(Today marks the 83rd death anniversary of a son of the nation, Fredrick Richard Senanayake, who breathed his last in India on January 01, 1926.)
He was born at Botale Walawwa in the Mirigama electorate of the Mapitigama Korale in the Kegalle district to the family of Mudliyar Don Spater Senanayake and Catherine Elizebeth Perera Lamatheni on October 1882. He received his formal education at St. Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia, and higher education at Cambridge University in England where he received his B. A. and LL.B degrees. He returned to the island after having qualified as a barrister and tried out his prospects at Hulftsdorp.
Not being sure of his fortunes in the legal profession, he diverted his attention to agriculture and the plumbago industry, in which fields his father had already established a financially rewarding vocation.
At that time a national and religious revival was gathering momentum. After nearly 400 years of foreign domination and exploitation, the people of this island had forgotten their great history, culture and religion. Upon the scene had appeared a few years before his return to the country that selfless and fearless champion of Sri Lanka, namely, Anagarika Dharmapala. Travelling through the length and breadth of the country Anagarika Dharmapala had made a stirring call to his people to awake from their slumber and take off the foreign yoke. At the time F. R. Senanayake had returned to Sri Lanka, the campaign of Anagarika Dharmapala had awakened the people from the deep slumber in which they had been for so long.
The national awakening found expression in the temperance movement that was initiated by the leaders of the country to resist the exploitation of the people by the British for their economic advantage by introducing the liquor habit among the people. F. R. Senanayake with his keen sense of patriotism joined the fray and organised prohibition meetings throughout the country to save the people form the evils of liquor. He also launched a journal called Amadyapa Mithraya, meaning friend of the teetotaller. He spent for all these activities from his own pocket. He was regarded as the undisputed leader of the campaign against liquor.
It was while his temperance movement was spreading in this country and the people had come to a realisation of their sad plight, by being made the pawns in an imperialist game, that the unfortunate riots broke out in 1915. The prominent part he played in the temperance movement was the sole reason for his incarceration on suspicion along with several co-workers, when the Governor, Sir Robert Chalmers, panicked and fearing a rebellion declared martial law. F. R. Senanayake was jailed; with him were his two brothers D. C. Senanayake and D. S. Senanayake, D. R. Jayatilake, A. E. Goonesinghe, Arthur V. Dias, Edmond Hewawitharana, W. A. de Silva, Edwin Wijeratne and several others. After their release he took a leading part in agitating for the setting up of a Royal Commission to inquire into the causes of the riots and for securing some redress for the grievances of the people.
He proceeded to England as a member of the deputation in this connection. As a result Sir John Anderson was appointed to inquire into the matter and the Governor was recalled. The excesses committed under martial law in 1915 led to an immediate agitation for political reform and the formation of the Reform League on the initiative of Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam received the ardent support of F. R. Senanayake.
The agitation for wider reforms gained momentum and the Reform League evolved into the Ceylon National Congress. Those movements were led and actively supported solely by Western educated sections of the community. F. R. Senanayake’s participation in social service work was wide and varied. He took a keen interest in Buddhist education and was at the time of his death president of the Buddhist Theosophical Society, which managed a large number of schools all over the island.
Though he was steeped in social service activities, the shunned political office was his for the asking. He sought no public reward for his public service. The only political seat he occupied was as a member of the Colombo Municipal Council of which he was a member at the time of his death.
His philanthropy had no bounds. All the wealth he inherited from his parents, he spent in the service of the people. The YMBA premises in Borella were purchased by him with the money raised by mortgaging his house. This will remain a monument to the selflessness of this great man. Another remarkable characteristic of this son of the nation was that he worked paying no heed to creed, caste, community or race. Therefore, he was loved by his countrymen.
He was an ardent supporter of Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam who sponsored the formation of the Ceylon Reform League to carry on the agitation for political and administrative reforms. The Lanka Mahajana Sabha, which later became a major political force was formed by him with a view to inculcating a sense of duty and responsibility in our people. It was this movement which finally achieved our political emancipation. He was a man of many facets, a social reformer, philanthropist, freedom fighter, exemplary leader, gifted visionary, selfless patriot and humanist. Yet his modesty was so overwhelming that despite his services to his people, he never sought publicity, power of position.
He went on a pilgrimage in December 1925 to Buddha Gaya accompanied by his wife and family and his brother D. S. Senanayake. There he took ill and was brought down to Calcutta, where he passed away.
His sudden death brought to an untimely end a life with a rare record of public service and achievement and deprived this country of one its noblest and loyal sons who had ahead of him many more years of useful service to its people. He eldest son, R. G. Senanayake, having inherited his illustrious father’s ideals took to politics at an early age. He was Member of Parliament, for over a quarter of a century a Parliamentary Secretary and a minister in four governments under four Prime Ministers. He also died prematurely having made a significant contribution towards the advancement and interests of the Sinhala people in particular.
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