117-622: The Sirima–Shastri Pact or Srimavo-Shastri Pact (also known as the Indo-Ceylon Agreement and Bandaranaike-Shastri Pact ) was an agreement that was signed between Sirimavo Bandaranaike , the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka , and Lal Bahadur Shastri , the Prime Minister of India , on 30 October 1964. Officially, it was known as Agreement on Persons of Indian Origin in Ceylon . It was a significant agreement in determining
234-470: A National Committee of Reconstruction to re-establish civil authority and provide a strategic plan for dealing with those captured or surrendered insurgents. One of the Bandaranaike's first actions after the conflict was to expel North Korean diplomats, as she suspected they had fomented the radical discontent. The saying "She was the only man in her cabinet" – attributed to her political opponents in
351-551: A large role abroad as a negotiator and a leader among the Non-Aligned Nations . Losing against J. R. Jayewardene in a colossal landslide in the 1977 election and as the UNP government greatly reduced democratic rights, Bandaranaike was stripped of her civil rights in 1980 for claimed abuses of power during her tenure and barred from government for seven years, making her ineligible for the 1982 presidential election in
468-523: A mansion at Rosmead Place, Colombo purchased by her paternal grandfather. Her father S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike was an Oxford educated barrister who was the Minister of Local Administration at the time of her birth. A nationalist and left-wing politician, who had by the time built up a strong following known as the Sinhala Maha Sabha . He was the only son of Sir Solomon Dias Bandaranike ,
585-479: A margin of three seats. In September 1964 Bandaranaike led a delegation to India to discuss the repatriation of the 975,000 stateless Tamils residing in Ceylon. Along with Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri , she ironed out the terms of the Srimavo-Shastri Pact , a landmark agreement for the foreign policy of both nations. Under the agreement, Ceylon was to grant citizenship to 300,000 of
702-756: A member of Parliament within three months if she was to continue holding office as prime minister. To make a place for her, Manameldura Piyadasa de Zoysa resigned his seat in the Senate. On 5 August 1960, Governor General Goonetilleke appointed Bandaranaike to the Senate of Ceylon , the upper house of Parliament. Initially, she struggled to navigate the issues facing the country, relying on her cabinet member and nephew, Felix Dias Bandaranaike . Opponents made dismissive comments about her "kitchen cabinet": she would continue to face similar sexism while in office. To further her husband's policy of nationalising key sectors of
819-798: A new Constitution. Bandaranaike regained power after the United Front coalition between the Communist Party, the Lanka Sama Samaja Party and her own Freedom Party won the 1970 elections with a large majority in May 1970. By July, she had convened a Constitutional Assembly to replace the British-drafted constitution with one drafted by the Ceylonese. She introduced policies requiring that permanent secretaries in
936-570: A new round of negotiations were initiated. The negotiations were initially scheduled to last four days, but eventually ended up taking six. On several occasions they came close to collapse. Finally, both countries agreed to a pact , negotiating a formula that satisfied both governments. The central part of the pact was the granting of Ceylonese citizenship to 300,000 of the Indian population in Sri Lanka, while 525,000 would be repatriated to India. It
1053-539: A press conference held by the country's opposition coalition, following weeks of speculation regarding her involvement in the coalition's decision-making. She successfully endorsed Maithripala Sirisena as the common candidate of the opposition in the 2015 presidential election, who defeated Mahinda Rajapaksa . In the same year, Kumaratunga supported the United National Party in the general elections to avoid Rajapaksa becoming prime minister. In 2015 she
1170-568: A scholarship from the Institute of French Studies. There she spent one year at the Institut d'études politiques d'Aix-en-Provence following a course in the French language and culture. In 1968, she went on to study at the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po) graduating with a diploma in political science in 1970. She thereafter enrolled in a PhD program in development economics at
1287-616: A second time as Leader of the Opposition from 1989 to 1994. When her daughter, who succeeded her as party leader, won the 1994 presidential election , Bandaranaike was appointed to her third term as prime minister and served until her retirement in 2000, two months prior to her death. Bandaranaike was born Sirima Ratwatte on 17 April 1916 at Ellawala Walawwa, her aunt's residence in Ratnapura , in British Ceylon . Her mother
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#17327902254941404-682: A socialite and her younger brother Anura Bandaranaike joined active politics, going on to become a cabinet minister and Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka as well as the youngest leader of the opposition. Chandrika was educated at the St Bridget's Convent, Colombo , and enrolled at the Roman Catholic Aquinas University College , Colombo to study for a law degree. However, in 1967, she left Aquinas for France without completing her law studies, on
1521-677: Is a member of the Council of Women World Leaders and the Global Leadership Foundation . In November 2009, Kumaratunga was appointed to the 12-member board of directors of the Club de Madrid . She is a frequent panelist and member of the Clinton Global Initiative and advisor to its annual meeting held every September. Kumaratunga noted in 2007: ″I sincerely tried to reach a political consensus to solve
1638-548: Is an overall lack of freedom and an atmosphere of fear prevails in the country. The basic rights of the people and media freedom are restricted in Sri Lanka." In February 2017, Kumaratunga accepted an invitation to join the eminent international Council of Patrons of the Asian University for Women (AUW) in Chittagong, Bangladesh. On 21 November 2014 Kumaratunga formally announced her return to active politics at
1755-452: The Battle of Mullaitivu in 1996 and Battle of Kilinochchi in 1998. Her government thereafter launched Operation Jayasikurui which soon bogged down with heavy casualties. Her government, led by Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar increased the recognition and acceptance of Sri Lanka on the international stage, which had been greatly affected by the riots and suppression of insurgency in
