Unforgettable personalities:

Comrade Stanley: The man with a silver tongue

W. Annesley Sumith Fernando

Political giant: A youth appeared in Kotte representing the Ceylon Communist party. He was one who dedicated himself on behalf of the left movement. He was a new phenomenon at election campaigns.

When comrade Robert Gunawardena was in charge of the election campaign Kotte, young, Stanley was like his shadow working comrade in Kotte.

His political struggle was restricted to the local body of Kotte as comrade Robert was the undisputed political giant of Kotte.

But he did not waver neither did he become disillusioned nor did he change parties. He did not betray the class struggle.

He displayed the qualities of patience, discipline and respect for the senior comrades, which were hall marks of a leftist politician.

At the time of the 1960 March General Election Kotte was divided into electorates - one Kotte and the other came to be known as Kottawa. Comrade Robert who represented the Kotte seat in the Legislature up to now, moved over to the Kottawa seat thus Stanley Tillekeratna got the opportunity to contest the Kotte seat.

If it is incorrect to state that at this election the left parties fought among themselves thereby foregone the chance of coming into power and also abandoning the ordinary people. An analysis of the election results showed, that had the left parties entered into a un-contest pact or into a coalition they would have at least secured about 60 seats.

This was to be left for another occasion. Although not relevant, speaking about the kotte electorate the above have to be considered.

With great expectations, Stanley Tillakeratne handed over the nomination for the Kotte seat from the Ceylon Communist party, Kotte which was a left fortress, where the U.N.P. like Raja Hewawitharana and Ananda Tissa de Alwis were trounced there Stanley's victory was a foregone conclusion.

But this was not to be. The S.L.F.P. put forward a candidate against Stanley. Then the L.S.S.P. which wanted to form a government "exclusively, of the L.S.S.P. entered the fray by nominating its own candidate. When the results were declared, the Sama Samaja candidate received about 5,000 votes and Stanley Tillakeratna lost the seat by 1740 votes. Jinadasa Niyathapala of UNP won the Kotte seat.

There was an entirely different situation at the July 1960 General election consequent to the Ceylon Communist Party and the Lanka Sama Samaja Party entering in to a no-contest pact with the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, the right to contest the Kotte seat vested on Stanley. He entered Parliament for the first time from Kotte after having won the seat handsomely.

Stanley, who spoke on behalf of the common man outside Parliament, now got the opportunity to be so within Parliament. He enjoyed the thrust and parry of any debate where he took part. He added humour and sarcasm in the course of his speeches.

When he was uttering meaningful words, his mannerisms and gestures emphasized the effect of what he exclaimed. Prior to the 1965 General election Stanley having left the communist party, joined the S.L.F.P. the result was not only the loss to the Communist Party of a young leader and a able orator and also the gain by the S.L.F.P. to an invaluable political asset.

At the 1965 election when the SLFP won 41 seats Stanley was able to win the Kotte seat as he was loved by the people of Kotte when the SLFP stalwarts was defeated Stanley won the Kotte seat by a majority of 2348 votes, defeating not only the UNP strongman Jinadasa Niyathapala but also the MEP candidate who forfeited his deposit.

In 1970, when the SLFP, LSSP and CP formed an alliance, Stanley won the Kotte seat by a majority of 7843 votes. On this Parliament Stanley was entrusted with a great responsibility. He was elected as the Speaker. He carried out the duties of the Speaker for seven years. Amidst the challenges and obstacles which confronted him. An incident occurred on the 19th of January 1973, which was unforgettable not only to him but to every one.

The ruling on the second reading of the bill entitled "Sri Lanka Press Council" in the National Assembly, had to be given on that day. The Speaker's ruling that the bill should not be debated in the National Assembly without being submitted to the constitutional results in pandemonium in the Assembly.

The members of the Sama Samaja Party who were really devastated by the ruling created a furore in the Assembly, casting devisive remarks at the Speaker. The leader of the Sama Samaja party, the Finance Minister Dr. N. M. Perera stated that a vote of no-confidence will be brought against the Speaker. Immediately Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike the Prime Minister got up to state that the government has no such intentions.

On the evening of the same day, opening ceremony of the institute for the training of toddy tapers was to be held at the Naththandiya. The guests were the Finance Minister Dr. N. M. Perera and the Constitutional Affairs and Plantation Industries Minister Dr. Colvin R. de Silva.

Dr. N. M. Perera speaking at this ceremony, stated that the speakers are addicted to certain diseases and that once they occupy the Speaker's chair gradually they are devoured by reactionaries and having started as leftists and winning with their votes they tend to go in a different way. Further Dr. N. M. Perera said that this struggle will be carried out outside the Parliament too.

But no struggle took place. Stanley acted as a Speaker for the full period of seven years, until the dissolution of the Assembly.

At the 1977 general election, who held the post of Speaker, expected the support of all the parties as he was contesting as an Independent candidate. He requested that no candidates should be put forward against him.

But the UNP ignored his request and put forward Ananda Tissa de Alwis as their candidate. The Ceylon Communist Party too submitted a candidate. Finally Stanley was defeated.

For 12 years, during the period 1977-1989, Stanley organized the Kotte electorate and worked for the people from outside the Parliament.

In 1989 Stanley Tillakeratna contested under "The J. R. System" as a candidate of the SLFP from the Colombo district and was again elected as a Member of Parliament. Stanley, having represented Parliament from 1989 to 1994, gave up active politics.

Then he functioned as a Governor for a number of years.

Stanley, who entered the political field as a member of Kotte represented the people of Kotte in the Legislative for a period of 22 years and held the post of Speaker for seven years.

On the 25th of June 2005-Stanley Tillakaratne passed away-My dear comrade, Stanley "God Bless You".