Veteran public servant, administrative officer and also artist, Lionel Fernando is now ready to launch his autobiographical work, A Man for All Seasons: Lionel Fernando transcribed by Tharindu Uduwaragedara. Though the launching ceremony was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak, the book, published by Lanka Children’s and Youth Theatre Foundation will soon be available to the public. The Sunday Observer spoke to Mr. Lionel Fernando to discuss about his book, his life as well as his extraordinary career that spanned over 60 years from DRO (Divisional Revenue Officer) to Ambassador to France.
Excerpts:
Q: Mr. Fernando, could you elaborate on how your book came about?
Yes. Several people have been asking me to write something about myself. But I have been avoiding their requests because of my age, as I wished to live a quiet life. However, a very young, freelance journalist named Tharindu Uduwaragedara, during a conversation, asked me to help him to write my biography through interviews. Actually I didn’t want to expose myself. 
Nevertheless, in order to encourage this young journalist I agreed to tell him my life story. So, that’s the way the book came out.
Q: As we know you are a very senior public servant and administrative officer in Sri Lanka, who started as a DRO (Divisional Revenue Officer) in 1960. Could you tell us your first experience as a DRO?
I joined as a DRO in 1960. I did a lot of work in my position to serve the people, which was my objective. At that time there was the Civil Service and the Public Service in the administrative service. However, I didn’t like the term Civil Service because it was based on certain features of the United Kingdom’s Public Service that needs working in the urban areas rather than in rural areas in the country. I wanted to be among the people, and work for them. Therefore I selected the DRO post and started my work in Nakiyadeniya in the Galle district. In that area there were three electorates, Ahangama, Unawatuna and Nakiyadeniya, where I worked for three years. The government then transferred me to the Colombo district headquarters of the DRO since they appreciated my performance in Galle.
Q: Although you live in Colombo now, you grew up in Kandy?
I was born in 1936, the time that Hitler had been an overpowering influence even in the Asian countries, besides Europe. My father was a trader and lived with mother in Panadura, his hometown. Later, realizing that Kandy had a good network of school and convenience for business they took my two elder brothers, two younger sisters and me to Kandy and settled down there. My father admitted the three boys to the Roman Catholic school in Ampitiya and the girls to Carmalite Covent. The schools were just one kilometre’s distance from home. Also at that time there was no need to wear shoes or slippers. We could go in white shirt and short trousers in any colour. I enjoyed walking to school with my sisters. There were cadetting and scouting in the school, and I opted for cadetting.
Q: Do you cherish any special memories about your cadetting life in school?
Oh, a lot of memories. In 1949 when I was 13 years, I became the sergeant of the Junior Cadet Platoon which comprised 25 similar age students. As members of the Cadet Platoon we were taken to the National event of Cadetting, at Boossa, Galle. All the junior cadets from every major school such as Trinity College, Dharmaraja College, St. Peter’s College, St. Joseph’s College, S.. 
Thomas’ College, etc. participated in the event annually. Something that I recall is, I didn’t have shoes to wear for the Cadet team. My father couldn’t afford to buy me shoes. So, my classmate Morris Ferdinando gave me his pair of black shoes to attend the junior Cadet Platoon event in Boossa. However, later my father bought me shoes. It was a very difficult time for people, it was the time that Hitler came into power and tried to annex Europe to Germany.
Q: Was the cadetting experience helpful in your later life?
Oh yes, indeed. I had a liking for organizing things even at a very early age. I was not someone who liked to be alone. Of course, my first hobby was reading. I loved to read books that I got from my elder brother who was a clerk in the banking sector. He educated me so that I was able to go to University. He sacrificed his future for me, though he was brighter, and had even London Matriculation exemption. Eventually, I went to the University of Peradeniya, and thereafter entered the public service. - I won’t call it Civil Service because Civil Service had only eight candidates brought into the public service though we had a larger scale to enter the public service primarily.
Q: Do your brothers and sisters still visit you?
No. They are all deceased. I am the only survivor in the family.
Q: You entered the University of Peradeniya in 1956?
