{"id":101315,"date":"2020-04-19T17:09:28","date_gmt":"2020-04-20T00:09:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=101315"},"modified":"2021-03-17T16:52:43","modified_gmt":"2021-03-17T23:52:43","slug":"the-general-election-of-1956-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2020\/04\/19\/the-general-election-of-1956-part-2\/","title":{"rendered":"THE GENERAL ELECTION OF 1956 Part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

KAMALIKA PIERIS<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

REVISED 17.3.21<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

 In 1956, SWRD formed his last \u2018party\u2019 the\nMahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP). The MEP consisted of Sri Lanka Freedom Party\nled by SWRD, Viplavakari Lanka Sama Samaja Party (VLSSP) led by Philip\nGunawardene,   the Samastha Lanka Sinhala\nBhasha Peramuna led by W. Dahanayake and an \u2018Independent Group.\u2019 These were the\nfour constituent parties mentioned in the MEP  \nprogram given in Daily News, March 8.1956.  \u2018Bhasha Peramuna\u2019 was an organization of Sinhalese teachers and\nliterati who wanted Sinhala as state language. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These four parties were joined by\nthe Uda\nRata Peramuna led by TB Ilangaratne and TB Tennakoon, and K.M.P. Rajaratna\u2019s Janatha Vimukthi\nPeramuna.  Two Tamil lawyers of the SLFP,\nA.C. Nadarajah, and S Thangarajah as well as ACS Hameed and Badiudeen Mahamud\nalso joined the MEP. Mettananda, Kularatne and many other leading\nBuddhists supported the movement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eksath Bhikshu Peramuna  was formed in 1956.  It was led by Henpitagedara Gnanasiha, with\nTalpavila Wimalawansa, Mapitigama Buddharakhita, Hewanpola Ratanasara, Kotagama\nVachissara, Bambarende Siri Sivali and Madihe Pannasiha. Eksath\nBhikshu Peramuna was a major contributor to the success\nof the MEP at the 1956 General election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eksath Bhikshu Peramuna presented a\nprogramme of action to the MEP shortly before the 1956 elections. They wanted,\ninter alia, the implementation of the Buddhist Commission Report and Sinhala\nmade the official language of the country. Ven. Yakkaduwe Pragnarama, Walpola\nRahula, Ven. Baddegama Wimalawamsa, and Henpitigedera Gnanasiha of Ratnapura\nwere foremost in this matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MEP issued its manifesto on March\n1956. The four parties had agreed to the programme. This manifesto was published\nin Daily News<\/em> of March 8.1956.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 The manifesto said, firstly that the MEP\nwanted the Constitution amended. The MEP objected to Dominion status. MEP wanted\nCeylon to be a democratic Republic.  In\nforeign policy, MEP wanted Non-alignment and the immediate removal of   the two foreign bases in Sri Lanka.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

