Premasiri Sumanasekera (1937 – 2006) Teacher, scientist and entrepreneur

The government of Sri Lanka recognised Sumanasekera’s contribution to the nation, and he was among the first round of recipients of the coveted Presidential Award, Vidyanidhi

Eighteen years have passed since the death of Premasiri Sumanasekera, affectionately remembered by his pupils, friends and staff members of Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda who were there in early 1960s. He was a proud product of Mahinda College Galle and an Honours Graduate in physics from the University of Ceylon. After graduating, Sumanasekera taught physics first at Mahinda College Galle for a brief period and then at Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda for a few years. As the physics teacher he was able to make a striking difference to the lives of a large number of students who studied for the Advanced Level exam at Dharmasoka. 
In 1964 he joined the Meteorology Department and served that institute for several years with distinction.  While working at the Meteorology Department, Sumansekera completed an MSc at the University of New South Wales.  He had made a significant contribution towards improving the Meteorology Department’s capabilities in collection and interpretation of data and weather forecasting.  

This was the time that there was a rapidly increasing demand for higher education in science and this coincided with a considerable deficit in foreign exchange reserves in Sri Lanka resulting in a shortage of scientific equipment in the schools, especially in the rural sector.  Having realised the need of the country Sumanasekera took the bold decision to resign from the Scientific Service and venture into manufacturing scientific equipment and thereby gave up a promising career as a Scientist. ‘Vidya Silpa’, the scientific enterprise that he started has progressed well and branched into making mini-hydro power plants for Sri Lanka and other developing countries. 
In 1985, late Prof. Cyril Ponnamperuma invited me for a discussion at his office in Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo. He very enthusiastically and proudly mentioned that the newly found Institute of Fundamental Studies (IFS) would move to a Hotel in Kandy and the laboratories would be designed and constructed by Sumanasekera of Vidaya Silpa. During my subsequent visits to the IFS, I was able to see the laboratories and I was very impressed with what Sumanasekera had delivered. 
My first association and encounters with Sumanasekera were when I was an Year Eight student and a helper in the Science Exhibition of Dharmasoka and he was the Chief Science Master. He had a commanding voice and an excellent command of English.  
During my natural products practical classes at Peradeniya University, I mastered the techniques of distillation and extraction of chemicals in plant tissues and used them successfully for my PhD studies at University of Bristol. This demonstrates the vision of these teachers.  
Sumanasekera was my Year Nine teacher of Scientific Mathematics. His lessons were not limited to what was in the text book. His explanations on numerical values of zero and infinity, and magnetic properties of the  north pole have made lasting impressions on my life.
This little story, narrated by my seniors of Dharmasoka demonstrates how Sumanasekera was able to stretch his understanding of the fundamentals of science to solve a practical problem.  The incident occurred during an excursion where two busloads of students were travelling in the hill country. When they came to a particular bridge, the drivers realised that the buses were a couple of centimetres taller than the bridge.  As the alternative route to the destination would take at least another hour or two, Sumanasekara was determined to find a way to get the buses across the bridge. He had gone round, assessed the tyre pressures and the loads and had come up with a very simple, inexpensive and practical solution.  He asked the students in the second bus too to get into the first bus. The additional weight of some forty students had created sufficient pressure and flattened the tyres so that the bus could crawl through the bridge.  What an ingenious man Sumanasekera was! 

I was fortunate to learn the fundamentals of physics from Sumanasekera and develop the habit of lateral thinking. 
The government of Sri Lanka recognised Sumanasekera’s contribution to the nation, and he was among the first round of recipients of the coveted Presidential Award, Vidyanidhi. 
May he attain Nibbana.
Dr. Sunil Samaraweera