Berty Premalal Dissanayaka's funeral

Berty Premalal; 12 months after losing Chief Minister post ...10 months after suffering from cancer ... Anti-Chandrasena uproar in cemetery Chandrika Madam helped like a mother
-- Minister Dumminda says amidst tears in eyes       

      Chief Minister of North Central province Mr. Berty Premalal Dissanayaka passed away after a sudden illness of cancer at the age of 59 years. Having lost the Chief Minister position at the last North Central provincial council elections and thus coming second ... he became disappointed and 2 months after he had shown signs of cancer. Son of Mr. Berty Premalal Dissanayaka, Dumminda Dissanayaka, Minister of Education services mentioned that this period is one of troubles for them. He spoke at the funeral observances of Late Mr. Berty Premalal Dissanayaka day-before-yesterday at Anuradhapura Walisingha Harischandra Park while making a thanksgiving speech, remembering those who assisted and helped during this sorrowful period in the following manner:
             "I never thought that I have to make this speech so soon. I never thought that my father's life would end so soon. What my father told everyday was, 'Dumminda ... try to earn people as much as possible'. From the lakhs and lakhs of people who came to our house from the moment he died, I saw and realised how many people he had earned. It was at that moment that I saw the people who loved my father. Those people who came like that were people who really loved my father.

               After hearing that my father had passed away ... the Hon. President Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksha spoke over the phone and expressed his sympathy and in the same manner, members of the Rajapaksha family came to pay their last respects to my father.

              After the last PC elections, so many people who associated my father closely left my father ... but he never left them. There are 4 male children in our family and before we partook of the cooked rice at home ... it was the outsiders who got a chance to taste that food. Like they did so, about everyone of my younger brother's friends dedicated themselves a lot towards my father. I thank all of them. A few days before my father passed away. Former President Mrs. Chandrika Bandaranaike Cumaranatunge came to see him like a mother.  Spoke with my father ..... my father whose legs were lifeless had tried to get up after seeing Chandrika Madam.  My father was someone who greatly honoured and respected senior politicians who brought him to politics. I know that father felt a great sense of happiness before his death because Chandrika Madam came to see him. Because of that I thank Chandrika Madam is like a mother to me and my younger brothers. Madam is like a mother to me and my younger brothers. From September 24th, 2012 upto the date of September 27th ... a period of 1 year, it was a period where we had to face many worries and troubles. During that period we know that father was suffering from cancer.

              After coming to know that, I, my mother and my younger brothers were all filled with sorrow because we know that it is difficult to save a cancer patient. Doctors in our country said that it is not possible to extend his life more than for another 3 months. So they told not to waste money for nothing ... but we wanted to make him live ... and therefore we took him to America. On that occasion my sister-in-law tried her level best to save my father and even friends of my younger brothers as well as members of our family tried hard to save father. When the 5 of us ... I, my mother and younger brothers came to know father was afflicted with cancer, we didn't tell relations of the family. We thought that we would be able to get father cured quickly. In the same way, we thought and feared that father would be sad when family members look at him in a sorrowful way.
   
              Though I am not a person who goes behind poojas and rituals ... in order to save my father's life I went to Kataragama at a stretch for 7 days and conducted poojas, all the time seated. For those poojas Mr. Shashendra Rajapaksha helped me.  My he acquire plenty of merit. From the time my father became sick, the Prime Minister and my uncle Mr. D.M. Jayaratna gave a lot of help and encouraged me. A few days before the death, while watching television in hospital he said, 'I couldn't make a political speech for about 1 year now. Though father was sick, he had a desire to engage in politics ... he was awaiting an opportunity to serve the public ... but a lot of those people who closely associated my father had severed connections with him. Our father nurtured people as his 'golayas' in a wonderful manner. It's because of my father that I am here today. A lot of politicians bring their children into politics to serve the people who supported them. on their political path.

               The public had pasted posters all over expressing sorrow saying, 'Chief Minister who never sleeps ... in deep sleep'. The public maybe thinking that my father would awake from his deep sleep ... but my father went on a journey never to return. Though he's in deep sleep .... I am awake. I who represent my father .... I am with all of you ... believe me. I know that the memory of my father remains not only with this North Central province; but within the hearts of all citizens. I have to say even with some sadness that when my father was sick ... I didn't  have the time to see about his health. The reason is that as a Minister of the country I had to attend to a number of official duties. However, my mother and brothers carried out their duties in a manner that my absence was not to be noticed. Therefore, I thank my mother and my 3 younger brothers. Those who are present here today are invoking 'nivan suvaya' for my father ... but I won't do that ... what I ask for my father is to be born again among us ... and after that to go to 'nirvana'.

                 I take this opportunity to thank Ministers and members of parliament of both the government and the opposition and provincial and district members as well as the public".

                While he was making this speech ... not being able to bear the grief of his father's death, Minister Dumminda Dissanayaka began to burst into tears and most of those who were giving ear to his words also were seen in tears.

                Mr. Berty Premalal Dissanayaka who vied for the 6th PC elections in the year 2012 achieved second position by claiming 95,027 preferential votes while the position of Chief Minister which was held in North Central province continuously for a period of of 3 years was achieved by Mr. S.M. Ranjith by winning 105,232 preferential votes. Subsequently, Mr. Berty Premalal Dissanayaka had carried on his duties as a backbencher in the North Central province in the capacity of a member of parliament. One year had elapsed since he had taken oaths as PC member upto the last 24th. It was confirmed that Mr. Berty Premalal Dissanayaka was suffering from cancer and had been taken overseas for treatment. The final funeral rites of former Chief Minister of North Central province was conducted yesterday (30) at Anuradhapura Walisingha Harischandra playground and his body was carried on the shoulders of some members of the pubic for a distance of about 7 kilometres upto Walisingha Harischandra Park and the last rites were performed with final respects being paid by the public.

                In the process when the body of former Chief Minister Mr. Berty Premalal Dissanayaka of North Central PC was being taken to the Anuradhapura Harischandra playground in a funeral procession, a large crowd was seen holding a protest creating a great pandemonium against Minister S.M. Chandrasena and his brother the Chief Minister of North Central province. At that moment, Minister S.M. Chandrasena together with the Prime Minister had been seated in a special location. A large number of supporters of the Late Berty Premalal Dissanayaka who were carrying the body had delayed the proceedings for a short while, unable to bear the sorrow as a consequence of this obstruction.

               Incumbent Maha Thero Nugatenne Pagnananda of Anuradhapura of Anuradhapura Sambuddhathwa Jayanthi had made a special request on this occasion to behave in a peaceful manner without disrespecting the deceased Chief Minister. In the instance when such a large crowd was behaving in an aggressive manner when there was a crowd that could not bear the death of Mr. Berty Premalal Dissanayaka the sangha had to carry out the religious rites. At that moment when Minister M.S. Chandrasena left the funeral grounds,the people who were observed to be aggressive, calmed down.