Background to the formation of the LSSP

The birth of the LSSP was caused by the fusion of local nationalists and the Ceylonese students ho had been introduced to socialist ideas while they were studying abroad. As facilities for higher education were not available in the colonies it was customary for those in the colonies who could afford it to go to western countries for their higher education. Most of the Ceylonese students went over to England. It was there that they imbibed socialist ideas which were spreading rapidly during the post first world war period. The group that formed the LSSP gathered together over a period of time. The first of the LondonUnion. returnees was Dr. S A. Wickremasinghe. He was followed by Dr. Colvin R de Silva, Vernon Gunasekara and others. Dr. S.A. Wickremasinghe got involved with political work in the Matara District. Dr.Colvin R de Silva went over to do Trade Union work along with Vernon Gunasekara. The two of them led the LSSP take over of the Wellawatte Spinning and Weaving Mill workers

The riots of 1915 and the enforcement of martial law seriously disturbed the uneventful existence in the country. The British were not only inexperienced and inefficient but also ruthless in the manner they dealt with to simmer the situation. They did not show any mercy to those whom they considered to be miscreants and dealt with them irrespective of their rank and position. Harry Dias, Edmund Hewavitharana, Arthur V. Dias, Boralugoda Ralahamy, all four brothers in the Senanayake family, D.J. Amaratunga and Fredrick Obeysekara were some of the known figures who underwent severe punishment at the hands of the authorities. The peasants were selected for target practice by the law enforcers. All these incidents had an impact on the attitude of the people.

The Economic Depression of 1929-30 also had its impact on Ceylon. By that time we had entered the international market. The drop in the prices of our export products impoverished our peasantry who were dependent on the earnings from these products. There was large scale unemployment and under employment. The question of beggars became a problem for the state. The depression affected the nutritional status of the poor, the peasantry.

It was this layer in our society that had to face the next development in our political arena – The Malaria Epidemic of 1934 – 35. This epidemic covered a large section of the Kegalle district from Avissawella to Mawanella. The absence of the physical strength required to overcome the disease was the main problem. It was here that the Suriya Mal movement stepped in a significant manner to provide relief. Suriya Mal movement was born in the early thirties in opposition to the sale of poppies to collect funds to support activities related to the welfare of ex-servicemen. Our own ex-service were involved in this collection and they found that the money they all collected was utilized not for their welfare but the welfare of the foreign ex-servicemen; they began to move away from the sale of poppies. The local ex-servicemen’s association that handled the sale of poppies was led by Aelian Perera. He converted the campaign to collect funds for local needs. They started the sale of Suriya Flowers as against the poppy. It was at this time that the left leaning young people began get closer to the Suriya Mal movement. The ex-servicemen’s Association got alarmed at this development. Harry Gunawardena, D.N.W.de Silva, Valentine Perera, James T. Ratnum and C. Ponnambalam were amongst the group that came in later. They called the cosmopolitans At this juncture the hardcore of the movement met and formed themselves into a stronger association. The meeting of this Suriya Mal Association was held in Horana at the residence of Mr. Wilmot A. Perera. They elected a committee to run the affairs of the organization. Miss Doreen Young, who later married Dr. S.A. wickremasinghe was elected as the President. She was employed as the principal of Ananda Balika Vidyalaya and was residing in the Principal’s bungalow) located within the premises of the school. After the inaugural meeting in 1933 Mr. Wilmot Perera’s residence became the regular meeting place for membership meetings. Miss. Young’s bungalow was used as the office of the association. At the inaugural meeting held in Horana, Terence N de Silva and Robin Ratnam were elected joint Secretaries and Roy de Mel was elected Treasurer. After its performance in 1933, the funds collected by the Suriya Mal organization was used to fund the education of students selected from deprived backgrounds and for the publication of pamphlets.

The Suriya Mal Association and the Colombo Youth leagues hared the major part of the work involved with the Malaria relief Campaign. Small groups of men and women, mainly from western background trudged from house to house in the Thun Korale where the conditions were very bad. There were many deaths due to lack of food and nourishment. The teams of volunteers visited the sick with medicines and food items. Soon N.M.came to be referred to as “Parippu Mahatmaya”, as he very often undertook to distribute pulses to the households. The patients had to be strong to be fully recovered in health. Hence N.M’s emphasis on the distribution of pulses. A galaxy of potential stars who later on made significant contribution in public life. In certain villages corpses were lying in the houses without any persons being available to bury them. Dr.S.A. Wickremasinghe, Colvin, the three sons of Bollalugoda Ralahamy, Harry, Philip and Robert, Dr. Mary Rutnum, Selina Peries, Viviyan Gunthilaka, Reggie Senanayake were some of key people who were involved. The teachers on the staff of Ananda Balika along with their friends attended to the making of Suriya Mal. Boralugoda were the centre of relief operations.

