1.
Geography of Sri Lanka
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Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an island country in South Asia near south-east India. Sri Lanka has maritime borders with India to the northwest and the Maldives to the southwest, Sri Lankas documented history spans 3,000 years, with evidence of pre-historic human settlements dating back to at least 125,000 years. Its geographic location and deep harbours made it of strategic importance from the time of the ancient Silk Road through to World War II. Sri Lanka was known from the beginning of British colonial rule until 1972 as Ceylon, Sri Lankas recent history has been marred by a thirty-year civil war which decisively ended when the Sri Lankan military defeated the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in 2009. A diverse and multicultural country, Sri Lanka is home to many religions, ethnic groups, in addition to the majority Sinhalese, it is home to large groups of Sri Lankan and Indian Tamils, Moors, Burghers, Malays, Kaffirs and the aboriginal Vedda. Sri Lanka has a rich Buddhist heritage, and the first known Buddhist writings of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka is a republic and a unitary state governed by a semi-presidential system. The legislative capital, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, is a suburb of the capital and largest city. Along with the Maldives, Sri Lanka is one of the two countries in South Asia that are rated among high human development on the Human Development Index. In antiquity, Sri Lanka was known to travellers by a variety of names, according to the Mahavamsa, the legendary Prince Vijaya named the land Tambapanni, because his followers hands were reddened by the red soil of the area. In Hindu mythology, such as the Mahabharata, the island was referred to as Lankā, in Tamil, the island is referred to as Eelam. Ancient Greek geographers called it Taprobanā or Taprobanē from the word Tambapanni, as a British crown colony, the island was known as Ceylon, it achieved independence as the Dominion of Ceylon in 1948. The country is known in Sinhalese as Śrī Laṃkā and in Tamil as Ilaṅkai, in 1972, its formal name was changed to Free, Sovereign and Independent Republic of Sri Lanka. Later in 1978 it was changed to the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, as the name Ceylon still appears in the names of a number of organisations, the Sri Lankan government announced in 2011 a plan to rename all those over which it has authority. The pre-history of Sri Lanka goes back 125,000 years, the era spans the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and early Iron Ages. Among the Paleolithic human settlements discovered in Sri Lanka, Pahiyangala and it is said that Kubera was overthrown by his demon stepbrother Ravana, the powerful emperor who built a mythical flying machine named Dandu Monara. The modern city of Wariyapola is described as Ravanas airport, early inhabitants of Sri Lanka were probably ancestors of the Vedda people, an indigenous people numbering approximately 2,500 living in modern-day Sri Lanka. According to the Mahāvamsa, a written in Pāḷi, the original inhabitants of Sri Lanka are the Yakshas and Nagas. Ancient cemeteries that were used before 600BC and other signs of advanced civilization has also discovered in Sri Lanka
2.
Parliament of Sri Lanka
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The Parliament of Sri Lanka is the 225-member unicameral legislature of Sri Lanka. The members of Parliament are elected by proportional representation for five-year terms, Parliament reserves the power to make all laws. It is modeled after the British Parliament, the Speaker or, in his absence the Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Committees or the Deputy Chairman of Committees, presides over Parliament. The nations President has the power to summon, suspend, prorogue, or terminate a legislative session, of the 225 members,196 are elected from 22 electoral districts, which are multi-member. The remaining 29 MPs are elected from National Lists allocated to the parties in proportion to their share of the national vote, at first it was made up of only British officials but later included native citizens. At the beginning 16, and later 49, members were elected for the Legislative Council, but a limited number of people were qualified to vote. It was based on the Westminster model with a house, the Senate, whose members were appointed and a lower house of parliament. The Senate was abolished on 2 October 1971, on 22 May 1972 when the republican constitution was enacted, the House of Representatives was replaced with the National State Assembly which had 168 elected members. This itself was replaced by the Parliament of Sri Lanka when the constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka was enacted in 1977, in 1987, a grenade was lobbed into a conference room inside the Parliament complex where government MPs were meeting. Two people were killed and sixteen injured, but the target of the attack, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna claimed responsibility for the attack. The Presidential Secretariat announced that the Government will be functioning as joint government comprising two major parties, until 1972, the post was known as Clerk of Parliament. Currently, the Secretary Generals administration is divided into eight departments, the Staff Advisory Committee established under the Parliamentary Staff Act provides advice and guidance to the Parliamentary Secretariat with respect to matters concerning Parliamentary staff. The SAC consists of the Speaker, the Leader of the House, the Minister of Finance and the Leader of the Opposition. On January 29,1930 the British Governor of Ceylon, Sir Herbert Stanley, opened a building fronting the ocean at Galle Face, Colombo and it was subsequently used by the State Council, the House of Representatives, the National State Assembly and the Parliament of Sri Lanka. Today the Old Parliament Building is used by the Presidential Secretariat, in 1967 under Speaker Albert F. The island was where the palace of the King Vikramabahu IIIs powerful Minister Nissaka Alakesvara had been situated and it had belonged to E. W. Perera prior to being vested in the state. The building was designed by architect Deshamanya Geoffrey Bawa and built with Sri Lankan funds, on April 29,1982, the new Parliamentary Complex was declared open by President J. R. Jayewardene. Committee On Public Enterprises Politics of Sri Lanka List of legislatures by country Official website
3.
