Vivian Leigh was in my bedroom!
“My days at the Hilda Obseysekera hall, then commonly referred to as
the ‘seven sorrows of the seven virgins’ by the thwarted male undergrads
firmly shut-out by the 7 pm curfew, were some of the most memorable of
my life. Our warden was the formidable Miss Mathiaperuman whose rule was
that of a kind authoritarian .No one dared to challenge her authority.
When we consider what is happening at our universities now that era
seems to belong to another country.
I was in the first batch of arts students at Peradeniya. We entered
the university in 1953.Among those present were Jean Arsanayagam nee
Solomon, Professor Ashley Halpe, fellow Bridgeteen Jezima Ismail, Tawny
Rajaratnam, Professor Indraratne and Mervyn De Silva. Although I have
had a cloistered up-bringing, looking back, we were well prepared for
higher studies. At St. Bridget’s we had received a well rounded
education which inculcated in us the reading habit, love of sports and
an appreciation of the arts. In between I spent two years studying at a
school in Bromley near Kent, a typical English village surrounded by a
wood. In the weekends we used to ride in these woods. The village had a
lovely green, a cozy pub, more than adequate library etc. And of course
London was the centre of a huge metropolitan culture. So by the time I
entered the newly opened university in Peradeniya I was somewhat
cosmopolitan in my outlook.”
Shantha De Zoysa’s grandfather Francis Perera was a successful
businessman, having amassed an impressive fortune from his plantations,
made home in balmy Galle at Closenberg, now converted to a popular
hotel. Francis Perera owned a large stable and introduced the spirited
granddaughter to horses giving her the first lessons in riding on the
beaches at Unawatuna. Then the Galle Gymkhana, held towards the end of
the year, was a very popular annual sporting event. Horses were to
become a lifelong love, today Shantha herself is the proud owner of a
stable in Nuwara Eliya possessing several racing horses.
“Although it may sound like an elitist background by no means were we
made to think in that manner. The rules were strict and we were always
told that we must become good and productive citizens. There was no
question of ostentatious living which seems to be quite prevalent now. I
still remember the joy of sipping the piping hot cup of tea, generously
sweetened with condensed milk, which was poured out at tea time in
Peradeniya. Dinner was a formal affair and we had wear saree to
attend.At the university our lecturers were like friends who constantly
guided and inspired us. It was a treat to attend the lectures of Ludowyk
whose eloquence and the wide range of learning was very impressive.
Professor Passe was scholarly and thorough.
Their intellectual exertions did not prevent the young undergraduates
from enjoying a full social life in the university as well as in the
nearby big town of Kandy. Sporting events, long hikes, dances, all night
singing parties by camp fires, dramas, and plays were part and parcel of
the university life. During this period several movies like Elephant
Walk and Purple Plain were made in Sri Lanka with many scenes shot in
and around scenic Kandy.
“There was a lot of excitement among the students when famous
Hollywood actors visited Kandy. I met the terribly handsome Gregory Peck
at the Queens Hotel. Then one day we met the charming Vivian Leigh, the
wife of Laurence Olivier, who chattered to us freely and then insisted
on visiting our hostel. She even inspected my bedroom.”
It was around this time that Shantha met her future husband, the
sizzling Bunty De Zoysa who was then the Crown Counsel prosecuting at
the Kandy assizes. The dashing prosecutor was swept off his feet by the
charming and accomplished under-graduate and married her no sooner she
graduated. They set up home at the then exclusive Regent Flats in the
heart of the Fort in Colombo.
Her husband Bunty’s work as a crown prosecutor took him to different
parts of the island and Shantha often accompanied him on these trips.
“I particularly liked Jaffna where Bunty had many lawyer friends. We
often stayed at the King’s House which was a sprawling comfortable
place. One time the presiding Judge was Justice Gratian who often joined
us for a picnic on the lovely beaches there.”
In the late 1960s with their two children growing up fast Shantha had
time in her hands to pursue a career. Sri Lanka was then just awakening
to the potential that tourism held and it was into this new field that
she committed herself soon running a successful travel agency. This led
her to playing an active role in the PATA organization, travelling to
many parts of the world promoting Sri Lankan tourism. Shantha was one
time President of the Sri Lankan chapter of the PATA.
“Tourism is a service industry. Handling individuals, attending to
their needs is what it is all about. This goes to both sides of the
counter. There was this industrious boy from Jaffna who joined me as a
messenger boy. At the time he could not speak English at all which was a
big disadvantage in the tourist industry. I told him to maintain a diary
in English and supervised his entries every evening. He also took the
initiative and bettered his education at every opportunity. That boy
ended up running a very successful travel agency.”
Meanwhile her husband Bunty who had left the Attorney General’s
Department had built up a very successful criminal practice, was made
President’s Counsel and elected President of the Bar Association.
Naturally all this entailed a lot of involvement on the part of Shantha
who rose to the demands made on her with characteristic style and charm.
When Bunty suddenly passed away in 1983 the responsibility of looking
after their home as well as business interests fell on Shantha’s
shoulders. Soon she found herself running Monaro, a large security
services company with more than two thousand five hundred employees.
“One of my biggest responsibilities when managing a business is
towards our employees whose livelihood it is. At the same time we expect
a quality contribution from them. And then there are other stakeholders
whose needs also must be met, particularly the client’s.”
Shantha is philosophical about her life and times.
“My life has been very rewarding. I have met many outstanding people,
travelled much, have had the opportunity to see some of the world’s best
plays and musicals, visit art exhibitions, museums etc. Now looking back
the days of my youth were almost idyllic. But we must recognize the fact
that the world has changed. While taking inspiration from days past we
have to look to the future and try to build a good society for our
future generations.”
RP
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