They claim there is no racial discrimination within this happy and pluralistic society of ours and talk of an unique racial mosaic that obtains here: but little things give one the impression that more lies beneath the facade. Take the CWE for instance. Ginger went there to buy some vegetables. There was a board giving that day’s prices. Every item was in Sinhala giving one the impression that the Tamil and English speaking community did not matter a damn. If one could not read the list given in Sinhalese that customer had to ask someone at that counter what the price of some item or other was:

The rather inane reply one got was “there it is on the board” while that worthy obligingly pointed a finger at the item in question. It had completely escaped someone’s mind in that establishment that there were others besides Sinhalese living in this country. So too it is with the buses, now it is little irritants such as these that combine to give the general impression on any issue. How much safer and more convenient it would be if each item was written in all three languages and bracketed together. Buses too could have slightly bigger boards giving destinations in all three languages unless of course fleet owners want to ground those who are not Sinhalese. “Little things go a long way ....” said the monkey.

Sharing an experience
A friend of mine was telling me of an experience (which I suspect was a tall one). A tourist had when travelling solo in the more hilly regions of Mexico. He had noticed a lot of people dressed in black climb a hill on which there was a small house. Asking the reason for this mass human movement he learnt that an old woman had been kicked to death by her son-in-law’s mule.

Wanting to see what a typical rural funeral in Mexico was like the tourist went to the house himself. He was quite impressed by the number of young men who had come for the funeral. The tourist then told the son-in-law that his mother-in-law must have been quite popular with the young folk for so many to attend her funeral. Pat came the reply. “They have not come for the funeral. They have come to buy the mule.”

Key to long life
The adage was that a little laughter and sex and a few tears was the key to long life. I wonder what the modern doctors have to say to the sages of the past for that theory. There was one thing for certain however and that was that those who suffered any kind of heart disease took it a little easy on their sex life feeling that the strain could be bad for their hearts.

Evidently they have sacrificed their love life for nothing going on the latest study made on sex and heart disease. Now they say sex is safe for those who have had heart disease and the risk of one getting heart disease is just one in fifty thousand. In other words you do not take any more risk more than the one you take when getting up in the morning.

GST which came into operation on April 1, has completed its first quarter on June 30, 98. Ten thousand (10,000) traders have registered for this tax so far.

GST replaced the Turnover Tax (TT). It was supposed to be a much better, more refind tax without the so-called cascading effect of the former TT. But sadly these terms which mean nothing to the ordinary citizen has definitely caused an upward burden in their cost of living.

TT operated at a rate which was mostly around 6 to 7%. GST Operates at 12.5%. Luxuries which were taxed at 18.5% has been brought down to 12.5%. Hence the rich man’s benzes — pianos — expensive household items have all effectively been brought down. But sadly the poor man’s requirements like bicycles and motor cycles, which had no TT (TT was zero rated) has shot up to 12.5% under GST.

Computers which were zero rated under TT are now taxed at 12.5%. This is a great blow to the expansion of the Information Technology Industry which the Government is so keen to expand, since the rates have gone up from zero to 12.5%. This is a anomalous situation where the high price will have a negative effect of the expansion of the industry, with its subsequent job creation. A Benz car will be cheaper by a couple of hundred thousand rupees. While much sort after computers will go up by thousands of rupees affecting mainly the poor students. America has two hundred and fifty thousand vacancies for computer programmers. The President must definitely review this unjust increase of taxation on the computer industry.

GST collectors are trading units with a turnover of 500,000 a quarter. There are eight hundred thousand commercial establishments registered in Sri Lanka (800,000). To achieve 500,000 a quarter your daily turnover would be 6,500 a day. Surely shouldn’t there be at least four hundred thousand (400,000) of GST Collectors registered with the Inland Revenue Department. Could we believe that only 10,000 traders have a collection of more than 6,500 a day. That means all the others are recording a collection of less than 6,500 a day. A ridiculous situation to say the least a medium sized grocery will achieve this figure by lunch time. Hence the figure of ten thousand (10,000) GST collectors is absurd. The realistic figure should be at least four hundred thousand (400,000). This is a conservative 50% of the total eight hundred thousand traders. Most provincial towns have very few GST collectors. Hence GST scheme is already a flop.

