A giant in agrarian development

The 26th Death Anniversary of Hector Kobbekaduwa fell yesterday:

Prof. Ranjith Premalal DE SILVA

We are fortunate to live in an era where patriotic people’s aspirations have become the Government’s vision for the future. After eliminating the terror menace from the Motherland, the Government has embarked on the noble task of bringing prosperity to the nation through agriculture development under President’s patronage, leadership of the relevant Ministers and Deputy Ministers. In these development initiatives, we are blessed with the existence of a large number of agriculture and agrarian institutions in the country and supported by a number of legal enactments to improve social and economic structure in agrarian societies.

We commemorate the 26th death anniversary of one of our greatest leaders in the history, who has pioneered in establishing these institutions and legal provisions aiming at social justice and overall development of the rural agrarian society in the country. Hector Kobbekaduwa is a legendary national leader whose vision for agricultural prosperity in the country and relentless efforts made to establish agrarian institutions are more relevant for today and the future.

Hector Rajakaruna Senevirath Bandara Kobbekaduwa was born on August 29 1916 at Deldeniya in Yatinuwara. He obtained his primary and secondary education from Trinity College, Kandy and join the Kandy Bar as a practising lawyer after qualifying from the University College, Colombo and Colombo Law College. He joined the Kandy Municipal Council as a member from Ampitiya seat in 1954 and then joined the Public Service Commission and became Chairman of the Commission in 1963. He contested the Yatinuwara seat in 1970, entered the Parliament and became the Agriculture and Lands Minister in the United Front Government.

Minister Kobbekadu-wa’s vision for agriculture development was mainly focused on the overall development of agrarian sector and rural peasantry, alleviating poverty and improving productivity in subsistence farming. To resolve the issue of landlessness, he introduced a scheme to take over marginal and neglected estate holdings and redistribute among landless or tenant farmers.

He was very much disturbed by the insurgency in 1971 and opted for land reform program to avoid recurrence of similar problems in the future.

The Land Reform Law of 1972 is a great revolutionary move depriving agriculture land to land owners beyond 50 acres of highland and 25 acres of paddy cultivation. Under the Land Reforms Law, he was instrumental in establishing Land Reform Commission, acquiring land above the ceiling and redistributing the agricultural lands to landless farm families.

To support the activities, District Land Reform Authority was also established and facilities were provided to farmers to improve the land productivity.

Kobbekaduwa’s vision for sustainable agriculture development includes broad scientific perspectives aimed at introducing innovative farming systems, identifying regional diversity in climatic and land characteristics, employing ‘systems’ approach for agriculture development and improving on farm income through a series of socialistic policies.

He was instrumental in introducing agro-technical research, technology transfer in agriculture, agricultural education and in-service training, socio-economic research in agriculture, agricultural input supply systems, rural banking and agricultural credit, guaranteed price for agro based commodities, procedures for resolving land tenure conflicts, agricultural and crop insurance, systematic evaluation of agricultural systems and agro-based industries in revolutionizing the attitudes and services in the agriculture and agrarian sectors.

Within six years, Kobbekaduwa managed to get the consent of the Cabinet and the Government to introduce the following 10 Parliamentary Acts and legal enactments to bring prosperity to our poverty stricken farmer communities in the country.

a) Land Reform Act No. 01 of 1972

b) Agricultural Productivity Act No. 02 of 1972

c) Agrarian Research and Training Institute Act No. 05 of 1972

d) State Agricultural Corporations Act No. 11 of 1972

e) Paddy Marketing Board Act No. 14 of 1972

f) Paddy Producers Savings Law No. 09 of 1973

g) Freedom from Hunger Campaign Board Law No. 15 of 1973

h) Fruit Board Act No. 30 of 1973

i) Agricultural Land Law No. 42 of 1973

j) ‘Janawasa’ Law No. 25 of 1976

Realizing the insufficient attention given to agrarian issues in the country, Kobbekaduwa established the Agrarian Research and Training Institute for Sri Lanka under the Agrarian Research and Training Institute Act No. 05 of 1972.

The institute has the mandate to carry out research and training on issues pertaining to agrarian communities in the country with the collaboration and cooperation of the similar institutes and agencies in the region and advise the Ministry on policies and policy impacts and implications. This institute was renamed as Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute (HARTI) in 1995 in recognition of the noble services of the Minister Kobbekaduwa for the agrarian development of the country.

Further, at his 12th death anniversary commemoration on September 18, 1995, Kobbekaduwa’s statue was unveiled at HARTI as a tribute to the late national leader symbolizing our commitment to continue his initiatives for the betterment of the agrarian communities.

The writer is Director, Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute.