Ceylon had been a British Crown Colony since 1815. Two rebellions were brutally suppressed and the British rule was firmly established by the turn of the century. Imperialism was at its peak and people were in a political slumber. Their leaders were silent. Occasionally, they expressed their displeasure with the government by way of the temperance movement and religious agitation but overall there were no major upheavals. 
Even before the founding of the Young Lanka League, A.E. Goonesinha was known as a critic of the government through his letters that were published in the Search Light magazine. In 1914, in an article “Dawn of a New Era” A.E. Goonesinha wrote, “There is a spirit of restlessness in the young generation which showed without doubt that the people of the country are at last awakening to the fact that if Ceylon is to be well governed, the control of the government must reside in the people themselves”. It confirmed his conviction of two major issues: Independence and Universal Franchise. 

Goonesinha’s Initial Moves

Goonesinha had developed his patriotic feelings as a student at Dharmaraja College Kandy, the second Buddhist school established by the pioneer of the Buddhist Renaissance, Colonel H.S. Olcott. The place was a fertile ground for patriotism, frequented by many visitors, both local and foreign, and enlightening the students and the teachers. The most vociferous critic of the British at the time, Ven. Anagarika Dharmapala was also a frequent visitor, and Goonesinha established a strong friendship with him. Ven. Anagarika Dharmapala once presented him with a book on the Chinese liberator Sun Yat-sen with the words “You should be engaged in work like this”. However, the turning point of his life was a speech by the famous anti-imperialist and theosophist, Dr Annie Besant. She was already involved in the Indian national struggle. Her words impressed him so much that he decided to dedicate his life to the liberation of the motherland. Being an avid reader he was inspired by the freedom struggles in Egypt, Turkey, China and Ireland. The activities of the Indian National Congress and the sacrifices made by its great leaders, Mahatma Gandhi, Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Motilal Nehru, inspired his imagination. In Ceylon, he had two heroes: Ven. Anagarika Dharmapala for his patriotism and Sir P. Arunachalam for his wisdom. 
Goonesinha’s activities in the temperance society and the Young Lanka League were noted by the police. When the Sinhala-Muslim riots broke out in 1915, he was taken into custody and saw other national leaders like D.S. Senanayake and D.B. Jayatilake languishing in jail. During the riots, he also protected a Malay family. The police stormed his house, confiscated books and destroyed them. A statement he had made earlier in the magazine The People—“Our rights and privileges must be guarded peacefully if we can and forcefully if we must”—nearly cost him his life. He left the Welikada jail after 52 days. Dr Kumari Jayawardena says that Goonesinha’s 52 days in jail left him embittered and strong in his opposition to British rule. He was more determined than ever to campaign for Swaraj (self-rule).
In his autobiography, A.E. Goonesinha says “Immediately afterwards I started a newspaper, The Nation, the main object of which was the exposure of the horrible incidents that took place in the name of law and order during the riots”. 
Dr Kumari Jayawardena says that from 1915-1922 the Young Lanka League and its journal “Young Lanka” aimed at injecting new life into the nationalist movement which was felt to be languishing under the local leadership of “Old Guard” politicians who were comfortable in their positions and self-serving like the politicians of today. It was a stormy period for Goonesinha and the Young Lanka League. As a reminder of the grim events that took place in 1915, they declared “2^nd June” a day of national mourning—the day when Martial Law was declared in 1915. Each year a colourful procession went through the streets of Colombo carrying a large banner with the words “To the sacred memory of those who sacrificed their lives”. In an attempt to foster peace and goodwill between the two communities, both Sinhalese and Muslim victims were remembered. 

The rebels make progress

The Young Lanka League achieved another “victory” during this period. It was the abolition of the poll tax in 1922. Prof K.M.de Silva says that its abolition, as a result of a sustained campaign against it by Goonesinha and his associates in the Young Lanka League, was a triumph for the people and the technique of agitation which they had devised for the purpose quoted in “A History of Sri Lanka”. There is no doubt that the abolition of the poll tax was a great humiliation for the government. It was a step towards freedom. Ven. Anagarika Dharmapala regarded it as a manifestation of the “National Spirit”. 
Yet, the most important step towards freedom and independence was A.E. Goonesinha’s advocacy of a system of government based on Universal suffrage. It was to become one of the key issues of the 1920s. The experience of poverty and poor living conditions of the working class during his anti-poll tax campaign and the general strike of 1923 convinced him of the potential of the working class to emancipate the country by strengthening them with adult franchises. When the Ceylon National Congress was formed in 1919—with the much respected Sir P. Arunachalam as the first president—A.E. Goonesinha and his colleagues of the Young Lanka League joined the Congress in the hope that it would steer the country to independence. However, the Congress leaders had different views. They wanted constitutional reforms which would give them personally more powers. The apathy and indifference shown by the Congress leaders became intolerable for A.E. Goonesinha and members of the Young Lanka League but they continued to remain in the Congress until the question of adult franchise came in for discussion. 
Dr. Kumari Jayawardena says that “the Ceylon Labour Union led by A.E. Goonesinha was the only important organisation which made out a strong case for universal suffrage before the Donoughmore Commission. In the meantime, the rift between the Congress and the Young Lanka League widened on the franchise issue and finally, Goonesinha and his friends decided to leave the Congress. 
Dr Drummond Shields was rather unhappy about the attitude of the Congress on the franchise issue. In fact, Dr Shields had expressed disappointment that Congress did not attach more importance to the franchise question and asked how Congress could justify its demands for responsible government if only 4% of the population had the vote. A.E. Goonesinha had been advised on this issue by Dr Drummond Shields as well as on the lack of social legislation to cover minimum wage, hours of work, workmen’s compensation, health insurance, pensions, protection for women workers and provision for education and housing of workers. 
In the final report, the commission recommended a universal franchise for all adults, both male and female, over 21. In other words, it was the singular achievement of A.E.Goonesinha that Ceylon became the first crown colony in Asia to receive a universal franchise in 1931. 
A. Ratnayake, a veteran politician back in the day said in 1961 “As Universal Franchise was the forerunner of political independence, free education, workers privileges, and farmers’ benefits, it is the greatest revolution of the century”. 
Gaining independence was not just a physical struggle. In Sri Lanka it meant fighting step by step to achieve the goals: of giving social independence, freedom and entitlement to the people of Sri Lanka. Therefore, A.E. Goonesinha is considered one of the great national heroes of Sri Lanka who fought for people’s freedom and rights in their quest for independence—an independence fought for so bravely by some, but which unfortunately continued to be self-serving, self-governing and corrupt in the years to come.

The writer is a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist and the Author of “A.E. Goonesinha Charithaapadhaanaya”.

Dr. B.G.A. Vidyatilake

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