Vivienne Goonewardena
Encyclopedia
Violet Vivienne Goonewardena (18 September 1916-3 October 1996) was a Sri Lanka
n pioneer socialist and feminist. Her life and politics were shaped by the most interesting times of the Sri Lankan Left and she was in turn one of its more colourful personalities.
through the Suriya-Mal Movement
when in 1933 anti-imperialists and nationalists launched the sale of local Suriya (Portia tree
) flowers as an alternative to poppies with the slogan "against slavery and poverty and for freedom and prosperity". As Head Girl
she was to recruit her entire school to this cause. It was from this mass campaign that the Lanka Sama Samaja Party
(LSSP) was forged in 1935.
Goonewardena was exposed to the ideas and activities of the socialist movement initially through her maternal uncles, Philip and Robert Gunawardana, themselves leaders of the Left. With their support, she defied her father and was among that then small group of women to enter university – completing her studies against his best efforts to frustrate her.
, a rising star of the Party, and later to be one of its central leaders and chief propagandists - which included being author of its official history.
The match was opposed by her father and affluent, and conservative family as Leslie belonged to a so called 'lower' caste (minority caste nevertheless) and was a revolutionary under surveillance by the British colonial regime. However Vivienne persisted, and following judicial intervention, was married to Leslie in 1939. Leslie's father was one of a handful of doctors qualified in modern medicine and much loved in his home town.
and its activists were leading strike movements against the British Empire
. The Party was banned and its leaders imprisoned or forced to go underground. To evade arrest Leslie Goonewardena and others including Vivienne and Selina Perera escaped to India
in 1941. There the couple threw themselves into the Quit India Movement
and participated in the formation of the Bolshevik-Leninist Party of India (BLPI), a socialist organisation aligned with the ideas of Leon Trotsky
and the Fourth International
, in April 1942. They returned to Sri Lanka only in 1945 once the warrant for their arrest had been revoked with the end of war.
While in exile she and husband Leslie was also involved in the Indian independence movement.
In 1948 Vivi was one of the initiators of the first socialist women's organisation, Eksath Kantha Peramuna (United Women's Front). This organisation collapsed shortly after when the Communist Party withdrew support for it as part of its non co-operation policy with Trotskyists
.
In 1953 she hid Jeanne Hoban
when she was threatened with deportation for organising plantation workers.
on an LSSP ticket between 1956-60, 1964-65 and 1970-77 and appointed a junior minister in that last term. She was also on several occasions a Colombo municipal councillor and a life-long trade unionist, serving as President of the All Ceylon Local Government Workers Association until her death.
In 1964 she was among the most enthusiastic on the LSSP leadership of the prospects for the Left and working people in an alliance with the Sri Lanka Freedom Party
(SLFP) led by the world's first woman Prime Minister
, Sirimavo Bandaranaike
.
In 1994 she was again to be an advocate for Left participation in the People's Alliance
coalition government dominated by the SLFP and led by Mrs. Bandaranaike's daughter, Chandrika Kumaratunga
.
During the United National Party
government between 1977 and 1994, Vivi regularly confronted the authorities usually leading demonstrations on International Women's Day
.
She died in Colombo
, much mourned by all on the Left.
.
In 1983 following a demonstration against the US military occupation of Diego Garcia
she was physically assaulted at a police station. Her fundamental rights
application in this matter was upheld by the Supreme Court
in a rare act of judicial independence http://www.lawnet.lk/report/1984-1/Gun%20319.htm.
An early supporter of Mikhail Gorbachev
's reforms in the USSR, Vivi pressed to no avail for the unification of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka
and the LSSP, believing past differences to be precisely that.
She was a bitter critic of neo-liberal economic policies and the war in the north-east of the island.
She was an early worker for the Family Planning Association
, her knowledge of the Sinhala vernacular
being far superior to that of the other, middle-class English-educated volunteers, enabling her to communicate far better with working-class and peasant
women.
