Features
Biography of E.A. Goonasinghe pioneer Trade Unionist and able Politician
Book review
Author: Dr. B.G.A Vidyathilaka
(632 Pages in Sinhala)
Published by Sarasavi (Pvt) Ltd,
First edition 2023
Absorbing and no-holds-barred- biography – a review by Jagath Savanadasa
This is a well researched and illuminating biography about the life, services and times of E.A. Goonasinghe the pioneer Trade Unionist and able \politician.The Labour and Trade Union movement in this country owes a debt of gratitude to its father figure E.A. Goonasinghe. He indeed gave life to it during a particularly difficult period when workers were subjected to harsh treatment by the employers. This was during early to near mid-20th century when the country was under British Colonial rule.
When one reads this book, one is exposed to the truth about working conditions during those turbulent years, in both public and private or mercantile sectors. Some of the tales about the strikes organised to alleviate the suffering of the mass of the employees groaning under the weight of injustice, pricks one’s conscience.It also raises the valid question why were British entities so unjust and why did they not improve working conditions of the employees?
It was during this early stage that the biography brings forth history of trade unionism and the arrival at the scene of a forceful and combative figure. It was he who led the suffering masses and helped to band themselves together to fight for justice and fair play.
The first part of the book is a virtual autobiography and its titled “My life and Labour”
Accordingly Goonasinghe has had his early education at St. Joseph College, Colombo and Dharmaraja College, Kandy. Even as a schoolboy he seemed to have been patriotic.And quite early in life Goonasinghe had been vehemently opposed to the Kandyan Treaty of 1815 which was an instrument of deception by the British. Goonasinghe had been an avid protestor at the centenary meeting of the above Treaty at the residence of well-known lawyer in Chilaw C.E.A. Corea.
The meeting led to the formation of an association named “The Young Lanka League”. While C.E.A. Corea was elected President of the league and Goonasinghe its Secretary.
Sinhala-Muslim riots of 1915
The Sinhala-Muslim riots of 1915 was a gruesome event which darkened the history of British rule of Ceylon.More than 100 men were killed during the riots which originated in Kandy and spread to various parts of the country.
The most unfortunate aspect of this grim episode was the misguided action of the British military who thought that the riots were instigated by the Buddhists leaders in Colombo. The British not only declared Marshal law but also arrested leading Buddhists like D.S. and F.R. Senanayake, Hewawitharana brothers, Sir D.B. Jayathilake, Piyadasa Sirisena, Aurthur V. Dias and also .A. E. Goonasinghe the main figure in this study.
Also during the course of the riots, Captain Pedris who had no hand in this grim affair was mistakenly shot dead. This was a grave error on the part of the British which led to serious repercussions on them.
The historic strikes.
The vivid biography also describes more than two dozen strikes in which Goonasinghe was deeply involved. These reflected Goonasighe’s will and strength in combatting ruthless forces in operation in the upper rungs of the Mercantile sector supported by the Police.The most serious of these were in the 1920’s. One such was the GOH strike, another the strike by the harbour unions, and the most devastating was the tram car unions strike.
It is interesting at this stage to look at the history of the last strike mentioned. A prominent Mercantile firm Whittal Boustead and Company Limited had owned and operated a network of Tram cars in the city. Older generations in Colombo will recall that it was a commendable “modus operandi” for travel within the city. The objective of the strike was to bring about better wages as well as persuading the company to improve working conditions of those who manned this important service.
It did lead to negotiations with the hierarchy of Whittals but they failed to grant the demands made by the Unions.More seriously the strikers had been challenged and provoked by the Maradana Police. The book observed that retaliatory violence led to the police shooting five people dead. Shocking accounts of this deadly action is revealed in the book. It had led to burning of the Maradana Police station completely.
The Final Outcome
The Book observes that the Inspector General of Police Hubert Dowbiggen had been condemned in no uncertain terms since he had acted in an arbitrary and ruthless manner which deepened the crisis.
An important agreement
The book notes that the penultimate stage of this unfortunate affair was the investigation conducted in order to examine the causes, effects and solution. But nothing followed and thus the final outcome of the inquiry was not known.
Of course, there was one worthy development and this was the final settlement arrived at between the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and the three Trade unions involved which revealed a sympathetic attitude of the Ceylon Chamber Chairman towards the workers and it was helpful in solving the issues.
Goonasinghe’s political carrier
Besides being a noteworthy trade unionist. Goonasinghe had also had an eventful political career during that final phase of the British colonial rule.At first Goonsinghe became a member of the Colombo Municipal Council in the 1920’s. The election to the Council had been a tense affair with several well-known politicians joining the fray.
