Lakshman Kadirgamar, a statesman par excellence
Stanley S. Abeynayake
Lakshman Kadirgamar was an exemplary, brilliant national leader who
was respected by all communities in our country. He was gunned down four
years ago on August 12 night, 2005 by the terrorist LTTE that considered
him a political foe because he advocated a peaceful transformation of
the Tamil community in accordance with democracy.
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Lakshman
Kadirgamar |
A very successful lawyer, patriotic, intelligent, respected,
flamboyant but kind Member of Parliament and above all, he was the best
and result oriented foreign minister that Sri Lanka has had since
independence. The whole country is indebted to him and our grateful
nation must remember him with gratitude as he was mainly responsible for
building the country’s image abroad which was badly tarnished by the
time he first assumed office.
His ancestors hailed from a well to do, educated Tamil family from
Manipay, Jaffna in the Northern Province.” His father was also a
well-known civil lawyer, Sam J.C. Kadirgamar, although they belonged to
the anglicised christian religion and very well conversant in English,
yet they never lost their roots in the Jaffna peninsula. Lakshman
Kadirgamar was educated at Trinity College, Kandy from 1942 - 1950 and
the Faculty of Law, University of Ceylon and graduated in law with the
LL.B. degree.
After passing the advocates’ finals from the Law College, he was duly
admitted and enrolled as an advocate of the Supreme Court. Subsequently,
be proceeded to join Baliol College, University of Oxford, Great Britain
and read for the Post-Graduate Degree of B. Litt in law. He was also
elected the President of the Oxford Union.
Later he was called to the Bar from the Inner Temple (Law College)
London. On his return to the Motherland, he made an indelible mark as an
expert lawyer in intellectual property law, Industrial Law and Company
Law. He was, the President of that Intellectual Property Organization
1976-1988. At Trinity his Alma-mater he was an all-round sportsman and
an outstanding student - a healthy mind in a healthy body.
He captained Trinity College cricket team in 1950 and he won his
colours in 1949. As an athlete he won the 120 yards hurdle event at the
public schools meet in 1949 with a record time of 15.7 seconds. In 1950,
he was awarded the Athletic Lion. He was also the winner of the Duncan
White and De Soysa challenge shields at the Public school meet during
this period. He represented Trinity in rugby, football winning colours
in 1949.
As an outstanding student he won the minds coveted and sew hell prize
for Ceylon History and the Napier Clavering prize for English in 1948.
In the same year he was also awarded the prestigious Ryde Gold medal for
the most outstanding allround student at Trinity.
Being the President of the Old Boys’ Association for a number of
years, he was undisputedly adjudged the most distinguished old boy of
Trinity.
Joining the SLFP shortly before the General Elections of 1994 he was
nominated to the Parliament - as a list MP and was made the Minister of
Foreign Affairs. Since then he has been the most polished speaker in
Parliament and the most articulate advocate of Sri Lanka’s interests in
global fora. As the Foreign Affairs Minister he was privileged to
address the United Nations Assembly in New York, November 13, 2001. In
the USSR he met the Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov in Moscow,
January 25, 2001.
When he met Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, an admirable,
trusted friend of Sri Lanka on November 31, 2004, he was able to
convince about the dangers of terrorism in our country.
That would definitely affect the national security of India if not
nipped in the bud.
His life - April 1932 (August 2005 spanning 73 years was highly
fruitful and his career both as lawyer, statesman illustrious.
Containing his intellectual vigour, political courage and personal
integrity of the highest calibre, he always endeavoured to stamp out
terrorism from our shores and instal a machinery of the Government
devoted to democracy, justice and fair play to all citizens alike
irrespective of race, creed, class or caste.
During the years tenure of his leadership of foreign policy, the
nation achieved incomparable success in its international relations
which culminated in the LTTE being proscribed in many foreign countries
notably the USA, Canada and India. Indeed he was a hero of our times.
He waged a relentless struggle against terrorism in all forums
despite continuous threats to his life. Let us remind ourselves that
assassination did not destroy Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin
Luther King, Rajiv Gandhi, nearer home S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, Lalith
Athulathmudali, Gamini Dissanayake as the ideals for which they
sacrificed their lives continue to live and nourish their countries -
paradoxically strengthened by the fact of their assassinations.
The same is true of our hero Lakshman Kadirgamar. World leaders from
most of the democratic and socialist countries who condemned that wicked
criminal conspiracy to murder and cold-blooded assassination is legion.
They expressed their condolences to the Sri Lankan Government and his
wife Suganthi Kadirgamar and their only daughter. Lakshman Kadirgamar
was a Sri Lankan humanist deeply respected statesman par excellence
highly dedicated to peace and unity of all races. May he rest in peace.
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