7th November 1999

Desperate hours

• Living death for families of soldiers
• Tears will become a massive tide
• They came with saline bottles in their hands
• His luck finally ran out

Living death for families of soldiers

By Christopher Kamalendran, Faraza Farook and Nilika de Silva

Desperate family members of service personnel dead, wounded or missing in this week's intense battles in Oddusuddan, Periyamadu and Nedunkerni were thronging to military information centres and hospitals to find out what has happened to their loved ones.

Special desks were set up at the Army Headquarters and camps at Panagoda, Anuradhapura and Trincomalee to provide information about the troops to the frantic family members.

In addition to these centres, army and navy camps at Irattaperiyakulam and Anuradhapura Gajabapura also saw hundreds of family members who were seeking some kind of information about their loved ones.

Judging by the sorrow written on their faces, one could spot them easily at the Anuradhapura bus stand. Yes, they are the family members of those soldiers who are fighting for the territorial integrity of the country.

They were everywhere at the Anuradhapura bus stand. Some of them were going to the camps while others were returning from the camps and waiting for the bus to take them to the Anuradhapura hospital — described as the premier war hospital — where a number of war wounded are being treated.

Some were Colombo-bound. They were going to the National Hospital having informed by the Anuradhapura hospital that the patient had been transferred to Colombo.

Outside the National Hospital in Colombo, anxious family members were waiting till the gates were open for visitors to know the fate of their brother, husband or son.

The National Hospital which had accommodated 130 service personnel until Friday morning has displayed the list of names of those admitted to the hospital at the entrance to the Accident Service.

Hospital Deputy Director Dr. Rani Fernando said the hospital was geared to attend to any emergency as it had handled crisis situations worse than this earlier.

To accommodate the new casualties from the battlefront, some 'relatively healthy' patients were asked to give their beds and were transferred to other wards.

Family members of soldiers standing outside the hospital gates were not here for the first time.

Their men folk having been injured in military operations before, they were resigned to the realities of war. But this did not erase the tension from their faces.

"He is my only brother," said a sobbing Sumithra Herath from Anuradhapura, referring to her soldier brother. Standing at the entrance to the hospital, Sumithra said she did not know how serious her brother's condition was.

The news that her 20-year-old brother was one of those transferred from the Anuradhapura Hospital came as some relief to her.

She learnt on Thursday that her brother was wounded in the Periyamadu attack. "This is the fourth time my husband was injured on the battlefield," said 24-year-old Chandrakanthi.

On information received from the Anuradhapura Hospital, she had travelled from Gampola with her three-year-old son. Stroking her son's head fondly, Chandrakanthi said her husband was determined to serve the country, though she had told him to quit the forces and find an alternative employment.

Patriotism and determination seen in Chandrakanthi's husband are also evident in W.G. Siril, a father of two boys and two girls.

He had come to see his son who was wounded at the Nedunkerni battle. Critical of the tactical withdrawal of the troops from some of the camps under attack, he said he was ready to join the forces even at this old age and added that he would encourage his other son also to join the army.

R. M. Tennakoon from Kobbegama, Kuliyapitiya had come to see his injured friend. He said this was the second time his friend had suffered injuries in war. "My friend, just 24 years old, is a father of an eight months old baby.

I don't think, he would quit the forces and opt for another job," he said. Heavy vehicle driver J. Ariyasena from Galle had come to know his son had been wounded through a friend of his son.

But he did not know where his son was. He had come to the National Hospital make inquiries about his son's whereabouts.

The case of P. Gunawathie from Maharagama was no different. She said she was also going from hospital to hospital to trace the whereabouts of her son, who was the sole breadwinner of the family.

A few voluntary organisations were also seen at the hospital, distributing bags containing toothpaste, tooth brush, slippers, soap etc. The mood in the hospital, outside it, and perhaps in the country in the wake of the current turn of events in the battlefield has cast a pall of gloom over the election atmosphere.

Apart from the impact on the elections, the loss of territory — whether it is tactical withdrawal or not — was seen many as a major setback to the military.

"It is unfortunate that there are casualties when territory is captured and when it is lost," P.L Siripala, the parent of another wounded soldier said.

Tears will become a massive tide

The Association of Disabled Ex-Service Personnel has condemned what they called the sacrifice of young men in the battle front for what appears to be for narrow political reasons.

The text of the statement follows, 'Thousands of our brave soldiers have died in the course of intensive fighting with the LTTE in the last few days. Many of them have also become permanently disabled.

We wish to offer our condolences to the families who have lost their sons and loved ones in Oddusuddan and Nedunkerni.

