New Delhi: Amid the economic meltdown in Sri Lanka over widespread protests in Sri Lanka, Dinesh Gunawardena was on Friday sworn-in as the new Prime Minister of the beleaguered nation. President Ranil Wickremesinghe was present during his oath ceremony at the Parliament.
Gunawardena is said to be school classmate of President Wickremesinghe and comes from a prominent political family. This was first appointment by the Sri Lankan President after he took oath of office. The 72-year-old leader was the foreign affairs & Education minister in the previous Gotabaya-Mahinda government.
Gunawardena is a well-known figure in Sri Lankan politics and is known for his plain speak. He served as the Opposition leader during the regime of Wickremesinghe from 2015 to 2019 but the sudden wave of protests brought in a surprise. He is now the Sri Lankan PM under Wickremesinghe whom he opposed for many years.
Having completed his studies in United States and Netherlands, Gunawardena is a a fighter like his father Philip Gunawardena, who is called the father of socialism in Sri Lanka.
Gunawardena’s father’s Indian connection
Dinesh Gunawardena’s father Philip Gunawardena had a strong bonding with India as the latter took keen interest in India’s freedom struggle. He was a classmate of Jayaprakash Narayan & VV Krishna Menon at the University of Wisconsin, where all of them voiced opposition against the imperialist forces.
Philip and his wife Kusuma had sneaked into India from Sri Lanka during the Second World war (1939-45). Their contribution in India’s freedom struggle is evident from the fact that Philip & his wife both served prison term in Bombay.
In fact, India’s first PM Jawaharlal Nehru visited their family home in Sri Lanka to personally thank them for lending support to India’s freedom movement.
Dinesh Gunawardena has also been friendly with India as he has advocated for stronger & better ties with Indian sub-continent. He is a clean without any blemishes & taint and has served as Cabinet Minister for over 22 years now.