Tributes
Palitha Gunewardena
On a working day in October 2002, I received a telephone call from
Director Economic Affairs of the Telecom Regulatory Commission (TRC)
Palitha Gunewardena and after a self introduction, welcomed the writer
for the new assignment at the TRC.
When I looked backed this first call of Palitha filled with warmness,
it was the beginning of strong friendship. Not only did we became
partners at work with a lot of challenges but close friends until he was
snatched away by the December 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami.
From October 2002, we had to keep up to a time schedule drawn by the
Government to liberelise the International Gateway which was a monopoly
of the then incumbent operator Sri Lanka Telecom. Palitha was the
skipper of the team of economic experts at TRC, myself had to draft the
legal mechanism to facilitate new interconnection regime in order to
make way for the newly liberalised International call origination and
termination industry.
From October 2002 until March 3, 2003, the day Sri Lanka’s
International gateway was liberalised not a single day passed without us
meeting each other. In order to achieve the objects we had lengthy
discussions, exchange of views and worked out strategies together to get
the stakeholders to agree for the liberalisation of the Gateway. This
short period, not only I met a person with academic knowledge but
Palitha who had rare human qualities par excellence.
His excellent leadership given to the Economic Division of TRC was
remarkable and was not a surprise, he being the son of Admiral Ananda
Silva, the distinguished former Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy.
Palitha was appointed as the Director General Securities and Exchange
Commission in July 2003 and I had the pleasure of working with him till
he left the TRC, but found time in our busy schedule to strengthen the
friendship.
The Tsunami not only took young and promising Palitha but also his
wife Harshini at the Yala sanctuary, at a time where Sri Lanka would
have been enriched with the vision of a Financial Regulator who was
unbiased.
May he attain the Supreme Bliss of Nirvana - Sumathi Dharmawardena
Dr. Gamani Attygalle
It is very sad to learn the demise of very outstanding gentleman with
sterling qualities and a Medical Practitioner. He hails from a very
noble Aristocratic Attygalle Family. Dr. Attyagalle’s elder brother was
late Deshamanya General Don Sepala Attygalle who was the Former Army
Commander and Ex Defence Secretary.
He was educated at Wesley College Colombo 8. He excelled in his
studies, Sports and other extra curricular activities in College. Dr.
Attygalle was a member of the Tennis team of the Health Department
Sports Club. He was successful in University Entrance and he entered
Ceylon Medical College, Colombo for his medical studies. He got through
MBBS (Ceylon) and Specialized on Anaesthetics FFARS (UK) in England. He
served as a Medical Practitioner in several Provincial Hospitals and
Colombo General Hospital and cured patients very kindly which is a very
rare quality. He served on the panel of doctors which did the first
kidney transplant in Sri Lanka. He got married to Kalyani daughter of a
very respectable family in Sedawatte Walawwe, Kelaniya namely Don Walter
Wijewardene and Mrs. Anula Wijesinghe Wijerwardene.
They have a very outstanding Son Dhammika Attygalle who is a Group
Director of Upali Group of Companies which was founded by his very
patriotic charismatic and illustrious fearless uncle late Upali Phillip
Wijewardene, whose prestigious name known worldwide. Late Gamani
Attygalle did social cultural and religious services to the community in
the areas concerned. His illustrious, Patriotic and Charismatic son
Dhammika Attygalle rendering great services to the area community and
Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya being the Chief Basnayake Nilame of the Raja
Maha Viharaya for generations since Dutch period.
May he attain Nibbane.
Capt. LB Lanka (Wilbawe) Jayaratne Weligama |
