Lal Wijenayake: His Life & Politics
Chandrarathna Bandara
[This article marks the unveiling of the book to celebrate the life of Lal Wijenayake, politician, trader unionist and social activist, to be held at Kandy Dharmaraja College Auditorium on April 30]
Lal Wijenayake is a person who is committed to fostering the noble qualities in life and living according to those cherished values. I met him in the 80s when I was studying at the Kandy Dharmaraja College, where he laid the foundation of his life as a future social activist and a lawyer. Those days, he was a father figure to us, full of kindness and concern for us, becoming a beacon to mould our lives in our young years. Looking back as a middle-aged man now, I do not doubt that Lal Wijenayake was instrumental in inspiring me and shaping my career path. If I have achieved any success in my life, the credit should go to this great man. He is one of a handful of noble, philanthropic middle-class men I have met in his generation.