MEP supported the Buddhist\nCommission recommendations and wanted Buddhism given special recognition as the\nreligion of the majority, but said \u2018\u2018we guarantee the fullest freedom of\nworship to all. There shall be no discrimination on religious grounds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sinahla must be declared the sole\nOfficial language of the country, said MEP, but this will not involve the\nsuppression of such minority languages as Tamil whose reasonable use will\nreceive due recognition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If MEP came to power there will be\nnational planning .Key industries would be run by the state. Small industries\nby the private sector .There would be special emphasis on sugar, textiles,\nfisheries, salt and fertilizer industries. Foreign\nowned plantations, transport, banking and insurance companies will be\nprogressively nationalized.  Trade and\ncommerce would \u2018go into Ceylonese hands\u2019. Agriculture would be diversified to\ninclude cotton and sugar cane.  There was\na vast extent of land still uncultivated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Housing would be the\nresponsibility of the central government. There would be village expansion\nschemes for the landless and colonization schemes where ownership of land will\nbe vested in the farmer. MEP  wanted to set up  regional councils to help with local\ngovernment.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 MEP promised full employment with satisfactory\nwages and conditions of service, without discrimination on the  grounds of  language. Full trade union rights will be\ngiven to all workers, also fundamental rights such as 8 hour working day,\nguaranteed minimum wage and pension or provident fund schemes. Full trade union\nrights  to public servants too.  MEP would introduce health and unemployment\ninsurance and old age pensions. Cost of living would be lowered by reducing the\nprice of necessities like rice and sugar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We shall repeal the Public\nSecurity Ordinance, Police amendment Act, Trade Union Amendment  Act and all undemocratic public service\nregulations and similar restrictions and invasions of public and personal\nrights, particularly those affective the freedom of Association, assembly and\nspeech, said MEP. Lastly, MEP would complete without delay the new Town of  Anuradhapura, see to the preservation of the\nancient city of Anuradhapura as well as other ancient cities and monuments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sudath Gunasekera recalled that the first\npublic meeting of the MEP held at Ananda College, SWRD with Philip Gunawardene,\nIriyagolla and others vowed to implement the recommendation of the Buddha Sasana\ncommittee. As a schoolboy of 17, I attended the meeting and saw SWRD and his\nteam sat on the floor of the stage in front of the Maha Sangha said they would\nimplement the recommendation of the committee if they came to power. This as\nthe historic meeting at which the MEP for the first time received the\nacceptance of the people.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nGeneral election of 1956 was announced. The\nUNP had enough money, the backing of the bureaucracy and had won two\nby-elections just before 1956. UNP confidently dissolved Parliament early. The UNP\nfoolishly brought forward the gen election date from 1957 to April 1956, which\nwas    Buddha Jayanti year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fledgling MEP negotiated a no contest pact\nwith LSSP and CP  and launched into election work. Marxist parties  were so anxious to defeat the UNP that they\ngave their support to the MEP. SWRD had no candidates\nand no funds for the election, no affluent patrons or mudalalis, observed\nMeegama. SWRD had gone to the Bank of\nCeylon to ask for a loan but the General Manager would not see him and he had\nto go home empty handed. General\nManager was Chelliah Loganathan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SWRD mortgaged his properties to\npay for election expenses of his candidate since most of them had no money to\nspend on an election. B.H. Aluvihare deserted MEP just before the election\nand SWRD nominated Nimal Karunatilleke who had no contacts in Matale, but he\nwon handsomely. In Anuradhapura Sirimevan Godage, an Office assistant contested PB\nBulankulame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SWRD had some of the best Sinhala\norators and writers on his side, such as Somaweera Chandrasiri, a brilliant\nSinhala scholar and poet.  He was a fine\norator, clever at coining words, and could compose Sinhala verse on the spot.\nHe was a fine addition to MEP, said Meegama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But\nthe election swung decisively to MEP only when the bhikkhus came out in\nsupport. UNP had managed to anger the\nBuddhists, by its statements and actions.  The Buddhists had asked that the election be\nheld after the Buddha Jayanti. But government \ndid not agree. The Lake House\nnewspaper group had ridiculed the Buddhist Commission report and the monks who\nwere campaigning for it. This had angered the Sangha and the Buddhist public\ntoo. From the poorest house to the\nrichest Bhikkhu was treated with the greatest veneration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Sangha sabhas actively came out in favour of\nMEP and everywhere the saffron robe   was\nseen in vehicles flying the blue and red flag of the MEP. In many areas monks went house to house\ncampaign urging support for SWRD.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The night before the 1956 election,\nRatnapura town saw on the hill above the road to Potgul vihara, a row of\nlanterns moving as in a perahera. It was Ven.Henpitigedera and his supporters\ngoing from house to house in the distant villages on the hill asking people to\nvote for the hand symbol of MEP. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

SWRD was never considered a winner.  He had no proper candidates and the MEP\ncoalition lacked financial resources. Meegama says SWRD has arrived to speak at meeting organized by his\nsupporters at the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya, the audience was very\nsmall. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only\nthe Lankadeepa\u201d newspaper, edited by DB Dhanapala supported the MEP, said\nMeegama. Lankadeepa ran MEP speeches and  \ngave news of MEP meetings.90% of its editorial staff were sympathetic to\nthe anti UNP movement.  It had some young\nTurks  who were to become famous in the\nfuture, such as  Karunasena Jayalath   and  \nNimal Karunatilleke.  Lankadeepa showed a staggering 61.7% increase\nin circulation  in the run up to the\nelection. No other newspaper could match this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lankadeepa played a key role in\nthe UNP years to keep the issues that were \nstirring the people in the limelight. The paper gave publicity to the  demand for switch over to Sinhala, rightful\nplace for Buddhism, simple living, liberation from servility to degrading\nforeign customs,  and liberation of\npeople from capitalism. Lankadeepa gave\nsizzling editorials just before the election. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now I know why, in my home, in the\n1950s, when everybody else down the street was reading the Dinamina,\n\u2018Lankadeepa\u2019 arrived every day. It had a cartoon by Motagedera Wanigaratne on\nthe front page. That is all I can remember now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the MEP gained support as the\ncampaign went on. The MEP was supported by the Pancha maha Balavegaya,\u201d sangha,\nveda, guru, govi, kamkaru.  It  would be observed that there is no \u2018lipikaru\u2019\nin the Balavegaya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 At the election meetings Philip was wanted\neverywhere for his thunderous denunciation of UNP. In the last day of the campaign there were\nscenes verging on hysteria. When SWRD came to  \nKandy, he could hardly be heard, there was cheering and shouting. People\nwere rushing to touch him. Such were the emotions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The general election of 1956 was spread\nout for 3 days. A staggered poll was held to help the UNP. The first\nday the elections were held in key UNP electorates and the rest on the next two\ndays. UNP only secured the 8 seats they won on the first day.  UNP lost all seats on the 2nd and 3 days. in this\nelection for the first time symbols were allotted. Later the SLFP introduced the one day\npoll.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 I.D.S.Weerawardana\nremarked that the electorate displayed a surprising maturity. The electorate\nvoted clearly for the party and not for individuals. Voter turnout was 69%\nwhich was considered good for that period of time, said Weerawardene.\n It is considered good even today, in most\ncountries. Bradman Weerakoon said that unlike in the previous elections\nwhich had resulted in many electoral challenges, there had been few instances\nof bribery, violence or impersonation in this election. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 P.A. Samaraweera observed \u2018people took\nall the money lavishly given by rich UNP politicians, wore the green bush\nshirts given by them, took the lunch packets, went to the polling booth and\nvoted for the MEP.\u2019 It was said later that they would\nhave voted for even a polpiththa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

