A Tribute to Mr.W.D. Ailapperuma; An Exemplary Public Servant and a Rare Human Being

By Desamanya K.H.J. Wijayadasa;
Former Secretary to the President

The news of the untimely death of Wijepala Dharmasiri Ailapperuma – an exemplary public servant, a top administrator and a rare, humane, human being, exactly an year ago came as a rude shock to all of us, especially his contemporaries at the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya and his colleagues in the Public Service.

I am a firm subscriber to the view that breeding and upbringing are the two most critical factors that come into play in moulding the character and integrity of an exemplary citizen. Aila was an embodiment of these two fundamental characteristics.

He was born on the April 12, 1938 at Millewa, a beautiful village in the vicinity of Horana to educated and cultured middle class parents of standing and repute. His mother was a trained teacher, while his father was a small time businessman of integrity. Aila’s father passed away when he was only six years of age and his mother teaching in a remote school in Kegalle District at the time had no alternative but to place Aila in the care of her sister and brother in law who were both teachers at Weherawatta Sinhala School in Anguruwatota.

This is where he had his entire primary education and spent his formative years; a blessing in disguise under the given circumstances. Aila confided in me that he made the best use of these fortuitous circumstances and also made a firm resolution that he would reach the top of the ladder in his chosen profession. This indeed was the turning point in his illustrious career.

Like many of our contemporaries, Aila was a brilliant product of free education plus liberal English medium education, which was thrown away with the bath water for political expediency in the 1960’s. He received his secondary and senior secondary education at Taxila College Horana, where he excelled in academic studies, sports and extra curricular activities.

In 1958 he gained admission to the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya, followed a special course in Sociology and graduated with honours in 1962. Having performed exceptionally well in the open competitive examination, he was admitted to the Ceylon Administrative Service in 1965; successor to the coveted Ceylon Civil Service which was unceremoniously abolished in 1963.

He received Post Graduate Training in Development Administration at the University of Cambridge and subsequently obtained Fellowship of the World Bank Institute in Washington in Managing Urban Growth.

Aila’s Public Service career was both wide and varied and slow and steady. He was always prepared to take on challenging jobs and break new ground. He held a string of sensitive and responsible positions such as Director General of the Central Environmental Authority and the Urban Development Authority. Director Planning, Ministry of Local Government, Housing and Construction, Chairman, National Housing Development Authority, Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development, Housing and Construction and Advisor to the Minister of Housing and Cultural Affairs with great distinction.

He was one of the most trusted and sought after public servants of President Premadasa, for a period of 15 years from 1978 – 1993. This indeed is an enviable feat considering President Premadasa’s fluctuating moods, idiosyncrasies and his habit of under cover surveillance of his senior staff officers.

It is said that the closer you are to the throne, the greater the chance of getting beheaded instantly. In this case Aila was the perfect blend of caution and instinct. He of course did not have one foot here and one foot there. He looked after his boss’s interests meticulously. He did not gossip nor did he denounce anyone. He was in the know of state secrets, political manoeuvres and even family quarrels of his bosses. But, he did not breath a word about those even to his wife, let alone the outside world.

Aila was an unassuming, harmless and saintly character. He was extremely loyal and faithful to his superiors. He not only carried out instructions given to him meticulously but also added his own colours and flavours to the tasks assigned to him. We, Civil Servants of yore were taught to comply first and complain later. In Aila’s case he always complied, never complained but compromised in the best possible manner.

He was humble, quiet and unassuming in his demeanour. He knew how to win friends and influence people. Perseverance and application to detail was the hallmark of his success. It is no exaggeration to state that he brought compassion, honesty and humility to the Administrative Service.

Aila was an embodiment of the famous dictum that “Reading Makes a Complete Man”. He was a prolific and avid reader. He did not spend a single minute of his life moping and groping. He read anything and everything that came his way till the wee hours of the morning. His brain was a vast storehouse of knowledge. This is probably why he excelled in playing scrabble. Moreover, his command of the English language was immaculate.

He was a great environmentalist who advocated a gentle and non aggressive attitude towards nature and living beings. He shunned conspicuous consumption and wasteful use of wealth and resources. I, along with Aila served as founder Chairman and Director General respectively of the nascent Central Environmental Authority for well over a decade in perfect unison and harmony and paved the way for the growth of this monolithic organization to what it is today.

Aila was a perfect embodiment of virtuous living. He led an exemplary life as reflected in the famous Buddhist dictum “contentment is the highest gain”. He was a man of principles who practiced what he preached. He considered frugality as a virtue in its own right. May be, influenced by Gandhian Philosophy he did not attach much value or importance to luxurious living. He did not live by precept alone. He lived both by precept and example. He never seemed to be worried or flurried. He was never in a hurry. In other words everything he did was well planned, organized and under his control. Men of such self confidence and self control are very rare indeed.

Aila’s married life of 56 years has been smooth and cosy. He was the loving and caring husband of his guardian angel Pushpa who not only provided motherly care but also pampered him at every turn. Aila adored his son Chulaka and daughter Maheshi. For Aila Maheshi was the “Apple of his eye” as portrayed by the following words of appreciation she penned about him from far away Texas, USA.

(I quote) “Thathi was my hero. Everyday of my life he believed in me. He instilled in me all the morals and values, I have. He taught me to be kind, confident and strong. I was able to learn and emulate his strong work ethics of hard work, patience and perseverance. He was never boastful and arrogant. He was the better father, I could ever ask for or wish for. The perfect person created just for me”(End of quote)

I am glad that my impressions about Aila do tally with those of his daughter, Maheshi’s. The moral of the story is that, if people such as heWije are born in their thousands, Sri Lanka will be a better place for all of us to live happily and die peacefully. May he attain the Supreme Bliss of Nibbana.