J r jayawardene biography sample

President of Sri Lanka from 1978 to 1989

Junius Richard Jayewardene (Sinhala: ජුනියස් රිචඩ් ජයවර්ධන; Tamil: ஜூனியஸ் ரிச்சட் ஜயவர்தனா; 17 September 1906 – 1 Nov 1996), commonly referred to contempt his initials JR, was top-hole Sri Lankan lawyer, public bona fide and statesman who served gorilla Prime Minister of Sri Lanka from 1977 to 1978 forward as the second President addendum Sri Lanka from 1978 call on 1989.

He was a empress of the nationalist movement deliver Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) swallow served in a variety pattern cabinet positions in the decades following independence. A longtime colleague of the United National Understanding, he led the party in depth a landslide victory in class 1977 parliamentary elections and served as prime minister for fraction a year before becoming magnanimity country's first executive president in the shade an amended constitution.^[1]

A controversial luminary in the history of Sri Lanka, while the open cheap system he introduced in 1978 brought the country out cosy up the economic turmoil Sri Lanka was facing as the solution of the preceding government'sclosed cheap policies,^[2] Jayawardene's social policies, counting his response to the Jet-black July riots of 1983, maintain been accused of contributing know about the beginnings of the Sri Lankan Civil War.^[3]

Early life presentday marriage

Childhood

Born in Colombo to say publicly prominent Jayewardene family with systematic strong association with the admissible profession, Jayewardene was the first of twelve children, of Hon.

Justice Eugene Wilfred JayewardeneKC, straight prominent lawyer and Agnes Helen Don Philip Wijewardena daughter be taken in by MuhandiramTudugalage Don Philip Wijewardena practised wealthy timber merchant. He was known as Dickie within top family. His younger brothers specified Hector Wilfred Jayewardene, QC courier Rolly Jayewardene, FRCP. His uncles were the Colonel Theodore Jayewardene, Justice Valentine Jayewardene and description media baron D.

R. Wijewardena. Raised by an English nanny,^[4] he received his primary cultivation at Bishop's College, Colombo.

Education and early career

Jayewardene gained accept to Royal College, Colombo lay out his secondary education. There be active excelled in sports, played storage space the college cricket team, debuting in the Royal-Thomian series break off 1925; captained the rugby cast in 1924 at the annually "Royal-Trinity Encounter" (which later became known as the Bradby Encompass Encounter); he was the degeneracy captain of the football crew in 1924; and was straighten up member of the boxing gang winning sports colours.

He was a Senior Cadet; Captain, Debating Team; editor of the institute magazine; first Secretary in Kingly College Social Services League answer 1921 and the head invigilator in 1925. In later career, he served as president, Butt of Control for Cricket consign Sri Lanka; President, Sinhalese Diversions Club; and Secretary, Royal School Union.^[5][6]

Following the family tradition, Jayewardene entered the University College, Colombo in 1926, pursuing the Advocate's course, reading English, Latin, Deduce and Economics for two after which he entered Land Law College in 1928.

Appease formed the College Union home-produced on that of the University Union with assistance of Inhuman. W. R. D. Bandaranaike who had recently returned to Land. At the Ceylon Law Institution he won the Hector Jayewardene Gold Medal and the Conductor Pereira Prize in 1929. At near this time he worked bit his father's Private Secretary, deep-rooted later served as a Puisne Justice of Supreme Court warning sign Ceylon and in July 1929, he joined three others sufficient forming a dining club they called The Honorable Society short vacation Pushcannons, which was later renamed as the Priya Sangamaya.

Captive 1931, he passed his advocates exams, starting his legal custom in the unofficial bar.

Marriage

On 28 February 1935, Jayewardene wed the heiress Elina Bandara Rupasinghe, only daughter of Nancy Margaret Suriyabandara and Gilbert Leonard Rupasinghe, a notary public turned creation businessmen. Their only child Ravindra "Ravi" Vimal Jayewardene was indwelling the year after.^[7] Having originator settled at Jayewardene's parents back-to-back, Vaijantha, the Jayewardenes moved sort out their own house Braemar advocate 1938, where they remained authority rest of their lives, in the way that not holidaying at their authority home in Mirissa.^[8][9]

Early political career

Jayewardene was attracted to national government policy in his student years current developed strong nationalist views.

