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Independence in
fetters and our
paradoxical history
by Miran Perera
In the national calendar of every year
the 4th of February has been declared as the day of national
independence in our country, considering its historic
significance. The history of national independence in this country
is a very long one.
It dates back to the tune of very ancient kings. Our national
history is replete with wars signifying national freedom. Today we
commemorate the 56th year of independence. Yet next year in 2005
we recall 500 years since the Portuguese administered the maritime
settlements in which their reign in our island lasted 153 years.
(1505-1658).
 After
capitulation of the Kandyan Kingdom the British ruled the whole
country until Sri Lanka gained her independence in 1948 and became
a republic in 1972. In the distant past our forefathers has fought
to defend the country from Indian invaders such like the Cholians,
Pandyans, and Keralians, who were very inimical to our national
interests. But things did not come to an end with those battles
alone for reasons of further threats amended from a new kind of
imperialism emerged in the west. Hence the invasions of
Portuguese, Dutch and British who held sway over us for several
centuries.
The appointment of the Colebrooke Commission was due to the
financial failure of the government because year after year the
revenue could not meet the expenditure. Two reports of Colebrooke
Commission presented in 1832 made very importance and far-reaching
recommendations the majority of which were adopted. Among them the
first was the merger of the Kandyan Kingdom with the maritime
provinces to form a unitary government. The second was the
establishment of executive and legislative councils. The
commission recommended the total abolition of compulsory labour,
abolition of monopolies, abolition of caste system the admission
of natives to the Ceylon service which was exclusively for the
Europeans. British Imperialist rule prevailed in this country for
no less a period than 150 years. During this period we have fought
many battles to regain our last national independence.
 The
1818 rebellion, 1848 rebellion are some of those events which
challenged the British rule. The establishment of schools for the
education of children and the encouragement of the freedom of the
press were also regarded as important moves for the progress of
the country. Commissioner Cameron recommended complete
independence of the judicature, the removal of the distinction
between courts of law in the Kandyan and the maritime provinces,
the extension of jurisdiction to all courts, without any
distinction, the establishment of a Supreme Court with right to
appeal to the Privy Council in England, and District Courts to
supercede all existing courts in the island.
The Reforms Commission of 1912 did not in any appreciable
measure satisfied the political aspirations of the Sinhalese and
the Tamil middle class communities who formed the backbone of the
Reform movement. The agitation for reforms continued unabated with
the passage of years. The immediate impetus of the clamour for
Reforms was the hostility towards the British specially consequent
on the severity of the pressure, most repressive adopted under the
Martial Law imposed during the 1915 riots, between the Sinhalese
and Muslim communities. This happened during the Governorship of
Sir Robert Chalmers who was immediately called back to England for
his inefficiency in curbing the riot.
A new Royal Commission known as the Donoughmore Commission was
appointed during the governorship of Sir Herbert Stanley which
found out that the principal defect in the existing constitution
was the result of a breach between the legislative and Executive
Councils was inherent in the Constitution itself. This
Constitution introduced Adult Franchise, the right to vote after
21 years of age, abolish communal representation in the
legislature and made provision for the appointment of native
Ministers. The Donoughmore Constitution came into force in 1931
and gave our country Internal self government.
 The
idea of Dominion status to Sri Lanka was in fact an idea
originated in the Sinhala Maha Sabha which did adopted a
resolution to that effect. It was the member for Horana A. P.
Jayasuriya who on the 26th March in 1942 brought forward a motion
in the state Council formally requesting Dominion status. In
October 1941 the previous year the government in England issued a
declaration recognising the urgency and importance for
Constitutional reforms in our country. In a declaration in 1943 it
was made clear that reforms would be directed towards granting
dominion status to Sri Lanka - when the motion requesting Dominion
status to Sri Lanka was put forward on the order paper of the
Council the English businessmen and planters of the day were
deeply determined to defeat it, as this motion provoked the wrath
of all these British agents. As a prelude to do that they taught
of a plan to create dissentient and discord among the Sri Lankan
Community on racial and religious lines. Despite all resistances
on the part of British authorities here the State Council passed
the motion for Dominion status. In the National Congress the
factions led by late D. S. Senanayake espoused the Dominion cause.
