Features
Dudley Senanayake who won the hearts of millions
by Imitiaz Bakeer Markar
I first met Dudley Senanayake in 1970. Despite the effects of the colossal defeat of the so-called National Government he led still prevailing, I met him at Woodlands along with a group of students from Ananda College, Colombo.
In that era there were students of Ananda who attended classes conducted by the Communist, Samasamaja and JVP parties. As we did not accept their principles, we formed a group identifying ourselves as the Democratic Student’s Organization.
With the belief that the UNP at that time professed the same ideology as ours, we thought that meeting Dudley Senanayake would go a long way in fostering this relationship further. We placed before him our demands.
His response was, “You are now at a schooling age. It is too early for you to get involved in politics. Study well. After you graduate, you can do politics. When that time comes I will give you a good opportunity for that”. These words encompassed his sincerity and honesty; he had no intention of using students as political pawns.
Not feeling dejected by this response we firmly declared our position: “If you retain this stance, very soon this country would become Communist. Extremist ideas would creep into the schools, and there would be attempt to brainwash students with these ideologies”
Our response, we believed, had an effect on him. He replied, “Just give me two weeks I will think this over and meet you again”.
Before the end of two weeks we received an invitation from him. There were several others present at this meeting. In addition to Jinadasa Niyathapala, the General Secretary of the Youth Front of the party, Professor Thilak Ratnakara, J. R. P. Sooriyapperuma and a young University Lecturer, Karunasena Kodituwakku were present.
“We have given serious consideration to the matters you have raised. As a party it is not our intention to start a Student’s Organization. We have decided to support the Democratic Students’ Organization started by you. Henceforth, we have appointed these four leaders who will guide you and extend whatever support you need.”
The rapport we built up with Dudley Senanayake was the beginning of a long political journey. Even today in my political career, my idols are my father and Dudley Senanayake. A man of exemplary character. his simplicity, honesty and lifestyle won him popularity among the masses he loved so much.
As a young politician he, with his friend JR Jayewardene, played a dynamic role in the battle for Independence. He was firm in the decision of extending support to Japan in the aftermath of the Second World War despite opposition by the British Empire.
Appointed the first Minister of Agriculture and Lands in then Indepedent Ceylon, his primary challenge was to implement the Gal Oya multi-purpose scheme, the first such in the country. Under the Gal Oya project the largest reservoir ever built in Sri Lanka with the capacity of 770,000 acre feet of water was built. The Inginiyagala Senanayake Samudraya provided water to 120,000 acres of paddy lands to be cultivated in both the Yala and Maha seasons.
Hydro electric power generation was also established in order to provide electricity to the area and the foundation laid for sugar production. Ampara District became the largest rice producing area in the country with irrigation water provided through the Gal Oya Project. In addition to Gal Oya, the foundation for the Uda Walawe Multi-Purpose project was also laid as proposed under the six year development plan that was part of the first budget of Independent Ceylon in 1948.
The restoration of ancient tanks, Kantale, Allai and Kandalama were also initiated during the 1947-1952 period. The establishment of Agricultural Research Centers in Mahailuppalama, Ampara, Bombuwala and Kantale were also undertaken during that time. The setting up of he Bathalagoda Central Rice Research Centre is also noteworthy. Today’s farmers benefit from the high quality seeds that these Centers supply.
During 1965-1970 period, under the leadership of Dudley Senanayake with Mr M.D.Banda as Minister of Agriculture, “the green revolution” in agriculture was set in motion and the yield of paddy per acre at that time increased several fold. The country’s total rice production which stood at 36.3 million bushels in 1965 more tan doubled to 77.4 million bushels in 1970 showing a remarkable increase of over 100%.
Moreover during this era in order to achieve success in this endeavor I remember how Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake deployed the “Young Farmers Army” or Tharuna Govi Hamudawa which had been started by Captain C.P.J. Senewiratne .
With the attempt made by D. S. Senanayake to provide Mahaweli waters to Ududumbara valley under the revamped Minipe scheme, the Mahaweli Development Scheme kicked off with the enactment of the Mahaweli Development Act by the Dudley Senanayake government. The Polgolla barrage was built by him in 1970.
Even though he could not complete the Mahaweli Development Scheme, in later years it was completed by Gamini Dissanayake under the leadership of President J.R. Jayewardene. The Mahaweli scheme today is considered the largest development scheme in Sri Lanka with rice and other subsidiary crops produced and hydro electricity generated in a single area where large scale settlement of farmers took place.
