NIHAL SENEVIRATNE

(29 May 1934 — 6 January 2026)

- Hugh Karunanayake Melbourne

The clammy hand of death has claimed the life of that gentle, decent, most likable human being, Nihal Seneviratne, known to all and sundry as “Galba”, a nickname he had acquired as a student of Royal Primary School.

Even in Sri Lanka’s Parliament, where Galba served as Secretary General for well nigh 15 years, most Ministers, including the late Felix Dias Bandaranaike, and Anura Bandaranaike, called him by his nickname “Galba”. Mrs Bandaranaike and Mr Premadasa however preferred to call him Nihal. The Socialist Minister Dr Colvin R de Silva quite surprisingly always referred to him in the more formal term “Seneviratne”, probably a hang over from the very formal court room practices he was accustomed to.

As Secretary General of Sri Lanka’s Parliament for many years, Galba’s expertise and unparalleled knowledge on parliamentary practices and regulations served as a repository mail to Facebook information and advice to successive governments, Presidents, and Prime Ministers. His advice was sought in the confidence of his absolute political impartiality, regardless of the political philosophy and the governing inclinations of the party in power. I am aware that his advice was sought even when in retirement.

In addition to his family, Galba had two great affections, viz Parliament, and to his old school, Royal College.

Apart from acting with him in a school play “Hiawatha”, I had only a superficial acquaintance with him in school. He having joined Royal Primary a year ahead of me. Galba belonged to the 1945 Group which entered Royal during the final year of Principal E L Bradby’s tenure as principal of Royal College. It was during the years of World War II when the school was temporarily relocated to Turret Road and Form one in the building known as “Carlton Lodge” within the grounds of Turret House in which the upper school was located.