Chandra Lal de Alwis: Significant contribution to Japan - Sri Lanka relations
Although I knew Lal as a much senior student who was a boarder at the hostel at Mahinda College Galle, I actually struck a friendship with him during the first Cadets’ trip, after winning the coveted ‘Herman Loose’ Cup for the first time in 1962. While on the trip, throughout I sat next to Lal, being the youngest Cadet in the group. I was a junior cadet at that time.
Born into the distinguished De Alwis family in Hikkaduwa, Lal had his entire Primary and Secondary Education at Mahinda College, Galle.
Lal was a junior Cadet of the 1957 Platoon which won the ‘De Zoysa’ Cup for the College and was the L/Sgt. of the junior Platoon in 1958. He was a senior Cadet in the Platoon, when the College won the coveted ‘Herman Loose’ Cup in 1962.
While at College, he took part in a Play staged by the senior Cadets as a friend and a confidant of ‘Ahinsaka’ in ‘Angulimala’. Ahinsaka or Angulimala was the late Major-General Lucky Wijeratne who died in action.
In 1962, Lal was the Head Prefect of the College and was a Member of the College English Debating Team. He was well known in College as a disciplined and an obedient student. He was also the Prefect-in-charge of the College hostel. After leaving College in late 1962, he joined Chemical Industries Colombo Ltd. as a Trainee Executive, where he rose to the position of CEO/Chairman of Chemanex Ltd, among many other responsible positions held by him.
As I was overseas, I met Lal after a long lapse in 1981, when I too became an active Committee Member of the Colombo Branch of the College OBA.
Committee Meetings at that time were held at Lal’s residence at Harischandra Place in Wellawatte, which we all looked forward to, as his beloved wife Mala served sumptuous meals, aided by their two young daughters. He was always an active Committee Member of the OBA and was later a Vice President, in which the late Deshabandu Albert Edirisinghe, Ganegoda Siri DevamiththaThera and the late Dr.W.G.Wimaladharma were Presidents.
He assumed duties as the President of the Colombo Branch of the MCOBA in 2003. During his tenure of 10 continuous years as the President, he initiated the training of young students of Mahinda at the Sasakawa Institute, on Information Technology; offered Scholarships for needy students for higher education at the Universities; commenced the ‘E.A.Wijesooriya Memorial Oration’ in 2003 with Srilankabimanya Dr.A.T. Ariyaratne as the initial Orator, followed by some distinguished old Mahindians and some well-known academics, during the past 15 years.
He also initiated the Mahinda annual get-together in Colombo. During his tenure, MCOBA (CB) grew from strength to strength. The silent and untiring support received from his beloved wife and two daughters - Jayani and Piyangi, are commendable. On Lal’s suggestion, the statutes of the late Principals of Mahinda College - Messrs. F.L. Woodward and E.A. Wijesooriya were sculptured and erected at the College premises. Also, at the annual prize givings of the College, Lal and his family donate a gold medal to one of the students. In 2016, the Government of Japan announced the conferment of ‘The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette’ on Lal De Alwis in recognition of his significant contribution in strengthening and deepening Japan and Sri Lanka relations.
I was fortunate to be invited for this occasion and the previous conferment in 2015, both held at the Japanese Embassy among a distinguished gathering.
Apart from Lal’s magnanimous contribution to his Alma Mater, his work in the religious and business sphere, are too numerous to mention here.
My wife and I were choked with grief when the passing away of Lal was conveyed by his beloved wife Mala on the 11th morning. Death is inevitable.
It comes to all, but when it comes to one who is close in a relationship built on values that have mattered, parting is indeed extremely sad. The life of a man is a long march through the night towards a goal that a few can hope to reach. I consider Lal one of them. May Lal attain the supreme bliss of Nirvana.
Ranjith Gurugamage
Sumana Perera - a dedicated ‘Nightingale’
Happy wife, happy life, they say. My happy life ended when my wife, Sumana Perera said good bye forever, exactly three months ago.
My wife’s departure was so sudden, our only daughter Nadeesha, and I are yet to recover from the resultant shock and come to terms with the great irreparable loss we had to suffer.
When I married her 38 years ago, Sumana was a Nursing Sister at the Colombo National Hospital and was a dedicated ‘Nightingale’. On the eve of our wedding, she told me that she was so wedded to her profession and the commitment to her job had always come first that she wondered whether she could be a good housewife. However, later Sumana proved herself not only as a good housewife, but also a lovable life-partner and an ideal mother. Looking back on the past, stretching as far as the early eighties, I cannot help feeling amazed how Sumana could find time and manage time to play so successfully the multiple roles as a wife, a mother, a housewife and a dedicated nursing officer.
During the first fifteen years of our married life, I too had to lead a busy life as a trade union leader while being an employee, and later a Director of Lake House, and I was so occupied with the demands of my twin-jobs as different as cheese and chalk, I hardly had any time to attend to the numerous needs and obligations devolved on me as a husband and a father. At that time, I was deeply involved in the community welfare activities of the Ganemulla Lions Club as well. Sumana who quite efficiently ran the household while discharging her duties as a nursing officer was a pillar of strength to me in those hectic days.
Nursing had held a great appeal as a vocation for Sumana from her childhood. As a child she had taken great interest and pleasure in treating an injured cat or a dog. So, when she was selected to undergo training as a pupil nurse at the age of 20 in 1963, it was more a fulfillment of a cherished ambition than an initial step into a lifelong career.
Soon after graduating from the Post-Basic School, Sumana was promoted as a nursing sister and assigned to the Accident Service of the National Hospital.
Later, she was selected for appointment as the Sister in Charge of the Medical Intensive Care Unit which was opened by the late President J.R. Jayewardene.
Sumana was promoted to the grade of Matron soon afterwards.
She won a scholarship to undergo training in specialised nursing care for trauma victims, in Finland. By the time she returned to the island after successfully completing the training course, arrangements had been made to shift the Accident Service of the National Hospital to the new building and Sumana was transferred back to the accident service to take over the onerous duties as the Matron in charge of the nursing staff there.
She was appointed as the Chief Nursing Officer, National Hospital on her promotion as a Nursing Officer, Special Grade in 1992.
She assumed duties as a Director Nursing at the Health Ministry in 2000 and continued to serve in this capacity until her retirement in 2002.
According to her colleagues, Sumana was greatly inspired by the illustrious career and writings of the role model of the nursing profession, Florence Nightingale, and would often cite quotes from the great lady to inspire her peers and subordinates. She was a life member of the professional body, Sri Lanka Nurses’ Association and held key posts in it from time to time. She also took a keen interest in the activity of the Graduate Nurses’ Foundation from its very inception.
In fact, she was among the first batch of BSc Nursing graduates that passed out from the Open University.
May my beloved Sumana’s journey in Samsara be short and may she attain the bliss of Nibbana!
D. K. Somasiri