Ceylon Stamp Bulletin No.11
Office of the Postmaster-General and Director of Telecommunications, Posts and Telecommunications headquarters, Duke Street, Colombo 1 (Ceylon)
27th Janury 1969
With the issue of this stamp we are paying tribute to E.W.Perera, an illustrious son of Ceylon, a scholar, legal luminary and patriot. Very early in mature years he showed all those estimable qualities which soon qualified him to be elected as a member of the Legislative Council.
One of the most colourful episodes of his career was his mission to Whitehall in 1915, when martial law had been declared shortly after the outbreak of riots. He sailed the high seas when World War 1 was at its height and safely conveyed to London certain vital documents which he secreted in the toe of his shoe. He suceeded in his mission and obtained very tangible results, one of which was the granting of progressive political reforms in Ceylon. In this battle he was in the forefront with other leaders of political thinking like H.J.C. Pereira, D.B. Jayatileke, P.Arunachalam, P.Ramanthan, James Peiris, W.A. de Silva, F.R. Senanayake and D.R. Wijewardene.
E.W.Perera was an uncompromising critic of the Government of his day. As the acknowledged leader and President of the National Congress he led its deputation before the Donoughmore Commission in 1926/27. Sincere to his convictions, he opposed the granting of universal franchise, and in later years he broke with his colleagues in the Congress. He gave scant consideration to personal glory and demonstrated this indifference when he refused the office of speaker in the State Council. He set high standards in public and political behaviour and made a very real and vital contribution to the political growth of his country. He died in 1953 on the 16th of February.
Technical Details
| Denomination | 60 cents |
| Printers | Harrison & Sons Ltd. United Kingdom. |
| Design | Stamp depicts a portrait of the late Mr. E. W. Perera |
| Colours | Sepia Brown |
| Format | Vertical |
| Size | 24 x 29 mm. (Approx.) |
| Date of Issue | 17.2.1969 |
| Printing Process | Photogravure |
| Sheet Composition | 100 stamps per sheet |
First Day Cover Service
An Official First Day Cover with a picture of the late Mr. E. W. Perera will be available for sale in two sizes. The price of a large cover is 20 cents and a small cover 15 cents.
Vernon Abeysekera,
Postmaster-General and
Director of Telecommunications
