An archaeologically important drainage line was discovered nearby Ganemulla railway station recently, believed to be used in the 18th century when some of the coastal areas of Sri Lanka was under the control of Dutch rulers.

Having heard of the commotion, a Buddhist monk from a nearby temple, Venerable Daevamottawe Amarawansa Thero, came down to the station and supported the demonstrators in solidarity.

By mid-day, all negotiations to clear the lines had failed, and so the authorities had to yield to the public demand, declaring that the Class System in all morning and evening commuter trains would be abolished forthwith, a ruling that has continued to this day.

Almost 40-years later in 1992, in memory of this historic event, and to honour his contribution, a large statue of the late monk was erected on a platform at Ganemulla station, adjacent to the overhead steel bridge.

The latter is one of the original Central Colleges set up by Mr C W W Kannangara, Minister of Education in the late 1940s; more recently it was upgraded to a National School status.