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| Sunday, 17 August 2003 |
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Remembering Rev. Canon W. Edwin Botejue : First clergyman legislator by Vernon Botejue 13th August 2003 marked the 35th death anniversary of the late Rev. Canon W. Edwin Botejue, priest, politician and patriot whose revered memory is recalled for his outstanding contribution, towards the good of the people in the field of religion and politics, which certainly earned for him the name and fame of a devout Anglican priest and a true patriot of Sri Lanka of the last century.
Canon Botejue who nursed the desire to follow in the footsteps of his father the Rev. Welatantrige Louis Botejue of Kotte however did not do so till the death of his father as he had an intense dislike of the detestable racist policies of the Church Missionary Society (C.M.S.) during the colonial era. Canon Botejue has noted in his memoirs (not published) that on the death of his father a voice within him kept dinning in his ear to step into the shoes of his father and that his response was positive: He decided to take to a less worldly profession and share the vision of service through the ministry of the Anglican Church in the name of the God of his faith and serve his fellow beings than to enter the more popular and lucrative legal profession for which he was then preparing himself. During the British colonial era, a Ceylonese convert to Christianity was called a 'Native Christian' by the C.M.S. and was segregated to a Church called a 'Native Church'. Even the priests were referred to as "Native Priests" and had to endure racial discrimination. Canon Botejue valiantly rose against this racist attitude of the C.M.S. and fought for equal rights for the Sinhala and Tamil clergy as well as for the lay people and brought about radical changes in the administration of the Anglican Church in Ceylon. It was fortunate, that at this point of time, the Lord Bishop of Colombo the Rt. Rev. Dr. R. S. Copplestone was also strongly opposed to the racist policy of the C.M.S. and stood head and shoulders above the rest of the Anglican clergy. Canon Botejue in his memoirs recalls an incident when His Lordship Rt. Rev. Dr. Copplestone at a public meeting in the Parish of Mirihana refused to take his seat on the stage till the (native) parish priest of Mirihana was invited and accommodated on the stage with his Lordship. Canon Botejue was a versatile writer and was the author of several books including "Many of Magdala", "The Soul in Paradise" and "Cyril Sylvester" which satirised the racial policy of the C.M.S. and received wide acclaim in England. In later times when the question of the "Church Union" arose Canon Botejue accepted office of president of the Anglo-Catholic Union of Ceylon for some time and expressed his point of view candidly and lucidly on this controversial issue through many publications. He held the view that high Anglo-Catholic principles cannot and should not be compromised for the sake of mere church administration. It was only in 1911 that the British Raj conceded the principle of elected representation to the Legislative Council of Ceylon that was presided over by Governor Sir William Manning and dominated by an official majority who acted on the direction of the Governor and voted according to his wish on all important matters concerning the state. In December 1911 Ponambalam (later) Sir Ponnambalam was elected on a restricted franchise to the Legislative Council. It was a decade later in 1921 that the colonial regime extended the principle of elected representation to the Legislative Council by granting the right to the nine provinces to elect a single representative from each province. It was at this point of time in 1921 when Canon Botejue was the Vicar of St. Luke's Church Ratnapura and the Kelani Valley Pastorate that leading Buddhist Monks and eminent persons of all communities including Meedeniya Adigar and A.F. (later) Sir Francis Mollamure in the Sabaragamuwa electorate requested Rev. Father Botejue (as he was then known) to consent, to contest the Sabaragamuwa Seat in the Legislative Council of Ceylon. However he did not consent to do so till he had the blessings of the Church of his faith, his brother priests and the permission of the Archdeacon De Winton who approved his acceptance of the request to stand for a political election. Canon Botejue (then Rev. Botejue) achieved the distinction of winning the Sabaragamuwa Seat, a predominantly Buddhist electorate, and entered the Legislative Council of Ceylon in the robes of an Anglican priest. Thus Canon Botejue certainly was the first priest to enter a Legislative Assembly in this country and perhaps was the trail blazer lighting the path for others to follow. In the Parliament of today sits a Buddhist prelate Baddegama Samitha Thera elected as a member of the Galle District and representing a left political party. The late Canon Harold de Mel in an article published in April 1983 in a Newspaper (not of the Lake House Group) on the subject of "Priests & Politics" expressing his point of view observed, When Father Botejue contested a seat he acceded to a request made by the people to become their representative in the Legislature and he was not the nominee of any political party. He was concerned with "pure politics". Now the situation is completely different. People are absorbed in "party politics" which can also be called "power politics". Canon de Mel added "From primitive times, until very recently, priests were needed to take an active part in politics. Now as medical science has advanced we find that general practitioners do not undertake surgical operations which should be done by specialists. In the same way, priests should realise that there are politicians qualified to rule and therefore their role has to be different. Both priests and lay people are perplexed today as to how clergy should conduct themselves in political matters. Perhaps my differentiation of 'pure politics' from 'power politics' may be helpful". Canon Botejue himself, as Canon de Mel had noted, did not represent a political party. He was the nominee of and had the support of the leading monks and all communities not only in the Sabaragamuwa electorate but also the country at large. He had the backing of eminent politicians of the day including D.B. (later) Sir D. B. Jayatillaka, D.S. (later) Hon. D. S. Senanayake, E.A.P. (later) Sir Edwin Wijeratne and most of all D. R. Wijewardene and his powerful press. In addition to the popularity that Canon Botejue enjoyed at the relevant time as a well-known writer he attributed his success in politics in particular to a series of articles on social and political subjects which he contributed to the "Ceylon Daily News" prior to the grant of the franchise to educated Ceylonese who comprised the voters for the first time in the colonial era. Canon Botejue was a close friend and associate of Mr. D. R. Wijewardene, founder of the Lake House Group of Newspapers who supported him in his political career and the struggle for political independence and social reforms during the last century. After the grant of independence and the creation of the Senate under the new constitution Mr. D. R. Wijewardene made a fervent endeavour through a series of correspondence to persuade Canon Botejue to enter the Senate but he declined the honour with grateful thanks. On the death of Canon Botejue on 13th August 1968, glowing tributes were paid to his memory in Parliament. The Leader of the House then Hon. C. P. de Silva said, "Canon Botejue fought for equality of all races and also for the abandonment of special seats in churches. He was an ardent advocate of constitutional reforms whilst seeking better conditions for his electorate. He also worked indefatigably for the eradication of parangi that dreaded disease. Though a Christian cleric he stood up for the rights and privileges of the Buddhist Monks". Hon. M. P. de Z. Siriwardene on behalf of the S.L.F.P. and the entire opposition then said, Canon Botejue fought for the issue of free Railway warrants for Buddhist Monks when there was an agitation for it. He also fought for the rights of those in the gemming industry which was part and parcel of the Sabaragamuwa electorate. The Rt. Rev. A. R. Graham Campbell Lord Bishop of Colombo paid the most memorable tribute when His Lordship unveiled the portrait of Canon Botejue on the occasion marking the Golden Jubilee of the Canon's ordination, "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. May the example of such as Canon Botejue continue to inspire the generations of the future". |
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