People’s leader

Premasara Epasinghe

Leadership is one of the most enduring human responsibilities. Leaders must take their ability to craft a vision, inspire action and empower others. We must have leaders who are credible. For example, if you do not believe in the ‘messenger’ you want to believe in the ‘message’.

The first milestone in the journey to leadership not only demands leaders to be credible, but also they should be forward-looking and they have a sense of direction and a vision for the future.

If you study leadership in depth, the first key principle is that it is a relationship between a leader and a follower. Without a follower, there is no one to lead. In short, Bill Bradley, great basketball player and also the Democratic Senator cum Presidential candidate, defined leadership as ‘unlocking people’s potential to become better’.

Sterling qualities make good leaders. Our great leader Mahinda Rajapaksa, who takes oaths November 19, 2010, for the second term of office as the President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is an exemplary leader.

In this distinguished career spanning more than four decades, he gained much experience, first as a Member of Parliament, elected in 1970 from Beliatta electorate in deep down south, as a youth of 26 years bubbling with enthusiasm. He later became a Minister, Leader of the Opposition, Prime Minister and President of Sri Lanka.

His political career was not a bed of roses. There were ups and downs. Once on a false allegation this young politician was imprisoned. For him, there was no luxury at the prison cell. At last justice prevailed and he was acquitted.

Mahinda Rajapaksa, who belonged to a highly distinguished family in the South known as the ‘lions of Ruhuna’, fought his way to become a leader with sheer determination.

This unassuming villager from Medamulana in the Hambantota district knew the pulse of the people, placed his principles and party before personal aggrandizement. He was a polished speaker of Sinhala, Tamil and English, a good debater and a successful orator.

When you compare and contrast definitions on what leadership means to people, President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s role shows that they are inseparable. He maintains a very high profile in public relations. Public relations are something which flows from the heart. As a leader, he is honest, committed, dedicated and maintains a very high integrity and possesses a golden heart.

Thomas Carlyle’s definition states that leadership is the history of the world or biography of great men. Harold McAlindon stated a leader may not follow where the path may lead. He goes instead where there is no path and leaves a trail.

Defining leadership qualities, people argue whether leaders are made or born. A true leader like President Mahinda Rajapaksa ignores such concern and instead concentrates on how to become a better leader.

Leadership is the ability to set others to willingly follow a leader. A leader should be able to win the trust of his followers. Further a leader who is an epitome of integrity will be approachable easily by followers. President Mahinda Rajapaksa possesses all these ingredients abundantly.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa, as a great leader, is a man of impeccable integrity. His contribution has been outstanding. It will be remembered for ever. Some time, some day, it can be matched, but cannot be surpassed.

Magnanimity is another great feature of a leader. A leader like President Mahinda Rajapaksa is not self-effacing. He puts the country before self. He is a strict disciplinarian. His mission is to serve the people.

He is hardworking and committed. This was the main reason that in his second term, Mahinda Rajapaksa recorded a thumping majority and gained a landslide victory. It was the ‘swan song’ not only for the common opposition candidate, but also for many bankrupt politicians.

The massive majority showed how voters loved President Rajapaksa and endorsed his policies. He is a charming, attractive, methodical, meticulous character, and a down to earth personality who welcomes people with a smile.

He moves with the royalty and the common man, poor villagers alike. The humane qualities of this great leader, President Mahinda Rajapaksa, are highly appreciated by all individuals. As a leader, he is not aggressive. The world leaders appreciate him. He is highly recognized worldwide by world leaders.

Great leaders never said ‘no’. They are always ‘positive thinkers’. They are creative thinkers. The creativity gives leaders the ability to think differently. They take risks. Some ‘so-called leaders’ always adopted ‘negative approaches’ in wiping out terrorism and they fall by the wayside.

The great leader President Mahinda Rajapaksa believed in ‘fire to fire’ like Sir Winston Churchill. The dynamic President Mahinda Rajapaksa was determined never to surrender till the blood thirsty Prabhakaran was annihilated. President Mahinda Rajapaksa achieved peace.

It is a ‘precious commodity’, which is necessary for progress. Effective world leaders always motivate their followers sometimes with humour.

The ‘Big Three’ Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Joseph Stalin and Winston Churchill once attended a vital meeting in the 1940s in the United States of America. They were staying in the Yalta Hotel. Out of these ‘three big ones’, Churchill was the wittiest and full of humour.

One day the American President Roosevelt went on his wheelchair and kicked open the door of Churchill’s room. Churchill was caught with his pants down.

