An irreparable loss

Highways and Road Development Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle became the latest victim of a brutal terror attack by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) yesterday.

The late Minister was a vociferous critic of the LTTE who exposed their sheer ruthlessness at local and international fora. A thorn in the side of the LTTE, he was in the group's 'hit list' for quite some time.

Minister Fernandopulle was very much a man of the people. Many advised him to restrict his movements or refrain from attending public functions following the assassination of Minister D.M. Dassanayake as it was widely believed that the actual target was Minister Fernandopulle. But he did not give into terrorism.

Instead, he continued to participate in public functions and speak even more vehemently against the LTTE. Unfortunately for the nation, the LTTE used his very affinity with the people to assassinate him.

He dedicated his life to serve the people. He could have led a comfortable life as an attorney-at-law, but his true calling was serving the public. The people in turn had immense faith in him and he was returned to Parliament with a large number of votes on several occasions.

His political superiors who realised his immense potential gave him many responsible positions in Government and he never betrayed their trust, earning plaudits for whatever job assigned to him. He was always loyal to his leaders and to the SLFP.

His latest project, as Highways and Road Development Minister, was the rapid construction of flyovers in many parts of the country. The Peliyagoda flyover was built and commissioned in a world-record 60 days and he recently started work on the Panadura flyover on March 31.

He had presented plans to build more than 200 bridges and flyovers islandwide to ease traffic congestion and link villages to cities. He also took a keen interest in building expressways that would link Colombo with the main cities.

As a Trade Minister, he championed the cause of the consumer and made every attempt to reduce the cost of living. On a global level, he spoke of the need for the developing world to get together on trade and development matters.

Along with MP Anura Bandaranaike, who also passed away recently, he was one of the finest speakers in Parliament. It would not be wrong to say that he was one of the finest orators in the country as a whole.

His impeccable command of all three languages, his sharp and witty responses to Opposition queries and his superb knowledge of the subject matter of the ongoing debate were hallmarks that distinguished him from many other MPs.

He was never at a loss for words and articulated the Government's viewpoints with clarity and precision. His replies invariably silenced even the most vociferous Opposition MPs. There is no doubt that his colleagues on both sides of the House and media personnel covering Parliament will miss him immensely.

He was an outspoken critic of the LTTE's terror tactics, both in and out of Parliament. He sometimes courted controversy with his statements on the LTTE and terrorism, but remained unapologetic even under pressure. He firmly believed that terrorism should be eradicated in order to find a lasting solution to the national issue.

But he always took pains to point out that the Government's campaign was only against the LTTE, not against the Tamil people. He firmly believed in democracy and pluralism and argued that both Easterners and Northerners should get a taste of democracy.

He was one of the most enthusiastic campaigners for Eastern elections and was to lead the Government's polls effort in one of the districts. He could not live to see the Eastern election, but conducting it peacefully and democratically will be a fitting tribute to him.

Filing the void created by his untimely demise will be no easy task. His experience, insights and political acumen were sorely needed at this juncture when the Nation is poised to see the Security Forces embark on a journey to liberate the remaining areas of the North from the grip of terrorists.

Sri Lanka needs more patriots of his calibre to make this noble mission a success. Jeyaraj Fernandopulle will thus be deeply missed and gratefully remembered by all patriotic Sri Lankans.