Edwin Wijeyeratne
Encyclopedia
Sir Edwin Aloysius Perera Wijeyeratne, KBE
(Sinhala:ශ්රිමත් එඩ්වින් ඇලෝසියස් පෙරේරා විජයරත්න) (8 January 1889 – 19 October 1968) (known as Edwin Wijeyeratne) was a Sri Lanka
n politician, diplomat, and one of the founding members of United National Party
. He was a Senator
and Cabinet Minister of Home Affairs and Rural Development in the government of DS Senanayake
.
, Kegalle
was born on 8 January 1889 in Rambukkana, Sri Lanka
. He was the eldest son of Gabrial Perera Wijeyeratne, a respected notary public. The family hailed from the city of Kotte
. His mother, Catherina Wickremasinghe Jayasekera Tennekoon, was the daughter of Jayasekera Tennekoon, a wealthy notary from the Four Korales in Kegalle. The family had come to Kegalle early in the 16th century, fleeing the Portuguese, and continued to intermarry with the Walauwes of Kotte, Madapatha and Matara
.
, where he stayed at the home of his future wife, Leela Pethiyagoda. He was there for two years, after which he studied at St. Mary’s College, Kegalle. He completed his secondary education at St Joseph's College, Colombo where he passed the Cambridge Senior exam with Honours. He won 15 prizes at the last school prize giving he attended. After leaving school he became a teacher at Lorenz Tutory while working as a journalist. He served under one of the greatest editors Ceylon had hitherto, Armand de Souza
, whom Governors feared and officials dreaded. Wijeyeratne subsequently successfully entered Law College and became a lawyer
in 1929.
in 1931 from Kegalle, where he served until 1936. He did not stand for re-election at the State Council in 1936, however he remained at the Bar from 1936 to 1947.
and was one of the co-founders of a political group, the Young Lanka League. He was a chief live wire in Ceylon's struggle for freedom, having been among the hundreds of Ceylonese arrested by the British
colonial government during the Riots of 1915. Others who where faced imprisonment without charges included prominent figures of the independence movement such as FR Senanayake, DC Senanayake, DS Senanayake, Baron Jayatilaka, Dr CA Hewavitarne, WA de Silva, Arthur V Dias, John Silva, Piyadasa Sirisena and A E Goonesinha.
When the Ceylon National Congress was founded by Sir P Arunachalam and Sir James Peiris
, Wijeyeratne was one of their colleagues and a co-founder. During British colonial rule, when the Lord Soulbury
commissioners were on their way to Kandy
, DS Senanayake had stationed Wijeyeratne bare bodied, in a paddy field in Kegalle. There, he was introduced to the commissioners as a typical Sinhala farmer and who spoke in English to the commissioners and impressed on them the need for Ceylon to obtain self-government. A special invitation was then sent to Ceylon by Jawaharlal Nehru
and the Indian Congress to visit India for a discussion regarding the independence of Ceylon. Wijeyeratne, DS Senanayake, George E De Silva, JR Jayawardene, Sir Claude Corea and HW Amarasuriya were among the delegates.
Wijeyeratne was appointed President of the Ceylon National Congress on 21 December 1940. His Joint Secretaries were Dudley Senanayake
and JR Jayawardene. During this period he was chosen to lead the Ceylon National Congress delegation to London
. In 1947 Wijeyeratne was appointed to the Senate
which was a non-elected upper house of parliament. There he served as acting leader. He succeeded Sir
Oliver Goonetilleke as Cabinet Minister of Home Affairs and Rural Development in DS Senanayake's government in July 1948. Wijeyeratne was a member of the Commission on the Death Penalty which first recommended the abolishing the death penalty from Ceylon in 1958.
