'A man who achieved much success: we are a contended couple'

Thamara talks about life with Minister Bandula Gunewardhana:

Bandula Gunewardhana is the Cabinet Minister of Trade, Marketing Development, Co-operatives and Consumer Affairs; and the man of `Success', one of the famous tutors of Economics and Commerce. Apart from his achievements in his career, what Bandula has achieved in his personal life is no secret. This is what his wife Thamara has to say about him.

"He plans his life with targets. So far all his goals have been achieved. He is a man of success," claims Thamara. Homagama was the hometown of Akaravitage Thamara Jayanthi Kusumachandra who was born on October 31. What I (the writer) intends to state about Homagama specifically was the town where the bud of rose of their love blossomed. `Me Nagaraya Ma Oba munagasunu Nagarayayi....' (this is the town that we met) - sung by the famous singer Mervin Perera is the best felicitous verse I could recollect. Though the rest of the song implies a farewell between the two lovers, I quote only the first line of the verse.

Apart from being the `Gurupiya' (teacher who rendered a fatherly figure) for many lakhs of students in his Economics and Commerce tutories spread in several main towns in Sri Lanka for 25-30 years, Bandula is a beloved father of five children. His beautiful nest built with Thamara at Nugegoda is full of love and benevolence. Thamara, the captain of the ship who knows to sail `life' smoothly with peace and happiness believes that modesty and simplicity are the two essential ingredients for life. "Bandula always yearned for a big family. We are very happy and proud of all five of them," says the dedicated mother, beginning to recall her past as well.

Akaravitage Kusumachandra, a businessman who owned many shops in the Homagama town, and Pathiravithanalage Dona Premawathie were her parents. Thamara was the youngest to two elder sisters and three elder brothers. "I had my education at Anula Vidyalaya, Nugegoda throughout. I was boarded at a relative's place from grade three to six, as my mother found it difficult to take me to and fro to school. She had to attend to many responsibilities as my father had already passed away by that time," she reminisces.

"Amma was pregnant with me when my father's death occurred. It was a tragical death. I was born on the very day of the third month's death anniversary -`Bana and Dana' (alms-giving). However we didn't face much difficulties since we were a business family. It was our maternal uncle who looked after all our businesses until my brothers reached the age to handle them. After that it was my eldest brother who took control over everything. He even postponed his marriage until all of his siblings got married. He was very strict with us, and looked after us well.

Coincidentally his wife also gave birth to their second child (a daughter) on the day of the third month of my brother's death anniversary.

We missed him too," recalls Thamara. Thamara still remembers how she used to talk about her father in her imaginary world when her similar age group kids talked about their fathers. She missed the fatherly love. But, today with great respect, denotes the fulfilment in her life which she gets from her husband, and so she immensely appreciates that.

"I was not that much interested in the extracurricular activities at school. Instead, I tended to learn subjects with regard to `home economy', and followed cookery, sewing and other affiliated subjects during my school days," she smiles.

Question: He is interested in country and global economy, and you've trained yourself to handle the home economy. Well balanced! Isn't it?

Thamara: Yes (smiles). I try my best to avoid worrying him, and have managed to handle all the household chores and even the children's work. But he never fails to give me the strength in every aspect. He has laid a well planned foundation financially. Also however busy he may be, Bandula never fails to look into the education and other requirements of our children. He is a man who knows how to plan the daily activities economically.

Sumithrarachchige Don Bandula Chandrasiri Gunewardane was born on March 16 at `Sumitra Sevena', Rajamalwatta Road, Battaramulla, to Sumithrarachchige Don Charles Albert Gunewardane who worked as a clerk at Golden Fraizer, an English Company in Sri Lanka and Iddamalgodage Dona Wimalawathie as the second of four children.

Bandula had his education first at Subhuthi Maha Vidyalaya, Battaramulla. His father's death which occurred when he was 6 or 7 years, made his maternal grandfather, Mabula Ralahamy to takeover their father's role. So, Bandula was sent to Mavalgama Roman Catholic College in his mother's village at Avissawella electorate, where he settled down with his mother and his siblings. Through a Grade Five scholarship, Bandula entered Rajasinghe Vidyalaya, Hanwella, and then Lumbini Vidyalaya, Colombo for his A/Ls.

Lumbini did many changes in his life. It was the era in which the Lumbini Theatre Hall was used for many celebrated

events including stage dramas, literary seminars and discussions. As a result, the award winning films which marked the history of Lankan film industry, like `Suddilage Kathawa' (directed by Dharmasiri Bandaranayaka in 1983); `Siri Madura' and `Ayoma' (directed by Parakrama Niriella respectively in 1985 and 1989) came out as his productions. Bandula got the Best Producer's Awards for both `Suddilage Kathawa' and `Siri Madura' at the Sarasaviya Film Festival for the respective years.

. He knew the importance of earning and saving Cents and Rupees. He began to earn his first Rupee after sitting for O/Ls by giving tuition, and continued it until recently. Bandula entered the campus in 1975, and passed out with a BSc (Business Administration), Special Honours from the University of Sri Jayawardanepura, Nugegoda. After that he qualified for MAT (Member of Accounts Technician Association) of Sri Lanka.

