A Tribute to Comrade Lal Wijenayake!
A man who placed principles above power and left his mark on nearly six decades of political struggle...
I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Senior Attorney-at-Law Comrade Lal Wijenayake.
He was much more than a senior lawyer or politician. For several decades, he remained actively engaged in Sri Lanka’s left-wing political movement, the struggle for democracy, the protection of human rights, and the national discourse on constitutional reform.
My memories of him are not merely those of a person I saw or read about in the media. I have personal memories of working alongside him in political activities and of exchanging views with him directly.
A shared past in the struggle for democracy in the face of terror...
During the period when Comrade Lal Wijenayake was actively involved in the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP), I served as a member of the Central Committee of the Nava Sama Samaja Party (NSSP).
It was one of the darkest and most dangerous periods in Sri Lanka’s political history.
In particular, the armed campaign launched by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) against the Provincial Council system, together with the death threats and assassinations directed at political activists participating in the electoral process, posed a grave challenge to democratic politics in the country.
Against this backdrop, although Comrade Lal Wijenayake and I belonged to different left-wing political organisations, we worked together in the struggle to defend democratic rights.
His decision to contest the 1988 Provincial Council elections was an important moment in his political career. Following those elections, he became the Leader of the Opposition in the Central Provincial Council.
Engaging in politics during that period was not simply a matter of speaking on an election platform, as it is today. It meant standing up for democratic political rights even at the risk of one's own life.
That is a past I personally cannot forget.
2016 – The door he opened to the voices of Sri Lankans in France...
I have another particularly meaningful personal memory of him.
In 2016, Mr Lal Wijenayake served as Chairman of the Public Representations Committee on Constitutional Reform in Sri Lanka.
During that period, I contacted him by telephone.
I requested that he provide an opportunity for the views of Sri Lankan communities living in Paris and other parts of France to be incorporated into the proposed constitutional reform process.
My position was that even though Sri Lankans were living abroad, they still had a legitimate right and a genuine interest in expressing their views on the future of Sri Lanka and participating in discussions about the country's system of governance and its Constitution.
He received my request with great enthusiasm.
He proposed organising a conference to gather the views of Sri Lankans living in France. He also made arrangements to send a representative from Sri Lanka to Paris to facilitate this process.
What particularly impressed me at the time was his openness to democratic dialogue.
I still remember his willingness to ensure that the responsibility entrusted to him was not confined to a limited geographical framework, but also embraced the voices of Sri Lankans living outside their homeland.
A lifelong commitment to law, left-wing politics and democracy...
Having joined the Lanka Sama Samaja Party in 1963, Lal Wijenayake was elected to its Central Committee in 1972 and subsequently became a member of its Political Bureau. For several decades, he remained one of the party's prominent political activists.
One significant event in the early stages of his legal career was his involvement as a lawyer in cases concerning young people arrested following the 1971 insurrection.
He also intervened in matters concerning farmers' rights, land issues, human rights and the rule of law.
Following the assassination of journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge in 2009, he became involved in the Platform for Freedom, a movement established to defend democracy and media freedom.
Even when his own political party was aligned with the government of the day, his critical stance towards the government's anti-democratic actions brought him into conflict within his own party.
This marked an important turning point in his political life.
His later years demonstrated that principles mattered more than political power...
He was also involved in the process of building the National People's Power (NPP), serving as a member of its National Operations Committee and Executive Council.
However, even after the NPP government came to power, he did not agree with every decision taken by the administration.
In particular, he opposed the proposed 22nd Constitutional Amendment concerning the extension of the retirement age of judges.
His position was that such a move could undermine the independence of the judiciary.
He also expressed opposition to the proposed new legislation intended to protect the State against terrorism.
What is important here is that he did not hesitate to speak out against decisions made by the very political movement he represented when he believed those decisions contradicted the democratic principles he stood for.
Not everyone has to agree with all his political positions.
Nevertheless, his willingness to question decisions from within his own political camp and publicly express differences of principle is an aspect of his political life that deserves historical recognition.
The lesson we inherit from Comrade Lal Wijenayake's political life...
Politics is not merely a process of acquiring power. It is a responsibility to stand up for the social ideals and principles in which one believes.
Political parties may change. Governments may change. Political alliances may fall apart. But principles such as democracy, the rule of law, human rights and social justice must never be subordinated to political power.
That is perhaps the most important question his long political journey leaves us to reflect upon.
I respectfully remember both the years of political struggle I shared with him and the response he gave to my request from France many years later.
Today, he is no longer among us.
Yet the political tradition he represented, the struggles in which he participated, and the democratic questions he raised throughout his political life must not be forgotten or allowed to disappear from public discourse.
Dear Comrade Lal Wijenayake,
I respectfully cherish the memories of the time we spent as political activists in a shared struggle for democracy, as well as the personal exchanges of ideas we had over the years.
I pay my deepest respect to your political commitment and the contribution you made to society.
Farewell, dear Comrade!
Our continuing responsibility is not to stand up for you personally, but to continue standing up for the democratic principles in which you believed.
Jayalathge Sunil Gamini ✍️