Ceylonese parliamentary election, 1947
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General elections were held in Ceylon from 23 August to 20 September 1947. This is considered the first national election held in Sri Lanka, although it took place before independence was actually granted, it was the first election under the Soulbury Constitution. Some of the figures who had led the independence struggle were found in the rightwing United National Party led by D. S. Senanayake. In opposition were the Trotskyist Lanka Sama Samaja Party and Bolshevik Leninist Party of India, the Communist Party of Ceylon, the Ceylon Indian Congress and an array of independents. Senanayakes UNP fell short of a majority, but was able to form a government in coalition with the All Ceylon Tamil Congress, Sri Lanka obtained full independence as a dominion in 1948. Result of Parliamentary General Election 1947, archived from the original on 2016-02-04. Chapter 11, On the threshold of freedom
4.
United National Party
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The United National Party, often abbreviated as UNP, is a political party in Sri Lanka. It currently is the ruling party in the government of Sri Lanka and is headed by Ranil Wickremesinghe. The UNP is considered to have right-leaning, pro-capitalist, and liberal conservative policies. 66% of the popular vote and it beat the United Peoples Freedom Alliance, a left-leaning coalition, which won 44. 38% of the vote. The Front held a majority in parliament with the support of some UPFA members, the UNP had previously been the governing party or in the governing coalition from 1947 to 1956, from 1965 to 1970, from 1977 to 1994 and 2001 to 2004. In total, the UNP governed Sri Lanka for 38 of 69 years of its independent history, the UNP also had control of the executive presidency from the presidencys formation in 1978 to 1994. The UNP is a party to the right of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. The UNP is also member of the International Democrat Union, the UNP was founded on 6 September 1946 by amalgamating three right-leaning pro-dominion parties from the majority Sinhalese community and minority Tamil and Muslim communities. The UNP represented the community and the landed gentry. However, Senanayake also adopted populist policies that made the party accepted in the grassroots level. S Senanayake is considered as the father of the nation, after independnece he refused a Knighthood but maintained good relations with Britain and was a Privy Counsel. These measures were intended primarily to undermine the Left electorally, in 1952 Prime Minister Senanayake died in a riding accident, and his son Dudley became Prime Minister. This irked long standing UNP stalwart S. W. R. D, bandaranaike, a Buddhist nationalist leader known for his centre-left views. Bandaranaike quit the party to found the Sri Lanka Freedom Party as a force between the UNP and Marxist parties. In 1953 the UNP attempted to reduce the rice ration and there was a Hartal, there was growing disaffection with the UNP particularly because of its support of minority religious groups, most notably Catholics, to the consternation of the predominantly Buddhist Sinhalese. Bandaranaike was able to take advantage and lead the SLFP to victory in the 1956 elections, soon afterwards he passed the controversial Sinhala Only Act, which led to communal clashes in 1958. For the latter, he was called “Yankee Dickey. ”After Dudley Senanayake’s death in 1973, J. R. Jayewardene became leader of the UNP, the party won an unprecedented five-sixths of the seats in parliament. J. R. Jayewardene got himself elected Executive President by Parliament and, in 1978, the UNP opened up the economy and revolutionized the entire outlook of the country. Free-trade zones such as in Katunayaka and Biyagama were established in order to generate employment which resulted in leading international companies investing in Sri Lanka, the government undertook massive development work to promote hydroelectricity and agriculture. Reservoirs were built at Victoria, Randenigala, Rantambe and Kotmale while Maduru Oya and he created the University of Ruhuna and the Eastern University as well as the Medical faculty of the Jaffna university Bandaranayake International Airport was modernized and Air Lanka was created
5.
