Between Two Worlds: Oral History of Mylvaganam Manicavasagar

Early Life

Mr. Manicavasagar was one of eight children, raised in a large family during a time of deep poverty in Point Pedro, a town located in Jaffna District at the Northernmost point of Srilanka.

His father, a spiritual man, spent his entire life at the temple and never held any formal employment. He was unable to provide for the family and so his mother had to work tirelessly to feed and raise them all. Mr. Manicavasagar recalled the tall Palmyra trees that grew in their back yard under the hot sun, from which their mother would gather fallen fruit. She then spent hours boiling the fruit pulp in heavy iron pots to produce jaggery, a traditional form of palm sugar. Which she then wrapped in palm leaves and traded for a small price of money.

Despite facing severe economic hardship during his early life, Mr. Manicavasagar remained steadfast in his pursuit of education. With limited resources and little financial support from his family, he worked tirelessly to overcome the barriers that poverty placed in his path. His academic journey began in agriculture, where he qualified as a graduate and gained practical experience working on large Tea estate projects in Sri Lanka.

However, his true ambition lay in the field of law—a dream he had nurtured from a young age. He was later accepted into the University of Colombo, where he earned his Law degree with the help of a government-funded student loan and by working part-time as a tutor. He taught Law to students in Jaffna and Colombo, who would later become successful Solicitors and Barristers. After completing his studies, he qualified as an Attorney-at-Law in Sri Lanka.

Even with his qualifications in hand, the reality of practicing law proved difficult in Srilanka.

The legal profession, while prestigious, required resources he simply did not have. Family and peers advised him to consider the UK, where he could pursue further legal qualifications and establish a career. Encouraged by this advice and motivated by the prospect of a more secure future, he made the decision to migrate to the United Kingdom in 1983.

This period of his life was marked by resilience and personal sacrifice—all driven by an unwavering belief in the transformative power of education and his desire to build a better future for him and his family.

The Journey

At the age of 40, Mr. Manicavasagar migrated to the UK to take the Solicitors’ Qualifying Transfer Exam, intending to become a certified solicitor. After passing his SQE exams he invited his elder brother Mr. Markandan Mylvaganam to the UK —whom he had encouraged to pursue Law.

Mr. Manicavasagar initially came on a visitor visa to sit his exams. He worked in various legal firms before eventually joining his brother at Markandan & Co. Solicitors at 720, Romford Road, Manor Park.

He soon became a pillar of support for others who had arrived in similar circumstances. His office served as an immigration advice centre for the newly arriving Srilankan Tamil immigrants in Newham. He worked for over a decade in other prestigious law firms, at the same time helping his brother’s firm build the legal foundations for Tamil migrants settling in East London. After gaining his permanent residency, he brought his family over in 1992 after around 10 years of his initial arrival.

Mr. Manicavasagar  recalls his early years living in Newham and how the dynamic community is thriving to date. He also shares his friendly relationship with Rt Hon. Mr. Stephen Timms, Member of Parliament for Eastham.

Though his marriage and family life became strained after his family’s arrival, Mr. Manicavasagar  dedicated his energy to his community. He regularly gave his time freely, helping people complete forms, understand their legal rights and access support services. Often absorbing the emotional and practical burden of immigrant cases – he connected those in need to legal aid and direct access Barristers. His services soon became a community hub—a space where people with less options found help – up to this date.

The Legacy

As Mr. Manicavasagar reflects on his journey, it becomes clear that his relationship with his culture and his identity is layered and intricate. While his connection to Sri Lanka has faded over time—due to a lost childhood, personal hardship, political tensions and civil unrest that fractured the nation—his cultural roots remain intact in ways that go beyond nostalgia.

Mr. Manicavasagar is a Tamil scholar and a poet, proudly rooted in his language, literature and lineage. His name itself is a symbolic blend of divinity and heritage.

Though he does not identify as religious in a traditional sense, he speaks with reverence about the way poetry, philosophy and literature has shaped him. To him, Tamil literature—especially the Thirukkural—offers more than faith: it offers a moral framework for living.

For Mr. Manicavasagar, food remains a vital connection to home. He still cooks and eats traditional Sri Lankan meals everyday—rice and curry, string hoppers, puttu. These simple yet sacred food rituals, ground him in a cultural rhythm that time and distance have not erased.

When asked about his broader view on culture and society, Mr. Manicavasagar speaks with a quiet liberalism. “Whatever you do,” he said, “it shouldn’t affect others. You do your own things.” His philosophy is not bound to rituals or religious practices but rather to compassion, dignity, and self-discipline.

Now in his 80s, he continues to give back to his community—offering free advice, guiding others through complex legal systems, and helping those in need. His legacy lives not only in his professional contributions but in the values he embodies: humility, service and a quiet kind of intellectual generosity.

Though his children have grown up with more Western influences and do not share his literary passions, he does not judge them. Instead, he holds on to what he believes in and lets the rest be. He is happy to see his four children settle and have successful lives.

His reflections are steeped in humility but the impact of his work resonates clearly in his words and in the legacy of those he supported. Although he regrets the emotional distance from his family, a gap widened by years of absence and isolation he is still grateful for the life he has lived here, keeping regular touch with his children and grandchildren.

His legacy lives not only in his legal work but in the thousands of lives he quietly supported.