I was more than pleased to read a letter of appreciation that appeared in a National Newspaper sometime ago, on our former President Ranasinghe Premadasa, to coincide with his 100th Birth Anniversary.
THE BEGINNING
I knew about him as a school boy from mid 1950s living in Hultsdorf close to the Technical College not too far from where he lived. He was a close friend of my father who waseven invited to his wedding reception that was held at the modest Kehelwatta Community Center Hall, a poor man’s venue for receptions. Mr. Premadasa did his initial schoolingat Lorenz College, a private school at Skinners Road now called Sri Saranankara Mawatha that was subsequently closed down, which was next to St.Sebastian’s Church. He later entered St.Joseph’s College, Maradana and came under the Sinhalese Scholar Rev.Fr.D.J.Anthony. But thanks to my memory I knew about him even earlier because he and my maternal uncle contested the Colombo Municipality Elections under the Labour Party banner led by A.E.Goonasinghe. Premadasa contested the KeselwattaWard also known as St.Sebastian’s Ward and won defeating the U.N.P. candidate Harry Silva the Sitting Member and a relative of my family. My uncle lost contesting St.Paul’sWard that had a Tamil speaking majority. Vincent Pereralater a U.N.P. Minister successfully contested the New Bazaar Ward at Grandpass. Later Premadasa and others joined the U.N.P. because leader A.E. Goonasinghe switched alliance to the Green Party under Dudley Senanayake and became a trusted protégé under Dudley. In my adult life I did have the good opportunity to indirectly work for himwhen President until his tragic end.
PRAGMATIC POLITICAL LEADER
In the context of the above said letter I thought it is fitting to supplement what was said with my personal experience on President Premadasa not only as a politician but also otherwise. Premadasa was a workaholic. He was late to bed and very early to rise before the cockcrow and was in the habit of reading the first edition of National Newspapers and also other newspapers. When he was President his reaction was instant in response to any negative news item that felt into the ambit of State Governance and Ministers and Officials alike were on pins when their telephone rang at an ungodly morning hour. As a Private Secretary to a then Minister I knew it. He led from the front shedding all luxuries that was afforded to the Head of State living at his modest family home “Sucharitha’ in Hultsdorf.
He became the Deputy Mayor of the Municipal Council and the people collected contributions to buy him a Morris Minor Car which he himself chauffeured for a long time largely for his official travelling. He was unbelievably simple in his habits even as the President. He regularly used to bathe at the Dias Place public well water bathing facility close to his home sometimes cleaning his teeth with a piece of charcoal kept for common use. His favourite breakfast was a ‘Roast Pang’ from the bakery with a piece of Maldives fish and a parippu wade with a cup of plain tea to go with. He deplored lavish spending for State functions and Ministers were under tight control. He was the only President who never travelled abroad in his official capacity as Head of State.
Mr.Premadasa was the real Mr.Clean. No one has ever accused him for corruption or nepotism. He led the country amidst strong storms and tides both within and without. He did carry out his Scio-Economic Empowerment Programmesfighting two nationally damaging revolts the LTTE in the North and Marxist JVP youth in the South and astutely kept the Nation going. The JVP’s first lesson to its’ cadres was hate against India for their Imperialistic expansionism and as such opposed Indian forceful intervention and involvement in the North but paradoxically chose to attack fellow Sinhalese who opposed them and National assets in the South that weakened the Government strength to oppose both the Indian intervention and LTTE terrorism.
The JVP insurgents killed Sinhalese unarmed civilians in tandem with the L.T.T.E. and mercilessly so and in hundreds for its’ political attachments or for refusing to obey their commands. Day to day civilian life was interrupted at a short notice with commands by a note of a short letter with the threat ‘obey or die”. Schools, Institutions and Hotels had to be closed and transportation both public and private was banned from plying on the roads. One many such occasions I had to walk to my office in Hultsdorf from Delkanda,Nugegoda and back, for the fear of losing my job at a Newspaper Office. I cursed them for the agony I suffered. The bloody JVP insurrection as such was both treacherous and traitorous which if successful would certainly have destabilized the country changing the entire landscape of the Nation with Marxist and Socialist contours making us another Cuba or a North Korea.
