Call to curb footwear import:

Lankan shoes fit for a queen

By Ananda KANNANGARA

Have you heard the story of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II being gifted with a Sri Lankan manufactured pair of shoes by the then Prime Minister Sir John Kotalawala? The incident took place at a reception, held at Temple Trees, Colombo, the official residence of the Sri Lankan Prime Minister.

It was in the year 1952, that the British Monarchy visited Sri Lanka for the first time with her husband Prince Philip. They came at the invitation of the then Sri Lankan Premier Sir John Kotalawala. After visiting several places in the country including the hill capital Kandy, the British Monarchy attended a dinner hosted by Premier Kotalawala in Colombo.

A few days prior to the Queen's arrival in Sri Lanka, Premier Sir John had a discussion with his close associates regarding a gift to be presented to the Queen as was customary. The Premier's associates made several proposals. Sir John ultimately decided to present the Queen with a pair of shoes, manufactured by local craftsmen.

The employees at Temple Trees informed the Prime Minister about a solitary shoemaker in Colombo. The shoemaker was an experienced craftsman who manufactured shoes for the Colombo community. The little shoe manufacturing factory was located at Slave Island in Colombo. He was none other than P.A.S. Perera, the founder of Ceylon Boot Manufacturers. He started the factory in the colonial era of 1923.

Shoe manufacturing Pix:Vipula Amarasinghe

Displaying shoes

Prime Minister Sir John without any security personnel rushed to Perera's shoe factory and ordered a pair of shoes for the Queen. Perera was so happy not because he got an order to make a pair of shoes for the British Monarchy, but for the chance to speak to the country's Head of State. The pair was finished after a few days. It was elegant and an ideal gift for Her Majesty.

Premier Sir John presented the gift to Queen Elizebeth on her arrival at Temple Trees. The Queen smilingly accepted the footwear and responded that she would present the premier with a headwear during his visit to the UK.

When the Queen invited Sir John to England, he too smilingly asked the Queen whether the invitation was extended purely to present the headwear. Sir John was unable to visit England as his successor the late S.W.R.D Bandaranaike became the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.

People who lived during that period still remember the story of this historical gift of a pair of shoes. The records indicate that the shop where Premier Sri John had purchased the special shoes still exists at Slave Island, currently called Kompannaveediya under the name `Ceylon Boot Manufacturers' (CBM).

The story was revealed to the Sunday Observer staffer by a customer Premachandra Rupasinghe, when the former made a brief visit to interview a local shoemaker. Rupasinghe, the proprietor of Multi Kitchens pantry furniture has been a customer of CBM for the past four decades.

Rupasinghe said popular politicians of yesteryear such as D.S Senanayaka, Dudly Senanayake, J.R. Jayewardene, R. Premadasa, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Anura Bandaranaike, Dr. N.M. Perera, Peter Keuneman and many others in successive Parliaments were in the habit of visiting the CBM to purchase footwear.

Although P.A.S. Perera started making shoes as a very small business enterprise during the colonial era of 1923 to cater to both the poor and the rich, the shoes were mainly purchased by the wealthy community in Colombo. CBM shoes were also used by a large number of Europeans who lived in the city and suburbs during the colonial era.

Percy Perera, a partner and grandson of the founder P. A. S. Perera said British Governors, their spouses and their families who lived in the island before the country gained independence in 1948 often visited his grandfather's small shop at Slave Island to purchase shoes and slippers.

He said CBM gives preference to hand manufactured shoes as many old customers still prefer hand manufactured shoes.

Our visit to Kelaniya to meet shoemakers was interesting. We met three small-scale shoe manufacturers, and talked to several workers and asked about their grievances, but they had no complaints. Unlike in the past, the CBM now makes a variety of shoes according to the needs of the people such as, office shoes, boots for farmers, shoes for sportsmen, safety shoes for factory workers, kitchen shoes, riding shoes, boots for motorcycle riders and dancing shoes for the younger generation.

He said special shoes are manufactured for the use of people who are under treatment for diabetes.

Percy said after the death of the founder, his son Christy Perera took over the shoe manufacturing business and that CBM is considered as the oldest shoemaker in the country and expects to celebrate their 100th year anniversary in the year 2023.

The Sunday Observer staffers last week visited several other places in the city and the suburbs to meet shoe manufacturers. The Chairman of 'Rite Shu' at Main Street, Colombo, Ameen Aslam Thowfeek said his factory manufactures a large quantity of footwear as people in the country prefer locally manufactured footwear.

I have a showroom in Colombo, but I never sell imported shoes, he said.

Aslam said although, some Sri Lankans prefer imported shoes the foreigners who visited his shop preferred locally manufactured shoes. The 'Rite Shu' manufactures a variety of footwear depending on the occasion, such as, bridal shoes, shoes for parties, daily wear, office wear and Kurutha shoes for Kandyan brides and bridegrooms. He said they have special shoes for brides, bridegrooms, bestmen, bride's maids, flower girls and page boys.

Aslam said local manufacturers made quality footwear as compared to the imported ones.

He said his company imported only a few parts such as the heel as technology is still not available in the country.

He said the Government should promote the local shoe manufacturing industry for two reasons, namely, to save foreign exchange and to provide employment to the local youth.

Most shoe manufacturers in the country request the authorities to stop importing inferior quality footwear from China.

In addition to the months of January, April, May and December footwear manufacturers get a brisk business almost every auspicious day of the year.

We have lots of customers in the city and the suburbs. They have been buying the locally manufactured items for the past 50 years. He said the Government should promote the local industry. In addition, it will help reduce the country's unemployment problem.

Aslam said the shoe manufacturing industry had been confined to Colombo for several decades. But, with the arrival of large scale shoe manufacturers to the country after 1977 with the open economy, the industry expanded to several other main cities including Galle, Kandy, Jaffna, Ratnapura, Kalutara, Ambalangoda, Beruwela and Kurunegala. Popular shoe manufacturers such as Art Shoes, City Foot Wear, Gihan's shoes, Madavan shoemakers which provided employment for over 2,000 workers had to close down their business and factories due to the import of foreign footwear.

Anybody visiting Malwatta Road opposite the Fort Railway Station, could see hundreds of traders selling imported shoes.

A 47-year-old shoe manufacturer, Piyasiri Samantha of Meepe, Padukka said the government should help the small scale shoe manufacturers by granting bank loans to buy equipment to manufacture shoes.

He also called upon the government to reduce shoe imports to protect local manufacturers.