A rare individual

I was so sad to hear about the death of Dr. Wickrema Weerasooria who I came to know only for a brief period. How rewarding it was! Though I met him when he was functioning as the Insurance Ombudsman, his last official assignment, I had always admired his work as an efficient bureaucrat, a keen researcher, a much-loved academic and a superb planner.

It was towards the end of 2010. I got a telephone call from Dr. Wickrema W’s secretary who passed the call to him. He had got my name and telephone number from a close lawyer friend of mine. He was keen to do a book on the life and service of Venerable Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Nayaka Thera, founder of Vidyodaya Pirivena, Maligakanda, which was later raised to university status in the last 1950s and presently functions as Sri Jayewardenepura University. He asked me whether I could do it. Without any hesitation I agreed. 

He then told me why he was interested in doing a book on the Nayaka Thera. There wasn’t a book on the late Hikkaduwe Nayaka Thera in English to give the foreign scholars who visit or contact the Pirivena. The Pirivena principal had asked him, among a few other requests, whether he could arrange to get a book done both in English and Sinhala. He had agreed.

The interest he takes when a responsible person makes a request is well illustrated by the introductory note he did for the book. Let me repeat relevant parts of what he wrote: 

“A member of the distinguished audience (at a book launch where WW spoke) was Rev. Balangoda Sobitha, the current Principal (Parivenadhipathi) of the Vidyodaya Pirivena at Maligakanda, of which the Founding Principal was Sri Sumangala Nayake Thero. About three months later, Rev. Sobitha contacted me and reminded me of my reference at the book launch to a Supreme Court litigation about the Vidyodaya Pirivena between 1943 up to the mid-1960s. He also said that most of the property deeds and survey plans relating to the Vidyodaya Pirivena had been given to the Lawyers in that litigation and were now misplaced and not available and whether I could help to get them reconstructed or replaced. I readily agreed. I visited the Vidyodaya Pirivena, met Rev. Sobitha and thereafter also met the lay committee of the Pirivena consisting of eminent former public officials such as Mr. M.D.D. Peiris and Mr. Raja Kuruppu and private sector leaders such as Mr. Prasanna Jayasuriya and Mr. Rajiv Hewavitharana. I also then learnt that Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Nayake Thero’s 100th Death Anniversary was to fall on 29th April 2011. 

“Thereafter I initiated a project called ‘Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala and the Vidyodaya Pirivena’ at the Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM). This required little imagination. From Vidyodaya Pirivena came Vidyodaya University which in turn became the University of Sri Jayewardenepura and the PIM which, although an independent autonomous body, is affiliated to the University. Professor Uditha Liyanage, Director of PIM and Chairman of PIM’s Board of Management readily agreed. We also sought financial contributions for the project from PIM students, present and past. Basically, the ‘project’ sought to (i)  to commission a survey of the current Vidyodaya Pirivena (5 Acres) and provide a survey plan and (ii) reconstruct the title deeds to the Pirivena premises (iii) paint the eleven buildings in the premises (a substantial task) (iv) re-arrange the excellent library at the Pirivena and (v) to publish a book on the late Hikkaduwe Nayake Thero in English and Sinhala, which can be made available mainly to foreign scholars who visit and contact the Pirivena. In taking this project forward I was ably assisted by Mr. K.A.I. Kalyanaratne of the PIM Faculty.”

Dr. Wickrema W delivered what the monk wanted. As for the book, he helped me with some material and with the help of photographer Sarath Perera and graphic artist/layout designer Somachandra Peiris we had a neat, easily readable book ready for release for Sumangala Nayaka Thera’s 100th birth anniversary. We did it without charging a fee and M D Gunasena Printers printed it free. As a token of appreciation he presented me his comprehensive treatise on ‘Buddhist Ecclesiastical Law’ (released in February 2011) and the four volumes of ‘Ceylon and her people’ written by his illustrious father, N.E. Weerasooria Q.C., the renowned lawyer.

The book was titled ‘The Great Teacher’.

Interest in banking

Though a non-banker Dr. Wickrema W was a well-known writer on the subject of banking counting over 50 years of experience with banking. He was an ardent supporter of the Association of Professional Bankers (PAB) and I interviewed him when I did a book on the completion of 25 years of the Association. 

It was a Q&A session and answering my first question on his initial thoughts of PAS, he answered: “To begin with, many may not remember that the Association was formed in the very year that the Banking Act was enacted in this country – in 1988. As far as I know, there is no such association in any other country in the world. True – there are associations but they are formed for the interest and involvement of those forming them. This is different. APB is one association which has been formed for the advancement of banking.”I then asked him what the difference he sees between APB and other associations. His was a frank answer: “Generally every time you branch out into segments in an industry, an association is formed to advance in your own area and progress. Very often what happens is that those who follow don’t have the ability and sustainability that the founders had. So it collapses. Fortunately that did not happen to the APB.”

As for the reason for it, he said that the founders were top people, who were household names in the field of banking. They were icons. They were so dedicated and committed. 

Again I enjoyed every minute I was with him. He was so crisp and clear. It was a fine learning experience.

His departure is a big loss to Sri Lanka.