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Message: <blockquote data-quote="TheSeeker" data-source="post: 14653433" data-attributes="member: 460261">1953The Hartal 1953 was a country-wide demonstration of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_disobedience" target="_blank">civil disobedience</a> and strike, commonly known as a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartal" target="_blank">hartal</a>, held in Ceylon (now <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lanka" target="_blank">Sri Lanka</a>) on 12 August 1953. It was organized to protest of the policies and actions of the incumbent <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_National_Party" target="_blank">United National Party</a> government. It was the first mass political action in Ceylon and the first major social crisis after <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankan_independence_movement" target="_blank">independence</a>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartal_1953#cite_note-1" target="_blank">[1]</a>  This event is of historical significance because it was the first  people's struggle against an elected government in the country. Led by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanka_Sama_Samaja_Party" target="_blank">Lanka Sama Samaja Party</a> (LSSP) and other <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lanka_leftist_parties" target="_blank">leftist parties</a> who called on the public to resist the government and demonstrate <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_disobedience" target="_blank">civil disobedience</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strike_action" target="_blank">strikes</a>,  the hartal was primarily a protest of the labouring class, and as such  there were no exclusions based upon caste, ethnicity or religion.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartal_1953#cite_note-Kaviratne-2" target="_blank">[2]</a>  The protests saw much sabotage and destruction to public  infrastructure, as a means of frightening and halting the government.  This occurred mainly in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Province,_Sri_Lanka" target="_blank">Western</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Province,_Sri_Lanka" target="_blank">Southern</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabaragamuwa_Province" target="_blank">Sabaragamuwa Provinces</a> as well as other minor protests around the rest of the island.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartal_1953#cite_note-Halliday-3" target="_blank">[3]</a> The demonstrations lasted only a day with at least 10 people killed, resulting in the resignation of the Prime Minister.1915The Sinhalese-Muslim Riots (known as the 1915 riots) which began in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kandy" target="_blank">Kandy</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riots_in_Sri_Lanka#cite_note-2" target="_blank">[2]</a> soon spread across the island. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom" target="_blank">British</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governor_of_Ceylon" target="_blank">Governor of Ceylon</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir" target="_blank">Sir</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Chalmers,_1st_Baron_Chalmers" target="_blank">Robert Chalmers</a>,  fearing he might lose control of the colony, on advice of Brigadier  General Malcolm, came down with a heavy hand on the Sinhalese community,  declared <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martial_law" target="_blank">martial law</a>  on 2 June 1915 and ordered the police and the Army to shoot without a  trial anyone who they deemed a rioter. It is said the numbers of  Sinhalese killed this way were thousands. With the escalation of the  violence looting broke out within Colombo. Capt. Pedris, responsible for  the defence of the city, successfully managed to disband several  rioting groups after peaceful discussions. The vanity and jealousy towards Capt. Pedris and the rich Pedris  family of both the British and their sinhalese henchmen, led by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Solomon_Dias_Bandaranike" target="_blank">Sir Solomon Dias Bandaranike</a> the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankan_Mudaliyars" target="_blank">Maha Mudaliyar</a> (chief native interpreter and adviser to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governor_of_Ceylon" target="_blank">Governor</a>) culminated in false charges being drawn up against Capt. Pedris and which would result him being <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Court-martial" target="_blank">court martialed</a>.  It was alleged Pedris shot at a group of Muslim and had incited people  to march to the city of Colombo from Peliyagoda. Based on these  accusations, he was swiftly arrested. Following his arrest the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom" target="_blank">British</a>, fearing open rebellion, imprisoned more than 80 prominent Sinhalese leaders. Among those imprisoned were <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D._S._Senanayake" target="_blank">D. S. Senanayake</a> (the future first Prime Minister of independent Ceylon), D. R. Wijewardena, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_Wijeyeratne" target="_blank">Edwin Wijeyeratne</a>, Dr. Cassius Pereira, E. T. De Silva, F.R. Dias Bandaranaike, H. Amarasuriya, A.H. Molamure and several othersdoesn't make sense at all...</blockquote>

Verification: Haya warak paha keeyada? (haya wadi kireema paha)

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