National People’s Power (NPP) MP Chandima Hettiarachchi has hit out at what he calls a “political project of selling heroes,” accusing certain political factions of exploiting national tragedies and professions for personal and party gain.
Speaking on a televised program, Hettiarachchi criticized the selective glorification of individuals, pointing to the recent tragedy where a CTB bus driver died saving the lives of passengers after the vehicle’s brakes failed and it crashed into a mountainside.
“He wasn’t called a hero,” Hettiarachchi said. “But he was a heroic professional. A driver. He gave his life to save others. Isn’t that heroism?”
The MP went on to condemn the way terms like “war hero,” “health hero,” or “country hero” are handed out and politicized. “This is a sell-out project. The politics of making everyone a hero and using it to manipulate emotions. That’s why they’re upset when that narrative is challenged.”
Hettiarachchi’s comments came during a discussion on Derana, where he appeared notably silent when pressed on unrelated political topics, particularly questions about who the real decision-makers behind the scenes were choosing instead to focus on what he described as authentic, everyday heroism being overlooked in favor of political theatre.
