The Legends | CWW Kannangara | Anagarika Dharmapala | AE Gunasinghe

Dr. C.W.W.Kannangara

Dr.Christopher William Wijekoon Kannangara the person who established free education in Sri Lanka for the students when he became the minister of education in 1931. He was born on 13^th of October in 1884 in a village called Randomba in Ambalangoda. At the earlier ages his step mother took care of him because he lost his mother at the age of Six.

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 17^th 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 20^th. 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 1^st 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.