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Champion of the farmers "God gave me my friends - the devil my relatives.” The illustrious dead, if they could step down from their dusty antique frames on the walauwa walls, would contradict that statement of Sir John's. It was well known, he always, always stretched out his mind and heart to his three cousins R.G. (Dickie), Tissa and most loved of them all, Upali. The cousins,
three sons and nephew of the national hero of this country F.R.
Senanayake, had the ability to allow others emotional room, hate-free,
in lives of mature relationships. At that time and age in this beautiful
country these men would speak publicly with a sharpness of perception,
differentiating between the true and phoney, plot politically, boom
Namo Namo Matha, love outrageously, but die honoured for truth,
candour and forthrightness. Fraud and corruption-free, they would
handle the bureaucratic FR (Financial Regulations) and the AR (Administrative
Regulations) with dexterity, flexibility and a sense of community
and continuity. All that was good and great elevated the tone of
the lives of these gentlemen. Upali was not
a great institutional Buddhist. He would quote Krishnamurthi. "The
truly religious person is not concerned with reform. He is seeking
what is true, and that very search has transforming effect on society.” His wife Eva,
a Christian, had a surfeit of love for the rich and the poor and
would revive the parched lives of people around. She believed in
"love thy neighbour as thyself", without the irrationality
of racism. Eva also wholeheartedly supported Upali's thinking that
the process of eating and drinking dozens of cups of tea, was a
social ritual that permitted the warmest, pleasantest human contacts.
This in a climate of intellectual freedom to laugh, argue, quarrel
or cry-around a table that was constantly replenished with food,
and food for thought. Love for each
other in the rising complex of national, sub-regional and regional
identification was a goal to be attained, rather than considered
a built-in actuality. Socialising thus was an expression in the
Senanayake households of the deep-held Asian belief that friends
and family were vital if we were to survive the travails of daily
living. Upali insisted
that one of the most important symbols of our past, the Lion Flag,
would help us move more efficiently and peacefully into the future.
"A step into the past would help with three steps into the
future.” In the Lion Flag was encoded and embodied the ideal
of an individual or society that one should aspire to. The National
Heritage Movement, founded by Upali, was based on a social movement
to manifest this ideal and to chose traditional institutions which
were the religious institutions to carry the message to our society.
In doing so, it took the value of traditions of indigenous food
and medicine as well, back to the rural people, who had been weaned
from it with 450 years of foreign rule. Upali believed
very strongly in the vision of Sarvodaya as articulated by Vinobha
Bhave of India - and promoted in Sri Lanka by Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne.
He worked very closely with Ari, volunteering both time, money and
the greatly needed old Hillman car, to help build up the movement.
Transport is vital to any organization and young and old occupying
every inch of space in the Hillman, often as many as a dozen, with
Upali at the wheel, would limp along to a village Shramadana. The parting
of ways came with Sarvodaya's insistence on accepting wheat flour
as food aid for village shramadana work. Upali believed that introducing
wheat flour, especially the convenience food - bread, would destroy
the rice-eating habits of the village. Very much a rural man at
heart, living an urban life, he would constantly heed the tugs of
nature, looking for small town, homespun solutions to rural village
problems. Agricultural experts, privileged scholars, most times
with their dull, pedantic research, could not help the farmer with
his everyday problems. Upali understood them and that the social
problem was the rural drift into towns. While it increased the gap
between the urban and rural populations, there was also the inability
of the farmers to find labour to weed their rice fields. Through this area of neglect, The National Paddy Weeding Campaign was conceived and organized by Upali, as an answer to a social and agricultural problem that he perceived. Upali, through the goodwill and faith demonstrated by many in the public service and volunteer sector, was able to mobilize over 65,000 children to get into the paddy fields with the farmers and help the weeding process. The results were phenomenal - the safety, transport and return of every student was achieved. A massive positive response from the farmers and a 400% increase in the rice crop were the result. This action was so successful that it attracted media from around the world, including The National Geographic, to report on this successful campaign. A farmer having
dislodged the age-old conviction of the inevitability of 'karma'
accepted Upali's positive message that they could lift themselves
out of hopelessness and poverty. He had done so and decided to treat
himself to a transistor radio. Back home he
switched it on and got a blast of Tamil music. He hastened back
to the mudalali, who sold it to him. "I wanted a Sinhala radio,
not a Tamil one.” The man was taken aback, but took the radio
inside and changed the channels. "Here is your Sinhala radio,
it costs Rs. 100 more than the Tamil radio.” Upali, hearing
the story, roared with laughter, laughter that could easily top
the roaring wind, as it swept across the Colombo Havelock Golf Course,
as he swiped the golf ball that made him Amateur Champion of Ceylon
in 1963. He went out of his way to help others Nadisha Ranmuthu
died under tragic circumstances on July 22, 2003 in Baghdad, Iraq.
