Use of heritage for personal image building by politicians of Sri Lanka: A few case studies

Abstract

Heritage is being used or misused by politicians throughout the world for their personal image building while promoting or dealing with heritage pretending to safeguard heritage with regard to mass interest about the past. This study is an observation of how some Sri Lankan politicians in the recent past used heritage for their personal image building, despite their political ideology or policies and actions regarding heritage preservation. A few case stuides such as S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike’s interest about Anuradhapura and Attanagalla, D.S. Senanayake’s work on Dedigama and Mahiyanganaya, J.R. Jayewardane’s move of shifting the capital city from Colombo to Sri Jayawardenapura, Gamini Dissanayaka’s ambitious project on reconstruction of Mirisawetiya and several other cases will be examined critically to understand how they utilized heritage as soft power to build their personal image when they were active in politics. Similar activities of present politicians will not be considered here due to perspective nearness and ethical considerations.