D. S. Senanayake

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Don Stephen Senanayake
)
"Don Senanayake" redirects here. For the entrepreneur and philanthropist, see Don Spater Senanayake.

Ceylon Parliament
for Mirigama
In office
14 October 1947 – 22 March 1952
Preceded byConstituency Created
Succeeded byJohn Amaratunga
Personal details
Born(1884-10-20)20 October 1884
Botale,
Molly Dunuwila[2]
ChildrenDudley Senanayake
Robert Senanayake
Parents
ResidenceWoodlands
EducationS. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia
Occupation
  • Planter
  • businessman
  • politician

Don Stephen Senanayake (Sinhala: දොන් ස්ටෙෆන් සේනානායක; Tamil: டி. எஸ். சேனநாயக்கா; 20 October 1884 – 22 March 1952) was a Ceylonese statesman. He was the first Prime Minister of Ceylon having emerged as the leader of the Sri Lankan independence movement that led to the establishment of self-rule in Ceylon. He is considered as the "Father of the Nation".[3]

Born to an entrepreneur from the village of Botale, Senanayake was educated at

Surveyor General's Department. Joining the family business, he managed the family own estates and the Kahatagaha Graphite Mine. Long with his brothers, Senanayake became active in the temperance movement which grew into the independence movement following 1915 Sinhalese-Muslim riots, in which the Senanayake brothers were imprisoned without charges for 46 days. He was elected unopposed in 1924 to the Legislative Council of Ceylon from Negombo, becoming the Secretary of the unofficial members group of the Legislative Council. In 1931, he was elected to the State Council of Ceylon, where he served as Minister of Agriculture and Lands. He was elected to the first Parliament of Ceylon
forming a government and serving as Ceylon's first Prime Minister from 1947 until his death in 1952.

Early life and education

The Senanayake family
Main article: Senanayake family

He was born in the village of Botale in the Hapitigam Korale (currently known as

Mudaliyar for his philanthropy.[5] Stephen Senanayake had two elder brothers, Don Charles "D. C." Senanayake and Fredrick Richard "F. R." Senanayake; and one sister, Maria Frances Senanayake who married F. H. Dias Bandaranaike.[3]

Brought up in a devout

Sinhalese Sports Club and Nondescripts Cricket Club. His contemporaries at S. Thomas's includes D. R. Wijewardena, Sir Paul Pieris, Sir Arthur Wijewardena and Sir Francis Molamure.[6][7][8][9][10][11]

Early career

A young D. S. Senanayake

After completing schooling, he worked as a clerk in the

Surveyor General's Department but left after a period of apprenticing. He joined his brother D. C. Senanayake in running his father's extensive business holdings. He worked as a planter, introducing the new commercial crop of rubber to the family plantations. He managed the Kahatagaha Graphite Mine, which was owned by his brother F. R. Senanayake wife's family. F. R. Senanayake had married the youngest daughter of Mudaliyar Don Charles Gemoris Attygalle. He was a member of the Low-Country Products Association and of the Orient Club. In 1914, he was appointed as a member of a government commission sent to Madagascar to study and report on their graphite mining industry.[12]

Political career

Early political activism

Henry Pedris, a captain in the Colombo Town Guard, was executed by the British on the account of treason.

The three Senanayake brothers were involved in the

Sir Robert Chalmers considered the temperance movement as seditious. He was released on a bail bound after 46 days at the Welikada Prison without charges. The heavy-handed suppression of the riots by the British colonial authorities initiated the modern independence movement led by the educated middle class.[13][14][15] Don Stephen and Don Charles were prominent members of the political party Lanka Mahajana Sabha. Fredrick Richard and Don Charles were committed supporters of the Young Men's Buddhist Association. D. S. Senanayake played an active role in the independence movement, initially in support of his brother Fredrick Richard.[15]

Legislative Council

In 1924, Senanayake was elected unopposed to the

Buddha Gaya
in 1925, Don Stephen assumed his leadership of the independence movement.