First Sinhala Mayor
Goonasinghe had the honour of being the first Sinhala Mayor of the capital City which shows that in those distant days ethnicity, religion, caste and such other factors had been decisive in politics.
Member of the State Council
In 1931 Goonasinghe was elected to the State Council and quickly rose to be a Minister.A point of special interest revealed in the biographical account is that he was elected to the State Council through the UNP.
Other Highlights
Curiously Goonsinghe’s Ministerial portfolio did not specify his duties and exact responsibilities. But it did reflect some interesting facts. Though Goonsinghe, throughout his life represented the interests of lower rungs of employees, he was not strictly a leftist. But a liberal thinker and a democrat.
The book also reveals verbal duels in the State Council against the likes of Dr. N.M. Perera the prominent Sama Samaja leader. He had never given in to them. However, Goonasinghe was elected a member of the first post Independent House of Representatives in 1948. And a cabinet Minister in the first government of D.S. Senanayake
Goonasinghe had the honour of representing the local Trade Unions at conferences overseas and one of which was in London where he had the opportunity to interact with leading personalities in the British Labour party.
Goonasinghe during the course of a notable and varied carrier had also being Ceylon’s ambassador to Indonesia and Burma respectively. This enabled Goonasinghe a devout Buddhist to visit renowned temples and other historic sites especially in Indonesia. He also had the opportunity to establish ties with President Sukarno of Indonesia.
Adult franchise for eligible Ceylonese
Goonasinghe during the course of which fought relentless battle was to gain voting rights to eligible Ceylonese.
Death of D.S Senanayake Ceylon’s first Prime Minister and the father of the nation
Ceylon’s first Prime Minister D.S. Senannayake aslo called the father of the nation died suddenly in 1952 after falling from the horse he was riding. In a graphic description of the aftermath of his death the biography recounts the stirring address made by Goonasinghe in the parliament.
Goonasinghe recalled that D.S. and F.R. Senanayake the two brothers had laid the foundation for the independence of this nation from Colonial Bondage. Goonasinghe had added that D.S. did not have a degree from Oxford or Cambridge universities. But he was nourished by the ancient culture of this land and he became one of the greatest political leaders of the world.
Following the prime Minister’s death there was no tussle to succeed him. But the book highlights how an attempt was made by Sir. John Kothalawala to be the Prime Minister. But this was thwarted when a number of Parliamentarians who objected to it forwarded a petition to the Governor General.
The Book which is full of exhilarating history of this country notes how P. De. S. Kularathna an eminent educationist failed in his attempt to enter parliament through a misjudgement about voters of Maradana.
Was it a love-hate relationship?
Around the same time Goonasinghe was active in public life the field of Sinhala journalism was dominated by a great nationalist of the time Piyadasa Sirisena. Sirisena who was Publisher and Editor Sinhala Jathiya newspaper.
The Biography quotes Sinhala Jathiya’s comments on Goonasinghe’s role in public life. The Book also published many cartoons that appeared in Sinhala Jathiya from time to time. This writer feels that this newspaper’s portrayal of Goonasinghe seems to show two sides, both love and hate.
But readers may feel that this is a part of objective journalism.Sirisena was a great believer in democracy and also had rightist inclinations.This biography is a voyage of discovery. And readers should be grateful to Dr. Vidyathillake for his vital account on Trade Unionism and its pioneer.
Jagath Savanadasa is one of most senior Chamber of Commerce officials in the country with a career span of more than half a century. He has also published books on history and other trade related research works.He is currently the Secretary General/CEO of the Business Chamber of Commerce which was established in year 2000. This essay however is written in his personal capacity
by Dr Gotabhya Ranasinghe
Senior Consultant Cardiologist
National Hospital Sri Lanka
When we sought a meeting with Hon Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Minister of Health, he graciously cleared his busy schedule to accommodate us. Renowned for his attentive listening and deep understanding, Minister Pathirana is dedicated to advancing the health sector. His openness and transparency exemplify the qualities of an exemplary politician and minister.
Dr. Palitha Mahipala, the current Health Secretary, demonstrates both commendable enthusiasm and unwavering support. This combination of attributes makes him a highly compatible colleague for the esteemed Minister of Health.
Our discussion centered on a project that has been in the works for the past 30 years, one that no other minister had managed to advance.
Minister Pathirana, however, recognized the project’s significance and its potential to revolutionize care for heart patients.
The project involves the construction of a state-of-the-art facility at the premises of the National Hospital Colombo. The project’s location within the premises of the National Hospital underscores its importance and relevance to the healthcare infrastructure of the nation.
