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He leads a fruitful life far from the madding politics
View(s):Many politicians rarely fade into the background; once in the fray, they tend to remain in the public sphere for as long as possible.
However, one former politician who lost his seat in the last parliamentary election has turned his attention far from the world of politics. He is now pursuing one of his greatest passions: managing his property in Ruwanwella.
After nearly two decades in politics, former state minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya now spends most of his time tending his 15-acre fruit orchard.
He says he has 500 varieties of fruit trees, some rare, in his property.
How does your garden grow: A map indicating the layout of the orchard
“I have loved trees since I was in school,” he says adding that initially the property was maintained by his grandparents.
“There is a honeysuckle tree right in front of the house. It’s very old. My grandmother bought it from a plant exhibition in Colombo and planted it. It’s still standing today,” he said.
This orchard is divided into four sections with different types of fruit trees, identified by their common names, scientific names and ayurveda names.
“I have four workers, one for each section. The property is managed overall by these four employees. They are the ones who take care of all the fruit trees and there are others to assist them. There are 12 permanent employees on the estate. We also have others on days they are needed,” he said.
Ranjith Siyambalapitiya: A growing passion for trees from schoolgoing days
Tea, coconut, rubber and cinnamon are also cultivated as cash crops. He said that the income generated from these provides enough funds to maintain the fruit orchard.
“Since childhood, I had the habit of working in the garden and planting. No matter how busy I was when I was a minister I spent at least an hour daily working in the garden. As far as I can remember, I was only away from home one day. No matter how busy I was, I still came home from Colombo to Ruwanwella late at night, even during parliamentary sessions,” he said.
Mr.Siyambalapitiya said since he has more free time now, he spends about two hours a day working in the orchard. “I don’t go to the gym to exercise like other people. I walk around this property regularly,” he said laughing.
It is indeed a fruitful life for a politician taking a hiatus.
Pix and text by Ravindra Welagedara
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