Some memorable portraits from the mid-20th century. Nihal D Amerasekera

Some memorable portraits from the mid-20th century

by Nihal D Amerasekera

The mid-twentieth century was a time of great upheaval, shaping not only the course of nations but also the lives of ordinary people like us. In Ceylon, the Second World War and the struggle for independence from British rule cast long shadows over our families and communities. These were the years in which we grew—from infants in our mothers’ arms to adults carrying the weight of responsibility in a changing world. It was a period of transition and enormous transformation.

As a newly independent nation, unity among the people was crucial for progress and prosperity, although at times this wisdom was overshadowed by the chaos of politics.

It has long been my wish to paint portraits of some of the people who stood at the forefront of those turbulent times. They were the faces we saw in the news, the names that stirred hope, fear, pride, or defiance. In painting them, I hope to preserve not only their images but also the memory of an era that shaped who we became.

The biggest upheaval in the Indian subcontinent in the last century was the partition of India. By this division in 1947, two independent dominion states were born. It was done on religious lines into India and Pakistan. East Pakistan later became Bangladesh. It led to one of the largest mass migrations in history. It displaced 15 million people and caused about a million deaths. Lord Mountbatten, Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi and Mohammed Ali Jinnah were the personalities involved in the process who worked tirelessly for a peaceful transition. The partition remains a raw and painful memory for many.

Since politics is naturally divisive, I have chosen not to share my personal views or pass judgment on their actions. Instead, I’m reminded of Mark Antony’s words in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar: “The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones.”

There exists an ancient taboo, later crystallised into a well-known aphorism popularised by the Spartan philosopher Chiron of ancient Greece: De mortuis nihil nisi bonum — “speak no ill of the dead.” I hold his wisdom and philosophy in high regard.

Our education has brought us to where we are today. I have included portraits of two of our teachers in the faculty of Medicine, Colombo, to represent the many who taught and educated us beyond the call of duty. I have nothing but praise for them all.

Prof O.E.R  Abhayaratne

The Professor will be remembered for his personal qualities of kindness, integrity, warmth and humanity. Now I realise the sheer scale of his vision and his professionalism. Many of us have been greatly enriched by having known him and being his students. Our thanks go to one of the greats of our time and one of the finest to walk the corridors of the faculty. He truly was a credit to our profession. He left the world a better place and left the faculty of medicine up there with the finest institutions in the world. We will forever keep him in grateful memory.

Prof. H.V.J Fernando

He was appointed as Professor in 1959 and became a fine teacher of Forensic Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine, Colombo. In 1961, Professor Fernando took a one-year sabbatical leave and proceeded to London and was successful in the Barrister’s examination of Lincoln’s Inn, London.

In 1965 there was a lavish party for the medical fraternity at the Health Department Sports Club under the auspices of the Medical Students Union. Drinks flowed freely and there was a lot of it about. That was such a fun afternoon. When the alcohol levels rose so did the background noise. Prof HVJ Fernando and Dr WDL Fernando (JMO) warmed up to the occasion and sang with great forensic detail their signature tune of “Officer’s daughter who hanged and died”. This popular song was sung with such intensity and passion; they received a rapturous ovation. I still keep a recording of the song sung by Eranga and Priyanga to recall those happy times of my youth.

In 1982, he became the Registrar of the Ceylon Medical Council. Professor Fernando passed away peacefully on 2nd May 1998.

D.S Senanayake

He was born in 1884 and educated at St Thomas’ College. He served as the Minister of Agriculture for 15 years in the State Council. He became the leader of the Sri Lanka Independence Movement. Prior to independence, D.S Senanayake said: Irrespective of whether we be Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim or Eurasian we are one single nation, the Sri Lankan nation. Long live the Lankan nation!" I wish this is engraved in the hearts and minds of every Sri Lankan. These words came to haunt our people in later years.

In 1946 he turned down the offer of a Knighthood from the British Government and he did so politely.

He was the first Prime Minister of Ceylon (1947–52) when the country gained independence from Great Britain. An avid horseman, Senanayake died from injuries received when his horse threw him age 67. He is affectionately considered as the "Father of the Nation". There is a D.S Senanayake school in Colombo 7 and a Senanayake Samudra in Gal Oya to remember a great Statesman.

Dr C.W.W Kannangara

CWW Kannangara was born in 1884. He was educated at Richmond College Galle and the Ceylon Law College. Dr Kannangara is the architect of the system of free education, from kindergarten to university, that exists today in Sri Lanka. The establishment of free education in 1945 is celebrated as a tremendous national achievement, significantly contributing to widespread literacy and greater social equality. He passed away in 1969 at the age of 84.

Mahendra Gonsalkorale has written a fine tribute to Dr CWW Kannangara, which is available on our Blog.

 
 Sir John Kotelawela

He was born in 1897 to a wealthy landowning and mining family. He was educated at Royal College and Cambridge University. Sir John served in the Military for 23 years finally as a Colonel in the Ceylon Light Infantry. He was the Prime Minister of Ceylon from 1953-56. He is known as an aggressively outspoken person who loved sports and horse riding. When he was asked in parliament where he learnt his French he said "Under the blankets in Paris, where else do you think?".  His words were excluded from the Hansard in haste!! He left his enormous wealth and properties to the Kotelawala Defence Academy for training men in the Army. Now there is a Kotelawela Defence University named in his honour. He passed away age 83.

S.W.R.D Bandaranaike

SWRD Bandaranaike  was born to the aristocracy in 1899 and lived at a mansion in Horagolla.  He was educated at St Thomas’ College Colombo and  Oxford University. In 1925, he was called to the Bar in London. His entry into politics marked a significant change in the history of modern Ceylon. SWRD Bandaranaike formed the political party, the MEP,  and became its leader. He soon rose to become the Prime Minister of Ceylon 1956-59. He was assassinated while being the Prime Minister age 60.

