Former JVP MP Nandana Gunathilaka has issued a powerful and emotional statement highlighting the severe financial hardships faced by former parliamentarians who dedicated their lives to politics and activism.
Recounting his journey, Gunathilaka said he gave up his university education in the early 1990s to join the party’s underground struggle full-time, taking up arms during a volatile political era. He said he spent years without a stable income, using personal assets—including his family home—to cover legal and medical expenses for fellow comrades.
Now 63 years old, Gunathilaka says he survives solely on a Rs. 68,000 monthly pension. After paying rent, utility bills, and medical expenses, he is left with just Rs. 700–800 per day for food and other costs.
“There are over 200 former MPs like me — from the JVP, SLFP, UNP, and TNA — suffering in silence,” he stated.
His remarks come at a time when the government is reportedly considering scrapping pensions for former parliamentarians, a move that has sparked concern among political veterans. (Islandnews)
