Colombo YMBA

Key Figures

Colombo Young Men's Buddhist Association, Sri Lanka.

Key Figures

Overview, Key Figures

Mr. C. S. Dissanayake (Clerk Government Services) became the first Secretary of the Association and held that office from 1898 to 1904. He became the Treasurer in 1907 and was the Vice-President from 1910 to 1912. Among the others were H. Dharmapala (late Anagarika Dharmapala), D.S.S. Wickremaratne, T.W. Gunewardena (Clerk, later Mudaliyar), C.W. Gunewardena (Clerk, later Mudaliyar), C.F.S. Jayawickrema, G.W. De Fonseka (Clerk, later Mudaliyar), Herod Gunaratne (Clerk, later Mudaliyar), D. D. Weerasinghe, Thomas Rodrigo, H. Don David (Clerk, Department of Public Instruction), Abraham Kuruppu (Clerk, Audit Office, later Kachcheri Mudaliyar), Dr. L.C. Wijesinghe, R. Malalgoda (Clerk, Later Mudaliyar), Robert de Fonseka (Clerk, Government Railway), Peter de Abrew (Clerk, later founder of Musaeus College), W.A. de Silva (later Minister of Health), G.G. Perera (Later Proctor S.C. Panadura), Martinus C. Perera, and J.C. Wirashinha.

Those 20 stalwarts who did what would be considered the unpopular and incredibly imprudent thing to do, perhaps jeopardising their careers, was led by Mr. C. S. Dissanayake, a convert from Christianity to Buddhism. He gave his life and time to the YMBA till the end of his days.

Mr. H. Dharmapala (later Anagarika Dharmapala) presided over the first meeting D.B Jayatilaka (Sir Baron Jayatilaka) then Principal of Ananda College, Colombo was invited to be its first President. Mr. H. Dharmapala at that inaugural session of twenty men who laid one foundation stone for the return to the Dharamadvipa, is reported to have said, “The moves of this new venture have in view the supplying of a want patent among the rising generation of Buddhists viz, the absence of the means of prosecuting studies of Buddhism in a systematic manner”.

It is likely that none of them realised that their vision has contributed to the birth of one of Sri Lanka’s best known Buddhist organisations with island wide reach, prestige, influence and activity.
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