N. M. Perera
Encyclopedia
Nanayakkarapathirage Martin Perera, better known as Dr. N. M. Perera,(Sinhala en em pe reaira; 6 June 1905 – 14 August 1979) was one of the leaders of the Sri Lanka
n Trotskyist Lanka Sama Samaja Party
(LSSP). He was the first Trotskyist to become a cabinet minister.
, Colombo
.His Mother Johana perera and He was Fifth of nine members of family of five Boy and four girls.
Perera started his schooling in the vernacular
section of St. Joseph's School, Grandpass and was later was admitted to the English section. From there he was sent for one year to a Branch School of S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia, then known as Cathedral Boys School, Mutwal. In 1919 he entered St Thomas' prep, but left in 1922 and joined Ananda College
. At Ananda he played cricket
for the school.
He obtained a bachelor's degree from University of London External System at the University College, Colombo during 1922-27 and then left for the UK
to join the London School of Economics
and University of London, 1927-33.
There he was a student of the legendary Professor Harold Laski
, being awarded a PhD
for his thesis
on the Constitution
of the German Weimar Republic
. A further comparative study, of the Constitutions of the UK, US, France
and Germany
, won him a DSc
from the University of London
. At the time Perera was the only person in Sri Lanka to hold the degree of Doctor of Science.
) in the Kegalle
district during the Malaria Epidemic of 1934 and during the subsequent floods gained for him the support of the poor and caste
-oppressed people of the area, who called him Parippu Mahathmaya after the dhal (or parippu) he distributed as relief supplies.
In 1935 Perera was one of the founder members of the LSSP. In 1936 he contested the Ruwanwella constituency, which at the time was the Thun Korale areas of Yatiyantota, Ruwanwella and Dereniyagala and parts of the present Galigamuwa electoral division, from the LSSP. His opponent was Molamure Kumarihamy of the Meedeniya Walauwa, the feudal manor
which had tremendous power over the poor people of the Sabaragamuwa area at the time. He was to hold this seat, or its Yatiyantota portion on division, continuously until 1977.
After his election, he and Philip Gunawardena
(the other LSSP member of the State Council
), acting as people's tribunes used the State Council as a platform to carry forward the party's struggle to gain full independence for the country from the British
. At the time only people like N.M. Perera and the LSSP stood for complete independence for Sri Lanka: the leaders of the Ceylon National Congress were only concerned with obtaining concessions from the British.
He was imprisoned in 1940 during World War II
, but succeeded in escaping on 5 April 1942. He secretly went to India
and worked with the Bolshevik-Leninist Party of India, Ceylon and Burma
(BLPI) in that country's independence struggle
.
But According to Encyclopedia of Marxism 1936-40. LSSP delegate to Indian National Congress session, 1937. Formed Ratmalana Railway Workers’ Union, 1937, and All-Ceylon Estate Workers’ Union, 1939. Led militant strike at Mooloya Plantation, January 1940. Arrested June 1940, incarcerated at Wellikade Jail and Bogambara Prison. Escaped to Bombay, July 1942. Arrested in Bombay, July 1943. Jailed at Badulla, 1943-45.
After the war, when the LSSP split, Perera was the leader of the faction that retained the party name. After the 1947 general election
, he was elected Leader of the Opposition
.
On reunification with the Bolshevik Samasamaja Party
(BSSP), he remained with the LSSP when the Viplavakari Lanka Sama Samaja Party
(VLSSP) split off under Philip Gunawardena
.
Perera was elected Mayor
of Colombo
in 1954, the only non-United National Party
-politician to take that office after 1945. He was Mayor for two years. In 1956 he was elected Leader of the Opposition again, a post he held until 1960.
When LSSP was divided over possible government participation in early 1960s, Perera was the principal leader of the wing that wanted to enter into government with the Sri Lanka Freedom Party
, which led to LSSP's expulsion from the Fourth International
in 1964.
He was Minister of Finance in the short lived Coalition government of 1964 - 1965 and in the United Front
government of 1970 - 1975.
In the general election of 1977, he lost his parliamentary seat for the first time, (except for the period he was imprisoned during the Second World War) having won every single election for the Ruanwella constituency or for its successor, Yatiyantota.
His funeral in 1979 was one of the largest ever seen in Sri Lanka.
, the and United Corporations and Mercantile Union
the Ceylon Federation of Labour
(CFL). He was appointed their chief negotiator by the striking workers during the 1946 general strike
.
fan, like many Commonwealth Trotskyists, he became Chairman of the Board of Control of Cricket in Sri Lanka
, and worked hard to obtain test status for Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n Trotskyist Lanka Sama Samaja Party
Lanka Sama Samaja Party
The Lanka Sama Samaja Party is a Trotskyist political party in Sri Lanka....
(LSSP). He was the first Trotskyist to become a cabinet minister.
Early life and education
NM Perera was born to Nanayakkarapathirage Abraham Perera who was a rent collector At No 36 St Joseph ‘s Street , in GrandpassGrandpass
Grandpass is a suburb in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is part of an area known as Colombo 14.-History:During the Portuguese administration in Sri Lanka, the area was named Grande Passo. The name was anglicised during the British administration to become Grandpass. It was also known as Groote Pas, Pas...
, Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
.His Mother Johana perera and He was Fifth of nine members of family of five Boy and four girls.
Perera started his schooling in the vernacular
Vernacular
A vernacular is the native language or native dialect of a specific population, as opposed to a language of wider communication that is not native to the population, such as a national language or lingua franca.- Etymology :The term is not a recent one...
section of St. Joseph's School, Grandpass and was later was admitted to the English section. From there he was sent for one year to a Branch School of S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia, then known as Cathedral Boys School, Mutwal. In 1919 he entered St Thomas' prep, but left in 1922 and joined Ananda College
Ananda College
Ananda College , Colombo which is considered as the leading National school in Sri Lanka, was established on November 1, 1886, by the Buddhist Theosophical Society led by Colonel Henry Steel Olcott...
. At Ananda he played cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
for the school.
He obtained a bachelor's degree from University of London External System at the University College, Colombo during 1922-27 and then left for the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to join the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
and University of London, 1927-33.
There he was a student of the legendary Professor Harold Laski
Harold Laski
Harold Joseph Laski was a British Marxist, political theorist, economist, author, and lecturer, who served as the chairman of the Labour Party during 1945-1946, and was a professor at the LSE from 1926 to 1950....
, being awarded a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
for his thesis
Thesis
A dissertation or thesis is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings...
on the Constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
of the German Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
. A further comparative study, of the Constitutions of the UK, US, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, won him a DSc
DSC
-in academia:* D.Sc., Doctor of Science* Doctor of Surgical Chiropody, superseded in the 1960s by Doctor of Podiatric Medicine* Dalton State College, Georgia* Daytona State College, Florida* Deep Springs College, California* Dixie State College of Utah...
from the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
. At the time Perera was the only person in Sri Lanka to hold the degree of Doctor of Science.
Political life
The work done by Perera (as a member of the Suriya-Mal MovementSuriya-Mal Movement
The Suriya-Mal Movement was formed in British ruled Ceylon to sell Suriya flowers on Poppy Day for the benefit of Sri Lankan ex-servicemen. The movement became anti-imperialist in character...
) in the Kegalle
Kegalle
Kegalle is a town in Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka. It is located on the Colombo - Kandy road. Its 48 miles/78 km away from Colombo and 24 Miles/40 km away from Kandy. It is the Capital City of the Kegalle District which is one of the two districts belonging to Sabaragamuwa province...
district during the Malaria Epidemic of 1934 and during the subsequent floods gained for him the support of the poor and caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
-oppressed people of the area, who called him Parippu Mahathmaya after the dhal (or parippu) he distributed as relief supplies.
In 1935 Perera was one of the founder members of the LSSP. In 1936 he contested the Ruwanwella constituency, which at the time was the Thun Korale areas of Yatiyantota, Ruwanwella and Dereniyagala and parts of the present Galigamuwa electoral division, from the LSSP. His opponent was Molamure Kumarihamy of the Meedeniya Walauwa, the feudal manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
which had tremendous power over the poor people of the Sabaragamuwa area at the time. He was to hold this seat, or its Yatiyantota portion on division, continuously until 1977.
After his election, he and Philip Gunawardena
Philip Gunawardena
Don Philip Rupasinghe Gunawardena introduced Trotskyism to Sri Lanka, where he is a national hero, known as 'the Father of Socialism' and as 'the Lion of Boralugoda'.-Early life & education:...
(the other LSSP member of the State Council
State Council of Ceylon
The State Council of Ceylon was the unicameral legislature for Ceylon , established in 1931 by the Donoughmore Constitution. The State Council gave universal adult franchise to the people of the colony for the first time...
), acting as people's tribunes used the State Council as a platform to carry forward the party's struggle to gain full independence for the country from the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. At the time only people like N.M. Perera and the LSSP stood for complete independence for Sri Lanka: the leaders of the Ceylon National Congress were only concerned with obtaining concessions from the British.
He was imprisoned in 1940 during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, but succeeded in escaping on 5 April 1942. He secretly went to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and worked with the Bolshevik-Leninist Party of India, Ceylon and Burma
Bolshevik-Leninist Party of India, Ceylon and Burma
Bolshevik-Leninist Party of India, Ceylon and Burma was a revolutionary Trotskyist party which campaigned for independence and socialism in South Asia.-History:...
(BLPI) in that country's independence struggle
Indian independence movement
The term Indian independence movement encompasses a wide area of political organisations, philosophies, and movements which had the common aim of ending first British East India Company rule, and then British imperial authority, in parts of South Asia...
.
But According to Encyclopedia of Marxism 1936-40. LSSP delegate to Indian National Congress session, 1937. Formed Ratmalana Railway Workers’ Union, 1937, and All-Ceylon Estate Workers’ Union, 1939. Led militant strike at Mooloya Plantation, January 1940. Arrested June 1940, incarcerated at Wellikade Jail and Bogambara Prison. Escaped to Bombay, July 1942. Arrested in Bombay, July 1943. Jailed at Badulla, 1943-45.