Lanka Sama Samaja Party
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The Lanka Sama Samaja Party is a Trotskyist political party in Sri Lanka. The party was founded in 1935 and emerged as a political force in the Sri Lankan independence movement during the 1940s. It joined a government in 1964, and was then expelled from the Fourth International. It peaked in strength in the 1970s, but has declined gradually during the last 30 years. In the parliamentary election held on 2 April 2004, the party was part of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance, one of those 105 seats belongs to LSSP. The Lanka Sama Samaja Party was the first modern party in Sri Lanka and the first party to have an indigenous name rather than an English one. The Sinhala term samasamajaya was one coined by Dally Jayawardena in the Swadesa Mitraya to translate the term socialist, however, the usage of samasamajaya has since been superseded by samajavadaya in everything but in the names of the LSSP and various of its splinter groups. The Tamil term samadharmam was used to translate socialist, but nowadays the English term is used, the Lanka Sama Samaja Party was founded on 18 December 1935 with the broad aims of Independence and Socialism, by a group of young people who had gathered together for that purpose. The group at the commencement numbered a bare half-dozen composed principally of students who had returned from abroad, influenced deeply by the ideas of Karl Marx and Lenin. The original group consisted of N. M. Perera, Colvin R. de Silva, Leslie Goonewardene, Philip Gunawardena, the LSSP grew out of the Youth Leagues, in which a nucleus of Marxists had developed. The leaders were mainly educated returnees from London, youth who had come into contact with the ideas of the European Left and were influenced by Harold Laski. Dr S. A. Wickremasinghe, an early returnee and a member of the State Council from 1931, was part of this group, the group, through the South Colombo Youth League, became involved in a strike at the Wellawatte Spinning and Weaving Mills. It published a journal in Sinhala, Kamkaruwa. In 1933 the group got involved in the Suriya-Mal movement, which had formed to provide support for indigenous ex-servicemen by the sale of Suriya flowers. The Suriya-Mal movement surged as a reaction to the fact that at the time Poppy Day funds went solely to British ex-servicemen, the movement was honed by volunteer work among the poor during the Malaria Epidemic of 1934-1935. The volunteers found that there was widespread malnutrition, which helped fight by making pills of Marmite yeast extract. In 1936 the LSSP contested the State Council elections in four constituencies, the two new members, Philip Gunawardena and N. M. Perera, proved to be a thorn in the side of the British Colonial government. The LSSP began fraternal relations with the Congress Socialist Party of India, Mrs Kamaladevi Chattopadhyaya of the CSP was invited by the LSSP for a highly successful political tour of the island
6.
Gampaha District
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Gampaha District is one of the 25 districts of Sri Lanka, the second level administrative division of the country. It is the second most populous district of Sri Lanka after Colombo District, the district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The capital of the district is the town of Gampaha, negombo is the largest city of this district. The district was carved out of the part of Colombo District in September 1978. Gampaha District is located in the west of Sri Lanka and has an area of 1,387 square kilometres and it is bounded by Kurunegala and Puttalam districts from north, Kegalle District from east, Colombo District from south and by the Indian Ocean from west. The borders of the district are the Maha River on the north, Gampaha District is divided into 13 Divisional Secretarys Division, each headed by a Divisional Secretary. The DS Divisions are further sub-divided into 1,177 Grama Niladhari Divisions, Gampaha Districts population was 2,294,641 in 2012. The majority of the population are Sinhalese, with a minority Sri Lankan Moor and Sri Lankan Tamil population
7.
Walauwa
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Walauwa is the name given to a feudal/colonial manor house in Ceylon of a native headmen. It is also reference to the social systems that existed during the colonial era. There were 18 main walauwas in the Kandyan Kingdom of Ceylon, gurugalpola Walawwa-Galagedra There were 30 main walauwas in the Sathara Korale of Ceylon according to the Sathara Korale Viththi Grantha. There were in order, There have been a number of other prominent, well known walauwas in Ceylon. These walauwas comprised a mix of Sri Lankan, Portuguese, Dutch, the word Walauwa may not have a Sinhalese origin, it is unclear whether it was a Sinhalese word from the beginning, but this word may have been adapted from the Tamil word Walaw. In Sinhalese, it gives a sound rather than the singular word Walaw which means Mansion. The typical Sinhala term is Maha Gedhara, the English word of Walauwa is, Manor or Manor-House, and its a large house with lands. The Walauwas and its owners were supported by the larger lands and these were either land grants from Kings or government service or acquired by successful enterprise and passed down though generations. Their owners were the elites of Ceylon, as such they gained a status of power. A notable feature of many of these walauwas, especially Kandyan walauwas was an interior open space/garden known as the medha midula, There is another theory about Walauwas. Walavum means a place where a judgement is given and those people who occupied the Walauwas had the authority to pass judgement over people with the authority provided by a Royal decree either Sinhala or English. The older walauwas were neither tiled, very large or highly ornate as the king had placed certain restrictions, mansions replaced the walauwas in the urban areas towards the latter part of the nineteenth century. Though they were referred to as walauwas by the public, the owners usually referred to them with modern names, There are many large mansions of more recent origin which are not walauwas both in the Kandyan and the Low Country areas. This however has changed in the years after independence with the rise of a middle class based on profession. The elites held much power within the political cycles, the most significant change occurred in the 1970s with the socialist style land reforms that were bought into place. This limited private land ownership to fifty acres, and private ownership to two houses. Most families sold off their lands or had taken over by the government
8.
