{"id":50785,"date":"2020-10-03T17:01:01","date_gmt":"2020-10-03T17:01:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?p=50785"},"modified":"2020-10-03T17:01:01","modified_gmt":"2020-10-03T17:01:01","slug":"61st-death-anniversary-1959-2020-the-assassination-of-s-w-r-d-bandaranaike-an-anecdotal-reflection-by-senaka-weeraratna","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/61st-death-anniversary-1959-2020-the-assassination-of-s-w-r-d-bandaranaike-an-anecdotal-reflection-by-senaka-weeraratna\/","title":{"rendered":"61st Death Anniversary (1959 &#8211; 2020)   The Assassination of S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike An Anecdotal Reflection-by Senaka Weeraratna"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #008080;\">61st Death Anniversary (1959 &#8211; 2020) The Assassination of S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike An Anecdotal Reflection-by Senaka Weeraratna<\/span><\/h1>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-50786 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/S.W.R.D-Bandaranayake.png\" alt=\"S.W.R.D Bandaranayake\" width=\"301\" height=\"167\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #0000ff;\">Source:<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 20px;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2015\/09\/24\/the-assassination-of-s-w-r-d-bandaranaike-an-anecdotal-reflection\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lankaweb<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">It was a Friday fifty six years ago to be exact on September 25, 1959 at around 10.30 a.m. in the morning when I was in the class room listening to Mr. H.P. Jayawardena\u2019s English lesson in our final year at Royal Primary School, that my eye caught a movement in the corridor adjoining the class. When I looked sideways to my left I saw young Anura Bandaranaike being accompanied by his Ayah leaving the premises. In that relatively quiet moment my class mates too saw Anura being led away but none was able to second guess the reason.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">It was during the lunch hour that we got the distressing news that Anura\u2019s father Mr. S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, then Prime Minister of Ceylon, had been shot. Amidst a variety of reports streaming in of the shooting it was not possible to give adequate attention to any class room instruction for the rest of the day. In that very class of Mr. H.P. Jayawardena we had a number of students who shot to national prominence in public life as adults. Ranil Wickremesinghe (Prime Minister), Dinesh Gunawardena (ex \u2013 Cabinet Minister), late C.R. de Silva (former Attorney \u2013 General), Dr. Ajita Wijesundere (leading Gynecologist), and Sarath Abeysundera (successful Sri Lankan entrepreneur in UK) were among them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<!-- Responsive --><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5123580823957590\" data-ad-slot=\"7875984934\" data-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">In 1959 Anura Bandaranaike was in Mr. T.William\u2019s class, which also had Anura de Alwis (son of Duncan de Alwis, Private Secretary to the Prime Minister). Both were close friends.\u00a0 It is said that when Anura had wanted to invite only his favourite friends to celebrate his birthday, his famous father had given him an important lesson saying \u2018 if you are inviting any one to your birthday party, do not pick and choose. Invite the entire class\u2019. To a politician alienating someone by not inviting was far more damaging than the benefits accruing from inviting a close friend.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">Anura\u2019s mother Mrs. Srima Bandaranaike used to visit Royal Primary School to inquire into Anura\u2019s well being as a school boy, at a time when her husband was running the country. In 1957 S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike was the Chief Guest at the Royal Primary School Prize Giving held on February 15, 1957. Both S.W.R.D. and Mrs. Sirima Bandaranaike were present on that occasion. \u2018 Gateway \u2018 the Magazine of the Royal Primary School in its last issue ( in 1958) has faithfully published the Annual Report of A.F. de Saa Bandaranaike, then Headmaster of Royal Primary School, where he pays a glowing tribute to his name sake the visiting Chief Guest. A.F. de Saa Bandaranaike, retired as Headmaster in 1958 and with his retirement the highly informative Magazine \u2018Gateway\u2019\u00a0 which he started and continued for 10 years, was discontinued by his successor for reasons that are not rationally fathomable.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\"><strong><u>Bandaranaike\u2019s last appeal to the nation \u2013 show compassion to my assailant<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">The train of events commencing from the time of shooting to the rushing of the Prime Minister to the General Hospital at Borella is well known and constitutes public knowledge.\u00a0 He was operated by a team of top doctors in an operation that lasted for more than five hours. The country held its breadth during that time. Dr. M. V. P. Peries, Dr. P. R. Anthonis , Dr. L. O. Silva and Dr. Noel Bartholomeusz were in that team.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<!-- Responsive --><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5123580823957590\" data-ad-slot=\"7875984934\" data-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">Upon being admitted to the Merchants\u2019 Ward after surgery, the Prime Minister issued a message\u00a0to the nation from his hospital bed showing extreme generosity of spirit towards the man who had shot him. He described the assailant as a foolish man dressed in the robes of a monk\u201d and then said \u2018\u2018I appeal to all concerned to show compassion to this man and not to try and wreak vengeance on him\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">His condition took a turn for the worse in the early hours of the morning the next day. He passed away at around 8.00 a.m. on Saturday September 26. About 13 years ago I met Dr. P.R. Anthonis at a public Meeting held in Colombo and had an opportunity to talk to him at leisure. To my specific question Dr. Anthonis said that he was present when Mr. Bandaranaike died on the bed in Hospital. He i.e. Mr. Bandaranaike had asked for a bottle of Orange Barley which had been supplied to him. Mrs. Sirima Bandaranaike had also been present. After he drank a glass of Orange Barley, the body had turned \u2018blue\u2019 due to a clot in a blood vessal restricting the flow of oxygen to his brain. Soon afterwards Mr. Bandaranaike had died. Dr. Anthonis also gave another important clarification. He added that he was present in the Hospital until the remains of Mr. Bandaranaike were taken to his residence at Rosmead Place. He had not seen any Christian priests administering last rites in Hospital as falsely rumored. S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike died as a Buddhist, Dr. Anthonis told me.