While cabinet minister of Home Affairs and Rural Development, Wijeyeratne was appointed chairman of the select committee to select the National Anthem for Sri Lanka. Namo, Namo, Matha was subsequently selected as the country's national anthem.
to Britain in 1951. In 1953, he was made a Knight Commander
of the Civil Division of the Order of the British Empire
by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace
. As Ceylon High Commissioner, Wijeyeratne was involved in strengthening diplomatic relations between Britain and Sri Lanka. Wijeyeratne and his wife were visited at their residence in London on three occasions by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. In 1954, Wijeyeratne was appointed Ceylon High Commissioner to India
. During this period he represented Ceylon at the coronation of the King of Nepal.
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was a Barrister at Law and served as the Additional Secretary to the Ministry of External Affairs and Defence
, as Sri Lankan Ambassador to France
and to Switzerland
, and as Senior Advisor (Foreign Affairs) to Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike
. Wijeyeratne's second son, Dr Nissanka Wijeyeratne, was former Cabinet Minister of Education, Higher Education and Justice and Diyawadana Nilame
(Chief lay Custodian) of Temple of the Tooth
. He had also been Sri Lankan Ambassador to the Russian Federation and former member of the governing body of UNESCO
. The youngest son, Dr Cuda Wijeyeratne is a consultant psychiatrist
.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(Sinhala:ශ්රිමත් එඩ්වින් ඇලෝසියස් පෙරේරා විජයරත්න) (8 January 1889 – 19 October 1968) (known as Edwin Wijeyeratne) was a Sri Lanka
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, diplomat, and one of the founding members of 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...
. He was a Senator
Senate of Ceylon
The Senate of Ceylon was the upper chamber of the parliament of Ceylon established in 1947 by the Soulbury Commission. The Senate was appointed/indirectly elected rather than directly elected. The Senate was housed in the old Legislative Council building in Colombo Fort and met for the first time...
and Cabinet Minister of Home Affairs and Rural Development in the government of DS Senanayake
Don Stephen Senanayake
Don Stephen Senanayake was an independence activist who served as the first Prime Minister of Ceylon from 1947 to 1952.-Early life:...
.
Early days
Sir Edwin Wijeyeratne of Buddenipola WalauwaWalauwa
Walauwa is the name given to a feudal/colonial manor house in Ceylon built by native headmen. It is also reference to the feudal social systems that existed during the colonial era.-Kandyan Walauwas:...
, Kegalle
Kegalle
Kegalle is a town in Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka. It is located on the Colombo - Kandy road. Its 48 miles/78 km away from Colombo and 24 Miles/40 km away from Kandy. It is the Capital City of the Kegalle District which is one of the two districts belonging to Sabaragamuwa province...
was born on 8 January 1889 in Rambukkana, Sri Lanka
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...
. He was the eldest son of Gabrial Perera Wijeyeratne, a respected notary public. The family hailed from the city of Kotte
Kotte
Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte , also known as Sri Jayawardenapura or Kotte කෝට්ටේ, is the administrative capital of Sri Lanka. It is located beyond the eastern suburbs of the commercial capital Colombo and is often called New Capital Territory...
. His mother, Catherina Wickremasinghe Jayasekera Tennekoon, was the daughter of Jayasekera Tennekoon, a wealthy notary from the Four Korales in Kegalle. The family had come to Kegalle early in the 16th century, fleeing the Portuguese, and continued to intermarry with the Walauwes of Kotte, Madapatha and Matara
Matara, Sri Lanka
Matara is a city on the southern coast of Sri Lanka, 160 km from Colombo. It is one of the largest cities in Sri Lanka. It was deeply affected by the Asian tsunami in December 2004.-History:...
.
Education
Wijeyeratne was first educated at the village school in Rambukkana. When nine years old, he went to Handessa Village School in GampolaGampola
Gampola is a town located near Kandy in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. Gampola was made the capital city of the island by King Buwanekabahu IV, who ruled for four years in the mid fourteenth century. The last king of Gampola was King Buwanekabahu V. He ruled the island for 29 years. A separate...
