State honours for Minister Thondaman | Page 2 | Sunday Observer

State honours for Minister Thondaman

31 May, 2020

The funeral of Minister of Community Empowerment and Estate Infrastructure Development and Leader of the Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) Arumugam Thondaman will take place at Norwood Stadium, Nuwara Eliya on May 31 with state honours.

The remains of the late Minister were at his residence in Battaramulla on May 27 and was taken to the Parliamentary Complex on May 28.

Subsequently, the Funeral Committee decided to take the remains to the CWC Headquarters at Flower Road, Colombo 3. His remains were taken to his residence in Ramboda, Kotmale on Friday (May 29) and it will lie at the CWC Headquarters in Kotagala on May 30.

His remains were lying-in the State Assembly Hall of Parliament on Thursday (May 28) from 10.45 am to 11.30 am. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, former Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya and other dignitaries paid their last respects to the hill-country Leader.

The remains of the former Minister were received in front of Parliament by the Prime Minister, former Speaker, Former Opposition Leader and the Secretary General of Parliament, Dhammika Dasanayake.

Born on May 29, 1964, Thondaman was an alumnus of Royal College, Colombo and was elected to Parliament representing the Nuwara Eliya district in 1994 and has held various Cabinet ministerial portfolios in successive Governments, such as Estate Infrastructure and Livestock Development, Housing and Plantation Infrastructure, Youth Empowerment and Socio-Economic Development and Livestock and Rural Community Development. Arumugam Thondaman, a father of three, took over the leadership of the CWC in 1999 following the demise of his grandfather Saumyamoorthy Thondaman, the CWC founder.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said he is deeply saddened by the untimely demise of Thondaman.

The President in his condolence message said “The late Minister Thondaman served his community with dedication and stood for the rights of plantation workers.” UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe too, expressed his sympathies to the family of Arumugam Thondaman.

He said “As a leader who served his people faithfully, his absence will be felt across communities in Sri Lanka.” Minister Thondaman passed away on May 26, at the Thalangama Base Hospital where he was rushed after he suffered a heart attack. He was 55 years at the time of his demise.

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