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">Upon the announcement of the death over the Radio the country was plunged into mourning. The Radio played solemn music. A verdict of homicide was recorded by the City Coroner. \u00a0People started queuing in their hundreds to pay their last respects to the man who ushered in the \u2018Common man\u2019s era \u2018through the political revolution of 1956 which he led.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\"><strong><u>Personal memoir<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">On a personal note I wish to mention here that I visited No. 65, Rosmead Place in the company of my father, mother and brother at around 7.30 p.m. on Saturday September 26. We did not join a queue. We were ushered into the main house. I saw the inside of the house full of black ebony furniture and the bullet holes in the glass panes. I met both Anura and one of his two sisters probably Chandrika and conveyed my condolences. My parents and brother did likewise. Anura recognized me but he was too dazed to engage me in a conversation. Mrs. Sirima Bandaranaike was inside a room naturally in a state of deep grief. I had occasion rather my father to speak very briefly to the driver of the Cadillac car who drove the injured Prime Minister to the Hospital. His name was Miskin. He was a Police Sergeant. Around the time we were paying our respects to the late Prime Minster at his residence, I remember seeing very clearly Mr. Sydney de Zoysa, then a senior DIG, slowly circling in measured steps the coffin with both his hands inserted in his trouser back pockets while hundreds of mourners were filing past the remains of the late leader in despair. The poignant scene at the Bandaranaike household which I visited and saw in the evening of September 26, 1959 in the capacity of a tender age school boy will always remain etched in my memory.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<!-- Responsive --><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5123580823957590\" data-ad-slot=\"7875984934\" data-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">The story is not over yet. On Sunday September 27, 1959 morning at about 10.00 o clock I was travelling with my father and uncle in our car and near Cambridge Place we switched on the Car Radio and I heard the last few sentences of a sermon praising the late Prime Minister and the Radio Announcer thereafter saying that it was a talk delivered by Mapitigama Buddharakkhita Thero as a tribute to the late Prime Minister. On reaching our Shop at Maradana that morning I met Mr. Egerton C. Baptist, the well \u2013 known author of several Buddhist texts, for the first time. He had come to meet my uncle. His son Randolph Baptist was my classmate at school.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">The next day Monday September 28, 1959 was the day that Mr. S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike was scheduled to leave the country for the United Nations to address the General Assembly. Instead his remains were taken carried on the shoulders of his Cabinet Ministers from his residence to the top of Rosmead Place where the Coffin was placed inside a Hearse and taken to the Parliament. I was an eye witness of this procession as I was seated on a wall adjoining a piece of land in Rosmead Place where my uncle was building a House whose first tenant was incidentally Dr. Mackie Ratwatte, Mrs. Bandaranaike\u2019s brother.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">In that procession of Cabinet Ministers carrying the coffin on their shoulders was Mrs. Wimala Wijewardena (then Minster of Health). I can still remember her clad in a white sari using one hand to keep up the Coffin while using the other hand to adjust her Sari Pota which was constantly dropping down. The role played by Mapitigama Buddharakkhita Thero in the conspiracy to assassinate the late Prime Minister is well documented. Mrs.\u00a0 Wimala Wijewardena was an accused in the political assassination inquiry into the death of the late Prime Minister.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">My class at Royal Primary School was taken by bus to pay our last respects to the late Prime Minister when the remains were kept on display in the Parliament. To us schoolboys the assassination of S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike was somewhat of a nerve racking event from many points of view. His son Anura was our class mate whose funeral also I attended a few years ago at Horagolla, together with several of my RC 1960 group friends.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\"><u>Anura \u2013 an enigma<\/u><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">Anura \u2018s life was shattered by the assassination of his father at such a young age. He never received the guidance of a father figure. He became reclusive in the first few months following his father\u2019s death. He was always dressed in white and was no longer the bubbly boy. He had more security whenever he came to school intermittently. We all felt very sorry for him.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<!-- Responsive --><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5123580823957590\" data-ad-slot=\"7875984934\" data-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">Anura was no ordinary boy. He had a deep voice. A commanding voice which I had not come across in any other school boy of his age. He had a liberal spirit and was very much inclined towards the West. In year 1961 when I was the class monitor in a class conducted by Mr. T.D.S.A. Dissanayake ( famous author and diplomat) there was a debate held after hours presided by the late Mr. Upali Attanayake (dramatist). The topic of the debate was Capitalism or Socialism. It was the time when President John F. Kennedy was the US President. Anura, Ranil\u00a0 Wickremesinghe and Vijitha Kuruwita (later a well known Vet) spoke and defended Capitalism while W.S. de Silva, Chitta Ranjan de Silva ( Bulla )and myself spoke on the merits of socialism. The debate was well attended. We were not hesitant in adopting positions that we had faith in at that point in time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">I have shared these thoughts as they relate to several schoolboys, my class mates, who have later become national figures and whose life stories have become part of the national story. \u00a0I would like to end this anecdotal account by quoting Voltaire who said as follows:<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">Whoso writes the history of his own time must expect to be attacked for everything he has said, and for everything he has not said: but those little drawbacks should not discourage a man who loves truth and liberty, expects nothing, fears nothing, asks nothing, and limits his ambition to the cultivation of letters\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">Senaka Weeraratna<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\">A Response to \u201cThe Assassination of S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike An Anecdotal Reflection\u201d<\/span><u><\/u><u><\/u><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\"><strong>The impact of that single assassination was tremendous at that time. The\u00a0 murder of a prime minister was sensationally shocking news. It was the\u00a0\u00a0first major political assassination experienced by the Island<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>nation in\u00a0 the post-Independence era<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\"><strong>SWRD Bandaranaike was proud of having ushered in the age of the common\u00a0 man. His Government was regarded by the masses as \u201cApey aanduwe\u201d or our\u00a0 Government.