After the war, when the LSSP split, Perera was the leader of the faction that retained the party name. After the 1947 general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
, he was elected Leader of the Opposition
Leader of the Opposition (Sri Lanka)
The Leader of the Opposition in the Sri Lanka is the politician who leads main opposition. This is the leader of the largest party not within the government, usually the leader of the second largest party in the Parliament...
.
On reunification with the Bolshevik Samasamaja Party
Bolshevik Samasamaja Party
The Bolshevik Samasamaja Party was the Ceylon section Bolshevik-Leninist Party of India, Ceylon and Burma after 1945 and of the Fourth International in 1948-1950, after the dissolution of the BLPI....
(BSSP), he remained with the LSSP when the Viplavakari Lanka Sama Samaja Party
Viplavakari Lanka Sama Samaja Party
Viplavakari Lanka Sama Samaja Party was a group that broke away from the Trotskyist Lanka Sama Samaja Party, since Philip Gunawardena refused to reconcile with the Bolshevik Samasamaja Party...
(VLSSP) split off under Philip Gunawardena
Philip Gunawardena
Don Philip Rupasinghe Gunawardena introduced Trotskyism to Sri Lanka, where he is a national hero, known as 'the Father of Socialism' and as 'the Lion of Boralugoda'.-Early life & education:...
.
Perera was elected Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
in 1954, the only non-United National Party
United National Party
The United National Party, often referred to as the UNP ), , is a political party in Sri Lanka. It currently is the main opposition party in Sri Lanka and is headed by Ranil Wickremesinghe...
-politician to take that office after 1945. He was Mayor for two years. In 1956 he was elected Leader of the Opposition again, a post he held until 1960.
When LSSP was divided over possible government participation in early 1960s, Perera was the principal leader of the wing that wanted to enter into government with the Sri Lanka Freedom Party
Sri Lanka Freedom Party
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party is one of the major political parties in Sri Lanka. It was founded by S.W.R.D Bandaranaike in 1951 and, since then, has been one of the two largest parties in the Sri Lankan political arena. It first came to power in 1956 and since then has been the predominant party in...
, which led to LSSP's expulsion from the Fourth International
Fourth International
The Fourth International is the communist international organisation consisting of followers of Leon Trotsky , with the declared dedicated goal of helping the working class bring about socialism...
in 1964.
He was Minister of Finance in the short lived Coalition government of 1964 - 1965 and in the United Front
United Front (Sri Lanka)
The United Front was a political alliance in Sri Lanka, formed by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party , the Lanka Sama Samaja Party and the Communist Party of Sri Lanka in 1968...
government of 1970 - 1975.
In the general election of 1977, he lost his parliamentary seat for the first time, (except for the period he was imprisoned during the Second World War) having won every single election for the Ruanwella constituency or for its successor, Yatiyantota.
His funeral in 1979 was one of the largest ever seen in Sri Lanka.
Trade union activities
Perera was the president of the All Ceylon United Motor Workers' UnionAll Ceylon United Motor Workers' Union
The All Ceylon United Motor Workers Union is a trade union which organises workers in the passenger bus sector in Sri Lanka. It is affiliated to the Ceylon Federation of Labour .-History:...
, the and United Corporations and Mercantile Union
United Corporations and Mercantile Union
The United Corporations and Mercantile Union is a Sri Lankan trade union which brings together workers in the public sector.The UCMU was founded in 1968. Dr N.M. Perera became its President and Anil Moonesinghe became its General Secretary. Moonesinghe travelled the country from factory to...
the Ceylon Federation of Labour
Ceylon Federation of Labour
The Ceylon Federation of Labour is an organisation bringing together trade unions in the private, semi-government and co-operative sectors of Sri Lanka.- History :...
(CFL). He was appointed their chief negotiator by the striking workers during the 1946 general strike
General strike
A general strike is a strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city, region, or country. While a general strike can be for political goals, economic goals, or both, it tends to gain its momentum from the ideological or class sympathies of the participants...
.
Other activities
An avid cricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
fan, like many Commonwealth Trotskyists, he became Chairman of the Board of Control of Cricket in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Cricket
Sri Lanka Cricket, formerly the Board for Cricket Control in Sri Lanka , is the controlling body for cricket in Sri Lanka. It operates the Sri Lankan cricket team and first-class cricket within Sri Lanka....
, and worked hard to obtain test status for Sri Lanka.
Further reading
- Dr. N.M. Perera's Policies and Achievements by Prof. B. Hewavitharana
- Parliamentary Democracy (1931) By N.M. Perera,
- The Case for Free Education (1944) By N.M. Perera,
- External Economic Assistance (1964)By N.M. Perera,
- The Economy of Ceylon: Trends and Prospects (1971)By N.M. Perera,
- Critical Analysis of the New Constitution of the Sri Lanka Government (1979)By N.M. Perera,