Nalini Wickremasinghe - Portrait of a great and gracious lady

by Thelma Nanayakkara de Rosayro

(June 26, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Nalini Wickremasinghe was a lady in the truest sense of the word. Tall, fair, and slim she carried herself with a dignified bearing. She was graceful, simple and well-mannered. It was my privilege to have been designated as her Secretary/Personal Assistant when she was appointed to the Board of Lake House as Editorial Director. Among the other aides on her personal staff was the late Khema Samaraweera another trusted and staunch associate. We soon found that it was a streak of good fortune to have been assigned to work alongside her. She was indeed an employer beyond measure.

It was not the best of times when Mrs. Wickremasinghe entered Lake House in the early seventies. The newspaper group was being targeted for a government takeover. It was also a time when the government had imposed stringent austerity measures on the nation. Food, clothing, sugar and milk powder were being rationed. Mrs. Wickremasinghe did not struggle stubbornly against the political tide but chose to swim with it. She motivated staff writers to promote ground-breaking industries to help fill the vacuum. Publicity as a form of encouragement was given to pioneering entrepreneurs to work within the political, cultural and economic constraints of the harsh environment. She was also a grand patron of culture, local craft and the arts.

As part of elite society she could have led a life of an undisturbed and comfortable socialite. But she chose to enter the family business amid a gathering political storm. And to the very last she never wavered from her chosen path despite the challenges the establishment had been confronted with. Still she was a living example of simplicity and charm and shied away from the spotlight. I will remember her as somebody who always kept a low profile although she was a patron of many fund-raising events. Even the most competent journalists at the time admired and respected her for her courteous interaction. She always kept a quiet distance and spoke or intervened only when it was essential. And even so, her interventions were very short, soft and to the point.

But she was no wallflower either and proved her mettle and superior intellect when pushed. She vanquished an arrogant editor backed by political patronage at his own game. In an exchange of correspondence she overpowered him with her analytical mind and brilliant economy of words. When the frustrated editor finally surrendered with the sentence: "This correspondence is now closed". Mrs. Wickremasinghe responded sweetly by having the last word: "Amen!" She was never bothered by his interference again.

She may have appeared stately and standoffish because of her quiet, reserved demeanour. But in reality she was an immensely kind person. However, it was the little known things she did that were the best part of her life. Mrs. Wickremasinghe always had the welfare of the staff and workers at heart. She took charge of the group’s cafeteria programme and appointed her personal staff to head the committee and report directly back to her. Any task that she undertook, she did with complete dedication and excellence. Hard work and sacrifice were her hallmarks. Whatever she did was successful because she would do whatever it took to make it succeed.

It is doubtful that any employer at the time ever generated as much affection and loyalty as this grand and gracious lady. Some of her personal staff, myself included, branded as being her loyalists, were later to become political victims of insidious witch-hunts after the government takeover of Lake House. But Mrs. Wickremasinghe always kept in touch, always displayed concern and kept a close tab on the progress of the proceedings as we sought legal redress.

To me, she was a guiding light, an inspiration, a cheerful voice that warmed the heart. And she was a great and trusted confidante. She was truly one of those rare beings who made life a little brighter, more cheerful and more humane for everyone around her.

It was a unique privilege and an inspiration to have known her, to have interacted with her, and to have helped her and observed the excellent work she always accomplished. Together with her many friends and associates, all of us admired and loved her.

She was one of those rare lights that made life a little brighter, more cheerful, and more humane for everyone. I will miss her warming smile, good manners, caring heart, considerate, sensible ways and her lively, unpresumptuous attitude. She was a visionary always generating optimism and strength and she also had the most courage of any person I have ever known. She left a lasting impression on me. While I will grieve over her demise I am grateful for having been able to share the goodness of her life on earth.

My sincere condolences to her family.