\u00a0One manifestation of this was\u00a0the easy access the<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>people had\u00a0 to their Prime Minister<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\"><strong>Given the levels of security available to VVIP\u2019s today it is mind\u00a0\u00a0boggling to know that only a police sergeant was in charge of the\u00a0Prime\u00a0 Minister\u2019s security then.\u00a0Even the sergeant-in-charge was not on<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>duty\u00a0 that morning. Only a constable had been at the gates<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\"><strong>By<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>D.B.S.\u00a0Jeyaraj<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">Sixty-one years ago on September 25, 1959 Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike (SWRDB) the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka known as Ceylon then was shot and seriously wounded by a Buddhist monk. Prime Minister SWRD Bandaranaike succumbed to his injuries<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">and passed away the following day. Therefore September 26, 1959 got etched as an important date in the post-independence history annals of Sri Lanka.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<!-- Responsive --><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5123580823957590\" data-ad-slot=\"7875984934\" data-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">The impact of that single assassination was tremendous at that time. The murder of a prime minister was sensationally shocking news. It was the first major political assassination experienced by the Island nation in the post-Independence era. In later years,<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">political assassinations became a regular feature in Sri Lanka.. The death was an event of great historical importance too as it was the first ever assassination of a major political personality in the Island nation at that time. Thereafter September 26, 1959<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">got etched as an important date in the post-independence annals of Sri Lanka. It is against this backdrop that this column delves into what happened six decades ago relying to a very great extent on earlier writings in this regard.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">SWRD Bandaranaike as Premier was officially ensconced in the Prime minister\u2019s official residence \u201cTemple Trees\u201d at Galle Road, Kollupitiya. Bandaranaike also divided his time between the ancestral manor at Horagolla Walauwe and his private residence \u201cTintagel\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">on\u00a0<a style=\"color: #030000;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/search\/65+Rosemead+place,+Colombo+7?entry=gmail&amp;source=g\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/search\/65%2BRosemead%2Bplace,%2BColombo%2B7?entry%3Dgmail%26source%3Dg&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1601829253911000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHLHqaE8my3U7QPf2Wi-Akqyob8qQ\">65 Rosemead place, Colombo 7<\/a>. SWRDB was at \u201cTintagel\u201d on the fateful Friday he was shot.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">A Buddhist monk named Ven. Talduwe Somarama Thero was among those who came to meet Bandaranaike on the morning of September 25,1959. It was a Friday. The monk was a lecturer at the Government College of Ayurveda or indigenous medicine in Borella. Somarama<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">Thero also had an Ayurvedic eye clinic in Borella.The ostensible reason for the monk wanting to meet the PM was to appraise him of requirements for the Ayurveda College.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">Talduwe Somarama\u2019s name at birth was Talduwe Ratugama Rallage Weris Singho. He was born on August 27, 1915 to Ratugama Rallage Dieris Appuhamy and Iso Hamy. Weris Singho was educated at the Talduwe Ihala school and in Dehiowita. He donned the yellow robes<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">on January 20, 1929 at the age of fourteen. Somarama was ordained in Kandy on June 25, 1936 at the age of twenty-one.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">The premier of the nation was in the front verandah of his house meeting people who had come to see him. One batch of people was accommodated inside while others stood in line outside awaiting their turn to go in. Talduwe Somarama also waited patiently<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">in the queue for his turn and then was admitted in. There was a group of about 20 persons inside and a queue of around 40 outside.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">\u00a0SWRD Bandaranaike was proud of having ushered in the age of the common man. His Government was regarded by the masses as \u201cApey aanduwe\u201d or our Government. One manifestation of this was the easy access the people had to their Prime Minister.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">\u00a0<strong>Talduwe Somarama Thero<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">Talduwe Somarama Thero sat on a chair at one corner of the Verandah. He had placed a file and a handkerchief on a low stool by his side on his left. Seated on his right was another Buddhist monk from Polonnaruwa named Ananda Thero. The Polonnaruwa monk<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">accompanied by some farmers had come to see the Prime Minister on a matter concerning the appointment of a cooperative society manager. Ananda Thero was later to prove to be a key witness at the trial.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">As each person\u2019s name was announced he or she walked up to the Prime Minister, paid obeisance and articulated their woes and views. However when Somarama Thero stood up as his name was announced, Prime Minister Bandaranaike himself got up respectfully,<\/span><\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<!-- Responsive --><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5123580823957590\" data-ad-slot=\"7875984934\" data-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">walked up to him and bowed reverentially as was the custom in greeting a Buddhist monk.