List of alumni of Ananda College

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This is a list of Anandians, alumni of the Ananda College, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

## Heads of state

[edit]

* Gotabaya Rajapaksa \- 7th President of Sri Lanka

## Heads of government

[edit]

* Ratnasiri Wickremanayake \- Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (2000—2001, 2005—2010)

## National politics

[edit]

### Heads of legislature

[edit]

Name  | Notability  | Reference(s)

|
|

Anandatissa de Alwis | Speaker of the National State Assembly of Sri Lanka (1977—1978), Government Minister  |
Karu Jayasuriya | Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka (2015—2020), Government Minister, former Ambassador to Germany  |

### Ministers and legislators

[edit]

#### Current

[edit]

Government benches
Name  | Notability  | Reference(s)

|
|

Dullas Alahapperuma | Government Minister, Member of Parliament  |
Tissa Vitharana | Member of Parliament, Leader of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party, Professor of Microbiology  |
R. M. Ranjith Madduma Bandara | Minister of Public Administration and Management, Member of Parliament  |
Daya Gamage | Minister of Primary Industry, Member of Parliament  |
Mohan Lal Grero, MP | State Minister of University Education, Member of Parliament, educationists  |
Achala Jagodage | Member of Parliament  | [citation needed]
Ashu Marasinghe | Member of Parliament[1] |
Ajith Perera | Deputy Minister of Power and Renewable Energy, Member of Parliament  |
Arjuna Ranatunga | Cabinet Minister of Ports and Shipping, Member of Parliament, former captain of the Sri Lanka national cricket team |
Rajitha Senaratne | Cabinet Minister of Health and Indigenous Medicine, Dental surgeon  |

Opposition benches
Name  | Notability  | Reference(s)

|
|

P. Dayaratna | Member of Parliament for Ampara (1989-present)  |
Gitanjana Gunawardena | Member of Parliament  | [citation needed]
Nalaka Godahewa | Member of Parliament for Gampaha (2020-present)  |
Pradeep Undugoda | Member of Parliament for Colombo (2020-present)  |

### Former

[edit]

