2026-03-03 / Adjournment Motion: Issues Faced by Civil Defence Personnel 2026-03-03
Speaking in the context of a debate on village defence raised by Hon. Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Kariapper acknowledged the significant security role played by volunteer village guards in rural areas such as Kalmunai, Ampara, particularly during periods of conflict along the Mahaweli Oya. He noted that the majority of these guards are paddy farmers who served to protect their own communities while maintaining their agricultural livelihoods, and were equipped with shotguns rather than military-grade weapons. He argued against redeploying them to urban sentry duties in Colombo, which he characterised as unsuitable, and proposed instead that they be integrated into productive rural programmes such as agricultural support or human-elephant conflict mitigation. He also noted for the record that the parliamentary session was being held on Medin Full Moon Poya Day.
Hon. Presiding Member, thank you.
First, today is Medin Full Moon Poya — the day the Buddha, after Enlightenment, visited Kapilavastu to see his kinsfolk. It is unfortunate that Parliament sits on such a day, but I note it for the record.
On village defence: I live in Kalmunai, Ampara. In those days, as I travelled between court and home, it was the volunteer village guards who protected every small village along the Mahaweli Oya. They warned us of danger, stopped unfamiliar vehicles, and even guided us to safe places in an emergency. They rendered invaluable service.
About 90% of them are paddy farmers. They joined to protect their own villages while sustaining their livelihoods. They carried shotguns, not automatic weapons. It is unfair to suddenly send them to Colombo or cities for sentry duties. Instead, use them productively — for example, in organised programmes supporting agriculture or mitigating human–elephant conflict. Do not push them into urban sentry work they are not suited for.
Thank you, and thanks to Hon. Ranjith Madduma Bandara for raising this.