Anagarika Dharmapala’s mission on local industries | Sunday Observer

Anagarika Dharmapala’s mission on local industries

1 May, 2022

“During the tenth century, Don Juwan (John) Dharmapala destroyed Buddhism and the Sinhalese nation. But Don David Dharmapala, who was born in the 19th century, awakened Buddhism and the Sinhalese nation” This is how Ven. Yagirala Sri Paghghananda Thera offered tribute to him.

Although his name was Don David, it was not proper to call him by that name. He provided societywith brave-sounding slogans such as “Awake Sinhalese” (Sinhalayani nagitiwu). It is not Don David but Anagarika Dharmapala who acted as a saviour of Buddhism and the Sinhalese nation from foreign influence which existed over three centuries.

Anagarika Dharmapala can be identified as a person who played a pioneering role in inculcating Buddhist orientation as well as feelings of nationalism in Sri Lankans. He influenced social, political, economic, and cultural aspects in the country. He gave particular attention to establishing local industries to force Sri Lankans to recognise their power to stand as an independent nation rather than being loyal to Western nations.

Dharmapala not only boosted Sri Lankan patriotism and religious faith, but also expanded his social services in economic aspects by establishing local industries. The main industries he focused on were matchboxes, handlooms, ceramic industries, and perfume and paper industries. Dharmapala sent Sri Lankans to developed countries such as Japan to receive training in those industries. To raise awareness of Sri Lankans’ traditional economy, which was agriculture, he had expected to initiate an agricultural school. He believed that an education system based on vocational training and technical education should be implemented in Sri Lanka as it was in America and Britain.

National Movement

Born on September 17, 1864, to Don Carolis Hewawitharana and Mallika Dharmagunawardena, Don David Hewawitharana later became known around the world as Anagarika Dharmapala.

Dharmapala, who was a pioneer in the national movement for the revival of Buddhism, set out to develop the indigenous industrial sector, seeing the rapid industrial development that Japan had achieved at that time. He realised that it would not be difficult to liberate Sri Lanka from the British if Sri Lanka’s indigenous industrial sector was developing, as Japan, which had developed industrially, had defeated then-powerful Russia. By the early eighteenth century, Japan, with its mediocre economy, was gradually making great strides in the industrial sector, culminating in the victory of the Japanese-Russian War in 1905.

How did Japan defeat a powerful state, Russia? It seems that Dharmapala paid special attention to this. Recognising the rapid development of Japan’s industrial sector, he initiated the process of rapid development of Sri Lanka’s industrial sector from the indigenous industrial sector and the gradual liberation of Sri Lanka from British domination.

Dharmapala, who studied Japan’s industrial development, found that Japan selected 50 students each year and sent them to foreign countries such as the United States, England, France, Germany, and Austria, where they were trained in foreign languages. Subsequently, Japanese students receiving industrial training in those countries returned to Japan and began to manufacture factory-made materials in the Western countries, marking the beginning of Japan’s rapid industrial development.

Dharmapala’s objectives were to prioritise the development of the indigenous industrial sector and thereby create an internal market independent of foreign markets. Since the contribution of the wealthy Japanese was behind the industrial development of Japan, Dharmapala believed that Sri Lankans would soon be able to have self-sufficiency if the wealthy Sinhalese followed the same procedure as the Japanese did. He called it self-government (home rule for Ceylon). But the life of the wealthy Sinhalese, who were not involved in industrial production but were confined to exports and sometimes made a living by making money by illusion, was severely criticised by Dharmapala.

Industrial development

What is the most suitable industrial development for Sri Lanka? Dharmapala travelled extensively to Japan and the United States in 1902 and to Britain, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Italy in 1904. He then stated what he understood through his lectures.

Nawarathne Bandara stated in his book National Movement in Sri Lanka during the British Colonial Era, as Dharmapala said, “that we should think about the goods that are being brought to this country. Textiles, dishes, cups, paper, paint, pens, clocks, lamps, mats and furniture are all imported. Every year, it is a loss to the natives to send our wealth abroad from our country every year.

It also causes the country to become poorer. Indigenous people are unknowingly importing all the materials they need without knowing the craft, which makes them poor. Europeans make all the goods they want in their countries, take advantage of themselves, take most of the goods in excess overseas in their ships, and sell them to amass wealth. The ways to develop a country and a nation are endless. “

Dharmapala emphasised that although the British had ruled Sri Lanka for many years, they did not teach any industry for the betterment of the Sinhalese. They should go to the United States, Japan, or Germany, study industries, then come to Sri Lanka and start a nation-building program. He believed that through this, an independent and strong local economy could be created. Dharmapala said that the Sinhalese should pay special attention to this matter as it would cost a lot of money. Dharmapala criticised the Sinhalese for not paying attention to the local industries that existed in Sri Lanka at that time and for buying foreign products instead of local products.

Seven-point program

Dharmapala did not limit himself to lectures but also presented a seven-point program for the establishment of indigenous industries in Sri Lanka to make that task more practical.

* To develop and become self-sufficient, we must avoid the consumption of foreign goods.

* Every product that can be produced in the country should be manufactured and should be used.

