POLITICS IN SRI LANKA Part 2
Posted on November 6th, 2021

KAMALIKA PIERIS

 SIR JOHN KOTELAWALA

Sir John Kotelawala was Prime Minister of Ceylon from 1953 to 1956. He was strongly pro-USA.Nayani Melegoda records that the USA Secretary of State had visited Ceylon when Sir John was Prime Minister, date not given. 

Sir John was firmly anti communist. He banned communist books and periodicals from arriving into Ceylon   and refused to permit a China good will mission to come in 1953. He refused to allow soviet scientists to come to watch the solar eclipse in 1954, but allowed those from USA, UK, Canada, Japan and India. He also refused to allow the Ceylon hockey, soccer and table tennis teams to take part in the World Youth Festival in Warsaw in 1955.

Sri John squashed all objections to the visit of Queen Elizabeth II in 1954. He cancelled all telegrams sent to London casting doubts on the matter.  The visit was a great success. The royal couple got a rapturous welcome with pandals.

DUDLEY SENANAYAKE.

Dudley Senanayake was Prime Minister three times. 1952-1953, 1960, 1965- 1970. Dudley Senanayake was a truly charismatic leader, said Edward Gunawardena. By his exemplary behavior he enjoyed the respect of both sides of the House. He was an excellent debater. If he had to make a speech it was a studied contribution. If he was not in the chamber he would be in discussion with his colleagues and members of the opposition as well; or he would be in the library or even learning different aspects of Parliamentary procedure from the Clerk of the House.

A remarkable characteristic of Dudley was his ability to concentrate and focus his mind on what had to be done. If he had to attend a function where he had to make a speech, he would prepare his speech in the car with his eyes closed, seemingly but not asleep. When parliamentary sessions were due he would closet himself in his room either at Woodlands or the annexe at Temple Trees for hours, sometimes smoking the pipe as well as cigarettes, concentrating on the agenda for the morrow, concluded Edward.

Others were not so impressed. Dudley Senanayake embodies the ideal, a head of state who does not shake the boat, makes no changes, said one critic. Four times Prime Minister, what did he do, the public asked. He seems to have done nothing. In his time a lot of jungle was cut down to no purpose, came the reply.

For decades people had suspected that Dudley and JR had known of the 1962 coup. Ms Bandaranaike, when she came to know about it also decided to keep it a secret.  But today the secret participation of both Dudley and JR in the 1962 coup is no longer secret. (C. Wijeyawickrema. Island 4.3.09 p 9).

Raja de Silva, former Commissioner of archaeology, had this to say. In 1968, there was provision in the Estimates of the Archaeological Department for the appointment of an Assistant Commissioner (Excavations). The Public Service Commission gazetted the notice calling for applications, and one day five members of the board of interview (myself included) sat in the board-room of the PSC waiting to interview each applicant. I noticed that the peon had whispered to each of three interview board members that there was a telephone call at the office of Secretary/PSC, next door. I was the next to be similarly telephoned, whereupon the following conversation took place.

de Silva (AC): Hello.

Bradman Weerakoon, Secretary to the Prime Minister (S/PM): Hello, Raja, Brad here. I have a message for you from the PM.

AC: Is it the same message that you gave the other interview board members?

S/PM: Yes, the PM is interested in one of the applicants you are about to interview (and he named the applicant).

AC: Brad, the post is for an officer of my Department, and I want the best.

S/PM: Understood. Anyway, I was asked to convey the message.

AC: Message received.

Siran Deraniyagala was the best applicant, and he was appointed to the new post in 1968 said Raja de Silva. (Island 17.10.21 p 9) (continued)

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