“He doused the flames of despair”: Ruwanwelisaya Chief Incumbent hails Ranil’s crisis leadership

The Chief Incumbent of the Ruwanwelisaya in Anuradhapura, Ven. Eethalawetunawewe Gnanathillaka Thera, said that former President Ranil Wickremesinghe is the “visionary intellect” who brought Sri Lanka back from the edge of economic collapse.

Ven. Gnanathillaka Thera made the remarks during a religious ceremony held on Sunday to invoke blessings on Wickremesinghe, who remains in the hospital under judicial custody.

“At a time when the country had become a scorched wasteland, engulfed in flames of despair, it was Ranil Wickremesinghe’s wisdom that doused those fires and brought stability,” the Nayaka Thera told devotees.

Describing Wickremesinghe as a quiet intellectual, historian, and statesman, Ven. Gnanathillaka Thera said he had “devoted his entire life to the nation and the Sasana,” adding that his humility and service placed him on par with a monastic figure.

The Thera also praised Wickremesinghe’s personal contributions to Buddhist heritage, including financial donations to the temple and efforts to construct a second golden fence around the sacred Sri Maha Bodhi tree in Anuradhapura.