Panini Ilangakoon’s 21st death anniversary today:
True Sri Lankan in words and deeds
Chamal Rajapaksa - Ports and Aviation Minister
We have often heard about politicians being bloated with power. But
in our country we have also had political leaders who achieved power
through the vote of the people, in turn serving the people.
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Panini
Ilangakoon |
Former member of Parliament for Weligama, Panini Ilangakoon, can be
deservedly described as one of those benevolent, prominent men of our
land. He is not among us today. Although he passed away 20 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 from us on February 10, 1989, on his
death anniversary, is a deed of gratitude.
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, 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
popular.
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 Motherland he entered politics 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 thought of being segregated from the people.
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.
1970 to 1977 was his glorious period in politics. For it was during
this period that he got the Weligama Central Public Bus Stand,
Divisional Assistant Government Agent’s Office. Agricultural Service
Centre building built and opened. 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. Those are two mementos 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 62nd 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 to 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
immortalized him in the Southern Province.
He sympathetically endeavoured, listened and understood the problems
of the poor who sought his assistance and voiced their grievances even
in Parliament.
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 21st death anniversary we pray that he be reborn amongst us till he
attains Nibbana, the Supreme Bliss.
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