A childhood friend of Ranil – Attorney-At Law Deepthi Liyanage speaks to the Sunday Observer

A childhood friend of Ranil – Attorney-At Law Deepthi Liyanage speaks to the Sunday Observer

Ranil with the Royal College Rugby team of 1968

Ranil with the Royal College Rugby team of 1968

Source:Sundayobserver

Achildhood friend of Ranil Wickremesinghe and Dinesh Gunawardena- speaks to the Sunday Observer.

Q: How did you become childhood friends with the current President Ranil Wickremesinghe?

A: I became friends with Ranil even before we became classmates at Royal College. My father was appointed as the Editor of Silumina by D.R Wijewardene. His daughter Nalini, married Esmond Wickremesinghe. They were Ranil’s parents. As children Ranil and I would play at his grandfather D.R Wijewardene’s house in Hunupitiya. That was not a mere house but a palace.

Q: Around when did you and Ranil begin your school lives?

A: In 1954 the Royal College had two Sinhala medium classes along with a Tamil medium and English medium class each. Ranil and I started school on the same day.

Q: Who were the others in class?

A: Our classmates included Anura Bandaranaike, Dinesh Gunawardena, Thomas Amarasuriya and Charitha Ratwatte. Lakshman Kiriella and Hemantha Warnakulasuriya were a year ahead of us. Upali Wijewardene and Ranjith Wijewardene were much senior to us.


Attorney-At Law Deepthi Liyanage

Q: Chandrika Bandaranaike when she was the Chief Minister had said even with the requisite qualifications her son was not admitted to Royal College. How then did ‘Deepthi’ from Gangodawila enter Royal College?

I guess that is what one calls power. My father Srilal Liyanage was the Editor in Chief of the Silumina newspaper. At the time an editor was powerful and could even directly approach the leader of the country. Even my brother who later became the Editor of Tharunee attended Royal. We travelled to school from Gangodawila in my father’s Hillman car.

Q: Did Ranil’s mother have a tiff with your brother?

Yes. Because of this my brother left his Lake House job.

Q: Who was your’s as well as Ranil, Anura and Dinesh’s first teacher?

It was Mrs. Peiris. Ranil and Anura were good looking children. Anura was fair and chubby.

Q: Who were the famous fathers’ that visited your class at Royal College?

Mr. Bandaranaike would at times drop off Anura in their Cadillac card. Despite Mr. Bandaranaike making impassioned political speeches in Sinhala often, I have never heard him speak the language to either Anura or the staff. Phillip Gunawardena would also visit often to drop off Dinesh. Esmond Wickremesinghe would rarely visit the school but when he did, he was often seen coming on foot.

Q:Did the mothers of your political friends often send treats for his classmates?

Ranil’s nanny was called Jane and his mother would often send cake to her through Jane. One day Ranil brought a wrapped cake that was slightly burnt. But we devoured it though Ranil looked slightly apprehensive. The next day Jane told us it was Ranil who had baked that cake. Dinesh’s mother would send Durian from Boralugoda and even students from other classes would walk in to get a piece of the fruit. Mr. Bandaranaike would send a sweet meat made out of coconut.

Q: Have you seen the piano belonging to Ranil that was supposedly set on fire by protesters?

A: We would visit Ranil’s home often. But among us only Anura knew to play that Piano.

Q: What was Ranil’s favourite food?

A: No matter what he had at home, Ranil would always buy Ambarella achcharu for two cents. He never ate it alone and always shared it with his friends. He used to love all types of achcharu and other snacks. He also had a weakness for chocolate.

Q: Did the Royal college have uniforms at the time?

A: No. Ranil would wear Khaki pants and rubber slippers. He would only wear shoes for the prize-giving. He was a humble character.

Q: People often say Ranil is a lover of books. Is this true?

A: As children we would be obsessed with play. Mr. Bandaranaike would at times send us detective books. Ranil and Anura would make rockets out of their pages.

Q: Do you remember when Esmond Wickremesinghe won the Ranpana award?

A: Ranil delivered the invitation for the ceremony to my father. My father doted on Ranil. He took the invitation from Ranil and on the back of it he wrote “I would like to attend, I must attend, but I have no suitable clothes for it. In the evening Ranil once again visited our home from Esmond. It said “You like to attend and I would like you to attend. Clothes do not matter. Wear rags and attend.”

Q: Do you remember the death of D.R Wijewardena?

A: We were small children then. The funeral was held at their house in Hunupitiya.

Q: How did Ranil address J.R Jayawardene?

