• To blend Marxism with a genuine love for SL

Today, as Sri Lanka navigates complex political and economic crossroads, the life of Philip Gunawardena offers both inspiration and a challenge to the third generation of Marxists who cannot cope up with the national requirement of blending Marxism with nationalism with a genuine love for the motherland. 

Gunawardena’s was a politics of courage, conviction, and connection to the common man, qualities that remain as vital today as they were in his time.

In an era when radical socialist parties are faced with an identity crisis and due to the inability to cope with imperatives of global systems, they are highly perturbed by the non-acceptance of their policies by the vast majority of the people, though they are popular with the youth segment of society. They can learn a lesson from left-wing nationalism or leftist nationalism adopted by Gunawardena.

Gunawardena, though committed to Marxist socialism, had the courage to cooperate with the centrists as well as rightists for the sake of the common man and the nation.

In remembering Gunawardena, we do not merely mourn a leader; we celebrate a legacy. A legacy that calls upon us to think boldly, act justly, and serve the nation with unwavering commitment.

Sri Lanka bids eternal tribute to one of its most formidable sons, Gunawardena, whose 54th death anniversary falls today (26). He was a leader who defied easy labels and reshaped Sri Lanka’s political imagination. Known reverently as the “Lion of Boralugoda”, Gunawardena was not merely a politician; he was a movement, a force that fused the fire of Marxism with the soul of nationalism.

Gunawardena’s greatest legacy lies in his ideological synthesis. At a time when Marxism often dismissed nationalism, and nationalism feared socialism, he built a bridge between the two. He envisioned a Sri Lanka that was both socially just and fiercely independent — a nation that could stand tall without surrendering its identity or its sovereignty.

Today, it may be a normal pattern to see Marxist-Leninist or Che Guevara followers to blend their policies to get the majority support in a country dedicated to democratic ideals. But, Gunawardena had the courage to blend the Marxist values of social equality with the nationalist ethos.

Born in an era of colonial subjugation, Gunawardena’s political awakening came early. His intellectual journey took him across continents, exposing him to revolutionary thought and anti-imperialist struggles. Yet, unlike many of his contemporaries, he did not become a prisoner of ideology. Instead, he returned home determined to adapt Marxist principles to Sri Lanka’s unique social, cultural, and economic realities.

As a founder of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party, he stood at the forefront of leftist politics, challenging both colonial rule and post-Independence inequities. His politics were not abstract — they were rooted in the lives of peasants, workers, and the rural poor. Whether championing land reform, cooperative movements, or economic self-reliance, Gunawardena’s vision was always people-centric.

In Parliament, he was a thunderous orator, unafraid to confront power with truth. Outside it, he was a mobiliser of the masses, inspiring generations to believe in dignity, equity, and national pride. His tenure as the Agriculture and Food Minister under Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike saw bold initiatives that sought to empower local producers and reduce dependence on foreign imports — long before such ideas became fashionable.

He was not without controversy, nor was he ever one to seek comfort in consensus. History rarely remembers the cautious. It remembers those who dared — and Gunawardena dared greatly.