Schemes and projects that were initiated before 1956 included Agrarian Colonies and Irrigation Reforms, construction of a residential University in Peradeniya, establishment of Central and Technical Colleges island-wide, construction of the new Kelani and other bridges and also the construction of Kankesanturai cement factory, Paranthan chemical factory, Valaichenai paper factory and the Hingurana sugar factory.
These were all constructed prior to 1956 out of our own resources without any foreign aid or loans. They were funded by the country’s export earnings.
In the aftermath of the communal uprising in 1956, Dudley Senanayake in 1965 formed a “National Government” for the first time in the history of independent Sri Lanka by including the Federal Party, Tamil Congress, Ceylon Workers Congress and all parties which represented the Tamils. This helped to promote national reconciliation.
Philip Gunawardene who was known as the ‘Father of Marxism’ here and representatives of other ideologies like ‘Yankee Dicky’ J.R. Jayewardene who later introduced South Asia’s first open economy in this country and Sinhala extremists K.M.P. Rajaratna and his wife, Kusuma, were all part of that government formed by Dudley Senanayake. He also obtained the support of I.M.R.A. Iriyagolla and W. Dahanayake for this National Government which held uninterrupted office for five years.
Dudley Senanayake who headed this government demonstrated impartial decision making and statesmanship skills during the five year tenure of this government. His economic principles tilted towards providing aid and assistance to the farming community, small businessmen and the have nots who could not on their own survive the challenges of market competition. This clearly revealed that he was not a Liberal Democrat but a Socialist Democrat.
Even though opportunities were given for free market operations, he protected the vulnerable in a competitive environment. His was an exemplary character from which anyone could learn even today.
I remember an incident related to me by Dr Karunasena Kodituwakku who had visited the home of an ailing Philip Gunawardene, Minister of Industries in Dudley Senanayake’s 1965 government. Philip had told Kodituwakku: “Karu, Dudley is a great man as well as a leader of the people. I worked with him only for a very short period and I feel now the period I did not work with him was time wasted. If I had the chance of working longer with him, I could have done much more for the people.”
This was the character certificate Philip Gunawardene, a strong leftist of Sri Lanka, issued to Dudley Senanayake. I will conclude my epitaph on the life and times of Dudley Senanayake by quoting few lines from Sri Chandraratne Manawasinghe.
“Dudley was too good, most of them say. that is true but not complete. One can chip a stone to reach its core but it was more difficult to get Dudley to change his principles. He was very emotional and his heart full of mercy towards others. But he stood firmly like an unshakable boulder and was a strong character”
We are living miserably today in an unfortunate period. There is no difference between the good fortune of entering an oasis in a dessert or joining hands with an honest leader.
by Dr Gotabhya Ranasinghe
Senior Consultant Cardiologist
National Hospital Sri Lanka
When we sought a meeting with Hon Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Minister of Health, he graciously cleared his busy schedule to accommodate us. Renowned for his attentive listening and deep understanding, Minister Pathirana is dedicated to advancing the health sector. His openness and transparency exemplify the qualities of an exemplary politician and minister.
Dr. Palitha Mahipala, the current Health Secretary, demonstrates both commendable enthusiasm and unwavering support. This combination of attributes makes him a highly compatible colleague for the esteemed Minister of Health.
Our discussion centered on a project that has been in the works for the past 30 years, one that no other minister had managed to advance.
Minister Pathirana, however, recognized the project’s significance and its potential to revolutionize care for heart patients.
The project involves the construction of a state-of-the-art facility at the premises of the National Hospital Colombo. The project’s location within the premises of the National Hospital underscores its importance and relevance to the healthcare infrastructure of the nation.
This facility will include a cardiology building and a tertiary care center, equipped with the latest technology to handle and treat all types of heart-related conditions and surgeries.
Securing funding was a major milestone for this initiative. Minister Pathirana successfully obtained approval for a $40 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank. With the funding in place, the foundation stone is scheduled to be laid in September this year, and construction will begin in January 2025.
This project guarantees a consistent and uninterrupted supply of stents and related medications for heart patients. As a result, patients will have timely access to essential medical supplies during their treatment and recovery. By securing these critical resources, the project aims to enhance patient outcomes, minimize treatment delays, and maintain the highest standards of cardiac care.
