Dilrook Kannangara

Victory has many fathers but defeat is an orphan! So goes the war victory claims by many even those remotely associated with the war. Strangely those who believed the LTTE problem had a political solution are also claiming credit for war victory! Under Chandrika’s feeble leadership, Sri Lanka lost most battles costing men, machines, land and morale. While using war to enhance her political fortunes, she used the services of her minister Mangala Samaraweera to disrupt the war effort through political solutions and the White Lotus Movement.

In her early political life she and her actor turned politician husband Vijaya Kumaranatunga (later changed to Kumaratunga) strongly advocated surrendering Sri Lankan interests to Tamil tigers as they made videos to prove that the Sri Lankan security forces were incapable of winning the war. When the IPKF landed in the island, they were the only political party to support the Indo-Lanka Accord and 13A. Her fortunes changed when LTTE killed Denzel, Lalith, Premadasa and Gamini in rapid succession. If not for the LTTE, she would be unknown to most.

When she assumed office large military bases including Thalladi, Elephant Pass and Mulaitivu were under army control. These were defended with valuable sacrifices of Hasalaka Gamini and the like. However, when she left office these had fallen. They all fell under her supervision when her cousin General Anuruddha Ratwatte was the Deputy Defence Minister. The fall of Elephant Pass (2000) is the worst military debacle of Sri Lanka and the region.

The fall of Mulaitivu camp (1996) was a turning point in the war.

After winning Operation Riviresa (1995), Colonel Anuruddha Ratwatte was promoted to the rank of General. On May 30, 1996 he married Ramani Kanageswaran, the wife of a popular Tamil legal luminary. She had two children, Shivan and Radhika from her previous marriage. Their honeymoon and marital bliss extended for initial months but after the marriage of her two children, the marriage was on the rocks and ended in dissolution in 2006. During the initial weeks of happiness, Ratwatte took time off his busy schedule and attended to his marital duties. LTTE struck at the most opportune time. On July 19 the Mulaitivu camp fell killing 1,200 soldiers. They were not given instructions to attack. The air force and the navy were not sent in offensive missions to eliminate Tamil Tigers.

To cover up the debacle, Chandrika administration launched Operation Sathjaya which later graduated to Operation Jayasikurui. Both failed to kill sufficient number of terrorists to weaken the LTTE to the point of surrender. In fact the operation was reversed causing the fall of previously held army camps too!

It is absurd for Chandrika to claim any credit for war victory.

By 2000 Sri Lankan military had lost all territory it won after 1995. April 2000 fall of Elephant Pass camp was the worst military debacle of South Asia. Defeated, Chandrika sought to pass her political package as a solution to the problem. Chandrika also allowed the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) to be signed under her watch which is termed the greatest betrayal of modern times.

Chandrika is not worth the lives of soldiers who sacrificed their lives in December 1999 to protect her. Continuation of her involvement in Sri Lankan affairs poses a grave and existential threat to Sri Lanka, peace and to the Sinhala community. Its time she retired from politics retaining what little is left of her family dignity.