Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe Marked his 77th Birthday on Tuesday, March 24 The need for your services to the country would be felt in the future more than ever

• ”In 2022, Sri Lanka experienced the slings and arrows of a season of terror and utter despair... a great statesman ventured to save the country engulfed in turmoil.” 
• ”The political affiliations of his family run as far back as 1917... he was a leader with the future 
• behind him.”   
• ”He took over the helm of the government when the country had earned international disrepute as a bankrupt and failed country... the UNP Leader ventured to take over the leadership of the country in utter turmoil.”   
• ”He pointed out that his endeavour was to save the country from the mire of degradation... However, it is sad that the memory of anything in Sri Lanka would not last long.”  
• ”I know my due place in history as the ruler of this country will be decided by the future and not today.”

Sri Lanka has been a distinct geo-political entity with a long history of national, religious and socio- economic upheavals as laid down in the Mahawansa chronicle and other historical sources. However, history has recorded that the stage was adorned by a patriotic leader with talent and ability to rebuild the country and to make the people happy and prosperous at any crucial juncture. This was vindicated by the situation experienced in 2022.   

In 2022 Sri Lanka experienced the slings and arrows of a season of terror, and utter despair, As we already know, owing to the blessings of nature, a great statesman ventured to save the country engulfed in turmoil. He was no one else but Leader of the United National Party and the eighth Executive President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe.   

Born on March 24, 1949 to a family of low country gentry in Baddegama off Hikkaduwa in the Southern Province, he is now 77 years.   

The political affiliations of his family run as far back as 1917 .The first Sinhalese Government Agent C.L Wickeremasinha of the Ceylon Civil Service was Ranil’s grandfather, a contemporary of Father of Free Education Dr. C.W.W. Kannangara. C.L.Wickremesinghe’s son Esmond Wickremesinghe was Ranil’s father.   

C.L.Wickremesinghe, as Government Agent of the North Central Province was in the handpicked team of Prime Minister D.S.Senanayake to help him in the agricultural development schemes. 

He was a pioneer member of the Galle National League founded by Dr. C. W.W. Kannangara in 1917 and, in 1923 he succeeded Dr. Kannangara as Secretary of the League after the latter was elected to the Legislative Council to represent the Southern Province.   

Mrs Nalini Wijewardene, the daughter of a pioneer leader in the vanguard of Sri Lanka’s freedom struggle and founder of the foremost media institution in the country, the Lake House D.R.Wijewardene who dedicated his wealth, and talents to the freedom struggle, was Ranil Wickremesinghe’s mother.   

Educated at Colombo Royal College, he entered the Law Faculty of the Colombo University and after graduation he was called to the bar.   

However, Ranil, who was destined to enter politics, was appointed by then Leader of the UNP J.R. Jayewardene as Kelaniya electoral organizer in 1975 and as Biyagama electoral organizer when the delimitation commission formed Kelaniya and Biyagama electorates by division of the Kelaniya electorate.. A former Minister Cyril Mathew was appointed Kelaniya electoral organizer.   

A magnetic personality in the political arena, Ranil Wickremesinghe who paid particular attention to the trade union movement formed the UNP affiliated Lawyers’ Association and the National Education Employees’ Union.   

The UNP recorded a landslide victory at the general election held on July 21, 2077 and Mr Wickremesinghe was returned to parliament for the Biyagama electorate.   

He was appointed as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. In the cabinet reshuffle in 1978 he was appointed as Minister of Youth Affairs and Employment. He was the youngest in the cabinet and a leader of the future behind him.   

The National Youth Services Council (NYSC) established in 1965 by then Minister of State J.R. Jayewardene had gone into a decline by 1977. However, the Minister of Youth Affairs Ranil Wickremesinghe streamlined the affairs of the Youth Services Council and uplifted it as an institution of the young men and women of the country and by producing leaders to the country.   

He was entrusted with the cabinet portfolio as Minister of Education, Industries and Scientific Affairs and appointed Leader of the house in the UNP government formed after the General Election in 1989.   

