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| Tuesday, 4 February 2003 |
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D.S. Senanayake - the architect of our freedom
by Andrew Scott Don Stephen Senanayake, independent Sri Lanka's first Prime Minister, along with many other patriots, pioneered Sri Lanka's struggle for independence. A little over half a century has passed since his tragic death in 1952 and some of the younger members of our society may not know the important events relating to D.S. Senanayake's career and the valued contributions he made towards the gradual progress of independent Sri Lanka. Specially on Independence Day we should salute the memory of this great stalwart of our independence struggle by recalling his life and activities which has no parallel even up to the modern times. D.S. Senanayake was very fortunate in his parents, a simple and unsophisticated couple with a pious outlook and thorough upbringing. He was equally fortunate to have associated himself with F.R. Senanayake, his brother, Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan, Sir James Peiris, Sir D.B. Jayatileka and a host of others, all of whom have rendered a great and memorable service in Sri Lanka's struggle for freedom. He never went in search of politics- politics came to him. A little known fact about D.S. Senanayake is that he was attached to the Surveyor General's Office, Colombo for a brief period and had walked out of office after kicking a cheeky superior. He received his secondary education at St. Thomas College, Colombo and had never passed any public examinations but had been a good cricketer. His noble life, dedicated to true causes, stands out as inspiration for his compatriots who live today and are very much in need to rediscover their principles and values. As Prime Minister he handled the ship of state with great sagacity and astounding success and contributed much towards Sri Lanka's economic and cultural resurgence. An important feature in his life was the great tolerance and compassion he showed to all communities and followers of diverse religions who looked up to him as a just statesman and they had much confidence in him as a national leader. At the beginning of his public career during the colonial regime he actively participated in the temperance movement as a result of which he was jailed and even shabbily treated. His tours of Sri Lanka's villages which he loved so much, made him understand the handicaps his countrymen were forced to experience and this in turn exerted a tremendous influence on all his activities. D.S. Senanayake's services to his motherland were many and he campaigned for these worthy causes amid tremendous difficulties, beginning his campaigns in an atmosphere of inextricable drawbacks and petty jealousies. He was well-known for his village anecdotes and he himself displayed a puckish sense of humour. His greatest asset was his very human personality which was really the secret behind all his coveted achievements and his charming and dominating personality was too irrestible even to his political opponents. However, D.S. Senanayake, a big made man with a hefty chunk for a chin looked the type that brooked no nonsense. It is common knowledge that many Asian countries underwent tremendous suffering in their struggles for political and economic freedom. With D.S. Senanayake's exceptional skill and inspiring leadership such suffering and bloodshed became unnecessary in Sri Lanka's struggle for freedom. Sri Lanka should also remember with pride and gratitude the pioneering work of D.S. Senanayake in reclaiming the jungles of the North Central Province and for turning that arid land into smiling paddy fields. His Land Development Ordinance, designed to improve the conditions of the landless peasants, was a very significant legislative measure in our nation's history. In addition to this he initiated vast colonization schemes like Minneriya, Hingurakgoda, Polonnaruwa and Galoya and all these massive projects are now contributing to the prosperity of independent Sri Lanka. The greatest of all is that different communities looked up to D.S., as he was affectionately called, as a just leader with a great vision and he had also acquired a widespread reputation as a simple man of great wisdom - a wisdom gathered from long years of experience, not merely from books. At his tragic death a memorable newspaper tribute said: "In this hour of a nation's sorrow, memories come crowding in - memories of a just man whom everybody trusted. Mr. Senanayake is dead and Ceylon, the land of different communities, different religions and different castes has lost someone whom all of them trusted as a just man." His rare vision and wise statesmanship was a tower of strength to the nation during her struggle for freedom. He was indeed one of the greatest men that Sri Lanka produced during the last century. |
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