1872-583: The Citizenship Act of 1948 excluded these Indian Tamils from citizenship, making them stateless. S.W.R.D.'s policy toward the stateless Tamils had been moderate, granting some citizenship and allowing productive workers to remain. His successor, Dudley Senanayake, was the first to recommend compulsory repatriation for the population. Bandaranaike toured the country and made emotional speeches, frequently bursting into tears as she pledged herself to continue her late husband's policies. Her actions earned her
1989-944: The Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference in London and the 1st Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Belgrade , SFR Yugoslavia making Sri Lanka one of the founding members of the Non-Aligned Movement . She was a key player in reducing tensions between India and China after their 1962 border dispute erupted into the Sino-Indian War . In November and December of that year, Bandaranaike called conferences in Colombo with delegates from Burma, Cambodia, Ceylon, Ghana and
2106-679: The Communist , Revolutionary Socialist and Trotskyist Parties was formed in late 1963, Bandaranaike moved left to try to gain their support. In February 1964, Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai visited Bandaranaike in Ceylon with offers of aid, gifts of rice and textiles, and discussions to extend trade. The two also discussed the Sino-Indian border dispute and nuclear disarmament. The ties with China were attractive, as Bandaranaike's recent formal recognition of East Germany had eliminated incoming aid from West Germany and her nationalisation of
2223-519: The Federal Party , a campaign of civil disobedience began in the provinces with Tamil majorities. Bandaranaike's response was to declare a state of emergency and send in troops to restore peace. Beginning in 1961, trade unions began a series of strikes in protest of high inflation and taxes. One such strike immobilised the transport system, motivating Bandaranaike to nationalise the transport board. In January 1962, conflicts erupted between
2340-484: The Leader of the Opposition , the first woman ever to hold the post. Dudley Senanayake was sworn in as prime minister on 25 March 1965. Soon after, Bandaranaike's position as a member of parliament was challenged, when allegations were made that she had accepted a bribe, in the form of a car, while in office. A committee was appointed to investigate and she was later cleared of the charge. During her five-year term in
2457-666: The Maha Mudaliyar , the chief Ceylonese representative and advisor to the Governor of Ceylon . Her mother Sirima Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike, was the daughter of Barnes Ratwatte Dissawa , Rate Mahatmaya of Balangoda during British colonial rule, who was descended from Ratwatte Dissawa, Dissawa of Matale , a signatory on behalf of the Sinhalese to the Kandyan Convention of 1815 . Young Chandrika grew up in
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#17327902254942574-658: The Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP), a broad four-party coalition, to contest the 1956 elections . Bandaranaike once again campaigned for her husband in Attanagalla, in her home town of Balangoda, and in Ratnapura for the Freedom Party. The Mahajana Eksath Peramuna won a landslide victory and S.W.R.D. became the prime minister. While on a state visit to Malaysia on its Independence in 1957,
2691-634: The People's Alliance lost the parliamentary election to the UNP , and her political opponent, Ranil Wickremasinghe , became Sri Lanka's new prime minister. She continued as president of Sri Lanka although her relationship with the Wickremasinghe government was a strained one. In February 2002 Wickremasinghe's government and the LTTE signed a permanent ceasefire agreement, paving the way for talks to end
2808-596: The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) with his follows of the Sinhala Maha Sabha in 1951. Contesting the elections that followed and strengthening the SLFP in the periods between elections; Bandaranaike became the Leader of the Opposition in 1952 and prime minister in 1956. As prime minister, he was responsible for putting forth significant reforms such as the nationalization of bus companies and
2925-571: The Tamil Tigers , at her final election rally at Colombo Town Hall premises on 18 December 1999. She managed to defeat Ranil Wickremasinghe in the election held on 21 December and was sworn in for another term the next day. Her second term saw the civil war aggravating with her government suffering major defeats against the LTTE such as the Second Battle of Elephant Pass and Bandaranaike Airport attack . In December 2001, her party
3042-765: The United Arab Republic to discuss the dispute. She then travelled with Ghanaian Justice Minister Kofi Ofori-Atta to India and Peking , China in an attempt to broker peace. In January 1963, Bandaranaike and Orofi-Atta were rewarded in New Delhi, when Jawaharlal Nehru , the Indian Prime Minister , agreed to make a motion in the Indian Parliament recommending the settlement Bandaranaike had advocated for. At home, difficulties were mounting. Despite her success abroad, Bandaranaike
3159-686: The University of Paris , and Anura at the University of London . All would later return and serve in the Sri Lankan government. In 1941 Bandaranaike joined the Lanka Mahila Samiti (Lankan Women's Association), the country's largest women's voluntary organisation. She participated in many of the social projects initiated by the Mahila Samiti for the empowerment of rural women and disaster relief. One of her first projects
3276-657: The election held on 2 April 2004 the UPFA formed a government with Mahinda Rajapaksa as prime minister. This marked the first time in history that the JVP became a partner in a Sri Lankan government. However, in June 2005, the JVP left Kumaratunga's government over a disagreement regarding a joint mechanism with LTTE rebels sharing foreign aid to rebuild the tsunami -devastated Northern and Eastern areas of Sri Lanka. Kumaratunga's six-year term ended that year in 2005. She argued that since
3393-512: The parochial schools that were receiving state funding. In doing so she curtailed the influence of the Catholic minority, who tended to be members of the economic and political elite, and extended the influence of Buddhist groups. In January 1961, Bandaranaike implemented a law making Sinhala the official language, replacing English. This action caused wide discontent among the more than two million Tamil-speakers . Urged on by members of
