Tamils - a Trans State Nation..

"To us all towns are one, all men our kin.
Life's good comes not from others' gift, nor ill
Man's pains and pains' relief are from within.
Thus have we seen in visions of the wise !."
- Tamil Poem in Purananuru, circa 500 B.C

S.V.O.Somanader

[Nominated by Sachi Sri Kantha]

"Samuel Victor Ousmond Somanadar was born on 19th February 1897 in Batticaloa. He had his education at the Batticaloa Central (Methodist) College. At the Government Teachers' College Colombo, he came first in the Diploma Course and won the Evans Teaching Prize.

He started life as a School Master at his old school in 1920 and was appointed Principal in 1942. During his regime, many improvements were effected to the School and Higher Forms were commenced. He retired after 12 years in 1954.

He was a well known and respected journalist, naturalist, photographer, wild life enthusiast and student of marine life. He regularly wrote a feature called "Nature Notes by Victor", to the Times of Ceylon, for many years. He was an Honorary Member of the Wild Life and Nature Protection Society, to whose journal he contributed often. He was made a Fellow of the Zoological Society of London, in recognition of his scientific study of birds and animal life in Ceylon. He was also a member of the Royal Geographical Society and the Royal Society of Teachers." (from S.Arumugam's Dictionary of Biography of the Tamils of Ceylon - published here with permission)

Annotation by Sachi Sri Kantha:

"Somanader wrote on diverse topics in natural sciences, ranging from Veddah anthropology to zoology. The authoritative 5 volume reference work of H.A.I.Goonetileke, entitled, 'A Bibliography of Ceylon' (covering literature up to 1978) lists a total of 77 articles solely authored by Somanader, between the years 1937 and 1974, to journals and magazines such as Ceylon Causerie, Ceylon Fortnightly Review, Ceylon Today, Chambers Journal and Loris. Two notable examples of Somanader's contributions on the exotic 'singing fish' of Batticaloa are as follows: The 'singing fish' of Batticaloa. Ceylon Today, Feb. 1964; 13(2): 24-28. Batticaloa's singing fish. Loris, Dec. 1967; 11(2): 108-110. "