Former General Secretary of UNP Dr. Gamini Wijesekera’s 18th commemoration:

Politician, Gentleman

Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena
The Deputy General Secretary of UNP

On October 24, it completes 18 years since the unfortunate passing away of Dr. Gamini Wijesekera, my friend in need who was a former General Secretary of UNP and a paediatrician. It is very important to recall our memory about him. Dr. Gamini Wijesekera who was engaged in a gentleman politics in full meaning of the word is an adherent of the UNP who really respected and loved the Party, being fully dedicated for its promotion. The father of Dr. Gamini Wijesekera was the late O.H.de A.Wijesekera, who was a Vice-Chancellor of the University of Colombo, a Professor of Sanskrit and an experienced Master of Languages and the mother was Mabel Wijesekera.

Joining the UNP as a Member of the Socialist Students Front in 1963, Gamini was an active Member of the Party during his youth. He once also held the position of Secretary of the Government Medical Officers’ Association. He made a major contribution to upgrade the Party as a Member of its Youth Front in 1973. Dr. Gamini Wijesekera never hesitated to treat any educated, uneducated, poor or rich person coming to him with compassion and affection. He really was a physician in full meaning of the word.

He also was an incomparable example to the posterity of physicians. He never betrayed his medical profession for money. Although he had earned high popularity as a private medical practitioner, nobody had to pay a massive amount of money to obtain his medical treatments.

Efficient service

Being an active youth of the Socialist Students’ Front in 1963 and in the UNP Youth Front after 10 years, the invaluable contribution he gave the Party promoted him to be an outstanding leader of the Party by 1977. The late President, J.R. Jayewardena who held the leadership of the Party by then identified the skills and abilities of Dr. Gamini Wijesekera. By 1977, he was appointed to the Working Committee of the UNP which was the most supreme entity of the Party.

He performed a very special service in 1977 for the victory of the UNP by travelling all over the country with the leaders of the Party. With the victory of the Party in 1977, he was assigned with the responsibilities of the Post of Chairman, Ceylon Transport Board in 1979. Giving a leadership to the public transport service of the general public, he performed an even more efficient service and succeeded in winning the goodwill of the general public of the whole country. For this reason, he was also able to bear the responsibilities as the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Highways and Transport in 1980.

Being a physician by profession, he held the position of Deputy Chairman of the Pharmaceuticals Corporation of Sri Lanka at a latter stage. In addition, he also held even the positions of Director of many government bodies such as Lanka Milk Foods, The University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka Institute of Foreign Employment, Employees’ Trust Fund, University Grants Commission, Sri Lanka Ports (Dockyard Complex) etc.

Being the founder Chairman of Rotary Club, Maharagama, he also has held the Chairmanship of Cancer Society, Maharagama.

He worked as the UNP Candidate for Maharagama Electorate at the By-Election in 1983. Gamini Wijesekera who resigned from the UNP with Rukman Senanayake after some disputes with the Party formed United Lanka National Party and came to hold the position of its General Secretary. However, it is because of his immeasurable love for the UNP that he rejoined it by dissolving the United Lanka National Party. As the General Secretary of the Party, he was elected as a Provincial Council Member in 1993.

Having a boundless attachment to sports, he worked as the President of Colombo District Cricket Team as well as the Senior Assistant Chairman of the Board of Control of Cricket.

Party functions

In May 1994 the responsibilities of the position of the General Secretary of the UNP was assigned to Dr. Gamini Wijesekera. It was an event of destiny that I, being a physician, was able to hold the position of the Assistant Secretary of the Party following the political foot steps of Dr. Gamini Wijesekera during that period. It is during this period that two physicians were appointed at the same time to the positions of the General Secretary and the Assistant Secretary of the Party.

It is with boundless pleasure that I worked as an Assistant Secretary to the Party under a General Secretary in the form of Gamini Wijesekera.

I drew so much inspiration from my contribution to the Party functions together with him. He often emphasized that educated, wise and respectable leaders are necessary to the politics in our country in general and to the UNP in particular.

He was much interested in benignant, genteel politics. I, as well as him, joined the UNP through the Socialist Students’ Front and the Youth Front of the UNP. Having obtained the Membership of the Working Committee of the UNP at a later period, he entered national politics of the UNP.

We both entered the Parliament together through the National List of the UNP on August 16, 1994. We proceeded together in active politics of the UNP for a long distance. We shared the triumph as well as the loss of the Party. I consider it a fortune that came my way to have been able to serve the UNP together with Dr. Gamini Wijesekera in the round of births of Samsara.

On October 24,1994 I worked in ‘Sirikotha’, Head Office of the Party with Dr. Gamini Wijesekera who was the General Secretary of the Party, from dawn to dusk even without sufficient foods for the functions of the Presidential Election. By then we were working night and day for many days on end for the victory of late Gamini Dissanayake, our Presidential Candidate.

Very close friend

Addressing me on October 24 Gamini told me “Jayalath I feel my own bad smell. My body is full of sweat and dust. I’ll go to my Maharagama residence and get a body wash and come back. Till then you go to our meeting in Thotalanga and start it.”

I, being the Assistant Secretary of the Party, very willingly acquiesced to that request made by Gamini as the then General Secretary of the Party. We both came out of the ‘Sirikotha’.

I went to the Thotalanga Rally and started it. Gamini went to his Maharagama residence. Gamini having taken a body wash came well-clad to the Thotalanga Rally around 7.00 p.m. - 8.00 p.m.

When I stood up from my seat on the stage and offered it to Gamini, the General Secretary of the Party and my friend after my own heart, I never knew that we will never meet again. I addressed him in a low voice “Gamini, I am very tired now. I conducted the rally till you come. Now I’ll go. You stay and continue it.” I still remember that he asked me “why do not you stay till ‘Ga’ comes?” He referred to the late Gamini Dissanayake, our Presidential Candidate by the pet name “Ga”. When I took part of him replying “No Gamini, I’ll go as you are here” he very humbly told me “Jayalath, thank you very much for your staying till I come. You, as the Assistant Secretary of the Party, are a great strength to me to perform the massive responsibilities assigned to me as the General Secretary of the Party” I replied him with a joke “Thank you very much Gamini. We are birds of a feather”.

It is giving a shock to our hearts that Gamini took leave of us at midnight of that day. I, even today, am shocked and worried as a very close friend of Gamini about his demise. Gamini, by the full meaning of the word, was a human who had recognized humanity.

He was a benignant gentleman. I treat his beloved wife, Mrs. Daisy Wijesekera as my own sister. Bavani Wijsekera, his daughter, became a doctor by following the footsteps of her father. She now serves in Sri Jayawardenapura Hospital. His son is Dumesh Pravin Wijesekera. After the untimely death of Gamini, Daisy exerted herself to raise the son and the daughter of Gamini to accepted and high positions in society. Daisy has performed her duty for Gamini. Gamini was a loving husband to Daisy.

He had a boundless love for his daughter and son. He was a loving father. Gamini’s wife Daisy, daughter Bavani and son Pravin will commemorate his values forever. They will forever transfer merits to Gamini. Dr. Gamini Wijesekera was a devoted Buddhist.

I know very well that he lived according to the word of the Buddha. I wish him the bliss of emancipation - ‘Nibbana’. Dr. Gamini Wijesekera, dear friend after my own heart, may we be reborn together in the round of births of ‘Samsara’ according to Buddhism and be able to serve the UNP and perform a public mission of an era. May you attain Nibbana!

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