At Richmond, the cricket captain was elected by students’ vote. So it was that the most eligible person for that post, D.M. Rajapakse
was elected in 1914.

At the 1915 election, everyone expected Rajapakse to be re-elected. But what happened was something very shameful. Prior to the election,
a very rich lad, De Mel, had treated the students in the canteen. When the election results were announced, Rajapakse had lost.

The infuriated Principal, Rev. W.J.T. Small announced at the school assembly; “On your vote, De Mel has been appointed captain. Rajapakse will join Wesley College tomorrow. Richmond will not play cricket next year.”

At the annual Royal – Wesley Cricket Match played at Campbell Park on 28th and 29th February 1916, batting first Royal were dismissed for
111 runs. D.M. Rajapakse who opened for Wesley scored 16 runs in a total of 237. In their second innings Royal were skittled out for 78 runs (Rajapakse taking 3 wickets for 8 runs).

Rajapakse was involved fully in the service of humanity. On 7th March 1936, he was elected to represent the Hambantota Electorate in the State Council. This cricketer and politico of the South enjoyed the appellation ‘Lion of Ruhuna’.

The firm and fair manner in which the clearly unacceptable offence of “treating” was dealt with, resulted in D.A. Rajapakse, George Rajapakse, Chamal Rajapakse and Mahinda Rajapakse, thereafter seeking and obtaining education at Richmond College rather than at any other school in the South. If the result of the “free” vote had been
reversed or nullified, those who had exercised their vote as a result of the inducements, freely given and freely accepted, would have maintained the correctness of their actions and made life difficult for the Rajapakses.

In the three short years Your Excellency spent at Richmond College with E.R. de Silva and Shelton Wirasinha, Your Excellency must surely have become aware of Revs. Langdon, Darrell, Small and Sneath - at the very least as the four Principals after whom the four “Houses” were named. Your brother, Hon. Chamal Rajapakse was privileged to be educated at Richmond for a much longer period and will certainly vouch for the exceptionally high standards of spiritual and ethical values
at Richmond College, under which the likes of C.W.W. Kannangara and P. de S. Kularatne. had been produced.

The Reservoir of Good-will that Your Excellency still enjoys should not be frittered away by intolerance of any constructive dissent and the encouragement of the divisive tendencies that keep surfacing at regular intervals.

Apart from considering the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission, I would venture to suggest that, in your Excellency’s efforts to unify the nation, Your Excellency could well benefit from the core values that were both professed and practised at Richmond College, where I was privileged to have all my primary and secondary education.
In conclusion, may I commend to Your Excellency the admonition of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the US, that “The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little” With best wishes,

Yours sincerely,

Elmore Perera
B.Sc., LL.B, F.C.M.A., Dipl. PMD (U. Conn), TREND (U. Conn), CSSI,
Chartered Management Accountant, Chartered Surveyor,
Management and Training Consultant,
Attorney-at-Law, Commissioner for Oaths,
Notary Public and Company Secretary,
Former Addl. Director SLIDA and Surveyor General,
Past President, Organisation of Professional Organisations,
Vice President, Citizens’ Movement for Good Governance.

úoaj;a úoaj;=kaf.a ix.ï iïfï,kfha ^´mSta& ysgmq iNdm;sjrhl= fukau hymd,k i|yd jk uyck jHdmdrfha j;auka WmiNdm;sjrhd o jk kS;s{ t,afuda fmf¾rd uy;d wjOdrKfhkau i|yka lrkafka w;S;fha isÿjQ fydr Pkao ±óu jeks is,a,r ue;sjrK ¥IK wo jk úg rdcH wkq.%yh ,nk ie,iqï iy.;j isÿ lrk wdKavqfõ foaYmd,k jHdmD;shla njg m;aj m;aù we;s fyhska fuu jd;djrKh ;=< ksoyia yd idOdrK ue;sjrKhla Wfoid ta fyda fï ue;sjrK flduidßiajrhd flfrys n,dfmdfrd;a;= /|ùu zwfÕka lsß foùulaZ jeks w¾: Y+kH ls%hdjla jk njh' 26 iji n,j;a fofofkla flduidßiaj /f.k .shd' kej; wdfõ 27 iji
ckdêm;sjrKfha ixúOdkd;aul ue;sjrK ¥IK .ek ck;dj ±kqj;a l< hq;af;a ;ukaf.a mrudêm;H n,h /÷Kq i¾j ck whs;sh /l .ekSug Tjqka wjÈlrùug nj;a ksoyia yd idOdrK ue;sjrKhla meje;aùu iy;sl lrk 17 jk jHjia:d ixfYdaOkh iïmQ¾Kfhkau n,d;aul lsÍu ;jÿrg;a meyer yeÍug n,fha isák wdKavqjg fkdyels ;;a;ajhla ks¾udKh lsÍug nj;a fmkajd fok Tyq ck;djf.a ienE leue;a; ms<sìUq lrk ljr fyda ue;sjrKhla meje;aùug j¾;udk ;;a;ajh ;=< ue;sjrK fomd¾;fïka;=j iy rdcH ks,OdÍka wfmdfydi;a njo fmkajd fohs'

my; ±lafjkafka z,xld B ksõiaZ t,afuda fmf¾rd uy;d iuÕ fï ms<sn|j meje;s ixjdohhs'
bÈß uyd ue;sjrKfha§ b;sydifha f,dl=u jxpdj isÿfjkjd m%Yakh( ue;sjrK flduidßiajrhd ckdêm;sjrKh meje;s ckjdß 26 jk Èk miajre 3'30 isg miqÈk m'j' 4'45 olajd ld,h ;=< ue;sjrK flduidßia ohdkkao ÈYdkdhl uy;d ;u ld¾hd,fha fkdisáfha hhs Tn lrk m%isoaO m%ldYfhkau fï l;d ny wdrïN lf<d;a@

ms<s;=r( th m%ldYhla ú;rla fkdfjhs wNsfhda.hla' fuu ld,h ;=< Tyq iy Tyqf.a ìß| isáfha ljqreka iuÕ o@ fldfyao@ hkak rgg fy<s lrk fuka ud Tyqg wNsfhda. lrkjd' tmuKla fkdfjhs Tyq ys;du;du fyda ke;akï n,mEïj,g k;=ùu ksid fyda ksoyia yd idOdrK ue;sjrKhla meje;aùfï ;u j.lSu yd hq;=lu meyer yeß njg;a ta u.ska ck;dj rdcH ks,OdÍhl= jYfhka Tyq flf¾ ;enQ úYajdih lv fldg we;s njg;a uu fpdaokd lrkjd' fï lreK iïnkaOfhka ´kEu rEmjdyskS kd,sldjl ud iuÕ iÔù újdohlg tk f,i;a uu Tyqg ;jÿrg;a wNsfhda. lrkjd'

m%Yakh( Tn lshk úÈhg ue;sjrK flduidßiajrhd Pkao úuiSu wjika jQ ú.iu isg wjika m%;sM,h ksfõokh lsÍug ieriSu olajd jk ld,h ;=< Tyqf.a ld¾hd,fha fkdisá nj ikd: lrkakg Tng lreKq ;sfnkjdo@ Tn ta lreK ikd: l<;a bka ue;sjrK m%;sM,h fjkia l< njla ta;a;= hkjdo@

ms<s;=r( ud i;=j úYajikSh f;dr;=re ke;akï fï ldrKh .ek ud iuÕ iÔù rEmjdyskS újdohlg tk f,ig ue;sjrK flduidßiajrhdg ud wNsfhda. lrkq we;ehs Tn is;kjdo@ tfia kï ue;sjrK flduidßia uf.a wNsfhda.h ms<swrka újdohlg weú;a Tyqf.a ksfodia nj rgg lshkak fuh wjia:djla lr .; hq;= fkdfõo@ uf.a wNsfhda.fha flakaøSh lreK jkafka ckdêm;sjrK Pkao m%;sM,h úlD;s l< tlla ñi ck;djf.a ienE leue;af;a ms<sìUqjla fkdjk njhs' th ck;djf.a mrudêm;Hh" Tjqkaf.a i¾j ck Pkao n,h yd whs;sh .ek fukau ue;sjrK flduidßiajrhd flfrys ck;dj ;enQ úYajdih Tyq wdrCId lf<ao hk w;sYh ;SrKd;aul m%Yak /ila u;= lrk uq¿ rgu fnfyúka ixfõ§ úh hq;= ldrKhla' rfÜ iqn isoaêh fjkqfjka" ue;sjrK ls%hdoduh .ek ì£ .sh ck;d úYajdih h<s f.dvkexùu fjkqfjka ;uka ks¾fodaIS kï ue;sjrK flduidßiajrhd wm u;= lrk m%Yakj,g ms<s;=re Èh hq;= fjkjd' ta i|yd iÔù újdohlg wd hq;= fjkjd' tfia ke;akï Tyqg we;s wfkla úl,amh mdfmdÉpdrKhla lsÍuhs' uf.a yeÕSu kï ckjdß 27 jk Èk ckdêm;sjrK m%;sM,h ksfõokh lsÍfï§ Tyq l< m%ldYh ;ukagu iqÿ yqKq .d .ekSula jqK;a hï muKlg Tyqf.a mYapd;a;dmS yDo idCIsh Tyqg;a fkd±kSu t<shg mekSula f,ihs' Pkao fmÜáhj;a /l .ekSug ;ukag kqmq¿jka jQ nj Tyqf.a lákau ke;akï t<shg taú hhs is;kak nE' ckdêm;sjrK m%;sM,h úlD;s lrkak fhdod .;a tla m%Odk Wmdhla jkafka Pkao fmÜá udre lsÍu' ±kqj;aj fyda fkd±kqj;aj ue;sjrK flduidßiajrhd fï Wmdfha yjq,alrefjla'

