United Front Government of 1970:

Mahinda Rajapaksa - youngest MP

Premil Ratnayake

Percy Mahinda Rajapaksa could not have picked a more propitious time than in 1970 to enter Parliament when Ms. Bandaranaike with her Left allies scored an unprecedented polls victory paving the way for a Republican Constitution.

In that old British-built Parliament standing as mightily as a solid rock by the sea, its waves gushing endlessly to lap the shore greedily, the majestic edifice guarded, as it were, by cannons the colonial raj had planted, the future President had his baptismal debut, very young to take the plunge into parliamentary politics, handsome in a very rustic sense, concealing a tough interior, moustache-less bare virgin face, Mahinda was the doted ‘baby’ of the government ranks, sitting apprehensively and shyly, behind the formidable political stalwarts of the United Front occupying the front seats.

We were covering Parliament for the Daily News, and in a sense we were young too, and naturally we were drawn towards the callow youth who, we had the notion, would go a long way, given his self-effacing demeanour.

Great friend

The old Parliament by the sea, to us, was more friendly and bonhomie than the arty one by the historical Diyawanna Oya. We walked leisurely from Lake House carrying our portables followed by Sumanapala, our messenger-peon who would take copy back to office after we wrote them and also, very important to us, get our petty cash chits okayed and encashed without which we would be bereft of our luncheon amusement.

Of course we were served parliament lunch at one rupee per plate and our beloved caterer Appuhamy brought them to the balcony at the western end of the building which was the open area reserved to the Press.

Appuhamy knew his clientele and our lunch was well preserved, we settled him as we received our petty cash money.

He was our great friend. He did not let us down even when Parliament sat late into the night.

The Parliament lunch at one rupee was very popular and even journalists not covering Parliament invaded the building not to listen to the debates but for the cheap and tasty lunch.

Unparliamentary language

Mahinda Rajapaksa being new would have been amused by Speaker Stanley Tillekeratne’s unique style of maintaining order in the House. Of course it was a well-behaved assembly, unparliamentary language was unknown and all MPs obeyed and respected the Chair.

There were occasions when senior Parliamentarians clashed with the Speaker but everything ended well since the seniors were magnanimous enough to apologise to the Chair. Once when J.R. Jayewardene as Leader of the Opposition crossed words with the Speaker calling him a “mad man” Stanley Tillekeratne demanded an apology - “you must respect the Chair whoever occupies it.” JRJ apologised profusely.

On another occasion Dr. Dahanayake was sent out of the chamber for disrupting proceedings and disobeying the Speaker.

Daha left the chamber but returned to resume his seat after making an unreserved apology to the chair. Stanley Tillekeratne was gratified; he asked other members to take a cue.

Stanley Tillekeratne who was the first Speaker to discard the ceremonial attire of the exalted office and stride in the full-suited European clothes used to expunge very frequently speeches or remarks of a member which he thought should not get into the Hansard. That was the prerogative of the Speaker.

Political greats

Young Mahinda seated unoffensively would have absorbed the heated debates there were many what with political greats like Dr. Colvin R. de Silva booming, Dr. N.M. Perera and Pieter Keuneman more subtly.

We dreaded covering Colvin because we did not know when and where his mile-long sentences would end.

The redeeming feature in all this often confused ensemble was we had easy access to the Members they were just a hoot away. We passed a note to some Member seeking clarification and they responded immediately. Stanley Tillekeratne had the habit of crooning over his microphone while it was switched on. His preference was for folk songs and Kavi and we enjoyed them coming into our earphones.

JVP-led insurrection

Parliament was shaken and shocked a year later by the JVP-led insurrection but the violent uprising would have allowed young Mahinda time to reflect on the unleasing of terror and would certainly have prepared him to face a bigger threat 40 years later to combat and crush the ruthless LTTE.

His determination to fight was clearly manifest when I met him in 1976 during the campaign of the Mulkirigala by-election where his uncle Lakshman Rajapaksa contested and won under the SLFP ticket. He was sure that his uncle would win hands down and the grit he displayed then was repeated forty years later. He may not have even dreamed of it then but the same grit was to reappear to annihilate the world’s most deadly bunch of terrorists.

Young Mahinda Rajapaksa was equally lucky to be part and parcel of that 1970 Parliament which two years later promulgated the historic Republican Constitution.

To the raw youth from Beliatta the ’70 parliament would have been a fitting beginning to a long career culminating in his ascension to the Executive Presidency.