In a Hindu celestial story, a girl on Earth called Vaishno Devi was inspired by the Tridevi (three goddesses) - Lakshmi, Saraswathi and Kali bestowing their divine energy or power - wealth and prosperity, knowledge and wisdom, courage and bravery. Vaishno Devi, a princess of a regional kingdom, using the power of the Tridevi, becomes the saviour of the commoners by eliminating evil powers, and ensures the freedom, protection and replenishment of her people. I discern a resemblance between the main character of this story and a charming yet austere and meticulous lady, a promising personality.
Governor of the Western Province, Dr. (Mrs) Seetha Arambepola, would not prefer a consecrated title as Vaishno Devi, but an honest and efficient person who wants to work for the expeditious development of the country should be given proper recognition and appreciation.
Many Sri Lankans got acquainted with her when she was shown on TV taking oaths as the Governor before President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on November 21 last year. TV spectators were dazzled by the beautiful lady who was neatly draped in her osariya.
With placid, bold and firm poise, she calmly presented her oath, signed her appointment papers and walked away with diligent and brisk steps. However, she was not at all a stranger to all walks of society who gathered or participated in the Viyath Maga (Professional Forum) and Eliya (The light) – a set of programs, founded to discuss the overall controversial setbacks that prevailed during the tenure of the past Government, and to root out or find solutions for them.
Wijepala Srinarayana Wasala Bandaranake Mohottalage Seetha Kumari Arambepola was born in Colombo in the 1970s. Her home town was Kadawatha. She had her primary education at Viharamahadevi Balika Vidyalaya, Kiribathgoda and through the Grade five entrance examination entered Devi Balika Vidyalaya, Colombo 8.
Her father, Jayantha Arambepola, a businessman passed away 15 years ago. Her mother Padmini Walpola Arambepola leads a serene and modest life, invoking blessings on her daughter and exulting in her success, a rare opportunity a parent would experience.
Seetha had a younger brother who unfortunately passed away after a short illness, eight years back.
Seetha and her brother were brought up in a secured background that gave them a humble upbringing, moulding her to become the jingoistic person of today blending her medical career with politics.
“Reading was my sole pastime when I was a child which aided to enhance my knowledge about history, economics, people and all other things on Earth. My father supported my reading habit immensely by buying me books, especially translations,” she reminisces.
“I was not a sporty character, but took part in debating in the Sinhala Literary Society at Devi,” she said. This enhanced her skills and training as a debater, stimulating her to approach the public stage before massive audiences at Viyath Maga and Eliya to deliver mind-blowing strong patriotic speeches uncovering the flaws of the country’s health sector and revealing many misappropriations and misanthropic situations during the past regime.
“I did Kandyan dancing as my optional subject for Ordinary Levels and got a Credit and Distinctions for the other seven subjects,” she said.
“I chose Bio Science for my Advanced Levels as becoming a doctor was my childhood dream. I was selected to the Dental Faculty in my first attempt, but entered the Medical Faculty at Sri Jayewardenepura University,” she said.
After her Internship at the National Hospital and De Soyza Maternity Hospital, Seetha got her first appointment to Nuwara Eliya in 2004. She is a specialist ENT Consultant Surgeon completing her last three years of study at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Cambridgeshire, Royal College Edinburgh, UK. “Some social-media websites have called me a “Doctor from Queens Hospital, England” misguiding the public to raise the question how a doctor who worked in England with a cozy life, could feel for innocent, underprivileged, local people. Almost all Government doctors go to UK for higher studies. On return we have to work in remote and difficult areas. So did I,” she said.
Seetha’s first appointment after she returned from UK was to the Mannar Hospital. She worked at the Colombo South Hospital, Kalubowila and the National Hospital, Colombo when she and her husband resigned from Government Service for work in the UK in 2015.
