In the midst of the current political turmoil in Sri Lanka, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the country’s eighth president, has taken a flight to the Maldives. Here are a few significant details about him.
The eighth President of Sri Lanka is a politician and former military officer from Sri Lanka named Gotabaya. He served as the defense and urban development ministry’s secretary from 2005 to 2015.
Rajapaksa took early retirement from the army and started working in the information technology sector before moving to the US in 1998.
He also hailed from a well-known political family and served in Mahinda Rajapaksa’s administration, which militarily routed the Tamil Tigers and put an end to the Sri Lankan Civil War.
The politician informed the Speaker of Parliament on July 9, 2022, that he will resign as President on July 13, 2022.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa Religion: What Culture Does He Follow?
Gotabaya Rajapaksa was born into a large upper-caste family and raised following the Buddhist Sinhalese religion, as per Britannica.com. He was born and raised in Weeraketiya, a rural area in Southern Hambantota, and he is of Sri Lankan descent.
It’s interesting to read that the Rajapaksa family has dominated Sri Lankan politics for two decades, receiving steadfast support from the majority of Sinhala Buddhists.
In Sri Lanka, a political doctrine known as “Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism” is followed, which combines a strong emphasis on “Theravada Buddism” with a concentration on “Sinhalese” culture and race. This is the predominant belief system held by the majority of Sinhalese in Sri Lanka.
However, his elder brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa, also regularly travels
Hindu ceremonies and practices have spread from North India to South India.
He made the decision to observe Navaratri in the traditional manner, including mantra chanting, gettimelam (a drum played exclusively in southern Bharat), and Bharatnatyam and Carnatic music performances.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa Family: He is the father of a Grownup Son
Regarding Rajapaksa Gtabay’s family, he is married and has a son who is an adult. His son Manoj Rajapaksha, who he shares with his wife Loma Rajapaksa, is an engineer rather than a politician like his father. He is employed with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of NASA.
In 2011, he also got hitched to Sewwandi Liyanaarachchi. She is the safety manager at the University of Southern California.
Gotabaya’s father, D.A. Rajapaksa, was a well-known politician, independence campaigner, legislator, deputy speaker, and cabinet minister of agriculture and land in Wijeyananda Dahanayake’s administration. He came from a political family in Sri Lanka.
Meet Other Members Of Family Who Are In Politics
Similar to his older brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was 24 years old and a member of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party when he was first elected to parliament.
After serving as Prime Minister in 2004 and Leader of the Opposition in 2001, he eventually rose through the party ranks to become Sri Lanka’s President in 2005. Two of his other siblings, Chamal and Basil Rajapaksa, are currently serving in parliament as well.
The Rajapaksa family was one of Sri Lanka’s most powerful families during Mahinda Rajapaksa’s presidency since many of its members occupied important positions in the nation’s administration.
How Much Is Gotabaya Rajapaksa Net Worth?
Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka’s eighth president, is rumored to be worth $10 million. After Sri Lanka was forced into an economic crisis that led to widespread protests across the country, the president’s riches came under fire.
In addition, he has gained recognition in addition to financial gain, and over the course of his 20 years of military service, he has been awarded medals by three different Sri Lankan presidents: Mr. J.R. Jayewardene, Mr. Ranasinghe Premadasa, and Mr. D.B. Wijetunga.
The Rana Wickrama and Rana Sura Padakkama medals for valor are among them, as are service and campaign medals.
He also received the Northern Humanitarian Operations Medal and the Eastern Humanitarian Operations Medal while holding the position of Defense Secretary.
