Hector Kobbekaduwa, an exemplary politician

Shirley Wijesinghe

Plantation Industries Minister D. M. Jayaratne described the late Hector Kobbekaduwa as an exemplary politician who championed the Land Reforms Act which liberated the peasantry from imperialist shackles.

"The late Hector Kobbekaduwa made a huge change in the lives of the ordinary masses through his role in pioneering the Land Reforms Act", he said.

The Minister was speaking at a ceremony to lay the foundation stone for the proposed Hector Kobbekaduwa Memorial Hall, at Rajagiriya yesterday. He said the late Minister showed the way by being one of the first to sacrifice his property after the enactment of the Land Reforms Act.

This no doubt will be etched in the minds of the ordinary people, he said. As the Minister entrusted to oversee the taking over of estate lands under the Act, Minister Jayaratne said he was able to facilitate the process without any difficulty due to the genuine intent of the late Minister.

"His name will remain immortal due to the services he rendered to the public and the country at large, the Minister added. Minister Jayaratne said President Mahinda Rajapaksa was able to overcome terrorism after three decades because he recruited the most suitable people for the job and provided the correct political leadership.

He said the Hector Kobbekaduwa Memorial Hall will serve as a venue to conduct important workshops and forums.