ARU: THE POLYMATH IN OUR MIDST

A book review
Falling Leaves by Chandra Arulpragasam (2023) 236pp Electronic Publication https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-DdYKHD6Dk84zPfo2GMsVRuPBFOtrr4e/view
Reviewed by Jayantha Somasundaram Sunday Island 8 October 2023

It is rarely that one gets the opportunity of reading a book authored by a ninety-five year old writer. Even rarer would one get the pleasure to review such an extraordinary effort. So this is altogether a unique exercise and as such I need to explain myself.

Lucian Chandra Arulpragasam though physically beset with many medical problems and limitations, has decided to put together in a single volume and electronic form, a collection of his essays which he regards as an attempt at an autobiography. Some of these articles have appeared previously in book form; others have been published intermittently in the Sunday Island. Together they testify to an extraordinary life. They also give us glimpses of an exceptional personality who has shone right across a range of human endeavour and achievement. No doubt he is blessed with a suite of abilities, talents and skills which enabled him to aspire to, and to achieve much.

Chandra belongs to a distinguished Jaffna Tamil Protestant Christian family. His great grandfather being Reverend Joseph Seth Christmas (1823-1904), the Parish Priest in Vaddukoddai. His grand uncle Samuel Christmas Kanagaratnam MA (Princeton) founded Central College Kotahena in 1900. His father was Rajaratnam Arulpragasam a committed medical doctor who served the sick across many provinces of this island. And his elder brother was the eminent researcher and ENT Surgeon Dr Raju Arulpragasam FRCS.

Known to his school and university friends as ‘Aru’, Chandra had his entire schooling at Royal where he was Head Prefect, head of the College Cadet Corp and winner of the Dornhorst Prize for the Best All-Rounder. At Royal College he was the Athletics Captain and a Rugger coloursman.

In the academic sphere he passed first in the University Entrance Examination and was awarded a scholarship to study Political Science. At the University of Ceylon he topped his batch, was Athletics Captain and awarded colours in Rugger and Boxing.

After graduating he sat for and came first in the Ceylon Civil Service entrance examination and initially served as AGA in Kandy and Batticaloa. Immersing himself in agricultural policy he moved to the Department of National Planning where he served under Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike in the early 1960s. He strongly advocated intense cultivation based on high yielding varieties, what became known as the ‘green revolution,’ as opposed to the prevailing policy of land development. Though the Prime Minister was ultimately convinced by Chandra’s policy prescription, it was rejected by the then Minister of Agriculture and Lands, C.P.de Silva and as a consequence “the whole country missed the opportunities of the green revolution for a whole eight years!”

Disappointed and disillusioned by this setback he resigned from Government Service, accepting a position as Programme Officer with the United Nations Development Programme at its Head Quarters in New York. He would be an international civil servant for the rest of his working life, spending many years with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation. Here he was able to pursue his interest in agricultural policy, and share his expertise in developing countries across the globe. He was also instrumental in the establishment of the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute in Colombo.

Chandra has lived out his retirement overseas, most recently spending many years in Manila where one of his children had made her home. During this time he has written and published a number of articles in which he recounts experiences going back to his boyhood, his working life and the interesting events, experiences and anecdotes that have enabled him to live a life of meaning, purpose and rich memories. They make up the substances of this volume.

An all rounder he has participated and succeeded in several sports including athletics, rugger, boxing, swimming, sailing, wind surfing and skiing. In addition to all of the above, he is a self taught pianist, an award winning photographer and a painter who designed a postage stamp. Falling Leaves therefore contains accounts that are serious and contemplative as well as light-hearted and amusing. Together they give us a fascinating glimpse into the life and times of a polymath in our midst.