14. 13th Amendment to the Constitution

The 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which has now become a white elephant to the rest of the country, was forced on us by India as a solution to the long-standing Ethnic Problem. But this also has become ineffective since the centre was not willing to devolve to the periphery as much power as is enshrined in the 13th Amendment. That was one reason for the 1st Chief Minister of the then N – E Province (Vardharajah Perumal) to declare UDI, with the support of India. Subsequently, the situation was aggravated by President Premadasa who, unceremoniously and undiplomatically insisted on the withdrawal of the Indian army at a religious ceremony he attended in Battaramulla and tried in vain to win over the terrorists by providing them every possible financial assistance behind the scene, even without the concurrence of the Legislature, just as JR acted with regard to the JVP.

15. Dharmista Samajaya

JR, having campaigned for a "Dharmista Society," showed his true colours at the ACBC Hall when the late Prof. Ediriweera Sarathchandra launched his epoch-making book "Dharmista Samajaya" by getting party henchmen, led by Piyasena S. Jayaweera, to mercilessly assault Prof. Sarathchandra, Ven. Maduluwawe Sobhitha Thero and others who attended the launching ceremony.

16. Winding up Presidential Commission prematurely

It is also a known fact, (although most people tend to forget things very soon) that his own Presidential Commission was brought to an abrupt end after investigating only three cases out of more than 1300 cases of corruption and malpractice which had been already investigated and reported.

17. Persecution of Political Opponent

His political rival, Mme. Sirimavo Bandaranaike’s civil rights were withdrawn by bringing in a new Act with retrospective effect to punish her to keep her away from the Presidential fray.

18. Mahaweli Scheme

The Mahaweli Scheme project was planned and visualized under the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Government to be executed within a span of 30 years so that it will not adversely affect the ecology and environment. JR, with the intention of being a "Kingmaker", sandwiched it into a six – year Project and allowed the haphazard deforestation by the new rich, allowing them to import Minimoke land vehicles for the purpose. The results of the accelerated Mahaweli Programme are there to see with the frequent occurrence of landslides, floods and droughts. The imprudent step taken by the foreign Engineers, without studying our ancient irrigation system, to concrete the ancient " Jaya Ganga " or Yoda Ela, has disastrously affected the ecological system of the surrounding area as manifestly pointed out by our local Engineers like Udula Bandara Aushadhahamy and D L O Mendis.

19. De – nationalization of CTB

The de - nationalization of the CTB, which was the life and blood of the ordinary people of Sri Lanka, not only created a new rich class of exploiters but also brought in other ill effects, such as indiscipline in the transport sector, subjecting the travelling public to much tension, day in and day out, leading to health hazards and disastrous and fatal motor accidents by indisciplined racing drivers.

20. Trampling with the Constitution for self - aggrandizement

(a) When Sirimavo Bandaranaike moved courts against the Presidential Commissions’ mandate, and the Appeal Court ruled that the P C had no jurisdiction to inquire into Mrs. Bandaranaike’s administration from 1970 to 1977 and issued a Writ of Prohibition, J R brought the 1st Amendment to the Constitution authorizing Parliament to take away jurisdiction in any category of cases from the Court of Appeal and confer it on the Supreme Court. The amendment was made retrospective from September 1978 to achieve his ultimate aim of victimizing his opponent. It is alleged that he had surreptitiously included certain amendments to the Bill without formally bringing them before Parliament. (Amended on 1978.11.20)

(b) The Constitution was amended for the 2nd time on 1971.02.26 when R G Senanayake and C Rajadorai joined the Government in such a way that crossovers can happen from Opposition to Government and not vice versa, contrary to his original intention when drafting the 1978 Constitution.