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 pioneer socialist and feminist. Her life and politics were shaped by the most interesting times of the Sri Lankan Left and she was in turn one of its more colourful personalities.
Political beginnings
Goonewardena was drawn into politics while still in school at Musaeus CollegeMusaeus College
Musaeus College is a private girls' school in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and was named for Mrs Marie Musaeus Higgins , its Principal from 1895 to 1926. Musaeus College is now a leading academic institution with more 4,000 girls from ages 3 to 18, and is managed by a board of trustees...
through the Suriya-Mal Movement
Suriya-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...
when in 1933 anti-imperialists and nationalists launched the sale of local Suriya (Portia tree
Portia tree
Thespesia populnea, commonly known as the Portia Tree , is species of flowering plant in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is a small tree or arborescent shrub that has a pantropical distribution, found on coasts around the world. However, the Portia Tree is probably native only to the Old World,...
) flowers as an alternative to poppies with the slogan "against slavery and poverty and for freedom and prosperity". As Head Girl
Head boy
Head Boy and Head Girl are terms commonly used in the British education system, and in private schools throughout the Commonwealth.-United Kingdom:...
she was to recruit her entire school to this cause. It was from this mass campaign that the Lanka Sama Samaja Party
Lanka Sama Samaja Party
The Lanka Sama Samaja Party is a Trotskyist political party in Sri Lanka....
(LSSP) was forged in 1935.
Goonewardena was exposed to the ideas and activities of the socialist movement initially through her maternal uncles, Philip and Robert Gunawardana, themselves leaders of the Left. With their support, she defied her father and was among that then small group of women to enter university – completing her studies against his best efforts to frustrate her.
Leslie Goonewardena
Her growing involvement with the LSSP brought her into regular contact with Leslie Goonewardena, with whom she fell in love. He was a graduate of the London School of EconomicsLondon 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...
, a rising star of the Party, and later to be one of its central leaders and chief propagandists - which included being author of its official history.
The match was opposed by her father and affluent, and conservative family as Leslie belonged to a so called 'lower' caste (minority caste nevertheless) and was a revolutionary under surveillance by the British colonial regime. However Vivienne persisted, and following judicial intervention, was married to Leslie in 1939. Leslie's father was one of a handful of doctors qualified in modern medicine and much loved in his home town.
Early work
The LSSP opposed the Second World WarWorld 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...
and its activists were leading strike movements against the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
. The Party was banned and its leaders imprisoned or forced to go underground. To evade arrest Leslie Goonewardena and others including Vivienne and Selina Perera escaped 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...
in 1941. There the couple threw themselves into the Quit India Movement
Quit India Movement
The Quit India Movement , or the August Movement was a civil disobedience movement launched in India in August 1942 in response to Mohandas Gandhi's call for immediate independence. Gandhi hoped to bring the British government to the negotiating table...
and participated in the formation of the Bolshevik-Leninist Party of India (BLPI), a socialist organisation aligned with the ideas of Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky , born Lev Davidovich Bronshtein, was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and theorist, Soviet politician, and the founder and first leader of the Red Army....
and 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 April 1942. They returned to Sri Lanka only in 1945 once the warrant for their arrest had been revoked with the end of war.
While in exile she and husband Leslie was also involved in the Indian independence movement.
In 1948 Vivi was one of the initiators of the first socialist women's organisation, Eksath Kantha Peramuna (United Women's Front). This organisation collapsed shortly after when the Communist Party withdrew support for it as part of its non co-operation policy with Trotskyists
Trotskyism
Trotskyism is the theory of Marxism as advocated by Leon Trotsky. Trotsky considered himself an orthodox Marxist and Bolshevik-Leninist, arguing for the establishment of a vanguard party of the working-class...
.
In 1953 she hid Jeanne Hoban
Jeanne Hoban
Jeanne Hoban , known after her marriage as Jeanne Moonesinghe, was a British Trotskyist who became active in trade unionism and politics in Sri Lanka. She was one of the handful of European Radicals in Sri Lanka.- Early years :She was born in Gillingham, Kent...
when she was threatened with deportation for organising plantation workers.
