S Shanmuganathan:

Role model and a mentor

S Shanmuganathan, an illustrious past student of Mahajana College, Tellippalai and a retired deputy commissioner of Inland Revenue Department passed away on April 7, 2011, at the age of 79. The writer knew him from her school days when he impressed her as a senior prefect, maintaining strict discipline. When one thinks of Shanmuganathan it is his tall and commanding appearance, his gentle and amiable manners, his agile mind, integrity, trustworthiness, a keen sense of responsibility and devotion to duty that comes to the mind. Any conversation with him is an education and he was specific in what he conveys.

Shanmuganathan had his secondary education at Mahajana College. During his school career he distinguished himself in studies and other extra curricular activities. His exemplary conduct won the unqualified esteem of the principal and the staff.

He had to shoulder the responsibility of being the breadwinner and caretaker of his family consisting of his mother and three sisters when his father passed away. Unable to continue his studies in these circumstances, he joined the clerical service in the year 1950 and was posted to the Department of Inland Revenue and retired after 42 years of service as a Deputy Commissioner of Inland Revenue.

He took an active part in several important investigations against tax evaders and in the words of O. Weerasooriya, the then Commissioner General of Inland Revenue, Shanmuganathan proved himself to be a hardworking officer who took pains to ensure that his work was always upto the standard expected.Shanmuganathan did not forget his alma mater. His father stood shoulder to shoulder with the founder of Mahajana College, T. A. Thuraiappa Pillai in the trials and tribulations when the school was founded during the year 1910.

Having had a good upbringing with good values and principles from childhood, he continued the interest in the school and followed the progress of the school intensively until his death and did the college all good he could at all times without publicity. From his first salary, he remitted Rs. 10 to his alma mater which was greatly appreciated by the then principal.

He made a significant donation to the school library which was in need of restoration after the war. He also looked after the interest of the needs of the Colombo branch of the school and donated Rs. 100,000 for certain expenses as agreed with the president. All these and many more were done without publicity.

To many, Shanmuganathan was a role model and a mentor. Those who associated with him closely will miss a gentleman of steady probity. Straight forward in his speech he had the courage to be hot or cold.

May his soul rest in peace.

Pushparani Kasippilai

A J P Ponrajah :

He lives forever among us

The Irrigation Department Ex-Officers’ Association (IDEA) formed 10 years ago has made all arrangements to award a scholarship to a deserving child of a member who has gained admission to the university to follow a course in engineering to complete his course of study. Membership of the IDEA has unanimously endorsed the dedication of this scholarship to the memory of Eng A J P Ponrajah, Director of Irrigation.

Ponrajah motto was, “Honesty, Integrity and Efficiency.”

He was very conscious of his duty, and he hides a soft heart with a fierce look from under bushy eyebrows, and sharp tongue which lashed at any injustice or wrong doing. Many of us received strong tongue lashings from him; but we still loved him as we knew that he was outspoken, honest with his view and will not hold anything against his officers or workers.

We knew that he would stand by us, and readily welcomed his scolding, and subsequent fatherly advise.

We who knew him well could see the smile on his lips and laughter in his eyes through his bristly facade. Our chief clerk at that time, used to get an almost daily telling off from DI (Mr Ponrajah) for not being able to locate urgent files.

One day when DI did not call him he was quite worried that DI may not be well! Ponrajah found a permanent solution to lost/misplaced files by developing a filing system for the department, colour coded along the edge, so that even files left/misplaced in circuit bungalows, homes and other offices could be located and returned to the rightful places.

He himself was a very hard worker, and wished to share the wealth of his knowledge with all staff of the Irrigation Department.

From 1970 to 75 he was seconded from ID to the newly formed Mahaweli Development Board as chief engineer (Designs), and rose as assistant general manager, and then deputy general manager.

There he was responsible for the design of the first phase of Mahaweli project: Polgolla dam, Tunnel and Ukuwela Power Station and Bowatenna Dam and infrastructure.

In January 1976 he returned to ID as senior deputy director (designs). Realising the need for updating our design standards, he started writing his (now famous) “Technical Notes” and “Technical Guidelines” which were handwritten, with calculations done manually and later with a pocket calculator and typewritten (no computers then!) by his secretary and issued in small stapled booklets.

Those notes, and his, “Data for Costing” became a source of invaluable data and knowledge which was sorely lacking not only in the Irrigation Department, but in Mahaweli Development Board, Agrarian Services and other users of water, earth, cement and steel. Soon those notes were photocopied by all and they occupied a special place in many a library, home and office.

He was appointed additional director in August 1980 and director of irrigation in October 1981. He relentlessly continued with his work of preparing the technical notes.

By 1981, the department had acquired a radio shack microcomputer using an eight single sided floppy disk of 128kb capacity. Of course hard disks were not yet invented for microcomputers.

This was kept in a special room treated reverently almost as a shrine room.

On the rare occasions the room was opened, many of us used to go to look at the brand new computer and admire it.

A J P Ponrajah, rose from the position of assistant irrigation engineer to become director of irrigation.

He did not mince his words when he had to explain what he believed was right. In addition to presenting valuable engineering papers at conferences, he authored two books, one on “Design of Structures”, and other on “Design and Construction of Tunnels” for the benefit of future engineers and technical staff.

He was the second such engineer after S Arumugam who published “Village Irrigation Works, Designs and Maintenance”, “Stores Maintenance” way back in 1950s, and “Water Resources of Ceylon”. Ponrajah gave free tuition classes for technical assistants, who were preparing to sit the Senior Technical Examination.

Ponrajah, on February 4, 1985 (his 58th birthday) retired from the Irrigation Department. This was a great loss to the department.

We all felt that if he remained for at least another year, Irrigation Department and our country would have been richer by his further contributions.

The Lunugamvehera Reservoir was one of his pet projects and he did not live to see this project being commissioned on March 14, 1986. He passed away on January 26, 1986. He is no more.

But his memory and his works will live long in all of us. With these scholarships in his honour the Irrigation department officers are ensuring he lives forever amongst us.

N. Madusuthanan

A P Niles :

Gentleman par excellence

The unfortunate death of A P Niles, Attorney-at-law is indeed a big blow to the Bar. The son of a former District Judge, being a third generation lawyer, he maintained the highest standards of the Bar. He practiced mainly in the Superior Courts. He had a profound knowledge of the law relating to writs and fundamental rights. He fought his client’s case with great care and saw to it that his client got a good deal. He was a respected opponent by his colleagues at the Bar.

He had an interest in politics and he did not abandon his political party in adversity.

Recently he put up a great defence for the respondents in the Presidential election petition and was congratulated by all sections of the Bar.

He read deeply on the law and gave of his best in court.

A Christian by religious persuasion, he used to be a member of the choir of his church.

May God bless him!

S S Sahabandu PC