Sri Lankan Sinhalese Family Genealogy
RAJAPAKSA VIDANARACHCHI - Family #3086
D. A. Rajapaksa: an exemplary politician
D. A. Rajapaksa
by Prof. W. I. Siriweera - Daily News Monday Nov 11 2002
Don Alwin Rajapaksa was perhaps the
most outstanding democratic politician produced by the Ruhuna
region. He vehemently advocated the cause of the Ruhuna
peasants throughout his career, while maintaining a quiet demeanour
and a steady resolve. The country lost this able and amiable personality on
November 7, 1967.
He was born on
5th November 1905 in a hamlet called Madamulana and
had his early education at Mandaduva School in Weerakatiya. His father Don David Rajapaksa
who held the post of Vidanaracchi in Ihala Valikada Korale, Giruvapattuva in the Hambantota District, sent him for secondary education to
Richmond College, Galle. Having completed his school education successfully, he
helped his father to manage the family property which consisted of paddy fields
and coconut plantations.
He also helped
his elder brother D. M. Rajapaksa, who was the State Councillor for Hambantota in
attending to affairs of the electorate. Thus he got sufficient experience in
the field of politics, but was reluctant to contest the Hambantota
seat at the by-election of 1945 on the death of his brother.
Nevertheless, the
politically influential people in the area insisted that he should contest the
by-election and were finally successful in dragging him into active politics.
He won the seat at the by-election and was included in the Committee on
Agriculture and Land in the State Council. This gave him a good opportunity to
tackle the problem of landlessness of the peasantry of Giruvapattuva.
DA adopted a 99-year lease scheme to transfer crown land to landless peasants
in five acre plots. For the middle income earners, the land extending from 10
to 50 acres was alienated in the same manner. These measures in fact gave a
boost to the paddy and coconut cultivations in Giruva
Pattuva.
When the first
parliamentary general elections were held in 1947 under the new constitution,
the former Hambantota electorate was divided into
two, namely, Beliatta and Tissamaharama
electorate. Most of Western Giruva Pattuva was included in the Beliatta
electorate. D. A. Rajapaksa contested in Beliatta on the UNP ticket and triumphed at the elections.
When S. W. R.
D. Bandaranaike was disgruntled over the policies of the United National Party
and left it to form the Sri Lanka Freedom Party in 1951, D. A. Rajapaksa who was a close associate of Bandaranaike
followed suit. It was the Rajapaksas who gave the
maximum strength and support in Ruhuna to
Bandaranaike at the general elections of 1952 winning the Beliatta
electorate for the SLFP. Later on, in the historic general elections of 1956,
which changed the course of our history, D. A. Rajapaksa
and the family and their supporters were a source of strength to the MEP
coalition. DA was elected MP for Beliatta and in 1959
he was appointed the Minister of Agriculture and Lands.
In fact D. A. Rajapaksa's ups and downs in the political arena are identical
to the vicissitudes of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party at the time. At the general
election of 1960, when the SLFP was defeated and the UNP formed a government,
DA too lost his seat at Beliatta. But when the UNP
government was dissolved and the parliamentary elections were held for the
second time in July of the same year, DA once again emerged victorious at Beliatta and was a great inspiration to the government led
by Sirimavo Bandaranaike.
He was
appointed Deputy Chairman of Committees in Parliament and subsequently Deputy
Speaker. When the SLFP lost to the Dudley Senanayake-led UNP in the 1965
elections, DA also lost his parliamentary seat.
Rajapaksas
were never bent on making money out of politics. On the contrary, they had
sacrificed their material wealth for the sake of politics. At the defeat in the
1965 general elections, DA not only lost his political power but was also
devoid of material wealth. During this period all his children, Chamal, Mahinda, Basil, Gothabhaya and Dudley were studying in Colombo and he found
it difficult to meet their expenses. He sold his vehicle, leased his coconut
lands and went through enormous hardships to sustain the family. When he fell
seriously ill in November 1967, there wasn't a vehicle nearby to take him to hospital.
When transport was arranged belatedly his heart condition had worsened. After
admission to hospital this great servant of the people expired. The people of Giruva Pattuva and Ruhuna lost a great leader.
D. A. Rajapaksa was undoubtedly a politician par excellence and a
noble human being. He showed genuine goodwill towards the ordinary masses,
moved with them and even joined the workers in his paddy fields in ploughing and harvesting paddy. That explains why the
memory of his pleasant, unassuming personality has not faded even thirty five
years after his demise.