Why GST should be linked to one’s turnover is ridiculous. My car met with an accident and the repair cost 22,000. Agents repaired it. Insurance company paid the full bill. Agent of the car was a GST collector, I was charged 2,750 as GST which I had to pay. If I got this same repair done by a small garage, which was not a GST collector (having a turnover of less than 500,000 a quarter). I would not have been called upon to pay this Rs. 2,750 as GST. This is a ridiculous situation. If a company has a massive turnover it would be appropriate to have some form of tax imposed on the company and not the poor customer.

I wish to state another example of the way GST operates. A bottle of beer sells at 50 retail price from a wine stores. I went to a restaurant down Duplication Road, Kollupitiya, where a cool bottle of beer was priced at 114. In the bill they had added 1% local taxes 10% service charge and 12.5% GST giving a total of Rs. 165 i.e. GST was Rs. 16.10 on this sale. Prof. G. L. Peiris, please note your effort to popularise beer will end up a flop in the future.

The most absurd situation regards GST prevails in the jewellery and gem trade. Since the last budget, gems and jewellery had been exempted from all forms of tax. i.e.

(1) Security Levy (2) GST and (3) Income Tax. The PA govt. never mentioned in their manifesto that they will free the gem and jewellery industry from all these taxes. One wonders whose brain child this tax waiver is?

In practical terms a Sri Lankan is called upon to pay 12/50 as GST on a plate of rice worth Rs. 100. In contrast the same person can go to Sea Street and buy a gold bangle worth 10 lakhs and will not be charged a single cent as GST nor will the dealer be charged a single cent as income tax on this deal. (The restaurant owner selling rice will have to pay income tax on his profit!)

Dear Prof. Peiris, I tell you in all sincerity the GST operated in its present form will be counter-productive for the PA govt. in the long run.

Finally my suggestion is to have a GST at a rate more reasonable like 4 to 5% and for it to operate at the point of entry of imported goods and at the point of manufacture of goods. The original price of such goods and GST component should be clearly marked. These goods thereafter should be free of any further GST services which carry GST. Should also have a low rate like 4 to 5% and should be charged irrespective of the turnover. Such a scheme will be simple and effective.

Dear Prof. G. L. Peiris please tax people on consumption rather than on their earnings. Have a simple GST Scheme with a rate of less than 5% (as opposed to the 12.5% at present). Abolish personal income tax for all individuals. Retain it only for very high turnover companies. This will ensure more money in the hands of more people. There will be more investments. Average income levels will rise. People will not be harassed by Inland Revenue officials on flimsy and arbitrary assessments. GST should be a clear simple and fair system causing little burden on meagre earnings of the majority of our people.

I do hope our President will have the time to read this letter. Prof. Peiris please reply if you can find the time.

Concerned Citizen
Avissawella.

Dehiwela electorate is famous for mosquitoes. We the under signed citizens of Sri Lanka and residents in the Dehiwela electorate, from Kadawatha Road, Dehiwela, have observed that no proper action is been taken by the Public Health authorities to control the breeding mosquito menace in this area.

We are aware, that all political parties, before coming into power, make the mosquito issue, one of their major election promises. But sorry to note, that this issue is totally forgotten by these politicians, once they assume power.

We have observed millions of rupees spent to clean the canal. But the millions of rupees have just gone down the drain as the waters of the canal do not flow at all, and we could observe, all the water just stagnates in one place, and plants growing in the canal. This results in breeding of billions of mosquitoes.

The Public Health Officers visit homes and tell people, not to collect water in tins and coconut shells etc. as this dreadful dengue mosquitoes easily breed in such places, and request the public to co-operate, to protect the innocent children from contacting this dreadful disease. But it is much regretted to note, these Public Health Officers fail to inform the provincial council, state government and the municipal council to find a permanent solution to the stagnated waters in the canal and the surrounding drains in this area, where fresh water easily collect and get stagnated after a heavy shower of rain.

If any Public Health Officer, Minister, M.P., M. M.C., or a provincial M.P. visits this area, from Kadawatha Road Vishnukowila Cross Road junction, the road which leads towards Nedimala junction, one could see how many billions of mosquitoes are breeding in this area (along the drains and the canal).

It was reported in the mass media recently, that the Deputy Minister of Defence recently visited China, and the Chinese technical experts have asked him, how they could assist Sri Lanka in the coming years. We are confident, if these experts are informed about the stagnated water in the Dehiwela canal, they would definitely find a permanent solution to this crisis in the Dehiwela canal, and this would assist to eradicate to some extent, the breeding mosquito menace.

