K. C. Kamalasabayson PC - Tribute:
Brilliant student and loyal friend
Upali A. Gooneratne
Born on April 8, 1949 in Trincomalee, the late K. C. Kamalas -abayson
PC ('Kamal' to many of us) would have been 60 years young on April 8 and
would certainly have been at the top of the Private Bar as well.
That was not to be his Lord's plan for him, as he was suddenly
snatched away from our midst on August 12, 2007 whilst in a hospital in
India. He would have been one whom the Gods loved most.
K. C. Kamalasabayson PC |
My first impression of Kamal is of a lanky young man in full white,
as we law students used to be attired those days, joining the Advocates'
Preliminary Batch in 1969, commuting on his mosquito.
One of his favourite sayings then was "these things happen in the
best of circles."
Kamal was a brilliant student, a loyal friend, an extremely pleasant
company and a gentleman par excellence, a trait with which he will
always be remembered. That characteristic of Kamal is the one that
readily comes to anyone's mind when thinking of him, even today.
Kamal and I have been closely associated on a number of matters. At
the Law Students' Union (LSU) elections for the year 1970, held in
August 1969, I was elected uncontested as General Secretary and Kamal,
also backed by our Voet Inn, became an Unofficial Committee Member.
Assistant General Secretary
At my request and to the satisfaction of all, he functioned as the de
facto Assistant General Secretary that year. It therefore fell upon him
to officiate at the longest known LSU meeting, lasting 8 hours and 20
minutes, chaired by R. K. W. Goonesekere himself, our much respected
principal and Vice Patron, as I was to propose the draft of the new LSU
Constitution which was to grant autonomy to the student body, while
replacing the erstwhile Rules of 1939. That Constitution was adopted
without a division and operates until today.
LSU Constitution
Kamal, representing the Tamil Mantram was also in the Co-ordinating
Committee of Law Students in 1970, which was a gathering created of
representatives of all religious and ethnic groups at the Law College
then, with the principal as the Patron, to reach a consensus among all
on the provisions of the new LSU Constitution.
There were apprehensions that the national political climate of 1970,
would be disadvantageous to the minorities. A present day politician,
then a contemporary of ours, addressing the LSU in Sinhala for the first
time further strengthened these fears.
Kamal and I were also in the first Rugger Team of Law College,
despite our doubtful skills in that game. We were naturally very kind to
our opponents and never won a single match, despite the hard work put in
by Rugby stars like the late Rohan Jayatileke, Stanley Obeyesekere, Ana
Jayasinghe etc. The warm hospitability of the planters' clubs, which Ana
managed to arrange, was worth more than any trophy to us empty-pocketed
students then.
Acting State Counsel
We were both selected as Acting State Counsel in early 1974. Kamal
joined on the due date, while I asked for and received a couple of
postponements and finally declined. Given by own financial and other
circumstances, I could not afford such a luxury. We also functioned
simultaneously as lecturers and examiners at the Law College in the same
subject, Criminal Law, he in the Tamil medium and I in Sinhala.
Solicitor General
He would always trust me to set the whole question paper, which we
would then translate into the respective media. He continued in the
Official Bar and by 1999 had reached the position of Solicitor General,
while I remained in the Private Bar.
We then came together, again later that year, at Ceremonial Sittings
of the Supreme Court and of the Court of Appeal, he as the Attorney
General and I as the President, BASL. This one day prompted him to
whisper to me that I would have also been in his shoes, had I joined the
Department, an aspect that had never occurred to me. That's Kamal's
good-heartedness and humility. Holding the sensitive office that he
held, particularly for a person of his ethnicity, was no easy task, not
due to anything wanting in him, but the very volatile situation in the
country and the recent history of his Department.
He was conscious of the fact that there could be many an occasion
when someone would have been ready to put the stripes on him (to use his
own expression) if his advice or decisions were not to the liking of
those who mattered.
It is solely due to his honesty, forthrightness and ability that he
was able to be in the 'hot seat' unscarred until the end.
Circumstances did not permit me lately, to meet him socially as often
as I would have loved to. But there were ample occasions when I had the
privilege of interviewing him on professional matters.
He was fair, firm and courteous as always. No one ever left his
Chamber during Kamal's tenure, feeling that he had not been treated
fairly by 'the AG.' His charming ways saved his Department of great
embarrassment, not once, but at least thrice, to my personal knowledge.
Gentleman
No one except him would have succeeded in such difficult and
sensitive situa tions. Towards the latter part of his tenure, he shared
with me many a pressing concern but, being the gentleman he was, he
entertained bitterness towards none, even in the face of all such
concerns.
With Kamal's demise, the country lost one of its greatest sons, the
Bar one of its ablest members, those who knew him, a reliable and a
sincere friend and one of the finest of gentlemen. The loss to his
family must surely be irreplaceable and immense.
A matter of consolation to the Bar and also to his widow Ramani is
that his only child Vidhya has chosen to follow her father's footsteps.
May Kamal's soul attain Moksha! |