This facility will include a cardiology building and a tertiary care center, equipped with the latest technology to handle and treat all types of heart-related conditions and surgeries.
Securing funding was a major milestone for this initiative. Minister Pathirana successfully obtained approval for a $40 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank. With the funding in place, the foundation stone is scheduled to be laid in September this year, and construction will begin in January 2025.
This project guarantees a consistent and uninterrupted supply of stents and related medications for heart patients. As a result, patients will have timely access to essential medical supplies during their treatment and recovery. By securing these critical resources, the project aims to enhance patient outcomes, minimize treatment delays, and maintain the highest standards of cardiac care.
Upon its fruition, this monumental building will serve as a beacon of hope and healing, symbolizing the unwavering dedication to improving patient outcomes and fostering a healthier society.We anticipate a future marked by significant progress and positive outcomes in Sri Lanka’s cardiovascular treatment landscape within the foreseeable timeframe.
by Fr. Emmanuel Fernando, OMI
Jesuit Fr. Aloysius Pieris (affectionately called Fr. Aloy) celebrated his 90th birthday on April 9, 2024 and I, as the editor of our Oblate Journal, THE MISSIONARY OBLATE had gone to press by that time. Immediately I decided to publish an article, appreciating the untiring selfless services he continues to offer for inter-Faith dialogue, the renewal of the Catholic Church, his concern for the poor and the suffering Sri Lankan masses and to me, the present writer.
It was in 1988, when I was appointed Director of the Oblate Scholastics at Ampitiya by the then Oblate Provincial Fr. Anselm Silva, that I came to know Fr. Aloy more closely. Knowing well his expertise in matters spiritual, theological, Indological and pastoral, and with the collaborative spirit of my companion-formators, our Oblate Scholastics were sent to Tulana, the Research and Encounter Centre, Kelaniya, of which he is the Founder-Director, for ‘exposure-programmes’ on matters spiritual, biblical, theological and pastoral. Some of these dimensions according to my view and that of my companion-formators, were not available at the National Seminary, Ampitiya.
Ever since that time, our Oblate formators/ accompaniers at the Oblate Scholasticate, Ampitiya , have continued to send our Oblate Scholastics to Tulana Centre for deepening their insights and convictions regarding matters needed to serve the people in today’s context. Fr. Aloy also had tried very enthusiastically with the Oblate team headed by Frs. Oswald Firth and Clement Waidyasekara to begin a Theologate, directed by the Religious Congregations in Sri Lanka, for the contextual formation/ accompaniment of their members. It should very well be a desired goal of the Leaders / Provincials of the Religious Congregations.
Besides being a formator/accompanier at the Oblate Scholasticate, I was entrusted also with the task of editing and publishing our Oblate journal, ‘The Missionary Oblate’. To maintain the quality of the journal I continue to depend on Fr. Aloy for his thought-provoking and stimulating articles on Biblical Spirituality, Biblical Theology and Ecclesiology. I am very grateful to him for his generous assistance. Of late, his writings on renewal of the Church, initiated by Pope St. John XX111 and continued by Pope Francis through the Synodal path, published in our Oblate journal, enable our readers to focus their attention also on the needed renewal in the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. Fr. Aloy appreciated very much the Synodal path adopted by the Jesuit Pope Francis for the renewal of the Church, rooted very much on prayerful discernment. In my Religious and presbyteral life, Fr.Aloy continues to be my spiritual animator / guide and ongoing formator / acccompanier.
Fr. Aloysius Pieris, BA Hons (Lond), LPh (SHC, India), STL (PFT, Naples), PhD (SLU/VC), ThD (Tilburg), D.Ltt (KU), has been one of the eminent Asian theologians well recognized internationally and one who has lectured and held visiting chairs in many universities both in the West and in the East. Many members of Religious Congregations from Asian countries have benefited from his lectures and guidance in the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) in Manila, Philippines. He had been a Theologian consulted by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences for many years. During his professorship at the Gregorian University in Rome, he was called to be a member of a special group of advisers on other religions consulted by Pope Paul VI.
Fr. Aloy is the author of more than 30 books and well over 500 Research Papers. Some of his books and articles have been translated and published in several countries. Among those books, one can find the following: 1) The Genesis of an Asian Theology of Liberation (An Autobiographical Excursus on the Art of Theologising in Asia, 2) An Asian Theology of Liberation, 3) Providential Timeliness of Vatican 11 (a long-overdue halt to a scandalous millennium, 4) Give Vatican 11 a chance, 5) Leadership in the Church, 6) Relishing our faith in working for justice (Themes for study and discussion), 7) A Message meant mainly, not exclusively for Jesuits (Background information necessary for helping Francis renew the Church), 8) Lent in Lanka (Reflections and Resolutions, 9) Love meets wisdom (A Christian Experience of Buddhism, 10) Fire and Water 11) God’s Reign for God’s poor, 12) Our Unhiddden Agenda (How we Jesuits work, pray and form our men). He is also the Editor of two journals, Vagdevi, Journal of Religious Reflection and Dialogue, New Series.
