The Little Man Who Did Great Things – R. Premadasa

The scale of the socio-economic-political transformation carried out by Ranasinghe Premadasa

R. Premadasa is more valuable for tomorrow than for yesterday or today

The social cruelty revealed when firecrackers were lit at the death of a national leader

How society became cruel to Ranasinghe Premadasa, who stood against social cruelty

This special article is published to mark the commemoration of the late President Ranasinghe Premadasa on May 1, 2026.

Late President Ranasinghe Premadasa was a rare people’s leader who possessed a unique vision and worked with unwavering courage to build the nation and its social system according to that vision. His unexpected death marked the beginning of an unfortunate era in our country and the rise of a corrupt political system.

Coming from among the common people and beginning his journey through social service, Premadasa deeply understood the voice, emotions, and suffering of the masses. From his youth, he was troubled by a profound issue: the suffering of ordinary people caused by an unequal social system. This led him to critically examine the structure of social inequality.

How did society become unequal? How can inequality be eliminated? What methods should be followed? Where should change begin? How beautiful would an equal society be? Through such reflections, he gained a clear understanding of society and chose his path—social service. Beginning humbly at the Colombo Municipal Council and ending as a humble President, he remained the only leader who signed letters as, “Your humble servant – R. Premadasa.”

He believed that to transform society, individuals must first change. Thoughts must be good, behavior must be ethical, religion should guide life, culture must be preserved, and respect must be shown to teachers, elders, and clergy. Literature and art should be part of life. Income must be earned through honest means, with courage and self-reliance. People should avoid dependency, treat others equally, respect rights, maintain clean and orderly homes and environments, dress neatly, and avoid dishonesty and corruption.

Premadasa firmly believed that by developing such personal virtues, society itself could be transformed into a beautiful nation. To achieve this, he first shaped his own character as an example. This is why he once pleaded, “You may kill me, but do not destroy the character I built from my youth.”

To build a moral society, he launched the Sucharitha Movement, promoting ethical values. He extended this philosophy into politics. Premadasa expressed his social vision through poetry, writing about the nation, religion, and people. He composed patriotic songs, novels addressing social issues, and even film scripts. He associated with artists, supported them, and recognized the talents of the marginalized, giving them opportunities. He saw both rich and poor as one human community and worked to heal a society divided by class mentality.

Songs such as “A new sun of thought rises in the eastern sky,” “You built the great stupas and reservoirs, my son,” and “Effort is like sugarcane—the sweetness is felt after chewing” reflected his sincere inner aspirations.

Understanding that outdated systems and attitudes created inequality, he sought practical solutions—not borrowed from international theories, but born from his own simple ideas. He had a unique ability to create social transformation and identify capable individuals to implement his vision.

To address the housing shortage, he launched the Gam Udawa (Village Reawakening) program, introduced housing loan schemes, and established the Sevana Lottery and the Housing Development Bank. Thatched huts rapidly transformed into decent homes. This also boosted local industries and construction technology. The United Nations recognized his housing program as one of the best in the world.

He also used this initiative to promote regional development. Despite experts claiming it could not be forced, Premadasa pursued it with determination. By improving infrastructure, establishing factories and government offices, he created thousands of jobs and generated new income streams, leading to sustainable regional growth. Areas like Dambulla, Kekirawa, Mihintale, and Mahiyanganaya gradually developed into towns.

Recognizing that people suffered due to centralized administration, he introduced the Divisional Secretariat system, bringing government services closer to the people. He also established the Pradeshiya Sabha system, decentralizing political power, and planned grassroots councils to solve local issues efficiently.

Efficiency and productivity were central to his governance philosophy. He believed efficient work would prevent delays and improve public satisfaction, while productivity would maximize benefits from government projects. He directly intervened to eliminate corruption, inefficiency, and injustice in public service, maintaining high administrative standards. Through mobile presidential services, he addressed public grievances directly.

Premadasa worked tirelessly to eliminate poverty and inequality. He removed barriers created by education, caste, ethnicity, and birth, striving to build an equal society. He provided teaching appointments to educated youth from poor families, introduced merit-based recruitment systems, and encouraged entrepreneurship among rural communities.

Through the Janasaviya program, he went beyond welfare, focusing on empowering people economically and mentally to bridge inequality sustainably.

For Premadasa, the poor man’s hut was more meaningful than the palace. He personally visited the poor, sharing their struggles. His humility helped break social arrogance and promote equality. He lived a simple life, free from corruption and opportunism. Honest, courageous, and people-oriented, he stood firmly with the common man—earning both admiration and many political enemies.

Despite conspiracies against him, his sole mission remained: to build a just and equal society. He worked tirelessly toward this goal and succeeded in creating a significant social transformation.

However, after his death, only the physical aspects of his transformation remained; the moral and spiritual essence faded. His dream of creating a compassionate society was not realized. He opposed social cruelty, yet society treated him cruelly—most visibly when firecrackers were lit upon news of his death.

Today, we live not in the humane society he envisioned, but in a corrupt one shaped by opportunists. Society only realized his true value after his passing. Leaders like Ranasinghe Premadasa are rare. He is more valuable today than yesterday—and even more so for tomorrow.