Felix Dias Bandaranaike
Encyclopedia
Felix Reginald Dias Bandaranaike (Sinhala:ෆෙලික්ස් රෙජිනල්ඩ් ඩයස් බණඩාරනායක) (5 November 1930 – 26 June 1985) was a Sri Lankan politician who served as Cabinet Minister of Finance, Parliamentary Secretary
for the Prime Minister and Defence and External Affairs
(de-facto foreign minister
) (1960–1965) and Cabinet Minister of Justice (1970–77) in the cabinet of Prime Minister Mrs.Sirimavo Bandaranaike
. He was a very popular person about the anti-corruption campaign and also known as the "virtual leader of the state" during the SLFP governments after the death of Prime minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike. He was very active in defeating two major coups against the government, one is 1962 attempted military coup
and JVP
's 1971 JVP Insurrection.
, he was also the nephew of Mrs.Sirimavo Bandaranaike
. He was an outstanding scholar at Royal College, Colombo, at the University of Ceylon
and at the Colombo Law College, carrying away most of the prestigious prizes. After graduating he started his practice as a lawyer.
, Felix entered politics to help his uncle's party. He was elected to parliament from the electorate of Dompe. In 1960 he became the youngest Cabinet Minister of Finance in the Commonwealth, at the age of 29 holding the post for twelve years in two governments. During this time he was also the Parliamentary Secretary for Defence and External Affairs. He played an impotent role in stopping the 1962 military coup
, rounding up the coup leaders and even personally interrogating them. He took many drastic steps to bring to leaders to bar, when the current law of the country was fund inadequate to ty the leaders he had the new Criminal Law Special Provision Act of 1962 drafted and passed by parliament. Due to problems in implementing rice subsidies he resigned from the post of minister.
He was made Minister of Justice in 1970 when the SLFP won a major election victory gaining an overwhelming majority in parliament. The following year he played a major role in guiding the country though the 1971 JVP Insurrection.
He was later made Minister of Finance as well. A stout loyalist of Sirimavo Bandaranaike
, he supported her in having the government extended by two more years, then the six years it was elected for. After the major defeat of the SLFP in the 1977 elections, he was deprived of his civic rights.
Felix filed a court case in the 1980s against the State Film Corporation was released a film entitled "Sagarayak Meda" for public exhibition which was defamatory of him.
Later he was diagnosed with cancer and left active politics and after he died June 26, 1985.
) and had daughter Christine she is the only child.The family lived in the historic Maha Nuge Gardens
in Colombo.
Parliamentary Secretary
A Parliamentary Secretary is a member of a Parliament in the Westminster system who assists a more senior minister with his or her duties.In the parliamentary systems of several Commonwealth countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, it is customary for the prime minister to...
for the Prime Minister and Defence and External Affairs
Ministry of External Affairs and Defence
The Ministry of External Affairs and Defence was a ministry of the Government of Ceylon that conducted and managed all of Ceylon's relations with other countries and its military matters from 1947 to 1977.-History:...
(de-facto foreign minister
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka
The Minister of Foreign Affairs is an appointment in the Cabinet of Sri Lanka. The post was created in 1978 when the former Ministry of External Affairs and Defence was separated into two ministries...
) (1960–1965) and Cabinet Minister of Justice (1970–77) in the cabinet of Prime Minister Mrs.Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike was a Sri Lankan politician and the world's first female head of government...
. He was a very popular person about the anti-corruption campaign and also known as the "virtual leader of the state" during the SLFP governments after the death of Prime minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike. He was very active in defeating two major coups against the government, one is 1962 attempted military coup
Attempted military coup in Ceylon, 1962
The 1962 Ceylonese coup d'état attempt was a failed military coup planned in Sri Lanka . Several Christian senior military and policy officers planned to topple the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Mrs...
and JVP
JVP
JVP may stand for:*Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, People's Liberation Front, a Sri Lankan Socialist Party.*Jerusalem Venture Partners, an Israeli-American media venture capital....
