Nalaka Bamunusinghe: Simplicity was his hallmark

Nalaka was the apple of eye of his parents and the family successor to his father Piyasena Bamunusinghe, a local SLFP politician. His childhood was naughty but cheerful. He was always fond of his younger sister, Lakmali.

Nalaka had his primary education at Rahula college, Matara. With the untimely death of his father at 49 in 1972, his mother had to shoulder family burden. Nalaka bade farewell to Walasgala his ancestral abode and came to Colombo.

Veteran politician Ronnie de Mel with whom Nalaka's father was involved in politics extended his patronage to the Bamunusinghe family in helping Nalaka to enrol as a student at St.Thomas College, Mount Lavinia. At the College, the Miller chapman dormitory became his familiar abode.

By nature Nalaka was a man of few words. Yet he was able to attract a host of friends. To quote a few, the veteran journalist Geoff Wijesinghe's son, the Sri Lankan Air Cargo Director, Yohan Wijesinghe, College Cricket Captain Umesh Iddipily, Trico (Frico) International -Dubai Managing Director, Gamini Kannangara were some of his contemporaries at the St. Thomas. Buwaneka Abesuriya & Dhammika are coming to the account from Royal College.

Nalaka's forte was sports. Basket Ball and Rugger were his favourite choices at the college. He later joined the Havelock Rugger team and had such Rugger stalwarts as Chaminda Rupasinghe, Kolitha Gunatillake of the Sri Lankan Rugger team were in his circle of the near and dear. Nalaka had his soul embedded in politics. He took part in SLFP May Day rallies and expressed his solidarity with the toiling workers & farmers.

Whenever he visited Walasgala, his ancestral home, he always ran to his relations, local politicians, such as former parliamentarian, Aelien Nanayakkara, Hemal Gunasekara of Southern Provincial Council and Bandula Kolonna of Colombo Municipality.

Having finished the College Education, he joined the plantation sector under the tutelage of his uncle, Daya Gunaratna, a planter in Dick oya, Maskeliya.

Within a short spell he gave it up and joined Airport Garden Hotel, which he found no springboard for his future ambitious.

He leaped headlong into politics. The year 1989 was a crucial year for them. Death was looming before their lives. Their "Maha Gedara" was partly damaged. Nalaka himself experienced a narrow escape from death. Finally he had to seek refuge in a foreign country - Austria.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa is related to him and he left no stone unturned to guarantee his success in every election.

His close association with Minister of Power Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Wijayananda Aluthgamage, Pradeep Hapangama, Amal Senadhilankara, Anura Bandaranaike, Ossie Abeygunasekara & Vijaya Kumaratunga in the political arena was well known to all.

Modesty and simplicity, the hallmarks of his personality remained unchanged even when he held such top posts as Coordinating Secretary to Defence Ministry and Executive director of the Civil Aviation Authority.

His marriage was eventful & colourful. One day when a home-bound Sri Lankan lady from Vienna got stranded at the Colombo Airport during the civil unrest in Colombo in late 1980s, Nalaka volunteered to take her safely to her destination. However, their subsequent friendship culminated in their marriage in 1992.

Nalaka a dedicated husband, devoted father and a genial friend would never have thought he would so soon leave his wife Kanthi and two children alone and embark on his last journey for ever.

May our dearest friend Nalaka attain the supreme bliss of Nirvana!

Dharmananda Wijesinghe