In salubrious climes
A month after sitting for the Degree examination in the University, it was in June 1961 that I got an appointment as a teacher in a Government school. The appointment was to the Deniyaya Central School, one of those established in 1945 by late C W W Kannangara, Father of free education in Sri Lanka. The letter of appointment came by post. Then there were no shameless politicians who would try to show that a public service appointment was something given by their grace by handing them over personally. In contrast, today the letter of appointment for even the lowest government job is handed over by a Minister or the Head of State himself. No wonder that Sri Lanka is on way to become the Wonder of Asia.
I had never been to Deniyaya though it was also situated in the Southern Province. Considered a difficult area it was a place where senior teachers would try to avoid. Being a youngster not so worried about or experienced comforts of life I took the appointment with much eagerness for I would become a breadwinner in our small and poor family. It was the same ubiquitous trunk box that had served me well during my University days that I carried with me to my working station. On the way I met a school teacher who travelled a short distance in the same bus that carried me to Deniyaya. Seeing a bundle of books in my hand he queried whether I am a student. He was somewhat surprised to know that I was travelling to take up a teaching appointment. Anyway he became a good friend thereafter. If I remember correct he was Keerthi Kalahe, teacher and poet.
I was known as a strict disciplinarian from the beginning of my teaching career. In fact, I was taking much responsibilities in this respect even without any formal obligation. With the transfer of the Vice Principal on being promoted as a Principal the task of maintaining discipline virtually fell on my shoulders almost formally.
Surrounded by misty hills and tea plantations Deniyaya is more akin to a sleepy town in the central hills than an outlandish point in the Southern province. Situated on the edge of the Rakwana Range of mountains and the majestic Sinharaja forest it has a clean and hygienic environment. In the 1960's it was one of the least polluted places. The Gin Ganga flows through the town winding its way towards the lowland plains of the Southern province. According to legend the rain waters falling on the roof of Deniyaya Rest House that drain off on one side flows into the Walawe Ganga and on the other side flows into the Gin Ganga. Both these rivers are said to be originating from little streamlets in the Gongala or Bull Rock situated in the Sinharaja Forest Reserve.
At the time of my tenure as a teacher at the Central College, the town had only few shops and boutiques that catered to the planters and the village folk who continued to live rustic and idyllic lives. The population was largely poor and very poor. There was a cinema hall that showed English films once a week for planters. The Planters were almost omnipotent. Apart from the plantations there was hardly any industry that provided livelihood for the people. The hilly terrain did not favour any rice farming on a considerable scale. Development has eluded the people even up to now.
My tenure of service at Deniyaya Central was quite short. It was only four years and four months. Yet, it was one of the most pleasant and eventful periods in my life. As a young graduate I took to teaching in earnest. I was eager to teach and the students, the majority of them were equally eager to learn. They were not corrupted by present day vices. Mischief makers, however, were there. But that was the nature of youth. I am happy to recall that almost all of them turned out to be well disciplined citizens who acknowledge the contribution of their Alma Mater in the formation of character.
Discipline depends on rules, regulations, conventions and practices at each school. It is quite easy to follow rules, regulations and tradition. But sometimes one has to go beyond all that in enforcing discipline. For instance, once there was a case of a male student in the upper forms who had come to school with his head half-shaved. Tradition and regulations confirmed that he had broken discipline by his unorthodox appearance and becoming a nuisance factor. What would happen if others began to emulate him? He had actually taken a bet that British Prime Minister at that time Harold Wilson would be re-elected as PM and if not he would shave off half his head. Now that he lost his bet he shaved off half his head as pledged. I was sure there was no compulsion except that of his own conscience. Unlike most people he had kept his word. It had to be recognized. Yet he has breached official 'discipline'. The Shakespearean dilemma “To punish or not to punish” (to be or not to be) stared in my face. I politely told the fellow to keep away from school till his hair grew and he obliged.
Unorthodox problems demand unorthodox solutions. There was the case of a male teacher, who was living in the Hostel. He had eccentric ways of doing things. He was teaching Chemistry. He kept a diary. Since his behaviour was queer some of his room-mates, themselves teachers, had gone through his diary on the sly. It had revealed his intention to poison the food given to the students at the Hostel. Also, there were notes as to poisoning some teachers including myself with Arsenic Oxide, a chemical from the school laboratory. I quietly arranged a transfer for him to his home town. However, it was preceded by a personal serious threat (outside school hours) not to engage in such activities in future lest he would face dire consequences.
There were no teachers' quarters in this remote place and many experienced teachers used to shun it. I found accommodation at a private boarding house in the town. It was quite OK. However, after one month I found accommodation in the Boys' Hostel as a resident teacher. With the transfer of the Hostel Warden that mantle of office also fell upon my shoulders.
