Cey-Nor Kuttiyanna – Anthony Rajendram : The untold story of a great man who lived and fought for his people.

Compiled by: Kuladheepan Thurai

Anthony Rajendram was born into a comfortable family in Guru Nagar, but he lost his father at a young age. With a dream to modernize the fishing industry for his community, he decided to travel to Europe in the late 1950s. To begin this journey, he and a friend rode a motorcycle all the way to Lebanon in the Middle East. When the motorcycle broke down there, his friend received money from home and travelled on to England. It is not known who this friend was.

During his stay in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon which was a wealthy city with strong links to many European countries at that time Anthony is said to have learned about NGOs and made a few useful connections. Later, with money sent by his mother, he too travelled to England.

Some people who learned about his dream to modernize the fishing industry advised him to go to Norway. Taking their advice, he travelled to Norway in the early 1960s. He studied marine technology there for three years and then returned to Jaffna, hoping to start a marine technology institute with the support of the Sri Lankan government. When this effort failed, he went back to Norway.

There, he married a Norwegian woman named Sigrun (Sigrun Haugstad) and became the father of two children. During this time, he received financial support from two organisations The Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation and the Norwegian Templars Organisation. With their support, he returned to Jaffna in 1967, bringing his 21‑year‑old Norwegian wife and their two children with him.

He chose Karainagar and first started a company there called “Malu‑Meen.” Later, he changed its name to “Cey‑Nor.” His wife, who could speak and write English fluently, worked as the company’s communications officer.

Although he started this company to uplift the marginalized fishing community, the people from Colombo who worked there had different intentions. Because of these differences, many conflicts arose, and as a result, Anthony either left or was removed from the Cey‑Nor organization.

During this time, their eldest daughter suffered an eye injury that affected her vision, so Anthony’s family returned to Norway in the early 1970s.

Selvam writes in his book that Anthony played an important role in helping many people go to Norway for their education both during his years in Sri Lanka and later while living in Norway, until he passed away in 1990 at the age of 59.

Until recently, Anthony’s wife now over 75 years old has visited Jaffna many times. She also travels often to Canada to meet Vaisala, a close friend she made during her time in Jaffna.

Anthony Rajendran carried this spirit of service forward through his charitable work. His projects provided essential support and renewed hope to many people. His efforts stand as strong examples of Thoppukkadu’s lasting values of compassion, unity, and community‑driven action. 

During the great cyclone of 1964 and the destruction that followed, the people of the village came together and provided relief to nearby communities. This became an important turning point in their tradition of service. Volunteer groups from Thoppukkadu travelled to severely affected areas such as Mayiliddy, Mathagal, Valvettithurai, Gurunagar, and Colombuthurai, offering food, shelter, and emotional support to those in need.

Although the Cey‑Nor company was taken over by the Sri Lankan government and is now operating again under the Ministry of Fisheries, it is said that most of the ministry’s funds are being directed to the newly opened Cey‑Nor branch in the South, rather than to the original one.

Even though those in power know very well that the marine resources of the North and East alone could help Sri Lanka repay much of its large debt, they are unwilling to openly admit this because of political interests.

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