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| Sunday, 1 January 2006 |
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D. A. Rajapaksa Memorial Oration delivered by Sam Wijesinghe : People and State Power (Continued from last week) The first Speaker elected to the new Parliament was Sir Francis Molamure. This was his final lapse after being a Member of the Legislative Council of 1925 and of the State Council of 1931. He collapsed whilst presiding at a sitting of the House in January 1951. A few months later, in June, Mr. S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, the Leader of the House, the Minister of Health and Local Government resigned from all office and crossed the floor of the House to the Opposition in the traditionally symbolic manner of leaving the government itself, but not from Parliament. On that solemn occasion, Mr. D. A. Rajapaksa was the only Member who had the courage to walk across the floor following his Leader immediately behind. There were others who joined Mr. Bandaranaike later, but D. A. alone had the courage to walk behind the Leader. Today, crossing over to the Opposition in Parliament has become rather common and sometimes even popular. They are generally for personal gain, sometimes for political prospects with the hope of reward and rarely even for fear of punishment. S. W. R. D. crossed the floor of the House on a matter of principle. His was the brilliant and epoch making speech expressing the gratitude of the House on the momentous occasion of opening the first Parliament of Independent Ceylon in 1948 by the Duke of Gloucester. It was an oration full of hope for the dawn of a new era. Almost 4 years later after that historical occasion, S. W. R. D. sincerely felt that the country was not taking off on a prospective path. He saw no hope of a new world dawning for Ceylon. Hence, he pondered long and took the extreme step of parting from his friends and colleagues in the hope of carving out a new era. He literally took the plunge into the unknown, fully mindful of the many vicissitudes ahead. The only other Member of the Government to boldly risk the decision was none other than our one D. A. or Ruhuna. D. A. was not by any means an affluent person, but a loner, working honourably with dedication to his people. He had to bring up a large young family. He was abandoning a prospective position in politics to an abysmal valley of insecurity and despair. However, he sincerely felt that the best hope for the rural masses lay in his bold decision. He continued in Parliament long enough to see his Leader assassinated in September 1959. He lost his seat at the following election in March 1960, but won it again four months later in July. That was enough for him to hear his young nephew, George Rajapakse, make one of the finest speeches in the annals of the Legislature of this country on his resignation from the post of Parliamentary Secretary of Finance to his formidable Minister, the young Felix Dias Bandaranaike. George started his speech saying, "I am in Parliament today, not because of any achievement of my own, I am here because of the services that were rendered to the peasants of the Hambantota District by my late father, a judgment-debtor lingering within the walls of Welikada prison. The people of Ruhuna sent him to the State Council, and until his death, he fought relentlessly against the feudal overlords who were lording it over the backwoods from which I come. On his death, the only inheritance he left me was the heritage of a name and this little brown shawl that I wear round me of kurakkan colour, which symbolizes the struggle of the peasants in Ruhuna against the feudalists and the headman who were oppressing the people at that time". "It was well researched with the virtues of lucidity, precision, order and method. It was a devastating revelation by what he called himself' - a political infant. He, time and again, fired his darts at those within his own ranks who had connived and given their consent to the gross betrayal of the people of this country. He reminded the Members of the House of all their many duties and obligations, but that their fundamental and highest obligation was to the people of this country. The good cricketer that he was, he didn't bash around the wicket, but batted elegantly and scored a faultless century and more. His main criticism was of his Minister of Finance whose budget proposal was to cut the rice ration, which he felt was a disastrous measure. His penultimate thrust was that - "This Government was very fond of talking about bribery and corruption. They threatened to introduce a Bill for the declaration of assets. They talked plain humbug in their Throne speeches about elimination of corruption in our own ranks, our party, our trade unions and in our representation at International Organizations. I do not talk about International racketeers, it is pointless wasting the time of the House". In concluding his speech, which takes several pages of the Hansard, he told the House - "Withdraw this proposed cut in the rice rations. Unless a statement is made in this House that the rice ration will be withdrawn, I will be reluctantly compelled to vote against this budget. My final appeal to the Government is to use their good offices to restore this rice cut without committing suicide and if you cannot restore the rice cut, I offer you the advice that our late Prime Minister tendered, - "The first most important constructive suggestion I have to make to the Government is to - clear out". The Minister of Finance resigned on the 24th of August 1962. That speech was made in the Parliament elected in July 1960, where all three electorates of the Hambantota District were represented by D. A. Rajapaksa, (Beliatta), by his brother, D. M.'s elder son, Lakshman (Tissamaharama), and by his second son, George (Mulkirigala). That was the last occasion that the whole District was represented by the family. At the next election held on the 22nd of March 1965, D. A. lost his seat. He retired from politics, but continued to be of service to his people. He died on the 7th of November 1967, and today, we are gathered here to recollect and reflect on a life well lived, a life of humble service, without ostentation in self effacement. He was sympathetic and kind and had an extremely happy family life and it was a good life well spent with contentment. Death has few consolations to offer the living. It is so final and uncompromising. Nothing can replace the loss of a familiar face, the touch of a vanished hand or the sound of a voice that is still. But we need a compelling need to do whatever we can to keep some contact with the loved one even if it means sitting around and talking of him. D. A. was a public figure and many have remarked on his integrity, courage and perseverance with which he carried out his duties. But to those around him he was a kind man and a good man in a sense in which very few are called kind and good. He was sixty two years old when he died. But his family never heard a harsh word nor saw a lost temper. He abused no one personally or from a political platform, in parliament or in his personal relationships. That is the gentleman of whom, we are gathered here with respect and admiration. |
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