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For him, alleviating poverty was more than just another aspect of development. It was the passion that drove his politics, and he sought power, primarily as a launching pad for his onslaught on poverty. Having savoured poverty at first hand, amidst the squalor and degradation of Colombo’s slums, he dedicated his whole life to its alleviation. For him, to be poor meant more than merely to be deprived of life’s wherewithal, but also to be ignored, humiliated and marginalized, by the rich and the powerful. As he clawed his way over the country’s political rock-face, Colombo’s high caste grandees, and the rich and the powerful, placed every conceivable obstacle across his progress. |
