Crucial Muslim Support for Independence and Bandaranaike’s Assurances, By Latheef Farook

(Excerpts from the book “Nobody’s People-The Forgotten plight of Sri Lanka’s Muslims” by Latheef Farook)

 During the World War 11 the British government asked its colonies to support them assuring that they would be given independence once the war ended. Like rest of the British colonies, Sri Lanka too supported the British.

In the aftermath of the War, agitation for political reforms and independence   gathered momentum. The British insisted that three quarters of the population should support the demand for independence to ensure the rights of minorities were protected. With the Sinhalese community as a whole constituting less than three quarters of the population this was an impossible demand to fulfill unless the minorities supported .Sensing the threat posed by the growing communalism on the part of the majority community the Tamils, led by Tamil Congress whose leader G.G.Ponnambalam demanded equal representation, better known as fifty –fifty while the Muslims stood fully behind the majority community.

The Muslims in general opposed any communalization of politics and always supported moves for communal harmony and peace. Yet inevitably forced by the political environment the All Ceylon Muslim Political Conference began under the guidance of Sir Mohamed Macan Markar to highlight and demand reforms to ensure that the rights and privileges of Muslims too were protected. The All Ceylon Muslim Political Conference which brought about unity among the political organizations   went before the Soulbury Commission on 5 February 1945 and demanded that the communal representation to be replaced by a system which would safeguard their interests and rights under the new constitution.

 Expressing the feelings of Muslims Sir Mohamed Macan Markar stated as follows:” I ask for adequate representation for Muslims, but I would not go so far as to support the 50-50 basis, because all questions of numbers and ratios, of a little more or little less, are subordinate to the main question, namely, good government. And what is good government? It may be summed up in two words; justice and fair play – justice between man and man and fair play to all communities. In pursuance of justice and fair play, I had neither desire then nor do I desire now, to see the majority community reduced to the position of a minority. On the contrary, as evidence of my goodwill, I went so far as to say that I have no objection to Sinhalese rule in this country. That remark alone should show how free my mind is of all communal prejudice”.

Dr. Badiuddin Mahmoud, the Secretary of the All Ceylon Muslim Political Conference, had this to say on 5 March 1939 at a gathering under the chairmanship of Sir Mohamed Macan Markar to protest against the inadequate representation of Muslims in the Legislative Council:

“Let me assure my Sinhalese countrymen that I am one among them in demanding complete freedom for our country. They can count on me as one of the most ardent admirers of their legitimate national and cultural aspirations. In me and in my community, let them know that they find the most trusted friends and kind neighbors in this island. They would never find wanting in me or in my community that unflinching loyalty and patriotism that this little island would demand one day from its sons and daughters to carve out a niche of fame for itself as a self- respecting unit in a world federation. Let me also assure my Sinhalese friends that the brave community to which I belong shall never consider any sacrifice too great to make Lanka a happy, prosperous and glorious country in the world where not one section of its population but every son and daughter of her soil shall legitimately take pride in her glorious destiny”.

The three Muslim representatives in the State Council extended their whole- hearted support for the “Dominion Status Bill” – a Sri Lankan bill sponsored by the late Mr.S.W.R.D.Bandaranaike when it came for the vote on 9 November 1945.Both T.B.Jayah and Dr M.C.M Kaleel spoke in favour of the bill while A.R.A.Razik and Dr Kaleel voted in favour as Jayah was not present during the time of voting.

During his speech  Razik Fareed said” “ I feel that I should say how we the Moors, have been placed in the past in spite of the treatment we received, not at the hand of the Sinhalese, but at the hands of other communities…..We have been heard even without representation. I remember the time when we, the Ceylon Moors were told that as we speak a sort of Tamil, we can be put down as Tamil Speaking Community and represented by Tamil members. We had to bow even to that. We have suffered. But you are not going to suffer one –tenth of what we, Moors have suffered. It will be remembered that in 1939 the Moors were not able to send even one representative to the Council. Did the Tamil community help us? No.Instead they sent in Tamil members to represent places like Mannar, Batticaloa South and Trincomalee where the Moors number over 40,000 each area. The All Ceylon Moors Association which has 50 odd branch associations and they entrusted to me the task of announcing to this house that they pledge their support to the resolution of the Hon Leader under discussion today. Nothing else would at the moment give me great pleasure to do so, and to express my whole hearted support to the Hon leader’s proposal. As my community and I have always stood by them, I must say that in the hour of his triumph we join hands with him in the forward march to the goal of the proposal to which he aspires”…

