APPRECIATIONS

Shelton Ranaraja:

Brought up in the liberal tradition

Shelton Ranaraja who belonged to a family from the days of the State Council has been involved with Parliamentary Democracy. He was brought up in the liberal tradition both in his family and through education. It was this liberal outlook that made him enter party politics.

He was one of those who entered Parliament in 1977. In lighter vein he won by a narrow margin defeating a seasoned campaigner of Senkadagala from the other party Anuruddha Ratwatte. When his election was challenged there was a recount and his margin of victory increased.

Shelton will be remembered for having walked the talk as a liberal. Although part of the 1978 Constitution with its architect J.R. Jayewardene, the 5/6th majority in Parliament Shelton Ranaraja like M.D.H. Jayewardene, another liberal parliamentarian and Neville Samarakoon of the Judiciary was not afraid to challenge his master J.R. Jayewardene. Therefore in the context of Jayewardene seeking absolute power by asking MPs to give him unsigned letters of resignation, Shelton was prepared of challenge his leader.

Shelton was also a person who was prepared to go to the North and negotiate during the post 1983 era in Sri Lanka. He was one of those in that van that was returning from Jaffna which was hijacked and those who committed the crime took the van leaving the passengers to find their way home.

Shelton was one of those whom I admired from a distance for his liberal outlook.

Sydney Knight

Deshamanya H K Dharmadasa:

Illustrious, legendary businessman

With the demise of Deshamanya H K Dharmadasa, illustrious and legendary businessman, who started life from humble beginnings, a chapter on Sri Lankan entrepreneurs of the present era closes.

To me he was simply Nawaloka Uncle, for he was a great family friend of my father and was aware of his overwhelming generosity since I was a child. On my 12th b'day, his gift to me was an antique gold coin minted in 1864 and weighing two and a half sovereigns. This was long before he became a multi-billionaire. From the very beginning his generosity was overpowering he gave just as much as he earned a phenomenon rarely witnessed today.

This is the quality in him which endeared him to millions of people rich and poor. This is the side I was familiar with, the humane side. For me he was a great humanist, a great giver, who has touched the hearts and minds of hundreds of thousands of Sri Lankans throughout the country. Another aspect I would like to highlight is his passion for badminton. Of course the public would not know that he was an ardent badminton player and that he excelled at it. Till he reached his late 70s he would start the day with a few games at the SSC with his core group of friends. They called themselves the "Good Morning Badminton Club" and were quite serious players. They were a mixed group of all ages, some quite young comparatively, but Uncle would take them on with ease and beat them.

As long as he was actively engaged in his business empire, he donated the wooden blocks to the Colombo Friend-in-Need Society to be used in fabricating the Jaipur Foot Limbs which in turn are also given free of charge to the disabled poor from all parts of the country, which also means that almost every amputee in the country has a little bit of Nawaloka timber in his artificial limb due to his generosity. When you donate an artificial limb it not only provides mobility but also gives the recipient a new lease of life, thus Nawaloka Uncle made a direct contribution towards the welfare of the disabled throughout the country.

Likewise, many Organizations, Societies, schools, temples and individuals have been recipients of his generous and philanthropic heart in many different ways. His name will live forever.

All what he takes with him is what he gave the poor and needy, temples schools, hospitals and families, not the multi billion business empire that he built.

May you attain The Supreme Bliss of Nirvana!

Kalyani Ranasinghe

Lionel Weerasinghe:

President Sixty Club of Richmondites

I remember Lionel Weerasinghe as a senior at Richmond. He had been a scout trooper and had won the bronze medal for life saving by swimmers at Richmond. He joined Ananda College and then the Agriculture School from where he received his professional knowledge, experience and attitudes to be a very successful agriculturist.

My real and closer comradeship and other relationships commenced with him when I was the President of the Richmond College Union (Colombo) (RCU) which spread over to many matters connected to Richmond, especially when Lionel was the President of the grand oldies club "The 60-Club" of Richmondites.

He was a devoted Richmondite all the time. He had time, energy and commitment for everything to do with Richmond, because he eternally loved Richmond College. For instance, I remember him going out of his way when the RCU wished to have the Annual General Meeting at a respectable venue. As an Executive Committee member of the RCU, he not only took an interest but provoked and motivated his daughter to give us the best possible arrangements at Taj Samudra Hotel, where she was employed. Same was his interest on the Richmond College Museum construction for which the foundation was laid during his term of office in the 60-Club.

Every time he wished to withdraw from office of the 60-Club, the membership did not allow him and he was the evergreen life time President. His unassuming ways made it a pleasant experience to see him conducting our meetings at the 60-Club. Surely, we will miss him not only as a friend and old Richmondite but also as the President of the 60-Club of Richmondites.

He was a great Richmondite, a great worker in his engagements, a wonderful husband and father, and a great friend, who lived a happy and contended life without any regrets, true to his Buddhist values. While condoling with his family we wish him the supreme bliss of Nibbana.

Austin Fernando