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by Ananda Kannangara

The late Prime Minister D. S. Senanayake not only rendered an invaluable service to uplift the country's agricultural sector but also made a great sacrifice to regain the independence from British rule in 1948 without shedding even a drop of blood, said Power and Energy Minister Karu Jayasuriya.

Prime Minister Senanyake sacrificed his entire life for the development of agriculture and his main objective was to convert the country into a massive granary in the Asian region, he said speaking at the launching of the Sinhala translation of the English book Agriculture and Patriotism written by D. S. Senanayake, at the J. R. Jayewardene Centre, Colombo.

Journalist and civil servant Leel Gunasekara who wrote the Sinhala book Krushikarmaya Ha Swadeshabhimanaya presented several copies to the invitees. Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapakse also attended the ceremony, organised by the Devinda Senanayake Trust.

Jayasuriya highlighting the importance of translating a book on agriculture by Gunasekara, said that anybody who refers to this publication could get a comprehensive knowledge about the country's agriculture.

"The late Premier D. S. Senanayake constructed many tanks and reservoirs such as the Galoya reservoir and Minneriya tank and distributed water through canals to rice-producing areas and accelerated a large number of agricultural lands," the Minister said. "History shows that our country's economy was very prosperous during that period compared with the agricultural development in many Asian countries", Jayasuriya said.

"During the D. S. Senanayake era, even elections in the country were held very peacefully.

The late premier pioneered to construct the Galoya project without any foreign donation," he said. Opposition leader Rajapakse acclaimed the services of late Prime Minister Senanayake towards the agricultural sector and said former Prime Minister S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike and Minister Dr. S.A Wickremesinghe too published books on agriculture to make the public aware on the importance of developing the country's agriculture. "The former Premier focused special attention on manufacturing fertiliser in our own country rather than importing them from foreign countries by spending a colossal sum of money", Rajapakse said.

Leel Gunasekara said D. S. Senanayake wrote the book Agriculture and Patriotism with the objective of developing the country in agriculture.

"His only obligation was to make the county self-sufficient in rice", he said.

The book with 115 pages includes "Settlers in the ancient Ceylon", "Population and providing food", "New land policies", "Obtaining loans for agricultural purposes" etc.

J. R. P. Suriyapperuma also spoke.

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