Arthur V. Dias

Arthur Vincent Dias (10 February 1886 – 31 July 1960), commonly known as Arthur V. Dias, was a philanthropist, temperance movement member and an independence activist of Sri Lanka (then known as Ceylon). A planter by profession, he is known for the jackfruit propagation campaign he pioneered throughout the country, which earned him the name "Kos Mama" (Sin. ). A national hero of Sri Lanka, Dias also helped a number of educational establishments in the country. Before Sri Lanka gained independence from British rule, he was imprisoned by the colonial government and sentenced to death, although he was later released.

Personal life Arthur Vincent Dias was born on 10 February 1886 to a wealthy family in Panadura. His father was P. Jeremias Dias, a plantation owner and a franchiser of arrack. His mother was Selestina Rodrigo, a philanthropist who later helped found the Visakha Vidyalaya. Dias received his primary education from St. John's College Panadura and his secondary education from St Thomas' College, Mt. Lavinia. His father died in 1902. After completing his education, Dias took over his family's plantation businesses. He later married Grace Salgado. The couple had nine children; five daughters and four sons. Dias died on 31 July 1960.

Temperance movement The British colonial government of Ceylon issued a decree in 1912, that permitted taverns to be opened throughout the country. This prompted a temperance movement, which was pioneered by some prominent personalities in the country such as Anagarika Dharmapala, D. S. Senanayake, F.R. Senanayake, W. A. de Silva and D. B. Jayatilaka. Dias was also a leading member of this group, which became the basis for the independence movement of the country.

When riots broke out in the country in 1915 between Sinhalese and Moors, Dias, along with the leaders of the temperance movement, was arrested on suspicion of supporting the riots. Dias was sentenced to death, which was later reduced to imprisonment for life. However, he was later fined and released,

Jackfruit propagation campaign Dias started a jackfruit propagation campaign on 11 June 1918, with the aim of planting a million jackfruit trees. Having imported jackfruit seedlings from Johore, Malaysia, he proceeded to distribute packets of seedlings and plants free of charge. Although his campaign mainly focused on distributing jackfruit seedlings, he also distributed other plants such as papaw, mango, sapodilla, durian and golden apple. This campaign earned him the name "Kos Mama" or "Kos Ata Mama" which directly translates to .