A multitude of achievements during a colourful career

The third death anniversary of my mother falls this month

Amma was born to late Pandit Veda Mudaliyar M.S.P. Samarasinghe and Roslin Samarasinghe of Borella as their tenth child. Like her sisters, she had her entire education at Ladies’ College, Colombo 7 and entered Peradeniya University among its first batch of undergraduates. She graduated with a BA Honours in History and English in 1954 and after a short stint of teaching, joined Radio Ceylon as an Assistant Producer in 1955. Thereafter, she was absorbed into the newly formed Education Service and steadily climbed the ladder to become the Head of Service in 1967.

In 1979, when the Education Service was fully expanded and upgraded, she was appointed its first Director. She received special training in Education Broadcasting at NHK Japan in 1963, the BBC England in 1969 and AIBD Malaysia and Radio Singapore in 1978. She was instrumental in negotiating with UNICEF and BBC to obtain radio sets to most of the rural schools in the country to ensure that the students could listen to the Education Service while at school. She also visited some schools with UNICEF officers to make sure that this project was a success.

When the Government was planning to introduce television to Sri Lanka in 1980, she was appointed as a member of the National TV Planning Committee headed by Dr. Sarath Amunugama, then Secretary to the Ministry of Media. Thereafter, the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation was established in 1982, and Amma was appointed the first Deputy Director General of Educational TV in addition to her duties as Director Education Service, SLBC. She was also the first lady Deputy Director General of Rupavahini and I believe even after 37 years of operations, no lady has still been appointed as a DDG of Rupavahini to date.

During her Rupavahini career, she served on the Board of Governors of the Open University and was a member of the panel of judges for the Presidential Film Awards organised by the National Film Corporation for many years. She represented Rupavahini at numerous conferences and seminars in many Asian and European countries and brought fame to our country by winning the coveted Japan Prize awarded by NHK Tokyo for the Best Educational Programme broadcast in 1987. The award was presented to her at a special ceremony in Japan by the Emperor of Japan.

After a 35-year dedicated and illustrious career in radio and TV, she retired at the age of 58 in 1990. However, she could relax at home only for a few days since her old school Ladies’ College invited her to become the Deputy Director of its Department of Vocational Studies which post she held for another nine years. During this tenure, she introduced several new innovative vocational courses for the students.

Even three years after her death, her superiors, colleagues and subordinates speak of her highly as a dedicated, efficient and committed officer of the highest integrity. We also, as her immediate family, proudly recall her multitude of achievements during a colourful career spanning 45 years.

May she attain the supreme bliss of Nirvana.