"Remembering ‘Veerasingam Ayya’" - Dr. Philip G. Veerasingam


It was a leisurely phone call that I made to Daniel Gnanasothy Veerasingam, my younger brother. The call was answered with the words ‘Kallady Veerasingam speaking’. This way of naming a person by the village he was born in is a custom among the Tamils. Thus Daniel was identifying himself by the village where he was permanently settled ie Kallady, in the area across the Batticaloa lagoon. I recognized the voice of Sothy and said, “Veerasingam ayya niikkiraro?” which translated from Thamil means “Is Veerasingam sir standing” The answer was – “Irukkirar”  - meaning literally “He is seated”. This is the sophisticated way that Thamil is spoken in present Sri Lanka. In the cited conversation, ‘nikkirar’ and ‘irukkirar’ refer to the referred person’s presence.

My brother Daniel was a person who was interested in people and liked to have a leisurely conversation with each and every one. He would listen to each person, interject a few relevant questions, and get a fuller picture of each subject. He thus never got into a situation of confrontation with anyone.

I was in my final year in the Colombo Medical Faculty in the year 1963/1964 when Daniel was admitted to the Science Faculty in Colombo to follow a course leading up to the degree of B.Sc. He found accommodation at the Brodie Hostel, close to the science Faculty. Part of the initiation into the University Hostel life involved a march of the newly admitted hostellers, dressed in fancy clothing, to the Majestic Cinema at Bambalapitiya, from the Brodie Hostel at Turret road. They bought the tickets for the show at the cinema and went in to watch the current film. During the interval, one of the ‘freshers’  got on the cinema stage and introduced the undergraduates newly admitted to ‘Brodie’ one by one to the amused audience.

Daniel finished his exams, and he got employed in an engineering firm owned by Mr Tony Ponnaiah. The workshops were at Colombo and Jaffna. He left the firm and got employed as a science teacher at the Sammanthurai Central College. During this time, he also obtained his Postgraduate Diploma in Education from the Open University of Sri Lanka. He was popular with the students, especially for his efficient teaching of Chemistry at the Advanced Level, and subsequently completed the Department of Education administration test and joined Sri Lanka Principals Service (SLPS). He assumed duties as Principal at Palugamam Mahavidyalayam and later at Amirthakali Vidyalayam, Batticaloa.

Daniel got married to ‘Malar’ in the year 1983 and had a son by her – Ebenezer Breman Veerasingam. Malar was working as a sister Tutor at the Batticaloa Nursing School and later assumed duties as Principal, College of Nursing in Batticaloa and later in Vavuniya, from which she retired. Daniel also retired and did tuitions for students doing Maths and English language for the GCE O/L and A/L. After helping the Methodist Church with a few Tsunami Relief projects, he assumed duties as Principal, Eastern International School, Batticaloa.

Breman, in the meantime, had proceeded to Bangalore, India, where he ended up finishing an MA in English Literature from Christ University. He joined the Department of Languages and Communication Studies of the Eastern University, Trincomalee Campus, as a lecturer. He is now doing a Ph.D. at the Queen’s University, Belfast.

Daniel and Malar, bought a plot of land at Kallady and built a beautiful house in the land, close to the famous Kallady Bridge.

The family were very attached to the Palugamam and Puliyantheevu Methodist Churches. Breman’s musical talents blossomed there, and a few times, the Annual Carol Services were under his purview. He got engaged to Charolin Tharshini Puvaneswararajah from Thethatheevu. His fiancée is doing a B.Sc.(Hons) degree in Agricultural Science at the Rajarata University, in Anuradhapura.

Daniel was with me in the year 1966 in June, when I went to assume duties as the DMO, Koslanda. When I came back from England, after obtaining the FRCS Ed., I was posted as Resident Surgeon, Kandy. He came and stayed with my family at the Resident Surgeons quarters there. He got along famously with my two daughters Queenie and Shiranie.

He was a beautiful soul and always stepped forward to help a person in distress. His passing away was a shock to us. He did not suffer too much in his last days. It was Coleridge who wrote:-

“Sunset and evening star,

And one clear call for me,

May there be,

No moaning at the bar,

When I go out to sea.”