Gamini Fonseka
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Sembuge Gamini Shelton Fonseka was a Sri Lankan film actor, film director and politician. He is widely regarded as the King of Sri Lankan cinema history, Fonseka was born on 21 March 1936 in Dehiwela the third child of William and Daisy Fonseka. Starting school at a Presbyterian institution, Gamini moved on to S. Thomas College, as a youngster, he gained repute for imitating administrative figures at school. Gamini also prospered in the study of the Sinhala language and literature, the award for this achievement was presented to him by S. Thomas graduate and Sri Lankan Prime Minister D. S. Senanayake. Gamini was also a cricket player. Gamini Fonseka married his longtime girlfriend Dorothy Margaret Valencia also known as Tina in 1962 and had four children Chamila, Thanuja, Dammith, many years later he also fathered Kaushalya and Poornima. He remained married to Tina until his death in September 2004, Fonseka abruptly ended his secondary education and dove into the film industry. He originally wanted to be a cameraman and in this line worked as the second Assistant Director on David Leans Bridge on the River Kwai, Fonseka was first on-screen in Rekava as part of a crowd. He also did work on an English television series filmed in Sri Lanka. Fonsekas first credited acting role was in Daiwa Yogaya in which he played a small role, Lester James Peries Sandesaya first established him in a leading role. With films like Adata Wediya Heta Hondai, Ranmuthu Duwa, Getawarayo and Dheevarayo Fonseka achieved popularity, seeking to not play just commercial roles, Fonseka appeared as Jinadasa in the groundbreaking Gamperaliya working again with Peries. In Titus Thotawattes Chandiya, Fonseka played the first anti-hero role in Sri Lankan cinema and in Mike Wilsons Sorungeth Soru, he played the role of Jamis Banda, Fonseka also tried out directing to much accolade. His debut directorial work Parasathu Mal was warmly received and he directed a political satire Sagarayak Meda. The other films that were directed by him include Kotiwaligaya and Nomiyana Minissu. He entered telecinema as well, both films have been recognised with Presidential awards among the 10 best Sri Lankan film. In 1980 Fonseka played Jaffna Tamil clerk Nadarajah in Sunil Ariyaratnes Sarungale and he was elected to Parliament in 1989 as a representative of the Matara District with the highest number of preferential votes and was appointed Deputy Speaker of Parliament of Sri Lanka. He was later appointed by President Chandrika Kumaratunga as Governor of the former North-East Province, Fonseka died at the age of 68 at his residence in Ja ela. Until his death, Fonseka acted on 108 films, where 86 of them as lead actor and 19 more as a supporting actor and he directed 10 films and produced 2 films
9.
Sri Lankan rupee
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The rupee is the currency of Sri Lanka, divided into 100 cents. It is issued by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, the abbreviation is generally Rs. but SLRs. is occasionally used to distinguish it from other currencies also called rupee. The British pound became Ceylons official money of account in 1825, replacing the Ceylonese rixdollar at a rate of 1 pound = 13 1⁄3 rixdollars, Treasury notes denominated in pounds were issued in 1827, replacing the earlier rixdollar notes. Rixdollar notes not presented for exchange were demonetized in June 1831, the Indian rupee was made Ceylons standard coin on 26 September 1836, and Ceylon reverted to the Indian currency area. Pound-denominated treasury notes continued to circulate after 1836, along with the rupee, the legal currency remained British silver and accounts were kept in pounds, shillings and pence. However, payments were made in rupees and annas at the par of 2 shillings per rupee. The Bank of Ceylon was the first private bank to issue banknotes on the island, the Indian rupee was formally established as the unlimited legal tender 18 June 1869. The rupee was decimalized 23 August 1871, thus, the rupee of 100 cents became Ceylons money of account and sole legal tender effective 1 January 1872, replacing British currency at a rate of 1 rupee =2 shillings 3 pence. In 1872, copper 1⁄4, 1⁄2,1 and 5 cents coins dated 1870 were introduced, followed in 1892 by silver 10,25 and 50 cents, production of the 1⁄4 cent ceased in 1904. The large, copper 5 cents coin was replaced in 1909 by a much smaller cupro-nickel coin which was square with rounded corners, in 1919, the fineness of silver used was reduced from.800 to.550. Between 1940 and 1944, a change in the coinage was carried out. Production of the 1⁄2 cent ceased in 1940, with bronze 1 cent introduced in 1942 with reduced weight, nickel-brass replaced cupro-nickel in the 5 cents in the same year and replaced silver in the 25 and 50 cents in 1943. In 1944, nickel-brass, scalloped shaped 2 and 10 cents coins were introduced, the scalloped 10 cents coin replaced the silver 10 cents coin. Later 2 cent coins issued in 1957 were the coins from this period to ever depict Queen Elizabeth II. Coins with the portrait of King George VI continued to be issued despite his death, in 1957, cupro-nickel 1 rupee coins and.925 silver 5 rupee coins commemorating 2500 years of Buddhism were issued. In 1963, a new coinage was introduced which omitted the British monarchs portrait, coins issued were aluminium 1 and 2 cents, nickel brass 5 and 10 cents and cupro-nickel 25 and 50 cents and 1 rupee. These coins had the shapes and sizes of the previous series but were composed of different materials. In 1976, commemorative seven-sided 2 rupee and ten-sided 5 rupee coins were introduced in limited numbers, in 1978, devaluation prompted aluminum to be the replacement of nickel-brass in the 5 and 10 cents, while shortly after 1 and 2 cents were discontinued
10.
