Sri Lanka's 'Gandhi', Ariyaratne, has died

A former teacher, he founded the Sarvodaya Shramadana movement in 1958, holding firm to the link between the secular principle of development and the Buddhist ideals of altruism and compassion, together with a firm option for non-violence. Among the many honours he received in his long life were the Magsaysay Award in 1969 and the Niwano Peace Prize in 1992.

Colombo (AsiaNews) - Sri Lanka mourns the death of Ahangamage Tudor Ariyaratne, founder of the Sarvodaya Shramadana movement and often compared to the figure of Gandhi, for his Buddhist path to social promotion through non-violence. Ariyaratne passed away on Tuesday 16 April at the age of 92.

A former high school teacher at Nalanda College in Colombo, in 1958 he led the first Shramadana labor camp with about forty of his students in a marginalized village; an initiative that would later lead to the birth of the largest non-governmental organization in the country.

Since that very first experience, Dr. Ariyaratne had guided the young people and their teacher colleagues in the idea of sharing work, thoughts and energy with the villagers. He defined the Sarvodaya Shramadana movement as an implementation of the Buddha's teachings for sustainable development and peace, for the advancement of the spiritual, moral, cultural, social, economic and political life of the community.

“For over sixty years, Sarvodaya has continued his service and Dr. Ariyaratne received many national and international awards in recognition of his commitment to the nation and his people,” recalled one of his six children, Vinya Ariyaratne. Among the many - in addition to the Sri Lankabhimanya prize, the highest national honor awarded to him in 2007 - it is worth mentioning the Ramon Magsaysay prize (the so-called "Asian Nobel" awarded to him in the Philippines) in 1969, the King Baudouin Prize for Development International (Belgium) in 1982, the Niwano Peace Prize (Japan) in 1992 and the Mahatma Gandhi Peace Prize (India) 1996 for his contribution to human welfare and peace.

Among the honorary degrees he received were the Doctor of Letters from Sri Jayewardenepura University and the Doctor of Humanities from the Amelio Aguinaldo College of Medicine in the Philippines.

A staunch supporter of the Gandhian principles of non-violence, rural development and self-sacrifice, Dr Ariyaratne shaped the Sarvodaya Shramadana movement by maintaining a strong link between the secular principle of development and the Buddhist ideals of altruism and compassion.

As a devout Buddhist, he has led tens of thousands of "family gatherings" and meditations with millions of people throughout Sri Lanka and other parts of the world.