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A flashback. Late Gamini Dissanayake with the World Bank Vice President David Hopper at the Tea Factory of Kirkaswall Group at Bogawanthalawa, with his officials. (Pix by P. Rajaratnam)

A week long religious ceremonies, alms givings and other observations were being organised by various bodies and students to mark the 8th death anniversary of late leader Gamini Dissanayake in the Nuwara Eliya district from where he emerged as an accredited leader of the country in the recent political history of the nation. He was a leader of all seasons by all sections of the masses.

He had a flair for leadership, a rare gift endowed on him by the unknown, they say, and whatever he touched with his ability and educational background it proved to be a resounding success.

This correspondent who was closely associated with him from the time he came to Nuwara Eliya and successfully contested the parliamentary elections in 1970, and thereafter represented this Multi-racial member constituency of Nuwara Eliya - Maskeliya for several years in addition to holding key positions in the Cabinet.

According to a cross-section of the people in the hill country, they say that this country or the hill country in particular was yet to see a leader of the calibre of late Gamini Dissanayake.

He was loved by all irrespective of any communal bias. He was a leader who took every positive measure to uplift and elevate promising youth among the plantation lot, youths like V. Puthirasigamony, late Rajasekaran and several others.

He was instrumental in creating several educational institutions for the benefits of the hill country youth - The Armstrong Waterfield Foundation at Nuwara Eliya, Kotmale, the S.O.S. Children's Village, the Galway Village and the recently started Gamini Dissanayake Vocational Centre and a number of others stand as a monument for his service. Thousands of children who underwent educational and vocational courses have gainfully goneup the ladders and settled down in life.

During this week long observations, it could be witnessed hundreds of children including men and women have come out to show their gratitude and love for this late leader by organising a series of religious and other functions in places of different religious denominations.

He was instrumental in the acceleration of the Mahaweli projects, the Greater Colombo Economic Development Scheme, the Colombo City upliftment and re-planting campaigns all over the country.

When the then government was concentrating and efficient management and organisations of the plantation sector, which was almost ruined or at its lowest ebb, he started the various development projects, introduced the cluster scheme, with hand picked experts like Chartered Accountant Lucil Wijewardena and others.

He sought the assistance of the World Bank, and he got down key men like Dr. David Hopper, the Vice President of the World Bank and other key officials, and took them round the tea plantations of this quality tea producing district of Nuwara Eliya.

He also took all measures to hand pick his officials including Senior Planters - Government Agents for Nuwara Eliya like A. A. Wijetunga, Austin Fernando, Dudley Dissanayake, Kumar Abeysinghe and others to man the Nuwara Eliya district for which electorate he had so much of love and affection.

He also was involved the Hatton Pool Bank to train the youth in technical field. He also created a formidable Trade Union, the Lanka Jathika Estate Workers' Union, with a view to ensure that the Tamil workers do not be members of a single Union with the leadership of Tamils alone, but to bring them together with the main national stream of the country.