59
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
65
Reference :-
C.O. 882/10
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
60. Walawita And Minna inquiries.
81. Levy of compensation for Kiriporswa
G7. Idda. malgoda
WRILINA.
69. Levy of contributions for the
- WASAMA.
64. Caso of
rape recom mended to
court martial.
100
Most of the wasamas in this part of the Korale have applied for time to pay the balance, but were somewhat perturbed when I told them they would have to give security. However, after much argument. as there was no other alternative, they agreed.
Rest of the day engaged in inquiring into the Walawita and Minna riot cases. In both the evidence is very bad, and it is obvious the Moors are giving false evidence. It is a great advantage to be able to test evidence on the spot, and it is a pity that Police Magistrates have not the time to test it in a similar way.
Tuesday, 29th.-Walked to Erepola, three miles in the interior, and fixed indemnity for Kiriporuwa wasama. There was a number of "jungle proctors" in the crowd, who were inclined to argue, but eventually, when the quartering of Punjabis was promised forthwith, they agreed to pay.
In the afternoon visited Iddamalgoda to fix the indemnity. Most of the people of this wasama appear to have participated in the loot, and it was said the Arachchi took a leading part in the Kendangamuwa riot; but the evidence of Mr. Scott, superintendent of Sunderland estate, proved the charge to be false. At the same time I feel certain, from other information, that he had a hand in another riot.
Wednesday. 30th.—At Kendangamuwa. Received large number of contribu tions from various wasamas, and fixed days for giving security for the payment of the balance; also inquired into several cases.
One case was a particularly brutal one of rape, which I have recommended for trial before the court martial.
SIR,
Progress return of work done under the Waste
Lands Ordinance during the month
Travelling vote
Amount expended in June
Total expenditure from beginning of the year Balance
(Confidential.)
Nil.
Rs.4,900.00
321.50
3,214.72
1,685.28
R. N. THAINE, Government Agent, Sabaragamuwa
Enclosure 4 in No. 44.
RECENT DISTURBANCES.
Kurunegala Kachcheri, 19th July, 1915. WITH reference to your Confidential letter No. 11535, of the 7th July, 1915, I have the honour to report that the disturbances commenced, so far as this district is concerned, with an application for assistance from the Sub-Inspector of Police, Polgahawela, on the night of 31st May, in response to which I sent four constables from Kurunegala in a car at midnight. Meanwhile, however, the Inspector-General of Police had arrived at Polgahawela with a strong force of troops and police, and the apprehended disturbance at Polgahawela did not come off.
2. On the morning of 1st June some looters, principally from Beligal Korale of the Kegalla District, attacked Alawwa, and, with the aid of local rowdies, looted most of the Moor boutiques there. These probably were the people who had made a demonstration in Polgahawela the night before, but, overawed by the display of force there, turned their attention elsewhere.
3. Meanwhile all sorts of rumours were afloat in Kurunegala town as to a projected "attack" on Kurunegala itself, and telegrams had been received from the Government Agent, Kandy, and from the Assistant Government Agent, Kegalla. The suggesting the advance of rioters upon Kurunegala from those directions. former telegram was passed on to the Weuda police, who were instructed to be on the alert and various preliminary steps were taken to prevent riots in the town. Thus an armed force of police was kept ready with ball cartridge; various Justices of the Peace were requested to hold themselves in readiness to proceed with the police to suppress any outbreak. At the same time Additional Justices of the Peace were nominated and sworn in, and the following Sinhalese gentlemen of standing— the Honourable Mr. T. B. Moonemale and Messrs. E. G. Goonewardene and E. V Jayawardene and Abraham Goonewardene were consulted by me, and, at my instance, undertook to go about the town and its vicinity and reassure the inhabitants and warn such suspicious persons as they met. Meanwhile I sent for various leading
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Buddhists and Mohammedans and myself enjoined on them the necessity of keeping their people quiet, and at the same time dropped hints that if a disturbance occurred the police would receive very speedy orders to fire.
