Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan’s 162nd birth anniversary:

A great statesman and patriot

Chelvatamby Maniccavasagar

While every century and every generation produces both triumphs and tragedies which have lasting effects on the constantly unfolding drama of the human race, there arises in some occasions individuals whose essential contributions to that drama are so fundamental that they assume within their own life time a historical dimension and significance.

In fact, the 18th and 19th centuries produced some of the bright thinkers, intellectuals, political leaders and social reformers at a time Sri Lanka (Ceylon) had suffered three centuries of Western conquest multifaceted in its manifestations and consequences political, economic, cultural, religious and philosophical.

During that period a large mass of people were oppressed, suppressed, subjugated and exploited in their own soil and in their own social order by those who claimed to be superior simply on the basis of birth. Further, to talk of a revolt was something forbidden and unthinkable. But, some of the great statesmen and patriots on account of their power-packed words and dazzling deeds attained immortality.

To this group belongs Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan whose birth anniversary was on April 16, 2013. He was born in 1851, to a noble and illustrious family already highly distinguished in public service. He qualified as an Advocate at the age of 22, practised the law with considerable distinction and entered the Legislative Council at the age of 28 as a Member nominated to represent the Tamil community in succession to his uncle Sir Muththu Coomaraswamy. As a Legislator, he achieved a great deal. In 1880, he moved that a post office Savings Bank be established. In 1885, he did a great service for Buddhism by setting in motion, an agitation which secured the acceptability of Vesak Day as a national holiday. For this, the Buddhists as a National Sect owe Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan a deep, debt of gratitude.

Legal education

His interest in the question of the Vesak holiday and the Buddhist Temporalities Bill, his encouraging words to the Buddhist students of the Pali College and Theosophical Society and a host of other service to Buddhism have endeared him immensely to the Buddhists of Sri Lanka. Further, he did much for the Hindus. He built the Ponnambala Vanishvarar Temple in Colombo. He funded the Ramanthan College for girls and Parameshwara College for boys in Jaffna. He was the President of the Thiru Valluvar Maha Sabai in Madras.

Indeed, he was considered the father of the Hindu Board of Education. His work in the field of legal education was also outstanding. It was Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan who was instrumental in re-organizing the entire scheme of legal education in 1888.

National liberation

He was Solicitor-General of Ceylon for 14 years and also acted as Attorney-General on several occasions. In 1904, he translated Bhagavad Gita from Sanskrit into Tamil. His work as the establishment of a National University was widely acknowledged. A hall of residence at the Peradeniya Campus was named after him. Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan played a pivotal role during the crucial phase of Sri Lanka's historic march towards national liberation. Indeed, his life was an inspiring saga of service and sacrifice. He had been rightly called the architect of Sri Lanka's unity. His political sagacity, robust patriotism, practical wisdom and great administrative skill made him one of the greatest Sri Lanka's Statesmen.

It is difficult to think what in the wide range of his versatility he was not. He adorned what he touched. He made outstanding whatever he did. Whether in the Legislative Council, whether in the Legal field, whether presiding over educational, literary or religious conferences, the benevolent power of Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan's personality pervaded and permeated all his endeavours and gave them a meaning, always devoid from meanness. Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan's academic brilliance, his persuasive eloquence, his missionary spirit, his amazing mastery over the intricacies of political, legal and administrative matters were remarkable.

Martial Law

He received his early education at Royal College under Dr Boake and proceeded from there to Presidency College, Madras. On his return from Madras, he passed out as an Advocate and practised in Colombo and was appointed as Solicitor-General in 1892 and was made as King's Counsel (KC) with the first group of Ceylonese like Dorn Horst and De Sampayo in 1903.

In 1915, riots broke out between the Sinhalese and Muslims in Kandy and also throughout the country. The government declared Martial Law and the shootings and atrocities committed. But, Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan opposed the the imposition of Martial Law. In fact, there were several able, talented, even brilliant men who aspired to national eminence, but none touched the heights of greatness as Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan did. When he rose in the Forum of the Legislative Council, his British Conquistadors poised to unsheathe their swords of hostility against him. But, he neither flinched nor wavered. He instilled fear into their hearts and also commanded their grudging respect.

Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan was a great statesman, legal giant, philosopher and a man of religious, patriot, educational reformer and a scholar.