Lalith Athulathmudali: A man among men

Lalith Athulathmudali was a politician par excellence, difficult to be described by someone like me. However, I did have the distinct privilege and pleasure of working closely with him in politics. I soon discovered that working for Lalith Athulathmudali was an exercise in independence because once he set a task he never interfered - he expected you to use your discretion and get the job done. While he respected our individuality he did not tolerate excuses either.

The principle simply was "I am not interested in excuses, I am only interested in getting the job done". We adhered to his principles and grew both in stature and personality, thanks to all that we imbibed from our teacher. Today, I am a Member of Parliament and I know beyond doubt that I would not have attained this position if it had not been for the Lalith Athulathmudali who was my mentor, friend and guide and to whom I owe the success in my life. He taught us never to rest on our laurels but always strive to better ourselves and I have carried this tenet of his within me all the time.

I still remember the years I worked as Co-ordinating Officer at the Ratmalana constituency office. Lalith Athulathmudali's plan of work was simple. Together with the Provincial Council members I had to deal with the day-to-day problems of those who came to the office. Any problems that could not be solved by us had to be referred to him on his weekly visits. These problems would be dealt with expeditiously and even referred to the respective Cabinet Ministers, when necessary. I would be failing him here if I did not mention that I never ceased to be amazed at his incredible ability to grasp a problem regardless of what it was and to make instant decisions on how to handle it.

The decisions were not necessarily the solutions but the competent handling, the comprehension was what mattered most.

One incident at the Ratmalana Office will remain forever etched in my memory. My boss had instructed that the office be opened at 7 a.m. every day except the days when he visited, on which it had to be open by 6 a.m. He had somehow found out that I was not punctual and decided to teach me a lesson in his own inimitable way. He arrived one morning at 6 a.m. sharp and discovered I was missing. Totally unperturbed, Lalith Athulathmudali asked the security personnel to close the doors to all late comers and proceeded to attend to the day's work. When I arrived at 6.15 a.m. I found myself locked out and unable to get in.

He was well aware that I had arrived but he said nothing and just kept me there for another 15 minutes before he enquired whether I had come, thereby letting me gain entry inside. There was not one single word of reprimand but he taught me very clearly that day that rules apply to everyone alike and it is a lesson I am not likely to forget. He taught principles not by precept but by example.

Apart from his ability to deal with problems, he also had a tremendous capacity to attend to at least thirty to forty matters in an hour. He made telephone calls to various Ministers, Secretaries and other officials, delegated work, when necessary wrote letters, but uppermost in his mind was service to the less privileged. He always had time for them.

My reflections on Lalith Athulathmudali centre around some of the many ways in which he was able to distinguish himself from others with an inherent uniqueness which always set him apart.

Lalith Athulathmudali truly worked with kings and yet did not lose the common touch. He had a remarkable ability to relate to people at all levels. He would converse as effectively with the intelligent as he would with a student or some poor farmer relating his problem. He was at ease in any situation and he put people at ease, too. He never differentiated between the poor and the rich, and the hospitality of a poor party supporter or a rich friend was enjoyed alike with no exception. He was equally at home in a mud hut as he was in the drawing rooms of the elite., Lalith Athulathmudali earned the people's faith and he was humbled by it. That is what made him a man among men!

His personal staff which comprised a cadre of between thirty and thirty-five members was a very personal concern to him. Even with the Impeachment, none of them were discontinued. He knew exactly the ability and inability of each staff member and being the discerning man he was, he knew precisely how to use each one of them in any given situation.

That is how he always managed to carry out his political campaign effectively. He also had a tremendous aptitude for compartmentalising people and events. What, who, why, when were all carefully documented in his erudite mind to be drawn from whenever the need arose.

The Decentralised Budget fund was another area which he handled with consummate skill. When MPs found it difficult to implement their work programs for which money had been allocated from the Decentralised Budget fund, they always sought assistance at the Decentralised Budget meetings chaired by Lalith Athulathmudali, at which all Heads of Departments were present. For example, if any MP of the Opposition had trouble implementing his proposals due to blocking by a ruling party MP, Lalith Athulathmudali's solution was simple. He would let the matter come up at the meeting and very calmly ask the head of the relevant department, why the proposal had not been implemented.

He would bring the matter to a close by simply saying "You know the relevant ruling party MP will be upset that the development work in his area is not being carried out. So will you please expedite it." Without the need for force or reprimand, quietly but effectively he brought the point home and got the job done. The nuance and the cadence in his voice conveyed his message to one and all.

I am constrained to ask therefore, "Why did a man of such great stature, of remarkable ability, unparalleled in the history of our country, have to be taken from us". So great was the character and charisma Lalith Athulathmudali that he was the only one President Premadasa wanted back in his Cabinet after the impeachment Motion. However, Lalith Athulathmudali indicated to both Ranil Wickremesinghe and Sirisena Cooray that he could not let down those who had come out with him and the people who had faith in him. Once he committed himself to a cause, nothing could deter or detract him from it - such was his single-minded purpose.

Why then did he have to be destroyed? His vision influenced both rich and poor, urban and rural masses alike. They believed in him because he gave meaning to his promises, their faith in him was gathering momentum, and therein lay what had to be destroyed.

Perhaps, we as a people and Sri Lanka as a country were not destined to be led by someone such as Lalith Athulathmudali who constituted goodness and greatness. He loved his people and they loved him, and for our freedom he paid too high a price.

- Kesarralal Gunasekera