Senator Chandrasena Sarath Wijesinghe OBE was a Sri Lankan politician and businessman. He was the President of the Senate and a Cabinet Minister. [1]
Born to Muhandiram D. F. Wijesinghe and Mrs. S. L. Goonatillake Wijesinghe, who were wealthy plantain and graphite mine owners from Kamburupitiya, Wijesinghe was educated at the Royal College, Colombo and became a planter, managing his estate group of companies which included estates in many districts including the Andapana Estate in Kamburupitiya. He was Chairman of several companies including Ceylon Glass Company and Ceylon Chocolates Ltd. He built Andapana Hospital and later handed over to the government.
He unsuccessfully contested the Akuressa Electoral District in the 1952 general election from the United National Party. In 1956, he was appointed to the Senate of Ceylon and served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance from April 1956 to September 1958 in the S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike government, then he was appointed Cabinet Minister of Nationalised Services from September 1958 to December 1959. From July 1960 to 1962 he served as Minister of Labour and Nationalised Services. From 1960 to 1965, he served as the President of the Senate.
Sirima Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike, commonly known as Sirimavo Bandaranaike, was a Sri Lankan stateswoman. She was the world's first female prime minister, when she became Prime Minister of Sri Lanka in 1960. She served three terms: 1960–1965, 1970–1977 and 1994–2000.
Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike, often referred to by his initials as S. W. R. D. or S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike and known by the Sri Lankan people as The Silver Bell Of Asia, was the fourth Prime Minister of the Dominion of Ceylon, serving from 1956 until his assassination in 1959. The founder of the left-wing and Sinhalese nationalist Sri Lanka Freedom Party, his tenure saw the country's first left wing reforms.
General Sir John Lionel Kotelawala was a Sri Lankan statesman, most notable as the 3rd Prime Minister of Ceylon from 1953 to 1956.
Sir Oliver Ernest Goonetilleke was a Sri Lankan statesman. Having served as an important figure in the gradual independence of Ceylon from Britain, he became the third Governor-General of Ceylon (1954-1962). He was the first Ceylonese individual to hold the vice-regal post.
Lalith William Samarasekera Athulathmudali, PC, known as Lalith Athulathmudali, was a Sri Lankan statesman. He was a prominent member of the United National Party, who served as Minister of Trade and Shipping; Minister National Security and Deputy Minister of Defence; Minister of Agriculture, Food and Cooperatives and finally Minister of Education. Following a failed impeachment of President Ranasinghe Premadasa, he was removed from the UNP and formed his own party, the Democratic United National Front. He was assassinated under mysterious circumstances in 1993.
Navaratne Rajakaruna Wasala Mudiyanselage Tikiri Bandara Ilangaratne, popularly as T. B. Ilangaratne, was a Sri Lankan politician, author, dramatist, and theater actor. He was a 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 in other government positions in a career spanning three decades. He established the Employees' Provident Fund, Ceylon Petroleum Corporation and Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation and the People's Bank while in office. As a writer, Ilangaratne is best known for writing Amba Yaluwo (1957), a popular children's novel.
Between 1948 and 1972, Ceylon was an independent country in the Commonwealth of Nations that shared a monarch with Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and certain other sovereign states. In 1948, the British Colony of Ceylon was granted independence as Ceylon. In 1972, the country became a republic within the Commonwealth, and its name was changed to Sri Lanka.
Ratnayake Wasala Mudiyanselage Abeyratne Ratnayaka was a Sri Lankan politician. He was the first Cabinet Minister of Food, Co-operatives; Minister of Home Affairs in independent Ceylon and the last President of the Senate of Ceylon.
Sir Razik Fareed, OBE, JP, UM, was a Ceylonese landed proprietor, politician and philanthropist. He was the former Cabinet Minister of Trade, Senator, member of parliament and the state council. He had also served as Ceylon's High Commissioner to Pakistan.
Mallory Evan Wijesinghe, KStJ was a Sri Lankan engineer and entrepreneur. He served as the chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, the Bartleet Group and was the founding chairman of the state-owned Ceylon Hotels Corporation(1967–70).
Sir Senerat Gunewardene was a Sri Lankan lawyer, statesmen and diplomat. He was the first Minister without Portfolio, member of parliament and member of the State Council for Gampola, before serving in several top diplomatic posts such as Ceylon's Ambassador to Italy, Ceylon's Ambassador to the United States, where he was appointed concurrently as Ceylon's first Permanent Representative to United Nations and Ceylon's High Commissioner to United Kingdom.
Reginald Sydney Vernon Poulier, was a Ceylonese statesman and civil servant.
Charles Percival de Silva, CCS was a leading Sri Lankan politician and civil servant. He had served as the Minister of Finance, Minister of Lands, Land Development and Agriculture; and Minister of Power and Irrigation, and Chairperson of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, and later joined as a senior member of the United National Party.
Colonel Candauda Arachchige Dharmapala, OBE, ED was Sri Lankan politician. He was a Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industries, Housing and Social Services and Member of Parliament for Hakmana. He also served as the permanent secretary to the Ministry of Defence, and as Security Adviser to President J. R. Jayewardene.
Shelton Ranaraja was a Sri Lankan lawyer, politician and deputy minister.
Deshamanya Dr. Mohamed Cassim Mohamed Kaleel was a Ceylonese physician, social worker and politician.
Malwattege Simon Andrew Peeris, OBE was a Ceylonese businessmen and politician.
Mutu Banda Weerasekera Mediwake was a Sri Lankan educator and politician. He served as the Minister of Local Government and Housing, Member of Parliament and Member of Senate of Ceylon.
Punchi Banda Aloysius Weerakoon was a Ceylonese educator and politician.