A letter to you from…
I remember in 1796 the Dutch gave way to British rule in Ceylon. They annexed Colombo and Jaffna abolishing Dutch power in Ceylon. The British were keen to extend their rule to Kandy and they succeeded in 1815, because the Kandyan subjects were not happy with their King Sri Wickrama Rajasingha. The nobles conspired against their King with the support of British leading the way for British to over throw the King.
At first the British trod cautiously. Trial by jury was introduced in 1811 and the British built a network of roads. Then in 1833 they introduced wide-ranging reforms. English was made the official language and the administration was reformed. Slavery was abolished in 1844. In the early 19th century British grew large plantations for coffee. Exports on Ceylonese coffee boomed and labourers from India were brought down to work in these plantations. However from the 1870s the coffee crop was devastated by the slow spread of a fungus called hemileia vastratrix. In the late 19th century tea replaced coffee as the main Ceylonese crop.
Let me tell you when the rebelling started against British. During the Sinhala-Muslim riots which erupted in 1915, I had an opportunity to contribute in good measure in the cause of the Sinhalese, upholding justice and righteousness. Stoning of a ‘Bakthi Geetha’ program at Kandy on a Vesak Poya Day, the most important day in the Buddhist calendar was the root cause of the riots which took a violent turn as the days progressed.
Governor Robert Chalmers, Commandant Malcolm and Government Agent - Colombo Fraser in league with the white planters used the most inhuman and cruel methods to control the riots. The cruelty and ferocity of the methods adopted by the white rulers showed the farce of the civil rights and good governance of which they preached constantly.
The double standards of the white rulers was exposed and they stood stark naked in the eyes of the civilminded people. The governor acted like a tyrant and went to the extent of declaring Martial Law in all parts of the country excluding Northern and Eastern provinces. Battalions of Punjabi and Marathi soldiers were brought down from India to enforce the draconian Martial Law to the dismay of the people!
We had no alternative against the assault launched by the local imperialist white agents against our freedom and livelihood other than presenting our misery to the so called citadel of freedom – England.
Leaders of the Sinhalese assembled in secret and made a plan to write of a petition to the British Monarch, providing a detailed account of the cruel and inhuman treatment used on the local population in a convincing and comprehensive manner. I decided to step forward to carry this petition in person to England in spite of the pains and perils involved. A special shoe with a false bottom was made to hide the petition to avoid confiscation on body search and I was successful.
I was filled with a sense of patriotism and I was energized to place the nation before self and I boarded the ship, carrying that precious cargo - the petition. My life was at stake, but I wanted the best for my people.
On reaching England I met Boner Low, the Parliamentary Secretary for External Affairs at the chamber of the parliament and presented the petition along with a descriptive account of the inhuman, cruel and autocratic rule unleashed by the Governor and his accomplices in Ceylon.
My mission ended in success, repressive laws including Martial Law were withdrawn. Our accomplishment was great indeed in that it brought immediate relief to our people who suffered immensely under the feet of autocratic rulers. During the heydays of the cruelties done by the local colonial masters a number of patriots had to pay by their lives on behalf of the country. Notable among them are Edward Hendry Pedris, a rich young Buddhist, aged 26 who was shot to death after a farce trial, Don Francis Alahakoon, his nephew Don James Amarakoon and W Peter De Seram; all hung at the Welikada prison. Our mission brought an end to the miscarriage of justice carried out by the British and as a result a number of individuals who awaited the death penalty and counted bars in the cells were unconditionally released. I did my best to present our cases and as a result the cruel Governor Charmers and the commandant Faser had to backpack back to England.
I returned to the island in 1919 and I got involved in politics and I founded Ceylon National Congress. I was able to boldly present a no-confidence motion against the Governor Manning at the constitutional council in 1920.
In 1921, I contested the election conducted to select members for the constitutional council. I represented the Colombo division from the Western Province and Donald Obeysekera, a man of wealth and power was my opponent. I roamed home with a majority of 3528, polling 5998 out of 9526 valid votes. I became a member of the first ever constitutional council established in the country.
However, there were so many comrades along with me in this freedom movement, and we got independence in 1948 February 4th.
A simple advice I would like to give you…
Be courageous. It is by taking the initiative and not backing from challenges that I am now called the “Lion of Kotte”. Power, wealth comes after you when you follow the path of humbleness and education. When you take something from your mother land, don’t ever forget to give back. That is vital. I learnt at the ‘Colombo academy’, which now you call ‘Royal College’, I then went to Law College and went to England and did my barristers at ‘Middle Temple Law College’. I have taken the proper path of education to take up politics and fight for our country. It is with the combination of truly philosophical and brave minds and voices that we were able to grant ourselves freedom from the chains that locked us up.
When the sky was filled with dots of gunfire We stood up and held our hands tight We fought for what was right To bring back justice, peace and serenity Be brave my sons and daughters For this country is yours Stand up and fight for yourselves Stand up and fight for our motherland Long live Ceylon, Edward Walter Perera Written by Devuni Goonewardene email any feedback to devuni@gmail.com