BDK SALDIN - DEAREST FRIEND, REVIVER OF THE MALAY LANGUAGE

Saldin

By Deshamanya Tissa Devendra

Years ago, my dearest and oldest friend BDK and I had a tacit understanding that the survivor
would sound the last trump after the other crossed the river of no return. I now fulfil my sad duty
as "Time's winged chariot" has carried him away. It was seventy-two years ago, in 1946, we first
met, slightly nervously, at Royal College where we had just been selected to sit the University
Entrance. He came from Kandy's Kingswood College while I was from Ratnapura's Sivali Vidyalaya.
The strange chemistry that bonded us together from that first meeting - lasted till a few weeks ago
when fate snapped the thread that had bound us for so long. This tribute is a fond memoir of our
friendship - not an account of his many achievements in the mercantile sector.

It was fortunate that both of us lived in Maradana and could walk together to the "Aes Waattuwa"
bus stand that took us to Royal. We had a lot to talk about - adjusting to our new school, its
sophisticated 'true-blue' Royalist classmates [unlike us provincials], the 'three bread and parippu'
lunch at the Tuck, clumsily drilling with the 'awkward squad' of the non-athletic and our always
interesting teachers. The most interesting of these gentlemen was the handsomely Mephistophelian
Dicky Attygalle, who taught us English so memorably that his unforgettable reading of poems long
resonated in our memories and sprinkled the verses we later regaled each other for many decades.

On 4 February 1948 both of us stood together by the decorated old hangar, crowded with VIPs, and
watched the solemn final lowering of the Union Jack and the proud hosting of Ceylon's Lion flag to
the throbbing of 'magul bera' . A few weeks later we joined the first cohort of undergrads of
Independent Ceylon, stepping into the 'campus' of Thurstan Road that embraced us for the next
few years. BDK joined the University's Union Hostel on Guildford Crescent. It was only much later,
when I read his memoir 'Portrait of a Sri Lankan Malay', that I realized the trauma he underwent
when he left the comfort zone of a traditional Malay home for the irreverent and raucous
camaraderie of a University hostel. THE University was the earthly paradise we had hungered for
the last couple of years in school. It was magic -the shy clusters of girls in colourful sarees strolling
beneath the green arches of Thurstan's venerable trees, ambling to KG Hall for lectures, the baroque
splendour of the Villa Venezia Library, 'bird-watching' and endless jawing at the cigarette scarred
tables of the tuck shop or clattering on our bikes to Lion House, that legendary undergrad hangout
.

Our first two years were fun - new friends and the raucous revelry of Society elections. But we were
extraordinarily fortunate. Professor Ludowyk picked both of us from his English students to act in
his latest DramSoc play. The DramSoc was much envied as a venue for chatting up girls, as fellow
actors or 'camp followers'.While I had a minor role, BDK landed a plum role, opposite legendary
Jeanne Pinto and Osmund Jayaratne, as a rapacious Chinese landlord in Brecht's "The Good Woman
of Setzuan". It was a colourful production with magnificent costuming and sets designed by
producer Ludowyk's wife, Edith. BDK was most imposing as he spouted his lines clad in a glorious
brocade robe and drooping moustache.
Fortune smiled on BDK in 1950 when lovely Sheila Drahaman stepped out from 'Merdeka', her uncle
Dr. Drahaman's home - on the same road where stood Union Hostel.It did not take long for my
friend to saunter alongside her on their way to 'Varsity. The romance thus begun lasted almost
sixty happy years. BDK's father T.R Saldin, the first Malay in the prestigious Ceylon Civil Service
sadly did not live to savour the success of his first-born son.After graduation he worked briefly at a
few jobs. One was at the Indonesian Embassy where he learnt the culture and language of his
distant forbears. When Sheila graduated they lost no time in getting married - and I had the honour
of driving the groom to the ceremony. He soon realized the need for professional qualifications and
decided to head for the discipline of Accountancy which he had briefly studied in the University.
This meant full-time study - a tough task for a married mature student. Sheila 'man'fully rose to
the occasion. She was a graduate teacher and became the breadwinner of the household till her
spouse qualified as a Chartered Accountant. His steady rise to the top rungs in the mercantile sector
is too well known for me to write about.

