http://rgsenanayake.com/
R. G. Senanayake
The people of Sri Lanka commemorate tomorrow (22.12.2004) the loss of
one of the great sons of the nation R.G. Senanayake who was born with all
the advantages of effluences and distinguished descent.
The eldest son of patriot and philanthropist F.R. Senanayake, the
cousin of Dudley Senanayake and Sir John Kotelawela, Richard Gotabhaya
Senanayake served the nation as a member of Parliament, a Parliamentary
Secretary and a Cabinet Minister for little over quarter of a century.
Born on November 04, 1911 had his primary education at Royal College
and the higher education at Downing College of University of Cambridge,
England. He obtained the degree of bachelor of arts and Barrister of Law
degree from the Lincolns Inn and returned at the age of 25. He joined that
illustrious gentry in Hulftsdorp and showed his prowess as an advocate in
land matters.
He abandoned his law career in the year 1943 when he was chosen to
contest the Naranwala constituency in the State Council vacated by the
sudden death of his brother-in-law Siripala Samarakkodi. It was a success
and he turned to full time politics.
In the following general election held in 1947, he successfully
contested the Dambadeniya constituency and was appointed Parliamentary
Secretary (now Deputy Minister) to the Ministry of Defence and External
Affairs with D.S. Senanayake as the relevant Minister as well as the Prime
Minister.
When Dudley Senanayake took over the office of the Prime Minister in
1952 immediately after the demise of his father D.S. Senanayake, R.G.
Senanayake was accorded the Ministry of Trade and Commerce. In this tenure
he laid the foundation for Ceylonisation of the trade. He toiled hard to
achieve that end. The China - Ceylon - rice - rubber pact and the
tripatriate Trade agreement involving Sri Lanka, Egypt and Japan, both
agreements being first of its kind were his two greatest achievements in
his tenure as the Minister of Trade and Commerce.
The Trade agreement signed in the year 1952 was for five years and
renewable; there was however, an annual Trade Protocol specifying the
quantities of commodities to be exchanged in the ensuing year, which had
to be barter-exports and imports every year; only the outstanding balance
at the end-of-the-year was to be settled in foreign exchange.
R.G. Senanayake paid an important tribute to China after negotiating
the Trade agreement when he concluded his Cabinet paper on the subject in
the following words.
"When noted on the Chinese side the absence of the spirit of
bargaining and haggling on comparatively small points. On the other hand
they gave us the impression of being large-minded and forthright in their
dealings."
All these led to pave the way to lay the foundation of friendship
between Sri Lanka and China.
When he was continuing the holding of the same ministry under the
premiership of Sir John Kotelawela, since Dudley Senanayake giving up of
the post, opposed the decision to join the American inspired South East
Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO), espoused the policy of non-aligned and
forced Sir John Kotelawela to abandon the idea. Further opposed the
granting of citizenship to foreigners.
He suggested that it should be given only to those who get accustomed
to the language and the social life of the area they lived. After all, he
left the Kotelawela government as well as the United National Party on
July 10, 1954 over differences of opinion on these issues.
At the general election held in 1956, he contested successfully as an
independent candidate for the two constituencies Kelaniya and Dambadeniya
and joined the Bandaranaike Government as its Minister of Trade and
Commerce. He is having the distinction of holding the record of
representing simultaneously two constituencies in Parliament. However, the
Attorney-General ruled that R. G. Senanayake was entitled to only one vote
and one allowance.
He contested successfully the Dambadeniya constituency in the two
general elections held in 1960. He returned to Parliament at the general
election held in 1965 as an independent candidate from Dambadeniya
constituency.
In good faith of safeguarding the rights of Sinhala people and their
economic emancipation he formed his own political party 'The Sinhala
Mahajana Pakshaya' in 1968.
He was civil and polite to all his critics. He successfully contested
both the constituencies Dambadeniya and Trincomalee at the general
election held in 1970. He breathed his last on December 22, 1970.
- Walter Wijenayaka
