What Chathura says about wedding at Araliya Gaha Medura

What Chathura says about wedding at Araliya Gaha Medura

There were many talks about the wedding of member of parliament Chathura Senaratna, son of minister Rajitha Senaratna held at Araliya gaha medura in a grand manner. Chathura has commented recently abut thousands of opinions expressed after his wedding. Shown below is that interview.

Coming down the line from D.S. Senanayaka upto Ranil Wickremasingha had children of marriageable age; but could not hold a wedding at Araliya gaha Medura. However, Charitha

Senaratna happened to have his wedding festival at Araliya Gaha Medura. What does Charitha Senaratna think about doing something which Prime Ministers in the country could not accomplish?

I cannot decide on birth and death -- but I can decide on marriage. On that special day I had the necessity to share my happiness with the common man. I am indeed wholeheartedly happy about it. Whether that capability or luck was there for others is not something relevant to me. I consumed my marriage by coming out of the ordinary life of children in he political field who lives with the affluent class and night club dancers. 

That means relatives were not connected to the marriage?

From my side it was only twenty two who were so connected and from my wife's side only seven or eight were present. Apart from them, there were ministers and members of parliament who were present. That crowd may have been around two hundred. The rest were all members of the public. Among them were pavement hawkers and 'naattamis'. It is a joy for me to see doors of the royal mansion open to them. 

Usually a wife desires to have the wedding festival in a five star hotel in the company of her relatives. Wasn't there an obstacle from your wife for celebrating the occasion with the average man in the street?

If this wedding was consummated eleven years before this ... then there could have been an impediment. She may have thought about this in amazement. But she resolved to get away from her mother and others and dedicate herself to me. During that period she in fact was with social campaigns. These people in the social campaigns love her more than me. So we commemorated the wedding with those fighting comrades. 

Didn't you ever think of having the wedding in a star class hotel?

I was actually thinking of having the wedding in a star class hotel. But then this was decided in a short period of time and there were no hotels available. On the other hand we were faced with the problem of finding a hotel to accommodate the whole crowd that we were inviting. We had the problem of getting the whole crowd together. We tried to combine all halls of Shangri-La hotel. I spoke to the Prime Minister too about taking both these halls together. It was during that discussion that the blueprint of booking Araliya gaha medura developed. After that, the Prime Minister had given instructions to the secretary to arrange all necessary procedures. I then requested the hall under the agreement to settle all payments. When I was sending this letter I did not make use of my member of parliament letterheads or letterheads of my civil campaign. It was my personal letterhead that I used for it. It was after considering all those factors that the hall was allowed to me. More than in celebrating my wedding at Hilton Hotel, it is a matter of happiness to me to celebrate the wedding with those who joined me in my political campaign. I never caused any damage to the respect and dignity there. I had the entire function running without any intoxicating stuff. 

Was it to Chathura or son of minister Rajitha Senaratna who was given  Araliya Gaha Medura?

It is the civil society activist called Chathura Senaratna who got it. My father was not aware that we were getting this hall. Being a representative of the masses may have brought some influence. There were those clad in sandals, slippers and those who appeared older than their age who came. I am also happy in having brought them to the royal mansion and celebrated the occasion.

How did you manage to select those whom to invite without creating any friction among those who rendered support in Politics? 

I selected all those who represented every village in Gampaha District. It was public representatives who were chosen from right round Sri Lanka. From next month I would be touring every district. There I will share my happiness with them. It will be started from Amparai next month.

Was there a particular selection in the case of inviting confederate members of parliament?

Except those who engaged in 'deals' to safeguard 'horu" (fraudsters) ... all in the government were invited. It was just two or three days before that the opposition leader Mr. Sambandan was invited. He even participated in customs of the poruwa ceremony. At the same time a large crowd of the Tamil Alliance was present. Mr. Douglas Devananda was present from the other camp. Those of the sixteen group of Sri Lanka Freedom Party too were present. But none of the "horu" of the previous regime were invited. I had no opportunity to give any of the invitees their invitation cards. 

It was my friends who attended to all work such things as designing clothes. Normally, more than when getting things done on payment, our mediation was more. It was through my wife's best friend Hirunika Premachandra that I sent invitation cards to parliament on the last day. But my father blamed me asking whether I sent the prime minister's invitation card through another person. But all of them came. 

The cake rising up to the roof ... attractive invitation cards were things that caught the attention of everyone. Was it like a maharaja that you wanted to celebrate this wedding?

