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| Sunday, 30 April 2006 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Dr. N. M. Perera: The first Leftist Mayor of Colombo by Stanley E. Abeynayake It is to the credit of the LSSP that their Leader Dr. N. M. Perera, B.Sc. Econ., Ph.D, D.Sc. (London) was the first Leftist Mayor of Colombo. He first became a member of the Colombo Municipal Council to represent the Borella Ward, the most important local authority in the country on 17 July, 1948. Again he won the same ward on 20 December, 1949. After winning the Borella ward on 24 July, 1954, he was elected Mayor on 13 August, 1954. Due to various sinister manoeuvres of Sir John Kotelawala's, UNP government Dr. N. M. Perera was removed from the Mayoralty on 28 February, 1956, exactly fifty years ago. No sooner than he resumed duties as the Mayor, he took steps to eradicate bribery and corruption that was rampant in the municipal administration. Then he took meaningful steps to launch housing schemes in the city, slum clearance work, a practical scheme to keep the city clean and make Colombo the model garden city municipality in the east Asia. He did away with the private omnibus system within the municipal limits and replaced it by the trolley-bus service. Dispensaries on both the western system of medicine and ayurvedic system were opened up in almost every ward. By adopting a methodical budget he was able to save Rs. 46,000 from the first budget itself for the welfare of the municipal council. He paved the way for the ownership of houses by tenants who were in occupation of them for over 30 years. A separate unit was set up to repair rented at houses that were neglected by errant landlords. He also had in mind a plan to organise a Colombo municipal bus service cum suburban transport service by utilising the city funds and part of the revenue of Kolonnawa, Wattala, Dehiwela, Mount-Lavinia and Kotte local authorities. That was a challenge to capitalist bus mudalalis - bus owners or bus magnates. His progressive work was anathema to the then ruling UNP government headed by Premier Sir John Kotelawala. The first step in the conspiracy was the enticing of Anthony Marcellus, Communist Party member for Kotahena to the UNP. T. Rudra, the Deputy Mayor resigned and a UNPer, R. Premadasa, formerly of the Labour Party became the Deputy. At the UNP Headquarters - 'Siri Kotha' an emergency meeting was held by Sir Ukwatte Jayasundera, QC, the Party Secretary. At the proposal of Sir John, a resolution was passed to remove the Colombo Mayor, Dr. N. M. Perera. The UNP hierarchy agreed that he should be ousted to preserve the prestige of the Party. With the result a motion to that effect was passed on October 1st, 1955 by the Municipality by a majority of two votes. The Municipal Commissioner, William Gopallawa subsequently the Governor-General and later President - of the Republic of Sri Lanka presided over the meeting to expel Dr. Perera. A second meeting was also convened on October 17 for the said purpose. Dr. Perera raised a point of order for summoning the council by not giving due notice of seven days to the councillors before such assembly. The Municipal Commissioner, William Gopallawa upheld the objection of Dr. Perera. However, the UNP was adamant in expelling the Mayor. They therefore filed a writ of mandamus application in the Supreme Court against the Municipal Commissioner's decision. It came up for hearing before a Bench of the Chief Justice H. H. Basnayake and Justice M. F. S. Pulle. They quashed the order made by the Municipal Commissioner. They also ordered on February 8, 1956 that a meeting of the Municipal Council should be held within 14 days of the order to consider the expulsion of the Mayor. Accordingly, the meeting was held on 21st and Bernard Soysa, MMC spoke for hours and hours till late at-night against the injustice of the wicked proposal to oust the Mayor. However, on February 28, that motion was passed by a majority of two
votes. Dr. N. M. Perera ceased to be the Mayor of Colombo. |
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