Before a large gathering of film and Stage artistes, Ranjan Ramanayake, popular film actor and UNP organizer blasted the President and the Govt. for bringing the Film Industry of Sri Lanka into this dire disastrous situation impoverishing the country, people and the Film artistes.
Comparing President Rajapakse with Ranil Wickremesinghe, he said, President is trying to save the country by lies, deception and intimidation, whereas it is only Ranil Wickremesinghe who can rescue the country from this present impasse. It is only he who can replace the present despair of the people with hope, by his capability. Integrity and honesty.
In the two and half years of rule, the Rajapakse regime has pauperized almost all the artistes. They are unable to pay their loans, their finances on vehicles and unable to give a performance to entertain the public, he exclaimed. Of the 300 Cinema Halls in the country, in the just last three months, 15 cinemas closed without business, profitable reputed Halls like Asoka, Zainstan and Jezima in Colombo are among them. This is a clear index as to where the Industry is heading, he exhorted.
The President is only clever at ‘buying’ those who speak against him or frightening and intimidating them. ‘Unfortunately, for President, there are artistes like us present here who have integrity and guts to resist his treacherous proposals,’ he asserted. There are also artistes who would barter even their souls to eat a crumb falling off the table of the President, he added.
Answering question posed on the Studio to be constructed in the President’s electorate, Hambantota, on foreign funds, Ramanayake said, this project is more loss oriented and not profitable to the artistes as it is so far away from where the artistes are located . Besides, the deployment of funds can end like the Tsunami funds, he quipped.
Popular Film actors, singers and artistes, Saman Silva, Cyril Dharmawardena, W. Jayasiri and many others also spoke. All participants urged everyone present to attend the meeting at the Sri Kotha on the 5th of July, and give their wholehearted support to their cause.
via M@L
