Reminiscences Of My Mahara Prison Days! 

By Rusiripala Tennakoon –DECEMBER 9, 2020

Rusiripala Tennakoon

This write up is an account of the recollections of my experiences at the Mahara prison as a detainee in December 1982. My sojourn was very short, only a few weeks, but many things discussed now as happenings inside the Prison, have a resemblance to what I witnessed then. Although the public attention remains heavily focused to these affairs in the context of the pandemonium that arose, things have continued over a long period of time unnoticed. Matters discussed today, following the recent mayhem, appear to be characteristic features of common occurrence inside the prison. Some incidents eye-witnessed by us will provide considerable insight to the life and activity there as firsthand information. 

In the ongoing debate now about the Mahara prison after the recent fracas, people tend to forget that prisons are institutions established within a criminal justice system: where those under charges not yet proven before a court of law may be held in custody until their trial while those found guilty of crimes at trial are sent there sentenced to varying periods of imprisonment. But essentially, a prison is a special kind of premises in which people are legally held whether they have committed a crime or pending justice on account of an alleged crime.

Under Authoritarian or dictatorial regimes, prisons are used as a tool for suppression of opposing political views. Hand- picked victims are imprisoned for alleged political crimes, often without trial or other legal due process. What I have set out here will serve as examples of all these which the readers can surmise. 

My account will not be complete without an explanation as to how I happened to be there. Immediately after the First presidential election held in this country, there was a massive campaign of political victimization launched by the JRJ Government during which several activists who supported the main opposition candidate were arrested and detained under various charges. Late Vijaya Kumaratunga who played a leading  role in the election supporting Presidential candidate Hector Kobbekaduwa, was arrested in November 1982 and was kept in solitary confinement for a period over three months in the Welikada prison. Several others including, former PM Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka, Minister Felix Perera, Ossie Abeyagoonasekera and close associates of Vijaya were arrested and taken into custody. The charge was, conspiracy to assassinate the President and planned violence on 20-10-82.The alleged operation was named as the ‘Naxalite coup’.

Another parallel terror campaign was launched in many parts of the country leading to the arrest of SLFP political activists, and 36 of them were indicted in a special High Court with as many as 42 charges each, connected to an alleged  distribution of a fake Rice Ration book before the presidential election. Several 100s were arrested by the police from all parts of the country who were remanded. I happened to be the 35th accused and after a trial that lasted 150 days I was one among those acquitted. My layover in the Mahara Prison came about in this connection. 

I was contacted by late DIG, Premadasa Udugampola from the Gampaha Police Division in November and asked to call over  as early as possible to get a statement on a complaint made against me and indicated that I should come prepared to stay over! I went to the Gampaha Police Station on 22nd Nov 1982, with my lawyer. A police Inspector  by the name Dodampahala recorded my statement. He showed me the complaint made by a person named R.A. Dharmasena has made on 15th Nov. alleging that I have handed him fake Rice Ration Books. 

I Quote from my statement to indicate how the case was fabricated against me; “After the election I had the opportunity of going to the Mirigama Police Station in a matter connected with V.A. Weerasena of Pallewela. The complainant R.A.Dharmasena was seen by me seated on a bench in the police station and when I came out he walked up and spoke to me. He was in a state of unrest showing fear. He pointed at a lorry that was parked opposite the police station on the main road and told me that was the lorry in which he was brought to the station and it belonged to the present M.P.of Mirigama. He informed me that he was detained in some place by persons at the instigation of the M.P.for Mirigama and was compelled to make a statement against me alleging the distribution of Rice Ration Books. I told him to state the truth………he agreed to do so but told me that he would be assaulted if he did not say that I had a hand in giving out these Rice Ration Books.”!

The police Inspector appeared to be not interested in verifying what has actually transpired. Immediately after taking down my statement  he proceeded to comply with a clearly noticeable pre-conceived plan and  typed out a ‘B’ report to produce me before the Attanagalla Magistrate at his residence. Representations made by my counsel moving for bail were not considered but he sent me to remand only for 7 days. It was very clear that he was regretting for what he was doing. After being locked up in the police cell until the arrival of the Black Maria from Mahara I was taken to the  prison at about 8 pm.

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