R M Dharmadasa Banda:

Humble politician

The demise of R M Dharmadasa Banda has removed from our midst, a respected senior politician, who had made a seminal contribution to the development of Wellassa as a Member of Parliament for Bibile and as, Cabinet Minister in the Governments of Presidents, J R Jayewardene, D B Wijetunga, R Premadasa and Mahinda Rajapaksa, during his long tenure of 35 years as a member of the legislature of this country.

Dharmadasa Banda epitomized in himself the best qualities of statesmanship, magnanimity and total integrity, which are the hallmarks of those who are committed to the ideals of democratic leadership.

Rustic environment

It is with heartfelt sorrow that I pen these lines to pay tributes to the memory of a personal friend to mine, one time colleague at the Bar and a charismatic figure who bestrode the corridors of high office like a colossus yet remained unassumingly humble in his ways and manners with the peoples.

R M Dharmadasa Banda

Dharmadasa Banda was the youngest son of R M Kiribanda and Ranmenike and was born at Medagama, a prosperous paddy-cultivating village lying in the rustic environment of the picturesque low lands of Uva.

He had his primary education at Medagama Maha Vidyalaya. While pursuing his studies at the primary level, he came under the benign influence of the erudite scholar monk, the Sangha Nayake of Eastern Bintenne, Venerable Pitadeniye Sri Ratanapala, who saw in Dharmadasa Banda the promising talents of a brilliant student. The Venerable Thera, himself took the initiative to admit young Dharmadasa Banda to Ananda Sastralaya, Kotte for an English medium education.

He had his secondary education both at Ananda Sastralaya, Kotte and at Zahira College, Maradana, where he excelled both in studies and sports at these two prestigious institutions and in fact won colours as a champion volleyball player when he was a student at Ananda Sastralaya.

Teaching profession

Having completed his secondary education, he joined Government Service as an Assistant English Teacher and served in that capacity in many schools in Wellassa. He could not remain in long in the teaching profession when a cruel twist of fate made him to change track from that of a teacher to that of a politician.

When his elder brother R M Gunasekara who was Member of Parliament for Bibile was killed by a political assassin, the Prime Minister at that time Dudley Senanayake called upon Dharmadasa Banda to fill the vacancy of his brother in the House of Representatives.

He responded the call and in the 1965 General Elections despite the fact that he was pitted against by Ronnie de Mel, a high profile politician, he won the seat for the UNP with a comfortable majority and the rest is history.

For 35 long years he represented the Bibile electorate as Member of Parliament and Deputy Minister and Minister.

Knowledge of history

At the time he was elected to the legislature, the legislature it was adorned with the creme de la creme of intellectuals of Sri Lanka like, Dr N M Perera, Dr Colvin R de Silva, Dr S A Wickramasingha, Felix Dias Bandaranaike and men of that stature. While debating, in Parliament he often had to match his skill with these intellectual giants of the day. No estimate of Dharmadasa Banda would be accurate or complete without reference to his profound knowledge of history of Uva and Wellassa. He was voracious reader of history, who had done an in-depth study of the stirring events that led to the great rebellion of Wellassa in 1818. He contributed his specialized knowledge on the historical affairs of Wellassa to refashion an impressive national flag for Wellassa and compose a beautiful lyric which eloquently symbolized the historical grandeur of Wellassa.

Terminal illness

Dharmadasa Banda was married to Lilani, a gracious lady of Sabaragamuwa, with whom, he had a wonderful relationship for 40 long years. When he was afflicted with a terminal illness, she nursed him day and night with devotion and untiring energy.

He was a loving and caring father to his four children Harendra, Surendra, Chamila and Nalika.

The unprecedented crowd that thronged the ground that set ablaze his funeral pyre bore singular testimony to the high esteem with which he was held by his people of Wellassa. After his Sojourn in Sansara may he attain the final Bliss of Nibbana.

- B H S Jayasekera

Bibile