Ranjan Wijeratne

Background

Wijeratne, Ranjan was born on April 4, 1931 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Son of George Hercules Wijeratne and Maria (Rosalind) Senanayake.

Education

Born to Walpola Mudalige George Hercules Wijeratne and Rosalind Maria Senanayake he was educated at S. Thomas' College, Guruthalawa and S. Thomas' College, Mt.

Career

Ranjan's younger brother was Hemachandra Wijeratne. Wijeratne began a career as a planter, holding many high positions in the tea plantation sector of Sri Lanka. In 1978 he was made Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Research and Chairman of the Agricultural Development Authority.

In 1984 Ranjan Wijeratne was commissioned as Lieutenant Colonel in the Sri Lanka Rifle Corps with its formation, which was established to provide security to the plantation sector. Wijeratne led the party in 1988 Presidential elections followed by the 1989 General Elections. Wijeratne was appointed from national list to parliament in 1989 and was appointed as cabinet minister of foreign affairs and minister of state for defense by President Ranasinghe Premadasa.Wijeratne invariably made many enemies due to his tough position.

He was equally hawkish in dealing with LTTE and JVP Militants. He masterminded the JVP near rout in 1989 and the LTTE was to follow. He was assassinated on 2 March 1991, by the LTTE organisation using a remote controlled car bomb while he was travelling to his office in Colombo on Havelock Road, during rush hour killing 19 people including the minister and five bodyguards and 13 civilian bystanders.

Ironically,two days before his assassination Wijeratne laughed -off the LTTE threats to his life saying"Good Luck to them". He was known to have a hard line stance towards the LTTE. Lt. Colonel Ranjan Wijeratne was posthumously promoted to the rank of General and Kotelawala Defence Academy (now Kotelawala Defence University) at its second convocation, conferred an honorary degree of Doctor of Law (LLD) (Honoris Causa).

In 2008, Tamil Tigers accused that Ranjan Wijeratne tried to kill their leader Velupillai Prabhakaran during the 1990 peace process.

Politics

Ranjan resigned from all government posts and his commission when he went into active politics in 1988 when he was appointed Chairman of the United National Party. He later went on to become the General Secretary of the Party.

Membership

Secretary Ministry of Agricultural Development and Research, 1978-1982. Chairman Agricultural Development Authority, 1978-1987, Land Reform Commission, 1982-1987. Member Rural Credit Advisory Committee, 1978-1991, Steering Committee of Dairy Development Board, 1986-1991, Land Commission, 1985-1991.

Chairman Council Agricultural Research Policy, 1987, United National Party, 1988, general secretary, 1989. Lieutenant colonel Sri Lanka Rifle Corps. Member Ceylon Planters' Society (chairman 1967-1968), Trade Union of Plantation Chairman, Planters' Association of Ceylon (chairman 1970-1971), Association of Producers of Plantation Crops, Agency section of The Planters' Association of Ceylon (chairman 1974-1975), Colombo Tea Traders' Association (chairman 1974-1976), Ceylon Institute Planting (vice president 1972-1974), National Institute Plantation Management (board governors 1984).

Connections

Married, December 10, 1954. 1 child, Rohan Nissanka.

Father:

George Hercules Wijeratne Senanayake

Mother:

Maria (Rosalind) Senanayake

child:

Rohan Nissanka Wijeratne