legacy behind to continue with whatever good work you might have left unfinished. May your journey in Samsara be peaceful and short.

A D V de S Indraratna, President, Sri Lanka Economic Association