Jeyaraj Fernandopulle
Encyclopedia
Jeyaraj Fernandopulle was a Sri Lanka
n politician who served as a cabinet Minister and a Member of Parliament
in Sri Lanka
. He was a Roman Catholic and hailed from a minority ethnic group Colombo Chetties
.
).
He has done the preliminary education (up to grade 1) at Ave Maria Convent, Negombo
, then entered Maris Stella College
, Negombo for primary and secondary education. In 1972 Fernandopulle became a teacher after leaving the school, but left teaching to become a lawyer in 1974. He passed out from the Sri Lanka Law College
in 1977 as an Attorney-at-law. One of his contemporaries at the Law College was President Mahinda Rajapakse who was a MP
at that time. Since December 1977 he started practicing as a lawyer mainly in the Magistrates Court and High Court of Negombo and in other criminal courts island wide.
candidate. In 1984 he was appointed as the chief organizer by the SLFP in the Katana electorate, Western Province
in Sri Lanka. From there onwards he has been elected to the parliament five consecutive times in the years 1989, 1994, 2000, 2001 and 2004. Fernandopulle held several Ministerial posts since 1994, which were the Minster of Catholic Affairs, the Minister of Ethnic Concession and National Unity, the Minister of Port and Aviation, and the Minister of Road Development. In 2005 he was appointed Minister of Highways & Road Development, severed as the chief government whip of the parliament and was a close associate of the President.
Jeyaraj Fernandopulle strongly justified the forced eviction of Tamils from Colombo lodges in June 2007. Addressing the media the minister said there was no need for the Prime Minister to express regret over the move and insisted that all 300 Tamils were sent to Vavuniya after getting their 'verbal consent' in Colombo and subsequently written consent in Vavuniya http://www.lankanewspapers.com/news/2007/6/15873_space.htmlhttp://www.nation.lk/2007/06/17/politics1.htm
In August 2007 he launched a scathing attack against United Nation’s Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes terming him as a “terrorist who takes bribes from the LTTE.” When his remarks were condemned by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon he declared that “I don’t give a damn about what this UN boss has to tell me or Sri Lanka. He can say whatever he wants, but I will still go by what I said and that is, John Homes is a terrorist who takes bribes from the LTTE.” http://www.nation.lk/2007/08/19/news6.htm
and former Olympics runner K.A. Karunaratne
were also killed in the bombing which wounded 90 others. He is survived by his wife, Dr. Sudharshani Fernendopulle, daughter Samurdhi and son Bhanuka.
The Amnesty International
(AI) and the Government of Sri Lanka accused the LTTE for carrying out atrocities that targeted civilians including Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n politician who served as a cabinet Minister and a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. He was a Roman Catholic and hailed from a minority ethnic group Colombo Chetties
Colombo Chetties
Colombo Chetty, also known as Colombo Chetties, Colombo Chittis or Colombo Hetties, are a formerly endogamous Sri Lankan social group or caste.- Origins :...
.
Early life
Fernandopulle was born on the January 11, 1953 in Manalchenai or Walihena, Kochchikade (about 12 km north of NegomboNegombo
Negombo is a town of about 121,933, approximately 37 km north of Colombo, in Sri Lanka. It is located at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon, about 7 km from the Bandaranaike International Airport...
).
He has done the preliminary education (up to grade 1) at Ave Maria Convent, Negombo
Negombo
Negombo is a town of about 121,933, approximately 37 km north of Colombo, in Sri Lanka. It is located at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon, about 7 km from the Bandaranaike International Airport...
, then entered Maris Stella College
Maris Stella College
Maris Stella College in Negombo is one of the best and oldest Catholic Colleges in Sri Lanka, founded by the Marist Brothers in 1922.- History :...
, Negombo for primary and secondary education. In 1972 Fernandopulle became a teacher after leaving the school, but left teaching to become a lawyer in 1974. He passed out from the Sri Lanka Law College
Sri Lanka Law College
Sri Lanka Law College was established as the Ceylon Law College under the Council of Legal Education in 1874 in order to impart a formal legal education to those who wished to be lawyers in Ceylon...
in 1977 as an Attorney-at-law. One of his contemporaries at the Law College was President Mahinda Rajapakse who was a MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
at that time. Since December 1977 he started practicing as a lawyer mainly in the Magistrates Court and High Court of Negombo and in other criminal courts island wide.