There was no moaning by us when he left us. We celebrate a life well-lived, where he spread hope, happiness and faith in whichever place he lived.

“May the Good Lord Bless and keep him.”

Dr. Philip G Veerasingam

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

“My Teacher, Mr. Daniel Gnanasothy Veerasingam" - Rev. Kanapathippillai David Jebanayagam

Image
My memories of Mr Veerasingam are still very fresh, and I treasure them very deeply in my heart. I met this stylish, compassionate, innovative, thoughtful, and delightful person a few times, and he made a huge impact on my life.   I met Mr Veerasingam when I was 14 years old in my formative years at a Methodist youth camp in 1975 in Komari. He played a great part in facilitating a lively youth group discussion and leading the gathering in singing with his guitar with 600 strong young people gathering from the North & East part of Sri Lanka.   None of us will ever forget his broad smile and his hearty laugh. None of us will forget those moments when his eyes danced with delight over someone’s happiness or great accomplishment. Nor will we forget those moments when his eyes welled up with tears over the great pain or grief of someone. None of us will ever forget seeing his head lifted up in song – he loved to sing! None of us will forget how he gently raised his voice to sing pra
Read more

"Sothy Bappa’s Memorial" - Dr. Queenie Veerasingam

Image
       I am very privileged to write a eulogy for my Uncle, Mr Daniel Gnanasothy Veerasingam, who passed away a couple of months back. Thus we are missing a very prestigious member from our 'Veerasingam' family. 'Sothy Bappa' is the name we used to call him from our younger days. It is within this context I shall write from and share of his associations with us.      Sothy Bappa was my father's younger brother from their very big family tree of ten children.      He was one of my very closely associated uncles as well. I have known him since I was a child of four years, and associated him for the last fifty years in my life.      My sister Shiranie and I loved his company from our childhood days. He used to visit us often at Kandy during the early '70 when we were kids. He was teaching mathematics for the GCE Advanced Level students in Kandy. Therefore he often visited my father's surgeons resident quarters which was situated in the Kandy 'Hantana&
Read more

“வீரசிங்கம் அங்கிள்,” நீங்கள் இல்லாத உலகில் நான் - அன்பு சித்தார்த்தன்

Image
என்றும் உங்கள் முகத்தில் தாடி மீசை   -கண்டதில்லை   எப்பொழுதும் சப்பாத்து இல்லாமல் -பார்த்ததில்லை நீளக்காற்சட்டை உள்மறையும் -மேலங்கியும்    நிமிர்ந்த நடை கொண்டவர்தான் “ எங்கள் வீரசிங்கம் அங்கிள் ”   ஆசிரியப்பணி தனிலும் அதிபராய் -வந்த பின்பும் நேசமுடன் புத்தி சொல்லி நின்ற -பக்குவமும் நீளப்பிரம்புடனே நீ நடக்கும் -காட்சி அது நீங்கவில்லை நினைவு பல நீண்டு -கொண்டே போகிறது.   சிறு வயதுக் குறும்புகளைக் கண்டிக்கும் உங்கள் செயல் வெறுத்தவன் நான் ஆனால் வேதனை -அடைகின்றேன் அருமை மொழி ஆங்கிலத்தின் அறிவுதனை மேம்படுத்த   முடியாமல் போனது   அன்று முள்ளாய் மனது இன்று.     இளவயதில் உங்களுடன் இணைந்திருக்கும் தருணத்தில் எடுத்துரைக்கும் போதனைகள்   என் செவிக்கு எட்டவில்லை கோபமாய்க் கூறுவதாய் - நான்     கொண்ட கருத்தெல்லாம்   பாவம் என எண்ணி இன்று     பரிதவித்து வாடுகின்றேன்.   விட்டழிந்ததென நினைத்த - எந்தன் கடிதமும் கவிதைகளும் பக்குவமாய் பல வருடம்   பாதுகாத்துத் தந்த போது கட்டிளமைப் பருவத்தில் - நீங்கள் காட்டிய கரிசனையை அற்புதமாய்
Read more

