The Leftist Movement and the Catholic community in Sri Lanka:

The LSSP stabilises in Catholic Negombo

W. T. A. Leslie FERNANDO
 

Santiago Fernando	Dr. Hector Fernando

Although during the war days, the LSSP cadres in Negombo engaged in party activities on the sly, it was well-known in the area that Dr. Hector Fernando and Santiago Fernando were their leaders. Then how come that the Police did not arrest the duo, when the LSSP was proscribed? Did the Police consider that they were non-entities when the LSSP was proscribed? Or did the Police feel that they could not make any impact on Catholic Negombo called the `Little Rome'? History would decide.

In 1942 Ted Silva, the member for Negombo in the State Council passed away. There was a bye-election and four strong Catholic candidates and one Buddhist, H. de Z. Siriwardena contested the seat. Siriwardena was associated with the `Sinhala Maha Sabha' led by S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike. By this time the LSSP in Negombo had made its mark in the area and it was involved in the issues that affected the commoners.

The LSSP branch in Negombo decided to support H. de Z. Siriwardena as he was the most progressive candidate and the LSSP cadres worked hard for him. At that time the Negombo seat in the State Council included both Katana and a good part of Divulapitiya, and Siriwardena could muster majority of Buddhist votes. Ultimately H. de Z. Siriwardena won the Negombo seat.

Although the authorities did not take any action against the LSSPers in Negombo, the Catholic Church did not stand aloof. It transferred Santiago Fernando to St. Sebastian's Catholic School in Mavalgama, Waga, which was about 60 miles away, to curb his political activities in Negombo. As Mavalgama was close to Boralugoda, this was a blessing in disguise to Santiago Fernando as he could engage in secret party activities with more vigour. Fernando could now be in Negombo only during the weekends. LSSP by this time was well established in Negombo and it did not make much difference.

The elections for the Negombo Urban Council which was postponed for two consecutive years because of the war was fixed for December 1943. As the LSSP was gaining popularity in Negombo, it decided to field several candidates.

In 1938 elections Santiago Fernando lost Kudapaduwa by just six votes because he had his relations in the ward. This time Dr. Hector Fernando decided to contest the Bolawalana ward, as he had his relations there. The LSSP put forward Ayur. Dr. D. B. Waidyasekera for the Hunupitiya ward that was contested by Dr. Hector Fernando in 1938. S. K. Manuel Kurera contested Maha Hunupitiya ward from the LSSP and E. John de Silva contested the Kurana ward as a sympathiser of the LSSP.

This time too Santiago Fernando contested the Kudapaduwa ward and the sitting member Peter Fernando contested the adjacent Sea Street ward. But Santiago Fernando was pitted against three other candidates T. David Mendis, a bus magnate, Victor Mathes, a landed proprietor and T. P. C. Carron, lawyer.

C. M. Fernando	H. de Z. Siriwardena

In the Bolawalana ward, Dr. Hector Fernando had to face one of his close relatives, up and coming lawyer C. M. Fernando. At Hunupitiya, D. B. Waidyasekera had to contest Laurie Mathes, the sitting member for 18 years. In Maha Hunupitiya, T. Thaha contested S. K. Manuel Kurera and in the Kurana ward, E. John Silva was opposed by Valentine Fernando, a popular school principal.

Voters

At that time the candidates were allotted various colours. The voters had to take the ballot paper to an enclosure and insert it to the box of the candidate they like. In this election, LSSP candidates selected Red the party colour. In the Kudapaduwa ward David Mendis too asked for red and he got it by drawing lots. So Santiago Fernando was allotted green. All the other candidates of the LSSP got the red colour.

Outsider

As several LSSP candidates were in the fray, the 1943 Negombo U. C. elections were very interesting. In Kudapaduwa, the match contest was between Santiago Fernando and David Mendis. In Bolawalana, the relations of Dr. Hector Fernando preferred their other relative C. M. Fernando as they did not like the Marxist LSSP. Although Hunupitiya ward was a stronghold of the LSSP, D. B. Waidyasekera was at a disadvantage as he was a Buddhist and an outsider, from Kalutara. Maha Hunupitiya comprised over 75% Muslims and Manuel Kurera had no hopes. John Silva got considerable support from Kurana.