Upon its fruition, this monumental building will serve as a beacon of hope and healing, symbolizing the unwavering dedication to improving patient outcomes and fostering a healthier society.We anticipate a future marked by significant progress and positive outcomes in Sri Lanka’s cardiovascular treatment landscape within the foreseeable timeframe.
by Fr. Emmanuel Fernando, OMI
Jesuit Fr. Aloysius Pieris (affectionately called Fr. Aloy) celebrated his 90th birthday on April 9, 2024 and I, as the editor of our Oblate Journal, THE MISSIONARY OBLATE had gone to press by that time. Immediately I decided to publish an article, appreciating the untiring selfless services he continues to offer for inter-Faith dialogue, the renewal of the Catholic Church, his concern for the poor and the suffering Sri Lankan masses and to me, the present writer.
It was in 1988, when I was appointed Director of the Oblate Scholastics at Ampitiya by the then Oblate Provincial Fr. Anselm Silva, that I came to know Fr. Aloy more closely. Knowing well his expertise in matters spiritual, theological, Indological and pastoral, and with the collaborative spirit of my companion-formators, our Oblate Scholastics were sent to Tulana, the Research and Encounter Centre, Kelaniya, of which he is the Founder-Director, for ‘exposure-programmes’ on matters spiritual, biblical, theological and pastoral. Some of these dimensions according to my view and that of my companion-formators, were not available at the National Seminary, Ampitiya.
Ever since that time, our Oblate formators/ accompaniers at the Oblate Scholasticate, Ampitiya , have continued to send our Oblate Scholastics to Tulana Centre for deepening their insights and convictions regarding matters needed to serve the people in today’s context. Fr. Aloy also had tried very enthusiastically with the Oblate team headed by Frs. Oswald Firth and Clement Waidyasekara to begin a Theologate, directed by the Religious Congregations in Sri Lanka, for the contextual formation/ accompaniment of their members. It should very well be a desired goal of the Leaders / Provincials of the Religious Congregations.
Besides being a formator/accompanier at the Oblate Scholasticate, I was entrusted also with the task of editing and publishing our Oblate journal, ‘The Missionary Oblate’. To maintain the quality of the journal I continue to depend on Fr. Aloy for his thought-provoking and stimulating articles on Biblical Spirituality, Biblical Theology and Ecclesiology. I am very grateful to him for his generous assistance. Of late, his writings on renewal of the Church, initiated by Pope St. John XX111 and continued by Pope Francis through the Synodal path, published in our Oblate journal, enable our readers to focus their attention also on the needed renewal in the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. Fr. Aloy appreciated very much the Synodal path adopted by the Jesuit Pope Francis for the renewal of the Church, rooted very much on prayerful discernment. In my Religious and presbyteral life, Fr.Aloy continues to be my spiritual animator / guide and ongoing formator / acccompanier.
Fr. Aloysius Pieris, BA Hons (Lond), LPh (SHC, India), STL (PFT, Naples), PhD (SLU/VC), ThD (Tilburg), D.Ltt (KU), has been one of the eminent Asian theologians well recognized internationally and one who has lectured and held visiting chairs in many universities both in the West and in the East. Many members of Religious Congregations from Asian countries have benefited from his lectures and guidance in the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) in Manila, Philippines. He had been a Theologian consulted by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences for many years. During his professorship at the Gregorian University in Rome, he was called to be a member of a special group of advisers on other religions consulted by Pope Paul VI.
Fr. Aloy is the author of more than 30 books and well over 500 Research Papers. Some of his books and articles have been translated and published in several countries. Among those books, one can find the following: 1) The Genesis of an Asian Theology of Liberation (An Autobiographical Excursus on the Art of Theologising in Asia, 2) An Asian Theology of Liberation, 3) Providential Timeliness of Vatican 11 (a long-overdue halt to a scandalous millennium, 4) Give Vatican 11 a chance, 5) Leadership in the Church, 6) Relishing our faith in working for justice (Themes for study and discussion), 7) A Message meant mainly, not exclusively for Jesuits (Background information necessary for helping Francis renew the Church), 8) Lent in Lanka (Reflections and Resolutions, 9) Love meets wisdom (A Christian Experience of Buddhism, 10) Fire and Water 11) God’s Reign for God’s poor, 12) Our Unhiddden Agenda (How we Jesuits work, pray and form our men). He is also the Editor of two journals, Vagdevi, Journal of Religious Reflection and Dialogue, New Series.
