Lakshman Kadirgamar, a statesman par excellence

Former Foreign Affairs Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar’s fourth death anniversary falls today.He was assassinated by the LTTE at his Buller’s Lane residence on August 12 in 2005.
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By Stanley S. Abeynayake

(August 12, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Lakshman Kadirgamar was an exemplary, brilliant national leader who was respected by all communities in our country. He was gunned down four years ago on August 12 night, 2005 by the terrorist LTTE that considered him a political foe because he advocated a peaceful transformation of the Tamil community in accordance with democracy.

A very successful lawyer, patriotic, intelligent, respected, flamboyant but kind Member of Parliament and above all, he was the best and result oriented foreign minister that Sri Lanka has had since independence. The whole country is indebted to him and our grateful nation must remember him with gratitude as he was mainly responsible for building the country’s image abroad which was badly tarnished by the time he first assumed office.

His ancestors hailed from a well to do, educated Tamil family from Manipay, Jaffna in the Northern Province.” His father was also a well-known civil lawyer, Sam J.C. Kadirgamar, although they belonged to the anglicised christian religion and very well conversant in English, yet they never lost their roots in the Jaffna peninsula. Lakshman Kadirgamar was educated at Trinity College, Kandy from 1942 - 1950 and the Faculty of Law, University of Ceylon and graduated in law with the LL.B. degree.

After passing the advocates’ finals from the Law College, he was duly admitted and enrolled as an advocate of the Supreme Court. Subsequently, be proceeded to join Baliol College, University of Oxford, Great Britain and read for the Post-Graduate Degree of B. Litt in law. He was also elected the President of the Oxford Union.

Later he was called to the Bar from the Inner Temple (Law College) London. On his return to the Motherland, he made an indelible mark as an expert lawyer in intellectual property law, Industrial Law and Company Law. He was, the President of that Intellectual Property Organization 1976-1988. At Trinity his Alma-mater he was an all-round sportsman and an outstanding student - a healthy mind in a healthy body.

He captained Trinity College cricket team in 1950 and he won his colours in 1949. As an athlete he won the 120 yards hurdle event at the public schools meet in 1949 with a record time of 15.7 seconds. In 1950, he was awarded the Athletic Lion. He was also the winner of the Duncan White and De Soysa challenge shields at the Public school meet during this period. He represented Trinity in rugby, football winning colours in 1949.

As an outstanding student he won the minds coveted and sew hell prize for Ceylon History and the Napier Clavering prize for English in 1948. In the same year he was also awarded the prestigious Ryde Gold medal for the most outstanding allround student at Trinity.

Being the President of the Old Boys’ Association for a number of years, he was undisputedly adjudged the most distinguished old boy of Trinity.

Joining the SLFP shortly before the General Elections of 1994 he was nominated to the Parliament - as a list MP and was made the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Since then he has been the most polished speaker in Parliament and the most articulate advocate of Sri Lanka’s interests in global fora. As the Foreign Affairs Minister he was privileged to address the United Nations Assembly in New York, November 13, 2001. In the USSR he met the Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov in Moscow, January 25, 2001.

When he met Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, an admirable, trusted friend of Sri Lanka on November 31, 2004, he was able to convince about the dangers of terrorism in our country.

That would definitely affect the national security of India if not nipped in the bud.

His life - April 1932 (August 2005 spanning 73 years was highly fruitful and his career both as lawyer, statesman illustrious. Containing his intellectual vigour, political courage and personal integrity of the highest calibre, he always endeavoured to stamp out terrorism from our shores and instal a machinery of the Government devoted to democracy, justice and fair play to all citizens alike irrespective of race, creed, class or caste.

During the years tenure of his leadership of foreign policy, the nation achieved incomparable success in its international relations which culminated in the LTTE being proscribed in many foreign countries notably the USA, Canada and India. Indeed he was a hero of our times.

He waged a relentless struggle against terrorism in all forums despite continuous threats to his life. Let us remind ourselves that assassination did not destroy Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Rajiv Gandhi, nearer home S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, Lalith Athulathmudali, Gamini Dissanayake as the ideals for which they sacrificed their lives continue to live and nourish their countries - paradoxically strengthened by the fact of their assassinations.

The same is true of our hero Lakshman Kadirgamar. World leaders from most of the democratic and socialist countries who condemned that wicked criminal conspiracy to murder and cold-blooded assassination is legion.

They expressed their condolences to the Sri Lankan Government and his wife Suganthi Kadirgamar and their only daughter. Lakshman Kadirgamar was a Sri Lankan humanist deeply respected statesman par excellence highly dedicated to peace and unity of all races. May he rest in peace.

-Sri Lanka Guardian