"ஜீவனின் அப்பம்" - Jeevanin Appam | Sung by Daniel G. Veerasingam

Image
Written and Composed by K. S. Arulraja Sung by Daniel G. Veerasingam Music added to the phone-voice-recording by Ebenezer Breman Back in 2010, I was a student in Bangalore. I had come home for vacation and heard my beloved father singing one of his favourite songs "Jeevanin Appam", written and composed by Late. Mr K. S. Arulraja. I had this song recorded on my mobile phone and kept it a secret as Appa continued to sing with the Methodist Hymnal in his hands. Later when I returned to Bangalore, with the help of my friend Jinto George lending his musical instruments and recording tools, I tried my best to filter the recorded voice and to add music to this plain voice. Later, I posted this song from Bangalore to Batticaloa, written in an audio CD to surprise my father. It indeed surprised him! Today, almost a decade after, when I listen to his voice singing this song, the song makes more sense to me. He entered into glory on 27th November 2020, and all that he yearned for in thi
Read more

"About Sothy. From Selvar Anna." - Jacob. G. Veerasingam

Image
       Daniel, fondly called by us siblings as “Sothy”, was highly esteemed in our family. He was very loving, humble, and a genius in math. Our dear parents took time, pain and imparted very high values of Christ, to grow in them and be blessed.      Sothy very much loved his dear wife Malar and their brilliant son Breman and fiancée. He was rightly proud to impart his inheritance of Christ to his family based on Micah 6:8. He started his career as a Math teacher at Sammanthurai, excelled in his calling as a teacher, and became a very successful Principal; highly appreciated by all in society.      Sothy poured out his life in Batticaloa. As apostle Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:7, Sothy fought to live an exemplary life, ran the race well and kept his faith.      My wife and I thank and praise God for the opportunity given to me to be his elder brother. Jacob. G. Veerasingam from Namibia  
Read more

About My Good Friend from School Days, “Daniel.” - Mr. Elkanah Alagurajah

Image
  I am sending this Tribute/Eulogy for my school mate and a dear friend whom I met almost 60 plus years ago at Hartley College, Point Pedro, Sri Lanka. He was my classmate in HSC Class. He was one of the few who normally sat in front of the class and excelled in his studies. I like to talk about some of the attributes and qualities he exhibited at this young age. He was very polite, kind, helpful, spoke gently, and was patient. The Bible says the fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self Control. I can say with absolute confidence that Daniel exhibited almost all these nine attributes. Later when I look back on his life, I know that he was Faithful, Obedient to the word of God, Loving everyone and trusted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. This is his upbringing from an early young age. Train up a child in the way he should go. Even when he is old, he will not depart from it. I am the Ressurection and the Life: He that b
Read more

என்றும் நீங்காத பெறா மகன் கபிலனின் நினைவுகளிலிருந்து...

Image
       இந்தப் பிரபஞ்சத்தின் நீட்சிக்கும் மனித இனத்தின் இருப்புக்கும் ஒரு மனிதனை யாராவது பேச வேண்டும், யாராவது ஒருவர் கவனிக்க வேண்டும், யாராவது ஒருவர் பாராட்ட வேண்டும், யாராவது ஒருவர் பெருமை கொள்ள வேண்டும், யாராவது தொடர வேண்டும், யாராவது ஒருவரை ஈர்க்க வேண்டும், யாராவது ஒருவர் கேட்க வேண்டும். எனது வாழ்வின் படி நிலைகளிலும் அப்படியான ஒருவராக வாழ்ந்து வழிகாட்டிக் கொண்டிருப்பவர் தான் எனது வீரசிங்கம் அங்கிள்.        நான் இன்று நம்ப முடியாத அளவுக்கு உங்களுக்கு நன்றி உடையவனாக, கடமைப் பட்டவனாக இருக்கிறேன். ஏனெனில் இவை அனைத்தையும் பெற்றுக்கொண்டு அனுபவித்த ஒருவனாக நான் ஆசிர்வதிக்கப்பட்டவன். என்னுடைய இளமைப் பருவத்தையும் பாடசாலைக் கல்வியையும் உங்களுடன் இருந்து அந்த நாட்களை செலவிட்டது இன்றும் எனது மனதில் நீங்காத நினைவுகளாய்.............      குடும்பத்தினர், நண்பர்கள், உறவினர்கள், அயலவர்கள், ஏன் இந்த சமூகத்திற்கும் என சகல இன்ப துன்பங்களிலும் முழுமையாக எப்பொழுதும் உங்களை ஈடுபடுத்தி சமூக முன்னேற்றத்திற்காக உழைத்தவர்களில் அங்கிளும் ஒருவர்.      எனக்கு நன்றாக ஞாபகம் இருக்கிறது. ஒருமுறை நான் சிவானந
Read more

