Religious Identity, Mahavamsa Political Thought and State Accountability in Sri Lanka

A Historical–Political Critical Analysis from the Bandaranaike Assassination to the Easter Sunday Attack Judgements

Introduction

An in-depth examination of Sri Lanka’s political history reveals a long-standing political structure in which religion, ethnic identity, nationalism, state power, and the rule of law have not existed as separate domains, but have remained deeply interconnected.

The Easter Sunday terrorist attacks of 21 April 2019 cannot be examined merely through the narrow framework of a security failure or an intelligence lapse. To understand the deeper political background of this tragedy, it is essential to examine the political–nationalist ideologies that emerged and developed from the 1880s onwards, the constitutional transformations after colonial rule, the functioning of state institutions, and the centralisation of political authority.

The death penalty judgements (31/07/2026, Colombo) delivered against former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and former Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara represent significant judicial developments concerning the accountability of state officials.

However, a nation’s historical and political challenges cannot be fully addressed through individual punishment alone. The broader political circumstances and institutional structures that contributed to such failures must also be examined.

1. The Formation of Political–Nationalist Trajectories from the 1880s

From the late nineteenth century, particularly after the 1880s, religious, linguistic, and ethnic identities in Sri Lanka gradually acquired new political meanings.

Colonial administrative classifications, transformations in educational and administrative opportunities, religious revival movements, and nationalist political developments collectively shaped the subsequent political trajectory of Sri Lanka.

During this period, Buddhist revivalist movements and political movements centred on Sinhala language and cultural identity gained prominence.

Subsequently, in certain political interpretations, the Mahavamsa came to be viewed not merely as a historical–religious chronicle, but also as a symbol used in discussions concerning national identity and political legitimacy.

As a result, critics argue that a close relationship developed between religious identity and the exercise of state authority.

2. The Bandaranaike Assassination: The Intersection of Religious Identity, Politics and Power

On 25 September 1959, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike (S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike) was attacked by gunfire. He died the following day.

The individual convicted in connection with this assassination was Talduwe Somarama Thero.

At the time, he was a Buddhist monk. Following judicial proceedings, he was sentenced to death.

Before the execution of the death sentence, he renounced his Buddhist monastic identity and converted to Christianity. He was executed at Welikada Prison in 1962.

This event raises a significant historical and political question:

How does the transformation of an offender’s personal religious identity influence the subsequent political memory and interpretation of that event?

*Some critics argue that, after a Buddhist monk was convicted in a political assassination, his conversion to Christianity resulted in the incident being remembered primarily as an individual criminal act, rather than being examined through a broader discussion concerning the relationship between religion, politics, and power*.

*3. Religious Identity, Political Memory and Accountability*

A significant criticism within Sri Lanka’s political history concerns the question:

Are different events remembered and interpreted with equal political and historical consideration?

Critics argue that, at certain points in history, the personal identity, religion, or background of individuals involved in wrongdoing has been interpreted differently according to political circumstances.

Similarly, there is criticism that certain political movements have presented themselves as protectors of historical and religious traditions in order to legitimise their political authority.

Within this framework, critical discussions have emerged regarding Theravada Buddhist political nationalism and its relationship with the state machinery.

4. The Easter Sunday Attacks: A Test of Modern State Accountability

The Easter Sunday attacks of 21 April 2019 exposed a profound failure within Sri Lanka’s security system.

Although intelligence warnings had reportedly been available prior to the attacks, allegations emerged that sufficient preventive measures were not taken on the basis of those warnings.

Subsequently, the following areas came under serious examination:

The effectiveness of security institutions;

Information-sharing mechanisms among state agencies;

The responsibility of political leadership;

The legal duties of senior officials.

However, a comprehensive understanding of the Easter Sunday attacks cannot be achieved by examining only the events of 2019.

Their deeper roots must also be studied in relation to long-term historical processes, including:

Nationalist political developments that emerged from the 1880s;

The relationship between religion and state authority;

Constitutional transformations after independence;

Power relations involving minority communities;

The political characteristics of security institutions.

5. The 2026 Judgements: Legal Accountability and the Wider Political Question

The judgements against Hemasiri Fernando and Pujith Jayasundara emphasise the principle that state officials are also subject to accountability under the law.

However, a broader political question remains:

Are individual punishments sufficient, or must the political and institutional structures that contributed to such failures also be subjected to investigation?

Reducing a national security failure solely to individual responsibility risks overlooking the wider institutional and political factors that shaped the circumstances.

6. Political Authority, Nationalism and Historical Responsibility

Some political analysts argue that, throughout various periods of Sri Lanka’s history, majority nationalist politics has utilised religious identities and historical narratives as instruments of political authority.

At the centre of this criticism are:

The political construction of guardians of historical traditions;

The political protection of majority identity;

The centralisation of state power.

From this perspective, genuine accountability for the Easter Sunday attacks should not end with punishments imposed upon certain officials. It must also include an examination of political ideologies, institutional structures, and historical continuities.

7. The Social Responsibility of Recording History

History is not merely a record written by victors.

It is also a collection of:

The memories of victims;

The pursuit of justice;

Judicial records;

The continuity of political events.

The purpose of recording history is not to compel everyone to adopt a single viewpoint. Rather, it is to establish a foundation through evidence, documentation, and historical continuity, enabling future generations to examine and understand events objectively.

Conclusion

From the assassination of Bandaranaike in 1959 to the Easter Sunday attacks of 2019 and the judgements against state officials in 2026, a continuing question remains within Sri Lanka’s political history:

When political authority, religious identity, and state institutions become interconnected, who bears the ultimate responsibility for public security and justice?

A genuine examination of the Easter Sunday attacks should not end with identifying individual perpetrators or responsible officials alone.

It must also encompass:

The nature of the constitutional order;

Equality before the law;

Accountability of state institutions;

Society’s capacity to record historical truths honestly.

Concealing the origins of history while examining only its final consequences cannot reveal the complete truth.

History recorded through evidence and documentation will remain a permanent testimony before future generations.

Nila Bala

Great Britain

31/07/2026

17:10