3510-478: The prime minister from August to November 1994 and the chief minister of the Western Province from 1993 to 1994. She is the country's first and only female president to date and the country's second female prime minister . She was the leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) from 1994 to 2005. She was elected as president in 1994 , when she defeated UNP candidate Srima Dissanayake in
3627-546: The 1960s – resurfaced during the height of the insurgency, as Bandaranaike proved that she had become a "formidable political force". In May 1972, Ceylon was replaced by the Republic of Sri Lanka after a new Constitution was ratified. Though the country remained within the Commonwealth of Nations , Queen Elizabeth II was no longer recognised as its sovereign. Under its terms, the Senate, suspended since 1971,
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3744-742: The 1980s. She succeeded in having the LTTE banned internationally; with the United States and the United Kingdom proscribed the LTTE on 8 October 1997 and 28 February 2001 respectively, thereby depriving that organization of a primary source of funding. Her government re-established formal diplomatic ties with Israel in 2000, which had become a major supplier of weapons to the island. In October 1999, Kumaratunga called an early presidential election . She lost vision in her right eye (permanent optic nerve damage) in an assassination attempt , by
3861-404: The 1999 election had been held one year early, she should be allowed to serve that leftover year stating that she had a secret swearing-in for her second term a year after her formal swearing-in. The Supreme Court rejected this stating that her term ended in 2005. In the presidential elections that followed, Mahinda Rajapaksa gained 50.29% and succeeded her as president, leading all 25 parties in
3978-635: The Central Command of the Ceylon Army . The family resided at the walawwa , or colonial manor house, of Sirima's maternal grandfather Mahawalatenne, and then later at their own walawwa in Balangoda. From a young age, Sirima had access to her grandfather's vast library of literary and scientific works. She first attended a private kindergarten in Balangoda, moved briefly in 1923 to the primary classes of Ferguson High School in Ratnapura, and
4095-710: The Gampaha District in August 1994. Achieving a slim majority in parliament by gaining the support of the Ceylon Workers' Congress , the PA formed a government with Chandrika as prime minister with her mother as a minister in the cabinet on 19 August 1994. She also succeeded her mother as the leader of the SLFP. Soon thereafter presidential elections were called for in November. Prime Minister Kumaratunga backed by
4212-403: The Indian intervention, believing it violated Sri Lankan sovereignty. Failing to win the office of President against new UNP leader Ranasinghe Premadasa in 1988 , she restored her party, which had by now developed more centrist policies and advocated for a reconciliatory approach towards Tamils in the civil war, as a relevant force in the first parliamentary election after 12 years and served
4329-728: The LRC in 1976, she became the chairman of the Janawasa Commission, which established collective farms from land acquired by the LRC. Following the defeat of her mother's SLFP government in the 1977 general election , she left government service and acted as a consultant to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations till 1979. In 1978, she married Vijaya Kumaratunga a leading actor, and LSSP turned SLFP political activist. She supported his election campaign in
4446-460: The PA contested against Gamini Dissanayake, who was the leader of the opposition backed by the UNP. However, Dissanayake was soon assassinated by a LTTE suicide bomber and his widow Srima Dissanayake took over his nomination. Chandrika won the presidential election in 1994 gaining 62.28% of the vote. Becoming the first female president of Sri Lanka in November 1994, she appointed her mother to succeed her as prime minister. Her government continued
4563-680: The Parliament passed the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation Amendment Act nationalising all distribution, import-export, sales and supply of most oil products in the country, from January 1964. Also in 1964, Bandaranaike's government abolished the independent Ceylon Civil Service and replaced it with the Ceylon Administrative Service , which was subject to government influence. When the United Left Front coalition between
4680-523: The Port of Colombo, a prohibition on caste-based discrimination, the removal of British military bases, and the establishment of diplomatic missions with a number of Communist states. He also made Sinhala the country's only official language, thus marginalizing the Tamils as well as members of the middle-class educated elite whose first language was English. He was subsequently assassinated in 1959 when Chandrika
4797-411: The SLFP which had been founded by her father and now led by her mother. In 1974, she became an executive committee member of its Women's League. She was appointed as an Additional Principal Director in the Land Reforms Commission (LRC) which acquired nearly 228,000 hectares of private land to the state under the Land Reform Law, which imposed a ceiling of twenty hectares on privately owned land. Leaving
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4914-422: The Sri Lankan republic, separating it from the British Empire and also extending the parliamentary period until 1977. In 1975, Bandaranaike created what would eventually become the Sri Lankan Ministry of Women and Child Affairs , also appointing the first woman to serve in the Sri Lankan Cabinet aside from herself. Bandaranaike's tenure was marked by inadequate economic development at the national level. She played
5031-424: The Tamils and their descendants while India was to repatriate 525,000 stateless Tamils. During the 15 years allotted to complete their obligations, the parties agreed to negotiate terms for the remaining 150,000. In October, Bandaranaike attended and co-sponsored the Non-Aligned Conference held in Cairo. In December 1964, her United Front government put forward the "Press Take Over Bill" in an attempt to nationalise
5148-455: The U.S. Embassy in Colombo, leading to the declaration of a state of emergency on 17 March. In early April, attacks on police stations evidenced a well-planned insurgency which Ceylon's small army was ill-equipped to handle. Calling on its allies for assistance, the government was saved largely because of Bandaranaike's neutral foreign policy. The Soviet Union sent aircraft to support the Ceylonese government; arms and equipment came from Britain,