Fr. Aloy has a BA in Pali and Sanskrit from the University of London and a Ph.D in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Sri Lankan, Vidyodaya Campus. On Nov. 23, 2019, he was awarded the prestigious honorary Doctorate of Literature (D.Litt) by the Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, the Most Venerable Welamitiyawe Dharmakirthi Sri Kusala Dhamma Thera.
Fr. Aloy continues to be a promoter of Gospel values and virtues. Justice as a constitutive dimension of love and social concern for the downtrodden masses are very much noted in his life and work. He had very much appreciated the commitment of the late Fr. Joseph (Joe) Fernando, the National Director of the Social and Economic Centre (SEDEC) for the poor.
In Sri Lanka, a few religious Congregations – the Good Shepherd Sisters, the Christian Brothers, the Marist Brothers and the Oblates – have invited him to animate their members especially during their Provincial Congresses, Chapters and International Conferences. The mainline Christian Churches also have sought his advice and followed his seminars. I, for one, regret very much, that the Sri Lankan authorities of the Catholic Church –today’s Hierarchy—- have not sought Fr.
Aloy’s expertise for the renewal of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka and thus have not benefited from the immense store of wisdom and insight that he can offer to our local Church while the Sri Lankan bishops who governed the Catholic church in the immediate aftermath of the Second Vatican Council (Edmund Fernando OMI, Anthony de Saram, Leo Nanayakkara OSB, Frank Marcus Fernando, Paul Perera,) visited him and consulted him on many matters. Among the Tamil Bishops, Bishop Rayappu Joseph was keeping close contact with him and Bishop J. Deogupillai hosted him and his team visiting him after the horrible Black July massacre of Tamils.
Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement
By Gomi Senadhira
senadhiragomi@gmail.com
“You might tell fairy tales, but the progress of a country cannot be achieved through such narratives. A country cannot be developed by making false promises. The country moved backward because of the electoral promises made by political parties throughout time. We have witnessed that the ultimate result of this is the country becoming bankrupt. Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet.” – President Ranil Wickremesinghe, 2024 Budget speech
Any Sri Lankan would agree with the above words of President Wickremesinghe on the false promises our politicians and officials make and the fairy tales they narrate which bankrupted this country. So, to understand this, let’s look at one such fairy tale with lots of false promises; Ranil Wickremesinghe’s greatest achievement in the area of international trade and investment promotion during the Yahapalana period, Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA).
It is appropriate and timely to do it now as Finance Minister Wickremesinghe has just presented to parliament a bill on the National Policy on Economic Transformation which includes the establishment of an Office for International Trade and the Sri Lanka Institute of Economics and International Trade.
Was SLSFTA a “Cleverly negotiated Free Trade Agreement” as stated by the (former) Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate on the SLSFTA in July 2018, or a colossal blunder covered up with lies, false promises, and fairy tales? After SLSFTA was signed there were a number of fairy tales published on this agreement by the Ministry of Development Strategies and International, Institute of Policy Studies, and others.
However, for this article, I would like to limit my comments to the speech by Minister Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate, and the two most important areas in the agreement which were covered up with lies, fairy tales, and false promises, namely: revenue loss for Sri Lanka and Investment from Singapore. On the other important area, “Waste products dumping” I do not want to comment here as I have written extensively on the issue.
1. The revenue loss
During the Parliamentary Debate in July 2018, Minister Samarawickrama stated “…. let me reiterate that this FTA with Singapore has been very cleverly negotiated by us…. The liberalisation programme under this FTA has been carefully designed to have the least impact on domestic industry and revenue collection. We have included all revenue sensitive items in the negative list of items which will not be subject to removal of tariff. Therefore, 97.8% revenue from Customs duty is protected. Our tariff liberalisation will take place over a period of 12-15 years! In fact, the revenue earned through tariffs on goods imported from Singapore last year was Rs. 35 billion.
The revenue loss for over the next 15 years due to the FTA is only Rs. 733 million– which when annualised, on average, is just Rs. 51 million. That is just 0.14% per year! So anyone who claims the Singapore FTA causes revenue loss to the Government cannot do basic arithmetic! Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I call on my fellow members of this House – don’t mislead the public with baseless criticism that is not grounded in facts. Don’t look at petty politics and use these issues for your own political survival.”
