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Veteran politico and union leader Moulana laid to rest
View(s):The funeral of veteran politician and trade union leader Alavi Moulana who passed away on Wednesday evening, was held the next day at the Muslim burial grounds in Dehiwala .
Born in 1932, Mr. Moulana entered politics in 1948 as a trade unionist. He joined the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) in 1956 and became the leader of the party’s trade union movement in 1960. He was later be appointed as one of the vice-president’s of the SLFP and senior vice-president of the Nidahas Sewaka Sangamaya.
Mr. Moulana also served as councilor at the Colombo Municipal Council for a decade. He Moulana entered parliament in 1994 and became the Deputy Minister of Media. He would later be appointed as Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government, before going on to become Labour Minister in 2001. He was the fifth Governor of the Western Province, serving from February 2002 to January 2015.
Mr. Moulana was accorded several honors due to his long service in politics and trade unions. He was appointed Chairman of the Asia Pacific Region of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 2001 for three years. On the occasion of his 80th birthday, he was conferred the “Jana Prasadini” title by then President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
He remained a member of the SLFP throughout his life.