SAMAN KUMARA'S WAR REPORTING

I did reporting from the front line after telling lies to home-people

     Saman Kumara Ramawickrema who engaged himself as a special correspondent keeping the public informed throughout the humanistic operations which defeated the Tiger terrorists has exposed to the Sunday Mawbima about a number of experiences which he faced during that period and have so far not been revealed. This occasion which commemorates the Victory Day brings to memory to Sri Lankans the series of those events. Seen below are such memories.

     *The news that the LTTE had been completely defeated had been announced for the first time by you. What do you think of it today?
       It was I who got the opportunity to present the news that the war was over at the moment when it ended on May 18,2009. When the final fusillade was fired in Vellamullivaikkal it was I who told the entire nation that that was the last volley of firing. Today it's 4 years since that statement was made. When comparing other countries, for example, after it was announced that the Gulf War was over, after 2 or  months later, there was the case of an explosion of a car bomb in Baghdad. Though Americans at that time said that the war was over, still terrorist attacks take place. There is instability in those countries in various ways. The condition of many countries who said that war is over, is such. But we here in Sri Lanka do not see a period of terror. It was made clear that the war was definitely over for the past 4 years. At this moment I feel that the war is truly over. People have even forgotten whether this was a war-torn country. Personally, I feel happy as a citizen of Sri Lanka that I was able to give even a little bit of contribution towards the freedom of our land from the skill I possessed.

    *How did you develop a self-confidence to go into the battle-field environment?
      I joined the National Rupavahini in 1989 with the Youth Awards Victory. While working as a correspondent of Rupavahini, I got the opportunity of reporting a number of bomb attacks around the country. I was able to report the bomb attack on the President Chandrika Cumaranatunga, the moment when Minster Ashroff passed away, the bomb attack on the Prime Minister's office, the attack that took place at the Lake House roundabout and the attack at Parliament junction.

     At that time, war reporting meant that after a certain area was taken possession of by the army, that area was cleared and the army was made to do a little bit of role play by doing some firing and then showing that clip to the public. By that time, the Thoppigala operations too had begun. When the LTTE base of Nilagambase was being destroyed by the army, a correspondent from Aljasira institute too came. By that time, that operations was in charge of Brigadier Chagi Gallage and Major Bandara was in charge of the 2nd Commando Regiment. Not much of media coverage had been given to the Thoppigala operations. There was even a false broadcast that this was an outcome of a political requirement. But Aljasira had come with the intention of broadcasting the truth. So this correspondent said that he wanted to go to the Front Line. But Brigadier Gallage didn't give permission for that. However, this correspondent persisted in his request. In the end, when permission was not forthcoming, he removed his shirt and showed his back to Brigadier Gallage. All over his back were gunshot marks and scars.  "I have been in bigger wars ... please let me go" he pleaded. Brigadier Gallage then sent this correspondent on a bicycle to Nilagambase in the company of 2 soldiers. Subsequently Brigadier Gallage turned towards me and asked, "You see Rama ..... what war reporting is?" It was then that I thought I should go for war reporting. However, they didn't give me permission straightaway.

     *How did you get the opportunity of war reporting from the Front Line?
       I didn't get the chance immediately. I was sent to the Front Line only after being given security equipment, with security to the maximum. On the very first day that I went, the First Officer, Colonel Samantha of this Operations died. He was the Commanding Officer and the Officer-in-Charge of war tanks. On that day, 13 officers went with him to attack the Nilagambase camp. That was the moment when the LTTE used their weapon known as 'mini multi-barrel' for the first time. On this attack Colonel Samantha and all who were with him died. Samantha who was chatting and drinking tea with me on that morning .. in the end I could see only his dead body. I was by his side when he breathed his last. At that moment Gallage told me, "You see what happens ... at least drop your idea now". But I didn't drop the idea. It was on that day that we were able to video live scenes of attack clearly. From that day I started reporting from the battlefield. By about 2 months time the Thoppigala Operations too was brought to an end. I felt that this was a game that was being played with death. At the same time I had faith that I was not going to die.

