(Jayatilleke Hall)

After reading the beautiful appreciation of G.K. Hatthottuwegma by Malinda Seneviratne, my own memories of G.K. 50 years ago, was re-kindled. I thought it would be good if I could share it with his admirers. Of course, I have never spoken to him. He was a final year student at Ramanathan Hall when we entered the University in 1958.

As ‘Freshers’ and First Years, we were just mesmerized by what we saw and experienced, in our initial months at Peradeniya. We saw all those mythical characters of whom we had only read and heard, walking the corridors and at the Library. To mention just a few, Prof. Paranavithana with a slight limp on one leg, Prof. Ralph Peiris, Dr. Sarathchandra, Dr.Siri Gunasinghe, Pof. T. Nadarajah, Dr. W.S. Karunaratne, Dr. A.J Wilson, Dr. I.D.S. Weerawardane, Dr. Doric de Souza, Ian Gunathilake, Prof. O.H.de A. Wijesekera, Dr. K.N. Jayatilleke, Prof. Kularatnam, Prof. H. A. Passé, Dr. Karl Gunawardane, Dr. Basil Mendis, that brilliant Sinhala grammarian Dr. Sugathapala de Silva, Dr. Wimalanda Tennakoon. Phew! there were so many others. And of course, the occasional sight of the V.C. Nicholas Attygalle, the ‘Iron Chancellor’!

Then there were those Final Years, the next generations of personalities, all stalwarts like D. H. De Silva, Nandasena Rathnapala, Jolly Somasunderam, Chula Unamboowe, K.H.J. Wijedasa, Singaravel, Micheal Roberts, Shyamon Jayasinghe ( Pothe Gura of Maname), W. Premaratne, M.D.D. Peiris, D. Wijesinghe, H. B. Dissa (Lokka) and so many others whom we Freshers admired and talked about. Oh, what a University it was! Among them, the shining star for us was G.K. Hathtottuwegama for his sheer unconventional behaviour and brilliance.

And they would have the much- looked forward to event, the annual debate between these dons and undergrads, andthe clash at the Arts Theatre. Some burning issues that were debated then were : "This university views with concern, the growing preponderance of women on this campus"!

We first saw G. K. at the Union Society meetings held at the Arts Theatre where we watched with awe performance as speaker. G.K would not stand in one place, delivering his speech. He walked from one end of the rostrum to the other while addressing the audience. One of these meeting was held to discuss the new set of disciplinary rules put out by the University Administration, which each student was required to sign in compliance. G.K. in his ‘roaming speech’ decried the imposition of any rules to stifle the freedom of the students. He declared that "rules are meant to be broken."! Now this was blasphemy for us Freshers, all conformists, having been college prefects and some of us still mama’s boys, just away from home for the first time. We were aghast! But thrilled. For, this is what we came looking to experience at this "Thrailoka Poojitha Varsitiye". And here we are!

One of the rules that was discussed was that the students should not scale the roofs of the Halls of Residence and walk on the roofs. G.K. protested on behalf of all of us. "But roofs are there to be climbed on? What is this repressive rule?" he protested. The audience resounded in agreement. This was nothing but being made to stand on our head. To us "the raw green Freshers who, hailed from wayside night schools, had by some fortuitous circumstances managed to step on the portals of this Great Institution of Learning, only by a clerical error" as made to realize by our seniors during the Rag. Naturally the House decided unanimously that its members will have none of it!

Then on another day, the debate at the Arts Theatre was again on something to do with the problem of rules and regulations. G.K. as usual was on his feet talking while moving about on the stage. We were all absorbed in listening to what he was saying with always a smile on the corner of his lips, when the president announced that his time was up. G.K. reacted with irritation. He said " there, I told you, this clock is also one of those contraptions that inhibits man’s conduct. Mr. president, throw that clock away and listen to me." And the audience concurred. The president obliged. G.K. went on for a few more minutes to our delight. Thus, it was G.K. Haththottuwegama who taught us to be unconventional both in our thinking, behaviour and outlook, as members of that "Great Institution of Learning" far more than any of those galaxy of mythical characters who then strode the university campus.

We imitated G.K. as undergraduates, his sartorial ways - shirts un-ironed, collars upright, buckle-less trousers and carelessly donned sandals and unkempt hair with a day or two old beard un-cut. That was our image of a revolutionary undergraduate!

I remember him acting opposite Hemamali Gunasekera in the lawn of Hilda Obeysekera hall one moon lit night, in the Sinhala rendering of the "Bear" by Anton Chekhov. G.K. played the role of the quarrelsome suitor. Hatthotuwegama gave a most unforgettable performance.

Such was the impact that G.K. Hathtottuwegama had on his fellow students at Peradeniya where we were fortunate to be but as junior contemporaries.

May he be born again in this country so that the future generations of this country will be enriched, even by his mere presence.