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| Saturday, 1 May 2004 |
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President Premadasa - A devoted social worker by Karu Jayasuriya, Deputy Leader, United National Party
President Premadasa was a man who always moved with people, we had a great appetite for social service, his entire life was dedicated to the task of improving the lives of the people of this country. He wanted economic development to help and not hurt human beings. He enjoyed being with people; he enjoyed working for the poor. That was his life, his greatest satisfaction. Mr. Premadasa lived in this country, he knew it intimately, down to the remotest village. He had his ear to the ground and he felt the pulse of the common man. He understood the problem of the people; he knew what they wanted. This knowledge helped him to develop concepts and implement policies which, were pro-people. Mr. Premadasa moved step by step, from Sucharitha to local politics, from Colombo Municipal Council to Parliament, from backbencher to junior minister to minister and Prime Minister and finally the President. Though he was in a hurry to complete his pro-people work, he was not in a hurry to get to the top. He was patient and persevering. He waited and he worked. The results of that work we can still see today all over the country. People still talk about what he did with gratitude. In rural areas there are people who lighted a lamp for him. Many of the development policies and ideas which are being talked about in International forums today were pioneered by President Premadasa. Not just our country but even the world can learn something from his various poverty alleviation programmes. His ideas and policies are relevant to our country today and will be so tomorrow. We cannot move forward without his concepts and his programmes. Development to help people Unemployment is one of major problems faced by our country. There is much that we can learn from one of President Premadasa's solutions to this problem - the 200 Garment Factories Programme. That was a superb concept. It created jobs with a decent salary for rural youth in the villages. These young people (mostly girls) did not have to come to Colombo to work; they could work from home; they had a job with a salary of Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 4,000; they had a free meal and other facilities. This made it possible for them to save their entire salary for themselves. That money circulated in the village. Imagine the boost to a village economy with a monthly circulation of about 10 million rupees. Villages grew and developed as a result, creating more jobs and generating more income. Even the village clock tower was helpful to people. This is the path we must take if we are to find a real solution to the problem of unemployment. Gam Udawa was another extraordinary programme. I am familiar with the various criticisms of this programme. These critics do not seem to understand the enormous contribution made by the Gam Udawa programme to district development, to district revival. With a Gam Udawa the roads, the water supply, the housing and so many other basic facilities and services in a district developed. This in turn created jobs. These are the policies that are being talked about today in the country. Many of us realise that we have to adopt these policies, take them forward. That is the only way to help the poor, to make development 'meaningful to the masses' to quote Mr. Premadasa. It is important to realise that many of these things were done amidst many difficult challenges. President Premadasa took over at a time when the country was in a very unsettled condition. The economy was in shambles. Everywhere there was terror. But he brought back normalcy and rebuilt the economy in a more people friendly way. Then there was the impeachment. Throughout his Presidency he had to face so many problems. But his development work for the people never stopped. Mr. Premadasa knew the art of delegation. He knew how to pick people with talent and commitment and give them responsibilities. He gave them a free hand but monitored their progress. It is not correct to say that he was autocratic. He was firm and wanted results. After delegating he did not interfere; he just kept in touch and made sure that the work was done. And during his time people worked harder and longer because working with him gave an enormous sense of satisfaction. As he once said he tried development from a tedious task into an adventure. I think he succeeded. Mr. Premadasa always thought a great deal before taking a decision but once decided he stood by that decision. And as a man of action he understood the importance of discipline. He worked long hours; I should know since some of the meetings I had with him began at 4.30 in the morning. He was not intolerant, as some allege. There were times we disagreed and sometimes when I was proved to be right he would call and tell me that. President Premadasa was a great leader. Today we are once again realising the continued relevance of his politics. We are looking at them and studying them. Experience has made us realise that the country cannot move forward if his ideas and programmes are ignored. If we are to help the common man we should do it the Premadasa way. May he attain Nibbana. |
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