CHILAW FISHERMAN’S FUNERAL

“Father met with his fatal tragic death, because mother went for a job abroad to earn money to repay the loan they had taken to purchase a fishing boat.”

The army prevented us carrying Anthony to hospital quipped, colleague Nihal Ranjan Fernando by firing empty bullets.
“Our father washes both of us and dresses us (myself and my younger brother} before we go to school. Thereafter only he leaves the house to go for his small job. Our Mother had reluctantly left us two months back when she got the opportunity to go abroad without payment of any agency fees. Her motive was to earn money and send them to our farther to settle the loan they had taken to pay the loan obtained to purchase a boat.
Her intention was to return soon once the loan was settled in full. This is why our father had to meet with his tragic and fatal death. Yesterday after washing us and dressing us with school clothes he bought us vegetable ‘rotti’ and milk and handed us to our ‘Loku Amma’s’ house, mother’s elder sister for us to be taken to school. Thereafter he had wanted to see the protest the fishermen had organised in regard to the oil hike.”
This was revealed by the daughter of slain Warnakulasuriya Anthony fernando’s 9 year old daughter crying.
Anthony who was very unfortunately shot head was married to a lady by name Stella Fernando. They were from the same native village and residents of Egodawatta area in Chilaw. They had studied in the same school and had been in the same class in the identical school and had married after a lengthy love affair. They were blessed with elder daughter, Supini Adarika, a 9 years old and a son who was only 8 years old. The children’s mother had left for an overseas job to earn money to settle the loan they had taken to purchase a boat as they were faced with financial difficulties as the slain husband monthly income he derived from a small job was a only a meagre sum. She had got the consent of her husband who was entrusted with the responsibility of looking after the two school going children.
Before she left 2 months ago she had said that she will remit money to settle the loan and would return no sooner the debt is paid in full.
 On the 15th of this month all fishermen had refrained from going fishing. Instead they had organised a protest against the high price hike of diesel. The army had prevented the Egodawatta fishermen folk in going for the protest. They had made road blocks to prevent them from proceeding. The slain Anthony was also in this crowd. Several have had severe arguments with the Army personnel in an army detachment in that area, who had even gone to the extent of beating them and then had fired. Unfortunately Anthony who was in the crowd was shot in his head. His friends had tried to carry him to hospital which too was prevented by the Army. What their colleagues say is that in the event he was taken to hospital without delay his life would have been saved. But before admission to hospital Anthony had succumbed to death following bullet injuries sustained to his head.
A person by name Senta Fernando said this.....”We were not allowed to pass the army detachment. They had said they were not going to fight. They told us not to shout and we were all beaten by army personnel. We were not allowed to take Anthony to hospital. The ultimate result was that two children were deserted without their father”.
What Nihal Ranjan Fernando said was.......”I never saw Anthony within the crowd. After gun shots were fired I saw 5 to 6 people on the ground fallen down with injuries. When I came from behind I carried Anthony with my brother to be taken to hospital. When several false bullets were fired several had sustained injuries to their bodies. Anthony had succumbed to death owing to head injuries before admission to hospital”.
This is what Maris Stella Anthony’s mother had to say.......”My son was never involved in fights and conflicts. We had lived in this Chilaw area for 32 years. We had never stepped into a Police station. My son just went to see the protest rallies and was not a participant in it. He had no time to attend to rallies etc., as he had domestic work to be attended to and also had to do duties in his small job.”
The funeral of slain Anthony is to take place on Saturday at the Chilaw Roman catholic cemetery.
The photographs of the funeral house and those connected are shown BELOW:

Report given by Kamal Priyankara, from Madampe
Photographs by Jayasanka Fernando