5265-415: The UNP and formed the Democratic United National Front following a failed impeachment against President Ranasinghe Premadasa . DUNF soon mobilized the opposition against the Premadasa government. Having returned permanently in 1991, Chandrika rejoined SLFP and got actively involved in politics. In 1993, Athulathmudali and Premadasa were assassinated. Following Athulathmudali's assassination, Chandrika became
5382-408: The UPFA. She was listed 25th by Forbes magazine in its "100 most powerful women" in 2005. In 2006, having remained the leader of the SLFP after leaving office, she "temporally" stepped down from the party leadership citing "continuous harassment she has faced after Mahinda Rajapaksa took office as president" and soon after left the country for self-imposed exile in the United Kingdom. Kumaratunga
5499-410: The United Arab Republic, the United States and Yugoslavia; medical supplies were provided by East and West Germany, Norway and Poland; patrol boats were sent from India; and both India and Pakistan sent troops. On 1 May, Bandaranaike suspended government offensives and offered an amnesty, which resulted in thousands of surrenders. The following month a second amnesty was offered. Bandaranaike established
5616-528: The United National Party and establish the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (Freedom Party, aka SLFP). Bandaranaike campaigned in S.W.R.D.'s Attanagalla constituency during the 1952 parliamentary election , while he travelled around the country to garner support. Though the Freedom Party won only nine seats during that election, S.W.R.D. was elected to Parliament and became Leader of the Opposition. When fresh elections were called in 1956 by Prime Minister Sir John Kotelawala , S.W.R.D. sensed an opportunity and formed
5733-442: The banking, education, industry, media and trade sectors. Changing the administrative language from English to Sinhala and routinely campaigning on Sinhalese nationalist and anti-Tamil policies, which was political mainstream, she exacerbated discontent among the native Tamil population, and with the estate Tamils , who had become stateless under the Citizenship Act of 1948 . During Bandaranaike's first two terms as prime minister,
5850-548: The benefits of uniting the families was weighed, and approval was given by the Ratwatte family. The couple, who had previously met, were in agreement with the choice. On 2 October 1940, Ratwatte and Bandaranaike married at the Mahawelatenne Walawwa in what was dubbed "the wedding of the century" by the press for its grandeur. The newly married couple moved into Wendtworth in Colombo's Guildford Crescent, which they rented from Lionel Wendt . Their daughters, Sunethra (1943) and Chandrika (1945), were born at Wendtworth where
5967-448: The by-election in Mahara in 1983, where he lost in the recount. She left the SLFP in 1984 when Vijaya Kumaratunga formed his own party the Sri Lanka Mahajana Pakshaya (SLMP) supporting his political activities against the policies of the mainstream parties. She served as the vice president of the SLMP. This resulted in her falling out with her mother and brother who were leading the SLFP at the time. On 16 February 1988, Vijaya Kumaratunga
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#17327902254946084-426: The comfort of the wealthy Bandaranaike family at their mansion at Rosmead Place in Colombo and at their family seat of Horagolla Walauwa , which was her father's constituency. Her early years saw her father's rising political career as he became the first Cabinet Minister of Health and Local Government when Ceylon gained its independence in 1948 and his dramatic departure from the governing party to form his own party,
6201-607: The composition of the officer corps of the civil service, armed forces, and the police. Some military officers plotted a coup d'état , which included plans to detain Bandaranaike and her cabinet members at the Army Headquarters . When the police official Stanley Senanayake was taken into the confidence of the coup leadership, his father-in-law Patrick de Silva Kularatne informed the IGP . Immediately calling all service commanders and junior officers to an emergency meeting at Temple Trees , Felix Dias Bandaranaike and members of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) began questioning
6318-476: The country in 1988, seeking refuge in the United Kingdom. There she worked for World Institute for Development Economics Research at the United Nations University. Following the end of the second JVP insurrection , Chandrika began visiting Sri Lanka in 1990 and re-engaging politics. In September 1991, the governing United National Party which had been dominating the political landscape was greatly weakened when Lalith Athulathmudali and Gamini Dissanayake left
6435-404: The country was plagued by high inflation and taxes, a dependence on food imports to feed the populace, high unemployment, and polarisation between the Sinhalese and Tamil populations because of her Sinhalese nationalist policies. Surviving an attempted coup d'état in 1962, as well as a 1971 insurrection of radical youths, in 1972 she oversaw the drafting of a new constitution and the formation of
6552-482: The country's economic problems, unemployment and inflation remained unchecked. After just 16 months in power, Bandaranaike's government was almost toppled by the 1971 Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna Insurrection of left-wing youths. Though aware of the militant stance of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (People's Liberation Front), Bandaranaike's administration initially failed to recognise them as an imminent threat, dismissing them as idealists. On 6 March, militants attacked
6669-431: The country's institutions. Facing budget deficits of $ 195 million – caused by rising energy and food-importation costs and declining revenue from coconut, rubber and tea exports – Bandaranaike attempted to centralise the economy and implement price controls. Pressed by the leftist members of her coalition to nationalise the foreign banks of British, Indian and Pakistani origin, she realised that doing so would impact
6786-475: The country's newspapers. The opposition and Bandaranaike's critiques claimed that the move was to muzzle a free press and strike at her major critic, the Lake House Group led by the press baron Esmond Wickremesinghe . Wickremesinghe responded with a campaign to remove her from office to safeguard the freedom of the press. On 3 December 1964, C. P. de Silva , who was at one time S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike's deputy, led thirteen SLFP parliamentarians and crossed over to