University of Ceylon
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The University of Ceylon was the only university in Sri Lanka from 1942 until 1972. It had several constituent campuses at various locations around Sri Lanka, the University of Ceylon Act No.1 of 1972, replaced it with the University of Sri Lanka which existed from 1973 to 1978. In 1978 it was separated into four independent universities and these are the University of Colombo, the University of Peradeniya, Vidyodaya University and the University of Kelaniya. Agitation for the provision of education in the island and for the establishment of a University began by the mid 19th century. Owing to the persistent demands of the Association the government decided in 1913 to set up a University College affiliated to the University of London. The Ceylon University College was formally declared open in January 1921 in the building that was originally the building of Royal College located on Thurstan Road opposite College House. From its inception, the University College was regarded as only a step, a half-way house. The University of Ceylon was established on 1 July 1942 by the Ceylon University Ordinance No.20 of 1942 by amalgamating the Ceylon Medical College, the first official announcement of the creation of a separate University in Colombo was made in Parliament in the Throne Speech of 1967. The University of Ceylon Act No.1 of 1972, which replaced the Higher Education Act of 1966 altered the complexion of the hitherto familiar University structure. The four independent autonomous universities which had set up by then. Its headquarters designated Senate House was located in Colombo and this arrangement did not last very long. With the promulgation of the Universities Act, the First Years of the University of Ceylon University of Colombo University of Peradeniya University of Sri Jayewardenepura
11.
The Island (Sri Lanka)
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The Island is a daily English-language newspaper in Sri Lanka. It is published by Upali Newspapers, a sister newspaper of Divaina, The Island was established in 1981. Its Sunday edition, Sunday Island, commenced publishing in 1991, the daily newspaper currently has a circulation of 70,000 and its Sunday edition,103,000 per issue. Its political leaning is toward pro-SLFP articles, list of newspapers in Sri Lanka The Island official website
12.
Ceylon Today
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Ceylon Today is an English language Sri Lankan daily newspaper published by Ceylon Newspapers Limited. It was founded in 2011 and is published from Colombo and its sister newspaper is the Mawbima. Ceylon Newspapers Limited is owned by politician Tiran Alles, the first edition of the newspaper was published on 18 November 2011. Editor in chief Lalith Allahakkoon was sacked on 13 June 2012, ibrahim was a former treasurer of the Free Media Movement and tried to prevent the FMM from reacting to Allahakkoons sacking. Ibrahim later resigned from the FMM
13.
Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
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The Prime Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is the leader of the cabinet business in Sri Lanka. However, the President is both head of state and head of government in Sri Lanka, the post of Prime Minister of Ceylon was created in 1947 prior to independence from Britain and the formation of the Dominion of Ceylon in 1948. United National Party leader D. S. Senanayake became the first Prime Minister of Then Ceylon in 1947 after independence, in 1972 when Sri Lanka became a republic the name of the post changed to Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. With a Westminster-based political system established the Prime Minister was the head of government therefore held the most powerful office of the country at the time. This changed with a change in 1978, when the Executive Presidency was created. Until 1978 the Prime minister was also the Minister of Defence, the Prime Minister is appointed by the President as a member of the cabinet of ministers. In the event the post president is vacant, the Prime Minister becomes the president until Parliament convenes to elect a successor or new elections could be held to elect a new president. This was the case with H. E, united National Party leaders Dudley Senanayake and Ranil Wickramasinghe together with Sri Lanka Freedom Party leader Sirimavo Bandaranaike was appointed three times to the position. With passing of the 19th amendment to the constitution in 2015, the current Prime Minister of Sri Lanka is Ranil Wickremesinghe, he was appointed by President Maithripala Sirisena on 9 January 2015. This was the time that Wickramasinghe was appointed Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. The official residence of the minister is the Prime Ministers House most commonly referred to as Temple Trees. The Prime Ministers Office is located on Sir Ernest de Silva Mawatha in Colombo, President of Sri Lanka Prime Ministers Office Parliament of Sri Lanka - Handbook of Parliament, Prime Ministers
14.
D. S. Senanayake
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Don Stephen Senanayake, PC was the first Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. He emerged as the leader of the Sri Lankan independence movement that led to the establishment of self-rule in Sri Lanka and he served as Prime Minister from the formation of an independent nation in 1948 until he died in office in 1952. He is considered as the Father of the Nation and he was born in the village of Botale. He was the son of Mudaliyar Don Spater Senanayake and Dona Catherina Elizabeth Perera Gunasekera Senanayake and he had two brothers, Don Charles D. C. Senanayake and Fredric Richard F. R. Senanayake, and one sister, brought up in a devout Buddhist family, he entered the prestigious Anglican school S. Thomas College, Mutwal. After completing schooling, he worked as a clerk in the Surveyor Generals Department, the three Senanayake brothers were involved in the temperance movement formed in 1912. When World War I broke out in 1914 they joined the Colombo Town Guard, the brothers were imprisoned without charges during the 1915 riots and faced the prospect of execution since the British Governor Sir Robert Chalmers considered the temperance movement as seditious. Brutal suppression of the riots by the British initiated the independence movement led by the educated middle class. Don Stephen and Don Charles were prominent members of the political party Lanka Mahajana Sabha, Fredrick Richard and Don Charles were committed supporters of the Young Mens Buddhist Association. D. S. Senanayake played a role in the independence movement. In 1924 Senanayake was elected unopposed to the Legislative Council of Ceylon from Negombo, Fredrick Richard died on a pilgrimage to Buddha Gaya in 1925 and Don Stephen assumed his leadership of the independence movement. In 1931 he was elected to the newly formed State Council of Ceylon representing the Ceylon National Congress and he effectively combated Ceylons agricultural problems and established the Land Development Ordinance, an agricultural policy to counter Ceylons rice problems. This policy earned him respect, and he continued to be a minister for fifteen years and he also enforced a productivity programme of Agricultural Modernisation. At the onset of World War II in the far east, D. S. Senanayake, as Minister of Agriculture and Lands and a member of the Ceylon war cabinet took an active role in food supply and control. A close relationship developed between Senanayake and the deputy commissioner Dr Ivor Jennings, principal of the Ceylon University College, Jennings, an expert on constitutional law, subsequently became D. Ss adviser on constitutional reforms aimed at gaining independence for the island. In December 1942, Senanayake became the Leader of the House and Vice Chairman of the Board of Ministers in the State Council, upon the retirement of Sir Baron Jayatilaka, Minister of Home Affairs. On 26 May 1943, the British Government made the Whitehall Declaration of 1943 on Ceylon constitutional change and this bypassed the Governor, who called for a commission from the colonial office to halt the activities of the ministers. In 1944, the Soulbury Commission was formed, in 1945, following Labours win in the 1945 general election, he proceeded to London and met the newly appointed Secretary of State for the Colonies, George Hall
15.
