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| Sunday, 19 June 2005 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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A
felicitation-cum-book-review :
Professor P.P.G.L. Siriwardena - supremely excellent eighty Originally, my intention in writing this article was merely to write a brief review of Professor P.P.G.L. Siriwardene's book entitled, 'vidu asin dutu dasun ' which title could be approximately translated as, 'Vistas Recollected by A Scientist'. However,during my preliminary reading of the book, I realised quite quickly that apart from reviewing the present work, there is an even more imperative duty devolving upon me to be discharged simultaneously. The book under consideration is the Sinhala version of Professor Siriwardene's autobiography entitled, 'Memories And Reflections'. However 'vidu asin dutu dasun' is not really a direct Sinhala translation of the original work. It is an admirably abridged presentation of the original which is quite accurate and very highly readable. In fact, it could be considered as an encapsulated form of Professor Siriwardene's autobiography, expressed eloquently in the Sinhala idiom. The task that I assigned myself in respect of reviewing the book, in the last analysis, could be accomplished very simply and easily. I need only to say, "Read the book, feel inspired and work hard with sincerity. Success and fame will certainly be yours. That is the loud and clear message in this book." What I have just said applies very especially to all students and university teachers. It is most appropriate for parents to direct the attention of their beloved children to this highly educative book which illustrates how eminence in many fields could be achieved through dedicated perseverance. Further, it must be said that the present work is a most interesting, highly motivating and immensely instructive book which depicts the development of an exemplary character, from early childhood to the post-retirement period of a remarkable individual of eighty years. On finishing the book, the feeling that one gets is that this particular professor is a unique university academic who has grown into legendary proportions in his own lifetime. It must also be said that at certain places the book appears to be an exciting, informative and refreshingly entertaining travelogue of global dimensions, the journeys of which were undertaken for serious academic purposes. It is not surprising that the present volume contains an enviable catalogue of brilliant achievements and well deserving appointments to prestigious positions at the national and international levels. The reason for one not being surprised at all in this regard is that Professor Siriwardene is not a mere individual, but a whole institution!. In chapters 16 and 17 of 'vidu asin dutu dasun' the reader will encounter two of the most significant events of Professor Siriwardene's illustrious career. One was heralded in the Sunday Observer of the 7th of December 1975 with the front page banner headline, 'A Big Man for a Big Job'. It was adorned with a highly expressive majestic photograph very appropriate for that particular headline (see pages 113 and 114 of the book.) The other event which happened on the 1st of January, 1979 is unemotionally recorded in low profile on pages 125 and 128 of the book. However, even by cursorily glancing through the pages, one could infer that this 'Big Man', this gargantuan academic-technocrat-administrator, was deposed from his position of The Vice Chancellor of the mega university of six campuses by an act of omission. The unique Vice Chancellor was unceremoniously forced to go back to his old Chair of Chemistry at the University of Colombo!. Admittedly, this dual-purpose article, a felicitation-cum-book review, is quite unconventional in its scope. In concluding my endeavour, I must disclose that when I read through the 16th and 17th chapters of the book, my mind flashed back to a part of a well-known Shakespearean play that I had read a very long time ago at school. In my ageing and deteriorating memory and ear-consciousness reverberated, perhaps erroneously, just two lines of dialogue - Julius Caesar: "Stabbed me? You too Brutus, my good friend!" Mark Antony: "That was the cruellest cut of all!" - Professor J.K.P. Ariyaratne |
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