On that fateful May 9 morning State Minister Arundika Fernando had attended a meeting with the Vietnamese Ambassador in Colombo before heading to the President’s house. Fernando says even by this time a tense situation had begun to take hold of the entire country.
According to him while the Government still had the people’s mandate and a two-third majority in Parliament there was a rise of certain anti-Government elements in the country.
“Therefore former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had decided to step down. I was also of the same opinion. I did not go to Temple Trees on the day. Several Ministers including myself was with the President at that time” he recalled.
Fernando said hearing about the violent incidents near the Galle Face Green and Temple Trees, the former President spoke to the IGP and Senior DIG Deshabandu Tennekoon directing them to control the situation.
Araglaya
He said Gotabaya Rajapaksa clearly directed the Police to prevent those coming out of the Templee Trees from heading towards the Galle Face Green ‘Araglaya’ grounds and to also prevent any attack on those gathered there.
“But after the attack on the Galle Face Green protestors we heard the country was gripped with violence. A Facebook post claiming my house would also be attacked began to make the rounds. Therefore around 12 p.m on the day I left the President’s house heading to my home in Dankotuwa” he said.
These are the State Minister’s recollections of the ‘Black Monday’ violence that added a blackmark to the country’s recent history. Fernando said as he set out hoping to reach home, he was unaware of the brutal fate that had befallen MP Amarakeerthi Atukorale.
All Fernando saw on the roads were utter chaos. “I took the Katunayake Highway. Vehicles were being stopped and checked. My vehicle was stopped as well but the group was unable to recognise me as I had lost weight. I said that I was a doctor in a bid to escape.” he said.
Seeing more violent groups in Negombo he said he understood he would not be able to proceed further. “I decided to return to Colombo but my vehicle was again stopped near the Nawaloka Hospital. The back window of the vehicle I was travelling was shattered by these mobs,” he said.
Torched
According to the State Minister, his home in Dankotuwa did not emerge unscathed from the violence. He accused the OIC of the Dankotuwa Police, the Wennappuwa ASP of merely watching on as his house was torched by a mob. “To this day I find it unbelievable they did nothing to prevent it,” he said. Along with his house, the State Minister’s office was also destroyed in the attack.
He said the destroyed house was not built by him but instead was his ancestral home. “I have not received an estimate of the damages caused to my house which was one the most old houses in the Dankotuwa town. All the antiques within were destroyed. Government owned equipment given to MPs that were in my office were also destroyed.”
Since entering politics, this was the first time Fernando had faced an unfortunate incident similar as this.
“I never thought a fate such as this would befall on me. The people of Puttalam are aware of my political life. I entered the North Western provincial council twice with their votes. I served as a Minister and represented three Parliaments. I have never earned from politics and instead spent my own funds,” he said.
Fernando recalled how he sold the vehicle he bought through his first MP permit only to use those funds to provide school equipment to pre-schools in the Puttalam district. “I provide shoes for rural schools in Anamaduwa.
I use my personal funds for these. I worked for SriLankan Airlines prior to entering politics. Whatever I earned through that job I spent on politics and public service. The people are aware of this. Therefore this incident was unexpected,” he said.
Capabilities
Fernando said the incident shocked and deeply disappointed him. “I can’t shake off that feeling to this day. But I am still trying to serve the people to the best of my capabilities. If the country does not come to the correct path I do not have much hope about a future in politics,” he said.
According to him, though several persons were arrested in suspicion, they were able to post bail and gain their freedom.
“I do not know how it happened. Many members of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, Frontline Socialist Party and the Samagi Jana Balawegaya were directly involved in the incident. I believe this was organised. I admit there were anti-Goverment sentiments over the crisis but it is not only MPs that are responsible for it. Among those responsible are Presidential Secretary P.B Jayasundera, and bigwigs at the Central Bank including Ajith Nivaad Cabral. Incorrect decisions made by the Government also gave rise to these sentiments. But the President also took many salient decisions as well. For example he strengthened the agricultural sector. Serving as Minister of Plantation Industries I was able to increase revenue of the coconut cultivation industry to US$ 900 million,” he said.
Fernando, son of an army officer and a teacher was the second child in a family of four. He ventured into politics following the footsteps of his uncle, Attorney Godfrey Fernando.
“In 1994 when our party came into power after 17 years my uncle emerged at the top of the Puttalam district list. After his untimely demise his wife Sriyani Fernando served as an MP from 2000 - 2001. I entered the North Western Provincial Council in 2004 as the 9th in a list of 10. The next time however I received the highest number of votes. I entered Parliament for the first time in 2010. Since then I have continuously been elected to Parliament,” Fernando said.
Fernando said President Ranil Wickremesinghe is attempting his best to rebuild and revive the country. “At this juncture we must set aside all political divides and support the President in this task. The crisis is not the lone creation of MPs but also officials. Some officials do not allow the representatives of the people to serve them.
They are fully responsible for these crisis. At this time, it is essential that all the three parties namely public representatives, officials and the public put aside their narrow political goals and work for the betterment country.” he said.
He also said that Sri Lanka must learn lessons from the past. “Nothing is gained through violence and no problem can be solved through violence. People who do wrong should be punished by law.
People involved in fraud and corruption should be brought before the law and punished.” he added.