Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Ranasinghe Premadasa

Ranasinghe by Lutfar Rahman Binu from Wikimedia Commons

Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Ranasinghe Premadasa

Ranasinghe Premadasa is a Sri Lankan politician and the country’s third president. He was born on June 23, 1924, and served from 1989 until 1993. Ranasinghe Premadasa previously served as Prime Minister in the administration of AJ.R. Jayawardene from February 6, 1978, until January 1, 1989. In 1986, President Junius Richard Jayewardene bestowed the Sri Lankabhimany, Sri Lanka’s highest civilian honour.

Here are interesting facts you probably never knew about him.

1. He was a firstborn 

Ranasinghe Premadasa by MediaJet from Wikimedia Commons

On June 23, 1924, Ranasinghe Premadasa was born at Dias Place, Colombo, to Richard Ranasinghe and Jayasinghe Arachchige Ensina Hamine. Ranasinghe Premadasa was the first of his parents’ five children, including three sisters and a brother.

2. He went to St Joseph’s College 

Ranasinghe Premadasa began his studies at the Harvard Girls’ School on Dam Street in Colombo. Ranasinghe Premadasa completed his secondary education at St Lorenz’s College. Ranasinghe Premadasa then attended St Joseph’s College for secondary school, where he graduated during the Le Goc era.

3. He founded the Sri Sucharitha Movement

Ranasinghe Premadasa abandoned his intention to pursue higher study at the University of London in order to devote his time to the welfare of the poor and vulnerable members of society.

Ranasinghe Premadasa started the Sri Sucharitha Movement, an organisation dedicated to strengthening the economic, social, and spiritual empowerment of low-income people in Colombo’s underdeveloped districts. The organization’s code required all members to abstain from smoking, drinking, and gambling.

4. He started his career in politics after he worked with the leader of the Ceylon Labour Movement

Ranasinghe Premadasa began his political career by working with A.E. Gunasingha, the Ceylon Labour Movement’s founder and leader. During the initial stage, his decision was met with various ups and downs.

He served as Deputy Mayor of the Colombo Municipal Council in 1955 as a member of the San Sebastian Ward. Ranasinghe Premadasa later joined the United National Party (NDP) in 1956, seeing the Labour Party’s future chances as ambiguous. In the 1956 general election, he ran unsuccessfully against Dr. N.M. Perera for the Ruwanwella constituency.

5. He worked with J.R Jayawardene on a protest

Richard Jayawardana by Anuradha Dullewe Wijeyeratne from Wikimedia Commons

Ranasinghe Premadasa joined a demonstration organised by J.R Jayawardene, who eventually became president, on October 3, 1957. Politicians and thugs, on the other hand, interrupted the march through Imbulgoda.

Ranasinghe Premadasa was elected to the Colombo Municipal Council in 1964, representing the Cinnamon Gardens Ward. Ranasinghe Premadasa was re-elected to the Ruwanwella constituency as a Member of Parliament in 1965. Ranasinghe Premadasa was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary of Local Government and Chief Government Whip during the Dudley Senanayake administration.

6. Ranasinghe Premadasa served as the Minister of Broadcasting

On January 5, 1967, Ranasinghe Premadasa transformed Radio Ceylon, South Asia’s oldest radio station, into Ceylon Broadcasting Corporation during his term. Later, he was appointed Minister of Local Government.

Ranasinghe Premadasa ran for and won the parliamentary seat of Colombo Central in 1970, becoming the Chief Opposition Whip and attending the Commonwealth Inter-Parliamentary Association’s General Assembly in Australia.

7. Ranasinghe Premadasa was elected as the first MP for Colombo Central

Central bank colombo by anjana.sudam from Wikimedia Commons

Ranasinghe Premadasa was elected as the first MP for Colombo Central when the NDP took power in 1977. Ranasinghe Premadasa was elected House Leader and Minister of Local Government. Premadasa rose to become the UNPas’s, Deputy Leader. J.R. Jayawardene was appointed as Sri Lanka’s first Executive President. Ranasinghe Premadasa was elected Prime Minister of Sri Lanka on February 23, 1978.

8. Ranasinghe Premadasa became the second Executive President

After J. R. Jayewardene resigned, Ranasinghe Premadasa became Sri Lanka’s second Executive President. He led the NDP to victory in the general election in 1989.

Some NDP members, as well as opposition members of parliament, attempted but failed to impeach him. Premadasa took over a country that was facing a variety of economic and security issues.

9. His approach to tackling the challenges of the economy was quite positive

Ranasinghe Premadasa made concerted efforts to confront the insurgency in the country’s south and the presence of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in the north and east. His approach to addressing the economy’s issues had positive results. As a social welfare advocate, he was quite successful in confronting such issues as president.

10. Ranasinghe Premadasa was very successful in poverty alleviation

shelter by DFID – UK Department for International Development from Wikimedia Commons

Ranasinghe Premadasa was extremely successful in poverty alleviation measures, housing, and raising citizens’ living standards. Ranasinghe Premadasa carried his concept to the international stage, proposing to the United Nations Organization that a year be designated as the International Year of Shelter.

This proposal was approved unanimously by the United Nations General Assembly at its 37th session. 1987 was thus designated as the International Year of Homeless Shelter.

Ranasinghe Premadasa married Hema Wickramatunge on June 23, 1964. The couple has two children, Sajith and Dulanjali. Ranasinghe Premadasa was killed by a suicide bomber from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) during a May Day demonstration on May 1, 1993.