-Written by Anubhawananda
(Lanka-e-News -03.Oct.2024, 8.20 pm) “Thotalanga Matia” was the main headline of the “Siyarata” newspaper on November 27, 1972. “Siyarata” was the official newspaper of the United National Party (UNP). This headline was published the day after Dr. N.M. Perera presented the budget as the Minister of Finance in the United Front Government. Dr. N.M. Perera, upon arriving in Parliament with a copy of “Siyarata,” asked for the Speaker’s permission and made a special statement.
He said, “The name ‘Martin’ is an insult to me. My father’s name is Nanayakkara Pathirage Abraham Perera. Everyone in Thotalanga knows my father. Especially when they hear the name ‘Abaran,’ they remember him. I was born in a small hut. My father was a humble man, a hardworking person who tried to improve from nothing. He was not a socialist. He wore his hair long until the day he died and even used a stick to discipline us. When I was abroad, there was a major train accident in Katukurunda, and a man with a stick got injured. My father stopped using the stick afterward. So, I come from a poor family. Therefore, the name ‘Martin’ is an insult to me. I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth. The Member of Parliament for Dedigama also studied in England and excelled in playing polo, a sport for the elite. I passed my PhD exam. That’s the difference between us,” he said with an emotional tone that silenced the entire Parliament.
In his statement, Dr. N.M. Perera referred to the Member for Dedigama, who was none other than UNP leader Dudley Senanayake. Embarrassed by the statement, Dudley lowered his head and left the parliamentary chamber shortly after. Dudley’s destination was the UNP headquarters, Sirikotha. He immediately summoned the editor of the “Siyarata” newspaper. Pointing to the edition of “Siyarata” from that day, Dudley angrily chastised the editor, saying, “Don’t assassinate people’s characters like this. N.M. is one of the finest minds we have. He is qualified enough to be the Finance Minister of England. We oppose the budget presented by N.M., but this kind of mudslinging is unacceptable. His policies differ from ours, criticize the policies, but don’t engage in mudslinging. If you can’t handle the paper this way, resign now,” Dudley said furiously.
Dudley Senanayake was a liberal from Sri Lanka’s most prestigious old school. He hardly had political enemies and was skilled at managing opposing political forces, as evidenced by his “Seven-Party Coalition” government from 1965 to 1970. The coalition included the Federal Party led by Chelvanayakam, the National Liberation Front led by K.M.P. Rajaratne, and the People’s United Front led by Philip Gunawardena.
Dudley was born into privilege, a member of an elite family. While studying in Britain, he lived like a prince, enjoying the youthful pleasures of that time. In contrast, Dr. N.M. Perera, also educated in Britain, lived under financial hardship. Understanding that education was his only way forward, N.M. focused intently on it.
In 1927, he enrolled at the London School of Economics, where he studied for five years under Professor Harold J. Laski. There, he earned his PhD with a thesis on the “Constitution of the German Weimar Republic.” Not stopping there, he submitted another research thesis on the “Comparative study of the Constitutions of the UK, United States, France, and Germany,” earning a Doctor of Science (DSc) from the University of London. Having acquired both PhD and DSc degrees, he was nicknamed the “Double Doctor.” When Dr. N.M. decided to return to Sri Lanka in 1932, Professor Laski remarked that N.M. had all the qualifications necessary to serve as the Chancellor of the Exchequer in a British Labour Party government.
Though Dudley represented the elite class, he respected N.M., acknowledging him as the foremost intellect in the country. Even though their political ideologies were diametrically opposed, there was no personal animosity between them. However, there’s a saying that “the watchdog can be more aggressive than the master.” The editor of “Siyarata” was harsher than Dudley himself, engaging in character assassination. Why was that? Why did the editor highlight N.M.’s poor background and working-class origins? Why did he insult Dr. N.M. by calling him “Thotalanga Matia”?
The editor of “Siyarata” wasn’t from the elite class. He came from a middle-class background, even more economically disadvantaged than N.M. Yet, he harbored an animosity that Dudley or J.R. Jayawardena never had. This can only be explained as petty-bourgeois hypocrisy.
The editor’s jealousy toward a fellow member of his class rising to prominence manifested as hatred and hypocrisy. Instead of celebrating N.M.’s success, he attacked him by dragging out his family’s history and insulting him. None of this was political criticism; it was pure personal vilification stemming from petty-bourgeois resentment.
This form of hypocrisy is embedded deep in our genetic makeup, having lived for thousands of years under feudal and colonial rule. After independence, the elites who gained control of land, business, wealth, and social power ensured that the majority non-elite population remained politically and economically subservient. For centuries, many vassals saw it as their duty to serve their masters unquestioningly, even giving their votes to these elites without any rational basis. To this day, thousands of such vassals continue to live among us.
This petty-bourgeois hypocrisy didn’t end with Dr. N.M. Perera. Today, it is Anura Kumara Dissanayake, leader of the National People’s Power (NPP), who faces the same vilification. During the last presidential election campaign, social media, along with print and electronic media, were rife with slander and falsehoods targeting the NPP and its leader Anura. Many of those involved in this slander were from the lower-middle class who had risen thanks to free education.
Their sole aim was to prevent Anura, a man from Thambuttegama, from becoming president. They did everything in their power to stop him and prevent the lower-middle class they represented from gaining political power. They hurled mud and insults at Anura and the NPP. None of this was legitimate political criticism—it was merely personal vilification fueled by jealousy.
A clear example of this mindset can be seen in one “vassal” who, having worked tirelessly to secure Ranil Wickremesinghe’s victory, continues to sing his praises today. This “vassal” has such deep-seated animosity toward Anura Kumara Dissanayake because he cannot tolerate being ruled by a president from a rural background. Yet, this “vassal” himself isn’t from the elite class but hails from a rural background like Anura.
The reason behind the smear campaign to prevent Anura from becoming president is evident: it’s petty-bourgeois hypocrisy. It stems from hatred and jealousy toward a fellow class member rising to power. Moreover, it’s driven by the “vassal mentality” ingrained in our people. Their sole aim is to continue their unwavering service to the elite political class, exemplified by their loyalty to figures like Ranil Wickremesinghe.
The hypocrisy of the petty-bourgeois class is not limited to one faction. Even the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and former leaders like Wimal Weerawansa, who once belonged to its upper ranks, engaged in similar slander campaigns to prevent Anura from becoming president. Patali Champika Ranawaka’s conduct during the last presidential election also demonstrated this hypocrisy.
Since Anura Kumara Dissanayake became president, class-based hypocrisy and attacks have intensified. For instance, let’s focus for a moment on the large number of people complaining on social media about the new president’s lack of English language skills. The vast majority of these individuals themselves have little knowledge of English. However, those who are proficient in English, especially those open to the international community, are not bothered by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s lack of English fluency. The reason is that they know English proficiency is not an essential factor in state governance.
At this moment, class-based hypocritical elites conspiring to prevent the progress of the National People’s Power and President Anura Kumara Dissanayake are unaware that they are sabotaging their own future. In doing so, they are destroying the valuable future of their children. Therefore, it is emphasized that decisively defeating these class-based hypocritical elites is a fundamental condition for social progress.
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by (2024-10-03 14:50:40)
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