Actor-turned politician Ranjan Ramanayake was freed through a Presidential amnesty and coming out of the prison after what he had described had spent 19 months of ordeal at ‘hell hole’ at Angunukolapelassa prison
Ranjan exposed wrong doers jeopardizing his own interests with alleged tapes, containing recordings of phone dialogues that was leaked to the social media. Soon they were copied by mainstream media stirring up a major controversy
“The inaugural meeting of the United National Party was held on Friday, September 6, 1946 at 5.00 pm at ‘Palm Court’, Albert Crescent. ‘The following resolution, “that this meeting resolved to form a political Party to be called the United National Party, was moved by S. Nadesan, Member State Council [MSC] and seconded by T. B. Jayah, MSC. The resolution was put to the house and was carried unanimously.”-- Excerpt from original handwritten minutes register of the UNP on its inauguration.
Senanayakes, Kotalawala and Jayewardenes, formed the higher echelons of the UNP for five decades since its inauguration on Sep 6, 1946. This could be attributed to DC Gemoris Attygalle of Madapatha and his colossal wealth. His three daughters, Alice, Ellen and Lena, were married by three young men from prominent political families in the late 19th Century and early 20th Century. They were, FR Senanayake (DS Senanayake’s brother and Dudley Senanayake’s paternal uncle), John Kotelawala Snr. (Sir John’s father), and Col. T G Jayewardene (JR Jayewardene’s uncle) respectively. Bandaranaike’s Sinhala Maha Sabha [the main Sinhalese support base], TB Jaya’s Muslim League and a few Tamil politicians agreed to join hands with DS Senanayake under the banner of United National Party.
DS the man with prudence wanted to retain the support of minorities under one flag. His decision was based entirely on policy issues: he disagreed with CNC’s [Ceylon National Congress] aim of achieving complete freedom from the Britain, preferring Dominion status: he opposed the education proposals of Congress favouring Swabhasha as an alternative to English; and also opening doors of CNC for Communist party members. These disagreements provoked him to form a political party totally free from ethnic and religious divisions.
Following several delegations from Ceylon meeting the Colonial Secretary in London, the Colonial office had negotiations with the Leader of the State Council, Don Stephen Senanayake, of which the final outcome was the Ceylon Independence Act of 1947. Though we cannot brag of a vibrant struggle for freedom like our neighbour, India; the mature and refined political elite of Senanayakes [FR and DS], whose clever and shrewd response and to the needs of a progressively more learned voting population contributed significantly to the continued existence of nation’s democratic structure. Senanayake made the nation an economically strong democratic state faring well in the first few years of sovereignty.
Party discipline – SWRD’s behavior
“WC meeting held at Temple Trees at 9.15 pm on August 8, 1949. DS presided- Present: SWRD [Late arrival], Sir JK, T.B. Jayah…After the minutes Sir John wanted leave to bring ‘a matter of great urgency and importance’ before the house. He placed before the committee a copy of the ‘Times of Ceylon’ of 8th [same day] instant and read there from the report of a speech alleged to have been made by SWRD Bandaranaike at a meeting of the SM Sabha and invited the house to consider what action, if any, committee should take as the speech, he urged was highly detrimental to the interest of the Party…The following resolution was adopted, to wit,
Excerpts from Minutes:
After a general discussion in which all the members present joined, the following resolution were unanimously adopted, to wit,
1. “that in the opinion…the speech…contained, (a) matters which were inaccurate in point of fact and, (b) opinion which bought [or were calculated to bring] the Party into ridicule and disrepute thereby undermining the confidence of the public in the Party….2 that this matter be brought up before the usual monthly meeting of WC to be held at TT on 15/8/1949…to consider action…3. Secretary to write immediately to SWRD, inquiring the correctness of the report…get him to make a statement…discuss it at next meeting…
Bandaranaike, blaming the Times for inaccurate reporting though, apologized to the Party for his lapse. DS who never intended to obtain autonomy within the party, within a couple of hours of the publication, appointed a disciplinary committee to inquire and report, unlike JR, RW, Rajapaksas, who attempted through amendments to party Constitutions for self-directed powers. [The latest, to join the list was Maithripala Sirisena who got a resolution passed at Annual sessions a couple of days ago, for gaining dictatorial powers for himself].
Whistle-blower Ranjan
Ranjan Ramanayake, the outspoken ex law-maker who yelled to the media crew, making a general assessment of our legal fraternity and Political hierarchy, “Mung Okkoma Horu Malli” [listen brothers, all these guys are rogues] – while being handcuffed and led to a prison bus on January 12, 2021, is back his ‘paradise,’ the Madiwela MP’s complex with appalling experience in his disastrous 19-month Angunakolapelessa “hell hole”. The celluloid hero now occupy the vacant Manusha Nanayakkaara’s residence. Will he continue his Whistle-blower role, under a leader or has he learnt a lesson?
We wrote in these columns two articles titled, “Ranja, Wad of Bubble Gum Spit Away by Leadership? …” DM -20/01/2020 [https://www.dailymirror.lk/Opinion/Ranja-Wad-of-Bubble-Gum-Spit-Away-by-Leadership-Or-a-Cow-Boy-who-Herded-Cattle/352-181510] and again on Nov 1, 2021 under, “Served Ten Months; Ranjan Deserves Pardoning!” [https://www.dailymirror.lk/opinion/Served-Ten-Months-Ranjan-Deserves-Pardoning/231-223701]
Ranjan exposed wrong doers jeopardizing his own interests with alleged tapes, containing recordings of phone dialogues that was leaked to the social media. Soon they were copied by mainstream media stirring up a major controversy. The revelations distracted the public from what really went wrong within the governments, and opposing parties blissfully attacking the players of Rajapaksa regime causing more embarrassment to them.
The intelligence of the Rajapaksa regime apprehended him on a flimsy charge of not renewing license of his official firearm, but the real strategy was to search his residence for any clues on his involvement in attempts made by Yahapalanists to influence Police higher-ups and judicial officers through him. They were somewhat successful when they recovered a hoard of digital evidence of telephone conversations on above mentioned categories.
Tapes revealed several controversial dialogues that he was allegedly have made with members of judiciary, and senior cops pleading for stern action against supporters of Rajapaksas. The conversations made under ‘authority’ was immorally and unlawfully preserved and stored by a silly communicator shattering the reputation of judiciary.
In one of the secret tapes [now in public domain] Ranjan, in conversation with colleague Hirunika Premachandra, compare Ranil with Sajith; both emphatically agreeing on the fact that there is a huge space in their intellectual capacities. Ranjan confesses “I worked with Sajith for six months, he has no capacity at all”. Nevertheless, Sajith, the son of Ranasinghe Premadasa, the compassionate leader, undertook the embarrassing mission of making several personal representations to President Gotabaya on behalf of his man.
Ranjan, out of Prisons and lessons learnt, is no doubt a wiser man; he would decide his future on his own intellect rather than becoming a prey to the ‘vultures’ [from both sides of the divide] hovering around him and opt out of dirty politics. “Mung Okkoma Yaluvo Malli” [In rival groups though, they are all friends, brother].
While there’s ample intellectual leadership among young Aragalists, Ranja, is the ideal man to provide the badly lacking “popular leadership” to the youth movement which is also under the threat of extinction being hijacked by ultra-left ‘vulturism.’
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