A great warrior and gentleman

Eighteen years have passed since that fateful day, August 8, 1992, when a LTTE laid landmine explosion at Araly point in Jaffna peninsula, took the lives of Maj. Gen. Vijaya Wimalaratne, Lieutenant General Denzil Kobbekaduwa, Northern Naval Commander Vice Admiral Mohan Jayamaha and six other gallant officers with the only survivor being Major General Vijaya Wimalaratne’s buddy Sergeant Major Upali who lost both his legs. He is presently a Provincial Councillor of the North Central Provincial Council.

The war against the LTTE terrorist took 17 long years, until the determined President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his able and capable brother Defence Secretary, Col. Gotabaya Rajapaksa guided and directed Commanders of the Army, Navy and the Air Force who fearlessly led their officers and soldiers to wipe out the LTTE terrorists and liberate the motherland from the claws of terrorism.

During nearly three years long period from the year 2006 to May 2009, in which the Sri Lankan Security Forces unleashed its relentless battle against the LTTE saw the void created by the untimely death of Major General Vijaya Wimalaratne but they were fortune enough to have the guidance of valiant military leaders in the calibre of Colonel Gotabaya Rajapaksa who was groomed as military officials under Major General Wimalaratne.

The lessons learnt from the Vadamarachchi Operation in the year 1987 which almost reached closer to eradicate LTTE terrorism under the guidance of Vijaya Wimalaratne and Denzil Kobbekaduwa, gave a sort of a guidance to the field commanders who fought that battles under him, to direct the final war against the LTTE on the victorious path.

Many of the field commanders who commanded the battle against the LTTE from 2006 to 2009 were proud to be members of the formidable Gajaba Regiment of which Vijaya Wimalaratne was the founder.

He may have proud to see even from the heavens the way Colonel Gotabaya Rajapaksa who himself a member of Gajaba Regiment, direct the Forces commanders and the way the field commanders such as Major Generals Jagath Dias, Udaya Perera, Kamal Gunaratne, Shavendra Silva, Chagie Gallage and many other field commanders who were members of that formidable regiment he formed decades ago commanding the troops on the victorious path.

Today all the military officials very proudly remember the contributions he made to Operation Liberation (The Vadamarachchi Operation) in June 1987, to rescue troops in Jaffna Fort in 1990 and the Operation Balavegaya in 1991.

He was a unique personality, endowed with love, kindness, and sincerity - disciplined with courage, loyalty and devotion. His strength of character, force of personality, clear thinking and dominating ambitions, made himself the “one and only”.

As a military man, Major General Vijaya Wimalaratne was not only a master tactician but a sound and steadfast leader - officers and men alike trusted, followed and revered him. In fact the common soldiers were his “band brothers”- his courage and genius have become legendary and indeed worthy of the sentiment that made him the greatest of the country’s heroes at the time.

At school, at the Royal Primary and then at Royal College where he excelled in studies and sports and showed his leadership skills, as a boxer, ruggerite and hockey player for Royal and also as a member of the cadet platoon.

He was well disciplined as he was moulded in the College hostel and exhibited high standards as always.

He was extremely popular and was the biggest made in the family of nine boys. He had a unique way of looking after the younger siblings and disciplining them where needed. With the family, he truly loved at heart.

One main feature in his character was being benevolent - fellow feeling. His ever readiness to help and assist others was inborn. His all time thought of his relatives - maternal, paternal or in-laws was all alike without discrimination. He was all in all a friend, an associate, protector, educator and law-giver to all.

He married Manel, a girl whom he chose from Matale, one from the famous Wijekoon family. A triple national colours woman who represented Sri Lanka at hockey, netball and athletics and a graduate from the University of Peradeniya. This he did when he was a Lieutenant in the Army - and produced a daughter and son - Nishanthi and Hiran. Both doctors, he would have been a very proud father had he lived to see them obtain their degrees and excel in life.

Hiran was the Head Prefect at Royal College and winner of the most coveted Don Horst Memorial and the Mohamed Macan Marker Memorial prizes. He won public schools and college colours for athletics and captained the team. Today he serves the Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps as a doctor.

Nishanthi serves at the Kalubowila Teaching Hospital. So the service to the nation continues. Manel retired as the Deputy Principal of Royal Primary after thirty long years of service to the nation and guiding many a student at Royal. She is enjoying her retirement with the grandchildren.

He is a legend in the Sri Lanka Army and his illustrious career needs no mention.

His untimely and sad demise is a major loss to the entire family and the country as a whole as he was a loving and a caring husband, father and a brother and a true patriot.