Anura Bandaranaike: clean and honourable leader

Thirteenth death anniversary on Mar. 16

Anura Bandaranaike added colour to a certain period of Sri Lanka’s politics. March 16, 2021 marks 13 years since his passing. He was the only son of two internationally renowned Heads of Government – S W R D Bandaranaike and Mrs Sirima Bandaranaike, the world’s first woman prime minister. All eyes were focused on young Anura growing up amid the abundant affection of his parents because he was widely expected to be the head of government in Sri Lanka some day. However fate decreed that this beloved humanist leader did not reach that position. This may have been because he never engaged himself in crafty politics. His prospects may have been also harmed by undesirable friends who surrounded him. Due to these reasons the highest position in national politics eluded him even when it was almost within his grasp. Many remain disappointed even today at that turn of events.

Racism and religious bigotry were never part of Anura Bandaranaike’s politics. This emerges in his parliamentary speeches, public lectures and academic addresses. He was a genuine humanist winning the affection of all communities. He respected every religion. He never attacked anyone because of race or religion. Bandaranaike wrote and edited his speeches himself. I have seen his drafts in his beautiful English handwriting. He always ended his speeches with an appropriate quotation from a reputed western writer or poet. He had studied the works of dramatists like William Shakespeare and T S Eliot. He had good taste for appreciating such works. Dr, Sarath Amunugama once told me that Anura was a fan of foreign film classics. He also told me that he still retains handwritten notes from Anura who had a habit of sending such notes to his close friends.

Although Anura had a busy life, he always pursued his interest in books, writing and reading poetry, reading novels and viewing classical films and plays. His father too had been an avid reader and he possibly inherited this inclination from him. Whatever problems he faced, he always had a ready smile and took things lightly.

As I was fortunate to associate with him closely, I saw he had a wide knowledge of a multiplicity of subjects. There were few in Parliament with a comparable knowledge of history, literature, political philosophy and economics. Although the legislature in former times comprised of educated intellectuals and those of distinguished lineage, the common understanding is that it is not so today.

Those who benefited by Anura Bandaranaike’s guidance, association and help are today at the top of the political ladder. However none care to write something in his memory, arrange a commemoration event, or even hold an alms giving. They are so deficient in gratitude. Today’s political society has fallen to such depths. No sense of gratitude prevails

Anura Bandaranaike distributed among family retainers several acres of commercially valuable land bordering the Colombo-Kandy road from his ancestral Horagolla Walawwa property. There is nobody in present day politics who has done anything comparable. Earlier, only people like SWRD Bandaranaike and Philip Gunawardene had done so. In the present day, 99% of politicians are engaged in amassing wealth for their future generations. As the politics of the country underwent a massive change after 1977, one came to witness the unremitting pursuit of wealth and power by politicians. Politicians like Anura Bandaranaike are rare today and the problems of the people only keep aggravating and never reducing.

Anura Bandaranaike had his early education at Royal College, Colombo and thereafter obtained a degree in History with First Class honours from the University of London. He declined a lecturer’s position offered by his university and came back to Sri Lanka to give leadership to the political movement inherited from his family. From that time on he reorganized the SLFP from branch to national level and giving it valuable guidance. While his party suffered a humiliating defeat in 1977, he himself collected in excess of 49,000 votes at Nuwara Eliya- Maskeliya after just a six-day campaign. He became the Second Member in the multi-member Nuwara Eliya-Maskeliya constituency pushing the senior politician Thondaman to third place.

The SLFP does not appear to have won such a high percentage of votes since then in Nuwara Eliya-Maskeliya which has a preponderance of Tamil estate workers. This speaks for Anura’s popularity, organizing ability and eloquence. He went round the country during the 1977 election campaign. He addressed meetings in every electorate. It was Anura who rescued the SLFP from the abyss into which it was about to fall.

When the UNP, in power from 1977, was trying to crush the Opposition it was Anura together with eight MPs who faced the Government onslaught undaunted. Through his eloquence. Anura led his attack to the great discomfiture of the UNP leadership. Mr Premadasa dominated Parliament through his oratory. But Anura’s verbal attacks were so sharp and reasoned that Premadasa used to leave the chamber when Anura rose to his feet.

Anura systematically took action to resuscitate the SLFP after the 1977 debacle. Successfully facing the conspiracies of various people he reorganized branches, held seminars and conferences and rebuilt the party. Then, unlike today, there was no money-driven political activity, politicians were honest and genuine and politics was not a complicated mess.

Anura Bandaranaike was the youngest Leader of the Opposition in the Commonwealth and discharged his duties excellently dedicating himself to the service of the people and for the preservation of democracy in the country. He adorned the Speaker’s chair preserving its dignity and authority. His absence is acutely felt in the political sphere today. Sri Lanka’s political arena which reverberated to the eloquence of this colorful politician will never again see the like of him.

Gamini Gunasekara,

President, – Education Friendship Guild.