Bandaranaike-Chelva Pact:

Most genuine attempt to solve Tamil problem - S.D. Bandaranayake

A gravel path off the Gampaha-Yakkala road, leads to a well-ventilated mansion, popularly known in the area as Madu Gas Walawwa. As for the name sake, the access road to the Walawwa which stood the test of the time and would have witnessed many decisive political discussions as well as visits paid by politicians of generations is leafed by rows of Madu trees neatly grown on either side of the road.

The mansion provides shelter for generations of politicians and has always been the centre of political activities of the province. Here, I met senior politician and statesman S.D. Bandaranayake, an active member of the first SLFP Government. He was reading the Beijing Review which he has been subscribing to since 1952.

Reminiscent of his maiden speech in parliament which he made in Sinhala although majority of members spoke in English; the speech was on the position of Sinhala and Tamil speaking people in Sri Lanka verses English speaking people.

In the lengthy speech which took two and a half hours, Bandaranayake analyzed the remuneration paid to English speaking people and those paid to Sinhalese and Tamil speaking people.

Although the Speaker requested Bandaranayake to translate the speech into English, he declined the request on the ground that it would only be useful to Singleton who was appointed member of the Parliament and that he would be pleased, if possible, to speak in Tamil.

In 1956 on the eve of the formation of a Government, Bandaranayake posed two questions to Prime Minister S.W.R.D Bandaranaike. The first was to unit the parties in the Parliament and form a Government and the second to absorb people who speak Sinhala and Tamil into the administrative structure.

His request was to make these issues priorities on the agenda of the new government. Upon receiving negative answers, Bandaranayake declined to accept any office in the government.

Subsequently, he was appointed Secretary General of the party, Secretary General of the Youth Organisation and Chairman of the Trade Union. One of the watersheds in national question was the UNP's march to Kandy demanding the immediate abrogation of the Bandaranaike Chelvanayagam pact (BC pact). The BC pact was the first attempt by the Sri Lankan government to share power with the minorities.

The march was led by J. R. Jayewardene with 1000-5000 supporters. The task to halt the march was entrusted to the Secretary General of the party, S.D Bandaranayake was one of the architects of the BC pact. Bandaranayake sent a spy who reported to him that the march would reach Imbulgoda junction the following day.

Bandaranayake got into his Volks Wagon bearing the serial number 1 Sri 1961 which was presented to him by the people of Gampaha which still he posses. Dr. M.C. Chandrasena's car was also parked blocking the road.

At an opportune place on the Gampaha- Kandy road at Imbulgoda junction where two hillocks narrowed the path, Bandaranayake parked the car across the road. He came to the appointed spot with eleven others and placed five persons on each hillock.

The men were armed with (thambili comba) king coconutswithout kernels. When the march approached the junction, coconuts were thrown onto the marching UNP supporters and panic-stricken marchers dispersed into nearby shops and houses.

Thus, the long march to Kandy was halted at Imbulgoda junction. IGP came by helicopter to witness a gathering of thousands of SLFP supporters after learning about this though UNP supporters were not aware of the fact that only eleven people were brought in for the operation.

Recollecting the incident, Bandaranayake put the blame on the system of divide and rule handed down by colonial masters. He stopped the march as it would cause commotion in Kandy if it reached Kandy. He wanted to protect the people marching with the then Opposition Leader J.R. Jayewardene.

He firmly believes that the present conflict would not arise if there was a united government and if the BC pact came into effect; it is the best solution and the most genuine attempt among all the attempts to solve the ethnic conflict so far.

Bandaranayake believes that reactionary forces came into the picture and masterminded the boycotting the Cabinet meeting by ministers led by W. Dahanayake. The Ministers included in the conspiracy were C.P de Silva, Marikkar, Wimala Wijewardene and others.

On September 26, 1959, Prime Minister S.W.R.D Bandaranaike invited the US Ambassador to have breakfast with him. Soon after the Ambassador left, came monk Somarama and shot the Prime Minister to death. They also found an extra robe of a Buddhist monk on the verandah.

