The Hon. (Dr.) Nandana Millagala

¶ 01 [1.35 p.m.]

¶ 02 Hon. Presiding, today we present condolence motions for six former Members: Hon. (Prof.) Nissanka (Tissa) Vitarana, Hon. S.C. Muthukumarana, Hon. Chandradhasa Galappaththi, Hon. Nandana Gunathilaka, Hon. Janaka Mahendra Adhikari, and Hon. Kanagasabai Thammapillai. This morning their families, friends and well-wishers were in the public gallery. We first express our condolences to them and, according to their religious traditions, pray for the well-being of the departed in the hereafter.

¶ 03 I wish to speak in some detail about Hon. (Prof.) Tissa Vitarana, a statesman awarded the “Vidya Jothi.” Born on 30 August 1934 in Nuwara Eliya under British rule, his family background is closely linked to the administrative and political history of Sri Lanka. His father, Peiris Vitarana, was an engineer in the Public Works Department; his mother, N.P. Maggie Perera, was a sister of Dr. N.M. Perera, founder of the LSSP and a former Minister of Finance. This kinship influenced Prof. Vitarana’s later embrace of socialist and communist ideology and his rise to the leadership of the LSSP.

¶ 04 He had his primary and secondary education at two premier schools, Trinity College, Kandy, and Ananda College, Colombo, excelling not only academically but also in sports. He entered the Medical Faculty of the University of Ceylon and, in 1959, qualified in medicine and surgery. He captained the university cricket team in 1957 and 1958 and competed in the prestigious “Sara” tournament.

¶ 05 He then proceeded to the United Kingdom and in 1971 obtained a PhD in virology from the University of London, rendering great service to the country as a physician-scientist before entering politics. As noted by Hon. Dr. Nihal Abeysinghe this morning, he was a leading authority in his field.

¶ 06 As a Marxist politician, he joined the oldest Left party, the LSSP. With single-party majority governments no longer feasible after the 1970s, he pragmatically engaged in coalition politics. As Minister of Science and Technology, he led a notable era in information technology and digital infrastructure, spearheading the e-Sri Lanka programme. He championed a computerized national identity system linked to a shared population database and supported integrating departmental systems to improve taxpayer tracking, payments and vital registrations, aiming to enhance public sector efficiency through scientific and technological knowledge.

¶ 07 He made significant contributions in managing national crises and in post-tsunami rebuilding, emphasizing evidence-based coastal protection, including the concept of buffer zones, and applied scientific knowledge in early warning and disaster management. He chaired all-party committees seeking a political solution to the national question. Internationally, he stood against threats to communist states and advocated for their sovereignty.

¶ 08 He served on many parliamentary committees, including the Committee on Public Enterprises and the Committee on Public Accounts during COVID-19, and contributed to investigations into irregularities at the Sustainable Development Council. He was both a policy thinker and a practical public servant.

¶ 09 On this occasion, we extend our condolences to his family, relatives, friends and neighbours, and pray that he attain eternal peace. Thank you.