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by Premasara Epasinghe

The felicitation ceremony of renaming Kotmale Reservoir, after the late Gamini Dissanayake; founder of the Mahaweli Accelerated Development Programme and the unveiling of the Gamini Dissanayake statue will be held today at 3.00 p.m., at the Kotmale reservoir site under the patronage of Ranil Wickremesinghe - Prime Minister, on the invitation of Gamini Jayawickrema Perera, Minister of Irrigation, Water Management, with the participation of Ministers, Members of Parliament and the public.

There is a saying that all heartaches will fade away with the passage of time. However, my recollections will never be erased from my mind. This is due to the fact that his personality is indelibly etched deep within me.

Even as the bomb that exploded at midnight on October 23, 1994, at Thotalanga created a gaping hole in the ground, a vacuum has been created in my soul. I believe this painful trauma remains in the hearts and minds of all Sri Lankan people.

Although, writing this eulogy to the late Gamini Dissanayake gives me some consolation. I feel it is hardly sufficient to eulogize a person of the calibre of Gamini Dissanayake. This may be like trying to fit in a mustard seed where a mountain is required. If the inherent affinity I have for the field of cricket is part of Sansara, in my sansaric sojourns, Gamini Dissanayake stands out as the most noble and eminent personality, who honestly dedicated himself to the game of cricket and loved cricket from the very depths of his heart.

He was a noble human being with a powerful, pleasant and charismatic personality, a person who was full of compassion and love for humanity - in short a thorough gentleman.

Gamini Dissanayake was born to serve the country of his birth. As such, he was instrumental in the construction of huge reservoirs like Kotmale, Victoria, Randenigala, Rantembe, Ulhitiya, Rathkinda and Maduruoya and a large number of canals and waterways such as the Southern Bank Canal and Nava Jayaganga. This resulted in transforming vast areas of this country into fertile paddy fields.

Apart from this, he did not overlook the spheres of sports and culture. He has held several ministerial portfolios such as Irrigation, Power (Electricity), Highways and Construction, Lands, Land Development and Mahaweli Development and in the latter years Plantation Industries. Besides all this, his invaluable contribution towards the development of cricket in Sri Lanka is outstanding.

The immense service rendered by Gamini Dissanayake towards the economic revival of the country is well-known and needs hardly be mentioned here. Among the many areas where Gamini Dissanayake made a tremendous contribution, a separate chapter titled, "The History of Cricket in Sri Lanka - Gamini Dissanayake Era" could be written.

He was appointed President of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka on two occasions. The period from 1981 to 1989 when he held the post of President of BCCSL could be called the "Golden Era" in the history of Sri Lankan cricket.

Again in 1994, he was appointed President. He held the prestigious post of President, Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka for eleven years, the longest period of office, after late Robert Senanayake. Gaining "Test Status" for Sri Lanka, was the greatest achievement of Gamini Dissanayake for the development of sports in the country.

Sri Lanka was fortunate to have gained 'Test Status' due to Gamini Dissanayake's discerning intelligence, noble personality, clarity of speech and eloquence, efficiency and far-sighted wisdom.

The delegates who attended the conference of the International Cricket Council at Lord's in London, were fascinated by the speech delivered on behalf of Sri Lankan cricket. The facts placed before them were so convincing, that they could no longer exclude Sri Lanka from the test arena.

His words spoken with such elation and enthusiasm, echoed and reechoed at Lord's, like the waves of the sea dashing against the sea-shore, and held the delegates spellbound.

Immediately, thereafter the two delegates from Pakistan and India proposed and seconded the resolution to grant "Test Status" in the International Cricket Council to Sri Lanka. Owing to this invaluable service rendered by him, the name of late Gamini Dissanayake will remain inseparably linked with the game of cricket, as long as cricket continues to be played in Sri Lanka.

