Arthur C.Clarke passes away

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 March 2008, 07:33 GMT]
Dr. Arthur C.Clarke, a scientist and famous science-fiction writer, passed away after a brief illness Wednesday around 1:30 a.m. at a private nursing home in Colombo.

He was 90 at the time of death.

Clarke was born in England on 16 December 1917. He took permanent residence in Sri Lanka since 1956.

Clarke marked his 90th birthday on December 16 wishing for peace in his adopted home of Sri Lanka, where he has lived for the past five decades. He also ran a diving school that was affected by the December 2004 tsunami.

The author said he had sadly watched -- for close to half his lifetime -- a bitter ethnic conflict tearing up Sri Lanka, AFP report said.

A tape message released to reporters before his 90th birthday which was celebrated at the Central Bank of Sri Lanka building within Colombo's high security zone, AFP quoted Clarke as saying: "I dearly wish to see lasting peace established in Sri Lanka as soon as possible," he said, referring to Asia's longest-running war in which the Tamil Tigers' campaign for an independent homeland has left tens of thousands dead.

"But I'm aware that peace cannot just be wished -- it requires a great deal of hard work, courage and persistence," AFP further said quoting Clarke.