Eulogy for Deva Fernandopulle

It is hard to believe that it has been 20 years since the passing away of Deva. He was the eldest son of the Late R. I Fernandopulle, the most influential and much-loved personality, and Vaida Fernandopulle, from Toppu, Kochchikade.

- Shirley Pulle Tissera

I met Deva for the first time in 1983 at the Coconut Cultivation Board in Ghafoor Building, Colombo, Fort, where uncle R I served as Chairperson. It was at a hurriedly arranged meeting requested by me to solicit the support of Uncle R I and a few others to an initiative of mine to obtain official government recognition of our community, the Colombo Chetties as a distinct ethnic group. I was armed with a positive response from President J. R. Jayewardene to a request made by me.