Eighty years of a rich life

Dr Leel Gunasekera :

Padma EDIRISINGHE

Continued from Dec 27

Advisor, Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Director General, National Institute of Social Development, Senior Consultant, Ministry of Science and Technology, Regional Advisor, Social Development Policy and Planning, UNESCAP Bangkok, National Director, HelpAge (International) Sri Lanka, Advisor, Ministry of Education Services, Director of Social Services, Commissioner, Probation and Child Care Services, Regional Director Commonwealth, Asia Pacific Youth Development, Addl. Secretary, Ministry of Defense and Foreign Affairs, CCS Cadet, IGP (brief period), Secretary to the Cabinet of Ministers of Prime Minister, Sirimavo, Addl. Secretary, Parliament Affairs and Sports, Chairman National Youth Services Council (NYSC) Mannar Addl. GA Anuradhapura, Govt. Agent Kegalle, Rathnapura and Kalutara, Director of Cultural Affairs, Asst. Secretary Public Service Commission, Asst. Land Commissioner.

Never would the boy as he rowed once along a streamlet of the Kalu Ganga to school amidst pensive and emerald vistas, imagine that one day he would be called upon to handle all these responsibilities of his mother country, and never did this gamut of work harden him, they only moulded further his sensitivity to produce literary works.

The Petsama he wrote about the life and times Nuwara Kalaviya folks and won him a State Literary Award in 1962 was based on this experiences as GA, so was Athsana. These books not only set him in the Peramuna or front of Lankan writers but signaled the tradition of novel writing in Lanka based on one's official work.

But few are aware of his other works such as Ira Handa Kodiyata Adipathi Pedese (sacred memoirs of Hatara Korale) Mang Nethi Daa (when I cease to be), Sahithya Pradeepa and Prasasthi and Hatan Kavya (co-authored) Tri kona Aragalaya (Triangular Struggle), his three books for children, Travels in China (co-authored) and Guru Pooja (Ode to Teachers)

Some humans live up to 100 even more and do nothing. Some live up to 80 and also do nothing. Some like Walisinghe Haraschandra live up to only 35 and go on to dig up the whole Pooja city of Anuradhapura. Leelaratne Gunasekera so far has passed the 80th milestone and is responsible for such an avalanche of work while retaining his sweet and sensitive nature. In that way he stands out from others some of our literary folk to whom greatness is a license to insult others and even extinguish them from the literary field.

He is indeed a great and noble Satva....

I will be ungrateful, if I do not mention his personal patronage of me. My acquaintance with him is not that long. His University career has preceded mine some years back and when I worked in the Education Ministry that mostly comprised signing letters and never inclined towards anything innovative.

The higher that I rode in bureaucratic rings of the Ministry, I developed a fantasy that I too was making a name as a writer and teachers were in the habit of bringing pieces of their writing to me. Becoming brashly bold, I summoned the first meeting of the All Island Teacher Writers Club that I founded cutting all red tape. Alas! It lasted till I lasted there though sometimes a grateful teacher on the highway would come running to me saying, “Madam, I am still writing.

Many books out.” The Club gave me many contacts among whom was the academic Doctor Leel who had been invited to address the gathering but whom I did not know then personally. It was a marvelous speech, full of humour and wisdom. After this meeting of the 1980 decade while other bigwigs invited left immediately having done their job of attending, he alone lingered to tell me that I had launched a very good project of helping teachers with writing skill, especially those in remote areas and indicating his support wished me well.

He was then the President of Sinhala Lekhaka Sanvidanaya, which post I guess he still holds. His fame had also spread via his famous two novels, making him the pioneer of local novel writing based on current administrative experience.

Besides his commitment to protect the rights of the Elders he is internationally known his thesis for which the University of Sri Jayawardenapura conferred the PhD is titled Social Change and Problems of the Older Persons in Sri Lankan Strategies to face the challenges.

Our acquaintance developing, I told him about the three old men I had met on Hikkaduwa beach and the fate that betell their correspondence. ‘Don't despair. We will fill it with oonapurana and write it again.” Thus, was launched the Jeevana Yatra – a book co-authored with him.