Vikramabahu Karunaratne
Encyclopedia
Vikramabahu Karunaratne is a Sri Lanka
n politician
and he contested for the Sri Lankan presidential election
.
in present day south-east Sri Lanka
. Both his parents were teachers. He received his primary education at Ananda Shasthralaya, Mathugama before going onto Ananda College
, Colombo
for his secondary education. Thereafter he went to the University of Ceylon
from where he graduated with a first class degree in electrical engineering
. He received a Commonwealth
scholarship
to study at the University of Cambridge
from which he received a doctorate
in 1970. He returned to Ceylon and started an academic career.
(LSSP) in 1962 whilst an undergraduate at the University of Ceylon. He was elected to the LSSP's Central Committee in 1972 but fell out with the party's leadership over their support for the Sri Lanka Freedom Party
and its 1972 Republican Constitution. He was expelled from the LSSP.
In 1977 Karunaratne joined with other former members of the LSSP, including Vasudeva Nanayakkara
, to form the Nava Sama Samaja Party
(New Social Equality Party).
In 1978 he was arrested in Kandy for attempting to put up protest slogans against the President prior to his visit to Kandy in 1978. He was released without charge after a few months of detention, and the University of Peradeniya which suspended him from service soon after his arrest reinstated him after a rather delayed inquiry. He chose to resign from the University after he collected his back pay.
The Sri Lankan government proscribed the NSSP, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna
(JVP) and Communist Party of Sri Lanka
(CP) after the Black July
anti-Tamil riots of 1983. Karunaratne, Vasudeva Nanayakkara
, Rohana Wijeweera
and other left-wing politicians went into hiding until 1985 when the proscription was lifted.
In 1987 the NSSP joined with the LSSP, CP and Sri Lanka Mahajana Pakshaya
(SLMP) to form the United Socialist Alliance. Karunaratne was injured on 2 December 1988 when a JVP gang attacked an election rally at Kadawatte near Colombo
in support of the SLMP's presidential canididate
Oswin Abeygunasekara. The JVP attacked numerous left-wing politicians and their supporters during its second insurrection.
In 1998 the NSSP joined with the National Democratic Movement, New Democratic Party and United Socialist Party
(a breakaway faction of the NSSP) to form the New Left Front
(NLF). The USP has since left the NLF but the Democratic Left Front
(another breakaway faction of the NSSP formed by Vasudeva Nanayakkara) has joined the NLF. Since 2004 the NLF has restyled itself as Left Front.
due to be held on 26 January 2010.
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 he contested for the Sri Lankan presidential election
Sri Lankan presidential election, 2010
The Sri Lankan presidential election of 2010 was the sixth presidential election of Sri Lanka. The election was announced on 23 November 2009 when incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa decided to seek a fresh mandate prior to the expiration of his term in 2011...
.
Early life
Karunarathne was born on 8 March 1943 in LunugalaLunugala
Lunugala is a town in the Sri Lankan province of Uva.There are 26 Grama Niladhari Divisions in the Lunugala Divisional Secretariat Division...
in present day south-east 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...
. Both his parents were teachers. He received his primary education at Ananda Shasthralaya, Mathugama before going onto Ananda College
Ananda College
Ananda College , Colombo which is considered as the leading National school in Sri Lanka, was established on November 1, 1886, by the Buddhist Theosophical Society led by Colonel Henry Steel Olcott...
, Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
for his secondary education. Thereafter he went to the University of 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...
from where he graduated with a first class degree in electrical engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
. He received a Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
to study at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
from which he received a doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in 1970. He returned to Ceylon and started an academic career.
Politics
Karunaratne became politically active very early in his life, joining the Lanka Sama Samaja PartyLanka Sama Samaja Party
The Lanka Sama Samaja Party is a Trotskyist political party in Sri Lanka....
(LSSP) in 1962 whilst an undergraduate at the University of Ceylon. He was elected to the LSSP's Central Committee in 1972 but fell out with the party's leadership over their support for the Sri Lanka Freedom Party
Sri Lanka Freedom Party
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party is one of the major political parties in Sri Lanka. It was founded by S.W.R.D Bandaranaike in 1951 and, since then, has been one of the two largest parties in the Sri Lankan political arena. It first came to power in 1956 and since then has been the predominant party in...
and its 1972 Republican Constitution. He was expelled from the LSSP.
In 1977 Karunaratne joined with other former members of the LSSP, including Vasudeva Nanayakkara
Vasudeva Nanayakkara
Vasudeva Nanayakkara is a veteran left-wing Sri Lankan politician, Member of Parliament and a former presidential candidate.-Politics:Nanayakkara joined the Lanka Sama Samaja Party as student in 1958...
