November 24, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka’s President, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, turns 57 today (November 24), marking the occasion as both a personal milestone and a moment of reflection on a political career that has steadily reshaped the country’s left-leaning landscape.
Born in 1968, Dissanayake’s path into public life began far from the centres of power. He grew up in Thambuttegama, where he attended both the local primary school and later the central college, distinguishing himself particularly in mathematics during his advanced level studies. His academic journey continued at the University of Kelaniya, where he pursued a degree in science, graduating in 1995.
It was during his university years that Dissanayake first immersed himself in political activism. Joining the Socialist Students’ Union in the late 1980s, he found himself at the forefront of student-led opposition to the Indo-Lanka Accord. Those early experiences would quietly set the foundations for a political career anchored in grassroots mobilisation and ideological conviction.
With the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) re-organising itself in the early 1990s after years of upheaval, Dissanayake stepped into active politics in 1993. His rise within the party was swift: by 1997 he had become the National Organiser of the Socialist Students’ Union and joined the JVP Central Committee, progressing to the Politburo the following year. His first attempt at electoral politics came in 1999, when he stood as the JVP’s Chief Ministerial candidate for the Central Province. A year later, he entered Parliament through the national list.
His parliamentary tenure gained momentum after the 2004 general election, when he topped the preferential vote count in the Kurunegala District and took charge of a broad ministerial portfolio covering agriculture, lands, irrigation, and livestock under the UPFA government. Over the years, he frequently returned to the legislature, whether through the national list or direct election, representing constituencies including Colombo.
Dissanayake’s influence within the JVP continued to grow, culminating in his election as party leader in 2014. Five years later, he played a key role in establishing the National People’s Power (NPP), a coalition bringing together political movements, civil society groups, and activists in an ambitious bid to reshape national politics.
That long-term effort reached a historic turning point on September 21, 2024, when voters elected him as Sri Lanka’s ninth Executive President—a victory that signalled a decisive shift in public sentiment and placed him at the helm during one of the country’s most challenging periods.
As he celebrates his birthday this year, Dissanayake does so not merely as a long-time parliamentarian or party leader, but as a president tasked with steering a nation eager for stability, reform, and renewed hope. LNW wishes happy birthday to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
