Election reminiscences

Part V

(Continued from October 23)

Stories are many of W. Dahanayake’s electioneering feats with his ‘poly tricks’ and ‘podi tricks’. As a young man he took part in the by-election campaign of Kannangara for the Legislative Council, referring to him as a “Conscientious Willing Worker (C.W.W.)” At the time he would never have dreamt that they both would be future ministers of education. From local politics at Galle, he went to Keppitipola’s Wellassa in 1944, far removed from his native Galle and contested the by-election in Bibile. His rival was a powerful bus magnate who hired thugs to disrupt his meetings and threaten him with bodily harm. His rival was supported by a very rich and influential mudalali of the area. If he could win this man over to his side, Daha knew he would be a tremendous asset, but how? Daha didn’t battle for long. He began to pay ostentatious visits to the mudalali’s house three or four times a week making sure the man was out when he did so.

Word of this went round the electorate and people began to suspect the mudalali’s loyalties. The hapless man was treated with suspicion, and all his protestations of loyalty were of no avail. Angered by all this the mudalali decided to teach them all a lesson, and began to work openly for Daha and Daha romped home!

***

It was 1947, and the first general election to the newly created House of Representatives was on, generating much excitement and interest all over the country. Two colourful personages, who had both sat together as members of the dissolved State Council were contesting the Galle Seat. H. W. Amarasuriya one of the wealthiest men in the country had been Member of the State Council for Galle, and W. Dahanayake had been the MSC for distant Bibile. (He was nicknamed the Bibile Brook because of his capacity for long speeches and hence the comparison to Tennyson’s brook, which declared that “men may come and men may go, but I go on forever”).

Dahanayake began his campaign by announcing, “I am going to shake the money tree, pick up what you can!” Transporting of voters from their homes to polling stations by candidates and their agents was then allowed. Since the 1947 election took place just after World War II, petrol rationing was still on, and every candidate was given a hundred petrol coupons for his campaign; one coupon, one gallon, and Daha, in a characteristically spectacular gesture, returned his coupons to the authorities, stating, “My opponent, Mr. Amarasuriya will very kindly provide transport for my voters!”

And this is just what happened, for the seat that H.W. had won in 1936 with a record majority of 23,000 voters, was lost to Dahanayake by 2,400 odd votes!

There was an interesting aftermath ‘almost four, decades later. A statue of H. W. Amarasuriya was erected after his death by the grateful public of Galle, and Prime Minister Premadasa was invited to unveil it. On that occasion Dr. W. Dahanayake, Minister of Co-opertives, made a stirring speech, going on to describe the late Amarsuriya as a Bodhisatva. Prime Minister Premadasa, in his speech, quipped that had W. Dahanayake made that speech in 1947, he would have lost the election!

***

The ‘Kavi Kola’ (metrical verse leaflets) also formed an integral part of Daha’s election campaign. These leaflets were rhythmically recited over and over again to attract the attention of the voters. At this election Dahanayake was addressing a meeting at the Market Square, when suddenly, a woman in an advanced stage of pregnancy (at the ‘onna meanna’ stage) began to moan in pain.

Dahanayake ran to the road in search of a vehicle and saw a rickshaw parked there, with the rickshaw-karaya nowhere about. After she was helped to the rickshaw, Daha got between the shafts and to the cheers of the crowd, trotted off in the direction of the hospital.

Once they were out of sight of the crowd, he stopped the rickshaw. Smiling, the woman got off the rickshaw, and accepting the ten rupees which Daha offered, vanished down an alley. Meanwhile, the rickshaw puller also mysteriously made his appearance and collected his ten rupees.

***

In the 1947 general election, the first to the newly created House of Representatives, Dr. W. Dahanayake’s twin brother, Kalyanapriya (K.) contested the Colombo Central Seat. Unlike today’s elections, the earlier ones were spread out over a number of days. As everybody knows, it was W. Dahanayake, then Prime Minister, who held the very first one-day general election in March, 1960.

On the first day of the 1947 election, Sir Waithyalingam Doraisamy, the Speaker of the outgoing State Council lost. On the second day, Sir Susantha de Fonseka the Deputy Speaker, also lost. A few days later, while W. Dahanayake was addressing one of his brother’s meetings Inspector of Police strode up to the platform and said, “Mr. Dahanayake, you are permitted to use loudspeakers only until 10 p.m it is now 10.05. I don’t care if you haven’t finished your speech. I’m going to disconnect the loudspeaker”

As the inspector did so, Dahanayake yelled, “Sahodaravaruni, on the first day, Speaker ‘Giyaa’. On the second day Deputy Speaker ‘Giyaa’. Onna dan Loud Speaker – uth giyaa!” (On the first day, the speaker went! On the second day, the Deputy Speaker went! And now the Loud Speaker has also gone!”)

***

Once at a meeting, Dahanayake said that to maintain the Prime Minister D.S. Senanayake’s dog it costs Rs. 400 of the people’s money, a month. And it was long afterwards that the people came to know that the Premier had no dog.

***

When S. W. R. D. came to address one of Daha’s election meetings at Galle in 1956, he went up to the mike and shouted “Banda comes to town! UNP down!” On hearing it S.W.R.D. had a hearty laugh. A special feature of the 1960 March general election was that an incumbent Prime Minister W. Dahanayake, was defeated in his own electorate.

***

One speaker at an election meeting contemptuously said that Dahanayake had been in every political party, save the J.V.P. and the Federal Party.

In 1977, the Galle seat was contested by a UNPer. But Dahanayake who also contested the seat announced that he was “Pro JR”.

On the day that JR was on his way to Galle to address a UNP meeting, Dahanayake was in Hikkaduwa on the Main Road to Galle, on a rickety old car, feigning a break down.

As JR was approaching, Daha stopped his car.

“Daha! what’s the problem?”

“My car broke down. Can you please give me a lift to Galle?”

“Daha! hire a car and go, Here’s the money,” said JR, who knew what the former was up to.

It was a Greek meeting a Greek.

***

Banis Mama become Amuda Mama, when he protested against the rationing of textiles in the first government of Sirimavo by wearing an Amude (a loin-cloth) to Parliament. He was not allowed to enter the Chamber but hovered there to be photographed.

Minister Felix Bandaranaike quipped, “We should cut our cloth according to the size of our external assets. Rumour had it that Sir John was about the place, and true to form, was searching for a pair of scissors.

***

Soon after his defeat at the 1960 March election, Dahanayake went on pilgrimage, armed with camera given to him by Sir Susantha de Fonseka, former Ambassador of Ceylon in Japan and a former deputy speaker.

After parking his vehicle, he was going to the Avukana Shrine when became thirsty and went to a hut close by to ask for some water. The woman there brought a glass of water and while giving it asked him where he came from. Dahanayake answered that he was from Galle, when the woman fuming with indignation said, “The people of Galle do not deserve to be given even a glass of water, for the way they defeated Dahanayaka Mahaththaya.” Dahanayake chuckled and resumed his journey, without revealing his identity.