Unforgettable personalities

Annesley Sumith Fernando

During the State Council era (1931 - 1947) when DB Jayatilleke was later honoured as Sir, held an upper hand over DS Senanayake and was appointed as the leader of the house. Office of the leader of the house was almost equal to that of the Prime Minister in status and recognition. Office of the Prime Minister in turn could be equaled to the position of the President in today's administrative parlance. It was widely speculated that DB Jayatilleke would soon add a feather to his cap by bagging the Prime Minister's post soon.

In spite of the wide speculations doing the rounds and expectations of many his ascendancy to the august post of the Prime Minister was opposed by a clique of respectable gentlemen. They hatched their plots and executed their plans with precession to perfection and ensured that DB Jayatilleke was posted in Delhi, as the High Commissioner for India. Accordingly DB Jayatilleke was removed from the political arena and he was sent into oblivion never to be heard, never to be seen.

The people of the country remained expectantly to witness the first general election to be conducted in the country. DS Senanayake brought the different and divided factions and parties one umbrella and formed a new political party under the banner of United Natiolal Party (UNP). Political heavyweights such as GG Ponnambalam, SWRD Bandaranaike, Razik Fareed, TB Jaya and AE Gunasinghe rose above their ideologies and became members of the grand alliance. In fact the UNP of the day was not united and the first ever general election in 1947 bore ample testimony to the differences and divisions that plagued the UNP at its inspection. More than one member, representing the different factions in UNP contested the same electorate at the general election. The different factions forming the UNP was endeavoured to ensure victory for the member of their faction.

DS Senanayake who entered the State Council twice uncontested during the period 1931 to 1936 had to enter the fray at the general election in 1947. His opponent was not a man of little means, he was related to him. It was none other comrade Edmund Samarkkody, his brother Siripala was brother in law of RG Senanayake, son of FR Senanayake who was brother of DS Senanayaka, Edmund in turn was brother of Siripala Samarakkody had served as a member in the State Council.

A neck to neck, close encounter was expected between DS and Edmund. Edmund was no Lilliputian. Edmund tasted politics under the guidance of his brother Siripala; he learned his politics in the hard way; he worked hand in hand with giants such as NM Perera, Colvin R De Silva and Philip Gunawardena. He emerged as a committed and fierce Sama Samajist. He had earned name and fame as true nationalist, languishing in jail for rising against colonist rulers of the day. But DS emerged victorious with a majority of 16089 votes and was appointed as the first Prime Minister of Ceylon. Comrade Edmund saw the light of the day in the year 1913. He was deeply attracted to Marxist philosophy and workers' rights. He was selected as a member of the executive of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) at its very inception on December 18, 1935. LSSP was the political party as well as the first Marxist party to be formed in the country. In 1936, along with Robert Gunaardena, another renowned Marxist politician he participated in the annual conference of the Indian National Congress, held at Faize Poor. In 1937 he was handling important position of National organizer of the LSSP and he led the strike initiated by the employees attached to Colombo Commercial Fertilizer Company. He was arrested and put behind the bars along with Leslie Gunawardane for the crime of giving leadership to the strike.

He was a lawyer by profession and he gave his might and mind to the workers' uprising in Uva. He represented the workers at the courts and thereby he exhibited his true devotion and total dedication in the cause of the workers. He along with NM; Philip and Colvin became a constant headache to the white colonist masters and their black henchmen who hesitated not to lick their boots for personal gain and glory.

As a means of removing the thorn in their flesh, the white colonist with the active cooperation of the black henchmen incarcerated NM, Philip, Colvin and Edmund and held them behind bars on the pretext various unfounded and unsubstantiated charges. They became notorious boarders in the royal prisons of the white masters. Their stay behind the bars at the prison did not last long they managed to scale the high walled villas of inhuman incarceration at Bogambara prison and escaped to India. Their sojourn in India was short, they were captured by the Indian Police and deported to Sri Lanka unceremonially. Edmund was a true rebel in the cause of freedom and fair and had to pay the prize for his zeal and zealous stand by being incarcerated for six months in 1944.

The LSSP nominee for the Dehiowita electorate at the general election in 1952 was Edmund, the fire brand Marxist. It was a neck to neck to neck struggle a close fight. Edmund managed top emerge victorious with a thin majority of 82 votes. Edmund the avowed Marxist entered the portals the great chamber, the Parliament for the first time Edmund capitalized from his small beginning, he proved through his conduct and performance that.

He has the interest of his people in his heart Gradually he found his way into the hearts and minds of the people. People of Dehiowita showed their love and affection to Edmund, the politician of caliber and class by returning him to parliament by a thumping majority 6648 votes at the general election held in 1956. CD Fernando of UNP, a wealthy landed proprietor had no answers to the people's power behind Edmund.

Edmund, the MP for Dehiowita raised his voice in a convincing commanding manner at the parliament on behalf of the people and sought speedy solutions from the UNP government for the problems encountered by the people.

Edmund outshined the other MPs in bringing the problems of the workers and the farmers to the chamber of the parliament. Edmund never hesitated to chastise the local black henchmen who slavishly served white colonist masters of the day. He represented the oppressed and was treated an anathema by the local henchemen and the white rulers.

LSSP desperately wanted to form government of their own and they nominated Edmund as the candidate for the Kesbewa electorate at the general election in March, 1960. Edmund knew that he could retain Dehiowits, his bastion quite easily at the election, but he stood by the party and consented to enter the fray at Kesbewa, a Marxist stronghold, and unchartered territory. Entry of renowned politician Somaweera Chandrasiri, a son of the electorate dimmed the chances victory for Edmund; but he hesitated not, he took his fight, undaunted and unbridled. Somaweera enjoyed a clear cut advantage, he was a man from the area, an avowed and accepted leftist. Edmund had to take his fight on the strength of his LSSP connections and contributions Meanwhile IC Perera entered the fray from Sri Lanka Freedom Party of SWRD Bandaranaike.

As the clash among leftists, the anti UNP forces progressed UNP presented PLF Seneviratne as their candidate. In view of the three front clashes among the leftist oriented parties, it was expected that UNP would roam home with effortless case. UNP was bursting with confidence, and it was sure of capturing a red bastion. But the results proved that unexpected had taken place.

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