At that time Santiago Fernando was serving in a school about 60 miles away from Negombo. Although his main opponent David Mendis was a Buddhist he was a rich bus magnate and he spent lot of money.

There was also some thuggery and the night before the polling day election office of Santiago Fernando was attacked. Besides Fernando had to face stern opposition from the Catholic clergy. Yet with all those problems Fernando polled over 600 votes and defeated David Mendis by a large majority of nearly 300 votes. The other two candidates Victor Mathes polled 48 votes and T. P. C. Carron got just 06 votes.

At Bollawalana C. M. Fernando got the votes of the majority of relations and all the nuns in numerous convents voted en masse for him. As a result Dr. Hector Fernando of the LSSP lost by over 200 votes. In Hunupitiya although D. B. Waidyasekera of the LSSP gave a good fight, Laurie Mathes defeated him by 100 odd votes. At Maha Hunupitiya Manuel Kurera polled only 43 votes and lost his deposit. John Silva too last Kurana by over 100 votes.

It so happened that all the LSSP candidates who contested the election from the party colour red lost and Santiago Fernando the sole LSSPer whose colour was green won the Kudapaduwa ward. This election was also not without some honour. At that time it was custom for the winning candidate to go round the ward in a procession.

As D. B. Waidyasekera had a prominent belly he was called `Bada Vedamahathmaya' in Negombo. In the victory procession of Laurie Mathes his supporters shouted the slogan:-

"Who was the Victor? Laurie Mathes the King! Who was vanquished? - The Ayurvedic physician! What was the cause of death - Sickness in the belly!!!! There was also a Jack of Hearts from the playing cards pack in the red colour ballot box of the LSSP candidate Manuel Kurera at Maha Hunupitiya.

The sole LSSP member Santiago Fernando became a prominent figure in the Negombo Urban Council. On a proposal made by Santiago Fernando, the proceeding in the Negombo U.C. began to be conducted in Sinhala and it became the first Urban Council to conduct proceedings in national languages.

The construction of the Negombo bus stand at the centre of the town, free school books, a free mid-day meal in schools, aid for ayurvedic dispensary, construction of houses to be given on low rent, implementation of the Rent Restriction Act, elimination of bribery and corruption were some of the measures Santiago Fernando put into effect through the Negombo U.C.

Dr. C. W. W. Kannangara	T. P. C. Carron

When Dr. C. W. W. Kannangara introduced the Free Education Scheme in the State Council in 1944, he had to face the severe opposition from the vested interests and reactionary elements.

It was the Catholic church that spearheaded the movement against free education. Dr. C. W. W. Kannangara had to create a strong public opinion in its favour after a sensational campaign all over the country to get the bill passed in the Sate Council

The LSSP branch in Negombo shouldered the campaign for free education in Catholic areas. The first meeting of Dr. C. W. W. Kannangara in Negombo in favour of free education was disrupted and sabotaged by some Catholic teachers. However later, the LSSPers in Negombo got down Dr. C. W. W. Kannangara and organised successful meetings in Catholic strongholds.

Santiago Fernando and Dr. Hector Fernando accompanied Dr. C. W. W. Kannangara and addressed meetings on behalf of Catholics in favour of free education. This went a long way to create a strong public opinion and tilt the scales. Santiago Fernando branded Catholic clergy who opposed free education that benefited the poor in the words of Christ `Wolves in Sheeps' clothing' as found in the Bible.

There was some opposition from extremist Catholics for the construction of the Buddha Mandiraya at the heart of the town. Its construction was initiated by the LSSPer D. B. Waidyasekera who was the Secretary of the Buddhist Association in Negombo. Santiago Fernando as a member of the Negombo U.C. cleared the impediments and the LSSP youths guarded the premises when the construction of the building was in progress.