6903-419: The country's relationship with China, while eliminating ties with Israel. She worked to maintain good relationships with both India and Russia, while keeping ties to British interests through the export of tea and supporting links with the World Bank. Condemning South Africa's apartheid policy, Bandaranaike appointed ambassadors to and sought relationships with other African nations. In 1961, she attended both
7020-417: The country, Bandaranaike began re-evaluating trade agreements and proposals that had been negotiated by her predecessor. She announced that her government would not recognise Israel until the country peacefully settled its problem with its Arab neighbours. She officially granted recognition to East Germany, North Korea , North Vietnam , and the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam . Bandaranaike opposed
7137-498: The couple had to cut short their stay when they received news that Bandaranaike's father was gravely ill following a heart attack. He died two weeks after their hasty return. Bandaranaike was at home in Rosmead Place on the morning of 25 September 1959, when S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike was shot multiple times by a Buddhist monk, disgruntled over what he believed to be lack of support for traditional medicine. Bandaranaike accompanied her husband to hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds
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#17327902254947254-499: The development of an Anglo-US communications centre in the Indian Ocean, maintaining that the area should be a "neutral, nuclear-free zone". In December, the Business Undertaking Acquisition Act was passed, allowing the state to nationalise any business with more than 100 employees. Ostensibly, the move aimed to reduce foreign control of key tea and rubber production, but it stunted both domestic and foreign investment in industry and development. Despite Bandaranaike's efforts to address
7371-408: The disputing opposition parties to form a coalition. During the 2018 Sri Lankan constitutional crisis , Kumaratunga remained silent and she later claimed that she was not invited to the special convention of the SLFP on 4 December 2018. Kumaratunga endorsed Sajith Premadasa for the 2019 Sri Lankan presidential election . Chandrika married actor and politician Vijaya Kumaratunga in 1978, who
7488-493: The economy, Bandaranaike established a corporation with public-private shareholders, taking control of seven newspapers. She nationalised banking, foreign trade, and insurance, as well as the petroleum industry. In taking over the Bank of Ceylon and establishing branches of the newly created People's Bank , Bandaranaike aimed to provide services to communities with no previous banking facilities, spurring local business development. In December 1960, Bandaranaike nationalised all
7605-412: The election could be held, Parliament was dissolved, and she decided not to contest the seat. When the election was held in March 1960, the United National Party won a four-seat majority over the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. Dudley Senanayake , the new prime minister, was defeated within a month in a vote of confidence and a second general election was called for July 1960 . In May 1960, Bandaranaike
7722-405: The established elites: the predominantly right-wing Westernized urban Christians – including large contingents of Burghers and Tamils – and the emerging native elite, who were predominantly leftist Sinhala-speaking Buddhists. The changes caused by Bandaranaike's policies created an immediate shift away from the Anglophilic class system, power structures, and governance, significantly influencing
7839-410: The ethnic question, and tried to introduce a pluralistic constitution that would cater to the political aspirations of the Tamil people without dividing the country.″ In September 2009, Kumaratunga, on a personal visit to Kerala, India told reporters "I too care for my life. Even though the current government is a government of my party (Sri Lanka Freedom Party) I don't feel safe." She continued, "There
7956-582: The family lived until 1946, when S.W.R.D.'s father bought them a mansion known as Tintagel at Rosmead Place in Colombo. From this point onward, the family lived part of the year at Tintagel and part of the year at S.W.R.D.'s ancestral manor, Horagolla Walawwa. A son, Anura was born at Tintagel in 1949. Over the next 20 years, Sirima Bandaranaike devoted most of her time to raising her family and playing hostess to her husband's many political acquaintances. All three of Bandaranaike's children were educated abroad. Sunetra studied at Oxford , Chandrika at
8073-423: The first person from Kandy to receive a British knighthood, as well as courtiers serving Sinhalese monarchs . One of these, Ratwatte, Dissawa of Matale, was a signatory of the 1815 Kandyan Convention . Sirima was the eldest in a family of six children. She had four brothers, Barnes Jr. , Seevali , Mackie , and Clifford , and one sister, Patricia, who married Colonel Edward James Divitotawela, founder of
8190-467: The following day. In the political chaos that followed under the caretaker government of Wijeyananda Dahanayake , many cabinet ministers were removed, and some were arrested and tried for the assassination. The Mahajana Eksath Peramuna coalition collapsed without S.W.R.D.'s influence, and elections were called for March 1960 to fill the seat for the Attanagalla constituency. Bandaranaike reluctantly agreed to run as an independent candidate, but before
8307-425: The game of power politics". In 1981, it was estimated that only 280,000 had been repatriated to India, and 160,000 granted Sri Lankan citizenship. India was slow to grant Indian citizenship and implement the repatriation. In 1982, India declared that it no longer considered the pact binding as its implementation period had expired. In 1984, the Sri Lankan civil war caused the suspension of the ferry service between
8424-495: The government and defeated prime minister Dudley Senanayake 's UNP in the July 1960 election . She was then unseated by Senanayake in the 1965 election and became Leader of the Opposition , before winning a large majority in 1970 due to a cleverly structured election alliance with rival Marxist parties. Bandaranaike attempted to reform the former Dominion of Ceylon into a socialist republic by nationalising organisations in
