Sirimavo -World's first woman Prime Minister:

Reflections of a martyr in the cause of truth

By Telli C. Rajaratnam

The world's first lady Prime Minister, illustrious for her historic renown and for distinguished service to the people of this country is worthy of national commemoration. She is, Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike (1916-2000), Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (1960-1965, 1970-1977, 1994-2000).

Almost 25 years ago, this lady delivered her defense speech in Parliament that moved a nation. Soon afterwards she was politically martyred by the then government by the first Executive President who proclaimed himself Executive President. She survived the tragic ordeal, the disgrace and persecution.

She was touched by tragedies, exhilarated by challenges, strengthened by achievements by herself, her son and daughters. I am glad that my family has stood by them from the turbulent times of the assassination of late S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike to date. Our friendship dates back three generations.

Power was bestowed upon them. They have the desire to forgive those who have harmed them. This is what every religion teaches.

Achievements

Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike was a great lady, filled with courage and determination to serve the nation.

She was victimised, persecuted and politically assassinated for the vile pursuits of a few.

It is noteworthy to cite excerpts of the English text of the speech of Madam Sirimavo Bandaranaike, which is self-explanatory and speaks of her achievements, objectives, vision for the nation and the heart to forgive and expose the fraud, deceit and conspiracy of the persecutors, as reported in the Hansard (Parliamentary Debates) Official Report of 16th October, 1980 Volume 11 No.15:

"This is the first occasion in the history of the Legislature of this country on which the support of the Honourable Members of Parliament has been sought for a terrible proposal which has its objectives, the removal from the political scene by the imposition of Civic Disabilities of an individual who is the Leader of a major political party in this country a Member of the Honourable House and Prime Minister of 12 years by vote of the people freely exercised.

"The deed that is to be done today by a power-hungry minority in the ranks of the United National Party is a political assassination without precedent at home or abroad, in recent times or in the past."Countless people in this country and in other lands have been astounded by the crime that is to be committed against the people of Sri Lanka, against my party, against myself and against every principle of right action.

Evil intentions

"It is my duty, therefore, to demonstrate to this Honourable House and through this Honourable House to the world, the true causes which have motivated the resolution before this House today and the consequences that would necessarily flow from the decisions taken today.

"Mr. Speaker, I have been a Member of the Legislature for full 20 years. I have been Prime Minister for 12 of those years. If the evil intentions of those tyrannical rulers who are responsible for imposing on their own rank and file a proposal in violation of both rule and tradition, be fulfilled today, this would be the last speech I would make in this House.

"The innocent ordinary masses of this country could not be suppressed by murdering the late S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike. The intention of the conspiracy was to destroy democracy in this country and substitute for it a dictatorship.

"This was frustrated because I who had never been in politics before entered the political life of this country. Although an attempt is made today to exile me from politics, our people will not be suppressed by this attempt.

"I give notice here and now, Mr. Speaker, through you, to those unprincipled rulers in the United National party and to those behind them that I will not permit the suppression of the people of this country through attempts to destroy me or by any other means.""The tremendous economic power vested in a minority of foreign and local interests was broken by the transfer to public ownership of resources, enterprises and institutions which provided the foundation for that power.

"Agriculture and industry were developed though not to the extent of resolving all the problems of this country. In accordance with our deliberated policies, this development benefited the large masses and not a wealthy minority.

Quality of life

"Our social and economic policies were implemented so as to eliminate as far as possible the unchecked consequences of disparities of incomes. What they sought to end largely succeeded in giving our people the opportunity of living with respect. They improved the quality of life of the rural and urban poor.

"When the large mass of people in a poor country such as ours so benefit from the policies of a government, there follows necessarily an abridgement or elimination of social and economic privileges hitherto enjoyed without scruple by certain local and foreign interests.

"History teaches us that when such interests are adversely affected they act to destroy parties and leaders who genuinely represent the people and also that the methods they adopt are conspiratorial and unscrupulous.

"It is now well known that in 1962, those interests that I referred to earlier tried to overthrow by violent means the Government of which I was head and both my party and myself. Several persons who were party to this act of treason were tried in our courts, convicted and sentenced. They were later acquitted in the Privy Council but only on a question of law.

"Although these convicted conspirators were acquitted on a point of law, the facts against them were proved and that proof has not been shaken. If anybody would like to know whether there were elements in the United National Party connected to this conspiracy and who those were, they need only to make inquiries from the leader of the United National Party.

"With the failure of the attempted coup-d'etat in 1962, the frustration of those who would destroy the duly elected Government increased and their plans did not abate. At the end of 1964, some members of the then government Parliamentary Group were got at to vote against the government.

Coup-d'etat

"The consequences of this was the defeat of the government on an important vote in the House of Representatives by a majority of just one.

How this was arranged is a matter well within the knowledge of the leader of the United National Party, the present President of Sri Lanka.

"Mr. Speaker, I have now to emphasise a matter of great importance. The objectives of the attempted coup-d'etat were the destruction of the democratic system of government in this country and the establishment of a dictatorship.

"The method adopted to achieve these objectives was the overthrow by violent means the government of which I was head.

The entire country knows that, despite the great odds that I faced , new to government and politics as I was, it was I who protected democracy and saved this country from a set of megalomaniacs.

"Many are the instances of such situations being used by the intended victims already in power to impose authoritarian rule. What I did was to do all I could to protect the democratic system of government.

"This honourable House and the country are today the beneficiaries of the course I adopted then.

"However, I am forced to conclusion now, that if the unprincipled leadership of the present government were in a similar situation there can be no doubt that the situation would be exploited as a cover to establish dictatorial rule.

Mandate

"I believe that I have the right to expect that this House would not forget how in those dark days, I saved the civic rights of the entire nation, when these honourable members decide today whether or not my civic rights should be destroyed and whether I should be expelled from this House.

"In 1970 I became Prime Minister with a mandate which gave me a majority of more than two thirds of the members of the House of Representatives.

Although our government was elected with such a mandate from the people, what happened before the government was one year old?

For the first time in history of this country there was an armed insurrection against a democratically elected government.

This was the result of another plan which was a part of a series of conspiracies which have been a feature of opposition to the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and its leaders whether we were in power or in the opposition.

"The conspiracy which led to the insurrection struck at the foundation of our society.

Young people who were of an age when they would be seeking to feel independent of parents and when they would not yet have stabilised themselves by marriage and by having their own children were persuaded that, in the logic of things they owed no loyalties to their families.

"Mr. Speaker, Consider the manner in which allegations were made against me ex-parte before the Special Presidential Commission. Consider the manner in which the proceedings were conducted. On what date was the report printed and available? Did the Honourable Ministers sitting as a Cabinet have the opportunity to read the report, analyse it, consider the findings and recommendations as any responsible body should have had?

Report

"What were the circumstances in which the report was presented to the Members of the Cabinet? The Cabinet does not have to approve the introduction of such a resolution merely because a Commission has made a recommendation.

"Indeed each and every member of the Cabinet has a grave constitutional duty apart from his political responsibility to consider fully the report of a Commission and decide whether a resolution should be introduced.

If the Ministers or Honourable Members have been informed otherwise , let them read and understand Article 81.

The Cabinet has politically and constitutionally to consider every word of a Report of a Commission. Has that duty been discharged. I say no."Mr. Speaker the present move to destroy me politically would be welcome also to money-makers from overseas and perhaps to certain foreign governments whose aims to exploit countries such as ours are only too well known.

To be continued