The Masterpieces of Royal – Part 1

Remembered Yesterdays

by J. Godwin Perera

Emerging from the dim recesses of the past

I see this educated and dedicated cast

The teachers who shaped us like we were clay

Then filled us with knowledge day after day

This is a tribute to those teachers at Royal who in their own inimitable style implanted in our minds the learning skills and knowledge which in later years bloomed, blossomed and branched bearing diverse fruits, enriching institutions, professions and society. However this task is undertaken with great trepidation. Reams have already been written by more eminent persons on both the college and teachers. This contribution of mine is like a few drops of water being poured into an ocean. And that too, drops which are somewhat tainted, turbid and may even be troubling. Personal preferences and prejudices will be minced and mixed as thoughts get transformed into words. Extricating facts from fantasies, impressions from imperceptibles, can be delicate and dubious. And there needs to be added a subtraction. Some of the masters would be given a miss (no pun intended!). Reading all that can be written can be tedious.

Hence two articles. So let’s begin with the first.

In the beginning were the words – RPS. And the words stood for Royal Preparatory School. But RPS was only a transition. A period of preparation. Hence the name of the school. Preparation to enter the hall of fame which was Royal College.

Sometimes nicknames are used and most masters did have nicknames. But may the surviving kith and kin not take offence. Beneath the façade of a nickname was a genuine respect and affection.

The sequence in which the masters are mentioned here is not according to their entrances and exits into and out of my life as a student. It is rather a random sequence according to the mental and emotional impact created during the ‘growing up ‘ years.’

The curtain opens and here enters Mr J.E.V.Peiris very affectionately called ‘Bada Peiris.’ For very obvious reasons. He was rotund and cheerful. He taught Geometry and with what innovation! He brought to class wooden models of isosceles triangles, right-angled triangles, a pair of identical triangles and holding them up at the appropriate time would, with a smiling face explain most lucidly the Pythagorean theorem. Why two triangles can be considered to be congruent and all the other theorems we needed to know. Geometry was a new experience. We (certainly!) absorbed this new knowledge like a sponge.

Quite a contrast was Mr M. M. Kulasekeram. Vice Principal. One is reminded of Oliver Goldsmith’s description of the village schoolmaster in his poem ‘Deserted Village.’

‘A man severe he was and stern to view; I knew him well and every truant knew; Yet he was kind: or if severe in aught, The love he bore to learning was in fault.’

He taught Mathematics. No. He drilled it into our brains and there it remained. A wrong answer resulted in an excruciating pinch on the stomach. The welt would remain for a few days. A reminder never to give a wrong answer ever again. And yes, this must be said of him. He shone as a scholar and sportsman at Trinity College.

Mr S. Muthukumaru taught Physics. Devotedly. Maintaining his equanimity even when provoked by a little bit of heckling asking for his daughter’s hand in marriage. Sometimes just before the end of the lesson a hand would shoot up and good teacher that he was, Mr M would respond, “Yes what’s it ?” And the said student will reply very seriously “Sir can I please marry your daughter ?” Mr M would blush. Really blush. And say “Sit down you rascal .” But let it be known he did have a very attractive daughter. It is hoped that she will read this. And yes. Blush.

Teaching us English Literature was Mr S. Sivaraman. He was also a cynic. He once recommended a prayer. ‘Oh God – if there is a God, save my soul if there is a soul!’ It was his ice breaker before moving on to Shakespeare’s King Henry V .

Next in the batting order is Mr E.C. Gunasekera. Talk of Royal College cricket teams and you will find that through the years the name that keeps appearing most frequently is ‘Gunasekera.’ Most of these Gunasekeras are from the same family tree. ‘EC’ was also from this most distinguished clan. He had a double doctorate ‘ Discipline and Dedication.’ This was what he instilled into every student who was fortunate enough ( repeat – fortunate enough ) to come under his tutelage. This adherence to the ‘Double Ds’ manifested itself very tangibly when he was Vice Principal and used the cane quite liberally. But between the caner and the caned there were no recriminations. The caner thought it was his duty to do it. The caned thought that he richly deserved it.

Regarding his nickname ‘Kataya’ I need to quote Lalanath de Silva, LLM, who delivered the Inaugural E.C. Gunasekera Memorial Oration in June 2000. ‘How and why that nickname came to be coined for him is a great mystery. I have gone to great lengths to discover its history but failed miserably.’ So, may it be added – Let that part of history remain a mystery until someone can reveal the inside story. Interestingly ‘EC’ was also the Founder Master-in – Charge of Rowing.

Teacher at Royal for over a decade, Founder Principal of D.S.Senanake College and Gateway Group was Mr R.I.T.Alles. He was an educationist par excellence who endeared himself to all whom he taught. His dedication to the Education System in this country was once again fulfilled when he was appointed State Secretary for the Ministry of Education.

And now to Art. That pleasant smell of a newly opened box of Reeves water colors can still be remembered. So can the mixing of different shades and delicately applying brush to page to transform it into a picture of a calm serene lagoon. This was supervised by Mr A.W.P. Jayatunge – the Art master. He was called ‘Dynamite’ aka ‘Dyna.’ According to very reliable sources this nickname was conferred upon him because he would ‘explode’ when the class became too boisterous. After 18 years of teaching to more docile students at Trinity College this new experience at Royal was just a trifle too much.

Scouting and Mr M.K.J.Cantlay are synonymous. Wearing the scout uniform was a pride. Pinning on the first badge –Tenderfoot, was a privilege. Getting further merit badges though very desirable was a knotty problem. Some badges had to do with knots. Not so difficult. Others had to do with doing a good deed every day. Well nigh impossible! Many happy days and nights were had, when we the scouts went camping. Ah! Yes there was that campfire song ‘Back to Gilwell – Happy land, Happy land……’ which we all sang with gusto. But none of us knew anything about Gilwell and why it was a happy land! But we didn’t care. We sang.

Mr Emmanuel (Emma) M.J.S. Fernando had a dual responsibility. He was Master –in Charge of Boxing for over a decade and he also taught sculpture. He was my instructor in both these Arts. It was under his inspiration and initiative that a few of us were able to send our sculptural creations to Paris for an Exhibition. The reviews were excellent. We were grateful to ‘Emma.’ Very grateful. and proud of ourselves. Very proud.

Mr C. Kathiresan ( Kathir ) was amongst other things, Master–in-Charge of Hockey. Somewhere in the college archives there is a photograph of the Royal College Hockey team with the names of the team members. Conspicuous is – ‘Absent – Mr C. Kathiresan’. But Kathir does appear in one of the College magazines sometime in the 1950s. In it there were caricatures of some of the masters. And there was Kathir with one flap of his shirt collar turned up. Ah! this is what Kathir will be best remembered for. His creation of a new sartorial style. Being of an impressionable age many students, including self, imitated him. And Kathir was quite good looking too. Pity we could not emulate him that way.

(E & OE)