The Hon. Rishad Bathiudeen

¶ 01 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

¶ 02 Hon. Presiding Member, following Hon. Samanmali Gunasingha’s speech, I wish to address Dehiwala Meelad Tamil School. The school, 73 years old, sits on only 23 perches with one privately donated building. About 500 students study there; 120 lack classrooms and study outdoors or in vehicles when it rains; a further 240 applications await admission.

¶ 03 Before you came to power, the Zonal Education Office had identified the unused “Sumangala” school to be repaired and used. Parents and locals spent LKR 3 million to repair it, but a group led by a religious leader—well known for creating communal tensions—blocked access. Subsequently, under your leadership, the Zonal Director and officials identified four alternative sites. If even one site is allocated, we can raise funds from businesspeople and build classrooms.

¶ 04 You represent that area and its large Tamil and Muslim population. This is the only Tamil-medium school in the Piliyandala zone. The present land cannot accommodate more buildings. Please convert Meelad into a primary school on the current site and allocate another site for Grades 6 and above. On the 19th, the Governor, Deputy Minister Muneer Moulana, and Deputy Speaker Rizvi Sally attended a meeting, but you did not; had you been there, a final decision might have been made. Please select one of the four identified lands and allocate it; we will fund buildings. Jayasinghe Central is overcrowded; let us avoid further conflict and resolve this now.