Dudley Senanayake
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Dudley Shelton Senanayake,19 June 1911 –13 April 1973) was a Ceylonese politician, who became the second Prime Minister of Ceylon and went on to become Prime Minister two more times. Dudley received his education at the prestigious S. Thomas College. He became the Head Prefect, captained the team at cricket at the Royal-Thomian and gained colours in Hockey, Boxing. Senanayake then went on to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge to read for Natural Science Tripos, after returning to Ceylon, Dudley was elected a member of the State Council while his father was Minister of Agriculture and served as a back-bencher for 10 years. He succeeding his father as Minister of Agriculture in 1946 and held the post after Independence and he was still serving as agriculture minister when his father died unexpectedly. Four days later, on 26 March 1952, to the surprise of many and he called a general election, which the UNP won. The government became unpopular a year later, in 1953, when the price of rice was raised, though the UNP remained in power, Senanayake resigned as prime minister during the Hartal 1953 and left politics. He returned to politics in 1957 when the UNP lost elections and he became the leader of the opposition and help force early elections in 1965 by persuading 14 supporters of Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike to defect. Senanayake served his longest term as minister from March 1965 to May 1970. His government originally consisted of six other parties and included both Tamil and Sinhalese nationalists and his government has been credited with restoring the Sri Lankan economy. He and his allies were defeated in the 1970 elections and he remained active in politics until his death, which occurred after a long illness on 13 April 1973
16.
Leader of the Opposition (Sri Lanka)
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The Leader of the Opposition in Sri Lanka is the politician who leads the main opposition party. This is the leader of the largest party not within the government, the post of Leader of the Opposition is a political office common in countries that are part of the Commonwealth of Nations. R. Sampanthan is the current opposition leader, since 3 September 2015 Those who have served as President or Prime Minister are indicated in italics, Parliament of Sri Lanka - Handbook of Parliament, Leaders of the Opposition President of Sri Lanka Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
17.
N. M. Perera
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Nanayakkarapathirage Martin Perera, better known as Dr. N. M. Perera, was one of the leaders of the Sri Lankan Trotskyist Lanka Sama Samaja Party. He was the first Trotskyist to become a cabinet minister, Perera started his schooling in the vernacular section of St. Josephs School, Grandpass and was later was admitted to the English section. From there he was sent for one year to a Branch School of S. Thomas College, Mutwal, then known as Cathedral Boys School, in 1919 he entered St Thomas prep, but left in 1922 and joined Ananda College. At Ananda he played cricket for the school, there he was a student of the legendary Professor Harold Laski, being awarded a PhD for his thesis on the Constitution of the German Weimar Republic. A further comparative study, of the Constitutions of the UK, United States, France and Germany, at the time Perera was the only person in Sri Lanka to hold the degree of Doctor of Science. In 1935 Perera was one of the members of the LSSP. His opponent was Molamure Kumarihamy of the Meedeniya Walauwa, the manor which had tremendous power over the poor people of the Sabaragamuwa area at the time. He was to hold this seat, or its Yatiyantota portion on division and he was imprisoned in 1940 during World War II, but succeeded in escaping on 5 April 1942. He secretly went to India and worked with the Bolshevik-Leninist Party of India, Ceylon, but According to Encyclopedia of Marxism 1936–40, he was the LSSP delegate to Indian National Congress session,1937. Formed Ratmalana Railway Workers Union,1937, and All-Ceylon Estate Workers Union,1939, led militant strike at Mooloya Plantation, January 1940. Arrested June 1940, incarcerated at Wellikade Jail and Bogambara Prison, after the war, when the LSSP split, Perera was the leader of the faction that retained the party name. After the 1947 general election, he was elected Leader of the Opposition, on reunification with the Bolshevik Samasamaja Party, he remained with the LSSP when the Viplavakari Lanka Sama Samaja Party split off under Philip Gunawardena. Perera was elected Mayor of Colombo in 1954, the only non-United National Party-politician to take office after 1945. He was Mayor for two years, in 1956 he was elected Leader of the Opposition again, a post he held until 1960. He was Minister of Finance in the short lived Coalition government of 1964 –1965, in the general election of 1977, he lost his parliamentary seat for the first time, having won every single election for the Ruanwella constituency or for its successor, Yatiyantota. His funeral in 1979 was one of the largest ever seen in Sri Lanka, Perera was the president of the All Ceylon United Motor Workers Union, and the United Corporations and Mercantile Union the Ceylon Federation of Labour. He was appointed their chief negotiator by the workers during the 1946 general strike. An avid cricket fan, like many Commonwealth Trotskyists, he became Chairman of the Board of Control of Cricket in Sri Lanka, Dr. N. M. Pereras Policies and Achievements by Prof. B
18.
