Fri, 29 Mar 2024 Today's Paper

A glowing tribute to the Father of the Nation

By

22 March 2018 12:43 am - 2     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

A A A

66th Death Anniversary of D.S. Senanayake  falls today

The wisdom of the late D. S. Senanayake’s agricultural policy needs concerted attention at a time when the country is facing a rice crisis. Attention to administrative efficiency was primary among his Economic and Political wisdom. DS’s hands-on realistic wisdom, too helped a lot in carrying out the programmes. Realism was another measurement of his Pragmatism.   

“It is a remarkable fact that we in Ceylon, while repeating in season and out, that ours is an agricultural country and that her prosperity is inextricably bound up with her agricultural progress, should yet be apparently content to pay a bill in a year of depression (1933) of nearly 87 million rupees for the imports of our food and drink.” :DS in his book on ‘Agriculture and Patriotism’ -The commercial products or plantation crops commanded credit from the banks and brokers and more profitable and of course more respectable. He continued…,   

“The greater attraction of the commercial crops, the dignity that seemed to attach to them, the comparative ease with which large returns for outlay came in, blinded the wealthier Ceylonese to the dangers lying hidden beneath their glamour and drew them away from the essentially safer and sounder, though less splendid, cultivation of products to provide a direct means of sustenance to the home population. The middle classes emulated their wealthier brethren and the peasant, left to his own devices, was content to scratch the soil and receive just whatever nature provided.

DS’s hands-on realistic wisdom, too helped a lot in carrying out the programmes. Realism was another measurement of his Pragmatism   

 

DS was convinced that the future prosperity of Sri Lanka depended on the growth of the nation’s agriculture. He was anxious that national reputation could not be maintained if food supply was to depend on foreign resources. Authoring “Agriculture and Patriotism” the first book on his pet subject as Minister of Agriculture in the State Council, he wrote, “It is almost as if that sense of inferiority that is sometimes seen to overwhelm a Ceylonese to the presence of his European brother has also attached itself to the native products. Rice and other grains, eggs, onions, chillies and ginger are humble, though useful, commodities. Fruit has a status only a trifle higher than these. To be engaged in their production is something to be ashamed of.” 

One of his greatest achievements under the rebuilding of ancient irrigation schemes and reclaiming of the dry zone, is the scheme he initiated in and around Polonnaruwa. The main requirement in this task was the renovation of the Parakrama Samudraya.  

Another measurement of DSS’s Economic wisdom was the encouragement of animal husbandry as part of agriculture reforms. He educated the peasantry in the methods of housing, feeding and breeding in live-stock farms. He also introduced protective procedures for animal husbandry and agriculture produce, by doing away with the egg imports. Senanayakefinished his first term laying sound foundation for a rural economy by building irrigation facilities and led the stride towards self-sufficiency in rice. The rice production had been placed on the weak shoulders of the debt-ridden peasant who did not own land.  

Senanayake was a practical man of high calibre -- a visionary, he was glad to share his thoughts and opinions with anyone who had something useful to offer -- his priorities are valid even today as they were in 1930s and 1940s. Senanayake understood that the decline in food production was due to the fact that this form of agriculture was unloved by the educated and the well-to-do in the society.  

Senanayake acknowledged the significance of nutrition in a food production policy. His book contains chapters on irrigation, land policy colonization, rural indebtedness and agricultural labour.  

“His self-sufficiency promotion thrust in relation to agriculture was guided by three interrelated considerations: first, as a technology based on science, second, as an industry based on tradition and thirdly, a business to be founded on economics and not merely a way of life” ‘Ancient Irrigation Works in Ceylon’-Pge 70: R. L. Brohier, (Gal-Oya Development Board,)  

His recommendations should have been carried out rigorously and carefully by those who followed him to leadership, if so, the village economy today would be in a much better condition. Racial issues, cultural sloppiness, religious hostility and language enmity have made any real progress in a developing country; is it possible under a so-called democratic system of government? It is not the system, but success depends finally on bold and clear-sighted leadership who can follow a direct course without much politicking in development; without above attachments  

Independence from British
Sir Ivor Jennings, Former Vice Chancellor of Peradeniya University, writing on Senanayake and Independence, says, that most of the agitation for independence by others from 1932 to 1942 have been on the wrong lines. He was discussing DS’s steering of the nation towards independence from British colonial rule in 1948. Jennings wrote, “A colony can obtain Independence by force or persuasion. But effective non-cooperation leads necessarily to force, as Mahatma Gandhi discovered” We gained Independence without shedding a drop of blood. Lord Soulbury, Governor-General of Ceylon, 1949-54, writing on “Senanayake the Man” says, “…there was the possibility that we might be deprived of the opportunity to carry out our terms of reference. That such a step was not taken was largely due to the strength and wisdom of DS, and .. if he had not lived, the history of Ceylon would have been very different.” :P- 62.Soulbury continues,“We did not always agree., and yet looking backwards I think that when we differed he was much more often right than wrong.”  

