Leader who was assassinated on May 1

by Miran Perera

May 1, 2010 marks the 17th death anniversary of President R. Premadasa who was assassinated by an LTTE terrorist while at a May Day march in Colombo. The late President was a humanitarian politician with an overwhelming love for mankind. He 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 election of leaders was traditionally based on caste lineage and wealth it is no exaggeration that President Premadasa was the only leader who was exalted to that position by his fellow countrymen. Sadly it was terrorism which President Premadasa could not end and terrorism which took his life.

President Premadasa

Premadasa knew the importance of unity among people of different ethnic and religious groups. He also knew the dangers of division along ethnic lines. That was why he unlike his predecessors did not allow even a trace of Sinhala chauvinism in the policies, programs and propaganda of his administration even after the LTTE resumed the war in 1990. As a result he managed to win the confidence of the democratic Tamil and Muslim leaders and to isolate the LTTE politically.

He thus took the first step in creating an inclusive and unifying Sri Lankan nationalism as opposed to the excluding and divisive Sinhala Buddhist nationalism of the past. President Premadasa did not regard himself as a military expert.

He simply allowed the experts to fight the war. But he also took the first important step in changing the nature of the war from a war against the Tamil people to a war against the LTTE which he could not win.

The 17th death anniversary of President Premadasa is the first to be so commemorated after the ending of terrorism and war by the UPFA government and its leader Mahinda Rajapaksa.

May 18, 2009 was a magnanimous day for all Sri Lankans as war and terrorism was culminated to breathe real freedom which had to be earned with the blood sweat and tears of our valiant forces and many innocent civilians.

The Greek philosopher Epicterus has stated that ‘It’s not what happens to you that matters, but how you reach to its.

As President Mahinda Rajapaksa was stronger than any other leader or government that preceded in Sri Lanka and as he had a vision for the people they were adept and responded to the situation like the Phoenix lifting Sri Lanka and all its many diverse people from the ashes of terrorism.

Even after 30 years of unbridled terrorism there is no real love lost between the Sinhalese and Tamil people and we can live in peace and harmony in the future as brothers and sisters of this blessed island and its natural beauty.

President Premadasa maintained a constant dialogue with minority parties and tried to come up with a political solution to the ethnic problem through the All Party Conference. This combination of military, political and development effort made possible the liberation of the East, Vavuniya and Mannar. The Sinhala chauvinists condemned him for selling out but the LTTE knew that he was their most dangerous enemy someone capable of winning the trust of the Tamil people. That was why he was killed on the first of May 1993. President Premadasa wanted to be the voice of the voiceless millions and the instrument of their liberation.

This was no idle statement but the principle by which he lived and governed. He knew that real sustainable development of the country could come only through the uplift of the poor and the powerless. So he gave houses to the homeless, lands to the landless, jobs for the unemployed, opportunities to the neglected and the marginalised.

Irrespective of a persons’ caste, race or religion he or she should be able to contribute to the development process.

President Rajapaksa’s aspiration was to implement a development process at the rural level in the areas where Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims live, based on an accelerated development strategy and strong peace policy. President Premadasa had to work with a number of people some of whom would be above board and some not.

On many public occasions he had bemoaned the fact that individuals are characterised in to ethnic communities. How he had questioned would he had known that he would be born a Sinhalese, a Tamil or a Muslim? And he questioned how that accident of birth gave him any greater claim to the fruits of the earth, than someone else not so fortunate.

President Premadasa was the first head of state we have had whose Sinhala Buddhism was not a mere political convenience. He thought Sinhala Buddhism. He dreamt Sinhala Buddhism. He talked Sinhala Buddhism. He knew what the Sinhala Buddhists wanted.

Although he did not agree with the Sinhala Buddhists who thought that this country belonged only to them and even though he was prepared to say so publicly and defended the rights of the minorities, the Sinhala Buddhists did not consider him a traitor. He did not betray us.

Yet in spite of his beliefs and policies of equality and firm commitment to peace he could not end terrorism through negotiation or war.

It was the strength given by the people unprecedented in our history to the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and its far-sighted leader President Mahinda Rajapaksa which turned the tide against terrorism.

It is a proven fact that the UPFA with a twist of obvious fate did culminate the war against all odds, a war which could not be won by four Presidents of rare calibre and enormous strength, that ruled our country.

This stupendous achievement of victory over terrorism was what former President Premadasa could not achieve. Yet his untiring effort towards peace shall be written in gold in the history of this country.