It has become customary for all supporters, the Uneducated, Half Educated and even the so called Educated to question, ‘What has been done for the Country, by previous Govts for the last 76 years? Is it that they believe the Country was the same, 76 yrs ago after Independence? For those of us who span over 70 yrs, we remember the living conditions that prevailed then and the conditions that prevail now. In the ‘50s till ’77 the Rich constituted around 15% and the rest, the majority 85% were the Poor. Less than a 10% had Income Tax files as Income Tax Payers.
Only the Rich were privileged to own a Comfortable House, a Vehicle, a Telephone, a Refrigerator and other Household Gadgetry. Bans were imposed on Imports of Grapes, Apples and Chocolates, considering only the Rich consumed them, introduced soon after ’56 and the bans on Vehicles and all Electrical items, was introduced in the ‘70s. We were under a Closed Door Economy with Foreign Exchange Laws that prevented the Locals converting Rupees to Dollars and Pound Sterling.
Only an allowance of 2.50 Sterling Pounds was permitted to a person travelling abroad, whose Air Ticket had been paid by friend or relative living outside the country. There was a Black Market for Foreign Currency and if anyone was found violating Foreign Exchange Laws were severely dealt with Imprisonment and Confiscation of property.
Losing Hotel Mt. Lavinia was a case in point amongst many others who had sent their children for studies overseas, being hauled before Courts. This was the scenario prior to ’77 before JR Jayewardene won with a 5/6 majority at the ’77 General Election and liberalized the Economy, taking off all Travel Restrictions and Foreign Exchange Controls.
A person was allowed an allowance of Sterling Pounds 500/- in place of the measly 2.50 Sterling Pounds allocated earlier. Rules were relaxed allowing an individual to pay for one’s Air Ticket with Local Currency.
Those who could afford were allowed to Travel Abroad for Education, Health reasons and even for Holiday. Many went out of the country for Foreign Employment. The Govt implemented the Accelerated Mahaweli programme that was scheduled to be completed in 30 yrs, to complete in 5 yrs.
In effect, three out of the five Mahaweli Projects, were completed in just under 4 yrs, generating power to commence many an Industry, in the Industrial Parks designed for the purpose, with Foreign Investment and also enabled to light up with Electricity of the houses of the Poor, in the remotest of Villages in the Country, that was earlier a Privilege of the Urban Rich only. This Accelerated Mahaweli Project was ridiculed by the SLFP and the Opposition Parties, as the Exagerated Mahaweli Project. However, the Mahaweli Projects being completed ahead of schedule, enabled the Country to boost it’s Economy and also generate lakhs of Jobs, for the Jobless in the country, who earlier, had to go behind Politicians for Jobs, in the Govt Sector.
JR Jayewardene also repealed the Draconian Rent Act and the Ceiling on House ownership that killed the Construction Industry in the Country. The Masons and Carpenters who were without work earlier, had to trek by foot, looking for work dressed in Sarong. Soon there was a great demand for Masons and Carpenters, due to the rapid development of the Construction Industry.
Most Masons and Carpenters who earlier had to trek for work, soon became owners of Motor Cycles and Three wheelers. Three Wheelers flooded the Market for Self Employment, whereas earlier none were able to even buy a Push Cycle. Those who had Push Cycles before, to buy a new set of tyres, had to submit the old tyres.
It was that bad. The Construction Industry not only provided direct employment to Lakhs of People, but also provided indirect employment to an even much larger number, including the Sand Miners in the Rural areas. The Country’s Economy was booming with new Tourist Hotel Complexes and Resorts coming up all over after ‘77.
Massive Housing Apartments and Condominiums were springing up, to provide housing for many, who had no place to Rent earlier. New Townships opened in the Mahaweli Schemes. People who were forced to dress earlier in Kerosene smelling clothes, started to dress better and live better.
Refrigerators, TVs, Computers, Electrical Items, Expensive Wrist Watchers that were considered Luxuries, which only the Rich could afford and enjoyed, became necessities to the average person also. Today every person, even the street cleaner has a Mobile Phone for contactability. There are over a Few Millions of Millionaires, Billionaires and even Trillionaires in Society today after ‘77.
This is gauged from the number of new Vehicles in the country, each valued over Millions of Rupees. Everyone who owns a vehicle is a Millionaire. A Country’s Prosperity is gauged from the number of Rich in the Country and not by the number of Paupers.
Prior to ’77, the Private Sector was killed by the Socialist Policies of the SLFP Govt. In place of the Private Sector, the SLFP cultivated a Mudalali Class, through the help of the People’s Bank they established in 1961. This Mudalali Class became the Financiers of the SLFP in their Election Campaigns and most Govt Contracts were awarded to them.
