In the shadow of a Renaissance Statesman | Daily News
Lalith Athulathmudali’s 25th death anniversary

In the shadow of a Renaissance Statesman

Serela with her father.
Serela with her father.

In an interview with Samangie Wettimuny “The Man of Unmatched Impact’’ in the series, ‘Footprints on the sands of time’ published in the Daily News on May 15, 2017, Lalith Athulathmudali’s only daughter Serela Athulathmudali who was barely 11-years-old at the time of her father’s untimely death recalled the greatness of her father and the lessons she learned from his legendary life.

Reproduced below are excerpts of the interview:

Years rolled on, and many a tear rolled down her face. She was barely 11-years-old when her father was assassinated at the peak of his political career. Eleven years later when her mother succumbed to her illness, the feeling of loss was unbearably intense that it made her quit her opera singing career.

He never flinched at the sight of trouble. He was dubbed a “Hawk” by his opponents. His mental faculties were so dazzling that he could negotiate with tough envoys at the time the country needed astute and perceptive diplomacy to take it out of troubled waters and to a safer mooring point. At times, his intellectual power was unimaginable. That was Lalith Athulathmudali, the colossus who ignited the political arena with bright sparks whatever he did.

The Oxford scholar, who gave up his illustrious legal and academic careers to serve the people, was elected to Parliament in 1977 as a UNP MP and soon carved out a niche in the political arena. The brilliant orator well known for his unmatched intelligence and vast knowledge in legal and international affairs was also the first Sri Lankan to be elected as the President of the Oxford Union in 1958. His brilliance was unmatched that his reasoning resonated the star-studded Cabinet of the first Executive President of Sri Lanka, J R Jayewardene, where he served as Minister of Trade and Shipping and Minister of National Security. However this erudite politician found himself marginalized by President Jayewardene’s successor, Ranasinghe Premadasa, when he was appointed Minister of Agriculture and later Minister of Education and Higher Education.

The pragmatic leader, who firmly believed that education was the only long term solution to poverty, introduced the Mahapola Scholarship Trust Fund in 1981 to provide financial assistance to the needy undergraduates. The programme which started with only 400 students continues to benefit millions of university students in the country.

As Minister of Trade and Shipping, he introduced Intellectual Property Law, pioneered in establishing Sri Lanka Export Development Board under Sri Lanka Export Development Act No. 40 of 1979 and established the Ports Authority in the same year. As Minister of National Security he was entrusted with the great responsibility of containing the LTTE.

Having been expelled from the UNP in 1991 following the impeachment attempt, they formed the DUNF which became the main rival political party of the UNP. He soon became the leader of the new party, but was assassinated at the peak of his political career while addressing the 1993 Provincial Council election campaign rally in Kirulapana.

He left behind a mission unaccomplished, but his political legacy lives on. 

Today, the much loved daughter of late ministers, Lalith Athulathmudali and Srimani Athulathmudali, sings only for fun when she is at home in Sri Lanka and can join her fellow workshop players or her old friends from Adlib for a while!

“I am always asked to enter the political stage, and I always say no. The truth is I do not believe I have what it takes to govern!”, said Serela Athulahmudali ready to recall the treasured memories she had of her father who undoubtedly possessed many a defining characteristic of a charismatic leader!

The Founder of the Mahapola Scholarship Trust and the illustrious National Security Minister of J R Jayewardene regime would have been 80 now, had he not been brutally assassinated allegedly by the LTTE.

Had he been still alive today and if he felt that he had his part for his people, he would have been happy teaching (lecturing) or just teaching his grandson, Haren, says Serela.

“I would have been happy with whichever he had chosen, had he been alive,” she added.

Memories

Even though her stay with her father was brief, wisps of memories came floating by as she turned back the cherished pages of her golden days spent under the loving care of her father.

“I suppose my earliest memory of my father was him saying to my mother “Serela is too tired to say “paan” to which I would respond “paan!”

It was because of her father that she learned to treat everyone with dignity. “In the short time I had with him he taught me that everyone deserved dignity.”

“Dignity of labour is important,” he used to tell her often. “I didn´t understand exactly what he meant by it at the time, but as the years passed, it is the lesson that has stuck with me the most,” Serela emphasized.

Serela took a stroll down memory lane as she recalled how they used to go to Gangaramaya to engage in religious practices way back in the late eighties and early nineties.

“But we would never go on Poya days because my father would say it was too full and he was afraid he would lose me in the crowd! We would recite a small Gaatha together at home if he was there,” she added.

