Bandaranaike philosophy a part of Sri Lankan Lives - Dilan Perera

Maharagama special correspondent, Vehelle Piyathilake

The Bandaranaike Philosophy and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party had become a religion to Sri Lankans," said the Deputy Minister of Ports, Aviation and Media, Dilan Perera.

He made these observations delivering the memorial lecture at the 46th death anniversary of late Prime Minister S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike held at the Youth Theatre, Maharagama organised by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party Youth Association.

If not for the Bandaranaike concept and the revolution in 1956 even now we would have been an imperial colony. A new sun shone over the people in remote and rural areas. The rural people who learned only in vernacular languages Sinhala and Tamil were looked down by the rulers and administrators.

The '56 revolution made room for the ordinary youth to get Government jobs. The children of rural areas were able to become doctors, engineers, accountants, and government higher ranks. The new generation today totally unaware of the history.

By assassinating Bandaranaike, aristocrats of Sri Lanka thought of killing the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, but it has not happened. Leaving her children at home, Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike took the blood stained flag of the party and marched forward with the ordinary public. By depriving her civic rights the aristocratic class tried to kill the party once again. It has also not happened. After her Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga took the flag of the party.

By now SLFP had become part of the lives of Sri Lankans and it has become a religion to Sri Lankans. The children of the '56 revolution should strive hard to make a reality of the dream of the late Prime Minister Bandaranaike. The new generation is unaware of this truth. Therefore this anniversary ceremony organised by Sri Lanka Freedom Youth Federation is a great opportunity to make aware the new generation of the history of the freedom of the common masses.

We Sri Lankans are indebted to the late Bandaranaike and his philosophy for ever, he said. The senior members and founders of Sri Lanka Freedom Party the Governors of the Western and Sabaragamuwa Provinces Alavi Moulana and Reggie Ranatunga, the Chief Minister of Uva Province Vijithamuni Zoysa, Provincial Minister Hector Bethmage, Provincial Councillors Isuru Devappriya, Upali Kodikara and the Deputy Chairman of Sri Lanka Freedom Women's Federation Chandrika Zoysa were also graced the occasion.

The Secretary of Sri Lanka Freedom Youth Federation, the Chief Whip of Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council Srilal Wickremasinghe made the welcome speech.