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">He then asked the monk what he could do for him. Somarama \u2013 who seemed tensed up according to Ananda Thero \u2013 told the PM that certain improvements were needed at the Ayurveda College. Bandaranaike then replied that he could get the Health Minister A.P.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">Jayasuriya to attend to it if the venerable monk stated the requirements in writing and submitted it to him.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">The time then was 9.45 am. Somarama Thero sat down and fumbled with the file on the stool by his side as if he was going to pull out a memorandum to be given to the Prime Minister. As the Prime Minister was getting ready to receive what he may have thought<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">were some papers, the Buddhist monk took out a pistol concealed in his robes and fired twice at point blank range hitting Bandaranaike in the chest and abdomen.The Prime minister made a loud sound like a gasp or moan and went down. He then got up slowly and<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">with great difficulty tried to stagger back inside the house.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">When a shocked Ananda Thero got up from his chair, a thoroughly excited Somarama stood up and pointed his gun at the priest from Polonnaruwa. An agitated Ananda Thero shouted \u201cAmmo\u201d (mother). Somarama then turned around and followed Bandaranaike, shooting<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">at him wildly. He fired four more shots thus emptying the magazine. One bullet injured the Prime minister\u2019s hand. Another hit a school teacher named Gunaratne who had also come to see the Prime minister on that morning. A third shot smashed the glass pane<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">on a door. The fourth struck a flower pot breaking it. Somarama Thero had used a\u00a0 .45 Webly Mark VI revolver to fire the six shots including the fatal ones.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">Meanwhile there was pandemonium as the people on the verandah started scattering here and there in fear. Ananda Thero ran out and shouted to the policeman on duty at the gate that a monk was shooting at the prime minister. The Policeman who had already<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">started running towards the house upon hearing the shots came inside and fired at Somarama Thero injuring him in the thigh.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">\u00a0<strong>\u201cCountry, race and religion\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">Realising what had happened, enraged people surrounded Somarama who was shouting excitedly that he had done so for the \u201ccountry, race and religion\u201d. After a scuffle in which Somarama was manhandled by the people, the monk was formally arrested. The furious<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">crowd may have mauled the monk but for the merciful intervention of Bandaranaike.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">\u00a0The bleeding Bandaranaike lying on the floor had urged the people not to harm the monk in any way. The apprehended monk was taken away by the police to the Harbour Police station amidst tight security. SWRD Bandaranaike was rushed to the General Hospital<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">at Borella and taken to the operating theatre .\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">Tragically, Bandaranaike never suspected any threat to his person and was unbelievably unconcerned about security. Given the levels of security available to VVIP\u2019s today it is mind boggling to know that only a police sergeant was in charge of the Prime<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">Minister\u2019s security then. Even the sergeant-in-charge was not on duty that morning. Only a constable had been at the gates.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">When attempts were made by concerned police officials to provide Bandaranaike with a personal bodyguard, Bandaranaike had reluctantly agreed. A police sub-inspector was assigned. However Bandaranaike asked him to go back after a few days saying that a<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">sub-inspector should attend to more important duties and requested the IGP to assign a few police constables instead.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">\u00a0Unlike some politicians of the present era who regard the deployment of a large contingent of bodyguards as a symbol of their important status, Bandaranaike who thought of himself as a \u201cpopular peoples prime minister\u201d felt a sense of embarrassment at being<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">protected by many policemen.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">Parliament was in session at Galle Face when news of the assassination attempt reached the house. Education Minister Dr. W. Dahanayake who was to later succeed Bandaranaike as Prime minister later wanted Parliament to be adjourned but the majority of the<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">honourable members disagreed. Opposition leader Dr. N.M. Perera stated \u201cthere was no need to panic\u201d. Several Ministers and MP\u2019s from both the Government and opposition left the house and made a bee-line to Borella to see how the premier was faring.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\"><strong>Sir Oliver Goonetilleke<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">The Governor General of the time was Sir Oliver Goonetilleke. When news reached him of the shooting incident Sir Oliver was at \u201cQueens House\u201d swearing in the new Italian Ambassador Count Paolo di Michelis di Sloughhello. Sir Oliver stopped the ceremony<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">and rushed to Rosmead Place. Thereafter he sent a message to Parliament that it continue to function in a \u201cbusiness as usual\u201dmanner.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">The Governor-General known and respected for his political wisdom and statesmanship took the initiative of declaring a state of emergency as a precautionary measure. It may be recalled that it was Sir Oliver who acted decisively and declared emergency<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">in May 1958 when anti \u2013Tamil violence erupted in a situation where Prime Minister Bandaranaike vacillated.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">A state of emergency was declared at 11 a.m. on September 25 by Governor-General Sir Oliver Goonetilleka and the Army, Navy and Air Force units including volunteers were mobilised and placed in readiness throughout the island. Later events demonstrated<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">that Sir Oliver\u2019s anticipation of trouble and declaration of emergency was indeed commendable.