“Sorry Winston,” the American President apologized.

Churchill smiled broadly and said, “Come in. The Prime Minister of England has nothing to hide from the President of the United States of America.”

President Mahinda Rajapaksa is brave and a courageous leader. He had the courage to jettison the ‘Wickramasinghe-Prabhakaran CFA Pact’, where ‘Wickremesinghe and Company’ handed over the North and East to Prabhakaran on a platter.

The terrorist leader had earlier taken Presidents J R Jayewardene, R Premadasa and Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga for rides. On the contrary President Mahinda Rajapaksa, as the Commander in Chief, achieved his vision of freeing a part of our population from the maniacal, violently made, Velupille Prabhakaran, with the help of his Defence Forces.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa, as a leader, is intelligent, wise and a fine team man. What is teamwork? It is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishment towards organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to achieve or to attain uncommon results.

As an exemplary great leader, President Mahinda Rajapaksa stood firm and tall. He never bowed down to local reactionaries as well as foreign reactionaries like Solheim and Milliband.

Like the great Sir Winston Churchill, who saved the Commonwealth from German Nazi, Dictator Adolf Hitler, our great leader, Commander in Chief, addressed and advised the force to fight the terrorist on ground, air and sea.

As a great leader and administrator, President Mahinda Rajapaksa knew that prior preparation, prevention, poor performance and all necessary infrastructure arms ammunition, food, clothing and other facilities were provided to Defence Forces.

He personally visited the war torn areas and motivated and kept their moral up. It shows the quality of leadership.

As an exemplary leader, during his first term of office as the President of Sri Lanka, his greatest achievement was the annihilation of terrorism from Sri Lanka and bringing the country under one parasol.

According to political vision and philosophy Mahinda Chinthanya, this great leader uplifted the country, under trying conditions. Further, through village development won the world, through country development.

In short, his first four 2005-2009 was a giant step in development. With all the ongoing terrorism in North and East facing an economic crisis still, he never gave up the development of the country.

During this period, paddy cultivation increased to 1,053,000 in 2008 from 937000 in 2005. This was mainly due to the increase in the sale price from Rs 13.50 per kilogram to Rs 31.50 per kilogram, supply of seed paddy, loan facilities and fertilizers at a concessionary rate.

To fulfill the objective of providing safe drinking water for all citizens, the annual investment for drinking water supply has been increased from Rs 12,633 mn in 2005, to Rs 25,947 mn.

Under President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s term of office, a number of mega power projects for development of electricity generation, distribution and transmission were implemented. Further, new harbours were constructed.

An area that he gave top priority was given to road development. A total expenditure was Rs 189,499 mn, for development of road during the period from 2005 to 2009.

In fact, recently, mid October, I drove to Batticaloa, Wakarai, Aralaganwila, Kalkudah, Passikudah. The road and highways reminded me so much of South African Roads, I have seen in 1998. There were bridges connecting every corner of Sri Lanka, Transport services, improved immensely. We saw smiling faces in the eastern region.

Education is sweet. The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet. In line with the Mahinda Chintanaya, to ensure quality education a sum of Rs 3,387,582 and Rs 1,649 mn was spend on provision of textbooks, uniforms, nutrition programs receptively in 2008.

Infrastructure facilities of universities were improved resulting in an increase in the number of students admitted to Universities from 16,292 in 2005 to 20,369 in 2008.

During the last four years, about 39000 youths including students and school leavers were provided training on leadership development at a cost of Rs 272 mn.

Under the efficient leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, top priority was given to safeguard the healthcare of the Nation. The energetic Minister Wimal Weerawansa, commenced a number of successful projects and programs. They are now working on providing a house for each family.

The Kreeda Shakthi program has continued with the objective of developing in sport at the school level. Sport development programs have been initiated.

These are some of the main development areas, out of many, this great leader Mahinda Rajapaksa initiated for the benefit of his beloved countrymen.

Mahinda Rajapaksa possesses qualities of a leader.

The ambition of this great man, President Mahinda Rajapaksa as a leader has been to wipe every tear from every eye. Peace has been said to be indivisible. Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa is now in the process of building the noble mansion of peaceful and free Sri Lanka where all her children may dwell.

There is a saying the winds and waves are always on the side of the ablest navigator. President Mahinda Rajapaksa faced many storms, but navigated the ship of Sri Lanka safely, saved many innocent lives and freed this nation and ushered a golden era for one Sri Lanka.