I was surprised to read the minister’s speech because an article published in January 2018 in “The Straits Times“, based on information released by the Singaporean Negotiators stated, “…. With the FTA, tariff savings for Singapore exports are estimated to hit $10 million annually“.
As the annual tariff savings (that is the revenue loss for Sri Lanka) calculated by the Singaporean Negotiators, Singaporean $ 10 million (Sri Lankan rupees 1,200 million in 2018) was way above the rupees’ 733 million revenue loss for 15 years estimated by the Sri Lankan negotiators, it was clear to any observer that one of the parties to the agreement had not done the basic arithmetic!
Six years later, according to a report published by “The Morning” newspaper, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) on 7th May 2024, Mr Samarawickrama’s chief trade negotiator K.J. Weerasinghehad had admitted “…. that forecasted revenue loss for the Government of Sri Lanka through the Singapore FTA is Rs. 450 million in 2023 and Rs. 1.3 billion in 2024.”
If these numbers are correct, as tariff liberalisation under the SLSFTA has just started, we will pass Rs 2 billion very soon. Then, the question is how Sri Lanka’s trade negotiators made such a colossal blunder. Didn’t they do their basic arithmetic? If they didn’t know how to do basic arithmetic they should have at least done their basic readings. For example, the headline of the article published in The Straits Times in January 2018 was “Singapore, Sri Lanka sign FTA, annual savings of $10m expected”.
Anyway, as Sri Lanka’s chief negotiator reiterated at the COPF meeting that “…. since 99% of the tariffs in Singapore have zero rates of duty, Sri Lanka has agreed on 80% tariff liberalisation over a period of 15 years while expecting Singapore investments to address the imbalance in trade,” let’s turn towards investment.
Investment from Singapore
In July 2018, speaking during the Parliamentary Debate on the FTA this is what Minister Malik Samarawickrama stated on investment from Singapore, “Already, thanks to this FTA, in just the past two-and-a-half months since the agreement came into effect we have received a proposal from Singapore for investment amounting to $ 14.8 billion in an oil refinery for export of petroleum products. In addition, we have proposals for a steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million), sugar refinery ($ 200 million). This adds up to more than $ 16.05 billion in the pipeline on these projects alone.
And all of these projects will create thousands of more jobs for our people. In principle approval has already been granted by the BOI and the investors are awaiting the release of land the environmental approvals to commence the project.
I request the Opposition and those with vested interests to change their narrow-minded thinking and join us to develop our country. We must always look at what is best for the whole community, not just the few who may oppose. We owe it to our people to courageously take decisions that will change their lives for the better.”
According to the media report I quoted earlier, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Chief Negotiator Weerasinghe has admitted that Sri Lanka was not happy with overall Singapore investments that have come in the past few years in return for the trade liberalisation under the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. He has added that between 2021 and 2023 the total investment from Singapore had been around $162 million!
What happened to those projects worth $16 billion negotiated, thanks to the SLSFTA, in just the two-and-a-half months after the agreement came into effect and approved by the BOI? I do not know about the steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million) and sugar refinery ($ 200 million).
However, story of the multibillion-dollar investment in the Petroleum Refinery unfolded in a manner that would qualify it as the best fairy tale with false promises presented by our politicians and the officials, prior to 2019 elections.
Though many Sri Lankans got to know, through the media which repeatedly highlighted a plethora of issues surrounding the project and the questionable credentials of the Singaporean investor, the construction work on the Mirrijiwela Oil Refinery along with the cement factory began on the24th of March 2019 with a bang and Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his ministers along with the foreign and local dignitaries laid the foundation stones.
That was few months before the 2019 Presidential elections. Inaugurating the construction work Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the projects will create thousands of job opportunities in the area and surrounding districts.
The oil refinery, which was to be built over 200 acres of land, with the capacity to refine 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, was to generate US$7 billion of exports and create 1,500 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs. The construction of the refinery was to be completed in 44 months. Four years later, in August 2023 the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to cancel the agreement with the investors of the refinery as the project has not been implemented! Can they explain to the country how much money was wasted to produce that fairy tale?
It is obvious that the President, ministers, and officials had made huge blunders and had deliberately misled the public and the parliament on the revenue loss and potential investment from SLSFTA with fairy tales and false promises.
As the president himself said, a country cannot be developed by making false promises or with fairy tales and these false promises and fairy tales had bankrupted the country. “Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet”.
(The writer, a specialist and an activist on trade and development issues . )
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