Dr.Leel Gunasekara on his 92nd birthday, celebrated on December 9. – By Dr Gamini Kariyawasam A special note dedicated to the reflections on the life and legacy of Leel Gunasekara on his 92nd birthday, celebrated on December 9. In the mid-20th century, the administration of Sri Lanka’s nine provinces was entrusted to civil servants holding the prestigious rank of Government Agent (GA). Among them, Mr. Leel Gunasekara stood out as the Government Agent of Anuradhapura, the capital of Rajarata. One day, while the young, handsome GA was driving his jeep along the bank of the Kala Wewa, he noticed a beautiful village girl bathing alone in the lake’s blue waters. Mesmerized by the sight, he restrained his natural youthful impulses, instead channeling his feelings into poetic inspiration, recording his thoughts in his diary. Image Source : dailymirror Image Source : mpgsl Leel Gunasekara was one of the pioneering civil servants who ...
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Ronnie De Mel the socialist who created a capitalist economy-By D.B.S Jeyaraj Source:Dailymirror Ronnie’s first attempt in electoral politics was in the historic Wellassa region of the Uva province. History was made when Ronnie de Mel presented the new United National Party (UNP) Government’s budget in November 1977 Ronnie sat for the Ceylon Civil Service (CCS) exam and joined the CCS in 1948. He served in different capacities at the Puttalam, Vavuniya and Matara Kachcheris The new Devinuwara MP with his leftist ideology and classical oratory was an instant hit. His parliamentary speeches were very popular The ascension of Junius Richard Jayewardene to the premier seat of political power in 1977 paved the way for a drastic transformation of Sri Lanka’s politico-economic landscape and environment. J.R. Jayewardene known popularly as “JR” ushered in political, economic, and electoral changes that utterly changed Sri Lanka. In the words of William Butler Yeats ...
“OLD HENRY POLE WHO GOT THE WORK IN THE MATARA COURTS IN A MESS ‘ – By HUGH KARUNANAYAKE The words above were expressed by Mr Edward Elliott Government Agent of the Southern Province in 1860. Henry Pole was in the Ceylon Civil Service for 26 years.It was an age where Civil Servants (mainly British)were appointed to Judicial positions. He was Police Magistrate Mulaitivu in 1845, then at Galle for a couple of years each in different judicial capacities then as District Judge Matara, and finally District Judge Batticaloa from where he retired in 1971. Henry Pole who served in the Ceylon Civil Service from 1845 to 1871, married the 18 year old daughter of Joseph Price also of the Ceylon Civil Service on 2 February 1853. Pole was himself in his fifties when he married his eighteen year old bride. Henry Pole was Police Magistrate Mulaitivu when he married. ...
A.M.A. AZEEZ AND THE GLORY THAT WAS ZAHIRA-BY THALIF DEEN Source:Island Al Haj A.M.A. Azeez, one of the rare Muslim intellectuals of his generation was a scholar, a writer, an innovative thinker and an educationist with a sharp and perceptive mind. When he quit the elitist and prestigious Ceylon Civil Service (CCS) to take over Zahira College, Colombo, back in 1948, he sacrificed a potentially bright professional career in the cause of his community. If Al Haj T.B. Jayah, the first Principal, laid the foundation for Zahira, Azeez built the super-structure. The monumental achievements of Zahira in its heyday prompted a former Sri Lankan President to describe it as “one of the greatest public schools in our country”. Azeez died on November 24, 1973 at the age of 62. But his enduring intellectual legacy lives on. The first Muslim to enter the CCS, his contribution to Muslim education was immeasurable ...
The first P & O Voyage to the East-By Hugh Karunanayake Source:Island (Leaving Southampton on September 24, 1842) (We are indebted to Sir William Twynam (a passenger on this historic voyage) who was known as the Rajah of the North having worked as Government Agent. of Jaffna for 50 years, for his memoir which is the basis for the story of the voyage. The memoir was published in 1916 at the request of Miss Barbara Layard, one of his co- passengers on that historic voyage which took place in 1842. Sir William Twynam born in Ceylon was the son of Thomas Holloway Twynam Master Attendant of the Galle Harbour. He settled down in Jaffna after his retirement from the Ceylon Civil Service after a period of 50 years. More on Sir William Twynam could be found below) BACKGROUND TO THE FIRST VOYAGE Until the opening of the Suez Canal in ...
Don Weerasinghe. – By Gamini Seneviratne Source : island When our lot entered Royal College over 70 years ago, Tony was yet there at a distant remove as Head Prefect and, at closer quarters, muddied, on the rugger field. He was also visible commanding the cadet battalions. His brothers, Trevor the place-kicker and Maurice the wizard scorer over the line eclipsed him at rugger but in and around the school he was instantly placed as its leader. Trevor took to medicine and migrated to Oz via Diyatalawa; I last met Maurice in Perth, Oz: he was on the water wagon. Their father was an iconic character too, making the Hostel a place that provided such comfort as schoolboys had a right to expect. Tony passed away last week – at, maybe, a little over 90.In the shadow of the coup attempted in 1962, my acquaintance with him occurred at some distance: ...
