A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
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Back to 500BC.
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Thiranjala Weerasinghe sj.- One Island Two Nations
?????????????????????????????????????????????????Saturday, July 29, 2017
He served beyond the call of duty
The Police Force pays their last respects to SI Sarath Hemachandra. Pictures by Rukmal Gamage
Zahrah Imtiaz & Maneshka Borham-Friday, July 28, 2017
On Saturday (22), SI Hemachandra was killed by Selvarasa Jayandan (39),
when the former tried to intervene in an argument the latter was having
with his relatives. While the police have claimed that the attack was
not pre-planned, Judge Illancheliyan maintains that the attack was
targeted at him. Hemachandra, as far as he is concerned - is a hero.
Hemachandra
who joined the police force on November 22, 1986, lived his whole life
in the same house in Kumarakattuwa, as his parents. On Thursday (26),
his final rites were performed within the very same half painted walls
of the house, complete with a high tin roof and a wooden partition to
separate a small hall into a living room and kitchen.
His father was a World War II veteran and his younger brother had
retired from the Army after the usual time of service. His wife too was a
police constable, she left her job soon after their first child was
born. They have two children; a daughter of 16 and son aged 11.
IGP Pujith Jayasundera has offered, Hemachandra’s wife; Kumudu her old
job back to which she responded in a favourable manner. She is to work
at a police station close to home.
Joins the Force
“We met in Grade 6 at the Kumararatna Vidyalaya and have been friends
ever since,” said Lionel Wickramasinghe as he stood up to speak at the
funeral of SI Hemachandra.
The Vidyalaya, just over two kilometres from his home, was a central
part of Hemachandra’s life and even after he failed his A/L exams,
Hemachandra and Wickramasinghe would return to school to teach at its
Sunday school.
“We did not have electricity then and we used to meet in his home to
study under the kerosene lamp,” recalled Wickramasinghe further.
In 1986, as family economic conditions worsened, both Wickramasinghe and Hemchandra decided to join the Police Force.
“On November 22, 1986 we were chosen to the Force and sent to the
training school in Kalutara for training. During that time, the war was
raging and our batch of 31 was turned into a separate division and sent
in for military training,” said Wickramasinghe.
Hemchandra and his batch mates were one of the first police officers to
be given military training as frequent LTTE attacks of police stations
and the worsening security situation in the country meant that the
police too had to gear themselves to fight the war.
“In 1987, we were sent to the Kahatagasdigiliya Police station in
Anuradhapura, we worked there for 10 years,” said Wickramasinghe.
As the war raged, the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) entered Sri
Lanka in 1987 and as they prepared to leave, defeated in 1990, it was
Hemachandra and his batch of militarily trained police that were sent to
keep the peace in the North and East.
“We took over the Trincomalee Police station in 1991, after the IPKF
left and together we worked for five years there. Thereafter, we were
transferred to Wellawatte,” said Wickramasinghe.
After Wellawatte, Wickramasinghe and Hemachandra would part ways. The
former soon opting for early retirement while the latter choosing to
serve in the Judges’ Security division.
“Though we parted ways, every year we would meet on November 22 at one
of the houses of our batch mates to celebrate the date we all joined the
force,” said Wickramasinghe. Last year however, neither Hemachandra nor
Wickramasinghe made it to the annual get together due to work
commitments.
An unlikely friendship
The better part of the last 15 years, Hemachandra spent in the service
of Judge Illancheliyan; as his Police Sergeant. As the judge progressed
in his career, Hemachandra followed, all the way to the High Court of
Jaffna.
He joined my service when I was in Vavuniya, at the height of the war, recalled Judge Illancheliyan,
“He safeguarded my life for six years there. Then I was transferred to
Trincomalee for two years and he followed me there. Then to Colombo for
six months, then Kalmunai, Trinco and when I was appointed as the
permanent High Court judge of Kalmunai, he came there too. Then for the
last two years we have been in Jaffna. For the last 15 years, he stayed
with me in my bungalow, not in the Police barracks. Even during the
nights, sometimes until 12am, when I used to work in my office, writing
judgements, he would be sitting outside the door and would only go to
sleep after I switched off my lights,” said the Judge sitting on the
Veranda of Hemachandra’s house.
Despite such extraordinary service however, Hemachandra’s promotion only
came after his death and for most of his career, he earned a salary
close to Rs 30,000 per month.
At Kumarakattuwa, the Judge was accompanied by almost all members of the
Judiciary in the North; judges, magistrates, court staff and lawyers
from the North sat in the scorching heat of Chilaw to pay their last
respects to Hemachandra.
“He was an exceptional man, he talked less and acted more. He always
thought of my security and would not allow anyone to talk to me without
my permission, but he never tried to control any Tamil people or talk to
anyone outside of his official duty. He was a gentleman and trusted
lieutenant, who has given his life to protect mine,” said Judge
Illancheliyan.
“Even my food was checked by him and I would always follow his
professional advice; if he tells me, ‘don’t go to that area, there is
trouble there’, I wouldn’t go,” he added.
Just being humane
The death of his security officer had cut the High Court Judge deeply
and as videos of him apologising in tears to Hemanchandra’s wife for the
latter’s death went viral over the media, Judge Illancheliyan said to
perceive his emotions within a racial prism was being limited in
perspective.
“This is not a racial issue, this is what you call humanity. Racism has
destroyed our humanity for so long. In my case, it is true that I am a
Tamil Judge, but Hemachandra protected me not only in peacetime but also
during the war. We were not thinking in terms of Tamil or Sinhala
here,” he said.
His respect for the slain policeman has overflowed into all aspects of
Jaffna society with students of the University of Jaffna too choosing to
light candles in honour of Hemachandra.
“For the first time in the history of Jaffna, banners have gone up for a man in Khakki uniform,” said Judge Illancheliyan.
When asked if this what ‘true reconciliation’ looked like? The judge was
quick to respond, “I don’t know about that, I don’t know about the
politics of that.”
The High Court Judge speaking to Hemachandra’s family also promised to
look after his two kids and treat them as his own and to do his best to
provide them with a good education.
Those we trust are our closest kin
It is not often that the villagers of Kumarakattuwa see people from the
North and East visit their homes and their presence at Hemachandra’s
funeral was a welcome surprise to all.
“Most people here are those who worked with him. These people have come
from so far, this alone speaks of the character and work of
Hemachandra,” said Ariyadasa, his neighbour.
“These differences people tell us about the North and South are lies.
These people have left their work and travelled all the way to pay their
respects to Sarath Hemachandra, it seems that the he was able to bring
the North and South together,” he added.
Delivering an anusasana at the funeral, the Chief Incumbent of the
village temple said that out of birth, life and death, it is life that
is the most important point in a man’s life.
“I believe that Sarath Premachandra fully appreciated and used his life
for a good purpose,” the priest said, adding that Hemachandra did not
confine himself and instead went over and beyond in performing his
duties as a Policeman.
While saying that many people would attempt to obtain transfers back to
their home towns, the priest pointed out that Hemachandra instead was
willing to perform his duties in any part of the island in the toughest
of circumstances.
Meanwhile, speaking about the close friendship between the Judge and
Hemachandra, the priest said that their bond has once again proved that
any loyal and trustworthy person is one’s relation or kin and not just
one’s caste, creed or religion. “It is his loyalty that has evoked so
much of emotion on the part of the Judge,” the priest said adding that
this showed the calibre of man, Hemachandra was.