Hector Senarath Rajakaruna Bandara Kobbekaduwa (29 August 1916 – 17 September 1983) was a Sri Lankan politician and lawyer. He was the Sri Lanka Freedom Party candidate in the 1982 Sri Lankan presidential election and the Minister for Agriculture and Lands from 1970 to 1977.[1] He is remembered for nationalizing privately owned land and restricting the ownership of private land to 20 hectares for the purpose of giving land to landless peasants. He created collectively owned settlement programs called Janawasas in some of the land that was acquired.[2][3][4][1] He contested the 1982 presidential election and lost. The campaign of the SLFP led by him advocated for restoring previous Sri Lanka Freedom Party policies. His opponents ran an effective campaign criticising the closed economy & socialist policies of his Sri Lanka Freedom Party – led regime from 1970 to 1977, they blamed the SLFP policies for creating scarcities of essential goods and unemployment.[5][6] Although the SLFP led by him lost the 1982 Sri Lankan presidential election, he managed to gain a significant number of votes in Tamil speaking areas like Point Pedro defeating Tamil nationalist parties.[2]
Born to a prominent family from Yatinuwara, his father was Dr Tikiri Banda Kobbekaduwa, the first British qualified physician from Kandy and his mother was Sangamitta Dullewe Kumarihamy from Matale. Educated at Trinity College, Kandy, he studied Law at the Ceylon Law College, taking oaths as an Advocate in 1942. He started his legal practice in Kandy.[2]
In the 1970 general elections, he was elected as a member of parliament from the Yatinuwara electorate, and was appointed Minister for Agriculture and Lands by Sirimavo Bandaranaike. During his tenure he introduced the Land Reforms Act which nationalized private land and limited private holdings to 50 acres. From the nationalized lands he initiated the Janawasas scheme which gave land to the landless. He initiated the Agrarian Research and Training Centre (ARTI) in 1972 as well as the Land Reforms Commission and the State Plantations Corporation. He established Agricultural Productivity Centres at the village level.
The Land Reforms Act resulted in a major social change in the country as the old landed gentry lost their primary source of wealth and reduced their political influence. The land reforms of the 1970s under Kobbekaduwa saw the nationalization of large extents of private land and vesting of these in public companies such as State Planation Corporation. Only less than 12% of the land acquired were redistributed to landless peasants. Following the land reforms, the production of the primary economic crops of Tea, Rubber and Coconut dropped following in reduced productivity of the nationalized estates. This effected the national economy which depended on economic crops as a source of foreign exchange. The resulting economic stagnation and import restrictions resulted in the major public discontent that in major defeat of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party in the 1977 Sri Lankan parliamentary election.[8]
His tenure was marked with a major food shortage in the country, which resulted in the defeated of his party 1977 general elections in which he lost his seat in parliament.[9]
Presidential candidate
When presidential elections were called in 1982, the leader of the SLFP Sirimavo Bandaranaike could not contest as she had had her civic rights suspended by parliament in 1980 for seven years. Therefore, the SLFP nominated Kobbekaduwa as its candidate. He gained 39.07% of the votes against the incumbent J. R. Jayewardene who gained 52.91%.[10][11][12][13]
Legacy
The Agrarian Research and Training Centre was renamed as the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute in his memory.[1]
^Samarawickrama, Salr (3 July 2014). "The plans implications of Janawasa settlements in Sri Lanka" – via dl.lib.mrt.ac.lk. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
^"Call to abolish Sri Lanka's land reform law". economynext.com.
^"The 1982 Referendum & July 1983". 7 January 2017.
^"RESULTS OF PARLIAMENTARY GENERAL ELECTION – 19/03/1960" (PDF). elections.gov.lk. Department of Elections. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
^Peiris, G. H. (1978). "Land Reform and Agrarian Change in Sri Lanka". Modern Asian Studies. 12 (4): 611–628. doi:10.1017/S0026749X0000634X. JSTOR 312371. S2CID 144022457. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
^. LankaNewspapers.com. Archived from the original on 10 June 2013. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
^. Manthree.com. Archived from the original on 16 December 2012. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
^"Hector Kobbekaduwa Remembered". Sri Lanka Guardian. 19 September 2008. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
^(PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 March 2013. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
April 25, 2023
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Hector Senarath Rajakaruna Bandara Kobbekaduwa 29 August 1916 17 September 1983 was a Sri Lankan politician and lawyer He was the Sri Lanka Freedom Party candidate in the 1982 Sri Lankan presidential election and the Minister for Agriculture and Lands from 1970 to 1977 1 He is remembered for nationalizing privately owned land and restricting the ownership of private land to 20 hectares for the purpose of giving land to landless peasants He created collectively owned settlement programs called Janawasas in some of the land that was acquired 2 3 4 1 He contested the 1982 presidential election and lost The campaign of the SLFP led by him advocated for restoring previous Sri Lanka Freedom Party policies His opponents ran an effective campaign criticising the closed economy amp socialist policies of his Sri Lanka Freedom Party led regime from 1970 to 1977 