Citizens of Dehiwela

For nearly six months now people have been supplied with Gal paang. Bakers complain that the flour is of very poor quality, the dough does not rise and the end result is only a lump of baked flour unfit for human consumption or even as animal food, “ballowat kanne neti:

Certain consumers have returned the bread to sellers when they found it uneatable and others who do not bother to make another trip to the boutique have thrown it away in disgust cursing everybody from the govt. to the baker and the retailer. Certain bakers have thanked the consumers for not throwing the loaf back at their face.

We eat bread only about three days a week but are always ready to buy or prepare something else for breakfast whenever the bread is bad. But what can those households where the parents and/or older children go to work and the younger ones to school do other than gulping down this bread or going to work/school on empty stomach?

While thousands have been complaining or, more correctly, suffering in silence the govt. and the minister in charge have maintained a deafening silence.

I believe that the import of flour is not a govt. monopoly and if so the minister should find out who has imported the substandard flour and punish those responsible. In the alternative the govt. should take over the responsibility of importing certain selected items of food like flour that is fit for human consumption.

Whatever is said and done it is the govt. that gets the blame and, therefore, its responsibility to ensure that the people get a better deal remembering that the type of bread that has been available for the last few months can lead to various bowel disorders and that bread is a must at least in the mornings in most homes particularly in urban areas where people go to work and children to school and also in poor homes where they gulp it down with kahata.

S. Abeywickrama,
Nugegoda.

The newly appointed Inspector General of Police has told a newspaper, in an interview, that he does not think there is political interference in a big way in the police.

Avadhi Lanka feels constrained to point out that the IGP’s statement itself is an admission that there is political interference in the police whether there is much of it or little being only a matter of degree.

The very fact that the new IGP was appointed over the claims of five of his colleagues who were senior to him without any reason being intimated to those officers why they were being overlooked is, in the opinion of Avadhi Lanka, sufficient evidence to establish the fact that appointments in the police service, as in many other services, are not being made in accordance with time-honoured procedures and criteria — such as through a completely independent selection board and on the basis of seniority and merit.

It is to eliminate completely interference of any kind, much or little that Avadhi Lanka considers it absolutely essential that an independent police commission should be established immediately, by an Act of parliament if necessary. The matter is so important for the maintenance of law an order in the country.

The disclosures made before the recent Presidential Commissions of collusion between police officers and prominent politicians, in the not too distant past, regarding violations of human rights by torture and other forms of violence and abuse of power, including even willingness on the part of police officers to assist in tampering with the electoral process, make it imperative that the Police Department must be brought under an independent Police Service Commission, the members of which should be selected by a method that inspires public confidence.

Until such a commission is appointed, the police should, in Avadhi Lanka’s view be supervised by a Select Committee of Parliament.

Convenor - Avadhi Lanka

One fine morning at the end of the Indian rainy season the Buddha addressed his first set of monks at Saranath near the sacred city of Varanasi.

“Go now and wander for the welfare and happiness of the many, out of compassion for the world, for the gain, welfare and happiness of gods and men”.

Having advised thus the Buddha himself wandered across the Gangeric planes spreading his newly discovered message of peace. Following his footsteps the monks have since then carried this message of peace not only across India and Asia but also to the far corners of the modern world: to the Americas, Europe, Africa, Australia and the Far East. In the true spirit of a Buddhaputras, sons of the Buddha, monks have committed themselves to lead the life of a dhammadutas, messenger of the Good Teachings.

Today there are many Dhammaduta monks who have taken the message of the Buddha to the west. Among them is a monk who ventured forth from the distant village of Maha Medagama in the Kandyan hills of Patahewaheta to London, to guide, not only the expatriate Sri Lankan Buddhists in the United Kingdom but also those Westerners who venture forth in search of the Truth. He is Ven. Medagama Vajiragnana, who is today the Chief Sanganayaka of Great Britain.

Tomorrow Ven. Vajiragnana reaches 70 years of age, and of this he has spent fifty five years as a monk. For he was ordained when he was just fifteen years. Giving up his personal name, Loku Banda Dissanayaka, he chose the name of Vajiragnana on the advice of his spiritual teacher Ven. Velgammedde Sri Dhammarakkhita Sirinivasa, the Chief Incumbent of the Hippola Purana Viharaya in Talatu Oya. After spending five years as a samanera training himself to become a fully fledged monk, he obtained his higher ordination (upasampada) in 1949.

