19 January 2024 09:45 am Views - 595
By Yohan Perera
Family members of the late Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam yesterday defended the decision made by the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) to rename Horton Place after their late ancestor and revealed that it was they who wanted the name change.
Suresh Murugaser the great-grandson of late Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam told Daily Mirror that he and the family made a written request from President Ranil Wickremesinghe to rename Horton Place after their ancestor. “I made the written request from President Wickremesinghe to rename the road one year ago. I wonder why CMC took a long time to go ahead with the renaming,” he said.
“We made the request as everyone in Sri Lanka knows what my late great-grandfather had done for the nation. He was a pioneer in forming a national congress in which late Prime Minister D. S. Senanayake was also a member. Sri Lanka would not have had any political party today if not for people such as my great-grandfather. British Governor Willmot Horton whose name the road is carrying now stayed in Sri Lanka for only six years,” he added.
The country celebrated the birth centenary of Arunachalam on January 9. The ceremony was held with President Wickremesinghe as the Chief Guest.
Also, Mr. Murugaser said Sir Arunachalam actually resided down Horton Place and owned a nine acre land along the road.
CMC had called for the view of the residents of Horton Place renaming and some have objected.