Merryl Fernando, an honest politician and a teacher

G. T. Francis de SILVA-Former Vice Chancellor, University of Moratuwa

Merryl Fernando, former Member of Parliament for Moratuwa passed away recently. A person hailing from a middle class family from Koralawella he had his early education at Prince of Wales College, Moratuwa. He left the University of Ceylon during the hartal of 1953 possibly to take up a political career and later joined the Maharagama Training College and worked as an English teacher.

He won the 1956 Elections for Moratuwa from the LSSP defeating the industrial giant Ruskin Fernando of the UNP. During that time I came to know him.

Humble politician

The modest person he was, he had been waiting in the queue at the Lunawa Hospital where my brother-in-law was a Medical Officer. A hospital employee had told the Doctor that the MP of the area was in the patients' queue and the Doctor too had retorted that it was a good example. But when Fernando arrived, my brother-in-law had told the MP to come to the quarters in the future. I was staying with him in the hospital quarters and I was introduced to Fernando on such a visit.

I remember seeing the MP waiting for a bus and which is an eye opener to the present day public.

In the 1960 April elections, he was defeated by Ruskin Fernando but in the July elections that year Fernando was again elected. Around in 1965, he and late Edmund Samarakkody had left the party and had voted for the No Confidence Motion against the Government thus losing their seats in Parliament.

Since I had joined the staff of the University of Moratuwa and being away from the country, it was a pleasant surprise to find Fernando employed as a staff officer of the then Katubedda Campus. He used to discuss political matters and even about his life. He had lost his job as teacher and after leaving Parliament, had encountered financial and personal difficulties. In order to secure employment he had studied accountancy and was able to pass within a short period the intermediate stages.

A good man

This had made him eligible to apply for a post of Senior Assistant Bursar at then Vidyodaya University. However, the University authorities had not recognized this experience as an MP and the Moratuwa Urban Council Chairman as relevant and had given him a lower post.

But with the experience he has had at Vidyodaya was able to come to Moratuwa for a higher position.

I asked Fernando why he was not thinking of doing the remaining two parts and become an accountant and his reply was it was a capitalist job. When I asked why he studied, he replied that to get a job he had to study that subject. It was before 1977. Elections that at a meeting I attended as Moratuwa University Teachers' Union Secretary that the then Vice Chancellor of a University said a good man like Fernando was leaving to contest the election but he would not have a chance to win.

The following day, I met Fernando and inquired about the matter whether he had a chance of winning. He confided with me that he could not win but he was doing that to get registration to his party. I asked him whether he could not contest by taking leave. He told me, "How can I do it, it is against my principles."

Thus, he lost the election and his job at the University too. He used to come to the University as a Visiting Lecturer in English and we met often with books on politics which I used to readily purchase as part of our friendship.

Exemplary teacher

How he became an English teacher for workers of the Dockyard Ltd and later was sent to Singapore for training is another interesting episode. I was told to find a good English teacher for workers by a neighbour of mine. I introduced Fernando to my neighbour. When questioned on the payment expected Fernando told that the University was paying Rs. 25 per hour and that would suffice. My neighbour said it would be shameful to ask that amount for a person of this calibre and that he would request for Rs. 50.

When my neighbour put a paper to the Board, the members had felt the same way and had approved over Rs. 100.

One day, Fernando came out with an idea which I felt was of national importance. He met me when I was the Vice Chancellor of the University and made this proposal to improve employment opportunities especially of the arts graduates. Let undergraduates be given an optional subject of "English as a second langauge" or by whatever name without the need for A/L pass in English for admission. What he said was when student learn that subject for three years they will have gain English knowledge for employment locally.

It struck me as a very simple and a practical idea and I called the Chairman of the UGC to discuss with Fernando. It was very unfortunate the good Chairman missed the point and said it was up to the Universities to do that.

The greatest tribute that can be paid to this honest and humble politician and teacher is to study this concept and implement it.