Political career
She was elected to ParliamentParliament of Sri Lanka
The Parliament of Sri Lanka is the 225-member unicameral legislature of Sri Lanka. The members of Parliament are elected by proportional representation for six-year terms, with universal suffrage. Parliament reserves the power to make all laws...
on an LSSP ticket between 1956-60, 1964-65 and 1970-77 and appointed a junior minister in that last term. She was also on several occasions a Colombo municipal councillor and a life-long trade unionist, serving as President of the All Ceylon Local Government Workers Association until her death.
In 1964 she was among the most enthusiastic on the LSSP leadership of the prospects for the Left and working people in an alliance 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...
(SLFP) led by the world's first woman Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka is the functional head of the Cabinet of Sri Lanka. However, the President is both head of state and head of government in Sri Lanka...
, Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike was a Sri Lankan politician and the world's first female head of government...
.
In 1994 she was again to be an advocate for Left participation in the People's Alliance
People's Alliance (Sri Lanka)
The People's Alliance is a front of political parties in Sri Lanka, formed in 1994.It comprises the following parties:* Sri Lanka Freedom Party* Lanka Sama Samaja Party* Communist Party of Sri Lanka* Sri Lanka Mahajana Party...
coalition government dominated by the SLFP and led by Mrs. Bandaranaike's daughter, Chandrika Kumaratunga
Chandrika Kumaratunga
Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga born June 29, 1945) was the 4th Executive president of Sri Lanka, serving from November 12, 1994 to November 19, 2005. The daughter of two former Prime Ministers, she was also the leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party until end of 2005...
.
During the 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...
government between 1977 and 1994, Vivi regularly confronted the authorities usually leading demonstrations on International Women's Day
International Women's Day
International Women's Day , originally called International Working Women’s Day, is marked on March 8 every year. In different regions the focus of the celebrations ranges from general celebration of respect, appreciation and love towards women to a celebration for women's economic, political and...
.
She died in 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...
, much mourned by all on the Left.
Issues of importance
She was particularly concerned with the rights and treatment of women workers in the Free Trade Zones, and the social dislocation to families of migrant women workers to the Middle EastMiddle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
.
In 1983 following a demonstration against the US military occupation of Diego Garcia
Diego Garcia
Diego Garcia is a tropical, footprint-shaped coral atoll located south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean at 7 degrees, 26 minutes south latitude. It is part of the British Indian Ocean Territory [BIOT] and is positioned at 72°23' east longitude....
she was physically assaulted at a police station. Her fundamental rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
application in this matter was upheld by the Supreme Court
Supreme court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of many legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, instance court, judgment court, high court, or apex court...
in a rare act of judicial independence http://www.lawnet.lk/report/1984-1/Gun%20319.htm.
An early supporter of Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
's reforms in the USSR, Vivi pressed to no avail for the unification of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka
Communist Party of Sri Lanka
The Communist Party of Sri Lanka is a communist political party in Sri Lanka. At the last legislative elections, on 2 April 2004, the party was part of the United People's Freedom Alliance that won 45.6% of the popular vote and 105 out of 225 seats....
and the LSSP, believing past differences to be precisely that.
She was a bitter critic of neo-liberal economic policies and the war in the north-east of the island.
She was an early worker for the Family Planning Association
International Planned Parenthood Federation
The International Planned Parenthood Federation is a global non-governmental organization with the broad aims of promoting sexual and reproductive health, and advocating the right of individuals to make their own choices in family planning. It was first formed in 1952 in Bombay, India, and now...
, her knowledge of the Sinhala 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...
being far superior to that of the other, middle-class English-educated volunteers, enabling her to communicate far better with working-class and peasant
Peasant
A peasant is an agricultural worker who generally tend to be poor and homeless-Etymology:The word is derived from 15th century French païsant meaning one from the pays, or countryside, ultimately from the Latin pagus, or outlying administrative district.- Position in society :Peasants typically...
women.