Mahinda Rajapakse:

A man of the masses

MAHINDA Rajapakse was sworn in as the 13th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka on April 6, 2004 following the United People's Freedom Alliance victory.

Rajapakse's victory in Hambantota district was a clear endorsement by the people of Ruhuna that their leader should be handed over the mantle of leadership in the UPFA's administration.

His long journey in politics has reached yet another landmark with this unique opportunity in Sri Lanka's history to serve all communities in the country.

President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga also placed under Rajapakse's charge the portfolio of Highways, fully aware that it is Rajapakse who can bring about a revolution in the parlous state of our roads, a grave concern for citizens, both rural and urban.

Sri Lanka in its march towards Government that will use Information Technology for citizen centric services has placed its faith and confidence on Rajapakse once again.

In addition to the onerous tasks entrusted to him, President Kumaratunga also has placed the subject of development of Information and Communication Technology which encompasses e-government under Rajapakse with the confidence that whatever subject given to him would always be handled with a professional approach.

Rajapakse became Leader of the Opposition of Sri Lanka in March 2002. An attorney-at-law, he was first elected to Parliament from the Beliatta seat in 1970, being the youngest member in the House, aged just 24. His father, D. A. Rajapakse had represented the same seat from 1947 to 1965.

Rajapakse hails from a family that has deeply involved itself in national politics. D. M. Rajapakse, elder brother of Rajapakse's father was a member of the State Council.

D. M.'s two sons, Lakshman and George were also Members of Parliament representing Hambantota district with George becoming a Minister in the 1970-77 Government.

George Rajapakse's daughter, Nirupama, too entered Parliament in 1994 and became a Deputy Minister in 1994-2000 Government. Mahinda's elder brother, Chamal, is also a Member of Parliament of UPFA Government representing Hambantota district and is the Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries.

It may perhaps be a record in Sri Lankan politics that one family has dedicated themselves so much towards the welfare of the people they represent. The people Ruhuna has always placed their utmost confidence on the Rajapakse family.

Although many of the past leaders of Sri Lanka's major political parties have been born outside Colombo, hardly any of them truly had roots in rural Sri Lanka. Rajapakse is one of this select few.

Born in Weeraketiya, Rajapakse schooled in Richmond College, Galle, later moving to Nalanda College and Thurstan College, Colombo, only in order to attend secondary school.

Throughout his Parliamentary career, except for the period from 1994-2001 when he was a Minister, he continued his law practice in Tangalle.

From the very outset of his career, Rajapakse has adopted a centre-left political stance, identifying himself with labour rights and becoming a champion of human rights.

His interest in world affairs is manifested from the close interest he has taken in finding a peaceful solution to the Middle East problem within the framework of a Sovereign Palestinian State.

He is also the President of the Sri Lankan Committee for Solidarity with Palestine for the past 25 years.

Throughout his career, Rajapakse has given leadership to the cause of uplifting youth, striving to achieve a higher quality of education and training as well as working to reduce youth unemployment.

Deeply aware of the violent rebellions of 1971 and 1987 which led to the death of thousands of young people especially in the South, Rajapakse has worked tirelessly to prevent yet another such tragedy by striving to strengthen the process of representative democracy and working to reduce social and economic barriers.

His remarkable record of human rights activities was honoured by the Vishva Bharathi University of Calcutta in India which bestowed on him Professor Emeritus.

Rajapakse proved to be a successful Minister of Labour, despite suffering a major setback in being unable to bring his brainchild, the Worker's Charter, into law.

The charter sought to establish trade union rights, a Wages Commission, social security, a National Trade Union Training Institute and facilitate the adjudication of industrial disputes. He also created the Vocational Training Authority to recognise the rising need of unemployed youth.

He was an equally dynamic Minister of Fisheries, initiating several important programmes such as housing programmes for fishermen to improve the lives and livelihood of fisherfolk, and also strengthen the industrial base of the fisheries industry. Inland fisheries too, benefited from these reforms, with the National harvest almost doubling between 1994 and 2001.

He initiated the first ever University for Oceanography known as Sagara Vishwavidyalaya. Establishing a Coastal Guard Unit, a much needed security system for an island nation was one of many remarkable initiatives taken as Minister of Fisheries.

In addition to the portfolio of Fisheries, he also held the portfolio of Ports and Shipping for a short period of three months. Within this period he started and gazetted the construction of the Hambantota Harbour.

In opposition, Rajapakse has been both respected and feared. He stood fearlessly against the autocratic regime of Ranasinghe Premadasa (1989-93), bravely opposing totalitarianism and working zealously to restore democracy.

His Jana Gosha and Pada Yatra , both peaceful protest campaigns held the then Government to ridicule and precipitated the reforms that followed the ascent of D.B. Wijetunga to the presidency.

Loyalty to principle and party has been the hallmark of Rajapakse's political philosophy. Loyalty was, after all, what his father, D. A. Rajapakse is especially remembered for.

When the Sri Lanka Freedom Party's (SLFP) founder, S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, crossed over from the United National Party (UNP) in 1951, he was amazed to find that all his promised allies had abandoned him, but for D. A. R. who crossed with him.

A devout Buddhist and an ascetic at heart, worldly wealth has never beckoned Rajapakse. He was honoured by the most venerable Malwatte Chapter by offering him an honourary title of Sri Rohana Janaranjana in 2000 which is a very rare occasion for a citizen of Sri Lanka.

Even when he was a Cabinet Minister, he shunned security and lived the simplest of lives with the family and his sons continuing to attend a suburban school. He was never tainted with the stigma of corruption and is widely recognised for his integrity.

Despite his strong "Southern Buddhist" identity, Rajapakse has carefully steered away from bigotry and chauvinism. He has put his support firmly behind the ongoing peace process, while warning of a need to look beyond addressing mere grievances, to realising the full aspirations of the people, whether of the South or the North-East.

Indeed, he has been one of the few post-Independence politicians who has found it possible to cast petty politics aside when dealing with national issues, such as the rights of minorities.

It has been written of Rajapakse: "If there walks on this earth today a man whose heart beats as one with the workers of the world, that man is this man". Rajapakse is a leader with his finger firmly on the pulse of the people. He is a rebel with a cause, and he has the vision to bring prosperity, peace and equity to all the people of Sri Lanka.