Dr Sarath Obeysekera

After Minister Athulathmudali got hurt in the parliament where a bomb  was planted by JVP , J R Jayawardane was concerned about the safety of the ministers in the cabinet.Meetings of the cabinet was held in the current office of the Foreign Ministry , and I was invited during my tenure  to inspect the cabinet office and advise on bullet proofing all windows and the floor .

Then secretary to the cabinet of ministers who refused to take even hamper gave the order to carry out bullet proofing by installing bullet proof glasses on all windows ( even the ones facing of the CID as their was a suspicion that conspiracy may be hatched within the forces

I am not sure whether 8 mm thick hardened steel plates are still protecting the floors of the cabinet room today ,By that time minister Montague Jayawickrama has imported a Land Rover and I was requested to making it  bullet proof by installing hardened steel on floor board ,boot and bonnet and windscreens and door glasses which were replaced with bullet proof glasses

That is how the leaders of the country wanted to save money ,rather than ordering  expensive tailor  made vehicles spending colossal amount on money

This same vehicle would have saved the president R Premadasa ,who traveled in the same land rover on that fateful day with Babu ,if he did not get down to waving a white handkerchief.

I was in the May day rally with my staff of the corporation where I was the chairman ,and I saw the President driving passing the parade near the current Dimo office and same land Rover with Mohideen sitting in a combat attire  ,in the front seat and President sitting in the back seat observing all the cheering supporters .

I told my colleague that he will be safe as long as he stays  inside  that vehicle   To his query I replied that I made the  Land Rover bullet proof !

It was unfortunate that he got down from the car where Babu was waiting with a bicycle to blow him off

With above story I want to emphasize the fact that a bullet proof vehicle of 600 million of 10 million will not save any leader when the time comes

Dr Sarath Obeysekera