S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, the forth Prime Minister of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), was assassinated by the Buddhist priest Talduwe Somarama Thero on September 25, 1959, while meeting the public at his private residence, Tintagel at Rosmead Place in Colombo. Shot in the chest, abdomen and hand, Bandaranaike died the following day at Merchant's Ward of the Colombo General Hospital. He was the first Sri Lankan national leader to be assassinated, which led to his widow Sirima Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike becoming .
Background
Bandaranaike became prime minister after winning the 1956 elections in a landslide, at the head of a four-party coalition with a no-contest pact with the Lanka Sama Samaja Party and the Communist Party of Sri Lanka known as the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) (the Peoples' United Front) which gains two-third majority in parliament on a wave of strong nationalist sentiment.
After becoming prime minister, Bandaranaike was officially moved to the Prime minister’s official residence Temple Trees, however he also divided his time between his country seat at Horagolla and his town house, Tintagel at Rosmead Place in Colombo. On the morning of September 25, 1959 he was at Tintagel and receiving the public to hear their requests and complaints. The Prime Minister had been assigned a Police Sub Inspector (SI) for his personal protection. However Bandaranaike had sent him back on the grounds he should attend to more important duties and requested the Inspector General of Police to assign a few police constables instead. On the morning of September 25 only one armed police constable was on duty at the gates of Tintagel, while the sergeant in charge was not on duty
Shooting at Rosmead Place
Bandaranaike was seated on the front verandah meeting the public who had come to see him. There were about 20 persons inside the verandah and another 40 queued outside. Around 9 AM a Buddhist priest Talduwe Somarama Thero who had been waiting to see the prime minister took a seat in a chair in the verandah and kept a file on a short stool next to his chair. He was a lecturer at the Government College of Ayurveda and had stated that he wanted to meet the prime minister on requirements for the Ayurveda college.
As each person was announced and approached the prime minister on the matters related to them, Somarama Thero was announced and he stood up from the chair and approached the prime minister who in turn also stood up and came forward showing respect to the priest in the customary form. The prime minister asked what he can do for Somarama Thero who was tensed, told the prime minister that certain improvements were needed at the Ayurveda College. The prime minister responded that he would get Health Minister A. P. Jayasuriya to attend to it if he were to submit the requirement in writing. Around 9.45 AM Somarama Thero sat down again fumbled with the file on the stool he had left as if to pull out a memorandum and as the prime minister got ready to receive it, Somarama Thero instead pulled out a .45 Webley Mark VI revolver concealed in his robes and fired twice at point blank range hitting Bandaranaike in the chest and abdomen. Bandaranaike made a loud sound and fell down, but got up and with difficulty tried to stagger back inside the house.
Another priest Ananda Thero from Polonnaruwa who had been sitting in a chair close by witnessing the incident got up excited, Somarama Thero stood up and pointed his gun at Ananda Thero. Ananda Thero shouted and Somarama Thero turned around and followed Bandaranaike, shooting at him wildly. He fired four shots emptying the chambers of the revolver. One bullet hit Bandaranaike's hand and another a school teacher who had come to see the prime minister. The two other shots had hit a glass pane on a door and a flower pot breaking it.
Confusion and commotion had broken out and the police constable on duty at the gate came running in having been alerted by the sound of gun shots and Ananda Thero who had come out shouting at the prime minister was shot. The police constable fired at Somarama Thero wounding him in the groin who was quickly surrounded and overpowered. Bandaranaike ordered restrain and mercy towards Somarama Thero who was arrested and taken to the Harbour Police Station under armed guard while the prime minister was rushed to the Colombo General Hospital.
Parliament was in session when news of the assassination attempt reached, Education Minister Wijeyananda Dahanayake requested that parliament to be adjourned but most of the members disagreed. However, many soon left to inquire on the prime minister.
The Governor General, Sir Oliver Goonetilleke was at Queens House accepting letters of credence of the Italian Ambassador Count Paolo di Michelis di Sloughhello. When he was informed about the assassination attempt he stopped the ceremony and rushed to Rosmead Place. He informed parliament to continue and at 11 AM declared a state of emergency, bringing the military to full readiness and mobilizing reserves.
Death of Bandaranaike
Bandaranaike underwent a five hour surgery by Dr. M. V. P. Peries, Dr. P. R. Anthonis , Dr. L. O. Silva and Dr. Noel Bartholomeusz and was transferred to the Merchants Ward. Regained consciousness and requested clemency towards his assassin and dictated a message to the nation. However, his situation deteriorated over night and he died twenty-two hours after he was shot. Death was recorded by Colombo Coroner J. N. C. Tiruchelvam, JP, UM at the inquest, stating that the death was "due to shock and haemorrhage resulting from multiple injuries to the thoracic and abdominal organs".
Bandaranaike had been scheduled to go to New York to attend the UN General Assembly in late September 1959. The Leader of the House C. P. de Silva was in London under going treatment after consuming a glass of milk at a cabinet meeting and Bandaranaike had sent a letter to the Governor General recommending that he appoint Wijeyananda Dahanayake, Minister of Education as acting Prime Minister during his absence. With this letter present, Sir Oliver Goonetilleke appointed Dahanayake as Prime Minister on September 26, 1959 and was later confirmed by Parliament.
Funeral
Bandaranaike Samadhi (where S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike was entombed) at Horagolla, Sri Lanka
Bandaranaike's body lay in state in the Parliament building at Galle Face, where thousands came day and night to show respect. His funeral took place at Horagolla amid a sea of mourners. Like his father Sir Solomon Dias Bandaranaike, S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike interned in a specially built mausoleum known as the Horagolla Bandaranaike Samadhi.
Monk Carrying Goods Over Rs. 31 Mn Arrested at Airport
Customs officers arrested a monk on Saturday at the arrival terminal of the Bandaranaike International Airport while illegally bringing a stock of goods valued over Rs. 31 million. This 23-year-old monk living in the Tissamaharama area had arrived at the Airport on an Oman Air flight from Muscat in Oman on Saturday evening.
Customs officers found 218 mobile phones worth Rs.900,000,eight gold biscuits worth Rs. 10,095,000, six pieces of gold valued at Rs.680,000, two large necklaces worth Rs. 2.2 million and a laptop worth Rs. 60,000 in his baggage and took the monk into custody.
Deputy Customs Director W.H.G.G. Kosala carried out a formal investigation and confiscated the goods that were illegally brought in and took steps to release the monk after imposing a fine.
Monday, September 26, 2022 – 01:00
