A heated exchange broke out in Parliament on Tuesday between Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna MP Namal Rajapaksa and National People’s Power MP Dr. Sandaruwan Madarasinghe over the recognition of the country’s war heroes on the 17th National War Heroes Commemoration Day.
Addressing the House, Rajapaksa said 17 years had passed since the end of the 30-year conflict and that the leaders of the period who ended the war deserved recognition alongside the soldiers. He emphasised the war had been fought against LTTE terrorism, not the Tamil people, with the aim of protecting national unity.
Rajapaksa criticised the current leadership, claiming that neither President Anura Kumara Dissanayake nor Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya had issued even a basic message acknowledging the contribution of war heroes. He further alleged that while injured veterans were being visited, certain groups linked to terrorist agendas were being allowed to commemorate events, citing the recent incident involving former Minister Wimal Weerawansa as an example he described as “shameful.”
Responding, Madarasinghe said certain political parties and individuals believe that war heroes belong exclusively to them and act as their custodians. He argued that war heroes had been drawn into political agendas beyond their duties, leading to consequences such as imprisonment for some who had rendered significant service.
He questioned how allegations had arisen against senior intelligence and military officials in cases including the Easter attacks and alleged abductions and killings, attributing such outcomes to what he described as a power-driven political culture.
Madarasinghe also alleged that war heroes had been deployed for duties unrelated to their service, including guarding properties in areas such as Hambantota during and after the war. Honouring war heroes, he said, must go beyond rhetoric and be demonstrated through tangible actions.
The exchange follows a series of pre-Victory-Day frictions including Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka publicly naming Wimal Weerawansa as an opportunist and the Rajapaksa camp’s dispute with the government over invitation to the commemoration ceremony.
