Lalith Athulathmudali – Birthday Remembrance

He left an unfinished mission, a vision unfulfilled

Born on November 26, 1936, felled by an assassin’s bullet on April 23, 1993, Lalith Athulathmudali would have been 72 years of age had he been alive today.

Lalith had a vision for Sri Lanka, a dream that was shattered by a bullet but the essence of that vision did not die because it lay enshrined in the hearts of the people he loved and who loved him.

During his lifetime, Lalith consistently strived to formulate policies and ideas for the good of his country.  He did not rely on his own thinking but always sought the opinion of friends, intellectuals and professionals from varied spheres, searching for ideas that could be best incorporated into policy planning.

Lalith was conscious of the fact that people wanted not only a full life but a fulfilled life.  His broad ambition was to bind the masses of this country into an integrated commonwealth, enjoying all its benefits and opportunities.

Lalith’s enduring mission was for a country where every individual is guaranteed his/her fundamental freedom and basic human rights, for tolerance and understanding, for the judicious use of human and natural resources and the preservation of a fertile and prosperous country for posterity.

It is indeed a tragedy of our times that Lalith Athulathmudali’s assassination still remains in the realm of unsolved crime with many questions answered.  Lalith’s commitment was clear.  It was to progress which would enrich the quality of our lives in a society that is free.  Where the choices are democratic in their essence and in all manifestation; where the rich need not fear the economic advance of the poor.  Where the people need not fear politicians. Where youth can take pride in looking into the future.  Where the future holds a promise other than fear or want.

The man who symbolized this and gave leadership to this struggle was assassinated for what he believed in and today:
The aftermath is resonant
Minds search the depth
Of timeless pain
While thoughts cross barren sterility
Where tears have flown
We came to you for life, LALITH
And you left us in death
The textured compositions of your mind
Unravelled a thousand facets
Shrouded in subconscious realms
The impregnations of hope
You nurtured in our souls
Now lie pained in reverie
Entombed in vacuity
Adrift on the sands of life
With hopes torn asunder
Spanning thought, rekindling flames
On the sunset boulevard of dreams
LALITH
We carve your indelible name

KAY