President Premadasa’s 19th death anniversary:
Remembering a dedicated optimist
 Former President R. Premadasa |
President Premadasa's 19th death anniversary falls today (May 1, 2012). He was assassinated by the LTTE while taking part in the May Day rally in 1993, in Colombo. Sri Lanka's poor, especially those without proper shelter regarded President Premadasa as a great man, a man who felt for his country and had a burning desire to help the poor and the downtrodden, as perhaps he himself came from the same soil. He was destined to reach the top, but unfortunately on reaching the top he found he had to make the supreme sacrifice for not belonging to the ruling clan and class.
Humanitarian politician
The late President Premadasa moved step by step, from Sucharitha to local politics; from the Colombo Municipal Council to Parliament; from backbencher to Junior Minister to Minister and Prime Minister; and finally President. Although he was in a hurry to complete his pro people work he was not in a hurry to get to the top. He was an optimist and worked patiently for the country, the outcome of which could be seen even today throughout the island. People still remember him with gratitude. Some in rural areas light a lamp for him.
'Man's prime duty is to help mankind survive.' The late President Premadasa, the humanitarian politician who made this statement with overwhelming love for mankind was the fifth leader of the United National Party, the eighth Prime Minister of Sri Lanka and its second Executive President. In a country where the selection of leaders was traditionally based on caste lineage and wealth it is no exaggeration to state the late President was a leader who was exalted to that position by his fellow countrymen. Some of the development policies and ideas discussed in international forums today were pioneered by President Premadasa. Not just our country, but the world too can learn from his poverty alleviation programmes. His optimistic ideas and policies which bore exceptional success are relevant today as well as tomorrow.
Each time he visited a foreign land President Premadasa made it a point to make a note of some experience which would benefit his own country. That is the way he introduced pre-fabricated bridges and pre-fabricated houses to Sri Lanka. At an Annual General Meeting of the United Nations, due to the efforts of the late President Premadasa the year 1987 was declared 'International Housing Year' and to uphold this concept he declared a target of 1.5 million houses for Sri Lanka.
The Sevana lottery, the National Housing Development Authority, Janasaviya, Sevana Sarana Foster parents' scheme, the 15,000 village project, the 200 garment factory project, National Stadium at Keththarama, the Tower Hall Foundation, Sarasavipaya, pension scheme for aged actors and singers, free school uniforms to schoolchildren, robes for student Bhikkus are some of the significant projects launched by the late President. It is only through the eyes of a book that one could describe the efforts of this humanitarian personnel to help mankind survive. In a nutshell, he was an optimist politician who served the public.
Deprived masses
In his first Presidential address President Premadasa said his government would provide the basic conditions where liberty and discipline would be ensured. It was a clear signal of his philosophy of less government and more participation and total involvement of the people. He governed with the full participation and involvement of the people, literally witnessed to the last moment of his time.
During his tenure roads were repaired, bridges and culverts strengthened, government buildings colour washed and spruced up. It was as if the beam of a searchlight had been focused on some dark corner. Perhaps it was to reawaken the stupor of the village so that it would spread from village to village and then awaken the whole country. He appeared frequently on TV but if one cared to have a closer look it was always in a project where he was helping the deprived masses with his burning desire that society understand the deprivations among the poor. This was certainly anathema to some and therefore they came to wrong conclusions.
Private sector
As Prime Minister, Premadasa ensured that government projects assigned to his ministry were carried out properly and with due priority by the relevant departments, Boards and corporations.
The first phase of the development was the successful completion of the Parliament building with necessary infrastructure at Sri Jayawardenepura, Kotte. Colombo's new business centre was strategically implemented at Echelon Square. The construction of the Colombo Hilton and other luxury hotels were undertaken and successfully completed. The Courts Complex and the private sector property development in the Beira Lake area changed the city's skyline.
In Colombo the late President carried out a programme for the construction of flats to improve the living conditions of the poor. He pioneered the Maligawatte flats which is acknowledge as the largest in the city. President Premadasa promoted private sector home building as a result of which banners and advertisements offering housing opportunities particularly to the middle class appeared for the first time in Colombo and the suburbs in the mid 80s. His initiative to improve the living conditions in Colombo's slums gave instant redress and hope to a large section of the underprivileged who had until then existed without any recognition of their needs, marginalised from Colombo's mainstream concerns.
President Premadasa's strategies derived from his rich and varied experiences as a committed social worker, a hardened politician and an astute strategist and most of all from being a self made man through a lifetime of disciplined hard work. As President he was every moment the unmistakable President in chief until his untimely death at the hand of an assassin on May 1, 1993, during the march of the workers on a day dedicated to them. Thus ended the heroic life of a great man making his optimism a matter of doubt to all those who observed the political events of the country during his time.
No comments:
Post a Comment