Tn uq,skau weiQ ldrKh .ek lshkjd kï ue;sjrK flduidßiajrhdg iDcqj n,mEï fldg ue;sjrK m%;sM,h úlD;s lsÍfï jEhu ls%hdjg kexjqfKa 26 jk Èk miajre 3'30 g muK' fuÈk m'j' 1'30 g muK rdcH úoHq;a udOH úmCIfha fmdÿ wfmaCIlhdg w;sYhskau ydkslr wi;H m%pdrhla wdrïN l<d' f*dkafiald uy;d Pkaoodhlhl= f,i ,shdmÈxÑ ù ke;s neúka Tyq ch.%yKh l<o Tyqg ckdêm;sjrhd f,i m;aùug fkdyels nj tu m%pdrfhka lshejqKd' ckdêm;s kS;s{jreka mjd fhdojdf.k l< fï wi;H m%pdrfhka lreKq folla meyeÈ,shs' tlla Pkaoh jefgk wdldrhg f*dkafiald uy;d ch.%yKh lrkq we;s nj md,l mCIh l,a ;nd f;areï f.k ;snqKq njhs' ;eme,a Pkaofha ryiH Ndjho fï ksid m%Yakhg ,la fjkjd' f*dkafiald uy;d ch.%yKh lrkq we;ehs md,l mCIh ìhù fkdisáfha kï fu;rï ú,s ,eÊcd ke;s f,ig tjeks wi;H m%pdrhla rdcH úoHq;a udOH yryd f.k hkafka kE' fojekak ljr úhoula ord fyda f*dkafiald uy;df.a ch.%yKh je<elaùug md,l mCIh ;SrKh l< njhs' fuf;;a ue;sjrK flduidßiajrhd ;ukag jHjia:dkql+,j mejreKq n,;, Wmfhda.S fldg .ksñka ksoyia yd idOdrK ue;sjrKhla meje;aùug wjYH úêúOdk ls%hdjg kxjd fkd;snqK;a" úmCIfha b,a,Su ms<sf.k fuu m%pdrh wi;H nj m%ldY lrkakg bÈßm;a jqKd' ue;sjrK flduidßia fomd¾;fïka;=fõ ,sms YS¾Ihl ,shejqKq ;u w;aik iy ks, uqødj fhdod ;snqKq Tyqf.a tu m%ldYh Pkao úuiSu wjika fjkakg wdikakj ;sìh§ fm!oa.,sl rEmjdysks kd,sldj,ska úldYkh flreKd' uyd mßudK iy l< t<sfha flfrk ue;sjrK ¥IKhlg n,y;aldrhlska f;drj ue;sjrK flduidßiajrhd wjk; lr .ekSu wmyiq nj md,lhkag f;areï .sfha ta fudfydf;a'

tlai;a ck;d ksoyia ikaOdkfha n,.;=u mqoa.,hka fofofkla ue;sjrK flduidßiajrhd yuqfjkak Tyqf.a ld¾hd,hg wdfõ tu isÿùfuka miafia' flá idlÉPdjlska miqj miajre 4'30 g muK ^2010-01-26& fï fofokd iuÕ ld¾hd,fhka msg;a jQ ue;sjrK flduidßiajrhd wdmiq ld¾hd,hg wdfõ Bg miqÈk ^27& miajre 4'45 g muK' yenehs fï ld,h ;=< Tyq isáfha ;ukaf.a f.or fkdfjhs' b;d úYajikSh ud¾.hlska ug ,enqKq fuu f;dr;=re ckdêm;sjrK ue;sjrKfha fiiq wl%ñl;d yd ¥IK j,ska msreKq miqìfï ;nd n,k úg tu wh:d l%shdj,sfha ;¾ldkql+, wjidkhla fmkakqï lrkjd' tneúka ud tu f;dr;=re f.k yer olajkafka ;¾ldkql+, mokulska' ud jerÈ kï ue;sjrK flduidßiajrhdg iÔù rEmjdysks újdohl§ ud ksjerÈ lrkak;a ienúkau isÿjQfha l=ulao hkak;a rg yuqfõ ;nkak mq¿jka'

m%Yakh( cúfm kdhl fidaujxY wurisxy uy;d m%uqL úmCIh k.k zfldïmshqg¾ ð,audÜZ fpdaokdj ienEjla f,i ms<s.; yels njo Tn;a lshkafka@

ms<s;=r( uf.a iuia; fpdaokdj,sfha th tla lreKla muKhs' f,dalfha fjk;a rgj, n,fha isák we;eï wdKavq" rdcH kdhlhka jHdc ue;sjrK meje;aùfuka o Pkao m%;sM,h fjkia lsÍfuka o h<s;a n,hg wd wjia:d" tu ue;sjrK ¥IKj,g tfrysj ck;dj ke.S isá wjia:d fndfyduhla .ek wms ±kqj;a' ta;a fydr Pkao ±óï" Pkao fmÜá n,fhka msrùï" Pkao fmd< ksfhdað;hka t<jd ±óï wdÈh u.ska lrk ue;sjrK ¥IK ñi ixúOdkd;aulj ue;sjrK m%;sM,h fjkia lrk l%shdj,shla fnfyúka ie,iqï iy.;j ld,hla ;siafia l%shd;aul jk nj fndfyda fofkla okafka kE' uf.a yeÕSfï yeáhg fï rfÜ ksoyia yd idOdrK Pkaohla wjika jrg meje;ajqfKa 1977 §' t;eka isg È.ska È.gu msßfykakg .;a ue;sjrK l%shdj,sh wmlS¾;su;a jhU m<d;a iNd Pkaofha§ wka;su my<u wähg jegqKd'

pkaøsld l=udr;=x. ckdêm;sksh hgf;a m<uqjrg ue;sjrK flduidßia yryd Pkao m%;sM,h úlD;s lsÍfï l%shdoduh wdrïN jqfKa jev n,k ue;sjrK flduidßiajrhd f,i ;ukaf.a ys;jf;l= ue;sjrK flduidßia fomd¾;fïka;=jg f.k tAfuka' úmCIhg Pkaoh fok nj fyd¢kau okakd úYd, msßilf.a kï Pkao odhl f,aLkfhka bj;a lsÍu" wdKavq mCIfha l%shdldßkaf.a kï ;=ka y;r fmd<lg we;=<;a lsÍu wdÈh;a fuu ie,iqfïu fldgila' Pkaoodhlhka jd¾Islj .DyuQ,sl ,ehsia;= mqrjd .%du ks,OdÍg ndr ÿka úg th ,nd.;a njg .%du ks,OdÍ tu wheÿï mf;au we;s ßisÜ m; w;aika fldg .Dy uQ,slhdg fokak ´kE' kuq;a th ld,hla ;siafia l%shd;aul fkdjk neúka ;uka ,shdmÈxÑ jQ nj Tmamq lrkak fyda ,shdmÈxÑ ù ke;a;ï iykhla ,nd.kak fyda úÈhla Pkaoodhlhdg kE' ie,iqï iy.;j Pkao kdu f,aLkfhka ku lmd yeß whl=g th ±k .kak ,efnkafka Pkao ldâm; fkd,eîfuka fyda Pkaoh ±óug .sh úg Pkao f,aLkfha ku fkdue;s nj ue;sjrK ks,OdÍka mjik úg' oyila jev rdcldß ;sfhk ñksiqka jd¾Islj ue;sjrK fomd¾;fïka;=jg weú;a mqrjd ÿka .DyuQ,sl ,ehsia;=jg wkqj ;ukaf.a ku Pkao kdu f,aLkhg we;=<;a ù ;sfnkjd ±hs mÍCId lr n,kafka kE' 2005 ckdêm;sjrKh jk úg tcdmhg Pkaoh fokq we;ehs úYajdi flfrk ,CI myl muK kï fuf,i Pkao odhl ,ehsia;=fjka bj;a fldg ;snqKd' tfia fkdjkakg 2005 ckdêm;sjrKfhka n,hg tkafka rks,a'

