Khema’s Boy - a ‘Product’ of Black July’s Regal Shock?

• Out of the 38 years in politics, for 32 years, he had endeavored to find a lasting solution to the ‘mythical’ divisions created by politicians, nationalists and religious sects, for their own advantage.  We are famous for conferring posthumous awards; hence I restrict this piece only to little known facts
• When he had completed 30 years in politics, he delivered a speech on the theme-“I am a Dreamer”—with a banner in the backdrop depicting, ‘Khemage Koluwa’, which incidentally, some of his detractors used as a derisory term, subsequently

Date—July 29, 1983 [Black July’s “koti awa” day]; Place—Fort: exactly opposite Regal cinema. Murderous hooligans roused up by a few chauvinist government ministers, continued their racial rampage on to the fourth successive day against the Tamils, with murder and arson. 

A gold coloured limousine with a lady and a driver was stopped by them. They were shouting, “warella meyke inne demellu….” [Hey come, It’s Tamils in this car] for the rest, who carried crow bars, iron rods and petrol cans to approach.  [A curfew imposed early on the fourth day of the catastrophic July pogrom—a young man was on his way home from his Marawila chummery, had to break his journey to visit Lake House to inquire after his mother’s protection]. Being told that the mother had already left, he was waiting for a bus at the nearest halt, opposite Regal Cinema. The middle-aged lady who was of the young man’s mother’s vintage, sensed imminent danger and desperately looked for help through the window of the rear seat. Her fearful expressions stunned him. Anybody interfering would be dealt with the same fate, was the ‘order of the day’.

The driver, who attempted to alight from the car, was pushed back into the vehicle. It was soaked with high octane petrol before they torched it into a burning inferno. Within seconds the car burst into flames engulfing it. The intense heat or suffocation from the smoke produced, compelled the young man to move away.  The embers flew out of the windows and leapt high in the air to mix with smoke emanating from other locations in the city’s holocaust, as the car continued to go up in flames. The young man gazed through the flames with unprecedented shock and revulsion at the lady’s horror and fear-filled face. That image made a permanent etch on the retinas of his eyes, while her frantic cries continued to ricochet off the inner walls of his brain, for the rest of his life. The two bodies of the driver and the lady were reduced to ashes inside the charred frame.

Yes, 38 years and 26 days later, we all saw the smoke flowing out of the chimney at Borella Kanatta crematorium, leaving the ashes of the ‘young man’ inside the chamber and leaping high into the gloomy sky …. The pathetic saga of lessons not learned by those in high positions, who kicked the outspoken and dissenting man, out of both the main rival parties fearing the so-called ‘nationalist’ and  chauvinist forces, led by religious and racial discriminators. Power at any cost!

Out of the 38 years in politics, for 32 years, he had endeavored to find a lasting solution to the ‘mythical’ divisions created by politicians, nationalists and religious sects, for their own advantage.  We are famous for conferring posthumous awards; hence I restrict this piece only to little known facts. Mangala Samaraweera was a great communicator who stood up for reconciliation amongst all communities.  Being a qualified dress designer, he was able to think innovatively; think ‘out of the box’ in handling the cabinet portfolios of Foreign and Finance in the Yahapalana government, two herculean tasks he tackled with self-confidence and skill. 

 “Thawalama’,‘Pothai-Gadolai’ and ‘Sudu Nelum’

In between the years that passed, backed by Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumarathunga,  the liberal democrat produced “Thawalama’, ‘Pothai-Gadolai’ and ‘Sudu Nelum’, all efforts by him in an effort to share his vision,  educate, persuade  and influence fellow countrymen in finding a sustainable way out of the disastrous ‘racist’ journey and  to build up an integrated society. True, he changed political loyalties, but always stuck to his set of values and principles. He, as the Foreign Minister, co-sponsored the UNHCR resolution against Sri Lanka, [the writer disagrees with his thinking]; but he influenced the EU and Canada to label LTTE as a terrorist outfit. He fearlessly spoke against clergy of religious sects, nepotism and family rule.

April 1956 was an auspicious [a Mangala] month for Samaraweera of Matara.  Mahanama, the Lawyer/ politician won the parliamentary election on the 7th.  He took oaths as Deputy Minister of Justice on 12th, and on the 21st, a son was born to the family. The third child, who followed two daughters, was named Mangala.

Mangala Pinsiri Samaraweera, became ‘Khema’s Boy’ in Matara, when his mother Khema following the footsteps of her husband, late Mahanama Samaraweera, contested and won at the Matara Urban Council’s election. Samaraweera [snr] ex Cabinet Minister, left the ten year-old boy in the safe hands of his beloved wife Khema, when he bid good bye at the relatively young age of 49 in 1966. Eventually, Mangala reluctantly accepted the invitation by Srimavo Bandaranaike to become the organizer for Matara in 1988, for running the Presidential campaign for the SLFP, under a reign of terror launched by JVP/DJV. On the night of the final meeting, where Sirimavo addressed the Matara rally, the terrorists attacked their home. T-56 bullets pierced the walls while two hand grenades exploded in the vicinity; for the mother to recite Pirith from under the bed where the two were hiding; Mangala was warned her not to make a noise, “pirith is meant for practice, not for parroting.” Mangala had added. 

‘Khemage Koluwa’

When he had completed 30 years in politics, he delivered a speech on the theme-“I am a Dreamer”—with a banner in the backdrop depicting, ‘Khemage Koluwa’, which incidentally, some of his detractors used as a derisory term, subsequently.

Once, talking to an interviewer, after quitting parliamentary politics, he described how he got ‘addicted’ to ‘Dankotuwa special’, a home brewed spirit, while working at Marawila [a designer assignment during his mid-twenties and early in his career]. When the story about his relationship with a male went viral in the social media, he openly declared, “My private life is no secret”, thus permanently silencing his opponents’ gossip.  Then again, when an ex President made some abusive comments on a certain gay community: “I would rather be a butterfly than a leech, Mr. President,” Mangala had twittered back. 

He even personally accepted responsibility for his role and the mistakes that had added to the nation’s present plight. Can they fill the void created by his early demise; find an alternative to fulfill his vision? 

The writer can be reached at - [email protected]