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Devout Catholic, rebel and revolutionary

by Basil de Silva

He was a noble teacher affectionately called "Santhi Gurunnanse". This was a household name in Negombo. Some who disliked him called him "Santhi Gura". Everyone in the proletariat movement called him "Comrade Asaf", and acronym coined by his initials. An enthusiastic member of "Hela Havula" he preferred to call himself "Wa.Sa. Prananda."

He was none other than Warnakulasuriya Santiago Fernando, the devout Catholic, proletarian revolutionary, veteran politician, writer journalist and patriot, who passed away peacefully on November 2, 1991 - "All Souls Day" - when the Catholic world prays for the dead. The president of the MEP from 1975 to 1990, he had gracefully retired from active politics at the time of his death.

Santiago Fernando

Santiago Fernando was born in a cadjan hut on January 19, 1904 at Kudapaduwa, a fishing hamlet in Negombo. He had his primary education at St. Sebastian's Girls' School, Sea Street - Negombo and secondary education at St. Anthony's Boys' School, Dalupotha - Negombo.

At that time there were two outstanding students at St. Anthony's Dalupotha. One was Thomas Benjamin Cooray, who later entered the Seminary, was ordained a priest, obtained his Ph D, became the Archbishop of Colombo and ended up as the first Cardinal in Sri Lanka.

The other Santiago Fernando entered Catholic Teachers' Training College, Maggona and became a Sinhala teacher, the highest achievement that could be aspired to at that time by a Catholic laymen of his class. Soon Santiago Fernando became a rebel and revolutionary in the Catholic Church. At one time he was branded as an agent of Satan. However, he made his mark as a doughty and indomitable fighter for the oppressed and the underprivileged.

Santiago Fernando showed his mettle as a teacher trainee when in 1925 over the controversy involving Henry Ward and the Legislative Council, he wrote to the press that British should quit Sri Lanka. Considering the might of the British Empire many at that time would have taken it as a joke.

While being a teacher in an assisted Catholic school, in 1928 he dared to write an article to "Dinamina" calling for all assisted schools to be vested in the State.

A language enthusiast and good writer, he soon came under the influence of Munidasa Kumaratunga. In an editorial in "Lakmini Pahana", Munidasa Kumaratunga called Santiago a fearless and upright teacher.

Following the path of Hela Havula, Fernando agitated that divine Catholic services should be conducted in Sinhala and not in Latin. "Is it because God understands only Latin, that Catholic Church did not conduct its rituals in national languages?" Santiago asked.

It did not take long for Santiago Fernando to realise that all the poor people in Sri Lanka were living in abject poverty and degradation. He entered the political arena, because he had an abiding interest and love for the poor and the downtrodden.

On December 18, 1935 the Lanka Samasamaja Party was formed as the common man's party with an anti-imperialist outlook aimed at the emancipation of workers and peasants. Santiago Fernando became a member of the LSSP in 1936 and was the first Catholic to do so.

Santiago Fernando played an active role in the LSSP during its underground days. When the party was proscribed during the World War II (1939-45), several party meetings were held in Negombo as the Police could never suspect Marxist activity in this Catholic stronghold. They were organised by Santiago Fernando and Dr. Hector Fernando. Santiago Fernando functioned as the Secretary of these secret conference.

During the war days Santiago Fernando produced LSSP literature hiding in a house at Dehiowita. In Hatton he distributed a bundle of anti-imperialist literature and the police were on his trail. In the train he crossed over to the next compartment and pretended to help the police to find the culprits and escaped.

When the Governor Sir Andrew Caldicott paid an official visit to Negombo, Santiago Fernando got the walls in Negombo plastered with hammer and sickle symbol and anti-imperialist slogans.

Once when Ministers of the State Council received seven bundles of grass by train as a Christmas gift from Negombo, it was Santiago Fernando who was behind it. Once Santiago Fernando organised a strike of the minor employees in the Negombo U.C. mindful of the fact that he could have been sentenced to seven years rigorous imprisonment under emergency war regulations. At a later inquiry those labourers stated that it was their belly that prompted them to strike and saved his skin.

A trade unionist he helped this writer to organise the minor employees of the Kotte Urban Council into a union.

Santiago Fernando quoted the Bible and showed that Christ was for the emancipation of the downtrodden when he said - "Come unto me all you who labour and are heavily burdened and I will give you rest." In view of Christ's contention that "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into heaven", he wanted to know why the Catholic Church took the side of Landlords and industrialists and conferred Papal honours on them.

The political views and rational thinking of Santiago Fernando was not to the liking of the Catholic Church, which made things difficult for him. To curb his political activities, he was transferred to a school in Mawalgama, Waga. Though he was a teacher 60 miles away the poor Catholics in Kudapaduwa ward elected him to the then Negombo Urban Council.