It was in 1982, that Sri Lanka played its first Test. It was played against England at Saravanamuttu Cricket Stadium, Wanathamulla, Colombo. Sri Lanka being a tiny baby at Test Cricket lost that match by seven wickets. Three years later, Sri Lanka achieved its first Test victory against India. It is of significance that the victory was gained at the same venue. That victorious team was captained by Duleep Mendis.

Gamini Dissanayake was an amazing character - indefatigable. He was like an expert, i.e. like "Vishvakarma". He always acted with a democratic frame of mind. In the process of carrying out the administration of the game, he handed over responsibilities to his staff, keeping them in the forefront. Working to a systematic plan and with clever personnel management, the standard of cricket in Sri Lanka reached unprecedented heights.

The Accelerated Mahaweli Development Project, which is the largest single multipurpose project ever undertaken in Sri Lanka was originally scheduled to be completed in 30 years. Entrusted with tremendous responsibility of completing this massive project in about 7 years, he was equal to the task and achieved the completion of this gigantic project within about 7 years.

Therefore, it is not a surprise, a person with such determination and dedication for work could achieve International Status for Sri Lankan cricket. Perhaps, he directed his indomitable spirit and inner determination towards the Mahaweli Project on one hand and the uplift of the game of cricket in Sri Lanka on the other.

I remember the year 1985. One day he phoned me at home and invited me to come to the Mahaweli Ministry. I reached the ministry office by 9.00 a.m. About 25 officers had gathered there. Amongst them were Livy Wijemanne, the Director General of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation and M. J. Perera the Chairman of the Rupavahini Corporation.

"Premasara, you must get ready to go to Pakistan day after tomorrow. I have arranged everything. Mr. Bandula de Silva will see to your air ticket and everything else, I have informed our High Commissioner in Pakistan that you will be coming over there. I requested the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation to join hands with the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation to relay live commentaries in Sinhala from Pakistan on the Pakistan-Sri Lanka Test Series and Limited Overs Series.

I want you to handle this. It's a two months tour. If there is any problem you can contact me anytime."

Those were his words. Thus listeners in Sri Lanka had the good fortune to listen to the first ever live cricket commentaries in Sinhala, broadcast over the airwaves of SLBC from a foreign soil, thanks to the magnanimous patronage of the late Gamini Dissanayake. This was certainly a momentous event in the history of radio broadcasting in the country.

Gamini Dissanayake believed that for cricket to take root and become popular in this country, it was essential to make prime use of the media.

Therefore he made extensive use of newspapers, magazines and the electronic media to perpetuate and popularise the game. How perfect has his vision proved? I remember with eternal gratitude that it was due to Gamini Dissanayake's spontaneous support and effort that it was possible for me to broadcast cricket commentaries in 1988 from Lord's Cricket Ground and in 1989 from Sharjah.

He always gave due recognition to the cleverest and the best. He never interfered with the selection. The selection committee was given a free hand to make its own independent decisions.

Political affinities, religion, race and caste were put aside and cricketing talents were the criteria for selection, Arjuna Ranatunga, an MP in the present Parliament, was appointed captain of the Sri Lanka cricket team in 1982 at the age of 18 years, Arjuna Ranatunga won Sri Lanka cricket colours.

His father Reggie Ranatunga, MP was a political opponent of Gamini Dissanayake. But he was not prepared to underestimate or degrade and overlook Arjuna's cricketing abilities. He never politicised the game of cricket. It is obvious that sports do not recognise differences in race, religion, caste and politics.

In the mid nineteen eighties, I was in the company of Gamini Dissanayake watching Sri Lanka playing England at Lord's. He made a prediction that day which certainly proved right.

"Premasara, you mark my words today. Arjuna will one day bring the World Cup to Sri Lanka."

At that moment Arjuna was facing the bowling of Ian Bothom. Playing with great restraint he had then scored over 50 runs. His mental poise, concentration power, was of a very high standard.

