An open letter to Bandula Padmakumara, from media collateral

Bandula,-Friday, 12 June 2015

The statement you made on the 4th asserting that you did not take revenge from anybody when you were serving as the chairman at Lake House during the earlier period induced me to write this open letter.

I personally know you took victimized many journalists and workers in the Lake House during your tenure. Following is what happened to me.
When you were appointed as the chairman of Lake House I was working as the feature editor of “Silumina”. Few days of your appointment I was transferred to the former Presidents media unit. I was entrusted to arrange president’s important speech, announcements and statements. (I know that you had a dislike for this) Mahinda Illeperuma was in charge of the section and reviewed by the president’s secretary Lalith Weerathinga. That was the time I had to go on retirement. I would have requested an extension of my service. It is usual to receive an extension for the first time. Although many others got an extension but my first extension was discarded by none other than you.

It was the usual habit of the former president to call state newspaper media heads and brief them on important issues. In one occasion when the former president asked you about my service extension at once you said “that is done”

Subsequently you called me and said “president asked me about your matter, I hope you know the details, Illeperuma would have told you” when I said “yes” you said “ok then we will do that” Then immediately you told me “I am in a big problem now, can you correct the grammar of this?” and gave me the proof of the annual Buddhist magazine of Lake House. I immediately corrected that and gave you but you never did my work. Later I tried to meet you eight times. You cleverly evaded me. Your secretary understood that I have a problem and inquired me. I said “I came to meet the chairman eight times but he evaded so I will not come back again” She told me not to do that and she voluntarily arranged a meeting with you and me on the next day. On the next day when I met her she was astonished and said “he is a strange person, no response at all”

I immediately briefed the situation to president’s secretary Lalith Weerathunga. In response to that he replied to me and stated that he would correct the injustice happened to me with all his effort. Further he sent the service extension approved by the president in writing to you and sent me a copy. You again undermined that. You undermined the second and the third orders of the president and showed me that you are powerful than the president. You rejected the executive president’s power. Oh what a Hero you are?

Today you are at home. I am still with the “Nelum Wila” which I write for the past decade. I am not left alone in the media world. You lost your chairman seat and the “First Page” in the TV.

Vengeful ironic senile price, cheers for you !
Gunasinghe Hettiarachchi
11-6-2015