He was one of the last gentleman politicians
It is just one year since my close friend Dr. Ranjit Atapattu passed on. Our bonding and friendship was formed and cemented over 80 years since he and I joined Royal Primary School at the tender age of 5. I recall with nostalgia how we both took part in the historic play Hiawatha by H.W. Longfellow at the age of 8 staged by the Royal Primary. Since then, we both moved onto Royal College in 1945 and our paths went different ways in 1954 when Ranjit entered Medical College Colombo to pursue his medical studies and self to Peradeniya to join the University of Ceylon there.
Ranjit hailed from a renowned family in Tangalla where his father carved a name for himself as the Member of Parliament for Beliatta in 1960 and 1965. Many were the occasions when I visited Ranjit in his stately ancestral home on our way to Kataragama. I had the good fortune of associating with his father when he functioned as a Junior Minister of State to the late President J.R. Jayewardene.
Our paths crossed again when Ranjit was returned to his father’s old seat at Beliatta in August 1977. It may be mentioned in passing that he was the only one who was able to defeat Mahinda Rajapaksa at an election in the Hambantota district. He had a long term of 12 years until 1990 as an MP having served in different Ministerial appointments beginning as a Minister and in the Cabinet, followed by being Minister of the Colombo Group of Hospitals then by being Minister of Health and followed by Minister of Labour and Social Welfare. During this span of 12 years, I had the privilege of enjoying his company, as between Parliament sessions, before and after, he used to frequent my room and chat reminiscing of our college days, memories and vagaries of Parliamentary politics and our own personal lives.
My wife and I had the privilege of attending Ranjit’s wedding when he married Dreda de Silva, a graduate teacher in her own right – they were truly blessed with the birth of their only son Druvi.
When he was serving as Health Minister, President Premadasa very reluctantly allowed Ranjit to vacate his seat and portfolio to accept a position in New York, USA as a consultant to UNICEF. I know for one that Ranjit sacrificed his portfolio to enable him to have his son to pursue medical studies abroad after Druvi’s studies were interrupted by the closure of the North Colombo Medical School. Druvi justified his father’s expectations and made him proud by passing out as a full fledged Doctor now practising with the Oasis Group of Hospitals.
During his Ministerial appointment, Ranjit developed some heart probems and I recall Prime Minister Premadasa getting down a top heart specialist from USA to see
Ranjit at the cardiac centre in Colombo, telling me that he was even ready to fly Ranjit abroad for further medical treatment .
Ranjit did not accept this kind offer but went ahead at his own expense. Fortunately he retired soon after having completely recovered. It was thereafter that he accepted the UNICEF appointment in New York.
After his return we continued to associate very closely with each other and a few of his Royal College Batch of 1945 joined each year to go to Kandy to witness the Royal Trinity rugger matches, as Ranjit had played for this match in his College days.
I can say without the slightest hesitation that Ranjit was one of the last generation of gentleman politicians of our troubled times. The other was another Minister of Health Gamani Jayasuriya. He was totally devoted and committed to his work , honest to a fault and was always available to his colleagues, to his friends and above all to his constituents whom he cared for with genuine kindness and sincerity. He was simple, affable and never ever lost his head.
During the last 10-15 years, I associated closely with him, visiting him and Dreda at their Bagatalle Road residence and then later on when he moved to stay with his son and wife Dr Himali at Bullers Road who both truly cared for and looked after him in the last few years.
I recall with pleasure just before his sad demise, I was able to take him to a lunch Speaker Karu Jayasuriya hosted for past Members of Parliament and he immensely enjoyed that occasion reminiscing with his erstwhile colleagues. The other was when I took him again to a memorial oration for my late brother Dr. Nissanka Seneviratne, Professor of Physiology whose student he had been at Medical College and I recall my brother always having a high regard for Ranjit as his student.
My Royal College batch and self will truly miss him, his company and the friendship we enjoyed.
May he attain Nibbana.
Nihal Seneviratne