{"id":111170,"date":"2021-01-30T17:42:32","date_gmt":"2021-01-31T00:42:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=111170"},"modified":"2021-01-30T17:42:32","modified_gmt":"2021-01-31T00:42:32","slug":"a-statue-to-commemorate-mrs-bandaranaike-the-first-woman-prime-minister-in-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2021\/01\/30\/a-statue-to-commemorate-mrs-bandaranaike-the-first-woman-prime-minister-in-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"A Statue to Commemorate Mrs Bandaranaike, the first woman Prime Minister in the world,"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sudath Gunasekara
Posted on 30th<\/sup> Jan 2021 (First published on 14th, December 2010 in Lankaweb)<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

A Statue to Commemorate Mrs Bandaranaike, the first\nwoman Prime Minister in the world, most illustrious Lady and the greatest\npolitical leader<\/strong> of our time<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What a shame even not to have one such erected to\ncommemorate this great of the nation lady in a suitable place even after 21\nyears of her  death, in a country where\nwe have hundreds of statues of colonial murderers and plunderers and even\nindentured labour leaders are  exhibited\nin front of the Parliament and other important places.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr Sudath\nGunasekara. One time Permanent Secretary to Mrs Sirimavo Bandaranaike.. Everyone\nknows that Mrs Sirimavo Bandaranayaike was the first woman Prime Minister in\nthe world. No one can refute that. In that context she was the greatest and the\nmost illustrious Lady ever born in this resplendent Island. I do not think anyone\nwill disagree or quarrel with me for this statement. On account of that alone\nshe has made history by creating a world record which any one will not be able\nto break on any day. It is irreversible forever. That alone makes her a\nnational heroine who should be remembered and adored by all Sri Lankans forever\nirrespective of their politics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 She became the Prime Minister on 21st July\n1960 and carried forward the socio-cultural revolution launched by her husband\nS.W.R.D in 1956. S.W.R.D\u2019s untimely assassination within three years and five\nmonths robed him as well as the country of the historic role he was destined to\nplay for mankind. Although the credit for that turning point in the history of\nour country goes to him it was Sirimavo who really took off the flight that\ncrash landed with SWRD\u2019s untimely death in September 1959. When she took over\nthe reins of the nation\u2019s leadership in 1960 it was like a wrecked and\nrudderless ship on high seas. No one thought she could steer it in the correct\ndirection. As D.B. Dhanapala the veteran journalist of our time wrote in his\nbook Among Those Present<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No one thought\nshe will do it, but today no one doubts that she had done it\u201d\u009d better than any other\nman or woman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 I had the rare privilege of reading the\nEncyclopedia of Social Science at the University of Cambridge when I was doing\nmy post graduate work in 1982 and you will be surprised to hear that in that\nbook she carries the longest and the most colourful account on any contemporary\nleader of this country. Thenagain when once I attended an International Film\nFestival in Czechoslovakia in May 1991 and I told the udience that I come from\nSri Lanka this was how they reacted<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Oh you come from the Land of Bandaranaike.\nHow is your Queen Sirimavo Bandaranaike\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Remember at that time she was not even the\nleader of he opposition and she was at home deprived of her civil rights also\nin 1980 by the JRJ Government. Furthermore she was the only Sri Lankan leader I\nthink who had a wax statue in the famous Madame Tussauds Art Museum in Landon<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mentioned\nthese three events just to tell my readers how this great Lady was regarded d\nrespected by the outside world<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 It is common knowledge how she spearheaded the\nsocial revolution that was set in motion in 1956 and how she put this Island in\nhigh heavens in the world map in the years that followed.  Everybody knows how she handled the\nNon-Aligned Conference in 1976. The 1972 Republican Constitution that made this\nIsland nation an Independent Republic, Non-aligned Foreign policy, settling the\nSino- Indian war in 1962, taming the Marxist giants like NM, Peter Khenaman,\nColvin, Lesli, and Dr Wickramasinha (which even SWRD could not do), handling\nthe 1962 coup and the JVP insurrections of 1971, historic Land reforms that\nlimited private ownership to 50 acres and nationalization of Sterling\nplantations, laid the foundation for a national economy by introducing import\nsubstitution, Sirima- Sastri Pact and how she resolved the Kachchative issuend\nthe Indo-China conflict as a mediator were shining jewels in her crown. Above\nall her dominating personality and character, simplicity, the captivating smile\nand the devotion to religion, like Viharamaha Devi, which has made her the\nideal \u201dSymbol of a Sinhala Buddhist Mahopasika\u2019 of our time, has elevated her\nabove all others, both men and women, in contemporary society. Her period of\ngoverning also has gone down in history as the best period of Indo-Lanka\nrelationship between India and Sri Lanka after King Devampiyatissa\u2019s reign. