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CLIII
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O. 882/10
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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18. I regret to bring the conduct of the following officers before Government :— (a) The Police Magistrate, Mr. Gunatilleke, for releasing N. C. Gunaratne, his relative, and the instigator of the Madampe riot, on bail of Rs. 250, a ridiculously inadequate sum.
(b) The Sub-Inspector of Police, Chilaw, for allowing proctors to talk in the Police Station with Gunaratne, also a relative of his, and for giving per- mission to take bedding for the accused to the jail on his own responsibility.
(c) The Postmaster, Chilaw, for delaying State telegrams. One instance has been mentioned, in paragraph 2 On 8th June the Government Agent wired to me to send in all available cars to Kurunegala; the Assistant Superintendent of Police thereupon wired to the Marawila Police at 11.30, but the telegram was only received there in my presence at 1.45 p.m. The Postmaster delayed Government telegrams, yet could send long messages for Mr. C. A. Corea, in which the conduct of the police was attacked. There have been numerous complaints against the Postmaster, and his retirement is desirable. He reformed after I had reported him to the Postmaster-General.
The Chief Riot Commissioner,
Kurunegala
(Confidential.)
:
I am, &c.,
H. W. CODRINGTON, Assistant Government Agent and S.C.
Enclosure 7 in No. 44.
SIR,
Nuwara Eliya, 5th August, 1915. WITH reference to your Circular 11535, of 7th July, 1915, I have the honour to annex a copy of the report, which I sent to the Acting Government Agent, Nuwara Eliya, on the action taken by me from the 1st to the 3rd June, immediately after the
riots.
2. Since then, I have confined my duties as Special Commissioner to the district of Uda Hewaheta.
No casualties have occurred in that district amongst Moormen or rioters.
I have assessed the damage to Moorish property at Rs. 19,720, and have taken bonds from the Sinhalese for Rs. 40,000. At the time of writing, three wasamas have discharged their liabilities in full, while many have made part payment of the sum due from them. Recoveries in cash up to date amount to Rs. 4719.50.
3. With the exception of two villages exempted from payment, the whole of Uda Hewaheta has been assessed at Rs. 12, Rs. 8, or Rs. 4, a head. The Aratchi of each wasama or the leading man selected by the men who signed the bond for the wasama (I did not compel them to choose the Aratchi, though in nine cases out of ten they did choose him) has furnished me with a list showing the total due from his wasama, and the amount at which each man is assessed, in accordance with his wealth. Some of these lists have been approved, while others have been, or are being, amended in accordance with instructions given by me on circuit.
For every payment the Aratchi or leading man has to issue a receipt from forms with which I have supplied him, printed in foil and counterfoil.
Each list, when approved, has to be posted up in a prominent place in the vil- lage. The work in connexion with the checking of these lists is heavy, and it cannot be delayed; the first quarterly instalment is due on the bonds of 31st August, and I have reason to think that many of the bonds will be discharged in full on that date. 4. I allowed a discount of 10 per cent. on all cash payments up to 28th July, on my own responsibility. The people were informed by me on circuit that dis- count would not be granted after that date.
5. With regard to the origin of the riots, I have ascertained that P. B. Rat- nayake, of Kandy, went to Hanguranketa, on 28th May It is alleged that he held a seditious meeting under the guise of a temperance gathering at Hanguranketa. This rumour is probably true, though I have no evidence with which to support it
in Court.
6. The first disturbance in the district occurred at Hanguranketa, on 30th May, when two out of three Moorish boutiques in the village were looted by 100 Sinhalese. The remaining Moorish boutique was protected by the village Aratchi for his own reasons.
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It is reasonable to assume that he could have protected the other two, if he had cared to do so.
On 31st May, large gangs of men from almost all the villages in Uda Hewaheta, started after dark and marched to Padiyapalella, and sacked all the Moorish bouti- ques there, and damaged and defiled the mosque. The Sinhalese who went to Padiyapalella numbered from 500 to 1,000. The sacking of Padiyapalella was a fully organized scheme, sanctioned by the village headmen, and probably worked by them under the orders of the Ratemahatmaya, though the evidence which I have collected in support of this view would be worth nothing in a Court, as it contains so many palpable falsehoods. I am, however, recommending that the R.M. and certain of his headmen be dismissed for neglect of duty.
On 1st June, an isolated Moorish boutique was sacked at Rahatungoda, and another at Udagama. The people undoubtedly intended to attack the boutiques at Maturata that night, but refrained, owing to the presence of armed Europeans on the spot, both on 1st and 2nd June.
With regard to mosques, the only one in the district, that of Padiyapalella, was damaged by the rioters; I assessed the damage, on an intentionally liberal scale, at Rs. 200, and the local Moormen are restoring it.
In general, I had considerable difficulty in making a correct assessment of the damages, as the Moormen almost invariably exaggerated their losses by a half or more. One Moorman, at Padiyapalella, however, produced a correct account, and produced his books in support of it. The Sinhalese standing round did not even attempt to query it; they seemed as surprised as I was myself to get the truth for
once.
The interpreter who has assisted me in my work, Mr. E. F. Edrisingha, Gravets Mudaliyar N'Eliya, is a Christian, who has displayed no partiality for his com- patriots. He has rendered me very valuable assistance in suggesting the various methods above enumerated, by which I have endeavoured to prevent peculation on the part of the headmen, in recovering the damages.
The Honourable
SIR,
The Colonial Secretary, Colombo.
I am, &c.,
T. A. HODSON,
Special Commissioner, Nuwara Eliya.
Enclosure 8 in No. 44.
(Secret. C.R. No. 3256/1 (A).)
Headquarters, Ceylon Command, Colombo, 8th August, 1915.
I HAVE the honour to state nothing has occurred since my last report dated 17th July, 1915, to occasion remark
Field general courts martial have been held in the various districts. Some 353 offenders have been brought before these tribunals and have been dealt with as occasion demanded.
Evidence produced before these Courts showed conclusively that the moveinent against the Moors was only the primary object, and, I suggest, a means of exciting otherwise peace-abiding natives to join in the movement ultimately to be made against the Government.
The fact that the variously worded statement regarding the downfall of the British flag, and the raising of the Buddhist or the Sinhalese flag, was not the excited utterance of one socialistic member of the community, but was heard to have been made by many persons in their respective districts, is ample proof of the real object of the disturbance.
I enclose, herewith, copies of memoranda issued with a view to dealing with future trouble should it arise, and the orders contained therein are framed with the idea that any future riot will be directed against the Government and Europeans. The fact that no Government or European person or property was touched during the late disturbances is quite accounted for by the outbreak coming pre- maturely before the organization was complete. I think that the Kandy riot was to be, as it were, a trial trip, but the unsophisticated villager around mistook his orders, and ruined thereby the plan of campaign.
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