W. J. M. Lokubandara facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
W. J. M. Lokubandara
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| වි. ජ. මු. ලොකුබණ්ඩාර வி.ஜ.மு. லொக்குபண்டார |
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| 18th Speaker of the Parliament | |
| In office 22 April 2004 – 8 April 2010 |
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| President | Chandrika Kumaratunga |
| Prime Minister | Ratnasiri Wickremanayake Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| Preceded by | Joseph Michael Perera |
| Succeeded by | Chamal Rajapaksa |
| Governor of Sabaragamuwa Province | |
| In office 21 April 22010 – 21 February 2015 |
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| President | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| Preceded by | Janaka Priyantha Bandara |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Wijesinghe Jayaweera Mudiyanselage Lokubandara
August 5, 1941 Haputale, Sri Lanka |
| Died | February 14, 2021 (aged 79) Angoda, Sri Lanka |
| Political party | United National Party |
| Spouse | Malathi Lokubandara |
| Children | Rashmin Lokubandara Udith Lokubandara Damith Lokubandara |
| Residence | Nugegoda |
| Alma mater | Yahala-Bedda School Bandarawela Central College University of Peradeniya |
Wijesinghe Jayaweera Mudiyanselage Lokubandara (born August 5, 1941 – died February 14, 2021) was an important politician from Sri Lanka. He served as the Speaker of the Parliament from 2004 to 2010. After that, he became the Governor of Sabaragamuwa Province from 2010 to 2015. Besides being a politician, he was also a lawyer, and he enjoyed writing books, poems, and songs. Before becoming Speaker, he held several different minister positions in the government of Sri Lanka.
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Early Life and Education
Lokubandara was born on August 5, 1941, in a village called Haputhalegama, which is in Haputale, Sri Lanka. His parents were Loku Manike and Gunesekara Bandara. He had six brothers and sisters.
He went to school at Yahala-Bedda School and then at Bandarawela Central College. He studied arts at the University of Ceylon in Peradeniya. He also earned another degree from the University of London.
After his studies, he worked as a translator for the government. He then studied law at the Ceylon Law College. Once he finished his law studies, he worked as an assistant legal draftsman, helping to write laws.
Political Journey
Lokubandara started his political career with the United National Party (UNP). He was guided by Lalith Athulathmudali, who was a lecturer at the Ceylon Law College.
He first became a member of parliament in 1977. For the next 10 years, he was a "backbencher" in the government, meaning he was a regular member of parliament without a special leadership role.
In 1989, he became a Cabinet Minister. He was in charge of important areas like Cultural Affairs, Education, and Media.
Key Achievements as Minister
- Indigenous Medicine: As the Minister of Indigenous Medicine, he helped make traditional Sri Lankan foods like "Kola Keda" (green porridge) and herbal tea popular. He also encouraged drawing art on school walls, a new idea at the time. He supported research into traditional medicine and helped print old books on indigenous medicine.
- Cultural Affairs and Education: He set up a group of astrologers to create the Sinhala New Year calendar. He also made the New Year anointing ceremony an official state event. During his time as Education Minister, he held workshops to help students and teachers learn how to write the Sinhala language correctly. He also declared March 2nd as Sinhala Language Day.
- Justice: When he became the Minister of Justice, he made sure that law reports, which were usually in English, were also published in the Sinhala language.
After the UNP lost the general elections in 1994, Lokubandara became the Chief Opposition Whip in parliament. This meant he was in charge of making sure his party members voted together. He held this job until 2001.
Becoming the Speaker
In 2004, Lokubandara was chosen as the Speaker of Parliament. This was a very close election that lasted nine hours. He won by just one vote! As Speaker, he was like the referee of parliament, making sure debates were fair and orderly. He asked all members to work together for democracy, putting aside their party differences.
Literary Contributions
Lokubandara was a member of the Hela Havula, a group focused on Sinhalese literature. He wrote several books, including some about the famous ancient rock fortress, Sigiriya. He was also known for writing poems and songs.
As the Minister of Culture, he helped reprint many classic Sinhala literary works. He also helped publish an English book about Sigiriya, written by Dr. Senarath Paranavithana, through Oxford Press. He loved the Sinhala language and helped popularize words like "herbal tea" and "kola keda." He also knew a lot about ancient Pali and Sanskrit words. For a while, he hosted a popular radio show called Rasa Deepani.
His written works include:
- The Mystique of Sigiriya
- Sigiri Gee Siri
- Rasadipani
- Sastriya Vadalipi
- Chanda Dayakaya Wetatai
- Garu Kathanayakatumani: Mati Sabaye Kala Kata
Family Life
On February 1, 1979, he married Malathi, who was a music teacher. They had three sons named Rashmin, Udith, and Damith. His son, Udith Lokubandara, also became involved in politics.
Passing Away
W. J. M. Lokubandara passed away on February 14, 2021, at the age of 79. He was being treated for COVID-19 at the Infectious Disease Hospital in Angoda. He was the first well-known Sri Lankan politician to die from COVID-19.
See also
- List of political families in Sri Lanka
- Hela Havula
