The birth of the 'Lion of Kotte'
A scholar, legal luminary and patriot born 131 years ago - on December 12, 1875 - is best known for his brave act in carrying a document to be presented to the British government hidden in his shoe. He is E. W. (Edmund Walter) Perera (1875-1953), who, at the height of the crisis over the declaration of Martial law following the riots of 1815, was in the forefront of the movement for constitutional reform.
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E.W. Perera |
A group of Ceylonese patriots led by Sir James Peiris and Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan met at E. W. Perera's residence in Kotte to prepare a protest against the inhuman behaviour of the police on the instructions of the Governor and the high officials. Being at the height of the First World War, on the one hand it was risky to travel by sea and on the other the British government was preoccupied with the war. Yet they decided to take a chance and make representations to London.
E. W. Perera sought permission to travel, by indicating that he was going to do research at the British museum. Once permission was granted he had to be extremely careful about taking documents relating to the riots. This is how he describes the voyage: "...I was told to hurriedly get ready to go by ship. I didn't have even a week to organise everything. It was felt unsafe to take any documents other than those needed for the case. But we discussed in detail and decided on exactly how we should approach the problem.
At the last moment an old friend Henry de Mel gave me a printed copy with details of "shooting at sight". It contained the orders issued by the police. According to high officials in England, it was second only to the statement made by a German commander in Belgium. Just like the representative who took a document to the Batavian governing council against a governor in the 10th century, I also took this valuable document in my shoe."
He did not succeed in meeting the Secretary of State for the Colonies due to the latter's involvement with the war. Sir Ponnamabalam Ramanathan went over in 1916 and met British Members of Parliament and explained matters. After he returned, Sir D. B. Jayatilaka joined E. W. Perera. The end result was the recall of Governor Sir Robert Chalmers. He was succeeded by Sir John Anderson.
The 'Lion of Kotte', as Perera was hailed, was an uncompromising critic of the government of the day. As President of the National Congress he led its deputation before the Donoughmore Commission in1926/27. Sincere to his convictions, he opposed the granting of universal adult franchise and in later years he broke with his colleagues in the Congress.
The museum in Kotte is housed in his residence on the Pitakotte road. |