27 Facts About Lalith Athulathmudali

Lalith William Samarasekera Athulathmudali, PC, known as Lalith Athulathmudali, was a Sri Lankan politician.

Lalith Athulathmudali was a prominent member of the United National Party, who served as Minister of Trade and Shipping; Minister National Security and Deputy Minister of Defence; Minister of Agriculture, Food and Cooperatives and finally Minister of Education.

Lalith Athulathmudali had two siblings, a brother Dayanthe who became an electrical engineer and a sister Sujaee who became a Physician.

Lalith Athulathmudali received his primary education at St John's College Panadura and Royal Primary School; before moving to Royal College Colombo from 1948 to 1955 for his secondary education, where he won the Steward Prize and excelled in athletics.

Lalith Athulathmudali then went on to read jurisprudence at Jesus College, Oxford, from 1955 to 1958.

Lalith Athulathmudali graduated with a BA in 1958 and continued his post-graduate studies at Oxford.

Lalith Athulathmudali gained a BCL and MA in 1960 from Oxford winning the Lord Sanky Prize in 1959.

Lalith Athulathmudali was fluent in Sinhalese, English, German and French.

Lalith Athulathmudali was admitted to the bar as a barrister from the Gray's Inn in 1959.

Lalith Athulathmudali joined the policy planning committee of the United National Party in 1973.

Lalith Athulathmudali contested the 1977 general election from the Ratmalana electorate and was elected to Parliament.

Lalith Athulathmudali established the Mahapola Trust Fund in 1981 to provision of financial assistance to students undertaking higher education.

Lalith Athulathmudali started reforms in both the police and army.

Lalith Athulathmudali organised several offensives against territories held by the LTTE including the Vadamarachchi Operation and was apposed to the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord.

Lalith Athulathmudali was severely wounded in a grenade attack inside the Parliament complex in 1987.

Lalith Athulathmudali received the portfolio of Trade and Shipping again in 1988.

Lalith Athulathmudali became disenchanted with Premadasa's leadership and soon ran into conflict with Premadasa.

Premadasa tried to have Lalith Athulathmudali removed from his UNP party positions and accused him of being one of the cabinet ministers behind the Burning of Jaffna library in 1981.

Lalith Athulathmudali resigned his cabinet position in August 1991 and in September 1991 he and several UNP MPs brought forth a motion to impeach Premadasa.

Under the DUNF, Lalith Athulathmudali handed over his papers to contest the 1993 Provincial elections seeking the chief ministership of the Western Province Council.

Lalith Athulathmudali was shot dead on 23 April 1993 after an election rally at Kirulapana.

Lalith Athulathmudali had one non-fatal gun shot wound on his back and had ingested cyanide via a capsule.

Lalith Athulathmudali was the president of the Sri Lanka Cancer Society.

Lalith Athulathmudali met his second wife Srimani De Seram in March 1978, when she was attached to UNCTAD in Switzerland.

Lalith Athulathmudali was a friend of his brother Dayantha Athulathmudali.

Lalith Athulathmudali is considered one of the most distinguished Sri Lankan statesmen in recent history.

Lalith Athulathmudali is still remembered by many in Sri Lanka as a gentlemen and as one of the few well educated politicians of that era.