by Maya Jayasinghe Abeywickrama in Daily News, Monday, 11 October 2004
Note by the Sangam member who sent us the article:
This is by a Sinhala western music teacher who was in Jaffna as a school girl in 1961-63 ( I was there during that time, just returned from university abroad. Col Udugama lead the army sent by Mrs. B to crush the satyagraha. Other Sangam members delivered Tamil Eelam stamped, enveloped mail.) is well written and meloncholic. Two of her students joined the army and died in 1997 (probably in Jeya Sikuru.) Her husband was killed by the JVP in 1987. Her article reminds me of Vaughn Williams’ adagio “The Lark is Decending” and Beethoven’s piano sonata, “The Pastoral.” The article will be a reflective interlude for your readers and would remind them of time past, time present and time future.
I was toying with the idea of writing this article. When I was pushed to do so, a Sinhalese friend of mine stated that his children find it difficult to even imagine that the Sinhalese could ever live in Jaffna peacefully with the Tamils. I lived in Jaffna from 1961 November to 1964 November. Those were the most treasured years of my life and I have beautiful memories of the place and the people.
Standing (L-R) Suwendrini Nicholas, Suwendrini Walton, Shanthi Nathaniels, Savithri Vedenayagem, Maya Jayasinghe (present writer) Seated (L-R) Shanthini Sabaratnem Sakunthala Nicholas and Kamalini Nicholas
I had just started my GCE A/L work in 1961 at Holy Family Convent, Kalutara when my father, late D. D. Jayasinghe, was sent as Municipal Commissioner to Negombo on September 1. We had gone to our home town, Badulla, somewhere around September 20 to attend a family wedding when my father received a telegram asking him to assume duties on October 1 in Jaffna.
This was a shock not only to my father but to all our friends and relations. We hardly had unpacked our stuff at Negombo and to think of shifting again was unimaginable.
Second Jaffna
Badulla is a second Jaffna as there are so many Tamils and my father was so close to most of them that when they got the news, they said that ‘Jayasinghe was sent to his home town of his previous birth.’
The Jaffna MP at that time was late Alfred Duraiappa and the Mayor was late T. S. Durairajah, both of whom wanted the Municipal Commissioner of their choice which created much unpleasantness, and to overcome this difficulty, they sent my father who was generally accepted as a ‘peace maker’ and he was given the assurance that the transfer was only for 3 months and that he could come back to Negombo in January.
So we kept our Negombo house going, my schooling postponed for January and my mother, father and I went to Jaffna and stayed the first few days at the Rest House and later with friends until the end of 3 months.
Our first experience at Jaffna
My father walked across the road to the Town Hall which was in front of the Rest House to assume duties. When he went up to the Commissioner’s room, the accountant Hudson Selverajah was acting for the Commissioner and was occupying the Commissioner’s chair.
My father informed him that he was the new Commissioner and promptly Mr. S. informed him that they were not aware of a new Commissioner being appointed. (They were aware but as the letter of appointment was in Sinhala it was returned to sender).
My father who is very diplomatic in his ways, suggested that he should see the place until they are informed of the appointment. So the two of them went round the Municipality and on their return journey my father very tactfully overtook Mr. S and without much fuss soon entered the room and occupied the Commissioner’s seat. He at once started phoning his friends in the Police and the Army informing them that he has assumed duties and to visit him in the office.
Mr. S. who was shocked was nonplussed not knowing what to do. He dare not do anything to the new Commissioner for it would have caused a lot of trouble. Soon our relative, late David Senerath ASP at that time, Major Wegodapola, a family friend from Palaly army camp and several people from the forces came to the Municipality to see my father. So that was how my father assumed duties.
He went for three months but ultimately stayed for three years. We were really happy. At the end of three years my father was taken round the town in a decorated chariot with music and fireworks. By the time he reached home he was covered with garlands up to his nose and he could hardly breath.
Returning home, they carried him high on their shoulder and brought him from the gate to the house, handed over to my mother and said, ‘we have looked after him for three years, now it is your turn’. They really looked after him so well that we never felt we belonged to a different race.
Entertainments
During our time in Jaffna there were several doctors who were really fun-loving and entertaining. The SP was late Jack Van Sanden, George Mant was the CTB Manager, the Northern Commander was Col. Richard Udagama, (I hope I got the name correct) later on as I remember, the Government Agents were Mr. Wittachi and after that Neville Jayaweera.
There were quite a number of Sinhalese families and to mention a few, the Prisons Commissioner Prematilake, Motor Car Examiners, Gunewardena, Cicil Silva, Tilini Peiris, Station Master Weerawardena, are some of them.
Parties and various functions were so many and our family was invited to almost all. One function I enjoyed as a young teenager was the ‘Elara Night’ organised by the Sri Lanka Navy at Karainagar. Special mention of late Dr. Emil and Dr. Mrs. Rita Innasithambi from Chillali who used to have grand parties.
Aunty Rita is still in touch with us. I remember we even had an ‘Old Crocks’ rally where Tilini Peiris participated and the crew dressed at our place.
Mr. Guneratnem, owner of Sareee Emporium was in Badulla during his school days and a very close friend of the family. Uncle Gunem and Aunty Ranee are now in England but always make it a point to visit us when in SL. I remember as we went to Jaffna Uncle Gunem came to see us at the Rest House and seeing Amma and me not wearing any jewellery shouted at us and took us to the street of gold AKS, LKKS etc and got us to purchase some jewellery for which we are thankful to him. At that time gold was only Rs. 85 a sovereign.
