Robert Gunawardena


Robert Gunawardena, born Don Benjamin Rupasinghe Gunawardena was a prominent Sri Lankan politician and diplomat. He was one of the founders of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party, which was the first political party in Sri Lanka, and served as the long time MP for Kotte. He was the leader of the Suriya-Mal Movement and served as ambassador to China between 1965 and 1970.

Early life and education

Don Benjamin Rupasinghe Gunawardena, popularly known as Robert was born on 12 March 1904, to an affluent family in Kosgama, Sri Lanka. The fourth of seven children of Don Jacolis Rupasinghe Gunawardena, known as Boralugoda Ralahamy, and Dona Liyanora née Gunasekera, he was the younger brother of Harry and Philip. He attended the government school in Hanwella for his primary education and went on to the Prince of Wales' College, Moratuwa however following his father's false arrest for allegedly being an agitator in the 1915 Ceylonese riots the family decided to withdraw the brothers from the school and enroll them at Ananda College, Colombo.
In the late 1920s Harry, Robert and their younger sister Caroline became active in nationalist youth groups which were demanding democratic reforms with the ultimate goal of complete independence.

Political career