Prince Casinader
An unassuming friend
It is very saddening to know that death has snatched away my precious friend and colleague Prince Casinader from our midst. It is a grievous blow to all of us who knew him and, as the days go by, we shall increasingly be aware of how much we miss him and how much we are indebted to him.
He lived amidst us fruitfully for 93 years and was called to eternal rest. We are certain he would be safe in the abode of our creator. My wife and I share with his daughters and his loved ones, the same pain and grief and the poignancy of the void left behind.
Prince Casinader was affectionately called ‘Prince’ by his friends and colleagues. He was a simple and humble man with unassuming ways and his qualities of geniality, generosity, and humaneness endeared him to all and sundry. His greatness lay in the fact that he was accessible to anyone, at any time. He took a personal interest in his relationships with his friends and all those who sought his advice and guidance. His life was exemplary and it was a blessing to all who associated with him.
Hailing from a distinguished family in Batticaloa, Casinader had great pride in his family heritage. He always loved and cherished his childhood memories and the times he spent with his relatives and friends. As the former principal and past pupil of the Batticaloa Methodist Central College, and as a former Batticaloa MP, Casinader dedicated his life to his alma mater and the public.
My association with Casinader for the past four decades had been full of rich and valuable experiences. He and I became close when I was posted at the Batticaloa Methodist Central College to teach Chemistry to HNCE students. I still remember his loving kindness in welcoming me with open arms and making my life happy at Central. He had such a great confidence in me that he gave me the opportunity to serve as the Deputy Principal of the college. His administrative and managerial skills had a great impact on me, and that helped me immensely when I succeeded him as the Principal, with the blessings of the SDS and the PPA.
Prince Casinader, in his youngest days, received his primary education at the Batticaloa Vincent Girls’ High School and St. Cecilia’s Convent before joining the Batticaloa Methodist Central College in 1993. While reminiscing about his past career, Prince himself had admitted that he never dreamed that one day he would be called upon to serve his alma mater as its Principal; but when he was given that opportunity, he proved worthy of following in the noble steps of that generation of illustrious men who not merely sat on that chair, but adorned it with dedication and service.
Casinader’s ambition was to be a lawyer; but in 1946, it was due to the shortage of teachers that S.V.O. Somanader, the first Sri Lankan Principal of the Batticaloa Methodist Central College; invited him to be a voluntary teacher at the school. He qualified as an English-trained teacher from the Government Teachers’ College in Maharagama, during 1950 - 1951, and then returned to Methodist Central College in 1952 and served as a teacher and a Vice-Principal. He served in his teaching career for about four decades at the Batticaloa Methodist Central College, except for a short stint at the Bt/Arrasadi Methodist Mission School (Mahajana College).
There was a rapid improvement and expansion of Bt/Methodist Central College under the dynamic leadership of Prince Casinader, and he continued to maintain the traditions built up by an illustrious line of principals, dedicated teachers, and loyal students of the school. One of the activities that kept alive the spirit of social service and helped to instill discipline in students, was the Pathfinders Club which functioned under the guidance of Casinader.
Being an experienced teacher of English, he served with a stamp of efficiency, commitment and integrity; and he was greatly admired by his students and superiors. His strategy of teaching the English language and literature, interspersed with humour and familiar examples, made it easier for students to comprehend the subject. It also developed in them a passionate in the learning of English. He trained his students in dramatic skills—especially to act in Shakespearean plays.
Casinader not only taught lessons to students, but also instilled in them the values of discipline such as obedience, punctuality, and responsibility. His students still remember him as a strict disciplinarian principal, attired in a western style; well-suited to his fair complexion, majestically walking down the school corridors to maintain discipline.He was well-known for his oratory skills in English and he spoke his mother-tongue in equal enjoyment. His command of English, restrained fervour, as well as his most apt use of diction and style, all blended very well to drive his points home. His speeches were so often interspersed with wit and humour that he kept his audience spellbound. The Parliamentary speeches he delivered were full of sense and substance. They carried so much conviction that they were well-acclaimed by his colleagues. It was a great privilege that he was elected to act as the Speaker of the Parliament on a few occasions, and he officiated in a just and impartial manner, which was appreciated by the members of the House.
In Prince Casinader, one would have certainly seen an efficient administrator, devoted teacher, an indefatigable social worker, strict disciplinarian, leading educationist, a trade unionist, a freelance journalist, an officer of the Sri Lanka Education Administrative service, Secretary of the Batticaloa Citizens’ Committee, President of the Batticaloa Vigilance Committee, President of the East Ceylon Travellers’ Federation, a member of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee on Education, a member of the Methodist Synod and Conference, as well as a legislator.
Casinader always worked towards creating peace and understanding among all communities, in order to usher in ethnic harmony. He served the communities around him with great loving care and commitment, earning gratitude of both school parents and local residents. Though he was rooted in Christian Faith, the most admirable quality in him was that he had reverence for other religions as well. In fact, he was an example of inter-religious harmony.
Prince had a lively mind, even in his old age. My wife and I met him last in May, 2018, at his residence at Love Lane, Batticaloa. He was very pleased to welcome us and he even had a long chat with us, narrating his past experiences with wit and humour. In the last few months before he passed away, on December 12, he was feeling lonely and his health was deteriorating. Though his daughters were living abroad, they were highly concerned about his health. His students and relatives looked after him with much care and love and kept his spirits up till the very end.
Dearest Prince,
You are gone, but not gone forever;
Your sweet memories, we always savour
We cherish them and ever treasure,
And that, too, to a great measure.
Au-revoir, till we meet
On that beautiful shore
A.A. Arulannarajah
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