The beginning of a long journey

The maiden speech by Mahinda Rajapaksa MP for Beliatte in proposing the Vote of Thanks to the Speech from The Throne during the United Front Government of 1970 (forty four years ago).

The old House of Parliament - now the Presidential Secretariat

“Hon Speaker, I wish to move the Vote of Thanks on the Speech from the Throne by H.E. The Governor General.

Hon Speaker, the 1970 Peoples’ victory is a historic achievement for millions of people who had silently suffered immense trials and tribulations during the last five years.

It is a victory that sent out ripples across the world. This opportunity to move the Vote of Thanks is not my privilege alone but that of over 46,000 voters of the Beliatte electorate in the South Lanka's Ruhunu Rata. I seek your permission to convey their warm blessings to you and the United Front Government led by the Hon. Prime Minister.

Hon. Speaker, I also seek your permission to bring to the notice of this Hon. House a memorable but very often forgotten event of Sri Lanka's recent history.

Marginalised

The British imperialists left this country in 1948 only after handing over the reins of governance to a loyal and well-trained anglisised capitalist class.

They were ignorant of the Sinhala language, Sinhala country, Sinhala culture and Sinhala history. The Sinhala language had been relegated to the kitchen.

The Venerable Maha Sangha and native physicians were marginalised and denied state patronage.

One among them, a true son of the soil gifted with farsighted vision determinedly dedicated himself to the cause of the toiling masses on July 12, 1951. It was a step taken towards an uncertain future.

Hon. Speaker, that great son of Lanka was the late S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike. Why do I call it the red letter day? It was on this memorable day that the people of this country were rescued from the dark shadows of capitalism and exposed to the dawn of socialism.

I believe it was on the day Mr. Bandaranaike abandoned the UNP and relinquished his ministerial portfolio and joined the camp of the downtrodden, that the Sri Lanka Freedom Party was conceived.

May I remind this Hon. House that the SLFP during the past 18 years coalesced with the socialist forces and led the poor towards socialism victoriously.

This is why I called it the red letter day in the history of this country and more so when Mr. Bandaranaike entertaining a mere ray of hope on this uncertain future joined hands with the downtrodden, a true bold son of the Ruhuna emulated him giving a strong backing.

I may repeat to this Hon. House the very words spoken by Mr. Bandaranaike himself; “I thought it was my shadow.

Later, I found it was D.A.”. Hon. Speaker, It was my late father who was the then Member of Parliament for Ruhuna.

He carried with him the aspirations of the people of Beliatte in emulating Mr. Bandaranaike.

Even today, I recollect with pride that the people of Beliatte are the real stakeholders of the historic event which led the country towards a new era.

The people of Beliatte are fortunate to be among the founders of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party.

The very people of Beliatte have elected the beloved son of the late D.A. Rajapaksa to Parliament in 1970.

Hon. Speaker, that the people of Beliatte had become the stakeholders of the historic event which propelled Sri Lanka into a new era is no wonder, when Netolpitiya the birth place of Gotaimbara who under King Dutugemunu led the crusade to liberate the Buddha Sasana and the country, and the historic Sitinamaluwa the birth place of Ven. Sitinamaluwe Dhammajothi Thera who heralded an epoch of knowledge in South Lanka at a time when his counterpart Ven. Velivitiye Pindapathika Sri Saranankara Sangharaja Thera opened new vistas of science when the knowledge of the Dhamma remained eclipsed, are in my electorate.

In addition, Barana Ganithaya, the exponent of ‘Vas Kavi’ and ‘Seth Kavi’ and poets such as Pattaye Lekam and Bedigama Weerasinghe, and erudite scholars such as Vadibhasinghe, Ven. Bedigama Rathanapala Thera, Ven. Welipatanwila Sri Deepankara Thera and Ven. Karatota Dharmarama Nayaka Thera consecrated the hamlets in the neighbourhood of Beliatte.

Fishing

Hon. Speaker, Beliatte was a very old flourishing marketplace. Beliatte, located on high land at an intersection could be converted into a typical town.