There is a strong misconception and mostly heresayattributed to the irresponsible social media that Premadasaordered the killing of Rohana Wijeweera which I wish to rebuff on my personal understanding from a position of reliable information. Birg.Janaka Perera a war hero was a very close friend of my and a schoolmate who shared many happenings with me. It was Janaka and his men who apprehended Wijewera when hiding under a bed . Janakapointed his revolver to the head of Wijeweera who confirmed his real identity and was brought to Colombo. No sooner Premadasa was informed of the capture of Wijeweera’s he wanted him not to be harmed.Premadasahad other ideas of using Wijeweera for a heavy political mileage. But the Army top brass hated Wijeweera for the notorious character of a mass killer he was and the potential danger if he lived. The Army saw him as a traitor for his act of launching simultaneous attacks on the KatunayakeAirforce Base and the John Kotalawela Defence Academy on 17th June 1987 when Vadamarachchi Operation was under way in the North. The Army hurriedly got rid of Wijeweerawhen Premadasa telephoned his intentions to Gen.CecilWaidyaratne wishing to meet Wijeweera. This fact seems to be distorted in the social media.Unfortunately neither Janaka, Waidyaratne or Algama are alive to vouch for the truth. When the country by and large rejoiced the elimination of Wijeweera for his wickedness, Premadasaopenly lamented.
Premadasa unlike other political families did not wish is son Sajith to enter politics because he knew it was too dirty. I am well aware that he once took a former Provincial Councilor namely Duncan Fernando to task for attempting to do so.
ACHIEVEMENTS FOR THE COUNTRY
I was good fated to work for a Minister in his personal staffwhen Premadasa was President and was close enoughindirectly though to appreciate his thoughts and action for the good and welfare of the people which I did not find in other leaders.
Acting on the Report for the causes of the Youth Insurrection, in 1988 he had the Examination Department run a Open Competitive Examination overseen by the Home Affairs Ministry then under Festus Perera for new appointments to the State Sector purely on merit free from political or other interference. Many who got chosen were from rival political parties. I was a witness when the first batch of appointment letters were presented at a ceremonyat the Home Affairs Ministry. Sadly this was done away with by his successors.
If SWRD was referred to as the father of Local Government,Premadasa was the foster father of local government having contributed perhaps more to local governance. He decentralized State Administration to the doorstep of the people through the establishment of Divisional Secretariatsto cover every Electorate.
He pioneered the re-awakening of the Village through GamUdawa Movement under which programme roads were renovated and carpeted, mud houses along the roadwaywere replaced with bricks and tiled roofed houses and the villager were given the experience of the administration in the Capital City. Most importantly Gam Udawa had a mobile State Service with the participation of all State Ministries with respective Ministers and Officials to provideinstant redress to village grievances. State spending on GamUdawa was minimized by him through the involvement of the private sector.
He pioneered the setting up of Garment Factories to be set up in every electorate for both employment generation and export earnings. Garments exports became a principal source of foreign exchange earning to boost the economy, which it still does.
He pioneered the self –help programme for the poor naming it “Janasaviya”, a free financial assistance scheme to rise from the state of poverty to be a contributing citizen.Janasaviya continues under changed names to the fancy of changing governments.
Today many have forgotten his Foster Parent Scheme for the adaptation of poor children by volunteer families.
Premadasa was the pioneer in the housing programme for the middle and lower classes “ hisata sevanak’ and was instrumental in building the Maligawatta Housing Scheme.
