The Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna

¶ 01 Yesterday, during the vote on the Second Reading of the Budget, I voted against it. You know that last time I voted in favour. The main reason I voted against it this time is the series of grand falsehoods you have told up to now. Chief among them were your promises to release our political prisoners. You belong to a protest movement yourselves. Where have you released our political prisoners? You said you would repeal the PTA — the Prevention of Terrorism Act. Where is the repeal of the PTA?

¶ 02 You now say you are conducting Provincial Council elections. At present, there is a major contest in the Provincial Council, particularly against Ramanathan Archchuna. A massive campaign has been launched against one individual by the government and by those from the past government. I too trusted the respected retired Judge Ilanchezian; my community trusted him. But with time, certain facts have come to light. Whatever excavation you have halted citing the monsoon now is the same trench that could have been completed by Ilanchezian in 1996. But the student of G.L. Peiris — G.G. Ponnambalam — a friend of Mahinda Rajapaksa and Chandrika, covered it up with earth using a bulldozer. Only now have I come to know this. I say this to you with great concern.

¶ 03 There are unemployed graduates in the Northern Province — not a few, about 3,000. I am a graduate too. I know that pain. You deprived me of my job; yet today I stand in Parliament. Those 3,000 cannot come to Parliament. Each of them studied with the dream, “One day I will go to work.” But to this day you have not given them employment opportunities.

¶ 04 I need not detail the fishermen’s problems in the North. Especially the degrading tasks done by those you have posted to the province — collecting 10 kg, 5 kg, 2 kg parcels and saying “put that in the car.” You know very well how demeaning those jobs are.

¶ 05 You say you are increasing estate workers’ wages by Rs. 200. You may wonder why I, from the Northern Province, suddenly speak about the upcountry. Professor Arunachalam is my uncle; he wrote 14 books on Hill Country literature, a Professor of Sociology at the University of Peradeniya, and won the “Sahithya Rathna” award 5–6 times. So I have a right to speak about the Hill Country.

¶ 06 In 2006 I went to Hatton to teach. Which place in Hatton will you name — Highlands College, Bosco, Norwood, or Maskeliya? All are places I have trodden. In the Hill Country I had love and life. Now to the point: you say you are giving Rs. 200 to estate workers. Others make a commotion about this “Rs. 200.” What you have given is alms. Today a loaf of bread is Rs. 160. If you ask for two bananas for the remaining Rs. 40, the shopkeeper will pull out the rotten ones from below. How can a family of 10 live on a loaf and two bananas? After misgiving like this, some twist Rohini Kumari’s story and claim “the Opposition is fighting.”

¶ 07 One day I will come to the Hill Country. I have no desire to do politics there. But the Hill Country people have sent fools to Parliament. For about 200 years the blood of those who toiled for this country has been sucked dry. Even a leech bite’s pain is hard to bear — I say this as one who lived there. Go to Hatton–Dunbar and ask how I lived. Yet to this day not one of you has truly fought for those people. One day I will stand in the Hill Country, and on that day none of the politicians here will be on that side. Because I grew up watching someone who fought for an ethnicity.

¶ 08 You say you will expand the Palaly airport. My people — my community — live in shanties in Palaly. You keep lying — each time allocating Rs. 300 million, Rs. 500 million, Rs. 1,000 million. There, an army man is cultivating a garden and rearing cattle within, while a few here keep deceiving people like fools, cutting deals. Why can’t you release the lands of the people in Palaly — the Theenampillais and others? Never mind; let’s move on.

¶ 09 Next, regarding Thaayiddy Viharaya: I said, “Don’t demolish it; instead, pay compensation.” To date, has President Anura Kumara Dissanayake done anything? No.

¶ 10 Next, bar permits. I did not even want to speak about this. In Kilinochchi there are bars in many places. Even today, Hon. Nalinda Jayatissa would be ashamed to name who took the bar permits. If you can, name them. Kilinochchi is the district with the lowest income in Sri Lanka. What is happening there? During Ranil’s tenure, those bar permits were issued. If you have a backbone, say that. Can you? Tomorrow the ITAK will hold a meeting with you; you will never say these things in public.

¶ 11 On Indigenous Medicine: Unani and Siddha medical graduates cannot even get teacher posts and are living without appointments. Those who passed out in 2009 have not been appointed to date. The last internships were given in 2016. If you cannot, say so. I, Ramanathan Archchuna, will conduct the Northern Provincial Council. But let me say one thing: we are not ready to live trusting the Sinhala nation. You throw alms and won’t even let us use them; instead, you will send a few “bear cubs” to Jaffna, with no idea where the money comes from or where it goes.

¶ 12 A backbench MP asked me, “Why did you vote against the budget?” I said, “You did not use even 5% of the funds sent last time.” He replied, “Then use it this year.” That is how your “walking libraries” operate. Those who are called “walking libraries” don’t even know that funds allocated in this year’s budget cannot be carried over to next year.

¶ 13 Some MPs are going to plant mango orchards. To get permission for a mango orchard, they go to the DCC Meeting. How can the North be developed by such fools? Is development just laying a foundation stone here and opening a water tap there? Seeing your deceptions, I decided I will not support the government.

