Upatissa Gamanayake

Don Upatissa Gamanayake (; 17 October 1948 – 13 November 1989), also known by his alias Dias Mudalali, was a Sri Lankan politician and the deputy leader of the Jantha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) during the 1987–1989 insurrection. Not a prominent figure during the JVP's 1971 insurrection, Gamanayake emerged as a leader only after the releasing of the JVP detainees in 1977. He moved up rapidly in the party hierarchy during the JVP's 1977–1983 democratic phase and became the second in command after the founder and the leader, Rohana Wijeweera. He unsuccessfully contested the 1983 Anamaduwa by-election under JVP. Gamanayake was captured and killed by the government forces in November 1989.

Family background He was born on 17 October 1948 in Mahingala, Padukka, Sri Lanka as the seventh child in a family with nine siblings. His father Don Upenis was born in Welihena village in Athuraliya Divisional Secretariat, Akuressa and his mother Wettasinghe Arachchige Maginona was born in Padukka. Upenis, a former chena farmer, came to Padukka and worked in a rubber estate. Maginona died in 1956 after being bitten by a snake. After the death of his mother, his family went to Kantale Farm Colony in 1958 under the program of settling new settlers in farming colonies. Gamanayake was educated at Venrasanpura Tamil School and Gantalawa Maha Vidyalaya.

Gamanayake was married in 1978 to Arambe Devalage S. Karunawathi aka Karuna,

Since 1976, he was the Unofficial Chief Secretary of JVP. With the banning of the JVP, Bopage's responsibilities were 'evaporated' and Gamanayake took over as the party's general secretary after 1984. When the JVP banned it in July 1983, Gamanayake was living in Part D of Bolamesawatta in Narahenpita. It is said that Gamanayake then retreated to Panagama in Ratnapura and stayed there for two weeks at the house of Major Gnanatilake Marasinghe. Later, he was active in the Eluwankulama area in the Puttalam district with party leaders including Wijeweera. The meeting ended on November 12, 1989, at noon as the government imposed a night curfew on November 12, 1989. After the meeting, Saman Piyasiri Fernando, Lalith Wijerathna, Gamanayake and Wijeweera left in a car. Shantha Bandara went his separate ways. Gamanayake, who is attending the Politburo meeting, returned to Bandaragama at 12 noon. The next morning on November 13, he went to Mirigama for a discussion, but returned home as it had changed. Gamanayake was arrested at his Bandaragama residence on November 13, 1989, by two men in civil who had arrived in two white cars. He was brought to the Ops Combine Joint Operations Center and had deep lengthy interrogations. Army Intelligence Special Officer Daya Ratnayake questioned him but could not obtain any important information. He was later taken to the Mattegoda camp and tortured, but no information was revealed. He was killed in Boralesgamuwa the same night. His body was cremated at the Kohuwala Cemetery under emergency orders.

Electoral history + Electoral history of Upatissa GamanayakeElectionConstituencyPartyVotesResult 1983 parliamentary by Anamaduwa JVP Not Elected