Eva Wanasundera, first woman Attorney General:

A beacon for women

By Shanika SRIYANANDA

Her vision started blurring slightly the moment she launched her walk in to the country's history. The woman who always projects a feminine look, though she is holding one of the hottest seats in Sri Lanka, only knew what those tears meant to her. Others, including the Head of State who handed over her historic letter of appointment, would have thought it was because she was overjoyed.

"Yes, I was the happiest person, but I was also the saddest in the whole world that day, as I remembered my father who was my best friend. It was his efforts that helped me reap this highest achievement," the soft-spoken Shanthi Eva Wanasundera, Sri Lanka's first woman Attorney General said.

Her charming smile, kind demeanour, motherly appearance and rhythmical voice did not make me feel that I am seated beside one of the toughest women in the island. I hoped everyone at the Attorney General's Department feels the same way. To her, the young legal officers are her Puthala (sons) and Dula (daughters).

Wanasundera, who was sworn in as the 26th Attorney General of Sri Lanka before President Mahinda Rajapaksa on September 12, said all credit for her achievement should go to her dedicated and loving parents who moulded her in to a great personality.

She recalled how her father - Hector Jayasena - passed the Law Entrance examination just to look after his daughter, who was the apple of his eye.

"Believe me, Thaththa studied hard and gained entry to the Law College, not because he wanted to become a lawyer, but to protect me. He practised until his death as my junior," she said. Tears glistened in her eyes when she spoke about her role model, the father who loved her immensely.

Born in 1954 into a middle class family, she was the most precious gift to her parents as she was born nine years after their marriage. Her father thought she brought luck to his 'lonely nest' in which three other children were born later.

Joyful childhood

The four children - two girls and two boys - spent most of their time playing in their home at Pannipitiya, where they settled down last after moving around due to their father's posting as a teacher. "We had a very joyful childhood. With no big dreams or intense pressure to study all the time, we played a lot. We also had a swing in our garden," she said.

Eva, like many other children of her age, did not have any specific ambition to become so and so, but wanted to study well and do her best in class. "My parents always told us that no education is valued unless we are humble human beings. They brought us in a very religious environment, where the family observed sil every month. They wanted their children to be highly disciplined," Eva, who was the first in her primary classes, was not an outstanding orator at the school debating team, she said.

Ordinary Levels

After completing her Ordinary Level examination at Dharmapala College, Pannipitiya, she won an American Field Service Scholarship to study at the Canyon del Oro High School in Tucson, Arizona, USA for one year.

After returning to Sri Lanka, she sat for her Advanced Levels, but could not gain entrance to university. It was due to her father's encouragement that she passed the Law Entrance examination. Her brother too entered the Law College, but joined the merchant shipping industry as a Cadet Officer, ending up as a captain.

"Malli and I were very close and dreamt of attending Law College together. Though I missed that chance, my father filled that void as he joined me at the Law College, though he was in a junior class. After passing out as a lawyer in 1977, I wanted to practise on my own as I wanted to appear in courts to 'argue' cases, to bring justice for the voiceless".

She first appeared at the Gangodawila Magistrate's Courts and recalled how a senior lawyer discouraged her, saying that she would be unable to 'tie the knot' if she appeared for cases.

"I think he was jealous and worried that upcoming young lawyers would pose a threat to seniors. This made me upset and led to doubts - whether I was going to lose all my dreams as a woman or continue to practise as a lawyer. Finally, I took a firm decision to practise law. I had a good practice until my mother prevailed on me to join Government Service as she was worried about criminals coming to our house to seek legal advice. It was also strenuous for a young girl. So, I applied to join the Attorney General's Department," Wanasundera recollected.

As she walked in for the interview at the Attorney General's Department in 1979, when Shiva Pasupathi PC was the Attorney General, she never thought that she would become the Head of the Department one day.

But the 25-year-old was brave enough to question the board of interviewers about the date of her appointment.

Eva became a State Counsel to the Civil Section though she preferred to serve in the Criminal Section. Her attempts to switch over to the Criminal Section never came into fruition as her seniors, who wished to retain her there as she had already proved her efficiency, did not 'bother' to release her.

