Appreciations
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He
played the game on and off the field Muru's academic career in Royal College was crowned by the Lorensz Prize, which is awarded to outstanding Classics students. He was one of those amazing all-round students, whom we don't see very many of these days due to the heavy emphasis on education. He opened batting for the First Eleven, played soccer and table tennis for the college and also indulged in rifle-shooting while being a member of the college Cadet Corps. I remember my grandmother telling me how she surreptitiously bought him his cricket gear, to avoid him being reprimanded by his father for neglecting his studies! While at University College in Colombo, the precursor to the University of Ceylon, Muru studied Classics, whilst captaining the University cricket team as well, after which he joined the star-studded Tamil Union side, which won the inaugural P. Sara Division One Tournament. Some of his contemporaries in that side were Sathi Coomaraswamy, M. Sathasivam, Kasipillai, Dharmalingam and the brothers Parathalingam and Jayalingam. He continued playing for the club for many years, captaining it, and then ending up as patron in his latter years. Tamil Union recently honoured him by naming its prestigious "B" block after him, for which the family is eternally grateful. He always used to tell me that his first job was cycling from butcher to butcher as a meat inspector in the Food Dept. Obviously, this was not his true calling as he entered the Inland Revenue Dept., and swiftly showed his prowess with the taxation process. Some of his contemporaries there were Leslie Gunasekera and Jeff Felix. The enaction of the Official Languages Act in the late fifties saw a mass exodus from the government service from all communities, and my father was no exception. He was heartily accepted into the mercantile sector, when his good friend and mentor Terrence De Soysa welcomed him to the country's biggest rubber exporter C. W. Mackie and Company. He retired in the mid-eighties as director in charge of personnel and administration, and many are the tales I've been told by people who worked for him of how he nurtured them in their careers, sorted out their personal problems, and steered the Company through the turbulent early seventies with the insurrections, strikes et al. Prior to retirement however, in the business sector, Muru did not confine himself to the mundane. He was a Director of the Central Freight Bureau, the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Shippers' Council, and was instrumental in setting up the Association of Shippers' Councils of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and for his efforts, was made its Founder Chairman. He didn't stop there. He lived, loved and breathed cricket. Soon after his retirement from playing the game, he got extensively involved in the then Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka, ably led by Dudley Senanayake’s brother Robert. Unlike now, when there is a cast of thousands in Sri Lanka Cricket, the dedicated band of people who rowed cricket into the major leagues, did it purely for the love of the country and more importantly, for no money. In fact, there were many times when they dipped into their pockets to get the job done. I still remember the early-morning starts on match days and late nights this fun-loving bunch of people endured. I don't think there was a prouder man than Muru when, as Vice President of the Cricket Board under Gamini Dissanayake, Sri Lanka attained Test Status in 1981. I don't think there was a happier man than Muru when he was appointed Manager of the Sri Lanka World Cup Cricket team in 1983 under Duleep Mendis - the first tour by Arjuna Ranatunge, if I'm not mistaken. Here again, people like Roy Dias and Sidath Wettimuny still regale me with anecdotes about my father and Sir Gary Sobers, who was the Consultant to the Board on that tour. He was the ultimate social animal, with a network at all levels of society between which he moved freely. In another life, I guess he could have been a politician - but, I hasten to add, not of the ilk of the majority of the current crop. An important facet of his life were his clubs - apart from the Tamil Union, he was also President of the 80 Club (where many a Saturday afternoon was spent, much to my mother's chagrin!), CR & FC and the Golf Club (Muru could play just about any sport. He was an excellent tennis player too!). As the reader can imagine, given all this activity, it is fair to say that in my early years, I didn't get to see much of my father. He took a keen interest in my life when I was well into my late-twenties - especially when I decided to seek greener pastures in Australia in 1988. He was overjoyed when I returned in 1992, as he then got an opportunity to get to know his two grand daughters Divya and Archana, and I know how much he enjoyed it when we were together. This was probably when I got closest to him, and was able to absorb a lot of what he knew about "mice and men". I know I am the better man for the advice I gained, and it has helped me immensely in my commercial and personal life. I know I have not been able to encapsulate all the facets of a marvellous life, well spent and a privilege to emulate (if only I could!). Suresh Murugaser I remember