I still have a nostalgia for the short but highly active life spent at Deniyaya during my youth. There were a little over a dozen young teachers, most of whom resided in the hostel and they were very active in their academic as well as extra-curricular activities. When unforeseen circumstances placed me at the head of the school as Acting Principal it is this young team that became a backbone of the tutorial staff and pioneered all academic and development activities. Strength does not lie in numbers but in their unity, I learnt by experience in running the school. It was this unity that provided the courage and strength to overcome whatever obstacles that came my way in both professional and as an ordinary citizen.
For a young man of 25 years with only two years of teaching experience and no administrative experience at all, it is a big challenge to be placed at the Head of a mixed school with over 1, 000 pupils. The challenge was further strengthened by the animosity with which the owners and superintendents of the powerful plantation community regarded my political activities. Further the omissions and mistakes of the ruling coalition had alienated a majority of parents who longed for a return of the UNP to power.
I kept trust in two things. First was my own conscience. Second was trust in my pupils, their willingness to learn. As savants of yore had said I learnt from my masters as well as from my students. I recalled the examples of best teachers at my Alma Mater and began to emulate them. They were simple and kind-hearted individuals who were not corrupted by avarice or mercenary interests. My efforts and that of my colleagues were vindicated by the performance of the students at public examinations. For the first time Deniyaya Central managed to send students to the Science faculty of the University. Unfortunately this history is almost forgotten now. In the field of Arts results were even better. Anyway the '60s was the Golden Age of the Central Schools. For political reasons these schools fell out of favour with the authorities and their development suffered as a result.
In every sense I was a political animal as Aristotle said. However, I kept politics out of the class room and never engaged in political activities during working hours. That was a principled position I have faithfully followed in my professional roles as both a teacher and a journalist later.
The mid-1960 s was a turbulent period in the political life of the country. The country was in the grip of a deep financial crisis. The nationalization of petroleum distribution has earned the SLFP Government the wrath of the imperialist powers who openly worked against it. Divisions also arose within the ruling SLFP Government as to which policies should be followed to develop the country.
The economic difficulties of the masses were utilized by reaction, both local and foreign to destabilize the Government. As a temporary measure the SLFP came into an alliance with the LSSP and formed a coalition government in 1964. Various revenue proposals of the coalition became issues of high controversy. One such issue was the decision to encourage toddy production as a counter weight to the growing menace of illicit liquor. The Finance Minister of the coalition Dr. N M Perera was vilified as Ra-Perera(Toddy Perera). Demonstratons and marches were held throughout the country, notably by an organization called the Bhikku Peramuna led by arch-conservative elements of the Sangha.
I was an active organizer of the teachers’ trade union, the popular Sri Lanka Jathika Guru Sangamaya, in fact, I was the branch Secretary. I also helped in the organization of trade union work, including industrial action of the estate workers of the area . The local planters and the UNP supporters were quite unhappy when I became the Acting Principal of Deniyaya Central. Charles Kannangara, the UNP candidate and later MP was really annoyed. He spared no efforts to get me transferred but failed as the he was then in the Opposition. His annoyance was not entirely groundless. I was a known Communist and had even put forward Communist candidates to contest the Town Council, an unprecedented act. For the first time his image as a 'Red Elephant' came to be challenged. A former MEP member he had a close personal relationship with Edward Goonetilleke, the Communist Candidate for Deniyaya at the 1960 March election. Thus, he never expected a challenge from the Left.
With the rising unpopularity of the Government Kannangara's popular support grew and the support base of Sumanapala Dahanayake MP waned. It was under such circumstances that the MP wanted to have public function and invite the Leader of the LSSP and Finance Minister Dr. N M Perera to Deniyaya. The only public place he could think of as a venue was Deniyaya Central. He called me and informed me that the Finance Minister wishes to visit Deniyaya and wanted my help to organize a suitable event. There were not more than ten days for the proposed visit. I could not turn down the MP's request. But what could be done in the limited time available? One of my colleagues the teacher who acted as Principal in my absence Upasena Pathirana was also with me. The two of us decided to have a Prize Giving in the School. It was the 25 th Anniversary of the Central College and that was a good occasion to have a prize giving, which was not held for so many years. There were many challenges. The college Assembly Hall had to be renovated, seating accommodation had to be found anew. Pigeons had invaded the ceiling and no function could be held if they were not chased out. The biggest problem was finding funds to purchase prizes. Prize winners too had to be selected.