A soccer player and a sports fan the sprawling SugathadasaStadium Complex and the Kettarama Cricket Stadium he built stand out as monuments to his service to sports in the country. Site of the Sugathadasa Stadium was a garbage dump initially which was filled into a football field by Sugathadasa before it was constructed to the Stadium it is by Premadasa. His modesty and humility is displayed by his strict instructions that Structures built on State money should never be named after himself. Sugathdasa in his day as Minister of Sports did yeoman service for the development of sports especially football and the Stadium was rightfully monumented to his service.. Another matter many do not know was his contribution for performing arts and music. He was highly fond of music and had a photograph of himself either playing the serapina or the violin. He renovated and refurbished the Elphinston Hall at Maradana junction for staging of dramas and as a school of dancing and created the Foundation to assist retired and aged artists.
What many do not know was the resolve President Premadasa had to defeat Prabakaran after the traitorous killing of policemen by the LTTE in Batticoloa who surrendered on Premadasa’a instructions. Premadasa deeply pained by Prabakaran’s unexpected and heinous act thereafter was planning to bolster the strength of the Armyas required to defeat Prabakaran executing the Strategic Plan of Major General Cecil Waidyaratne which strategyeventually defeated Prabakaran in 2009. I strongly believethat Prabakaran had Premadasa killed on being aware of the potential threat if he remained in power. Prabakarannever did attempt to strike JR, Wijetunga, Mahinda or Raniland the attempt on CBK was suspiciously half hearted which failure in fact helped her to be re-elected. D.B.Wijetungawho became interim President undid Premadasa’s plans and Prabakaran was relieved.
MISCALCULATING THE YEARS OF CURSE
A unique feature of our countrymen is that good work is neither appreciated as deserved and is quickly forgotten.Many politicians took the lead to scornfully speak of 77 years of curse since independence castigating all Heads of State and Governments that governed for a so calledsuffering. This is pure political rhetoric and contentious. There were times since 1948 when countries in our Region were jealous of us wished to emulate our strategies including Singapore. We had the “Kallathoni” experience where Indians were illegally entering our country by boat for a better living. Till very recently our Free Medical Service for the people was ranked as one of the best in the world. People are living longer and never had people dying of starvation or lack of food. The truth is that we have been living well beyond our means.
Why do not our people talk about what our D.S.Senanayakedid for the country. His landmark Gal Oya Project and Agriculture Development Policies. Opening of the Economy and establishment of Free Trade Zones and opening of Garment Factories. Launching of Air Lanka as the National Flag Carrier with newest Commercial Aircraft to more destinations facilitating more travel, tourism and trade. The massive Mahaweli Development Project which was an outright grant from the British Government, which even now provides a major portion of our power supply and opening new lands for agriculture. Mahapola Scholarship Programme for the University Students. Janasaviya for the poor. Establishing Divisional Secretariats decentralizing State Administration. These efforts bolstered our Economy with employment generation and foreign exchange earnings. Garments and tourism are still our leading exchange earners. Air Lanka renamed Sri Lankan facilitated worker travel abroad to the Middle East and our economy rests much on worker remittances. All these positive efforts have been under UNP Regimes especially under JRJ and Premadasa.
Where have we gone wrong to be a bankrupt Nation? Yes, there are certain leaders and their governance to be blamed.We had a period of difficulty with acute scarcities under United Front Marxist- SLFF Alliance between 1970 – 1977 which sins led to the massive mandate for the UNP under JRJ and the beginning of the Open Economy which other countries in the Region followed suit endorsing it as the best way forward to raise the living standard of the people.Despite criticisms the system prevails.
We did have periods of curses in governance which begins with SWRD Bandranaike whose mainly opportunist policies led to the 30 year ethnic conflict pushing the country backwards. His wife Sirimavo with Marxist Alliances and daughter Chandika messed up in style thanks to flawed choice of people who seemed to be guided more by theirheart than the head. Rajapakses controversially though is credited with ending the war but went on to cripple the economy with acute nepotism, utter corruption and mismanagement draining resources to the point of National Bankruptcy.
The hard truth is that people of our country are part of our misfortune. They should castigate themselves for their bad and damning choices in voting politicians to power. Not willing to make sacrifices and shift from their life styles pushing the country to live beyond its means they fail to realize that their selfish and flawed choices have been a major factor in the country not achieving aspired socio-economic development growth.
Adolf Silva
