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| Sunday, 2 May 2004 |
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On the occasion of the death anniversary of Ranasinghe Premadasa: A people's leader by Imthiaz Bakeer Markar "I could dream one day in Georgia the offsprings of the slaves and their masters sitting together in the spirit of brotherhood. I could also dream the Mississippi beaming the oasis of freedom and justice. I could dream our four children living in a society in which people are judged by their character alone but not the colour of their skin. I could visualize a society without any form of discrimination. With that belief in mind we could work together, pray together and struggle together in pursuit of freedom." American Black leader Martin Luther King's above historic utterance reminds me of a similar speech made by the late President R. Premadasa at the special convention held on October 9, 1998 at the Sugathadasa Stadium, Colombo on the occasion of his being nominated as the UNP candidate for the second presidential election. He said, if I could become the voice of the poor as well as a tool to salvage them from poverty it would no doubt be my greatest achievement in life." Like Martin Luther King, Premadasa wanted to represent the true identity of the poor. In every development project his efforts concentrated on the elimination of misery to which the silent majority had been subjected. Ranasinghe Premadasa firmly believed that he was destined to attain a much-hoped target in life. Obstacles and difficulties he was confronted with in the realisation of this target, helped him to strengthen his determination. All his policies and programs were focused on making the have-nots a more acceptable segment of the society. His contemporaries doubted whether his vision was a mere mirage. But he fulfilled his mission against all the odds. At a time when only the middle classes were the sole beneficiaries of the state housing projects, it was he who advanced the concept of 'shelter for all'. The majority of the people however, conceded it to be an impossibility. Ranasinghe Premadasa's housing development programme was seen as a text book solution to the complex issues and challenges. He first experimented with his maiden project to provide one lakh of houses to the needy. The last two housing projects namely - 1 million and 1.5 million houses were the most realistic and successful scheme ever designed to satisfy the housing needs of the population. Expertise and guidance necessary for the implementation of the Janasaviya Scheme were derived from the experience amassed from the housing development schemes. Premadasa who correctly understood that the lack of shelter was the prime cause of poverty rendered a commendable service to the nation. His unique concept of 'Shelter for the Head' in fact provided solace for millions of poor people. He wanted to harness the latent potentiality of the man to the task of developing the country. This was achieved through the implementation of Janasaviya, a concept which deserved the encomiums of the World Bank as well. Premadasa's philosophy that the dividends of his programmes should be enjoyed by all the citizens themselves equally drove him to base such programmes countrywide as national enterprises. He was pragmatic to the extent of identifying himself the problems engulfing the masses and also to provide appropriate solutions. The first model village launched for the benefit of the socially marginalised families in the remote village of Badalgama in Yapahuwa electorate blossomed into a full-fledged Village Awakening Programme eventually covering up 25,000 villages. The town-folk too were benefitted by his new development schemes, of which housing was a major component. Premadasa who sensed that the development of the infrastructure facilities fell short of ameliorating the economic life of the people, inaugurated the 200 garment factories project with a view to strengthening the rural economic base. In other words he was interested in mobilizing the labour and resources in the periphery as inputs to augment development. What lied behind his development schemes was his keen desire to demonopolise the village resources in order to ensure social justice and mutual co-operation through self-reliance. Premadasa's genius for new concepts was unique. When all that is foreign were panacea for some people, many were the citizens levelled against the people-friendly projects conceived by himself. Premadasa impeccably believed that youth be given pride of place shouldering the natural responsibilities. Accordingly in the selection of candidates for the general and local elections they were given the lion's share. He was always committed to communal harmony and peace and eventually succeeded in winning the confidence of the majority. Premadasa assumed the high office of presidency at a time when the country was sandwiched between the ruthless terror reigning supreme in the north and the South. He valiantly accepted the challenge of leadership against a very explosive environment in which a 'chit' could paralyze the entire country, schools and universities remained closed, unofficial curfew imposed, the lives politicians were in imminent danger, the bullet was substituted for the ballot and political leaders were bumped off in cold-blooded murders. Premadasa's political odyssey and social vision is marked by his dedication to the service of man. Born and bred among the overmastered and the social underdogs, Premadasa right through continued to maintain constant touch with his peers. His special form of governance always bore the trade mark of the ordinary man's identity. More than any other time in history, he is much more relevant to our society today, when we commemorate the eleventh year of his demise. May I conclude this small appreciation by quoting reference to one of his famous sayings: "The rich would further flourish only if they help their poor brethren. Any attempt on the part of the rich to subdue the poor would certainly make the poorer the greater." Premadasa's vision is part and parcel of our lives. The greatest homage one could pay to the man who sacrificed his precious life for the sake of the country is to dedicate oneself truly to carry his mission forward. He was a king among the kings and a peasant among the peasants. |
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