CO882-10 — Page 58

103

60

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

C.O.

Reference :---

882/10

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH--NOT TO

102

7. Meanwhile information was received of an attempt of looting at Wenda on the night of the 1st June, which resulted in the burning of a woodshed and some slight damage to a mosque, the rioters having been frustrated by the police and headmen. All this occurred when the back of the Ratemahatmaya was turned, he The same night one having gone to suppress a disturbance at Mawatagama.

Both these occur- boutique was looted at Illukpitiya, on the Matale boundary. rences. though carried out by local people, seem to have been inspired from Kandy and Matale respectively.

8. At the same time all sorts of rumours of projected attacks on Kurunegala and other places, principally by plumbago pit coolies, were being industriously cir- culated, possibly with a view to distract my attention, among them a rumour that Mr. de Mel's manager had 300 pit coolies hidden, in the garden behind the Maligawą, ready to burn the Government Agent's house and attack the town; and, further, that another army of pit coolies was waiting for a similar purpose in the Government forest at Budagamuwa, about three miles out. I sent unofficial spies to test these cumours, and, of course, found them to be false.

9. On the night of the 2nd June two cases of looting and two of arson occurred in Weuda division, on a minor road from Potuhera to Rambukkana, and here again the inspiration appears to have come from Rambukkana, though the local rowdies did the damage.

10. On the 3rd June the Artillery were removed to Colombo at short notice, and ten Punjabis, with a Punjabi officer, were sent in their place. Though the time allowed was short, care was taken to accommodate them without injuring their religious or caste prejudices. The same day I was invited to state whether pro- clamation of martial law in the Province was necessary, and I replied that, although I did not consider it necessary, I had no objection to it, and accordingly at 7.30 p.m. I received intimation that martial law had been proclaimed. I thereupon went down to the bazaar with the Assistant Superintendent of Police, and personally closed all the taverns, liquor shops, and boutiques, and cleared the streets.

11. Meanwhile though I did not hear of it till afterwards-looting and arson had occurred at Yapahuwa, and in fact every Ratemahatmaya was asking for police and assistance, to all of which requests I could only answer that they must do the best they could with the headmen on the spot--or police, if any.

12. On the 4th June notice was sent to all the chief headmen of the proclama- tion of martial law, and I myself proclaimed it in Kurunegala town. On this day, in spite of various scouring parties being out, looting took place at various places in Katugampola Hat Pattu, on the Chilaw boundary, and in Dewamedi Hat Pattu. In the latter place the looting was led by a notary who has been noted for dismissal for other reasons. On this day the Ceylon Light Infantry, who had so far only attended at night, were kept on duty permanently, and took over the magazine guard, thus relieving more police for ordinary duty.

13. On the 5th June again, in spite of scouring parties, there was looting of isolated boutiques in Hiriyala, Dewamedi, and Wanni Hatt Pattus, and there were similar occurrences on the 6th, 7th, and 8th June, in spite of scouring parties. Most of these isolated boutiques attacked were off the road, and where they were on or near the roads there is evidence that the looters posted scouts to warn them of the approach of cars. In addition to the ordinary parties sent by car a special train with police was sent daily up the line from the 3rd June, and did good work in stopping further damage at Hiripitiya (Ganewatta) and Galgamuwa, and pre- venting trouble at Wellawa and Ambanpola. At Wellawa there is a very large Moor boutique, in regard to which I received petitions almost daily. having at last been received as to the ringleader of the proposed attack-one Guna- wardene he was arrested and found in possession of unlicensed arms, when the whole agitation at Wellawa collapsed.

Information

14. After the 8th June no outrages actually occurred, but alarms were frequent, and scouring parties were sent in every direction for several days. About the same time there was considerable alarm at a possible attack on the Moors' boutiques and villages in Madure Korale by pit coolies, and steps were taken by Mr. J. S. Patterson, J.P., with my concurrence, to keep under arms such planters in the neighbourhood as belonged to volunteer corps and to utilize the rest as special constables. At the same time I had a census made of pit coolies, and got the owners of the pits to warn their managers to keep the coolies at the pits. I also sent a force of police and Punjabis to collect and remove explosives from the pits, and these steps seem to have been sufficient to prevent damage by pit coolies.

15. Meanwhile the police and headmen were busy in hunting down the rioters and, the ringleaders having been kept for the Special Commissioners, the Courts were overworked disposing of the ordinary rioters.

16. The total damages as now ascertained are:-

17.

Hat Pattu.

Weuda Willi

Hiriyala

Wanni

Dewamedi

Katugampola Dambadeni

Boutiques, &c., looted.

Houses burnt.

3

2

Mosques.

2

2

5

3

19

18

1

122

4

55

8

203

39

The Special Commissioners commenced work on the 17th June, and the work of assessing damages was practically finished by the 6th July, though the task

tion.

of inquiring into cases to be put before court martial took a little longer, and recoveries have still to be made of a portion of the money required to pay compensa- Mr. Codrington was appointed for the Puttalam-Chilaw District only, and his action was confined to those districts.

As regards Kurunegala District, Mr. Collins dealt with Dambadeni, Katuyanpola, and Dewamedi divisions, and I myself took Wedua Willi, Hiriyala, and Wanni Hat Pattu. It will be seen that the greater part of the work thus fell to Mr. Collins, but it must be remembered that I had to carry on my ordinary work as well and deal with a good deal of general work and correspondence in connexion with the disturbances and precautions to prevent further disturbances. The assessment of damages, including a percentage for costs, is as follows:-

Division.

Weuda Willi Hiriyala

Wanni

Dewamedi Katugampola Dambadeni

Amount.

Rs.2,205

4,409

9,785

5,100

39,800

23,350

Rs. 84,629

Of this Rs. 80,882 has already been paid in, leaving a balance of Rs. 3,746.46 still to be collected, principally from Dambadeni, which it is expected will be paid in shortly.

18. That the damage was not greater is due in part to the action of the head- men, who in some places acted with considerable vigour, and in others, at any rate, did their best to discourage looters, and partly to the action of the Sinhalese villagers, or a considerable section of them, who, hearing of looting in other places, with commendable charity consented to house the property of many of the Moors in their own premises, and thus saved it from loot.

The claims of the Moormen were in almost every instance grossly exaggerated, and it was found necessary, both by Mr. Collins and myself, to scrutinize them very losely and in most cases make very liberal reductions on them. In one particularly bad case, where the claimant originally stated his losses at Rs. 2,700, but later claimed Rs. 5,000, then Rs. 10,000, and finally Rs. 13,000, with no better excuse than that at first he was dazed, and apparently, as he slowly regained consciousness, remembered more and more of his losses, I refused to pay him anything at all except the value of the building. I did not find. however, that this example did much towards discouraging others from putting in exaggerated claims.

19. As regards the origin of these disturbances, there is very little doubt that. so far as the Kurunegala District goes, they were planned from outside. A glance at the map herewith, and a comparison of the times and dates, will show that a tically simultaneous attack was made along the whole southern boundary of the prac- district by bands of raiders from Beligal and Hapitagam Korales, who, aided by local sympathisers, then proceeded northward, looting as they went, turning aside

• Not sent to the Colonial Office.