they blamed the SLFP policies for creating scarcities of essential goods and unemployment 5 6 Although the SLFP led by him lost the 1982 Sri Lankan presidential election he managed to gain a significant number of votes in Tamil speaking areas like Point Pedro defeating Tamil nationalist parties 2 Hon Hector Kobbekaduwaහ ක ටර ක බ බ කඩ වMinister for Agriculture and LandsIn office 1970 1977Prime MinisterSirimavo BandaranaikePreceded byM D BandaSucceeded byLionel SenanayakeMember of Parliamentfor YatinuwaraIn office 1970 1977Preceded byS S AbeysundaraSucceeded byS S AbeysundaraMajority5 493 1970 Personal detailsBorn 1916 08 19 19 August 1916Died18 September 1983 1983 09 18 aged 67 NationalitySri LankanPolitical partySri Lanka Freedom PartyOccupationPoliticianProfessionAdvocate Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Political career 2 1 Minister for Agriculture and Lands 2 2 Presidential candidate 3 Legacy 4 ReferencesEarly life and education EditBorn to a prominent family from Yatinuwara his father was Dr Tikiri Banda Kobbekaduwa the first British qualified physician from Kandy and his mother was Sangamitta Dullewe Kumarihamy from Matale Educated at Trinity College Kandy he studied Law at the Ceylon Law College taking oaths as an Advocate in 1942 He started his legal practice in Kandy 2 Political career EditEntering politics in 1947 Kobbekaduwa joined the Mahanuwara Samajawadi Peramuna founded by Herbert Sri Nissanka QC and T B Ilangaratne He became a member of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party SLFP when it was formed in 1952 In 1954 he contested the Ampitiya Ward and was elected as a member of the Kandy Municipal Council where he served until 1960 He was appointed by the Mahajana Eksath Party which was led by S W R D Bandaranaike to a fact finding mission to formulate what was to become the Paddy Lands Act Kobbekaduwa contested the March 1960 general election from the Yatinuwara electorate and was defeated by the United National Party candidate S S Abeysundara 7 He did not contest the July 1960 general election and following it he was appointed as Chairman of the Public Service Commission by Sirimavo Bandaranaike Minister for Agriculture and Lands Edit In the 1970 general elections he was elected as a member of parliament from the Yatinuwara electorate and was appointed Minister for Agriculture and Lands by Sirimavo Bandaranaike During his tenure he introduced the Land Reforms Act which nationalized private land and limited private holdings to 50 acres From the nationalized lands he initiated the Janawasas scheme which gave land to the landless He initiated the Agrarian Research and Training Centre ARTI in 1972 as well as the Land Reforms Commission and the State Plantations Corporation He established Agricultural Productivity Centres at the village level The Land Reforms Act resulted in a major social change in the country as the old landed gentry lost their primary source of wealth and reduced their political influence The land reforms of the 1970s under Kobbekaduwa saw the nationalization of large extents of private land and vesting of these in public companies such as State Planation Corporation Only less than 12 of the land acquired were redistributed to landless peasants Following the land reforms the production of the primary economic crops of Tea Rubber and Coconut dropped following in reduced productivity of the nationalized estates This effected the national economy which depended on economic crops as a source of foreign exchange The resulting economic stagnation and import restrictions resulted in the major public discontent that in major defeat of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party in the 1977 Sri Lankan parliamentary election 8 His tenure was marked with a major food shortage in the country which resulted in the defeated of his party 1977 general elections in which he lost his seat in parliament 9 Presidential candidate Edit When presidential elections were called in 1982 the leader of the SLFP Sirimavo Bandaranaike could not contest as she had had her civic rights suspended by parliament in 1980 for seven years Therefore the SLFP nominated Kobbekaduwa as its candidate He gained 39 07 of the votes against the incumbent J R Jayewardene who gained 52 91 10 11 12 13 Legacy EditThe Agrarian Research and Training Centre was renamed as the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute in his memory 1 References Edit a b c Hector Kobbekaduwa remembered Sri Lanka Guardian a b c Champion of peasant rights Daily News Sri Lanka Samarawickrama Salr 3 July 2014 The plans implications of Janawasa settlements in Sri Lanka via dl lib mrt ac lk a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a Cite journal requires journal help Call to abolish Sri Lanka s land reform law economynext com ELECfiONS AND CONFLICf IN THE STATE 1982 1987 The 1982 Referendum amp July 1983 7 January 2017 RESULTS OF PARLIAMENTARY GENERAL ELECTION 19 03 1960 PDF elections gov lk Department of Elections Retrieved 1 February 2022 Peiris G H 1978 Land Reform and Agrarian Change in Sri Lanka Modern Asian Studies 12 4 611 628 doi 10 1017 S0026749X0000634X JSTOR 312371 S2CID 144022457 Retrieved 3 June 2021 Hector Kobbekaduwa remembered 1982 Sri Lanka Presidential Election Results LankaNewspapers com Archived from the original on 10 June 2013 Retrieved 2 March 2013 1982 Presidential Election Manthree com Archived from the original on 16 December 2012 Retrieved 2 March 2013 Hector Kobbekaduwa Remembered Sri Lanka Guardian 19 September 2008 Retrieved 2 March 2013 Result of Presidential Election 1982 PDF Department of Elections Sri Lanka Archived from the original PDF on 28 March 2013 Retrieved 2 March 2013 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Hector Kobbekaduwa amp oldid 1149530725, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
