National Day

by Walter Wijenayaka

Today, February 4, 2004, the Sri Lankans commemorate their 56th anniversary of regaining independence from British who ruled us for 133 years.

At this grand occasion, it is better to take a brief look at history.

No sooner we ceded our sovereignty to the British empire under the Udarata Givisuma or the Kandyan convention signed on March 2, 1815, the last king of Kandy Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe who ruled the country from 1798 to 1815 had to depart. So was our national flag which is the oldest flag in the world as per the opinion of most of the historians and researchers.

It was in the year 1908 that the interest of the formation of a national flag was born.

The then commissioner of Archaeological Department A. C. Bell, the Director of Museum Dr. Joseph Pierson, the State Councillor E. W. Perera, the founder of the Lake House Group of Newspapers D. R. Wijewardena and Sir D. B. Jayatilleke were the prime movers to find out the whereabouts of the national flag of this country.

E. W. Perera and D. R. Wijewardena deserved for honour that finally they could discover at the Chelsea hospital in London, three flags belonging to Sri Lanka, out of which one was the Royal Lion Flag, which was used by our last king Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe. They were much pleased with the discovery of this national treasure, that they were adamant to bring it back to be exhibited to the people of Lanka.

They got the Royal Flag copied in colours by Messrs Southwood & Company, Regent Street, London and brought to the country and it was published in the Dinamina of March 2, 1915.

This flag had not been used for 130 years or even mentioned by the Government, though the flags of many nations were used on ceremonial occasions as decorations even for this purpose the ancient "Lion Flag" was ignored.

It was J. R. Jayewardene who made a statement in Parliament on the necessity and importance of hoisting our national flag at state functions.

It should be emphasised that the then Prime Minister D. S. Senanayake (later Rt. Hon) S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike and J. R. Jayewardene were the trio who were much interested in attempting to resolve the national flag issue.

Member of Parliament for Batticaloa A. Sinnalebbe suggested in Parliament on January 16, 1948 that the Lion Flag should be accepted as the National Flag. It read as follows "This House is of the opinion that the Royal standard of King Sri Wickrema Rajasinghe depicting a yellow lion passant holding a sword in its right pow on a red background, which was removed to England after the convention of 1815, should once again be adopted as the official flag of Free Lanka."

This proposal was seconded by A. E. Gunasinghe, However, this was not accepted, as the MP for Kankasanthurai S. J. V. Chelvanayagam and MP for Vadukkudai K. Canagaratnam wanted it revised.

Then the Prime Minister Rt. Hon. D. S. Senanayake on March 6, 1948 appointed a Committee comprising S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, Sir John Kotelawala, J. R. Jayewardene, T. B. Jayah, Lalitha Rajapaksa, G. G. Ponnambalam and Senator. S. Nadesan to review and report to the Prime Minister on the issue of the National Flag.

This committee headed by S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike met 11 times for 03 years 1948, 1949 and 1950. The decision of the committee was approved by every member of the committee except S. Nadesan.

In February 1951, this committee report was forwarded to the Parliament for debate and it was passed on March 02, 1951 by 51 votes for it and 21 against, 08 abstained.

The national flag was adopted in its entirety, with the addition of two vertical strips, green and saffron of equal size, each being in the proportion of one to seven of the entire flag (Excluding the vertical yellow border on the outside of the green strip).

Although a committee for the formation of a National Flag was appointed, no finality had been reached when the first independence day was celebrated on February 4, 1948. However the Lion Flag fluttered on that day. The Lion Flag and the British Union Jack fluttered on the occasion of the opening of the first Parliament of independent Sir Lanka (Then Ceylon).

The Lion Flag that was hoisted by the Prime Minister Rt. Hon. D. S. Senanayake in the presence of the Duke of Gloucester at the Octagon (Paththirippuwa) during the independence celebrations held in Kandy on February 12, 1948, was identical with the one hauled down at the same place on March 2, 1815.

When Sri Lanka was made a Republic in the year 1972 under the premiership of Mrs. Sirima Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike, the traditional Bo-leaves depicted in the National Flag were changed to resemble natural Bo leaves. This amended flag was first unfurled at the Republic Day celebrations held on March 22, 1972.

The National Flag is incorporated in Section 6, second schedule of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka of September 9, 1978.

Except for the new Bo-leaves the present flag is the same flag recommended by the National Flag Formulation Committee on March 2, 1951.

Let all the people in this independent country enjoy the unity and harmony as one nation and are Sri Lankan community under the banner of the Lion Flag which gives the message of peace and harmony.

We all must well aware that the National Flag is a symbol of our motherland, the independence and the unity of our people and is a part of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. It takes our minds back to the last king of Kandy whose Royal Standard had a lion in yellow, holding a sword in its right forepaw and was on a crimson background.

The lion, it may be deduced, stands for the mythical beginning of the Sinhalese from a lion, as recorded in traditional history and the motifs of the Bo-leaves at the four corners of the flag represent the religion of the majority, Buddhism. The two strips of green and saffron represent minority communities and give an added strength on this symbol of sovereignty.

In describing the National Flag Rev. Kotugoda Dhammavasa states that the sword held upright denotes righteousness and positioning of the lion's tail on level with the head and the shape of the tail symbolises the rulers' treatment of all citizens alike in ruling the country.

The lion's head stands for the king or the ruler while the lion in yellow denotes the desire for peace. The crimson background is symbolic of national pride. Yellow represents the desire and love for peace.

The flag is decorated with four leaves of the venerated Bo-tree. The four Bo-leaves at the four corners refer to "mettha", "Karuna", "Muditha," "Upeksha" - that is love, compassion, sympathy, and equanimity on which emphasis is laid in Buddhism.

The shape of the flag is rectangular and the ratio of the width to the length is one is to two. The picture of the lion is so positioned that it faces the two vertical green and saffron strips. The four yellow Bo-leaves at the four corners of the flag and the lion are outlined in black. Each of the two vertical stripes has a width which is in the proportion of one is to seven of the length of the flag excluding the vertical yellow border on outside of the green strip. The size of these stripes in relation to the entire flag is in the proportion 1:1:5. A yellow border runs round the flag.

The national flag is displayed on days of national importance, such as the national day and on such other days as are prescribed by the Government and at all State functions.

***** Back *****