State Council of Ceylon

Ministers of the Second State Council of Ceylon with the Speaker in 1936

In 1931 he was elected to the newly formed State Council of Ceylon representing the Ceylon National Congress. At the first siting of the State Council, he was elected as Minister of Agriculture and Lands to chair the state council committee on Agriculture and Lands.[18]

Minister of Agriculture and Lands

As Minister of Agriculture and Lands, he initiated a policy that effectively combated Ceylon's agricultural problems, established the Land Development Ordinance, and introduced an agricultural policy to counter Ceylon's rice problems. This policy earned him respect of many, and he continued to be a minister for fifteen years, having been re-elected in 1936. He also enforced a productivity programme of "Agricultural Modernisation". He introduced the Land Bill, expanded the

Inspector General of Police
refusing to follow a request by the Minister of Home Affairs, Senanayake gave his resignation, which was followed by the other Ministers. The resignations were withdrawn shortly following settlement with the Governor.

World War II

An RAF Bristol Blenheim bomber takes off from Colombo Racecourse in Ceylon during the war.

At the onset of

Oliver Goonetilleke as Commissioner. D. S. Senanayake, as Minister of Agriculture and Lands and a member of the Ceylon war council took an active role in food supply and control. He was tasked with many defence projects, including rapid construction of an airfield at the Colombo Racecourse, which he achieved, making it available for the defence of Ceylon during the Easter Sunday Raid
.

During this time a close relationship developed between Senanayake and the deputy commissioner of civil defence, Dr. Ivor Jennings, who was the principal of the Ceylon University College. Dr. Jennings, an expert on constitutional law, subsequently became Senanayake's adviser on constitutional reforms aimed at gaining independence for the island.[19]

Gaining independence

Independence Square by Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester
in the presence of D. S. Senanayake as first Prime Minister of Ceylon

In December 1942, Senanayake became the Leader of the House and Vice Chairman of the Board of Ministers in the State Council, upon the retirement of Sir Baron Jayatilaka, Minister of Home Affairs.[20] On 26 May 1943, the British Government made the Whitehall Declaration of 1943 on Ceylon constitutional change, which enabled ministers to make submissions.[18] This bypassed the Governor, who called for a commission from the colonial office to halt the activities of the ministers. Senanayake resigned from the National Congress disagreeing with its resolution on independence and instead approached the commission with his proposal of dominion status and they accepted the ministers' submissions, publishing these in the Sessional Paper XIV of 1944.[18][21] In 1944, the Soulbury Commission was formed. In 1945, he proceeded to London to meet the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Oliver Stanley. On his arrival in London, he met instead the newly appointed George Hall, who had succeeded Stanley following Labour's win in the 1945 general election. He resigned his ministry in 1946 to push for full independence. That year he formed the United National Party (UNP) by amalgamating three right-leaning pro-Dominion parties.[19]

The granting of independence to India in 1947 and the appointment of Arthur Creech Jones as Colonial Secretary gave a new window for Senanayake to push for his case, using the new constitution that was recommended by the Soulbury Commission. In the negotiations that followed, the British government accepted Senanayake's proposals for constitutional change and self-rule. Senanayake presented the Soulbury Constitution to the State Council which voted it in, with only three votes against it.

Parliamentary elections were held from 23 August – 20 September 1947. Senanayake was contested for the first time in the Mirigama electorate, having been elected uncontested in all previous elections. He won the seat by a majority of over 16,000 votes against Edmund Samarakkody of the Bolshevik–Leninist Party of India, Ceylon and Burma. Senanayake's party, the UNP, fell short of a majority at the general election but was able to form a government in coalition with the All Ceylon Tamil Congress.

