28 March, 2024

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Dr. Gamani Corea’s Remains Will Be Cremated Today

Dr. Gamani Corea passed away on November 03, 2013 after a brief illness, a day before his 88th birthday. His remains lie at his residence “Horton Lodge”, Horton Place, Colombo 7 for the paying of last respects, where a service will be held in the afternoon. His last mortal remains will be cremated at 4pm today, November 04, 2013 , at the Borella (Kanatha) Cemetery.

Dr. Gamani Corea

Although he was perhaps Sri Lanka’s most distinguished international civil servant and a renowned economist, he remained a gentle and unassuming person with a cutting sense of humour. He used to joke of how he was at the time, the oldest (longest standing) member of the Royal Colombo Golf Club – where he used to play golf with the late Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake, and also had the oldest (longest running) car – an old Honda Civic which he did not feel the need to change, since it ‘worked very well’.

Here is a very telling quote on Dr. Gamani Corea’s stature in the North-South dialogue to secure greater benefits for the developing world from the developed Western countries, click here

His impressive biography published on Wikipedia

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Latest comments

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    I had the good fortune of being introduced to him by my grand aunt when I was a small boy. It was at Kandawela at the passing of another great Sir John Kothelawela. May he rest in peace.

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    Dr Gamani Corea was a true son of Sri Lanka who served governments of different hues with the same spirit of professionalism and objectivity in advice. Despite being a nephew of Sir John Kotalawale who was routed in 1956 elections, the winning PM SWRD appointed Dr Corea to head the National Planning Secretariat set up under his government. He had earlier succeeded Dr Das Gupta as the Director of Economic Research of the Central Bank; after 1960s, he was appointed as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank which position he held till about late 1970s. During 1965-70 under Dudley Senanayake’s government, he was the Secretary to Ministry of Planning; Then he was [icked up by UN to head its UNCTAD and he held that position till 1984. He was the founder President of both SLEA and IPS. He is a world renowned economist in the calibre of Amartya Sen. May he rest in peace.

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    i did not see this news in any Srilankan newspaper today.May be non of Bothal Paththarakarayo or Laptop Journalists never heard about Dr Gamini.

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    I met him in Kenya few times when he visited the country on UN work. Last time I met him when the UN held the UNCTAD conference in Kenya where he was the Secretary General of UNCTAD. He had meals at my house with the entire Sri Lankan and UN delegates on several occasions, and I was very impressed with his simplicity and down to earth good manners. May he Rest in Peace.

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    A great Son of Sri Lanka who stood up across all man made barriers. How Ungrateful We Srl Lankans Are! This news in not flashed in the local Media.
    May he rest in Peace.

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    The last news article about Dr. Corea (may his soul rest in peace), I remember reading in a local newspaper was about how rogue Lalith Kothalawela trying to take custody of his (Dr. Corea’s) wealth, hope it didn’t get into the wrong hands of that criminal Lalith.

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    Sad to know the news, although no local news (they are actually “lin gembos”s)reported this. As somebody correctly mentioned, no mature journalist in our media to know this great son of Sri Lanka. How sad? We as a nation are proud that we have the best culture and values, but we dont know people who serve the nation. If fourth class politician did some thing funny, all our great media reprot that immediately.
    May he rest in peace.

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    Keerthi,

    Many of his extended family tried to get him declared incompetent to manage his affairs through the courts, so they could take control of his finances. This was a disgraceful state of affairs quite common in Sri Lanka I guess. What I did not expect was for the well to do, to do this to one of their own. I hope he was treated well in the sunset years of his life. At least for some time, it did not seem like it.

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    This is a great loss to our nation, less and less of his calibre left, today !

    We are left with political appointments such as Dayan Jayatilleka !!!!
    Ah what has become of this nation?

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      Dr. Gamani Corea would have had a fit that you even had the audacity to compare the likes of Dayan with him, Dayan is as you correctly suggested a political appointment and now works for a NGO according to MR.
      Please do not even try to compare these two men

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    Dr. Gamani Corea is one of the greatest sons of Sri Lanka whose contribution to developing countries is immeasurable. Dr. Corea was instrumental in the Generalized system of preference (GSP)scheme for the benefit of developing countries during his tenure as the Secretary General of UNCTAD to circumvent the imbalance in the Most favoured Treatment (MFN) principle in the multilateral trade created by the GATT.It is petty that Sri Lankans today have forgotten such great persons.How ungrateful are we to forget such world renowned personalities who have done great service to the humanity at large .May he rest in peace.

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    Next to my son’s death it is the dadest news for me
    It was my greatest opportunity that when he was the President of SLEA. I was the Secretary
    By the time I was a young Economist of the Central Bank
    He advised me not to leave the Bank until I get the required knowledge & confidence to work internationally.
    I followed his advice & I became the Special Advisor, Office of The President National Plnning Commission in Namibia appointed by the President of Namibia
    His departure is a great loss to the world
    Asoka Namibia

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    This decoration is because he had people at high places. Even his passage to UK for studies was made possible by DS Senanayake who took Gamini to UK in the official RAF place sent by the British to take DS to sign our infamous independence treaty. I have no ill will to Mr Corea but I resist unfair glorification.

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      Raju

      You spoil the sad news with your ‘bloody’ selfishness!!!!!!!!

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        Fact is fact and doesn’t change with the death.

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    When I headed a well known services body a friend – a leading banker – brought Dr. Gamani Corea as Chief Guest for one of our functions. His 30 minutes impromptu speech on the human resources of emerging countries was listened to with apt attention.

    When he was appointed as SG/UNCTAD there was much opposition from some Indian candidates, whose credentials were equally impressive. Later when I was in the company of a former senior economist of the RBI in a private function in Bangalore, he (the Indian) told me he had interacted with Dr. Corea and found him to be eminently suited for the job. On another occasion I ran into him in the foyer of the former Oberoi Hotel in the company of a common friend and spent a few minutes exchanging pleasantries with him. He said he had come to meet a friend. In the following day’s newspapers I read (with a front page photo of both) he had come to accompany Dr. Julius Nyrere, former President of Tanzania and a senior African Statesman for an
    important Conference then held in Colombo.

    The country has lost one of its brightest sons.

    Senguttuvan

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    Sri Lanka is that much poorer now that this great man is gone. I wonder if we’ll ever see men of his calibre in the country again. The leaders we are producing dare not imagine they can reach his ‘level’. But I am hoping a better crop of leaders will rise inspired by men like Gamani Corea. Hoping against hope, am I? I hope not.

    Hameed Abdul Karim

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    From all the details which i gather from everywhere Dr. Gamani is a great personality our motherland ever produced.I was born in 82 , when he is a leader in a world governing body.It is very sad to noted out , to our generation & afterwards nobody can heard about such hero’s from media or anything.If we goes like this our county will not be a wonder of Asia ,but a hell in Asia.Such hero’s like Dr. Gamani Corea must never been forgotten….. May He Rest In Peace ….!

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    So very sad to hear that a true friend of my late mother has passed away! He was a very admirable man of great intelligence. The days of sir john kotelawala, gamini corea, Dudley Senanayake and upali senenayake are no more. They were part of a great political era. May his soul rest in peace.

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    i couldn’t give a monkey about the death of a [Edited out] chingala [Edited out].

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