Yes. 1956 was a turning point in my life as well as in the country. That’s the year S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike brought about the cultural revolution. Mr. Bandaranaike set up the Sri Lanka Freedom Party in 1956 and became Prime Minister knocking down the United National Party to only eight seats. In that year I entered the University of Peradeniya where I spent three years.
Q: In the University you met a very special person, Dr. Ediriweera Sarachchandra?
Yes, at that time Dr. Sarachchandra was in Japan, on some fellowship award. However, when he came back he set up the Sinhala Drama Society in the University. Naturally I joined it as I was interested in drama and theatre, since primary school. I played main roles in some small plays such as, Sri Wikrama Rajasinghe, Kannasami produced by the school teachers.
Q: You were a member of the first Maname production in 1956. Can you tell us the public reaction to Maname at that time?
Up to then people didn’t know what Dr. Sarachchandra did through Maname. They said, “Me mokakda me Nadagamak karanawane”. They didn’t know this was a high cultured Nadagam, an utterly sophisticated folk play. Dr. Sarachchandra was helped by Charles Silva Gunasinghe gurunnanse who was a very authentic folk play artist and also Sarachchandra’s drumming guru. Gunasinghe gurunnanse brought his own drum - Maddala - for the play which was the key instrument to carry on the rhythm of the play. Also another person who helped Sarachchandra’s effort was Dr. Siri Gunasinghe, the chief make-up artist and costume designer along with Eileen Sarachchandra. Hence, Maname is not just a drama, it’s the result of a great research that went in search of highly sophisticated visual art form and also the Sri Lankan identity in drama. People didn’t know any of this, though they enjoyed Maname very much.
Q: Do you remember the first day of Maname at the Lionel Wendt theatre on November 3, 1956?
I remember one incident vividly. When I finished my little role as the Vedi Detu or chief of the Vedi King (prime minister of Vedi King), I came to the foyer in the Lionel Wendt during the interval. It was the evening show, and I saw a lady talking to Dr. Sarachchandra. She was of the wealthy class and was asking him, “මේක කීයටද ඉවර වෙන්නෙ” (At what time does this end?) Sarachchandra, thinking that she had come to watch the drama said, “තව වෙලාව තියෙනවා. ඇයි නාට්යය බලන්නද?” (Long way to go. Have you come to see the drama?). Annoyed by this question, the lady said in disgust “චිහ්! මං සිංහල නාට්ය බලන්නෙ නෑ. අපේ සර්වන්ට්ස්ලා දෙන්නා ඇවිල්ලා ඉන්නවා. මං ආවේ එක්කරගෙන යන්න.” (“Oh, No. I never watch Sinhala dramas. Our two servants have come to see this and I came to fetch them.) I heard their whole conversation. So, this was the view our English speaking Colombo society had towards the Sinhala drama in that period.
Q: After leaving the University, you never acted in stage plays. Why was that?
Yes. Along with Maname I was deeply interested in university politics. At that time I stayed at Mass Hall, the first hostel of the Peradeniya University. There I had my own room for three years and along with my colleagues I was very much interested in local politics in and out the university. I participated at every political meeting in the Kandy Municipal grounds at that time. Hence, I broke away from stage drama.
• We know that Dr. Sarachchandra abandoned his aspiration of becoming a Civil Servant in order to commit his life in the academic and aesthetic field whereas you selected to join the Civil Service. Was Sarachchandra satisfied about your selection?
You may have heard this proverb, “ලොවෙන් එකෙක් එක් දේකට වෙයි සමත” (One is clever for one job). I was suitable for the administrative service - at least I think so. So, I became a public servant. I was able to do a good job for the people as Dr. Sarachchandra did in his plays and books for the people of the country, though we are not in the same level. So, I don’t think Sarachchandra was not satisfied about my profession.
Q: Earlier in this interview, you said there were several people who asked you to write this book. But maybe you have a person you would like to mention?
I had a very good friend, Birty Galahitiyawa who was also my classmate at the Roman Catholic school, Ampitiya. Birty constantly reminded me to write my memoir as he knew my vast experience as a senior public servant. Birty became a broadcaster at the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Coorparation (SLBC) and was later the Director in the Sinhala Service in SLBC. So, I should mention his name at this special occasion.