Victor Gunasekara
Encyclopedia
Major
Victor Joseph Harold Gunasekera, CCS
(1921 — 1993) was a former Ceylonese civil servant. The former Controller
of Imports Exports, Government Agent
of Kegalle
and Secretary to the Board of Control for Cricket
. A reservist, he was a Major
in the Ceylon Artillery and was one of the accused of the attempted military coup of 1962
.
Educated at the Royal College, Colombo, where he played for the Royal–Thomian and at University College, Ceylon
. He joined the Ceylon Civil Service
and went on to serve as Assistant Government Agent in Galle
, Hambantota
& Kandy
and was the Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs and Defence
. He was instrumental in initiating the Maldive independence.
Thereafter he served as He was Government Agent, Kegalle before taking up the post of Controller of Imports Exports. Since the formation of the Ceylon Army he joined as a volunteer (reservist) in the 2nd Volunteer Coastal Artillery / Anti-Aircraft Regiment of the Ceylon Artillery. He was mobilized in 1958 due to the Galoya riots and was deployed to Jafna. In 1962, he was accused of taking part in the attempted military coup
, arrested and tried. Later all convictions were over turned by the privy council
.
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Victor Joseph Harold Gunasekera, CCS
Ceylon Civil Service
The Ceylon Civil Service, popularly known by its acronym CCS, originated as the elite civil service of the Government of Ceylon under British colonial rule in 1833 and carried on after independence, until May 1, 1963 when it was abolished and the much larger Ceylon Administrative Service was...
(1921 — 1993) was a former Ceylonese civil servant. The former Controller
Comptroller
A comptroller is a management level position responsible for supervising the quality of accounting and financial reporting of an organization.In British government, the Comptroller General or Comptroller and Auditor General is in most countries the external auditor of the budget execution of the...
of Imports Exports, Government Agent
Government Agent (Sri Lanka)
A Government Agent or a District Secretary is a Sri Lankan civil servant of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service appointed by the central government to govern a certain district of the country. The GA is the administrative head of public services in the District. As Sri Lanka has 25 districts,...
of 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...
and Secretary to the Board of Control for Cricket
Sri Lanka Cricket
Sri Lanka Cricket, formerly the Board for Cricket Control in Sri Lanka , is the controlling body for cricket in Sri Lanka. It operates the Sri Lankan cricket team and first-class cricket within Sri Lanka....
. A reservist, he was a Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in the Ceylon Artillery and was one of the accused of the attempted military coup of 1962
Attempted military coup in Ceylon, 1962
The 1962 Ceylonese coup d'état attempt was a failed military coup planned in Sri Lanka . Several Christian senior military and policy officers planned to topple the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Mrs...
.
Educated at the Royal College, Colombo, where he played for the Royal–Thomian and at University College, Ceylon
University of Ceylon
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...
. He joined the Ceylon Civil Service
Ceylon Civil Service
The Ceylon Civil Service, popularly known by its acronym CCS, originated as the elite civil service of the Government of Ceylon under British colonial rule in 1833 and carried on after independence, until May 1, 1963 when it was abolished and the much larger Ceylon Administrative Service was...
and went on to serve as Assistant Government Agent in Galle
Galle
Galle is a city situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, 119 km from Colombo. Galle is the capital city of Southern Province of Sri Lanka and it lies in Galle District....
, Hambantota
Hambantota
Hambantota is a coastal city in the south of Sri Lanka. It is the capital of the Hambantota District...
& 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...
and was the Assistant Secretary in 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:...
. He was instrumental in initiating the Maldive independence.
Thereafter he served as He was Government Agent, Kegalle before taking up the post of Controller of Imports Exports. Since the formation of the Ceylon Army he joined as a volunteer (reservist) in the 2nd Volunteer Coastal Artillery / Anti-Aircraft Regiment of the Ceylon Artillery. He was mobilized in 1958 due to the Galoya riots and was deployed to Jafna. In 1962, he was accused of taking part in the attempted military coup
Attempted military coup in Ceylon, 1962
The 1962 Ceylonese coup d'état attempt was a failed military coup planned in Sri Lanka . Several Christian senior military and policy officers planned to topple the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Mrs...
, arrested and tried. Later all convictions were over turned by the privy council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
.