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Ravi J. cremated with full police honours
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Final salute to Ravi Jayewardene
Capt.Ravi Jayewardene, son of former President, J.R. Jayewardene, was cremated with full Police honours amidst a distinguished gathering of mourners at the General Cemetery, Borella on Thursday. Mr Jayewardene passed away on Monday at the age of 80.
The bier carrying Mr Jayewardene’s casket, draped in the flag of the Special Task Force (STF) of the Sri Lanka Police, was borne by its members, who also accorded him a three-volley salute by an STF rifle party. Mr. Jayewardene was instrumental in setting up the crack unit of the Police in the early 1980s.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa were among those present to bid farewell to Ravi Jayewardene.
Mr Jayewardene was a notable marksman who represented Sri Lanka at the Olympic Games. He also worked as a pilot for Air Ceylon and served as an adviser on security matters to his father President J.R. Jayewardene.
President Maithripala Sirisena in a condolence message, praised Mr Jayewardene for his unassuming nature and who was not one who sought privilege by way of the high office his father held.
“Even though his father, President J.R. Jayewardene held unlimited executive powers, Ravi interacted with the public strictly as another member of civil society. When the accelerated Mahaweli Development project was under way, he played a pivotal role unbeknown to the general public,” the President said in his message.
He said that, at a time when many are greedy for unlimited power, Ravi Jayewardene led a life of simplicity and humbleness that was his path to salvation.
Pall bearer's: Ravi Jayewardene's sons and grandsons
The STF hands over the funeral citation to Penny Jayewardene
| Full credit should go to Ravi for setting up the STF– Gotabaya Former Defence Secretary Col. Gotabaya Rajapaksa paid a handsome tribute to former National Security Advisor Capt. Ravi Jayewardene saying that, “Full credit must go to him for setting up such a professional para-military Special Task force (STF) and that, he was a ‘great gentleman’ who shunned publicity, despite all the work he did. In a text message to the Sunday Times from Singapore, where he is currently participating in a Defence seminar, Col. Rajapaksa said, “Capt. Jayewardene was instrumental in forming the STF, which was a very professional force and did many successful operations, especially in the East. Full credit should go to Ravi.” “Capt. Jayewardene, as National Security Advisor to his father, President J.R. Jayewardene, in the 1980s, took a keen interest in protecting the villages that faced the brunt of the LTTE attacks, particularly at Padaviya.” “Ravi helped form the ‘Grama Arakshaka’ defence scheme that organised the villagers to protect themselves from LTTE attacks, which I later transformed into the Civil Defence Force.” “Though he was very active in these activities, he did not expect any publicity. He was a great gentleman,” stated Col. Rajapaksa. |