ksoyia yd idOdrK ue;sjrK f,i y÷kajñka meje;afjk fï ú.vu .ek l,lsÍ isá wm" úoaj;a úoaj;=kaf.a ix.ï iïfï,kh u.ska 17 jk jHjia:d ixfYdaOkhg mdol jQ uQ,sl ,shú,a, ilia lf<a ck;djf.a i¾j ck Pkao whs;sh;a" mrudêm;Hh;a /l .ekSfï wruqfKka' wjidkfha§ th 2001 Tlaf;daïn¾ 03 jk Èk md¾,fïka;=fjka iïu; jqKd' ta;a uQ,sl flgqïm; tA jk úg iEfyk lmamdÿ lsÍïj,g ,laj ;snqKd' wm fhdackd fldg ;snqfKa jHjia:d iNdfõ idudðlhka m;a lsÍu l;dkdhl úiska l< hq;= njg jqj;a th ckdêm;sjrhd úiska l< hq;= njg foaYmd,k mCI ;SrKh l<d' fun÷ lemSï flàï ksid hï muKlg jeyeÍ .sh;a 17 jk ixfYdaOkh úOdhl ckdêm;sjrhd fj; mejÍ ;snqKq ck;d mrudêm;Hfha wiSñ; n,h iSudfldg bka ie,lsh hq;= m%udKhla iajdëk fldñIka iNdj,g mejÍug ;rï m%udKj;a' rdcH fiajfha foaYmd,kSlrKh bj;a lsÍug tA u.ska fndfyda mshjr f.k ;snqKd' úfYaIfhkau iajdëk ue;sjrK fldñIka iNdjg fnfyúka mq¿,a n,;, mejÍ ;snqKq w;r tajdfha tlu wruqK jQfha kej; jrla rg ;=< ksoyia" idOdrK yd iduldó ue;sjrK meje;aùu iy;sl lsÍuhs'

l=udr;=x. ckdêm;sksh fiiq iajdëk fldñIka iNd m;a l<;a idudðlhka mia fokl=f.ka iukaú; iajdëk ue;sjrK fldñiu m;a lf<a kE' tA tys iNdm;s moúhg kï l< úY%dñl fY%aIaGdêlrK úksiqre rxð;a ërr;ak uy;d m;alsÍug wlue;s ùfuka' fï ksid tjlg ue;sjrK flduidßiajrhd f,i lghq;= l< ohdkkao ÈYdkdhl uy;dg tu fldñiu i;= ish¨ n,;, jHjia:dkql+,j mdúÉÑ lsÍug wjirh ysñjqKd' tfy;a Tyq ;udg jHjia:dkql+,j mejreKq tu n,;, wo olajdu ksis f,i Wmfhda.s fldg .;af;a kE' tod fuod ;=r ksoyia yd idOdrK ue;sjrK meje;aùu ;u jHjia:dkql+, j.lSu yd hq;=lu f,i i,ld ue;sjrK flduidßiajrhd rdcldÍ lrk njla rgg fmkqfKa kE' flfia fj;;a uq¿ rggu w;sYh ;SrKd;aul 2010 ckdêm;sjrKfha§j;a Tyq ue;sjrK ¥IK yd wl%ñl;d wju lrñka ue;sjrK kS;sj,g wkql+,j ksoyia yd idOdrK ue;sjrKhla meje;aùug mshjr .kq we;ehs hï úYajdihla rg ;=< mej;=Kd' ta;a Tyq fodvu¿ .srfjla fuka fndre fofvõjd ú;rhs' láka n;, fld, ysgjkjd wefrkak ksoyia yd idOdrK ue;sjrKhla meje;aùug Tyq lsisjla lf<a kE' wr,sh.y ukaÈrfha okaie," rdcH udOHfha yeisÍu" fmdaiag¾ lgjqÜ" ikakoaO yuqod" fmd,sish iy iuia; rdcH fiajhu ;u ue;sjrK jHdmdrhg fhdojd .kakg ±rE ;e;" m%pKav l%shd fï wd§ fndfyda fkdúh hq;= ms<sl=,a l%shd ckdêm;sjrKfha§ md,l mCIfhka isÿjqKd' fïjd uq¿ rgu okakd foaj,a ksid h<s l;d lsÍug wjYH kE'

17 jk wdKavq l%u jHjia:d ixfYdaOkh l%shd;aul lsÍu ovínr f,i m%;sfCIam lrñka wdKavq l%u jHjia:dj W,a,x>kh lrk ckdêm;sjrhl= wfmaCIlhd f,i ;r. lrk ckdêm;sjrKhl§ Tyq ue;sjrK kS;s rlskq we;ehs n,dfmdfrd;a;=ùu úys¿jla' ue;sjrK flduidßiajrhd tA nj f;areï f.k ;udg tu jHjia:d ixfYdaOkfhka mejÍ ;snqKq n,;, l%shd;aul l< hq;=j ;snqKd' ksoyia yd idOdrK ue;sjrKhla meje;aùug tu n,;, m%udKj;a' tfia l<d kï fuu wjdikdjka; ;;aFjh" ck;d mrudêm;Hhg fødaysùu j<lajd .kak ;snqKd' zlïmshqg¾ ð,audÜZ tkafka ¥Is; ue;sjrK l%shdj,shl l+g m%dma;sh úÈhg'

m%Yakh ( ue;sjrK flduidßiajrhd rdcH n,h yryd l%shdjg kexfjk wjkS;shg tfrysj ue;sjrK kS;s l%shd;aul lrkafka fldfyduo@ fmd,sisfha by< ks,OdÍka fndfyduhla l%shd lf<a ckdêm;s wfmaCIl ckdêm;sjrhdf.a ksfhdað;hka úÈhg fkdfjhso@

ms<s;=r ( ud wjOdrKh lrkafka;a tu ldrKh .ekuhs' 1999 ckdêm;sjrKfha§ pkaøsld ckdêm;skshf.a wfmaCIl;ajhg iyh ±laùu fjkqfjka rdcH udOH" fmd,sish iy rdcH ks,OdÍka fhdojd .ekSu j<lajd .;a;g wjYH n,;, ue;sjrK flduidßiajrhd úÈhg Tyqg mejÍ ;snqfKa kE' ukao 17 jk ixfYdaOkh tA jk úg meñK ;snqfKa kE' l=m%lg jhU Pkaoh meje;ajQ jev n,k ue;sjrK flduidßia hgf;au fuu ckdêm;sjrKh meje;aùug;a ckdêm;sksh Wmd udre fhÿj;a jhU Pkaofha§ wikSm ù rdcldßfhka neyer ù isá ue;sjrK flduidßia ohdkkao ÈYdkdhl uy;d z±ka ug iksmhsZ lshd h<s rdcldßhg meñKs ksid tu jEhu je<l=Kd' tfy;a Tyqg fuu ckdêm;sjrKfha§ úhoï wêl lsisu m%fhdackhla w;afkdjQ Pkao ldä mf;a iaálrhla we,ùu ^fï mshjr .kq ,enqfõ wjxl fÉ;kdfjkao keoao hkak lsj yelaflao Tyqgu muKs'& yer idOdrK ue;sjrKhla iy;sl lsÍug .;yels fjk;a mshjrla ;snqKq njlao fmkqfKa kE' m%Yakh u;= jkafka 17 jk ixfYdaOkfhka ;udg ,enqKq n,;, Tyq ksoyia yd idOdrK Pkaohla iy;sl lsÍu msKsi 2002 uyd ue;sjrKfha isg bÈßhg fhdod fkd.ekSu .ek' fuh ue;sjrK flduidßiajrhd iy 17 jk ixfYdaOkfhka Tyqg mejreKq n,;, fkd;ld wdKavq n,OdÍka l%shd lsÍfï" ck;d mrudêm;Hhg yd kS;shg mgyeKs úil=re taldêm;s iïm%odhla f.dv k.d fmdaIKh l<d' wm wo w;aú¢kafka tys m%;súmdl' ue;sjrK fldñiug wod, mkf;a 27 ^2& fþoh wkqj ue;sjrK flduidßiajrhdg mejreKq n,;, l%shd;aul fkdlsÍfï m%;súmdlhla úÈhg 2005 ckdêm;sjrKfha§ ol=fKa ,CI 5lg;a W;=f¾ Pkao odhlhka ish,a,gu mdfya;a kS;s úfrdaê f,i ish Pkao n,h wysñ flreKd' fuh Rcqju 2005 ckdêm;sjrKfha m%;sM,hg n,mEjd'

2010 ckdêm;sjrKfha§ ue;sjrK kS;s l%shd;aul lsÍug fmd,sia ks,OdÍka fhdojk f,ig fmd,siam;sg wdhpkd l<d ñi ue;sjrK flduidßia ;udg ksoyia yd idOdrK ue;sjrKhla meje;aùug wjYH fmd,sia ks,Odßka kï fldg Tjqka fmd,siam;s u.ska ,nd .ekSug ;udg mejÍ ;snqKq jHjia:dkql+, n,;, mdúÉÑ lf<a kE' ue;sjrK l%shdj,shu wjq,a jQfha thska' ue;sjrK lghq;= ksÍCIKh lsÍug msysgjQ fmd,sia ia:dk 488 gu fmd,sia ks,OdÍka m;a lsÍug ue;sjrK fldñiug mejreKq n,h wkqj Tyqg yelshdj ;snqKd' ksfhdacH fmd,sia m;sjreka 8 fokl= we;=¿j ue;sjrK lghq;= l%shd;aul lsÍug wjYH fmd,sia ks,OdÍka ,nd .kak Tyqg mq¿jka' il%sh fiajfha wmCImd;j l%shd l< yels ks,OdÍka ke;ehs Tyq is;kafka kï úY%du .sh ksfhdacH fmd,siam;sjreka tA i|yd m;a lrkakg;a Tyqg n,h ;sfnkjd' tf,i ;ud m;a l< ksfhdacH fmd,siam;sjreka hgf;a fiiq fmd,sia ks,Odßka ue;sjrK lghq;= i|yd fufyhjkakg ue;sjrK flduidßiag yelshs' tfia l<d kï wdKavqfõ foaYmd,k{hkag fmd,sishg n,mEï lrkak ;snQ wjia:d wju fjkjd' ue;sjrK flduidßiajrhdf.a wK mßÈ tu fmd,sia ks,OdÍka l=uk fohla l<;a tA .ek mÍCIKhla mj;ajkakj;a nE' ue;sjrK fldñifuka ue;sjrK flduidßiajrhdg ,nd§ ;sfnk n,;, t;rï mq¿,a' ta;a ckdêm;sjrKfha§ isÿjqfKa l=ulao@ Tyqg fmd,sish ,jd i,a,s §j;a lgjqÜ tlla .,jd .kak neß jqKd' fuh w;sYhska ms<sl=,a iy.; ;;aFjhla'

