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May 7, 2019, 11:40 PM (5 hours ago)
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I was reminded of Prof.Sinnathmby, prompted by the passing away of one of his nieces, Dr. Jeathambihai Gnanapragasam, whose obituary,
I heard on Radios and also was published in Tamil Murasu Australia. I
looked for any reference to Prof.Sinnathamby and found this
Appreciatiion apparently by his children!
The
services Prof.Sinnathamby has rendered to the Community as a very able
Specialist, Professor and a Tamil activist has been apparently forgotten
by the Community especially the Tamil community. He has not only
published Books in Tamil for Medical education, helped establish Tamil
Saiva Schools in the North western Province in areas like Udappu,
Maruthankulam, Munneswaram. This was a very significant move by him, as
the whole of that Province was slowly becoming a Catholic Sinhala
speaking. Negombo, Chilaw and several villages and towns in that area,
like Anavilunthan, with Tamil names, (ஆனைவிழுந்தான்), have all become
Sinhala speaking Catholic areas now, as there were no Tamil Schools
there to teach Tamil.
It is necessary that such pioneers who served Tamil and Saivaism be remembered with gratitude by our commnunity!
Another
Professor who became a Tamil activist was Prof A.W.Mailvaganam,
Professor of Physics at the University of Ceylon, Colombo. He mastered
the Tamil language and was prepared to teach in Tamil. I happened to
attend some of his classes in Radiation Physics, as part of our
curriculum of the London Society of Radiographers, Diploma Exam. Subsequently, I met him at the Bambalapitiya Temple and attempted to talk to him, in English. He curtly replied
in
pure Tamil. I continued in Tamil with some English words in between,.
Again he replied in Tamil only. I felt very embarrassed and then
resorted to Tamil only after that.
Prof.
Mailvaganam was also involved in the Tamil University Movement in the
Sixties and gave lectures to students at the Navalar Hall in
Wellawatte.
Pon
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