Her father, a staunch Buddhist, taught her how to bestow Metta (loving-kindness) on all living beings. The way her father used to narrate these lines with her before retiring to bed is still etched in her mind. “Today my son is learning it too.”

Highest award



Serela Athulathmudali 

Not many are aware of the sensitive, personal story that propelled Minister Athulathmudali to introduce the Mahapola concept. Back in the fifties Athulathmudali had completed his MA in law at Oxford and was studying for his BCL when his father died. College expenses being so high, his mother was left with no other option, but to recall him. Lalith, however, was not ready to give up. He presented his case to the then Prime Minister S W R D Bandaranaike who took immediate measures to present a proposal to Parliament and grant him a Scholarship of Rs. 5,000. “Come back and serve your country,” Premier Bandaranaike told him.

Not only did he return to the country to take up politics, but also he introduced the Mahapola concept which continues to benefit many a student keen to accomplish their higher education dreams.

This visionary politician who wholeheartedly wished to see a country filled with intellectuals, however, did not live long to see his own daughter achieve her goals in education. Serela has a faint memory of her father handing over the best Orator Trophy to her at the Trinity College Award ceremony held in the late eighties.

“I don’t really remember much about that day except for being very nervous about having to recite a poem out loud in front of him and my mother, but I do remember that when he handed me the award, the smile on his face was all that I could see,” she recalled.

Photograph

The adorable daughter of Minister Athulathmudali drew everyone’s attention wherever she visited with her parents. The photograph of President Premadasa helping little Serela to read a book that was published in a newspaper in the early nineties, grabbed everyone’s attention for its sheer cuteness.

Asked if she could recall the days she visited the then President Premadasa who was soon to become her father’s main political rival Serela relpes;

“I do, but not because of visiting the President. I was running around after being told not to and bumped into someone who was carrying Kirihodhi, which then landed all over my brand new white dress!”

Work unfinished

Lalith Athulathmudali contributed immensely to bring about favourable changes in the political, economic and social life in the country. After forming the DUNF, the first task was to contest the Provincial Council elections. He was gunned down in Kirulapana while addressing a rally during his campaign to become the Chief Minister of the Western Province. The news sent shockwaves across his home, across the country. He died with his mission unaccomplished, but the highest number of preferences he polled despite his death, bear testimony to his immense popularity. Thousands of mourners thronged his residence and the then government even feared an uprising of his allies.

Though she was barely 11 years at the time of her father’s death, her memories of those grief-struck days remain sharp and clear. The great pain and confusion she experienced when he was brutally murdered still haunts her memory.

“I remember my mother was heartbroken and my uncle Dayantha was angry,” she recalled.

Serela calls her father a great politician in the true sense of the word because he genuinely cared about the people.

Oxford days

Athulathmudali had his primary education at St. John’s College, Panadura, before moving to Royal College, Colombo. Having won the Steward Prize, he entered prestigious Oxford University to pursue his higher studies in 1955 and made his motherland proud by being the first Sri Lankan to be elected as the President of the Oxford Union in 1958. He obtained B.A. (Jurisprudence) from Oxford and enrolled as a Barrister of Gray’s Inn. He did his LLM at the University of Harvard. This illustrious scholar also served as a law lecturer at the University of Singapore, Hebrew University in Israel, University of Edinburgh in UK and Ceylon Law College. In 1985 he was appointed a President’s Counsel.

Serela cannot remember her father ever talking to her about his school days or Oxford days.

“But still I hear about his school days from his brother or sister, but I don’t remember him ever telling me about them. I do remember finding an old report card of his which had an F for music with the phrase “good for words, singing no tune” written next to it!’’

At the time of his death, Serela had not seen him for nearly two weeks as he was too busy with the impeachment.

“The last time I remember seeing Thaththi during this period was when he was attacked by someone wielding a bat I believe and he had hurt his ankle. He laughed and said “I was trying to see if I could still jump a hurdle” and my Amma who was bandaging his leg looked up and said “he’s forgetting how old he is” to which he responded with a laugh.”

Mother's decision

Her mother Srimani Athulathmudali who later led the DUNF founded by her husband was elected to Parliament in 1994.

However Serela never encouraged her mother’s decision of taking up politics. She said she did not ever wish to see her mother following in her father’s footsteps. But Srimani was determined to carry on her late husband’s legacy.

Serela added that her son is very proud of being Sri Lankan even though his father is Brazilian.

“He wants to come back home. He knows that his grandfather was a politician and that he was assassinated. He always asks if they have caught the assassin yet to which I have to tell him no!”, she finally noted with a tinge of nostalgia and regret. 


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