June 25, 2013, 12:00 pm


by H.H.Piyasena,


Former Interpreter,


Parliament of Sri Lanka


Kusumsiri Amarasinha who was fondly called Kusuma, was born on 26th May 1912 in Medaketiya, Tangalle. She was the youngest in the family of six boys and two girls. Her father Don Davith Amarasinha was a person of standing and a devout Buddhist Worker and philanthropist who was engaged in social work in the area. The mother was Sopinona Amarasinha who hailed from Kachchiyawatte, Galle.


Kusuma received her education in Sri Rahula Vidyalaya Tangalle, St. Mary’s Convent at, Matara and later at Museus College, Colombo. Having joined the Sooriyamal Movement in the mid 1930’s Kusuma engaged herself as an activist of the left movement.


She married Philip Gunawardena, the son of Boralugoda Ralahamy in 1939 who by then had founded the Socialist Movement in Sri Lanka and was by then the Member of the State assembly for Awissawella. With her marriage, she became more closely engaged with the anti colonial struggles waged by the left movement in Sri Lanka.


When In 1940 Mr. Philip Gunawardena and leftist leaders, were illegally apprehended by the British refers and jailed, Kusuma fought relentlessly for their release. She played a key role by surreptitiously securing the imprint of the prison keys for their famous "Jail Break" on 07th April 1942. With Philip and other leaders having escaped to India and joined the political underground there to continue their struggle against the British Occupation, Kusuma joined her husband there by traveling incognito, dressed as a school girl. Alongside her husband’s political activism, she was engaged with the progressive and anti imperialist movement acquiring for herself in hiding the pseudonym Mable Guruswamy whilst Philip was using the alias Edward Guruswamy.


In India, Kusuma gave birth to their first child, Indika. Once they were found out Philip and Kusuma and their infant baby had a stint in Bombay’s Arthur Road Prison prior to their release on 14th June 1945 and subsequent return to home to Sri Lanka.


Philip Gunawardane was elected to the 1st Parliament in 1947. Having been jailed, he lost his seat and was deprived of civic rights for his leading role in the agitation of the workers at the Southwestern Bus Strike. Philip was replaced in Parliament by Kusuma at the pursuing by-election when she was elected the new MP for Avissawella uncontested - the first and only lady Parliamentarian to have been thus elected to date. She was also the first MP to address Parliament in Sinhala.


Kusuma Gunawardena was re-elected MP for Avissawella in 1952 representing the Viplavakari Lanka Sama Samaja Party led by Philip Gunwardena and continued in Parliament agitation to entrenched National Independence and for the liberation of the downtrodden.


In her constituancy of Avissawella which at the time encompassed vast areas of the Keleni Valley, she worked tirelessly to improve the living conditions of the poor and oppressed, improving educational and health facilities and to free them from the clutches of fuedal oppression. Carrying the anti capitalist standard of the VLSSP in parliament, Kusuma Gunawardena was a strength in to the people and communities of the Kalani Valley at the 1953 Hartal against extreme hardships that had been imposed on the common man by the capitalist regime at time.


Kusuma was instrumental in pioneering friendship with Socialist Countries by giving leadership in Parliament to the formation of the Sri Lanka – China Parliamentary Friendship Association in 1952 of which she was the also the founder Chairperson. Later on she was to lead a parliamentary delegation to the former Soviet Union and did her part in steering the country away from the pro-western policies as were dominant at the time to a policy of open doors of friendship to all countries.


With Philip Gunawardena returning to Parliament to represent the Avissawella Electorate, Mrs. Kusuma Gunawardena was re-elected to the Parliament for the third consecutive term as the member for Kiriella in the land mark people’s victory of 1956 as members of the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna. She was in the forefront of ushering in the era of the common man.


In her new constituency, she worked hard to improve the basic living facilities in its vast and remote areas - concentrating mostly in provision of health care and the spread of educational facilities. She spared no opportunity to take the woes of the suffering people to Parliament and to stand by the rights of the workers and public servants. She was a formidable strength to the politics of her party led by Philip Gunawardena in his struggles to usher in people’s victories and establish the processes of socio-economic and cultural transformation that have continued for 56 years since begun in 1956.


After completing 12 years continuously as a Member of Parliament, Kusuma Gunawardena continued in active politics in the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna - not withstanding several unsuccessful attempts at hustings. She took leave of active politics with the demise of Mr. Philip Gunawardena in 1972, relegating herself to giving whatever support to her five children to get along meaningfully with their lives.


The contributions made to society by her five children speaks for Kusuma’s the loving care and devotion in bringing them up and shaping their values.


They all have had sound education. Her only daughter is a sensitive writer who has amongst others bestowed to society separate volumes of well researched biographies of her illustrious parents, her four sons have with trust and confidence bestowed upon them by the people served in political office - at high level Ministerial Office and the other as the Mayor of Colombo. Mrs. Kusuma Gunawardena is quoted as having said on many an occasions that she is immensely overjoyed and lucky to have lived long enough to see her son Dinesh elected as the Member of Parliament for Maharagama (in 1993).


She passed away peacefully on May Day 1985


Kusuma with Philip Gunawardena is outstanding in that, they were selfless. They excelled at giving and taking nothing.

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