Nihal Seneviratne, who died a few days ago, was Secretary-General of the Parliament of Sri Lanka from 1981 to 1994, when the country went through one of its most difficult periods. Our existence as a democratic and united nation was under threat, with the implementation of the Sinhala Only Act. Following the brutal killings of some innocent Tamils by some racist elements in 1983 (Black July), as a reaction to killings by the LTTE, this heralded the beginning of the deadly separatist war. By then all hope of a political solution to the language problem, like the Bandaranaike–Chelvanayakam Pact, had failed. Warnings given by the LSSP leaders, like Dr. N. M. Perera, that a “sea of blood would flow through the country,” and by Dr. Colvin R. de Silva “one language two nations, two languages one nation,” were ignored. The proposals submitted by the All Party Representatives Committee (APRC), chaired by me, after 127 meetings, over three years, which was accepted by all Tamil speaking parties (other than the TNA, which boycotted it), was not put to Parliament. Parliamentary politics virtually collapsed and militancy filled the vacuum. The situation was aggravated further by the JVP violence, which peaked in 1988/89, and by the adverse impact on the functioning of Parliament by the Executive Presidency. But Nihal ensured the proper functioning of Parliament and its safety during his tenure. Thereafter, he played an important role as a member of the Dr. N. M. Perera Memorial Trust, until his death.
Nihal Seneviratne received his secondary education at one of the premier educational institutions in Sri Lanka, Royal College, Colombo. He entered the University of Peradeniya where he obtained a degree in Law, the L.L.B. He became an Advocate at the Law College, in 1961, and this enabled him to practice in the Supreme Court. However, he wanted to contribute to the highest institution in the country and joined Parliament as a public servant. He did all his duties with devotion and efficiency and rose to become the Deputy Secretary-General, and in 1981 the Secretary- General.
As Secretary-General, during his tenure he performed all his official duties efficiently, and in all matters acted impartially. I did not hear any Member of Parliament (MP) complain against him, either in the chamber or outside. Even though he did advice the Speaker on various matters, he did so according to the rules, and in a correct manner, so that all MPs accepted the decisions. He carried out his administrative functions efficiently so that the Parliament ran smoothly. As the Chief Procedural Officer he ensured that Parliamentary procedures, and the drafting of legislatures, were done properly. He ensured that the Constitution was not violated. With the establishment of the Executive Presidency, he ensured that Parliament was protected from executive overreach. He was widely regarded as an independent person who acted in a principled and fearless manner.
During the period when the Executive Presidency was being consolidated, and when the JVP insurgency and civil conflict were increasing and emergency rule was being imposed Nihal stood firmly for the supremacy of Parliament and the rule of law and the proper conduct of all procedures. He resisted all authoritarian tendencies which weakened Parliament. This led to him having to come into conflict with powerful executives and resist emergency governance practices. His principled stand ultimately led to much pressure on him and his departure from the Secretary-General post is seen by many as being due to political pressure.
Nihal is the author of a valuable book “Parliamentary Practice in Sri Lanka”, which has become a standard reference text. It is an excellent defence of the Westminister model of Parliament which has taken root in Sri Lanka getting adapted to our needs. His work is closely allied to the thinking of the LSSP. It may be said that what Dr. N. M. Perera did to consolidate that model in Sri Lanka to suit our conditions and needs has been effectively strengthened by Nihal Seneviratne.
by Prof. Tissa Vitarana, Chairman of the Dr.N M Perera Memorial Trust
