Philip Gunawardena: Marxist who proposed visionary economic policies in 1930s

THE Philip Gunawardena Commemoration Society held the 53rd commemoration of this veteran politician, popularly called Philip and credited to the tradition of Marxism in Sri Lanka, in Colombo last week.

- W.A. Wijewardena

Commemoration of Philip's work

It was a simple ceremony without flamboyance attended by leading members of the Buddhist clergy close to Philip’s family, heads of select diplomatic missions which have an interest in his work, and a galaxy of political leaders including two previous Presidents. There were also members of the cooperative movement who were dear and near to Philip when he was in politics. Strangely, there were no delegates from the incumbent Government. National People’s Power or NPP though it draws its political and economic ideology from Marx and his followers who were institutionalised in Sri Lanka’s political landscape by Philip many years ago.

There was only one speech delivered by the ex-banker, trade unionist, writer, and public speaker, Rusiripala Tennakoon who took the audience through a sketch of Philip’s contribution to the development of the trade union movement in Sri Lanka, to the upliftment of the cooperative sector, and to the shaping of the common man’s era in 1956. A pioneer-ing work in the development of a bank for the common peasantry and small businessmen in the style of a cooperative credit bank was also highlighted. Though Philip did not see the birth of this bank when he was a minister in the Bandaranaike government of 1956, it was established as the People’s Bank later in 1961 when he was in the opposition.

But that bank was basically based on the blueprint which Philip had designed in 1958 along with the enactment of the path-breaking legislation titled the Paddy Lands Act to protect the rights of the farmers and the landlords. As Rusiripala told his audience, the novelties which Philip had introduced to Sri Lanka’s society remain indelibly etched in the annals of the country.

Philip: Down-to-earth simple man