Hector Kobbekaduwa - Patriot and principled politician

Tikiri KOBBEKADUWA

REMEMBERED: The 23rd anniversary of the late Hector Kobbekaduwa falls on September 17. Born in the Hill country, he had a great love for his motherland and its people.

He was the architect of the historic Land Reforms Act when he was the Minister of Agriculture and Lands and was the Sri Lanka Freedom Party candidate at the first Presidential Elections in Sri Lanka.

It is appropriate that we commemorate him on his 23rd death anniversary by remembering his valuable contributions to this country and its people.

A member of the legendry Kobbekaduwa family whose history proves their social and religious contribution to the country, he was born on August 29, 1916 in Deldeniya Walauwwe, Menikdiwela in the Yatinuwara Electorate.

After completing his education at Trinity College, Kandy, he entered the Ceylon Law College and passed out as a Barrister.

With the backing of a group of youths with socialist ideas who wished to breakaway completely from the British rule, he became interested in politics.

He joined the activist group of the Queen's Counsel H. Nissanka, T. B. Illangaratne, T. B. S. Godamunne, Vernon Gunasekera, T. B. Kolugala, T. B. Dolapihilla, T. B. Tennekoon and C. A. S. Marrikar to form the Kandy Socialist Front.

He received membership of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party which was formed by S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike in 1952. Contesting the Kandy Municipal Council Elections in 1954, he became the elected Member for Ampitiya.

Kobbekaduwa was appointed as one of the members of the fact finding mission for the Paddy Act, presented by Phillip Goonewardena, Minister of Agriculture in the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna of the S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike Government.

In July 1960 the Government that came into power appointed him as Chairman of the Public Services Commission where he worked steadily to solve many problems and safeguarded its respect and integrity while even his political opponents appreciated his work.

Although Sinhala became the National language, the Civil Service examinations were being conducted in English. During the Kobbekaduwa era it was permitted to sit these examinations in Sinhala.

Winning the 1970 General Elections with a large majority, he was elected as the Member of Parliament for the yatinuwara Electorate and was appointed Minister of Agriculture and Lands in the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Government.

Believing and following the Bandaranaike principle "The Country's Land should be continued to be the Nation's common property" on August 1, 1972 Hector Kobbekaduwa presented the historic Land Reforms Act to the Public Services Commission, to re-claim and distribute the lands that were snatched away from the people by the British Government.

Under the Land Reforms Act in this Country, a single person can own only a maximum of 50 acres of land. On account of this Act, around 560,000 acres of land could be claimed by the Government. This was a revolutionary Act.

Though there were many protests and threats, in 1975 Hector Kobbekaduwa did not hesitate to take over land belonging to Private Companies and British Sterling Companies. Even his ancestral properties were acquired making some of his friends and relatives lifelong enemies.

With his administrative abilities and skill, he was able to manage the estates and distribute the balance land to the landless people who were undergoing immense difficulties. Hector Kobbekaduwa's goal was to make land available and enhance the development programmes in this country.

The Open Economy was introduced to the country in 1977 when the J. R. Jayawardene Government came into power with a 5/6 majority. This brought an end to the National Industries, which died a natural death.

In 1980 when workers requested for a salary increase of Rs. 10 and struck work, they together with thousands of other Government Servants lost their jobs.

During the District Development Council elections in 1981, thugs from the South were sent to Jaffna making the Northern terrorists stronger and burnt and destroyed the Jaffna Public Library, which was considered one of the best in South Asia.

The Getambe Rajopavanaramaya was fenced with barbed wire and many scholars including Ven. Maduluwawe Sobhitha Thera and Professor Ediriweera Sarathchandra were attacked and pushed into a dirty drain. This was the prevailing background at that time.

In 1982, Hector Kobbekaduwa was a candidate for the Presidential Elections from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. Amidst many difficulties he was a strong contender for J. R. Jayawardene and was able to obtain 2,448,438 votes.

Although he lost the majority of seats in the South, in the Jaffna District, the majority had decided to elect him as the President rejecting even Kumar Ponnambalam, the All Ceylon Tamil Congress candidate.

He had to face a very difficult period after the Presidential elections. His main supporters late Vijaya Kumaratunga, former President Madam Chandrika Kumaratunga, Rathnasiri Wickremanayake, D. M. Jayaratne, late Ossie Abeygunasekera, Felix Perera, Y. G. Silva, Mervyn Perera, late Deva Bandara Senaratne with some others were suspected of being a Naxalite group and was also accused of printing unauthorised Rice ration coupon books and were politically victimized.

Hector Kobbekaduwa was taken to the 4th Floor on 64 occasions for questioning by the CID. But, the J. R. Jayawardene Government was unable to prove any of the allegations.

Even at the last stages of his political career, Hector Kobbekaduwa was deprived of his right to use his ballot by the United National Party Government at the 1982 Referendum as his vote was used by another.

Hector Kobbekaduwa joins a handful of honest politicians with principles in this country. History proves that he was a person who loved and cherished his motherland and served his country with dedication. He passed away on September 17, 1983.

The writer is Governor Central Province