Justice Ramanathan an illustrious son of the soil - Desmond Fernando, PC

Sarath MALALASEKERA

COLOMBO: The Late Deshamanya Justice P. Ramanathan, a man of the stature was a member of the Orient Club in this day and age brought great lustre to the club.

He is one of the most distinguished members of the Orient Club, said President’s Counsel Desmond Fernando by unveiling the late Justice P. Ramanathan’s portrait at the Orient Club recently.

President’s Counsel Fernando said that Justice Ramanathan returned to Sri Lanka and spent a short time working with Lakshman Kadirgamar who had quickly become a leading practitioner. Later he joined the Attorney General’s Department. He was both conscientious and popular.

Justice Ramanathan felt deeply for the poor and the oppressed and did whatever he could to help them. One example is a scheme that he had for Rotary, to invite leading artists from Switzerland in the field of Pottery, to teach pottery to poor villagers in the South, to increase their skills and also to obtain improved equipment, so that the quality of their products improved and become more marketable, bringing them to a better income, the President’s Counsel said.

Rama, as his friends used to call him was a kind hearted, gentle, simple and unassuming man. He was loyal to every institution to which he belonged. He was particularly devoted and loyal to the Orient Club.

President’s Counsel Fernando said- “I remember an instance where the late Federick Obeyesekere, a lawyer, an old Cambridge man was seated next to me in the Supreme Court.

Justice Ramanathan was a young State Counsel. He was appearing in an appeal from a Magistrate’s Court. The accused-appellant was not represented, presumably because he could not afford a lawyer.

Young State Counsel Ramanathan got up and told court that the conviction could not stand and gave the reasons why it should be set aside. Court then set aside the conviction. Federick Obeyesekere turned to me and said “the last gentleman in the Attorney General’s Department.

Spending some years at St. Joseph’s College, he was sent to a leading public school in India - Montfort Boys High School. There he excelled in sports and was cricket captain of the school. His leadership and oratorical skills resulted in his being elected Prime Minister of the school Parliament, the President’s Counsel said.

From there he proceeded to Britain for his University education. He graduated from St. David’s College, Lampeter of the University of Wales and then came to London to read for the Barrister’s Exam, he said.

President’s Counsel Fernando said, Justice Ramanathan came from one of Sri Lanka’s most distinguished families. He was the great grand son of Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan who was the first elected member of the Legislative Council.

Rama’s great grand uncle was Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam, founder of the Ceylon National Congress. The great scholar, Dr. Ananda Coomaraswamy was the son of Sir Muthu Coomaraswamy.

Rama, however, did not much care for mention of his family, for he was very much anti-elitist nor did he care very much for money, he said.

Justice Ramanathan’s service to his country, he was conferred a Deshamanya and more recently Chairman of the Human Rights Commission, a post for which he was eminently suitable, given his commitment to Human Rights and his great concern for the poor and under privileged.

In conclusion, President’s Counsel Fernando said that in life as well as in death, he wanted to retain his simplicity. His instructions during an illness which he had in 2004 was “A.F. Raymond’s Funeral Parlour and first berth at the crematorium.”

Mano Ramanatham, widow of the late Justice P. Ramanathan delivered the vote of thanks.