Fr. Aloy has a BA in Pali and Sanskrit from the University of London and a Ph.D in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Sri Lankan, Vidyodaya Campus. On Nov. 23, 2019, he was awarded the prestigious honorary Doctorate of Literature (D.Litt) by the Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, the Most Venerable Welamitiyawe Dharmakirthi Sri Kusala Dhamma Thera.
Fr. Aloy continues to be a promoter of Gospel values and virtues. Justice as a constitutive dimension of love and social concern for the downtrodden masses are very much noted in his life and work. He had very much appreciated the commitment of the late Fr. Joseph (Joe) Fernando, the National Director of the Social and Economic Centre (SEDEC) for the poor.
In Sri Lanka, a few religious Congregations – the Good Shepherd Sisters, the Christian Brothers, the Marist Brothers and the Oblates – have invited him to animate their members especially during their Provincial Congresses, Chapters and International Conferences. The mainline Christian Churches also have sought his advice and followed his seminars. I, for one, regret very much, that the Sri Lankan authorities of the Catholic Church –today’s Hierarchy—- have not sought Fr.
Aloy’s expertise for the renewal of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka and thus have not benefited from the immense store of wisdom and insight that he can offer to our local Church while the Sri Lankan bishops who governed the Catholic church in the immediate aftermath of the Second Vatican Council (Edmund Fernando OMI, Anthony de Saram, Leo Nanayakkara OSB, Frank Marcus Fernando, Paul Perera,) visited him and consulted him on many matters. Among the Tamil Bishops, Bishop Rayappu Joseph was keeping close contact with him and Bishop J. Deogupillai hosted him and his team visiting him after the horrible Black July massacre of Tamils.
Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement
By Gomi Senadhira
senadhiragomi@gmail.com
“You might tell fairy tales, but the progress of a country cannot be achieved through such narratives. A country cannot be developed by making false promises. The country moved backward because of the electoral promises made by political parties throughout time. We have witnessed that the ultimate result of this is the country becoming bankrupt. Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet.” – President Ranil Wickremesinghe, 2024 Budget speech
Any Sri Lankan would agree with the above words of President Wickremesinghe on the false promises our politicians and officials make and the fairy tales they narrate which bankrupted this country. So, to understand this, let’s look at one such fairy tale with lots of false promises; Ranil Wickremesinghe’s greatest achievement in the area of international trade and investment promotion during the Yahapalana period, Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA).
It is appropriate and timely to do it now as Finance Minister Wickremesinghe has just presented to parliament a bill on the National Policy on Economic Transformation which includes the establishment of an Office for International Trade and the Sri Lanka Institute of Economics and International Trade.
Was SLSFTA a “Cleverly negotiated Free Trade Agreement” as stated by the (former) Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate on the SLSFTA in July 2018, or a colossal blunder covered up with lies, false promises, and fairy tales? After SLSFTA was signed there were a number of fairy tales published on this agreement by the Ministry of Development Strategies and International, Institute of Policy Studies, and others.
However, for this article, I would like to limit my comments to the speech by Minister Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate, and the two most important areas in the agreement which were covered up with lies, fairy tales, and false promises, namely: revenue loss for Sri Lanka and Investment from Singapore. On the other important area, “Waste products dumping” I do not want to comment here as I have written extensively on the issue.
1. The revenue loss
During the Parliamentary Debate in July 2018, Minister Samarawickrama stated “…. let me reiterate that this FTA with Singapore has been very cleverly negotiated by us…. The liberalisation programme under this FTA has been carefully designed to have the least impact on domestic industry and revenue collection. We have included all revenue sensitive items in the negative list of items which will not be subject to removal of tariff. Therefore, 97.8% revenue from Customs duty is protected. Our tariff liberalisation will take place over a period of 12-15 years! In fact, the revenue earned through tariffs on goods imported from Singapore last year was Rs. 35 billion.
The revenue loss for over the next 15 years due to the FTA is only Rs. 733 million– which when annualised, on average, is just Rs. 51 million. That is just 0.14% per year! So anyone who claims the Singapore FTA causes revenue loss to the Government cannot do basic arithmetic! Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I call on my fellow members of this House – don’t mislead the public with baseless criticism that is not grounded in facts. Don’t look at petty politics and use these issues for your own political survival.”
