POLITICS in SRI LANKA 1947-1973 by the Same Author ELECTORAL POLITICS in an EMERGENT STATE: the CEYLON GENERAL ELECTION of MAY 1970 Politics in Sri Lanka 1947-1973

Home , Mahajana Eksath Peramuna, Sri Lanka Freedom Party, United National Party

POLITICS IN SRI LANKA 1947-1973 By the same author ELECTORAL POLITICS IN AN EMERGENT STATE: THE CEYLON GENERAL ELECTION OF MAY 1970 Politics in Sri Lanka 1947-1973

A. JEYARATNAM WILSON Professor and Chairman, Department of Political Science University of New Brunswick formerly Professor of Political Science and Head, Department of Economics and Political Science University of Sri Lanka

Palgrave Macmillan ISBN 978-1-349-01546-7 ISBN 978-1-349-01544-3 (eBook) DOI 1O.1007/978-1-349-01544-3

Library 01 Congress Catalog Card Number: 73-90319 First published in the United States 01 America in 1974

AFFILIATED PUBLISHERS: Machillan Limited, London - also at Bombay, Calcutta, Madras and Melbourne For Siisill and Malliha, Maithili and Kiimanan Contents

List of Maps and Tables viii Acknowledgements xi List of Abbreviations xiii

Introduction 1 1 The Land and its History 5 2 Problems in a Plural Society 15 3 Economic and Social Progress 61 4 Political Behaviour and Political Forces 125 5 Constitution and Government 189 6 Foreign Policy and Defence Arrangements 226 7 Conclusion 303

Notes 309 Bibliographical Note 331 Index 333 List of Maps and Tables

page Modem Sri Lanka: Provincial Divisions and Principal Towns 4 Sri Lanka: Main Agricultural Exports and Climatic Zones 60 Population Growth 1871-1971 62 Unemployment by Educational Status, 1953, 1963 and 1966 66 Acreage of Lands alienated and Number of Allottees settled under State Schemes 81 Paddy Yields 1956-70 85 Export Volumes and Earnings of Tea, Rubber and Major Coconut Products 1947-70 88 Taxes, Dividends and Reserves as a Percentage of Gross Surplus of Companies 89 Value of Assets, Plantations and Private Sector, 1964 90 Sri Lanka's Exports and Imports 1956-69 106 Government Expenditure on Social Services and Economic Development, 1948, 1955, 1961 107 Government of Sri Lanka, Financial Position 1956-70 108 G.N.P. (1960-65) at 1959 Factor Cost Prices 109 Per Capita Income (1960-65) at 1959 Factor Cost Prices 109 G.N.P. (1965-70) at 1959 Factor Cost Prices 112 Per Capita Income (1965-70) at 1959 Factor Cost Prices 112 Party Positions (House of Representatives) at General Elections, 1947-70 170 Lists of Maps and Tables ix Distribution of Seats (House of Representatives) by Provinces, 1947-56 218 Distribution of Seats (House of Representatives) by Communities, 1947 218 Voting Strengths in Selected Constituencies, 1947 and 1952 220 Distribution of Seats (House of Representatives) by Provinces, 1960-70 221 Distribution of Seats (House of Representatives) by Communities, March 1960 221 Foreign Trade, 1951-70 292 Acknowledgements

