Meneripitiya Appuhamillage Don David Karunaratne was a
Ceylon
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
ese politician.
Karunaratne was elected to
parliament at the
1st parliamentary election, representing the
United National Party (UNP), for the
Gampaha electorate. He secured 11,786 votes (38% of the total vote), 3,370 votes ahead of the
Lanka Sama Samaja Party
The Lanka Sama Samaja Party, often abbreviated as LSSP (Literal translation, literally: Lanka Socialist Party, Sinhalese language, Sinhala: ලංකා සම සමාජ පක්ෂය, Tamil language, Tamil: லங்கா சமசமா ...
candidate, C. A. Mathew, who received 27% of the total vote.
Karunaratne had two daughters, Chandra Charlotte and Edith. Chandra married
Percy Jayakoda, who was the MP for
Divulapitiya
Divulapitiya ( si, දිවුලපිටිය, ta, திவுலபிடிய) is a town in Gampaha District, Western Province, Sri Lanka. It is located about away from Negombo.
Education
There are a number of Schools in Divulapitiya.
...
.
Karunaratne was a wealthy landowner in the
Gampaha District, owning a number of coconut and rubber plantations. In the 1930s he constructed a palatial
walauwa
Walauwa or walawwa is the name given to a feudal/Colony, colonial manor house in Sri Lanka of a Native headmen of Ceylon, native headmen. It also refers to the feudal social systems that existed during the colonial era.
The term walauwa is derive ...
, called Agra, in Bendiyamulla. The 1966 film ''Parasathu Mal'', directed by
Gamini Fonseka, was filmed on the property. In 1978 the Gampaha District Secretariat purchased the dwelling and for
Rs 15,300,000 and converted it into government offices, to house the secretariat.
References
Alumni of St. John's College, Panadura
United National Party politicians
Members of the 1st Parliament of Ceylon
Date of birth missing
Date of death missing
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