After ’77 not only the Country prospered with the Open Economy, with Super Markets, New Housing Estates, New Hospitals, New Schools etc, but new vistas in Education with IT and more Job opportunities were created for many, here and abroad. But sadly the JVP destruction and Violence in the South and the LTTE Violence, retarded our development progress. Today these very same people, question what has the Govts done for the Country for the last 76 yrs? What an Irony? Therefore, the strides we have achieved in Development to make the Country Prosper in the last 76 yrs, has certainly been under the UNP Govts.
It is DS Senanayake who commenced the Colony Settlements for the landless in the NCP, settling down thousands of Families from the Western Province, providing each family FREE, five Acres of prepared Land for Paddy Cultivation, Three Acres of Highland with a Two roomed house, a CO-Operative to buy their Provisions on tick to be paid back with their produce. Three Acres of Highland was handed to every Family, to avoid housing congestion, so that family expansion could be accommodated for many generations to come, unlike the Gam Udawa recipients, who received a few Perches. Today, it is these families that have been settled in the NCP, who form the backbone of our Agriculture.
The second and third generations of these families have not only produced Farmers, but Lawyers, Doctors, Accountants, Engineers, Teachers, Nurses and even a President. This is what the UNP did for Poverty alleviation in the Country, unlike the SLFP led Coalition Govts that took from the Rich, making them also poor and distributed the Acquired Property among the Masses especially among their supporters, creating Class rifts, that even today the Down Trodden are seeking a place for the Poor to be in Governance, the only qualification, claiming that they be given an opportunity to Govern, alleging that all along only the Elite had Governed the Country. Under Premadasa and Sirisena Cooray, the Trend changed where the UNP was accused of Beeshanaya and Dooshanaya, that enabled Chandrika to clinch power in ’94.
Both Chandrika and Mahinda decried the Open Economy stating that they would not only change the Open Economy but also do away with the Presidency. Neither happened, but both Chandrika and Mahinda reaped the benefits of the Open Economy and on the steam that the UNP generated, carried on in Power both having an easy ride, retaining the Precedency. Prior to the advent of the British to whom the whole Country was ceded in 1815, the Country was governed by a Monarch through Feudalism.
Now Feudalism is much older to Capitalism, Communism or Socialism. It is the British that introduced the current Administrative Parliament System, a Legacy of the British and there was no Employment or Unemployment then, although some present day Pseudo Patriots, anti-Imperialists believe that their ancestors did. Once again, it is the British that introduced a Sensory Perceptive Knowledge based Education System to impart knowledge to produce a set of Local Academics and Professionals who were mere Vassals under Feudalism earlier.
Before this Education System was introduced, we only had a Pirivena Education, only to propagate Buddhism and a Knowledge in Sinhala Language. Therefore, all Professionals and Academics of today, should be thankful to the British, for emancipating and elevating them in the Social Ladder, to be recognized as the First Elite in the Country. One should read the Book, ‘Nobodies to Somebodies’ by Kumari Jayewardene to get a better grasp of the situation.
Talking of the Elites in the country, many of the former has been replaced by the New Political lot, who were mere Paupers before, but now have robbed State funds to become the Wealthiest in the Country forming the New Elite, Anything but. It was in 1931 that the British granted the Universal Franchise to this country, making us the Oldest Democracy in Asia, where individuals over 21 were given a vote to cast to elect our own Representatives, to the August Assembly. Thereafter the age to vote was lowered to 18 yrs in 1959.
Democracy as we know, commenced in Athens, Greece the Birthplace of Democracy. Then there were no Party Politics. Today in all Democratic Countries the world over, there is Party Politics, where a degree of Corruption and Deceit prevails with Promises.
Similarly, the Early Elections in this Country, was on Policy. The Majority united, under the UNITED NATIONAL PARTY a Rightist Group led by the Elite in the Country and the Leftists Groups were also led by the Capitalist Elite in the Country espousing Communism. Party Politics came to the fore front in ’56 with SWRD Bandaranaike breaking away from the UNP, forming the SLFP and a Coalition with the MEP of Phillip Gunawardena to secure Political Power in the Country, in 1956.
The main Slogan of Bandaranaike was the Sinhala Only Policy and giving a due Place for Buddhism, playing to the Gallery to catch the vote of the Rural Sinhala Buddhist majority. In ’56, the Elections were held over three days and the first day’s results influenced the voting patterns on the second and third day. Although Bandaranaike’s SLFP/MEP coalition received a higher number of seats in the Parliament to form a Govt, the overall aggregate of votes received by the UNP exceeded that of the Bandaranaike’s Govt.
This trend finally gave rise to Proportional Representation at Elections in the Country in the end. However, when the Franchise was granted in 1931, A British had questioned whether the Local Voter was educated enough to use his vote wisely. This became evident in the pattern of voting in the country after ’56 where not only Political Parties began to offer more promises for the vote, but also the two main Parties began to field Candidates of low questionable Caliber, after Bandaranaike opened the flood gates for Postal Peons, Bus stand Pamphlet sellers, Bootleggers etc to enter the August Assembly.