, to form the Nava Sama Samaja Party
Nava Sama Samaja Party
The Nava Sama Samaja Pakshaya is a Trotskyist political party in Sri Lanka. It was formed through the expulsion from the Lanka Sama Samaja Party of the Vama Samsamja tendency led by Dr Vickrambahu , Sumanasiri Liyanage and others. Siritunga Jayasuriya and Vasudeva Nanayakkara joined later...
(New Social Equality Party).
In 1978 he was arrested in Kandy for attempting to put up protest slogans against the President prior to his visit to Kandy in 1978. He was released without charge after a few months of detention, and the University of Peradeniya which suspended him from service soon after his arrest reinstated him after a rather delayed inquiry. He chose to resign from the University after he collected his back pay.
The Sri Lankan government proscribed the NSSP, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna
The Janathā Vimukthi Peramuṇa is a Marxist-Leninist, Communist political party in Sri Lanka. The party was involved in two armed uprisings against the ruling governments in 1971 and 1987-89...
(JVP) and Communist Party of Sri Lanka
Communist Party of Sri Lanka
The Communist Party of Sri Lanka is a communist political party in Sri Lanka. At the last legislative elections, on 2 April 2004, the party was part of the United People's Freedom Alliance that won 45.6% of the popular vote and 105 out of 225 seats....
(CP) after the Black July
Black July
Black July is the commonly used name for the anti-Tamil pogrom and attacks carried out by mobs in Sri Lanka which began on July 23, 1983. The riots occurred following a deadly ambush by a Tamil militant organization known as Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam which killed 13 Sri Lanka Army soldiers...
anti-Tamil riots of 1983. Karunaratne, Vasudeva Nanayakkara
Vasudeva Nanayakkara
Vasudeva Nanayakkara is a veteran left-wing Sri Lankan politician, Member of Parliament and a former presidential candidate.-Politics:Nanayakkara joined the Lanka Sama Samaja Party as student in 1958...
, Rohana Wijeweera
Rohana Wijeweera
Patabendi Don Nandasiri Wijeweera or Rohana Wijeweera was a Sri Lankan Marxist politician and the founding leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna...
and other left-wing politicians went into hiding until 1985 when the proscription was lifted.
In 1987 the NSSP joined with the LSSP, CP and Sri Lanka Mahajana Pakshaya
Sri Lanka Mahajana Pakshaya
The Sri Lanka Mahajana Pakshaya is a political party in Sri Lanka. Founded in 1984 by Sri Lanka Freedom Party. Was led by Chandrika Kumaratunga 1985-1990....
(SLMP) to form the United Socialist Alliance. Karunaratne was injured on 2 December 1988 when a JVP gang attacked an election rally at Kadawatte near Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
in support of the SLMP's presidential canididate
Sri Lankan presidential election, 1988
The Sri Lankan presidential election of 1988 was the second presidential election of Sri Lanka. Nominations were accepted on 10 November 1988, and the election was held on 19 December 1988. Electoral participation was 55.32%...
Oswin Abeygunasekara. The JVP attacked numerous left-wing politicians and their supporters during its second insurrection.
In 1998 the NSSP joined with the National Democratic Movement, New Democratic Party and United Socialist Party
United Socialist Party (Sri Lanka)
The United Socialist Party is a Trotskyist political party in Sri Lanka. It is a member of the Committee for a Workers' International. It is led by Siritunga Jayasuriya and publishes a monthly paper, Sentharakai .-History:...
(a breakaway faction of the NSSP) to form the New Left Front
New Left Front
The Left Liberation Front is a left wing electoral coalition in Sri Lanka. It was founded in 1998 as the New Left Front by the Nava Sama Samaja Party, former members of the People's Alliance, and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna...
(NLF). The USP has since left the NLF but the Democratic Left Front
Democratic Left Front
The Democratic Left Front was formed as a non-sectarian and non-authoritarian anti-capitalist front in South Africa. It was formed at the Conference for a Democratic Left held in Johannesburg in January 2011....
(another breakaway faction of the NSSP formed by Vasudeva Nanayakkara) has joined the NLF. Since 2004 the NLF has restyled itself as Left Front.
Presidential candidate
On 26 November 2009 it was announced that Karunaratne would be the Left Front's candidate for the presidential electionSri Lankan presidential election, 2010
The Sri Lankan presidential election of 2010 was the sixth presidential election of Sri Lanka. The election was announced on 23 November 2009 when incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa decided to seek a fresh mandate prior to the expiration of his term in 2011...
due to be held on 26 January 2010.