D.S. Senanayake- A study of his foreign policy

( March 28, 2012, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) On February 4, 1948, Ceylon regained her freedom. As a colony, she had no independent foreign policy. During the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, the whole of South-East Asia was controlled by Western power, and had no means of following a foreign policy of its own. It was during this period that man's economic environment changed from feudalism to capitalism; that the great discoveries which gave man greater control over the forces of nature, were made; and the industrial revolution was ushered in.

The foreign policies of the Western powers, which alone counted, had their beginning during this period, and the theories of balance of power commenced then. During this formative period in the history of mankind, Ceylon, together with so many of her neighbours, was tied to the chariot wheels of the British Empire, and her foreign policy was the foreign policy of the United Kingdom.

Dudley Senanayake with his father Prime Minister D. S. Senanayake and Finance Minister J. R. Jayewardena. He was then Minister of Agriculture & Lands. - File Photo

To mark the 60th death anniversary of the country’s first premier we publish an extract from an article by J.R. Jayewardene, who served as Finance Minister in Mr. Senanayake’s Cabinet

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