DRO of Kalagam Palatha in\nAnuradhapura district had asked an elderly lady how she had voted. She said\nMudalali of our village is Christian. He gave each of us Rs.  10, bread and tea and led us to the school.\nHe said we should mark a cross in front of the elephant and put in the box. I\ncould not go against my religion so I voted for the Sri Hasthaya symbol. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

MEP coalition at the start looked\nimpractical and unlikely. 60facing a solid UNP phalanx of 76 many of them\nsitting members. Yet MEP had a\nlandslide victory. The momentum was unstoppable. Result left us speechless,\nrecalled Bradman Weerakoon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first result was Matale at 10 pm .Nimal had won with a\nmajority of 2500. Lankadeepa office was jubilant as he had written for it since\nits inception. Dhanapala said \u2018now that Nimal has won, victory is certain for\nBandaranaike.\u2019 The MEP\nwon 51 out of the 60 seats it contested.  43 of them were won by the SLFP. \nUNP got 8 seats. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

MEP\ngot 1,046 277 votes and 39.5% of the votes cast. LSSP came second with 274,204 and\n21    seats. Third was Federal Party with\n142,758, 5.4 % and 10 seats.  The ranking\nof a separatist party in third position in this historic election is significant\nand should be noted. On a mere 5.4% they got 10 seats. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nresults of the general election were a surprise even to the victors. It baffled even the architects of its\nvictory. The\nignominious defeat of UNP was also a surprise, said analysts. But there w as a sense of freedom and\nliberation in the air among students, peasants, urban workers and the\nintelligentsia. It was a time of great happiness, said Meegama.  It was Ape aanduwa.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\nstill recall the excitement of listening to the election results,   hearing the words Mahajana Eksath Peramuna\nspoken over and over again,  very\ndramatically by an announcer, who could not keep his delight out of his voice.\nThe words \u2018Mahajana Eksath Peramuna\u201d has a lilt to it and that added to the\nimpact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nMahajana Eksath Peramuna MPs, took their oaths in national costume at the\nrequest of the Maha Sangha.  On 20.4. 56 when Parliament had\nfinished its business, the public invaded the chamber. SWRD, as Prime Minister\nsaid \u2018let them in.\u2019 This should be applauded. This was a once in a lifetime\nexperience for the island and SWRD realized this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However,\na shocked observer reported \u2018 the people came like a horde of wild horses ,not\nonly that day into the Chamber of the country\u2019s supreme legislature but for\ndays and weeks  and months after that to\nthe other citadels of the government .\u2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 In\n1962, one of the officers   involved in\nthe attempted coup, gave as a reason for his animosity to SWRD, that when he\nwas trying to prevent people rushing to the Parliament chamber after the\n“ape aanduwa” victory in 1956, SWRD’s order to him, was Let them\ncome in.”  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The General Election of 1956 was a watershed\nin the modern history of Sri Lanka, said I.D.S. Weerawardena.It changed the political landscape, said Meegama. 1956 was a major landmark in Sri Lanka, said\nWiswa Warnapala. The common man for the first time understood that he could\nchange the government of the country peacefully, through ballot. (Continued) <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

KAMALIKA PIERIS REVISED 17.3.21  In 1956, SWRD formed his last \u2018party\u2019 the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP). The MEP consisted of Sri Lanka Freedom Party led by SWRD, Viplavakari Lanka Sama Samaja Party (VLSSP) led by Philip Gunawardene,   the Samastha Lanka Sinhala Bhasha Peramuna led by W. Dahanayake and an \u2018Independent Group.\u2019 These were the four […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[104],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-101315","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-kamalika-pieris"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101315","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=101315"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101315\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=101315"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=101315"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=101315"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}