Supporting the Sri Lankan Bill despite its disadvantages to Muslims and defining the attitude of Muslims towards the bill Mr.T.B. Jayah said:” I am glad, Sir, that it has been stated that this is not the moment for jubilation or exultation or even for mutual recrimination. I certainly think that this is not the occasion to speak of the discomfiture of the minority communities’ or of the victory of the majority community”.

“As far as I am concerned, I speak with the full support of members of the Muslim community. I saw to it that the Ceylon Muslim League, representing the Muslim community of Ceylon, consulted Muslim representatives   in different parts of the country on the important issues before the house and I am in a position to say that the Muslim members of this Council have the fullest backing of the Muslim community in this island”.

“When the Muslims of the Council decided to take a definite stand at the time the Sri Lanka –Bill was introduced, they did so for one and one reason only. The reason was that where the political freedom of this country was involved, they were prepared to go to any length, even to the point of sacrificing advantages and benefit as a result of such action”. As far as I am concerned, Sir, I do not consider any right greater than the right of political freedom and therefore, although I am fully conscious of those disadvantages of the Bill, looking at it from a narrow point of view, yet I am prepared to support this Bill”.

Expressing his gratitude to the Muslim members on behalf of the Sinhalese community, S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike assured that he would consider any reasonable request by the Muslim community. Bandaranaike said:” I say that if any member has brought closer the achievement of agreement among the various sections of the people of the country by an attitude of generosity where even those with whom he is concerned to differ, I say the fullest credit must go more than anyone else among us to the Honorable nominated Member, Mr. T.B. Jayah. He has made a speech today that will have a great effect in bringing unity among the people of this country in bringing some sense of reality to this struggle, however it may shape, that we are going to undertake to obtain a satisfactory measure of freedom”..

“What have the three members,T.B.Jayah,Dr M.C.M.Kaleel and Razik Fareed, have done? There is provided in the Bill a Scheme of Representation under which the Muslim community in this country might suffer in the form in which it appears, but yet, he himself was so sincerely determined to work for the main idea of freedom that he was prepared to vote for the principle embodied in the Bill”.

“But I can give the Hon Nominated member, Mr. T.B.Jayah, this assurance on behalf of, I think, the vast majority, at least the Community that I represent, that in the struggle for freedom whatever may or may not be the recommendation of the Soulbury Commission on our representation, he may be rest assured that we will be quite prepared to consider any reasonable point of view that, might be put forward.

The Soulbury constitution which provided for two chambers, the House of Representatives with 101 members – 95 elected and six nominated, and the Senate with 30 members, came into effect in 1947 paving the way for Independence to Sri Lanka on 4 February 1948, ending the almost four-and-a-half centuries of colonial rule. Power was handed over to the elite that the British educated, trained and moulded to suit their own interests.

The Soulbury constitution granted the minorities safeguards and the greatest of them was in the form of Section 29(2) and (3) of the Order in Council that prevented the parliament from passing laws which confer on persons or any community any privilege or advantage which is not conferred on persons of other communities.

Finally on 4 February 1948 Independence was declared in Kandy and Mr. D.S.Senayanake lowered the British flag and hoisted the Ceylon National Flag. Many still remember the leading role played by Muslims such as Dr T.B.Jayah, Sir Razik Fareed, Dr M.C.M.Kaleel and Dr Badiuddin Mahmud in the constitutional reforms of this country and their enthusiastic support for the demand of the Dominion Status and for the independence. They never obstructed the political progress of the country.

The freedom struggle in Sri Lanka was not a long, fierce and bloody one like in India. Some even say independence for Sri Lanka was the offshoot of independence to India that obtained freedom following a long and bloody struggle beginning with the first war of independence against the British in 1857 led by the last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar. Rather, as is often said, it was handed to Sri Lanka on a platter by the British, who were well aware that those they had groomed for high state posts would serve their interests.