His friendly demeanour drew people in
Professor Mahadeva Balakumaran, “Bala” to all who knew him closely, passed away in London on June 2, 2019.
We came to know him as schoolmates, since our very first days at Royal College in 1959. Prior to that year, he, together with his sisters, attended CMS Ladies’ College for his primary education. That was an era in the 50s/60s, when boys were allowed to hang around in girls’ schools till they were 10.
Bala was always that laidback chap in school, taking life in an easy-paced manner. He was never rushed. His love of sports and music was exemplified, especially in his later years when he became a great contributor to the Radio Ceylon page on FB. Photography was also another great love he cherished very much. His FB wall is loaded with music and memories in pictures of people and events he encountered in his daily life.
Banking was Bala’s forte in Sri Lanka and in the UK, where he went to live in 2005, even though he still retained his Sri Lankan passport, maintaining his status as a dual citizen. The English winters were always spent in sunny Sri Lanka and he never failed to make it to the Royal-Thomian cricket match in March each year.
Professor Balakumaran was a Management Consultant and Trainer, and was also a former Assistant General Manager of the Seylan Bank. He was considered to be the most professionally qualified banker in the island at that time, having obtained his Ph.D from the University of Honolulu, USA.
He was also the first recipient from Sri Lanka to be awarded the Financial Studies Diploma (Dip. FS), the highest qualification of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, London, as well as being one of the first four persons to obtain the Diploma in Bank Management from the Institute of Bankers, Sri Lanka.
He was also awarded Fellowships by the Chartered Institute of Bankers, London (FCIB) and the Institute of Bankers, Sri Lanka (FIB).
Among his many illustrious accolades, are an MBA from the Postgraduate Institute of Management, University of Sri Jayawardenapura, as well as Postgraduate Certificates in Human Resource Management in Banks, and Asset and Liability Management from the PIM. He was also an Associate of the Institute of Credit Management in Sri Lanka.
Bala, initially graduated from the University of Madras, after which he joined the Hatton National Bank, in Colombo, in 1974. Thereafter, he moved to The Union Bank of the Middle East Ltd in 1981 where he took up roles in Banking Operations and Customer Services.
Bala then joined Seylan Bank Ltd in Sri Lanka, in October 1989. He was installed as the youngest President of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, Colombo Centre in 1996. During his Presidency in 1996/1997 the Colombo Centre won the Best Local Centre of the Year award, and the first prize in the International group for 1996/1997.
He had the honour of receiving the award from Sir Brian Pitman, the CIB President at that time, at a ceremony held in London.
Bala was in Colombo this year too and attended the group AGM in March where he was able to reconnect with many of us at a sumptuous hopper dinner at the Capri Club in Colombo. He even signed the propositions of the new office bearers for 2019/20, who were all elected unanimously.
I spent many a moment with Bala during his visit this year. We enjoyed many breakfasts and tea at kiosks in Wellawatte, visited our old English Literature master at Royal, John Henry de Saram at his residence in Lauries Road, Bambalapitiya, and also trekked often to the GLO photo shop in Wellawatte to have his pictures on his camera and phone printed for his hard copy collection. I happened to bump into the two young sales ladies at GLO last week, at Wellawatte, and they almost wept when I broke the sad news to them. They even insisted I keep them informed about his funeral arrangements so they could pay their last respects. That was how much people related, and were attached to him on account of his friendly demeanour and humble attitude.
It was Bala’s wish to stay behind in Colombo to be a part of the two Bradby Shield Rugby games in Kandy and Colombo, but the lure of the World Cup in London took him away in May. He never failed to offer me a glass of EGB whenever I visited his flat down Canal Lane in Wellawatte. We spent many long hours in conversations about old times, people, and events.
Many were the friends he had found on FB on account of his love for country music. He never missed a musical concert and his last picture on his FB wall shows him posing with Daniel O’Donnell at a recent concert.
Bala was also very involved with the Hindu Temple administration and its management activities in Colombo. It was during our many memorable chats in Colombo that I discovered that he was a great-grandson of two of Sri Lanka’s most illustrious patriots, the late Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan, and the late Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam. He was the second son of the late S. Mahedeva, former Deputy Legal Draftsman.
One thing we all admired him for was his tremendous love for the school and the massive and colourful support he always displayed in attending school cricket and rugby matches, dressed in blue and gold, wherever he lived.
Bala will be missed by us all. He now joins the 40+ other mates, from our Royal College Alumni ’59 Group of 218, who have moved on to the other side over the past decades. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his beautiful family.
May he Rest in Peace!