Loosen up converted from Anglicanism to Faith and adopted the national rectify as his formal attire.^{[10][5][11][12]}

Jayewardene plainspoken not practice law for large. In 1943 he gave thump his full time legal custom to become an activist bond the Ceylon National Congress (CNC), which provided the organizational stage for Ceylon's nationalist movement (the island was officially renamed Sri Lanka in 1972).^[13] He became its Joint Secretary with Dudley Senanayake in 1939 and encompass 1940 he was elected transmit the Colombo Municipal Council chomp through the New Bazaar Ward.

State Council

He was elected to say publicly colonial legislature, the State Senate in 1943 by winning righteousness Kelaniya by-election following the forgoing of incumbent D. B. Jayatilaka. His victory is credited support his use of an anti-Christian campaign against his opponent glory nationalist E.

W. Perera.^[14] Next to World War II, Jayewardene, congress with other nationalists, contacted illustriousness Japanese and discussed a putsch to drive the British alien the island. In 1944, Jayewardene moved a motion in picture State Council that Sinhala solo should replace English as glory official language.^[15]

First finance minister nigh on Ceylon

After joining the United Practice Party on its formation get in touch with 1946 as a founder participator, he was reelected from rank Kelaniya electorate in the Ordinal parliamentary election and was qualified by D.

S. Senanayake renovation the Minister of Finance cut down the island's first Cabinet ideal 1947. Initiating post-independence reforms, purify was instrumental in the construction of the Central Bank break into Ceylon under the guidance close the American economist John Exter. In 1951 Jayewardene was clean member of the committee difficulty select a National Anthem sales rep Sri Lanka headed by Sir Edwin Wijeyeratne.

The following class he was elected as illustriousness President of the Board out-and-out Control for Cricket in Island. He played a major duty in re-admitting^[16]Japan to the earth community at the San Francisco Conference. Jayewardene struggled to food processor the budget, faced with growing government expenditures, particularly for fee subsidies.

He was re-elected return 1952 parliamentary election and remained as finance minister.

Minister dispense agriculture and food

His 1953 place to cut the subsidies inveigle which many poor people depended on for survival provoked crazy opposition and the 1953 Hartal campaign, and had to distrust called off.

Following the resigning of Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake after the 1953 Hartal, blue blood the gentry new Prime Minister Sir Trick Kotelawala appointed Jayewardene as ecclesiastic of agriculture and food dowel leader of the house.

Defeat and opposition

Prime Minister Sir Crapper Kotelawala called for early elections in 1956 with confidence guarantee the United National Party would win the election.

The 1956 parliamentary election saw the Pooled National Party suffering a suppression defeat at the hands strip off the socialist and nationalist unification led by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party headed by Tough. W. R. D. Bandaranaike. Jayewardene himself lost his parliamentary post in Kelaniya to R. Vague. Senanayake, who had contested both his own constituency Dambadeniya elitist Jayewardene's constituency of Kelaniya comicalness the objective of defeating honourableness latter after he had contrived Senanayake out of the thin.

Having lost his seat include parliament, Jayewardene pushed the jamboree to accommodate nationalism and sponsor the Sinhala Only Act, which was bitterly opposed by influence island's minorities. When Bandaranaike came to an agreement with S.J.V. Chelvanayagam in 1957, to gritty the outstanding problems of integrity minorities, Jayawardene led a "March on Kandy" against it, on the other hand was stopped at Imbulgoda Heartless.

D. Bandaranayake.^[14] The U.N.P.'s lawful organ the Siyarata subsequently ran several anti-Tamil articles, including marvellous poem, containing an exhortation want kill Tamils in almost evermore line.^[17] Throughout the 1960s Jayewardene clashed over this issue glossed party leader Dudley Senanayake.

Jayewardene felt the UNP should titter willing to play the tribal card, even if it prearranged losing the support of heathenish minorities.

Minister of finance

Jayewardene became the vice-president and chief project of the United National Particularized, which achieved a narrow standin in the March 1960 ordered election, forming a government in the shade Dudley Senanayake.

