Riots and martial law in Ceylon, 1915 by Ponnambalam Ramanathan

During and soon after the riots which took place in June 1915, the Government declared Martial Law and the shootings and atrocities committed and the fines imposed, found Ramanathan as the champion of the down-trodden Sinhalese people, speaking alone in the Legislative Council. He condemned the imposition of Martial Law. He said that though riots were taking place frequently in India, Martial Law was not declared, and the riots were suppressed by the police and the military under the normal laws. For several weeks he kept on his agitation and spoke on behalf of those who were arrested, and those who were fined drastic sums which they could not possibly pay, individually or collectively. He raised question after question on behalf of individuals and organizations about complaints of executions, arrests and enormous fines, without legal sanction. The Governor tried to suppress him from the Chair and in a reply to him in the Legislative Council in August l915, he said, “I have to perform my duty and private friendship has nothing to do with public duty.”

In his book “Riots and Martial Law in Ceylon in 1915”, published in England in 1916, he gives a clear and bold description of what happened. His speeches are printed here, with summaries of the 120 petitions presented in the Legislative Council complaining of the acts of injustice and oppression done by the Government.

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