Topic: Ranasinghe Premadasa

Ranasinghe Premadasa (Sinhala: රණසිංහ ප්‍රේමදාස Tamil: ரணசிங்க்ஹி பிரேமதாசா) (June 23, 1924 - May 1, 1993) was the 3rd President of Sri Lanka from January 2, 1989 to May 1, 1993. Before that, he served as the Prime Minister in the government headed by J. R. Jayewardene from February 6, 1978 to January 1, 1989. He was assassinated in Colombo in a suicide bombing, by the LTTE.

Ranasinghe Premadasa came from a family of modest means, as such his political rise was resented by some of his rivals from the two or three Govigama caste families who had inherited political power, during and post British colonial rule. He attended St Joseph's College, Colombo which at that time had started an oriental languages course. Richard Ranasingha wished his son to follow this course. He originally planned to be a journalist, and translated an autobiography of Jawaharlal Nehru into Sinhala.

Premadasa was married to Hema Wickrematunge and had three children.Sajith and daughter Dulanjali and Ranjith, his son, is the MP for Hambantota District.