First citizen salutes fallen heroes

The mourning crowds at the funerals of two soldiers killed in action in Muhamale were taken by surprise when President Mahinda Rajapaksa visited them at Navagattegama and Sangappaliya to pay his last respects to the two heroes yesterday.
Residents who flocked around the President appealed him not to make such risky visits and to continue his effort to protect the country from terrorists.

Late soldier Nandasiri’s mother told the President that her late son had two dreams, one to save the country from the terrorists and the other to build a decent house for the family. Having observed the partly built house, the President told her, “I will get his two dreams realised without fail”. Nandasiri’s grief stricken mother heaved a sigh of relief and told the President that there were two other sons serving the security forces.

Overwhelming crowds, while following the President to his helicopter told him that there were over 115 youth of the village serving the army. When they explained their grievances, President Rajapaksa gave a directive to parliamentarian Dallus Alahapperuma to instruct CEB officials to take immediate action to provide electricity to the village.

President Rajapaksa while consoling with several grieving mothers who lost their sons in the fighting told them that the entire nation would remember their sons forever, and thanked the mothers for giving birth to such heroes who sacrificed themselves for a noble cause, to save the country and the people.