Neighbours
I also wish to mention that our front house neighbour in Badulla, the Kanagaratnam family and the Shanmugaratnam family also from the same neighbourhood lived in Jaffna during our time and not forgetting the Gnanapandithan family with whom we stayed during the first three months of our stay in Jaffna. All these families are in contact with us still.
We were not short of visitors as almost all whom we knew in the South, specially those who had railway warrants made a trip to Jaffna and some times I had made several trips during a month to Nagadeepa. It was so very easy to entertain as fruits, vegetables and sea food were plenty and cheap. The prawns were so fresh that one day when cleaning prawns my mother shouted as the prawns were almost alive and stretched when cleaning.
Auspicious times
An incident I always relate to my friends I would like to share now. It was during the Sinhala New Year day, the Mayor Mr. Durairajha came to our house almost shouting from the gate that he has come to a good home to have a cup of tea in the New Year.
It was the ‘nonegetha time’ (before the auspicious time when no transactions take place) and my father did not know how to refuse a cup of tea. He very politely explained the position and promptly Mr. D replied, “don’t worry ‘Jaye’ just give me a glass of water that would do”. I do not remember whether he was served a glass of water.
We were anyway waiting for the auspicious time to light the hearth when Mr. D clicked his cigarette lighter and lit a cigarette. My mother almost shouted in shock but father was just helpless.
In no time the auspicious time came and my mother in this excitement could not find the box of matches and we in fact had to borrow Mr. D’s cigarette lighter to light our fire at the auspicious time. We were reluctant to give him water but had to borrow fire instead. The year was not a bad one anyway.
During our stay in Jaffna, my only brother, Parakrama, the eldest in the family, was at university (Engineering Faculty) and my sister Rajindra who is younger to me was boarded in Colombo. They both missed a good part of the fun I had in Jaffna.
Experience of joy
I would like to share some of my experiences in Jaffna. I was not able to fit into follow A/L work as I studied in the Sinhala medium. My father took me to Holy Family Convent and begged of Mother Superior to enroll me in any course of study.
However, all our discussions ended by Mother Superior taking me on to the staff to teach music as the nun who was doing music had got a heart attack and there was a vacancy. I also had to teach Sinhala to the few Burghers who were in school.
So there was I taking up a teaching post instead of continuing my studies. This was the turning point in my life as I never thought of becoming a music teacher. I have no regrets as I have now ended up as the Consultant in Western Music for the Ministry of Education and I am also the Founder of the National Youth Orchestra.
My salary was fixed at Rs. 60. Rev. Mother Superior felt sorry for me and I was given permission to join the senior students when they had games and soon I was taken to the under 19 netball team.
After the first match there were petitions that a teacher was playing in the team so I was soon registered as a short-hand typing student. Thanks to that I am a very good typist now! I was also able to collect a lot of pocket money by giving tuition in Sinhala but I must say how sorry I am for not learning Tamil.
Good music
Around 1962 I formed a group of musicians calling ourselves ‘The Blue Sapphires’. Group musicians were not heard about much during that time.
We had our practices at my residence. We performed at various places, had concerts, collected money and did social work with the funds. It was great fun. The instruments were not the sophisticated ones, but we were able to provide good music to entertain the public. I played the piano-accordion.
Towards the end of our stay, I had a terrible experience. As we went to Jaffna we were warned that there were some poisonous black ants and that there had been a death of a young girl. Well, I would have been the second victim if not for prompt action of our neighbour Dr. Anton Joseph who happened to be at our place. His prompt action saved my life.
My father got transferred to Kurunegala and in 1964 November we left Jaffna in tears just the same way we went there. In Kurunegala I joined the staff of Holy Family Convent. My first government appointment was to Maliyadeva College in 1968 as their first Western Music teacher.
In 1971, our Principal, Mr. Dissanayake was very keen that the Western Band make a friendship visit to Jaffna. My father arranged everything and with my parents we took the band to Jaffna. The boys and the Master in-charge stayed at Central College and my family stayed with friends.
The leader of the band was Ananda Hamangoda. mong the other players was Neomal Palipana. This might have been Hamangoda’s first trip to Jaffna. It was this same Hamangoda that met his death in Jaffna as Brigadier Ananda Hamangoda in 1997. Major Neomal Palipana too, died in action. I salute them with much admiration and gratitude.
Somewhere in 1977 there was an article in the ‘Sun‘ newspaper where some person had mentioned how well my father and Neville Jayaweera lived in Jaffna and suggested that others too could live the same way.
Undying thought
My father died in 1985 and my brother, better known as Dr. A. P. Jayasinghe, died in 1996. I feel I am obliged to mention that in 1987 when the Indian army arrived in Sri Lanka to help gain peace in the North, there was unrest in the country and the Parliament was attacked. It was my husband Keerthi Abeywickrama, District Minister Matara who lost his life in this attack.
In a way I feel proud that my husband sacrificed his life trying to bring peace to the country. I wish I could get back those happy days I spent in Jaffna once again! Thinking of the good times I spent with my father travelling with him from North to South, East to West, I wish to state a few words from the Dhammapada:
“The scent of flowers does not travel against the wind, nor that of sandalwood, nor of Tagara and Mallika flowers, but the fragrance of good people travels even against the wind. A good man pervades every quarter”
(Tagara – a plant from which scented powder is made Mallika – Jesmin)