Ane no. I am a person who rejects those topics. I am in favour of archaeological things. It was a school friend who gave the invitation card and the cake-box. He owns a plastic factory in China. It was he who prepared those and sent them here. Since people come in families, invitation cards for a wedding are printed less in number. All others came alone. Because of that we were short of invitation cards. So when we wanted to print fresh invitation cards ... they had abandoned that work and started another job. 

Where is there so much funds to spend for this?

No money as such was necessary to expend for this. I had enough of people. Both our dresses were designed as a gift. Things like the invitation card, the cake-box were sent as a gift by a friend of mine. Floral decorations was from a friend of my father. When I was not that much concerned about floral decorations, the decorations were carried out on the understanding that t is a gift. It  was those engaging in self-employment activities who attended to wife's necklace and decorations. They had created those for that very purpose. I had to give only things like plywood planks and paint and to spend for the hall and catering. 

Didn't these people extend a hand with the motive of grabbing something for their benefit?

If it was done with the intention of expecting benefits ... I would have got down businessmen. Now, the wedding of the son of a minister was celebrated with Avant Garde monies. Not a single businessman attended my wedding. I do not want black money racketeers or white-collared 'horu". There are people lined up with us ... who do not depend on Politics. To say the least, I did not invite chairmen or working directors of establishments under my father. I have not asked help from those people who hold such positions. 

The speech you delivered at the function caught the attention of everyone. Why did you think of doing something different like that? 

I was not looking forward to make a speech as such. I did not know until it was announced asking me to make a speech. I actually did not hear that announcement because a lot of people were surrounding me. 

My father had already made a welcome speech. On behalf of my wife ... her best friend had made a speech. When I asked why I should make a speech ... I was told that it was to thank everybody. It was that way that I delivered the speech. Everybody including prime minister were invited three or four days before. I was under such circumstances that I went ahead and made the speech. I thanked those who helped me. I also thanked my wife for having waited eleven years for the wedding celebrations. 

Nobody's attention was focused upon the event where both took each other's hand in marriage, close to Ruwanveliseya. How did that come about?

I have a great bond with it from small days. My father, grandfather were people to Archaeology. I was someone who loved Archaeology. When I grew up I used to go to Anuradhapura with those around me once or twice a month. During holidays I would go to visit the ruins and click photos, enjoying the location. It was from Anuradhapura that I sat for my second shy at A/Ls. At that time I was staying at a house near Ruwanveliseya. I was accompanied to the examination hall by Pallegama Hemarathana Thero after first taking me near Ruwanveliseya every morning and reciting pirith. With those connections I was able to take her hand in marriage neae Ruwanveliseya. It was a greater moment for me than my wedding occasion at Araliya Gaha Medura.

Not much attention was paid to the honeymoon. How did the honeymoon take place?

It took place in a very simple manner. The honeymoon was at Taj Hotel. It was those who helped in organising this who wanted us to come there. From the person who helped in making the cake down to the person engaged in fixing nails to the stage came there. Though the talk went round about the cake touching the skies ... we actually got it gratis. It really was prepared by a female friend of mine. Some people have asked her about expenses incurred on the cake. What she had then said was that since Chathura is someone like a son of hers, it was given free of charge. 

A certain person was present there ... uninvited. And that was the President. When he arrived, his daughter, son and son-in-law too had come. Even the President was not aware that they were coming. He approached me and said, "here I am ... I came without an invitation". I then said, "At Muttiah Park that day I came to your house without an invitation after the meeting and made you confront the prime minister by escorting you in my vehicle and said no invitation cards are necessary between the two of us". He stayed for over four hours and bearing up everything left the place after twelve in the night.

Will Chathura Senaratna who had his wedding at a royal mansion finally end up as the king?

Chathura Senaratna's Politics is different to Politics of others. It was by trying to become king that they put their fathers in a soup so to say. My father an extensive collection of books written about Leftist Politics. In fact it is only Siritunga Jayasooriya brother and Wickramabahu brother who have libraries similar to my father's. I too developed myself after making a study of all that. To those who studied Leftist teachings and saw the dedication of Leftist Che and Lenin ... Politics means dedication.This question has been asked by the media for quite some years. My battle of course is on behalf of a system change. The day this system changes ... I will quit Politics. 

Discussion -- Sanjaya Nallaperuma