The government of President R. Premadasa was heading for a crucial juncture when the party stalwarts moved an impeachment motion against the President. However, Leader of the House Ranil Wickremesinghe manoeuvred the crisis through his political acumen and rescued the party and its leader as well.   

He became Prime Minister in 1993 as successor to D.B. Wijeunga who took over the helm of the country as President following the demise of President Premadasa who was killed in a terrorist attack.   

Ranil Wickremesinghe took over the leadership of the party on President Wijetunga’s retirement from politics. After the demise of former Minister Gamini Dissanayake, Wickremesinghe became leader of the opposition.   

He has gone down in the annals of political history as a leader who held the position of Prime Minister five times.   

It is of significance that he was elected President by majority in Parliament although he was the only Parliamentarian representing his party.   

He took over the helm of the government when the country had earned international disrepute as a bankrupt and failed country.   

The people were starving and the struggle for essential consumer goods and fuel was the order of the day. Schools had been closed and transport had come to a standstill for want of fuel. Thousands of people were compelled to spend days, in queues for fuel and gas and several individuals left to the mercy of the elements in queues had died of fatigue while hospitals were facing a shortage of medicine owing to the breakdown of medical supplies. The country was in a state of anarchy.   

Meanwhile, the rulers who had been elected to power by the people had fled the country leaving it to the mercy of the “Aragalaya” movement. Parliamentarians were assassinated in cold blood and their property came under arson attacks. It was a coterie of power hungry people. An unruly crowd besieged Parliament and attempted to grapple power and overran the Presidential secretariat and the President’s House.   

The leaders in the Opposition in Parliament turned down the request of the outgoing Head of the State to take over the reins of the government and to quell the situation. However, in this scenario, the UNP Leader ventured to take over the leadership of the country in utter turmoil.   

President Ranil Wickremesinghe gave priority to the political stability of the country and to the urgent needs of the people which he achieved in a short time.   

He restored the smooth functioning of the state machinery and protected democracy in the country. He implemented an effective mechanism to provide the essential consumer goods, fuel and gas which was an urgent need.   

It is a salient feature of his political career that democracy in Sri Lanka is of foremost importance for him and, with this in view he decided to go to polls too sharp to time on expiry of his term of office as President. He contested the Presidential election for a fresh mandate. However it is sad that the memory of anything in Sri Lanka would not last long.   

He strongly believed that the forward march of the country depended entirely on his plan and that there was no other way to resurrect the county from the prevailing crisis.   

During his election campaign he attempted to convince the masses that the county’s future depended entirely on his policies and beseeched them to lead themselves along the right path paved by him,.He pointed out that his endeavour was to save the country from the mire of degradation of being a failed country.   

However, It is sad that the people who turned a deaf ear to his premonition and elected to power another individual as President demonstrated their political immaturity. Their indiscretion veered them towards a wrong path and spelt disaster.   

In course of time, all what he said that day has turned reality and the people experience the consequences’ of their indiscretion.,   

Although not even two years have elapsed since he quit the presidency, the forward march of the country has ground to halt and an era of queues for fuel has emerged and the price of rice has skyrocketed for want of price control. system. Meanwhile several consumer goods are subject to a quota system. Speculations are ripe that the electricity bill would be increased in a large proportion,  Falsehood spreads fast and is easily convincing to the people, but does not last long. Present government without the least concern about it has resorted to falsehood to mislead the masses.   

The people have already felt the need of Ranil to lead the country and it is in direct allusion to his statement as the outgoing President,   

“I am hopeful; that the future generation will make a precise evaluation of my historic political career. I know my due place in history as the ruler of this county will be decided by the future and not today,” he said. What he said has already turned into reality.   

On behalf of the people of the country and as Chairman of the United National Party wish you a happy birthday.   

I have also to remind you that the day the country needs your services again is not far off.   

The writer is the Chairman of the UNP and Former Minister