Two: Mevan Pieris, in Qualified Response to Arunachalam Sathānanthan’s Expression of Joy at the Parliamentary Election Results
Good morning the greatest great great grandson, Professor Arunachalam Sathanandan my revered teacher. ……….. It is up to the TNA to join hands with Ranil at this moment to form the Government and take a couple of ministries and develop the North, without playing any more divisive politics so that once and for all communal politics could be thrown into the drain and instead of a communal identity a Sri Lankan identity could be created as an example for the whole world. This is the only way the racist Sinhala lot (whom, I dare say, exists in significant numbers ) would be unable to raise their ugly head. It is also the way forward to keep the global Tamil fora hopefully happy. As someone who befriended 23 Tamils in my home for several week, when the ugly ethnic riots broke out in July 1983 (the darkest days of this country’s history), I feel strongly for communal unity. And I would hate to see this country divided which many powerful countries with vested interest would love to see happening.
Rajapaksa and the SLFP must stay in the opposition as a strong force if Democracy should continue to thrive in this country. We cannot have Ranil & Rajapaksa together — for absolute power could corrupt absolutely.
Please be free to share my message with as many as you may choose to.
Take care, sir. May God bless you.
To sir with love, Mevan Pieris
One: Arunachalam Sathanandan’s Circular Email Note, 9 August 2015
Match over! Viva Sri Lanka. Her people suffered a lot. I urge all Tamils to support Ranil unreservedly to rebuild our country. TNA must lead the way.
Prof. Arunachalam Sathananthan …great, great, grandson of Gate Mudaliyar Ponnambalam Arunachalam
Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam: Ceylon Reforrm League, 1917-19 and a founding father of Ceylon National Congress, 1919
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HSM Pieris of S. Thomas’ College represented Sri Lanka in cricket in the 1970s and is presented here as a member of the 1975 squad that toured England and played in the inaugural World Cup. Serendipitously, he is featured among the on-field players who calmly watched as a body of Tamil demonstrators protested in lively fashion — young Tamils expressing their disgust at the political trends in Sri Lanka under the regime of Mrs Bandaranaike. Mevan Pieris went on to become a respected scientist in the professional realm in Sri Lanka.
HSM Pieris and Wally Edwards are in the left background
HSM Pieris is standing behind Manager KMT Perera
Sri Lankan squad with bus taking them to Nuwara Eliya for conditioning prior to the tour of England …… with Mevan on extreme right as one faces the image