* Ossie Abeygunasekara – former leader of Sri Lanka Mahajana Party
* Thomas Amarasuriya – former Member of the State Council of Ceylon; President of the Senate of Ceylon
* D. P. Atapattu – former Member of Parliament for Beliatte, Secretary to the Minister of State, 1965–70
* R. M. Dharmadasa Banda – ex minister of Agriculture
* Rohitha Bogollagama – former minister of Foreign Affairs; former Member of Parliament
* General Sarath Fonseka – leader of Democratic Party; former Member of Parliament
* Tudor Gunasekara – former Member of Parliament for Mahara Electorate, District Minister for Gampaha; first Sri Lankan Ambassador to Poland, Bulgaria and Romania (note: also listed in "Diplomats")
* Philip Gunawardena – served as Minister of Agriculture in 1956 Cabinet; Minister of Fisheries
* Indradasa Hettiarachchi – former Minister of Industries
* I. M. R. A. Iriyagolla – former Minister of Education
* D. D. Athulathmudali – former Senator
* Prins Gunasekera – former Member of the Parliament
* Lakshman Jayakody – former Sri Lankan Cabinet Minister; Presidential advisor
* V. G. W. Ratnayake – former Sri Lankan MP
* P. B. G. Kalugalla – former Minister of Finance
* Wickremabahu Karunaratne – leader of the Nava Lanka Samasamaja Party; served as a Provincial Councillor representing Colombo District
* P. Kumarasiri\- former Member of the Parliament
* Sanjeewa Kavirathna – former Member of Parliament; Member of Central Provincial council; Sri Lanka's first Green Awarded politician
* Weerasinghe Mallimarachchi – former Colombo District Minister; Member of Parliament (Kolonnawa)
* Imthiaz Bakeer Markar – former Cabinet Minister of Media, Postal and Telecommunications
* V. Navaratnam – former Member of Parliament
* Herbert Sri Nissanka – former Member of the Sri Lankan Parliament
* C. E. Attygalle – former Member of the Sri Lankan Parliament
* N. M. Perera – founder and leader of LSSP; former Minister of Finance
* Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra – former Member of Parliament
* V. Karalasingham – former lawyer, writer; politician
* Basil Rajapaksa – former Minister of Economic Development; Member of Parliament
* Prins Gunasekera former Member of the Sri Lankan Parliament
* Suranimala Rajapaksha – former Minister of School Education
* Lalitha Rajapakse – former Minister of Justice of Ceylon, elected Member of the Senate of Ceylon; former Sri Lankan Ambassador to France; High Commissioner to the United Kingdom
* N. R. Rajavarothiam – Ceylon Tamil politician; former Member of Parliament
* Bimal Rathnayaka – former Member of Parliament
* Dharmasiri Senanayake – former Cabinet Minister of Media, Tourism and Civil Aviation; General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party
* William de Silva – former Cabinet Minister of Industries and Fisheries; former Ceylon High Commissioner to Canada
* T. B. Subasinghe – former Speaker of the Parliament; Cabinet Minister of Industries and Scientific Affairs
* Dingiri Bandara Welagedara – former Cabinet Minister of Plan Implementation; former Governor of North Central Province
* S. A. Wickramasinghe – former senator; founder of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka
* V. Yogeswaran – former Member of Parliament
* S. K. K. Suriarachchi \- former Member of Sri Lankan Parliament
* G. K. W. Perera \- Former Member of the Ceylon State Council
* K. D. David Perera \- Former Member of the Sri Lankan Parliament
* Siri Andrahennady \- Former Member of the Sri Lankan parliament
* Bernard Soysa \- Former Member of the Sri Lankan parliament
* Noel Wimalasena \- Former Member of the Sri Lankan parliament
* Piyasena Tennakoon \- Former Member of the Sri Lankan parliament
* V. G. W. Ratnayake \- Former Member of the Sri Lankan parliament
* C. E. Attygalle \- Former Member of the Sri Lankan parliament
* S. A. Peeris \- Former Member of the Sri Lankan parliament
* Noel Wimalasena \- Former Member of the Sri Lankan parliament from Kandy District
* G. K. W. Perera \- Former Member of the Sri Lankan Parliament
* Sanjeeva Kaviratne \- Former Member of the Sri Lankan Parliament
* Dayasena Pasqual \- Former Member of the Sri Lankan Parliament
* K. D. David Perera \- Former Member of the Sri Lankan Parliament
* Noel Wimalasena \- Former Member of the Sri Lankan Parliament
* J. D. Weerasekera \- Former Member of the Sri Lankan Parliament

## Judiciary

[edit]

Chief justice

* G. P. S. de Silva \- Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka
* Arthur Wijewardena \- Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka

Puisne justice of the Supreme Court

* Chan Htoon \- Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Burma, Attorney General of Burma, architect of the first Constitution of Burma in 1947
* V. Sivasubramaniam \- Former Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka
* J. F. A. Soza \- Former Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka
* P. Sriskandarajah \- Former Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka
* Yasantha Kodagoda \- Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, former President of the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka

## Provincial and local government

[edit]

Name  | Notability  | Reference(s)

|
|

Anandatissa de Alwis | former Governor of North-Western Province |
V. M. Panchalingam | former District Secretary for Jaffna |
Ratnasiri Rajapakse | Mayor of Colombo (1991-1996), Municipal Councillor  |

## Diplomats

[edit]

Name  | Notability  | Reference(s)

|
|

J. B. Disanayake | linguist, Head of the Department of Sinhala, University of Colombo, Sri Lankan Ambassador to Thailand |
Tudor Gunasekara | former Member of Parliament for Mahara Electorate, District Minister for Gampaha; first Sri Lankan Ambassador to Poland, Bulgaria and Romania |
Karu Jayasuriya | former Sri Lankan Ambassador to Germany |
Wasantha Karannagoda | Sri Lankan Ambassador to Japan, Secretary Ministry of Highways and Road Development, National Security Adviser, Commander of the Navy |
Lalitha Rajapakse | Ambassador to France; High Commissioner to the United Kingdom |
Warnasena Rasaputra | former Sri Lankan Ambassador to the United States of America, France and Geneva |
Gunasena de Soyza | former Sri Lankan High Commissioner to the United Kingdom |

