The Special Report

18th June 2000

Wattala horror: the agony of the innocents

• Terror takes him before tea
• Yellow pages turn black for Razeena
• Was Medis made to do it?

Terror takes him before tea

By Shelani de Silva

Forty one year old S. D. Sydney's day is spent sitting next to the Buddha statue at Wattala market junction, not with a begging bowl but in hope of seeing a lorry loaded with coconuts stopping by, to earn his daily bread.

It was the same routine on Wednesday for Sydney except that he was the victim of a bomb targeted at a bus that was carrying about 40 Air Force personnel.

Sydney was loved by drivers of vehicles transporting goods to and from Colombo. He helped unload the goods while on better days he was taken to coconut estates to husk coconuts. All this was done for a mere 200 rupees — barely adequate to feed his wife and four children.

On Wednesday, Sydney who was at his usual spot around 7.30 am was anxiously waiting for lorries that would take him. But unlike other days the lorries were delayed. A freind from the other side of the road signalled him to join for a cup of tea. Sydney responded positively to the call. He never knew it was a call to death. As he was getting ready to cross the road, the bomb exploded.

With blood pouring out from his body, Sydney was rushed to the National Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

Sydney's wife, Lalitha Padmini, an employee of a garment factory, got a message to come home as her son was sick. 

"I did not believe this story because my son was fine when I left home in the morning. I was taken to my in-law's home where I was told my husband was dead. I just could not believe it and then I went to the mortuary where my worst fears were realised," she said.

"It is a hand-to-mouth existence for us. We are innocent, we don't harm any person, but my husband had to sacrifice his life. What I am sad about is that I was not able to take my husband's body to our house as we live in a hut," she wailed.

Yellow pages turn black for Razeena

By Rochelle Jansen

On Wednesday, after giving her baby the morning feed as usual, Razeena was dropped at the top of the road by her husband Ishan Buhar so that she could board a bus to work. 

Ishan proceeded in the opposite direction to his work place. Before he left he casually asked her the time. It was 8.20. a.m.

That was the last time he saw his wife alive. 

When he dropped her at the bus halt he never thought that he would have to take home a dead mother to his six-month-old daughter.

When Naadhira came into the world her parents welcomed her into their lives with joy and all the love they could give. The couple had planned to have only one child and organised their lives so that this child could have a comfortable life. Another goal of theirs was to own a house this year. The bank loan was to be finalised at the end of this month. 

In 1993 Ishan had met the girl of his dreams at a bus halt. On January 9, 1995 they were married, with their parents' blessing.

Six months ago their joy overflowed when their baby was born. When her three months of maternity leave were over her employers at Yellow Pages had granted her an extra hour to feed her baby before she came to work. As a result she had to miss her van in the mornings and was compelled to take a bus to work.

When innocent civilians leave home in the mornings they are not sure if they would come home alive or in a coffin. Should one bid a final good-bye to one's loved ones before leaving home and prepare oneself to not see one's loved ones alive again? Even to go to the nearest boutique to buy something may present a terrifying prospect. Is it pointless to plan a future and work towards a goal like the Buhar's did? Do we live in fear? A fear born from knowing whether the next victim could be the one we love. 

While peace is being sought on a large scale, with negotiations and warfare, the situation does little to avert human suffering. 

The foundation of society is the nuclear family. Today we have families being torn apart, children growing up with no experience of a healthy family life, fear, trauma, anger, suffering, eating at the core of every household. When does the suffering end? When will the people be free to truly live again? The very foundation of our nation is being shaken.

"It's God's will, but the pain is too much to bear" says Ishan. 

He tries hard to keep the tears from welling over. It takes a lot to make a man cry.

Was Medis made to do it?

By Nilika de Silva 

Neighbours at Koralawella dismissed all doubts that Medis who died in the bomb explosion in Wattala last Wednesday had any terrorist connections. 

"They are all lies," they said speaking in unison. These furniture salesmen who sold their wares like Medis, were still in shock at what had happened. Three days after the bomb explosion which claimed one of their friends, they had still not got back to work. 

Medis' three children aged 15, 14 and 7 were being looked after by the neighbours, while their mother was away being questioned in police custody. 

"He was a very good man, we never even heard him raise his voice," said Enid Peiris, living in the house next door.

However, undergoing grave financial difficulties, Medis had even been forced to mortgage his house and rent a section of it, they said. 

On the day before this dismal incident Medis had had to break his child's till to find his bus fare. However his family and friends would never have thought that this day would be so fateful. 

But it was a terrible shock to Medis' two daughters and son when they were brought home early from school with the tragic news that their father had been killed in a bomb explosion. 

Pushpakumara and Sumith Jayalath were two who engaged in selling furniture, and kept company with Medis. 

"He was like one of us, we used to share all our joys and sorrows," Pushpakumara said. "Even if one of us had a bad day and could not sell much furniture, we would help each other." 

The furniture traders were worried that this negative publicity following the bomb explosion, would create a problem for them. "Often we have to leave our loads at a house and return home. We are worried that now people will start distrusting us, and refuse to help us because we are from Koralawella," they said. 

"I can never believe that he would have had anything to do with this explosion," Grama Niladhari Upul P. Fernando told The Sunday Times on Friday. 

"I have known him for the past six years and I have never had any complaints against him," Mr. Fernando said. This is bad, because now the terrorists can use it as propaganda saying there are not only Tamil terrorists but there are also Sinhala terrorists, he added. 

Editorial/ Opinion Contents