I was surprised to read the minister’s speech because an article published in January 2018 in “The Straits Times“, based on information released by the Singaporean Negotiators stated, “…. With the FTA, tariff savings for Singapore exports are estimated to hit $10 million annually“.
As the annual tariff savings (that is the revenue loss for Sri Lanka) calculated by the Singaporean Negotiators, Singaporean $ 10 million (Sri Lankan rupees 1,200 million in 2018) was way above the rupees’ 733 million revenue loss for 15 years estimated by the Sri Lankan negotiators, it was clear to any observer that one of the parties to the agreement had not done the basic arithmetic!
Six years later, according to a report published by “The Morning” newspaper, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) on 7th May 2024, Mr Samarawickrama’s chief trade negotiator K.J. Weerasinghehad had admitted “…. that forecasted revenue loss for the Government of Sri Lanka through the Singapore FTA is Rs. 450 million in 2023 and Rs. 1.3 billion in 2024.”
If these numbers are correct, as tariff liberalisation under the SLSFTA has just started, we will pass Rs 2 billion very soon. Then, the question is how Sri Lanka’s trade negotiators made such a colossal blunder. Didn’t they do their basic arithmetic? If they didn’t know how to do basic arithmetic they should have at least done their basic readings. For example, the headline of the article published in The Straits Times in January 2018 was “Singapore, Sri Lanka sign FTA, annual savings of $10m expected”.
Anyway, as Sri Lanka’s chief negotiator reiterated at the COPF meeting that “…. since 99% of the tariffs in Singapore have zero rates of duty, Sri Lanka has agreed on 80% tariff liberalisation over a period of 15 years while expecting Singapore investments to address the imbalance in trade,” let’s turn towards investment.
Investment from Singapore
In July 2018, speaking during the Parliamentary Debate on the FTA this is what Minister Malik Samarawickrama stated on investment from Singapore, “Already, thanks to this FTA, in just the past two-and-a-half months since the agreement came into effect we have received a proposal from Singapore for investment amounting to $ 14.8 billion in an oil refinery for export of petroleum products. In addition, we have proposals for a steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million), sugar refinery ($ 200 million). This adds up to more than $ 16.05 billion in the pipeline on these projects alone.
And all of these projects will create thousands of more jobs for our people. In principle approval has already been granted by the BOI and the investors are awaiting the release of land the environmental approvals to commence the project.
I request the Opposition and those with vested interests to change their narrow-minded thinking and join us to develop our country. We must always look at what is best for the whole community, not just the few who may oppose. We owe it to our people to courageously take decisions that will change their lives for the better.”
According to the media report I quoted earlier, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Chief Negotiator Weerasinghe has admitted that Sri Lanka was not happy with overall Singapore investments that have come in the past few years in return for the trade liberalisation under the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. He has added that between 2021 and 2023 the total investment from Singapore had been around $162 million!
What happened to those projects worth $16 billion negotiated, thanks to the SLSFTA, in just the two-and-a-half months after the agreement came into effect and approved by the BOI? I do not know about the steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million) and sugar refinery ($ 200 million).
However, story of the multibillion-dollar investment in the Petroleum Refinery unfolded in a manner that would qualify it as the best fairy tale with false promises presented by our politicians and the officials, prior to 2019 elections.
Though many Sri Lankans got to know, through the media which repeatedly highlighted a plethora of issues surrounding the project and the questionable credentials of the Singaporean investor, the construction work on the Mirrijiwela Oil Refinery along with the cement factory began on the24th of March 2019 with a bang and Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his ministers along with the foreign and local dignitaries laid the foundation stones.
That was few months before the 2019 Presidential elections. Inaugurating the construction work Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the projects will create thousands of job opportunities in the area and surrounding districts.
The oil refinery, which was to be built over 200 acres of land, with the capacity to refine 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, was to generate US$7 billion of exports and create 1,500 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs. The construction of the refinery was to be completed in 44 months. Four years later, in August 2023 the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to cancel the agreement with the investors of the refinery as the project has not been implemented! Can they explain to the country how much money was wasted to produce that fairy tale?
It is obvious that the President, ministers, and officials had made huge blunders and had deliberately misled the public and the parliament on the revenue loss and potential investment from SLSFTA with fairy tales and false promises.
As the president himself said, a country cannot be developed by making false promises or with fairy tales and these false promises and fairy tales had bankrupted the country. “Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet”.
(The writer, a specialist and an activist on trade and development issues . )
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