Dr. T.B. Jayah - the visionary

Dr. T.B. Jayah - the visionary
by Dr. M.S. Jaldeen
Dr. T.B. Jayah was undoubtedly a pioneer, a visionary and a leader. This article is an attempt to portray the extent to which, what he envisioned, nearly a century ago, had become a reality.

At the turn of the twentieth century, in November, 1921 to be exact, speaking about the backwardness of the Muslim community as regards education said:-

"...Think of the large number of Muslim children who are being more or less denied the priceless blessings of education.... if they are to ask themselves the question, they themselves were to blame for that state of things. They had allowed matters to go on with the result that they found themselves in a really awkward position as compared with the other communities for the island who had made vast strides of progress."

He, therefore, emphasized that:

"The supreme need of the hour is education, not merely elementary education, not mere half-hearted education, but an education that will turn out heroes and heroines, leaders and reformers, thinkers and philosophers, an education that will make us a progressive enlightened and powerful minority."

In 1924 at a Mass meeting he bemoaned the:

"....humiliating condition of the community and who realized that unless definite steps were taken to bring home to the Muslims the supreme need of education the time would come when ignorance would sap the foundation of Muslim society and cause its economic decay. Fired with this new born enthusiasm and inspired as they had been by the splendid traditions of Islam they set out in right earnest to raise the people from their lethargy."

Dr. Jayah pointed out that the Muslim community was:

".....A backward community, for on looking at their public life in the country, the public service, the learned professions - where are the distinguished Muslims to be found?........ Their backward position today was due to the utter disregard of the educational advantages which other communities availed themselves of, which ought to put them to shame. It was an admitted fact that their community was a whole did not take sufficient interest in education. It was a shameful confession to make. Yet they must make it, especially knowing as they did, that they were the inheritors of a glorious past."

Perhaps because of these exhortations, there were positive results even during his lifetime. In 1946, Dr. Ivor Jennings, the Chancellor of the University of Ceylon, writing to the "The Crescent" - Golden Jubilee indicated that:-

"When the University was formed in 1942, there were 904 students, of whom 25 were Muslims and today there are 1902 students, of whom 37 are Muslims. The University figures include, of course, the Faculty of Medicine, but in the other Faculties, which replaced the University College, there are 894 students, of whom 27 are Muslims.

Thus from 1928 to 1946 the number of students in Arts and Science has increased by 184% and the number of Muslim students in those Faculties by 800%. Proportionately the number is still small; but in education it is easier to multiply a large number than to multiply a small one. Because each generation has to educate its successors. The figures therefore bear witness to the effort devoted to Muslim education over the past 25 years."

Now in the 21st century let us take a head count of what the Muslim community has achieved. We have Cabinet Minister (not forgetting that Dr. Jayah who was the first Muslim to hold the portfolio of Minister of Labour and Social Services in the first Cabinet of independent Sri Lanka), Parliamentarians, Provincial Councillors, Municipal Councillors, holders of high post in the Public and Education Services, in the armed forces and Police; in the field of law, Judges (of the highest Court to the lowest), lawyers; in the field of medicine, Professors, Surgeons, Specialists, General Practitioners; in the field of science, civil, electrical and mechanical engineers; in the field of Information Technology and Computer Science; in the field of business and commerce, Company Directors, Executive officers, heads of professional bodies; in the field of arts and culture, musicians, artists, film directors, in the field of education, Professors, senior lecturers, principals; in the playing fields, ruggerites, soccerites, billiard players, just to name a few.

In as much as Jayah envisioned the desirability of education in the upliftment of Muslims, he also emphasized that the community to survive, in a multi-lingual, multi-religious nation like ours, was only possible by projecting the community on to the political arena.

This ideal is best understood by a brief study of the political creed of Dr. Jayah. It is a well-known fact that he was drawn into politics while engaged as an educationist - Principal of Zahira College.

Dr. Jayah's selection to the Legislative Council in 1924 was a result of the agitation for increased representation of Muslims to that body. The Ceylon Moor Union formed in 1900 and replaced by the Ceylon Muslim Association founded in 1920 spearheaded these. Consequently, Muslim representation was increased to three members, Jayah being elected Third Mohammedan Member (and later referred to as Muslim Member on the initiative made by him).

Even as a member of the Legislative Council he advocated increased spending on education, the establishment of schools and increased teacher salaries. In 1925 he supported the motion for granting of leave to government servants to attend Jummah prayers.

In the meanwhile, the Donoughmore Commissioners had recommended universal adult franchise based on domicile, extending the vote to the Indian immigrant population shutting out representation to the minority communities particularly the Muslims. Several memorials were presented to the Colonial Office, Dr. Jayah being the leader of the Muslim delegation that went to England to present them.

Nevertheless, on the recommendations of the Donoughmore Commission, the State Council was established and Jayah lost the elections. Fortunately he was nominated to the Council which enabled him to espouse the cause of expanded representation of Muslims, which was debated in the State Council itself. This was consequent to the several demands of the minorities and the Secretary of State authorizing discussion of the matter in the Council which resulted in the Reforms Debate of 1937.

