Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa celebrates 70th birthday
There are two types of politicians: Those who become popular due to politics and the second who enter politics with the intention of helping the people.
Speaker of Parliament and elder brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Chamal Rajapaksa, who celebrates his 70th birthday on October 30, belongs to the latter category. He hails from iruwapattu in the southern coast which was known as Ruhunu Magam Paththu or Rohana puraya in the days of yore. Kings Gemunu Tissa and Wijayaba were born in Rohana puraya.
Chamal Jayantha Rajapaksa was the first born of Madamulana Mahagedera D.A. Rajapksa and his wife Dandina Samarasinhe Dissanayake. He was born at his grandmother’s home, the Dissanayake walauwwa in Palatuwa, Matara.
Mr. Rajapaksa grew up as a loving brother to eight younger siblings- Jayanthi, Mahinda, Chandra, Gotabaya, Basil, Dudley, Preethi and Gandhinie.
As a son of the soil, he grew up close to nature and understood the living conditions of the different communities of Ruhuna. He felt the pulse of the people even at a young age.
This was the time when the voice of D.M. Rajapaksa echoed in parliament against the oppression and hardships faced by the people of Ruhuna and especially of Giruwapaththu.
Mr. Rajapaksa began his schooling at the Kusum convent in Tangalle and later at a convent in Matara. In 1948, he entered Richmond College, Galle.
From a young age he was fortunate to be in the company of national leaders like D.S. Senanayake, Dudley Senanayake, Sir John Kotelawela and SWRD Bandaranaike. He also saw how his father conducted his political campaigns, and this experience was to stand him in good stead in later life.
Another early influence was Socialist Party leader Vasudeva Nanayakkara, who was a teacher at Richmond at the time. Chamal was instrumental in forming the Mahinda- Richmond socialist students’ organisation.
After completing his education, he joined the Sri Lanka Police Training College at Kalutara in 1963. He passed out as a Sub-Inspector and took up duties at the Bandarawela Police Station.
In a letter to his father he wrote, “even though the bees build a hive on a bitter-tasting tree like margosa (kohomba) the honey produced does not taste bitter”. His message was that a child nurtured in a loving family whatever his occupation would not change his good ways.
In 1972 he left the Police and joined the State Trading Corporation as Assistant General Manager.
He married Chandra Malani Wijewardane on January 3, 1975 and they were blessed with two sons. Shashindra, the eldest is the Chief Minister of the Uva province and Basnayake Nilame of the Ruhunu Kataragama Maha Devalaya. Shamindra, their second son is an engineer.
Mr. Rajapaksa was elected to Parliament in 1994 from Tissamaharama. He has made a major contribution to the development of Hambantota in many and varied spheres. To name a few, on a technological front, he was instrumental in setting up a coconut research station at Middeniya, the Bata Atha technical park of agriculture and the Mayurapura post-harvest development unit at Waligatha Magampura.
Fisheries were developed by the provision of equipment at concessionary rates, the construction of a fish market and ice plant at Hambantota and the development of the Kirinda, Kudawala, Weliptanavila and Kalmetiya harbours. A vocational training centre was also set up at Bandagiriya.
In the field of health, the Hambantota district hospital was upgraded to a Base Hospital and hospitals in Kirinda, Debarawewa, Ambalantota, Lunugamveherera, Suriyawewa have been modernised. Two housing projects he initiated were the ‘Ran-Eliwata and the ‘Kusum Niwasa’.
The Hambantota Port development and the international airport at Mattala are all major development projects that came under his purview. A soon-to-be opened new courts complex in Hambantota and an Industrial Zone will also greatly benefit the people of the area. The Tzu Chio National School in Hambantota, the Ruhunu Wijeyabahu College in Beliatta and the ‘Sisura’ educational scholarship scheme are amongst those he has guided.
He has held the positions of Deputy Minister of Agriculture (1998), Deputy Minister of Southern and Port Development (2000), Minister of Irrigation and Water Management (2006) and Minister of Ports, Aviation, Irrigation and Water Management (2007).
Mr. Rajapaksa was elected unanimously as the 19th Speaker of the seventh Parliament of Sri Lanka.
On his 70th birthday we wish him long life, health and strength to see the people and the country reaping the benefits of the projects he has initiated.
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