Helping the downtrodden

by Jaliya Wijeyekoon

The sixth Parliament under the present Constitution was dissolved and the general election is scheduled to be held on April 8, 2010. Election fever is hotting up all over the country, specially in the Colombo District.

The Sunday Observer has sought the views of first-timers in the fray in the Colombo District.

Here are excerpts of the interview with the candidate, R. Duminda Silva.

Q: You are a product of St. Peter’s College, a good sportsman with a highly prosperous business family background. What prompted you to step into politics leaving your lucrative business career?

A: My firm intention from my school days was to work for the benefit and welfare of the needy with justice and fairplay.

Q: You started your political career as a member of the UNP and was elected to the Western Provincial Council with a good majority. What made you to cross over to the Government Party?

A: During that time, we as Sri Lankans had a common objective. All what we wanted was to see an end, to the three-decade-long war which terrorised the lives of the people of this country irrespective of race, religion or political party which they belonged to.

It was a moment where we had to put aside all differences and unite to achieve a common goal. At that time President Mahinda Rajapska, a great leader with the ability to resolve this issue which hindered the development of this country, came forward.

Q: You are now contesting a General Election from the Colombo District and you have to compete with Senior Parliamentarians from the Opposition those who have represented the district for long periods. What are your chances of winning the election?

A: It is not about seniority that keeps you in politics or makes you a winner, it’s all about the purpose and intentions. I have been with the people right throughout. In fact, I have changed the political culture in the Colombo District from an office driven culture, to a more personalised culture.

Q: It is an accepted fact that there is a competition among party candidates to obtain a higher number of preferential votes. Are you confident of surprising your Senior Ministers and securing a higher number of preferential votes at the general election too?

A: Wait for the surprise.

Q: Your posters appeared in every nook and corner of the entire Colombo District from the day the election was announced and you have been branded as a Poster Master even by UPFA party supporters. What is the reason behind this whole exercise?

A: Posters are the best communication tool of the common man, and moreover, elections and posters play a role by itself in politics.

It is very easy for me to have my posters in every nook and corner, as people come from all parts of the Colombo District volunteering to assist me with my election work in large numbers.

Q: Is it true that some senior frontliners of the UPFA are openly working against you thinking that your presence in Parliament will be a challenge to them in the future?

A: I am not aware of anything of that sort.

Q: As a Provincial Councillor who has represented both parties during the past few years, what are the major development activities initiated by you to uplift the living standards of the downtrodden people of the Colombo District? Have you completed any program and have the people reaped any benefits?

A: I must first mention a few of the many things I have done. Through the R. Duminda Silva Foundation, I made the dream of a house come true for thousands of underprivileged families who were yearning for a roof above their heads, and also distributed cement blocks, cement and roofing sheets.

I have ensured the continuity of education for hundreds of thousands of children, by providing them school books continuously for many years, without which they would have dropped out of school due to their families facing many hardships.

I have created tens of thousands of self-employment opportunities, by implementing special loan schemes, providing three wheelers, sewing machines and introducing many self-employment training programs in the Colombo District, and thus assisting the underprivileged to achieve their desire of self reliance. I have assisted those isolated, disabled people to enter the mainstream of the society, by providing wheel chairs, crutches, contact lenses and pairs of spectacles.

Realising the monumental contribution of religions towards the social renaissance of the people, I have extended assistance to develop and maintain over 250 Buddhist Temples, Catholic Churches, Mosques and Hindu Kovils.

Q: The Colombo District has the largest population and it’s a mixture of all communities with different standards of life, rich and poor, affluent and indigent, educated and illiterate. What is your target group?

A: I don’t like to categorise people according to their caste, creed, ethnicity or social strata. All are Sri Lankans. I have many friends and relations in the elite groups. However, once I entered politics and started moving around with the low income groups, I understood that it is this category that needs my assistance most, and their uplift will automatically uplift the standard of society and make this country a paradise.

Q: In the event of your victory what are your immediate plans and priorities in addressing the burning issues in the Colombo District?

A: My plan for the future of the Colombo District under the Mahinda Chinthana 2010 - the vision ahead.

* Construction of houses for the underprivileged. I have provided houses for many underprivileged families in the Colombo District.

I will continue to provide houses for the under privileged in the Colombo District.

I will initiate the construction of 25,000 housing units within the Colombo District for the needy, especially slum dwellers and others who live in shelters in socially unacceptable environments thereby ensuring that the dream of these people to live in a permanent house which is constructed to acceptable standards comes true.

The concept of maintaining a Green Country and a Clean Environment has been outlined under the concept of “Respect for Fauna and Flora” under the Mahinda Chinthana 2010 - The Vision Ahead. Accordingly, as outlined in this concept, this vision will be fruitful for the Colombo District through the implementation of projects to recycle garbage, thereby providing the people of the Colombo District the opportunity to live in a clean green environment, whilst enjoying the benefits of development that are taking place following the end of the war.