Veera Puran Appu: stood up against the might of British Empire

Veera Puran Appu originally Veera Hennedige Francisco Fernando was born on the 7th of November, 1812 in Moratuwa and was executed by the British on the 8th of August, 1848 in Kandy. Francisco left Moratuwa at the age of 13 and stayed for sometime at Ratnapura with his uncle Marcellenus Fernando, the first Sinhala proctor who had a flourishing practice there. Between 1842 and 1844, he became famous as a fearless person in the Uva province. In early 1847, he met and married Bandaramenike, the daughter of Gunnepana Arachchi in Kandy.

By the time Puran Appu came to Kandy the Kandyan provinces were in a state of turmoil. They had been under British rule for 32 years. The depression in the United Kingdom had severely affected the local coffee and cinnamon industry. Also, a blight had struck the coffee plant.

Planters and merchants clamoured for a reduction of export duties. Sir Emmerson Tennent, the Colonial Secretary in Colombo recommended to Earl Grey, Secretary of State for Colonies in London that taxation should be radically shifted from indirect taxation to direct taxation. This proposal was accepted. It was decided to abolish the export duty on coffee and reduce the export duty on cinnamon leaving a deficit of 40,000 Pounds Sterling which was to be met by direct taxes on the people. A new Governor, 35 year old Torrington, a cousin of Prime Minister Lord Russel was despatched to Colombo by Queen Victoria to carry out these reforms.