The Leftist Movement :

The repercussions of the split in the LSSP

W. T. A. Leslie FERNANDO

The split in the LSSP affected its Negombo branch as well. Dr. Hector Fernando, the President of the LSSP in Negombo embraced the Bolshevic Lennist Party. A few of the LSSP cadres in Negombo like K. M. Bastian Perera in Periyamulla followed him but the majority joined the LSSP.

The Vice President of the Negombo branch, lawyer J. P. Payoe, the Secretary Santiago Fernando, the Asst. Secretary Ayur. Dr. D. B. Waidyasera, all stayed with the LSSP. However the Treasurer John Fernando of Duwa did not join any group but continued as a sympathiser of the LSSP. In his place, the well known photographer D. M. Rodrigo was made the Treasurer of the LSSP.

When Dr. Hector Fernando joined the bolshevic camp, Santiago Fernando became the leader of the LSSP in Negombo. Santiago Fernando who emerged from the underprivileged class was identified as the `Poor Man's Man'. By this time he had become popular in Negombo for the services he rendered as a member of the Negombo U.C. He was a forceful speaker and prolific writer who was active in so many fields. He also played a prominent role in the co-operative movement in Negombo.

Nevertheless Santiago Fernando was a thorn on the side of the Catholic clergy. He was serving as a teacher at St. Sebastian's Catholic School, Mavalgama, Waga far away from Negombo. At that time the meetings of the members of Negombo U. C. was held on a weekday. Santiago Fernando had to attend the meetings from a distance of about 60 miles with much difficulty after obtaining no-pay leave.

Santiago Fernando had been pressing the Church authorities to transfer him to school close to Negombo. At least in the latter part of 1945, he was transferred to St. Sebastian's Sinhala Boys' School, Katuwapitiya in Negombo. However Santiago Fernando was not aware that there was an ulterior motive behind this move.

The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka tried its best to sabotage the Free Education Scheme and failed. Dr. C. W. W. Kannangara was able to overcome all the obstacles and get the Free Education Bill passed in the State Council.

This was a setback to the Catholic church and it now turned its guns on Santiago Fernando, who played a prominent role to create a public opinion in favour of free education.

The moment Santiago Fernando assumed duties at St. Sebastian's School in Katuwapitiya, the stooges of Catholic clergy plastered the walls of the school with its hammer and sickle symbol. Soon Santiago Fernando was charged on three counts - 1. Being a member of a marxist party, 2. Defaming Catholic clergy who opposed free education as `Wolves in sheeps' clothing and 3. Defying a school inspector. After an inquiry he was dismissed from the position of teacher in Catholic schools.

However Santiago Fernando was not disheartened. His morale did not wane and he carried out his party activities with renewed zeal. He maintained his family with the meagre income he got by serving in the editorial in the `Samasamajaya' and writing articles to other journals - without stretching his hands to others.

In the meantime both the LSSP and the Bolshevic Party claimed that they were Trotskyite organisations. Both the parties stressed that they were the real heirs to the LSSP initiated in 1935. However the 4th International gave its recognition to the BLPI.

Although both the parties followed Trotskyism, there was a tendency in the LSSP to collaborate with several non-Marxist organisations. It worked closely with the Ceylon Indian Congress in the plantations. The BLPI criticised this attitude as a deviation from Trotskyism. Trotsky had decreed not to ally with non-Marxist organisations. BLPI accused that the LSSP was moving towards petty-bourgeois mentality. The LSSP in turn accused BLPI as a narrow petty-bourgeoise party of lawyers and university lecturers and students, who did politics for the show.

Since the LSSP was a proscribed organisation during the war, there was a setback in its trade union activity and the Communist Party had made a headway in the field. Nevertheless as the Communist Party had backed the imperialists in the war, the workers preferred the LSSP.

Now the LSSP began to re-activate the trade union movement. Specially Philip Gunawardena set up `Harbour and Dock Union' and initiated farmer organisations.

Since both the LSSP and BLPI were Trotskyite Organisations, there were often attempts to unify the two parties. The first major attempt at unification came in 1946 at the initiative of the Bolshevics. After some preliminary talks, a united conference was held at Gangodawila at which the superiority of the LSSP came to be accepted by the Bolshevics. For a few months a common journal `Samasamaja-satana' too was published.

The Negombo U. C. elections in 1946 were held at a time when there was some sort of unity between the LSSP and the BLPI. Although Santiago Fernando now was at the height of his popularity in Negombo. He was faced with a dilemma in the Kudapaduwa ward. A Tamil teacher, T. Peduru Pieris wanted to contest the ward backed by his colleagues.

In 1943, Santiago Fernando won the Kudapaduwa because he got the wholehearted support of the Tamil teachers. It is not certain whether the Catholic church was behind this move but perhaps Tamil teachers would have been reluctant to support Santiago Fernando who was dismissed from the position of teacher in Catholic schools. Santiago Fernando realised that it would be risky to contest Kudapaduwa ward and decided to contest Hunupitiya ward where most of the LSSP supporters were found.

The sitting member Laurie Mathes who represented Hunupitiya ward for 21 years did not contest at the 1946 elections. Instead his brother Freddie Mathes who was a member of Kundanwila ward earlier contested the ward. In this election the rich and the Catholic clergy joined hands to defeat Santiago Fernando at Hunupitiya. Yet after a keenly fought election Santiago Fernando won the Hunupitiya ward by 27 votes.

The attempt to unify LSSP and BLPI failed because the Bolshevics laid down a condition that Philip should openly apologise for the accusation he made that Doric was police spy. They gave the ultimatum till December 31, 1946 but the LSSp did not agree. That was the end of the unity move.

The new constitution proposed by the Soulbury Commission was significant event at the time.

It proposed a Cabinet system of government with a House of Representatives having full powers on domestic matters. But defence and external affairs were retained with the colonial government through a Governor General.

The reforms proposed re-demarcation of electorates too.

The LSSP rejected the proposals specially the Cabinet system instead of Executive Committees and described it as an attempt to keep real power entrenched in a handful of loyalists. The Bolshevics went further and denounced the proposals as a measure to bribe revolution in India and Sri Lanka. They organised a protest rally as well.

As all the attempts at unification failed, the LSSP and the BLPI contested 1947 elections under the Soulbury Constitution separately. But there was a no-contest pact between them.