Ven. Vajiragnana spent the early years of his life as a bhikkhu in educating himself in the teachings of the Buddha, and the code of discipline of the monks. His knowledge of oriental languages such as Pali and Sanskrit gave him access to the original source of Buddhism. As a student of one of the two main Buddhist educational establishments of the time, the Vidyodaya Pirivena, he had the good fortune of associating some of the best scholars of the day.

His thirst for knowledge extended beyond the traditional confines of a Pirivena into university education. He read for the Bachelor’s Degree at the Vidyodaya University and a post graduate degree at the University of Calcutta. His yearning for languages took him to Benaris University and his search for knowledge took him to the University of Lancaster in England. Thus, by the end of the sixties, Ven. Vajiragnana was well equipped to play the new role of the Dhammaduta Bhikkhu in the new setting in the United Kingdom.

In 1967, Ven. Vajiragnana was appointed the Deputy Head of the main Buddhist Vihara in London, founded by the late Anagarika Dharmapala in the early twenties. Today he is not only the chief incumbent of this Vihara, but also the Chief Sanghanayake of Great Britain.

In this new role Ven. Vajiragnana has many responsibilities. As the Chief Incumbent of the Buddhist Vihara he has to provide everyday spiritual guidance, to those who come in search of peace and tranquillity. His sermons both in English and Sinhala provide refreshing food for thought for the Sri Lankan Buddhists and Englishmen. He is the spiritual patron of Buddhist cultural life in London.

In a western country, he has additional roles to play to foster interfaith relations. While catering to the personal needs of the pious at the Vihara, he represents the Buddhist faith at international gatherings — be it the universities or in conferences. In 1993, he attended the Parliament of World Religions in Chicago. He believes, as a contemporary Buddhist monk should, that all faiths, in spite of their differences in their rites and rituals, have a common core of moral principles that can guide mankind into a better world.

Ven. Vajiragnana is a good communicator, appearing on television, broadcasting on radio and writing. Among the interesting books he has written in English are ‘Meditation’, 'Peace through Buddhism’ and ‘Parent and Child in Buddhism’, all published by the Buddhist Research Society in Singapore.

On his seventieth birthday, Sri Lankan Buddhists wish him long life so that he could continue his good work for the welfare of the many Buddhists here and abroad.

J. B. Disanayaka
University of Colombo.

I am writing this article because it happened to a lady, a close relation of mine. She was a lady almost 83 years of age.

About a month ago this lady's daughter rang me up and said that her mother had fallen in the bathroom and she was in a pool of blood and unconscious. She was taken to the Accident Ward in the Colombo General Hospital. Her general health improved after controlling the bleeding and giving her a couple of blood transfusions. But she remained unconscious, though all investigations had revealed no brain haemorrhage or clots. And the doctors put it down to Ischaemia of the brain due to heavy bleeding. (Loss of blood supply to brain).

When the daughter rang me up, the mother had been unconscious for a week. They wanted me to save a cow which I did and gave it to a poor lady. This lady was told of the event which led to saving this animal. The poor lady was so grateful she had performed 'Bodhi Poojas' to give blessings on the aged lady, who remained unconscious for now over three weeks. Later the daughter rang me up and told me that the poor lady who had received the animal on her mother's behalf had informed her and told her how grateful she was and that she was performing "Bodhi Pooja" hoping this event will make her mother well. She said the day this letter came, her mother had regained consciousness and began talking and eating. They were all overjoyed.

The aged lady had left the hospital in a couple of days and now she is quite well.

Some may say it is a coincidence. But I firmly believe saving a poor innocent animal from certain death and giving it to a poor person to get an income and her performing "Bodhi Pooja" would have driven a powerful force of merit which helped the aged Lady to recover.

Dr. C. Godamunne,
Kandy Humanitarian Society.

The Lankan for a long time has shown a remarkable capacity to express one's self rather strongly and forcefully when the occasion arose. Now take the case of Wasantha Raja the former head of the Rupavahini Corporation. He had been the target of a volley of rotten eggs in London. One wonders what the light brigade would have done if they were pelted with rotten eggs and not grape shot and cannon.

The latter might have been easier to take than the stench of rotten eggs. The Sri Lankan in one of his more bellicose moods knows how to hurt. Here was a situation where even the London Bobby, normally an intrepid enforcer of law would have been reluctant to step in and stop the barrage. A stray egg or two might have caught him by accident.

