National Day
by Walter Wijenayaka
Today, February 4, 2004, the Sri Lankans commemorate their 56th
anniversary of regaining independence from British who ruled us
for 133 years.
At this grand occasion, it is better to take a brief look at
history.
No sooner we ceded our sovereignty to the British empire under
the Udarata Givisuma or the Kandyan convention signed on March 2,
1815, the last king of Kandy Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe who ruled the
country from 1798 to 1815 had to depart. So was our national flag
which is the oldest flag in the world as per the opinion of most
of the historians and researchers.
It was in the year 1908 that the interest of the formation of a
national flag was born.
The then commissioner of Archaeological Department A. C. Bell,
the Director of Museum Dr. Joseph Pierson, the State Councillor E.
W. Perera, the founder of the Lake House Group of Newspapers D. R.
Wijewardena and Sir D. B. Jayatilleke were the prime movers to
find out the whereabouts of the national flag of this country.
E. W. Perera and D. R. Wijewardena deserved for honour that
finally they could discover at the Chelsea hospital in London,
three flags belonging to Sri Lanka, out of which one was the Royal
Lion Flag, which was used by our last king Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe.
They were much pleased with the discovery of this national
treasure, that they were adamant to bring it back to be exhibited
to the people of Lanka.
They got the Royal Flag copied in colours by Messrs Southwood
& Company, Regent Street, London and brought to the country
and it was published in the Dinamina of March 2, 1915.
This flag had not been used for 130 years or even mentioned by
the Government, though the flags of many nations were used on
ceremonial occasions as decorations even for this purpose the
ancient "Lion Flag" was ignored.
It was J. R. Jayewardene who made a statement in Parliament on
the necessity and importance of hoisting our national flag at
state functions.
It should be emphasised that the then Prime Minister D. S.
Senanayake (later Rt. Hon) S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike and J. R.
Jayewardene were the trio who were much interested in attempting
to resolve the national flag issue.
Member of Parliament for Batticaloa A. Sinnalebbe suggested in
Parliament on January 16, 1948 that the Lion Flag should be
accepted as the National Flag. It read as follows "This House
is of the opinion that the Royal standard of King Sri Wickrema
Rajasinghe depicting a yellow lion passant holding a sword in its
right pow on a red background, which was removed to England after
the convention of 1815, should once again be adopted as the
official flag of Free Lanka."
This proposal was seconded by A. E. Gunasinghe, However, this
was not accepted, as the MP for Kankasanthurai S. J. V.
Chelvanayagam and MP for Vadukkudai K. Canagaratnam wanted it
revised.
Then the Prime Minister Rt. Hon. D. S. Senanayake on March 6,
1948 appointed a Committee comprising S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike,
Sir John Kotelawala, J. R. Jayewardene, T. B. Jayah, Lalitha
Rajapaksa, G. G. Ponnambalam and Senator. S. Nadesan to review and
report to the Prime Minister on the issue of the National Flag.
This committee headed by S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike met 11 times
for 03 years 1948, 1949 and 1950. The decision of the committee
was approved by every member of the committee except S. Nadesan.
In February 1951, this committee report was forwarded to the
Parliament for debate and it was passed on March 02, 1951 by 51
votes for it and 21 against, 08 abstained.
The national flag was adopted in its entirety, with the
addition of two vertical strips, green and saffron of equal size,
each being in the proportion of one to seven of the entire flag
(Excluding the vertical yellow border on the outside of the green
strip).
Although a committee for the formation of a National Flag was
appointed, no finality had been reached when the first
independence day was celebrated on February 4, 1948. However the
Lion Flag fluttered on that day. The Lion Flag and the British
Union Jack fluttered on the occasion of the opening of the first
Parliament of independent Sir Lanka (Then Ceylon).
The Lion Flag that was hoisted by the Prime Minister Rt. Hon.
D. S. Senanayake in the presence of the Duke of Gloucester at the
Octagon (Paththirippuwa) during the independence celebrations held
in Kandy on February 12, 1948, was identical with the one hauled
down at the same place on March 2, 1815.
When Sri Lanka was made a Republic in the year 1972 under the
premiership of Mrs. Sirima Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike, the
traditional Bo-leaves depicted in the National Flag were changed
to resemble natural Bo leaves. This amended flag was first
unfurled at the Republic Day celebrations held on March 22, 1972.
The National Flag is incorporated in Section 6, second schedule
of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri
Lanka of September 9, 1978.
Except for the new Bo-leaves the present flag is the same flag
recommended by the National Flag Formulation Committee on March 2,
1951.
Let all the people in this independent country enjoy the unity
and harmony as one nation and are Sri Lankan community under the
banner of the Lion Flag which gives the message of peace and
harmony.
We all must well aware that the National Flag is a symbol of
our motherland, the independence and the unity of our people and
is a part of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic
of Sri Lanka. It takes our minds back to the last king of Kandy
whose Royal Standard had a lion in yellow, holding a sword in its
right forepaw and was on a crimson background.
The lion, it may be deduced, stands for the mythical beginning
of the Sinhalese from a lion, as recorded in traditional history
and the motifs of the Bo-leaves at the four corners of the flag
represent the religion of the majority, Buddhism. The two strips
of green and saffron represent minority communities and give an
added strength on this symbol of sovereignty.
In describing the National Flag Rev. Kotugoda Dhammavasa states
that the sword held upright denotes righteousness and positioning
of the lion's tail on level with the head and the shape of the
tail symbolises the rulers' treatment of all citizens alike in
ruling the country.
The lion's head stands for the king or the ruler while the lion
in yellow denotes the desire for peace. The crimson background is
symbolic of national pride. Yellow represents the desire and love
for peace.
The flag is decorated with four leaves of the venerated
Bo-tree. The four Bo-leaves at the four corners refer to "mettha",
"Karuna", "Muditha," "Upeksha" -
that is love, compassion, sympathy, and equanimity on which
emphasis is laid in Buddhism.
The shape of the flag is rectangular and the ratio of the width
to the length is one is to two. The picture of the lion is so
positioned that it faces the two vertical green and saffron
strips. The four yellow Bo-leaves at the four corners of the flag
and the lion are outlined in black. Each of the two vertical
stripes has a width which is in the proportion of one is to seven
of the length of the flag excluding the vertical yellow border on
outside of the green strip. The size of these stripes in relation
to the entire flag is in the proportion 1:1:5. A yellow border
runs round the flag.
The national flag is displayed on days of national importance,
such as the national day and on such other days as are prescribed
by the Government and at all State functions.
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