Great agrarian reformer of Lanka

M.S. Perera, a Sri Lankan Civil Servant who pioneered rural credit, challenged cycle of rural indebtedness and agricultural development in an independent Sri Lanka passed away on May 30, 2009.

Mohini GUNESEKERA

M. S. Perera (MS to all his friends) was born on November 20 Ceylon in 1920. MS was exceptionally talented academically and although not born with a silver spoon his talents were recognized early. It speaks volumes for his talents, tenacity and desire to excel, contribute and be of service to his motherland, that he rose to the highest echelons of Government Office.

Born in a village in the South of Sri Lanka, he was awarded an Academic Scholarship to Siddharta College, a provincial school, and thereafter a further scholarship to Ananda College, a premier Buddhist school in Sri Lanka. From Ananda, he entered the Colombo University and graduated with Honours in History in 1943.

In 1948, he gained entry to the Ceylon Civil Service the most highly regarded of the professions one could aspire to in Ceylon, and to which the cream of the graduates entered.

Ambitious civil servant

Initially he served as Assistant Government Agent in a number of provincial towns, before he was appointed General Manager of the Gal Oya Development Board. The Gal Oya Development project was an ambitious initiative of the then Prime Minister D. S. Senanayake, who sought among other things to revitalize the ancient tanks, recolonize the area by bringing villagers from the arid lands of Hambantota to the newly developed areas, and provide housing and employment to the new settlers, bringing growth and prosperity to the regions.

MS organized and was the first president of the Board of Directors of a multi-purpose co-operative bank for new settlers in Gal Oya. Simultaneously, he was involved in advising and organizing many projects on rural credit, rural indebtedness, and integrated agricultural development in Ceylon. At the time, there was a cycle of indebtedness, mainly attributable to inadequate management of credit given to farmers when there were crop failures or other factors impacting on their ability to repay loans. As a consequence, the farmers were at the mercy of voracious private money lenders. By providing a members co-operative lending scheme, and proper management of the credit, farmers were better able to manage their finances.

MS in his period of office in Ceylon, was in charge of the implementation of three major Acts of Parliament: The Paddy Lands Act, The Crops Insurance Act; and the Guaranteed Price Act.

He served his country of birth with distinction and presided over many initiatives of the Government.

After the privately run bus companies were taken over by the Central Government MS was appointed Chairman of the Ceylon Transport Board.

In 1964 he was Director of Commerce promoting Sri Lankan products overseas. As Commissioner of Agrarian Services, he strengthened the agricultural industry in Sri Lanka augmenting both the production as well as training of personnel. In 1970, he was appointed Chairman of the Mahaweli Development Board, another major initiative of the Government to bring water to the dry zone.

Excellent negotiator

He was appointed General Manager of the Ceylon Petroleum Board, at a crucial time when the industry was nationalized. His wife Amita recalls his attending personally in the middle of the night to ensure the success of the operation of taking over the Shell, Caltex and Esso refineries to prevent sabotage by the then powerful oil companies.

MS negotiated on behalf of the Government with Russia for the supply of cheaper petroleum to Ceylon. His skills as a negotiator on behalf of the Government was recognized by the then polit bureau in Russia, who were impressed by his tenacity and skills.

His skills were unique and in demand. He was co-opted for those skills to the FAO an arm of the United Nations, as Consultant and Adviser on agrarian land reform, and training of personnel to the Government of the Philippines, and to the drafting committee of land reform legislation in Nepal.

He was Consultant to the ADB on land reform, agri credit and rural institutions, working on projects in Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia, Burma and Indonesia.

After retirement from the FAO, he worked as Consultant to ADB in Jamaica.

Ms did many things in his life time. He was devoted to serving his country first, then in the South East Asian Diaspora, as a Specialist on Agrarian Land Reform, Cooperative enterprises increasing production, and training personnel.

On retirement, MS came to Australia where he put his organizational and practical skills in the service of the Sri Lankan and Buddhist communities in Australia.

On his 80th birthday his daughter Yasanthi said:

"The character of a person is what one is prepared to do after all the applause has died down, the spotlight has gone out and no one is around to give credit" (source unknown)

A social figure

This was MS; he did many things upon retirement. He was in the committee of the NSW Buddhist Council for many years, where he coordinated teachers to teach Buddhism in public schools in Sydney.

He took an active interest in the Sri Lankan community in Australia as well as the Buddhist community in New South Wales. MS supported every initiative of the Sri Lanka Buddhist Vihara Association, (the financial and social arm of Lankaramaya, the Sri Lankan Buddhist temple at Schofield.

Its first life member, the first to donate towards the two trusts set up to support the temple and a regular attendee at the temple.

His last act was to hand over personally his cheque towards building of the Dharmasalava, a hall to house the devotees arriving to listen to Dhamma and meditate.

He chose his partner well. In that again he demonstrated his unique talent for excellent choice and decision making. Amita his partner, cared for him loved him and more so in the last years when his health was failing.

With all his service to the community he was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and a gentleman, in the truest sense. May he attain Nibbana