4. In the afternoon an officer and twenty men of the Royal Garrison Artillery and Town Guard Artillery came by special train, and were accommodated at very short notice in the Town Hall. These men were sent up by the Inspector-Generai of Police without any request from me, but there is no doubt that their arrival assisted in maintaining order. It also enabled me to release for duty in the streets the armed party of police which I had detailed earlier in the day. As a further precaution I mustered in the evening all the available men of the Ceylon Light Infantry and kept them under arms from 5 p.m. until 6 a.m. for that and the two following nights. Lists of motor-cars were made out, and the owners were directed to send them in to the police station at once.
5. On the 2nd June all was quiet in the town of Kurunegala, but disturbances occurred at other places, the most serious of which was at Giriulla. from about 8 a.m. crowds assembled on the Hapitagam Korale side of the Maha Oya, It appears that some of whom descended on Giriulla and commenced an attack upon the bazaar about 10.30 a.m. They were, however, dispersed by Mr. Day, who had been sent there with two Punjabis by the Inspector-General of Police, and by Nuguwela Ratemahatmaya and Bogahalanta Ratemahatmaya and the Sub-Inspector of Police, before much damage was done. They then retired to the Hapitagam Korale side of the river, and the Ratemahatmaya sent me a telegram requesting that the gathering on the Western Province side of the river should be dispersed. This telegram, which was the first intimation I had received of the possibility of an invasion from the Negombo District, was received by me at 11.30 a.m., and I thereupon wired to the Government Agent, Colombo, at midday, requesting him to instruct the Hapitagam Korale Mudaliyar to disperse the gathering. I cannot find that any useful result followed this telegram, and the Mudaliyar in question was found asleep at Mirigama at 3.0 p.m. the same day after the second attack on Giriulla had been repulsed. Mean- while Messrs. Tyler, Assistant Superintendent of Police, and Hull, office assistant, with Lieutenant Treloar and two Town Guardsmen, who were going to Potuhera in view of a rumoured disturbance there, arranged to go on to Giriulla, and I also sent Mr. Daniels, Crown Proctor and Justice of the Peace, with a further party of Artillery, direct to Giriulla. At 2.0 p.m. the crowd, which had been driven over the bridge, again became formidable, and the Punjabis, who had been ordered to keep them back, fired two or three rounds in the air. This having no effect, and as the crowd came on with determination, they fired upon, the crowd, killing five and wounding several more. There is little doubt that this action averted very serious trouble. The crowd numbered some hundreds of persons and evinced much deter- mination Some, if not most, were armed with clubs and weapons of a similar nature, and the cloth of at least one of the persons shot was found to have been made into a receptacle and filled with stones, which he had no opportunity to throw. As soon as they were fired upon, however, this crowd broke and ran back to the Western Province, and as a result it has not been possible to identify more than a few of them. The leader said to have been one John Appuhami, who is now awaiting trial.
6. Almost simultaneously on the same day other parties of raiders appear to have crossed the Maha Oya from Hapitagam Korale, lower down, and attacked boutiques at Pannala and Makandura, under the leadership of two brothers Perera, sons of the Welihinda Registrar. Thence they proceeded to Elabodagama, Bammena, and Paragammana, and various other places in the vicinity. At every place, before operations were commenced, a preposterous proclamation appears to have been read to the effect that the Governor of Ceylon had committed the lives and property of the Moors to the Sinhalese in general and to Ambagahalanda Ban- daranayaka in particular. The influence of these particular raiders seems to have stopped just south of Kuliyapitiya, where the Magistrate, police, and headmen, hearing of the looting at Paragammana, had taken precautions; but there is evidence that one of the Pereras came close to Kuliyapitiya to reconnoitre, and there is little doubt that, had he not found the people prepared to resist, Kuliyapitiya also would From Kuliyapitiya northwards towards Hettipola there is evidence that the looting was carried on later by others, under the influence of the brothers Perera, and partly by people of Chilaw District.
have been looted.
1