Police Cyril Mathew vs at Kelaniya

Excerpted from Senior DIG (Retd.) Merril Gunarane’s ‘Cop in the Crossfire’

Confrontation with a mob intending to cause harm to employees of Dasa Industries, Dalugama, Kelaniya in early 1978

At the time of the UNP Iandslide victory in 1977, I was serving in what was then known as the Intelligence Service Division. Shortly after, I was posted as Senior Superintendent of Police, Kelaniya Division. Late Minister Cyril Mathew was the MP for Kelaniya at the time.

One evening in early 1978 whilst I was in my office, ASP Kelaniya, Dharmasiri Weerakoon, informed me that a crowd had gathered at the entrance to Dasa Industries, Dalugama; that Minister Cyril Mathew was present with them and that the employees of Dasa Industries anticipated being attacked when they emerged from the work place.

I took steps to assemble a riot squad with tear gas and baton parties and rushed to Dalugama with the ASP. Minister Mathew was standing about 30-40 yards outside the entrance to Dasa Industries, surrounded by an assembly of people. At 5.00 p.m. or 5.30 p.m. the assembled mob commenced attacking the workers who were emerging from the “Dasa” premises.

I gave orders to the baton party to quell the mob and arrest the ring leaders. On observing that the police were not prepared to tolerate the lawless acts, the Minister left Dalugama in his car whilst the mob dispersed, a few of their members having been arrested by the police. The Minister did not question my actions subsequently, nor was I victimized for restoring order.

Violence inside Vidyalankara University premises in March 1978.

Not long after the Dasa Industries incident, I was in my office one morning in March 1978 when police channels informed me of unrest in the Vidyalankara University. I could not gather precise, accurate information since the Vice Chancellor (VC) could not be contacted. It was then the practice for the police to enter the University precincts only at the request of the VC.

At about 11.00 a.m. a person who identified himself as a police constable from Grandpass police station spoke to me in office and said that he had come from the campus premises where he was attending lectures as an external student. He further said that a large number of unruly persons had advanced along the road leading to the campus and attacked the students within the campus premises. He also spoke of an injured being rushed to General Hospital Colombo, but was not certain whether he was a student or a member of the mob.

I had a riot squad assembled and left for the campus with the only ASP available to me that day, ASP Maxie Perera. The two permanent ASP’s were following a training course. I made it a point to take only one armed constable, and he too in my car so that he would be under my control if the firearm had to be used. When turning into the campus from Colombo – Kandy road, I observed a fairly large crowd at the turn off to the campus. Minister of Industries Cyril Mathew was with them, standing by his car. A number of State Corporation vehicles were also parked in proximity.

We drove up to the University office. I observed students on corridors appearing agitated, and in a state of fear. A lecturer told me that the students had seized one of the invaders, assaulted him and that he had died while being transported to the hospital. I had arrived just when the mob had regrouped to attack the campus in strength with intent to wreak vengeance.

I deployed the police aggressively across the campus road to obstruct and confront the mob if they ventured to move in the direction of the students. About this time, I saw Minister Mathew’s car moving in the direction of Colombo. Shortly after, I received a call on the police radio ithat the Minister wished to see me at the Peliyagoda police station. I advised ASP Maxie Perera to act decisively if the miscreants came in the direction of the campus and rushed to Peliyagoda police station to meet the Minister.

He was seated in the office of the Headquarters Inspector. I extended courtesies whereupon the Minister asked me : “Who asked you to come there?” I politely replied that in view of violence and unrest within the campus premises, I considered it my duty to step in to restore order. The Minister then asked: “Can you withdraw your men”? I replied, “I am sorry sir, I cannot do that.” He then left the police station and traveled in the direction of the campus again.

I too rushed thereand observed the Minister leaving with his supporters in the Corporation vehicles. A very serious situation was thus averted. As in the case of Dasa Industries, Dalugama, the mob preferred to retreat on realising that police would act without hesitation to quell violence. I remained in the campus premises and arranged security within and its environs so that students could leave the premises safely.

The evidence to be led at the inquest also appeared to have been manipulated, for two witnesses had emerged to offer a different version of events. Pressure was being exerted for the Peliyagoda police to keep out of the inquest proceedings and the evidence of the police constable from Grandpass who had furnished the first information in my office.

I met the Magistrate in his chambers and proposed that he call up those who had witnessed the incident at the inquest proceedings. I thereafter instructed the constable concerned to be present in the courthouse at the time of the inquest, which he did. He was thus able to offer his version of events.

Nonetheless, the false witnesses put forward by interested parties implicated a young Buddhist priest named Reverend Baddegama Samitha who was remanded and later indicted.

On the following day, my DIG, A.C. Lawrence, told me that the Defence Ministry was abuzz with the theory that the police had “spoiled” the plans that had been hatched to subdue the left student unions. I realized that my timely intervention for which I was being blamed, averted a serious crisis though it thwarted the designs of Minister Mathew.

Ironically had I failed to exercise due authority in time and underraduates were injured by the mob which sought to wreak vengeance for the murder of their colleague, I would yet have been blamed for a situation which could have embarrassed the government and reduced its political standing. I wasted no time in seeking a transfer out of Kelaniya in a move to pre-empt orders being made for it. The IGP transferred me to Kurunegala at my request.

POSTSCRIPT

Subsequent to his student days in the Vidyalankara University, Ven. Baddegama Samitha shot into prominence, and was at one time a Provincial Councillor and Member of Paliament. He passed away recently. Had the police failed to intervene when hordes of thugs decided to invade the campus to seek revenge for the death of a member of their mob, the life of Rev: Samitha who was the student leader of unions at the time, may have been seriously endangered.

The police constable from Grandpass police who was an external student of the Vidyalankara University, had been dismissed from service for making me aware of volatile developments occurring within the campus premises! It was on such information that I moved to act quickly. I was convinced that Peliyagoda police were in cahoots with the minister for information of gathering developments was not brought to my notice by them. The office of the SP was about a quarter mile distant from the police station.

In the aftermath of a sweeping victory by the UNP in 1977, and with the opposition in total disarray, many in the political establishment abused the law in several areas, watched by a pliant or inept police who were further rendered helpless by a mute police headquarters. My efforts to enforce the law firmly were therefore somewhat uncommon at the time.

It was my plight in such an environment to be accused of working against the government. It was ironic that a DIG, who later became IGP, had been heard saying in police headquarters that “Merril is tactless. He is causing problems to police headquarters”. It was such “tactlessness” that saved the lives of endangered campus students.