This work is the result of many many years of research on and first-hand observation of political developments in Sri Lanka since 1947. The many hundreds of students I taught at the University of Sri Lanka during 1952-72 helped me tremendously in the formu- lation of my views, theories and interpretations by their immediate and critical responses in classroom discussions, and to them lowe special thanks. There are close friends in Peradeniya from whose criticisms and observations I benefited greatly. I should like to make par- ticular mention of Professor K. M. de Silva for his unfailing generosity and helpful advice. Professors W. J. F. Labrooy, H. A. de S. Gunasekere, Mr H. A. 1. Goonetilleke, Professor Stanley Kalpage, Drs B. Hewavitharana and W. A. Wiswa Warnapala also had long conversations with me on various aspects of this work. Outside Sri Lanka, Professor Dennis Austin of the Victoria University of Manchester, Professor George Lerski of the Univer- sity of San Francisco, Professor Ferdinand Hermens, formerly of the University of Cologne and presently Fellow of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington, and Dr Calvin Woodward of the University of New Brunswick were helpful. I am grateful to the latter and to Brown University Press for permission to base my two maps on the map in Woodward's The Growth of a Party System in Ceylon. Needless to say the responsibility for any errors are mine. I am specially grateful to Mrs N. M. Hettiaratchi of Peradeniya for patiently typing several drafts of this book. Many thanks are also due to Mrs Rheta MacElwain of the University of New Brunswick for making an accurate typescript of the final draft. My wife Siisili and my children Malliha, Maithili and Kiimanan showed forbearance and patience while I was on this xii Politics in Sri Landa 1947-1973 project through the years. To my younger brother, Mr R. K. Wilson, lowe a debt for supplying me with essential documents almost at a moment's notice. lowe much to Mr Tim Farmiloe of Macmillan for his patience whilst awaiting the completed manuscript and for the encourage- ment he gave me in this endeavour. Mr H. W. Bawden of the same firm did everything possible to bring out this publication in good time, and I am grateful to him for all his efforts. A.J.W. Fredericton April 1973 List of Abbreviations

Note, Ceylon and Sri Lanka, as used in this book, are interchangeable.

B.B.P. Bosath Bandaranaike Peramuna (The Bodhisattva S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike Front). Note a bodhisattva is a being destined to be a Buddha B.J.B. Bauddha Jathika Balavegaya (National Front for the Protection of Buddhism) B.L.P.I. Bolshevik Leninist Party of India B.R.P. Buddhist Republican Party B.S.P. Bolshevik Samasamaja Party (the Bolshevik Equal Society Party) C.P. Communist Party (Moscow) C.I.C. Ceylon Indian Congress C.W.C. (Indian) Ceylon Workers' Congress D.M.K. (Ceylon) Dravida Munnethra Kazhagam (Dravidian Progressive Front) D.P. Dharma Samaja Party (Social Justice Party) D.W.C. (Indian) Democratic Workers' Congress E.B.P. Eksath Bhikku Peramuna (United Front of Buddhist Monks) F.P. (Tamil) Federal Party I.B.R.D. International Bank for Reconstruction and Development xiv List of Abbreviations I.M.F. International Monetary Fund I.S.F. Islamic Socialist Front J.V.P. Jathika Vimukthi Peramuna (Sinhalese) National Liberation Front L.P. Labour Party L.P.P. Lanka Prajathanthrawadi Party (Ceylon Democratic Party) L.S.S.P. Lanka Sama Samaja Party (Ceylon Equal Society Party) M.E.P. Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (People's United Front) P.L.F. People's Liberation Front R.P. Republican Party S.L.F.P. Sri Lanka Freedom Party S.L.F.S.P. Sri Lanka Freedom Socialist Party S.L.J.P. Sri Lanka Jathika Peramuna (the Sri Lanka National Front) S.M.P. (R. G. Sinhala Mahajana Peramuna Senanayake) (Sinhalese People's Front) S.M.P. (I.M.R.A. Samajawadi Mahajana Peramuna lriyagolle) (Socialist People's Front) S.M.S. Sinhala Maha Sabha (the Great Council of the Sinhalese) S.P. Swaraj Party T.C. Tamil Congress T.R.P. Tamil Resistance Party T.S.R.P. Tamil Self Rule Party T.U.F. Tamil United Front U.F. United Front (Samagi Peramuna) U.L.C. United Lanka Congress U.L.F. United Left Front U.N.P. United National Party V.L.S.S.P. Viplavakari (Revolutionary) Lanka Sama Samaja Party