those shared moments I remember Achchie and you taking me for long walks in Kent when Nangi was born and how you taught me to tease my kindergarten teacher, Mrs Docherty by calling her 'Hickory-Dickory-Docherty.' She asked me who taught me to say that and she caught up with you in church one day and demanded to know 'Who the naughty Grandpa was?’ I remember you and I wearing identical bush shirts and going for parties and how proud we felt standing next to each other. You used to carry me to bed afterwards when I just couldn't keep my eyes open while Ammie played Maiden's Prayer downstairs. I remember going to visit you in your office in The Fort, how you used to wear a white suit and how everyone made a fuss of me. Your office looked huge when I sat in your chair and I remember how you used to help me choose presents for Nangi during your lunch hour, to say sorry to her when we fought. I'll never forget my first day at school at S. Thomas'. How I didn't want to be there at all. You held my hand and handed me over to my teacher and I remember how you watched me until I disappeared into my new classroom. I remember how I pretended to have a stomach ache just to get back home early that day and how I left school seven years later loving every single moment of it....I remember the time Daddy, Ammie and Nangi left for Riyadh for a year. You held my hand at the airport as I tried to say goodbye to them. I remember Archie and Aunty Iolee looking at me sadly as my whole body shook with sadness. I remember crying in the car all the way home on Achchie's lap. I remember having dinner at Fountain House that night, and everyone trying to cheer me up. I also remember the time you were winding that old clock in your office room at home and the spring hit your eye. You didn't shout or yell, but quietly told me to call Achchie. I waited in the car while you and Achchie went in to see the doctor. I remember how happy I felt when I saw you coming out smiling, wearing an eye patch. I remember how we spent the evenings together, how we kept each other company, listening to music. Our dinners would go on since we cracked jokes, nearly crying with laughter, sitting round the table until even the domestics had retired for the night. I remember that Friday. I remember catching a flight from Tel Aviv back to London that morning. I called home and Ammie answered. She passed the phone to you. You tried to speak. I couldn't understand the words, but I knew what you were saying. I remember Ammie telling me to say goodbye. I remember my head spinning and my mouth drying up. I remember crying. I remember landing in London, and Nangi telling me.. Seeya, I miss you and I hope you'll always know how much I loved you. I know you miss me too, and that's the way it will be. With
all the love a grandson can possibly have for his grandfather. Welfare
of others always came first to him He
was a gentleman who strove never to give offence to anyone. A. Ranasinghe Those
caring hands are no more At Royal College, it was scholarships, prizes and commendations throughout for Kappa. He entered Royal College on an all-island 5th standard scholarship. He won the Junior Mathematics Prize in Form 4, beating even the best mathematicians who later became brilliant engineers. Our teachers were surprised in the following year when Kappa pursued Biology as a subject in Form 5. There was another surprise with the choice of career in medicine by Kappa, in spite of his being a brilliant mathematician. He politely gave the reason that he preferred medicine as his future career. His mathematical brilliance did not stop there. In the Lower Sixth and Upper Sixth class, he ended up getting a full score on one occasion in the Mohamed Ali Arithmetic Prize Examination, which was made compulsory for all students at that time. Then
his turn came for the much coveted De Soysa Science Prize. This
prize has been won by many eminent doctors and professors. In that
year, Kappa shared the De Soysa Science Prize with Russel Rodrigo,
later Dr. Rodrigo. After he passed out as a doctor, my wife and I used to visit him for advice and consultations. He would take us in his car and get various tests performed. We were sad when he left Sri Lanka and went to reside in Australia. Later I met him only once at the Pagoda Tea Room and could not meet him in his hurried visits to Sri Lanka. He was a devoted Buddhist and always spoke with reverence of the Sacred Tooth Relic. It is a pity that he passed away at this stage of his life when his healing hands could have given sight to many people. R. Pullukkodi |
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