In the aftermath of Boston explosion:

Dr. Sudarshani Fernandopulle feels the pain

http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2013/04/21/pol03.asp

By Manjula Fernando

Sudarshani Fernandopulle. pix Susantha Wijegunasekera

MP Dr. Sudarshani Fernandopulle, wife of former Cabinet Minister of Highways and Road Development Jeyaraj Fernandopulle speaks of her husband's assassination five years ago in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing by an LTTE suicide cadre which also took place when a marathon was to be flagged off.

Q: News of the Boston Marathon bombing in the US was heard as the fifth anniversary of your husband's death was commemorated. He was assassinated by the LTTE during a marathon in Weliweriya. What was your reaction?

It renewed memories of the incident which occurred five years ago and the pain that we underwent at that time. There were many similarities-it was a sports event, the people who got killed were unarmed civilians including children and sportsmen. It highlighted the fact that terrorism could take place in any country, influential or otherwise. Terrorists have no regard or value for human life. I sympathise with the victims and their relatives. I feel the pain they are going through.

In the suicide attack where my husband was killed, some victims are permanently disabled and live a useless life to-date. Terrorism wherever it happens has to be condemned. It has to be nipped in the bud before its too late.

Q: In your view do the two incidents, though thousands of miles apart hold similarities?

They do. My husband was killed during a marathon event, organised as part of avurudu festivities. It was not a political event. There were school children taking part, one of Sri Lanka's ace marathon runners of Olympic fame Karunaratne and the national marathon coach were among the 15 who died in the tragedy.

The Boston event is a popular national event in the USA. The only difference was that in Weliweriya the bomb was detonated just as the marathon was flagged off, whereas in Boston it happened at the end of the race.

What the US experienced on April 15 was a 'normal' experience for Sri Lankans before May 2009. I hope they realise how hard it has been for us and how much we value our freedom from terrorism now. We don't want to go back to that again. There has not been a single explosion or targeting of civilians after May 2009, isn't it unbelievable considering how ruthless and tactful the LTTE were at one time.

It is ironical that this happened on US soil, because I think as far as Sri Lanka is concerned, the US were indirectly in favour of the LTTE and their supporters. No right-thinking person can bring in a resolution against Sri Lanka at this stage. The US sponsored a resolution at the UN Human Rights Council at a time the country was struggling to rise from a 30-year bitter war on terrorism.

When it was our time to feel the brunt of terrorism, the international community did nothing to help Sri Lanka. Now terrorism is knocking at their door.

Q: Do you think they have confused LTTE terrorism with Tamil issues?

People should not confuse the problems of the Tamil people with LTTE terrorism. Some people still believe that these two issue are one and the same . That is a serious mistake. No one can destroy another's life, no matter how big their problem is.

The Boston attack is a an eye-opener for the entire world, especially for those who mollycoddle terrorists and their supporters. It is now time for them to think if they had been right at the UNHRC.

For Sri Lanka it took 30-long-years, and the lives of many leaders all ethnicities and thousands of innocent civilians before the LTTE was finally decimated.

Q: In the Boston attack, three people including an eight-year-old were killed with 180 more wounded. In the Weliweriya marathon bomb 15 were killed and 90 people were injured. Grief stricken men and women were shown on TV immediately after the Boston attack, do you think that you could relate to their pain?

How can I not. I lost my husband, we lost two security personnel, many others who were national figures rendering service to the country. When my husband's coffin was still in the house I had to suppress my pain and go to two other funerals.

I went to see the victims in hospital and see their distorted figures. It was such a devastating experience. Some had partially burned skin, ruptured ear drums, all were traumatised. There are no words to describe how I felt. It was the height of the war on terrorism and the fear was immeasurable. It took a long time to come to terms with my husband's assassination and the entire episode of the unfortunate incident though I fought to be strong for the sake of my children. My children were about 14 and 15 when they lost their father.

Q: Despite the fact that Sri Lanka defeated one of the most ruthless and brutal terrorist outfits the world has ever seen (according to FBI classifications), it is now being 'punished' over alleged Human Rights violations, when actually it should have been praised.

I think this should be a turning point for those who sponsored the negative resolution against Sri Lanka to reconsider their stand, to think if they had done the correct thing.

Although the war on terrorism in Sri Lanka is over, the support base and international players who supported the LTTE are still at large. They are scattered all over the globe. They still collect funds and struggle to revive and keep the outfit alive through various front activities. They have not given up the Eelam dream. There is a massive campaign out there.

The Governments of countries where the LTTE support base is strong, must take action before it becomes a problem for them too. Political goals must not be allowed to supercede international obligations. It is time the UN, EU and other powerful nations come to a common understanding to wipe out terrorism in all forms, throughout the globe.

The US has a sophisticated intelligence network and high-tech weaponry but still the Boston attack took place. Hence, they must realise how hard it was and still is, for Sri Lanka to fight terrorism.

The US is one of the bases LTTE supporters have sought exile. The LTTE is well-known to have shared their bomb-making techniques and suicide training with other terror outfits. I will not be surprised if the US investigators find that the LTTE rump had some hand in this incident.

Q: When Sri Lanka was embroiled in the terrorist war, at the height of it which lasted for nearly two years from 2007 to 2009, every single Sri Lankan feared for their lives.

It was an era no Sri Lankan can ever forget Parents and children never travelled together fearing a bomb explosion. Until children returned from school, parents were on pins. Parents took turns at school gates to check on strangers turning up at schools. During that period there were threats of terror attacks on schools. Death was haunting everyone's mind. I hope President Obama will succeed in wiping out terrorism in the US. As a victim, I feel for the Boston bomb victims. Having said that I must also stress that they should feel our pain too.

Q: How did you come back to normalcy (if you ever did) from your tragic experience in 2008?

When my husband died I told my children, terrorists have taken your father away but we must not let them do the same to us. We have to be strong. We should not ruin our lives. We have been living with your father for 15 years and we cherish every moment. We had been a happy and united family but now we have to move on. This is what your father would want us to do.

I thought if I collapse my family will go down with me. My children were at a critical age. I had to be strong for them. I wanted to rise against terrorism, I did not want to give the terrorists the satisfaction of seeing us ruined.

But I never dreamt of being a politician. That was the last thing on my mind. However, before long I realised that someone had to continue what was left behind by my husband. Some of his work was abruptly stopped by his sudden death.

I responded to the call of my husband's supporters. And I have never looked back.

It is hard to contain his memories. Wherever I go people talk about the good things that he has done for them. I wish that the bomb explosion would never have happened but there is no point in repenting. People have to die. The way they die and the age at which they die differ. We have to come to terms with reality.