Unconditional Muslim support facilitated independence

CRUCIAL Muslim support facilitated the process of Sri Lanka gaining independence from the British in 1948 and helped end almost four and half centuries of European colonial rule in the island.

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Many still remember the leading role played by Muslims leaders such as Dr T.B.Jayah, Sir Razik Fareed, Dr M.C.M.Kaleel and Dr Badiduddin Mahmud in the constitutional reforms of this country and their enthusiastic support for the demand of the Dominion Status and independence. They never obstructed the political progress of the country.

For example when the demand for independence began gathering momentum World War 11 broke out in Europe. The British Government urged all its colonies to support them, assuring that they would be given independence after the war.

In the aftermath of World War II, agitation for political reforms and independence began to gather momentum. However the British Government insisted that three quarters of the population should support the demand for independence to ensure the rights of minorities were protected. With the Sinhalese community as a whole constituting less than three quarters of the population this was an impossible demand to fulfill unless the minorities supported.

Tamil Congress leader G.G. Ponnambalam demanded equal representation, better known as fifty-fifty. However the Muslims stood fully behind the majority community and helped to meet the British demand for the support of two third of the population despite past sufferings and disadvantages.