Gamini Dissanayake's knowledge of cricket was thorough. He had a penetrating insight into the game. That memorable day in 1996 when Sri Lanka won the World Cup defeating Australia by seven wickets at the final match of the World Cup cricket tournament, Arjuna Ranatunga scored 43 not out and Aravinda de Silva 107 not out.

Arjuna Ranatunga facing an Australian fast bowler skilfully placed the ball, pushing it through a gap in the field where there was no slip fielder to reach the boundary and scored the winning run and brought honour and glory to Sri Lanka winning the World Cup. Watching this moment at Gadaffi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan while commentating on this match Gamini Dissanayake's name came to my mind. In the course of my summary, after Sri Lanka had won the World Cup I began to summarise the whole match recollecting the prophecy made by Gamini Dissanayake.

I was moved to tears as I spoke over the air waves about his prediction made way back in 1980s at Lords in England, that Arjuna Ranatunga would one day win the World Cup for Sri Lanka. What a great pity that Gamini Dissanayake did not live to see the results of his steadfast determination to take Sri Lankan cricket to greater heights. This truly is a great national tragedy.

After the World Cup victory in 1996 Sri Lankan captain Arjuna called on Mrs. Srima Dissanayake at her residence taking with him the World Cup trophy. This can be considered as a glowing tribute and expression of gratitude to the late Gamini Dissanayake.

Gamini Dissanayake not only set up a systematic administration of the game but also made arrangements to benefit Sri Lankan cricketers, assisting them to gain a specialised knowledge of the game. He obtained the services of experts like Sir Garfield Sobers and Les Lenham so that our cricketers could learn from their vast experience and wisdom. Moreover he prevailed upon Dr. Rudi Webster, one of the foremost cricket psychologists in the world, a doctor, philosopher, motivator to come over to Sri Lanka to improve the knowledge of our cricketers and enhance their mental stability. I was fortunate to have had the opportunity of translating his lecture from English to Sinhala.

As Gamini Dissanayake loved the children of the Mahaweli settlers, he provided playgrounds for their use and thereby made them happy and contented. He was responsible for the construction of the headquarters of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka as the nerve center of the game of cricket at Maitland Place, Colombo 07. The Indoor Cricket Complex was also put up along with it. Further more he took the initiative in inaugurating the Sri Lanka Cricket Foundation to look after the welfare of our cricketers. A library was also started at its premises.

Trinity College, Kandy is not only an educational institution but also a national monument of this country. Through the years it has served this country by producing a well disciplined student population, full of varying capabilities.

The Asgiriya playground contributed in no small measure in moulding the character of Trinitians in their formative years. This Trinity College playground at Asgiriya where young Gamini Dissanayake as a school boy learned the basics of sports was transformed into the historical Asgiriya Cricket Stadium, a test venue, replete with all the modern facilities available anywhere in the world. Gamini Dissanayake should undoubtedly be held in the highest esteem for this achievement.

Another notable feature of the series rendered by Gamini Dissanayake is the construction of playgrounds at Galnewa, Bakamuna, Dehiattakandiya, Welikanda and Embilipitiya etc. enabling the Mahaweli settlers of those areas to engage in sports activities. Today they remain as silent symbols commemorating his glorious name.

As long as the Sacred Tooth Relic remains safe in the city of Kandy,

As long as the waters of the mighty Mahaweli flow down to the sea,

As long as the paddy fields and farlands bear bountiful crops,

As long as the game of cricket is played in Sri Lanka,

Gamini Dissanayake's name will eternally be remembered.

Dear Sir,

I still remember one of your sayings:

"My vision is of a country where every person contributes their mite - both physical and intellectual, participating in the mainstream of economic growth as partners. Everyone shall reap the fruits of his or her efforts and benefit from a balanced and sustained march to prosperity - that is the Sri Lanka of my dreams."

It is my fervent belief that the merit acquired as a result of the valuable services rendered by you for the welfare of your countrymen will be sufficient to shorten your life in Sansara.

(The writer is Media Consultant - Ministry of Irrigation and Water Management)

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