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Foreign Relations Minister showing gratitude to his teacher Sivalingam.

There was kudos for Foreign Relations Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, within minutes after he tweeted that he had called on his former teacher when he visited Kallaru in Batticaloa last week.

He found the time to do so during a three-day vacation he took in a coastal resort in Pasikudah.

The tweet was accompanied by three photographs with a feeble V. Sivalingam fondly called Amude at Royal College, Colombo, in the 1960s.

Tears welled into Mr Sivalingam’s eyes when he saw Minister Gunawardena. He reminisced about the school days. Minister Gunawardena said he became emotional after they recounted the past years.

One twitter user said “I am not a fan of yours but what you did is amazing. Showing gratitude to those who taught you is something everyone should do.”

Said another, “In today’s context, showing such appreciation amongst us Sri Lankans; is a very rare sighting. This is a very noble thing to do. Let appreciating the elders and people who taught us be one additional New Year resolution for us.” There were many more.

A third commented, “It is a heart rending act. I am overwhelmed by this. See we are not different from you. We love education, agriculture, cottage industry, cultural arts etc. Very hard working and relentless people. Let us live together as Sri Lankans, let everyone to learn both languages.” One other termed it a Royal gesture. Salute to you,” he said.

Sajith warmly greeted by Govt. MPs
Newly appointed Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa received a lot of love from both the Government and the Opposition when Parliament met for its first session of the New Year on Friday.

Even before he entered the Chambers, several Government MPs, including Education Minister Dullas Alahapperuma, greeted Mr Premadasa warmly when they ran into him next to the lifts reserved for MPs. Government MPs greeted Mr Premadasa with the words “Vipaksha Nayaka Thuma” (Opposition Leader). UNP MPs Ananda Aluthgamage and Ashoka Priyantha, who are now with the Government, were also seen greeting and offering him their best wishes.
Newly appointed House Leader Dinesh Gunawardena too crossed over to the Opposition side at the conclusion of the President’s policy statement to offer his congratulations to Mr Premadasa.

Their New Year gift was a Kumbuk plant

Yearend gifts are a tradition, so much so a couple, strong supporters of a ruling politico, waited for their gift.

They had hopes that it would arrive colourfully wrapped with a ribbon around.

There was no such thing. At delivery time, they received a sapling. Upon inquiry, they found that it was a young Kumbuk plant. Those trees go into giant sized ones and are classed as grade one timber.

But the couple had a problem. They had no place to plant it. The only way was to demolish their little home. They decided to give the plant away.

This year has been greeted by tree planting ceremonies after an appeal by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Bandula moves Akila’s software project to his electorate

It is not uncommon that ministers in power try to set up projects in their respective electorates as votes are more important than national interests.

Few months ago, former Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam proposed to set up a National Content Development Centre to develop software in his Kuliyapitiya electorate.

However, this week another proposal was brought to the cabinet that the project should be shifted to Homagama, the electorate represented by Higher Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena. The reasoning was that the Kuliyapitiya area lacked facilities for such a project.

The money for the project is due to come as a loan from the South Korean Government.

Sirisena’s wish on his letterhead

Maithripala Sirisena wants to be always remembered as the sixth President of Sri Lanka.

This is perhaps why his letterhead has listed a line under his name. It says sixth President of Sri Lanka.

PM moves to save the children

School children will not be called upon to take part in this year’s Independence Day celebrations at Independence Square.

The move follows a wish by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, not to expose children for hours under the hot sun. He has also sought that ceremonies be restricted to two and half hours.

An address to the nation by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, televised and broadcast live, will be the highlight of the day besides the armed forces and police parades.

Welgama gets warm welcome from both sides

Parliamentarians were in their seats ahead of time on Friday to hear the policy statement delivered by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

There were no gun salutes to warn or the clutter of an armed forces parade to sound a note of caution. Instead, there was a distraction of sorts minutes before President Rajapaksa walked in.

It was the entry of former Transport Minister and UPFA parliamentarian for Kalutara District, Kumara Welgama. He sat in the opposition benches.

He walked into Parliament chamber from the side door which was used by Opposition MPs. He then proceeded to a seat next to United National Party Kandy District MP M.H.M. Haleem.

Mr Welgama had earlier asked for a seat in the Opposition benches in Parliament while most of his UPFA colleagues shifted to the Government side.

Some members of the Opposition thumped their desks to welcome Mr Welgama. There were rounds of handshakes.

Mr Welgama also smiled and waved to some of his UPFA colleagues who are now in the Government benches.

State Minister of Industries and Sri Lanka Freedom Party General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekara was among the MPs who waved back.

Vegetable news on railway public address system

At the Fort Railway Station, public address system announcements are no longer about arriving or departing trains only.

Railway Services State Minister C.B. Ratnayake has made sure there are now announcements when economy packets of vegetables arrive for sale. This is to remind passengers to buy them at a lower price before they board trains.

Political son, biological son:  First crossover at new session of Parliament

The first “crossover” of the fourth session of the eighth Parliament occurred on the first day itself when newly sworn in United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Ratnapura District MP Waruna Priyantha Liyanage sat in the Opposition.

Mr Liyanage had taken oaths to fill the seat left vacant by the demise of Ratnapura district UPFA MP Ranjith De Zoysa. He initially took a seat in the Government side before crossing over and sitting in the Opposition.

He had contested 2015 General Election from the UPFA and polled the next highest number of votes after Mr De Zoysa. He, however, is currently the United National Party’s (UNP) organiser for the Nivitigala electorate. He had crossed over to the UNP during the 2018 constitutional crisis.

Making his inaugural address to Parliament from the Opposition benches, Mr Liyanage stated he considered it “destiny” that he had been elected to fill the seat left vacant by the late Mr De Zoysa. “It was my father who brought him (De Zoysa) to politics. He was my father’s political son. It has to be the destiny that the seat left vacant by his death is now being filled by his biological son,” he said, adding that he would work to make Sajith Premadasa Prime Minister.