Profile – Dr. Harini Amarasuriya by Upali Obeyesekere
Born in Galle on March 6, 1970, the NPP parliamentarian is the 16th prime minister of Sri Lanka, and the third woman to reach the high-profile post. Amarasuriya is also the first academician-turned-politician to become the prime minister in Sri Lanka.
She attended Bishop’s College Colombo and then proceeded to do her undergraduate studies earning a B.A. (Hons) in India, an M.A. in Applied Anthropology and Development from Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia and a PhD degree in Social Anthropology from the University of Edinburgh Scotland. She is blessed with studying in three different countries that has given her a global perspective to life, living standards, politics, et al.
Amarasuriya, now 54, spent most of her academic life in India, completing her bachelor’s degree in Sociology at Delhi University between 1991-1994. She studied at the Hindu College; an educational institute known for producing eminent personalities in various fields. Amarasuriya’s time at the college has been crucial in shaping her political career in Sri Lanka.
Amarasuriya has also published books and conducted research on youth, politics, dissent, activism, gender, development, state-society relations, child protection, globalization, and development. After serving as a child protection and psychosocial practitioner for several years, she joined the Open University of Sri Lanka as a senior lecturer in the field of Sociology. She was also an activist, becoming a member of the Federation of University Teachers’ Association and joining protests demanding free education.
Politics – Amarasuriya joined the National Intellectuals Organization in 2019 and campaigned for the NPP Candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake during the 2019 Sri Lankan presidential election. On 12 August 2020, she was appointed National List MP from the NPP to enter the 16th Parliament of Sri Lanka following the 2020 Sri Lankan parliamentary election. Her experience in parliamentary politics in the country is four years.
Confusion and concerns were raised about whether she could continue her service as an academic senior lecturer at the Open University after being nominated as a national list candidate. However, in an interview with local media, she officially revealed that she had resigned from the position of senior lecturer at the Open University to pursue her political career and parliamentary politics. A quick-witted spokesperson, she is a shining star in the National People’s Power (NPP). We look forward to having her as prime minister of Sri Lanka.