A Sri Lankan vendor’s love of Royalty and England’s Queen

Jinadasa with his favorite monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. 
Pics by Kushan Pathiraja

UK High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Ms. Sarah Hulton has responded to his request saying that she would try to look into an opportunity to send him to England for a visit

Thousands of loyal Britishers- irrespective of their status and deeply saddened by the demise of their majesty the Queen Elizabeth II- waited in 12-hour-long queues outside the Westminster Abbey to pay their last respects during the past 10 days. Likewise, one man living thousands of miles away from the United Kingdom, who is mourning the death of the queen, is preparing to pay his last respects to his favourite monarch today. Interestingly a man who has affectionately written to Queen Elizabeth II and her royal family for the past 32 years has received their blessings and love as a loyal subject while living in Sri Lanka. 

65-year-old Jinadasa Liyanage or popularly known as ‘Ahinsaka Maama’ (Innocent Uncle) is a pavement vendor living on the busiest streets of Pettah Central Market area in Colombo since 1970’s. 

A one of a kind personality, Ahinsaka is reputed in Pettah for his nostalgic faithfulness to the British monarchy. 
In search of this remarkable person this writer visited Sri Bodhiraja Mawatha in Colombo 11 on a busy morning. When penning letters for foreign correspondence he mentioned his address as No.38, Near the Tram Car Tower, 100 Feet Road, Bodhiraja Mawatha, Colombo 11. 

Mini museum 

Ahinsaka is also reputed for owning a mini museum which comprises a personal collection of letters written to the royal family since late 1980’s, replies he had received to them, royal certificates, royal invitations for gala events in the UK, special picture postcards of the queen mother and the queen, her son Prince Charles and Princess Diana, their children Prince William and family and Prince Harry and family, royal envelopes received from England, various memorabilia. Born in 1957 in Urumuththa, Akuressa he decided to leave home at the age of 12. 

In 1970, Jinadasa came to Colombo to see the Vesak festival. After the festival concluded Jinadasa decided to remain in Colombo. 
During the latter part of 1970’s he was selling appointment stamps for the outside patients of the Colombo Eye Hospital in the Eswattuwa Junction where he got to see a big bungalow in Ward Place. Seeing the poor boy on the streets one of the guards at the bungalow offered him a packet of lunch and before long he befriend the guards. 
No sooner he realised that this bungalow belonged to J. R. Jayewardene. Jinadasa earned the trust of the Jayewardene family. 

Courteous reply from England

During this time Jinadasa got to visit the Presidential Palace in Fort for many errands. Something, which really caught his fancy during these trips, was the ceremonial guards who were clad in red uniform coats and waiting outside at the sentry points. He thought that if the guards of a palace would be this disciplined then how cultured would be the residents of a palace. This opened Jinadasa’s mind to royalty and its affairs and he travelled on that thought to the last invaders of Sri Lanka, the British monarchy. 
Explaining about his believes and values in life Jinadasa said that he always admired the fine cultured people, the leaders and the distinguished nobles. “I am so fascinated about the royal family in Britain; which had ruled many countries and been very powerful once upon a time. Yet see how cultured and down to earth as great human beings they are. When I eventually learned about the British Royal Family I wanted to write to them and send my wishes to them,” he said. 

In late 1980’s Jinadasa wrote his first letter to the Queen Mother and after several weeks he received a courteous reply from England. 
By this period Jinadasa had met his wife, a young lass in Bandarawela. Within a few years the couple gave birth to two sons and two daughters. 
In 1989, during the JVP insurrection, the entire Colombo area was imposed under the curfew. Passengers who had come to Colombo were stranded in Gunasinghepura. 
“I was living in this hut, which was much bigger than this, and was selling them cups of tea by boiling water. One of these days President Ranasinghe Premadasa visited the area and seeing me inquired about my activities. The authorities blamed me for not obeying the orders but President Premadasa spared me by saying ‘he’s an innocent man’ (meya Ahinsaka minihek). Since then I was known as Ahinsaka in Pettah,” Jinadasa said. 

He is an active community member who had formed a number of trade associations. 
“My hobby was to write to the royal family in England. I have written a number of letters to the queen, Prince Charles, Princes Diana and even to their children. What I scribble in Sinhala I get it translated into English and then print them in a fine conquer paper to be posted by foreign mail,” he said. 
“On hearing Queen Elizabeth’s demise I was very saddened. I even contacted the UK High Commission in Colombo to grant me an opportunity to visit England for the queen’s funeral. I was summoned to the High Commission on Friday morning. I went there in a clean suit and with a bouquet of flowers. The officials there gave me the opportunity to pen down my condolences in the guest book. 

“The next minute I was shocked to see the UK High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Ms. Sarah Hulton coming to receive me. I expressed my deep sorrow to the madam high commissioner. She invited me for a photograph with her. She responded to my request saying that she would try to look into an opportunity to send me to England for a visit after the formalities of the queen’s funeral conclude,” Ahinsaka said. 
Hopeful of his ultimate dream to visit England one day Ahinsaka said with an innocent smile, “I am a simple man and a street vendor in Sri Lanka. But I deeply admire the Royal Family in Britain who responded to my greetings and mailings. Although, I’m saddened by the death of our only queen I am happy and would like to convey my humble wishes to the new King Charles”.