C. A. S. Marikkar

C. A. S. Marikkar
Minister for Post, Broadcasting and Communication
In office 12 April 1956 – 6 January 1960
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Preceded by	S. Natesan
Succeeded by	Montague Jayawickrama
Member of the Ceylon Parliament for Kadugannawa
In office April 1952 – 5 December 1959
Preceded by	H. R. U. Premachandra
Succeeded by	Constituency Abolished
Member of Parliament for Galagedara
In office March 1960 – July 1960
Preceded by	Constituency Created
Succeeded by
Personal details
Born	(1911-06-05)5 June 1911 Hewaheta, Ceylon
Died	18 November 1970(1970-11-18) (aged 59) Kandy, Ceylon
Nationality	Ceylonese
Political party	Ceylon National Congress Sri Lanka Freedom Party
Education	Dharmaraja College Kandy, Ceylon Law College
Occupation	Politician
Nickname(s)	Sinhala Marikkar

Casila Abdul Samed "Sinhala" Marikkar (5 July 1911 – 18 November 1970) was a Sri Lankan politician. He served as Minister for Post, Broadcasting and Communication from 1956 until 1960 in the S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike cabinet and Dahanayake cabinet, and was a member of parliament representing the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) from Kadugannawa.^[1]

Early life and education[]

Marikkar was born in the village of Hewaheta in the Central Province of Ceylon to P. C. Marikar, a businessman and his wife Mohideen Natchiya Marikar from Udadeniya Madige. He received his primary education under Rev. Heenatiyana Seelarathna Thera at the Sri Abhayaraja Pirivena in Kadugannawa. Then moved to Dharmaraja College Kandy for his secondary education. Marikkar went on to study law at the Ceylon Law College, in Colombo.^[2]

Political career[]

Dasalaksha Pethsama . Dinamina Article

Joining the Ceylon National Congress, Marikkar first contested the 1947 general election from Galaha and came fourth. He joined the Sri Lanka Freedom Party at its formation in 1951. He contested the 1952 general election from Kadugannawa from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and was elected parliament as the second member from Kadugannawa.^[2]

Dasa Laksha pethsama[]

In 1954, upon hearing of the Royal tour of Ceylon by the Queen Elizabeth II, Marikar and Henry Abeywickrema gained 1 million signatures of the public for a petition against the British Royal's visiting Kandy. His argument at the time was that if Ceylon was independent why invite the British Royals over, although under the Constitution of Ceylon, Queen Elizabeth II was the head of state as the Monarch of Ceylon. Therefore, the government placed Marikar and Abeywickrama under house arrest for the duration of the Royal tour.^{[citation needed]}

Minister of Post, Broadcasting and Communication[]

The Marikar brothers beside Mr.Bandaranayake

As a gifted orator, he was instrumental in the SLFP victory in the 1956 general election, working the crowds before public appearances of party chief Bandaranaike.^[3] He contested the election from Kadugannawa and was elected the first member from Kadugannawa having gained 42,982 votes, 40.78% of the votes while, Bandaranaike had gained 45,016 votes, which was 91.82% of the votes in the Attanagalla electorate. Prime minister Bandaranaike appointed Marikkar to his cabinet of ministers as Minister for Post, Broadcasting and Communication. As minister for broadcasting, he advised the Bandaranaike to censor Voice of America transmissions in Ceylon.^[4] In 1959 he rode to a party convention on the back of an elephant, creating a diversion from those that were gathered to criticize the Bandaranaike government.^[5]

In September 1959, Bandaranayake was assassinated, he continued to function in the cabinet of the care taker Prime Minister W. Dahanayake. In December following the dismissal of several ministers, Marikkar received the additional portfolios of Cultural Affairs and Social Services. The Delimitation Commission had divided Marikar's constituency, and he gave nominations for the upcoming elections for Galagedara from the SLFP. Soon thereafter, on 4 January 1960, he was dismissed from cabinet with five other ministers who had given nominations from the SLFP. Marikkar contested the March 1960 general election from the SLFP under the leadership of C. P. de Silva, in Galagedara accumulating 4493 votes.^[6] Marikar did not contest this election for he was not in favor of Mrs. Bandaranayake leading the party.^{[citation needed]}

Walter Thalagodapitiya Commission[]

Prior to his death, on 11 September 1959 Bandaranayake had appointed a Commission of Inquiry consisting of Walter Thalgodapitiya, Thomas Webb Roberts and Samuel John Charles Schokman, which was called the Thalagodapitiya Commission to inquire into allegations of bribery and corruption against members of his government, under the advice of G. G. Ponnambalam. The Report of the Parliamentary Bribery Commission (Thalagodapitiya Commission) was tabled on 16 December 1960 and found Marikkar M. P. de Zoysa, D. B. Monnekulame, H. Abeywickrema, M. S. Kariapper and R. E. Jayatillake guilty of bribery.^[7] Following the 1965 general election, the new national government, revisited the Thalagodapitiya Commission Report and enacted the Imposition Of Civic Disabilities (Special Provisions) Act (No. 14 of 1965) which stripped Marikkar along with de Zoysa, Abeywickrema, Kariapper, Jayatilleke, and Monnekulame of their civic rights for a period of seven years.^[8] Marikkar died on 18 November 1970.

References[]