A.W.M. Makeen Hajiyar :
An iconic entrepreneur
It is a singular honour to cherish and remember a peoples’ icon. People of every race and walk of life from Panadura, would never forget the name, Deshakeerthi Marhoom, A.W.M. Makeen Hajiyar. It has been three years since his demise.
Lending a hand to the needy, he was a great personality of his birthplace, Thotawatta. Especially, when the holy month of Ramadhan appears, his name is still remembered by the people of Thotawatta, where he served the community at its best. In the arc of his life, we see a man who earned his place in history through struggle, persistence and faith. He tells us what is possible not just in the pages of history books, but in our own lives. He carved himself as a successful industrialist with great struggle and hard work.
He used to help the poor with passion. He mastered in overcoming challenges and facing the barriers with strength. I too, being a social activist, together with fellow mate Alhaj Naleem, used to catch up with A.W.M. Makeen Hajiyar at his Colombo residence every month.
After ‘Asar’ prayers at the Bambalapitiya Masjid, we would contact him and always get a keen reply, “Ha.. come ”. Simplicity was an innate quality in him. He makes us want to be better men, and speaks to what’s best inside us. He was a great person, always fond of getting information about Thotawatta, his birth place. He likes to talk about the village while enjoying a cup of tea. His educational endeavours such as, the Grade 5 Scholarship Felicitation, G.C.E. O/L and A/L Scholarships to encourage students to build a better career path for needy students were most worthy. Makeen Hajiyar’s participation in the religious sphere was immeasurable, he served as a Trustee of the Thotawatta Masjids. He founded male and female Quran Madrasas at Thotawatta. His demise is a huge loss for the community and the village.
Makeen Hajiyar lit the lives of many and brought a smile to the people. He devoted his precious time in serving the people, and earned their appreciation. His contribution towards the academic sector is countless.
His services were not limited to Thotawatta. He always ensured that his deeds were not advertised.
Although we would never see another like Makeen Hajiyar, it is great that his sons, Alhaj Milfar Makeen and Alhaj Mizwer Makeen are continuing their father’s pathway in the educational, religious and social sectors by making his life’s work their own. The “Alhaj Makeen and Hajiyani Zahira Makeen Foundation” along with Macksons Holdings led by them, continue to uphold and sustain the Hajiyar’s vision.
What a magnificent personality he was. We miss him deeply. May Allah grant him Jannath-Ul Firdawz.
Aameen.
M.S.M. Munthasir
Janappriya Ratnayake :
Excellence as a planter
My first encounter with Janappriya was half a century ago in 1967 when he came as a young Trainee Assistant Superintendent to Madampe Group, Rakwana. Thereafter, much water has flown under the bridge, with both, the good and the not so good times. I cherish the friendship that we cultivated and grew over a period of time.
Janappriya hailed from the Deep South. He was from an aristocratic family of Ratnayakes in Deniyaya. He was the eldest son of Wijesena and Phyllis Ratnayake, who grew up with two sisters and a brother. His alma mater was Richmond College, Galle, where he captained the school cricket team in 1966. On leaving school, he joined the bandwagon of Planting, which was running in his blood from his forefathers.
At Madampe, he surpassed the expectations of his tough task master, a senior planter, the late Van Twest. This young lad performed in an excellent manner, riding on his in-born talent. Ironically, after the retirement of Van Twest, it was none other than Janappriya who cared and looked after him, like a son to a loving father.
Consequent to his successful performance at Madampe, he moved to an upcountry estate named Abbotsleigh situated in Hatton. The experience he gathered at Madampe assisted him immensely to turn around the division of Abbotsleigh assigned to him. While at Abbotsleigh, he married Manjula Kulatunga and they were blessed with two children. The daughter, Dayanji has settled down in the United States while the son Millinda is engaged in business locally. Millinda dutifully and with much affection looked after his ailing father during the final stages of his brief illness.
After a very successful planting career in Hatton, Janappriya took over the reins as Superintendent of Willie Group, Deniyaya. During his tenure, Willie Group achieved the best performance ever recorded at the time. He mastered the art of excellent public relations, tea cultivation, processing and other management techniques that propelled the Group to be at its best. Janappriya had the ability to strike a balance between volume and quality that contributed to the success of the Group.
It was during Janappriya’s stint at Willie Group that proliferation of private tea factories came into being in Southern and Sabaragamuwa regions, catering to small holder growers. There was a paradigm shift in how the Tea Industry operated at the time which resulted in tea brokering firms to look for experienced personnel, particularly, with expertise in the field of factory development and manufacture. Janappriya with his wide experience in all three tea growing elevations, not only in manufacturing but in all other plantation aspects was handpicked by M/s Bartleet & Company where he joined as an Executive. He excelled at his functions delighting the clientele of the brokering company. I recall during this time, the catalogue of the company had a significant market share particularly in the low grown sector.
Janappriya with his knowledge, versatility and as an excellent “PR Man” was in demand. He served as a Director of M/s Mercantile Brokers (Pvt) Ltd and later joined M/s Asia Siyaka where his role included managing tea factories and estates, until his retirement.
I have many nostalgic memories of my dear friend. His beloved mother gifted him with a Mitsubishi Colt on his 25th birthday. At that time, he was the only person who had a car while we were on motorcycles. So, with Janappriya having a car, we planned many aimless trips. One of the trips that I recall was the journey to Kataragama and Jaffna, motoring through the east coast. The understanding we had was that Janappriya provides the transport and the late Tissa Silva (who became the Member of Parliament for the Rakwana electorate subsequently) to bear the cost of fuel which was Rs. 3.50 per gallon and that I should arrange the accommodation. What a memorable trip it was! Our journey to Jaffna took three days passing through crossings in ferries and beaten tracks.
In Kayts, we were met by my friend, attached to the Excise Department who provided us with accommodation. This unforgettable trip lasted over a period of 10 days.
I have so many golden memories and silver tears, and as all things have to come to an end, Janappriya bid adieu, after a brief illness. He will live in my heart for evermore until we meet at Sassara.
Adios my friend!
Edward Welikala