He stated that S.W.R.D dead would be a strong person than S.W.R.D living. He believes that reactionary forces were behind most of the political assassination including assassination of S.W.R.D Bandaranaike and the killing of Premadasa, Lalith Athulathmudali and Gamini Dissanayake.

Speaking on attempts made by various governments to solve the national question, Bandaranayake was of the view that the government of former Prime Minister late Sirimavo Bandaranaike made a genuine attempt to solve the national question. When the Jaffna library was burnt down, Madam Bandaranaike sent him to Jaffna to look into the incident.

Remembering the black July in 1983, Bandaranayake stated how he visited the Tamil speaking people in Wellawatte. He met President J. R Jayewardene in the company of Premadasa, Gamini Dissanayake and Lalith Athulathmudali. He asked J.R Jayewardene, 'Why don't you impose curfew immediately because people are looting properties of Tamil people."

In the evening J.R Jayewardene imposed curfew.

One day J.R Jayewardene called him and J.R, was with a list of JVP's demands and was ticking off the list one by one. Bandaranayake states that that night, Wijedasa Liyanarachchi was killed.

Wijedasa was killed but he appeared for non-JVPers and Prince Gunasekara had to leave the country to escape from persecution. Compared to BC pact, Bandaranayake was of the view that Provincial Councils were a white elephant. The Village committee system was more effective than Provincial Councils.

Though Chandrika Bandaranaike openly declared that a solution to the national question would be based on federal structure, S.D. thinks the proposals fell short of a kind of devolution envisioned by her father in the BC pact.

Bandaranayake believes that President is interested in forming a national government which was articulated by him way back in 1957. He reminded that the meeting was held at his house with Ranil Wickremesinghe and Gamini Dissanayake on national unity in 1997. The meeting was organized by trade union leader Martin Amerasiri.

However, Bandaranayake was removed from the party following the meeting. At the meeting, Bandaranayake suggested that the two parties should join hands to solve this problem.

Bandaranayake firmly believes that the national government would facilitate in finding a solution to the problem. He warns that Prabhakaran would kill all those who would support the idea of forming a national government. Formation of a national government and commencement of negotiations should be the strategy in addressing political issues.

Bandaranayake also agrees that extremist elements and terrorists should be removed and therefore military action is also necessary. This is exactly why President Rajapaksa's approach to solve the problem is effective.

He reminds vivid memories of visiting and staying in China where he learnt politics from Chairman Mao Tse Thung. He was detained three years and nine months in prison in 1971. When he appeared before the bench of five Judges, the Chairman of the bench H.N.B. Fernando questioned why he wore Mao's batch. Bandaranayake explained that it was Mao who brought freedom and peace to China.

He expects politicians to unite and support the President. As for the electoral system, Bandaranayake is of the view that the hybrid electoral system with characteristic from the PR system and the First Pass and the Post system should be adopted to suit the country.

One of the memorable political activities that S.D engaged was the demonstration held in Jaffna by Palmyrah toddy tappers, the depressed caste, against caste discrimination.

***

Milestones in political career

S.D. Bandaranayake was educated at St. Thomas College, Mt. Lavinia and St. Thomas College Matara and Tranvenkor Agricultural University in India. In 1951 he contested on the SLFP ticket to Gampaha constituency and was elected as one of the nine members (he is the only living member).

He travelled extensively in 1956 on special leave granted by former Prime Minister late S.W.R.D Bandaranaike and visited the Socialist block of countries including USSR, China and East Germany.

He laid the foundation for the Rubber ‘Rice pact between China and Sri Lanka.’ He is also a pioneer in establishing diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and China.

He was also instrumental in launching development projects in Gampaha. Construction of a Factory for Steel Corporation and upgrading 72 schools to the status of Maha Vidyalaya and developing of leading public schools in Gampaha such as Gampaha Bandaranaike College and the Chandra Jothi Vidyalaya, Yakkala.

In 1982, he proposed for the abrogation of the divide and rule established under the West Minister Parliamentary system and adapting a united Government and expulsion of him from the party due to misinterpretation of the proposal. He is the only surviving member of 101 MPs who represented Parliament in 1952.

[email protected]