Governor of the Western Provincel and veteran trade unionist, Alavi Moulana

Alavi Moulana recalls May Days of yesteryear:

Serving the working masses

The name of veteran trade unionist, Alavi Moulana will never be erased from the hearts and minds of the people, considering the tireless service he has rendered for over six decades for the well-being of the working masses in the country. Moulana had his education at Zahira College, Maradana and at St. Peter’s College, Bambalapitiya. His only intention was to serve humanity and therefore he devoted his life for trade union activities.

Moulana started his trade union career at a tender age and during the past 60 years has rendered a yeoman service to the working class.

He has served the public as a Member of Parliament, the Deputy Minister of Information, Minister of Local Government, Minister of Labour and is presently serving as the Governor of the Western Provincel.

Moulana once said that he is engaged in trade union activities to win the employment rights of workers. As a trade unionist, he also organises May Day rallies for the SLFP. He started his political career as a member of the SLFP. At that time the party was led by Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike who took over after the death of Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike.

In an interview with the Sunday Observer yesterday, Moulana said arrangements for the country’s first post-war May Day to be held at the Colombo Town Hall premises on May 1 were finalised two weeks ago.

“This year’s May Day is a unique one, since this is the first May Day ceremony to be conducted after the country was fully liberated from terrorism. It was held under the theme “Power to the Workplace (Wedabimata Balaya), Power to the factory (Kamhalata Javaya) and Peace to the Motherland (Mawbimata Saamaya)”, he said.

He said over 70 powerful trade unions in the country made their representation at the May Day ceremony and a large number of people irrespective of their party policies joined the ceremony. The majority came to pledge their solidarity with the President, the three Armed Forces and the Police for the tireless service they rendered to win the three-decade-old war.

He said President Mahinda Rajapaksa made several important announcements with regard to the salaries and wages of the working class.

History

Speaking on the history of May Day rallies in the country, Moulana related a number of incidents that took place at May Day rallies of the past.

He said the SLFP’s 1970 May Day rally was one of the most memorable that he has ever taken part in.

With Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaika

“As our party received information that the ruling UNP, led by Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake would be defeated comfortably by

Ms. Sirimavo Bandaranaike at the 1970 election, we strengthened party activities at grass roots level”. He said SLFP party branches organised May Day rallies in almost all parts of the country.

The main rally was held in Colombo with the procession commencing from Campbell Park around 12 noon, reaching the venue via Borella and Maradana. People took nearly 14 hours to reach the venue at 2.00 am on the following day.

It was the first occasion that a May Day rally in Sri Lanka had paraded the streets for a period as long as 14 hours. Thousands of people from all parts of the country participated in the rally. They held placards and shouted slogans, demanding that Sirimavo Bandaranaike be brought to power. “Although the Police was in the habit of obstructing our rallies and meetings, they did not obstruct the crowd for shouting slogans since they too realised that Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake would lose the election”. Recalling the March 1965 General Election, Moulana said the SLFP was defeated and Dudley Senanayake formed a government. Although the SLFP was badly defeated by the UNP, Mrs. Bandaranaike started to strengthen the party activities from the grass roots level.

Our members, including Mrs. Bandaranaike travelled all over the country and met party supporters. We also organised political meetings. This helped our party to regain power in 1970.

“Although we were in the Opposition during 1965-1970, I did not give up my trade union activities. During this period I was engaged in various protest campaigns to win workers’ rights”.

“Our people were badly handled by opponents and we were not even allowed to conduct May Day rallies.

“Once we conducted a protest campaign in Colombo and some of our party members were badly injured due to sudden attacks launched by various parties. Although I escaped death, two of our men including a prominent supporter by the name of Chalosingho died”.

“As his body was not released, a number of prominent SLFPers and LSSPers such as Dr. Colvin R. de Silva, Dr. N.M. Perera, Peter Kieuneman, D.G. William and Vivian Gunawardana and myself conducted protest campaigns opposite the then UNP Headquarters at Sirikotha in Kollupitiya.

This prompted the Police to release the body the following day. When the LSSP and the Communist Party left the Government of Mrs. Bandaranaike in 1975, she called for a top level meeting to discuss matters pertaining to the departure of the LSSP and the Communist Party.

The meeting was attended by stalwarts such as Maithripala Senanayaka, T.B. Illangaratne, Dr. N.M. Perera and A.P. Jayasuriya.

“However, due to certain national issues Mrs. Bandaranaike lost the election and the UNP under the leadership of J.R. Jayewardene obtained a resounding victory. Jayewardene became the Prime Minister with a five sixth majority in 1977. The results paved the way for the UNP to introduce a new Constitution and also to appoint an Executive President in the country.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Alavi Moulana at a May Day rally

“Although the UNP won the election with a huge majority, some party loyalists attacked SLFP supporters. The houses of many SLFPers were burnt down and some of them were not even allowed to go to their work-places.

