112th Birth Anniversary of former Agriculture Minister M.D. Banda: Father who feeds the nation

Looking back on this time, I realise that for most of my childhood my father was a Cabinet Minister, and one who was completely dedicated to his duties

Many people have told me that appachchi was a unique person - unassuming, completely honest and sincere in whatever he said or did

It is well known that appachchi was a sincere and unwavering follower of both DS and Dudley Senanayake. The Late Rukman Senanayake often said that M.D. Banda was Dudley’s most trusted comrade in the political world

By Gamini Leeniyagolla

My memories of appachchi when I was very little are nebulous. In my case, this was due to two additional reasons: our appachchi lived mostly at ‘Shravasthi’ the special residence for Sri Lankan parliamentarians and not at home. Additionally, we were all at boarding school and it was just during the holidays that the seven of us were at home, in Panaliya. 

Looking back on this time, I realise that for most of my childhood my father was a Cabinet Minister, and one who was completely dedicated to his duties. 

Appachchi first entered Parliament in 1947 when he was just 29 years old, and was almost immediately appointed to the post of Parliamentary Secretary (Junior Minister) to the Minister of Labour and Social Services in May 1948. He was Minister of Labour and Social Services in February in 1950 and was again appointed to the same post by Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake in March 1952. He became Minister of Education in June 1952 so that by the time I was born in December 1952, he was a senior member of the Dudley Senanayake Cabinet.

Pivotal points

Our mother informed us one day, when I was around 3 or 4, that appachchi would be coming home that evening. Although my memories of this period are quite hazy, I recall very clearly the keen enthusiasm with which we awaited his arrival. Evening moved into night and his arrival was pushed back later and later into the night. The moment I woke up the next morning I remember asking amma where appachchi was. “He came home late last night but had to leave early this morning. He was a little annoyed with you, lokka (everyone in the family calls me ‘lokka’ even now), because you had parked your little car near the stairway, and appachchi nearly tripped over it’ (this was before we had electricity in our home). My little heart was overwhelmed with sorrow for not only had I not seen appachchi but I had inadvertently caused him injury with my careless parking of my miniature car. This incident is indelibly etched in my mind because I believe that this was the first time in my life, that I experienced the agony of shattered expectations. Why I felt such intense pain then as a little child was perhaps because of how much I loved my father.

When my younger brother Senaka and I entered Dharmaraja College, Kandy, where we were hostellers, I remember having my first real and meaningful conversation with appachchi during this time. One day, our warden Wimalachandra informed me that appachchi had come to take Senaka mallie and me out. We visited a relative of ours in Harispattuwa, had lunch with them and on our return trip back to the school hostel, I told appachchi that I was playing cricket for the under-12 team at Dharmaraja College, and therefore needed a bat. “Are you playing hardball?” (I didn’t understand the question so I was silent) “Is it the red ball?” “Ah, yes,” I replied. “What is your position in the team?” I am once again silent. “Are you an opening batsman? Or are you number 3, 4 or 5?” he  asked. “I can bat and bowl. I do both,” said I. “Ah! Then  you are an all-rounder. Number 6,7 – I will buy you this kind of bat. Play well till then.” And the conversation continued in the vein but no bat has come to date. Little did I know at the time that appachchi was himself an outstanding cricketer, who played for the St Anthony’s College team and, later, for the Ceylon University College team, as an opening batsman. His passion for cricket was clear to us later on too because we all recall how he and his nephews, Bertie and Nimal, would listen to cricket commentaries and were glued to the radio when England and Australia played biennially for the famous Ashes trophy. 

Once, when I was in Grade 6, appachchi asked for my report card and after scrutinising my the report card carefully he said, not unkindly, ‘If you are 6th in class with marks like this, all the other children in your class must be buffaloes’.

A shift in gears

I think I really got to know appachchi well when Senaka malli and I entered Ananda College in Colombo. Although we were hostelers, we would go to appachchi’s official residence at Wijerama Mawatha every weekend. 

During this time, when I needed anything, I would go to his room early in the morning to remind him of what I needed. These requests were for the most part fulfilled. Then again I urgently needed ‘longs’ (trousers) to wear to school. “How many do you need?” he asked. Without thinking I said, “six”. “Why six?” he demanded. “There are only 5 days in the school week, no? 3 would do.” Then he directed me to the ‘West End’ tailors’ shop in Pettah and asked me to get them stitched there.