Seetha is married to her batchmate, Consultant Anaesthetist Dr. Saliya Jayathilake.Though their plan was to fly to England, their destiny altered when colleagues introduced them to Viyath Maga - a forum consisting of 3,000 - 5,000 professionals. “Due to the unstable and pernicious political decisions of the past Government, patriotic citizens were in fear for the unity and sovereignty of the country. This made us obtain membership of the Viyath Maga,” she said.
In 2017, the doctor assigned to deliver a speech on health issues had to leave on a foreign tour.“When asked, I just accepted. After a short preparation, I delivered the speech at the convention at the Rose Garden Banquet Hall, Borelesgamuwa. It was my first public speech,” she recollects.
But none believed it was the young lady doctor’s first speech, and acclaimed it with a standing ovation. Following this, Seetha was requested to deliver speeches at 20 meetings at District and Provincial levels.
The next year she joined Eliya held in all 24 districts and made speeches at 22 meetings.
“We worked five days in our professions and allocated our weekends for Eliya and Viyath Maga. We held a session of Eliya on April 20, the day before the Easter Sunday bombings. We had to cancel the Bandaragama meeting scheduled for April 21. Our last meeting of Viyath Maga was on November 10, six days before the Presidential Election,” she said.
After the bomb blasts, the urge for political change had doubled, and our goal became stronger. We are very happy to see how our strenuous endeavour is gradually reaping success after elections. It’s the responsibility of our people to ‘protect’ our President,” she said.
Seetha’s statement about “reaping good results” might raise an issue misinterpreting that her motive is to save her position. She has been a target for mud-slinging by some social media provoked by jealousy. “My family and I are leading a comfortable yet simple life with the earnings and savings from our medical practice. My husband is a full-time private practitioner. I work as a Governor on an honorary basis. My monthly salary of Rs. 65,000 is debited to a fund intended to assist the under-privileged schools in the Western Province. I use my official vehicle only for official purposes. Neither my husband nor my two daughters use it. We stay at our own house in Battaramulla and do not use my official bungalow. I don’t need commissions or bribes. Ours is a simple life lived with our hard-earned money,” she said.
Governor Arambepola is a mother of two daughters aged 16 and 11. “The biggest hazard for working women is that they have to kill a lot of time on the road due to heavy traffic which needs a speedy and permanent solution. Apart from that, firstly by reducing your TV time and phone browsing time, giving excuses that it would release your stress; secondly by reducing partying and get- togethers - then finding time for your children won’t be an issue. We encounter problems and challenges that we cannot run away from. If you adopt a simple, truthful and optimistic lifestyle with healthy habits; time allocations, economic dis-satisfactions and mental stress cum pressure will not be disturbing factors in your life. That is what I believe and follow,” she said.
Under Dr. Arambepola’s governance, some major projects are being launched. Prevention and treatment for dengue and recycling waste are prioritised. Empowering women for small scale businesses is another main project that will be launched on Women’s Day, March 8.
“We will select women in the Western Province who have some knowledge and enthusiasm for dress making.
They’ll be given training and sewing machines on an easy installment payment scheme. The other project is on Agriculture, to encourage the public to start small-scale vegetation farms in home gardens using organic fertiliser. The projects are structured on three essential elements - knowledge, training and supply of raw materials, as Public-Private Partnerships. Our aim is to level up the economical standard of the public by providing self-employment. We hope to launch more ventures in the future,” she said.
The ‘Single Counter’ concept is another project where all relevant Government bodies on one particular task will be placed under one roof. The public can conveniently get their work done without going from one place to another tiring themselves, killing time in traffic carrying bundles of files and documents and then bribing staff to speed up their work. Later, this will be advanced to an on-line service.
Developing the local market with solid infrastructure in all three Districts - Colombo, Kalutara and Gampaha in the Western Province and improving the handloom industry are also in the pipeline.
“It is time to make a change. Educated patriotic Sri Lankans should develop the country. It’s time all communities united as one nation to work honestly and loyally as one team,”she said.