“Mrs. Bandaranaike was not discouraged by the election results. After several months she organised party activities at the grass roots level. She called all SLFP stalwarts including area party organisers to her Rosmead Place residence and urged them to work hard to win the next election.

“When our party organised the 1977 May Day rally, the Police banned it without any reason and as a result we had to hold the 1977 May Day meeting at the SLFP Headquarters at Darley Road in Colombo.

“As there was a large crowd, the Police did not allow us to conduct the meeting and dispersed the crowd by using tear gas.

“Colvin R. de Silva received spine injuries during this tear gas attack and had to be rushed to Colombo Hospital Accident Ward”.

Moulana said he went to the Accident Ward to see Colvin R. de Silva and inquired from him about the accident.

He said the culture of banning May Day rallies was brought to an end by the SLFP Government which came into power in 1994 under the leadership of Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. On the political career of the present President, he said President Mahinda Rajapaksa started his political career in the 1970s and made great sacrifices to develop party activities from grass roots level.

President Rajapaksa pioneered the opening of many party branches in every district in the country.

Moulana also mentioned the `Workers Charter’, introduced by President Rajapaksa during his tenure as the Minister of Labour.

The `Workers Charter’ focuses on the job security of private sector workers and other employment rights. The then Labour Minister introduced it after discussion with trade unions, employers and employees according to the guidelines of the International Labour Organisation. Speaking on the July 1980 strike, Governor Moulana said that it was the very first occasion in the country when over 100,000 workers lost their employment within a few days due to taking part in a protest strike. The strike was organised by workers demanding the Government to increase their salaries by Rs. 10 a day.

“I also took part in a demonstration which was held in Colombo along with workers and with a number of party stalwarts such as Vasudeva Nanayakkara and D.L.G. Dharmasekara”. The demonstration was attacked. Twelve of us were injured. I was attacked with cycle chains. Many of us were taken to hospital. The majority of workers who lost their employment following the July strike were reinstated soon after the SLFP came to power after the 1994 election”.

Recalling past events, Moulana said with the help of a few other trade unions and workers, he organised a demonstration in 1988, demanding the Government not to reduce workers’ leave from 42 days to 21 days.

“Although it was a peaceful demonstration, we had to call it off because an unidentified gang came and disrupted our activities.

“Many of us were injured and were taken to hospital.”

On his political career, Moulana said he first entered Parliament in 1994 under the leadership of Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.

“I held the portfolios of Deputy Minister of Information, Minister of Local Government, Minister of Labour and Acting Minister of Media and Information during my 10-year tenure in Parliament.”

Asked whether he could play a better role as a Parliamentarian than a Governor, he said as a Parliamentarian he could always be with the common man and help solve their day-to-day problems. Recalling the past, Moulana said his involvement in politics goes back to the days of Dr. S.A. Wickremesinghe who hailed from the village. The other prominent politicians of that era were Dr. Badi-udin-Mohamad, S.W.R,D. Bandaranaike, T.B. Illangaratne and Maithripala Senanayake. “I have been in politics for the past five decades.”

He said the SLFP is a party with a bright future. The party was formed by the late S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike and was developed and strengthened by Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Chandrika Bandaranaike and President Mahinda Rajapaksa. He said due to the numerous development programs that were introduced by President Mahinda Rajapaksa over the last few years, people kept their faith in him and re-elected him to power.

Governor Moulana also talked about the thirty-year-old war in the country which destroyed valuable lives and properties. “President Rajapaksa showed the world how to defeat terrorism and bring an everlasting solution to the war,” he said.

Moulana also spoke a few words on other trade unionists who assisted him in his trade union activities.

“We had high calibre trade union leaders from the day we started our trade union activities. Some were Dr. N.M. Perera, Leslie Gunawardene and T.B. Illangaratne. Today we lack trade union leaders of that calibre. They had the interest of the country at heart”.

“I too faced immense difficulties during my trade union career. My brother and brother-in-law were killed by political opponents. I was stabbed in the heart in Colombo 27 years ago while being engaged in a trade union demonstration.”

Asked whether he would enter active politics again, Moulana said he has done enough political activities as a Municipal Councillor, Parliamentarian, Minister and presently as the Governor of the Western Province.

“Former President Chandrika Kumaratunga could not take me back to Parliament due to certain problems with regard to the National List slots and appointed me as a Governor for a short period.

“However, I could serve my people well as a Governor and the present President extended my services after considering my duties which I always carry out for the betterment of not only people in the Western Province, but also in other areas.

“I think I will continue as Governor with the blessings of the President and the people.”

Pix: Vipula Amarasinghe and ANCL Library