The Hon. Gayantha Karunathilleka

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees, thank you for the opportunity to express views in this condolence debate on four former Members and one former lady Member who dignified this House.

¶ 02 First, I pay tribute to former MP Aberatna Pilapitiya. From 1960, he served long as the chief organizer of the UNP for Kalawana and entered Parliament in 1977, serving as Deputy Minister of Posts and Telecommunications. Though he later lost the seat on an election petition, he was reappointed via the National List by President J.R. Jayewardene, while the by‑election sent Sarath Muttetuwegama to Parliament from Kalawana, briefly creating a unique situation with two Members for one seat until legal constraints prevailed. Mr. Pilapitiya then resigned the National List seat and later served as Chief Minister of Sabaragamuwa and as Governor of Uva. Kalawana, a difficult constituency and a smallholders’ tea paradise, benefited from electrification, roads, bridges, an SLTB depot, school and hospital improvements due to his efforts. I extend condolences to his family — Mrs. Maheshwari Pilapitiya, their sons Mahendra and Sanjeewa, and daughters Samanthi and Amali — and note our close ties with the family.

¶ 03 On the late Hon. Lucky Jayawardena of Kandy, a polite and humble gentleman and former State Minister, I first knew him when I chaired the Sri Lanka Tea Small Holdings Development Authority. He was a calm, exemplary leader who never courted conflict, serving in multiple roles in the Central Provincial Council — as Member, Leader of the House, Government and Opposition Chief Organizer, and later as Opposition Leader — and held portfolios including power, highways, and housing. He was closely related to the late President D.B. Wijetunga, and later served as his trusted associate. During Yahapalana, when Muslim Cabinet Ministers resigned after the Easter attacks, Mr. Jayawardena functioned as Acting Minister in Urban Development, Water Supply, and Higher Education, making significant contributions such as the Pathadumbara water scheme and 1,000 small water schemes nationwide. He is survived by his wife Achala Kumari Wijetunga, a dedicated educator, and sons Madhava (an attorney) and Shyamal (an engineer). I extend condolences to his family.

¶ 04 Regarding the late Hon. W.B. Ekanayake, born in Dambulla soon after Independence, educated at St. Joseph’s College, Anuradhapura, and Nochchiyagama Maha Vidyalaya, he married Anula Rajapaksa and had two sons and a daughter. Popular and philanthropic, he served as Private Secretary to Minister Chandrani Bandara, later as North Central Provincial Councillor, Chairman, Provincial Minister, and Opposition Leader. Elected to Parliament in 2000, he served as Deputy Minister of Highways, Deputy Minister of Disaster Management, and Deputy Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Management, rendering great service to Rajarata. I extend condolences to his family — including Asitha Ekanayake, an active youth leader in our party.

¶ 05 Hon. Deputy Chairperson, I next pay tribute to a distinguished Member and gentleman we lost — the late Hon. Rajavarothiam Sampanthan. He was the second Tamil MP to serve as Leader of the Opposition, eloquent in Tamil and English, passionate on matters concerning the Tamil community. A patriotic citizen, he wore the Sri Lankan Flag pin when traveling abroad. I witnessed the respect afforded him by the Indian Prime Minister and world leaders during international delegations. When asked about the ethnic issue, he said it was an internal matter for which we seek our own solution. He was widely read; in China, he impressed us all with his knowledge of the Great Wall’s history. We extend heartfelt condolences to his family.

¶ 06 Finally, about Hon. Malini Fonseka — a beloved national figure and former MP. During the Yahapalana period when I was Minister in charge of the National Film Corporation and Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation, she often engaged constructively, encouraging the revival of the long‑neglected Presidential Film Awards and State Film Awards. Appointed via the National List in 2010 by the UPFA, she had earlier, in the 1970s–80s, been a prominent figure on the UNP stage and even faced political obstacles — for example, being denied travel to receive an international award at the Moscow Film Festival for her role in Dharmasena Pathiraja’s “Eya Dan Loku Lamayek” (1976); yet the very next year she received a Special Jury Award at the New Delhi International Film Festival from Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for “Siripala ha Ranmenika” (1977). She starred in the Sri Lanka–India co‑production “Pilot Premnath” with Sivaji Ganesan, and critics lauded her unforgettable performance. She contributed to both art films like “Stri” and “Sasara Chetana” and commercial cinema, and was also a trailblazing television director — Sri Lanka’s first female teledrama director. She possessed many hidden talents, including being an accomplished motorist. We pray for her eternal peace and extend condolences to her family.