{"id":49484,"date":"2015-11-16T13:01:08","date_gmt":"2015-11-16T19:01:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=49484"},"modified":"2015-11-16T05:57:29","modified_gmt":"2015-11-16T12:57:29","slug":"story-of-premakumar-facing-deportation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2015\/11\/16\/story-of-premakumar-facing-deportation\/","title":{"rendered":"Story of Premakumar facing deportation"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Dharman Wickremaratne \u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n

\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>The controversy over moves to deport Premakumar Gunaratnam, one of the Frontline\u00a0Socialist Party\u2019s(FSP) leaders recalls a similar event 78 years ago.\u00a0 It was the British Colonial Government\u2019s attempt to deport British-born Mark Antony Bracegirdle for participating in Sri Lanka\u2019s Left political movement, after arriving by ship in the island on an Australian passport on April 4, 1936.\u00a0 His involvement in the this country\u2019s working class movement against exploitation by the colonial rulers became a very significant stage in the country\u2019s anti-imperialist struggle<\/p>\n

On April 20, 1937 Governor R.A. Stubbs issued a deportation order on Bracegirdle on a recommendation of the Deputy Inspector General of Police that Bracegirdle was creating disillusionment among workers.\u00a0 According to the deportation order he was expected to leave the island on or before April 24, 1937 at 6.00 p.m.\u00a0\u00a0 Although the police handed over to Bracegirdle the deportation order on April 21, he continued to take part in Left political activities.<\/p>\n

\"dharman161102.\"<\/a>Pramakumar\u2019s mother Walliamma Rajamuni remembering her elder son Ranjitham at the annual JVP ceremony at Kegalle held on November 9, 2015 to commemorate their members who died in the second Southern insurgency<\/span><\/em>.<\/p>\n

The Lanka Sama Samaja Party(LSSP) and several other political parties jointly campaigned to build public opinion in support of Bracegirdle against the deportation order. Over 5000 people attended a meeting in this connection held at Galle Face presided over by Dr. Colvin R. de Silva on May 7, 1937.\u00a0 The then Local Government Minister S.W.R.D.Bandaranaike, MP for Kandy George E. de Silva, LSSP Secretary, Attorney Vernon Gunatillake, MP for Ruwanwella Dr.N.M. Perera, MP for Avissawella Philip Gunawardena, MP for Colombo Central A.E. Gunasinghe, MP for Narammala Siripala Samarakkody and MP for Hambantota D.M. Rajapaksa addressed the meeting. Bracegirdle too made an electrifying speech amidst the thunderous applause of the people.<\/p>\n

When police took him into custody on May 7, 1937 the LSSP filed action in the Supreme Court against the Governor\u2019s deportation order.\u00a0 The case was taken up before a three-judge bench led by Justice Sir Sidney Abrahams and their verdict was delivered on May 18, 1937.\u00a0 They pointed out to facts proving the Governor\u2019s deportation order was illegal.\u00a0 On the same day the police released Bracegirdle at 11.35 a.m. On October 13, the Supreme Court ordered the defendants to pay legal costs to the petitioners.Thereafter instead of returning to Britain or Australia Bracegirdle travelled throughout the island with the LSSP addressing meetings and encouraging Left political activists.<\/p>\n

\"dharman161103.\"<\/a>One of several Protesting campaigns the Forward Socialist Party held to demand the release of Premakumar who is one of the party leaders.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

It is necessary to draw attention to the Bracegirdle affair which occurred 78 years ago in the light of the arrest and attempt to deport Sri Lankan-born Premakumar Gunaratnam who became an Australian citizen for political reasons though educated in this country. The controversy is over the argument that he is no longer a Sri Lankan citizen and therefore his residing here is illegal.\u00a0 Never before were there any reports of Sri Lankan-born persons being deported from the country.\u00a0 It is only when Sri Lankan men married foreign women that legal problems occurred and resulted in unfortunate deportation orders.<\/p>\n

A Communist Party Municipal Councilor D. Henry married a Polish woman about 1951 and brought her to Sri Lanka.\u00a0 Joe Silva who had his education in the U.K. and the U.S. returned to Sri Lanka after marrying an American woman by the name Rhoda Miller.<\/p>\n

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