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Aug 30, 2007 is 95th birth anniversary of late Minister Saumyamoorthy Thondaman

By A. Kandappah
Former Secretary General - Sri Lanka Indian Community Council

Today a faithful multitude of Plantation workers of recent Indian origin – in the hill country and some outside – together with thousands of CWC Trade unionists, supporters and friends will hold Poojas, meetings and other memorial functions in several parts of the country - as they have faithfully done for many decades celebrating the 95th birthday of the undisputed leader of the Indian community - the late Saumyamoorthy Thondaman. Although he died 8 years ago his over-powering personality and the influence he wielded in shaping the future of nearly a million and a half people has gained for him an assured place in their collective memory. In their subconscious mind Thondaman still lives with them – that was the measure of his influence over them. To them his memory is a symbol and a legitimate tool for setting norms and standards in their search for the improvement of their quality of life that is indisputably their right at least as quid pro quo for their long contribution to the country’s economic good – a factor, unfortunately, that has to be emphasized to administrations holding the reins of power. In remembering the late Thondaman one cannot but draw a comparison to his times and how he chose to live in the decades gone by. He refused to be seduced by the dazzle of the celebrity culture.

He despised the cynical manipulation of popular sentiments and public opinion to attain political ambition. To him social exhibitionism was uncouth and, therefore, he scrupulously avoided the company of the egoistic glitterati and the socially suspect. Evidently, his entire political career spanning over half a century was characterized by the absence of controversy and scandal – a rarity in today’s political culture. He was available at all times to the ordinary workers and masses – as he liked telling us “they are after all who elected me.” Politics, he taught himself, is not an air-conditioned country race to be travelled at a leisurely pace but a gruelling, sole-splitting marathon whose punishing trail is paved with rock and rubble. It is a common and angry complaint that most MP’s – more so Ministers and Deputy Ministers from outside the Western Province - once gaining high political positions fail to visit their electorates as much as they should. Thondaman was an exception to this undesirable norm. He went all the way to Nuwara Eliya at least once weekly. At 87 and the time of his death he was in good physical shape – thanks to his obsession with his early morning Constitutional that he passionately followed for over 60 years.

His death surprised many and was hastened in his insistence to visit his electorate to be with “his people and attend to their needs.” He was concerned they will wait for him and so he went - never to come back again. Any other politician at his age would have taken matters more leisurely and probably sent his minions to look into the needs of his Constituents. But this option was anathema to this elder politician accustomed, as he was, to serving the needs of his people personally. To a mission-driven Thondaman, his hopes and vision for the future of his people, were in a way, painted with the colours of the rainbow. The gathering heights of political upward mobility - that was his from the mid-1970s till his death - did not obscure his sense of reality nor diminish the difficult role he had taken upon himself from the early 1940s on behalf of his people. Though he commanded considerable political power, he did not seek to pervert policy and position to surreptitiously secure questionable lucre. And, therefore, he earned respect both from friend and foe. A senior journalist who covered Parliament in his younger days told me he had come to learn whenever Thondaman rose to speak in Parliament, though not a great orator, the entire house listened to him with rapt attention. Giants of Parliament in the post-1970 period DS, SWRD, Dudley, Sirima Bandaranaike, JRJ, R. Premadasa and Lalith Athlalthmudali, to mention just a few, knew when Thondaman rose in Parliament he did so to make an important point – one that will reflect on contemporary political sensitivities.

His commitment to secure his people’s welfare, the restoration of their franchise rights through peaceful agitation through Gandhian principles of ahimsa and non-violence; his fidelity to democratic ideals to achieve them drew the admiration of academics and the intellectual outside the political spectrum as well. The late Lalith Athulathmudali once observed “Thonda dares to dream the impossible dream – and, invariably, achieves them” It is not too well known outside ruling circles that the legendary Jurist and Civil Rights Lawyer the late S. Nadesan Q.C. shared a very close and personal bond with Thondaman and that Nadesan, a brilliant product of the Jaffna Tamil community, went to the Senate as a nominee of the CWC. Recently, former JVPer and Minister Mahinda Wijesekera - to meet rising Tamil demands in sharing power in their areas - called for the governance of the North-East to be handed over to the LTTE for a limited period - a call that was made by CBK at the penultimate period of her tenure. When Thondaman originally expressed this refreshingly new view in the late 90s he was mercilessly bludgeoned - but he chose to remain patient for the inevitable acceptance of his stand. He knew with the passage of time will arrive in the minds of our younger political leaders the compulsions of political reality. That he was equipped with a sense of deep foresight is further established when he chose to disassociate the CWC from that part of the Vaddukottai Resolution of 1976 calling for a Separate State. He later shared his view with me that his decision at Vaddukottai was influenced by the conviction

Tamils have yet to exhaust all their options in the search for a solution and that was why he chose to walk out of that TUF triumvirate - although he went along with the other grievances of the Tamil people. He concluded to call for the bifurcation of the country at that time will enable the removal of the “Doves” in the Sinhala polity to be replaced by hawkish extremists and obdurate hardliners. Today, almost the entirety of the intellectual and academic community of North-Eastern Tamils bemoan their own leaders lacked the vision and sagacity that Thondaman demonstrated in taking his people outside the Separate State option in the National Question. On another occasion when I asked him about the call Tamil leaders should discontinue further discussions with the Sinhala leadership in the light of repeated reneging of even solemnly written undertakings, he smiled and eloquently commented “It is true the dark shadows of deep-seated suspicion and animosity clouds all rational views. Even the suggestions for limited devolution and sharing of power have been deliberately and maliciously confused with fragmentation of the land – engineered by scheming politicians to poison the minds of the ordinary Sinhala voter. But continue to talk we must; listen to even disagreeable factors – if we have to; disagree from time to time – we may; but at all times, we must keep the channels of discussion open.

There is no other way.” In spite of his crowded political and ministerial obligations Thondaman remained steadfastly linked to the traditions and rituals of his ancient religion. He faithfully observed Hindu Viradhams, Poojas and insisted in wearing Vibuthi and Kungumam in his forehead – influences one cannot fail to observe in a visit to the Plantation areas today. To those many mourning the passing away of this outstanding Statesman is consolation in the inspiring words from the sacred Bhagvatgita - very precious to him.