46th
death anniversary of SWRD today
[September
26, 2005 - 8.30 GMT]
 Today
is the 46th death anniversary of Prime Minister SWRD Bandaranaike. A
simple ceremony was held this morning to commemorate the founder of the
Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the fifth death anniversary of Prime
Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike at the Bandaranaike Mausoleum in
Horagolla, 39 kilometers from Colombo.
Members of the Bandaranaike family, Prime Minister
Mahinda Rajapakse, Ministers, Parliamentarians, Provincial Councilors,
Members of Local Bodies, diplomats and senior Government servants
participated in the simple ceremony.
A commemorative meeting will be held in the evening at
the Maharagama Youth Centre under the patronage of the Prime Minister.
S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike was born on January 8, 1899 to a
distinguished family in Sri Lanka. He received his secondary education
at St. Thomas' College, Mt. Lavinia where he excelled both in studies as
well as in sports. He proceeded to the Oxford University in 1919 from
where he graduated; he was Secretary of the Oxford Union in 1923. He was
called to the bar in 1925.On his return to his country he entered
politics and was elected to the newly formed legislative assembly, the
State Council of Ceylon in 1931.
He founded the Sri Lanka Freedom Party in 1952. He was elected Prime
Minister in 1956. Bandaranaike was an eloquent orator both in Sinhala
and English and was often referred to as the silver tongued little man
from Asia. He was assassinated in 1959.
Mrs. Bandaranaike was the world’s first woman Prime Minister when she
was elected to that office in 1960 and served for five years. Again
from 1970 to 1977 she served as the Head of Government. Her third
stint as Prime Minister was from 1994 to 2000. Mrs. B as she was known
bade farewell on October 10, 2000.
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Last Updated
Date: September 26, 2005 - 8.30 GMT |
