October 16 marks the 100th birth anniversary of J. L. Sirisena, former Minister of Social Services and M.P. for Bingiriya. It is an occasion to celebrate the life of an exemplary politician whose conduct can teach invaluable lessons to the younger generation of politicians, many of whom have, unfortunately, lost their way in recent years.
Independent in his actions and forthright in his statements, he never deviated from what he believed was right. The basic philosophy underlying his actions, both, public and private, was that he wanted to be secure in his own mind that he had said the right thing, done the right thing and taken the right decision. His only commitment to politics was to serve the public.
Jasenthu Liyana Sirisena was born on 10 October, 1916, to a respectable family in Ambalangoda. He had his education at Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda. After his school education, he became a planter and ventured out to the coconut belt in Dummalasuriya near Madampe, in 1943. He served as Manager in charge of the Heemaliyagara Group owned by H.L. De Mel & Co for thirty-five years.
During his years at Dummalasuriya he began to understand and be concerned with the trials and tribulations of his workers and the surrounding villagers. Gradually, he found himself involved in activities undertaken to alleviate their living conditions, and took an active interest in the rural development programs, and the cooperative movement. He also took a keen interest in educating the children in the surrounding villages.
Soon he realized, if he were to serve the people in a meaningful way, he had to have some official capacity, and complying with the request of the people of the area, he stood for elections to the Kadigamuwa seat of the Dummalasuriya Village Council, in 1948. Having migrated to the area recently, he was unable to succeed as a relative outsider. Not deterred, he continued his service to the public and stood for elections to the Karandwila seat in 1951, for which he was easily elected.
That year, he was also elected as Chairman of the Village Council in which capacity he served for 21 years. From inception, he saw education as the primary means of poverty alleviation. In 1957, he supplied free books to schoolchildren in the area and scholarships to needy students. What is today known as the Kadigamuwa Central School was established by him, with his own funds.
In appreciation of his work, at the 1964 Village Council elections, the people of the area accorded him all 13 seats in the council.
This unprecedented success drew the attention of national politicians, and the then Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Dudley Senanayake, summoned him to Colombo to take over the organization of the Bingiriya electorate in preparation for the next national elections. At the 1965 elections, he contested as a UNP candidate and won the Bingiriya seat that had traditionally been a leftist stronghold.
Although, at the 1970 elections he lost his seat in the avalanche that reduced the UNP to a minor party with 17 seats in Parliament, he fought back courageously and won the seat again at the 1977 elections. In August 1977, he was appointed as the first Deputy Minister of Social Services by J. R. Jayewardene, and in 1988, as Minister of Social Services, by R. Premadasa.
As an MP, he continued to provide educational facilities to his constituents. The schools with thatched roofs, housed in temporary buildings were replaced with permanent buildings. It was his dedication that saw the establishment of the J.R. Jayewardene Central School, the first Central School in the area.
Being a planter he had a great interest in agriculture, and carried out several agricultural projects, and reconstruction of irrigation works in the area. In 1978, when he reentered Parliament, he reconstructed the dam across Deduruoya in the Bingiriya electorate and inaugurated the Wellangiriya Farmers’ Colony, the most important agricultural community in the Bingiriya area.
During his tenure in the Social Services Ministry, he established youth service councils, and set up services for the elderly, the sick and the disabled.
In his own electorate, a home was established to house nearly 50 elderly and disabled persons. He also assisted in the establishment of the Doolmale Islamia Home for the Handicapped in Thihariya and facilitated, for the first time, in the country, the establishment of an orphanage for Muslim orphaned girls.
Whether in Parliament or outside, he expressed his views in a straightforward way. Thus, referring to a speech made byJ.R. Jayewardene, as the leader of the UNP, Sirisena once told him, “Sir, the general public of the country has a certain perception about you and it is necessary to change that; after you were elected as the leader, you made a stern speech; it is necessary for you to make an effort to change such sternness”. Though Mr. Jayewardene did not immediately appreciate hearing what he was told, later on, he did admire Sirisena for his forthrightness.
Sirisena always set an example to others. Munidasa Premachandra, a former Deputy Minister once said in Parliament, “The largest acreage of coconut land was vested in the Government under the Land Reform Act in the Bingiriya area.
It is no secret as already revealed in this House that ministers and members of the UNP purchased prime land at a very low price, having them assessed at a very low value. It is with great respect that I say, the only Member of Parliament from the North Western Province, that did not acquire even an inch of land is J.L. Sirisena”
Though Sirisena was not exceptionally wealthy, he was free from any insatiable thirst for money. At a public meeting he once said, “When I was elected as M.P. for this area in 1965, I had a fair amount of wealth, but today, I am left with only the satisfaction derived from the service I rendered to the public”.
It was possible for him to do such a service to his constituents only because of the steadfast support of his late wife Dotty, who assisted him with an immeasurable commitment towards his work and his constituents.
Among his children and grandchildren are several doctors and lawyers able to continue to serve the public, as he did.
His birth centenary provides us the occasion to remember his work and the great qualities he possessed at a time when such qualities are rare among our parliamentarians.
By Nandasiri Jasentuliyana, Former Deputy Director General, United Nations, and Director, United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs.