First elected representative of Sabaragamuwa Province:

Priest, politician and patriot

Rev Canon W E Botejue’s 140th birth anniversary:

Vernon Botejue

Rev Canon Jayawardene Welatantrige Edwin Botejue’s 140th Birth Anniversary falls on December 21, 2010. In the article published in The Ceylon Observer, Sunday Edition of December 18, 1960, a well-known journalist of the day Jeanne Ratnavira, wrote ‘under the caption Ceylon’s first political priest.’ “On Wednesday the 21st of this month, there will be celebrated a purely domestic event that is becoming exceedingly rare, not only in this island but in the world at large as well - an individual’s 90th birthday.”

“And if that individual has been as important to this country as Canon W E Botejue, one wonders why the event is not marked up in a more significant manner than a Communion Service at St Peters Church at 7.45 am and breakfast at the Grand Oriental Hotel to be given to a few friends and fellow members of the YMCA?” Having raised this very important and equally relevant rhetorical question the journalist then proceeded to provide the answer herself - “But that is perhaps due entirely to the wish of this modest and unassuming good man of God”. How very true indeed!

Great patriot

But many journalists and others yet feel that journalist Jeanne Ratnavira’s question still remains alive and relevant, as up to date, even after Canon Botejue’s passing away on August 13, 1968, not even a postage stamp has been issued in honour of this great patriot hailed as a ‘Freedom fighter’ or Sri Lanka of the 20th Century for his sterling contribution, to his God and Church, his Motherland and the people of Sri Lanka, that has been regretfully cast to the limbo of forgotten things by those whom he served with dedication.

When Canon Botejue reached his 90th birthday on December 21, 1960 the event was in fact celebrated, as afore mentioned, with a service of thanksgiving at St Peters Church, Fort. After the service a reception was held in his honour at the Grand Oriental Hotel, Colombo and the Bishop of Colombo then, the Rt Rev Archibald Rollo Graham Campbell made a presentation to the Canon on that occasion that was captured in a photograph that carried the legend that was published in the Ceylon Daily News of December 1960.

Anglican Church

H B W Abeynaike the well-known journalist of Lake House in a tribute to Canon Botejue on the occasion of his birth anniversary wrote, “His memory is recalled for his outstanding contribution for the good of the people. Canon Boteju (then called and known as Rev W E Botejue) as the elected Member of the Sabaragamuwa Province in the Legislative Council of 1921) was a Member of the Legislative Council for a period of four and a half years and worked assiduously.

He worked for the people of the country, especially the poor of Sabaragamuwa, and for the Anglican Church of which he was a priest for a little over 60 years and served under five Bishops of the Anglican Church.” He was made a Canon in 1939 “for his priestly standards faithfully upheld in every branch of ministerial work.” He was a close friend of the late D R Wijewardene founder of Lake House who always backed the Canon in his political contests.”

In December 1911 the British regime accepted the principle of elected representation to the Ceylon Legislature and Ponnambalam (late Sir) Ramanathan was elected on a restrictive franchise.

It was not until 1921 that the British Colonial Regime, extended the democratic right to the people of Ceylon on a restrictive franchise to elect a representative to the Nine Provinces as members of the Legislative Council that ruled the island through a Governor appointed by the Monarch of England and a group of officials nominated by the Governor that dominated the Legislative Council of the day with an official majority that naturally acted and voted en bloc on the direction of the Governor then Sir William Manning who presided over the affairs of the Council.

Buddhist electorate

It was at this point of time when Canon Botejue who was then the Parish Priest of the Anglican Church St Lukes, Ratnapura, was approached by several delegations to induce him to contest the Sabaragamuwa seat. He was also backed by eminent citizens of the day that included D S Senanayake, A F Mollamure, Adigar Meedeniya, E A P Wijeratne and the powerful press of D R Wijewardene. However it was only after the consent of the Anglicah Church was granted to him by the Archdeacon De Winton of Colombo that he agreed to stand for election.

The contest was between the Canon (then Rev W E Botejue) and a Notary Public of Kegalle who went round the electorate campaigning with two Buddhist monks who urged the voters to elect a Buddhist as they claimed that the Sabaragamuwa Province was predominantly a Buddhist electorate. However it was not surprising that Rev Botejue who was well-known then to the people of Ceylon, through his contributions to the news papers on articles of political and social interest, was victorious as he also had the backing and support not only of eminent Sinhala Buddhist leaders but also the British planting community of the province.

Canon Botejue had his early education at Trinity College Kandy where he excelled as a scholar. Later he spent two years in England and lived at St Stephen’s House Oxford. While living in England he served in several parishes and had what he called a ‘nodding acquaintance’ with a real London slum parish.

He was a versatile writer and speaker both in English and Sinhala and even during his school days as a senior student made contributions to the news papers of the day in both languages and had a reputation among the reading public of Ceylon. He has attributed that his entry into active politics and success was due to the popularity that he had earned as a political analyst through his contributions to the news papers of the time in particular the The Ceylon Daily News printed and published by Lake House founded by the late D R Wijewardene who was among his closest friends and supporters of his political career.

Sovereign State

But after his election to the Legislative Council Canon (then called and known as Rev W E Botejue) the first elected representative of the Sabaragamuwa Province soon realized, that his dream, and the aspirations of the people of Ceylon of a free independent sovereign State could not be achieved through the extant Legislature.

He was constrained to publicly exclaim that life as a legislator was frustrating: Whenever a motion was introduced by an elected unofficial member, it never saw the light of day particularly if it touched or affected government policy. The Governor exercised his privilege to declare that the government either accepted or was against such a bill. Thereupon all the official members voted en bloc accordingly. The official members had no discretion to act on their own except on unimportant matters not affecting government policy.

However at least on one occasion the unofficial members were able to convince the government of their importance and the need for more liberal reforms to ensure wider, more significant and effective representation. As a protest against the Governor implementing the Wood-Renton-Fernando salary scheme for upper grade government officials, despite the unanimous vote of the elected members against it, fourteen of them resigned. At the by-elections held to fill the vacancies all 14 of them were re-elected and returned to the council. This action of the members certainly demonstrated the spirit and courage of the legislators of that time who were ready to sacrifice their seats to uphold a principle or support a cause.

Constitutional reforms

Not withstanding the constraints that the elected members were subject to and faced Canon Botejue buckled down to his task assiduously, to ameliorate the conditions not only of his electorate but also of the country at large. He vociferously agitated in the Council and demanded tangible action by the colonial government to eradicate ‘parangi’ the dread disease that afflicted a large part of the country. He highlighted the inconvenience suffered by the third class passengers of the Ceylon Government railway who had to endure hardship on account of the want of toilet facilities and this defect too was soon remedied.

Warm tributes were paid to the Canon in Parliament after his death on August 13, 1968 at the age of 98 years. The leader of the House then, C P De Silva, referring to the Canon said “He fought for the equality of all races and also for the abandonment of special seats in churches.

He was as ardent advocate of Constitutional reforms, whilst seeking better conditions for his electorate. He also worked indefatigably for the eradication of parangi that dread disease. Though a Christian cleric he stood up for the rights and privileges of Buddhist monks.”

M P de Z Siriwardena on behalf of the SLFP and the entire Opposition then, said “Canon Botejue fought for the issue of railway warrants for Buddhist monks when there was an agitation for it. He also fought for the rights of those in the gemming industry.”

The Rt Rev A R Graham Campbell, Bishop of Colombo who unveiled a portrait of the Canon on the occasion marking the golden jubilee of his ordination said “The courageous and honourable one who has ever sought to tread the path of duty and has laboured alike to serve his country and his God”. The Bishop further expressed the wish “that the example of such as Canon Botejue may continue to inspire the generations of the future”.