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Signing of Indo -Sri Lanka Peace Accord (Pic:Sundayobserver.lk)
Rukshan Jayawardena, one of the Grandsons of former President J.R. Jayawardena reveals that he and his father Ravi Jayawardena strongly opposed the signing of the Indo-Lanka agreement.
Rukshan Jayawardena, in an interview with the Mawbima news paper has said, he and his father objected the Indo-Lanka agreement and also communicated their objection to the then President Jayawardena.
Jaywardena’s grand son has revealed that, after objecting, he and his father Ravi Jayawardena also avoided taking part in the signing ceremony of the agreement.
They have been invited to take part in the signing of the Indo-Lanka agreement as family members of the President of the country.
According him, President Jayawardena after learning their objection has told the duo, the country has to go ahead with the agreement at that point as there was no other option.
In the meantime, Rukshan Jayawadena has told the Mawbima paper that even though at one time he had an interest to enter politics, he dropped the idea, because he is disgusted with the present political culture of the country.
Rukshan Jayawardena’s Father Ravi Jayawardena was the founder of the Special Task Force.
J.R. Jayawardena was the first executive President of the country and ruled the nation for two consecutive terms.
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Well its too late now. Your grandfather did not have the guts to stand up to the bully. The only hero was the navy guy who hit Gandhi with the rifle butt.
Rukshan: You probably already know that your grandfather did not have a choice…
Following is an extraction from the book titled ‘Tigers of Lanka: From Boys to Guerrillas” by the Indian journalist M. R. Narayan Swamy ISBN 81-220-0386-9:
“Although the June 4 air drop was portrayed as a hastily devised response to the Sri Lankan blockade of the Indian relief flotilla, it was not so. The military Intelligence (MI) had thought of it well in advance as a contingency. A day before the drop, the MI –which had got sucked into Sri Lankan affairs in 1986-was ready with a map of Colombo marked with offices and residences of President Jayawardena, Prime Minister Premadasa, Athulathmudali, Joint Operations Command (JOC) chief Nalin Seneviratne, Sri Lankan Police chief Ernest Perera and three service chiefs… The grandiose plan was to seize all the VIPs-including the president and prime minister-if the Indian planes were shot down by the Sri Lankans.
“The MI also found out the strength of all police stations and military garrisons in and around Colombo and location of open grounds where Indian troops could be conveniently paradropped or landed to carry out the blitzkrieg. These included the St Peters College ground, the sports ministry playground, the SSC cricket ground, the CCC playground, the Galle Face green, the Campbell Park, the St Joseph’s College ground, the Zahira College ground, the St. Benedicts College ground and the Sugathadasa stadium.”
Your grandfather signed the Indo-Lanka Agreement to save Sri Lanka from an Indian invasion.