's 1971 JVP Insurrection.
Family & education
The son of Felix Reginald Dias Bandaranaike, Judge of the Supreme Court and Annie Lucy (Florence) D' Alwis and brother of Prof. Michael Dias Bandaranaike who held the Chair of Jurisprudence at the University of CambridgeUniversity of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, he was also the nephew of Mrs.Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike was a Sri Lankan politician and the world's first female head of government...
. He was an outstanding scholar at Royal College, Colombo, at the University of Ceylon
University of Ceylon
The University of Ceylon was the only university in Sri Lanka from 1942 until 1972. It had several constituent campuses at various locations around Sri Lanka. The University of Ceylon Act No. 1 of 1972, replaced it with the University of Sri Lanka which existed from 1973 to 1978. In 1978 it was...
and at the Colombo Law College, carrying away most of the prestigious prizes. After graduating he started his practice as a lawyer.
Political career
Following the assassination of S. W. R. D. BandaranaikeSolomon Bandaranaike
Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike (Sinhala:සොලමන් වෙස්ට් රිජ්වේ ඩයස් බන්ඩාරනායක)(Tamil:சாலமன் வெஸ்ட் ரிச்சர்ட் டயஸ் பண்டாரநாயக்கா)Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike (Sinhala:සොලමන් වෙස්ට් රිජ්වේ ඩයස් බන්ඩාරනායක)(Tamil:சாலமன் வெஸ்ட் ரிச்சர்ட் டயஸ்...
, Felix entered politics to help his uncle's party. He was elected to parliament from the electorate of Dompe. In 1960 he became the youngest Cabinet Minister of Finance in the Commonwealth, at the age of 29 holding the post for twelve years in two governments. During this time he was also the Parliamentary Secretary for Defence and External Affairs. He played an impotent role in stopping the 1962 military coup
Attempted military coup in Ceylon, 1962
The 1962 Ceylonese coup d'état attempt was a failed military coup planned in Sri Lanka . Several Christian senior military and policy officers planned to topple the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Mrs...
, rounding up the coup leaders and even personally interrogating them. He took many drastic steps to bring to leaders to bar, when the current law of the country was fund inadequate to ty the leaders he had the new Criminal Law Special Provision Act of 1962 drafted and passed by parliament. Due to problems in implementing rice subsidies he resigned from the post of minister.
He was made Minister of Justice in 1970 when the SLFP won a major election victory gaining an overwhelming majority in parliament. The following year he played a major role in guiding the country though the 1971 JVP Insurrection.
He was later made Minister of Finance as well. A stout loyalist of Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike was a Sri Lankan politician and the world's first female head of government...
, he supported her in having the government extended by two more years, then the six years it was elected for. After the major defeat of the SLFP in the 1977 elections, he was deprived of his civic rights.
Felix filed a court case in the 1980s against the State Film Corporation was released a film entitled "Sagarayak Meda" for public exhibition which was defamatory of him.
Later he was diagnosed with cancer and left active politics and after he died June 26, 1985.
Family
He married Muthulakshmi "Lakshmi" Jayasundera (lawyerLawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
) and had daughter Christine she is the only child.The family lived in the historic Maha Nuge Gardens
Maha Nuge Gardens
Maha Nuge Gardens is a private lane located in the Kollupitiya district in the city of Colombo . Even though it is called a garden, nothing of any importance is grown here. The lane runs off the main Colombo highway called Galle Road,leading to the commercial district of Fort, via the Galle Face...
in Colombo.
See also
- List of political families in Sri Lanka
- Attempted military coup in Ceylon, 1962Attempted military coup in Ceylon, 1962The 1962 Ceylonese coup d'état attempt was a failed military coup planned in Sri Lanka . Several Christian senior military and policy officers planned to topple the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Mrs...
Reading
- Sri Lanka: Third World Democracy (Studies in Commonwealth Politics and History, No 6) by James Jupp