A.E. Boultjens who was associated with the B.T.S started the first Trade Union in Ceylon 1893. It was a Union of Printing Workers. In the period up to 1920 there were several strikes conducted by laundrymen in 1896, by the carters in 1906, by the Railway workers in 1912 and the Harbor and Railway workers in 1920. The next phase of working class struggles took place in the 3rdth Century. That decade was a decade of strikes. A.E. Goonasinghe organized a general strike of about 20.000 workers in Colombo. The harbor stuck work in 1927, Taxi drivers which proved to be unusually violent. During this strike the police opened fire causing the death of 5 people. A.E. Goonasinghe did not try to establish contract with the international organizations. He was influenced by the example of the Indian nationalists and the British labour party. He visited Europe and USA decade of the 20 in 1925. According to the local police the purpose of the visit was to meet the Indian Communist M.N.Roy.

Goonasinghe’s efforts to lead strikes and unionise the workers in Colombo had been a success. His membership extended to the Mercantile Establishments, Tramways, and the Port the Banks and the Wellawatte Spinning and Weaving Mill. The Wellawatte Mill was owned by an Indian Maharaja. It had a workforce of 1,400. It had 3 strikes in the twenties in 1923, 1926, and in 1929. Because of the economic depression and stiff competition from the Japanese the management of the Mill was facing financial difficulties and as a way out announced a salary reduction. This motivated the workers to come out on strike again, this time they were backed by the entire workforce. They petitioned the Minister of Labour and appealed to Mr.Goonasinghe to intervene on their behalf. But the workers were surprised at the reaction of Mr.Goonasinghe. He advised them to get back to work as the strikers had not given due notice, required by the collective agreement, and because the membership of the majority of workers in the Union had lapsed. The workers appealed to a lawyer who resided in the neighbourhood, at “Yamuna”, Maya Avenue, Wellawatte. The lawyer was Mr.H.Sri Nissanka he was elected Member for Kurunegala in the 1st Parliament in 1947. IT was at his residence that the opposition parties including the LSSP, BLPI, C.P and some others who opposed the positions taken by the UNP met to discuss the formation of an anti UNP Government in 1947.

Mr. Sri Nissanka suggested to the mill workers that they consult Dr. Colvin R. de Silva who had just returned from his studies abroad, and who was also a fellow member of the Colombo South Youth League. This consultation was a tremendous success. On 23rd February 1933 at a mass meeting of the workers of the Wellawatte Spinning and weaving mills workers a new Union was formed with Colvin R. de Silva as President and Vernon Gunasekara and J.W.Senanayake as Secretaries. The strike progressed and N.M.Perera, Robert Gunawardena, S.A.Wickremasinghe, Philip Gunawardena, Susan de Silva and others all contributed to the success of the strike by collecting funds, distributing relief and addressing meetings.

Mr. Goonasinghe tried his best to prevent the recognition of the new Union. The manager of the Mills refused to negotiate with the Union and said that he would deal only with the accredited representative Mr. Goonasinghe. Mr.Goonasinghe denounced the Youth Lesgue for interfering in the work plan. The situation was aggravated by the mills having over 900 who were immigrant workers from Kerala. They were far more politically conscious than their co-workers who were from the locality. At this time communal tension was building up in Colombo, roused up by the same Goonasinghe whose Unions controlled these work places. When ever the workers showed signs of unrest he supplied local blacklegs to deal with the crisis. The increasing tension at the mills compelled the Government to intervene. Accordingly the Ministry of Labour appointed a commission under the Industrial Disputes Ordinance. The report of the commission was in favor of the management. It agreed that the management was in difficulties and recommended financial relief. They recommended a reduction of wages up to a maximum of 28%. The prevailing work week of 60 hours a week was approved despite the workers demand that it be reduced to 54. It also reported that they were turning down the workers demand for improved amenities as the management was in financial difficulties. This was the beginning of the downfall of Mr.Goonasinghe.  With the formation and consolidation of the LSSP as a contender in politics the working class base of Goonasinghe of the twenties evaporated and he lost his fortresses in the Harbor, in the tramways, the banks, the C.M.U. and so on. The strike wave in the mid forties placed the LSSP on a strong footing. This forward march continued in the fifties until it was blocked by other rivals who entered the arena with the advent of the sixties.