D. A. Rajapaksa, through his exemplary political career and
through wise counselling by his beloved wife Palatuwe Dandina Dissanayake, has guided his children over pitfalls and over
rough terrain which politicians encounter in pursuing their objectives. It is
up to Chamal, Mahinda and
Basil, who also have taken to politics, to live up to his expectations and
maintain the dignity and decorum which their father had cultivated even while
being a politician.
1. Don David Rajapaksa, Vidane Arachchi (colonial
post) + Dona Gimara Moonesinghe
1.1 Don Charles Coronelis
Rajapaksa
1.2 Dona Carolina (Carlina) Bandara Weeraman
1.3. Don Mathew Rajapaksa (1896-1945), Member of State Council for
Hambantota (1936-45), + Emalin
(Emalyn) Weeratunga
1.3.1. Lakshman Rajapaksa(1924-1981),
Member of Parliament for Hambantota (1947-52,
1956-60), Member of Parliament for Tissamaharama
(1960-65), Member of Parliament for Mulkirigala (1976-77)
1.3.2. George Rajapaksa (died 1976),
Minister of Health, Member of Parliament for Mulkirigala
(1960-76) + Lalitha Samarasekara
1.3.2.1. Nirupama Rajapaksa (born
1962), Deputy Minister of Water Supply & Drainage (2010-), Member of
Parliament for Hambantota
District (1994-2000, 2005-2015) + Thirukumaran
Nadesan
1.3.2.2. Shyamlal Rajapaksa (1966-2009),[40][41] Member of Southern Provincial Council
(1999-2004)[42] + Prashanthi
1.3.3. Esther Gurly Rupasinghe
1.3.4. Pearl
(Peri) Jayanthi Gunaratne
1.3.5. Kamala Wickramasuriya
1.3.5.1 Anoma Laphir,
Former Co-ordinating Secretary to the President[43]
1.3.5.2 Jaliya Wickramasuriya (born
1960), Former Ambassador to the US
1.3.5.3 Prasanna Wickramasuriya,
Former Chairman of Airport and Aviation Services Limited
1.3.6. Neil Kumaradasa Rajapaksa
1.3.7. Ruby Lalitha Rajapaksa + Nandasiri Rajapakse
1.3.7.1 Chithra
1.3.7.2 Kapila
1.3.7.3 Suyama
1.3.7.4 Maneesa
1.4. Don Alwin Rajapaksa (1906-67),
Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Government Minister, Member of Parliament for Beliatta (1947-60, 1960-65) + Dandina
Samarasinghe Dissanayake*
(see Related families below)
1.4.1. Chamal Rajapaksa (born
1942), Speaker of Parliament (2010-15), Minister of Irrigation &
Water Management (2007-2010), Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries
(2004-07), Deputy Minister of Ports Development & Development of the South
(2000-01), Member of Parliament for Hambantota
District (1989-) + Chandra Malini Wijewardene
1.4.1.1. Shashindra Rajapaksa,
Chief Minister of Uva Province (2009-2015), Member of
Uva Provincial Council for Monaragala
District (2009-), Basnayaka Nilame
of the Ruhunu Maha Kataragama Devalaya, Private
Secretary to the President
1.4.1.2. Shameendra Rajapaksa,
Director SriLankan Airlines, Director
of Sri Lanka Telecom, Director of Sri Lanka Ports Authority, Private
Secretary to the Minister of Ports & Aviation, Private Secretary to the
Minister of Finance & Planning[44]
1.4.2. Jayanthi Rajapaksa (born 1942)
1.4.2.1. Himal
Laleendra Hettiarachchi,
CEO of Sky Networks[45]
1.4.2.2. Rangani Hettiarachchi
1.4.3. Mahinda Rajapaksa (born
1945), President (2005-2015), Minister of Defence (2005-2015), Minister
of Finance & Planning (2005-2015), Minister of Highways (2010),
Minister of Ports & Aviation (2010), Minister of Ports & Highways
(2010-2015), Minister of Law & Order (2013-2015), Prime
Minister (2004-05) (2018) (2019-present), Leader of Opposition (2002-04)
(2018-19), Chief Opposition Whip (2001-02), Minister of Ports (2000-01),
Minister of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources Development (1997-01), Minister
