Dinesh chandra Rupasinghe Gunawardena, the newly appointed Prime Minister, is the eldest son of Don Philip Rupasingha Gunawardena, the founder of the Sri Lanka Sama Samaja Party.
The common people called him Philip Gunawardena “The Lion of Boralugoda” for introducing Marxist politics to the country. His mother was Kusumasiri Amarasinghe. Dinesh was born on March 2, 1949.
His elder brother, the late Indika Gunawardena, was a Cabinet Minister. His brother, Prasanna Gunawardena, was a former Colombo Mayor, his sister, Lakmali Gunawardena, was a state literary award winner, and his brother, Gitanjana Gunawardena, was a former Minister.
Dinesh Gunawardena has been associated with socialism since he was in his mother’s womb.
When Philip Gunawardena was a child, his family lived in a house near the Tunmulla Junction on Reed Mawatha in Colombo.
It is still standing today.
He went to Colombo Royal Primary School and Colombo Royal College for his education. He either walked or rode his bike to school.
The current President Ranil Wickremesinghe resided with his parents near the Royal College, therefore their friendship dates back a long time.
Dinesh Gunawardena’s parents opted to send him to study overseas after he finished sixth grade at Royal College.
As a result, he attended the Netherlands Business School (Nyenrode Business University). Dinesh Gunawardena earned a Diploma in Business Management in three years before enrolling at the “Oregon” University for a B.B.A.
Graduated with honors in International Business.
He became interested in student political activities in the United States, joining in anti-war marches in support of Vietnam.
Dinesh Gunawardena married Ramani Vatsala Kothalawala, a member of the well-known Kothalawala family. Yadamini and Sankhyapapaali are their two daughters.
In the mid-1990s, his wife died of undetected hepatitis.
Dinesh Gunawardena worked in New York City after finishing his university studies.
After the death of Philip Gunawardena in 1972, he returned to Sri Lanka. In August 1973, he was nominated to the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna’s Central Committee.
In 1974, he was appointed General Secretary of Mahajana Ekshath Peramuna.
He ran as the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna candidate for the Avissawella electorate in the 1977 parliamentary elections, but was defeated.
However, in a by-election held in 1983, he ran for the Maharagama electorate and was elected to Parliament for the first time.
He ran as an MEP candidate for the Colombo district in the 1989 parliamentary elections and was re-elected.
Dinesh Gunawardena, who was re-elected to Parliament as a candidate of the Podu Jana Eksath Peramuna in the Colombo district, is sworn in as the Transport Minister for the first time.
In September 2001, he was appointed Minister of Environment in addition to his post as Minister of Public Transport.
Dinesh Gunawardena was re-elected to the Parliament in the 2001 parliamentary elections, and on January 20, 2004, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and the Janata Vimukti Peramuna created the United People’s Freedom Alliance.
He was appointed Minister of Urban Development and Water Supply and Deputy Minister of Education after being elected as a representative of this alliance.
His Cabinet Minister post was reassigned to Urban Development and Pooja Bhumi Development in January 2007.
He was chosen as the ruling party’s chief organiser in June 2008.
Dinesh Gunawardena was re-elected to the House in 2010.
He was appointed Minister of Water Supply and Drainage. Following the 2015 presidential election, he lost his Cabinet portfolio but was appointed as a member of Parliament.
In the 2015 election, he was re-elected to Parliament.
Dinesh Gunawardena has served numerous Cabinet ministerial positions since 2020.
He is now the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.
(This article is an English translation of Chamikara Weerasinghe)