Wilmot A. Perera
Encyclopedia
Wilmot A. Perera was a Sri Lanka
n statesman and philanthropist. A Member of Parliament
, he was Ceylonese's first Ambassador to China.
Born in Horana
to Abraham Perera, a wealthy landowner he was educated at Cyril Jansze College, Panadura and at the prestigious Royal College Colombo
.
Taking over the family business, he became active in his home area, establishing the first rural development society in Raigam Korale and went on to establish Sri Palee College
(Sripali Academy) in Horana, based on the Rabindranath Tagore
’s Santiniketan
in 1934. The Sri Palee Trust established by him with his lands, donated to the University of Sri Lanka
in his memory in 1974, this later became the Sri Palee Campus
of the University of Colombo
.
In 1935 he became a founding member of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party
, becoming active politics and the Independence movement he was elected to the first post independence parliament in 1947 as a member of the Viplavakari Lanka Sama Samaja Party
. Thereafter he was appointed as Ceylonese's first Ambassador to China in 1957 when Ceylon established diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of China. In 1961 he was appointed to head the Salaries and Cadres Commission (known thereafter as the Wilmot Perera Commission). Later he donated his Panadura house to the Sri Sumangala Girl School. He was married to Esme Perera Abeywardena.
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 statesman and philanthropist. A Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, he was Ceylonese's first Ambassador to China.
Born in Horana
Horana
Horana is a town in Kalutara District, in the Western Province of Sri Lanka. It is on the road from Panadura to Ratnapura. It is located in 42 Km away from Colombo and 18 Km away from Panadura....
to Abraham Perera, a wealthy landowner he was educated at Cyril Jansze College, Panadura and at the prestigious Royal College Colombo
Royal College Colombo
The Royal College of Colombo was founded in January 1835 in Colombo. It is considered to be the leading Public School in Sri Lanka...
.
Taking over the family business, he became active in his home area, establishing the first rural development society in Raigam Korale and went on to establish Sri Palee College
Sri Palee College
Sripalee College, Horana is one of the main mixed schools in Sri Lanka. The current number of students of Sripalee College is over 3,500. There are classes from grade 1 t0 13.-History:On 20 May 1934, under the wishful patronage of Mr. Wilmot A...
(Sripali Academy) in Horana, based on the Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
’s Santiniketan
Santiniketan
Santiniketan is a small town near Bolpur in the Birbhum district of West Bengal, India, approximately 180 kilometres north of Kolkata . It was made famous by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, whose vision became what is now a university town that attracts thousands of visitors each year...
in 1934. The Sri Palee Trust established by him with his lands, donated to the University of Sri Lanka
University of Sri Lanka
The University of Sri Lanka was the only university in Sri Lanka from 1972 until 1978. It had several constituent campuses at various locations around Sri Lanka. The University of Ceylon Act No. 1 of 1972, replaced the University of Ceylon with the University of Sri Lanka. In 1978 it was separated...
in his memory in 1974, this later became the Sri Palee Campus
Sri Palee Campus
The Sri Palee Campus of the University of Colombo is located in Wewala, Horana. Established in 1996 it conducts courses in the field of performing arts and mass media. It was established by a notification of the Sri Lanka government gazette No 928/1 dated June 20, 1996...
of the University of Colombo
University of Colombo
The University of Colombo is a public research university located primarily in Colombo, Sri Lanka...
.
In 1935 he became a founding member of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party
Lanka Sama Samaja Party
The Lanka Sama Samaja Party is a Trotskyist political party in Sri Lanka....
, becoming active politics and the Independence movement he was elected to the first post independence parliament in 1947 as a member of the Viplavakari Lanka Sama Samaja Party
Viplavakari Lanka Sama Samaja Party
Viplavakari Lanka Sama Samaja Party was a group that broke away from the Trotskyist Lanka Sama Samaja Party, since Philip Gunawardena refused to reconcile with the Bolshevik Samasamaja Party...
. Thereafter he was appointed as Ceylonese's first Ambassador to China in 1957 when Ceylon established diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of China. In 1961 he was appointed to head the Salaries and Cadres Commission (known thereafter as the Wilmot Perera Commission). Later he donated his Panadura house to the Sri Sumangala Girl School. He was married to Esme Perera Abeywardena.