SACRED TO THE
MEMORY OF CANON R. S. DE SARAM
by T. D. S. A. Dissanayaka
(Member, Royal College Class of 1949)
Canon R.S. De Saram, Warden ofS.
Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia from 1932 - 1958 was truly a Colossus who was
in our midst. Besides being Warden of S. Thomas' for over quarter of a
century, he was an educationist/?ar excellence whose fame spread well beyond
the portals of his Alma Mater which he loved so dearly. He was venerated not
only by S. Thomas' College but also by Royal College. Definitive proof of
that was, when his earthly life was slowly but surely ebbing away in 1986, a
distinguished delegation from the Royal College Old Boys Union approached
his family and sought the honour of carrying his casket at his funeral. His
daughter Wendy was so touched that she said her father was slipping in and
out of consciousness and to please wait till he regained consciousness. When
he did, our delegation obtained such permission from the Warden himself. In
the annals of history of Royal College never have we honoured anybody from
another school in this manner.
Reginald Steuart De Saram was bom
in 1898 and was admitted to S. Thomas' College, Mutwal in 1904. At S.
Thomas' he epitomised the concept of mens sana in corpora sano (a healthy
mind in a healthy body). He was a good student, played in the Royal-Thomian
Cricket Matches from 1915 to 1917, captained the Football team, won his
colours in Boxing and had a natural flair for leadership. Besides he was a
devout Christian who at a young age showed an inclination towards the
priesthood. All these attributes resulted in his admission to Keble College
in Oxford University, a time honoured nursery for priests. There he read for
a degree in Classics, earned his Blue in Boxing and indicated his desire to
take The Holy Orders. He was duly ordained a deacon at Cuddesdon Theological
College in Oxford in 1924 and ordained a priest in 1925. Thereafter he
returned to the land of his birth with his bride. In 1926 he was appointed
Sub-Warden
of his Alma Mater, Acting Warden
in 1930 and Warden in 1932. He was the first Ceylonese to be so honoured in
all those appointments.
The outstanding features of Warden
R.S. De Saram were strong leadership and an even stronger concept of
discipline which cannot conceivably be enforced in this day and age. Besides
his leadership was a one-man rule, the exact opposite of what Royal College
was during that period of time. As a Christian priest he perceived that any
talent a mortal had was endowed by The Maker. As Warden he looked upon it as
his sacred duty to develop such talent to its full potential. However such
development had to be done within specific parameters. According to us at
Royal, the hallmark of a Thomian is firstly being a gentleman in the true
sense of the word. Indeed S. Thomas' has produced such refined gentlemen
year in and year out since 1851. Warden De Saram ensured that in a fast
changing world, those cherished concepts remained intact at S. Thomas'.
Warden De Saram also ensured that S. Thomas' retained its identity as a
Christian school but simultaneously welcomed boys who were Buddhists,
Muslims and Hindus. The Warden showed the highest respect to those great
religions and ensured that none of such boys were induced to become
Christians. If anybody did become a Christian, it was during adult life and
that too due to personal conviction.
According to us at Royal, being
humble in victory and gracious in defeat is part and parcel of being a
Thomian. That characteristic feature of S. Thomas' was enhanced in the era
of Warden De Saram. To quote just one example, at the Royal-Thomian Cricket
Match of 1946, Royal was winning easily but it was a matter of opinion
whether a victory for Royal or the rain will come first. The light was
fading fast and the lights in the pavilion at the SSC were at full
intensity. In the meantime with the drinks, and with new gloves which were
mysteriously sent periodically, the Warden himself sent instructions to the
batsmen not to appeal for bad light. According to Ronnie Weerakoon, now
Chairman of the Tea Board and earlier Ambassador to Egypt, he could barely
see the bowler let alone see the ball, while he was batting. Royal won by 84
runs. It was basically an example of well done Royal, well played S.
Thomas'.
The De Saram era produced so many star sportsmen in the Ceylon team. They
included W.W. Tambimuttu (Athletics), Donald Fairweather (Cricket), R.B.
