E W Perera’s 135th birth anniversary on December 12:

Lion of Kotte

Prominent figure in Sri Lankan independence movement:

Rita Perera

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Great national leader

Born - December 12, 1875

Died - February 16, 1953

Alma mater - Royal College Colombo

Occupation - Senator Politician and freedom fighter

Profession - Barrister

Famous work - monograph on Sinhalese Banners and Standards

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It is axiomatic that anniversaries, whether of birth or death of genuine patriots of this country, who worked unremittingly, with no thought of reward, to free our country when it was under the despotism dictates of foreigners, are seldom, if ever remembered by the present generation.

Consequently, the contribution made by genuine stalwarts such as Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam, Sir James Peries, Sir Baron Jayatilleke, Sir H J C Pereira, F R Senanayake, Sir Francis de Zoysa, Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan, C W W Kannangara, E W Perera and others of their ilk, are relegated to the dustbin of history. The fact that they all worked with unremitting zeal and little tangible reward, to free this country from the seemingly invincible British imperial might is conveniently forgotten.

Hence, it is to be expected that this birth anniversary on the December 12, of people such as the late E W Perera will also pass unnoticed. However, it is worth recording here, a summary of his lifelong service to this country, which covered many fields.

National flag

In 1908...following a long trail, his interest in heraldry, led him to finally discover the banner of Sri Wickrema Rajasinghe, the last King of Kandy at the Royal Chelsea Hospital, in London. After he had sketched it from the key plate, it was copied in colour at the request of D R Wijewardena, who was also in London at the time. The distinctive emblem of the lion, with a few additions, was adopted as our National flag, when we became an Independant Nation.

In 1909...he was part of a deputation led by H J C Pereira, who went before the Secretary of State to ask for Constitutional reform. The elective principle was conceded for the first time in the then Legislative Council.

In 1915...Martial Law was imposed, following the Muslim-Buddhist riots of 1915. Eminent Buddhist leaders, among whom were the brothers F R and D S Senanayake, D B Jayatilleke and others were imprisoned. Their very lives were in danger due to the ‘Shoot- at-sight Order’ promulgated by Governor Chalmers. Prominent Tamil and Christian leaders perturbed by this turn of events chose E W Perera, to travel to England at the height of the World War I and attempt to secure their release.

Colonial administrators

He was also charged with the task of apprising the Colonial Secretary and other officials in Whitehall, of the injustices inflicted on the wrongly imprisoned Buddhist leaders and others. He hid the infamous Order in the sole of his shoe, to prevent detection and possibly being shot himself! He subsequently spent four long years alone, in his somewhat cramped, uncomfortable legal chambers, in war-torn London, to secure their release and seek redress. (the luxury of five star hotels accompanied by a large entourage, was probably not even dreamt of in that era!)

During the time he spent in England he worked untiringly to make the British Houses of Parliament aware of some of the atrocities committed by the colonial administrators, especially during the dark period of Martial Law. He also untiringly attempted to interest sympathetic sections of British public opinion, in other unsatisfactory aspects of the state of affairs in their colony, Ceylon. This was evident in his lecture titled ‘The story of my mission’ he delivered in 1919, at the Town Hall, which was presided by Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam. He was also able to get the support of intellectuals like Leonard Woolf, who wrote the now celebrated novel, Village in the Jungle, depicting the stark life of villagers in the Dry Zone, when he worked there, as a Civil Servant. Leonard Woolf’s disenchantment with being part of the Colonial ruling elite, led to his resignation from the Ceylon Civil Service and he remained in England.

This was fortuitous, as E W Perera, was able to enlist, his active support in seeking redress for the wrongs perpetrated on the Sinhalese Buddhists, during and after the period of Martial Law. Evidence of the keen active interest and action taken by Leonard Woolf and their written correspondence in this connection, can be accessed in the Ceylon National Archives.

In 1919 to 1931...On his return to Ceylon, he with other leaders worked long and hard, with little or no monetary benefit, pitting themselves against the ruling colonial government to secure greater power, through the Ceylon National Congress, which was the foremost political organization at that time.

His remarkable wit and barbed criticism was feared by the colonial administrators and he was regarded as the ‘watchdog’ of the people’s rights. The agitation for reform of the Ceylon National Congress (the precursor of the United National Party) and their unremitting efforts ultimately bore fruit and the Donoughmore Commission was appointed. E W Perera as President of the C N C (with eight others, one of whom was S W R D Bandaranaike) led evidence before this Commission. However, the constitution that they recommended fell short of the complete ‘Swaraj’, he wanted for his country.

Political favour

In 1931 to 1948.... The Soulbury Commission led the way to Dominion Status and the granting of Independence. However, E W P was beginning to be disillusioned by the prevailing trends in politics, as a new generation came to the fore, eager for power at any cost.

His unwavering principles, however, didn’t allow him to change either his Christian religion or his dress, as many others such as J R Jayewardene did, to gain political favour and popularity with the newly enfranchised masses. Consequently, he faced the penalty of losing the Kelaniya seat to, at that time young, J R Jayewardene and was forced to bow out of the political arena.

In 1945 to 1953, during most of this period and even before it, his unflagging interest and research into heraldry as well as the history of this country and Buddhism (though he was a Christian) led to his many valuable erudite contributions, in the journals of the Royal Asiatic Society and other prestigious publications. The main attribute of his greatness, especially in the present political context was his unimpeachable honesty and lack of even the slightest taint of corruption or nepotism.

He grew up accustomed to the luxury of horses and carriages, but when he died he didn’t even possess a car! A far cry, from the prevailing political climate of the present day, when the lure of luxury vehicles and other unlimited perks and appurtenances, have become the over-riding considerations of many politicians. As they pole-vault to the winning side, it is obvious that most of them are in politics, for what they can get and not for what they can give to the people of their country.