October 23, 2009 marks the 15th death anniversary of the charismatic, caring and extraordinary politician, the late Gamini Dissanayake who, along with several other UNP stalwarts, was assassinated by an LTTE suicide bomber, just before the conclusion of a Presidential election campaign meeting at Thotalanga.
With the elections just two weeks away, Mr. Dissanayake’s tragic death shattered all dreams of his becoming President. His assassination was a blow to the whole nation. He achieved more in his 24 years in active politics than many do in a lifetime in politics. His accomplishments include milestones in the nation’s development and the country’s cricket history.
Gamini Dissanayake was born on March 20, 1942 in Kotmale, to Andrew Dissanayake and Welagedera Samaratunga Kumarihamy. He was one of seven children. He was educated at Trinity College, Kandy, which he joined in 1948. He entered the Law College in 1961 and passed out as an advocate, taking his oaths in 1966. He later became a President’s Counsel.
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| Gamini Dissanayake |
In 1970, inspired by such famous leaders as D. S. Senanayake, Dudley Senanayake and J. R. Jayewardene, Gamini Dissanayake gave up a lucrative legal practice to enter politics, becoming an MP soon after only to be unseated by an election petition. He was re-elected to the Nuwara-Eliya/Maskeliya seat in a by-election in 1972. The energetic young politician and people’s representative for Nuwara Eliya district did yeoman service for all his constituents.
Gamini Dissanayake never stooped to petty, partisan politics. He was ever willing to engage in sensible debate. He possessed a clear, dynamic vision and made no false or hollow promises. His humility and friendly disposition endeared him to a wide cross-section of the public. He never differentiated between rich and poor. He extended equal hospitality to both poor constituent and rich friend.
When the United National Party came to power in 1977, Gamini Dissanayake was entrusted with many ministerial portfolios, as well as several monumental tasks. The portfolios were Irrigation, Power, Construction, Lands, Land Development, Mahaweli, Plantation Industries and Highways. His biggest achievement was, of course, the accelerated Mahaweli Project. His toughest challenge there was to relocate some 3,000 families in more than 50 villages living in the valley of the Kotmale reservoir. The valley was also home to about 15 places of religious worship. The late leader sacrificed ancestral lands belonging to his family as a result of the Mahaweli Project.
The gigantic Mahaweli exercise was scheduled for completion in 30 years, but through Gamini Dissanayake’s great skills, charisma and untiring leadership, it was completed in just seven years.
On April 11, 2003, the Kotmale Reservoir was appropriately renamed the Gamini Dissanayake Reservoir. His statue was unveiled at a glittering ceremony presided over by the then Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremasinghe.
While actively engaged in the country’s development, Gamini Dissanayake found time to be actively involved in the game of cricket. He held office as president of the Board of Control of Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) from June 1981 to June 1989, and for the four months before his tragic death in 1994. He made significant contributions to Sri Lanka’s cricket – changing the infrastructure and setting standards for the BCCSL. He inaugurated the Sri Lanka Cricket Foundation and was instrumental in us gaining full ICC Test status.
He had a vision of what he felt was best for Sri Lanka cricket. This included creating a cricket headquarters (at Maitland Place), raising the Asgiriya cricket grounds to international standard, creating grounds in provincial venues for domestic and international cricket, launching an overseas training programme for young cricketers, establishing a cricketers’ benevolent fund, and introducing intensive training for umpires, coaches and curators.
After doing all the spadework, it was unfortunate that Gamini Dissanayake did not live to see Sri Lanka win the plum of world cricket, the Wills World Cup in 1996, 17 months after his tragic demise.
In July 2008, at the conclusion of the night Asia Cup, staged in Karachchi, Mr. Dissanayake’s widow, Mrs. Srima Dissanayake, chairperson of the Gamini Dissanayake Foundation, and her son Navin Dissanayake, the Minister of Investment Promotion, collected a lifetime award given by the Asian Cricket Council in recognition of the late Gamini Dissanayake’s services to cricket.
Mr. Dissanayake was a pioneer member of the Asian Cricket Council; in fact it was he who formulated the concept of the Asian Cricket Council.
It should be mentioned that the Gamini Dissanayake Foundation, in line with the late leader’s vision, has set up a Gamini Dissanayake Institute of Technology and Vocational Studies in Kandy. The institute provides vocational training for the less-privileged, and hundreds of youth from the Central and Uva Provinces have benefited.
May the late leader attain the Supreme Bliss of Nibbana.
Sunil Thenabadu |
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