We wish a speedy recovery to those who have been injured. "We note with distress that the political leaders of our country are failing to admit the truth of the disaster that has overtaken the Army in the north. Worse still, they are not even expressing their sorrow, perhaps for opportunistic reasons," the statement said.

'Thousands of parents and wives are in the terrible situation of not knowing what has happened to their loves ones. Successive governments have been guilty of this contemptible failing.

' As an organisation of disabled veterans of the war with branches in 20 districts, we have decided to issue this media statement to register our strong protest and concern regarding the prevailing situation', the statement added. "We condemn the sacrifice of our young men for what appears to be narrow political reasons.

All the political parties should come to a common platform on this matter.

"Instead of campaigning to win elections at this time of national tragedy, our political leaders should be getting together to find a consensus way to end this wasteful war.

If not, the tears of the families of those sacrificed in the war, will turn into a massive tide of anger against every politician," the statement said.

They came with saline bottles in their hands

By Hiranthi Fernando

During the terrorist attack on the Forward Defence Lines at Oddusuddan and Nedunkerni, even the field hospital at Kanakara–yakulam was shelled by artillery fire.

A large number of soldiers wounded in the battle were being treated at the field hospital when it came under attack on November 3.

The chopper which was ready and waiting to evacuate the wounded, was not able to land at Kanakarayakulam. The wounded had to be transported by road to Vavuniya and airlifted from there to Anuradhapura.

Wounded soldiers from Oddusuddan and Nedunkerni Forward Defence Lines were brought to the Victory Hospital in Anuradhapura for treatment.

Before they were sent, they were given the necessary first aid or emergency treatment at the field hospital at Kanakarayakulam.

Blood needed for emergency cases was sent from Anuradhapura to the field hospital.

The Commanding Officer and staff at the Military Hospital were in constant touch with the field hospital monitoring the situation.

On arrival at the Military Hospital, a team of doctors, nurses and other staff rushed to their aid. A batch of soldiers with relatively minor injuries evacuated from Kanakarayakulam, came to the Military Hospital, carrying their saline bottles in their hands, diagnosis cards attached to their wrists. Some were in much pain while others were exhausted from their ordeals.

The hospital staff examined the diagnosis cards and tagged each, classifying them according to the severity of their injuries.

A team of about 10 doctors, several nurses and other staff were ready with stretchers and wheelchairs to receive the wounded.

They were examined by the doctors and the necessary treatment ordered.

The soldiers were given clean sarongs and shirts and served a good meal.

The hospital staff worked with dedication to minister to their needs and make them comfortable.

Patients needing surgery were admitted to the surgical wards until they were taken into the theatre. They are kept under observation after their wounds have been attended to. When they are stabilised, they are transferred to Colombo.

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His luck finally ran out

A twenty-five year old sergeant of the Sri Lanka infantry, G.K. Gunaratne, was killed last week during Operation Watershed at Olumadu, his body pierced by a single bullet.

Young Gunaratne survived eight operations against the LTTE but the ninth proved that destiny was not willing to get off his track.

Having participated at Operations Jayamaga, Sep Passage, Rana Gosa I, Rana Gosa II, Rana Gosa III, Rana Gosa IV, Rana Gosa V, Sathjaya, Greenbelt, Viduli Pahara, Jaya Sikuru and Rivi Bala.

Gunaratne who held sacred the family bonds, built a home for his family and attended his brother's wedding just one week before he was killed in battle. His mother, K.L. Somawathie, tears pouring down her face said that her youngest son had looked after the whole family. "He gave his sister in marriage, bought a motorbike for his brother, built this house for us to live in, and only last month he gave my other son in marriage, and now he's gone," she wept.

His last words to me were that he would furnish the new house, and he specially told me that he would bring me a cooker which does not work on kerosene, a gas cooker.

His elder brother Yasawantha who had himself been stationed at the Palaly police station in Jaffna had been transferred to Colombo only last month.

"It is of his bravery that they all speak," Gunaratne's younger sister Indrani said.

"Although my brother said he would come home for our father's almsgiving on the 26th, I knew that things were bad, because our neighbour who had come home on leave was called back. Since his leave was cancelled, I was doubtful if my brother would be allowed the leave he had applied for. And then we got the shocking news, Indrani said.

Udesh Priyankara, Gunaratne's eight-year-old nephew is still watching the road waiting for his uncle to come.

"My son Udesh's life is the same length as my brother's service in the Army. My brother joined the forces in 1992," G.K. Upali said..

Reflections

Editorial/ Opinion Contents