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| Sunday, 12 January 2003 |
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Remembering Senator M. Tiruchelvam by Ranil Wickremesinghe We reproduce the text of a radio talk delivered by Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe, the then Minister of Youth Affairs and Employment on 22nd November 1979, to commemorate the third death anniversary of the late Mr. Murugeysu Tiruchelvam, Senator, Queen's Counsel and Minister of Local Government (1965 to 1968). I wish to harp on a few reminiscences of the late Mr. M. Tiruchelvam. I can recollect how the late Mr. Tiruchelvam contacted me over the telephone the day I was sworn in as an Advocate and inquired if I could function as his junior in a case defended by him. That was the beginning of a series of cases I appeared for with the late Mr. Tiruchelvam and also heralded the close association that developed between the two of us. His long and varied experience of law and judiciary benefited me and a host of others. The son of the Head of the Telegraph Office in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia - he was popularly known as 'Tiru' among our friends.Mr. Tiruchelvam received his education at St. Thomas and at the University College and entered the field of law in 1935. After a long practice, Mr. Tiruchelvam served as the Magistrate in Negombo, Panadura and Galle up to 1945. He was subsequently appointed the Assistant to the Legal Secretary. He became the Deputy Solicitor-General in 1944 and later became the Solicitor-General in 1957. The late Mr. Tiruchelvam thus rose to the highest rung in the legal profession, pursuit of which was his own option. Except for a period as a Minister in the Cabinet of Ministers of the late Mr. Dudley Senanayake, the late Mr. Tiruchelvam had politics affined to law during his lifetime. One day while studying a case late in the night after returning home from political deliberations, he passed away in 1976. Mr. Tiruchelvam is commonly known as a person who fought for the rights of the Tamil community. However, he has contributed much inter alia for the common good. I remember how he defended the case of the present President (Mr. JR Jayawardene) when he was threatened with expulsion from the party. The late Mr. Tiruchelvam always abhorred vacillation on matters of policy and this attitude has brought in much brickbats for him both within and outside the party. During the period, Mr. Tiruchelvam served the country as a Minister, he proved his mettle as a political leader on a national level. The Ministry of Local Government under his stewardship received applause from every quarter. He looked at every problem with a determination to embark on the correct approach. He won confidence as a Minister because he helped everyone who sought his help irrespective of race or creed. The late Mr. Tiruchelvam towards the latter stages of his life advocated the use of energy as a substitute for fuel. He even suggested the setting up of a Ministry for development of energy vis-a-vis the problems Sri Lanka will encounter on this field. It has today become a reality. Had Mr. Tiruchelvam been alive, our country would perhaps have taken a different course. It was his determination to elicit a permanent solution to the problem of the Tamil-speaking people through the goodwill he had promoted in all quarters. He maintained a constant rapport with all political parties. He also wished that our present President Mr. JR Jayawardene might lead our country to prosperity. All these attributes will certainly bear eloquent testimony to the fact that his demise is a loss not only to the Tamil-speaking people but also to the entire nation as a whole. |
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