The 1970s was an era of transformation in the political landscape of Sri Lanka. It was a time for change. Imtiaz Bakeer Markar, a faithful member of the UNP remembers his first encounter with Ranil Wickremesinghe. In 1973 he was at Sri Kotha, the green bastion.
When mounting the wooden stairs he was introduced to the present PM by one De Mel who was the Administrative Secretary at that time. He had said, ‘Imtiaz this is Esmond Wickremesinghe’s son,” and Imtiaz shook hands and had said, “How are you Mr. Wickremesinghe?” to which he got the placid response, “Please call me Ranil”. This was a surprise to him as it displayed the friendly and humble disposition of young Wickremesinghe.
Since that day, the two men have jointly faced the trials and triumphs of politics in Sri Lanka.
The year 1977 was embellished with change. It was a time when young men were joining the UNP by the hundreds.
Two of the promising leaders who blossomed in the green domain with Ranil were Tyronne Fernando and Lalith Athulathmudali. The Youth Front was gearing up for some serious membership initiatives. Imtiaz Markar recalls, “We could not enter the universities those days as there was much challenge, we proceeded to Peradeniya and had our first meeting at the home of one Shelton Ranaraja. Thankfully, the outcome was a success and we captured the hearts and minds of many; Ranil was a captivating speaker”.
When asked about an outstanding moment in his long affiliation with the Prime Minister, he was quick to respond, remembering the day on which President Ranasinghe Premadasa was assassinated at a May Day rally. Imtiaz Markar said, “We were stunned. Our security personnel bundled us into a van belonging to a prominent Sinhala newspaper at Armour Street. Ranil asked me to go to Galle Face and cut short the meeting that was scheduled there.
He remained calm and proceeded to the Ministry of Defence. In these few minutes he displayed the prowess of a true leader, making key decisions and initiated the necessary steps to sustain peace in the country, within a few hours. Being a lawyer, he knew the legal aspects of such matters”.
Since that day, the green team faced success and defeat, yet, Ranil remained steadfast.
In conclusion, Imtiaz Markar opined, “It was Ranil with his radiant charisma that inspired many young people to enter politics and subsequently Parliament. He was the star of the Youth Front, from which many seasoned MPs arose. His Youth Front of that era was the backbone of our party. We did not agree on everything. We shared different opinions. We engaged in debating matters. Yet, we remained faithful to the core values of our party and always strove to uphold democracy”.
Ranil Wickremesinghe awards a prize to a student while the then President J. R. Jayawardene
and Prime Minister R. Premadasa look on