POLITICS IN SRI LANKA Part 4Hb
Posted on June 1st, 2023

KAMALIKA PIERIS

Premadasa was probably the most calculating politician Sri Lanka has ever had.Premadasa was politicking day and night, said Sarath Amunugama.His voice rang with authority and power, commanding compliance, said Evans Cooray.

Premadasa had an unparalleled knowledge of the Colombo’s electoral mathematics, said Sarath.  He created a support base which included the poor of all major castes. He had several venues   where he met the public. He also created a coterie of loyalists.  His chief supporter was Sirisena Cooray who was an early supporter of Premadasa.

Premadasa read through old copies of Hansard looking for what the Opposition had said in the past and he then quoted those contradictory statements back to them. He employed others to read past copies and provide the necessary information.Opponents were therefore unwilling to disturb him in Parliament.

Premadasa was a superb speaker. Listeners were mesmerized by his superb oratory which spoke up for the underprivileged and dispossessed. Hs speeches had an authenticity which couldn’t be matched by the westernized politicians, said Sarath Amunugama.

Richness of his vocabulary, modulations of tone, and cadence of his words made him an attraction with the masses, observed Bradman Weerakoon.He would sometimes speak for over an hour but every word had a purpose. Having covered many of his meetings for the Daily News, I recall that there was something new to write every day, said Pramod de Silva. He always peppered his speeches with a joke or anecdote that sent ripples of laughter among the audience. His speeches were thus never boring or uninteresting concluded Pramod.

Premadasa looked into    everything which affected his image. Premadasa addressed the 35th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in 1987. It was his first appearance there and his preparations were thorough and exacting, said Bradman Weerakoon  He made sure that he got an optimum slot.  He even tested the rostrum for height. Speech writers were preparing his speech two months ahead.

Premadasa knew that the media was important. One admirer who referred to Premadasa as a ‘great man’   and the ‘late great man ‘said that Premadasa took a personal interest in helping journalists who sought his help. He provided them apartments in urban housing schemes.  He had gone out of his way to offer a flat to a newspaper cartoonist who had been caricaturing him. He attended funerals of journalists or family member of journalists.

Sarath Amunugama had managed to obtain a consignment of newsprint from Lake House when Davasa had run out of its own stock of papers, and this got good publicity, Premadasa had phoned Sarath and asked whether his name could also be mentioned so that any future editorial would mention his assistance as well.  

Here are some facts that are not so well known about Premadasa. Premadasa owned a coconut estate at Ambanpola at Yapahuwa. Premadasa visited Yala and Kumana often to relax. On many occasion he had himself driven the jeep through elephant infested areas. He spent several hours on tree tops to photograph elephants and leopards. His photos are on display at Sucharita.  

Premadasa wrote lucidly and facilely in Sinhala. His Sinhala handwriting was beautiful, said Bradman.   Premadasa was also a good cartoonist.  A cartoon drawn by him of the cartoonist Ranga is found in Evans Cooray’s book In the shadow of a peoples president” facing p 195.

Premadasa was never diffident before highly educated persons, said Bradman.He was an excellent conversationalist, with a fund of anecdotes well related. He could remember names and called anyone he met once by his/her name at any subsequent meeting. Premadasa was a teetotaler. (Continued)

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