Maitripala Sirisena:

An embodiment of aspirations of common man

by Prof. Wiswa WARNAPALA - Minister of Higher Education

Max Weber, in his “Politics as a Vocation”, saw a clear distinction between the “professional” politician and the “occasional” politician; the former, makes politics a vocation, and there are two ways of making politics a vocation. Either one “lives” for politics or one lives “off” politics. If one is to make a close analysis of the political career of Maitripala Sirisena, who, in the last three decades, emerged as the undisputed leader of Polonnaruwa, one can easily arrive at the assumption that Maitri, unlike many a politician of his generation, was one who “lives” for politics and makes “politics” his life, and he, as a man of the people, always thought and acted in terms of serving a “cause”. It is in this background, of some of the ideas of Max Weber, that one should try to make a political analysis of the popular political personality of Maitri who, through the platform of provincial politics, has now entered the national stage with sheer commitment and dedication.

In all third world countries which underwent colonial domination, we come across a galaxy of politicians who come within the two important categories to which Max Weber gave eloquent expression. In the case of Sri Lanka, the leaders who emerged in the early period of the nationalist struggle, made use of the traditional institutions, and there were others who made use of the democratic process. Maitri, unlike the members of the privileged elite, did not immediately make use of the democratic political institutions to legitimize his emergence into the national arena of politics. His route was somewhat different. An early age, Maitri got himself socialized into radical student activism, and it was during this period that he, as all youths of his age, got himself attracted to left wing oriented progressive politics, because of which he had to cross swords with his own father who was a Village Headman.

The institution of the Village Headman was conservative in orientation and character, and it was always perceived as an oppressive institution, which clashed with the progressive ideas of Maitri but could not prevent this young man from deriving inspiration from the country’s politics, and it, above all, socialized him into politics at an early age. In the seventies when a segment of the radical youth of the country attempted an abortive insurrection to capture political power in 1971, though he was not involved in it resulted in a jail term for Maitri.

It was this experience which inculcated in him the desire and commitment, reinforced by youthful militancy, convinced him that his “cause” in politics it to fight for the elimination of injustice in society. In addition to this particular experience, which had a tremendous impact on the youthful personality of Maitri, he got himself associated with trade union activities as well. Such experiences, more than an ideology, had an effect on the formation of the political personality of Maitri who, as a progressive youth, displayed all features and characteristics of an up-coming politician from Polonnaruwa.

The formation of the UF Government in 1970; the progressive content of the political change of 1970 had an indirect influence on this young man in understanding the wider political issues of the period. The political activism and youthful militancy, which he naturally imbibed through such associations and activities, helped him to get inside the Sri Lanka Freedom Party as the Secretary of its District organization in 1979, and by 1980, Maitri, with organizational ability and oratory, was able to emerge as one of the militant and active youth leaders of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party.

Youth organization

The All Island Youth Conference of the SLFP was the recruiting ground for future leaders of the party. Maitri, before making a debut at the national level, entered the Polonnaruwa unit of the SLFP Youth organization, and he, made full use of it till he was elected as the President of the All Island SLFP Youth Organization. In the case of the SLFP, many a leader, both local and national, came via this route, and the position, which Maitri occupied in the national youth organisation, offered him the opportunity to emerge, as Aristotle said, Maitri has displayed his characteristics as a “political animal”. By 1983, Maitri became the President of the All Island SLFP Youth Organization.

He studied Agriculture at the Kundasale Farm School for three years; later he got himself associated with Palugasdamana Multi Purpose Cooperative Society and also worked as Grama Sevaka for a short period. As the leader of the SLFP Youth Organisation, he got himself exposed to the International Youth Movement, and his participation at the Youth Festival in Havana, Cuba and his short stint at the Maxim Gorky Political Academy in Russia and also his visit to China in 1983 transformed his political personality. Maitri, armed with such varied experiences in politics, wanted to enter the arena of parliamentary politics, making use of the base which he organised through youth militancy, decided to contest Polonnaruwa district and was returned in 1989. It was in 1994 that he was returned with the highest number of preferential votes, an important index to his growing popularity in the district of Polonnaruwa. In 1994, he was made the Deputy Minister of Irrigation and Mahaveli Development.

Maitri, by this time, has already emerged, and it was during this period that he displayed his ability and capacity as young politician who deserved much more responsibility within the party apparatus. In this period, Maitri was functioning as one of the Assistant Secretaries of the SLFP, and he aspired to become the Secretary General. It was at this stage that major conspiracy took place to get S. B. Dissanayake appointed as the Secretary General of the party, and the opinion within the party and its Central Committee was that SB’s entry into this position would result in a major crisis within the party, and the majority of the Central Committee, including some of its stalwarts, were in support of Maitri because he was a true party man.

Dynastic considerations

But certain powerful forces within the party leadership, guided by dynastic considerations, wanted S. B. Dissanayake to be elected as the Secretary General. At a special meeting of the Central Committee - two previous meetings were cancelled s a part of the conspiracy to oust Maitri - S. B. Dissnayake was chosen as the Secretary General of the party, and he was elected with a majority of four votes. S. B. Dissanayake received 16 votes whereas Maitri, for whom I voted as a member of the Central Committee, received 12 votes. Some members who were sure to vote Maitri were not informed of the special meeting of the Central Committee, and they included such stalwarts as Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike, K. B. Ratnayake and Stanley Tillekeratne. SB, within a very short period, split the party, destroyed the Government and ran inside the UNP as one of the worst renegades of the period.

Maitri was later elected unanimously as the Secretary General and those conspirators, who were associated with the then top leadership, had to accept Maitri as the unanimous choice. Under his Secretaryship, supported ably by the President of the Party, President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the party apparatus and its popular base founded on the basis of its historical foundation have been activated with a view to strengthening the party as the dominant political party in the country. The President of the SLFP, our leader President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Party Secretary General Maitri have injected a new enthusiasm into its membership whose loyalty to the party is integrally linked to its historical foundations based on the aspirations of the common man of the country. Maitri, as General Secretary, deriving inspiration from the great progressive traditions of the party, has shown both political acumen and skill in handling the party as a modern machine.

More fundamental than the ideas and principles that governed his political career, was his vision for the development of agriculture of the country. Maitri, as all his predecessors in the Ministry of Agriculture, understood the importance of Agriculture in the development of Sri Lanka. Maithripala Sirisena, who celebrates forty years in politics including 20 years from 1989 as a Member of Parliament is a politician who does not enjoy power for powers’ sake; his purpose is to serve the people as all politicians strive for power and uses power in the service of the society. He embodies the characteristics of the typical politician of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party which was founded on the ideas, aim and aspirations of the common masses of the country.