Central Province, Sri Lanka
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The Central Province is one of the nine provinces of Sri Lanka, the first level administrative division of the country. The Central Province is primarily in the mountainous terrain of Sri Lanka. It is the 6th largest province by area and is home to 2.5 million people and it is bordered by North Central Province to the north, Uva Province to the east, North Western Province to the west and Sabaragamuwa Province to the south and west. The cities of Matale and Nuwara Eliya are in the Central Province, the province is famous for its production of Ceylon tea, planted by the British in the 1860s after a devastating disease killed all the coffee plantations in the province. The Central Province attracts many tourists, with hill station towns such as Gampola, Hatton, the British then established a colonial headman ranking system in 1824, which came into effect in 1832. All headman positions were passed down to the newly elected governor-general of Central Province. This was established in 1929 as a way for the British to directly rule the provinces, the historic Matale town, Temple of the Tooth, Dambulla cave temple, Aluwihare temple and the Sigiriya rock are in the Central Province. The province has an area of 5,674 km² and a population of 2,421,148, major towns include Kandy, Matale, Dambulla, Gampola, Nuwara Eliya and Hatton. Knuckles Mountain Range, Adams Peak and Horton Plains are UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Central Province, the climate is cool, and many areas above 1,500 metres often have chilly nights. The western slopes are very wet, some places have almost 7,000 mm of rain per year, the eastern slopes are parts of the mid-dry zone as it is receiving rain only from North-Eastern monsoon. The temperatures range from 24°C at Kandy to just 16°C in Nuwara Eliya, the highest mountains in Sri Lanka are in the Central Province. The terrain is mountainous, with deep valleys cutting into it. The two main regions are the central massif and the Knuckles range to the east of Kandy. The population is a mixture of Sinhalese, Tamil and the Moors, many tea plantation workers are Indian Tamils, brought over to Sri Lanka by the British in the 19th century. Central Province is divided into three districts and 36 divisional secretariats, the districts of the Sri Lanka are divided into administrative sub-units known as divisional secretariats. These were originally based on the counties, the korales. They were formerly known as D. R. O, Divisions after the Divisional Revenue Officer. Later the D. R. O. s became Assistant Government Agents, currently, the divisions are administered by a Divisional Secretary and are known as a D. S. Divisions
19.
M. D. Banda
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Mohottalage Dingiri Banda was a former Cabinet Minister and Member of Parliament. He was the minister of Food, Commerce and Trade in 1960 & was also the minister of Agriculture and he was educated at St. Anthonys College, Kandy and Nalanda College Colombo. Politician par excellence – M. D. Banda, ministers who served the Co-operative sector from the inception of the Co-operative business in Sri Lanka. Department of Coorporative Development Sri Lanka, archived from the original on 4 May 2011
20.
George E. de Silva
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George Edmund de Silva was a Sri Lankan lawyer and politician. He was the first Cabinet Minister of Industries, Industrial Research and Fisheries in independent Sri Lanka and he started his career as a journalist in the Ceylon Independent and in The Times of Ceylon. Later he entered the Ceylon Law College and started a law practice in Kandy, in 1915 de Silva and E. W. De Silva entered politics after he was elected to the Kandy Municipal Council in 1930. In 1931 he was elected to the State Council from the Central Province, having been re-elected, he was appointed Minister of Health. In 1943 he was elected the President of the Ceylon National Congress, after Ceylon gained independence, de Silva was appointed to the D. S. Senanayakes cabinet as the first Minister for Industries and Fisheries. He is the father of Fredrick de Silva, MBE who was the Mayor of Kandy, Member of Parliament and his grandson is The Sir Desmond de Silva, former United Nations Chief War Crimes Prosecutor in Sierra Leone and former husband of Princess Katarina of Yugoslavia. George E. de Silvas daughter Minnette de Silva was the first Asian woman to qualify as an architect with the Royal Institute of British Architects and she worked on early experiments of tropical modernism in Sri Lanka. He is also grand-uncle to journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge
21.
