| Minister of Resettlement, Reconstruction and Hindu Religious Affairs of Sri Lanka | |
|---|---|
| Ministry of Resettlement, Reconstruction and Hindu Religious Affairs | |
| Appointer | The President with advice of Prime Minister |
| Website | www |
The Minister of Resettlement, Reconstruction and Hindu Religious Affairs is an appointment in the Cabinet of Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka Freedom Party United National Party
| Name | Portrait | Party | Tenure | President | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gunaratna Weerakoon | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 22 November 2010 – 9 January 2015 | Mahinda Rajapaksa | |||
| D. M. Swaminathan |  | United National Party | 12 January 2015 – Present | Maithripala Sirisena | ||
The Jathika Hela Urumaya is a nationalist political party in Sri Lanka. The JHU was launched in February 2004 by the lay-based, Sinhala nationalist political party Sihala Urumaya. Founding members include Kolonnawe Sumangala Thero, Uduwe Dhammaloka Thero, Ellawala Medhananda Thero, Omalpe Sobhitha Thero, Athuraliye Rathana Thero and Thilak Karunaratne. Some Sri Lankan Buddhists, including the All Island Clergy Organization, denounced the decision by monks to enter politics. The party drew support mainly from the middle class conservatives and the Buddhist youth.
The Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) is a political party and a pro-government paramilitary organization in Sri Lanka. It is led by its founder Douglas Devananda.
Freedom of religion in Sri Lanka is a protected right under Chapter II, Article 9 of the constitution of Sri Lanka. This applies to all religions, though Buddhism is given the foremost place under the 1978 Republican Constitution. Sri Lanka is regarded by its Supreme Court as being a secular state.
Lakshman Jayakody was a Sri Lankan politician, an SLFP stalwart and the Minister of Cultural and Religious Affairs in the Sri Lankan Cabinet from 1994 to 2000.
Hinduism is one of Sri Lanka's oldest religions, with temples dating back over 2,000 years. As of 2011, Hindus made up 12.6% of the Sri Lankan population. They are almost exclusively Tamils, except for small immigrant communities from India and Pakistan.
Mangala Pinsiri Samaraweera was a Sri Lankan politician. He was the first openly gay politician from Sri Lanka. He was the Minister of Finance from 2017 to 2019, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, for two terms from 2005 to 2007 and 2015 to 2017. He created a stir in Sri Lankan politics when he was sacked as a minister by President Mahinda Rajapakse in 2007, after which he formed a new political party called the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (Mahajana) Wing, which later merged with the United National Party in 2010.
Sri Lanka is officially a Buddhist country, while Sri Lankan's practices a variety of religions. As of the 2012 census, 70.2% of Sri Lankans were Buddhists, 12.6% were Hindus, 9.7% were Muslims, 7.4% were Christians. Buddhism is declared as the State religion of Sri Lanka and has been given special privileges in the Sri Lankan constitution such as the government is bound for protection and fostering of Buddhist Dharma throughout the nation. However, the constitution also provides for freedom of religion and right to equality among all its citizens. In 2008 Sri Lanka was the third most religious country in the world according to a Gallup poll, with 99% of Sri Lankans saying religion is an important part of their daily life.
Munneswaram temple is an important regional Hindu temple complex in Sri Lanka. It has been in existence at least since 1000 CE although myths surrounding the temple associate it with the popular Indian epic Ramayana, and its legendary hero-king Rama. The temple is one of the ancient Pancha Ishwarams dedicated to Shiva in the region.
Ruban Canistus Jayalath Jayawardena MP, commonly as Jayalath Jayawardena, was a medical doctor who was elected to the Parliament of Sri Lanka for the opposition United National Party (UNP) in 1994. Jayawardena was known as a human rights activist. Jayawardena is also popular for his sheer commitment and loyalty for the UNP.
The Department of Prisons is a department of the Government of Sri Lanka responsible for the incarceration and rehabilitation of convicted criminal offenders and terror suspects, coming under the purview of the Minister of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs. The Commissioner-General of Prisons reports to the Subject Minister, who is in turn responsible to the Parliament of Sri Lanka.
Thiyagarajah Maheswaran was a Tamil Sri Lankan Member of Parliament (MP) from Colombo. He belonged to the main opposition United National Party and was critic of Rajapakse government's war against Tamil rebels. He was the former Hindu Affairs minister and a former Member of Parliament for Colombo District, escaped an assassination attempt on the final day of the 2004 election campaign in Colombo. He was assassinated by a gunshot on 1 January 2008 while worshipping at a Hindu temple with his family. Number of other devotees were also injured. The injured gunman has been apprehended and is in police custody in a hospital.
The Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) was a proposal issued in October 2003 by the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) of Sri Lanka for power sharing in the north and east of Sri Lanka. The proposals were made in-lieu of the LTTE renouncing its claim for an independent country called Tamil Eelam for the minority Sri Lankan Tamil people.
Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism is a Sri Lankan political ideology which combines a focus upon Sinhalese culture and ethnicity (nationalism) with an emphasis upon Theravada Buddhism, which is the majority belief system of most of the Sinhalese in Sri Lanka. It mostly revived in reaction to the colonisation of Sri Lanka by the British Empire and became increasingly assertive in the years following the independence of the country.
Unnanthi Piyankara Jayaratne, MP is a Sri Lankan politician and a member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka.
Arunachalam Mahadeva, KCMG was a Ceylon Tamil lawyer, politician and diplomat. He served as Minister of Home Affairs (1942-1946) and High Commissioner to India (1948-1949).
The final stages of the Sri Lankan Civil War created 300,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) who were transferred to camps in Vavuniya District and detained there against their will. This process, together with conditions inside the camps and the slow progress of resettlement attracted much concern and criticism from inside and outside Sri Lanka. On 7 May 2009 the Sri Lankan government announced plans to resettle 80% of the IDPs by the end of 2009. After the end of the civil war Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa gave assurances to foreign diplomats that the bulk of the IDPs would be resettled in accordance with the 180-day plan. On 1 December 2009, the IDPs were given limited freedom of movement. The pace of resettlement increased in 2010. The resettlement process was completed and camps were officially closed on 25 September 2012. However, the final batch of IDPs consisting of 110 families were relocated in Kepapilavu in Mullaitivu District-away from their original homes.
Deva Manoharan Swaminathan is a Sri Lankan Tamil lawyer, politician and ex cabinet minister.
Reactions to the end of the Sri Lankan Civil War on 18 May 2009 have generally been positive and welcoming, while some countries expressed concern over the civilian casualties and the humanitarian impact.
Professor Sivasubramaniam Pathmanathan is a Sri Lankan Tamil historian, academic, author and current chancellor of the University of Jaffna.
Thirukkovil Temple is the most significant Hindu temple in Thirukkovil, Ampara District of Eastern Province, Sri Lanka. It is dedicated to Chitravelayudhar who was once the guardian deity of Mattakkalappu Desam and this temple enjoyed the honor of Desathukkovil of the Batticaloa region. Archaeological and historical evidences suggest that Cholan, Kotte and Kandyan kings maintained strong relations with this temple in the past.
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| Agriculture, exports, and resources | ||
| Health, employment, and wellbeing | ||
| Law, finance, and politics | ||
| Development and forces | ||
| Defunct | ||