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| Sunday, 21 July 2002 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Susan George Pulimood : Visakha's most revered Principal Mrs. Susan George Pulimood, the revered Principal of Visakha Vidyalaya
for 22 years (1945-1967) passed away in April 1989. Two years later her
grateful pupils inaugurated a memorial oration in her Ms. Anoja Fernando, Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Ruhuna who delivered the inaugural oration on 23 July 1991, the 84th anniversary of Mrs. Pulimood's birth was followed by Mrs. Manel Tampoe, an environment journalist. Mrs. Kamala de Zoysa a forensic scientist attached to the Metropolitan Police, London, delivered the oration the following year, and four years later Visakha's famous twins Srima and Susima Abeyagunawardena also known as the "Tennis Twin" came down from the USA, where they were working in highly specialized laboratories, to deliver the 1997 oration. Having always done everything together each wanted to share with the other the honour of delivering the oration and paying tribute to their teacher who encouraged them to proceed in the then new field of studies for girls. The other orations have been by Visakhians no less eminent in their special fields. Mrs. Manouri Muttetuwegama (lawyer), Mrs. Priyani Wijesekera (Deputy Secretary General of Parliament), Dr. Manthri Ramasamy, Head of Molecular Entomology IFS, Kandy Dr. Viranjani Gunawardena (Professor of Veterinary Science, Peradeniya), Dr. Malini Dias (Epigraphist), Mrs. Sumithra Peries (Film Director) and Dr. Anula Wijesundera, (Consultant Physician). This year's oration is by Dr. Omala Wimalaratne, a new generation Visakhian, present Head of the Department of Rabies at the MRI. Mrs. Pulimood is the undisputed architect of Visakha Vidyalaya as we know it today. The school started in 1917 to give Buddhist girls an English education similar to that imparted in the missionary schools. The new school had made little progress, and had only 480 students non role, until Mrs. Pulimood took over the stewardship, introduced science and oriental languages into the curriculum and made vast changes in the staff. Young graduates fresh from the University, with good academic records were recruited to teach Sinhala, Pali and Sanskrit. The students did their teachers proud, winning distinctions, scholarships and prizes at the university entrance examinations. To overcome the dearth of lady teachers she got down teachers from Madras, later she recruited male teachers too. Sport was almost non-existent at Visakha. Mrs. Pulimood with her foresight introduced sports into the forefront of extra-curricular activities, and in 1955 eight years after Mrs. Pulimood took over Chitranganee Herath put Visakha on the map by winning both the 200 metre and 100 metre events at the first Western Province Girls' Athletic Meet. Visakha had produced the most outstanding athlete of the year. The Visakha Geetha Nataka, advised and prompted by Ms. Daisy Karawita of the staff, was another of Mrs. Pulimood's contributions to Visakha. She commissioned the lyric writer par excellence of the day Mr. Chandraratne Manavasinghe, to compose a geetha nataka (opera) on the life story of Visakha Devi. It was set to music by Samarawickrama, the best musician in the late 50s. Visakha is the only school that has a play that can be truly called their very own. Mrs. Pulimood thought big and was not afraid of challenges. When she announced that she was planning a seven-day celebration at the Race Course to mark Visakha's Golden Jubilee, many on the staff and in the OGA got cold feet. They were apprehensive about the security of the girls. Notwithstanding this well-meant advice, she went ahead with the plans. And Visakha has never seen a grander celebration than the Swarna Jayanthi Carnival, that was held from February 26th to the 7th of March, 1967. There were no casualties. The Swarna Jayanthi celebrations were the finale of two decades and two years of devoted and selfless service Mrs. Pulimood gave Visakha and the land that she had adopted as her own. She retired on 23 July 1967. All that the school now needed was a hall. And the money from the Swarna Jayanthi fund fulfilled this function. Mrs. Pulimood came over from Madras for the ceremonial opening of the hall by the then President J.R. Jayewardene in October 1983. This hall, appropriately named Jeremies Dias Hall, after the founder of the school, is the venue of the annual oration. The oration, on 27 July is open to the public and will commence as usual at 5 p.m. The title of Dr. Omala Wimalaratna's oration will be Prevention of Rabies - a matter of life and or death. (S.S.) |
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honour and a tribute
to an educationist who saw far ahead of her time and made it a mission to
educate and equip Buddhist girls to meet the demands and challenges of the
newly independent Ceylon (Sri Lanka). A galaxy of Visakhians who have made
a name in their chosen fields has delivered an oration each year on the
anniversary of Mrs. Pulimood's birthday.
