Friendship over bloodline

Recently I had the pleasure of attending the 80th birthday celebration of Chandra Jayasinghe, onetime popular planter of the Southern Province, at the Waters Edge, Battaramulla.

Chandra is my first cousin but we regarded ourselves more as very close friends than relations. His father and my father were brothers but our bond of friendship was certainly much stronger than our blood relationship.

Chandra hailed from a respected family from Payagala in the Kalutara District. His father, the late Arthur Jayasinghe, a well known social worker was bestowed the title, ‘Gate Muhandiram’ by the then Government for his service to the country. Chandra was the second in a family of nine siblings who are mostly professionals now live in Australia.

Chandra Jayasinghe who received his early education at the Holy Cross College in Kalutara took to planting as a teen to become the youngest Superintendent

We are first cousins but we regard ourselves more as friends

planter in the South Province. We were then still students. At school he excelled in athletics to become the fastest short distance runner in the Kalutara District and eventually represented his school at the all-island public schools athletic meet in Colombo which was a rare distinction at that time.

When I entered the legal profession Chandra presented me with the black coat in which I tread the long legal track from Hulftsdorp to the then available Privy Council in defence of the SWRD Bandaranaike assassination case. That signified the affection between Chandra and me.

Although Chandra was a product of Holy Cross College, Kalutara, he was more a Thomian at heart perhaps due to my association and influence. He is the father of two Thomian cricketers, Sanjeewa and Rajindra Jayasinghe both of whom represented St. Thomas’ College at the prestigious Royal-Thomian Cricket encounter. Sanjeewa captained the College in two successive years in 1986 and 1987 which indeed was a rare feat not equaled since.

This reference is not complete if I do not refer to his charming wife, who has been a great source of strength in all Chandra’s endeavours since marriage. Chandra who was a very eligible bachelor in the mid-sixties had cupid visiting him one evening in the form of our dear mutual friend Lakshman Weerasekera, who later served the Supreme Court with great distinction, and invited Chandra for his sister’s wedding at Kalutara. In the brides’ retinue was a pretty bride’s maid by the name of Padmini Mangedera. As Chandra entered the wedding hall their eyes met resulting in a lifelong union. The rest is history.

We wish Chandra good health and long life and look forward to being there when he celebrates ninety not out! Kirthisiri Jayasinghe

Mount Lavinia.