On 24 September 1947 he was invited by the

Governor General of Ceylon Sir Henry Moore to form the island's first cabinet as its first Prime Minister. On 11 November 1947, Senanayake and Sir Henry signed agreements between Ceylon and Britain including a defence pact and public service agreements that paved the way for independence of Ceylon. The "Independence Bill of Ceylon" was passed in December 1947. On 4 February 1948, Ceylon marked its independence with a ceremonial opening of parliament.[19][22]

First prime minister

D. S. Senanayake as Prime Minister with his Cabinet

With his accession, Senanayake began the process of establishing institutions needed for an independent state. While most domestic institutions existed, Ceylon remained dependent on Britain for trade, defence and external affairs. He turned down a

Privy Council in 1950.[23][24]

National development

He boldly made plans to spread out the population, and his Gal Oya scheme relocated over 250,000 people. He expanded the agrarian policies he had initiated during his tenure as Minister of Agriculture and Lands, a post now held by his son Dudley Senanayake. With a rapidly expanding population and food shortages faced during the war, Senanayake aimed to increase local food production to be self-sustainable. Renovation of sites of historic importance in Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa took place at this time. Senanayake also proposed expansion of hydro-electric power in the island.[25]

Citizenship

Senanayake's government introduced the

G.G. Ponnambalam.[26] This was followed by the Indian and Pakistani Residents (Citizenship) Act No.3 of 1949 and the Ceylon (Parliamentary Elections) Amendment Act No.48 of 1949[27]

Foreign policy

Senanayake held the portfolio of

Ceylon Overseas Service to build a cadre of career diplomats. He hosted the Commonwealth Conference of Foreign Ministers, held in Colombo in January 1950. One of the significant outcomes of this conference was the establishment of the Colombo Plan
.

Defence

D. S. Senanayake visiting the 1st battalion of the CLI at the Echelon Square

Although Ceylon had maintained a small volunteer force for the defense of colony, Senanayake introduced the Army Act (1949), Navy Act (1950), and the Air Force Act (1951) establishing the Armed forces of Ceylon. Having engaged in Defence Agreement with Britain when gaining independence, Senanayake retained British bases in Ceylon and gained her assistance in training and arming its new military.

Political challenges

In the early years of Senanayake's premiership he faced opposition and a lot of criticism from many of the

leftist parties. He soon had difficulties with one of the strongest members of his cabinet and leader of the largest factions of his party, S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike. Bandaranaike joined his Sinhala Maha Sabha in forming the UNP in 1947, having given the impression that Senanayake would soon retire and he would succeed him. With no signs of Senanayake retiring and conflicts with Senanayake on hardline nationalist policies he had, in 1951, Bandaranaike resigned from his posts, dissolved the Sinhala Maha Sabha, and established the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). Senanayake assumed the portfolio of Health and Local Government held by Bandaranaike and began countering his break in parliament for the next few months.[28]

Death

On the morning of Friday, 21 March 1952, Don Stephen Senanayake took his usual pre-breakfast ride on

Inspector Eddie Grey
. The horse broke into a gallop from a canter and went on for a mile, when suddenly the Prime Minister fell off the saddle.

He was taken to a nursing home where he remained unconscious for the next thirty-two hours. It was believed that he had suffered a

RAF Hastings with a double crew to take Sir Hugh. However, the aircraft, with three more doctors and two nurses, was taxiing to take off when the message was received that it was too late, as the Prime Minister's situation was deteriorating. Two more neurosurgeons from India and Pakistan had reached Colombo too late to make a difference. Senanayake died at 3:30 pm on 22 March 1952.[29]

His remains were taken to Temple Trees, where they lay until the next morning, when they were moved to the

Royal Ceylon Navy. The procession ended at Independence Square
where the remains were cremated in accordance with Sinhalese Buddhist rites.

Personal life

Wedding of D. S. Senanayake and Mollie Dunuwille in 1910

Senanayake cared for animals and owned a wide range of pets such as elephants, horses, pigs, cattle; many kept at his estate and at the Bothale Walawwa. A keen horticulturist, he grew orchids and would typically wear an orchid in the lapel of his suit. He suffered from diabetes most of his later life.

Marriage and children

D. S. Senanayake married

Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike in 1956, campaigning under the "Sinhala Only" slogan. Dudley Senanayake regained the premiership brefly in 1960, and served again from 1965 to 1970. Rukman Senanayake, one of his grandsons, served as a cabinet minister and member of parliament. Two of his great-grandsons, Vasantha Senanayake, and Ruwan Wijewardene
, served as state ministers and members of parliament.

