Garvin Karunaratne Of the Administrative Service 1955-1973

Twenty Second Dec 2025

Leaving Royal Park in the shrill morning

Siri at the wheel, Hiran and both of us,

On our way to the holy shrine at Kataragama

On the Mahinda Rajapaksa Highway,

Thanks to Mahinda for making it.

we passed by Culloden Estate Neboda

where my dad, Boyd Oliver Manamperi Karunaratne

once worked, the Chief Clerk at Neboda Estate

We found our way to Karapitiya, the home of the Medical Faculty

of our great Southern University

We were greeted by Prof Wickramaratne

Hiran gave a token of friendship-

a donation from our GK Foundation

for the development of the Library there.

Away to stay the night at Pul’s home

Pul, Nissanka baapa.s daughter

The baapa who offered a home

to Bimba, Arjuna, Hiran and Kanchi- not a month old

when the JVP struck on 4 th April 1971

and we had to leave the Residency and run – it was not enough safe.

That was the tine when my official car was shot at

Day 2- 23 rd Dec

Stopped at Ahangama, Bimba’s Dad’s home

Gabriel Gunasekera

the home by the Waters Edge, where the water looms everywhere

where he lived , swimming the deep wide waters

Waters that did divide the two Districts Galle and Matara

Bimba thinks of the days when his father swam with her on his back

where the waters loom large and cascades on the land Bimba owns

The land lies now in limbo- a mass of twigs and trees, but having a water front

The land is now donated to Navi, her sister, Buddheni’s son

To develop- give it life. We hope for the best.

Went to Matara, saw Polhena

In my days at Matara , full Fifty years ago

Polhena, the sea front was small, of exquisite scenic beauty

where I swam every Saturday and Sunday,

Sad, I do not see that beauty now. It is all gone, fully dead

Polhena I shall never forget, cause I wrested with a drowning man,

when I ran, dived in, swum to him and grabbed him at his back

He resisted and clung to me and I had to knock him and shake him dead

Then I swum carrying him to the shore

We turned him over and gave him a shake

But he looked dead- all gone

We rushed him to the Matara Hospital, three of us in our bath suits

I carried a dead man, drove fast disobeying all road rules that day

and laid him on the table where the doctors were

Do Get him to live” I pleaded.

The doctors laid their work aside and attended

I drove home. Told Jaye my Deputy Disapathy to go and attended

Later I was told that he lived

I am proud of our doctors

Blessings to them-they did make a dead man live

All that happened somewhere in 1971-73

Stayed the night at Polhena Hotel, a useless place.

Climbed Browns Hill, my Disapathy Medura for two years

Then it was a hill full of trees, shrubs, creepers- where I lived,

merged with Nature- a sheer beauty, with looks at the sea far away

The Indian Ocean, glistening in the Sun’s rays

Now full of rugged vehicles and many odds never there then

The Twenty Fourth

Off to Deniyaya oft visited by me as Disapathy

living memories of old- half a century ago

when Morawaka lads and lassies even made crayons

and sold them islandwide

It was Coop Crayon made by Vetus my Planning Officer

guided by me-Creating Jobs under the DDCP of Sirimavo

Crayons done by the parlimentu manthri Sumanapala Dahanayake,

working with the lads and lassies at Morawaka

Now we import and sell and think it great

then we found work and earnings for locals

Now we create work for workers in other countries

Now it is import and sell, the art of making ourselves is dead.

That is the modernity taught by the IMF

accepted by Jayawardena and my pal Ronnie

Back on the road via Hayes to Rakwana

Siri at the wheel, going through tea bushes, a rugged road

through Bulutota,

Glorious stunning sights never to be missed

Mountain after mountain bathed in the sheer mist that enwrapped us

endless mountains where the mountains merge with the deep blue sky

We descended via the ten hairpin bends on one hill,

landing at Rakwana

reminiscences of my home for a week as a student at St Anthony’s as a boarder

a nasty Headmaster, baths in the river that skirted the school

during the days of the World War when we crept for safety to Nivitigala

I was then at my uncle’s home at Mahawela Estate.

Night at the Sanctuary, a welcome hotel, spic and span, clean

charming and an extremely courteous staff, a cosy night’s home

The Next Day the Twenty Fifth-Christmas day

My route – Via Madampe was Proved wrong-

Drove cross country via Estates to Godakawela, the phone route.

Arrived at Kataragama

On knees at Kiri Vehera- swarmed of devotees

Then at Kataragama

Venerated and Evoked Blessings from God Kataragama

A cosy night’s rest at the Tourist Guest House

I remembered PGB Kalugalla the Minister

who created the Rests at A pura, Kataragama, N Eliya, B wela

Kalu was a charming minister

that really worked for the people he loved

I knew him as a Minister when I slaved a year in Kegalla

as Assistant Com Agrarian, minding paddy fields

then as Additional Disapathy at Kegalla for two years when Kalu was in oblivion

That was the days of Dudley, the days when we did become self sufficient in rice.

The Twenty Sixth

Off to Cbo, with Siri at the wheel

Passed via the sea at Hambantota

Saw the Crag in the sea from where we dived every Sat and Sun

it was a hive of action then -fun swimming and diving

Walks daily on the beach with friends

Tried to find my small office at Ambalantota

from where in Fifty  Eight

I managed the Southern Province

for marketing paddy and milling rice

A Ricemill that  milled a thousand bushels a day

working day and night when switched on at eight on a Monday 

it was switched off at nine on a Saturday night

The Rice Mill was seen in pieces now, the land in shambels.

The rice  mill land parcelled to Departments, all neglected  

It was sad. 

Then I cared for it with my life to work day and night

This shambles- we call it Development now.

I relived memories of the days I served day and night.

We reached Cbo via the Rajapaksa Highway

Thanks to Mahinda for a job well done to turn our wheels home.  

Garvin Karunaratne Of the Administrative Service 1955-1973

26-12-25