Wijesinha (Cricket), H.M.P. Perera (Athletics), V.G. Prins (Cricket), Oscar
Wijesinghe (Athletics), Douglas Amdt (Swimming), C.T.A. Schafter (Cricket
and Hockey), P.I. Peiris (Cricket), Ranjit Sri Nissanka (Swimming, Water
Polo and Rugby), Rupert Ferdinands (Tennis), Michael Tissera (Cricket),
D.D.N. Selvadurai (Tennis) and Neil Chanmugam (Cricket). They excelled in
their respective sports. They excelled even more as sportsmen both on and
off the field.
According to Warden De Saram the
biggest difference between Royal and S. Thomas' was that in any given year
over 50% of those leaving Royal after completion of their studies gained
admission to Universities, whereas at S. Thomas' the corresponding figure
was never in excess of 25%. Nevertheless the De Saram era produced scholars
in every conceivable discipline. In the traditional disciplines such as the
Classics, English History, Mathematics and the Sciences, Thomian scholars
excelled periodically. However few know that S. Thomas' also produced
scholars in the Oriental languages. For example, Professor Ediriweera
Sarathchandra, Professor of Sinhala at the University of Ceylon and the
producer of the famed ballet Maname, was a distinguished product of the De
Saram era. He was at S. Thomas' under the name E.R.S. De Silva. Bernard
Tilakaratna, later a Foreign Secretary, was also a scholar in Sinhala. Once
Sinhala became a popular subject at S. Thomas' Warden De Saram introduced
classical Sinhala, known as hela bhasa, into the curriculum.
Despite his natural inclination
towards a one-man rule, Warden De Saram had the wisdom to realise that he
needed good staff to support him. He regularly sought the advice of Dr R.L.
Hayman, his Sub-Warden, and through the good offices of the Church
Missionary Society (CMS) in London he obtained the services of dedicated
British teachers. They included the Reverend (later Canon) A.J. Foster, J.G
Elliot (later the Reverend) and W.T. Keble, all fresh from Oxford.
Simultaneously he exhorted his Ceylonese staff to treat teaching not merely
as a livelihood but as a calling. He himself was a supreme example of such
dedication. Accordingly, the Roll of Honour at S. Thomas' for those who
taught for more than twenty five years has a record number from the De Saram
era. In alphabetical order they were S.J. Anandanayagam (later a Warden),
Mrs Ruth Anthonisz, Mrs C.M. Bandaratilleke, Miss A.E. Bay, the Revd. A.J.
Bamabus, V.P. Cooke, D.F. David, C.H. Davidson (later a Warden), B.C.
D'Silva, O.P. Gunaratne, Mrs Dora Jansz, Harold Jansz, H.P. Jansz, B.E.W.
Jehoratnam, J.H.S. Peiris, E.O. Pereira, E.L. Perera, C.B. Paulickpulle,
J.P. Manickasingham (a classmate of the Warden), W.I. Miittiah, A.J.
Schafter, C.S. Weerasinghe and C.R. Wise. The parable of the lost sheep, as
enunciated by Jesus Christ himself, was part and parcel of the thinking of
Warden De Saram. As such he was horrified by the tradition of Royal College
of rigorously implementing our motto Disce Aut Discede (Learn or Depart !)
We from Royal complain that
Thomian grit was the cause, whenever a Royal-Thomian Cricket Match which we
should have won was mysteriously lost or drawn. For example in 1944 S.
Thomas' were struggling at 80 for 9 when K.L.M. Perera, a recognised
batsman, was joined by S. Elapata, the last man. The pair put on 114 runs
for the last wicket and lo and behotd Royal lost that Match! Such Thomian
grit was displayed in other fields of human endeavour too. For example in
1942 and 1943 when S. Thomas' had their buildings requisitioned to
accommodate British combat troops, the school produced her best results ever
in gaining admission to the University of Ceylon, then our only seat of
higher learning. A battery of Thomian scholars led by Ronnie De Mel, F.S.C.P.
Kalpage and P.P.GL. Siriwardene and well supported by T.F.K. Abeysekera,
C.C.T. Femando, C.Q.C. Femando, Ivor Ferdinands, A.M. Mendis, W.