Legacy

Statue of D. S. Senanayake erected in Kandy in 1969

D. S. Senanayake is respected by

Tamils of recent Indian origin
living in the central highlands. His bold agricultural plans and pro-Western policies drew criticism for their modern and untraditional nature. Under his family's leadership, Sri Lanka's economy flourished, and he is still known as "The Father of Sri Lanka".

Statues of D. S. Senanayake have been erected in many parts of the island, including one at the

Royal–Thomian
in which he played for S. Thomas' in 1901 and 1902.

Electoral history

Electoral history of D. S. Senanayake
Election Constituency Party Votes Result
1924 legislative council Negombo Independent Uncontested Elected
1931 state council Negombo Independent Elected
1936 state council Negombo Independent Elected
1947 parliamentary Mirigama United National Party 26,762 Elected

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Parliament of Sri Lanka – Handbook of Parliament, Prime Ministers Archived 25 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Sri Lankan Sinhalese Family Genealogy, The Don Bartholomews Senanayake Family Tree
  3. ^ a b "D.S. Senanayake – The Father of the Nation". www.dailymirror.lk.
  4. ^ Don Stephen Senanayake, the first Prime Minister of Sri Lanka by H. A. J. Hulugalle
  5. ISBN 9781842772287
  6. ^ DS hobnobbed with the mighty but kept the common touch Archived 29 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Don Stephen Senanayake
  8. ^ a b "D. S. Senanayake: A leader with extraordinary vision".
  9. ^ "Don Stephen Senanayake, First Prime Minister of Sri Lanka".
  10. ^ "The Sara Legend The launch of the autobiography of Manicasothy Saravanamuttu".
  11. ^ "Remembering the 'Father of the Nation'". Archived from the original on 29 March 2003.
  12. ^ "D. S. Senanayake | prime minister of Ceylon". Encyclopedia Britannica.
  13. ISBN 0-226-78950-0
    .
  14. ISBN 0-253-34420-4
    .
  15. ^ a b "The Stalwarts In The Struggle For Independence In Sri Lanka". Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  16. ^ Don Stephen Senanayake, First Prime Minister of Sri Lanka by H. A. J. Hulugalle (The Island) Retrieved 2015-11-08
  17. ^ D. S. Senanayake: A leader with extraordinary vision by Walter Wijenayake (The Island) Retrieved 2015-11-08
  18. ^ a b c Rajasingham K. T. Sri Lanka: The Untold Story Asia Times, Ch. 10, 19 October 2001. Retrieved 12 June 2015
  19. ^ a b c "The Sunday Times Plus Section". www.sundaytimes.lk.
  20. ^ What caused the rift between D.S. and Sir Baron by Drene Terana Sariffodeen (Sunday Times) Retrieved 2015-11-08
  21. ISBN 9780824811839
  22. ^ Sinhalese Parties, Country Studies, Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress
  23. ^ "No. 38797". The London Gazette. 30 December 1949. p. 1.
  24. ^ "D.S. Senanayake – A nation's father, undisputed leader of all time | Daily FT". www.ft.lk.
  25. ^ Imbulana, ChaRNika. "D. S. SENANAYAKE A NATION'S FATHER and Undisputed Leader". Daily News.
  26. ^ Apparthuray Vinayagamoorthy (8 November 2003). "103rd Birth Anniversary today : G. G. Ponnambalam - Founder of ACTC". Daily News, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
  27. ^ Ethnic Conflict of Sri Lanka: Time Line - From Independence to 1999 Archived 2009-12-12 at the Wayback Machine, International Centre for Ethnic Studies
  28. ^ Richardson (2005), Paradise Poisoned, p. 145.
  29. ^ "In memory of their kindness".
  30. ^ "Moulding forever". www.sundaytimes.lk.

External links

Government offices
Preceded by
–
Prime Minister of Ceylon

1947–1952 		Succeeded by
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