Independence Square February 4, 1948. Honorable D. S. Senanayake and Mrs. Senanayake, Sir John Kotelawala, S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, Governor General Sir Henry Monk-Mason Moore and Lady Moore, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. 

THE FOLLOWING IS AN EXERPT FROM THE SRI LANKA OBSERVER OF

JANUARY 30, 2011.

Others who struggled for freedom...........

D. S. Senanayake (who later became the first Prime Minister of Independent Ceylon and is called the Father of the nation), F. R. Senanayake, Ponnambalam Arunachalam, Ponnambalam Ramanathan, Al Haj T. B. Jayah, Razik Fareed, G. G. Ponnambalam, S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, D. B. Jayatilleke, Megettuwatte Gunananda Thera, Sri Sumangala Thera, Anagarika Dharmapala, Arthur V. Dias, D. R. Wijewardene, E. W. Perera, James Peiris, Colvin R. de Silva, Sir Muthu Commaraswamy, W. A. Silva, Sir Waithilingam Duraiswamy, Sri Amugu Navalar, C. Y. Thamotherampillai, C. V. S. Aiyer, Swami Vipulananda, H. Perimpanayagam, S. J. V. Chelvanayagam, M. Thiruchelvam, James T. Rutnam and C. Vanniasingham among others.

There are many who contributed in their own ways to the struggle, even at the risk of their lives.

What's unique is how the people banded together irrespective of caste, creed or religion to bring freedom to our motherland.  They amply proved the maxim that "United we stand, divided we fall" by their actions.  We fell as a nation because we were divided but rose to gain independence because we were united in the struggle.