¶ 14 I, Ramanathan Archchuna, have informed you with evidence — including bank accounts — of the number of corruption incidents, especially in the Northern Province: about Rs. 17 million at Chavakachcheri Base Hospital, about Rs. 30 million at Tellippalai Base Hospital, and about Rs. 38 million at Point Pedro Base Hospital. Even after giving you the account numbers, what have you done? You keep saying, “Yes, we are looking; we are checking.” This is why your government is collapsing.

¶ 15 You said what we say is all lies. On the broader Sri Lankan political context, I won’t say it in Tamil; I will say it in Sinhala now. You hold DCC meetings. Those conducting DCC meetings have no knowledge. The 159 MPs of the ruling party are “walking libraries,” but those running DCC meetings don’t even know how to run a library.

¶ 16 Next, about Mannar–Puttalam. You say we all live together without racial or religious differences. If a Muslim brother living in Mannar wants to go to his friend’s house in Puttalam, he must travel one and a half to two hours via Anuradhapura. This wastes fuel and leads to accidents. The reason the Mannar–Puttalam road is not opened is politics — the fear that if the road that Rishad Bathiudeen built is opened, all votes will go to him. Despite that, some Muslims vote for your government. You cannot even open a jungle track that connects two communities. Recently, I went to Dehiwala; every railway track has a fence to stop wild animals entering. Will opening the Mannar–Puttalam road cause environmental harm? Mannar already has about 46–50 wind turbines — is that not an impact, but opening the road is?

¶ 17 To the Indigenous medical practitioners: if someday the Northern Provincial Council comes under me, I will develop the North with our brethren, our friends abroad, and our diaspora. But if that fails, that will be the last day of my politics; thereafter I will not engage in politics. That is my pledge regarding the Provincial Council.

¶ 18 Let’s speak a bit in Sinhala now. Many asked me yesterday, “Hon. Member, why didn’t you vote with us when you had promised?” After the vote, we went to have a drink. It hurts when you win and we lose. I streamed it live. But I can’t even say that the 159 of you who govern had a drink. Raise your hands and tell the truth — how many actually drink or don’t. I have the backbone to tell society if I drink. I don’t lie.

¶ 19 In that area, I was the only Tamil; the rest were Sinhalese, about 111,600. I could take a photo and tell my community I drank with you. I have never said in Tamil, “All Sinhalese must be killed.” I don’t say that. But what do your rulers do? They come, have a drink, and create channels so the photos don’t come out. I won’t do that. I could support you, but you drink in secret. Come to Mattakkuliya and see how much you drink and smoke — but no one says it.

¶ 20 Truly, your government will fall because of your lies. I have a list; I remember who came. I don’t need to name all the MPs. But I will say this: Arjuna Mahendran is at a house I pointed to — arrest him. There are 323 containers on the other side of my house — go find them. The CID asked me if I had information. I asked, “Are you the CID or am I?” If you are CID, find the containers. They are containers, not matchboxes. Where did the 323 containers go?

¶ 21 I challenge you: I can prove this, but then I cannot live in this country. That’s why I keep my mouth shut and speak only in Parliament. The day your government falls, you will surely take up arms — like in 1988–89. If not, then tell us about the containers with weapons. You cannot say it. Why? Think: I stopped on a yellow line because my car broke down, and I was arrested and produced in court. But the person who released the 323 containers was rewarded with a different ministry — like giving from big father to little father. If I had released them, I would already be dead. I do not believe you have a conscience. If you do, raise your hands.

¶ 22 Someone asked, “Don’t we need to bring money from Uganda?” Perhaps they were saying it in a bathroom. I keep asking, where are the Rs. 2 million you spoke of? You can’t even buy tyres for that. Is this how you are fixing the economy? Try to be a bit honest. One more thing: you said you will bring a good Act in place of the PTA. I always say in this Parliament that my “god” is Prabhakaran — that I am ready to die in his place. When I say that, you claim I am a Tiger. Many in society now comment that I am LTTE. Let me tell the truth: Why do I make such a statement about Prabhakaran? On behalf of me and my people, not one or two, but 44,000 died. Did they think Archchuna would come to Parliament and betray them? They died with faith — as did your 88,000.

¶ 23 Now you plan to take even the cabs. You said you didn’t want cabs. I have videos, but respecting Standing Orders I won’t play them. You said you represent the poor, travel by bus, and do mason work. Now count your assets and liabilities. I will say mine today: assets and liabilities of Rs. 158 million. My NIC number is 8618032957 — check CRIB; even today it shows Rs. 5.8 million. Can you say the same? But you told a blatant lie — taking a house in Anuradhapura, going at night for Bodhi pooja, booking a flight and turning the lights off — I don’t do such vile things.

¶ 24 Someone here said people spent years with a toilet and a bucket. Think about it — without those people, there is no Sri Lankan Tea or Ceylon Tea. Remember that, then go sell your tons of “rotten” produce abroad.