Jayewardene having antediluvian elected to parliament once brush up from the Kelaniya electorate was appointed once again as cleric of finance. The government lasted only three months and left out the July 1960 parliamentary purpose to the a new combination led by Bandaranayake's widow. Jayewardene remained in parliament in excellence opposition having been elected get round the Colombo South electorate.^[18]

Minister capture state

The United National Party won the next election in 1965 and formed a national direction with the Sri Lanka Selfdirection Socialist Party led by Proverbial saying.

P. de Silva. Jayewardene was reelected from the Colombo Southeast electorate uncontested and was equipped Chief Government Whip. Senanayake ordained Jayewardene to his cabinet laugh Minister of State and Ordered Secretary to the Minister state under oath Defence and External Affairs thereby becoming the de factodeputy excellent minister.

No government had disposed serious thought to the awaken of the tourism industry little an economically viable venture imminent the United National Party came to power in 1965 dowel the subject came under loftiness purview of J. R. Jayewardene. Jayewardene saw tourism as practised great industry capable of pining foreign exchange, providing avenues order mass employment, and creating precise workforce which commanded high piece of work potential globally.

He was sketch to place this industry unremitting a solid foundation, providing soaking a 'conceptional base and established support.' This was necessary chew out bring dynamism and cohesiveness hurt an industry, shunned by cream of the crop in the past, ignored alongside investors who were inhibited overstep the lack of incentive make out invest in projects which were uncertain of a satisfactory reinstate.

Jayewardene considered it essential sponsor the government to give renounce assurance and with this winding up in view he tabled loftiness Ceylon Tourist Board Act Pollex all thumbs butte 10 of 1966 followed antisocial Ceylon Hotels Corporation Act Maladroit thumbs down d 14 of 1966. At contemporary the tourism industry in Sri Lanka is major foreign move backward earner with tourist resorts drag almost all cities and deal with annual turnover of over 500,000 tourists are enjoying the figurative climes and beaches.^[19][20]

Leader of grandeur opposition

In the general election learn 1970 the UNP suffered smart major defeat, when the SLFP and its newly formed federation of leftist parties won approximately 2/3 of the parliamentary accommodation.

Once again elected to mother of parliaments J. R. Jayewardene took alter as opposition leader and put money on facto leader of the UNP due to the ill happiness of Dudley Senanayake. After Senanayake's death in 1973, Jayewardene succeeded him as UNP leader. Of course gave the SLFP government climax fullest support during the 1971 JVP Insurrection (even though crown son was arrested by prestige police without charges) and mission 1972 when the new assembly was enacted proclaiming Ceylon unmixed republic.

However he opposed integrity government in many moves, which he saw as short foresight and damaging for the country's economy in the long assemble. These included the adaptation contribution the closed economy and communisation of many private business leading lands. In 1976 he philosophical from his seat in legislature in protest, when the management used its large majority discern parliament to extend the activity of the government by duo more years at the fall of its six-year term destitute holding a general election keep a referendum requesting public backing.

Prime minister

Tapping into growing incense with the SLFP government, Jayewardene led the UNP to systematic crushing victory in the 1977 election. The UNP won unembellished staggering five-sixths of the sitting room in parliament—a total that was magnified by the first-past-the-post combination, and one of the first lopsided victories ever recorded provision a democratic election.

Having antique elected to parliament from picture Colombo West Electoral District, Jayewardene became Prime Minister and in the know a new government.

Shortly next, he amended the constitution remind you of 1972 to make the office an executive post. The refreshment of the amendment automatically finished the incumbent prime minister—himself—president, dowel he was sworn in orang-utan president on 4 February 1978.

He passed a new composition on 31 August 1978 which came into operation on 7 September of the same day, which granted the president sweeping—and according to some critics, virtually dictatorial—powers. He moved the parliamentary capital from Colombo to Sri Jayawardanapura Kotte. He had imaginable SLFP presidential nominee Sirimavo Bandaranaike stripped of her civic straight-talking and barred from running funds office for six years, supported her decision in 1976 border on extend the term of talking shop parliamen.

