Hon. (Dr.) Chrishantha Abeysena - Minister of Science and Technology

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, this is the month of May — important in our political history because we stopped a war. Ending war does not automatically mean peace. The Opposition Leader speaks about war heroes. Who armed the LTTE? Does he have the right now to speak of war heroes? We do. They sacrificed their lives; we call them “Ranaviruwo.” During COVID, our health workers were “Health Heroes”; our overseas workers “Heroes of the Nation.” Our judiciary has over 1.1 million pending cases — if they worked efficiently, we could call them “Bench Heroes.” Teachers would be “Teacher Heroes.” If the public service runs efficiently, they are “Public Service Heroes.” That is how we should speak.

¶ 02 Our President attended the Ranaviru commemoration last week. Did he utter a single racist word? No. That is our policy. The southern youth who spoke for truth and justice are heroes; the northern youth who spoke for truth and justice are also heroes. We do not shed tears only for the South. We also shed tears for the North. Some call one a patriot and another a traitor, depending on their beliefs. There is diversity — cultural and linguistic — and we accept it.

¶ 03 Many lives were lost in the war; we must commemorate them. There are disabled persons in both North and South. We can commemorate them all — they were Sri Lankans who fought and died or disappeared for various reasons. Commemorating them is not racism. The NPP is not a racist party. Some say this is a Sinhala Parliament. How can that be when all are represented here?

¶ 04 Our party — the National People’s Power — has Members representing all communities. Even if, hypothetically, all 159 of us had Sinhala surnames, we are not racists. Our politics is policy-based, not ethnic. Left parties are not racist; if a party is racist, it is not a left party. Some parties sermonize nationalism while stoking racism. We are not one of them.

¶ 05 A colleague representing the North spoke about land. No issue: one law for North and South; we must resolve land issues and give lands to people. You said the North and East are economically down — true, but the whole country is suffering because the country was bankrupted. That is why we allocate more from the Budget, with special focus to the North and East. Those people are our people. I represent Gampaha but I speak for the North and for Batticaloa as well.

¶ 06 Our comrade, Minister of Transport and Highways Bimal Rathnayake, has presented measures. Let us work together. We have allocated more budgetary resources, especially to the North and East, and they will go there. Do not be suspicious.

¶ 07 Some say we are racists because we commemorated war heroes. Note that on the 19th, the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation held commemorations for war heroes across all 25 districts for reconciliation. I table a part of the statement which reads:

¶ 08 “...United as one, may we join in a national vow that never again shall war arise in our beloved motherland. For decades we fought ourselves, driven by divisive ethnic sentiments, losing more than we gained. May we have the strength to be accountable for justice and to commit to reconciliation so that the painful wounds of our past may be healed. May hearts that sow distrust among our people for power be illuminated by truth, compassion and loving-kindness. Having learned many lessons from a war that subjected our country to a calamitous fate, may we build respect, trust and friendship among each other so that we do not bequeath our pain and tears to our children. Never resorting to violence for any reason, but by dialogue, discussion and cooperation, may we develop trust and understanding and respectfully accept our diversities. Making our diversity our strength, through the inclusive contribution of every citizen, may we bring prosperity to the Sri Lankan nation and make our country a model of harmony to the world.”

¶ 09 I also table the “Statement of the Board of Governors of the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation.”

¶ 10 We are not a movement that sows racism. The Opposition Leader spoke of child abuse and the underworld. On the underworld — who created 38 underworld “leaders”? The UNP — which is SJB today. I can name names. He spoke of a “culture of killing” — when and why did that arise? Those were deeds of that time.

¶ 11 They also talk about prices and say we cannot do the work. If so, who can? Could they even win an election? They lost four in a row. About the Colombo Municipal Council: we have 48 seats; SJB 298, UNP 138. Even if they unite, they reach 42 — still below us. We have the right to form the CMC administration, as the highest vote-getter.

¶ 12 We have stabilized the economy. We safeguard the independence of the Attorney-General’s Department and the judiciary for law and order. Investigations are ongoing, including into the Easter attacks; thieves are brought before courts today. That is our difference, and people see it. Whatever the Opposition says, we can revive the economy and bring cultural and ethical change — building a “Prosperous Country – Beautiful Life.” Thank you.