Dr Sudath Gunasekara Mahanuwara..

The promulgation of a Republican constitution on 22 May 1972 saw the end of Dominion status (rather colonial subservience and servility) and the birth of a completely an independent Sri Lanka, and thanks to that great and patriotic lady Sirimavo Bandaranayaka, the modern Vihara Mahadhevi of Sri Lanka.

Under the new Republic Constitution of 1972 enacted at her command, the office of Governor General, the Head of the State, hitherto appointed by the Queen of the United Kingdom, was replaced by the office of President. Mr William Gopallawa  the Buddhist mahopasaka going by the age old tradition of this country became the first President of fully Independent Sri Lanka, while Mrs Bandaranaike became Prime Minister.

With the promulgation of the Constitution of the Republic of Sri Lanka, the National State Assembly superseded the Seventh Parliament. The country thereafter came to be known as the Socialist Democratic Republic of Sri Lanka and the Parliament as the National State Assembly, thus giving a sense of a national outlook and pride, replacing the colonial Parliament. This event marked the birth of a new era of a new nation flowering the aspiration of a newly independent nation, ever since 1815 after 133 years of colonial subjugation and oppression

Since then, the Republic Day was celebrated for 6 years with pomp and glory as the Independence Day of a free nation up to 1977.With the change of Government in 1977 July, the  UNP came in to power. JR Jayawardhana became the President of the Republic. But JR keeping in line with his Western bias replaced the newly invented National State Assembly with the old colonial Westminster Parliament. Also, once again he reversed the Independence Day back to Feb 4^th  in  1978 as if he was a family member of the British Royalty, to perpetuate the colonial imprint displaying the servility to the colonial west. This aptly shows his patriotism setting a wrong example and a black mark as the Head of the State.

 Ever since all governments, even those of Chandrika, Mahinda Rajapaksa, Sirisena and even Gotabhaya, all of whom had cut their umbilical codes in the SLFP labour room shamelessly and disgracefully sticked to the JR model of the British inherited Parliament in place of the indigenous term Jaathika Raajya sabhaava”,betraying not only their leader who gave birth to these terms, Mrs Bandaaranayaka in 1972 in keeping with her fervent patriotism and respect to tradition of her motherland and the Sinhala Nation but also the  whole nation, without a shame unto them and also structed to Feb 4^th as the Independence Day continuously thereafter, completely ignoring may 22^nd  the real independence day of the native people of Sri Lanka , ignoring their celebrated leader and all the patriotic policies of the SLFP and the burning aspirations of the newly born Sinhala nation.   

Thereafter, the much celebrated Janaraja Dinaya, the pride of the nation, has been in limbo for the past 26 years since it was discontinued in 1978 by JR, after it had been celebrated with patriotic pomp and glamour for 6 years from its first celebration held on the Mahamaluwa in front of the Sri Daladaa Maaligava in Mahanuwara marking a historic land mark in the political history  and the dawn of a new era in the history of this country.

Since I too had the fortune to be a member of the organizing committee headed by the Government Agent Kandy  S. Maaralanda, as a young Assistance Director of Small Industries, I could still remember the enthusiasm, the joy and the sense of pride abundantly displayed by the organizers as well as the participants at this state function presided over by the most Venerable Mahanaayaka Theros of Aagiriya and Malwatta attended by the Governor General William Gopallava and Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranayaka, that great lady who created world history as the  first woman Prime Minister in the world and  her Cabinet and decorated with diplomatic dignitaries. I too had the privilege of being a party to this historic national ceremony as the person who provide 2500 chairs for the function.

Is it persistence of colonial subservience and servility and stupidity on the part of political leaders of the post 1977 and their lack of commitment for nation building and the   indifference on the part of the general public or something entirely different, invisible and externally manipulated only the presidents will know.?

It is a well-known fact that this country got full independence from the British colonial rule only on the 22^nd of May 1972 and definitely not on the 4^th of February 1948 for the following reasons.

I. It is only with the enactment of the 1972 Republican Constitution on May 22^nd this country became a fully independent and sovereign country as the following three things happened only on that date.

The Legislative, Executive and the Judicial powers of the country became fully independent for the first time only in May 22^nd   1972 after ceding it to Britain in 1815 by the Kandyan Convention. Sovereignty of the people and the country was also restored only on that day after 157 years of subjugation. The day a new nation was born.

Until then, although we were supposed to have received full independence  , as  a section of the politicians and also some political pandits say, from the British rule on the 4th of Feb 1948 as the books record it, in reality, even after 1948, we were functioning more or less as a suzerainty of the British empire with constitutional restrictions as given below.

1 Legislation in the Sri Lankan Parliament of the country up to May 1972 was made in the name of the Queen of England

2.The executive Head of the State who was called Governor General was also appointed by the Queen of England answerable to the King/Queen of England and finally,

3. The appellate power of the Judiciary was also with the Privy Council of the United Kingdom of Britain and as such there was no independent Judiciary in this Island.

Furthermore, the Legislative power of the Parliament was also restricted by the conditions set out in chap 15 on Defense and External affairs of the Solebury Constitution.

Is it sheer political ignorance or lack of an iota of sense of Independence, patriotism or national pride on the one hand  and colonial subservience and ugly servility on the part of all post 1977 politicians that made them to go back to past colonial subservient and servile mentality on the other hand is  a moot question that baffles my mind as a patriotic son of Mother Lanka. Truth like oil always come to the surface. As such I hope, the day a patriotic leader comes to power this deplorable political decision will definitely be reversed.

Taking all these facts in to consideration, I hope and wish the President and the Prime minister will take action to restore May 22 as the Republican Day and the Independence Day of this Nation, at least from next year and go down in history as two rare leaders who took the correct decision making the people of this country to think and feel that once again they have become an Independent nation  on this planet.