340
as Cashier, Karunapedige Kiri Menike, as Lekam, and Kurunapedige Subaya, as Assistant Lekam, all of Paranagama aforesaid, joined together and collected all the inhabitants of the villages named Paranagama, Berannua, and Galbodde and formed a society, stating as follows:---
2. That, as there is no Sinhalese king, and as the Sinhalese population are now in downfallen and poor, and as they are not in good terms, this is the proper time for us to hold a society for future prospects, and the said chief members of the said society have expressed that pecuniary help could be obtained from the respectable gentleman named Mr. Sennanayake, Mr. Bandaranaike, of Ambagaha- landa, Honourable Mr. P. Ramanathan, Mr. Advocate Batuwantaduwa, Anagarika Dharmapala, Hendrick Singbo, Police Vidane of Attanagalla, Mr. Raphial, Native Doctor, and Peter Modalali and several others.
3. That, after the said conversation, the said four chief members have ordered all the members of the said society to pay each man at the rate of five cents, each woman at the rate of three cents, and each boy at the rate of two cents when- ever meetings are held of the said society. In like manner money was collected for a period of about three years and few months, and a small book showing the entries of payment are now in the possession of the petitioners, and the said money was collected on condition that the said moneys are to be spent among all the members of the said society, when in need, for a sickness cases and other urgent and important matters occurred among the members.
Further, the petitioners beg to submit to Your Excellency that, after the recent riots and looting, they and all the others were ordered by the Government to pay compensation, and the poor petitioners asked the said President Balaya, Police Duraya, to pay up the same out of the funds of the said society and get them redress, but he refused to do so and said that the petitioners help the Moors of the said villages during the recent rioting and looting, and also took no notice about the said society and did not go along with the said Police Duraya and his gang of men to break down the mosques, etc., and also he expressed that, as the petitioners are buying goods from Moors and doing work to them, he will not allow the petitioners and their families to remain in the village Paranagama and will injure and do them bodily harm either by assault or by false litigation.
The petitioners are poor and helpless men, and there are four families amongst them consisting of about twenty-five or thirty souls.
Therefore the petitioners pray that it may please Your Excellency to take the above into consideration and to administer justice and grant them redress.
For which act of charity and kindness the petitioners as in duty bound shall ever pray.
Colombo, 18th October, 1915.
MARK X
OF JAMBUWA.
4
341
179
The office-bearers went once a quarter to the Attanagala meeting, and when they returned they related what they had heard to the Paranagama members. The members were told that the funds collected would be devoted to helping them in sickness, affliction, or “if they were entangled in any row or law suit."
5. When the riots broke out these villagers no doubt joined in with others. When they were ordered to pay compensation at the rate of Rs.17 36 cents per head they went to the Police Duraya (the President of the Association) and asked for the money to be paid from the funds of the Association. They were then told that there was no Association and no funds.
6. This is the grievance which the petitioners bring to light.
7. I have sent all the papers to the Honourable the Government Agent, Western Province, so that the Police Duraya may be dealt with.
8. The case is typical of what has no doubt happened in a great many villages. If it had not been for the bad influence of these temperance societies and Sama- gamas the majority of villagers would never have taken part in these riots. The educated persons who organized and controlled these societies, controlled the vernacular Press, and made speeches about the country, are entirely to blame for what occurred.
30th October, 1915.
54046
SIR,
No. 73.
H. L. DOWBIGGIN, Inspector-General of Police.
COLONIAL OFFICE to MR. A. MAJID.
[Copy to Governor, 8th December, 1915. No. 712. L.F.]
Downing Street, 3rd December, 1915. I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Bonar Law to acknowledge the receipt of letter of the 22nd November* with regard to the question of the grant of compen- sation to sufferers in the riots in Ceylon, and to state that he will not fail to give consideration to the views which you put forward.
54861
No. 74.
I am, &c.,
H. J. READ,
your
for the Under-Secretary of State.
(Confidential.)
Enclosure 2 in No. 72.
REPORT,
THE HONOURABLE the Colonial Secretary,
I RECEIVED a copy of this petition from the petitioners direct and have investigated the statements made, which are in the main correct.
2. The Paranagama Association is a branch of the Attanagala Samagama. Mr. N. Izat, Special Commissioner, obtained direct evidence that the Attanagala Samagama had, under the cloak of "temperance," collected funds on the lines stated in paragraph 3 of this petition, and had arranged for all the villagers to assemble on the 28th May. When the villagers met on the 28th May they were ordered to assemble again "when the bell rang.” The bell rang on the 1st June. All the villagers turned out, they were divided into gangs under leaders and sent out in different directions armed to molest the Moors. Mr. Izat obtained direct evidence that the Attanagala Samagama, or temperance society," directly organ- ized the rioting in the district.
4
3 The Paranagama Association, which is a branch of the Attanagala Sama- gama, is composed entirely of Paduwa caste men. The Association has been in
existence for three-and-a-half years, the Police Duraya is the President, his brother- in-law is the Treasurer, his brother is the Secretary, and another brother is an Assistant Secretary.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE GOVERNOR.
(Confidential.)
Downing Street, 8th December, 1915. [Published as No. 25 in [Cd. 8167], January, 1916.]
52030
No. 75.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE ACTING GOVERNOR.
(No. 6.)
Downing Street, 5th January, 1916. [Published as No. 26 in [Cd. 8167], January, 1916.]
* No. 69.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
I, I l k k b
Reference :--
C.O. 882/10
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOJOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
}