A recent news item highlighted a statement by Joint Trade Union organisation, “Trade unions will hold their joint May Day meeting as usual on May 1, the Joint Trade Union said accusing the government’s decision to reorganize the rallies to May 7. …The government says it arrived at this pronouncement to ensure Buddhist religious activities are observed serenely during the Vesak week. Municipal Council has not granted authorization for May Day rallies to be held in public places on May 1…. however, we will proceed to hold our combined rally on May 1,”
“May day is an alien concept, hence it cannot be declared as a public holiday”. In early 1920s, A E Goonesinghe’s Ceylon Labour Party received the above reply from the Colonial government’s Legislative Council and it was repeated by the State council in 1930s when the Marxists agitated for a holiday on May first. The workers applied for leave and marched towards rallying points even during UNP governments of 1940s and early 50s. The workers continued to forego their personal leave to attend rallies until Bandaranaike made May 1 a full holiday in 1956. Later even the UNP launched their trade union JSS under J R Jayewardene, who’s members for the first time marched the streets in mid1960s.
May Day rallies
In the years gone by Marxist leaders being immersed in sweat and rain shouted themselves hoarse on May Day rallies with cries like, ‘Down with Capitalists'; ‘Revolution round the Corner’. They demanded enhanced pay, housing, better allowances for the workers. In late 1930s the new Marxists parties were attacked by A.E. Goonesinghe's well established Trade Union. Pieter Keuneman, the Communist Party boss later recalled that they were once attacked by A.E. Goonesinghe's goons. “His was the first trade union pressure group. His May Day gatherings consisted of baila singing and women dancing along the demonstration routes.” Pieter, the son of a Supreme Court judge who belonged to the elitist class yet chose to unite with the working class and yell slogans asking that May Day be devoted internationally as a workers’ day, and be made a state holiday. He also solicited for better pay, better wages and housing, etc for the workers. It was surely a long way from the famous Cambridge University.
My earliest impressions of the LSSP on May Day was seeing the eminent lawyer-politician Dr Colvin R. de Silva and handsome Dr N M Perera the colourful characters at May Day rallies of yester-years.
Red, has been the traditional colour of the workers. It is symbolic of their sweat and blood at work. The LSSP, the CP and later the CMU wore red shirts while the women wore red saris or jackets.
However, with more workers rallying behind young educated leftists, Gunasinghe’s organisation died a natural death compelling the veteran labour leader to join with the UNP. The powerful Marxists parties LSSP and Communists in 40s 50s and 60s, unlike today, had their meetings dedicated to the genuine workers.
Veteran trade union leader, the late comrade Bala Tampoe, General Secretary of Ceylon Mercantile Union was a proud man in 1971. JVP insurrection on April 5- 15, compelled the United Left Front Government of the SLFP, LSSP and CP to ban May Day meetings and demonstrations in 1971. But Bala, and his Ceylon Mercantile Union decided to ignore the ban and hold a meeting on their own grounds in 22nd lane Kollupitiya. The Daily News headlines on May 2, 1971 yelled, ‘Only CMU celebrated May Day.’
Murder inside temple on banned May Day 1987
On April 21 1987, a LTTE car bomb exploded near the Pettah Bo-tree killing 122 people and severely injuring another 200 persons. Inter University Students Federation affiliated to JVP staged a demonstration the very next day opposite the Ward Place residence of President Jayewardene. They agitated for adequate security for the ordinary citizen. Two leading bikkhus, Ven. Muruththettuwe Ananda Thera and Ven. Maduluwawe Sobhitha led the Bhikkhu participation of the march. The government anticipating a worst situation on May Day a week later, decided to ban all meetings and rallies scheduled for May 1 using emergency laws. They suggested an alternate day on May 22, and as a further precautionary measure, the government imposed a full day curfew on first of May.
The Leftist parties and trade unions resolute to defy the ban and commemorate a ‘Red-only’ May Day after the lapse of two-and a-half decades. The ‘Maubima Surakeemay Vyaparaya’ [MSV] led by Ven. Muruththettuwe Ananda Thera, President of the United Government Services Nurses Union, Ven. Maduluwawe Sobhitha Thera, Chief Incumbent of the Naga Viharaya, Kotte, and Ven. Hedigalle Pannatissa Thera of the Agrasharavaka Dharma Faculty too decided to join the fray and held a rally and procession at the famous Abhayaramaya in Narahenpita.
The traditional Marxists left consisting LSSP and CP encouraged trade unions affiliated to them to assemble at Union Place, opposite LSSP headquarters for a demonstration. Later, they too joined a discussion that was held at the Abhayaramaya, Narahenpita, on how to defy the May Day ban. The united front included MEP Leader Dinesh Gunawardene, Dr. Colvin R. de Silva and a host of Left leaning TU leaders. In the meantime, the LSSP, Communists, SLMP of Vijaya Kumaranatunga and Vasu-Bahu led NSSP too had separate discussions on challenging the ban and holding a joint public meeting opposite the LSSP headquarters. Several other small groups too had decided on a similar course of action. On May 1, over 3,000 people attend the Abhayaramaya by 2 pm. Ven. Muruththettuwe Ananda Thera, Ven. Maduluwawe Sobhitha Thera, Ven. Hedigalle Pannatissa Thera, and MP Dinesh Gunawardana addressed the gathering. A ten-point May Day declaration was adopted at the convention after which the organizing committee requested the participants to peacefully disband and go away.
Certain radical sections among the crowd took to streets confronting curfew in spite of heavy presence of weapon-carrying security men around the place. The contestants walked out of the temple grounds on to the main road carrying posters and shouting slogans. The police reacted with baton charge followed by rubber bullets and teargas which failed to convey a message. They failed to control the situation and finally decided on using live bullets. Shooting continued within the holy place too. The police walked in search of curfew violators within temple buildings; later, they recovered a dead body from inside the main worship area [Buduhuge]. The two young men died of shooting included Kithsiri Ranawaka, a son of lawyer Ranawaka, the Vice President of MEP, and an undergraduate.
President Premadasa disparaged May Day by making it a workers’ festival in late 1980s. He invited singers and film stars from India and transported bus loads of people from the outstations, followed by the SLFP making a mockery of May Day, a day dedicated to the workforce of the world where the slogan was “workers of the world unite”.
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