ksoyia yd idOdrK ue;sjrKhla mj;ajkq msKsi ish¨u ue;sjrK kS;s n,d;aul lsÍug ;ud úiska ,nd.;a ;u wK hgf;a l%shd lrk fmd,sia ks,OdÍka msßila fiajfha fhoùfuka ys;d u;du je,l=Kq ue;sjrK flduidßiajrhd tA fjkqjg lf<a fmd,siam;sg lkafl¢ß .Eu;a" fodvjk .srjl= jf.a jßka jr mqyq ;¾ck lsÍu;a muKhs' Tn m%Yak lrk mßÈ Tyq foaYmd,k n,mEï u; isÿl< fmd,sia yd rdcH fiajl ia:dk udre ùï w;aysgqùug" lgjqÜ .e,ùug fmd,siam;sg yd fjk;a rdcH n,OdÍkag okajd isá nj we;a;' tl w;lska fuu ueoy;aùu mjd isÿ flrefKa fndfyda m%udoù wYajhd bia;d,fhka mek .shdg miafia' tfiau fuu l%shdj,sh lsisu úkhdkql+, mshjrla" o~qjï ,eîula fkdue;sj ks±,af,a tl È.gu l%shd;aul jqKd' wfkla w;g cd;sl fmd,sia fldñifï ish¨ n,;, iys;j ckdêm;sjrhd úiska fmd,siam;s m;a fldg ;sîu wdKavq l%u jHjia:dj W,a,x>kh lsÍula jk nj;a tfiau ;ud m;a l< ckdêm;sjrhd fj; ;u mCImd;s;ajh m%o¾Ykh lsÍug Tyqg isÿjk nj;a ue;sjrK flduidßiajrhd f;areï .; hq;=j ;snqKd' wfkla w;g fmd,siam;s l%shd lf<a yd ;u lghq;= .ek jd¾;d lf<a wdrCIl f,alïjrhdg' wdrCIl f,alï hkq ckdêm;sjrhdf.a u,a,S' th foaYmd,k m;aùula jQj;a Tyqf.a ;k;=r wkqj Tyqg foaYmd,kfha fhfokak nE' kuq;a wdrCIl f,alïjrhd újD;ju ;u fidfydhqrdf.a ue;sjrK jHdmdrhg iyfhda.h ÿkakd' fuu ;;= hgf;a fmd,siam;s ;u lSlrelu yd mCImd;s;ajh olajkafka ldgo hkak Wl=Kq ysil ;rï fud<hla we;s ljfrl=g jqjo jegfykjd' tfia kï ue;sjrK kS;s l%shd;aul lsÍu i|yd jHjia:dkql+,j ;udg mejreKq n,;, Wmfhda.S fldg fkdf.k tA i|yd fmd,siam;sjrhd u; /£ isàug ue;sjrK flduidßia l%shd lsÍu wm w¾: ±laúh hq;af;a fldfyduo@ ys;d u;du ue;sjrK ¥IKj,g bv yeÍula úÈhgo@ ke;akï w;ajer§ulska jQ m%udo fodaIhla úÈhgo@

wr,sh.y ukaÈrfha okaie," rdcH foam< iy iïm;a wh:d f,i Ndú;d lsÍu jeks ue;sjrK kS;s lv lsÍïj,g tfrysj ue;sjrK flduidßia ;udg mejreKq n,;, Wmfhda.S fldg f.k lsisu yrj;a mshjrla .;af;a kE' wjYH ù kï Tyqg fïjd kj;ajkag ;snqKd' fndfyda l,a f.dia Tyq rdcH udOH fj; Wmudk ksl=;a l<d' rEmjdysksh iy .=jka úÿ,sh tu Wmfoia kshduk" u. fmkaùï ;U fodhs;=jlg .Kka .;af;a kE' túg Tyq fuu wdh;kj, foaYmd,k jev igyka wëCIKh lsÍug ksis n,Odßfhla m;a l<d' ;u ud¾f.damfoaY ms<sfkdmÈk rdcH udOH fol ue;sjrK kS;shg wkql+,j l%shdlrk njg j.n,d .kak Tyq fudkjo lf<a' fuh Tyqf.a rdcldßh' jHjia:dfjkau Tyqg ndr§ ;sfnk lghq;a;' tA wkqjhs ck;dj Tyq ksoyia yd idOdrK ue;sjrKhla mj;ajkq we;ehs n,dfmdfrd;a;= jqfKa'

ck;djg fødays ù Tjqka ;ud flfrys ;nd ;snqKq úYajdih lvl< ue;sjrK flduidßiajrhd tu mõ iudlrkak ;e;a lf<a rEmjdysksfha fmkS isg yd udOH ksfõok ksl=;a lrñka ;u Wmfoia rdcH udOH n,OdÍka fkdi,lk njg ueisú,s yd wfodakd ke.Sfuka ñi ue;sjrK fldñiug wod< mkf;a 104î^5&^iS& iy 2002 wxl 03 orK mk; hgf;a ;udg mejÍ we;s n,;, fhdodf.k tu Wmfoia l%shd;aul lsÍug ksis n,Odßhdg rdcldß lsÍug yels jd;djrKhla ieliSug fkdfjhs' ksoyia yd idOdrK ckdêm;sjrKhla meje;aùug rdcH iïm;a yd foam< wh;= f,i yd mCI.%dySj rcfha ue;sjrK jHdmdrhg fhdod .ekSu je<elaùug ue;sjrK flduidßiajrhdg wjYH ù kï rEmjdysksh iy .=jkaúÿ,sh fmd,sish ,jd jglr iNdm;sjreka bj;a lr iunrj foaYmd,k jevigyka yd m%jD;a;s úldYh flfrk ;;aFjhla we;s lrkak ;snqKd' ta;a Tyq th fkdlr ueisú,s lSjd muKla fkdfjhs fï .ek fY%aIaGdêlrKhg jd¾;d fldg wêlrK ksfhda.hla ,nd .ekSug lghq;= lsÍu mjd m%;sfCIam l<d' ksis n,Odßhd bj;a lr f.k ck;d ms<sl=<g yd ffjrhg md;%fjkq fjkqjg Bg fmr Tyqg fuu ;;aFjh fjkia lsÍug fY%aIaGdêlrKfha ueÈy;aùu wju jYfhka b,a,d isákakg ;snqKd' ksoyia yd idOdrK ue;sjrKhla meje;aùu ;u rdcldßh f,i Tyq fkdis;+ nj ksis n,Odßhd bj;alr .ekSfï isÿùfuka jqjukdjg;a jvd meyeÈ,shs' úmCIfha fmdÿ wfmaCIlhdg t,a, lrk rdcH udOH uv m%pdr j<lajd .ekSu ;udf.a fkdj úmCIfha lghq;a;la f,i Tyq ie,l+ nj tA .ek wêlrKhg hEu úmCIhg ndr § ue;sjrK flduidßiajrhd ksy~ ùfukau fmfkkjd'

fï ish,a,gu;a jvd m%YakldÍ isoaêh Pkao fmÜáfha ryiH iaálrhla we,ùug ue;sjrK flduidßia .;a ;SrKhhs' fuh rcfha wkq±kqu we;sj ue;sjrK flduidßiajrhd rcfha fydr Pkao jHdmdrfha ksfhdað;hl= f,i l%shd lf<ao hk ielh mjd hful= ;=< we;s lrjkakla' Pkao fmÜáj, fuu iaálrh wef,úfõ tAjd Pkao fmd< ksfhdað;hka bÈßfha uqød ;nd bínd oud h;=re ,Efuka miafia' fuu iaálrfhka weÕfjkafka l=ulao hkakhs jeo.;a' bka lshefjkafka iaálrh w,jd we;s Pkao fmÜá fcHIaG Pkao ia:dkdêm;s iy wfmaCIlhd fyda Tyqf.a n,h ,;a Pkao fmd< ksfhdað;hka bÈßfha ksis mßÈ mÍCIdfldg jid uqød ;nk ,o njhs' fuh wkdjrKh fldg .; fkdyels uyd mßudK Pkao ¥IKhlg u. mE¥ l%shdj,shla nj meyeÈ,shs' iaálrh w,jd we;s ljr Pkao fmÜáhla jqjo wjHdc tlla f,i ms<s.ekSula fï ksid we;s fjkjd' .Kka lsÍfï Pkao uOHia:dkhl§ tla tla Pkao fmÜáh" fuh wod< Pkao fmdf<a ;snQ Pkao fmÜáhuo hkak .ek úuid nef,k iqúfYaI mÍCIdjla kE' tA tu uOHia:dkj, mj;sk l,n,ldÍ jd;djrKh we;=¿ ;j;a fndfyda m%dfhda.sl ÿIalr;d ksid .Kka lsÍfï uOHia:dkj,§ Pkao fmÜá udre lsÍï isÿjk nj l,l isgu kef.k tfy;a Tmamq lr .ekSug wmyiq fpdaokdjla' .Kka lsÍfï ksfhdað;hka m<jd yeÍï isÿjkafka fï ksid nj is;kak mq¿jka' kdúl yuqodjg wh;a jdykhla jHdc Pkao fmÜá f.khñka isáh§ kef.kysr m<df;a§ wiqù ;snqKq njg jd¾;d ù ;snqK;a tA .ek úuiqula mjd isÿjqfKa kE' Wiia rdcH ks,OdÍka md,l mCIfha ue;sjrK ksfhdað;hka f,i l%shdlrñka isáh miqìul fydr Pkaoj,ska mqrjd iaálrh w,jd ;snQ Pkao fmÜá ienE Pkao fmÜáj,g udre lsÍu fkdúh yels fohla fkdfjhs'