Sirimavo Bandaranaike

Sirimavo Bandaranaike was born in 1916 in Ratnapura. She was educated in a Catholic institution but remained a Buddhist all her life.  She became the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka in 1960, following the assassination of her husband, S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike. She served three terms in office and led the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. Notably, she was the world’s first female Prime Minister and the first woman elected as head of government.

She carried on with the socialist policies started by her husband and aligned herself with the left movement.  Her government went on to nationalise of foreign assets.

One of her famous quotes : "History is full of examples of the disastrous consequences that came upon such nations that changed their constitutions by giving one man too much power". She passed away in October 2000 age 84.

Sir Oliver Goonetilleke

Oliver Goonetilleke was born in Trincomalee in 1892. He had his education at Wesley College Colombo and London University. In 1931 he became the Auditor General of Ceylon. He was one of the key architects of Ceylon’s Independence and became involved with the independence movement with D.S Senanayake. They drafted the Independence Ceylon Act which was introduced to the House of Commons at Westminster.

In 1954 Sir Oliver Goonetilleke succeeded Lord Soulbury to become the first Ceylonese Governor General of the country. He was well known for his quick wit and intelligence and was also a consummate negotiator and political tactician. His tenure had lasted eight years and had included five prime ministers.

The eminent Journalist Tarzie Vittachi praised the qualities that made the “old fox” a perfect choice for the job: “his razor-sharp mind, his adeptness at bluffing his way through the stickiest mess, his ability to visualize the opponent’s manoeuvres three moves ahead”.

After the attempted coup d’etat in 1962, although Sir Oliver played no part in it, he was replaced by William Gopallawa as the Governor General. He passed away in 1978 age 86.

J.R Jayawardene

Junius Richard Jayawardene was born in Colombo in 1906. He had his education at Royal College Colombo, Ceylon University College and the Ceylon Law College. In 1948 he joined the UNP and became the first minister of finance of independent Ceylon.

He gained recognition for his speech at the Japan Peace Treaty Conference in San Francisco in 1951, where he quoted the Buddha’s words: “Hatred does not end by hatred, but only by love.” This gesture won him the lasting gratitude and friendship of the Japanese people.

He introduced constitutional changes that created the position of Executive President and went on to become Sri Lanka’s first president in 1978. The merits of this decision remain a subject of debate.

After serving two terms, President Jayewardene retired on January 1, 1989. He passed away in 1996 age 90 years.

Ranasinghe Premadasa

Ranasinghe Premadasa was born in Colombo in 1924. He had his education at St Joseph’s College Colombo. The top political leadership in Sri Lanka has always been in the hands of high caste landed aristocracy coming from affluent families. He came from a family of modest means. A self-made man, he was the first "commoner" to hold the top jobs in politics. He was the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka from 1978-89 and the President of the country from 1989-93. He served as a member of the Colombo Municipal Council for many years. He was assassinated in 1993 at the age of 69.

 

Mahatma Gandhi

Gandhi was born in India in 1869 and grew up in Gujarat.

He was a man of enormous courage, charm and wisdom.  One of his famous quotes stands out: "There is a sufficiency in the world for man's need but not for man's greed".

He was a lawyer and politician who became the leader of the Indian Independence Movement against British rule. Gandhi came to be considered “the father of the nation.” He was known for his nonviolent protests, also known as Satyagraha. He spent two decades in South Africa. Mahatma Gandhi never held government office, but was regarded as the country's supreme political and spiritual leader and the principal force in achieving India's independence. He was assassinated in 1948 at the age of 79.

Jawaharlal Nehru

Jawaharlal Nehru was born in 1889 into an aristocratic family. He received his education at Harrow School in London and later at Cambridge University. He rose to prominence as a leading figure in India’s nationalist movement during the 1930s and 1940s. For his role in the struggle for independence, Nehru was imprisoned by the British. In all, he spent more than nine years in jail an experience he vividly described in his seminal work “The Discovery of India”.

Following independence in 1947, India and Pakistan emerged as two separate nations. Nehru became the first prime minister of India, serving until 1964. He is also remembered for shaping India’s foreign policy through his commitment to non-alignment.

Nehru once remarked, “Without peace, all other dreams vanish” - a truth that continues to resonate deeply. He passed away in 1964 at the age of 74.

Indira Gandhi

Indira Gandhi was born in 1917. She attended the Badminton School in Bristol and Oxford University.

Indira Gandhi, the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, became one of India’s most influential stateswomen and served as Prime Minister from 1966 to 1977. She maintained close ties with the Soviet Union and faced conflicts with both China and Pakistan.

She once said: "There are two kinds of people, those who do the work and those who take the credit. Try to be in the first group; there is less competition there".

During her tenure, she also confronted a Sikh separatist movement. In 1984, she was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards.

 Mohammed Ali Jinnah

Mohammed Ali Jinnah was born in 1876 in Karachi. He was called to the bar in London. After returning to Bombay, he began practising law and soon became deeply engaged in politics. As the founder of Pakistan, he served as its first Governor-General until his death in 1948. Jinnah stressed the importance of “Faith, Unity, and Discipline” as guiding principles for the new nation. He was a strong advocate of equal rights for all citizens, rooted in the ideals of fraternity, equality, and liberty. He also openly acknowledged and supported the vital role of women in society. Even today, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, remains a greatly respected person in Pakistan. He passed away just a year after the partition of India at the age of 71.