8541-628: The government ministries have expertise in their division. For example, those serving in the Ministry of Housing had to be trained engineers, and those serving in the Ministry of Health, medical practitioners. All government employees were allowed to join Workers Councils and at the local level and she established People's Committees to allow input from the population at large on government administration. The changes were intended to remove elements of British colonial and foreign influence from
8658-557: The growth of the Tamil population and pressured the government to send them back to India. Therefore, the government introduced the Ceylon Citizenship Bill . The act came into force in 1948, and it granted citizenship to about 5,000 Indian Tamils. However, more than 700,000 people (about 11%) were either non-citizens of Ceylon or became stateless. The Indian and Pakistani Residents Citizenship Act (1949) also failed to solve
8775-544: The insurance industry had impacted her relationships with Australia, Britain and Canada. In preparation for the second Non-Aligned Conference, Bandaranaike hosted presidents Tito and Nasser in Colombo in March 1964, but continued domestic unrest caused her to suspend parliamentary sessions until July. In the interim, she entered into a coalition with the United Left Front and was able to shore up her majority, though only by
8892-500: The issues. In 1954, the Nehru-Kotelawala Pact was signed to deal with the same issue. Nevertheless, the issue remained unsolved. In 1962, there were nearly 975,000 people, classified by Ceylon as "Indian nationals" and by India as " stateless ". Although India denied any legal responsibility for these people, it acknowledged a "sentimental interest" in them. In 1964, both countries had newly elected prime ministers, and
9009-564: The largest landslide victory in Sri Lankan history, winning 62% of all votes cast. She was reelected in 1999 , beating UNP candidate and Leader of the Opposition Ranil Wickremesinghe . Chandrika Bandaranaike was born on 29 June 1945, at Wentworth in Guildford Crescent, Colombo to Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike and Sirima Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike . The family moved the year later to
9126-563: The living standards of village women. She became the treasurer of the Social Service League, serving in that capacity until 1940. Over the next six years, she lived with her parents while they arranged her marriage. After rejecting two suitors – a relative, and the son of the first family of Ceylon – Ratwatte's parents were contacted by a matchmaker who proposed a union with Solomon West Ridgeway Dias (S.W.R.D.) Bandaranaike , an Oxford -educated lawyer-turned-politician, who
9243-469: The long-running conflict. In December, the government and the rebels agreed to share power during peace talks in Norway. President Kumaratunga believed Wickremasinghe was being too lenient towards the LTTE, and in May 2003 she indicated her willingness to sack the prime minister and government if she felt they were making too many concessions to the rebels. On 4 November 2003, while Prime Minister Wickremasinghe
9360-425: The military personnel and uncovered the plot. Because the coup was aborted before it began, the trial process for the 24 accused conspirators was lengthy and complex. The retroactive Criminal Law Special Provision Act of 1962 , which allowed consideration of hearsay evidence, was passed to aid in the conviction of the plotters. Though rumours circulated against Sir Oliver Goonatillake, the governor general, there
9477-594: The monopolistic pricing imposed on Middle Eastern oil imports, allowing Ceylon to import oil from the United Arab Republic and the Soviet Union. Some of the storage facilities of western oil operatives were co-opted with a compensation agreement, but continuing disputes over non-payment resulted in suspension of foreign aid from the United States in February 1963. In reaction to the suspension of aid,
9594-707: The nationalist movement. He ran for – and was elected to – the House of Representatives from the Attanagalla Electoral District . He was appointed Minister of Health and served as Leader of the House , but became increasingly frustrated with the inner workings and policies of the United National Party . Though he did not encourage Bandaranaike to engage on political topics and was dismissive of her in front of colleagues, S.W.R.D. came to respect her judgment. In 1951, she persuaded him to resign from
9711-528: The need for credit. As she had in her previous regime, she tried to balance the flow of foreign assistance from both capitalist and communist partners. In September 1970, Bandaranaike attended the third Non-Aligned Conference in Lusaka , Zambia. That month, she also travelled to Paris and London to discuss international trade. Ordering representatives of The Asia Foundation and the Peace Corps to leave
9828-481: The new presidential system. The new government initially improved the domestic economy, but failed to address social issues, and led the country into a protracted civil war against Tamil militants , which escalated in brutality over the years, especially when the Indian Peace Keeping Force was allowed to intervene. When she was allowed to return as a public figure in 1986, Bandaranaike opposed
9945-557: The official language of the country, and recognising the predominance of Buddhism, though tolerating the estate Tamils' use of their own language and Hindu faith . Though there had been Tamil populations in the country for centuries, the majority of the estate Tamils had been brought to Ceylon from India by the British authorities as plantation workers. Many Ceylonese viewed them as temporary immigrants, even though they had lived for generations in Ceylon. With Ceylon's independence,
10062-471: The ongoing civil war . These overtures failed, when the LTTE broke the cease-fire and blew up two Sri Lanka Navy gunboats known as SLNS Sooraya and SLNS Ranasuru on 19 April 1995. She thereafter pursued a more military-based strategy against them launching several major offensives such as Operation Riviresa which captured the Jaffna peninsula from the LTTE. However, she suffered a major set back due to
10179-448: The only official language, and contained no "elements of federalism". Chandrika Kumaratunga Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga ( Sinhala : චන්ද්රිකා බණ්ඩාරනායක කුමාරතුංග ; Tamil : சந்திரிகா பண்டாரநாயக்க குமாரதுங்க ; born 29 June 1945), commonly referred to by her initials CBK , is a Sri Lankan politician who served as the fifth president of Sri Lanka from 12 November 1994 to 19 November 2005. She previously served as