Today it is only a mere village bazaar, devoid of any sign of a town. If it is developed into a town the people will be ever grateful to the government. Hon. Speaker, a substantial number of people in my electorate depend on fishing for their livelihood.

Some of the well-known fishing villages in the South Lanka such as Mawella and Kudawella are in this area.

Due to the needy circumstances they engage in fishing at the risk of their lives. Apart from an insurance scheme, if credit facilities are provided to purchase fishing craft it would greatly help improve their lives.

They would, therefore, be ever grateful to the government.

Hon. Speaker, the natural harbour of Tangalle, a symbol of beauty spanning up to distant Rekawa promontory has became an eyesore to the fisher community.

The old fisheries harbour and the Fisheries Centre built by the SLFP government are no more. What you have at present is a harbour full of sand dunes where, perhaps, coconut could be planted.

Far from being a harbour where ships could be anchored, it seems to be a project for reclaiming the sea.

I call upon this Hon. House to provide a full-fledged fishery harbour with a fisheries centre for Tangalle.

Contentment

Hon. Speaker, most people in my electorate are engaged in paddy cultivation. It will be an act of gratitude, if our government could renovate old village tanks, and canals and introduce modern scientific cultivation methods, to facilitate paddy cultivation.

The proposal in the Throne Speech to take over the repairs to minor irrigation works and its maintenance by the government will surely be a source of contentment for paddy cultivators in Beliatte who depend on the age-old system of tapping water from village tanks and canals.

If the vast Tangalle paddy fields could be desalinated it would be possible, to cultivate over 2,400 acres of paddy land during both Yala and Maha seasons.

Hon.Speaker, most people in the Beliatte electorate engage in chena cultivation and lead a life of abject poverty. Ruhuna is traditionally famous for Kurakkan.

The late D.M. Rajapaksa, former State Councillor for Hambantota, popularly known as 'Ruhune Sinhaya', adopted the colour of Kurahan for his shawl.

It would, therefore, be worthwhile to ameliorate the living conditions of chena cultivators by providing facilities.

I am glad to hear that it has been proposed in the Throne Speech that the landless farmers would be provided lands.

It was also proposed to set up and develop small industries, cottage industries and minor industrial ventures.

Employment

The reference to the popular and traditional Laksha industry at Angulmaduwa, and the age-old indigenous minor cottage industries such as brass and pottery in the Throne speech will be a source of satisfaction to the people in Beliatte.

The other proposal in the Throne speech to set up new departments to provide employment and action to fill all vacancies will satisfy the aspirations of a large number of unemployed graduates and the youth hoping to enter university in Swabasha medium.

The entire Ruhunu will certainly rejoice at the novel idea of setting up a university in the South.

I am aware that unemployment, uncertain future and elusive cultural ethos have shattered the dream of the youth in this country.

That the youth who had lost their hope for a prosperous future rallied round the United Front government and laboured day and right to ensure its victory, was a marked feature at the last General Election.

Today the youth represents half of the population. The youth in Beliatte electorate of which I am also a member feel extremely happy to hear that the government will give a patient hearing to the problems of the youth and set up a separate department to deal with youth affairs and welfare activities.

The people have implicit faith that diplomatic relations will be established with the German Democratic Republic, Republic of Vietnam, Republic of Korea and Vietnam's Provincial Revolutionary Government and sever diplomatic relations with Israel and the People's government will follow a far-sighted anti-imperialist non-aligned foreign policy as stated in the Throne Speech.The people of this country do not condone imperialism or capitalism or other forms of exploration.

It is on this understanding and unshakable faith that the people voted this government to power with a two-third majority. We should not underestimate the reactionary, conspiratorial, imperialist and capitalist forces.

As a youth, I would boldly say that the youth of the country is determined to bulldoze all such insurmountable obstacles at the risk of their lives and ensure the march towards socialism. I would like to move this Vote of Thanks on H.E. Governor General's speech from The Throne and to offer my thanks to the Hon. Speaker, Hon. Prime Minister and Hon. Government MPs for providing me this opportunity.”

Translated by K.D. Michael Kittanpahuwa