## Armed forces

[edit]

### Army

[edit]

Name  | Rank  | Notability  | Reference(s)

|
|
|

Sarath Fonseka | Field Marshal | Chief of Defence Staff of Sri Lanka Armed Forces (2009), Commander of the Sri Lankan Army (2005–2009)  | [2]
L. P. Balagalle | General | Chief of Defence Staff of Sri Lanka Armed Forces (2004–2005), Commander of the Sri Lankan Army (2000–2004)  |
Hamilton Wanasinghe | General | Commander of the Sri Lankan Army (1988-1991)  |
Rohan Daluwatte | General | Commander of the Sri Lankan Army (1996–1998)  |
Mahesh Senanayake | General | Commander of the Sri Lankan Army (2017-2019)  |
Sanjaya Wanasinghe | Major General  | Chief of Staff of Sri Lanka Armed Forces (July 2023 - Oct 2023)  |
Lakshman Algama | Major General | former Chief of Staff of Sri Lanka Army, former Commander of the Security Forces – Headquarters East (SF HQ (E))  |
Duleep Wickramanayake | Major General | former Commander of the Security Forces – Headquarters East (SF HQ (E))
Nanda Mallawaarachchi | Major General | former Chief of Staff of Sri Lankan Army |
Jagath Dias | Major General | former Commander 57th division of Sri Lankan Army, former Chief of Staff of Sri Lanka Army |
Kamal Gunaratne | Major General | former Commander 53rd division of Sri Lankan Army, Secretary to the Ministry of Defence |
Gratian Silva | Major General |  |
Prasanna De Silva | Major General | former Commander 56th division, Special Forces Regiment, and Army Commando Regiment of Sri Lankan Army |
Gotabaya Rajapaksa | Lieutenant Colonel |  |
A. P. N. C. De S. Vaas Gunawardene † | Second Lieutenant | first Sri Lankan commissioned officer to be killed in action in Sri Lankan Civil War |

### Navy

[edit]

Name  | Rank  | Notability  | Reference(s)

|
|
|

Wasantha Karannagoda | Admiral of the Fleet | Commander of the Navy (2005–2009)  | [2]
Sarath Weerasekara | Rear Admiral | Chief of Staff of the Navy, first Director General of the Civil Security Force |

### Air force

[edit]

Name  | Rank  | Notability  | Reference(s)

|
|
|

R. A. U. P. Rajapaksa | Air Vice Marshal | Air Force Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force, Sri Lanka Air Force |

## Police

[edit]

Name  | Notability  | Reference(s)

|
|

Osmund de Silva | Inspector-General of Police (1955–1959)  |
Mahinda Balasuriya | Inspector-General of Police (2009–2011)  | [3]
M. Walter F. Abeykoon | Inspector-General of Police (1951–1953)  | [3]
Sumith Liyanage | Deputy Inspector General of Police, 1960 national featherweight champion, 1960 Olympic Games competitor  |

## Academics

[edit]

Name  | Notability  | Reference(s)

