By Nihal D. Amerasekera
I came to know Raj when we both started our
journey into medicine at Medical College Colombo. He was a quiet lad who never
stretched the boundaries of the rules of good behavior and clean living. Raj
remained a keen student all through medical school. We often chatted in the
common room mostly about work. He prepared meticulously for the examinations
and was recognized as a guy who “knew
his stuff”.
In 1967 we both started our Internship in
Kurunegala. To our delight he came to our House Officers Quarters as the only
teetotaler. He was never ashamed about
his way of life and often joined in our
raucous discussions armed with a glass of water. It was then we all realized
although he was a quiet person was never a pushover and stuck to his principles
at all times. There were times he
politely disagreed giving his reason. He was never reluctant to do that. He had tremendous patience. Raj showed
boundless kindness and generosity during those difficult times of hard work and
sleepless nights. Despite all this he often stood in for us to be oncall so
that we can “enjoy” ourselves. Being the
only sober person he felt it was his duty to look after those who misused the
amber nectar. During that year our friendship grew and I have nothing but
praise for Raj. I can still remember our final day at Kurunegala and the sad
goodbyes.
Raj was a superb clinician and a charming
doctor. He cared deeply for his
patients. His genuine
interest in patients was evident to all who knew and worked with him. His work in that hospital was greatly appreciated by his patients,
colleagues and the staff. The practice of medicine gave him an enormous sense
of fulfillment. As always he remained a modest and unassuming person.
I lost contact with Raj until about 5 years
ago when a mutual friend gave me his phone number. We chatted and reminisced. At the time he was on a locum in the Midlands
in the UK. Nothing seemed to have changed since those days of internship. He
spoke softly and deliberately. There was
that calmness and modesty still evident
in his conversation.
Raj was a deeply spiritual person who lead
a simple and uncomplicated life. This
made him kind, generous and helpful to the many who sought his guidance. The
dignity, honesty and integrity that he showed during his life is a testament to
his spirituality. He always had a rather
pastoral air and was a calming influence on everyone. His disarming courtesy
and simplicity
of speech and manner was most remarkable. Raj never had
a harsh word for anyone and was a true gentleman and will be remembered with
affection and esteem.
I am unaware how his career and life panned
out after our last meeting. I sincerely hope he had a successful career and
rewarding life. Although he was in poor
health for awhile his sudden demise deprived his family and friends of a much
loved companion. But he left this world as he wished, without any fuss or
bother and with great dignity.
May he find Eternal Peace.