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">\u00a0What happened was that Bandaranaike after surgery was admitted to the Merchants\u2019 Ward. He issued a message to the nation from his hospital bed in the Merchants\u2019 Ward. In the message the Prime Minister was extremely magnanimous towards the man who had shot<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">him. Instead of referring to him directly as a Buddhist priest, SWRDB described him \u201cas a foolish man dressed in the robes of a monk\u201d. The premier also called upon the government and authorities to \u201cshow compassion to this man and not try to wreak vengeance<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">on him\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">This well-intentioned magnanimity may have had unintended, dangerous consequences but for the prompt action of Sir Oliver Goonetilleke who had declared emergency before the statement was issued. Anticipating another round of 1958 type of violence the Governor-General<\/span><\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<!-- Responsive --><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5123580823957590\" data-ad-slot=\"7875984934\" data-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">issued strict instructions to the police to be vigilant against any sign of violence erupting.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">\u00a0Given the prevailing political atmosphere of the time where anti-Tamil feelings were running high the immediate suspicion was that the assassin was a Tamil. News began spreading that the name of the man who shot the premier was \u201cSomaraman\u201d. A Tamilised<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">version of Somarama. So when Bandaranaike spoke of a \u201cman dressed in the robes of a monk\u201d rumours started to circulate that a Tamil had dressed up as a Buddhist priest and shot the Prime Minister.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">Tamils in Colombo were very nervous then but thanks to the police being vigilant nothing untoward happened. Thanks to Sir Oliver the media was \u201cadvised\u201d to reveal very clearly without delay that the assassin was not a Tamil. The anti-Tamil feelings began<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">subsiding. A replay of the 1958 anti-Tamil violence was averted at that point of time.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">\u00a0<strong>Surgery for five hours<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">Some of the top doctors in Colombo performed surgery on Bandaranaike for more than five long hours. Dr. M. V. P. Peries, Dr. P. R. Anthonis, Dr. L. O. Silva and Dr. Noel Bartholomeusz were the doctors in the operating theatre. Dr. L.O. Silva was quoted<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">by the media later as observing that \u201cthe first 24 hours after the operation was very crucial.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">Early signs after the surgery seemed rosy. The Prime Minister had recovered consciousness a few hours after the operation and was cheerful. He had joked with the doctors and nurses around his bedside. He had asked one of the nurses \u201cHow am I doing?\u201d She<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">replied \u201cYou are doing fine, Sir\u201d. \u201cYes I am an old man and have undergone a five hour stomach operation but I still have guts,\u201d the PM had declared. He had also dictated a message to the nation from the hospital.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">\u00a0Things however took a turn for the worse in the early hours of the morning. Three senior doctors \u2013 Dr. P. R. Anthonis, Dr. T. D. H. Perera and Dr. M. J. A. Sandrasagara were on hand doing their best but there was no improvement. The fourth Prime Minister<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">of Independent Ceylon passed away on September 26, 1959 exactly twenty-two hours after he had been shot.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">The official bulletin issued after his death stated as follows \u201cThe condition of the Prime Minister suddenly took a turn for the worse about 7 a.m. There was a sudden alteration of the action of the heart and his condition deteriorated very rapidly. He<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">passed off peacefully about 8 o\u2019 clock.\u201d It was signed by Dr. P. R. Anthonis, Dr. T. D. H. Perera and Dr. M. J. A. Sandrasagara.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">\u00a0Subsequently a verdict of homicide was recorded by the City Coroner J. N. C. Tiruchelvam, J. P. U. M. at the inquest. He said \u201cdeath was due to shock and haemorrhage resulting from multiple injuries to the thoracic and abdominal organs.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">\u00a0<strong>\u201cSanga, Veda and Guru\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">The tripartite forces who campaigned effectively for Bandaranaike in 1956 were Buddhist priests, Ayurvedic medical practitioners and teachers. It was said that \u201cSanga, Veda and Guru\u201d were responsible for installing Bandaranaike as Prime Minister. The bitter<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">irony was that Bandaranaike\u2019s assassin was a \u201cthree-in-one\u201d personality representing all three. Somarama was a Bhikku, an Ayurvedic doctor and a lecturer in the Ayurvedic College. The tripartite forces who brought SWRDB to power were now personified in the<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">man who killed him.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">After Bandaranaike\u2019s death, the Education Minister Wijayananda Dahanayake had been sworn in as Prime Minister. Detectives from Scotland Yard in Britain were brought down to assist the Ceylon Police in the investigations. The then DIG-CID, D.C.T. Pate,<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">SP Rajasooriya, S.S.I.K. Iyer ASP, IP Abeywardena, IP A.M. Seneviratne and IP Tyrell Goonetilleke were responsible for the intensive Police investigation.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">\u00a0November 26, 1959 saw seven persons being charged in the chief magistrate\u2019s court of Colombo on a charge of conspiring to murder SWRD Bandaranaike. They were\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ol style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">Mapitigama Buddharakkitha Thero\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">Hemachandra Piyasena Jayawardena\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">Pallihakarage Anura de Silva\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">Talduwe Somarama Thero\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">Weerasooriya Arachchige Newton Perera\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">Vimala Wijewardene\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">Amerasinghe Arachchige Carolis Amerasinghe\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">\u00a0In addition to this Somarama Thero the fourth accused was also charged with commitment of murder. Incidently Somarama Thero had confessed to committing the murder in his statements to the Police and to the chief magistrate. However he changed his position<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">at the Supreme court trial. \u201cI did not shoot the Prime Minister. It is untrue that the 1st and 2nd accused or either of them requested me to do so. If I said so to the Magistrate, it is false. My statement to the Magistrate was not made of my own free will.