As the tapestry of my memory begins (with age)  to inevitably unravel, I have been motivated by a deferential impulse  to record the men and women of considerable renown whom I was fortunate to have met during my  life.

Instinctively one is influenced either by admiration, example or even a personal ambition to have the same impact on society that they did. Making  money was never their mantra of motivation. The  stories of the five persons I have chosen have never been printed since they were personal to me.

It was through my Mother, Deshabandu Clara Motwani that I met  famous men and women  of whom I write.  She was included in the published list of “The Great Sri Lankans” and was the only foreign recipient of a distinguished citizenship  awarded by the President of Sri Lanka on that list.   Such was her love for Sri Lanka, her adopted home, that she gave up her American citizenship in order to become a true Sri Lankan by love if not by blood.

Let me start with The Father of our Nation, our first Prime Minister, Mr. D.S.SENANAYAKE who was on the Board when Mother first arrived in Sri Lanka as Principal of Visakha Vidyalaya. Her friendship with him spiralled through the years and I happened to be in  her Musaeus College office one day when he dropped in unexpectedly, as he  occasionally did.  Rosmead Place was close to his own residence after all and it was a virtual 5 minute drive from his  residence to her office. Those were days when screaming sirens and protective jeeps did not announce the arrival of VIPs.

Quite overcome by this august personality’s  presence I was scuttling out of Mother’s office when he genially boomed, “Don’t leave on my account. I am only here to ask your Mother for the favour of getting her Musaeus  College pupils to  sing the National Anthem at the Town Hall celebrations on Independence Day”.  Since Musaeus College was still a traditional school and not the leading Buddhist School that it is today,  Mother was aware that Mr. Senanayake was doing her a personal favour in highlighting the school she was heading . She gratefully agreed. 

I never met D.S. again personally although I saw him many times in public. Never did I forget his tremendous personal geniality and impact. Not every Prime Minister or President is a statesman. He was!  And the feeling of awe has  lasted forever.

Another ‘Great”  of mine  would be FATHER PETER PILLAI,  the  legendary  Principal of St Joseph’s and probably the greatest academic  genius this country has ever seen. His answer scripts are still kept in the archives of Cambridge  (Bachelor Degree) and Rome where he received his Doctorate . His marks have never been matched in any public exam, foreign or local. 

During the ‘School’s Take Over’ initiated by the Sirimavo  Bandaranaike regime I was with my Mother when a meeting  of Private School Principals was being held at St Joseph’s.  We arrived early and Father Peter Pillai was in the middle of doing his school Time Tables which were normally a headache for most Principals. He invited us in while he wound up his work. I watched him fascinated .

His method was to have five teachers seated at a table while he walked around   them  telling them where to place the various subjects  (and  the appropriate teacher) on the blank Time Table sheets in front of them.   He kept the whole operation in his head as he dropped names from class to class and teacher to teacher. Time Tables were a three day operation for most Principals and I was literally openmouthed.  Naturally I was told to sit outside when the other Principals arrived but on the way home my Mother said to me, “You have seen a genius at work.” Indeed I had.

My next ‘great’ would be Mrs. Susan George Pulimood, Principal of Visakha. My mother was responsible for bringing her to Sri Lanka and Mrs. Pulimood succeeded her after Mother had left Visakha.  During  World War 11 many schools founded up-country branches and  having to run two branches was a problem  so Mother sent  Mrs. Pulimood  up to  act as Principal  in Bandarawela when she had to be in Colombo.  I sometimes went up country with my mother.

 Mrs Pulimood was a  Syrian Christian. It the oldest Christian church  anywhere in the world  and was founded in Kerala by St Thomas, one of the Apostles of Jesus. Always on the lookout for furthering  my already eclectic education, Mother would send me to  Church with Mrs.Pulimood.

The walk took 20 minutes and on the way ( at Mother’s request) she told me a great deal of the history of her beliefs.  I can truly say she was one of the best teachers I ever had…..and having attended nine schools I knew many! She knew how to talk to an nine  year old despite her scientific background and authorship of the famous Botany text book. Mrs Pulimood laid the foundation of my further deeper interest in Christianity and when   I won the Catechism Prize at the Ooty Convent in India, I wrote to her about it. I still have her congratulatory reply. She was  a truly  legendary Principal  I was privileged to have known.

Probably the most charming of my ‘Greats’ was former Minister Gamini Dissanayake. Of course I knew him informally and he was also a  friend. One incident of his genuine ‘Niceness’ is this ---- When Asian International School was founded, it   acquired a house on Flower Road for the Junior School. (At great expense I might add).  Renovations had already begun, when a VIP residing next to the building, used political pressure and  permission to open the school  in that area was cancelled overnight.

Forced to move elsewhere we started our Junior School  next to the British Council buildings. Right opposite us was Gamini Dissanayake’s home. Naturally cautious before signing contracts with owners of the new buildings, my Chairman and I called on Mr Dissanayake to get his approval of student’s cars going up and down his lane.

Mr D. not only immediately gave his approval but went so far as to say, “Goolbai, when AIS is closed at night my own security will overlook your school.” We showed our immense gratitude my having him as a frequent Chief Guest  (whenever he had the time)  on several occasions.  It is a Sri Lankan tragedy that the country lost such a gracious and  generous- hearted man to an assassin when he might  have been our Prime Minister.

One is often influenced by persons when such influence is not intended but just comes about by circumstances. Dr. C.C. de Silva was called a “Gentle Giant” in the Press recently  by Dr. Upul Wijewardena  and it was my very fortunate Karma to have known him. He and his wife were great supporters of the Moral Re-armament Movement and they hosted many famous people through the years who were of varied faiths. For Instance, Mr and Mrs  Cadbury  of the Cadbury  Chocolate family who were of the Quaker faith were among his guests.

But my story of Dr. C.C. is one that showed  his great humanity and personal  involvement  with his patients.  My friend, Ralph, was struck down with Meningitis  as a child. In the early 1940’s medicines were not as advanced as they are today.  Despite  having Dr de Silva  treating him, not much could be done and Ralph was sinking.. Having tried everything ( and at the end of his tether)  this great doctor dropped to his knees  in prayer by the little boy’s bedside  asking for a miracle. He got one. Ralph’s quick recovery was a dramatic  recovery and when relating this story his grateful mother told me that it was not only a miracle but the only known instance of a doctor calling on a greater Power  to aid his own  exceptional skill. 

Dr. P.R. Anthonis  (my  last ‘Great’)  is a medical  legend who practiced  surgery long after most doctors went into retirement. On record is the fact that he performed more than a hundred thousand operations during his long life. (He died at 98!)  Thirty three thousand of these were performed  after he had retired from government service.

I t would seem that great doctors are often known for their exceptionally humane personalities. After  he operated on my mother his bill for surgery was never presented. He told her, “How could I charge a lady who has done so much for my country.”He made the same gesture when a further surgery was needed a few years later. My family never forgot this graciousness.

It was a happy coincidence that he was awarded the Deshamanya at the same time my mother was awarded the Deshabandu.  After receiving their awards the two old friends enjoyed  the Presidential dinner together with great affinity and pleasure.

I end my tributes to the great people whom I admired with these words by Voltaire. “ Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well”. In the course of my long life I know this is true. There have been other ‘Greats’ in my life of course….both abroad and in Sri Lanka, but these five are those I recall with  affection and gratitude. 

By Goolbai Gynasekara