JVP leader tells Parliament how gullible our ministers are

By Saman Indrajith

Women and Child Development, Pre-School and Primary Education, School Infrastructure and Education Services State Minister Piyal Nishantha ingested, Dhammika Peniya touted as the medicine against the pandemic, but he was now inflicted with COVID-19, JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake told Parliament.

 “Among those who drank the syrup in the Parliament complex, Minister Nishantha was prominent. He was standing next to was Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi and Indigenous Medicine Minister Sisira Jayakody. Now, the entire world can see the efficacy of the syrup.”

MP Disanayake said. “It is unfortunate that our Ministers are so gullible and fall for such antics. Worse, they are setting wrong examples by endorsing such concoctions. Their actions have a detrimental effect on our indigenous medicinal practices that are thousands of years old. The first medicinal formula in this country dates back to the second century BC. It was for a medicinal drink made for Arahant Maliyadeva by an indigenous doctor. That medicinal drink is still in use after 2,200. Prof. Chandana Jayaratne studied that and published details about our traditional medicine. We have indigenous medical practices such as meeting vows to obtain divine blessings. But no medicines were revealed by men who went into trances.

We regret that even the Speaker of Parliament fell for the false claims made by a man. It was a disgrace to the entire House.

Suppose a new medicine is found or an hitherto unknown methods discovered and it is presented to the Health Minister. What the Minister should have done was to refer it to the medicinal research institutes.

Instead, the Health Minister drank it in front of the media.

I am asking the Health Minister never to do it again. She should not do drug testing. She should leave it to the experts.

A person could come with an innovation of using water instead of petrol and present it to the relevant Minister. What should the Minister do? He or she should refer it to the agencies that could test whether water could be used instead of petrol. What would happen if that minister tank his vehicle up with that liquid and try to drive away.