Philip and NM combo - LSSP's Golden Era

by W.T.A. Leslie FERNANDO

The UNP which won 42 seats at the 1947 general elections became the strongest political party in the House of Representatives. The LSSP got 10 seats the BLPI won 5 seats and the CP could win only 3 seats. The Leftist altogether won 18 seats and became the leading group in the Opposition.

The Leftist faced the 1947 elections in an unfavourable position. The UNP promised to obtain full independence and the Leftists were unable to offer an alternative to arouse public opinion in their favour.

Basil De Silva	M.S.Abubaker	C.A.Mathew	W.M.Perera	D.A.Piyadasa

The failure of the 1947 general strike too went against them. In this background winning 18 seats was an achievement.

According to Prof. Y. Rajith Amarasinghe this convinced some of the Samasamajists that they were not outside the pale of electoral politics!

Although the UNP could win only 42 out of 95 seats in the House of Representatives they were unable to form a government without the support of some independents. In the meantime Philip Gunawardena tried to form a government of progressives under S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike as against that of D.S. Senanayake with the support of the Leftists, former Sinhala Maha Sabha members and Independent socialists like H. Sri Nissanka and Wilmot A. Perera.

The initial discussion for this purpose was held at "Yamuna" the residence of H. Sri Nissanka. It failed because S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike was not amenable to the proposal. Although at this time Philip was Trotskyite, these overtures indicated that he was willing to discard one of the pillars of Trotskyism - Opposition in principle to coalitions with representatives of the burgeoise.

Sri Lanka got independence on February 4, 1948. This led to a conflict of opinion between the LSSP and the BLPI. The LSSP conceded that the independence though incomplete was an improvement on the existing constitutional status. The BLPI condemned independence as an outright fraud.

When the premier D.S. Senanayake moved a proposal expressing jubilation on the granting of independence, Dr. N.M. Perera moved an amendment on behalf of the LSSP, appreciating the grant of independence, but regretting that it was incomplete because (A) It was negotiated by a handful of leaders without any reference to people, (B) The signing of three agreements was a prerequisite for granting of independence and, (C) Non-existence of provisions for the Sri Lankan legislature to amend the constitution and the retention of rights to legislate for Sri Lanka by the Parliament of Westminster.

The BLPI called the new status as 'faked independence'. They interpreted it as a measure consistent with the policy of the British Labour Government for reconstruction imperialism. They held that the only change effected was that from direct to indirect method of control. They denounced independence as a means that would give ample opportunities for the imperialists, economic and military exploitation of Sri Lanka.

Although the LSSP stayed away from the ceremony to celebrate the declaration of independence it attended the opening of the new Parliament of the independent Sri Lanka. The BLPI, not only boycotted all the ceremonies, but also organised a protest rally against what it called 'faked independence'. The LSSP criticised the attitude of the BLPI and advised that the revolutionary parties should lie low and watch the situation rather than indulging in chief adventurism and snobbish exhibitionism. The BLPI answered with counter accusations and insinuations with equal venom.

In the meantime Philip Gunawardena was convicted and sentenced to three months rigours imprisonment over an incident connected with the South Western bus strike.

As a result he forfeited his seat in Parliament and his wife Kusuma was returned uncontested for Avissawella. When Philip was released from the prison, he organised the LSSP youth leagues all over the country. He was elected unanimously as the first President of the LSSP youth conference formed in 1949. The BLPI now began to move closer to the CP than the LSSP. A move to appoint dr. N.M. Perera as the Leader of the Opposition was not effected because it was thoroughly opposed by the BLPI.

By this time the Bolshevic Lennist Party of India formed when the LSSP leaders were hiding there, had become a weak organisation. The BLPI was a combination of some groups in Bombay, Calcutta and Madras rather than a political party. It was confined to some LSSPers who lived in India and a few Trotskyites there.

In 1943, when Philip, NM, Robert and others were arrested in India and brought back to Sri Lanka, the BLPI was continued by the Colvin-Leslie faction who remained in India. In 1947 it got some publicity because of a strike led by S.C. Anthony Pillai in Madras. When Colvin-Leslie faction too returned to Sri Lanka, it was manned by a handful of Trotskyites in India. In early 1949, the BLPI was dissolved and its remnants joined the Socialist Party of India. Its Sri Lankan section now assumed the name Bolshevic Samasamaja Party and were to continue for some time longer.With the end of the Bolshevic Lennist Party in India, the grounds were prepared for the unification of the LSSP and BSP in Sri Lanka. As both the parties professed Trotskyism many in both were keen to have a single party.

However the LSSP insisted that like the remnants of the BLPI joining the Socialist Party in India after dissolution of their organisation, the Bolshevics here too should join the LSSP in the same manner. It also emphasised that the BSP should terminate its association with the CP.The BSP though willing to join with much larger LSSP it was not prepared to dissolve the party. The Bolshevics wanted a fusion on an equal basis and wanted to ensure positions of power to their own leaders in a future united party. These conflicts stood in the way of a unity.

However by the end of 1949, second rank leaders of the LSSP took an initiative to forge a unity between the two parties. At the LSSP conference held in January 1950, it was proposed that negotiations should be resumed immediately and Philip and NM whose attitudes hindered a unity should be kept out of talks. Although Philip and NM opposed the resolution, it was adopted. Philip was replaced by T.B. Subasinghe as the Secretary.

Soon the negotiations for the unity progressed rapidly and it was finally resolved that the LSSP and the BSP should be merged to form a new LSSP different from either of the two organisations. Philip was critical of the unity arrangement.

His position was that it tantamounted to a dissolution of the LSSP and playing into the hands of the BSP.

At the conference of the LSSP held on May 14, 1950 to review the proposal of the unity, Philip alleged that the new set up was against the preservation of the LSSP. When it was decided that the merger should be implemented, Philip walked out of the conference with his 42 supporters.

The dissenters who followed Philip included two MP's Florence Senanayake and Kusuma Gunawardena and some ardent members of the LSSP like M.S. Abubaker, W.J. Perera (Hospital Perera), C.A. Matthew, Santiago Fernando, Basil de Silva, C.A. Hikkaduwa, D.A. Piyadasa and W.M. Perera. The majority of them were harbour workers, peasants and Swabasha teachers. It was strange that Robert Gunawardena stayed in the party and when Philip was leaving Robert has asked NM "Are you not going?"

The LSSP had its golden era when Philip and NM were together. The role of the duo in the State Council was the main inspiration for the LSSP to gain ground in Sri Lanka.

When Philip and NM came out of the jail the party was in the hands of the Bolshevics. The duo was able to revive the LSSP in opposition to the BLPI as a party with a mass support. When Philip and NM separated, the LSSP could never regain its former glory.