"God’s Comfort and Strength in Our Times of Grief" - Ebenezer Veerasingam

Image
  It was 26th February 2021… Appa had passed away three months ago – on 27th November 2020. Only now was I returning home. I was returning to a ‘Sri Lanka’, a ‘Batticaloa’, a ‘Home’ where Appa was no more. My motherland was fatherless to me. After a long and expensive flight of ten and a half hours, taking off from Heathrow, London, the captain finally announced his landing preparations, confirming that we will soon reach Katunayake, Colombo. The time was just beyond Lankan noon.  The window blinds pulled down by the cabin crew last night, shortly after the dinner, had to be lifted now. Those blinds had remained an obstacle for my view from the window seat throughout this long flight. I did not dare to lift it open, flush the Middle-Eastern and South-Asian dry daylight into the cabin of masked passengers and disturb their peace-seeking slumber in the sky.  All of the passengers on board with me probably had personal and emotional reasons to fly during this pandemic. Most likely, all of
Read more

“கிறிஸ்துவுக்குள் மரித்தவர்கள் பாக்கியவான்கள்” - உடன்பிறவா சகோதரி, சலா

Image
  கர்த்தருக்குள் நித்திரையடைந்த டானியேல் வீரசிங்கம் அண்ணனை பற்றிய நினைவுகளை இந்த நேரத்தில் நான் பகிர்ந்து கொள்ள கிடைத்த வாய்ப்புக்காக கத்தருக்கு நன்றி செலுத்துகின்றேன். இவர் எனது கணவரின் மைத்துனர். அதோடு எனது நெருங்கிய நண்பியின் கணவர். இப்படியிருந்தும் திருமணம் ஆனவுடன் வெளியூர் சென்றதினால் எனக்கு அவரோடு பழக சந்தர்ப்பம் கிடைக்கவில்லை. 1999 ஆம் ஆண்டு முதல் முறையாக குடும்பமாக இலங்கைக்கு வந்தோம். நாட்டின் பிரச்சனை காரணமாக வெளியிடங்களுக்கு செல்ல முடியவில்லை. அண்ணனின் வீட்டில்தான் தங்கியிருந்தோம். இந்த நேரத்தில்தான் எனது மகனும் நானும் வீரசிங்கம் அண்ணனுடன்  நன்கு பழக சந்தர்ப்பம் கிடைத்தது. அண்ணனின் அன்பு, கடவுள் பக்தியுள்ள நல்ல உள்ளம், ஏழைகளுக்கு இரங்கி அவர்களுக்கு உதவிசெய்கின்ற கரம், அன்பான வார்த்தைகள், இவையெல்லாம் எங்களை கவர்ந்தன. அதுமட்டுமல்லாமல் உறவினர்களுக்கும், ஊர் மக்களுக்கும் அவர் ஆற்றிய சேவைகள் அளப்பெரியது. எனது மகன் நாட்டிக்கு புதிதாய் வந்ததினால் எல்லா இடங்களையும் சுற்றிக்காட்டுவதில் அக்கறை கொண்டார். தனது நேரத்தையும் பொருட்படுத்தாமல் குடும்பத்துக்கும், உறவினர்களுக்கும், ஊர்மக்
Read more