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By Charles Perera

When SWRD Bandaranaike broke away from the UNP he was representing the Sinhala Mahasabha. He was keen in re-establishing Sinhala cultural values that had been eroded by colonialism. It was a fair and a just engagement, which was soon interpreted as nationalism. He was not against the Tamils, Muslims or other communities, but his education in UK made him understand the mental attitudes of the foreigners , therefore he wanted to remove, the colonial mentality that had been imbibed by the UNP leadership who found pleasure in imitating the Colonial masters, and to bring back religious and cultural values of the people, with the emphasis on the Sinhala majority , its culture and religion which had suffered the most under different colonial rulers.

He did not agree with the pro Western attitude of the UNP, and wanted to make a reality of the Independence of Sri Lanka, by bringing back the lost values, and making the Independence more meaningful to the ordinary man.
He left the UNP and formed the SLFP. After loosing the 1952 elections, he was determined to form a Broad Union of the people to end the Western style UNP government and formed the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna with a no-contest pact with the LSSP and the CP. The majority being the Sinhala it became necessary for him to organise the Sinhala votes for an election victory over the UNP. Therefore, rightly or wrongly campaigned for the
1956 election on a Sinhala only platform which assured his victory.

SWRD stood for a non-revolutionary socialist policy, but opted to work with Marxist Parties. He was thus able to break away from the old colonial ties, and change the political scene from a pro Western capitalism to an Independent socialism. That was in short what SWRD stood for, and the SLFP which he had organised, was later brought into the larger political front the MEP and thus the SLFP he formed lost the personal colour he had infused into it.

Therefore, no body could claim that the SLFP today is , the SLFP, SWRD Bandaranaike had formed in 1952, when he left the UNP. The SLFP he formed in 1952 has lost its Bandaranaike”touch” since 1956. Those who claim to revive the SLFP as a “heritage” of the Bandaranaike family may be speaking of the old SLFP formed by SWRD in 1952, under which he fought the 1952 elections and lost. That was also the end of the original SLFP.

The Present SLFP therefore has no family connection. Neither Mangala Samarawickrama, nor Chandrika Kumaratunga could claim the present SLFP as a heritage left behind by Mr.SWRD Bandaranaike. Least of all is the Mangala Samaraweeras’ claim to revive the old Party. The SLFP is to day the party of the people without any one having the right to claim it as his or hers.

Mahinda Rajapakse’s father DA Rajapakse was one of the founder members along with SWRD of the original SLFP. DA Rajapakse did not leave the party, to join the UNP at any stage of his political carrier. Mahinda Rajapakse followed his father’s foot steps and remained in the SLFP through its hay days, as well as well as the difficult days it traversed. Chandrika Kumaratunga, came half way through into the party having rebelled against her mother the then leader of the SLFP. Mangala Samaraweera’s father on the other hand left the SLFP to join the UNP, and to day the son Mangala like his father seeks the help of UNP. Under these circumstances who can claim the just right to revive SLFP, Mangala Samaraweera, Chandrika Kumaratunga or Mahinda Rajapakse ?
No body can dispute that Mahinda Rajapaks, to-day representing the late D.A.Rajapakse, and the people of the country has a better right than Mangala Samaraweera or Chandrika Kumaratunga, to lead the SLFP the way he wants and to reorganise it to suit the present day circumstances.

Non of the previous governments of the UNP or the SLFP had made any effort to develop the South . The development was restricted to Colombo, Kandy, Trnicomalee, Anuradhapura or Jaffna. Galle, Matara, Hambantota were areas completely neglected. Thanks to the President Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse, the South of Sri Lanka is at last considered for several developement projects.

Mangala Samaraweera’s as well as Chandrika Kumaratunga’s political days are over. The right thinking people will understand that the future lies with the Mahinda Rajapakse and his brothers, as the priority to-day is freeing Sri Lanka from the gips of terrorism. It is once that cancer of terrorism is removed, that Sri Lanka could look forward to equitable devolution of political power, end of violations of human rights and corruption, end economic inequality, and take up different facets of development.

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