DS implemented efficient, attractive agricultural policies and mastered Irrigation schemes

The British getting the fullest support for the war effort from the State Council headed by Senanayake, Dominion status was promised soon after the war. No breaking the word, there came to be appointed a Commission under Viscount Soulbury. “Soulbury Constitution’ it was called, but the fact is that it was produced by Mr Senanayake”- Jennings   

Sir John Kotelawala, his nephew and loyal subordinate says— “No other man had so many political enemies. But few others lived to make those same enemies come round to at least to grudging admiration”.   

D.S. Senanayake, the father of the nation based his thinking on Gandhi’s famous motto ‘production by masses, not mass production’; as Minister of Agriculture from 1931 to 1947 he did focus on a policy of transforming to non-plantation agriculture. Whenever he had a problem on hand, he took time off from his busy schedule in Colombo, and wanted self-expression in his inherited village of Botale, or in the quietness of Koulwewa Estate, meaning, he has not elapsed self-compassion.  

Ours is an agricultural country:her prosperity inextricably bound up with agricultural progress

 

Unbowed to World Powers 
“We are an independent state. Our dollar earnings belongs to us...., if we are not permitted to act independently then evidently we must depart the ‘Sterling Area...’, the UK government cannot resist this. Go ahead and enlighten them you will leave unless you are allowed to keep your country’s assets” - JR speeches - Presid. Arch. File 195-a.   

Commonwealth’s economic condition was in dire straits in early 1949 -- they tried to enforce authority over former colony by making a deliberate effort to manipulate our Dollar Reserves by making us a signatory to the ‘Sterling Assets Agreement’. Prime Minister, Senanayake, in this grave issue, abundantly demonstrated his patriotism. The conflict that arose with the British authorities resulted in a delegation led by Finance Minister, J. R. Jayewardene with his adviser John Exeter, [later the first Central Bank Governor], attending a Commonwealth Finance Minister’s Conference summoned by Briton. DS was very much worried over our dollar earnings; he sought to maintain it as our own foreign assets and advised the delegation as above, on the course of action if the British authorities rejected their plea.   


Order Gifts and Flowers to Sri Lanka. See Kapruka's top selling online shopping categories such as Toys, Grocery, Kids Toys, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Clothing and Electronics. Also see Kapruka's unique online services such as Money Remittence,Astrology, Courier/Delivery, Medicine Delivery and over 700 top brands. Also get products from Amazon & Ebay via Kapruka Gloabal Shop into Sri Lanka

  Comments - 2

Order Gifts and Flowers to Sri Lanka. See Kapruka's top selling online shopping categories such as Toys, Grocery, Kids Toys, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Clothing and Electronics. Also see Kapruka's unique online services such as Money Remittence,Astrology, Courier/Delivery, Medicine Delivery and over 700 top brands. Also get products from Amazon & Ebay via Kapruka Gloabal Shop into Sri Lanka
  • Kumudu Friday, 23 March 2018 03:51 PM

    DS the greatest leader we ever had.

    Kumar Friday, 23 March 2018 09:59 PM

    Srilanka need somebody like DS. to make difference. Current politicians talk the talk and don't walk the walk. They are there to get rich one way or other.


Add comment

Comments will be edited (grammar, spelling and slang) and authorized at the discretion of Daily Mirror online. The website also has the right not to publish selected comments.

Reply To:

Name - Reply Comment





Order Gifts and Flowers to Sri Lanka. See Kapruka's top selling online shopping categories such as Toys, Grocery, Kids Toys, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Clothing and Electronics. Also see Kapruka's unique online services such as Money Remittence,Astrology, Courier/Delivery, Medicine Delivery and over 700 top brands. Also get products from Amazon & Ebay via Kapruka Gloabal Shop into Sri Lanka

VAT increase: SOUNDs death knell for publishers, readers

Though the Government imposed VAT (Value Added Tax) on vegetables and other e

How female change-makers are driving Sri Lanka’s energy saving platform

Saving energy has become more of a responsibility than a habit in today’s c

A dull Ramadan awaits Muslims amidst the Soaring Cost of Living

In the coming days, Muslims across the world will welcome the Holy Month of R

New wildlife underpass to curtail HEC

As of February 2024, Sri Lanka lost another 38 elephants as a result of the H

MIRROR CRICKET

More