By the declaration of 1943 it was made clear that post war
examination for reforms would be directed towards granting
Dominion status to Sri Lanka. A period of rather uncertain
exchange of views between the Sri Lankan leaders and the colonial
authorities in England, culminating in the appointment of a new
commission with Lord Soulbury as its Chairman who arrived in Sri
Lanka in 1944. A new Constitution was to provide full opportunity
for consultation to take place with various interested parties,
including the minority communities concerned with the subject of
reforms. The new Sri Lankan Constitution contained in two sets of
documents i.e. The Ceylon Independence Act 1947 and the Orders in
Council of 1947. These documents contained the legal powers for
full Dominion status, meaning that Sri Lanka had after years of
subjugation to foreign rule emerged as a free nation within the
British Commonwealth of nations.
One of the great leaders of the independent movement Hon. D. S.
Senanayake entered public life by identifying himself with the
Temperance movement, following in the footsteps of his brother F.
R. Senanayake. The temperance movement was looked upon with
suspicion by the British for two reasons. It aroused the people to
a sense of responsibility and to free themselves from foreign
rule. What Hon. D. S. Senanayake stated in his independence day
speech on 4th February 1948 is still relevant to present times. He
said: all nations should bend their energies towards establishing
a peaceful and prosperous world in which every human being can
enjoy the fruits of peace. Lanka with its great traditions of
peace and goodwill preached by Lord Buddha will always advance the
cause of Freedom and Peace.
Hon. D. S. Senanayake became the first Prime Minister of
Independent Sri Lanka. The Daily News of Ceylon on 4th February,
1948 carry an important message by the Ven. Yatawatte Sri
Dhammaratana the Mahanayake of Asgiriya chapter and Ven.
Rambukwella Sri Sobitha, Mahanayake of Malwatte Chapter, who
issued a joint statement to the nation. They said: Let us go
forward as one man, firm in the belief that we shall reap the
highest benefits that Freedom confers. Both the Mahanayakes called
on the people of Ceylon to overcome the inferiority complex that
has been engendered by centuries of foreign domination and eschew
the vices that they had acquired.
The 18th and 19th centuries produced some of the bright
thinkers, intellectuals, political leaders, and social reformers
at a time when Sri Lanka/Ceylon had suffered three centuries of
western conquest, multifaceted in its manifestations and
consequences political, economical, cultural, religious, and
psychological.
During this period of resistance to imperial rule a large mass
of people were oppressed, suppressed, subjugated and exploited in
their own social order by those who claimed to be superior simply
on the basis of birth. Several patriots dedicated their lives for
the ideal in the pursuit of which they were unmindful of danger or
death. They suffered much to maintain the honour of Ceylon. Lapse
of time has not bedimmed the splendour of their achievements and
their epic heroism. The deeds of such men are the salt of history
and their remembrance on this great and glorious occasion of Sri
Lanka's Independence Day shall remain as precious heritage of our
race.
After 150 years of British rule during which time the country
witnessed many an insurrection the Ceylonese were given something
to rave about when independence was handed over by his Royal
Majesty King George of England. Yet there were people in our
country who did like the presence of Englishmen.
The first independence day of our country was celebrated on
February 4th in 1948 amidst a media extravaganza unparallel in the
history of our country. Then there was no television but the
popular press and vocal media supplicated to the needs of those
involved in the festivities.
The Independence Day celebrations were held at the Independence
Hall at the Independence Square with much pomp and pageantry and
it was specially built for the occasion. During this time the
local media was agog for news specially in Colombo because Prince
Henry, Duke of Gloucester brother of the reigning King of England
George the VI was expected with the Dutchess for the formal
ceremony. But after 56 years of independence why has not a
combination of Parliamentary democracy, Welfare State and a
generally informed civil society been able to solve the problems
of our island nation?
However, the harsh truth which stares us in the face today is
that the political system in one way or another has to accommodate
the aspirations of the rising generations of all communities, and
the under privileged masses if we are not to face a collective
debacle. It is worthy to recall the wise words of James Oppenheim
on Freedom:
They can only set free men free.....
And there is no need for that;
Free men set themselves free.
- James Oppenheim
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