Senanayake Rule (1948 AD -
1956 AD)
Following the independence, D.S
Senanayake was elected as a prime minister and, together with
his UNP party, formed the first independent government. His
opponents mostly were Tamils and communists. At first his
government runs smoothly, concentrating on maintaining a strong
economy, strengthening social services and also weakening the
opposition. In order to achieve the last policy, the government
disfranchised the hill-country Tamils by depriving their
citizenships. (Eventually, between 1960s and 1980s some of the
hill-country Tamils were repatriated to India while others were
granted Sri Lankan citizenship.) D.S Senanayake was killed
in an accident in 1952 and was succeed by his son, Dudley
Senanayake.
During the period of Dudley
Senanayake as a prime minister, he failed to accomplish one of
the first policies instituted after the independence. It was free
rations of rice policy but as this rice was imported and its price
started to escalate worldwide, the attempts to increase the price
of rice in the country (in 1953) resulted in mass riots and many
deaths followed by the announcement of state of emergency. Dudley
was resigned and was replaced by his uncle, Sir John Kotelawala,
who easily was defeated in 1956 general election and the next
coalition led by SWRD Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka Freedom
Party (SLFP). |