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">I am not guilty,\u201d stated Somarama in the Supreme Court later.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">\u00a0Within a short time the seventh accused A.A.C. Amerasinghe (Kolonnawa urban councillor) received a conditional pardon in terms of section 283 of the Criminal procedure code and thereafter became a witness for the prosecution. Non-summary proceedings began<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">and after a long magisterial inquiry, the sixth accused Vimala Wijewardene was cleared of all charges of conspiracy and deemed innocent of any complicity. She was discharged on July 15, 1960. Vimala Wijewardene was the first woman cabinet minister of the country<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">and had served as Minister of Health in SWRD Bandaranaike\u2019s Government.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">\u00a0The Magisterial Inquiry under Colombo Chief Magistrate N.A. de S. Wijesekara went on for 124 days with 193 witnesses testifying. The Chief Magistrate committed the first five accused to stand trial before Supreme Court on charges of conspiracy and murder.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">\u00a0<strong>Supreme Court Trial<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">The Supreme Court trial began against the five accused on\u00a0 February 22, 1961 before Justice T.S. Fernando QC OBE. The foreman of the seven member English speaking jury was D.W.L. Lieversz snr. Ninety-seven witnesses testified and were cross examined. The<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">Solicitor-General A.C. Alles along with deputy solicitor-general A.C.M. Ameer conducted the case on behalf of the prosecution with senior crown counsels R.S.Wanasundara and R.I. Obeyesekera assisting.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">\u00a0The third accused Anura de Silva was acquitted with the jury voting unanimously in his favour. The fifth accused Newton Perera was acquitted on a divided verdict with five voting in favour of the accused and two against. The trial concluded on May 12,<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">1961 after fifty-five days of hearing. The proceedings were well publicised and extensively reported in the media. Within five days the Jury returned its verdict.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">\u00a0he Jury found the first accused Buddharakkitha Thero, second accused H.P. Jayewardena and fourth accused Somarama Thero guilty by a unanimous verdict. Death sentence was pronounced on all three of them. All three faced death by hanging. During the trial<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">Somarama had stopped wearing the yellow robes when appearing in Courts.This led to Justice Fernando observing that Somarama \u201chad a streak of conscience as he did not attend court in his saffron robes.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">\u00a0All three convicted persons appealed against their death sentence to the then Court of Criminal Appeal. The five-judge bench presided over by Chief Justice Hema H. Basnayake comprised \u2013 Justices M.C. Sansoni, H.N.G. Fernando, N. Sinnetamby and L.B. de<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">Silva.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">\u00a0It was argued on behalf of Buddharakkitha and Jayewardena that the maximum punishment for the offence of conspiring to commit murder was rigorous imprisonment for life. E.G.Wickremanayake, QC, submitted that the Act which re-introduced the death penalty<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">for murder did not in specific terms re-introduce such penalty for conspiracy to commit murder.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">\u00a0The Criminal Appeal court concurred with the submission.The appeal of all three were dismissed but courts amended the sentences imposed on Buddharakkitha and Jayewardena from death to rigorous life imprisonment. Thus both of them were saved from the gallows<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">due to this legal loophole.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">\u00a0<strong>Hanged in Welikada<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">Talduwe Somarama Thero prepared himself to face death. He thanked in open court his counsel Lucian G. Weeramanthri who had appeared free for him \u201cI thank my counsel who defended me at this trial like a true lion.\u201d Weeks before his execution Somarama was<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #030000;\">converted to Christianity and was baptised in his cell by an Anglican Priest. He was hanged in the Welikada gallows on July 6, 1962 at the age of 48. The hanging was undertaken by State executioner Lewis Singho and his assistant Subatheris Appu.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-50787\" src=\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/S.W.R.D-Bandaranayake-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"562\" height=\"406\" \/> <img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-50788\" src=\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/S.W.R.D-Bandaranayake-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"266\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<!-- Responsive --><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5123580823957590\" data-ad-slot=\"7875984934\" data-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>61st Death Anniversary (1959 &#8211; 2020) The Assassination of S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike An Anecdotal Reflection-by Senaka Weeraratna Source:Lankaweb It was a Friday fifty six years ago to be exact on September 25, 1959 at around 10.30 a.m. in the morning when I was in the class room listening to Mr. H.P. Jayawardena\u2019s English lesson in our [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":50786,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"aside","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[29815,29817,29816,29814,29818,1122,23285],"class_list":{"0":"post-50785","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-aside","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-articles","8":"tag-chitta-ranjan-de-silva","9":"tag-dr-mackie-ratwatte","10":"tag-mapitigama-buddharakkhita-thero","11":"tag-mr-upali-attanayake","12":"tag-mrs-bandaranaike","13":"tag-s-w-r-d-bandaranaike","14":"tag-senaka-weeraratna","15":"post_format-post-format-aside"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.7.1 (Yoast SEO v25.