of Labour & Vocational Training (1994-97), Member
of Parliament for Hambantota District (1989-2005),
Member of Parliament for Beliatta Electorate
(1970-77) + Shiranthi Rajapaksa (née
Wickremasinghe)** (see Related families below)
1.4.3.1. Namal Rajapaksa (born
1986), Minister of Sports and Member of Parliament for Hambantota
District (2010-), Chairman of Tharunyata Hetak, Owner of Carlton Sports Network[46]
1.4.3.2. Yoshitha Rajapaksa (born
1988), Prime Minister's Chief of Staff, Owner of Carlton Sports Network[46]
1.4.3.3. Rohitha Rajapaksa (born
1989)
1.4.4. Chandra
Tudor Rajapaksa (born 1947), Private Secretary
to the Minister of Finance, Private Secretary to the Minister of Ports
& Highways[47]
1.4.4.1. Chaminda Rajapaksa,
Presidential Adviser, Co-ordinator for Hambantota
1.4.5. Lieutenant
Colonel Gotabaya Rajapaksa (born
1949), President (2019-present), former Defence
Secretary, Chairman of Lanka Hospitals, Chairman of Lanka Logistics
1.4.5.1. Manoj Rajapaksa
1.4.6. Basil
Rajapaksa (born 1951), Minister of Economic
Development (2010-15), Member of Parliament (2007-15), Senior Presidential
Advisor (2005-), Chairman of Uthuru Wasanthaya (2009-13) + Pushpa
Rajapaksa
1.4.6.1. Thejani Rajapaksa
1.4.6.2. Bimalka Rajapaksa
1.4.6.3. Ashantha Rajapaksa
1.4.7. Dudley Rajapaksa (born 1957)
1.4.7.1. Mihiri Rajapaksa
1.4.8. Preethi Rajapaksa (born
1959) + Lalith Priyalal
Chandradasa, Member of Securities & Exchange
Commission, Chairman of Sri Lanka Ports Authority, Member of Insurance
Board, General Secretary of the Government Medical Officers Association,
Chairman of PJ Pharma Care (Ceylon) Ltd, Chairman of
MED 1 (Pvt) Ltd, Chairman of Employees Holdings
Limited, Chairman of National Aquaculture Development Authority, Chairman of
Ceylon Fisheries Harbours Corporation[48]
1.4.8.1. Malaka Chandradasa
1.4.8.2. Madhawa Chandradasa
1.4.8.3. Madini Chandradasa
1.4.8.4. Malika Chandradasa
1.4.9. Chandani (Gandani) Rajapaksa (born 1961) + Thusitha
Ranawaka
1.4.9.1. Eshana Ranawaka
1.4.9.2. Nipuna Ranawaka
1.4.9.3. Randula Ranawaka
Related Families
1. Dissanayake
2. Samarasinghe Dissanayake
2.1. Dandina Samarasinghe Dissanayake + Don Alwin
Rajapaksa (1905-1967), Deputy Speaker of
Parliament, Government Minister, Member of Parliament for Beliatta
(1947-60, 1960-65)
See Family tree above for descendants
2.2. Nanda Samarasinghe Dissanayake* (d.2012)[49] + Wilbert Weeratunga
2.2.1. Udayanga
Weeratunga, Ambassador to the Russian Federation[50]
2.2.2. Ramani
Weeratunga
2.2.3. Dayani
Weeratunga
2.2.4. Gayani
Weeratunga
2.3. Samarasinghe Dissanayake + Kanthi Wakkumbura
1. Wickremasinghe
2. Wickremasinghe
3. Commodore E. P. Wickremasinghe + Violet
Wickramasinghe (died 2008)[51]
3.1. Nishantha
Wickramasinghe, Chairman of SriLankan
Airlines,[52] Chairman of Mihin Lanka
3.1.1. Dilshan
Wickramasinghe, CEO of Asset Networks (Pvt) Ltd/Asset Holdings (Pvt) Ltd[53]
3.1.2. Shehan
Wickramasinghe , SLAF Pilot.
3.2. Shiranthi
Rajapaksa (b. 1947) (née Wickremasinghe)** + Mahinda Rajapaksa (b. 1945),
President (2005-), Prime Minister (2004-05), Minister of Fisheries &
Aquatic Resources Development (2000-01), Leader of Opposition (2002-04), Chief
Opposition Whip (2001-02), Member of Parliament for Beliatta
(1970-77), Member of Parliament for Hambantota
District (1989-2005)
See Family tree above for descendants
3.3. Srimal
Wickramasinghe, Deputy Chief of Mission and Minister
at Embassy in Vienna [54]
3.3.1. Tishan
Wickramasinghe
3.3.2. Mishan
Wickramasinghe