Nadisha was on an assignment for the International Committee of
the Red Cross (ICRC) in Iraq to instal communication equipment in
ICRC field offices. His assignment
also included the training of Iraqi radio operators. On the final
day of his assignment he was killed by gunfire while travelling
in a marked Red Cross vehicle. Nadisha joined
the ICRC in Sri Lanka ten years ago and worked in the Communications
Division. He provided yeoman service in operating the ICRC communications system which linked their Regional Offices and field vehicles. Despite the risks involved, Nadisha went to Iraq in April on a short assignment because of his desire to help humankind. Nadisha faced
life with great determination and his courage and optimism inspired
all those around him. He had many passions in life. Nadisha was
a licensed amateur radio operator and through amateur (ham) radio
he fostered many friendships here and abroad. He was a very active member of the Radio Society of Sri Lanka and helped many of its members obtain amateur radio licences. He also inspired a lot of students at his former school, Mahanama College to learn Electronics at the Mahanama College Radio Club. Nadisha was instrumental in setting up radio stations for scouts to communicate with each other at the Scout Jamboree every year, not only at Mahanama College, but also in the outstations, such as Kalutara and Bandarawela. Nadisha was also a very ardent model airplane flyer. With his expertise he would build model airplanes on his own, some of which he proudly displayed in his home. Nadisha had
a wide knowledge of many subjects and was a learned friend to his
colleagues who sought his advice specially in the IT field. He took
great pains to explain things and went out of his way to be of service
to anybody who needed help. Nadisha and his family were vegetarians
and devout Buddhists. He influenced his friends to be vegetarians
and even took the trouble to supply them with recipes of tasty dishes. Nadisha is
remembered for his simplicity and humility. He was cruelly snatched
from our midst at the age of 37. Nadisha leaves behind his dear
wife, Chandra Priyadarshi and three-year-old daughter Kavisha. We
hope the memory of Nadisha's courage and determination will give
strength to his wife and daughter to face the future. He was just and good Two months have
lapsed since the tragic event that claimed five innocent lives. Inna Lillahi
Wainna Ilaihi Rajioon- (We came from Him and unto Him we return). The anguish
and trauma suffered by the parents are boundless. All five brilliant
young lives were snuffed out in a sad moment. Reflecting on the
events of the past 60 days we are consoled by the fact that more
things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of. Shafraz performed
Umrah with his parents in 1994. Being widely travelled from a young
age, his worldly knowledge was immense. All who came
into contact with him, recognised his intellect, foresight and vision.
His willingness to respect elders, his initiative and enterprise,
his gentle and affable manner, his courage of conviction and his
friendly disposition and willingness to help the needy, endeared
him to one and all. The letters
from Middlesex University conveying their condolences also mentioned
that he had done exceptionally well in the first part of his final
BIT course "He achieved very high marks in all his assessments." Before he left
for U.K. he was a student at APIIT where he made numerous friends.
Its monthly magazine praises him highly. Tributes were
also made to Shafraz at several important fora - the Sri Lanka-Indonesia
Friendship Association, the Prisoners’ Welfare Association,
the Welikada All Ceylon Moors’ Association, the Sri Lanka Pakistan
Friendship Association and Friends of the Accident Service are some
of the organisations that observed two- minute silence in his memory. His kindness
and friendliness won the hearts of many as witnessed by the massive
crowds at the funeral. Royal College, Wycherly International School
and APIIT were well represented by a cross section of teachers,
students and parents who associated with him in his school days. Had providence
given him the chance he would have gone back to U.K. in August completing
his BIT degree finals in December. But fate decreed otherwise. His parents
who fulfilled his every wish had a great sense of satisfaction that
he lived up to more than their expectations. He epitomized all that
was good, kind, sincere, friendly, honest and just. May Allah grant
to him and to his four other friends Jennethul Firdous. Requiescat
in Pace Zafaraullah
Hathy |
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Copyright © 2001 Wijeya Newspapers
Ltd. All rights reserved. |
