Rudra Rajasingham - the quintessential cop
by Sharm de Alwis
Rudra Rajasingham epitomized the purity of sublime human nature.
He was of a rare breed as sportsman, officer and fellow. Unreservedly
would the consensus of opinion be that he was the finest IGP we have
had. He brought an aura of dignity, empathy, honesty and fair play to
the highest seat in the Police Force.
As his only child, daughter Sharminie, mentioned at the Memorial
Service, "he was a better man than even we knew."
His tenure of three years saw the country in tumultuous upheaval and
brought out the best in him as "when the going gets tough, the tough
gets going".
His abiding Christian faith made him address God in times of trial and
tribulation, "You have not failed me. Let me not fail you," when he had
to take crucial decisions.
He trusted those who worked under him and they, in turn, trusted him.
But, as Jim Bandaranayake who was his PA says, "he never suffered
gladly fools, clowns and drunkards". He lived by his conscience and
he dealt with issues squarely, tempered with the essence of fair play
that is embedded in the those of those to the manor born.
The son of celebrated surgeon, Dr. A.S. Rajasingham and Mrs. Noble
Rajasingham, Rudra was born with the proverbial silver spoon. He
died one day shy of his 80th birthday after a brief illness.
As a student he made an indelible mark in the annals of Trinity's
sports. President of his boarding house, Alison, he was also its
captain of cricket. Vice-captain to A.P. Fernando, his rear-guard
action of 47 not out with C.N. Schokman, 97 not out, when Trinity in
'45 had to avert an innings defeat against St. Thomas' at Asgiriya was
garnished with tea being served to them not in the pavilion but out on
the sward because of light and shade reasons. He had been awarded
cricket colours in '43 along with A.C. Bandaranayake, A.P. Fernando,
Michael Kagwa, Quintus Jayasinghe, E.R. Senanayake and Malcolm
Wright.
He played Trinity rugger under Willie Jenkins in '43 and Malcolm
Wright in '44. He was awarded rugby colours in '43 alongside H.L.
Armstrong, Rodney Ferdinands, M. Naganathan, S.B. Pilapitiya, E.
Senanayake, Robert Sourjah. T.B. Werapitiya and Malcolm Wright.
Michael Kagwa and 'Kalu' Jayasuriya had won their colours in the
previous year whilst Willie Jenkins, Bobby Reith and N. Sanmugam
were Lions.
On completing his secondary education, Rudra entered the University
of Ceylon in its halcyon days and represented the University in cricket
and rugger to win his colours.
Perhaps the then unsullied Police uniform attracted the young Rudra
to join the Department as a probationary ASP in '49. It was then an
elite Force exemplified by the motto, Dhammo Haavey Rakkathi
Dhamma Charee.
Rudra played rugger for the Police, CR & FC and for Low Country in
the Capper Cup encounters alongside icons of the game like Ray de
Zylva, William Molagoda, Archibald Perera, Summa Navaratnam, Brian
Aluvihare, Malcolm Wright and calibred ex-pats.
Rudra was Chairman of Police rugger, President of the Police Sports
Club, President of the SLRFU in '93-94 and was accorded Life
Membership of the Union. He took the game to a higher level and in
'67 Police entered the Clifford Cup Finals from 'B' Division under S.S.
Sivendran for the first time in its history and thereafter dominated the
local Club scene by winning the prestigious Clifford Cup in '72, '73,
'79, '80 and '83. He was considered the 'Godfather' of Police rugby.
That he was overlooked for three years for the IGP's post on
considerations of ethnicity has been a blot on the executive
administration of the time. As IGP he was a representative at the
"Thimpu" talks in Nepal to resolve the burning issue that is still raging
in the country.
On retiring from the Police Department after a splendid tenure as IGP,
he was honoured as the Ambassador for Sri Lanka in Indonesia
where he served in illustrious manner for three years. On the return
from his tour of duty he was appointed the Chairman of the State
Mortgage Bank and thereafter, to the Commission investigating
Bribery and Corruption.
The venerable Sarvanadan's eloquent eulogy at the Memorial Service
would have been salve to Rudra's wife Sita's and daughter,
Sharminie's bruised psyche and they can also take solace from the
thought that even as Rudra Rajasingham was laid to rest with full
Police Honours, the trumpets sounded for him as he arrived on the
Elysian Plains.