|
|

K. D. Arulpragasam | First Vice Chancellor of Eastern University |
Charles Dahanayake | Author, Professor of Physics, Dean - Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya |
Chandre Dharma-wardana | Scientist, Professor in Theoretical Physics Université de Montréal |
D. Shelton A. Gunaratne | Professor of Mass Communications Emeritus affiliated with Minnesota State University Moorhead |
Saman Halgamuge | Professor of Engineering and AI, University of Melbourne |
Sampath Amaratunge | Professor of Economics, Chairman of University Grants Commission (Sri Lanka) |
W. S. Karunaratne | Professor in Buddhist Philosophy and Comparative Religion at Peradeniya University; Dean of the Faculty of Arts; member of Board of Regents of University of Sri Lanka |
Wickremabahu Karunaratne | Lecturer of Electronics at Peradeniya University; Leader of Nava Samsamaja Party |
Chandratne Patuwathavithane | Former Professor of Engineering; Vice Chancellor of the University of Moratuwa |
Vicumpriya Perera | Professor of Mathematics, Kent State University |
Bogoda Premaratne | Author, Former Principal of Royal College, Colombo |
Sunanda Mahendra | Author, Professor of Mass Communication, University of Kelaniya |
Nimal Rajapakshe | Dean - Faculty of Applied Sciences Simon Fraser University, Canada; Vice-President (Research and International), Carleton University, Canada |
M. P. Ranaweera | Professor of Civil Engineering; Dean, Faculty of Engineering, University of Peradeniya |
V. K. Samaranayake | Professor of Computer Science; Former Dean of the Faculty of Science, University of Colombo |
Karu Esselle | Professor, School of Engineering, Macquarie University, Australia |
Suwanda H. J. Sugunasiri | Professor of Theology University of Toronto |
L. H. Sumanadasa | Aviator; Engineer; Educator; Former Vice Chancellor University of Ceylon; Founder of the University of Moratuwa |
Stanley Wijesundera | Former Professor of Chemistry; Vice Chancellor University of Colombo |
Sumedha Chandana Wirasinghe | Professor of Civil Engineering; Founding Dean (Emeritus) Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary |
G. M. Heenilame | Founder of North Colombo Medical College |
J. B. Disanayake | Linguist, Head of the Department of Sinhala, Faculty of Arts, University of Colombo |
Don William Rajapatirana | 3rd Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka |
Warnasena Rasaputra | Economist, 7th Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka |
Nandalal Weerasinghe | Economist, 17th Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka |

## Medicine

[edit]

Name  | Notability  | Reference(s)

|
|

Ravindra Fernando | Professor of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo |
Harendra de Silva | Professor of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya |
G. M. Heenilame | founder of North Colombo Medical College, University of Kelaniya |
Tissa Vitharana | Professor of Microbiology  |
Anil Jasinghe | Director General of Health Services, Ministry of Health |

## Legal

[edit]

Name  | Notability  | Reference(s)

|
|

Shiva Pasupati | Former Attorney General of Sri Lanka |
Yuwanjana Wijayatilake | Former Attorney General of Sri Lanka  |
Ye Htoon | Burmese Lawyer, Entrepreneur  |

## Corporate

[edit]

Name  | Notability  | Reference(s)

|
|

Nalaka Godahewa | Chairman of Sri Lanka Tourism; Former Managing Director of Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation |
Thilan Wijesinghe | Former Chief of Board of Investment (Sri Lanka); Chief Executive Officer Forbes and Walker Ltd |
Sandun Wijemanne Nissanka | Music & Tech Entrepreneur. Current Group CEO of the music distribution franchise, Bonfire Distribution Inc. |

## Sports

[edit]

Name  | Notability  | Reference(s)

|
|

Arjuna Ranatunga | International cricket player (1982–2000); captain (1988–2000); Member of Parliament (Colombo (2001–10), Kalutara (2010–15), Gampaha (2015–present))  |
Marvan Atapattu | International cricket player (1990–2007)  |
Dinesh Chandimal | International cricket player (2010–present); captain (2017-–present)  |
Akalanka Ganegama | One Day International cricket player (2001–06)  |
Anurudda Polonowita | One Day International cricket player (2001–06)  |
Avishka Gunawardene | International cricket player (1998–2005)  |
Chandika Hathurusingha | International cricket player (1991–1999)  |
Dinuka Hettiarachchi | International cricket player (2001)  |
Udara Jayasundera | International cricket player (2015)  |
Thilina Kandamby | One Day International cricket player (2004–2011)  |
Brendon Kuruppu | International cricket player (1987–1991)  |
Muthumudalige Pushpakumara | One Day International cricket player (2009–10)  |
Daya Rajasinghe Nadarajasingham | Olympic rifle shooter (1972, 1988)  |
Dammika Ranatunga | International cricket player (1989)  |
Nishantha Ranatunga | One Day International cricket player (1993)  |
Sanjeeva Ranatunga | International cricket player (1994–98)  |
Dulip Samaraweera | International cricket player (1993–95)  |
Thilan Samaraweera | International cricket player (2001–13)  | [4]
Charith Senanayake | International cricket player (1991)  |
Sachithra Senanayake | International cricket player (2013)  |
Ajit de Silva | International cricket player (1982)  |
Mahela Udawatte | International cricket player (2018)  |
Dhansiri Weerasinghe | First-class cricket player (1958–1965)  |
Sanjeewa Weerasinghe | International cricket player (1985)  |
Mithra Wettimuny | International cricket player (1983)  |
Sidath Wettimuny | International cricket player (1982–87)  |
Sunil Wettimuny | One Day International cricket player (1975–79)  |
Hemantha Wickramaratne | One Day International cricket player (1993)  |
Sarath Wimalaratne | First-class cricket player (1965–68)  |
Shammu Ashan | First-class cricket player (2016)  |
Priya Munasinghe | Motor Racer; former Secretary of Sri Lanka Association of Sri Lanka  | [citation needed]

