22nd Death Anniversary World’s First Woman Head of State –Sirimavo Bandaranaike

Volumes have been written on her ‘Temple Trees’ days but her nursery, pre-teen, adolescent and young housewife times at ‘Ellawala Walawwa’, Mahawalatenne, Horagolla, ‘Wentworth’ and  ‘Tintagel’ are scarcely mentioned and worth looking at.

Barnes Ratwatte, a scion from an aristocratic (Radala) family from Kandy, married Mahawalatenne  Adhikaram’s youngest daughter, Rosalind Hilda Kumarihami. Ratwatte became a member of the State Council and Senate. The Adhikarams had to take precautions to ensure a non-recurrence of two misadventures, where their daughter lost her babies on two occasions. Soothsayers had emphasized that the lady should deliver the baby, the third, away from the ancestral residence.

The Adhikaram had a sister who was married to an Ellawala and living at ‘Ellawala Walawwa’ in the Gem City of Ratnapura. On April 17, 1916 the Ellawalas made preparations for welcoming a new member into the family. The lively, healthy and beautiful new-born baby was named Sirimavo Ratwatte. Unlike today, the little kid had to wait till she was six-years old, for her first lessons away from home. She attended a private kindergarten in Balangoda, for one year, while staying at her aunt’s residence.

She was back at grand-aunt Ellawala’s in Ratnapura where she was born, attending the primary classes at Ferguson High School. Little Sirimavo was adamant that a particular bull named ‘Raththa’, be bound to the buggy cart for travelling to school daily from her aunt, Ms. Dambavinne’s house, under the care of an ayah and faithful caretaker. She reprimanded the man whenever he attempted to use another bull.

This remarkable passion for things close to her sentiments, she abundantly demonstrated later in her life as well, according to Bradman Weerakoon, her official secretary. 

“She insisted that fresh mangosteens from Horagolla, rambutans and mangoes from Attanagalle, be airlifted to London, to be served to the guests at a dinner she hosted for several distinguished VVIPs. Her hand-written personal note to her secretary, specified where to collect the fruits, types and details of varieties.” - ‘Rendering unto Caesar’- B Weerakoon-2004:pp-91/92.

The Adhikaram, her maternal grandfather, was an erudite scholar of wide reading. He was a linguist and spoke seven languages. His enormous collection of books consisted of Astrology, Literature, Medicine, Botany and numerous other topics. Sirimavo and her siblings had free access and exposure to the valuable volumes in grandpa’s library. Sirimavo, being the eldest, read keenly and assimilated considerable knowledge from the texts and periodicals.

After completing her matriculation at St. Bridget’s Convent, Colombo, she studied for Inter-Arts as well. Even as a schoolgirl, she always had attractiveness, grace and charisma and a prodigious smile that broke down all obstacles. When Baden Powell visited Ceylon in 1932, she was a girl guide at school; and at her request, she was allowed to wear the traditional girl’s dress of ‘Lama Saree’, decorated with guide’s badges, instead of the usual school uniform. The modest, dutiful and shy young Sirimavo, after completing her school education, was back at her residence in the lush feudal countryside of Mahawalatenne, the place where she grew up, in spite of her classy ‘Colombo Convent education.

On October 2, 1940, the bridegroom, Solomon West Ridgeway, the Oxford-educated Barrister, was ushered in a procession to Mahawalatenne Walawwa in the company of his father Maha Mudaliar of the Governor’s Gate, Sir Solomon Dias Bandaranaike, of Horagolla, an elite from a low country Sinhalese Anglican/Christian family. Oriental music was played right throughout the ceremony. The bride carried a spray of white lotuses. [Influenced daughter Chandrika in her ‘Sudu Nelum’ for racial harmony?] The marriage of SWRD, the 41-year-old Minister of Health at the time, a converted Buddhist, to 24-year- old Sirimavo; was a historic occasion worthy of a niche in the  annals of the country. The newly-married moved into ‘Wentworth’, a residence in Guildford Crescent. While residing there, Sirimavo developed a fancy for tennis, the husband’s game, and was seen walking to Women’s International Club in the evenings with Cousin Ms. Danton Obeysekera; two young ladies with dignity and grace!

At ‘Wentworth’ she gave birth to her three children and then from Guilford Crescent, they moved to Rosmead Place, where Sirimavo played an active role in ‘Mahila Samithi’ women’s institution, linked to the All Ceylon Women’s Association and became its president too. She championed equal rights and education for rural women. In the mid-forties, she was seen braving flood waters and carrying dry-rations and other necessities in a boat, for flood victims in Dompe area. These social service activities helped her gain a good knowledge of the difficulties of abandoned village folk. Sirimavo’s 19- year association with SWRD as Minster, Opposition Leader and Head of State, gave her ample opportunities to understand the intricacies of the political scenario, which she used liberally in later years, as Head of State.

World’s first-ever Woman Prime Minister After the assassination of her husband SWRD in 1959, and at the Sri Lanka Freedom Party hierarchy’s invitation, she hesitantly joined the fray; assumed the high position in July 1960, and in her address to the nation, proclaimed--

“By their verdict, the people have clearly affirmed their faith in the democratic socialist policies initiated by my late husband. It was far from my mind to achieve any personal glory for myself when I assumed the leadership of the party at the request of its leaders. I knew that if did not take this step the forces of reaction would once again begin to oppress the masses for whose salvation my husband sacrificed his very life”.

P. E. P. Deraniyagala, SWRD’S cousin and his best-man, commenting on her entry said, “What does she know of politics? ... She’ll end by spoiling her reputation and ruining the family name.” All her critics were soon to find themselves in grave inaccuracy. However, James Peter Obeyesekere, another cousin played a crucial role in persuading Sirimavo that she must enter active politics and lead the party. JP was the then Attanagalle MP. He and his wife, Sivagami Obeyesekere, popularly known as ‘Siva’, had resolutely backed Bandaranaikes in politics and they were founder members of the SLFP. Their stance and support provided much strength to Sirimavo at that time in helping her reach the life-changing decision. Ceylon, in the pre-independence era, was known internationally as Lipton’s Tea Estate and later as Sri Lanka, with the victory at the Cricket World Cup in 1996; and subsequently, due to LTTE terrorism. However, all such endeavours will be forgotten as time passes. In July 1960 though, the nation really stunned the world, as providers of the first Woman Head of State, by electing Sirimavo Dias Bandaranaike as Prime Minister. The world wondered how it materialized in ‘diminutive’ Ceylon; a record that will remain everlasting in mankind’s history.

The ‘London’s Evening News’, reporting the matter in bold letters on July 21, 1960, wrote, “There will be a need for a new term, shall we call her Stateswoman?” It was only after six years since this exclusive happening, that another nation elected a woman as Prime Minister; Indira Gandhi was followed by Israel’s Golda Meir and Briton’s Margaret Thatcher and so on. At a time when two super powers were engaged in a contest for winning over the ‘third world’ nations, Sri Lanka under Sirimavo, hosted the Non-aligned Movement’s summit in 1976, attended by 86 Heads of State.

She was deprived of her civic rights and thrown out of Parliament in 1978.  Wishing good-bye to her parliamentary colleagues, she said, “Remember the Sword of Damocles hanging over my head, will soon be yours. The people will see to it”.

The name ‘Sirimavo’ will remain etched in the history of the world’s women in politics. She passed away peacefully on October 10, 2000, after casting her vote at Nittambuwa.

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