‘We’ve been crying for 9 yrs.; at least now tell us about our children!’
Jul 28, 2017
In a situation in which justice is yet to be served with regard to abductions and enforced disappearances, much effort is to be made to obtain justice. War heroes who are behind patriotism and the war victory are covering up those abductions and disappearances. Instead of serving justice, human bonds are repressed. Now, rulers are faced with a situation in which they cannot disregard those rights of the community against it. They have to answer as to what has, and is, happening.
She is Saroja Naganathan, the mother of 17-year-old Rajiv, who was among the five youths who were abducted on 17 September 2008, just a day before he was due to leave for medical education abroad. Educated at Colombo International School, he was the only child in the family. In a land where pride of a 2,500 year history is being talked about, parents undergo untold suffering for their lost children, and their tears will not dry up. Tomorrow, you or I will inherit those same tears. When one is happy, another suffers untold suffering due to no wrong he/she committed.
Now, it is confirmed that the Navy had abducted Rajiv and his friends. Until 2011, Rajiv managed to telephone his parents and tell them of his whereabouts and the abductors. Therefore, it could not remain mystery, but justice is yet to be served.
“My son told me that he would remain with me the entire day, as he was to leave the next day. They were eating and drinking when someone called and asked Dilan to come. They left in our car. They haven’t returned until today. Children who did no one any harm were seized from us.”
They went everywhere and sought everybody possible in search of their children, but everybody evaded them. These parents vouch that there was no political motive behind their abductions, and ransom was the only intention. Rs. 10 million was demanded to free Rajiv. Former Navy spokesman Commodore D.K.P. Dassanayake is under arrest over suspicion that he was involved. The boys had been kept at the Navy camps at Chaitya Road, Colombo, Welisara and in Trincomalee. Former Navy commander Wasantha Karannagoda briefed the parents about the incident. But, no good came. In a society that claims to respect human rights and democracy, such insecurity should not exist. When will they be served justice?
The loss of their loved ones has tired them more than enough. They still hope that their children will return. Everybody should understand the pain in them.
Ashika Brahmana/Nishantha Priyadarshana