Around this time he lost his only sister, tragically young, after a brief but happy marriage and
motherhood. BDK and Tuna, his younger brother, were now the last of the tribe. Tuna was in te
first batch of undergrads who entered the new University at Peradeniya. My brother Somasiri was
also among these freshers and his friendship with Tuna cemented our link with the Saldin clan, that
spanned generations and has lasted to this day.

BDK's and Sheila's first home was an annexe in the sprawling mansion 'Taprobane' built in Lunawa
by the prominent Malay citizen, of yester year, M.K.Saldin,to house his descendants in happy
harmony. I thus came to know many Malay families - the Drahamans, Lyes, Sallys. Cuttilans
Raheems, Laksanas and others. They now became parents of Reemu and their home was a friendly
place I visited off and on, especially for the feast of Ramazan. Meanwhile, I had joined government
service that moved me to many towns. Before long I followed the Saldins into happy matrimony
and parenthood.

Perhaps the best period of this life was when I was Government Agent of Trincomalee and the
Saldin family came on holiday. We sailed in a friend's yacht to Pigeon Island and had sing-songs
round a bonfire in The Residency garden. Our life in the provinces now ended and we moved to
Mount Lavinia. The stars looked gently upon us as the Saldins had built their fine home in
Ratmalana, not very far from us. And our friendship flourished as our children grew up as 'born
friends'. We went on joint holidays to Diyatalawa and Yala. It was then that BDK and I began writing
light verse to each other on our birthdays. Not all of them are on record but I've managed to retrieve
a few. Neither of us claimed greatness .Thus, in my poem "To a Friend of Fifty Years" I described
ourselves - "Lives of middling celebrity Attendant lords, supporting actors Watching in the wings
while great dramas unfolded centre stage"

Thus we greeted each other on our birth anniversaries, with wistful melancholy, as we sensed the
shadows gathering ever nearer after we lost dear Sheila a few years ago.
Retirement inspired BDK into a study of the culture and language of the Sri Lankan Malay community.
I believe that his manful endeavours worked immensely to halt the slow decline of this unique people
into 'absorption' by more numerous fellow Muslims. He embarked on research in a discipline far
removed from the Economics of his University studies. He shared his knowledge in his writings. His
"A Guide to Malay" is a Government approved text book. His other publication "Sri Lankan Malays
and their Language" was a fine introduction to the general reader as well as giving great pride to
the community. At my urging that his life story will illustrate aspects only briefly referred to in his
published studies. BDK rose to the occasion and wrote his fascinating "Portrait of a Sri Lankan
Malay". He became an internationally recognized scholar of Malay studies in Malay Language
Conferences and the International Council of Malay, Kuala Lumpur where he presented many papers.
He also collaborated with Dr.Lisa Lim in producing the "Concise Sri Lanka Malay Dictionary"'.

BDK also played a leading role in Malay social and cultural lfe. He held many positions in the Sri
Lanka Malay Association. He participated in radio and TV programs to popularize the Malay language
and conducted a project in teaching adults to read, write and speak Malay. His hands-on
contribution to the revival of the Malay language has been unparalleled.

He was always proud of being a Malay and of his Sri Lankan identity. Proof is found in his last
publication the scholarly "Sri Lanka Malay-Sinhala Dictionary'' , a joint effort with famed Professor
of Sinhalese Dr.Vini Vitharana. It was launched shortly before the ninetieth birthday he just missed.
He was also awarded a plaque of recognition for his achievements by the Alumni Association of the
University of Colombo.

I now conclude this tribute with lines from the last 'poem' I wrote to my dearest friend

".. so to us this ode is sung

Of our seventy years of a race well run

As we totter towards the setting sun"