ckdêm;sjrKh mej;s ckjdß 26 jk Èk miajre 3'30 g muK ue;sjrK flduidßia ld¾hd,hg meñKs wdKavqfõ by<u n,j;=ka fofokl= iuÕ mej;s flá idlÉPdjlska wk;=rej Tjqka fofokd iuÕ ue;sjrK flduidßia ld¾hd,fhka neyerg hkafka Bg miafia' fuh wyUqjlao@ ke;akï l,a;nd l< ie,iqulao hkak .ek iel my< jkafka ue;sjrK m%;sM, ksfõokh lsÍug fujr fhdod ;snqKq iqúfYaI úê l%uh ksid' fuhg fmr ue;sjrK fldÜGdYhla mdid Pkao m%;sM, ksl=;a flrefKa ue;sjrK flduidßiajrhd ish ld¾hd,fha isg ;u w;aik fhdod ;yjqre flreKq ksfõokhlska' th m%jD;a;s fomd¾;fïka;=j fj; ,enqK miq m%jD;a;s wOHCIjrhd ish¨u udOH wdh;k fj; tu m%;sM,h ,nd ÿkakd' kuq;a fujr tu Pkao m%;sM, wdfõ úoHq;a ;emEf,ka' th ´kEu ;ekl isg ksl=;a l< yels ue;sjrK flduidßiaf.a w;aik wvx.= fkdjQ mKsjqvhla' fï wkqj Pkao m%;sM,h f,i l=ula wdj;a th ´kEu flfkl=g fokak mq¿jka m%;sM,hla' zfldïmshqg¾ ð,audÜZ yefrkak fjk;a úÈhlg th y÷kajkak nE'

m%Yakh ( ckdêm;sjrK wjika m%;sM,h ;eme,a Pkao m%;sM,j,g iudkql+,hs fkao@ fujeks uyd mßudK ue;sjrK ¥IKhla ue;sjrK l%shdj,shg tlaj isá rdcH fiajlhka nyq;rhlf.a iyh fkdue;sj l%shd;aul l< fkdyelshs fkao@ tA .ek fudkjo Tfí ksÍCIK@

ms<s;=r ( ug kï ;eme,a Pkao m%;sM,h ielhs' wms ljqre;a okak úÈhg rdcH fiajlhka jevfmd< uÜgfuka lrk Pkaoh §u ryiH l%shdj,shla jqK;a tA .ek Tjqkaf.kau f;dr;=re me;sfrkjd' tfia m%p,s; f;dr;=re wkqj ;eme,a Pkaoh jegqfKa úmCIfha wfmaCIlhdg 60] la ckdêm;sjrhdg 40] la jf.a wkqmd;hg' rfÜ tA wjia:dfõ mej;s foaYmd,k jd;djrKhg th uq¿ukskau wkql+,hs' ux l,ska lSjd jf.a iuia; m%;sM,hg wkql+, jk f,i ;eme,a Pkao m%;sM,h o úlD;s fldg we;s njg iel lrkakg ´kE;rï idOdrK fya;= ;sfnkjd' wo fomd¾;fïka;= m%OdkSka f,i isák fndfyda fofkla wdKavqfõ weïneÜgfhda' Tjqka ;eme,a Pkaohg n,mEï l<d' ;ukag fmkajd Pkaoh i,l=Kq lrk f,ig yuqod l|jqre Pkao uOHia:dkj,§ ;eme,a Pkao odhlhkag n,mEï t,a, ù ;snqKd' ue;sjrK flduidßia fomd¾;fïka;=j ;eme,a Pkaoh meje;aùu ksÍCIKh lsÍug ;u ks,OdÍka hjd ;snqfK;a keye'

rdcH fiajlhkag ;eme,a Pkaoh ,nd fokafka ue;sjrKh Èkfha rdcldÍ lrkak' tfia kï ;eme,a Pkaoh mdúÉÑ l< rdcH rEmjdysksfha ks,OdÍka b;d úYd, m%udKhla tÈk wksjd¾h ksjdvq heõfõ wehs' fï wh tÈk fiajfha fh§ isáhd kï we;eï úg zfldïmshqg¾ ð,audÜZ Wml%uh l%shd;aul lsÍug ;ukag m%Yak u;= fj;ehs n,Odßka is;+ ksid fjkak neßo@

;eme,a Pkaoh úlD;s l< fkdyels nj iïu;fhka wm ;=< ;yjqre jQ úYajdihla" Ñka;khla ñi h:d¾:h fkdfjhs' ue;sjrK kS;s ;ukag jdis jk f,i l, t<sfhau W,a,x>kh lrk wdKavqjlg ;eme,a Pkaoh úlD;s lrkakg ´kE;rï bvlv ;sfnkjd' m<uq wjia:dj Pkaoh ±ófï§ lrk n,mEï' fojekak Pkaoh ljrj,g oud uqød ;eîfuka miafia tAjd ndrhg .kakd fomd¾;fïka;= fyda wdh;k m%Odkshd <Õ ;sìh§' f;jeks wjia:dj tu Pkao ue;sjrK flduidßia fomd¾;fïka;=j fj; wod, m%OdkSka úiska ;emEf,ka tjqjdg miafia' ;eme,a Pkao nyd we;s ryiH ,shqï ljr újD; fldg tajd .Kka lsÍug Pkao .Kka lsÍfï uOHia:dkfha we;s fmÜáhg ouk úg tys ;sfnkafka rdcH fiajlhka ±uQ Pkaoo ke;akï fjk;a wh i,l=Kq l< Pkaoo lshd iy;sl lrkafka ljqo@ fldfyduo@ ;eme,a Pkao ±ófï isg tAjd .Kka lsÍug .kakd wjia:dj olajd Èk .Kkdjla tu Pkao ;sfnkafka wkdrCIs; ;;aFjhl' iuia; rdcH fiajhu mdfya ±äj foaYmd,kSlrKhlg ,lajQ ;;= hgf;a ue;sjrKhla ch.ekSu i|yd ´kEu jxpdjla" ¥IKhla lsÍug fkdmelsf<k md,khla hgf;a ;eme,a Pkaohg ú;rla wfkla Pkaoj,g ke;s wdrCIdjla ,efnhso@

m%Yakh ( ;;aFjh fuh kï ksoyia yd idOdrK ue;sjrK .ek ck;djg n,dfmdfrd;a;=jla ;shd.kak mq¿jkao@ j;auka ue;sjrK flduidßiajrhd fjkqjg fjk;a whl= m;ajqjfyd;a fï ;;aFjh hym;a w;g yefr;ehs úYajdi lrkak neßo@

ms<s;=r ( w¨;a ue;sjrK flduidßiajrhl= hgf;a we;eï úg fu;rï jxpd isÿfjk tlla keye' wdKavqj fuhd ±kgu zwdï ndkaZ lrf.k bjrhs' ksoyia yd idOdrK ue;sjrKhla mj;ajkakg wjYH kS;s l%shd;aul lrkak fmd,siam;sg" wud;HxY f,alïjrekag yd fomd¾;fïka;= m%Odkskag fok Wmfoia l%shd;aul lrkak wjYH mshjr Tyq .;af;a kE' bÈßhg .kak tll=;a kE' tA;a w¨f;ka m;afjk ue;sjrK flduidßiajrhl=g 17 jk jHjia:d ixfYdaOkh hgf;a fuu flduidßiag mejÍ ;sfnk n,;, ,efnkafka kE' taksid Tyq fld;rï wjxl jqK;a" ksoyia yd idOdrK ue;sjrKhla mj;ajkakg Tyqg fld;rï ´kElu ;snqK;a fmd,siam;s" rdcH udOH m%OdkSka yslaujd .kakg wjYH n,;, ke;=j Tyqg th lrkak nE' 17 jk jHjia:d ixfYdaOkh l%shd;aul fldg iajdëk ue;sjrK fldñiu we;=¿ fiiq fldñIka iNd n,d;aul lsÍfuka f;drj ksoyia yd idOdrK ue;sjrK fï rfÜ fkdmeje;afjk njg wms wk;=re yÕjkafka tA ksid' rdcH fiajlhkag" fmd,sia ks,OdÍkag foaYmd,k m<s.ekSulg ,lafkdù wjxlj yd wmCImd;j ue;sjrK rdcldÍ bgq lrkakg wdrCIdj ,efnkafka thska'

