The planting fraternity will always miss “Gentleman Jim”

Gamini (Jim) Amerasinghe born on April 23, 1937, passed away on December 18, 2023 at the age of 86 years. He had his schooling at Trinity College, Kandy and at S. Thomas’ College Mount Lavinia. On leaving school, he pursued a career in plantation management attached to the agency house, George Steuart & Co Ltd., and was trained in 1957/58 under the tutelage of the late Frederick Northway, the then Superintendent of Deviturai Estate Elpitiya.

During his training period as a “creeper”, Mr. Northway for ease of pronunciation re-christened Gamini with the pet name “Jim” which remained right through his lifetime. During his training, he had a very regimented work and lifestyle. He learned the rudiments of tea and rubber planting and manufacture. Mr Northway also introduced Jim to sports such as tennis as well as sailing his yacht at the Bolgoda Sailing Club.

Jim was appointed an Assistant Superintendent on this estate and in 1962 was promoted to Superintendent. In 1964 he was transferred to Anninkande Estate and Hanford Estate Deniyaya. It was during this time that he married his cousin, Lalana de Saram. His next move in 1970 was to Alton Estate, Upcot.

With the nationalization/vesting of all Sterling Co and Rupee Co. estates in the state under the LRC Act No. 39 of 1975, all these plantations were assigned to the JEDB, SLSPC and the NLDB. Jim was a great asset to the Sri Lanka State Plantations Corporation (SLSPC) in administering some of these estates as a Visiting Agent in the Maskeliya area.

Due to his amiable ways and impeccable lifestyle, the planting fraternity referred to him as “Gentleman Jim”.

In 1977 under President J.R. Jayewardene’s government, Jim was invited to join the JEDB and appointed the Regional Manager of the coconut estates in the Chilaw area. In 1979 with a formation of Regional Boards for the management of the SLSPC and JEDB estates he was appointed as the Regional Manager, to manage the plantations in Nawalapitiya, Kegalle, Chilaw and Kurunegala. In 1986 with the establishment of two plantation ministries, Jim was appointed the Chairman of the regional Board JEDB I which entitled him to the ex-officio position as a Director of the JEDB HO Central Board. In time, due to administrative changes, Jim was appointed Director, Marketing of the JEDB HO.

In 1986, President Jayewardene indicated that there was an urgent need to raise two military battalions, one in the up country and in the other in the south to maintain peace and harmony in the plantation areas. Accordingly, the Sri Lanka Rifle Corps 1(V) Bn was established at Pallekelle, Kandy and Sri Lanka Rifle Corps 2(V) Bn at Neuchatel Estate, Kalutara. Jim joined the SLRC 1(V) Bn and after training under very senior military officers which included then Major Sarath Fonseka at the Minneriya Infantry Training Camp he was commissioned to the rank of Major. In 1994 he was promoted to the rank of Lt. Colonel and was appointed the Commanding Officer (CO) of his battalion.

On November 10, 1989, when the JEDB HO Board meeting in Vauxhall Street was in progress where Jim was also present as one of the Directors, two contract assassins entered the Boardroom and one of them opened fire with an LMG, shooting the Deputy General Manager (Mr Fernando) of the Bank of Ceylon. The assassin’s weapon got jammed and he went out of the room to clean the LMG by which time the Chairman and the other Board members including Jim took cover under the Boardroom table. In a few minutes, the assassin reentered the boardroom and knelt down, to shoot at the Chairman and Directors who were under the table, but his weapon got jammed again. By then, it was time for the assassins to withdraw. It as a miraculous escape for Jim and all of us who were present at the meeting. The shooting was a contract assignment. The assassins were apprehended and dealt with.

With the privatization and the forming of the 23 regional plantation companies (RPCs) in June 1992, Jim joined Lankem Planation Ltd as a consultant and worked at this establishment until he retired.

He was a close friend and colleague.

May he rest in peace.