Sanath Nishantha

Sanath Nishantha Perera (, ; 3 May 1975 – 25 January 2024), more commonly known as Sanath Nishantha, was a Sri Lankan politician who was a member of parliament and a Minister of State. He was elected from the Puttalam District in 2015 and 2020, and served until his death in 2024. He was a member of the United People's Freedom Alliance and later the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna. He served as the Minister of State for Water Supply from 8 September 2022 until his death as well as the Minister of State for the Fisheries during the presidency of Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Early life and education Sanath Nishantha Perera was born on 3 May 1975 in Chilaw in the North Western Province. He was the last of five siblings, with one sister and three brothers. He received his primary education at St. Mary's Boys College in Chilaw. Throughout his tenure in the provincial council, Nishantha assumed significant roles, including his appointment as the Minister of Fisheries, Highways, and Power for the province on 31 May 2010 by Chief Minister Athula Wijesinghe. However following the election of Ranil Wickremesinghe as president, he was reappointed as the Minister of State for Water Supply, serving from 8 September 2022 until his death.

Illegal environmental destruction In 2020, a video was posted to social media in which Nishantha was seen attempting to force forest conservationists and locals to allow mangroves in Negombo to be destroyed to build a volleyball court. When a state official questioned the impact the destruction would have on the valuable coastal mangrove ecosystem and pointed out how such continued deforestation throughout the country would lead to future generations not having any oxygen to breathe, one of Nishantha's supporters claimed that the local children "[did] not need oxygen". Environment and Wildlife Resources Minister S. M. Chandrasena said Nishantha was ignorant of the Wildlife Protection Act, but even after the incident, Nishantha claimed he would not stop despite the opposition.

In August 2020, at least of Ramsar wetland in Anawilundawa, Puttalam was illegally cleared for shrimp farming. This caused great outrage and a committee was appointed to investigate the destruction. The police investigation revealed that Jagath Samantha, brother of Sanath Nishantha, directed the destruction.

Role during the Sri Lankan political crisis In early 2022, protests erupted in Sri Lanka against the government, which Nishantha represented, in response to a severe economic crisis marked by rampant inflation, frequent blackouts, and shortages of fuel, domestic gas, and other essential goods. Nishantha adopted a critical stance towards the protests, downplaying the economic challenges experienced by the nation and its citizens. Furthermore, he labeled the protesters as 'drug addicts,' suggesting that they deserved to face the same anti-government suppression tactics witnessed during the 1971 and 1987-1989 insurrections led by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna. On 9 May, he was implicated in incidents involving attacks on peaceful anti-government protesters at the 'Gotagogama' site at Galle Face Green, leading to his arrest. On August 23, Nishantha conducted a press conference at the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna party headquarters. During the conference, he alleged that several magistrates in the country were providing preferential treatment to activists who had taken part in the protests, including granting them bail.

Death In the early hours of 25 January 2024, Nishantha was involved in a traffic collision on the Katunayake Highway after his car collided with the roadside barrier and a moving container truck. He was returning to Colombo after attending a wedding held in the Bandarawatta area of Chilaw. Nishantha, who was asleep at the time of the incident, suffered servere injuries to his head and right leg, leading to his admission to the Colombo North Teaching Hospital in Ragama, where he died. A member of his security detail also died in the incident and his driver was hospitalised with serious injuries.