A Classmate’s Tribute
The late Mr. Dudley Senanayake was a thoroughbred Senanayake, a thoroughbred politician, a thoroughbred patriot and a thoroughbred gentleman.
Actually, we may be permitted to consider him as a great patriot, if not the greatest that lived in Sri Lanka during the last half century.
The qualities that endeared him to the masses were his sincerity, genuine interest in them and his faith in the goodness of our people.
He was quite at home in the smiling paddy fields and the plush carpeted drawing rooms. He was a man amongst men.
He always strove for communal harmony and realized that only if the Tamils and the Sinhalese worked shoulder to shoulder could we really and truly progress.
He sincerely and patriotically tried his best to introduce a democratic socialist way of life, though born with the silver spoon and living in the lap of luxury.
He had at his command a fund of good-will from people in every strata of life. The spontaneous demonstration of grief exhibited by people in all walks of life, from the highest to the lowest, including even the buthcher, the baker and the criminals in the Magazines Prinson, was by no means unexpected, if one was fortunate to have a glimpse of the inner man.
The nation from the North, to the South, and east to the West rose to a man and bowed its head in love and affection to its respected, revered, and most loved leader.
He partially tried his utmost and, in the process, gave his life, to establish an era of communal concord, peace and plenty in our country.
Even when he realized that the time had come to leave the stage-a stage on which he acted so well, so sincerely and so patriotically, as youngest Minister of Agriculture and four times Prime Minister – his only thought was reconciliation, unity and progress in our dear motherland.
In the wisdom of God, it may be that, for the sake of our own people in the our little and blessed island, he was taken away on the 13th April, 1973- National New Year Day-celebrated (and should be celebrated) by all Tamils and Sinhalese irrespective of their religious affiliations.
Perhaps, the Almighty God in His mercy may in His own good time pull the country out of the mess it now appears to be in and help us all to establish a government by our people, where every citizen of Sri Lanka, irrespective of community, caste, class and creed, can live in unity, communal concord, contentment, peace and prosperity.
Sri Lanka is very much the poorer by the irreparable loss of one of her dearest and noblest sons of her soil.
Dr. L. R. J. WATSON
Copied from the College Magazine
Term 2, 1973 – Vol XCIX No 2
Digitally edited by Donald Gaminitillake
Home Articles Pictures/Articles sent by Donald Gaminitilleke