Speaking in the Council as regards the Reform Debate, Dr. Jayah who spoke for three hours said, inter alia:-

"But I think I have to show you that in this great struggle for political freedom, freedom not only for one community but for all communities the minorities have been always prepared to contribute their share."

and elsewhere in the same speech:-

"That is why, Sir, on the 2nd March, Muslims from all parts of the island assembled in their hundreds and thousands, and perhaps they would have assembled in their millions if there had been millions in this country, to give expression to the feelings that were uppermost in their minds. On that occasion definite resolutions were adopted to be placed before the authorities and before this House. That meeting of Muslims consisting of all shades of opinion, ............. all of them without exception took part in this meeting because they felt that the occasion demanded their presence - resolved on behalf of a united Muslim community to put forward the demand for balanced representation in which Muslims will have eight representatives in a Council of sixty-eight Members." And again:-

...."But I can say this much of the Muslim community, that the Muslims to a man stand by the demand they put forward at their public meeting and if the Board of Ministers or others who think they are in power think that they can brush aside the united wishes of a community like that I can only say that they are doing something which is calculated to harm not only the country but even themselves....."

The paramount consideration was national interest above communal (or Muslim) ones, when he says as a Muslim:-

"We might stand up for our community, but it cannot be said that we have stood against the interests of the country as a whole. I have always said, and I repeat it today, that I consider the interests of the country as a whole, to be paramount." Because:-

"....if we are going to have a party system on definite political and economic lines, we cannot have a communal majority party, under whatever name it may be disguised. We cannot have a communal majority invested with plenary powers. Such a majority would prove to be not only a great tyranny but a curse to the country."

The thrust of the speech was this:-

"As far as the Muslim community is concerned our position is bad enough under the Donoughmore Constitution; we have been reduced to a position of helplessness. There is not a single elected Muslim Member in this Council and if there is no amendment of the Constitution our position will continue to be as bad as ever. Therefore we are very keen that the constitution should be amended."

When the Second World War broke out in 1939, there was a deceleration of the demand for constitutional reforms.

Nevertheless, in February, 1940, there was a constitutional crisis resulting from the Governor usurping the powers of the Council and/or the Ministers over the Bracegirdle and the Moolaya Estate incidents. D.S. Senanayake and six other members resigned and later withdrew when the Governor relented by agreeing that a Select Committee studies the measure. By 1941, agitation for reforms was re-started which by 1942 was by way of a resolution of the State Council demanding "conferment of Dominion Status to Ceylon after the war."

Although the United Kingdom government called upon the Board of Ministers to draft a Constitution, which was started by had to abandon it as the Soulbury Commissioners were appointed.

In 1944, the Soulbury Report and the UK government White Paper was debated in the Council. Dr. Jayah spoke because he was in a position to say that the "......Muslim Members of this Council have the fullest backing of the Muslim community in this island." He took up the position that even if the country was not offered full Dominion Status we should accept whatever is granted and thereafter work out a scheme of complete freedom for all communities, all of them working together to achieve that goal. His speech was commended by the late S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike who said:-

"The Hon'ble Member, Mr. Jayah, has made a speech today that will have a great effect in bring about unity among the people of this country, in bringing some sense of reality to this struggle, however it may shape, that we are going to undertake to obtain a satisfactory measure of freedom. ..............

.........There is provided in this Bill a scheme of representation under which the Muslim Community more than any other community in this country might suffer, in this form in which it appears, but yet he himself was so sincerely determined to work for the main idea of freedom that he was prepared to vote for the principle embodied in the Bill. But I can give the nominated Member (Mr. Jayah) this assurance on behalf of, I think, the vast majority, at least of the community that I represent, that in the struggle for freedom, whatever may or may not be the recommendations of the Soulbury Commission on representation, he may be rest assured, that I will be quite prepared to consider any reasonable point of view that he might put forward."

The matter was resolved, however, D.S. Senanayake decided that the Soulbury Report as modified by the White Paper be accepted for the interim period on 3rd November, 1946. Elections to Parliament were to be held shortly. By, September, 1946, the United National Party had been formed, the All Ceylon Moors Association and the All Ceylon Muslim League joined the party (as did the Sinhala Maha Sabha led by S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike).

Dr. Jayah contested the three-member Colombo Central seat and was elected the Second Member for that electorate.

History records that thereafter he became the first Muslim Minister in the first Cabinet of the first Parliament of Ceylon as the Minister for Labour and Social Services. We also know that he was later the High Commissioner of Ceylon in Pakistan. And then on the 13th May, 1960 on a visit to inspect and finalize the Ceylon House project at Mecca he fell ill and on the 31st May, 1960 - the 9th day of Zul Haj passed away and was buried in the Holy City of Mecca.

In retrospect we can be assured that Dr. T.B. Jayah has, as a Muslim, contributed greatly to the political scenario of our country.

(Excerpts of the speeches and most of the facts have been gleaned from the book "T.B. Jayah - A National Hero of Sri Lanka" by the same author. Published by the Law Publishers Association, 1996)