Dr.

Adikaram and the The Scavenger Heres a true story about Dr Adikaram an incident I myself (as related by Prof. Mahinda Palihawadana) saw. It happened in the late 1940s- the time when Kotte was full of bucket latrines and the Urban Council provided a scavenging service. A labourer from this service would visit your household every day, take away the night soil and wash the lavatory for a small consideration. Dr As residence, Sumanagiri on Pagoda Road, also benefitted from this service. One morning, a few of us were having a chat with Dr A in his airy verandah, including me and another gentleman, lets call him Mr. X. Gurusamy, the man from the scavenging service, entered the garden and attended to his work. Before leaving, he came round to pay his usual courtesy call on Dr A. The two were real friends. Dr A had advised G to send his son to school. That day he asked G about it. G replied he didnt know what to do. Dr A gave the name of a school in Wellawatta and asked G to take his child there. The Principal will admit the child because he had already spoken to him about it. Mr. X is surprised and probably shocked. What is all this, doctor? He is not a respectable man, only a scavenger. Now wait a minute, Mr. X. You dirty the place and he cleans it up. Who is more respectable? We all had a hearty laugh, not least, the victim of the barb. For the record, Gurusamys son was admitted to the Wellawatta school. He did well in his studies and ended up as a clerk in a government department.