Commemorating Panini Ilangakoon

Chamal Rajapaksa Minister of Ports and Aviation

We have often heard about politicians being bloated with power. But in our country we have also had political leaders who having achieved power through the vote of the people, in turn serving the people.

Former member of Parliament for Weligama, Panini Ilangakoon, can be deservedly described as one of those benevolent, prominent man of our land. He is not among us today. Although he passed away twenty years ago, because of his unassuming, affable, unostentatious and benevolent nature, his name and deeds echo and resonate in the ears of the people in Ruhuna.

The late Ilangakoon who held an affable and amiable alliance both with the people and his friends was known and called by them often affectionately as ‘pani’. To commemorate such an amiable and benevolent son of the people, who departed us on February 10, 1989, on his death anniversary, is a deed of gratitude.

Simple Qualities

Panini Ilangakoon was the only son of Gate Mudaliyar Simon William Ilangakoon and lady Liliyan Augusta Obeysekera. Pani had inborn, kind, humane and simple qualities which he had inherited from his honourable parents. It was because he possessed a commanding, kind and pleasant personality that were necessary to move and associate with the people that he was s popular.

Mr. Ilangakoon’s mother, who was a sister of the mother of the late S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, one of the distinguished political leaders of this country, had instilled into and bequeathed to her only son Panini several good and gentle endowments.

Pani was born on November 26, 1919 at Weligama he received his primary and secondary education at S. Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia, thereafter he continued his education at Bangalore and in the United Kingdom.

Having returned to his motherland he entered policies by being without contest elected as independent member of the Weligama Urban Council in 1947, which was a very significant event in his political career.

He was an ardent anti-imperialist and a patriotic politician who never for a moment thought of being segregated from the people. Mr. Ilangakoon was a blood cousin of S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, the founder of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. He received membership of the SLFP and contested the Weligama seat under the party banner in 1952, unsuccessfully. But in 1956, he was elected MP for Weligama.

Although he was defeated in the 1960 and 1965 elections, he was again elected as the MP for Weligama in 1970 with an overwhelming majority. From 1970 to 1977 was his glorious period in politics. It was during this period that he got the Weligama Central Public Bus Stand, Divisional Assistant Government Agent’s Office, Agricultural Service Centre buildings built and opened.

Determination

He continued further in serving and nursing his electorate and got school buildings and roadways in the electorate improved. It was on account of his unrelenting and insatiable desire and determination to serve his people that the Urban Council Building at Weligama and the Mirissa Fisheries Harbour have been provided for the electorate, which are two mementoes of service he has rendered.

Ever since the establishment of these facilities for its inhabitants his name echoes and reechoes not only in the Weligama electorate but also in the whole of Ruhunu Rata. To commemorate such a patron of the people who had an innate national feeling at a time when we are celebrating the 61st Anniversary of Independence would be analogous to the commemoration of a national hero. He helped the poor, the rich, friend and foe without discrimination.

This outlook of his as a politician is a fitting example to the fact that there need be no rivalry and antagonism in serving the public and in politics.

He never even thought of betraying the trust people had reposed in him as their representative. It is these characteristics that have immortalised him in the Southern Province.

Grievances

He sympathetically endeavoured, listened and understood the problems of the poor who sought his assistance and voiced their grievances even in Parliament. Mr. Ilangakoon, the popular representative of the people, having won the hearts of his people and having united the progressives of the land died on February 10, 1989, depriving the Ruhuna of a patriotic son.

Today on his 20th death anniversary we pray that he be reborn amongst us till he attains Nibbana, the supreme bliss.