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>61st Death Anniversary (1959 - 2020) The Assassination of S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike An Anecdotal Reflection-by Senaka Weeraratna<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"It was a Friday fifty six years ago to be exact on September 25, 1959 at around 10.30 a.m. in the morning when I was in the class room listening\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"61st Death Anniversary (1959 - 2020)  The Assassination of S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike An Anecdotal Reflection-by Senaka Weeraratna\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"It was a Friday fifty six years ago to be exact on September 25, 1959 at around 10.30 a.m. in the morning when I was in the class room listening\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/61st-death-anniversary-1959-2020-the-assassination-of-s-w-r-d-bandaranaike-an-anecdotal-reflection-by-senaka-weeraratna\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"eLanka\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/eLanka.com.au\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-10-03T17:01:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/S.W.R.D-Bandaranayake.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"301\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"167\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"eLanka admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"eLanka admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"25 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/61st-death-anniversary-1959-2020-the-assassination-of-s-w-r-d-bandaranaike-an-anecdotal-reflection-by-senaka-weeraratna\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/61st-death-anniversary-1959-2020-the-assassination-of-s-w-r-d-bandaranaike-an-anecdotal-reflection-by-senaka-weeraratna\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"eLanka admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/person\/f6e635b74ab35ef88a68a9973cacc5bd\"},\"headline\":\"61st Death Anniversary (1959 &#8211; 2020) The Assassination of S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike An Anecdotal Reflection-by Senaka Weeraratna\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-10-03T17:01:01+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/61st-death-anniversary-1959-2020-the-assassination-of-s-w-r-d-bandaranaike-an-anecdotal-reflection-by-senaka-weeraratna\/\"},\"wordCount\":5014,\"commentCount\":6,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/61st-death-anniversary-1959-2020-the-assassination-of-s-w-r-d-bandaranaike-an-anecdotal-reflection-by-senaka-weeraratna\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/S.W.R.D-Bandaranayake.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Chitta Ranjan de Silva\",\"Dr. Mackie Ratwatte\",\"Mapitigama Buddharakkhita Thero\",\"Mr. Upali Attanayake\",\"Mrs. Bandaranaike\",\"S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike\",\"Senaka Weeraratna\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Articles\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/61st-death-anniversary-1959-2020-the-assassination-of-s-w-r-d-bandaranaike-an-anecdotal-reflection-by-senaka-weeraratna\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/61st-death-anniversary-1959-2020-the-assassination-of-s-w-r-d-bandaranaike-an-anecdotal-reflection-by-senaka-weeraratna\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/61st-death-anniversary-1959-2020-the-assassination-of-s-w-r-d-bandaranaike-an-anecdotal-reflection-by-senaka-weeraratna\/\",\"name\":\"61st Death Anniversary (1959 - 2020) The Assassination of S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike An Anecdotal Reflection-by Senaka Weeraratna\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/61st-death-anniversary-1959-2020-the-assassination-of-s-w-r-d-bandaranaike-an-anecdotal-reflection-by-senaka-weeraratna\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/61st-death-anniversary-1959-2020-the-assassination-of-s-w-r-d-bandaranaike-an-anecdotal-reflection-by-senaka-weeraratna\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/S.W.R.D-Bandaranayake.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-10-03T17:01:01+00:00\",\"description\":\"It was a Friday fifty six years ago to be exact on September 25, 1959 at around 10.30 a.m. in the morning when I was in the class room listening\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/61st-death-anniversary-1959-2020-the-assassination-of-s-w-r-d-bandaranaike-an-anecdotal-reflection-by-senaka-weeraratna\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/61st-death-anniversary-1959-2020-the-assassination-of-s-w-r-d-bandaranaike-an-anecdotal-reflection-by-senaka-weeraratna\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/61st-death-anniversary-1959-2020-the-assassination-of-s-w-r-d-bandaranaike-an-anecdotal-reflection-by-senaka-weeraratna\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/S.W.R.D-Bandaranayake.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/S.W.R.D-Bandaranayake.png\",\"width\":301,\"height\":167,\"caption\":\"S.W.R.D Bandaranayake\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/61st-death-anniversary-1959-2020-the-assassination-of-s-w-r-d-bandaranaike-an-anecdotal-reflection-by-senaka-weeraratna\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Articles\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/category\/articles\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"61st Death Anniversary (1959 &#8211; 2020) The Assassination of S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike An Anecdotal Reflection-by Senaka Weeraratna\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/\",\"name\":\"eLanka\",\"description\":\"eLanka - Sri lanka events in Australia\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#organization\",\"name\":\"eLanka\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/elanka-logo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/elanka-logo.jpg\",\"width\":192,\"height\":82,\"caption\":\"eLanka\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/eLanka.com.au\/\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/elanka\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/SriLankanDownUnder\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/person\/f6e635b74ab35ef88a68a9973cacc5bd\",\"name\":\"eLanka admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2e0d346a7f97b80e861cdeafe7b7de523b59f5060666f1a5da8369457bf9b6c3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2e0d346a7f97b80e861cdeafe7b7de523b59f5060666f1a5da8369457bf9b6c3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"eLanka admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/author\/elanka\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"61st Death Anniversary (1959 - 2020) The