Recalling E.W. Perera on his 56th death anniversary:

An outstanding patriot

by Rita PERERA

In an age, when the majority of politicians of every hue, in Sri Lanka, scramble for both power and its myraid appurtenances and the forces of division are rife in this country, it seems opportune to reflect of a long forgotten patriot of the calibre of E.W. Perera who was willing, though a committed Christian, to risk his very life for his fellow Buddhists. It is especially opportune as his 56th death anniversary, falls today, Feb.15 and our Independence, from foreign rule for which he expended the better part of his life has just been celebrated with much pomp and circumstance!

Maybe a superficial comparison between patriots then and politicians now, may be a fruitful and salutary exercise. Even a cursory survey reveals an increasing trend that has reached unbelievable proportions amongst our current politicos, their families as well as their countless henchmen. Today as they strut around in high-speed luxury vehicles, guarded by hordes of security personnel, live in luxury houses, circumnavigate the globe on frivolous pretexts and enjoy extravagant lifestyles - (all at the cost of the taxpayer), one cannot help but recall the many patriots, whose unstinting efforts made such lifestyles possible. To many of these patriots of a by-gone era, furthering the interests of their country was almost an obsession.

Though most of them, were financially affluent before they got involved in such tasks, they were ready to get impoverished in the process.

Subjugation

To this category belong, not only E.W. Perera, but countless others, such as C.W.W. Kannangara (the father of our free education system) who died almost a pauper, Dudley Senanayake, who at his death, left only a few hundred rupees in his bank account and countless others from across the racial and religious divide, who were only concerned about what they could give and not what they could get from their country!

E.W. Perera epitomises these traits, as even a perfunctory appraisal of his life reveals. He was chosen by other Hindu Tamils, Christian Sinhalese and other emerging Ceylonese leaders to agitate for the release of their fellow Buddhist compatriots, who were not only imprisoned without trail but were liable to be arbitrarily shot! He carried the infamous 'shoot at Sight' order, (albeit, hidden for fear of detection), in the sole of one of his shoes! The perilous sea voyage he embarked on, to apprise the Colonial authorities in Whitehall, London, of the prevailing situation in the country, facing the perils of German torpedoes, at the height of the First World War, was no luxury cruise or all expenses paid trip, as seems to be the present, prevalent practice! An ardent Christian himself, his sole motivation was to press for the release of the foremost Buddhist leaders, of the day, among who were the Senanayake brothers D.S. and F.R. and other prominent Buddhist leaders.

It is a historically accepted fact that the so-called Riots of 1915 and their suppression by martial law, was the catalyst for the Independence movement in this country. After his return, from his mission in England, E.W.P. threw himself wholeheartedly into the struggle to throw off the fetters of Colonial subjugation and achieve complete self-rule, which was spearheaded by the Ceylon National Congress. This period is well documented and authenticated in the voluminous Handbook, of the CNC, covering the vital period from 1910 to 1928, which was edited by no less a person than the late S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike. It details their laborious uphill struggle against `fearful odds', when they all worked harmoniously, to rid our country of British rule and to prevent the excesses, they, especially, their fellow Buddhist had experienced.However, even as their unrelenting struggle for freedom, was within sight, not only had the political climate changed but the forces of division, dissension, and self-interest in all its ugly forms proliferated, among his peers, in the run-up to and the euphoria after Independence.

Gradually as disillusionment set in, he relinquished the active role he once played in the affairs of the country, for which he had sacrificed his legal career, as well as his personal welfare and that of his family. His incisively sharp and witty repartee was once feared, even in the Councils established in this country, by the high and mighty Colonial officials of the British Empire. However, a trace of it was left when he, who was once dubbed the `Watch dog of the Nation' was asked by a news reporter, after he had left the political arena, for his assessment of the current situation in the country, `the politically dead do not speak,' was his wry comment...

Active scholar

Apart from the historical role he played in the struggle to free his country from the stranglehold of British Rule, he was a keen and active scholar in numerous fields.

Even before he took an active interest in political affairs, his abiding love of heraldry, made him embark on the trail of finding the banner, with its distinctive lion emblem, of the last King of Kandy, Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe. It led him to the Royal Military Hospital in Chelsea, London in 1908 from where he sketched it and with the assistance of D.R. Wijewardene, (who was also in London at the time), got it copied.

It was the distinctive lion in this banner, with embellishments, that was adopted as our National flag and is now hoisted, waved and displayed, with enthusiasm, at every juncture that involves Sri Lanka, from cricket matches to the military victories, especially at this time. His abiding interest in the banners and flags of ancient times is also evident in his authoritative and monumental compendium, which can be accessed in our National library, titled `Sinhalese Banners and Standards,' the result of his painstaking, unpaid and unwavering research.His zeal for unravelling authentic historical details of our country involved him in many arduous journeys to far flung temples, at his own expense, especially in the hill country.

Wrangling

Despite being a Christian, who even lost two elections, because he was not a Buddhist he was trusted by the incumbent priests in these remote temples and allowed to copy and even photograph some of their manuscripts, before they dis-intergrated. He was instrumental in helping to set up the Historical Manuscripts Commission in 1931, of which he was a member. He also actively participated in the activities of the Royal Asiatic Society (Ceylon branch) and wrote many scholarly articles to its journals. As a longstanding resident, even being dubbed, `The Lion of Kotte', he was particularly interested in the ancient Kingdom of Kotte and its former glory.

Thankfully, he was spared the unseemly wrangling over some of its environs caused by the unbridled profit motive of unscrupulous businessmen, who seem to thrive in our society today. He never allowed his ardent Christian beliefs, to deter his answering service to either his fellow Buddhists, whether it was to save them from being arbitrarily shot, or to preserve their heritage, as his untiring historical and heraldic research proves. As the forces of division, manifest themselves in proposed measures and even legislation, such as the Anti-Conversion Bill, the attributes of patriots like E.W. Perera, seem a distant, if refreshing memory.

It is unfortunate that patriots of his calibre are neglected and forgotten today, when not only present day politicians but most people in this country, could enhance their lives and that of others by emulating them. Their qualities of selflessness, appreciation of the beliefs of others and innate honesty, would make `the change' not only the world but we too, so desperately need in Sri Lanka today!