T. B. Ilangaratne
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Tikiri Bandara Ilangaratne was a Sri Lankan politician, author, dramatist, and theater actor he was Member of Parliament for Kandy, Galaha, Hewaheta and Kolonnawa in Colombo district. He served as the Sri Lankan Cabinet Minister of Labour, Housing, Social Services, Finance, Commerce, Food, Trade and Shipping and he was the mastermind behind the Employees Provident Fund, Petroleum and insurance corporations and the Peoples Bank in Sri Lanka while in office. As a writer, Ilangaratne is best known for writing Amba Yahaluwo and his novels Tilaka Saha Tilaka, Lasanda and Nedeyo have been adapted into movies. Amba Yahaluwo was made into a television serial, Ilangaratne was born on February 27,1913 in Tumpane, Hataraliyadda, Waligodapola, Sri Lanka. He began attending school in 1917 at Galagedera Vidyalaya and received his education from St. Anthonys College. Ilangaratne wrote three plays while in school, after leaving school, Ilangaratne passed a London exam and started working as a clerical officer for the government. In 1941, he tried his hands at acting playing King Dhatusena in the play of the name by Gunasila Witanansa. On September 4,1944, Illangaratne married Tamara Kumari Aludeniya in Gampola, mrs. Ilangaratne was Ex Member of Parliament for Kandy and Galagedara. In 1947, Ilangaratne left his post as officer and ran successfully as an independent socialist candidate for the Kandy Parliament. He was sworn in on May 18,1948 beginning a long career in the Sri Lankan government. While in office, Ilangaratne helped create the Employees Provident Fund, the National Bank, in 1974 he served as acting prime minister. Ilangaratne retired from politics on April 12,1986. Anthony’s College, Kandy List of political families in Sri Lanka Methek Kathawa Divaina
22.
E. A. Nugawela
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Major E. A. Nugawela, CLI was a Sri Lankan politician. He was the first Cabinet Minister of Education in independent Sri Lanka, later Cabinet Minister of Health and he is noted for the educational reforms and expansion of the number of state schools during his tenure, continuing the work started by Dr C. W. W. Educated at Royal College, Colombo, he had served as a reservist officer in the Ceylon Light Infantry, ministry of Education, Sri Lanka The first cabinet of Ministers Sri Lanka 54th Independence Anniversary SRI LANKA, THE UNTOLD STORY
23.
Eastern Province, Sri Lanka
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The Eastern Province is one of the nine provinces of Sri Lanka, the first level administrative division of the country. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but did not have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils, between 1988 and 2006 the province was temporarily merged with the Northern Province to form the North Eastern Province. The capital of the province is Trincomalee, in 1815 the British gained control of the entire island of Ceylon. They divided the island into three ethnic based administrative structures, Low Country Sinhalese, Kandyan Sinhalese and Tamil, the Eastern Province was part of the Tamil administration. The districts of Batticaloa, Bintenna, Tamankaduva and Trincomalee formed the new Eastern Province, Tamankaduva was transferred to the newly created North Central Province in 1873 and Bintenna was transferred to the newly created Uva Province in 1886. The accord required a referendum to be held by 31 December 1988 in the Eastern Province to decide whether the merger should be permanent, crucially, the accord allowed the Sri Lankan president to postpone the referendum at his discretion. On 14 November 1987 the Sri Lankan Parliament passed the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka, on September 2 and 81988 President Jayewardene issued proclamations enabling the Northern and Eastern provinces to be one administrative unit administered by one elected Council. The proclamations were only meant to be a temporary measure until a referendum was held in the Eastern Province on a permanent merger between the two provinces, however, the referendum was never held and successive Sri Lankan presidents issued proclamations annually extending the life of the temporary entity. The merger was opposed by Sri Lankan nationalists. The combined North-East Province occupied one fourth of Sri Lanka, the thought of the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam controlling this province, directly or indirectly, alarmed them greatly. On 16 October 2006 the Supreme Court ruled that the proclamations issued by President Jayewardene were null, the North-East Province was formally de-merged into the Northern and Eastern provinces on 1 January 2007. Much of the Eastern Province was under the control of rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam for many years during the civil war, the entire province was recaptured by the Sri Lankan military in 2007. After coming under Government control communities in the Eastern Province suffered from insecurity in the form of taxes, political killings. Many community members blamed Pro-Government Tamil groups such as the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal, in 2008 due to the indiscriminate firearm use by various Tamil factions government planned to disarm Tamil Paramilitary groups. However the TMVP kept arms due to threat of LTTE and denied they were active in Civilian areas, TMVP was finally disarmed in 2009 after the LTTE was defeated. There are currently 88 Nanasala ICT education centers in the Eastern Province, Eastern province has an area of 9,996 square kilometres. The province is surrounded by the Northern Province to the north, the Bay of Bengal to the east, the Southern Province to the south, the provinces coast is dominated by lagoons, the largest being Batticaloa Lagoon, Kokkilai lagoon, Upaar Lagoon and Ullackalie Lagoon. The Eastern Province is divided into 3 administrative districts,45 Divisional Secretarys Divisions and 1,085 Grama Niladhari Divisions, the Eastern provinces population was 1,551,381 in 2012
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