RANJITH SOYSA

The terrorist war, which was launched in the 1970s to create a separate state, was ruthless and created political and economic instability. Sri Lankan governments during this period were pushed and sometimes forced by internal and external forces to talk ‘peace’ with the terrorist faction. The terrorists made use of the peace initiatives and strengthened their forces by procuring arms, recruiting personnel and exploding bombs in the city centres and massacring civilians

But Sri Lankan forces who were determined to defeat the terrorist group continued to exert pressure on the enemy with unparalleled heroism in 90s and in the beginning of the 21^st century. Sri Lankan political leadership of Mahinda Rajapaksa too was determined to get rid of the ferocious enemy and with the then Secretary of Defence, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, senior officers of the Army. the Navy and the Airforce planned a full-scale operation to wipe out the enemy. From Mavil Aru to the Northwest and thrust to the East and final surge to the North was planned systematically while the men in the uniform marched ahead despite some of their fighting comrades were fatally wounded or injured by the bullets fired by the terrorists

While the LTTE killed many Tamil political leaders, they also took with them more than 25,000 Tamil civilians by force as cannon fodder when they were marching towards the East. They were finally liberated by the Sri Lankan armed forces after the last remaining terrorists were vanquished. Many thousands of Tamil children were recruited as child soldiers depriving them of their innocent childhood. Some were trained as suicide bombers. Many of them were killed in the battles while the remaining ones were rehabilitated by the Sri Lanka government.

When the situation changed for the better after 18^th May 2006 one of the darkest chapters of Sri Lankan history was ended by the war heroes of the Army. the Navy and the Air Force of Sri Lanka who were assisted by the Police, and the members of the civil defence force.

Finally, around 7000 members of the armed forces sacrificed their lives while nearly 30.000 members were injured. The nation should be ever grateful to these war heroes who survived and liberated the land and others who were killed and also injured  fighting for the land. Let us all salute our heroes.

RANJITH SOYSA