Senarath Attanayake
Encyclopedia
Attanayake Mudiyanselage Kithsiri Senarath Bandara Attanayake (born 12 August 1966) (known as Senarath Attanayake) is a Sri Lanka
n politician and lawyer. He is currently a member of the Uva Provincial Council, Sri Lanka and was the Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation, Livestock, Land and Forestry of the Uva Provincial Council from 2000-2005 as well as the acting Chief Minister
for a brief period during this tenure. Attanayake is the first wheelchair
user in Sri Lanka to become a politician and lawyer and the only wheelchair user to hold a ministerial portfolio.
. The eldest in a family of three, with a brother and a sister, at the age of two years he was affected by Polio which required him to use a wheelchair from then on. Educated at the prestigious Royal College Colombo
and graduated University of Colombo
and passed the law exams of the Sri Lanka Law College
there by taking oaths as an Attorney at law
.
He represents Moneragala district – one of the most poverty-stricken and disadvantaged areas of Sri Lanka – and Senarath has been instrumental in finding alternate solutions to enhance the quality of life in the community. "Back to Earth" is one such enterprise, where natural refuse is converted in to attractive eco-friendly gift items and mementos and sold at Colombo’s lifestyle stores, bringing an additional revenue to the rural community.
Attanayake is also an activist for making all public places and building in Sri Lanka entirely accessible to wheelchair users. In 2006, he sued Qatar Airlines for misplacing his wheelchairs and donated the entire amount to Ragama Hospital for building proper access for wheelchairs. He has been active in bringing the rights of the differently-abled Sri Lankans to the forefront. He is also pioneering a programme for disability counselling in Sri Lanka.
Senarath Attanayake has submitted a proposal to the Government of Sri Lanka titled "Moving Forward with Mahinda Chinthana - A Brighter Future for Persons Living with Disabilities in Sri Lanka". This is being considered by the Government of Sri Lanka for implementation.
Senarath is a Consultant to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and and Adviser to the Export Development Board of Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n politician and lawyer. He is currently a member of the Uva Provincial Council, Sri Lanka and was the Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation, Livestock, Land and Forestry of the Uva Provincial Council from 2000-2005 as well as the acting Chief Minister
Chief Minister
A Chief Minister is the elected head of government of a sub-national state, provinces of Sri Lanka, Pakistan, notably a state of India, a territory of Australia or a British Overseas Territory that has attained self-government...
for a brief period during this tenure. Attanayake is the first wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
user in Sri Lanka to become a politician and lawyer and the only wheelchair user to hold a ministerial portfolio.
Early life and education
Born to Attanayake Mudiyanselage Jayawardena Attanayake a Member of Parliament (1970-1977 & 1994-1999), former Basnayaka Nilame (Lay Custodian) of the Ruhunu Maha Kataragama Devalaya and Wimala Manathunge of Pitakumbura, a village in the Moneragala DistrictMoneragala District
Moneragala is a district in Uva Province of Sri Lanka. It is the largest of the 25 districts of Sri Lanka, with an area of 7,133 km².-Statistics:In 2008 - Source-External links:*...
. The eldest in a family of three, with a brother and a sister, at the age of two years he was affected by Polio which required him to use a wheelchair from then on. Educated at the prestigious Royal College Colombo
Royal College Colombo
The Royal College of Colombo was founded in January 1835 in Colombo. It is considered to be the leading Public School in Sri Lanka...
and graduated University of Colombo
University of Colombo
The University of Colombo is a public research university located primarily in Colombo, Sri Lanka...
and passed the law exams of the Sri Lanka Law College
Sri Lanka Law College
Sri Lanka Law College was established as the Ceylon Law College under the Council of Legal Education in 1874 in order to impart a formal legal education to those who wished to be lawyers in Ceylon...
there by taking oaths as an Attorney at law
Attorney at law
An attorney at law in the United States is a practitioner in a court of law who is legally qualified to prosecute and defend actions in such court on the retainer of clients. Alternative terms include counselor and lawyer...
.
Career
Maintaining a successful legal career, Attanayake entered active politics in 1999, following the death of his father. He contested for the Uva Provincial Council Elections, winning a seat that he holds at present and served as a Minister in his first term.He represents Moneragala district – one of the most poverty-stricken and disadvantaged areas of Sri Lanka – and Senarath has been instrumental in finding alternate solutions to enhance the quality of life in the community. "Back to Earth" is one such enterprise, where natural refuse is converted in to attractive eco-friendly gift items and mementos and sold at Colombo’s lifestyle stores, bringing an additional revenue to the rural community.
Attanayake is also an activist for making all public places and building in Sri Lanka entirely accessible to wheelchair users. In 2006, he sued Qatar Airlines for misplacing his wheelchairs and donated the entire amount to Ragama Hospital for building proper access for wheelchairs. He has been active in bringing the rights of the differently-abled Sri Lankans to the forefront. He is also pioneering a programme for disability counselling in Sri Lanka.
Senarath Attanayake has submitted a proposal to the Government of Sri Lanka titled "Moving Forward with Mahinda Chinthana - A Brighter Future for Persons Living with Disabilities in Sri Lanka". This is being considered by the Government of Sri Lanka for implementation.
Senarath is a Consultant to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and and Adviser to the Export Development Board of Sri Lanka.