Your exemplary life will lead us a long way

Appa, you hailed from a poor family, but you came up with determination, wading through a class conscious society, and getting through the English SSC with flying colours. You entered the clerical service when you were 19 years old. You served all around Sri Lanka in various capacities and finally became the Assistant Government Agent of Point Pedro. When we were small we happened to search your cabinets for fun, and were fascinated by your neat arrangement of files and folders. You were very systematic in your work.

When you were working at the Ministry of

Planning & Implementation, you were appreciated by the

Director for translating a document in pure Sinhala. There was no doubt in your capacity to work in all three languages fluently. I know you were a voracious reader, having a collection of thousands of books at home. You always told us to read more and to become future writers. You yourself proved it by getting your collection of short stories released at the age of 79. You wrote to many newspapers under various pen names.

When we lost everything during the 1983 riots in Colombo, you used your willpower and discretion to shift us safely to Jaffna. After retirement you tirelessly served society as a Justice of Peace and a sworn translator. Even today I find people from all walks of life knocking at the door for a translation or authorization of their documents, unaware of your demise. Recently I got a letter from a famous institution in Vavuniya addressed to you, requesting your services as a translator. My eyes welled with tears when I went through the letter. Appa, your ambition has come true. Your granddaughter has been selected to the Medical Faculty, Colombo.

Nothing will replace you. But your exemplary life will certainly lead us a long way. Thambipillai Mohan