You just cannot have a member of the metropolitan police force walking around with rotten egg pouring down him. He would not by any means look the impressive personality he supposed to be. A foul smelling cop would find law enforcement a little difficult. The average Londoner is a placid and stoical being willing to endure much but let a Bobby smelling of rotten eggs approach any of them and he would receive the vitriolic worst from that individual.

But we are straying from the main theme. It was Wasantha Raja who got the egg bashing and it is his plight that concerns. He apparently was leaving a Sinhalese drama when it suddenly started raining eggs. If he was one of the cast that took part in that play one could have understood the reason for it and sympathized with the crowd. He was just one of the crowd on the other hand.

Could it, on the other hand be due to some past sin of his. After all he was the Chairman of Rupavahini. Now it is common knowledge that one does get a strong urge to throw things at past chairmen of Rupavahini and what better choice could one get than a rotten egg. These would have been Sri Lankans who had suffered in silence watching the programmes put out by Rupavahini.

This could be about the most cogent of the reasons for the egg splattering on that fateful day. Poor man, he would not only have lost his equanimity but also his dignity. One wonders how he could retain his position as the official spokesman for the L.T.T.E. This brings us to the crux of the problem. This one time chairman of A.T.V. station now is fully absorbed in sundering national unity.

The Island report of this incident had it that he runs down the Sinhala people and the Buddhist clergy. One supposes many would not mind his chauvinism very much. He according to anti separatists would be about the best man to torpedo the L.T.T.E. cause. Get a man who cannot rise above vituperative vapourings and the cause is lost.

No true lover of Sri Lanka's integrity should in fact touch a hair on his head. Senseless abuse is just what the doctor ordered for the cause of unity. Let the Londoners get the impression that some one is directing wild and aimless shots at some group and collecting rotten eggs in exchange and his cause comes under a bit of a cloud!

The 103rd Birth Anniversary of late Mr. Charlie Edirisuriya fell on 10th of August. We knew him and spoke about him as a man with a heart overflowing with humanity, as an excellent pioneer in the field of agriculture rarely found in a country, and as an ardent rebel in the sphere of politics.

It was he who in the 1930's introduced the first rice mill into Sri-Lanka and became famous among the people of Giruwa Pattu as 'Mole Mahattaya' (Mr. Mill). Thereby he opened up a new path in the field in agriculture. He also pioneered the building up of Badagiri Peasant Settlement Project and eliminated the peasants fear of the then White Rulers. He who was an extremely wealthy person died as a pauper as a result of his honest politics. He represented the Hambantota and Tissamaharamaya seats in the Sri Lanka Parliament. As a result of his devoted service to the common people he was eulogised as the 'Rhino' of Ruhuna. He was Charles Francis Warnakula Edirisuriya, former MP and a great son of Ruhuna.

Charles Edirisuriya was born on 10th of August 1895 at Hathagala, Ambalantota. He was the 2nd son of Jakolis Warnakula Edirisuriya a prominent planter and a very wealthy person who held the post of Vidana Arachchi of Pahala Kanuketiya and of Madam Amadoru Jayawardena. He was educated at Richmond College, Galle.

He grew up to be a kind and courageous young man following in the footsteps of his father, serving and fulfilling the needs of poor peasants and fisherfolks of the area. He was highly motivated by nationalist sentiments. His father's sole wish was to direct him along the path of service to the people. Therefore, young Edirisuriya bade farewell to further education and embarked on the road of service to the people while engaged in the agricultural activities of his father.

As his income from plantation activities increased more and more, he became more and more involved in public service. People in Ruhuna had been devastated due to foreign domination and epidemics such as Malaria and Cholera and young Charlie who dedicated himself to social service at an early age with purpose of uplifting the people's lives, activated the innocent peasantry of Ruhuna to restore ruined tanks and irrigation works and to repair highways. He set up in every village irrigation committees, agricultural committees and fishermen's committees. He took the lead; in their activities and played a leading role, exhorted them to increase paddy and fish productions.

