Wonders with wood

by Shanika Sriyananda

A soldier! What kind of a man comes into your mind 'A tough and rough man in uniforms carrying a deadly T-56. Isn't that it?' Yes, you may be perfectly correct. Who expects a soldier to be a 'human' within a human? But this norm has been disproved by our heroic soldiers who fight a battle which has a human face. No need of more evidence, they have proved it.

The moment you stepped into the Eastern Commander's office at Welikanda, you will be completely lost with its new facelift.

It is really a showpiece which depicts the humanity and the creativity in young men who are in uniforms... It is a showpiece that proves the in-born talents and patience in men who are in iron boots... Above all it bears a testimony to the awareness of the heart beats of another human being though he is trained to be a soldier.

Lance Corporal P. H. Kumarasiri did not know that making a simple wooden rack to keep the Buddha statue was the beginning of a long success story of wooden crafts.

His simple creation was highlighted when the Buddha lamp was lit in the office room of the Commander.

His inborn talents in crafts slowly was blooming with his second 'assignment' - the wooden rack to keep the new television set and the radio. This time his task was different as the raw material was the left-overs of an ammunition box.

With varnish polish strokes, the product gained high marks at the 'quality test' done by the Commander. Step by step the orders for wooden furniture were increased. He made the office table, then the sofa and then the dinner table and ultimately the whole office walls and floors.

The money, nearly Rs. 26 million allocated for the renovation of the office will be used for other construction work at the camp. Each time the Commander saw the two new neatly finished end products his mind got lost in a world of creativity.

In the end, the Commander thought to give the prime task to Kumarasiri to convert his office, a concrete den into a more environment friendly complex. A wooden den. Being a soldier who sees the world differently and eager to do things differently the Commander thought to take a challenge - to refurbish the office with wooden flanks.

They were not just wooden flanks but wooden flanks which has a history. They are the ammunition boxes which were used to store new stocks of ammunition for the Multi Barrel Rocket Launchers.

"What do you think when you are in this room", the mastermind who is behind the unique creation Major General Daya Ratnayake, the Commanding Officer of the 23rd Brigade of the East, questioned me before I could ask him the same question.

After a moment of pin drop silence, I repeated the question. "When I am here I feel peace and tranquillity. not only me, especially the visitors, local and foreign, who come to the office now have a very relaxing time", he said.

The task of completing the room with wooden walls, furniture, doors and floor was set for 15 days. Under the guidance of Prasad Perera the others including Kumarasiri being the main craftsman, Lance Corporal Attanayake H. M. S., Lance corporal Praised W. K. R., completed their task before the due date.

The ammo boxes are used by army soldiers for a long time in their mobile camps and even in Welikanda, the major army camp in the Eastern province, the soldiers use wooden planks on their beds.

A total of 92 ammo boxes were used to complete the refurbishing of the office complex. The soldiers did not take extra leave to complete the task but worked after their duty hours without getting a cent proving that money is not everything. Today they are the proud owners of this unique creation.

"It was in my dreams for some time. With huge amount of ammo boxes I thought to explore the in-born talents of our soldiers. So this is a dream which exclusively came to reality", said Maj. Gen. Ratnayake.

When visitors appreciate and look around with amazement, this master of wood craft Maj. Gen. Ratnayake with his ever smiling face, enjoys the joy of a job well done.

"My aim in life is to do things differently. When we do things in different ways the soldiers will follow us and learn from us. In this endeavour even the views of soldiers in lower ranks were taken into account. This is a joint effort", he said.

shanika@sundayobserver.lk