When will Prabhakaran understand human sorrow?

By Shanika Sriyananda

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The last journey...

Students of D.S. Senanayake College hold a banner at the cemetery Pix by Ranjith Jayaweera and Sudath Silva

Rajarathnem Radeeswaran

M. Wasantha faints ... murmurs ...cries and looks at the main door. She does not care about flashing cameras or microphones and journalists or TV crews, who time to time try to get her views. She is in the news. Her son who was her pet has made her prominent at the cost of his life.

Still unable to believe that her son is no more, she waits untill he comes running asking for his favourite dish which he did not eat that Friday, the day he worshipped and hugged her last.

Wasantha's 17-year-old son Rajarathnem Radeeswaran did not know any difference between Sinhalese and Tamils but knew that both were having red blood. Being the only Tamil member of the D.S. Senanayake baseball team he knew the warmth of friendship but not the enmity.

On that fateful day, this sportsman who brought to the family many hopes of a better future, breath his last when a suicide female bomber blew herself in front of him and his base ball buddies, at the Colombo railway station last Sunday. Proving that there are no differences between humanity, Radeeswaran played together with the Sinhala dominated base ball team of the school while so-called saviours of his own nationality blast bombs, attacking innocent children and also using children younger to him as human shields and soldiers in a desperate attempt to fence a piece of land in this country.

The LTTE terrorists, yes of course, do not care for their own people, whom they claim that the outfit is taking care of. Radeeswaran's family which mourns with their Sinhalese friends poses a question where the whole conflict will take a new dimension if the LTTE Leader Vellupillai Prabakaran can understand.

"Why are we fighting and for what? We can live together with Sinhala people", that is the question that, Radeeswaran's father poses. Who can answer his question which is asked by many who lost their parents, children, relatives and friends. The unanswered question for many decades, we know lies, somewhere in Wanni.The innocent young base ball players, who played without cast, race or creed.

The seven of the base ball players and their talented young coach who travelled in the same deadly train to Colombo from Kandy after a club match did not smell the danger. Each and everyone had their own dreams about a bright future. Apart from excelling in baseball they had dreams to do their higher studies abroad. Some wanted to be doctors but all of them wanted to continue their sports.

Radeeswaran, whose brothers had passed exams well, wanted to get through maths which he failed last time to pursue higher studies. Eranga Chathuranga whose parents are abroad to make the lives of their two children more comfortable had thought to study well.

Kolitha Mahamudalige was planning to study in the Commerce stream. Sajan Thevarapperuma who was a gifted sportsman in swimming and basketball always wanted to be a doctor to follow his parents. Dinuth who lost her mother three-years ago, had a dream of becoming a pilot.

Thivanka Tisera had plans to do higher studies abroad next year. Supun Halalla a good sportsman was studying hard to get through the Advanced Level Examination.

And their coach Malinda Aramadura had hopes to bring the college base ball team to the next level, and achive more as a newly married husband and a happy and proud father of a one year old daughter Risindi.But... but... they are no more and also their dreams. The D.S. Senanayake College still cannot mend the irreparable loss to their team which the dreadful sucide attack snatched away six team players and their coach.

Mothers, fathers and all who love them and also others whose lives were blown into pieces that fateful Sunday will cry... will mourn and will curse until this bloody thirst ends.There can not be any exception to tear drops gushing from Radeeswarns-mother's eyes and the mother's of others.

"Inda thukkattai vera enda thaikkum kodukka vendem" (Do not give this sorrow to any mother) Wasanthi cries.

"Ane me duka katawath denna epa" (Please do not give this agony to any mother) mourns Kolitha's mother.

No cast or creed for sorrow. All want to stop the killing of innocent children who want to bloom.

Wasanthi, who refuses to eat meals since she heard the most nightmaric news in her life, still waits to share Radeeswaran's lunch which he refused to eat last Friday as he was in a hurry to go on his last journey.

Radeeswaran's father, and his two brothers know that he is no more and he sacrificed his life for a dream that will never come true. So their one and only hope and wish is to see that this blood shedding will come to an end and Radeeswaran, his buddies and others who were killed will be the last.