m%Yakh ( ue;sjrK flduidßiajrhd ckdêm;sjrK m%;sM,h ksfõokh lsÍfï§ ;uka h<s;a ue;sjrKhla meje;aùug l%shd fkdlrk nj;a ,nk udifha isg ue;sjrK fomd¾;fïka;=jg fkdtk nj;a lSjd' ta;a fojkjrg fmnrjdß 02 jk Èk meje;ajQ m%jD;a;s idlÉPdfõ§ Tyq B<Õ uy ue;sjrKh meje;aùug kdhl;ajh §ug ;ud l%shd lrk nj mejiSfuka fkdkej;S m<uq l;dfõ§ lS l;d ish,a,gu fjk;a w¾:l:k fokakg;a jEhï l<d' fï isoaëka fol Tn fldfyduo olskafka@

ms<s;=r ( ue;sjrK flduidßiajrhd l< l;d foflkau ms<sìUq fjkafka Tyq ckdêm;sjrKfha§ tlaflda ±kqj;aj ke;akï n,mEïj,g wjk;ùfuka ¥Is; ue;sjrK l%shdj,shlg kdhl;ajh ÿka nj ñi fjk hula fkdfjhs' ksoyia yd idOdrK ue;sjrKhla meje;aùug ;udg iyh ,enqfKa ysgmq fmd,siam;s bkaød o is,ajd uy;df.ka muKlehs jfrl lS Tyq jydu Bg j;auka fmd,siam;s uyskao nd,iQßh uy;df.a ku;a tla lsÍug l,n, ùfuka Tyq ueÈù isák .eg¨fõ mßudj fmfkkjd' ue;sjrK meje;aùu pdß;%dkql+,j lrk fohla ñi kS;shlg lrk fohla fkdjk nj lshñka ue;sjrKh ¥Is; nj weÕùug m<uq l;dfõ§ fjk;a ikao¾Nhla ;=< ;e;a ±rE ue;sjrK flduidßia Pkao fmÜáh /l .ekSugj;a ;ukag fkdyels jQ njg ueisú,s lsfõ ck;d wkqlïmdj Èkd .ekSug iy ì£ .sh ck;d úYajdih h<s Èkd f.k uyd ue;sjrKh meje;aùu;a ;ud hgf;au isÿ lsÍug nj ±ka meyeÈ,shs'

fujr uyd ue;sjrK l%shdj,sh ;=< furg ue;sjrK b;sydifha f,dl=u jxpdj isÿùug bv i<ik hï ie,iqula l%shd;aul fjñka ;sfnk nj fï wkqj wkqudk lrkak mq¿jka' ue;sjrK flduidßia fï ish¨ úia;r okakjdo keoao hkak m%Yakhla jqj;a úYd, jxpdjla isÿùug hk nj meyeÈ,sju Tyq okakjd' ue;sjrK l%shdj,sfha lvf;d¿" ÿ¾j,lï iy fndfyda jxpd isÿjk wdldrh Tyq okakjd' ta;a tA lsisjla je<elaùug mshjr fkdf.k iq¿ iq¿ foaj,a f,dl=jg .ksñka tAjd je<elaùu .ek Tyq f,dl=jg l;d lrkafka tAlhs' jHjia:dkql+,j ;ukag mejÍ we;s n,;, ish;g fkdf.k Tyq fndre fodvj fodvjd bkafka tAlhs' wdKavqj 2$3 l nyq;r n,hla ;ukag ,efnk njg úYajdi l< fkdyels m%;sM,hla .ek úYajdifhka mqk mqkd lshñka isákafka ±kgu;a uyd ue;sjrKfha m%;sM,h l=ula úh hq;= ±hs Tjqka ;SrKh lr we;s ksid fjkak;a mq¿jka'

^l;= igyk( fuu ,smsh bx.%Sis NdIdjg mßj¾;kh l< hq;=u kuq;a wm mßj¾;l uy;df.a ld,h ysÕ ùu;a fjk;a u.lska mßj¾;kh i|yd úYd, uqo,la úh meyeoï l<hq;= ùu;a fya;=fjka fuh wm mdGl lsishï iqëuf;l= úiska mßj¾;kh lr wm fj; tjkafka kï lD;| fjuq&

idlÉPd lf<a - rxð;a ksu,aisß

rdcldßuh jYfhka mejÍ ;sfnk n,;, ksje/Èj yd wmCImd;Sj bgqlsÍug hdfï§ we;euqkaf.a fodia mfrdia fukau f,an,aj,g o yiqùu ;jÿrg;a ú|ord .ekSug fkdyels ksid ;ud fï ;k;=f¾ /£ isàug wfmaCId fkdlrk njo flduidßiajrhd ±ä fõokdjlska m%ldY lf<ah'

ue;sjrK flduidßiajrhd fï m%ldYh lf<a ckdêm;sjrK ks, m%;sM,h m%ldYhg m;a lrñks'

f,an,a .eiSïj,g yd fodia mfrdiaj,g uqyqK§u fmr fuka l< fkdyelsùu ±ä udkisl wd;;shla f.k fokakla njo flduidßiajrhd lSfõh'
flduidßiajrhdf.a ks, m%;sM, m%ldYhg ijka§ug ckdêm;s wfmaCIljrekaf.ka meñK isáfha ckdêm;s uyskao rdcmCI uy;d iuÕ ue;s weue;sjreka msßils'

úY%du hdhq;= jhig;a jvd jir 8 la fiajh lsÍug isÿùu isysm;a l< flduidßiajrhd bÈß ld,h ;=<§ ;ud fuu ;k;=frka ksoyia lrk fuka j.lsjhq;a;kaf.ka b;d ´kE lñka b,a,k njo lSh'

;udg úY%du hdug bv ,ndfokakehs ÈYdkdhl uy;d 2004 meje;s ckdêm;sjrKfha ks, m%;sM,h m%ldY l< wjia:dfõ§ ckdêm;s uyskao rdcmCI uy;df.ka m%isoaO b,a,Sula lf<ah'
rdcH úoHq;a wdh;k fol ;u ksfhda.hka fkdms<s me§u;a" ta ksid ksis n,Orhdf.a m;aùu wj,x.= lsÍug;a isÿjQ nj mejeiQ ta uy;d we;eï wjia:dj,§ rcfha we;eï wdh;k ;uka l< hq;= foa fkdl< hq;= foa y÷kd fkdf.k lghq;= l< wjia:d ;udg olskakg ,enqkq nj;a" ug wh;a jkafka Pkao fmÜá /l .ekSu;a Pkao .Kka lsÍu;a ú;rla hhs iuyre fpdaokd l< nj;a ±ka Pkao fmÜá;a /l .kakg neß jk nj;a th .eg¿ iy.; ;;a;ajhla nj;a lSfõh'

Dear Dayananda,

A Free and Fair Election – An impossible dream ?
-------------------------------------------------
We, the People have a Sovereign right to exercise our franchise at free and fair elections. The very last time we could do so was in 1977. Giving vent to our disgust with the governance then prevailing, we gave J.R. Jayawardena, who claimed to be the long-awaited saviour of the Sri Lankan nation, a 5/6th majority. Free and fair elections were soon relegated to history. The election process rapidly degenerated to the level of the notorious Wayamba Provincial Council election in 1999.

In an attempt to stem this ominous trend, the OPA beginning in 1994, attempted to monitor elections. At the end of a discussion some of us had with you re monitoring the 1999 Presidential election, you claimed to have been at the receiving end of my lectures in SLIDA. I immediately assumed (rightly or wrongly?) that you had endorsed the need for exemplary conduct I consistently tried to instil into those who chose to listen to what I said.

In an attempt to reduce rigging at the Presidential election of 1999, you had affixed the now infamous “stickers” to Polling Cards. The potential abuse of such stickers was prevented by the accidental detection of this secret move of yours, by a VV.I.P. Consequent attempts made by a triumvirate of the most powerful personalities at that time, with the obvious connivance of a state agency, to sideline you and replicate the Wayamba election, were thwarted by justification of your bona fide and lawful, though admittedly futile and costly, act. However, you had not been vested with any power to control or even contain the violence and blatant violation of election laws that took place.

Disgusted with the mockery that passed off as “free and fair elections”, we the people, through our elected representatives in Parliament, adopted the 17th Amendment to the Constitution, drastically curtailing the extent of the Executive power of the Sovereign People which had been delegated to the President, and creating an Elections Commission of five members, endowed with extensive powers, for the sole purpose of restoring the conduct of free and fair elections.
The 17th Amendment, passed with only one abstention and no one against, became operative on 3rd October 2001, and provided the Elections Commission (EC) with sufficiently extensive powers, inter alia, to appoint other officers to the EC and delegate to them any power, duty or function of the EC, to notify the Inspector- General of Police of the facilities and the number of police officers required and then deploy them to secure the enforcement of all laws relating to the conduct of free and fair elections, to prohibit the misuse of any state property, and to enable the Competent Authority to take over the management of SLBC and SLRC in respect of all broadcasts which impinge on the election.

