Category: OTHER

As you may be aware the College is having their Annual Dinner Dance on 17th Nov, 2007, at Waters Edge. This time the committee decided to give a part of the funds to the Rugby Development Fund, this also coincides the Jubilee year for Thurstan Rugby.

Therefore I would be much obliged if you could find sponsorship for the Dance.We also have the letters also for the following

Banners, Advertisements, Sponsorship for the Liquor & wine, Gifts.Entrance Gift, Air ticket.etc etc

All the letters pertaining to the above are available at the Swimming Pool Office. I am sure you could use your influence and get what ever the sponsorship for this event.

With kind regards

Dushyantha.M.Dias.Abeyegunawardene

Secretary Dance Committee

PS: Tickets are also available at the College Swimming Pool – please contact the Manager Mr,Raja Weerasuriya and book your tickets, before they are snapped up – Tel no.2675639

A reservoir of legal knowledge, he shared it with all (Sunday Times – 25/03/07).

Ten years have passed so fast since Diyanesh passed away in March 1997.

After having attended Wesley College and Thurstan College , Diyanesh took to law in the family tradition and passed out as an Attorney-at-Law. He was one of the first to successfully complete the MBA programme at the University of Colombo.The mundane business of making money however attracted him little. This led him to join the Employers Federation of Ceylon and specialize in labour law.

Diyanesh was also a great sportsman and excelled in rugger and cricket. He was also a cricket commentator during the latter years of his short life that ended in 1997 when he was 44 years.

Those who knew Diyanesh will agree that there was something exceptional about him. He had a remarkable mind and he read and wrote widely. He was a gifted draftsman and an accomplished advocate. New or intricate legal points interested him. His uncanny and profound knowledge of the law coupled with his ability to direct one to an authority from memory was unusual.

He did not parade his knowledge but humbly shared it with all who sought his advice. He was known for his humanity and particularly helping little people who needed help. Diyanesh’s achievements speak for themselves and he brought an unparalleled degree of dignity, courtesy, fairness, candour and complete integrity to everything he did. His knowledge of the law was one matter. He could talk with authority on the classics, science, poetry, sports or whatever. 

There is so much respect for Diyanesh’s pursuit of perfection. He demanded so much from himself and instilled into all who surrounded him that great yearning for perfection.

I write about Diyanesh now as he deserves to be remembered. Diyanesh was a great man and was a role model par excellence. “They who think that you are gone, Because no more your face they see, 
Are wrong, for in our hearts you live And always will in memory”.

Our thoughts are with his beloved wife Devarani and his two wonderful daughters Dashanya and Dhanushka.

By Suresh Muthulingam

Sunil Karunanayake – Undoubtedly Diyanesh was a great Character and easily the most outstanding sportsman Thurstan produced. 

Bathiya Seebert – Diyanesh, was a genius no doubt in all these fields, but what I personally felt as a senior of his at Thurstan, was his unlimited capacity for human interaction at all levels and the down to earth approach towards life itself. He, always, loved and lived his life up to his simple aspirations. I personally, along with many past Thurstanites who are regular visitors to my place after our Big Match for fellowship, have been missing him for the last ten years, with his very vibrant and melodically singing for which he himself gave the lead and enjoyed the music and the singing to the hilt very much. He, definitely will live in all our hearts for ever and our thoughts will always be with his family too. 

Mr R.D.M.P. Weeratunga has relinquished his duties as the 7th Principal of Thurstan on August 31st, 2006 after almost 14 years guiding the destinies of the School. In recognition of his service, the OBU is organizing a felicitation dinner on Sunday 30th September at Ceylon Continental Hotel at 7.30 p.m. Tickets are available at the Swimming Pool Office. Tel: 2675693

Mr R D M P Weerathunga has relinquished his duties as the 7^th Principal of Thurstan on August 31^st, 2006 after almost 14 years guiding the destinies of the School. He has gone on Promotion as a Senior Assistant Secretary of the Ministry of Education and to enhance his career development in the Educational field.

In recognition of his service, the OBU is organizing a felicitation dinner on SUNDAY 30^TH SEPTMEBER @ CEYLON CONTINENTAL HOTEL AT 7.30 PM. It will be appreciated if you could be present to show our gratitude to him.

Tickets are available at the SWIMMING POOL OFFICE – 2675693 at the following rates

·        Single – RS 2500/=

·        Couples – RS 4000 /=

Please buy your ticket early and before THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 28^TH as the accommodation is limited.

Thurstanite Mahinda Rajapakse was declared as the 5th Executive President of Sri Lanka on 18 November. Born to a family with a long tradition for politics, he was mainly educated at Thurstan College, Colombo (1957-1963). Hon. Rajapakse is an Attorney at Law. In his political career spanning nearly 4 decades, he has shown an unmatchable courage and determination. 