Political career
He commenced his political career in 1970 as an election agent for an Sri Lanka Freedom PartySri Lanka Freedom Party
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party is one of the major political parties in Sri Lanka. It was founded by S.W.R.D Bandaranaike in 1951 and, since then, has been one of the two largest parties in the Sri Lankan political arena. It first came to power in 1956 and since then has been the predominant party in...
candidate. In 1984 he was appointed as the chief organizer by the SLFP in the Katana electorate, Western Province
Western Province, Sri Lanka
The Western Province is the most densely populated province of Sri Lanka. It is home to the legislative capital Sri Jayawardenapura as well to Colombo, the nation's administrative and business center.-Districts:Basnahira is divided into 3 districts:...
in Sri Lanka. From there onwards he has been elected to the parliament five consecutive times in the years 1989, 1994, 2000, 2001 and 2004. Fernandopulle held several Ministerial posts since 1994, which were the Minster of Catholic Affairs, the Minister of Ethnic Concession and National Unity, the Minister of Port and Aviation, and the Minister of Road Development. In 2005 he was appointed Minister of Highways & Road Development, severed as the chief government whip of the parliament and was a close associate of the President.
Controversies
The Supreme Court cases Nos. 66/95 and 67/95 was filed against Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle(the then Deputy Minister of Planning, Ethnic Affairs and National Integration) as the first respondent by the members of the United Airport Taxi Services Society Ltd, for engaging armed thugs and preventing the petitioners from entering the airport in pursuance of their occupation. The two cases were argued and decided on 30.11.1995 in favour of the two petitioner societies. The judgement written by justice Wijetunga indicated, inter alia, that since the violation resulted from the first respondent’s instigation, he(Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle) was directed to pay Rs. 50,000 as costs: Rs 25,000 to the petitioner society in Application No. 66/95 and Rs 25,000 to the petitioner society in Application No. 67/95.http://www.lawnet.lk/docs/case_law/slr/HTML/1996SLR1V22.htmJeyaraj Fernandopulle strongly justified the forced eviction of Tamils from Colombo lodges in June 2007. Addressing the media the minister said there was no need for the Prime Minister to express regret over the move and insisted that all 300 Tamils were sent to Vavuniya after getting their 'verbal consent' in Colombo and subsequently written consent in Vavuniya http://www.lankanewspapers.com/news/2007/6/15873_space.htmlhttp://www.nation.lk/2007/06/17/politics1.htm
In August 2007 he launched a scathing attack against United Nation’s Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes terming him as a “terrorist who takes bribes from the LTTE.” When his remarks were condemned by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon he declared that “I don’t give a damn about what this UN boss has to tell me or Sri Lanka. He can say whatever he wants, but I will still go by what I said and that is, John Homes is a terrorist who takes bribes from the LTTE.” http://www.nation.lk/2007/08/19/news6.htm
Death
He was killed on April 6, 2008 along with 14 others by an alleged suicide bomber, who exploded himself at the start of a marathon race which was part of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebration in Weliveriya town. Sri Lanka's national athletics coach Lakshman de AlwisLakshman de Alwis
Lakshman de Alwis was the National coach for Athletics in Sri Lanka. De Alwis started his career in Athletics when was a school boy at Moratuwa Vidyalaya and in 1958 awarded as Junior National Champion for Athletics after winning the 100m and 200m events. He also represented Sri Lanka in 1959 for...
and former Olympics runner K.A. Karunaratne
Kuruppu Karunaratne
Kuruppu Arachchige Karunaratne or K.A. Karunaratne was a Sri Lankan long-distance runner who specialized in the marathon event....
were also killed in the bombing which wounded 90 others. He is survived by his wife, Dr. Sudharshani Fernendopulle, daughter Samurdhi and son Bhanuka.
The Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
(AI) and the Government of Sri Lanka accused the LTTE for carrying out atrocities that targeted civilians including Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle.
See also
- Notable assassinations of the Sri Lankan Civil War
- List of attacks attributed to the LTTE
- Sri Lankan Civil WarSri Lankan civil warThe Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...