"My first and last love"

Lanka talks about life with Minister Navin Dissanayake:

"After a few minutes of talking to him, I felt he was a very matured young man for his age; well grounded and simple. He was wonderful!" smiles Dr. Nishirani Lanka Jayasuriya Dissanayake, wife of the young Parliamentarian, Navin Dissanayake, Minister of Investment Promotion.

"I was in England with my sister. There were four more years to be spent to complete my studies. During this time, a friend of both families arranged our meeting at the Colombo Club (the Cinnamon Grand Hotel) in December, 1997. I was on vacation. I went with my mother and he had come with his mother. It was the very first proposal I got. And I presume it was the first proposal he got as well. He is my first and last 'love'," says Lanka.

Karu Jayasuriya, Minister of Public Administration and Home Affairs and Dr. (Mrs.) Wasantha Jayasuriya are her parents. "Ours was a very close family. My father was chairing and handling 52 companies, and came into active politics later.

So my sister and I were not exposed to politics that much. The other reason was that we were away from Sri Lanka for ten years. What we had experienced was a pretty lovely 'bird nest' sort of home life with our parents. My father had set apart a time for the family, and dinner was considered the 'family meeting'. We used to discuss various things. We really enjoyed it. We had a good childhood," she recalls.

On their wedding day

Mahita and Samadhee

"Navin knew all about this. So the first thing that he explained to me at our very first meeting was the hard and harsh part of the life of a politician, which subsequently his wife would also have to face. 'You will have to be alone so many days.

If you are going ahead with me you have to prepare for that,' I still remember him saying with a charming smile on his face," reminisces Lanka. After the holidays, Lanka went back to England.

They were 'seven seas' away from each other with no doves to carry their messages to and fro. He visited me in UK with his mother twice. And though my target was to further my post graduate studies which would be over in four years, I thought of returning to Sri Lanka for good as our affair was already growing," she smiles.

Lanka studied at St. Bridget's Convent and Devi Balika Vidyalaya, Colombo. The insurgence in 1989 was a decisive time in the country.

"Since the schools were closed my sister and I entered the Wycherley International, and then went to Fulneck Girls' School, UK. I was 14 years and my sister was 11 years old then. It was terrible! Just terrible, as we were suddenly taken away from our parents. My sister found it really difficult and was in tears through out," she says.

Lanka joined the Leeds Teaching Hospital in Leeds, UK and graduated in Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery(MBCHB). She was the house officer in the special ward of Geriatric (medicine for elderly) patients in the same hospital for half a year.

Q: Why did you feel working for elders was so special?

Lanka: The elderly population is growing fast in the world. And in the near future specialised knowledge is needed to encounter this situation. So, I thought of having some experience along with my internship. I though I would be able to render a better service in the future. Also I've found it interesting to work with elderly people.

Unlike in Sri Lanka where we have extended family units, in England once you grow old you have to prepare to lead a lonely life. So I had noticed that they get a world of happiness when somebody reach them and spare five minutes talking and listening to them. People need other's attention especially when they grow old.

Q: You said Navin was the 'first and last' love in your life?

Lanka: Yes (laughs). When my sister and I were setting off to England my father said 'Duwa, you two should return home as pure as you are today. Always think that you have to protect the dignity of yourselves, your parents, your country, culture and religion,'...

These few words had a lot of meaning to me, and it rang in my ears through out my stay in UK. And that was the very reason that provoked me to decide to have a 'one and only' in my life (laughs)..

"But you won't believe my father himself had gone to see 108 brides (proposals). He had begun to see them at the age of 18 years at the persuasion of his parents (laughs)... Hundred and seven were rejected by him. And my mother the 108th, was the lucky woman.

And as he saw her, he had given his consent. And within two weeks they had got registered. Also my mother says my father was the 'first and last' love of her life" she says.

Navin and Lanka got married on February 10, 2000. By the time of their marriage, Navin was the Chief Organiser in the Nuwara-Eliya district, and he won the seat in 2002.

"After getting married I worked at the General Hospital. During this time Navin was away in Nuwara-Eliya and most of the time I was alone in Colombo. It was a hard time for me. So I resigned from work and joined him", says Lanka.

"My mother was a Municipal doctor. Each time she moved to a new clinic the first thing she used to do was colour wash and clean the new clinic.

So my sister and I also used to engage in this type of work enthusiastically. My mother was my inspiration to become a doctor. So while Navin was engrossed in his work in the electorate I got together with my mother and held health camps every weekend in Nuwara-Eliya for quite sometime. We used to see 200-300 patients per day." she reminisces.

Q: How do you see Navin as a person and a husband?

Lanka: "Navin rarely shows his emotions. He doesn't let his heart rule his head. Hence some think he is harsh and hard. But the man inside him is different. He is tender and gentle with the family and children". The two little angles in their nest, Samadhee and Mahita are now five years and two years respectively.

Q: Navin as a father...?

Lanka: Navin is in the Ministry during the week days, and goes to Nuwara-Eliya in the weekends. Samadhee feels his absence a lot.

We both worry about giving the right environment to the children. Today's children are quite Westernised, and this worries us a lot.

Samadhee, though in the upper nursery has already started to attend the 'Daham Pasala' (Sunday School). Navin is a Royalist and comes from a strong Buddhist background. So do I.

Except for my father and Navin all the other members in both families are vegetarians - including my little daughters and I. Even Navin's father (late Gamini Dissanayaka) was also a pure vegetarian. My father used to say though he didn't get a son he would be happy with two 'good' sons-in-law. My sister is married to an Englishman and is happily living in the UK. So he is happy now.

Q: What's the weak point you see in him?

Lanka: Lack of Patience! Patience is the greatest virtue out of all... This is the 'Manthra' I have been reciting to him," she smiles).

Q: Do you mean, he gets angry easily?

Lanka: No, no, he doesn't. But sometimes he gets agitated. For example, before the UNP Democratic group joined the government, he was in a frustrated state saying that the young brains and energy such as his, are wasted and stagnated.

On such instances, I have shown facts and stopped him from making sudden decisions.

Q: If you get an offer would you like to join active politics?

Lanka: Not as a candidate. Definitely not (laughs). But I would render my whole hearted support to my father and husband.

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