124th Birth Anniversary of General Sir John Kotelawala
View(s):The 124th birth anniversary of General Sir John Kotelawala, the third Prime Minister of Independent Sri Lanka and the benefactor of General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University fell on 04th April, 2021.
A commemoration ceremony was held at General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University in memory of this great son of Mother Lanka with the participation of General (Retired) Gerard Hector de Silva RWP VSV USP ndc, the Chancellor of Kotelawala Defence University, as the Chief Guest.
The ceremony commenced with floral tributes being laid at the Statue of General Sir John Kotelawala by the Chief Guest; Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Professor Kapila Perera representing the KDU Alumni Association; the Vice Chancellor of KDU and Ms. Wanda Kotelawala representing the kinsmen of Sir John Kotelawala.
Formally welcomed by the Vice Chancellor, the chief guest delivered the commemoration address in which he elaborated the great personality of Sir John Kotelawala as a sportsman, a statesman, a soldier and more than everything as a great philanthropist and a forthright leader who rendered a yeoman service to the nation.
The event was concluded with the awarding of scholarships sponsored by Sir John Kotelawala Memorial Society to deserving children selected from Piliyandala Sir John Kotelawala school, Kandawala Navodya school and from among the children of KDU employees.
Major General Milinda Peiris RWP RSP VSV USP ndc psc MPhil the Vice Chancellor, Secretary to the Ministry of Education Professor Kapila Perera, Brigadier EADP Edirisinghe psc BA (Defence) MPA, Rector (Southern Campus), Brigadier W Chandrasiri RSP USP psc Deputy Vice Chancellor (Defence and Administration), Senior Professor Jayantha Ariyarathne, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), Members of KDU Alumni, Mrs. Malini Kotelawala and close relatives of General Sir John Kotelawala family, Academics, Administrative and Non-academic Staff, Officer Cadets, Day Scholars and distinguished invitees participated in this commemoration ceremony.