## Engineers

[edit]

Name  | Notability  | Reference(s)

|
|

B. D. Rampala | Former General Manager of Ceylon Railways  |
L. H. Sumanadasa | Former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ceylon; founder of the University of Moratuwa |
R. G. de S. Wettimuny | Buddhist writer; chartered engineer (mechanical and civil)  |
D. J. Wimalasurendra | Pioneer of hydro power in Sri Lanka  |

## Media

[edit]

Name  | Notability  | Reference(s)

|
|

Titus Thotawatte | former head of the children's programmes unit of Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation |
Nishantha Ranatunga | CEO of CSN TV  |
Bandula Padmakumara | Sri Lankan journalist, writer, former Lake House chairman  |
Premil Ratnayake | Journalist (Lake House); writer; diplomat; former First Secretary (Press and Information)  | [5]
Regi Siriwardena | Journalist, poet, writer, playwright  |
Tarzie Vittachi | Journalist; former UNICEF Deputy Executive Director of External Relations  |

## Arts

[edit]

Name  | Notability  | Reference(s)

|
|

Premakeerthi De Alwis | Composer; narrator  |
Tissa Devendra | Author  |
Malaka Dewapriya | Video artist; short filmmaker  |
K. A. W. Perera | Director, producer, Screenplay writer  |
Premil Ratnayake | Author; journalist  |
W. B. Makuloluwa | Author; director  |
Lucky Dias | Actor  |
Dayananda Gunawardena | Playwright; actor; lyricist; radio play producer  |
Piyadasa Gunasekera | Film actor  |
Nalaka Gunawardene | Journalist  |
Bathiya Jaykody | Singer  |
Kasun Kalhara | Music director, singer, composer  |
Indrachapa Liyanage | Singer  |
P. G. Punchihewa | Author; Civil Servant  |
Sathish Perera | Singer  |
Sunanda Mahendra | Author; critic  |
D. B. Nihalsinghe | Film director; founding CEO / General Manager of the State Film Corporation
pioneer of Sri Lankan television production  |
G. B. Senanayake | Author  |
Titus Thotawatte | Film director  |
Meemana Premathilake | Poet, Journalist, Author  |
C. G. Uragoda | Physician; author; folklorist; historian; conservationist  |
Wijeratne Warakagoda | Actor  |
Jagath Wickramasinghe | Singer  |
Thusitha Laknath | Actor  |
Jayatilleke De Silva | Author; Journalist  |
Dudley Wanaguru | Actor  |
Saumya Liyanage | Actor, Dean - Faculty of Graduate Studies University of the Visual and Performing Arts  |
Asoka Ponnamperuma | Actor  |
Sajitha Anthony | Film and TV actor  |
Ranjith Kumara | Film journalist and editor  |

## Religion

[edit]

Name  | Notability  | Reference(s)

|
|

Balangoda Ananda Maitreya Thero | Writer, Buddhist Scholar  |
Curuppumullage Jinarajadasa | Theosophist, Author, Buddhist Scholar  |

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Hon. (Prof.) Ashu Marasinghe, M.P." Directory of Members. Parliament of Sri Lanka. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
2. ^ a b "Distinguished Old Anandians". Archived from the original on 2015-02-13. Retrieved 2015-02-13.
3. ^ a b "Distinguished Old Anandians, Page 1". Retrieved 14 February 2015.
4. ^ "PROFILE: THILAN SAMARAWEERA". Archived from the original on 2015-02-13.
5. ^ "The Island". www.island.lk. Archived from the original on 2020-06-23.