During this time the white (Colonial) Government Agents and Revenue Officers were enforcing their rule by terrorising the peasantry and the fisherfolk. Charlie Edirisuriya who came forward to instil courage in peasants who were frightened took the lead in fighting against the White Government Agents against injustice and oppression. He attacked these White Rulers in the presence of peasants and chased them away there by removing the fear the peasants had. Even today peasants of Ruhuna remember him with gratitude and respect for his struggles on behalf of the chena cultivators who were not allowed to engage in chena cultivation and to winning for them the freedom to do so.

Charlie Edirisuriya who was an active member of the Ceylon National Congress later became a member of the United National Party. He started his political life in rural politics and became chairman of the Kanuketiya village council. From there he proceeded to contest all Parliamentary elections from 1947 to 1970. In the 1st Parliamentary general election of 1947 he contested the Hambantota seat and if not for advocate G. K. W. Perera who polled thousand odd votes, he would have won the seat and directed the political history of Ruhuna on a different path. Lakshman Rajapaksa won the seat with a slim majority of 400 votes. In the 1952 General elections he won the Hambantota seat with a majority of 4000 votes but he lost in 1956. In 1965 he contested the Tissamaharama seat as a SLFP candidate and was elected. But in August 1965 he resigned from the SLFP and joined the UNP government Parliamentary group. In the special speech he made at his crossover he said that he is an old man now and that his whole desire was to serve the peasants and fisherfolk of Ruhuna and that with the intention of rendering his services to the peasants of Ruhuna, he was joining the UNP where he started his political life. He however refused to accept the post of Deputy Minister of Agriculture which he was offered. While serving as the Chairman of the Tangalle Urban Council, he rendered unforgettable service to that area. It was he who fulfilled a long standing vital need of Tangalle by inaugurating the Tangalle Urban Housing scheme.

Charlie Edirisuriya's dominant political dream was to provide irrigated water to Ruhuna by means of the Walawe Project. He appealed to then Prime Minister late Mr. Dudley Senanayake then Minister of Agriculture and late Mr. Bulankulama to implement the Walawe Scheme and he threatened that if it was not done he would cut his throat and jump into the Walawe river.

This was a historic incident that shook parliament. He was a courageous and an outspoken person and what even he had to say he said to a person's face. Fortunately he could within his life time see his dream being realised and Uda Walawe Scheme was implemented. The Badagiri Project too was the result of his endeavours.

Charlie Edirisuriya was not only outspoken, but a brave and an upright man did not hesitate to attack when attack was called for. In the political arena he was second in courage only to late Sir John Kotelawala the late premier. In the contest for premiership between Dudley and Sir John, the task of bringing about peace between the two devolved on Charlie Edirisuriya 'Rhino' of Ruhuna. The dispute was amicably settled and the main reason for it was the intimate friendship between Charlie and Sir John.

In 1967 during the controversy about the regional council proposals which created a stir in the country, it was Hathagala, Charlie who led the fight against the proposal. Ministers and M.P.'s were reluctant to speak against late Mr. Dudley Senanayake in his presence. However, one day when late Mr. Tiruchelvam Minister of Local Government at that time and Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake were having confidential discussions at "Woodlands" Charlie happened to go there by accident. In the skirmish that followed Charlie slapped Tiruchelvam a number of times, showing Tiruchelvam the might of Ruhuna. Even Dudley was frightened to get near Charlie. Dudley shouted" stop that Charlie this is my house! "Promptly Charlie retorted "No Sir, this not you house. This is our D. S. Sir's house." Dudley did not say anything further. That was the end of the regional council proposal. This is an era where we need people like Sir John, D. S., Philip, D. M. etc. That is the need of the hour.

It is an exaggerated claim if anyone says that someone who knew about the irrigation need of Giruwa Pattu better than Charlie. He had such an expert knowledge of the irrigation problems of the district and that there was no canal, sluice or bund which he did not personally know about. His sole objective was to guarantee the welfare of the peasants and fisherfolk of Ruhuna. Making the peasants and fisherfolk healthy and prosperous and restoring the ancient glory of Ruhuna was also the dream of late Mr. D. M. Rajapaksa, the "Lion of Giruwaya"

Both these were leaders who sacrifice the immense wealth they inherited, for political causes. It is a challenge for the present day politician of Ruhuna.

Charlie Edirisuriya who sacrifice the enormous wealth, he inherited from his father this supreme philanthropist who at the end became a pauper, departed from us for ever twelve years ago on the second of July 1986, but his services to the people in the sphere of agriculture and social welfare is immaculate and everlasting. He will remembered eternally.

Wilson Ediriweera