Regrettably, no Elections Commission was constituted and consequently, in terms of Section 27(2) of the said Act, you were vested with all the extensive powers, duties and functions of the Election Commission. Your failure to exercise most of these powers culminated in your validating the 2005 Presidential election where about 500,000 electors in the South and almost all the electors in the North were unlawfully disenfranchised.

Rather than invoking the extensive powers vested in you, so as to promote the conduct of a free and fair 2010 Presidential election, you only requested the IGP to continue to deploy the police officers himself, in the manner indicated by you. Belatedly, you issued directions for the immediate removal of cut-outs (and even provided the funds needed for same) and the cancellation of certain transfers. However, such directions were disregarded with impunity. You had chosen not to take cognisance of the fact that this IGP had been appointed by the President in violation of the Constitution, and had even been vested with the powers of the National Police Commission, also in violation of the Constitution, and certainly had to display greater allegiance to the President who appointed him, and to the Defence Secretary to whom he reports, rather than obey your commendable directives, confident that you would, deliberately or otherwise, not exercise the extensive powers vested in you to ensure compliance with your directives.

The “directives” reportedly issued by you to Ministry Secretaries and others re the abuse of state resources were largely disregarded, in violation of the Constitutional requirement that “every person under whose control such property is, for the time being, is required to comply with and give effect to such directions”. You did nothing further. You appointed a Competent Authority to control the broadcasts of SLBC and SLRC. The issuance of comprehensive Guidelines and even Directives failed to have any significant effect on the SLBC and SLRC. Without invoking any of the powers vested in you to “secure the enforcement of your directives”, you frequently appeared on TV, and attempted to exculpate yourself from your betrayal of the trust placed in you, by repeatedly complaining that your many directives, inter alia, to the IGP, to all Secretaries and the Media and those of your Competent Authority were not being heeded, and that you were helpless. You merely revoked the appointment of the Competent Authority without enabling him to take over the management of SLBC and SLRC, in respect of all political broadcasts or any other broadcast, which impinges on the election, under Arts 104 B(5)(c) and Act No. 3 of 2002.

To cap it all you announced that a “Sticker” would be placed on each ballot box to signify that it had been duly “checked”, “closed” and “sealed”. The necessary implication was that any ballot box which carried this “sticker” must necessarily be presumed to have been duly checked, closed and sealed by the Senior Presiding Officer in the presence of the Candidates and/or their duly nominated agents. You cannot plead that you did not realise that this procedure lent itself to mass-scale non-verifiable corruption. A news report of ballot boxes having been transported in a Navy Vehicle was immediately suppressed.

We the People, looked up to you to honour the trust placed in you by us, through our elected Representatives, and to hold a free and fair election. You signally failed to invoke the extensive powers set out in Articles 104C and 104E, to notify the IGP of the facilities and Police Officers required, appoint competent, non-partisan retired officers (of whom there are many) to direct the deployment of the facilities and Police Officers made available by the IGP, so as to ensure a “free and fair election”.

At about 2.30 p.m. on January 26th 2010, a public announcement was made on several TV Channels that casting a vote for General Sarath Fonseka was of no value because his name was not included in the list of Electors and that, even if elected, he could not lawfully hold the post of President. On this being brought to your notice, you issued a written statement that General Sarath Fonseka was indeed, lawfully entitled to be elected and function as President. Soon after this was broadcast on the TV, two or more VV.I.PP of the UPFA visited you at the Elections Secretariat and after some time you left the Secretariat in their Company. Thereafter you were seen in the Secretariat only minutes before you announced on 27th January, 2010, inter alia, that this was the worst election you have ever conducted, it was only when Indra de Silva was IGP that you were able to conduct a peaceful election, you had been told by powerful persons that your only function was to count the votes in the ballot boxes and announce the result, your election staff could not even ensure the safety of the ballot boxes, you will attend to the incidental functions relating to that election in the next few days in January and not thereafter even set foot in the Secretariat premises, and you wished to particularly thank the IGP Mahinda Balasuriya because he complied with all the requests made to him by you.

To the astonishment of the Public, you returned to the Elections Secretariat on 2nd February 2010, and retracted all the statements you made. You also declared that you were willing and able to conduct the General Election which will determine the future course of this country. Many, including me, have lost all faith in your commitment to conducting any free and fair election. You are, once again making attractive statements which, from your own recent experience, you no doubt know very well, will go unheeded. You have not even bothered to appoint a Competent Authority but have directed Party Secretaries to seek fairplay from the very Chairman who blatantly refused it. You have left it to the IGP to deal with any Police officers who failed to actively support the President. You have turned a blind eye to the flagrant abuse of State Resources. You are just going through the motions.

I challenge you to appear live on TV and truthfully divulge to the country where, and with whom, you and your wife were between 3.30 p.m. on 26th January 2010 and 4.45 p.m. on January 27th 2010, and also invoke all the Constitutional powers vested in you, not for the purpose of boosting your tarnished image, but for the purpose of conducting a free and fair election. If you do so, public confidence in your ability and willingness to conduct a free and fair election may well be restored, and it will not be necessary for me to tender an unqualified apology to you and your wife for having brought you to this state, and also to the Sri Lankan Nation for having prevented your removal from the election process in 1999 and thereby facilitating, what I believe, were fraudulent elections in Sri Lanka.

Please be aware of the maxim “Facts cannot lie, but men can”

With best wishes to you and your wife.

Yours sincerely,
Elmore M. Perera
B.Sc., LL.B, F.C.M.A., Dipl. PMD (U. Conn), TREND (U. Conn), CSSI,
Chartered Management Accountant, Chartered Surveyor,
Management and Training Consultant,
Attorney-at-Law, Commissioner for Oaths, E-mail: elm144@sltnet.lk
Notary Public and Company Secretary,

Former Addl. Director SLIDA and Surveyor General,
Past President, Organisation of Professional Organisations,
Vice President, Citizens’ Movement for Good Governance.

A senior Minister, answering a question fielded by a correspondent said “It is just a myth that the government will be dictatorial if it gets a two third majority in the General Election. He reminded that the government under President J.R. Jayewardene got five sixths majority and still it was not a dictatorial government.”

A senior cross-over Minister, when asked if “it was not unethical for candidates to enter parliament through one party and then cross sides subsequently to enjoy the perks and privileges of office”, said “There are many who think so. The present Constitution contains various short-comings. The cross-over clause, can be addressed as part of the overall changes that need to be effected.”

But all is not lost. At least one explicit view has been expressed that “The most curious aspect of this government’s general election campaign is that President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his government are asking for a two-thirds majority to change the Constitution, neglecting to state what the future constitution would look like. This is akin to asking a lady to agree to a contract of marriage without having seen or spoken to the prospective groom. There is still time for the President and his administration to spell out the nature of Constitutional changes contemplated before the April 8th poll. A separate document extraneous to the manifesto is called for in terms of what is contemplated as constitutional reform. In the absence of such, a two-thirds majority for a blank cheque is certainly a bit much to ask for.”

In any state sovereignty (i.e. Supreme authority in a State) is vested in the Institution, person, or body having the ultimate authority to impose law on everyone else in the state and the power to alter any pre-existing law.

Sovereignty that had, from time immemorial, been vested in our “Rulers”, was for the very first time vested in the People by the Autochthonous Constitution of 1972. It provided that “Sovereignty is in the People and is inalienable”, and that this Sovereignty shall be exercised through a National State Assembly of Representatives freely and fairly elected by the people, established as the supreme instrument of state power to exercise:
(a) the “Legislative power of the People” directly,
(b) the “Executive power of the People” through the President and the Cabinet of Ministers , and
(c) the “Judicial power of the People” through Courts and other institutions created by law enacted by their duly elected representatives.

The transition from a “free Sovereign and Independent Republic” to the status of a “Free, Sovereign, Independent and Democratic Socialist Republic” under the 1978 Constitution, was effected by the 2nd Amendment to the 1972 Constitution. Whereas the Legislative and Judicial power of the People were vested in the Parliament consisting of duly elected representatives of the People, the Executive power of the People including the defence of Sri Lanka was vested in the President of the Republic elected by the People. To execute all such acts and things, which the President was required or authorised to do, not being inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution or written law, the President was granted limited immunity from suit, by Article 35 of the Constitution.

The 1st Executive President, H.E. J.R. Jayawardena, who claimed to be the 196th Head of the Sri Lankan State, used (and often abused) the extensive powers vested in the President. He even authorised and directed the Attorney General to appear, in the Court of Appeal on 5.3.1981 in the “Land Reform Commission vs. Grand Central Ltd.” case, in his private capacity as an ordinary Attorney-at-Law. Fortunately for Sri Lanka, the President’s own sibling, H.W. Jayawardena Q.C. raised objections to this and the Court of Appeal upheld this objection, for the reason that “the Attorney General holds an unique position endowed with wide powers, onerous duties and special rights in regard to matters involving the exercise of the Sovereignty of the People which, unlike in England where the Queen is the Sovereign, in the Republic of Sri Lanka, Sovereignty is in the people and the Attorney General represents and acts for the People of the Republic”.

Notwithstanding this clear message that Sovereignty vested not in the President but in the People, the flagrant abuse of Presidential authority continued unabated, under cover of the immunity purportedly granted by Article 35 of the Constitution. However, on October 20, 1983 the limit of this immunity was conclusively determined by the Full Bench of 9 Judges headed by the President’s own appointee as Chief Justice, Neville Samarakoon, Queen’s Counsel, in the “Visuvalingam Vs. Liyanage” Case. One of the issues raised for decision was “Is the President’s act of making a fresh appointment of the Judges an executive act not questionable in a Court of Law?”

