Dimensions of discipline and ways of punishing
In 1978, the first time Ranjan Madugalle captained Royal at the Big
Match, a sporting declaration by him responded to by positive batting by
the Thomians almost cost Royal the match. If I remember right, S.
Thomas’ had to score 44 in 8 overs with 4 wickets in hand (a piece of
cake these days) but settled for a draw. This year, another sporty
declaration by Royal was responded to as positively by the Thomians. The
umpires, unfortunately decided the light was too weak.
In 1978, Ranjan’s team won the Mustangs Trophy, comfortably beating
their arch rivals in the 50 over encounter. What happened therefore is
the subject of this piece.
Hostel warden
The Master-in-Charge of cricket at Royal was H Nanayakkara, who was
also the hostel warden. He was affectionately referred to as H Nana (to
differentiate him fro D D R Nanayakkara or ‘Bus Nana’ who handled
matters related to the school bus service) and sometimes as Haramanis or
simply ‘Hara’. The following conversation is said have taken place
between Hara and one of the coloursmen. Hara, true to form had been
disarmingly genial and good-humoured.
Hara: So you people would have had a big party after the
match?
Ranjan Madugalle |
Coloursman: No, sir, it was a small party.
Hara: Ah, so all you would have got cocked (drunk)? Coloursman:
No sir, we just had a couple of beers, that’s all.
Hara: Only a couple of beers? The whole team? Coloursman: No
sir, just five of us.
The five, all coloursman, were duly suspended. Royal had to field a
team made of the captain and 10 freshers in the Excide Trophy tournament
(the 50 over inter-schools event). Royal nevertheless won the Excide
Trophy.
I related the story to a friend at this year’s Royal-Thomian and he
responded with a story (big matches are about swapping stories of old
times). This was a soccer story. The chief protagonist was the soccer
captain Gihan Elikewala, the naughtiest, most mischievous boy in our
batch, according to some. Gihan is said to have turned a teacher out of
the class once. The said teacher had said (in Sinhala), ‘Elikewala,
either you go out or else I will,’ and ‘Elike’, legend has it, had said
‘then you go out sir!’ He had been hauled up to the Vice Principal (E C
Gunasekera, aka ‘Kataya’) and is said to have successfully pleaded his
case, pointing out that he had been given a choice and had figured that
had he gone out of the class, he might have got into deeper trouble if
Kataya or some other strict teacher had seen him.
Elike, according to my friend, had been ‘put on detention’ by Kataya.
This meant that he would not be allowed to take part in extra curricular
activities for a week. Sadly, probably for this first time, the Royal
soccer team had made it to the finals of the inter-school tournament,
thanks mostly to Elike’s individual brilliance. Elike had broken the
detention-rule and played in the final, calculating that Kataya would
not be present at a soccer match.
At the Royal Thomian Big match. Picture by Nissanka
Wijeratne |
Kataya indeed had not been there. Unfortunately, Kataya had tuned
into the Bristol Sports News at 7.30 pm that night. Royal had won. Elike
had scored the winning goal and therefore his name was mentioned. My
friend said that Kataya had summoned Elike the following Monday,
congratulated him for the historic victory and duly slapped a punishment
of two more weeks of detention.
Historic victory
Elike lives abroad. I sent him a message asking him to verify this
story. Here’s his response:
‘Yes malla, mara waday macho...everything went well in the
match...next day Kataya called me around 10 00 o’clock...had a nice
chat, even shared a chinese roll and tea with me, asked about the
match!!! I mumbled saying it was ok, and he told me it was wonderful
that we had won the championship, wanted to know if I had a twin,
because he was bemused as to how I could be in two places at the same
time...of course he congratulated me, and then told me that since my
twin was still at detention, to make it a family affair by sitting next
to him for two weeks...of course he brought it down to three days, when
his chinese roll went missing...heh heh...’
Schoolbooks
That’s the Elike of 1983/84. A quarter of a century has changed
nothing, I felt.
I told him that this deserves to be written about because it
illustrates several things. His commitment to his sport, team and the
school at the cost of punishment; Kataya’s sense of humour, ability to
be gracious, readiness to reward him for his efforts and the
determination to ensure that Elike learned that other things are as
important as a victory on the sports field. I told him also that the
person who told me this story said that things like this moulded him,
guided him when faced with tough decisions and that we learned more from
such things and such people than from our schoolbooks!
Elike was also easy going and despite his impishness by and large
sided with the ‘right’ and ‘good’ in things that counted. He send a
short response: ‘No worries macho...up to you malla, I have absolute
faith in your ability....if I can do ANYTHING to develop someone to
become better, then I’m your man...You take care, bro, and keep in touch
when you can.’
International encounter
Several decades after both incidents, my friend and I recalled how
life-moulding they have been and perhaps not just for the two of us.
Both stories were prompted by a recent incident where two school
captains representing a national Under 19 team were caught entertaining
prostitutes in the hotel where they were staying for the duration of an
important international encounter. Both were highly talented.
I don’t know if the relevant authorities chided them or put them on
detention or spoke about twins over chinese rolls and tea, but neither
were suspended from their respective teams.
I am wondering what kind of conversation two random men in their
mid-forties would have 25-30 years from now about discipline and
punishment.
I only hope that there are as many Elikewalas and Haras as there are
power-backed ruffians and arm-twistable authorities so that those two
unknown individuals can speak in positive terms about school days and
the lessons they learnt, of books and of men.
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