A reservoir of legal knowledge, he shared it with all

Sixteen years have passed so fast since Diyanesh Rajaratnam passed away in March 1997.

Educated at Wesley College and Thurstan College, Diyanesh took to law in the family tradition and passed out as an Attorney-at-Law.

He was also one of the first to successfully complete the MBA programme at the University of Colombo. The mundane business of making money however attracted him little. This led him to join the Employers Federation of Ceylon and specialise in labour law. Diyanesh was also a great sportsman and excelled in rugger and cricket. He was also a cricket commentator during the latter years of his short life that ended in 1997 when he was 44.

Those who knew Diyanesh will agree that there was something exceptional about him. He had a remarkable mind and he read and wrote widely. He was a gifted draftsman and an accomplished advocate. New or intricate legal points interested him. His uncanny and profound knowledge of the law coupled with his ability to direct one to an authority from memory was unusual. He did not parade his knowledge but humbly shared it with all who sought his advice. He was known for his humanity and particularly helping those who needed help. Diyanesh’s achievements speak for themselves and he brought an unparalleled degree of dignity, courtesy, fairness, candour and complete integrity to everything he did. His knowledge of the law was one matter. He could talk with authority on the classics, science, poetry, sports or whatever.

There is so much respect for Diyanesh’s pursuit of perfection. He demanded so much from himself and instilled into all who surrounded him that great yearning for perfection.

I write about Diyanesh now as he deserves to be remembered. Diyanesh was a great man and was a role model par excellence.

“They who think that you are gone, because no more your face they see, are wrong, for in our hearts you live and always will in memory”.

Suresh Muthulingam