S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike
Source: Wikipedia: S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike
Statesmanship & Statesmen • Historical Archive • 🇱🇰 British Ceylon • 1 views

S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike 🇱🇰

සොලමන් වෙස්ට් රිජ්වේ ඩයස් බණ්ඩාරනායක
["Prime Minister of Ceylon", "Founder of SLFP", "Champion of Sinhala Nationalism"]
Born Jan 08, 1899 🇱🇰 Colombo, British Ceylon
Passed Away Sep 26, 1959 Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka)
Lifespan 60 years old
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Notice / Correction
"The true happiness of a nation resides in the contentment and cultural pride of the common man."

Archival Overview

Fourth Prime Minister of Ceylon who founded the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), championed the Sinhala Only Act of 1956, and removed British naval and air bases from the island.

Biographical Record

Educated at Christ Church, Oxford, where he was secretary of the Oxford Union, Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike (1899–1959) abandoned his westernized family lifestyle, donned traditional national dress, and founded the Sinhala Maha Sabha. In 1951, he broke with the ruling UNP to form the Sri Lanka Freedom Party.

Riding a populist socialist and cultural wave in the 1956 'Maha Parivarthanaya' (Great Transformation), Bandaranaike was elected prime minister on a promise to make Sinhala the sole official language, nationalize bus transport and the port of Colombo, and remove British bases from Trincomalee.

Key Life Milestones

1951

Founding of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party

Established the centre-left socialist political party that dominated post-colonial Sri Lankan politics.

1956

The 1956 Electoral Victory

Swept to power on a populist platform representing Buddhist monks, rural teachers, and peasant farmers.

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Final Resting Place

Perpetual Memorial
Horagolla Bandaranaike Samadhi
Nittambuwa, Sri Lanka
GPS: 7.1417, 80.0917
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