, where he stayed at the home of his future wife, Leela Pethiyagoda. He was there for two years, after which he studied at St. Mary’s College, Kegalle. He completed his secondary education at St Joseph's College, Colombo where he passed the Cambridge Senior exam with Honours. He won 15 prizes at the last school prize giving he attended. After leaving school he became a teacher at Lorenz Tutory while working as a journalist. He served under one of the greatest editors Ceylon had hitherto, Armand de Souza
Armand de Souza
Armand de Souza was a Ceylonese newspaper editor and democratic activist. He was father of Senator Doric de Souza of the LSSP and Torismund de Souza, Editor of the Times, as well as Aleric and Lena who both died early.- Early life :De Souza was born in Assagaum, Goa, to an ancient Roman Catholic...
, whom Governors feared and officials dreaded. Wijeyeratne subsequently successfully entered Law College and became a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
in 1929.
Professional career
Edwin Wijeyeratne quickly built up a large legal practice. He was an expert in Civil and Kandyan Law, and in Buddhist Ecclesiastical Law. He entered the State CouncilState Council of Ceylon
The State Council of Ceylon was the unicameral legislature for Ceylon , established in 1931 by the Donoughmore Constitution. The State Council gave universal adult franchise to the people of the colony for the first time...
in 1931 from Kegalle, where he served until 1936. He did not stand for re-election at the State Council in 1936, however he remained at the Bar from 1936 to 1947.
Political career
During his days in journalism, Wijeyeratne became political secretary to Sir Ponnambalam RamanathanPonnambalam Ramanathan
Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan, KCMG, KC was a Solicitor-General and Tamil political leader in Sri Lanka.-Early life:...
and was one of the co-founders of a political group, the Young Lanka League. He was a chief live wire in Ceylon's struggle for freedom, having been among the hundreds of Ceylonese arrested by the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
colonial government during the Riots of 1915. Others who where faced imprisonment without charges included prominent figures of the independence movement such as FR Senanayake, DC Senanayake, DS Senanayake, Baron Jayatilaka, Dr CA Hewavitarne, WA de Silva, Arthur V Dias, John Silva, Piyadasa Sirisena and A E Goonesinha.
When the Ceylon National Congress was founded by Sir P Arunachalam and Sir James Peiris
James Peiris
Sir James Peiris, JP was a prominent figure in the Sri Lankan independence movement and a Vice President of the Legislative Council.-Early life and education:...
, Wijeyeratne was one of their colleagues and a co-founder. During British colonial rule, when the Lord Soulbury
Herwald Ramsbotham, 1st Viscount Soulbury
Herwald Ramsbotham, 1st Viscount Soulbury GCMG, GCVO, OBE, MC, PC was a British Conservative politician. He was a government minister between 1931 and 1941 and served as Governor-General of Ceylon between 1949 and 1954....
commissioners were on their way to Kandy
Kandy
Kandy is a city in the center of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an...
, DS Senanayake had stationed Wijeyeratne bare bodied, in a paddy field in Kegalle. There, he was introduced to the commissioners as a typical Sinhala farmer and who spoke in English to the commissioners and impressed on them the need for Ceylon to obtain self-government. A special invitation was then sent to Ceylon by Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
and the Indian Congress to visit India for a discussion regarding the independence of Ceylon. Wijeyeratne, DS Senanayake, George E De Silva, JR Jayawardene, Sir Claude Corea and HW Amarasuriya were among the delegates.
Wijeyeratne was appointed President of the Ceylon National Congress on 21 December 1940. His Joint Secretaries were Dudley Senanayake
Dudley Senanayake
Dudley Shelton Senanayake was a Ceylonese politician, who became the second Prime Minister of Ceylon and went on to become prime minister on 2 more times during the 1950s and 1960s.-Early life:Dudley was born on 19 June, 1911 as the eldest son to Molly Dunuwila and Don Stephen Senanayake, who...
