A Tribute to Ranil Wickremesinghe on his 77th Birthday

From reforming the education system in the 1980s to navigating the nation through its greatest economic crisis, we reflect on the enduring impact of a leader defined by courage and intellectualism

The author (R) with Ranil Wickremesinghe (L)

I begin this tribute to a man I have known for nearly five decades with a couple of insightful quotes:   
Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees all others – Winston Churchill
Moments of crisis produce in man a redoubling of life – François-René de Chateaubriand
The first quote is self-evident, and the second implies we don’t really live fully until we face great challenges. If words could capture what I know of Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe, then these get to the heart of his character.   
Born on March 24, 1949, Mr. Wickremesinghe’s life is intertwined with the post-independence trajectory of our country. As he celebrates his 77th birthday, he has much to be proud of. This includes a career defined by political resilience and a focus on national progress over nearly five decades of public service.   
I first met him in 1981 as a schoolboy at St. Joseph’s College, when he paid a visit as the Minister of Education. It is a moment captured in a black and white photograph that I cherish greatly. Since then, we have enjoyed a close and warm relationship, a bond which continued when he reached the pinnacle of power, and afterwards.  
Over the years, I have marvelled at Mr. Wickremesinghe’s ability to endure political pressure. Amidst all challenges, he has been a mainstay of our country’s governance. He served as Prime Minister on six separate occasions and, as President from 2022 to 2024, he steered us back from the brink of total economic collapse. He succeeded in securing an IMF bailout package, restructuring debt, and restoring the supply of fuel, cooking gas and electricity. His vision put our nation back on the path to progress.   
It is this pragmatism that enabled him to launch lasting reforms. Over the years, he played some legacy-defining roles. In the 1980s, he reformed the education system, emphasizing English, technology and computer skills.   
This is why he is often cited as our country’s best Education Minister. He also spearheaded the creation of the Biyagama Free Trade Zone, which transformed rural areas into industrial and export hubs. Later, in the 1990s, he played a vital role in bringing the internet to Sri Lanka.   
During his second term as Prime Minister in the early 2000s, he achieved something truly remarkable. Inheriting an economy with negative growth (-1.55%) in 2001, he revitalized it to reach 6% in 2003.  
Mr. Wickremesinghe has always struck me as a larger-than-life personality. From my early days as a newsreader, and then serving under him as his Deputy Chief of Staff when he was Prime Minister, I have come to admire his intellectualism.   
He is a well-read leader with a deep grasp of global geopolitics and history. This is why he has been described as a diplomatic globalist. He earned wide respect internationally for his sophisticated diplomacy, maintaining balanced relations with global powers including India, China, the US, and the EU.  
Mr. Wickremesinghe is a man with a visionary outlook. Even his detractors acknowledge his success in creating a liberalized, knowledge-based economy. He has never resorted to populist rabble-rousing or communal politics. Instead, he has shown Sri Lanka the path to become a modern, technologically advanced country. This will be his enduring legacy.  
In conclusion, I salute a leader who is driven by the spirit of progress. He has proved himself to be a true statesman, Alongside his loyal friends and his loving wife Maithree, I wish Mr. Wickremesinghe a very happy birthday and continued strength in his service to the nation.   
-Pradeep Amirthanayagam