¶ 25 Asylum means if you lack safety in this country, you can go abroad. If I go and say “I have no safety; I am an MP,” they will give political asylum. I believe if this government continues like this, all 159 of you will take a plane to seek asylum. You won’t be able to stay. People will probe your assets and liabilities — you brought that law. Your house locations are already listed on the web. Then it is easy for people to find you. So at least do one of the things you said you would do; otherwise nothing will happen.

¶ 26 I have great affection for Minister Nalinda Jayatissa for two reasons: he is genuine and he can speak with humility. To the others too I speak: do I have any personal grudge or some political need to shout?

¶ 27 But to the Minister, let me say: in August 2024, Ranil’s government arrested me and put me in jail for 19 days — not for personal reasons, but because I posted the fraud and corruption at hospitals on Facebook. In the Mannar Hospital, a mother gave milk, and then without a doctor seeing the child, the child fell and died; when I went to look, the hospital filed a complaint against me for obstructing duties. I too am a doctor and a former hospital director. Still I was remanded at Vavuniya jail for 5 days and interdicted. I stayed away about a month. Now the Deputy Minister is here — you know if someone is absent, the next day you must issue a VOP. To date you have not given me a VOP, because my case is in the Court of Appeal. I have become your biggest problem, so you will never act properly; you use the case to keep me out so there is no one to shout here, and you can do whatever you want. It pains me.

¶ 28 Yesterday I got a call from Manoj Kariyawasam, a doctor who was with me in Medical Administration. In my batch, I got 26 to pass; for 6–7 I did research. Finally, due to Ranil’s issue, I was failed in my MSc saying I changed a research word — replacing “relinquishment” with “abstain.” They thought I would be batch top. Ranil said, “Fail him in Medical Administration.” I said at the VCO: I did not change the research name — only one word — and for that I was failed. Only I was failed; all others passed. Yesterday he called in tears, saying everyone should have passed. I told him not to consider me failed; I am here in Parliament and could go for a CM post, so don’t worry. All these well-wishers are Sinhala.

¶ 29 I can walk the streets even after saying here that Prabhakaran is not a terrorist but our deity. If I go for a kottu, people say, “Doctor MP, no need to pay.” These are poor Sinhala people. If they want, they could kill me; I walk without any security. But your ministers, PM, and President said they represent the poor, will go by bus, and do mason work. Yet now they travel in V8s. Go to the canteen and see how many guards there are when the PM is present. Who exploded a bomb inside the canteen? But the lie was that they needed nothing. You said no official residences; go to Mattakkuliya and see how secretly you drink, how much you drink and smoke, and how many cabs are there. We never said we don’t want cabs or this or that — we never claimed we live simply like ordinary people. Yet someone in the back row scolded me saying we don’t want cabs and told me to get out; now he won’t even look at my face.

¶ 30 I understand your jealousy. I need a vehicle; as a doctor I bought one. But look how some screamed about cabs in this Budget debate — some to the point of bursting veins, just for a cab. If you scream so much for cabs, then what if you’re given permits?

¶ 31 Let’s come to vehicle permits. The President, speaking from this very seat, said that certain professionals serve society and their permits should not be touched. Now look — you said you are not a government that gives cabs. That is what you say until you come to power — now you look at the ground and can’t even look at my face. Some are sleeping. Why can’t you give the vehicle permit?

¶ 32 I received letters — even judges of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal have written to me saying, “Doctor, only you can speak.” I table this letter. You are giving transfers for senior judges to various places — here is the letter. I don’t lie. See how judges write to me. I always receive 4–5 letters in Sinhala; I can’t read Sinhala, I read names via Google. Stand up and say how many letters you receive. In a year you have all fallen; but do you think I am happy you are falling? Truly I cry in my heart. During the Presidential election, everyone scolded me for supporting the JVP candidate, asking why I support a Sinhala President. I said I will surely support him; he will become President.

¶ 33 Thank you, Sir.

¶ 34 All those people scolded me; now they can’t look at my face because of what you have done. You said you came by train to Jaffna — go by train now. But now you need cabs. In another year, you will ask for vehicle permits, official residences, and more. You cannot lie like this. An MP is an MP — that cannot be downgraded. In the Order of Precedence, an MP is 13th. Now you say you will take MPs’ vehicles into government use — no problem, take them.

¶ 35 I saw the current President say that ministers of incoming governments should not use the vehicles used by outgoing ministers. Do you too have such a condition? Do you need new cabs? If you can, try to manage without taking the new cabs — then I will come to your side. Why lie to the country?

¶ 36 In our country we change Presidents every five years. Look at PM Modi in India — 10–15 years in office. There is vision and leadership. You only have leadership in your mouths; nowhere else. If I could, I would laugh at your lies. I beg you: stop this. Stop talking nonsense on different media and stop giving foolish thrills to people. You are ruining what the President built with difficulty — the 159-seat strength — you are just squandering it. Some MPs even giggle and talk nonsense.

¶ 37 Please end the lies. People will reprimand you — just look at the comments. There are four new years ahead — rise if you can. I say, rise if you can; otherwise, you will all fall to the ground.

¶ 38 Thank you.