Seyed Alavi Mowlana:

Union leader who stood the test of time

by L.S. Ananda Wedaarachchi

Man’s foremost duty is to serve his fellow citizens, veteran trade unionist and Western Province Governor Alavi Mowlana said.

Mowlana who took the centre stage in the working people’s struggles has gone through challenging and difficult times in his political career. The name and life of Alavi Mowlana has gone through a political spectrum from being a trade unionist, member of the Municipal Council, Member of Parliament, Deputy Minister, Minister and finally as the Governor of the Western Province.

In an interview with the Sunday Observer he said that it was the selfless social activities of Dr. S.A. Wickramasinghe and his family during 1930s that inspired him to work for the well being of the working class. Since my mother was from Weligama we had developed a close relationship with the Wickramasinghe family, especially with his son Suren, when I came to Colombo for my studies. I came under the influence of another Communist and a trade unionist Pieter Keuneman. “I took part in all the trade union activities with him and this eventually helped me identify with the working class activism, he said.

At that time the working class was at the mercy of capitalist and its agents the bureaucracy. It was a great and brave struggle launched by leftist trade union leaders such as Dr. S.A. Wickramasinghe, Philip Gunawardene, Dr. N.M. Perera, Pieter Keuneman led the struggle to liberate the working class from the clutches of the company owners.

Reminiscing his past Mowlana said the Senior SLFP politician M.P. de Z. Soysa introduced him to SLFP leader S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike and other SLFPers such as T.B. Illangaratna and T.B. Tennekoon. At that time Borella SLFP organiser Dr. W.D. de Silva was in the forefront of the SLFP trade union activities. I also joined him and continued with Union activities, he said.

Despite our being in the Opposition during the period 1965-1970, I still continued with my trade union activities. We led various protest campaigns to win the workers’ rights.

“Our people were very often manhandled by our opponents and were not allowed even to conduct May Day rallies.

In one of our protest campaigns in Colombo, some of our party supporters were attacked by various groups. I had a narrow escape while two of our supporters including one Chalosingho lost his life.

As his body was not released Dr. Colvin R. de Silva, Dr. N.M. Perera, Pieter Keuneman, trade unionist D.G. William, Vivienne Gunawardena and I launched protest campaigns, opposite the UNP headquarters, “Sirikotha”. This prompted the police to release the body the very next day, he said.

Mowlana said some UNP supporters attacked the SLFP supporters during the height of their power in 1977. The properties of several SLFPers were burnt down and some of them were even barred from going to their workplaces. He said that he too lost all his belongings, and his house, property and the means of livelihood. Under the leadership of Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike the SLFPers and other activists re-organised the Party to secure victory in 1994, he said.

Asked about his recent protest campaigns against some recent JVP and UNP rallies, Mowlana said that the Mahinda Rajapaksa government needs to be protected in the interest of the nation.

It was President Rajapaksa who eliminated terrorism from this country.

The thirty-year old terrorist war destroyed precious lives and property. The President showed to the world how to deal with terrorists and ensure an everlasting solution to the country’s ills.

The numerous development programs implemented by the UPFA government will undoubtedly transform Sri Lanka into a prosperous nation, he said.

Referring to his six-decade long trade union career, he said he faced immense difficulties.

My brother and brother-in-law were killed by our political opponents. I was stabbed in Colombo while being engaged in a trade union demonstration, he said.