Socialist United Front government led by Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike paid ten rupee payment and a lunch packet per head and free transport to people in order to attract tens of thousands to the Galle Face Green May Day rally according to a “confidential” diplomatic cable sent to US Secretary of State by the US Embassy Colombo.
Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Colombo Telegraph found the related leaked US diplomatic cable from the WikiLeaks database dated May 04, 1973.
In the context of current debate on payments, free transportation for Maithripala Sirisena and Mahinda Rajapaksa factions of Sri Lanka Freedom Party ‘May Day’ rallies, we publish below the cable in full;
SRI LANKA CELEBRATES MAY DAY
Date:1973 May 4, 12:45 (Friday)
Original Classification:CONFIDENTIAL
Current Classification:UNCLASSIFIED
From: Sri Lanka Colombo
To: Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs | Commander in Chief US Pacific Command | India New Delhi | Secretary of State | United Kingdom London
1. SUMMARY: UFG COALITION PARTIES MOUNTED ALL- OUT EFFORT TO CELEBRATE MAY DAY. FREE TRANSPORT AND MONEY PAYMENTS HELPED TO ATTRACT TENS OF THOUSANDS TO GALLE FACE GREEN. PM TOLD CROWDS THAT SIZE OF TURNOUT DISPROVED CLAIMS THAT RECENT SENANAYAKE FUNERAL SHOWED POPULAR REJCTION OF UFG. SHE REITERATED COMMITMENT TO 1970 ELECTION PLATFORM OBJECTIONS AND PROMISED SPEEDIER IMPLEMENTATION, CITING LAKE HOUSE TAKEOVER AS MOST RECENT PROOF OF UFG INTENTIONS. OTHER SPEAKERS ATTACKED UNP AND CLAIMED THAT PARTY REACTIONARY AND THAT IT ACTIVE IN ATTEMPTS TO DISCREDIT UNITED FRONT THROUGH INCIDENTS. RALLY UNDERSCORED UFG NERVOUSNESS AND UNCERTAINTY, ATTITUDE WHICH MAY LEAD TO TOUGHER LINE WITH UNP. END SUMMARY.
2. UFG COALITION PARTIES STAGED FIRST MAY DAY CELEBRATIONS SINCE 1970, AND MOUNTED ALL- OUT EFFORT TO REDEEM POPULAR IMAGE ERODED BY NATIONAL MOURNING FOR DUDLEY SENANAYAKE. WITH INCENTIVES REPORTEDLY INCLUDING FREE BUS TRANSPORT, TEN- RUPEE PAYMENT PER HEAD AND LUNCH PACKETS, PRO- GOVT TRADE UNIONS AND UFG M. P. S SUCCEEDED IN TURNING OUT TENS OF THOUSANDS OF SUPPORTERS FOR MASS MEETING MAY 1 ON GALLE FACE GREEN.
Native Vedda / May 3, 2016
SJ/sekere
“Socialist United Front government led by Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike paid ten rupee payment and a lunch packet per head and free transport to people in order to attract tens of thousands to the Galle Face Green May Day rally”
Brilliant.
This is what she meant when she said free rice from moon, only during may day rally.
So the Tamil Nadu politicians followed her campaign strategy and went further than what she did.
Champika’s ancestors passed the concept of zero to Aryabhata.
Siri Mao’s campaign strategies were copied by Tamil Nadu politicians.
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / May 3, 2016
From what I hear, the going rate for the May Day rallies was Rs.500/ + free transport+ half bottle arrack + a lunch parcel.per person.
This is the current status of our democracy!
Dr. Rajasingham Narendran
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Plato. / May 3, 2016
Ten Rupees,Lunch Packet-better known as Buth parcel and Free Transport[Drop and Pick-up] is the standard package and this continues to this day.Only,difference is the Ten Rupees is now Rs.500!
But Wiki Leaks has left out the most important item in the Package–Arrack,usually Gal!
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Kamkaruwa / May 3, 2016
Dr. Rajasingham and Plato have left out two things. A green or blue T-Shirt and a cap. Camble Park was all green, Galle was all blue, only Kirillopane had different colors.
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justice / May 4, 2016
Sirimavo at least appears to have reimbursed expenses related to the Rs.10, lunch packet and free transport.
Mahinda Rajapakse/SLFP has still not paid the millions owed to the CTB for hiring buses during the past presidential election campaign.
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DonTomas / May 5, 2016
I remember that rally. It was because when Mrs. B went to Dudley’s funeral some people jeered her. Hoo kiwwa in Sinhala.
So they wanted to show they had lots of power. Absurd theatrics at their May Day Rally. “Mathini dudleyta garu keruwa, ung mathinita hoo kiwwa”, etc were their slogans. I do not recall if it was the same rally or 1974 when slogans like “Pesaileng thel ena thuru miris nathuwa hodi kannam”, “Mao wani Sirimavo”, “Pesaileng thel ena thuru seeni nathuwa tey bonnam” slogans were shouted. It was a big ego boosting rally at a time their fortunes were flagging with food shortages, rations etc.
Such were the times but of course every donkey in power including JR and now RW have used May day NOT to respect workers, NOT to respect people but as a god damned SHOW Of strength. That is why even AOG man claims on his social media that “ratata aadara aya UNP raliyata aawa” In otherwords according to AOG “Those who love the country came for the UNP rally” .What a goddamn farce. Party in POWER GETS All the clowns no matter what using media, money, buses, Arrack, CTB etc. The UNP was no better but they all paid for it is fine but they are BUSSED IN Like cattle to show face to their “Apey manthrithuma, apey amathithuma”( we came to see our MP our minister). They have got carried away too. I feel sorry for them. 3 years ago UNP had no one who gave a shit. Their clown leaders who insulted the army and hoped the war efforts will fail(any buffalo can wage war, salvation army leader Fonseka, Thoppigala is just an useless jungle, Galleon mocking Army sacrifices by saying they went to Pamankada and not Ali Mankada, they went to Medawachchi not kilinochchi even after Kili was liberated on 8th Jan 2009) were never forgotten. This is all about SCORING POINTS FOR SHOW.
The workers are butt reared. Or if that word will be censored let me put it this way the workers of SL are rear-ended or anally raped by UNP, SLFP, LSSP, JVP, or whatever PEE to SHOW strength. By the show this year, you can see UNP is in a big lead. SLFP is sinking. Kind of like in the 1980s. But soldiers will never forgive the UNP for insulting their sacrifices. That is why RW is engaging in a purge of top officers. The UNP is mortally scared of the military.
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bathalawathy / May 5, 2016
Siri Mao could very well afford the free packet of rice because she had good friends on the moon due to her excellent foreign policy relations.
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Samuel / May 5, 2016
You should have been down with no having enough to eat – anyways, never forget she had an image. Even europeans and china praise her than your god father kasipu man MaRa
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Native Vedda / May 6, 2016
Samuel
“Even europeans and china praise her than your god father kasipu man MaR”
Praised for what? What was weeping widow’s achievement? Rice from the moon. And the stupid voters bought it from her.
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