CSI Jaffna Diocese

A reverential reminiscence of Reverend Jeyasingam

“He would surely have been a great bishop.”

By the Rt Rev Dr Daniel Selvaratnam Thiagarajah

Two great American statesmen who never made it to the White House were Senator Hubert Humphrey and Adlai Stevenson. They are often referred to as the best presidents the US never had; the same could be said of Al Gore too. While Humphrey and Gore have served as Vice Presidents, Adlai Stevenson was appointed by President John Kennedy, who beat him for nomination at the Democratic Convention, as US Ambassador to the United Nations. In the hearts of the American people, they have earned a permanent niche of affection and respect.

The Rev K S Jeyasingam belonged to this class of great men and women who did not make it to the highest offices of their calling they so fully deserved. We were not privileged to have had him as our Chief Shepherd. Despite not achieving that honour, he continued to serve his church most loyally, faithfully and without any rancor or resentment. It is such that makes leadership qualities exemplary and legendary.

He was a great parson, a very human person and a man of the people. Along with his wife Marjorie, they were ideal parish workers, ambassadors of good relations and welcome visitors to any home no matter Christian or Hindu or any other and every one with whom they interacted were their family. In every parish they worked, there were the unique features in their commitment apart from their normal obligations and responsibilities and wherever they served they left their monumental prints that portrayed their dedication in faith and fond fellowship in personal relationships.

Especially in situations and circumstances when a family needed someone most, whether a wedding, funeral or any other family event, Jeyasingam pothagar would be the key person making sure everything needed or to be arranged worked smoothly and if further help was needed, he was most generous with his time and resources and his heart and soul would overflow and Marjorie with spontaneous warmth and support dovetailed into his activities.

It was this personality and commitment to the needs and best interests of the people among whom the Jeyasingams served and the JDCSI being a rural mission that attracted me to join this church though my family came from Methodist traditions. The Christa Seva Ashram and the leadership of the saintly bishop, the Rt Rev Dr Sabapthy Kulandran were the other factors together with the spirit of church union impacted on my decision, something never regretted ever.

When I decided to be a part of the JDCSI, I was still a greenhorn in this field, powered with ideals and goals and a faith inspired on me and my siblings from our childhood by our parents, very humble people... When I was baptized my parents dedicated me to the church and even gave me the names of two great Christians of our time, the Rev Dr Daniel T Niles and Sevak S Selvaratnam and I am forever grateful to my parents for starting me on this path.

Jeyasingam pothagar enjoyed parody a great deal even if it was at his expense; he would laugh his sides out. Some wit once commented that the Morris Minor car was designed by its manufacturers inspired by the personality of the good parson and his ability to serve anyone in any situation anywhere. This car, along with the Austin series was the most popular make with the people of Jaffna for its hardy and dependable nature, and that was the Jeyasingams too who had one of their own. Wit was very much the nectar of great delight for the good Bishop Kulandran too and he found Rev Jeyasingam his ideal Billy Bouncer and both enjoyed the light-hearted banter they indulged in mutually.

The service of the Jeyasingams in Colombo 1948-56 is often remarked as one of their best especially in helping parishioners new to Colombo to settle down well with the country transforming from a British colony to an independent state. It was during their time our Colombo Church attained the status of a full parish and became a key link between north and south as well as other churches in the metropolis; the credit for this goes to the Rev and Mrs Jeyasingam and a loyal team of inspired parishioner pioneers who came from several churches in Jaffna.

The only son of the Rev and Mrs J K Sinnathamby, the Rev Jeyasingam had his secondary education at Jaffna College. His father, who was a pastor of the South India United Church, had been the chairman of the council and he also managed several mission schools run by the church. This was a major involvement of the church founded by the American Ceylon Mission in the community. In taking care of foundational and secondary education in the community, the work of the church was a ground-breaking effort. The secondary schools managed by the church were Uduvil Girls College, Union College, Udupiddy Girls College, Udupiddy Boys College, Drieberg’s College, Memorial English School, and Kankesanturai American Mission School.

There were American Mission Tamil Schools, all of them catering to the primary level of education in many villages in the peninsula. Until then education imparted was the “Thinnai System” where children seated cross-legged learnt their primary basics from the earth and cow dung smeared front part verandah at the entrance (thalai vasal), the thinnai of the thatch-roofed house of a single teacher. Slates had not come in yet and children wrote on sands spread out on the floor using their pointer finger. The Rev Jeyasingam obtained his Bachelor in Divinity from the United Theological College, Bangalore and has served the JDCSI in various capacities faithfully for 43 continuous years. He never had any other ambition or to seek greener pastures elsewhere. His commitment to the JDCSI was total. Among the many responsibilities he handled virtually like the chaplain of the first bishop of the JDCSI, the Rt Rev Dr S Kulandran, he was also manager of the American Ceylon Mission Press which had to be relocated from Tellipallai to Manipay with the takeover of Union College by the government. It was here Asia’s first bilingual newspaper, The Morning Star was published.

On several occasions Rev Jeyasingam served as the Bishop’s Commissary and on one occasion as the Moderator’s Commissary too. Bishop Sabapathy Kulandran recognized him as a great organizer and often turned to him to undertake key responsibilities and complex tasks on his behalf, a silent tribute of appreciation of his efficiency, loyalty and excellent public relations characteristics.

During a span of fifty three years of dedicated devotion to their calling and commitment, the Rev and Mrs Jeyasingam served in nine of the twenty one churches of his time: Inuvil, Earlalai North, Navaly, Manipay, Colombo, Araly, Uduvil, Tellipallai and Chavakacheri, circuit pastor of a number of smaller churches like Alaveddy, Anaicottai, Kankesanturai, Usan and Nunavil and a term as Evangelistic Officer. He was also Secretary of the Diocesan Council for a few years and during the time of the schools take-over, was the officer-in-charge of arbitration. He went on various mission engagements as a representative of the JDCSI to India, Geneva in Switzerland, Singapore and the United States.

A humble man who will never harbor a grudge, one can carry on a conversation, even an overheated one on highly debatable issues expressing strong conflicts and he will participate with gentle persuasion never letting his feelings emotionally stirred up. Any such conversation would only end with smiles. As much as he was happy whenever something good happened, he was equally stable and emanated confidence even if the going was bad; one who will not cry over spilt milk but would look for the next cow to milk. .

The Rev and Mrs Jeyasingam led a very simple life and tended their only daughter Lalitha with loving care. Marjorie Jeyasingam was the eldest daughter of Mr and Mrs Appathurai popularly known as JNA who served as head master of the primary section of Jaffna College. It is one of the major regrets of our time that the Rev K S Jeyasingam did not achieve the position of the bishop. The diocese would have benefited immensely from this great man of faith. He was certainly a hero of the faith and with Marjorie had a truly model family worthy of emulation.