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She became the\nPrime minister thrice in this country by popular vote and dominated and\nilluminated the political stage for 40 years which no one else had done. She\nset the rhythm for the emergence women leaders all over the world to be followed\nby all others like Indira Gandhi, Margaret Thatcher, Golda Meyer, Benazi\nBhutto, Corazon Akino and Shia Kalida. Thereby she carved a permanent niche for\nall women the world over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  Thus she made history\nirreversible and created a legend unparalleled and thus became a legendary\nwoman not only in Sri Lanka but in the whole world. The open question I am\nasking therefore from all politicians and more specifically those in power\nhaving come to power under the banner of Bandaranayaka policies  as to why they erect at least one monument of\nthis legendary Sinhala Buddhist uncrowned Queen in a suitable place in this\ncountry for the posterity to get inspired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 But it is unfortunate and shameful too that we\nas a nation have not been able to recognize her role and show our gratefulness\nto this most uncommon and Great Lady even though 10 years have now passed after\nher death in December 2000. What a shame for a nation that boasts of a\nreligious legacy which teaches us even to venerate a tree that helped Gautama\nBuddha to attain Supreme Enlightenment. Lord Buddha himself set this example\nfor others to follow by paying respect to the Bo tree for seven days with\nAnimisa lochana puja.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Therefore I call upon the government to erect\na statue near the Parliament to commemorate this great personality at least\nnow, without further delay. Even Thondaman, an immigrant south Indian labour\nleader has a statue made for him, in front of the old Parliament, within few\nmonths of his death during President Chandrika Kumaratunga\u2019s time.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 I was happy to listen to the President\nRajapaksa the other day when he said that he will carry forward her policies. I\nhope at least he will erect a statue to remember this Great Mother of Lanka at\nleast before the next death anniversary in the most prominent and appropriate\nplace, in the Kotte Parliamentary complex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 She is a Daughter of Lanka who should be\nhonoured not only at the Parliament Complex but also in every village and town.\nAs for me I regard her as the greatest Lady this country has ever produced\nbecause for me she is simply a Legend. Most women in this world shine on the\nachievements of their husbands or their children. But Sirimavo made history on\nher own achievements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I met her for\nthe first time as the Prime Minister when I was only the Deputy Director of\nSmall Industries in 1976. I organized the Handicrafts Exhibition for the 1976\nNon-Aligned Conference and ever since I have had a very intimate relationship\nwith her. Then in 1994 when I was Secretary to the Ministry of Technical\neducation, she called me home and appointed me as her Secretary. That is how\nshe remembered people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 I am not a political fanatic as many people\nare in this country. But going by the Buddha\u2019s noble word we must respect the\none who is respect worthy, ‘Pujaca Pujaniyanam\u2019 irrespective of their\npolitical colour, ethnicity or ideology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 As I wrote in 1996 in the supplement issued on\nher 80th birth day, by the Ceylon Daily News (April 17th)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Chiselled on granite and embossed with golden\nletters the name of Sirimavo Bandaranaike will remain immortal as the most\nillustrious and celebrated daughter of mother Lanka as long as the sun and the\nmoon shall last\u201d\u009d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 It is a tragedy that the whole nation has\nfailed in its onerous duty by this great personality up to date. What an\nungrateful bunch of people we are to have completely forgotten the mother of\nthe Party and the mother of the Nation as well? Above all the SLFP and all the\npoliticians who enjoy the plums of political power gained under that banner\nshould be ashamed for not doing their duty by this Great Lady for whom they owe\nso much for all what they enjoy today. Most of these men and women who are in\npower would have been unheard and unseen if not for her sacrifices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 If she did not consent to lead the party in\n1960 after it had been ruined by people like Dahanayaka there would not have\nbeen a SLFP at all for these people to enjoy the luxuries of political office.\nIt is true that it was SWRD with his astute and unsurpassed statesmanship, who\nfounded the SLFP and brought it to power in 1956 under the banner of the MEP.\nBut there would not have been a SLFP today if not for Mrs Bandaranaike who\nresurrected it in 1960 from the grave and built it up for forty log years under\nher able, magnetic and charismatic leadership, having lost everything including\nher husband who was gunned down by an assassin and even her civil rights for\nseven years robbed by her political rivals who feared her charismatic and\npopulist leadership. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sudath GunasekaraPosted on 30th Jan 2021 (First published on 14th, December 2010 in Lankaweb) A Statue to Commemorate Mrs Bandaranaike, the first woman Prime Minister in the world, most illustrious Lady and the greatest political leader of our time What a shame even not to have one such erected to commemorate this great of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-111170","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dr-sudath-gunasekara"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111170","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=111170"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111170\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=111170"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=111170"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=111170"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}