(c) The Constitution was further amended for the 3rd time to enable him to contest a Presidential election before his term expires. Here, too, it was so amended that if the incumbent President gets re-elected, he would take his oaths from February 4th (his first day of assuming duties) of the next year and if a new President is elected, he assumes duties immediately. (i.e. on 1982.12.25)

(d) The 4th Amendment to the Constitution was brought in to hold a Referendum to extend the lifetime of the Parliament and it was done by ruthlessly crushing any democratic opposition to the Referendum as enumerated above. On the other hand, the same J R resigned his seat in Parliament to protest against the then Government for extending the term for two more years under the 1972 Constitution. This was the same J R who suggested to Premier Sirimavo Bandaranaike to extend the term of Parliament to 10 years and that he will give his support. (The purpose of the 6th Amendment has been dealt above ).

(e) The 7th Amendment was brought in when the member for Kalawana (Pilapitiya) lost his seat as result of an election petition filed by the defeated candidate (Sarath Muttettuwegama) to make Kalawana a multi - member seat since he had already appointed Pilapitiya to the Kalawana seat in Parliament under the Presidential authority vested in the 1978 Constitution. However, since the Supreme Court ruled that the Amendment needs to be approved at a Referendum, it was not proceeded through.

21. Destruction of the local textile Industry

Cotton plantation of 9000 acres in Hambantota was brought down to 100 acres in 1986 and the Textile factories in Veyangoda, Tulhiriya, Pugoda and Minneriya, gifted by China and other countries, were closed down, retrenching the work force without compensation or alternative employment. The country was flooded with imported textiles, thereby destroying the local textile and handloom industry which supplied 70% of our requirement. By 1986, this had been brought down to 47%.

22. Duplicate Ration Book

During the 1982 Presidential Election, when the S L F P published a Replica of the old Rice Ration Book to indicate that they will restore the Rice Ration if they come to power, J R got a similar one printed at the State Printing Corporation at Government expense and distributed same by Government vehicles on the very eve of the Election, against the Election Law. He also sealed the PRAJA PRESS at Maradana which had been leased out to Mme. Chandrka Kumaratunga for printing their party paper, Dinakara, when the Anura Group seized the SLFP Press. Although the Duplicate Ration Book had been printed elsewhere, she had used the Praja Press imprint. This Press had been sealed for 11 months.

23 Open Economy

The introduction of the Open Economy adversely affected the self - sufficient sustainable traditional agriculture in the Jaffna Peninsula, thereby contributing partly to the youth unrest. Had the earlier Economic Policy been followed, the country would have been self-sufficient in food and other essential items by now.

24. 1980 July Strike

In 1980, when the workers launched an islandwide strike demanding a Rs. 10/- wage increase, J R discontinued their services and brought untold hardships to the families of the strikers. They had to wait for 17 years to get some sort of redress at least and by that time, many had reached the other world.

25. Gonawala Sunil

Gonawala Sunil who was caught and charged for pilfering fuel from the oil pipe carrying crude oil to Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery was exonerated and elevated to the position of Justice of Peace for the whole island.

26. Winding up of JEDB and SPC

Just as he decentralized the CTB and sold the buses for a song to henchmen, he divided into separate Boards, the Janatha Estates Development Board (JEDB) and State Plantations Corporation (SPC) which were running as profitable ventures and made them bankrupt, to be ultimately sold to foreigners for a song.

27. HIS SUPPORT FOR THE FREE EDUCATION SYSTEM BROUGHT BY

DR, C W W KANNANGARA

With all these retrograde steps taken by JR, we should not forget the unstinted support he gave to Dr. C W W Kannangara for his Free Education System adopted by the State Council against vehement opposition by D S Senanyake and his clique. We all, who are products of the Free Education System, should be ever grateful to him for his unstinted support given to Dr. Kannangara,

Considering the above 26 points, it is an undeniable fact that he brought the country "to a point of no return" and messed up the country and the Constitution in such a way that no Government coming to power could restore the status quo. He also brought into being a body of Politicos who take to politics as a profession and suck the life blood of the people of this country to their heart’s content to perpetuate their future generations.

True! He was a far-sighted Statesman!!!