News

The sight of Sujeeva Malkanthi clad in white and offering flowers at the Getambe temple on the last full moon day, brings to mind the legendary Patachara who also lost her entire family and then found solace in the Buddha’s teachings.

Malkanthi lost everything she held dear to her following the claymore mine explosion at Kebetigollewa recently.

Sujeeva Malkanthi of Yakawewa, recalls the horror of that dreadful day when a busload of innocent men women and children were blasted out of this world by a Tiger claymore mine. She was on her way to attend the funeral of a relative at Vavuniya in the company of her husband, parents, child and other relatives.

The blast made her unconscious and when she regained consciousness she learnt that her husband, parents and her only infant child were gone with 37 of her relatives.

She is thankful to state officials, security forces and Red Cross personnel and others who were helpful at the time of the blast and later.

She had settled in a refugee camp soon after the incident and now she with her three sisters and brother are living with relatives, fearing to go back to her former home.

She said that though at the initial stages the state provided for her welfare, no relief is now forthcoming.

The attack in which so many lost everything they held dear has made life not worth living for those who survived as they seem to have no aim in life now.

Malkanthi has put to paper her sad tale of woe and her story has appeared in a local daily.

Her desire to re-start life again with the accent on the dhamma, has caught the eye of a benevolent reader who had made arrangements for her to participate in a religious programme.

The benefactor D.M.M. Dissanayake of Peradeniya has sent her books on the dhamma. On reading them she finds that she has suffered the same fate that befell Patachara.

Malkanthi finds solace in the dhamma and her wish is that all beings do not suffer the fate that befell her only child, husband, parents and immediate relatives.