Sri Lanka Consul Karunaratne Paranawithana leaving Toronto after successful tenure

(BY SRIMAL ABEYEWARDENE)

Karunaratne Paranawithana, the Consul General of Sri Lanka in Toronto, is leaving after a successful tenure as the diplomatic representative for Sri Lanka. He is a humble, peaceful and loving person and a highly accomplished academic and a professional in many fields. Paranawithana had his early education at the village school, Dippitigala Maha Vidayala in Lellopitiya, north of the Gem City of Ratnapura. He moved to St. Aloysius College Ratnapura and entered the University of Colombo to read for a special degree in arts. Paranawithana was a brilliant student at the Colombo University and a determined young man who nurtured hopes of continuing his studies to serve his Motherland. As a student at the Colombo University he was involved in trade union activities and was very popular among the student. Despite his popularity and academic brilliance he remained true to his village traditions.

From Lellopitiya to Manchester

From the sleepy hamlet of Lellopitiya he moved to England to continue his studies in a British University. He accomplished this fete and graduated from the University of

Bradford, Manchester in the United Kingdom with a Master’s Degree in International Politics and Security Studies.

As he talked to me at his Toronto residence, the charm of a brilliant school boy from Sabaragamuwa still lives within him and it was one of the most pleasant evenings me, my wife Malkanthie, son Mahesh and our daughter-in-law Mahisha spent with the humble Sri Lankan diplomat and his wife Kumari, a nurse by profession, and 11-year-old daughter Uma and eight-year-old son Vinu.

Offers from Bradford University, Manchester

The senior academics at the Bradford University, Manchester invited young Paranawithana to join the university staff. Had he taken this assignment at a very young age, there is no doubt Paranawithana would have one day been the Vice Chancellor of Bradford University, Manchester. Unlike most of our Sri Lankan scholars, Paranawithana was not interested working in another country. He loved Sri Lanka and wanted to return home to serve his country.

He was not interested in sterling pounds that was offered to him. Paranawithana loved Sri Lanka and wanted give everything he learnt abroad. So he said ‘Good Bye’ to his professors who loved him and his buddies, and arrived in Sri Lanka.

After he arrived in Sri Lanka former President Chandrika Kumaratunga appointed him as the Director of the Editorial at Lake House, Associated Newspapers of Ceylon. This is one of the most important posts in the newspaper operation. You have to be very tactful with editors and journalists. I was on the Daily News and also contributed to the Sunday Observer since I was the ‘most wanted’ man covering crime and defence. On every Wednesday morning all the reporters of the Dinamina, Daily News and Thinakaran were summoned to the board room for a meeting presided by the then Chairman late Mr. R. Bodinagoda, Director Operations late Lankanath de Silva and Editorial Director retired Supreme Court Judge late D. Q. M. Sirimanne, presiding with Bernard de Silva, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) acting as the secretary.

It is interesting to note our Counsul General in Toronto Karunaratne Paranawithana, as Director Editorial, successfully carried out his duties, and moreover he was acting Chairman when Chairman Anil Obeysekera was taken ill. He is a man who rejected Bradford University offers as his ambition was a career in politics and it so happened when President Mahinda Rajapakse nominated him to contest the Ratnapura seat in the last general elections. He did very well and lost by mere 3000 votes in his first attempt.

In Toronto

He opened the doors of the Counsel General’s office with no restrictions and prior appointments.

Here in Canada he served the Sri Lanka community honestly. He is also a very humble person who never talks about his achievements or his influential position as a diplomat. He opened the doors of the Counsel General’s office with no restrictions and prior appointments. We could easily say it was an ‘open house’. He said: “The beauty of it all was the Sri Lankan communities cooperated with me and I wish to thank them all”.

He loves politics and people

He served all Sri Lankans here sincerely and now he has to go back to Lellopitiya and he said ‘now I have to serve the people of Sabaragamuwa’. It’s hard to find a good, honest diplomat like Karunaratne Paranawithana. He is still young and one day we may see him playing a leading role in Sri Lankan politics. I am confident of his ability and his love to serve the people as he did in Toronto, Canada. There is no doubt this incredible personality will achieve all his goals.

Our best wishes go out to him, his wife Kumari and his daughter and son.