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
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