Pioneer of Buddhist revivalism

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L H Mettananda was the guiding spirit behind the Buddhist Commission Report that accelerated the United National Party’s ignominious defeat in the 1956 Parliamentary Elections.

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Janaka PERERA

The watershed in Sri Lanka’s post - Independence period i.e. 1956, which led to the socio - cultural emancipation of the vast majority of the people of this country would not have been possible if not for the invaluable contribution of L H Mettananda.

Though frontline politicians grabbed the lion’s share of the power and glory for the nation’s huge turn around in 1956, posterity is likely to concede a much greater share of credit to Mettananda and the Buddhist movement that he led in the first two decades following independence in 1948, for the sweeping changes that took place in the religious, educational and cultural spheres.

The struggle for national liberation

The colonial injustices in Sri Lanka had their outcome in the production of a range of national heroes spread over a couple of centuries who fought against the foreign invaders to liberate this country.

Combative approach

Anagarika Dharmapala’s name easily lends itself to be included in the group of heroes despite the fact that he adopted a distinctively non-violent albeit combative approach to free this country from foreign occupation and imitative living by his compatriots largely influenced by decadent cultural influences of the west.

Among the many contenders to shoulder the mantle of Anagarika Dharmpala’s legacy and to continue his work to restore Buddhism to its due place in Lankan society particularly in the difficult transitional phase of the country’s history is L H Mettananda. He gave voice to the calls of the Buddhists to re-establish a Buddhist Social Order as existed in the pre-colonial period.

L H Mettananda was born on March 19, 1894 at Kalawadumulla, Ambalangoda. He was the guiding spirit behind the Buddhist Commission Report that accelerated the United National Party’s ignominious defeat in the 1956 Parliamentary Elections, reducing that party’s number of seats in Parliament to eight.

Kandyan Convention

The call to appoint such a Commission of Inquiry was based on the need to remedy the injustices done to the Buddhists under three colonial regimes which were continued in the post - Independence period by local rulers subservient to colonial interests.

The undertaking the British gave to protect and maintain the Buddhist religion had been grossly betrayed before the ink was dry in the Kandyan Convention of 1815 signed 194 years ago this month. Buddhism in consequence of the terms of the Convention enjoyed the same position as the Anglican Church in England. But even after 1948 not only was this fact ignored but attempts to marginalize Buddhists in the State sector, in the armed forces and elsewhere continued as before.

Mettananda noticed that the Prime Minister D S Senanayake’s government was neither prepared to give Government patronage to Buddhism as in the pre-colonial days nor was it keen to give to the Buddhists the same rights the Christians enjoyed in all spheres of society. Had the UNP rulers been far-sighted enough to enforce at least the latter policy this country would have been spared of the many upheavals that followed. It is very unfortunate that UNP election manifestos failed to focus on the restoration of the rights of the majority which were trampled en masse by the British Raj.

In contrast the Indian govt soon after Independence passed special laws to change all discriminatory policies that the British colonialists had set in motion and implemented. When a team led by Professor Gunapala Malalasekera proposed to D S Senanayake the need to establish a Buddhist Commission the Prime Minister at first agreed to accede to the request but subsequently backed out, saying that it would be a violation of the Soulbury Constitution. But it was really the pressure from the Catholic Church - a strong supporter of the then government - that made Senanayake change his mind.

Buddhist leadership

Consequently the Buddhist leadership had no alternative but to appoint a Commission of Inquiry themselves to probe into the continuing system of education and other areas that denied Buddhists their rightful place. Unlike today, Sri Lanka in the 1950s had a strong lay Buddhist leadership that campaigned relentlessly against the powerful anti-national elements that relegated the island’s traditional religious values and Sinhala language virtually to the dustbin.

Paving the way

It gathered evidence from organizations and individuals representing all sections of Buddhist society. In addition to Prof Gunapala Malalasekera and L H Mettananda, the Committee comprised the Venerable Abanwelle Siddhartha, Haliyale Sumanatissa, Balangoda Ananda Maitreya, Palonnaruwe Vimaladhamma, Madihe Pannaseeha, Henpitagedera Gnanaseeha Theras, P de S Kularatne, Dr Tennekoon Wimalananda and D C Wijayawardena. But the chief responsibility of preparing the report lay with Mettananda. It was presented to the Maha Sangha at Ananda College, Colombo on February 4, 1956.

He was also the leader of the Bauddha Jathika Balawegaya (Buddhist National Force) then popularly known as the BJB, and the Dharma Samaja Party. However, the failure to build up this party as a national political movement created a vacuum that unfortunately paved the way for the rise of JVP militancy.

Giving evidence before the Press Commission appointed by the Sirima Bandaranaike government in 1963, Mettananda and other members of the BJB, vehemently condemned the anti-Sinhala and anti-Buddhist stance of so-called national newspapers.

At the same time they expressed their strong opposition to the government takeover of any newspaper company.

The BJB under Mettananda published a tract called ‘Catholic Action in Sri Lanka’ which proved vital reading soon after the abortive Army Officers Coup in January 1962.

Educationist’s role

Mettananda was the first educationist who proposed to the Official Languages Commission that every Sri Lankan child should be given the opportunity of becoming proficient in all three languages - Sinhala, Tamil and English. His desire was to see that we become a 100 percent English speaking population - in addition to proficiency in our native tongue.

L H Mettananda passed away in Colombo at 73, on November 1, 1967. Addressing a ceremony held at Ananda College, in October 2006 to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Buddhist Commission Report, Speaker of the House W J M Lokubandara called upon the UNP to have a fresh look at the 50-year-old Buddhist Committee report.

There are lessons to be learnt from it - he said - since many of the points raised in the report are valid now as then.