tamilweek.com

By Ranee Mohamed in Mawathagama

While Defence Minister Gotabhaya Rajapakse was hugged and kissed by his brother, President Mahinda Rajapakse in Colombo soon after last Friday’s suicide bomb attack: in the remote village of Mawathagama in the Kurunegala District, there were not only tears and heartache, but the continuous crying of Baby Ishan Bhagya Wijerathne, the two and half year old son of Lance Corporal Priyantha Wijerathne.

There were no state television crews or photographers to capture their grief and transmit to the nation. That was to be only for the high and mighty.

And while ministers and MPs thronged to TempleTrees to rejoice the escape of Gotabhaya Rajapakse in front of the television cameras, there were no such visits by the powers that be to the houses of the fallen heroes. They after all were not in a position to dish out state patronage. In that moment, the stark reality of war was brought live in all its reality to the poorer sections of society.

As the baby’s cries pierced the hearts of their neighbours, there was nothing that his mother Geetha Kumari could do to console him. “He always drank his milk after his father spoke to him. Ever since my husband died, our little son has never drunk any milk. He keeps asking for his father, pulling at my blouse and telling me to telephone his father and ask him to come home,” said a young and helpless Geetha Kumari, wife of the late Lance Coporal Priyantha Wijerathne (32) who died in the LTTE suicide attack on the Defence Secretary’s convoy in Kollupitiya on December 1.

Another young soldier, Lance Corporal N.K. Piyasiri of Neluwa, Galle, who was born in 1975 also died in the attack saving the life of the Defence Secretary. Piyasiri was also awarded the Purna Bhumi and Desha Putra service medals.

Quest for life

The newly-built home of Lance Corporal Priyantha Wijerathne in Mawathagama portrayed the quest that this young soldier had for life. “We were his life – me and the baby. He used to speak to us in the morning, during the day and in the night. He spoke to us before he went for duty and after duty too and now the baby is trying to snatch the telephone. He is touching the ground and asking me to get his father back,” said wife Geetha Kumari in tears. Geetha Kumari has also served in the Sri Lanka Army.

Having seen young Priyantha when he rode on his bike past her point of duty at Keppetipola Mawatha, Geetha Kumari says that it was love at first sight when she first saw him in October 2001. Theirs was a married life that began five years ago.

Young Geetha Kumari spoke of their hopes and their dreams and the plans they had made for their child who has just begun to walk steadily. “My husband was so devoted to us. We were planning to take the baby to the zoo when he came on leave. He loved his son dearly and always told me the things they would do together when the baby grew up. We yearned for him and counted the days for him to get a few days leave.

I always waited for him to come on leave because he had many things to do at home. He used to cut the firewood for me to last a couple of weeks; he used to clean the cobwebs and the garden. Now, who will be beside me when this baby is ill; who will take us to hospital, who will make arrangements for my child to go to school; who will take care of me for the rest of my life; who will be with me when I age? What do I tell my son when he asks about his father ?” wailed the young wife in anguish.

Memories begin to fade

“This child was his life. They were so attached to each other. There are no words to express my devastation. It is better if we all had died in that attack,” moaned Geetha Kumari.

And hours after the funeral the white flags were gradually falling down and memories beginning to haze. As the image of this valiant solider who saved the life of Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse begins to blur, the realities of life ensnares the young wife. Uncertainty and fear grips her heart and as all celebrations in her life stand blackened with the death of her young husband.

“He was not able to come for our baby’s second birthday in June because of duty,” said Geetha Kumari and it was duty that took him away on December 1, a few hours before he was supposed to come home for the alms giving of his uncle that was to be held on that day.

In fact Lance Corporal Priyantha Wijerathne’s leave application form had been in his pocket as his tour of duty took him to his death on the morning of December 1. He had spoken to his wife Geetha a few hours before his sudden death and had asked her about the baby and consoled her that he was trying to come home on leave in a few hours.

Last time he came home on leave for a scrappy three days. Having come home on November 14, he had to leave for duty on November 17.

Ultimate sacrifice

Lance Corporal Priyantha Wijerathne’s dedication and ultimate sacrifice it is learnt however, had been repaid very poorly. Only a few people in authority had visited this once happy home at a time when the whole family was grieving. Among them had been the wife of Gotabhaya Rajapakse, wife of the Airforce Commander, Chief Minister, Wayamba Provincial Council, Athula Wijesinghe; Chairman, Mawathagama Pradeshiya Sabha Sanath Meegolla and politician Jayaratne Herath.

There had been no other people of authority present at the funeral to show their appreciation for having saved the country’s senior defence authority, let alone share their grief.

If appreciation and memories have waned as Lance Corporal Priyantha Wijerathne’s mutilated body lay in the hallway, then it has truly been forgotten now by the authorities. The continuous crying of his baby and the sighs and tears of his wife and the grief-stricken faces of his father, brothers and sisters are all what remains to remind us of the life of a valiant soldier.

Life is indeed going to be tough for these poor people. Infact, when the grief-stricken wife had been taken to a nearby clinic for treatment for a chest pain on the day of the alms giving, she had been asked to join the queue of about 50 people despite the medical authorities being told that she had to go for her own husband’s alms giving in a few hours time.

A family of army personnel

Lance Corporal Priyantha Wijerathne hailed from a family of army personnel. His father joined the army in 1977 at a time when they were given limited access to ammunition. His younger brother Samantha Wijerathne is also in the army. His brother-in-law is also in the army; his cousin is Corporal Upali Senevirathne. Samantha Wijerathne’s wife U.A. Sama has also served in the army as a private.

“My eldest son was my greatest strength. I am an old man and he took on the burden of looking after us all. I wish that my younger son Samantha is brought back closer home, somewhere to Kurunegala,” said his father, retired Staff Sergeant P.H. Wijerathne.

“I remember the 1980s as being the best time in my life. It was a time when I had both my sons close to me. I was the Guard Commander at Army Headquarters and both my sons were sentries under my command,” said the proud father.

“I have to be proud of what my eldest son did. He saved the life of the President’s brother, the high defence authority in this country, the Secretary of Defence. As a soldier, there is no greater pride for me than that, but I miss him in a way that I can never explain..,”said the father, crying uncontrollably.

It is just over seven days after his death. Already their small home, built with money borrowed from all over, is deserted. He was the greatest hero a week ago. Lance Corporal Priyantha Wijerathne had infact been a great hero, having served in the President’s squad and the Defence Secretary’s squad and having been trained in armed combat in India.

Yet today, as the visitors from the village itself are getting sparse, his home is threatening to get as lonely as his grave, just a few yards away from his home. [theSundayLeader.lk]