Tillekeratne and C. Viswasam excelled in their studies. The annals of
history of the University of Ceylon record that Ronnie De Mel obtained not
only a brilliant First in History but obtained thirteen A" in the thirteen
papers he sat. In 1947 he easily won the English University scholarship and
proceeded to Cambridge University for post graduate work. In 1948 he was
placed first in the Ceylon Civil Service examination. F.S.C.P. Kalpage
somehow missed his First in Chemistry but did a splendid doctoral thesis at
London University in Soil Chemistry. He later became Professor of
Agricultural Chemistry at the University of Ceylon, Professor of Agriculture
at the University of Malaysia and Chairman of the University Grants
Commission, which is the apex of our University system. P.P.G.L. Siriwardena
also somehow missed a First in Chemistry. His doctoral thesis at Cambridge
University on Metallurgy was so good that they were reluctant to allow him
to leave. Mercifully he returned to lecture at the University of Ceylon
where his golden brain and heart of gold made him an invaluable asset. Not
surprisingly he became the Vice Chancellor of the University of Sri Lanka
with seven campuses throughout our nation.
Warden De Saram placed much
importance on the concept of mens sana in corpora sano but he was too humble
a man to give the impression that he personified that concept both at S.
Thomas' and at Oxford. He was delighted when W.A. Wijesinha who had a match
bag of ten wickets in the Royal-Thomian Cricket Match of 1933, scored a
century in the Match of 1934, entered the Colombo University College on an
exhibition, when S.J. Thambiah who captained the Cricket team in 1948 and
was also the Head Prefect went on to take a First in Sociology and P.T.
Shantikumar who captained the same team in 1949 came first in the Ceylon
Civil Service examination. Bradman Weerakoon who played Cricket under them
also joined the then prestigious Ceylon Civil Service and of him it is now
said Prime Ministers come and Prime Ministers go but Bradman Weerakoon goes
on forever! However Warden De Saram publicly acknowledged at the Centenary
celebrations of 1951 that Manickam Saravanamuttu of the Stone era was the
finest all round product of S. Thomas' in her first hundred years.
Warden De Saram was indeed a
courageous man who stood up for what he thought was right. He thought poorly
of a famous demagogue from S. Thomas' College and thought likewise of a
famous demagogue from Royal College, both of whom advocated Sinhala Only and
consequently reached the pinnacle of power in our nation. He publicly
opposed their disastrous policy of Sinhala Only. In death Warden De Saram
has been vindicated in that the Sinhala Only policy is now accepted as being
one of the root causes of our Civil War. Indeed Warden De Saram showed that
same courage, during the ugly racial riots of 1958, when he saw a mob of
Sinhalese hooligans down Hotel Road, Mount Lavinia about to lynch a victim
who was calling for help in Tamil. The Warden stopped his car, exhibited his
skill in boxing and rescued the poor victim with great peril to himself. He
was bleeding and his cassock was torn asunder when he left the scene
escorting the helpless victim to safety. Such was the measure of this great
man.
Warden De Saram never sought
honours; instead honours sought Warden De Saram. In 1947 when Bishop Douglas
Horsely, Bishop of Colombo in the Church of Ceylon, retired prematurely, the
Church offered the vacancy to The Reverend Canon De Saram. He declined that
honour to serve his beloved Alma Mater. In 1949 Prime Minister D.S.
Senanayake appointed him to the National Education Commission. In 1950 he
was awarded the OBE for his service to education. In 1955 Professor Nicholas
Attygalle, Vice Chancellor of the University of Ceylon, invited him to join
the Board of Residence and Discipline, of that seat of learning. In that
capacity he was a frequent visitor to the University of Ceylon. Those visits
could be looked upon with a mixture of amazement and amusement.
Undergraduates from S. Thomas' were amazed that we undergraduates from Royal
indulged in animated conversation with their Warden. We from Royal were
amused that undergraduates from S. Thomas' trembled with fear at the sight
of their Warden! Some even burnt their palms in hiding the cigarettes they
were smoking!!
The question now arises, who
produced this great and good man Warden Reginald Steuart De Saram? The
answer is simple, it was S. Thomas' itself. For having produced such a
distinguished son of Lanka, we at Royal can honestly say :
WELL DONE S. THOMAS'
Esto Perpetua
T. D. S. A.
Dissanayaka
February 26th 2003.
