Sri Lankan origin woman first in queue for Queen’s lying-in-state

14 September 2022 05:26 pm Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 10 Bookmark

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Tens of thousands of people are queuing to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II as her coffin makes its final solemn journey. Of those gathered in London, a 56-year-old Sri Lankan origin woman will be the first to attend Queen Elizabeth's lying-in-state at Westminster Hall.

Vanessa Nathakumaran became the first person in the queue that began forming on Monday. “I just really wanted to be part of it,” the 56-year-old Londoner said, according to a PTI report.

My family is a “great admirer” of Britain’s royal family, she added.

"It is sort of like payback. Whatever they did for the Commonwealth, we have to appreciate what they did, and for the independence they eventually gave back when Sri Lanka wanted the rights back," said Vanessa Nanthakumaran as per The Guardian report.

The public will be able to file past the coffin 24 hours a day until the monarch's funeral on Monday- September 19.

Comments - 10

Somasundram Wednesday, 14 September 2022 08:10 PM

I am certain this lady is a Christian. What the Sri Lankan HINDUS, BUDDHISTS, and the MUSLIMS don’t realise is that Sri Lankan Christians think completely different from all of us. Physically we all look the same, eat almost the same food, and dress the same. But the Christian Mind has ZERO affection and sentiments for OUR HISTORY , OUR PAST CIVILISATION AND ACHIEVEMENTS, AND OUR COLLECTIVE IDENTITY OF WHO WE ARE. Their PERMANENT affection is ONLY to their WHITE COLONIAL MASTERS and DENIAL OF ALL THE ATROCITIES.

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Gamaya Wednesday, 14 September 2022 08:12 PM

Is this something to be on the news? How desparate we sound when such silly news articles are being published.

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Justice Wednesday, 14 September 2022 08:44 PM

Hello Vanessa, yes we all pay respect to our late majesty. However Britain made a big blunder in independence. Lord Mount Batten was in a hurry to hand over independence and get back to get his chairman of defence staff post that fell vacant. As a result rights of minorities were not defined. Now we have the ethnic problems, riots, civil war etc in Sri Lanka. You are lucky to be in UK. Enjoy.

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J J Pathirana Wednesday, 14 September 2022 08:58 PM

This brainless “slave” is not speaking for the proper Sri Lankans , she is speaking only for the “culturally castrated Christian Converts”.

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Ram Wednesday, 14 September 2022 09:11 PM

Vanessa Nanthakumaran , you are great, but see what our MR clan did to our country long after independence, war(criminal) hero GR zeroed the country

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Seqi Thursday, 15 September 2022 07:49 AM

There were also some people of Asian origin in the queue... also a lot of African origin folk helped make the line..... number 1033 was from Ethiopia.... and wasn't there an Icelandic fellow at 8067...

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Ranjan Thursday, 15 September 2022 11:27 AM

Mr Somasundram , Your judgement is very wrong and not at all acceptable. There many Christians who respect and proud of our history , culture and civilisation. It doesn't matter this particular lady is Muslim, Hindu or a Christian. What's important is that respect a lady who passed away after completing 70 years of service to the Commonwealth countries. For your information I'm a Sri Lankan who loves my motherland and my religion is immaterial

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Mandayan Thursday, 15 September 2022 12:50 PM

@Justice: Lord Mount Baton was nothing to with our independence. He worked in India.

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Patient Queuer Thursday, 15 September 2022 08:10 PM

With many years of experience of queuing in Sri Lanka (and other Asian countries), my guess would be that she just kept pushing in until she was at the front.

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Ron Perera Friday, 16 September 2022 04:43 AM

Praise be to the lady who has probably embraced Christianity to escape the despicable Hindu culture which practices man’s inhumanity to man through an archaic practice of a caste system which reduces the status of fellow Hindus to that of a dead rat the cat has brought home or worse.Today this lady is able to live with respect and dignity Tks to a life as a Christian because in Christianity we believe all are born equal and in the image of God. Her noble gesture in paying her respects to a lady of class and substance is to be admired not belittled.

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