“Mahinda Rajapaksa is a leader that lives in our hearts,” says Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Rajika Wickramasinghe. According to the MP, she along with others visited Temple Trees on 9 May to bid adieu to him. “Following the event, I departed intending to head home. One hour after I arrived at my residence in Kegalle, violence erupted in the area and across the country. Though a group tried to attack my house, our neighbours protected us. However I was informed a mob of 200 - 300 had converged near my house in Yatiyantota and had started attacking it. But the Police were able to stop them from setting fire to the house,” she recalled.
Among the 70 politicians who faced numerous attacks on the day, Wickramasinghe says though the damage to her house has been estimated, the difference in the cost of materials means she will not get a fair compensation. “The MPs whose houses were set on fire have faced greater injustice as a result of this,” she added. The MP claims that members of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, Frontline Socialist Party and the Samagi Jana Balawegaya were among those arrested for attacking her house.
“It is clear that these were acts of political revenge. Many of the attackers were not residents from the area. It was those from other areas who led the mobs and instigated to commit acts of violence,” she claimed.
We supported the Aragalaya in the beginning
The MP who said she has not faced a similar incident in her political career, blames the JVP for the day’s events claiming the political party was trying to revive the violence seen in 1983 during the Black July pogrom. The MP also condemned the killing of MP Amarakeerthi Atukorale. “He was an innocent MP. He was killed in the most brutal fashion. All of us went to Colombo on the day to express our gratitude to our leader Mahinda Rajapaksa. Every citizen has a right to express their political views. Can that right be taken away by assaulting or killing a person? If so, where is this country’s so-called democracy,” she asked.
“The citizen’s struggle was a good thing and we too supported it in the beginning. That is because the leaders had to be shown that the path they were taking was wrong. But the face of the struggle changed,” she said, blaming the Aragalaya or the citizen’s struggle for the drug scourge that is destroying the country.
“It has caused issues in society. What happened to the political ideologies of those who held a media circus in the same struggle? I do not agree with these things as a woman. Just because a group of women shout on the streets the economy cannot be rebuilt. The problems of women in villages or the hunger of the children cannot be solved either. We saw what those women did, or rather what they did not do when they were in power. If some group takes to the streets we must see if it’s due to their political ideology or due to some form of international pressure,” she noted.
The MP claims the economy took a hit due to Covid-19 and it was further destroyed by the struggle while it was on the mend. “Foreigners were scared to visit Sri Lanka because of the street protests. But those who led to the further downfall of the country through the Aragalaya have earned hundreds of thousands. They do not answer these allegations.
It is sad that the youth are attempting to harm the country, rather than use their knowledge and talents to uplift it,” Wickramasinghe said.
According to her, the youth leadership of the Aragalaya did not have any true love for the county. “If they do love the country I call on them to come forward to combat this drug menace, rebuild the economy and to support local production,” she added.
Serving the people is not alien to me
Wickramasinghe, who was a nurse by profession, bid adieu to her career after marrying former Minister Srilal Wickramasinghe. “I moved to Kegalle from Colombo after marriage. My husband was involved in politics from 1997 and was elected to the Pradeshiya Sabha and the Provincial council as well till it was dissolved in 2016. I supported my husband in his political journey as I too came from a political background. My father was involved in philanthropy and saw the sufferings of the people. I also worked as a nurse and helped patients. Therefore serving the people is not alien to me.
In 2012 my husband fell ill and the party leadership requested I take the reins. This is how my political journey began with the blessings of the people in Kegalle,” she said, adding that she has visited every corner of the district and worked closely with local women, farmers and youth organisations.
Contesting in the 2015 parliamentary election, Wickramsinghe missed out entering parliament by 21 preferential votes. However, refusing to fail, she once again contested in 2020 and received 70 000 votes to secure a parliamentary seat.
“As a person who hailed from Colombo, I am humbly proud of my achievement. My husband is my biggest supporter and guide in my political career. As is the advice I receive from my father. I would also like to thank the party leadership and the people for their support,” she said.
Despite her achievements, Wickramasinghe says she has one issue that bothers her.
“It’s been over two years since I was elected to parliament. The people vote for us expecting us to be their voice and to serve them. But the situation in the country has not allowed me to do this. However I will continue to serve the people to the best of my abilities,” she said.