and JR Jayawardene. During this period he was chosen to lead the Ceylon National Congress delegation to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. In 1947 Wijeyeratne was appointed to the Senate
Senate of Ceylon
The Senate of Ceylon was the upper chamber of the parliament of Ceylon established in 1947 by the Soulbury Commission. The Senate was appointed/indirectly elected rather than directly elected. The Senate was housed in the old Legislative Council building in Colombo Fort and met for the first time...
which was a non-elected upper house of parliament. There he served as acting leader. He succeeded Sir
Sir
Sir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
Oliver Goonetilleke as Cabinet Minister of Home Affairs and Rural Development in DS Senanayake's government in July 1948. Wijeyeratne was a member of the Commission on the Death Penalty which first recommended the abolishing the death penalty from Ceylon in 1958.
While cabinet minister of Home Affairs and Rural Development, Wijeyeratne was appointed chairman of the select committee to select the National Anthem for Sri Lanka. Namo, Namo, Matha was subsequently selected as the country's national anthem.
Diplomatic role
Wijeyeratne was appointed Ceylon High CommissionerHigh Commissioner
High Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking, special executive positions held by a commission of appointment.The English term is also used to render various equivalent titles in other languages.-Bilateral diplomacy:...
to Britain in 1951. In 1953, he was made a Knight Commander
Knight Commander
Knight Commander is the second most senior grade of seven British orders of chivalry, three of which are dormant . The rank entails admission into knighthood, allowing the recipient to use the title 'Sir' or 'Dame' before his or her name...
of the Civil Division of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
. As Ceylon High Commissioner, Wijeyeratne was involved in strengthening diplomatic relations between Britain and Sri Lanka. Wijeyeratne and his wife were visited at their residence in London on three occasions by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. In 1954, Wijeyeratne was appointed Ceylon High Commissioner to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. During this period he represented Ceylon at the coronation of the King of Nepal.
Family life
Wijeyeratne married Leela Pethiyagoda of Meewaladeniya Walauwa, Gampola and had three sons and a daughter. The eldest, Tissa WijeyeratneTissa Wijeyeratne
Suratissa Diyasena Wijeyeratne was a Sri Lankan politician, diplomat, barrister and businessman...
was a Barrister at Law and served as the Additional Secretary to the Ministry of External Affairs and Defence
Ministry of External Affairs and Defence
The Ministry of External Affairs and Defence was a ministry of the Government of Ceylon that conducted and managed all of Ceylon's relations with other countries and its military matters from 1947 to 1977.-History:...
, as Sri Lankan Ambassador to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, and as Senior Advisor (Foreign Affairs) to Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike was a Sri Lankan politician and the world's first female head of government...
. Wijeyeratne's second son, Dr Nissanka Wijeyeratne, was former Cabinet Minister of Education, Higher Education and Justice and Diyawadana Nilame
Diyawadana Nilame
Diyawadana Nilame is the office of chief lay custodian of Temple of the Tooth, Kandy, Sri Lanka. Formerly an office of the Royal household, today it remains a prestigious position, enriched with over two thousand years of history to safeguard and carry out ancient rituals for the most sacred Relic...
(Chief lay Custodian) of Temple of the Tooth
Temple of the Tooth
Sri Dalada Maligawa or The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is a Buddhist temple in the city of Kandy, Sri Lanka. It is located in the royal palace complex which houses the Relic of the tooth of Buddha. Since ancient times, the relic has played an important role in local politics because it is...
. He had also been Sri Lankan Ambassador to the Russian Federation and former member of the governing body of UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
. The youngest son, Dr Cuda Wijeyeratne is a consultant psychiatrist
Consultant (medicine)
In the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, and parts of the Commonwealth, consultant is the title of a senior doctor who has completed all of his or her specialist training and been placed on the specialist register in their chosen specialty...
.
See also
- List of political families in Sri Lanka
- Sri Lanka MathaSri Lanka MathaSri Lanka Matha is the national anthem of Sri Lanka. The words and music, written by Ananda Samarakoon in 1940, were officially adopted as the national anthem in 1951.-History:...
- Sri Lankan Non Career Diplomats