I am a man who did my B.A. - says Gayan

Gayan resigns from Drama Sub-committee ....

because he was accused as 'rasthiyadukaraya!'

I am a man who did my B.A. - says Gayan

Tele-actor Gayan Wickramatilleka was appointed as a member of the Drama sub-committee by the Minister of Culture some

days ago and with his appointment some members and certain artistes vehemently protested against it. What is reported now is that because of this issue Gayan is resigning from that post.

On inquiring Gayan about it by a weekend newspaper, he had replied in this manner: "Though I am a member of the sub-committee, a lot of people have got upset. Actually they should have got upset only if a man selling betel, a man involved in the sand business or somebody else came here. I am someone who studied many things in this field for over 10 years and came here. I also have a popularity which I built across that. I also have contacts which I have developed across it for which I have a motive of doing something new .... a good thing. That's why I accepted this membership without any fear. I also didn't come here just like that. I am a person who passed the A/Ls at Vijitha Maha Vidyalaya in Matale well and did my external degree at Peradeniya University and got my B.A. I got an invitation from the Minister of Culture and officials of that institution. But only when I came here that I realised the situation there. When they meet us face to face they say, 'Hello malli ....' like as if to give their whole life! But when we get a chance of showing our capabilities ... we are scolded like nothing. What they want us  is to be kept by them as malli".

* Didn't you have a political attachment to this appointment? 

  No political attachment at all as such. On the other hand I am not a person who did politics to sack any person by force or bring in a person by force. It is some of those persons who shouted to topple governments .... to bring governments who are against me. What they always did was not dedicate themselves to the stage .... but do politics. What they always did was only 'going kade' by just keeping aside the responsibility of what they had to do.

* Because of this protest .... are you going to pull out?

  Yes .... I am going to leave .... but that's not because of fear of someone or because someone became upset. Actually .... because no work can be done with people who are there. Some educated lecturers there had told that a 'rasthiadukaraya' has come there. A number of all types of names had been made against me ..... to demean me. What I tell him is to take a photo of me and to go in front of a mirror and to look well at both to see who the 'rasthiyadukaraya' is.

Information -- Ranga Vidane