Army Commander revisits early beginnings

Shanika SRIYANANDA reporting from Mullaithivu

The young Second Lieutenant got his first posting to the 1st battalion of the Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment on June 1, 1971. Since then, each year he rose step by step showing his excellent command in the battle against the LTTE terrorists.

This fearless infantryman, as a young soldier, who blossomed to a war veteran was always single minded and focused.

His one and only dream in his military career was to grind the LTTE into the dust. Northern parts of Sri Lanka were the grounds where he spent most of his life fighting the terrorists in every nook and corner.

Recall the military operations - `Riviresa’, `Balawegaya’, `Jayasikuru’, `Yaldevi’. His bravery and strength as an infantry soldier of the Sinha Regiment brought many victories. Luxurious lifestyles never ever became his way of life. Instead, he spent days, months and years sharing the bunkers with infantrymen, fighting and imaging the means of destroying the terrorists.

His imaginations were never confined to just dreams. He vowed and achieved them all. Knowing every nook and corner of the 30-year-old battlefront, this battle hardened warrior was the first ever foot soldier who became the country’s first serving General.

It was exactly a month after he led his troops to sweep out the LTTE and its leadership totally, that General Sarath Fonseka, Commander of the Army visited the Battalion where he was `born and bred’.

It was last June 19, that the soldiers of the 1st Battalion of the Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment honoured Gen. Sarath Fonseka saluting him for the service he rendered to destroy terrorism in the country.

“Visited Mullaitivu after capturing by the Army after 13-years to meet my old Regiment. Pleased about the way the Battalion fought during the Eelam war. All the best to the CO all others”, he wrote in the visitor’s book.

A month after the D-Day that troops killed the world’s most ruthless leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran, hiding in the Nandikadal Lagoon, the Army Commander visited Mullaitivu to pay tribute for the contribution made by the soldiers of the 53, 55 and 59 divisions to achieve the historical victory. The vicinity of Fara III ship at Kariyamullawaikkal where the Sri Lanka Army held the gun salute to announce the end of their military struggle May 20, was decorated with National flags.

“We did have a war to have grand celebrations over our victories. I personally and as the Commander of the Army thank you all for your immense contribution to end terrorism in the country. I do not have words in my dictionary and I also think there are no words in any other language to explain the joy of this victory. This victory I value that much”, Gen. Fonseka said as the National Flags fluttered majestically.

“We all know that this victory was not a cake walk. It was the outcome of lots of sacrifices by the soldiers. It was their blood, sweat, lives and limbs that brought this victory.

You all brought this victory during the past two years and 10 months. The soldiers fought day and night and under all weather conditions with the terrorists. I value this victory by the sacrifices that they have made. As Army soldiers we always can be proud of this victory and no other force has made this much of contribution to the war”, he said.

Gen. Fonseka said that he could be proud as he kept the promise that he would finish the war within three years. “People did not believe us when we set targets. They always tried to criticise us and put the moral of the soldiers down. Today, I am proud that I have accomplished the responsibility given to me by the President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and also the people of this country”, he said.

The Army Commander said that it was a tribute in naming him as the world’s best Army Commander, and he said that this meant that he commanded the world’s best soldiers.

“I am proud to say that Sri Lanka Army is the world’s best Army, comprises of soldiers with high moral and commitment. This is not just a claim but was proved by the complete annihilation of the world’s ruthless terrorist organisation”, Gen. Fonseka said requesting the soldiers not to engage in any activity to discredit the image of the Sri Lanka Army.

Welcoming the Army Commander to the 59 Division, its GOC Brig. Chagie Gallage said that the Army Commander gave the soldiers unparalleled leadership to totally eradicate terrorism.

“Today marked a day precisely, a month after we as an Army eliminated so called ruthless, brutal, self confessed leader or a jackal in tiger clothes and his followers and its three decade or more, developed combat potential which was grounded to mere dust”, he said.

He said that the Army Commander at the beginning of this century, even in the absence of political will, began this march of taking over the challenge of seizing `unseizing waves’ of the LTTE as the Security Forces Commander Jaffna.

“Today, as you always said, you had not left the war in the hands of another, or for a future Army to drag on. However, I am sure this victory is not a `bolt from the blues’ for you or a nightmare”, Brig, Gallage said adding that he moulded his men, the infantry, to get to where specialized forces were standing and then he assured elite Commandos and Special Forces to get the heights, in order to achieve the strategic requirements in the field of operations.

Pix: Rukmal Gamage