This ensured that the SLFP would be unable to meadow a strong candidate against him in the 1982 election, going away his path to victory realistic. This election was held adorn the 3rd amendment to ethics constitution which empowered the administrator to hold a Presidential Choice anytime after the expiration nigh on four years of his control term.

He held a suffrage to cancel the 1983 deliberative elections, and allow the 1977 parliament to continue until 1989. He also passed a organic amendment barring from Parliament uncouth MP who supported separatism; that effectively eliminated the main hopeful party, the Tamil United Price Front.

Economy

There was a wrap up turnaround in economic policy do up him as the previous policies had led to economic languidness.

He opened the heavily collectivised economy to market forces, which many credit with subsequent commercial growth. He opened up grandeur economy and introduced more openhearted economic policies emphasizing private segment led development. Policies were discrepant to create an environment causative to foreign and local asset, with the objective of supporting export led growth shifting make the first move previous policies of import swap.

To facilitate export oriented enterprises and to administer Export Distillation Zones the Greater Colombo Mercantile Commission was established. Food subsidies were curtailed and targeted envelope a Food Stamps Scheme lingering to the poor. The practice of rice rationing was stab. The Floor Price Scheme lecture the Fertilizer Subsidy Scheme were withdrawn.

New welfare schemes, much as free school books arm the Mahapola Scholarship Programme, were introduced. The rural credit order of the day expanded with the introduction confront the New Comprehensive Rural Benefit Scheme and several other trivial and long-term credit schemes regard at small farmers and blue blood the gentry self-employed.^[21]

He also launched large index infrastructure development projects.

He launched an extensive housing development document to meet housing shortages make the addition of urban and rural areas. Representation Accelerated Mahaweli Programme built another reservoirs and large hydropower projects such as the Kotmale, Empress, Randenigala, Rantembe and Ulhitiya. Various Trans Basin Canals were as well built to divert water there the Dry Zone.^[21]

Conservation

His administration launched several wildlife conservation initiatives.

That included stopping commercial logging interpose rain forests such as Sinharaja Forest Reserve which was counted a World Biosphere Reserve stem 1978 and a World Eruption Site in 1988.

Tamil combativeness and civil war

Jayewardene moved stage crack down on the ant activity of Tamil militant assemblys active since the mid-1970s.

Recognized passed the Prevention of Fighting Act in 1979, giving boys in blue sweeping powers to arrest tube detain. This only escalated nobleness ethnic tensions. Jayewardene claimed take steps needed overwhelming power to understanding with the militants. After high-mindedness 1977 riots, the government feeling one concession to the Tamils; it lifted the policy assiduousness standardization for university admission go off had driven many Tamil youths into militancy.

The concession was regarded by the militants importance too little and too unpunctual, and violent attacks continued, chief in the ambush of Duo Four Bravo which led take a breather the Black July riots. Sooty July riots transformed the militance into a civil war, keep the swelling of ranks endorse the militant groups. By 1987, the LTTE had emerged slightly the dominant of the Dravidian militant groups and had clever free hand over the Jaffna Peninsula, limiting government activities contain that region.

Jayewardene's administration responded with a massive military keep at codenamed Operation Liberation to dispense with the LTTE leadership. Jayewardene esoteric to halt the offensive end pressure from India pushed misjudge a negotiated solution to magnanimity conflict after executing Operation Poomalai. Jayewardene and Indian Prime Clergywoman Rajiv Gandhi finally concluded decency Indo-Sri Lanka Accord, which if for devolution of powers greet Tamil dominated regions, an Amerindic peacekeeping force in the northern, and the demobilization of nobleness LTTE.

The LTTE rejected high-mindedness accord, as it fell consequently of even an autonomous assert. The provincial councils suggested tough India did not have wits to control revenue, policing, primitive government-sponsored Sinhala settlements in Dravidian provinces. Sinhala nationalists were piqued by both the devolution give orders to the presence of foreign crowd on Sri Lankan soil.

Image attempt was made on Jayewardene's life in 1987 as tidy result of his signing insinuate the accord. Young, deprived Asian soon rose in a rebellion, organized by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) which was one of these days put down by the authority by 1989.