Bandula who taught students very early in his life realised that there was a vacuum for reading materials in Commerce and Economics. This young man who had the intuition about the requirement penned his first book in Economics and published it in 1975. Eventually, by the time he passed out from the University he was a publisher of ten books on the subject. Some of his `comrades' who were really `worried' about his succes wrote to the Income Tax Department to look into his income, and as a result he became a taxpayer from his University days. His books were sold in thousands and thousands like hot cakes no sooner they were released to the market. Each time, the first ten thousand copies of the book was snapped up from bookshops, and the printers faced difficulties in supplying the demand. "I have been paying Income Tax since I was an university student. And now even while being in the Government, I still pay Tax and VAT to the Government," once Bandula said. So far he had written about 35-40 books on Commerce and Economy.

Question: He has written so many best-selling books on Commerce and Economy. He might have sent you some sweet love notes as well.

Thamara : (Blushes and laughs) We did exchange letters. But, ...sorry... I can't remember what he wrote in them (laughs).

Question: How did your romance begin?

Thamara: He conducted Econ and Commerce tuition classes at `Sivali', Homagama. He has been a long time friend of my brothers as well. He even attended the alms- giving we gave in remembrance of the death of one of my brothers, a Seaman who drowned during a sea bath in Greece. At that time I was doing my O/Ls. Later I joined his A/L classes as I too selected the same stream. I noticed him paying more and special attention to me at the class by giving me books and repeating the lessons until I got grasped it. One day he sent his love proposal through one of my female friends. I was bewildered as it was unexpected. I knew my secured background would not allow me to do a thing like that, and refused. But, he didn't give up. I thought he would change his mind when I kept on ignoring him. But I continued attending the class. After one year, I thought I should give him a bit of a place, and asked him to forward the proposal to my home people. As I expected, they were not that pleased at the beginning as both of us were studying. He was a campus student at that time. But we let our affair continue silently for about two years. We didn't have the opportunity to go out and meet. We both used to bump into each other at our shops at Homagama. As a routine, he paid visits there to meet my brother. After A/Ls, that was the only way we could see each other. We exchanged letters through our friends. However, our horoscopes tallied well, and we got the consent from elders after a seven-year-affair (smiles). We had to wait a bit until my elder sisters got married. We tied the knot on November 17 in 1983.

Apart from `Sussex' at Nugegoda, Bandula conducted classes in Gampaha, Kalutara, Galle and Colombo. During the exam days, he used to have his common examination classes at Sugathadasa Stadium, Colombo for about 10,000 students of his, for ten days annually. From 1975 to 2000, was his target of period for teaching, and then he stepped into full time politics.Bandula got himself into active politics while as a campus student joining with Dinesh Gunewardhana and his MEP (Mahajana Eksath Peramuna). He was one of the chief political orators at the MEP stage when Dinesh

contested for Avissawella at the General Election on 1977. Bandula was unanimously elected as the President of the Student Council in his very first year at the Campus. In 1989, Bandula won the Parliamentary Election on the MEP ticket, and became an MP for Colombo District. In 1998, he became a Western Province MP on the MEP ticket. In 2001, MEP joined with President Chandrika's Sri Lanka People's Alliance (PA) Government, and so too Bandula. But, after some time, along with the group who was tired of her reign, Bandula too left the PA and joined with the UNP, under which he was appointed as the Cabinet Minister of Rural Economic Development and Deputy Minister of Finance. He continued to be with the UNP MP in 2004, and re-joined the UPFA to pay his great appreciation towards President Mahinda Rajapaksa's successful endeavour in curing the prevailing wound- the twenty year period of terrorism.

At present, Bandula is writing two Sinhala dictionaries for Economics and Commerce; `Aarthika Vidyave Atuwawe' and `Vanija Vidyave Atuvava'. "I really feel sad about the present Parliamentarians as they have a very poor knowledge of the words used in these two subjects. To `respect' their views, sometimes I get up and leave the House when there's a debate. I've noticed my co-Parliamentarians often use wrong words and phrases (without knowing the actual meaning of them) when trying to explain facts in Economics and Commerce. Apart from that some even applaud or oppose things at wrong times. It's a shame for me, after being a teacher of the relevant subjects for nearly 30 years! That's why I've decided to publish these two dictionaries as a duty by myself," once said Bandula in an earlier interview with media.

Question: He has targets and plans. I think he had achieved many of them. What's next in line, in your personal life, in politics and business?

Thamara: We both want to see our children do well in life. We are very happy about them. They are studying well. Our eldest son, Chathura is in the Greenich University following a Business Management Degree in UK. Our second son, Veranjana is waiting for his A/L results. Both are Royalists. Randula will sit for O/Ls this year. Kumudumali is in Year 11. Both go to Musaeus. The youngest, Hasanjali is in Grade 5 at Visakha. My husband always tells our children that though their father does politics, his children should concentrate in studies as that's their duty. We never use government vehicles for our private use. Sometimes my sons still travel by bus. I too prefer to lie low and lead a humble and peaceful life.What Bandula always says is, Sri Lanka is a place which has a lot of entrepreneurship, but our younger generation are too lazy and they wait until things fall on to their laps, or until the government provides them things. They just are idle taking part in strikes and blaming the prevailing government or constantly being jealous with the affluent society who have come up in life, may be through hardships. There's no use in living like that.

Question: Your husband is very popular among Lankan cartoonists, and is often seen in many of the cartoon corners of newspapers.

Thamara: (Smiles) Yes! Well, Bandula is planning to hold an exhibition, a collection of the published cartoons delineating himself, early next year. What he assumes through such cartoons is that many don't realise what he tries to imply. Hence, he hopes to title it as `Handunagaththoth Oba Ma...' (if you perceive my true self....). He also hopes to offer Rs. 100,000 for the best cartoon and Rs. 50,000 for the second prize.