Cyril Mathew
Encyclopedia
Kaluwadewage Cyril Mathew (c. 1912 – October 16, 1989) was a Sri Lanka
n politician
and a writer
.
Mathew belonged to the United National Party
and was a minister in the cabinet of President
J.R. Jayewardene
in the 1977s and 1980s. Mathew was the author of the book Sinhalese! Rise to Protect Buddhism, which urged Sinhalese
to stand up for their rights and protect their values. He also issued a pamphlet Who is the Tiger. He is widely regarded as one of the key ministers responsible for the anti-Tamil riots of July 1983, which subsequently resulted in the outbreak of a 26 year civil war. Mathew was expelled from the Cabinet and the governing United National Party by President J. R. Jayewardene in 1984 after criticizing a conference called by Mr. Jayewardene to redress grievances of the Tamil minority.
Mathew represented the Kelaniya electorate for the UNP. He was known for his hard-line position against Tamil
political aspirations.
His son Nanda Mathew was also a member of the parliament and later held several ministerial posts, such as minister of Sports and Youth affairs, under successive UNP governments http://www.lankanewspapers.com/news/2005/4/1581.html. He was later appointed by President Chandrika Kumaratunga
and President Mahinda Rajapaksa
as Governor of the Uva Province.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and a writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
.
Mathew belonged to the United National Party
United National Party
The United National Party, often referred to as the UNP ), , is a political party in Sri Lanka. It currently is the main opposition party in Sri Lanka and is headed by Ranil Wickremesinghe...
and was a minister in the cabinet of President
President of Sri Lanka
The President of Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is the elected head of state and the head of government. The President is a dominant political figure in Sri Lanka. The office was created in 1978 but has grown so powerful there have been calls to restrict or even eliminate its power...
J.R. Jayewardene
Junius Richard Jayewardene
Junius Richard Jayewardene , famously abbreviated in Sri Lanka as JR, was the first executive President of Sri Lanka, serving from 1978 till 1989. He was a leader of the nationalist movement in Ceylon who served in a variety of cabinet positions in the decades following independence...
in the 1977s and 1980s. Mathew was the author of the book Sinhalese! Rise to Protect Buddhism, which urged Sinhalese
Sinhalese people
The Sinhalese are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group,forming the majority of Sri Lanka,constituting 74% of the Sri Lankan population.They number approximately 15 million worldwide.The Sinhalese identity is based on language, heritage and religion. The Sinhalese speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language and the...
to stand up for their rights and protect their values. He also issued a pamphlet Who is the Tiger. He is widely regarded as one of the key ministers responsible for the anti-Tamil riots of July 1983, which subsequently resulted in the outbreak of a 26 year civil war. Mathew was expelled from the Cabinet and the governing United National Party by President J. R. Jayewardene in 1984 after criticizing a conference called by Mr. Jayewardene to redress grievances of the Tamil minority.
Mathew represented the Kelaniya electorate for the UNP. He was known for his hard-line position against Tamil
Tamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
political aspirations.
His son Nanda Mathew was also a member of the parliament and later held several ministerial posts, such as minister of Sports and Youth affairs, under successive UNP governments http://www.lankanewspapers.com/news/2005/4/1581.html. He was later appointed by President Chandrika Kumaratunga
Chandrika Kumaratunga
Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga born June 29, 1945) was the 4th Executive president of Sri Lanka, serving from November 12, 1994 to November 19, 2005. The daughter of two former Prime Ministers, she was also the leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party until end of 2005...
and President Mahinda Rajapaksa
Mahinda Rajapaksa
Percy Mahendra "Mahinda" Rajapaksa ; ; born November 18, 1945) is the 6th and current President of Sri Lanka and Commander in Chief of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. A lawyer by profession, Rajapaksa was first elected to the Parliament of Sri Lanka in 1970, and served as prime minister from April 6,...
as Governor of the Uva Province.