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The Heroes who didn’t come back
By Major Dilantha Segera SLE (Retd)
Today, the October 17th, marks the 28th Anniversary of Kotelawala Defence University Intake XI. Exactly twenty eight years ago, when the separatist war was at its worst form, eighty five young men in their very early twenties walked through the prestigious gates of Kandawala Estate with high aspirations to get trained and commissioned as Officers in the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. The Late Sir John’s hallowed abode, made room for the creation of many lifelong comradeships among this group of brave men. The same reason creates the best setting on this day to commemorate and pay tribute to our very own ‘Heroes who didn’t come back’.
Amal Witharana was the first to leave us, just two months after our convocation. He paid the supreme sacrifice whilst serving on board Naval Fast Attack Craft P482 off seas of Pulmoddai in Eastern Sri Lanka. A very loving and affectionate brother officer who displayed great human qualities in all aspects. The good and talented cricketer inside Amal, prompted him to exercise true sportsmanship behaviour even at most enduring times during our training period. He belonged to the very few disciplined and innocent ones who never dared to break the strict rules of the Academy. He would always advise the mischievous to stay out of trouble. As in the service life, Amal had been a tender and caring son, brother and a fiancé in his personal life too.
Gopura Gunasena took the next turn whilst serving with the 7th Battalion of The Gemunu Watch at Paranthan Forward Defence Line in Northern Sri Lanka. Though shorter in his build, he had a plenty of physical stamina inside that frame. Being the last serial cadet of Bravo Troop, he developed a very strong friendship with his nearest two roommates, Sarath and RMC, as they were bit isolated from the rest due to some architectural limitations of our billet. This trio maintained that bond throughout, with RMC and himself ending up in the same Regiment too. The last communications received from the battle front indicated that Gopura faced death, valiantly.
Sanjaya Wickremasinghe secured the bottom slot in our Intake’s Roll of Honour. He fell while fighting in an extremely heroic manner on board Naval Fast Attack Craft P482 off seas of Mulaitivu. He was affectionately called as ‘Chichibuwa’ among his batchmates due to his tall, dark and bulky frame. A very jovial personality, almost all the ‘Eleveners’ still recall the military humour of Chichibuwa in ‘Improvised Sam Browne’ inside the Academy Mess. Contrary to his looks, he was a very kind hearted gentleman who was loved by his friends.
The last to fall out was Hemaka Seneviratne, rather unfortunately due to COVID-19. An exceptionally talented and qualified Gunner Officer, Hemaka was a good instructor too. He was very popular during our cadet days as he had a very good looking elder sister. A meeting with Hemaka would rarely end up without sitting on an Officers’ Mess bar stool in the evening. Many of us owe a lot to him for all the good times he shared with us. He breathed his last at the Badulla General Hospital after falling victim to the current pandemic whilst serving as a Directing Staff at Officers’ Career Development Centre, Buttala.
Out of the quadruple, only Hemaka was married and he left behind a loving wife and two children. Others died very young, leaving their beloved parents and loved ones in despair. This tribute goes out to those brave Mothers, Fathers, Wives, Children and Siblings of our heroes too. Because, if not for their generosity and patience, Mother Lanka would not have had such heroes.
Dear Comrades-at-Arms, we will remember you at sunrise and sunset in this precious country. Her colours are flying high today not by the force of winds, but by your last valiant breaths only.
Sit Tibi Terra Levis
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
