Osmund - the Trotskyite

Osmund Jayaratne was born on October 2, 1924 and was 82 years old when he passed away.

His father was Don John Delpachitra, a Buddhist. His name was changed to Jayaratna by the Catholic Church before he married Ms. Lucy Mary Weeramantry, a Roman Catholic, Mr. Jayaratne was employed at H. M. Customs.

He had his primary education at St. Clare’s Girls College, Wellawatte and his secondary education at Royal College from where he entered the University of Colombo in 1942.

He was keenly involved in English drama. When Osmund passed the BSc examination he was recruited as a temporary assistant lecturer in Physics. But this appointment was short lived. Professor Mylvaganam took serious note of Osmund’s participation at a May Day Rally after submitting a sick note to be away from lecturing and terminated his services. After leaving the University Osmund taught at Harvard College and when they closed he found a place at Pembroke.

Osmund was a Municipal Councillor during the period 1948 - 1953, having succeeded Doric de Souza who had a shift to Peradeniya after the University shifted. The LSSP fared badly in the CMC elections of 1956, because the language issue was raised against the party. Of the LSSP candidates, only three survived and Osmund was one of them. A landmark in Osmund’s career as a Municipal Councillor was the three hour speech that he made in the debate on the vote of no confidence against N. M. In 1959 Ossie got an appointment as a lecturer in University of Peradeniya and that ended his career in Municipal politics.

In 1961 he proceeded to London for his PhD. He returned only after the fall of the SLFP-LSSP Coalition after obtaining his doctorate. Thus he was not present in Sri Lanka during that turbulent period of the history of the LSSP. While he was in England Osmund was designated as the party’s representative to the United Secretariat of the Fourth International and he crossed over from London to Paris regularly to attend the meetings of the Secretariat.

Osmund was formally linked to the LSSP-R. He had voted for the expulsion of NM and the two others who had accepted Cabinet office and to suspend the membership of nearly 500 others who had voted for the resolution moved by NM. But when he came back to Ceylon he found that the situation was completely different to what they in London had anticipated. The entire Trotskyist movement in the country was in disarray. In this situation the centre group represented by Colvin Leslie, Bernard and Tissa were pulling Osmund on to their side. Baggy, S. A. Martinus and Sydney were trying to prevent it. In the end the first group succeeded and Osmund was back in the LSSP?

His most positive political role was in the 1972 conference of the LSSP where the main question was whether to continue in the front or oppose it where it is deemed necessary.

NM, Colvin, Leslie, Bernard, Vivie were on the side of the United front. Osmund, D. G. William, Athauda, Vasudeva, Ananda Perera and Edwin Kotelawala on the opposing side. The main resolution was moved by Bernard and the second resolution by Osmund. The situation in the party had changed since June 1964.

It so happened that all of them accepted the position taken by the 2nd resolution. This was the last intervention of Osmund in internal party politics.

Thereafter he was confronted with health problems.

Osmund made a significant contribution to the growth and development of the party. But he was capable of doing much more only if circumstances permitted him...

- Sydney Wanasinghe