DS Senanayake
Posted on March 18th, 2012
Senanayake played an active role in the independence movement first supporting his brother Fredrick Richard Senanayake and after his death in 1926, D. S. took his place Legislative Council and lead the independence movement. In 1931 when he was elected to the State Council, and went on to become Minister of Agriculture and Lands. He combated Ceylon’s agricultural problems effectively, and established the LDO, an agricultural policy that countered Ceylon’s rice problems. This policy earned him respect, and he continued to be a minister for fifteen years. He also enforced “Agricultural Modernisation”, which increased production output. During World War II he was a member of the Ceylon war cabinet.
However, he resigned in 1946 from his cabinet post to fight for Ceylon’s independence. That same year he founded the United National Party (UNP) by amalgamating three right-leaning pro-dominion parties, which is still one of the main political parties and perhaps the largest single party in Sri Lanka. In only a year he succeeded, and was elected as Ceylon’s first Prime Minister in the general election held in 1947. He refused a knighthood, but maintained good relations with Britain and was a Privy Councillor. He boldly made plans to spread out the population, and his Gal Oya scheme relocated over 250,000 people.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLTSRhb0D88&feature=g-vrec&context=G2696c40RVAAAAAAAACw
March 18th, 2012 at 3:46 pm
The most important thing is this:
HE BOLDLY MADE PLANS TO SPREAD OUT THE POPULATION, AND HIS GAL OYA SCHEME RELOCATED OVER 250,000 PEOPLE.
This is what we need today.
COLONIZATION!
If we relocate over 250,000 people to Jaffna peninsula, all the problems of Sri Lanka would be over.
What a great leader!
May he be reborn in Sri Lanka again and again to complete what he started.
March 18th, 2012 at 8:56 pm
He had the brains which more educated FOOLs did not have.
March 19th, 2012 at 1:02 am
The historical background to the appointment of DS Senanayake as Minister of Agriculture and Land and many other patriotic persons as ministers in 1931 was due to Tamils boycotting the 1931 election after their 50:50 demand was rejected. They grabbed the good opportunity and never turned back.
Had we maintained that unity among patriotic forces until today, things would have been different. Things fell apart after DS Senanayake.
The Citizenship Act was another landmark achievement of DS Senanayake. It was well within the 1947 Constitution. He had only 46 seats in a parliament of 100 seats but didn’t yield to pressure. After Independence many independent MPs joined in.
March 19th, 2012 at 4:48 am
He was a Sihala educated local not like SWRD the Indian puppet.