PRESIDENT OF SRI LANKA

HON MAHINDA RAJAPAKSA

Mahinda Rajapaksa joined Thurstan in 1957 to grade 6 classes. Prior to Thurstan he was at Nalanda & Richmond. Mahinda comes from a well-known family from the Deep South, the RAJAPAKSA’S, His father; the late Mr D A Rajapaksa was a founder member of the SLFP with the late Mr S W R D Bandaranaike. The mantle of the good work that his father began fell on Mahinda who was later joined by his elder brother Chamal.Mahinda at Thurstan was just another mischievous schoolboy, although he was the son of a Member of Parliament who some times traveled from SRAVASTI, the official residence of MP’s.He was at the receiving end of the ire of our discipline master the late Mr Kingsley Fernando many a time. Mahinda was very fond of sports, he participated in athletics. Cricket & Rugby. At that young age he showed his prowess at public speaking, he was good & powerful debater. Mahinda Passed his OL & AL’s and left college in the mid sixties.He worked for some time at the Vidyodaya Campus before he took to full time politics in the late 1960’s and was elected as the youngest Parliamentarian in 1970 when the SLFP was swept into Parliament.Being a backbencher he did the wisest thing by enrolling himself in the Law College and passed out as an Attorney. When he was unseated in 1977 he began a very successful & lucrative practice as a lawyer with a large clientele.Not only did he practice diligently at courts, at this time his roving eye met I believe the pretty lady who had won the Miss Sri Lanka Contest a few year’s back and made her his wife. As the saying goes “behind a successful man there is a woman “and his wife Shiranthi has being a source of strength in his political life.They are blessed with 3 son’s who has outshone the father in sports, the elder two being versatile rugby players who have played with distinction to their school, St Thomas’ Mt Lavinia the elder even leading the Sri Lanka Under 19 team. One significant aspect is that when the son’s of other politicians have used the political power of the father to indulge in mischief, the Rajapaksa boy’s have behaved roll model of good public behaviour. He made a significant contribution to bring PA back to power in 1994 and was rewarded with Cabinet portfolio and thus became the first Thurstanite to hold Cabinet rank. When the OBU felicitated him after he resumed office, the demand was such that all tickets were snapped up within 4 days and we had to disappoint many, those were the days when many who did not openly say they were old boy’s of Thurstan, identified themselves as ThurstanitesMahinda has crowned himself as a Cabinet Minister and his work at Labour & Fisheries has been much appreciated by the public at large & the officials.Mahinda has always identified himself as a THURSTANITE even though he had his primary education both at Richmond & Nalanda. If ever time permitted he never refused an invitation to attend any College function & has helped college and the furnishing the College hall with a set chairs costing over a million rupees was a testimony of his love for his alma mater.Mahinda was honoured with the title “ SRI ROHANA RAJANA “by the Buddhist prelates in 2000 for his vast popularity with the masses and also being a devoted worker. He is the second person to be honoured by the prelates, first being the late Premier Sirimavo Bandaranaike.In the year 2001 Mahinda was elected as the Leader of the Opposition as the majority felt that he is the person who could give leadership to the parties in the OppositionAt the conclusion of the election held on April on April 2nd , Mahinda was one of the two SLFPers who were able to win the District while in all other districts which the United People’s Freedom Alliance won, it was the Members of the JVP who topped the list.He was also the highest percentage wise of the polls received for an individual for a district in the whole Island.For his dedicated service to the party for well over 35 years, which his father, the late D A Rajapaksa was instrumental in forming with the late Premier S W R D Bandaranaike he was elevated to the position of Prime Minister in April 2004. The biggest contribution he made to College was that he gave the leadership role in the Fund Raising THURSTAN WALK held in October 2004.Not only much donation was obtained from the Corporate world due to his Chairmanship; he also flagged off the walk & walked the complete route. At one point he stood and watched the participants passed by which was much appreciated by all.The funds raised by this project helped the OBU to complete Phase 1 of the Ground Development Project. Thurstan grounds is perhaps the best school ground in Sri Lanka and recently even the SRI LANKA CRICKET hired the ground to play one of the Quarter final matches of the Premier Limited over tournament as other ground were waterlogged due to the heavy rains.Thurstan also staged its first “International match “when in the recently concluded ICC Under 19 Youth World Cup a practice game was played between Bangladesh & Zimbabwe was on February 5th 2005. Prior to that Thurstan met Namibia on Jan 30th    . The nadir of Mahinda’s political career was when he was elected as the 5th President of Sri Lanka on November 17th on the eve of his 60th birthday which fell on November 18th. This was also not an easy task. Mahinda who has been a fighter all his life first managed to get nomination from his party amidst lot of in-fighting and used all his political acumen and formed the right coalition of many parties and projected his Vision for Sri Lanka in the form of “ Mahinda Chinthanaya “, which was endorsed by the masses. This was a practical & pragmatic approach to the many problems faced by Sri Lankan’s.He has been successful in recommencing the Peace Process which has stalled for the last 3 yearsHe now has huge task a head and let us wish that he will make use of his 35 + years of political experience and his practical and mundane approach will resolve the many complex issues that we as a nation face. I am sure he will not forget THURSTAN and her development amidst his many other demanding schedules. Priya Paranavitane A Class-mate2006 02 23    

Popular stage drama “MAN THE MAN” starring Tennyson Cooray will be staged on the 11th December 2005 at Maradana Tower Hall, Show times are 3.30pm and 6.30pm.Tickets available at the gate. For reservations contact: Thulash-or Akalanka.