* Wealth and job creation can be increased by restarting industries in the country.

* Must have an understanding of the basic principles of wealth generation, circulation, and exchange.

* Methods should be developed to protect and improve natural resources.

* Only competent and specialised administrative officers should be appointed to higher posts.

* Acquiring knowledge of foreign languages is in the national interest, and a program to acquire knowledge of those languages should be implemented.

This program, presented by Dharmapala, can also be used in the future. Special attention will be paid to the last two proposals. Addiction to imported goods is also a major factor contributing to the economic crisis. In looking at the Dharmapala Chinthanaya, the efforts made by the Government to make economic gains using local resources should be appreciated.

Dharmapala’s contribution to the development of the Indigenous industrial sector was immense.

Dharmapala did not stop at presenting this seven facts program but pioneered the establishment of local industries in Sri Lanka to the best of his ability by sending Sinhalese to Japan annually for industrial training. He received the contribution from his father, Don Carolis Hewawitharana, and brothers.

Among the students sent to Japan under this category were U.B. Dolapihille Textile Industry, Matara Hanthi Appuhamy Flower Industry and Art Industry, John F. Cooray Perfume Industry, N.J. Somarathne studied paper industry, BiyangodaBalasuriya matchbox industry, Veyangoda Vijaya Bandu pottery industry, and Munasinghe farming. Later, Sri Lankans were sent to Japan to study the pottery industry and the candle industry, many of whom were educated at the Tokyo Higher Technical College. (Tokyo Higher Technical School)

The Hewavitharana family had provided financial assistance for all these activities and had set up a fund called the Fund for Buddhist Technical Education by allocating property worth Rs. 35,000. The Hewavitharana family generously provided financial assistance to those who had studied industry in Japan to come to Sri Lanka to set up industries. Educated at the degree level by the textile industry Dolapihille started the Hewavitharana Textile College in Rajagiriya in 1913 under him.

The college not only trained the weavers but also the weavers in the handloom industry. It was during this period that Biangoda Balasuriya, who had learned about the matchbox industry in Japan, started the Ceylon Matchbox Company in Kelaniya in 1918 with the support of this family. The company, known as the “Aliya Matchbox,” even received funding from the Swedish Government.

Dharmapala also drew attention to the furniture industry, which was the business of the Hewavitharana family and Dharmapala’s father, Don Carolis Hewavitharana Mudali, had been engaged in the furniture industry since about 1860.

As a result of Dharmapala’s efforts to encourage his family members to manufacture furniture to international standards, the new technology at Don Carolis and Sons’s new factory at Slave Street was installed with a 30-horsepower steam engine. It enabled the production of furniture to a higher standard and employed about 250 Sinhalese in the lumber and furniture manufacturing sections of the new factory.

Plantations

To set an example to others, Dharmapala bought estates with his personal wealth and cultivated in those plantations. He did not stop at cultivating plantation crops in estates bought from a certain area, but also visited those areas to create Buddhist revivals and promote Buddhist education.

Although Dharmapala initially suggested that to establish an indigenous industrial sector, one should go abroad to acquire the knowledge required for it, once it became operational in Sri Lanka, he emphasised the need to establish a program to provide technical education in Sri Lanka itself. Dharmapala’s opinion was that the industrial and technical education system in the United States at that time should be used as an example.

R.J. De Silva stated in the Biography of Srimath Anagarika Dharmapala, as Dharmapala having said, “The British seem to have learned something about the current industrial and technical education system in the United States. The American system of education is the highest level of education that the humanitarian system can reach. The Washington Department of Agriculture works like a beehive to produce products suitable for farmers.

Professors are constantly busy preparing, examining, and advising on important tasks. They make a lot of money from it. Our youth should go to America instead of going to other countries. Americans have shown great kindness to our people. They have also expressed their desire for me to bring some young people to this country free of university fees. In accordance with this will, we wish that all Sri Lankan children will receive a free education in the United States.”

Education system

Dharmapala was critical of the education system in Sri Lanka and stressed the need for a new education system to be introduced in Sri Lanka and the need for Sinhalese to raise funds for it. Dharmapala seems to have believed that the new education should sharpen our knowledge by focusing on new areas. During his visit to the United States in 1902, Dharmapala established a Technical College Fund.

Under this, Dharmapala took the first step towards starting technical colleges and libraries in Varanasi, Calcutta, and Sarnath. Although there was a need for Dharmapala to establish similar technical colleges in Ceylon, it was hampered by the British rulers’ house arrest in India and the outbreak of World War I.

However, the English Government took steps in 1916 to establish an agricultural college called the School of Tropical Agriculture in Peradeniya due to the enthusiasm created by Sri Lankans for the establishment of industrial and technical colleges in Ceylon by Dharmapala. In 1917, the Government replaced the School of Tropical Agriculture in Peradeniya with two Agricultural Colleges in Peradeniya and Jaffna, one year of which was conducted in Sinhala and Tamil.

Dharmapala emphasised the need to establish colleges for industrial and technical education in Sri Lanka to systematically sustain the development of indigenous industries. This Dharmapala concept is relevant not only for the present but also for the future.

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