Star pupil and erudite professor

The certainty of death has taken from us our family friend Jaya, popularly known as Gunda. 

Ours was a family friendship. We got to know Gunda when we were working in and around Kandy, and met often on several occasions including birthdays, the National New Year festival and Christmas Day. He was a member of the Engineering Faculty at Peradeniya. His wife Lalitha and my late wife taught English at Peradeniya and our two daughters Arundathy and Malathy attended Girls’ High School, Kandytogether. Lalitha’s hug at the funeral and her recounting that Gunda was very fond of me are indications of our friendship. 

When I was growing up, I heard from my cousin Asoka Devendra, a mathematics teacher at Mahinda College in Galle, that Gunda was his star pupil. At Mahinda, there were the likes of my Peradeniya friend Siri Gunasingha and his brother, and my teacher at Peradeniya, Buddhadasa Hewavitharna. 

From Galle, Gunda went to Colombo’s Engineering Faculty. On the basis of the final year results, he was awarded a scholarship. As testimony to his character, Gunda declined the scholarship, saying the award should have gone to the best student in the batch. This good example set by Gunda was often cited to us by the University Doctor and Sanghamitta’s Warden, when we were students at Peradeniya. Certainly, Gunda’s example is something our party politicians must learn from and follow. 

Gunda went to the UKfor his postgraduate studies. It was there that he met Lalitha and married her. After completing his studies, he bought a car and drove it from the UKback to Sri  Lanka!

He continued to teach at the faculty in Colombo. In 1964, when the faculty moved to Peradeniya, he too relocated. Gunda achieved what a university teacher aspires to by becoming a professor. 

Lalitha in Kandy, Arundathy and Selvasunderam in Singaporeand all those who knew Gunda from Matara to Kandycan be assured of our love and concern for them. 

All those who knew Gunda as a teacher and colleague must be remembering him with love and gratitude. Already, two of his students have written heartfelt tributes. 

My prayer is that Gunda, who was a good Buddhist, will attain the supreme bliss of Nibbana. 
Sydney Knight