To Mahindians with love

Uvindu ILLEPERUMA

It is reasonable to love your Alma Mater. Then it is reasonable to speak highly of your school too. Sundara Nihathamani de Mel, the Sunday Lakbima Editor in Chief, has penned the cherished memories of his school Mahinda College, Galle.

Sundara Nihathamani de Mel

The book’s title has roused critics who label it as another aspect of tribalism. ‘Mahinde Thamai Iskole’, has put much fuel to criticism accusing Sundara for having written to soothe the inferiority complex of Mahinda-crazy students and the old boys of Mahinda College despite the fact that there are many other leading schools – probably even better ones.

Sundara, a Mahindian himself, however gives the lie to many opinions rising against him.

Q: Most people opine you have written the book to serve a sense of inferiority complex, perhaps for not being able to go to a better school.

A: I didn’t write this book out of inferiority complex. Such a sense of inferiority is felt by those who accuse us. Anyway, the person who has gone to the best school may be feeling inferiority complex when he compares his school with a school, which, he believes, is better than his school.

This controversy came as I titled the book. As journalists we are trained to give attractive headlines to make the articles readable. I applied my professional habit in this too. It is not worthwhile to get annoyed at the name itself.

You have to read the book. The book itself includes my memories of rueful teachers who punished pupils without any iota of sympathy. It describes teachers who didn’t teach us well and I have mentioned their nicknames too. Then I mentioned about the teachers who treated some students as their favorites. The society is not at all dissuaded from bad characteristics. So, how can a school be an exception?

I cannot say Mahinda College is the perfect place. A friend told me it’s not good if the book reaches Mahinda library. I said it doesn’t matter. I was myself and was genuine throughout the book.

But I believe the book will inspire those who love their schools. In short, this is not a branding campaign. No, not even to my school.

Q: Were you thinking of writing this book, when you had still been schooling?

A: Never. The idea just came all of a sudden. I commissioned myself to write one page a day. When I wrote it to some extent, I showed it to some friends. Gradually I could finish the book.

Q: This is a work woven around a school. Don’t you think it sounds a little didactic?

A: I didn’t write the book with such a purpose. Anyway I believe readers will review this book in many angles. It is up to readers.

I have mentioned the how important it is for teachers to treat every student alike. Every pupil has a value. They have to mould the talents of them. Every student cannot go to university and become professors. But they can emerge on their respective grounds.

Q: Why are you attached so much to your school? Do you think your friends share your sentiments?

A: Well, it is a difficult question to answer. How to persuade your buddies to love your school depends on a sense of rapport they should develop with the school. What is important is not the facilities the school has to offer. Not the cricket team, not the monetary power of the old boys, not the number of buildings but the impact of teachers.

I have mentioned the names of the teachers who taught us well. The value of the school is for its students. Students should feel the value of their school, and teachers have a great role to play there.

We still feel the contribution they did to mould great personalities from our school. ‘Mahinde Thamai Iskole’ unfolds what qualities teachers and students should possess. All Mahindians owe a huge debt of gratitude to Woodward who built Mahinda College into what it is now. I have described how we feel the gigantic personality of Woodward.

Mahinda traditions are what we brought forward. Facilities are not what contributed us to develop ourselves. We never had a bus, swimming pool or other facilities when we were schooling. We had a lot of problems with facilities. But we have the feeling ‘proud to be a Mahindian’. That comes from the bottom of our hearts.