In the early days of Elections, when the Elite Contested Elections, their friends and family went canvassing. But not for long as they could not meet the threats of the families of the Riff Raff, who went canvassing for the Poor Candidates. This situation compelled many a Decent Honest Politician, to leave the Political arena, as they were no match for the Vultures.
Today, my fingers on one hand is too many to count, the number the Decent Honest yet remaining in Politics. What a sad and pathetic situation where even some educated, coming from Good Homes are no better, as they too have joined the bandwagon to compete for Political Power. is one such Politician from the Old School, (The Last of the Mohicans) whom I came to know, when he was an Undergraduate at the Law Faculty, in the Colombo University, in the Company of Stanley Obeseysekara, Wijitha De Alwis, Jayantha Jebasundaram, Crystal Perera and crowd to name a few.
It was over an incident that a class mate of mine, another Emil Sandranayagam type, who posed off as a Planter while he was only a Clerk at the Estate, had borrowed an expensive Camera then, from Stanley Obeysekara, had in turn sold it to another friend for Rs. 15,000/-. In order to retrieve the Camera, Stanley Obeysekara, Ranil Wickremasinghe and myself met at Alexander Obsyekara’s residence at Rajagiriya to discuss strategy to get the Camera back.
Thereafter I met Ranil at a get together, at the SAVOY Cinema soon after ’77 Election where Ranil was appointed as Junior Minister of Education. When I went to the Cinema Hall, all had arrived and meeting them, I thrust my hand out to Congratulate Ranil and I found, a Moment of hesitation on his part and I was about to withdraw my hand, when he sheepishly stretched his hand in response. I was no Political animal to go behind Politicians, thus ended the friendship.
Mrs. Sirima Bandaranaike was a close relative of my family, Hector Kobbekaduwe was my Father’s first cousin. My father had never gone behind any Politician for any favours and neither have I.
Gamini Dissanayake was my childhood friend Dudey Dissanayake’s brother. I was in and out of that household, as a family member. Although Gamini Dissanayake offered me to join Mahaweli, I never did on Principle.
Today I stand on my own feet, on my own strength, not helped by any Politician. After Gamini Dissanayake’s demise, I saw the only person who could steer this country forward, was Ranil Wickremasinghe and I without hesitation not withstanding Ranil’s lack of PR, have stood by his Leadership, when he has been falsely tainted as a Banku Hora by those very Corrupt themselves. I could have easily been another Ranil Critic, if I had taken up cudgels for his disposition.
Had I done that, I would have only done injustice to myself and the Country. On the 21 of this month, the task of selecting a President, is before the Public and a wrong choice would affect us all in the future. Of the Three choices we have before us, from the NPP, from the Samagi Jana Balawegaya and Ranil Wickremasinghe as the Common Candidate.
Both Sajith and Anura are heavily dependent on the support base of the Professionals and Academics, here and abroad. In case either Sajith or Anura wins, they would be bombarded with advice and also seeking Favours leaving both helpless, especially reference the IMF Bailout. I remember in 2005 after Mahinda’s Victory as President, there was this Sri Lankan Professor domiciled in Australia came over to Sri Lanka to advice Mahinda.
He was made the Vice Chancellor of the Colombo University. He as VC Colombo University, conferred two doctorates on both Mahinda and Gota. He regularly came on TV Talk Shows praising Mahinda.
Then after a while, there was nothing heard of him, to see he had returned to Australia, because Mahinda had not heeded his advice. Similarly, there will be many to advice Sajith and Anura, leading to Confusion, On the contrary, Ranil Wickremesinghe has more experience and also has a mind of his own and is not obliged to any. That is how Ranil Wickremasinghe after taking over the Country in 2022 have conducted himself without dilly dallying, going to the IMF, when many Pundits proclaimed that he will not receive International Help or receive assistance from the IMF.
Ranil has proved all his Critics wrong and have brought near Normalcy to the Country back again. Ranil Wickremesinghe does not seek advice from others, because he is self-possessed with Experience and Knowledge. This is one reason why some Professionals and Academics hates his Guts and others hate and dislike him for no apparent reason.
I trust saner Counsel will prevail in deciding who the next President is. If Ranil Wickremesinghe wins, I believe he should put an end to Party Politics. It is Party Politics that has ruined this Country.
Now that most Parties are backing him, He should make use of the opportunity to put an end to Party Politics. Fiercest Critics of Ranil Wickremesinghe are today full of Praise to him. A Committee of People should be appointed, to select Candidates to contest at the next General Election and get rid of the present Preferential Voting System.
All Candidates should fulfil the Criteria required, Educational Qualifications, Financial Stability, High Integrity and should declare their Assets and Liabilities. This Assets and Liabilities should be made Public for Scrutiny before Nominations, to check the veracity. Once elected, a set Cabinet of Ministers should be selected not more than Twenty Ministers.
Since the elected MPs are for Public Service, most Perks offered at present should be withdrawn. This is the change that most look forward to be in palace, that will shut the door for all undesirables who are desperate to become Politicians to be a Minister or an MP in Governance..
