Appreciation: Deivanayagam Eassuwaren

By Baladeva Kospattadeniya

Today (6 January) marks the second death anniversary of Devanayagam Eassuwaren, a very successful businessman, who had contributed much to the Sri Lankan business community, a well-respected and recognised social worker, who had contributed immensely towards the socio-economic development of Sri Lanka in a variety of ways. He was 75 years old at the time of his untimely death. 

A product of Kotahena St. Benedict College, Eassuwaren, the first sibling of nine to the Deivanayagam family, earned his Bachelor of Commerce degree from Pachaiyappa College, Chennai, The University of Madras. Back in the country with his economic degree, he joined his father Deshabandu, Visva Prasadini V.T.V. Deivanayagam to share responsibility in their family business of import and wholesale distribution of commodities in Pettah, relieving his father, who had shouldered the burden all that time.  

Deivanayagam Eassuwaren

He ventured into new facets of international trade by establishing Eswaran Brothers Exports Ltd. in the year 1964, a family partnership and today it is the third-largest tea bag manufacturer in Sri Lanka. Eassuwaran held the Chairmanship of Eswaran Brothers Exports, T-Print Ltd. and Mayfair Lanka Ltd.

Eassuwaren, a well-respected businessman, a very generous and kind-hearted simpleton, always made it a point to see that whoever worked for him, should feel happy and comfortable. His workers vouch that he never confined his efforts to earn profits at the expense of his employee’s welfare. 

The workers bear witnesses to what he had been to them in his lifetime and how he motivated them to find happiness in their work and he assisted them to raise their living standards. He made them understand that they could find happiness in work by creating the pleasant surrounding atmosphere conducive to work. It was a wise and decent way to motivate his workers, instead of taking punitive measures to warn his workers.

In serving others he was not looking for popularity, fame or glory as he was driven with an unquenchable thirst and passion to serve. The presence of a large gathering at the crematorium, was a testimony to what Deiva had been to his society, to the business community, and to Sri Lanka.  

Eassuwaren, the Chairman of one of the world-class tea exporting companies, that exposed quality tea to the world, never saw the recipients’ caste, creed or nationality as a barrier to him, in helping his fellowmen and women, and those who were really in need and deserved his help. His passing away at a time his services are much-needed, is no doubt a great loss.

The grateful countrymen still remember his services to the indigenous medicine and Ayurvedic system of treatment. While holding the post of presidency of the Chamber of Commerce he took the initiative to conduct an event of historical value; the efforts to popularise and publicise the Sri Lankan Ayurvedic medical system locally and internationally through the first-ever Ayurveda 2007 – ‘Nature’s Gift for Better Health’ International Exhibition and Symposium, his brainchild, held in Colombo, organised by the National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka in collaboration with, the then Indigenous Medicine Ministry.

The event proved a very great success as many exhibitors from India, Myanmar, China, Nepal, Pakistan, Japan and many other Western countries took part in it and it was a mirror of the Sri Lankan expertise in the field of indigenous medicine and that gave the opportunity to share and exchange knowledge with Sri Lankan counterparts. 

We are also reminded of his efforts to give a boost to the local agricultural producers and Colombo buyers and the agriculture exhibition ‘Wellassa Krushi Udawa’ was an unprecedented success held at Buttala in the Moneragala District in the year 2008, a floor open for the buyers and the sellers, under the aegis of the National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka in association with the Ministry of Agriculture. This was as well, a great blessing to the regional small and medium enterprises.

The massive, colossal and glorious monumental creation the Rambodagalla Samadhi Buddha Statue, hewn out of the solid, living rock, in the vicinity of Kurunegala city is an unprecedented adornment, not only for our perennial, indigenous culture, but also for the totality of the Human Cultural Heritage.

Eassuwaren, a former President of the Duty-Free Association, extended his services as Chairman of the finance committee that handled the construction work of the 67.5 ft. high Rambadagalle Samadhi Buddha statue in the precincts of Vidyasagara Pirivena Viharaya, Monaragala, realising one of his dreams on his own initiation.

This unparalleled colossal creation, the emergence of the Giant Stone statue was a result of the uninhibited generosity of Eassuwaren, a person strongly entrenched in his traditional Hindu faith came forward to carve out the sacred Buddhist shrine. He was instrumental in obtaining the services of the leading stone sculptor of India, Bharata Padma Shri Muttiah Sthapathie and his team of experts. The present Rambodagalla Samadhi Buddha Statue is the world’s largest granite marble Buddha image sculpted in Sri Lanka after eight centuries. This stands as a monument to the noble inter-religious amity.

In constructing this giant Buddha statue he got the services of the Indian sculptor – experts of fame. Former Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena, on 30 April 2015, declared open the Rambadagalle Samadhi Buddha statue.

His selfless dedicated service to his community and to the country at large through his chosen field is a model for others to follow. In recognition of his immeasurable service to the country, Sri Lanka Government honoured him with the honorary ‘Deshabandu’ title, at a felicitation ceremony held Colombo in the year 2017. 

A very soft-spoken gentleman of his day, he took pains to conduct seminars for the benefit of the business tycoons and budding businessmen to make them understand the value of controlling anger, an evil that drives away those who wish to have a healthy relationship with the business community. 

This much-respected businessman, Eassuwaren, was a personification of humility and integrity. He adorned President-ship of the National Chamber of Commerce, Sri Lanka during the 2009/2010 and was the Honorary Consul for the Republic of Mauritius in Sri Lanka from the year 1995 to year 2012. He was also the Vice President of both Sri Lanka India Community Council and People of Indian Origin (PIO) and extended his services as a Council Member of the Uva-Wellasa University, Badulla.

Eassuwaran was an initiator and a leader who saw to the establishing of several societies and trusts beneficial to religions and other communities, both in Sri Lanka and India, including the opening of a school in the Village of Vallanadu, India, providing education to pre-university level students. His humility and ‘smile from the heart’ is contagious. His patience and tolerance for human failure is unimaginably relaxing.

His children Ganesh, Subramaniam Lalli and Priya have won the admiration of those with whom they associate for the good quality they were adorned with from their childhood, bringing past memories of their loving father.

May his memory live.