User:Rane2030/sandbox/Siva Obeysekera

=Siva Obeyesekre=

Sivagamie Verina Dassenaike (සිවාගමි වෙරිනා දසනායක), and well known as Siva Obeysekera (සිවා ඔබේසේකර) (May 7, 1929 - December 23, 2017) was as a veteran Parliament Member, Politician (1965-1977) and a Social-Development Worker of Sri Lanka (1965-2009). She has recorded a long memorable history of Sri Lankan Politics by contributing to the country's development within the context of politics. She is the first Sri Lankan women to receive the prestigious national award Deshamanya. She is a pioneering member of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) which was established by Prime Minister SWRD Bandaranaike in 1957. In 1965, Siva Obeseyakera contested for the Parliament election from Mirigama seat and received a major victory and elected to the Parliament.

Early Life
Born as Sivagamie Verina Dassanaike, to Louis Robert Clifton Dassenaike and Amybelle Charlotte Valerie Corea on the 7th of May 1929 </ref. studied at Ladies College Colombo. Since her school time she showed pro-active characteristics and was a monitor of the school. Since the school time, young Siva lived in an organized and active life. He days in teenage fully devoted to the ladies college, from her 10th year of the life, she began to live alone in the hostel. That life gave the Siva courageous opportunity to devote her life to education and social work. When she became year 19 years old she has reached to the leadership of her school in sports, monitoring, discipline, and she became an asset to her school. In 1948, at the age of 19, she got married to the JP Obesekra.

Married Life
Siva married in 1970 to James Peter Obeysekera who is a former Senator, elected Parliament Member from Attanagalla Electrorate (1960).

Political Work
Sive and her Huband actively contributed to forming Sri Lanka Freedom Party in 1951, Siva Obeyesekere was the first woman elected from the SLFP as MP for the Mirigama electorate in 1965. Again, in 1970 She was elected and served as the Deputy minister for health in the United Front Government led by Prime minister Sirima Bandaranaike. Siva Obeyesekere became Minister of Health after the death of George Rajapaksa in June 1976. In the General Election in 1977, her husband JP Obeysekera contested for the Mirigama electorate and lost. Afterward, she bade adieu to active politics and focused on uplifting the handicraft and handloom sector.

Leadership
</ref President Rajapaksa.
 * 1963 - she was appointed the Chairperson of the Accommodation Committee and a Member of the Tourist Development Council and she led the committee to draft of the National Tourist Development Act for Sri Lanka.
 * 1964 - She established “Laksala” the first Government Institute for Industries in Handicraft and was the Chairman of its Advisory Board
 * 1973 - She established the Craftsman’s Association of Sri Lanka and promoted the Master Craftsman’s Apprenticeship Scheme.
 * 1973 - the elected President for National Artisans & Craftsman’s Association.
 * 1973 - She was elected Vice President “Status of Women in Family Planning” in Djakarta and led the Sri Lankan delegation to the World Population Conference in Bucharest.
 * 1977 - she led the Sri Lanka delegation to the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva and was the first Asian woman to be elected as Vice Presiden
 * 1991 - She inaugurated “Lakpahana” the home of art and craft, a private sector organization for the promotion of local handicrafts
 * 2009 - She was appointed to the S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike National Memorial Foundation by
 * In 2006 - She was appointed as National Consultant to the Ministry of Rural Industries and Self-Employment Promotion. She was also the Presidential Advisor to His Excellency the Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa

Recognition & Awarding

 * In 1991 she was the first Sri Lankan woman to be awarded the “Deshamanya” (Pride of the Island) for her services to the nation by President Ranasinghe Premadasa.
 * In 1993, she was the first foreigner to be awarded the “Kamala Saamaan” in memory of Kamala Devi Chattopadhyay of India for the development of “Laksala”.
 * In 1996 - She was elected the first President of the World Craft’s Council affiliated to UNESCO in 1996

Family
She is a mother for a daughter and a son.

Political View and Legacy
Siva maintained a neutral view about her politics and opined it as an opportunity serve the people. She was politician during the era of decent and non-violent politics.