The welfare of underprivileged children was closest to his heart

An aristocrat turned philanthropist and philanthropist turned educationist and social reformer, Wilmot Perera’s father was Abraham Perera, a successful businessman of Panadura. As a ten-year-old Wilmot witnessed the Muslim-Sinhala riots of 1915. Subject to harsh treatment at school, he was moved to Royal College in Colombo where he had the opportunity to hear a lecture by Rabindranath Tagore at Ananda College, and see the stage shows of John de Silva at the Tower Hall – all of which were to contribute to changing his life.

He was about to leave for higher studies in accountancy to England when a sarcastic comment by his father that he could be an accounts clerk for the Suddhas when he returned, made him decide to study archaeology at university but his father’s sudden death led him to take up planting in the early 20’s to look after his father’s vast plantations. Thus far he had been ignorant of the extent of his father’s properties and unaware of the poverty and lack of education among the estate labour.

Going to India for a while he ended up in Santiniketan where he got the blessings of Tagore and imbibed his philosopy of social and educational reform. Returning to Sri Lanka, he initiated the Raigam Korale Rural Reconstruction Society in 1932.

Inspired by Tagore he invited him to set up an institute similar to Santiniketan and on May 20, 1932, Tagore visited Wilmot’s 37 acre Kapulu Kanda estate in Horana to lay the foundation stone for the new venture which he named ‘Sripalee’ (abode of beauty). Tagore noted the beauty of Kandyan dancing and was sorry that the Ceylonese were not giving it more recognition.

At Sripalee, along with primary education, Wilmot also introduced music, dancing, leatherwork, bookbinding, painting, dress making, weaving, agriculture along the lines of Santiniketan.

Tamil and English were taught at Sripalee and later science and mathematics streams were introduced. Wilmot looked to recruit English medium graduates from Jaffna, Madras and Kerala in addition to versatile scholars from Santiniketan. Bhathkande and other Indian institutes to set high standards.

Residential facilities were provided and students were given responsibilities under the supervision of teachers to clean and maintain the premises. There was a morning assembly ‘Upasana’ held outdoors surrounded by flowering trees which the principal, a teacher and a senior student addressed.

Students were in the practice of addressing each other as ‘Akki’, ‘Nangi’, ‘Aiya’ and ‘Malli’.

Distinguished visitors at the time who addressed the students included Sri Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, Vijeyalakshmi Pandit, Kamaladevi Chattyopadya, Soon Ching Lin, the vice president of China, Sri Humayan Kabir etc.

Wilmot was deeply concerned about the welfare of children and once in the 1950s when he heard about the unfortunate case of a boy being sent to borstal for having accidentally killed his uncle having aimed a gun at him as a joke, Wilmot managed to get the boy released through the judicial process and admitted to Sripalee. That boy went on to complete his education, get a job and lead a settled life with a family of his own.

In 1947, Wilmot entered the first Parliament as a Leftist and was reelected until 1956. Being a close friend of SWRD Bandranaike, he was invited to contest the General Elections but as Bandaranaike was championing the Sinha-Only cause, Wilmot who was for Sinhala-Tamil parity left politics. Bandaranaike offered him the post of the country’s Ambassador in China. However when the government sent a mission to China for negotiations, Wilmot objected protesting that when there was already a diplomat there, it was absurd to send a mission.

On his return to the country, he was invited to head the Salaries Commission and one of his recommendations was very significant in rectifying the disparity between Sinhala trained teachers and English trained teachers. He was also instrumental in the abolition of the Ceylon Civil Service (CCS) and setting up the Ceylon Administrative Service (present SLAS).

Leaving politics and deviating from estate managemnt did not bother him but the takeover of Sripalee which was under him for 26 years hurt him immensely.

He passed away on September 22, 1973 at the age of 63.

May you Sir, attain the Supreme Bliss of Nibbana.