Most senior SLFP lady member

Birthday tribute to Sakuntala Tissainayagam:

Today, December 16, is the 86th birthday of Sakuntala Tissainayagam nee Rajaratnam the oldest surviving lady SLFP member. The Jaffna Royal Family records indicate that she is a direct descendant of King Sangili Kumaran, the last King of Jaffna through her mother Raneenayagam Barr Kumarakulasinghe. She was born on December 16, 1924. She is the daughter of the late T C Rajaratnam CBE, OBE, (lawyer and Statesman, founder member of the United National Party and CWE Chairman and Ceylon Malayan Tobacco Company Chairman and Ceylon American Mission Chairman) and Raneenayagam Barr Kumarakulasinghe. Sakuntala had her early education at Uduvil Girls School and graduated in Arts.

Giving is a placid kind of river In which one bathes to exercise the heart. Underneath the smile of the giver Lies deep an unsuspected sunken treasure In channels far too changeable to chart. Charity is like an unsung anthem Harmonising everything we see. A gift can be a work of silent witness, Remembrance, reverence, unsought forgiveness, Intention, labour, time, philanthropy. The worth is measured only by redemption, Yielding nothing but the grace to be. Dr Telli C Rajaratnam

Possessed with a pleasing personality and strong willed, she administered her estates with a firm dominating smile whilst expressing a soft tone in her speech which never declined.

Sakuntala has been a social worker, a silent friend who is available to anyone in distress. She shows a strength of spirit and independence and an initiative that are quite remarkable. She is clothed with strength and dignity. She speaks with wisdom and faithful instruction is on her tongue. Indeed she stands in par with the greatest women.

Sakuntala is quiet in her manners, natural and unassuming in her language, careful to wound no one's feelings, but giving generously and freely from the treasures of her pure mind to her friends. Scorning no one openly, she should feel gentle pity for the unfortunate, the inferior and the ignorant, at the same time carrying herself with an innocence and single heartedness which disarms ill nature and wins respect and love from all.

Sakuntala was brought up in a typical British Tamil conservative manner by her stubborn and strong willed mother who was more of a Mother Superior in a convent than that of a natural mother. Sakuntala was fortunate to receive love and affection from her husband Charles Rasaratnam Tissainayagam a well-known engineer who was also the Highways Ministry Permanent Secretary.

Sakuntala has a special day for the reception of calls, she is dressed in sari - silk, cashmere, chinnalapattu or kanchipuram and those are of quiet colours.

Anyone in that area would know her as Engineer Nona as her husband was an engineer. The Engineer Nona was a close associate of Sirimavo Bandaranaike.

In fact, Mackie and Barnes Ratwatte (Mrs Bandaranaike's brothers) had often visited the Tissainayagams at their residence during the turbulent times experienced by the Bandaranaike family. She has been blessed for her charity. She is the most Senior SLFP woman member alive.