10296-497: The open economic policies of the UNP, with an increase in the major revenue earners; the apparel industry, foreign remittances from migrant unskilled labor, and tea exports. Much of her major economic projects failed and the country was in recession by 2001. She privatized several state corporations such as Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation , State Distilleries Corporation , Air Lanka among others which were found to be controversial with Kumaratunga accused of taking large bribes for
10413-528: The opposition citing the Press Take Over Bill. The government of Sirima Bandaranaike lost the throne speech by one vote and a general election was called for in March 1965. Her political coalition was defeated in the 1965 elections , ending her first term as prime minister. In the 1965 elections, Bandaranaike won a seat in the House of Representatives from the Attanagalla Electoral District . With her party gaining 41 seats, she became
10530-418: The opposition personally such as the leader of the opposition, Ranil Wickremasinghe . Her administration was criticized for its attacks and intimidation of journalists; rigged elections and in 2000 in the run-up to the elections tried to arrest and imprison her main political opponent Wickremasinghe. Early in her term, she made conciliatory moves toward the separatist Tamil Tigers (LTTE) in an attempt to end
10647-399: The opposition, she maintained her alliance with leftist parties. Of the seven by-elections held between November 1966 and April 1967, six were won by the opposition under Bandaranaike's leadership. Continued inflation, trade imbalance, unemployment, and the failure of expected foreign aid to materialise led to widespread discontent. This was further fuelled by austerity measures, which reduced
10764-426: The presidency of her daughter Chandrika Kumaratunga . Born into a Sinhalese Kandyan aristocratic family, Bandaranaike was educated in Catholic, English-medium schools , but remained a Buddhist and spoke Sinhala as well as English. On graduating from secondary school, she worked for various social programmes before marrying and raising a family. Playing hostess to her husband S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike , who founded
10881-591: The principal opposition candidate in the Western provincial council election, in which she was elected as the Chief Minister of the Western Province on 21 May 1993. With general elections called for in 1994 , she became the de facto leader of the SLFP forming a coalition called the People's Alliance , which contested the general elections. In the election, Chandrika was elected to parliament from
10998-527: The sales and years later the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka annulled several such sales. She was fined by the court a sum of three million rupees for unlawful land acquisition and subsequent sale of such land for the Water's Edge development project. She further followed a policy of strong prosecution of UNP, by appointing presidential committees to investigate actions of the UNP tenure and leading members of
11115-431: The socialist SLFP in 1951 and became prime minister in 1956, she gained his trust as an informal advisor. Her social work focused on improving the lives of women and girls in rural areas of Sri Lanka. Following her husband's assassination in 1959 , Bandaranaike was soon persuaded by the party leadership during a brief time in opposition to join active politics and succeed her husband as chairwoman; she returned her party to
11232-504: The status and future of people of Indian origin in Ceylon . During the British rule , Tamils from Tamil Nadu were recruited to work in tea, coffee and coconut plantations of Ceylon. Due to continuous recruitment and population growth, Indian Tamils constituted 13.5 percent (602,700) of the total population in 1921. By 1963, Indian Tamils numbered 1,123,000, and many of them were non-citizens of Ceylon. Sinhalese nationalists resented
11349-415: The title "The Weeping Widow" from her opponents. On 21 July 1960, following a landslide victory for the Freedom Party, Bandaranaike was sworn in as the first female prime minister in the world, as well as Minister of Defence and External Affairs. As she was not an elected member of parliament at the time, but leader of the party holding the majority in parliament, the constitution required her to become
11466-816: The two countries, bringing an end to repatriations. The problem of statelessness among Indian Tamils in Sri Lanka was finally resolved in 2003, with the Grant of Citizenship to Persons of Indian Origin Act, which granted Sri Lankan citizenship to those of Indian origin who had lived in Sri Lanka since the Sirima–Shastri Pact was agreed in October 1964. Sirimavo Bandaranaike Sirima Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike ( Sinhala : සිරිමා රත්වත්තේ ඩයස් බණ්ඩාරනායක ; Tamil : சிறிமா ரத்வத்தே டயஸ் பண்டாரநாயக்கே ; 17 April 1916 – 10 October 2000), commonly known as Sirimavo Bandaranaike ,
11583-434: The weekly rice stipend. By 1969, Bandaranaike was actively campaigning to return to power. Among other pledges, she promised to give two measures of rice per household, nationalise foreign banks and the import-export industry, establish watchgroups for monitoring business and government corruption, return to a foreign policy which leaned away from "imperialist" partners, and hold a Constituent Assembly charged with drafting
11700-462: The École Pratique des Hautes Études, Paris, where she studied from 1970 to 1973. She is fluent in Sinhala , English and French . She returned to Ceylon in 1972, where her mother had become prime minister for the second time in 1970 and launched a wide-ranging programme of socialist reform, and faced a violent communist insurrection in 1971. After returning she enrolled in and became active in
11817-683: Was assassinated in front of his home in Narahenpita by gunmen in the presence of his wife. Chandrika Kumaratunga briefly took over the leadership of her husband's party, and formed the United Socialist Alliance with the Communist Party of Sri Lanka , the Lanka Sama Samaja Party , and the Nava Sama Samaja Party . Although it was well organized, it lacked votes. Fearing for her life, she soon fled
11934-567: Was Rosalind Hilda Mahawalatenne Kumarihamy, an informal Ayurvedic physician, and her father was Barnes Ratwatte , a native headman and politician. Her maternal grandfather Mahawalatenne, and later her father, served as Rate Mahatmaya , a native headman, of Balangoda . Her father was a member of the Radala Ratwatte family, chieftains of the Kingdom of Kandy . Her paternal ancestry included her uncle Sir Jayatilaka Cudah Ratwatte ,