A: He addressed him as uncle. J.R loved ice cream. As soon as my father honked the horn of his Hillman car in front of J.R’s house the gates would open. J.R absolutely adored Ranil.

Q: Is this why those against Ranil in J.R’s Government called him Pangira (a derogatory term)?

A: After J.R as a part of his family J.R had his hopes on Ranil.

Q: Is it true Srilal your father advised Ranil to marry if he wishes to contest for the Presidency?

A: I have never asked my father about this. Ranil’s mother Nalini was alive at the time.

Q: Did Ranil act in plays back then?

A: Yes, he once acted as a clock in an English play. Another time he was an electricity pole. Ranil was the tallest boy in class. Ranil and Chandrika studied dancing under Chitrasena.

Q: Do you remember Mr. Bandaranaike getting shot?

A: In 1959 when he was shot Ranil’s mother Nalini was the one who came to pick up Anura. Ranil also went along with them. All of us in class attended the funeral.

Q: Was Ranil’s mother a regular at Royal College?

A: At the time there was a teacher called Sugathapala at Royal college. The new art gallery at the Royal College was built with her money with the help of Master Sugathapala.

Q:Did Ranil’s family believe in horoscopes?

A: My father was an advisor to Sirimavo Bandaranaike. Ranil’s mother Nalini, Dinesh’s mother Kusuma were friends of hers. Hettigoda who wrote astrology related articles to Silumina had once visited Sirimavo at her Rosmead place residence. She had given him three horoscopes for him to check. He picked one out of the three as the one that would be most successful. But on her insistence he chose another. The first was Ranil’s and the second was Dinesh’s. The one left unchosen was Anura’s.

Q: You entered university with Ranil?

A: Ranil began his political career as the leader of the law students association. He kept to his humble clothing even at university and was often seen dressed in Khaki pants and slippers.

Q: Did Ranil have a girlfriend at university?

A: Ranil was the tallest in university and most girls fawned on him.

Q: What cases did Ranil appear as a lawyer for?

A: Once he represented Rohana Wijeweera in a case against him.

Q: Did Ranil have a connection to Wijeweera?

A: When Wijeweera was arrested Ranil found out about it even prior to President Premadasa. Ranil had directly told Ranjan Wijeratne to not kill Wijeweera.

Q: Were you invited for Ranil’s wedding?

A: I was invited by both parties as the bride was a languages lecturer at our university.

Q: Is there anything that you have not revealed yet about his childhood?

A: Royal at the time had a rifle club and Ranil always emerged as champion. He was a number one shot.

Q: What about Anura?

A: One day when Ranil took a brilliant shot, Yuri Gagarin landed on the moon. Anura told Ranil ‘Yuri Gagarin has landed on the moon, shoot!’. Ranil heard that and missed the mark. He almost shot both of us. I had never seen Ranil so angry before.

Q: Ranil who was your classmate is now President and Dinesh is the Prime Minister. Did you ever think this was a possibility?

A: Dinesh loved Madam Sirimavo. Dinesh’s Mawbima Surakimu Movement played the role of the Opposition for her when her civic rights were abolished. Dinesh first contested from Maharagama with Dr. Gamini Wijesekera. After winning Maharagama with the blessing of Sirimavo she had said that even though his father and uncle could not, Dinesh will have the good fortune to become the Prime Minister one day.

Q: Wasn’t she also close to Dinesh’s wife?

A: She came for the funeral when his wife passed away. His daughter was very young. The daughter had asked Dinesh if she could touch her mother’s hand at least one. This brought tears to Madam Bandaranaike’s eyes. Vijaya Kumaratunge took the lead in the funeral procession.

Q: Out of Dinesh and Ranil, who was the most talented in school?

Ranil was the quiet sort. We would only notice him once he has achieved something remarkable. Dinesh was a fighter even in school and a good orator. I believe that Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena along with President Ranil Wickremesinghe will herald in a golden era for this country. The President and the Prime Minister today are from the same batch in our school. This has to be a world record.

Q: Did Ranil speak to you before becoming President?

A: Yes he called me a few days before and I told him he would definitely win.

Q: Does he speak in English or Sinhala?

A: He speaks mostly in Sinhala.

Q: As a childhood friend of Ranil how do you see him as the President of this country?

A: I think Ranil is the last leader of the UNP.

He is educated, talented and has international connections. In the end, all I can say is that it is everyone’s duty to take Ranil’s knowledge and expertise to form a stable Government to ensure the country does not descend into further chaos.

This article is an English translation of Vajira Liyanage

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