Dr.
C.W.W.Kannangara
He received
his primary education in Randomba Wesley College in Ambalangoda and when he was
14, he won a scholarship to Richmond College in Galle. He got free lodging
facilities while he was studying in Richmond College. He was a talented
student. He was the leader of the school cricket team and was a valuable member
of the Football team also.
He got high
marks for the subjects of the Cambridge Senior exams which was held in 1903.
He served
as a teacher in Richmond College. After that he started teaching at Prince of
Whales College Moratuwa while he was practicing law.
In 1923, he
became a member of the state legislative council representing Galle District.
Also he elected as the president of Sri Lanka Jathika Sangamaya party and was
the president of the Executive committee.
Anagarika Dharmapala
His brave
sounding slogan “Awake Sinhalese” (Sinhalayani Negitiu).
Anagarika
Dharmapala, the person who played a major role in awaking Sinhalese and their
hidden feelings towards Buddhism and country development.
Don David Hewawitharana
later known as Anagarika Dharmapala was born on 17th of September in
1864. He was the son of Don Carolis Hewawitharana and Mallika
Dharmagunawardena.
He expanded
his attention to improve the local industries including handlooms, ceramic and paper
industries to force locals to identify their talents. Therefore, Dharmapala
sent locals to the several countries which were stable on industrial economy
including Japan and they returned with fully industrial training.
Dharmapala
understood the cleverness of the locals but he notified the lack of industrial
knowledge for them in here. Then he started to travel several countries
including United States, Netherlands, France, Britain and Italy in early 20th.
He discovered all the aspects and international market behind those countries
and returned to Sri Lanka to apply those experiences to the local
industries.
Dharmapala’s
objectives were to prioritise the development of the indigenous industrial
sector and create an international market for Sri Lanka.
He realized
that the addiction for the imported goods will be caused to the economic crisis
in one day. He appointed to manufacture lots of products that can be produced
within the country. Not only for the wealth but also it generated hundreds of
job opportunities in the country. The most important thing is he made huge
availableness for the educated posts. He appointed educated specialized
administrative officers to the higher positions.
Dharmapala
implemented an education system for the country so the people can explore multi
languages through as he noticed it is an important factor for upcoming country.
With the
contribution of his father, Don Carolis Hewawitharana and his brothers, he was
able to send people to Japan for the industrial training. Many of them were
studied at Tokyo Higher Technical College.
Dharmapala
family had provided assistance in financially for the people to start factories
who had studied industrial techniques in overseas. He had set up a fund called
“Fund for Buddhist Technical Education” within the worth of Rs.35000.
He visited
United States in 1902. During this journey, he established Technical college
fund and later on built technical colleges in Varanasi, Calcutta and Saranath
in India.
In 1913, a
person called U.B.Dolapihille started Hewawitharana Textile College in
Rajagiriya, was one of the scholars sent by Dharmapala to have industrial
training in Japan. Ceylon Matchbox Company, generally known as “Aliya Matchbox”
was started by the person called Biyangoda Balasooriya in 1918 also a scholar
who got trained in Japan specialized the matchbox industry.
Anagarika
Dharmapala not only did a lot for the industrial development but also for the agricultural
industry in Sri Lanka. He bought weeded lands with his own money and started to
cultivate and make job opportunities.
Dharmapala
thoroughly believed that Sri Lanka need new education system. Although he
wanted to establish several technical colleges in Sri Lanka as he previously
built in India. But the English Government interrupted it. But he created
enthusiasm towards the English government to make this happen.
However,
the English Government decided to establish Agricultural college also known as
Tropical agricultural centre in Peradeniya in 1916. In 1917, the government
established another Tropical agricultural centre in Jaffna which was conducted
in Tamil.
A.E Gunasinghe | The first labour leader
Mr. A.E.
Gunasinghe, regarded as the father of the trade union movement in Sri Lanka was
born on May 1st in 1891 in Kandy. The most important thing is the
labour leader born on Labour Day.
He was the
founder of the Young Lanka League.
In 1918
during the British Government, they appointed to levy the poll tax and those
who were not be able to pay the tax were punished to break metal for road
construction. As the League’s secretary, he conducted a resistance movement
against the levy of the poll tax.
After that
he started a new labour union called ‘Ceylon Labour Union’ in 1922. As a result,
a poll tax was removed.
He became
the president of Ceylon Labour Union in 1923. He got the leadership of the
railway strike happened in 1923.
1927 is a
memorable year for Sri Lankans due to the first May Day celebration was
celebrated in the first time in the country.
After he
entered the State Council in 1931 as a member of Colombo Central.
He became
the Mayor of Colombo Municipal Council in 1940 and it was the first political
position of his political career. He was able to made Parliamentary Secretary
to the ministry of labour while D.S.Senanayaka government in 1947.
After 09 years of political career, he became a Minister of State in 1949. Also he was later ambassador in Indonesia and Burma. He died on August 1, 1967.
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