John Kotalawala Archives

“D.S.DAY” 19/6/1911 – 109th Birthday Anniversary – DUDLEY SENANAYAKE – By Des Kelly “D.S.DAY” 19/6/1911 109th Birthday Anniversary. DUDLEY SENANAYAKE Quite certainly, the very best Prime Minister that olde Ceylon was privileged to have. I remember him well. He “took over” from his Dad,when Don Stephan.Senanayake died, after he fell off his horse on the Galle Face Green, when the animal accidentally stepped into an unseen crevice at the edge of the green in early 1952. He then served as P.M. for just over one and a half years, before resigning in 1953, due to illness. John Kotalawala then stepped in to serve as P.M. until 1956, only to be beaten by the FIRST Woman Prime Minister, ever, Mrs.Sirimavo Bandaranaike, wife of the assassinated P.M. S.W,R.D. Bandaranaike. She served until ...

John Kotalawala [Snr] and Carters’ Strike in 1906 Source:Dailymirror ‘Once Inspector John Kotalawala detected Sergeant W. Kelaart taking a bribe of Rs 5/-. The accused Sgt was kept out of the station and there was displeasure between Kotalawala and Inspector Ohlums over it. When the case came up at Magistrates courts, the Magistrate asked ASP de Saram, to drop the case as it disclosed internal trouble between police officers!’—History of Ceylon Police – Dep: pp370/371- [A. Kekille verdict?] Carters’ Strike –August 1906 The carters were a powerful community throughout the 19th century. They possessed the ability to cripple 60 to 70% of the entire goods transport in the island. They dictated terms to all industrialist and plantations and bought over police officers below the rank of ASPs. “No person driving a single or double bullock cart used for carrying goods shall sit in or upon any part of the cart, ...