Doreen Young Wickremasinghe
Encyclopedia
Doreen Wickremasinghe was a British leftist who became a prominent Communist politician in Sri Lanka
and a Member of Parliament
(MP). She was one of the handful of European Radicals in Sri Lanka
.
n moving in Communist and radical circles while a post-graduate student in London.
Dr Wickremasinghe offered to find her a job in Sri Lanka. She became the principal of a Buddhist girls' school in Matara
, Sujatha Vidyalaya (1930-32), where her work on the curriculum included replacing British history with Sri Lankan and world history, and permitting the teachers to get qualified, moving the school away from its emphasis on 'training for wifehood'. During this period she learnt Sinhala. In 1933 she was offered the post of principal at the leading Buddhist girls' school, Visakha Vidyalaya, but the offer was withdrawn on the news that she was to marry Dr Wickremasinghe. After marrying Dr S.A Wickremasinghe, she took up another post as principal of a leading Colombo Buddhist girls school, Ananda Balika Vidyalaya, where her work included promotion of Sri Lankan arts, and teaching Asian poetry. She was removed in 1936 because it was feared she had made the school a centre for anti-British activity - she definitely was responsible for many young women from the Buddhist schools joining the Left.
She and Dr Wickremasinghe had two children, Suren (an architect) and Suriya (Amnesty International
IEC Chairperson, 1982-85).
on a new anti-imperialist and anti-war basis. The movement, which both opposed school pupils' compulsory participation in Poppy Day, and offered yellow Suriya (Portia tree
) flowers for sale as an alternative , posing the question, 'whose need is more dire, the ex-servicemen in England or the poor of this country?'
Doreen was elected first President of the Suriya Mal Movement at a meeting held at the residence of Wilmot Perera in Horana. Terence de Zilva and Robin Ratnam were elected Joint Secretaries, and Roy de Mel, Treasurer. Yearly until the Second World War, young men and women sold Suriya flowers on the streets on Armistice Day
in competition with the Poppy sellers. The purchasers of the Suriya Mal were generally from the poorer sections of society and the funds collected were not large - part the Proceeds were used to educate a girl from the depressed Rodi caste
. But the movement provided a rallying point for the anti-imperialist minded youth of the time. An attempt was made by the British colonial authorities to curb the movement's effectiveness through the 'Street Collection Regulation Ordinance'.
After many more years of the couple's campaigning, Dr Wickremasinghe was jailed for sedition in 1939.
In 1947, the LSSP and CPC formed the Eksath Kantha Peramuna (United Women's Front) in which Wickremasinghe took a leading role.
In 1952 she was elected to Parliament as Communist Party of Ceylon (CPC) member for the Akuressa seat, beating C. Wijesinghe of the United National Party
. In 1998 the Sri Lankan government conferred on her the title of Deshamanya
, a prestigious national honour.
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...
and a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP). She was one of the handful of European Radicals in Sri Lanka
European Radicals in Sri Lanka
The European Radicals in Sri Lanka were Europeans who went against the colonial system prevailing in Ceylon, as Sri Lanka was then known. Their contribution was far greater than their numbers would appear to merit, mainly because of their defiance of the white-supremacist attitude that pervaded...
.
Early life & family
Doreen Wickremasinghe was the daughter of two British 'ethical Socialists'. While a student in London in the 1920s, she became involved in the India League and carried out other anti-imperialist work. Here she met Dr S.A. Wickremasinghe, a radical Sri LankaSri 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 moving in Communist and radical circles while a post-graduate student in London.
Dr Wickremasinghe offered to find her a job in Sri Lanka. She became the principal of a Buddhist girls' school in Matara
Matara, Sri Lanka
Matara is a city on the southern coast of Sri Lanka, 160 km from Colombo. It is one of the largest cities in Sri Lanka. It was deeply affected by the Asian tsunami in December 2004.-History:...
, Sujatha Vidyalaya (1930-32), where her work on the curriculum included replacing British history with Sri Lankan and world history, and permitting the teachers to get qualified, moving the school away from its emphasis on 'training for wifehood'. During this period she learnt Sinhala. In 1933 she was offered the post of principal at the leading Buddhist girls' school, Visakha Vidyalaya, but the offer was withdrawn on the news that she was to marry Dr Wickremasinghe. After marrying Dr S.A Wickremasinghe, she took up another post as principal of a leading Colombo Buddhist girls school, Ananda Balika Vidyalaya, where her work included promotion of Sri Lankan arts, and teaching Asian poetry. She was removed in 1936 because it was feared she had made the school a centre for anti-British activity - she definitely was responsible for many young women from the Buddhist schools joining the Left.
She and Dr Wickremasinghe had two children, Suren (an architect) and Suriya (Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
IEC Chairperson, 1982-85).
Political career
In 1933 she wrote an article, The Battle of the Flowers which appeared in the Ceylon Daily News and exposed the absurdity of forcing Sri Lankan schoolchildren to purchase poppies to help British veterans at the expense of their own, which caused her to be vilified by her compatriots. This was the beginning of the involvement of the South Colombo Youth League in the revival of 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...
on a new anti-imperialist and anti-war basis. The movement, which both opposed school pupils' compulsory participation in Poppy Day, and offered yellow 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 for sale as an alternative , posing the question, 'whose need is more dire, the ex-servicemen in England or the poor of this country?'
Doreen was elected first President of the Suriya Mal Movement at a meeting held at the residence of Wilmot Perera in Horana. Terence de Zilva and Robin Ratnam were elected Joint Secretaries, and Roy de Mel, Treasurer. Yearly until the Second World War, young men and women sold Suriya flowers on the streets on Armistice Day
Armistice Day
Armistice Day is on 11 November and commemorates the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, which took effect at eleven o'clock in the morning—the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day...
in competition with the Poppy sellers. The purchasers of the Suriya Mal were generally from the poorer sections of society and the funds collected were not large - part the Proceeds were used to educate a girl from the depressed Rodi 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...
. But the movement provided a rallying point for the anti-imperialist minded youth of the time. An attempt was made by the British colonial authorities to curb the movement's effectiveness through the 'Street Collection Regulation Ordinance'.
After many more years of the couple's campaigning, Dr Wickremasinghe was jailed for sedition in 1939.
In 1947, the LSSP and CPC formed the Eksath Kantha Peramuna (United Women's Front) in which Wickremasinghe took a leading role.
In 1952 she was elected to Parliament as Communist Party of Ceylon (CPC) member for the Akuressa seat, beating C. Wijesinghe of 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...
. In 1998 the Sri Lankan government conferred on her the title of Deshamanya
Deshamanya
Deshamanya is the second highest Sri Lankan national honour awarded by the Government of Sri Lanka as a civil honour.It is conventionally used as a title or prefix to the awardee's name....
, a prestigious national honour.
Publications
- Doreen Wickremasinghe (ed), Poems of East & West. Colombo: Colombo Apothecaries Co., 1950.
External links
- The Participation of Women in the social reform, political & labour movements in sri lanka WSCF Asia-Pacific newsletter - May-August 1980