Suriya-Mal Movement

The Suriya-Mal Movement was formed in British occupied Ceylon (Sri Lanka) to sell Suriya (Portia tree) flowers on Poppy Day for the benefit of Sri Lankan ex-servicemen. The movement became anti-imperialist in character. It was also involved in relief work during the Malaria epidemic of 1934-1935.

In protest against the proceeds of Poppy sales on Armistice Day (11 November) being used for the benefit of the British ex-servicemen to the detriment of Sri Lankan ex-servicemen, one of the latter, Mr Aelian Perera, had started a rival sale of Suriya flowers on the same day, the proceeds of which were devoted to help needy Ceylonese ex-servicemen.

In 1933 a British teacher Doreen Young, wrote an article, The Battle of the Flowers which was published in the Ceylon Daily News and exposed the absurdity of forcing Sri Lankan schoolchildren to purchase poppies to help British veterans at the expense of their own, which caused her to be vilified by her compatriots.

The South Colombo Youth League then became involved in the Suriya Mal Movement and revived it on a new anti-imperialist and anti-war basis. Annually, until the Second World War, young men and women sold Suriya flowers on the streets on Armistice Day in competition with the Poppy sellers. The purchasers of the Suriya Mal were generally from the poorer sections of society and the funds collected were not large. But the movement provided a rallying point for the anti-imperialist minded youth of the time. An attempt was made by the British colonial authorities to curb the movement's effectiveness, by means of legislation, in the form the 'Street Collection Regulation Ordinance'.

Doreen Young was elected as first President of the Suriya Mal Movement at a meeting held at the residence of Wilmot Perera in Horana. Terence de Zilva and Robin Ratnam were elected Joint Secretaries, and Roy de Mel was elected as Treasurer.

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