Dr. G. P. Malalasekera - Let's remember him with gratitude

Continued from last week

Last week we introduced you to a multi-faceted personality who has served his Motherland well, through his numerous contributions - Dr. G.P. Malalasekera. Today we bring you more valuable information about this versatile man who should be remembered with gratitude.

We mentioned how he showed potential of being a good organiser as a teenager, by setting up a school in his village. Read on to see how these skills were put to good use even later in his life....

When the Principal of Ananda College, Kularatna left for England a building for the school hostel was under construction, and he asked Malalasekera to try to get it completed. And Malalasekera who was the acting principal by then took up the challenge. With the help of Arthur V. Dias of Panadura he organised a flag day. A flag was sold at 10 cents. It is on record that even a beggar had bought a flag with the 10 cts he collected that day. With the money collected on flag day and with donations from philanthropists, he set to work on the building.

On his return, when Kularatne asked how the building was progressing, Malalasekera handed him the key to a two-storey building.

In 1924, Nalanda College was opened to take the overflow from Ananda which by now had more students than the classrooms could accommodate. Malalasekera was appointed Principal of the new school. The school hall has been named Malalasekera Hall in his honour. Ever keen to widen his knowledge, he applied and gained admission to the London University's school of oriental studies to study, Sanskrit, Sinhala and Pali. But, he had no money to go to England. His friend, Principal Kularatna helped him with a loan and with assistance from the philanthropist, W. A. de Silva, with whom he made the collection of Sinhala folk poems, and some other friends he set off for England. The London School of Oriental Studies allowed him to do his PhD in one year because of his exceptional brilliance. So, he did his MA and PhD simultaneously. No one had done this before him.

On his return to Ceylon, the University College snapped him. There was no University of Ceylon then, only a College affiliated to the London University. He was appointed a lecturer in Sinhala, Pali and Sanskrit. This was the beginning of an outstanding academic career that lasted until 1957 when the Prime Minister S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike invited him to be Ceylon's first ambassador to Russia.

While a student at the LSOS, he met the concert pianist, Margaret Russel. He fell in love with her at first sight. She followed him to Ceylon and they were married at a traditional ceremony at the YMBA Hall in Borella in 1927. 

The marriage lasted less than three years. She died leaving a 5 1/2 month baby daughter in the care of a shattered father. That daughter Chitra too became an excellent pianist winning the scholarship for piano at the Royal Academy of Music, London.

Dr. Malalasekera re-married and he and his second wife Lyle enjoyed a long and happy married life of around 40 years and had three sons and two daughters. He was both father and friend to all his children. Despite all his work at the University and his appointments with numerous societies he did have time for his children.A daughter Chirta says, "When we met at the lunch or dinner table, we were encouraged to talk about whatever was of interest at the time. He never imposed his ideas on us. He didn't think it was only the older generation that possessed all the virtues. So, there was no generation gap in our family."

Another daughter Kanta says: "I cannot recollect a single instance where he tried to discipline or admonish us or enforce rules and regulations."

Their house in London Terrace, now Malalasekera Pedesa, was named Samanala. In the thirties and forties when there were no buildings in that area the outline of Samanala Kanda (Adam's Peak) was clearly seen in the distance, across the rugger ground.

In 1957, he embarked on his diplomatic career and Malalasekera the Professor became Malalasekera the diplomat. While in Russia as Ambassador he was asked to help establish a Faculty of Buddhist Studies at the University of Moscow. Daughter Anoma who was his personal secretary in Moscow says, "After six months of intense study and a private tutor his mastery of the Russian language was adequate for his University work." From Russia he went as High Commissioner to Canada and the UK, and in between was Ceylon's Representative at the UN.He came back to Ceylon in 1967 as Chairman of the National Commission of Higher Education, later the University Grants Commission. His main and life-long concerns were Education and Buddhism.Malalasekera's greatest contribution to Buddhism was the founding of the World Fellowship of Buddhists in 1950.

Through his indefatigable (untiring) efforts, Buddhists scattered in many countries and the two schools Mahayana and Heenayana or Theravada which had not had any sustained dialogue for centuries were unified under one organisation. He was also instrumental in popularising the Buddhist flag, designed in Ceylon in 1880, as the universal symbol of the solidarity of Buddhists. He was the President of the WFB from its inception until 1958.

Malalasekera was involved in many societies; too many to enumerate here. Being fluent in both English and Sinhala he was in great demand as a speaker.How many Sri Lankans would have had or has a private library as large as Dr. Malalasekera's? His library had over 50,000 books. He loved books. Even when he was staggering under the weight of other expenses, he couldn't resist buying another book. He read avidly. It is said that he usually went to bed with a book and often his wife came and took off his spectacles because he had fallen asleep while reading.His great ambition was to complete the Encyclopedia of Buddhism of which he was Editor in Chief. It was begun in 1956 to commemorate 2500th Buddha Jayanthi. Alas, his wish was not to be fulfilled. He passed away after a very brief illness on April 23, 1973.This, dear reader, is a only very brief introduction to the Many men that were Malalasekera.

Concluded.

- Sumana Saparamadu