Sanath Nishantha; will he be remembered?

Colombo, Jan 26 (Daily Mirror) - Forty-eight-year-old Sanath Nishantha who hailed from Puttalam, left his house late on Wednesday to attend two weddings, one in Kurunegala and another in Chilaw.

While wishing his wife and four children goodbye, little did he know that he would never return. 

At approximately 1 a.m. on Thursday (25) morning, while he was returning home on the Katunayake Expressway, his Land Cruiser met with a fatal accident as it rammed into a moving container truck.

His security officer, Police Constable Jayakody and Sanath Nishantha died on the spot. Their bodies were later transferred to the Ragama General Hospital.

SLPP Parliamentarian Sanath Nishantha entered parliament in 2015 and served as the State Minister of Water Supply under the present government. He was a staunch supporter of the Rajapaksas and always remained in the forefront when it came to defending them. However in his few years in politics, did the parliamentarian make his mark?

In most recent years, Nishantha was criticized for allegedly leading a mob to assault the protesters in Galle Face on May 9, triggering a backlash. The attack turned so severe that it later led to protesters burning down houses of ruling party politicians including his own in Puttalam.

Later he was on several occasions very critical of the Aragalaya and often took to social media to voice his dissent and even at times ridicule them. At this juncture, Nishantha failed to understand that the common man was suf­fering. With no electricity, no fuel, no medicines, no food, Nishantha and his gang failed to accept or understand the common man’s anger and their urgent need for basic relief.

Nishantha later had contempt of court charges filed against him after he stated at a press conference that some judges are responsible for letting loose criminals who engaged in the violence in Sri Lanka in May. In 2018, Nishantha and his brother faced the law over allegations of assaulting the Arachchikattuwa Divisional Secretary. 

The case was heard in the Chilaw High Court. Many times, Nishantha was also involved in brawls inside Parliament and once even had to apologize to the Speaker for his unruly conduct. He faced a two-week suspension. He was also unpopular for sprinting to the Well of the House on many occasions disrupting the opposition members when key issues were raised against the SLPP government especially the Rajapaksas.

While Nishantha’s void will be felt within his party, his political career was not something that will be spoken about for years to come. Or neither will it be remembered. However his loss to his family and children will be felt lifelong.

As all others, when a husband and father is taken away suddenly, tragically and too soon, the family will feel his absence till they live. Politicians often fail to understand that they are not immortal. One day, they too have to depart and when they are laid to rest, they are left alone to face their Lord.

In Sri Lanka, politicians have failed to impress the voters. Neither are there any who will be remembered for years to come. This is because once elected, they fail to put the nation first.