Lalith Wijerathna

His father Vijalath Pathirannahelage Piyasena was born on 25 December 1924.

His mother Kaluarachchige Rosalyn Nona was born on 18 December 1928 in Kehelle.

His father worked as a farmer his mother made matchsticks for the Maltune Match Factory at the Thambakar Trade Center in Divulapitiya and sold them to the factory.

Vijalath Pathirannehelage Lalith Wijeratne (1 January 1958–4 January 1990: ලලිත් විජේරත්න), popularly as Lalith Wijerathna, was a Sri Lankan politician and militant leader.

Wijeratne was born on 1 January 1958 in Barawawila, Divulapitiya, Sri Lanka as the third child in the family.

Lalith had one elder sister Indrani (born 1953), one elder brother Nimal (born 1956), one younger brother, Ranjith (born 3 April 1960) and one younger sister Vasantha (born 1961).

He had his primary Education from Hapugahagama Junior College.

He joined the JVP in 1978 after school through his mother's brother Rassapanage Jayasinghe, an English teacher at Hunumulla Maha Vidyalaya in Kehelella, Divulapitiya.

From grade 6 onwards, he studied at the Hunumulla Central College, Divulapitiya (currently known as Kannangara Central College) until the GCE Advanced level examination and entered the Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya on October 27, 1980.

However, he did not complete his studies at the university due to his heavy engagement in politics.

In 1982, when the JVP's leader Rohana Wijeweera contested the presidential election, Wijerathna supported his campaign.

Even though he was a skillful organizer and a charismatic leader, Wijeratha was little known outside the party.

He was a member of the JVP party in the period 1983-1990.

He was known to be appointed as the third leader of the JVP after Rohana Wijeweera and Saman Piyasiri Fernando.

His studentship was revoked after a decision from the Udulagama Commission abolished his studentship forever which was set up to probe student agitations at the University of Peradeniya in 1983.

A deadly hunger strike was launched in 1983 against it and Professor Dias was later taken hostage.

Finally the university was closed.

The university was reopened with 117 students suspended including Wijerathna.

At the same time, the legal student councils in Sri Lankan universities were banned by the government and the University Police was established at the Peradeniya University premises.

Younger brother Ranjith Wijerathna worked as a Line Operator at the Vivian Mills Garment Factory in Kapuwatta.

Lalith, who was the General Secretary of the Socialist Students' Union, was arrested by the Divulapitiya Police in early 1983 and the Meetiyagoda Police on May 31, 1987.

Lalith last came home in August 1987 in a 14 Sri Lancer wagon.

He also used a green CM125 motorcycle.

His son Poojitha Jayasinghe was also arrested during the Second insurgency and the house was set on fire by paramilitary forces on August 2, 1988.

The JVP held classes for Lalith under the supervision of Pinnakele Watte Artigala.

Lalith Wijerathna started his political career as a student activist of Socialist Student Union (SSU), the student wing of the JVP.

After the expulsion from the university he became a full-time JVP member.

Wijeratne was also known as Kapila, Jayantha, Aravinda and Siridasa.

Lalith was elected to the Political Bureau in 1988 from the National Committee of the JVP Socialist Students Union through the Central Committee.

He was killed in Colombo on November 21, 1989 after being arrested by the police.

At the time of Ranjith's assassination, his wife Sriyani was a mother of two.

Lalith's girlfriend was Mangala Herath.

It is said that she first stayed in Girandurukotte, then in Ratnapura and then in Maharagama and later moved to Padukka.

She has passed the City & Guilds exam and obtained a post of Engineering Assistant in the Japanese Contracting Company at Henanigala Mahaweli Camp.

In mid 1989, after the killing of Sumith Athukorala, a prominent politbureau member of the JVP, Wijerathna was believed to be promoted to the political bureau to fill up the vacant position.

During second JVP insurrection.

Wijeratne was the junior among the 13 members of the Politburo who led the JVP's Second Rebellion.

He was the political and military leader of the Polonnaruwa, Anuradhapura and Trincomalee districts in the North Central region during the Second JVP insurrection.

After the assassination of Saman Piyasiri on December 29, 1989, Wijeratne became the third leader of the JVP on December 30, 1989.

In November 1989, after Rohana Wijeweera's alleged assassination, the remaining leaders including Saman Piyasiri Fernando, Lalilth Wijerathna, Upali Jayaweera, Ranjitham Gunaratnam, Gamini Wijegunasekara and Shantha Bandara tried to regroup.