Ranjith Kanishka Parakrama Atapattu (29 April 1933 – 8 January 2018) was a Sri Lankan physician and politician.

Biography

Ranjith Kanishka Parakrama Atapattu was born 29 April 1933 in

Tangalle Tangalle ( Sinhala තංගල්ල , ta, தங்கல்லை) (also known as Tangalla) is a large town in Hambantota District, Southern Province, Sri Lanka, governed by an Urban Council. It is one of the largest towns in southern provinc ...

, the son of Don Peter (

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

for

Beliatta Beliatta is a town located in the Hambantota District of Sri Lanka. Geography It is an inland town, approximately, from the coastal town of Tangalle. Beliatta has the second highest mountain range located in the Beliatta Divisional Secretari ...

and Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Minister of State). He was educated at

Royal College Colombo Royal College, Colombo is a selective entry boys' school located in Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Started as a private school by Rev Joseph Marsh in 1835, it was established as the Colombo Academy by Sir Robert Wilmot-Horton in Janua ...

and the

University of Ceylon The University of Ceylon was the only university in Sri Lanka (earlier Ceylon) from 1942 until 1972. It had several constituent campuses at various locations around Sri Lanka. The University of Ceylon Act No. 1 of 1972, replaced it with the Univer ...

, between 1954 and 1960, where he obtained a

Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery ( la, Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae; abbreviated most commonly MBBS), is the primary medical degree awarded by medical schools in countries that follow the tradition of the United K ...

. Atapattu was employed as Medical Officer between 1960 and 1966, before establishing his own general medical practice. Atapattu was first elected to parliament at the 8th parliamentary elections in July 1977, representing the

United National Party The United National Party, often abbreviated as UNP ( si, එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂය, translit=Eksath Jāthika Pakshaya, ta, ஐக்கிய தேசியக் கட்சி, translit=Aikkiya Tēciyak Kaṭci), ...

in the Beliatta electorate, where he defeated the sitting member,

Mahinda Rajapaksa Mahinda Rajapaksa ( si, මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ, ta, மஹிந்த ராஜபக்ஷ; born Percy Mahendra Rajapaksa; 18 November 1945) is a Sri Lankan politician. He served as the President of Sri Lanka from 2005 to ...

, by over 6,000 votes.

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

J. R. Jayewardene Junius Richard Jayewardene ( si, ජුනියස් රිචඩ් ජයවර්ධන, ta, ஜூனியஸ் ரிச்சட் ஜயவர்தனா; 17 September 1906 – 1 November 1996), commonly abbreviated in Sri Lanka as ...

, reluctant to give up the massive majority his party secured in 1977, held a referendum to cancel the 1983 parliamentary elections, and extend the life of the 1977 parliament until 1989. Jayewardene also decreed that all United National Party parliamentarians, whose electoral districts had not supported the referendum, would have to run in a by-election. Atapattu resigned from his seat 10 February 1983 but was subsequently successful in the May 1983 by-elections, defeating Rajapaska by nearly 3,000 votes. Atapattu was appointed the Minister for Colombo Group of Hospitals (a project Ministry under the Ministry of Health) in August 1978. He was then appointed the

Minister of Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services. Some governments have separate ministers for mental health. Coun ...

in the

Jayewardene cabinet The Jayewardene cabinet was the central government of Sri Lanka led by Prime Minister (later President) J. R. Jayewardene between 1977 and 1989. It was formed in July 1977 after the parliamentary election and it ended in January 1989 when Jayewa ...

in 1982 and held the position until 1989. At the 1989 parliamentary elections he ran as the United National Party candidate in the Hambantota electorate and was duly elected with 10,381 preference votes (18.35%), behind Rajapkasa's 13,073 preference votes (23.11%). In 18 February 1989 Atapattu was appointed Minister of Labour and Social Welfare as part of the

Premadasa cabinet The Premadasa cabinet was the central government of Sri Lanka led by President Ranasinghe Premadasa between 1989 and 1993. It was formed in January 1989 after the presidential election A presidential election is the election of any head of s ...

and held the position until 5 January 1990.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Atapattu, Ranjit 1933 births Sri Lankan Buddhists Alumni of Royal College, Colombo 2018 deaths Sinhalese physicians Members of the 8th Parliament of Sri Lanka Health ministers of Sri Lanka Members of the 9th Parliament of Sri Lanka Non-cabinet ministers of Sri Lanka Labour ministers of Sri Lanka Social affairs ministers of Sri Lanka

Biography

See also

References