V.Anandasangaree   Secretary General -TULF

The Tamil United Liberation Front, very strongly condemns the attempted assassination of the High Court Judge, Justice. M. Ilanchezhiyan   and also expresses its deepest sympathies to the family of Police Sub Inspector Ranawattege Herath   Premachandra, in deep sorrow and prays for the early recovery  of the Police officer who got injured in the shooting incident.

We are not aware whether this incident was premeditated or accidental but the fact remains that shots were fired at random, some of which were also aimed at the Judge. What is appreciable in this incident is the gesture displayed by the two Sinhala  Police officers, both of whom knowing very well what was in store for them, promptly got down from the vehicle, to give protection to a Tamil Judge.

In an incident of this nature an average person would have got panicked and disappeared from the scene to protect himself, but here is a man who had the courage to wait on the spot, facing grave risk, to take the two injured security officers to the hospital. What happened to the two officers is certainly beyond the control of the Judge, but what is admirable is the conduct of the judge.

Although the incident took place quit unexpectedly and for no fault of his, like a child, he wept repeatedly saying that the officer had sacrificed his life to save him. Furthermore the way he expressed his sympathy to the  grieving wife of the deceased officer, when she arrived to see her husband’s body, shocked everyone. The rare gesture displayed by him, putting aside, his prestige, earned the admiration of several millions of Sri Lankans, irrespective of their ethnicity. Justice M. Ilanchezhiyan had proved that he is not only a fair Judge but also his Judgments are always fair.

In fairness to him I should say that credit should go to him for averting any possible unpleasant incidents, about which I should not say anything, but in spite of this tragic situation he had not left any room for any loose talks, but only for admiration of the people for the manner he conducted himself. He deserves commendation for bringing all ethnic groups much closer than they were before.

The demonstrations and protest by the Judges, Lawyers, University Students and the Tamil public although for different purposes,  very clearly show the world that although we belong to different ethnic groups, we are all one and will not tolerate injustice to one another.

V.Anandasangaree   Secretary General -TULF