A lifelong Leftist who stayed true to his principles

The first anniversary of the passing away of Richard (Batty) Weerakoon who was Batty to all those who knew him falls on October 7. He had a varied career as a political activist who rose to the position of the General Secretary of the Lanka SamaSamaja Party, a lawyer who rose to be one of the leading lawyers of our time and creative writer with a collection of serious writings to his credit.

He studied at Trinity College, Kandy and was a contemporary of Lakshman Kadirgamar who was a lifelong friend of his. He entered the University of Ceylon in 1952 and was elected President of the Students’ Council in 1955. He read English under Prof. E.F.C. Ludowyk at Perademiya.

Baty was comitted to Left politics and is well known for leading the University students on the historic march from the Peradeniya campus on Hartal Day in August 1953 that ended in a clash with the Police at the entrance to the University. He was Minister of Science and Technology and Minister of Justice and Ethnic Affairs in the Chandrika Kumaratunga Cabinet.

The biggest achievement he was proud of was to have successfully led the Ceylon Federation of Labour which was the largest trade union federation at the height of trade unionism in the country.

Batty was born on January 20, 1932 to a well-respected conservative Kandyan family in Tenne. After he left the University, he joined the LSSP and was closely asspciated with Left stalwarts suchas N.M. Perera, Colvin de Silva, Doric D’Souza and Bernard Soysa. In fact he served for some time as private secretary to NM when NM was Leader of the Opposition in the 1965 Parliament. He passed out as an Advocate of the Supreme Court and had the privilege of studying under Colvin. This opened up his life to professional greatness.

But Batty was essentially a Left activist. As Minister of Science and Technology, he fought against the sale of the Eppawela Phosphate deposits to foreigners and fought for the protection of natural resources and the environment.

His Prof. E.F.C. Ludowyk Memorial Lecture in May 2003 at the Peradeniya University stunned many academics, unaware of his incisive understanding of English literature. He made special mention that it was Prof. Ludowyk in his first year English class who helped him discover in himself a talent to write creatively. He remembered his joy when he was offered the prize for the best story by Prof. Ludowyk and how this prize introduced him to the pleasing attachment to story writing.

In spite of his busy life as a  left activist, trade unionist and lawyer, he published several books such as ‘Sinhala Jathaka Stories’ ( 1974), ‘Sri Lanka Mythology’ (1985), ‘Mythology and the Early Aryan State’ (1998), ‘Elephant Kraal and Other Stories’ (1990), Alexander Solzhenitsyn – Soldier, prisoner and writer’ ( 1972), ‘Kususumana Devi as Dona Catherina of Three Sinhala’ ( 2013). He also authored a book on Sri Lankan Labour Legislation.

He also put out numerous booklets on political issues relevant to the time. These are available for referece at the Dr N.M. Perera Memorial Library.

 His deep insight into Sri Lanka’s mythology is evident in the dedication in his book, “My paternal grandfather, born in Aluwihare, brought to me a representative of the last generation on which the old traditons still had a keen relevance. Bernard Soysa having looked at the book told me that I have written about my ancestors meaning the Yaksas. That I think is a relevant comment because one can regard the Yaksas as a people who have passed on to us a large part – if not all of our indigenous mythology. In cultures that are transferred downwards done by ancestors who in the Veddah language are called Nae-Yakas. Theravada Buddhism did not seek to incorporate it unlike what Hinduism did to the mythologies especially of the Indian peninsula. Our mythology was thus preserved intact for us. It is the language of a people and I found it was there for me.”

One salient aspect of his life that touched me was they Batty did not go after cheap popularity. He stood by his principles even in the most adverse of circumstances. When I met him in his last days when he was bedridden I saw that his main concern was about the deteriorating political situation in the country and he in no uncertain terms expressed his dismay at the politics of today and the plight of the underprivileged and the working class for whom he had fought all his life.

He was a Buddhist in his way of life and his philosophy of life. May he attain Nirvana.

-Lal Wijenayake