Santiago Fernando excelled as a city farther. The erection of the Negombo Bus Stand in the centre of the town, free school books, a free mid-day meal in schools, aid for the Ayurvedic dispensary, construction of houses to be given out at a low rent, implementation of Rent Restriction Act, elimination of bribery and corruption were some of the measures Santiago Fernando put into effect through the Negombo U.C.

He openly clashed with the Catholic Church when it opposed the Free Education Scheme. He accompanied Dr. C. W. W. Kannangara, the 'Father of Free Education' and addressed meetings all over the country against the stand of the Church. In 1945, the free education scheme was implemented resulting in a social revolution. The same year Santiago Fernando was dismissed from his position of teacher in Catholic schools and was thrown into the streets.

But Santiago's morale did not wane and he carried on his struggle with renewed zeal. In the 1947 Parliamentary elections, he contested the Negombo seat known as "Little Rome" as the LSSP candidate. Despite all his clashes with the Church, many poor Catholics rallied round him and he lost the seat by a narrow margin of 956 votes.

In 1949 when China became a Communist country, the Catholic Church passed many strictures against Marxists.

It forbade Catholics from joining or supporting Marxist parties. Marxists were denied Church recognition, sacraments and burials. Santiago Fernando at that time was at the height of his popularity among the poor Catholics.

Majority of his followers now wanted him to leave the LSSP as they no longer could support him. But Santiago Fernando never succumbed to political expediency or gain. He stood by LSSP and its ideology.

Now Santiago Fernando found that he was an outcast in his own country. the campaign of the LSSP in some Catholic areas was sabotaged and meetings stoned. Some Catholics slammed their doors at the sight of Santiago. But Santiago Fernando was not shaken and he dauntlessly upheld the cause of the proletariat.

In 1950, Santiago Fernando joined the breakaway group of the LSSP led by Philip Gunawardena, and helped him to form the Viplavakari Lanka Samasamaja Party (VLSSP). There had been six splits in the LSSP and in all these splits Santiago Fernando followed Philip Gunawardena, who steered it along the anti-imperialist nationalist path of the people.

At the annual sessions of the VLSSP Youth Conference held on January 16,1955 the resolution moved by Santiago Fernando that Sinhala should replace English as the official language and Tamil should be the regional language of Northern and Eastern Provinces was adopted.

In 1956, Santiago Fernando accompanied Philip Gunawardena on behalf of the VLSSP, during all its discussions with the SLFP and the Basha Peramuna to form the MEP. If the VLSSP stand of giving regional status to Tamil was implemented after 1956, the ethnic conflict would not have been a problem of such magnitude.

Santiago Fernando knew that the commitment of the VLSSP and the MEP to implement the Buddhist Commission Report, the alliance of the MEP in 1960 with the Dharma Samaja Party led by L. H. Meththananda, the main plank of which was to fight Catholic action and bring about a Buddhist resurgence would alienate more Catholic support for him in Negombo. But Santiago Fernando never sacrificed the truth and principles for power. He was true to himself.

However much the Catholic Church victimised and trampled Santiago Fernando, he never gave up his faith. As a laymen Santiago Fernando played a leading role in indigenising the Catholic Church. He succeeded in convincing Catholics that they too should celebrate Sinhala and Tamil New Year.

He led the Catholics to appreciate indigenous customs and conducted the marriages of his children with Magul Bera, Jayamangala Gathas and the Poruwa.

There were many Catholics, common people and others who were inspired by the struggles led by Santiago Fernando and followed him. However most of them crossed over to other parties in accordance with the direction in which the wind blew. Some of them became MPs and even Ministers. Santiago Fernando fought for a cause and not for his personal glory.

Santiago Fernando lived long till the ripe old age of 88 and was able to see the fruits of the sacrifices he made and the struggles in which he participated. He saw his children, loved ones and other ordinary people attaining high positions in life as a result of the causes he espoused. He died a happy and contended man.

In 1987, Rt. Rev. Dr. Nicholas Marcus Fernando, Archbishop of Colombo conferred "Kithu Nandana Pranamaya" on Santiago Fernando in appreciation of services he had rendered over half a century as a Catholic writer towards the resurgence of national culture and its development, establishing his identity in the field of politics and social development.

How could the Catholic Church which once expelled Santiago from Catholic schools later honour him? The determinations of the Vatican Council II (1962-65) and later events proved Santiago Fernando was far ahead of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. There lies the greatness of Warnakulasuriya Santiago Fernando.

Santiago Fernando was a great Catholic personality in Sri Lanka, who should be remembered. He is the first Catholic from Negombo to be honoured with the "Kithu Nandana Pranamaya". An anti-imperialist fighter, champion of the underprivileged, honest politician, nationalist and patriot he deserves a fitting memorial in Negombo.

When the history of Sri Lanka comes to be written, the contribution made to the nation by simple people like Santiago Fernando should not be forgotten.

(The late Basil de Silva was the secretary of VLSSP, 1951-53)

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