It was appachchi’s habit to take us to the Lake House Book shop every year and allow us to buy whatever we wanted. Our chuti malli Senerath, would bring a pile of books. “Do you want all these books?” appachchi asked. Chuti malli nodded “yes” and appachchi bought all the books. When apachchi passed away in 1974, Senerath malli was only 14 years old and I believe that the loss was greatest for him.

Insights into a political career

For a very long time, appachchi had always resided at Shravashthi when he was in Colombo. For some time at Shravasthi, his roommate was his friend, former Minister of Finance (1965 – 1970) U.B. Wanninayake. The period 1965-1970 was the pinnacle, the golden era of appachchi’s political career. He was the Minister of Agriculture and the all-round development in the agricultural sector was remarkable as vouched for by the reports of The World Food and Agriculture Organisation, The Asian Development Bank and our own Central Bank. The unprecedented increase in paddy production by 38%, the introduction of potato cultivation and popularising the growing of chillies etc. – contributed to the vast development in the agricultural sector during appachchi’s tenure as Minister of Agriculture.

During this hectic period of activity in appachchi’s life I got the opportunity to accompany my father on some of his official visits, and witness the progress of the flagship programme, the Food Drive. I was amazed by his knowledge and thorough understanding of the ground situation. 

Although he had to be away from Colombo for 3 or 4 days a week, appachchi never missed a single Cabinet meeting. Walter Jayawardene (Editor) mentioned in a newspaper article that Prime Minister Dudley was so keen to be updated on the progress of the Food Drive that on days when appachchi was due in Colombo, he postponed having his lunch or dinner until MD arrived.

Early morning he set out to check on the progress of the Food Drive in that particular area, and ended up attending the meetings scheduled in the Kachcheries the same evening. The GA who organises the visit, sits beside the minister throughout the proceedings. Appachchi never failed to visit the livestock farm at Ambewala and the potato farm at Bopathalawe whenever he visited Nuwara Eliya.

After one such Ministerial visit in the Kurunegala District, a high up official of the Agriculture Department had gone to the Rest House for the night. The manager of the Rest House knocked on his door and have apologetically requested to vacate the room as it had to be given to the minister. Unaware of all this, the minister walked in with his bags and he found the officer packing his own bag to quit the room. “ Why are you packing your bag ?” inquired the minister. The officer explained the situation. Getting to know the officer had no other place for accomodation, the minister has stressed that both can share that room. “ No, don’t go anywhere. Stay here. There are two beds , and I can’t sleep on both beds , no?” Pleasantly surprised, the officer agreed to share the room. “ I will work till late, is that alright?” the minister have asked.  When the officer related this story to his colleagues in the Head Office , no one believed him other than his superior,  the Director General of Agriculture Ernest Abeyaratne. He had said, “ It is not surprising at all. Only if he had acted otherwise would I be surprised!” This became a well known anecdote in the department.

Many people have told me that appachchi was a unique person unassuming, completely honest and sincere in whatever he said or did. He donated 35 -40 acres of his private land to the government for the good of the people without claiming a cent as compensation. Notably he donated 22 acres of prime land in the heart of Polgahawela town when no land was available to build the Central College. This is a gift made to generations of children, already born and still unborn.

It is well known that appachchi was a sincere and unwavering follower of both DS and Dudley Senanayake. The late Rukman Senanayake often said that M.D. Banda was Dudley’s most trusted comrade in the political world. As vouched for by Bradman Weerakoon too, Aappachchi was Dudley’s own choice as his successor. The UNP working committee and the rank and file of the party shared this opinion as well. Despite all this, it was appachchi himself who proposed JR’s name for the party leadership, as revealed by J.R at appachchi’s funeral on September 18, 1974.

After the unexpected demise of his leader and friend Dudley, appachchi had no wish to continue in politics. Some of his younger friends like the MP for Dedigama Rukman Senanayake, Prof. Karunasena Kodithuwakku and J.R.P. Suriapperuma, came to Panaliya on week-ends, to revive and organise political activity but appachchi’s heart, clearly, was not in it. The situation deteriorated further when his friend and colleague U.B Wanninayaka too passed away.

May they all - appachchi , amma and Berty aiyya attain the supreme Bliss of Nirvana.