Assassination of S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike An Anecdotal Reflection-by Senaka Weeraratna","description":"It was a Friday fifty six years ago to be exact on September 25, 1959 at around 10.30 a.m. in the morning when I was in the class room listening","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"61st Death Anniversary (1959 - 2020)  The Assassination of S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike An Anecdotal Reflection-by Senaka Weeraratna","og_description":"It was a Friday fifty six years ago to be exact on September 25, 1959 at around 10.30 a.m. in the morning when I was in the class room listening","og_url":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/61st-death-anniversary-1959-2020-the-assassination-of-s-w-r-d-bandaranaike-an-anecdotal-reflection-by-senaka-weeraratna\/","og_site_name":"eLanka","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/eLanka.com.au\/","article_published_time":"2020-10-03T17:01:01+00:00","og_image":[{"width":301,"height":167,"url":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/S.W.R.D-Bandaranayake.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"eLanka admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"eLanka admin","Est. reading time":"25 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/61st-death-anniversary-1959-2020-the-assassination-of-s-w-r-d-bandaranaike-an-anecdotal-reflection-by-senaka-weeraratna\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/61st-death-anniversary-1959-2020-the-assassination-of-s-w-r-d-bandaranaike-an-anecdotal-reflection-by-senaka-weeraratna\/"},"author":{"name":"eLanka admin","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/person\/f6e635b74ab35ef88a68a9973cacc5bd"},"headline":"61st Death Anniversary (1959 &#8211; 2020) The Assassination of S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike An Anecdotal Reflection-by Senaka Weeraratna","datePublished":"2020-10-03T17:01:01+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/61st-death-anniversary-1959-2020-the-assassination-of-s-w-r-d-bandaranaike-an-anecdotal-reflection-by-senaka-weeraratna\/"},"wordCount":5014,"commentCount":6,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/61st-death-anniversary-1959-2020-the-assassination-of-s-w-r-d-bandaranaike-an-anecdotal-reflection-by-senaka-weeraratna\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/S.W.R.D-Bandaranayake.png","keywords":["Chitta Ranjan de Silva","Dr. Mackie Ratwatte","Mapitigama Buddharakkhita Thero","Mr. Upali Attanayake","Mrs. Bandaranaike","S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike","Senaka Weeraratna"],"articleSection":["Articles"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/61st-death-anniversary-1959-2020-the-assassination-of-s-w-r-d-bandaranaike-an-anecdotal-reflection-by-senaka-weeraratna\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/61st-death-anniversary-1959-2020-the-assassination-of-s-w-r-d-bandaranaike-an-anecdotal-reflection-by-senaka-weeraratna\/","url":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/61st-death-anniversary-1959-2020-the-assassination-of-s-w-r-d-bandaranaike-an-anecdotal-reflection-by-senaka-weeraratna\/","name":"61st Death Anniversary (1959 - 2020) The Assassination of S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike An Anecdotal Reflection-by Senaka Weeraratna","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/61st-death-anniversary-1959-2020-the-assassination-of-s-w-r-d-bandaranaike-an-anecdotal-reflection-by-senaka-weeraratna\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/61st-death-anniversary-1959-2020-the-assassination-of-s-w-r-d-bandaranaike-an-anecdotal-reflection-by-senaka-weeraratna\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/S.W.R.D-Bandaranayake.png","datePublished":"2020-10-03T17:01:01+00:00","description":"It was a Friday fifty six years ago to be exact on September 25, 1959 at around 10.30 a.m. in the morning when I was in the class room listening","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/61st-death-anniversary-1959-2020-the-assassination-of-s-w-r-d-bandaranaike-an-anecdotal-reflection-by-senaka-weeraratna\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/61st-death-anniversary-1959-2020-the-assassination-of-s-w-r-d-bandaranaike-an-anecdotal-reflection-by-senaka-weeraratna\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/61st-death-anniversary-1959-2020-the-assassination-of-s-w-r-d-bandaranaike-an-anecdotal-reflection-by-senaka-weeraratna\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/S.W.R.D-Bandaranayake.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/S.W.R.D-Bandaranayake.png","width":301,"height":167,"caption":"S.W.R.D Bandaranayake"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/61st-death-anniversary-1959-2020-the-assassination-of-s-w-r-d-bandaranaike-an-anecdotal-reflection-by-senaka-weeraratna\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Articles","item":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/category\/articles\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"61st Death Anniversary (1959 &#8211; 2020) The Assassination of S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike An Anecdotal Reflection-by Senaka Weeraratna"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#website","url":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/","name":"eLanka","description":"eLanka - Sri lanka events in Australia","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#organization","name":"eLanka","url":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/elanka-logo.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/elanka-logo.jpg","width":192,"height":82,"caption":"eLanka"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/eLanka.com.au\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/elanka\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/SriLankanDownUnder"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/person\/f6e635b74ab35ef88a68a9973cacc5bd","name":"eLanka admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2e0d346a7f97b80e861cdeafe7b7de523b59f5060666f1a5da8369457bf9b6c3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2e0d346a7f97b80e861cdeafe7b7de523b59f5060666f1a5da8369457bf9b6c3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"eLanka admin"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew"],"url":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/author\/elanka\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50785","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50785"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50785\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":50789,"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50785\/revisions\/50789"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50786"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50785"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50785"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50785"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}