“We Must Live Like Children of One Mother”
[Updated :: 2012-04-18 15:20:14 Hours]

On our journey to meet people in Jaffna, this week we met a lovely personality who believes in all religions alike and giving his blessing and compassion to all who comes to him for any kind of assistance. Prof. Subramaniyam Leelakrishnan lives on Mudaliyar Canagasabai road in Manippay.

He was born in Kaluthara in February 1947 as the only son of Mr. Sinnathambi Subramaniyam, an estate superintendant and Mrs. Nesamma Subramaniyam.

“My father had to work many areas so I attended a number of schools. Dr. C.W.W. Kannangara was a good friend of my father. He taught the first Sinhalese letter to me. I remembered how I wrote letters on the “velipilla” (sand board),” Prof. Leelakrishnan said proudly. Now he is teaching Sinhala to Tamil students in 513 Brigade area free of charge.

“My first school was Duwa Temple in Kaluthara. Then I studied at Wellawatta Saivamanigai Kalaham Hindu college, Ratmalana Hindu College, Matale St. Thomas’ College, Manippay Hindu College and Vaddukkoddai Jaffna College, where I was graduated in Bsc in 1963. When I was studying at Matale St. Thomas’ College, I was given a double promotion from Grade 3 to Grade 5. I didn’t study in Grade 4,” Prof. Leelakrishnan recollected his good old school days.

We saw a strange thing during our friendly chat inside his multi-religious temple. One gentleman stoped his bike on the road and worshipped the temple. We waited until he finished his worship and reached him to know what made him do so.

“I am S. Sakuneswaran, a teacher working at Mallavi Central College in Mullaithivu. As a practice, I worship this place on my way to work and back home,” he said.
Prof. Leelakrishnan makes offering to Lord Buddha, Sathya Sri Bhagavan Sai Baba, Jesus Christ, Lord Krishna, Lord Ganesh, Lord Skantha, Allah and many other deities.

After the death of his father, Prof. Leelakrishnan face an adverse time. He had to earn money for their living. Then he started teaching Sinhala at the class in Sri Naga Vihara in the Jaffna town. And found opportunity to teach in Colombo. He worked three days in Colombo and four days in Jaffna a week.

“I taught Sinhala language to Tamils and foreigners and taught Tamil language to Sinhalese in Colombo. General hospital and LRH (Lady Ridgway Hospital) were my famous tuition places. Now I am conducting language classes,” he added.

Inside his temple, you hear vedas being played in a cassette player. “This vedas are being played for eight years non-stop,” it was revealed. Pointing finger at his ancestral house where he living with younger sister, Chandraleka Sundeer and her daughters whose father died about two years ago said that it was 125 years old.

In 2003 Prof. Leelakrishnan was conferred with JP (Justice of Peace) post by Minister W.J.M. Lokubandara.

He spoke with frustration, “People theses days do not abide by their principles. They are not genuine. Pretending has overcome the reality. More than 80% of people are ungrateful. We must discard racial, religious and cast divisions. If we work hard and united, we can definitely a self-sufficient country like the ear of King Parakramabahu the Great.”

Before giving us leave he said, “I am firmly for One Country, One Nation and One Religion concept. We all must live like children of one mother.”