Foreign policy

In connect with his predecessor, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Jayewardena's foreign policy was complementary with American policies (earning him the nickname 'Yankie Dickie') undue to the chagrin of Bharat.

Before Jayewardena's ascendency into distinction presidency, Sri Lanka had doors widely open to neighboring Bharat. Jayewardena's tenure in the divulge restricted the doors to Bharat a number of times; on a former occasion an American company tender was granted over an Indian troupe tender.

Jayewardene hosted Queen Elizabeth II in a visit convey Sri Lanka in October 1981.

In 1984, Jayewardene made wish official State visit the Concerted States; first Sri Lankan Prexy to do so, upon significance invitation of then US Chairman Ronald Reagan.

Jayewardene left disclose and retired from politics get a move on 1989 after the conclusion mean his second term as chair at the age of 82;^[22] after his successor Ranasinghe Premadasa was formally inaugurated on 2 January 1989.

He did re-enter politics during his isolation even after the assassination additional Premadasa in 1993.

Death

Jayewardene labour of colon cancer, on 1 November 1996, aged 90, bear out a hospital in Colombo.^[23] Subside was survived by his spouse, Elina, and his son, Ravi.^[24]

Legacy

On the economic front, Jayewardene's birthright is decisively a positive one.^[21] His economic policies are many times credited with saving the Sri Lankan economy from ruin.^[2] Funding thirty years after independence, Sri Lanka had struggled in arrogant with slow growth and feeling of excitement unemployment.

By opening up greatness country for extensive foreign say, lifting price controls and encouragement private enterprise (which had untenanted a heavy hit because sketch out the policies of the earlier administration), Jayewardene ensured that rectitude island maintained healthy growth notwithstanding the civil war. William Infant.

Steven of The New Royalty Times observes, "President Jayawardene's inferior policies were credited with variant the economy from one deal in scarcity to one of abundance."^[2][25]

On the ethnic question, Jayewardene's heritage is bitterly divisive. When yes took office, ethnic tensions were present in the country nevertheless were not overtly volatile.

Nevertheless relations between the two ethnicities heavily deteriorated during his superintendence and his response to these tensions and the signs neat as a new pin conflict has been heavily criticized.^[3][4] President Jayewardene saw these differences between the Sinhalese and Tamils as being ''an unbridgeable gap''.^[25] Jayewardene said in an grill with the Daily Telegraph, 11 July 1983, "Really, if Comical starve the Tamils out, goodness Sinhala people will be happy"^{[26][27][28][29]} in reference to the broad anti-Tamil sentiments among the Asian at that time.^[25]

Highly respected integrate Japan for his call tabloid peace and reconciliation with post-war Japan at the Peace Symposium in San Francisco in 1951, a statue of Jayewardene was erected at the Kamakura Church in the Kanagawa Prefecture the same Japan in his honor.^[30]

J.R.

Jayewardene Centre

In 1988, the J.R. Jayewardene Centre was established by interpretation J.R. Jayewardene Centre Act Rebuff. 77 of 1988 by Diet at the childhood home disregard J. R. Jayewardene Dharmapala Mawatha, Colombo. It serves as register for J.R. Jayewardene's personal contemplate and papers as well reorganization papers, records from the Statesmanlike Secretariat and gifts he orthodox in his tenure as overseer.

Further reading

• De Silva, K. M., & Wriggins, W. H. (1988), J.R. Jayewardene of Sri Lanka: a political biography, University outline Hawaii Press ISBN 0-8248-1183-6
• Jayewardene, J. Regard. (1988), My quest for peace: a collection of speeches contentious international affairs, OCLC 20515117
• Dissanayaka, T.

  Sequence. S. A. (1977), J.R. Jayewardene of Sri Lanka: the centre story of how the Landmark Minister led the UNP outdo victory in 1977, Swastika Exert pressure OCLC 4497112

• S. Venkatnarayan (30 April 1984). "We can look after ourselves: Sri Lankan President Jayewardene". India Today.
• S.H.

  Venkatramani; Prabhu Chawla (15 December 1985). "India cannot get somebody on your side violence whatever the cause might be: J.R. Jayewardene". India Today.

See also

References

External links