It was contended on behalf of the Attorney General that “the personal allegiance which the Judges owed to the Sovereign in the days of the Monarchy is continued to the present day where the allegiance is owed to the President as representing the State. The Chief Justice responded stating, “This is a startling proposition. Sovereignty of the People under the 1978 Constitution is one and indivisible. It remains with the People. It is only the exercise of certain powers of the Sovereign that are delegated under Article 4. Fundamental Rights and Franchise remain with the People and the Supreme Court has been constituted the guardian of such rights. I do not agree with the Deputy Solicitor General that the President has inherited the mantle of a Monarch and that allegiance is owed to him”.

It was held by this 9 Judge Bench, inter alia, that: “Actions of the Executive are not above the law and certainly can be questioned in a Court of Law. Article 35 of the Constitution provides only for the personal immunity of the President during his tenure of office from proceedings in any Court. The President cannot be summoned to Court to justify his actions. But that is a far cry from saying that the President’s acts cannot be examined by a Court of Law. Though the President is immune from proceedings in Court, a party who invokes the acts of the President in his support will have to bear the burden of demonstrating that such acts of the President are warranted by law; the seal of the President by itself will not be sufficient to bear that burden”.

Abuse of the five-sixth majority in Parliament, by J.R. Jayawardena, was curtailed, not by choice but by the fierce independence of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. Regrettably however, the Supreme Court, constituted as the guardian of the people’s Fundamental Rights and Franchise, has been slow to act in terms of this unambiguous interpretation by the 9-judge Bench, the validity of which has never since been questioned and/or considered by a Bench of 9 or more judges of the Supreme Court. Perhaps emboldened by this reluctance, the abuse of Presidential power rapidly escalated culminating in the infamous Wayamba P.C. election in 1999. The People were so enraged by such flagrant abuse of their executive power, delegated to the President, that in September 2001, their elected representatives in Parliament, with only one solitary abstention, passed the 17th Amendment to the Constitution, explicitly revoking certain executive powers “delegated” to the President. This was certified by the Speaker on 3rd October 2001 and duly incorporated in the 1978 Constitution.

The 199th Head of State reluctantly complied with the restrictions imposed by the 17th Amendment, except that she intentionally violated the Constitution by refusing to appoint the Elections Commission in 2002. However, the present incumbent has consistently acted in violation of the Constitution by refusing to appoint the duly nominated members of the Constitutional Council and arbitrarily appointing his selectees to the posts of Chief Justice and Judges of the Supreme Court, the President and Judges of the Court of Appeal, Members of the Judicial Service Commission, the Attorney General, the Auditor General, the Inspector General of Police and the Secretary General of Parliament. For rather obvious reasons, the only provision in the 17th Amendment being complied with by the President is the transitional provision in Section 27(2) of the Act which enables Mr. Dayananda Dissanayake to continue as Commissioner of Elections for 8 years after reaching retirement age.

As cogently stated by a fervent supporter of the 200th Head of State, “the question before Sri Lanka is “Who are we and what kind of state are we evolving into?” What is at stake, he says, is “Do we or do we not belong to the system of representative pluralist democracy? Do we or do we not intend to play by the rules of the game? It was one thing to defend liberal democracy from the armed JVP and the Tigers, and another to damage or fail to restore that liberal, pluralist democracy ourselves. It is one thing to resist the West when we must, and another to brush off constructive advice from all and go it alone, filled with self-righteousness”.

The reported creation of a “Special Police Unit to protect the good name of Rajapakses”, the transparently ruthless suppression of any dissent and the demand for a two-thirds majority in Parliament are tantamount to a naked attempt to lawfully vest in the President the inalienable sovereignty which is presently vested in the People. History is likely to repeat itself to the extent that the Attorney General (who has been appointed to that post by the President in violation of specific provisions in the Establishments Code as well as the Constitution), will predictably support such action. Sadly, however, there will be no objections raised by the numerous siblings of the President who are actively supporting his every move. The Judiciary is our last bastion
The Judiciary is our last bastion. Keeping in mind that the objectivity of their approach itself was in issue, in a spirit of detached objective inquiry, which is a distinguishing feature of Judicial Process, the Supreme Court, in 1983, in the full consciousness that it was their solemn duty and obligation to uphold the 1978 Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, proceeded, objectively and impersonally, to discharge their duty “without fear or favour, affection or ill-will”. In the exercise of the Executive power of the People vested in him, the 200th Head of State has effectively wrested from Parliament our Legislative Power and seems to be making inroads into our Judicial Power as well.. As of today, the last of the Independent Commissions has ceased to exist effectively giving a green light to Bribery and Corruption. Our legitimate expectation is that the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court will rise to the occasion and repeat their performances of 1981 and 1983, and restore de facto sovereignty to where it lawfully belongs – in the people.

The lady who agrees to a contract of marriage without having seen or spoken to the prospective groom is virtually agreeing to the irreparable loss of her virginity. The rape of our Sovereignty is manifested by the blatant intentional violation of many Constitutional provisions. We cannot willingly be seduced to barter away our Sovereignty by an illusory though unspecified bright future. The one and only tool still in our hands is this ballot. This could well be our last opportunity to discharge our obligation by future generations of Sri Lankans to retain inalienable sovereignty in us, the people.
Elmore M. Perera B.Sc., LL.B, F.C.M.A., Dipl. PMD (U. Conn), TREND (U. Conn), CSSI,
Chartered Management Accountant, Chartered Surveyor,
Management and Training Consultant,
Attorney-at-Law, Commissioner for Oaths, E-mail: elm144@sltnet.lk
Notary Public and Company Secretary,

Former Addl. Director SLIDA and Surveyor General,
Past President, Organisation of Professional Organisations,
Vice President, Citizens’ Movement for Good Governance.

jegqma úIu;d bj;a lrk njg jir .Kkdjl isg úYajúoHd, wdpd¾hjreka b;d widudkH f,i /jegQ wdKavqj fujr whjefhka ;ukaf.a m%Yakhg úi÷ula ,nd fkdÿkfyd;a ±ä jD;a;Sh iñ;s ls%hd ud¾.hlg wj;SrK jk nj uydpd¾h wur;=x. uy;d wdKavqjg wk;=re we.eùula lf<ah'

wur;=x. uy;d tfia mejiqfõ kdrdfyaka msg cdklS fydag,a Y%jkd.drfha wo ^23& iji meje;s m%jD;a;s idlÉPdfõ§h'
ckdêm;sjrhd iuÕ úYajúoHd, wdpd¾hjreka f.a ikaOdkh lreKq 14 la hgf;a 2009 ckjdß 31 od wr,sh.y ukaÈrfha§ meje;s idlÉPdfõ§ wdpd¾hjrekaf.a m%Yakh úi¢ug l< fhdackd bIag fkdlsÍfuka úYajúoHd, n,OdÍka ckdêm;sjrhdg wf.!rjhla lr we;ehs mejeiQ wud;H neis,a rdcmCI uy;d 2007 foieïn¾ 15 fjksod meje;s idlÉPdfõ§ jegqma ixfYdaOk fhdackdjla bÈßm;a lrk;=re wdpdrjreka Ydia;%Sh lghq;= iyd ±kg ,nd fok 25] §ukdj 50] olajd jeä lrkakehs úYajúoHd, n,OdÍkag ±kqï ÿkak;a wo jk;=re th bgqlr ke;s nj;a mejeiSh'

wdpd¾hjrekaf.a jegqma úIu;d bj;a fkdlr W.;=kag yd nqoaêu;=kag wdKavqj fkdi,lk ksid Tjqka rg w;yer hk nj;a úYajúoHd,fhka m<uq mx;sfha Wmdêhla ,nd msgjk YsIHhska úYaj úoHd,fha .=rejreka f,i fkd/£ fjk;a wdh;k lrd hEfuka wvq iud¾:hla iys; WmdêOdÍka .=rejreka f,i n|jd .ekSfuka úYajúoHd, wOHdmkfha .=Kd;aul nj msßyS we;s nj;a wur;=x. uy;d fmkajd ÿkafkah'
wdpd¾hjrekaf.a m%Yakh udi 03 lska úi|k nj ckdêm;s ;=ud m%ldY l<;a udi 03 wjqreÿ 03 la ù we;ehs lS wur;=x. uy;d fï wdKavqj nqoaêu;=ka yd W.;=kag fkdi,ld yer we;ehs mejeiSh'

fld<U úYajúoHd,fha wdpd¾h tia'wd¾'ã' frdaId" reyqKq úYajúoHd,fha uydpd¾h ik;a fyÜáwdrÉÑ" fmardfoKsh úYajúoHd,fha wdpd¾h Wmq,a î' Èidkdhl" kdj, újD; úYajúoHd,fha wdpd¾h frdayK m%kdkaÿ" fld<U úYajúoHd,fha wdpd¾h ks¾ud,a rxð;a foajisß" fmardfoKsh úYajúoHd,fha tia'tï'hQ'à'tia' iqnisxy iy wdpd¾h ñyska fukaäia hk uy;ajre fuu wjia:dj i|yd iyNd.s ù isáhy'