An urgent meeting of the tutorial staff was summoned immediately. It approved the proposal to hold the Prize Giving. With its consent the Parent teacher Association was summoned the next day. With its approval a fund was launched to collect the required money from parents and well-wishers. Within three days the necessary funds were received. Tutorial staff looked after the prize contests and other preparations including the composition of the School Anthem. The whole process was so quick that political opponents among the parents and students could not think of how to prevent the function. By the time they began counter propaganda with a series of posters vilifying the Finance Minister and the School authorities. All arrangements were ready to welcome the Minister with a few days to spare. “Pere-Ra apata epa”,one poster said. Another called for expulsion of Communists from the school. The poster campaign was a flop. Posters pasted at night were removed by morning the following day and handed over to me by the CP supporters. The enthusiasm generated among the students and parents was too much to be worn out in such a quick time. The tutorial staff as a body supported the function. It was held successfully with only a few upper form students being coerced to boycott the ceremony. The school benefited as the Minister pledged a two-storeyed class-room complex and a Library building which were actually built subsequently.
Another incident which made a big impact in the area was the struggle waged by the Sri Lanka Jatika Guru Sangamaya against the Inspector in Chage of the Waralla Police Station who had assaulted a Senior Boys' Scout of the school for preventing him entering an Exhibition Hall when the exhibition was closed. The Scout had only followed instructions and had not been discourteous. I as the Secretary of the Teachers' Union of the district lodged a complaint against the Inspector and organized a public meeting at the venue of the Exhibition, Kotapola Maha Vidyalaya condemning the police action and calling for the transfer of the Inspector. The public meeting was a success. The Inspector was transferred to a distant station.
The victimized student was a son of a leading UNPer in the area but personal politics did not matter in the struggle for justice. This principled politics paid dividends and the resurgent Communist movement in the area found its support base extended. Whatever faults the Governments had then there was some room for democratic agitation. Such action became almost impossible later.
With the electoral victory of the UNP in the 1965 General election the UNP managed to transfer me out of Deniyaya as punishment for engaging in Leftist politics. I was transferred to Dematapitiya Vidyalaya, a school where there were no Advanced Level Science classes. This gave me an opportunity select a leading school in the Matara district with such facilities since my appointment was as a Mathematics Teacher - Special Post Grade II. That is how I was eventually transferred to Rahula College, Matara with my consent. Eventually the punishment turned out to be a privilege.
Apart from politics, life at Deniyaya was peaceful. Nature was as alluring as a beautiful young woman. The majestic Gin Gangain its upper reaches passed by the side of the school full of vigour and strength. It was full of water and provided a good swimming place both for villagers and school children, especially the hostellers. At times it would swell itself with sudden gush of water and even overflow into the hostel grounds. One thing it kept us all on an everlasting vigil. The river meandered through the valley and passed the famous Hath Mala Ellaor the Seven Elevations waterfall , a beautiful and enticing wonder of nature. The Ellawas less than half an hour by the improvised ferry made by us from the bamboo poles brought down through the waters from the river bank itself a few kilometres upstream. We used to tie the ferry to a tree in the bank and bathe in all the seven pools of water from which water fell in cascades. At that young age no one thought of the imminent danger it carried in case of a sudden gush of water. Ferrying back was an uphill task as the current was in the opposite direction. The Principal being more mature and tactful stealthily got the ferry cut off at night from the post it was tied to and allowed it to drift downstream ending our daily session of water games.
Kurulu Gala or the Bird Rock was another famous spot to which we often went in the evenings. The view from the top at sunset was majestic. The rock was itself conical in shape and easy to climb. One had to trek through the leech infested footpaths in the woods to reach the rock.
The best of our jungle excursions, however, was to the Sinharaja Forest, which is now a World Heritage site. It was nature at its virgin best. The rich flora and fauna, the soothing chilly atmosphere and the icy cold waters of the numerous rivulets and springs all provide a wonderful adventure that soothes the body and soul. The experience in wondering through the dense tropical forest to the top of the Bull Rock was really fascinating. You become enthralled in nature oblivious to the word outside. Once a Green Viper attacked one of us near the very summit of the rock. Knowing the commotion it may create he did not inform us of the incident till we climbed down from the rock. And in the border villages we found a native physician who was invaluable at the moment in providing first aid.
Even in the sixties of the last century the rape of Sinharaja had begun. In the name of development tracts of the virgin forest was cleared and an Eucalyptus plantation was introduced probably on 'expert' foreign advice.
The rape of the forest cover in the area has gone to such an extent that the Gin Gangahas been reduced to a tiny drain in Deniyaya now, The fate of the Gin which flowed with such ferocity and vigour during the massive flood of 2003 straightening its curves and making a new course near the Deniyaya bridge, is indeed pathetic. Of course it is not nature but man that is to blame.
While the poor experience further deterioration of their income the fortunes of the middle class rests on the fluctuation of green leaf prices of tea. The relative impoverishment of the population and the lack of opportunities
for upward social mobility obviously contributed to the wide support enjoyed there by the insurgents way back in April 1971. Though at present the middle class has tasted fortune owing to higher prices for green leaf tea, obviously the poor people in this southern peripheral area would have to wait long to see the Wonder of Asia that is already supposed to knock at the door in Colombo soon.