12051-480: Was a Sri Lankan politician. She was the world's first female prime minister when she became Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (then the Dominion of Ceylon ) in 1960. She chaired the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) from 1960 to 1994 and served three terms as prime minister, two times as the chief executive, from 1960 to 1965 and from 1970 to 1977, and once again in a presidential system from 1994 to 2000, governing under
12168-471: Was agreed that the citizenship of the remaining 150,000 Indian residents of Ceylon would be negotiated at a later point. The pact was criticized in various ways, especially on the procedure for its implementation. S. J. V. Chelvanayakam , father figure of the Sri Lankan Tamil community, said "It is an unprecedented move in international relations for half a million people to be treated as pawns in
12285-1072: Was also a member of the All Ceylon Buddhist Women's Association , the Cancer Society, the Ceylon National Association for the Prevention of Tuberculosis , and the Nurses Welfare Association. Bandaranaike often accompanied S.W.R.D. on official trips, both locally and abroad. She and her husband were both present after the psychiatric hospital in Angoda was bombed by the Japanese during the Easter Sunday Raid in 1942, killing many. As Ceylon moved toward self-governing status in 1947, S.W.R.D. became more active in
12402-416: Was an agricultural programme to meet food production shortages. Her first office, as secretary of the organisation, involved meeting with farming experts to develop new methods for producing yields of rice crops. Over time, Bandaranaike served as the treasurer, vice-president, and eventually president of Mahila Samiti , focusing on issues of girls' education, women's political rights, and family planning. She
12519-487: Was appointed as the chairperson of office for national unity and reconciliation to overlook national unity in Sri Lanka. In the aftermath of the 2018 Maldivian presidential election it was revealed that Kumaratunga was instrumental in forming the opposition alliance against the incumbent President Abdulla Yameen . Kumaratunga coordinated with opposition leaders both in the Maldives and in Sri Lanka bridging trust between
12636-444: Was assassinated on 16 February 1988, outside his residence in the presence of Chandrika and their two children, then aged five and seven. Their daughter, Yasodhara Kumaratunga born in 1980 and educated at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge and at St George's, University of London became a medical doctor and married Roger Walker a consultant medical practitioner from Dorset. Their son, Vimukthi Kumaratunga born in 1982 and educated at
12753-665: Was at the time Minister of Local Administration in the State Council of Ceylon . Initially, S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike was not considered to be from an "acceptable" family, as the Ratwattes were an aristocratic Kandyan family, which had inherited their service to the traditional royal family, while the Bandaranaikes were a wealthy family from the low-country, which had been in service of the colonial rulers for centuries. Astrologers reported their horoscopes were compatible,
12870-519: Was criticised for her ties with China and lack of economic development policies. Tensions were still high over the government's apparent favouritism of Sinhala-speaking Ceylonese Buddhists. The import-export imbalance, compounded by inflation, was impacting the buying power of middle- and lower-class citizens. In the mid-year by-election, although Bandaranaike held a majority, the United National Party made gains, indicating that her support
12987-400: Was fourteen. Following the assassination, Bandaranaike's grieving widow took over the leadership of the SLFP and led it to an election victory making her the first female prime minister in the world, in 1960. Therefore, Chandrika was involved in politics from a young age along with her siblings as she was the second of three children in the family. Her elder sister Sunethra Bandaranaike became
13104-489: Was no real evidence against him and therefore no means of prosecuting him. He was neither "removed from office nor did he resign". He agreed to answer questions about his suspected involvement once he was replaced. In February Bandaranaike's uncle, William Gopallawa was appointed Governor General. Goonatillake was escorted to the airport, left Ceylon, and went into voluntary exile. In an attempt to balance east–west interests and maintain neutrality, Bandaranaike strengthened
13221-403: Was officially abolished and the new unicameral National State Assembly was created, combining the powers of the executive, judicial and legislative branches in one authority. The constitution recognised the supremacy of Buddhism, though it guaranteed equal protection to Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam. It failed to provide a charter of inalienable rights , recognised Sinhala as
13338-565: Was on an official visit to the US, Kumaratunga prorogued Parliament and took over Defense, Interior, and Media ministries herself. Her opponents criticized her, calling her behavior dictatorial. Kumaratunga's PA and the leftist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna or JVP (People's Liberation Front) formed the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) in January 2004 and dissolved Parliament. Having won
13455-531: Was slipping. Lack of support for austerity measures, specifically the inability to import adequate rice – the main dietary staple – caused the resignation of Minister Felix Dias Bandaranaike. Other cabinet ministers were reassigned in an attempt to stem the drift toward Soviet trade partnerships, which had gained ground after the creation of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation . The Petroleum Corporation had been launched in 1961 to bypass
13572-446: Was then sent to boarding school at St Bridget's Convent, Colombo . Though her education was in the Catholic school system, Sirima remained a practising Buddhist throughout her life and was fluent in both English and Sinhala . After completing her schooling at age 19, Sirima Ratwatte became involved in social work, distributing food and medicine to jungle villages, organising clinics and helping create rural industry to improve
13689-460: Was unanimously elected party president by the executive committee of the Freedom Party, although at the time she was still undecided about running in the July election. Disavowing former party ties with Communists and Trotskyists , by early June she was campaigning with promises to carry forward the policies of her husband – in particular, establishing a republic, enacting a law to establish Sinhala as
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