The Hon. Rohana Bandara

¶ 01 Madam Presiding Member, on the first day we present condolence motions this year, I first wished to speak on the passing of my friend, Hon. H. Nandaseena, who represented the Anuradhapura District. Born in 1954 in Kidagalegama, Medawachchiya—a very difficult area—he had his primary education at Buddhangala Primary, secondary at Maithripala Senanayake Vidyalaya, Medawachchiya, and began his career as a cooperative inspector. In 1991 he became Opposition Leader of the Padaviya Pradeshiya Sabha; in 1998 a Provincial Councillor; in 1999 the Provincial Minister of Cooperatives; and in 2004 again Chairman. In 2010 he was re-elected to the North Central Provincial Council and held multiple ministerial portfolios, rendering great service to Medawachchiya.

¶ 02 I met him in 2012 when I entered the North Central Provincial Council; he was then a senior provincial minister. During the Yahapalana period, amid power-sharing among provincial councils, he worked with us cooperatively. Both of us entered Parliament in 2020 from the same electorate. Sadly, before that term ended, he fell victim to chronic kidney disease that affects many in Medawachchiya, and during the Aragalaya era he passed away. He valued people over money, serving Medawachchiya according to the demands of the times and his positions. He passed away at 71.

¶ 03 As organizer for Medawachchiya, he sought solutions to drinking water problems and irrigation for agriculture, addressed teacher shortages in the war-affected North Central Province by pioneering volunteer teacher appointments, inducted EMIS staff to schools to improve infrastructure, recruited HNDE graduates as teachers during his tenure as Provincial Education Minister, and strengthened agriculture by establishing cooperative societies as Provincial Agriculture Minister. In a terrorism-affected seat like Medawachchiya, he constantly sought to address people’s hardships. We attended his funeral and shared sorrow with his family. As a colleague from the same electorate who entered Parliament together, I extend condolences and pray he attains the deathless bliss of Nibbana.

¶ 04 Madam Presiding Member, I also wish to say a word on Hon. Kumara Welgama. We associated briefly when we entered Parliament in 2020 and he too came representing our party. He was a senior MP and former Minister we had known since childhood, a nationally known figure who did great service. I extend condolences to his family and pray he attains Nibbana. Likewise, I pray the late Hon. Tudor Gunasekara attains Nibbana and extend condolences to his family.