Keerthisena Abeywickrama

Hon.
Keerthisena Abeywickrama
District Minister for Matara
In office
1977–1987
Member of Parliament
for Deniyaya
In office
1977–1987
Preceded bySumanapala Dahanayake
Succeeded byKeerthilatha Abeywickrama
Personal details
Born
Keerthisena Chandradasa Abeywickrama

(1933-12-20)20 December 1933
Died18 August 1987(1987-08-18) (aged 53)
Colombo
NationalitySri Lankan
Political partyUnited National Party
SpouseDr. Maya Abeywickrama née Jayasinghe (m. 1982)
Relations
Childrennil
Alma materRichmond College, Galle

Keerthisena Chandradasa Abeywickrama (20 December 1933 – 18 August 1987) was a Sri Lankan politician and a member of the parliament.[1][2]

Abeywickrama was the son of Padikara Muhandiram Don Pedris Francis Abeywickrama and Catharina Abeywickrama née Liyanage from Morawaka, Sri Lanka. He received his education at Richmond College, Galle. He trained as a tea planter at the Madampe Group in Rakwana before managing the family estate in Morawaka.[3]

Abeywickrama joined the United National Party and was elected as a Member of Parliament for the Deniyaya Electoral District at the 8th Sri Lankan Parliamentary Election in 1977.[4] He served as the District Minister for Matara in the Jayewardene cabinet.[5]

He is the cousin of Sumanadasa Abeywickrama, Deputy Minister of Agriculture Development & Research and Member of Parliament for Akmeemana. They both contested for the United National Party and won seats at the 8th Sri Lankan Parliamentary Election in 1977.

On 20 December 1982 he married Dr. Maya Abeywickrama née Jayasinghe, a music teacher, lawyer and author.[6][7]

Abeywickrama was killed in the 1987 grenade attack in the Sri Lankan Parliament by members of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) that was banned at the time.[8][9] His sister Keerthilatha Abeywickrama was appointed Member of Parliament for the Deniyaya after his death.[10][11]

The Keerthi Abeywickrama National School in Morawaka was named after him.

  1. ^ "Hon. Abeywickrema, Keerthisena, M.P." Directory of Past Members. Parliament of Sri Lanka. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  2. ^ Goonetilleke, T. V., ed. (1983). Members of the Legislatures of Sri Lanka, 1931-83: Record of Service. Parliament of Sri Lanka. p. 8.
  3. ^ Wimalaratne, K. D. G., ed. (1994). Personalities, Sri Lanka: A Biographical Study (15th-20th Century), 1490-1990 A.D., A-Z. Ceylon Business Appliances Limited. p. 5. ISBN 9789559287001.
  4. ^ "Parliamentary Election - 1977" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 July 2011.
  5. ^ "Sri Lanka Year Book 1982" (PDF). Department of Census and Statistics, Sri Lanka. p. 13.
  6. ^ Abeywickrama, Maya (2011). Keerthita Mese Pawasami. Vijita Yāpā Prakāśana. ISBN 978-9556651300.
  7. ^ Abeywickrama, Maya (19 March 2011). "Book Review - Soliloquy of a Love Struck Woman". The Island. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  8. ^ "How JRJ and the UNP top rung escaped death. The day Parliament was bombed".
  9. ^ "SRI LANKA ATTACK MISSES PRESIDENT; 1 KILLED, 14 HURT". The New York Times. 19 August 1987.
  10. ^ "The track record on representation".
  11. ^ "Hon. Abeywickrema, Keerthilatha Premawathie, M.P." Directory of Past Members. Parliament of Sri Lanka. Retrieved 8 June 2020.