The young lawyer, who was heart-broken over her failed first love affair, was determined not to love again or marry, but destiny decided otherwise. She met the man of her dreams through one of her friends called Ranjan Abeysekara, with whom Eva did social work at Service Civil International. The young man nicknamed 'principled man', Indrajith Wanasundera was an executive at the Thulhiriya Textile Factory. After a few days of knowing each other, he had stolen her heart. They said, "I do" on September 3, 1980.

"I am very lucky to have him. He is really a principled man and is the nicest man I have ever met in my life. Indrajith is quite a character and gets angry only when I cry," the Attorney General, who celebrated her 31st wedding anniversary a few weeks ago said.

She would prefer 'Eva' to be known as a brave woman; straightforward, truthful and very tough when the occasion demands.

Sri Lanka's first woman Attorney General spares a little time when she meets sanitary cleaners at her Department. She says they perform a great service to keep her institution clean. "I always respect the minor staffers. They are doing a very important job. If not for them, who is going to maintain the cleanliness of our offices?"

Unforgettable moment

The most unforgettable moment in her life was the day she vigourously argued with a senior President's Counsel (PC) who advised a Tamil witness not to look at Eva, "as she was not so attractive to look at", while giving evidence at the re-examining session at an insurance case at a District Court. "As I was cross-examining him so much, the PC got angry and insulted me because I am a woman. It showed what the PC valued most and I got really angry. I requested the judge to adjourn the court. The judge strongly advised him and requested me to continue," she said society should respect women who shoulder a greater portion of the burdens in life. "Women use make-up not to attract men, but to look pleasant", she said.

Motto in life

With the motto - Don't fear to do the right thing under whatever circumstances - she devotes one hour every day for meditation. Wanasundera who used to observe sil, has ceased the practice as more preaching is done now than meditation at today's sil campaigns. However, she will not miss the daily Bana programs on radio at 8 am. "Every human being needs to follow a religion because it clears the conscience and it will instil fear in the person to commit wrong", she said adding that she wants all Lankan women to be educated.

She said it is very difficult to strike a balance between the job and chores at home unless working women are efficient. "You can manage this if you can tackle both roles. As I know the difficulties working women face, I always support women at my Department. I will never delay my work. The two words that are not in my vocabulary are 'lazy' and 'tomorrow'," she chuckled.

Being a batchmate of President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Law College, she said she honours the determination, commitment and courage of her batchmate to end the 30-year terrorism and invited all Lankans to help develop the country.

"How many times have I walked into the Department, thinking it would be my last day and that next day I may get caught in a bomb explosion. We thank the President for ushering in peace and giving us fear-free lives", Wanasundera said adding that she will not bow down to political pressure during her tenure.

"I will not be influenced politically or otherwise in my professional affairs. My past records show that I was fearless of any political powers. I know no one will approach me to ask favours," she said, adding that when one does wrong, one day his or her conscience will question that person.

She likes to be known as Shanthi, but every one knows her as Eva. In her teens she asked her father why he gave her the Western name Eva as they are devout Buddhists.

"He said he expects his daughter to study well and when she is abroad, foreigners will pronounce her name properly," she who served as the Acting Attorney General eight times and mastered Trade Law and got her LLM Degree from the University of Leicester UK, said.

The Attorney General who started donating blood at the age of 20 and has donated blood over 16 times, invited others to join her in saving lives by donating blood.

Eva has marked several milestones in the 100-year-old Attorney General's Department by becoming Sri Lanka's first woman Senior State Counsel, first woman Deputy Solicitor General, first woman Additional Solicitor General, and the first woman Solicitor General, but very few know that each time she took a step in the career ladder, she cried silently, remembering her father and mother, Sumana.

Her message to women is that they can hold any challenging position in society as long as they do the right thing and are courageous. She said women need to be women to get due respect in society.

The Chief of the Attorney General's Department, who controls over hundreds of legal experts, is very obedient to her boss at home. She is just an ordinary, humble housewife for Appachchi and a loving and caring mother to Subodha, who is an Engineer and Medanee, doing her Masters Degree in the USA.

"Indrajith is a very soft-spoken person and when he becomes tough, I cry," she said coyly.