     *Isn't war reporting done with more zest after the Thoppigala Operations?
       The government wanted to establish a morale between the army and the public of Sri Lanka. Army officers who were with us had good practical experience and we received the best counselling from them.

     *In those circumstances, there should have been a fear of death .... didn't you?
       Our entrenchment broke off at Adampan. At that time the LTTE kept approaching headwards. I thought that definitely we'd get caught. So ... there was nothing to do. I kept my eyes closed and gripped the earth. On another occasion when people were coming from the LTTE grip towards the army area, a suicide-bomber terrorist was sent to Dharmapuram. They came and did a big blast at a camp where civilians who had nowhere to go were and about 30 metres from there there were a lot of officers who were preparing food. There were civilians also there. On that occasion too I had a narrow escape. And then when the war was coming to an end, a large number of civilians came running in from the Nandikadal lagoon. I wanted to take some shots that depicted the whole crowd. I got into the 'burrow' of a bacho which was used to dig trenches and had been left lying by the LTTE and I asked the engineering hand there to lift me up. When I started videoing and the bacho was lowered about 2 feet to the ground, the LTTE attacked the bacho. About 11 civilians who were there died as a result. It was great difficulty that I escaped by jumping aside. It indeed was a miracle.

     *When you felt the fear of death, didn't you feel like going back home?
       My duty was to provide news to Rupavahini and to supply the relevant photos to websites of the security forces. It was we who gave the name Wanni Meheyuma. We have a Singha flag in our pockets in the battlefield. When any area was conquered, it was also we who gave the Lion flag to those who were there and asked them to raise it. I have that flag still with me. We were then assigned the job of answering false rumours targeted at the army.

     As time passed, the War became the main aspect of news. It actually assumed number one status in news. Everybody viewed the main headlines. After that all channels came into the battlefield. This became a battle to be won. So, it couldn't be left aside. What I hoped was that the war would be over soon and I would be able to announce the victory soon.

     *The last battle ..... didn't it become a battle among the media?
       After we came .... all media began to come to the battlefield. Even foreign newspapers came. There wasn't a single media that wasn't in the battlefield. So, this became a competition among the media. The media rocked round each regiment. After that, the battle became a competition among regiments. The regiments tried to gain victory. What the media tried was to become the first in announcing the news. At the last moments I happened to be in the 58th regiment and we were victorious as a group compared to other regiments. It was the 58th regiment which signalled the victory. This was a victory that showed us a moment of heroes to come. All medias began to broadcast heroism to the country.The media even gave way to the Air Force and the Navy. Though they said at the start that cameramen came after that, actually there was a fight among us. It was a competition which arose because of
feelings.

     *What did your home-people say when you were taking such a risk?
       We didn't show the risk in this. What we said was that we were not going into the Front Line and that we were showing the visuals shown by the army. More than that it was because we come home no that we have to tell all that. So I didn't go home for about one and a half years while the war was going on. Towards the end-period of the war, almost in every instance we managed to be victorious. The LTTE was defeated right along. We also felt some terror. There wasn't time even to think of home.

     *Have you met terrorists?
       At times, terrorist members surrendered themselves. In one instance we videoed an LTTE female leader called Neela Vendani, fallen down injured. She is now a teacher. The army is treating her very well. After that, Madunila the first child soldier surrendered to the 58th regiment.Madunila's  repentance was shown all over the country.

     *What are the most sensitive moments you faced when you were in the battlefield?
       When the LTTE launched a suicide attack,one of our soldiers rescued a small child in Dharmapuram and the child's head dropped to a side, helplessly. After seeing that spectacle, none of us could even think of having our meals. The other incident was 15 female soldiers who were in the camp cuddling small children and giving them to eat and drink suddenly fell down dead in one place. That day too all of us felt a deep shock.

     *Did you see the dead body of Prabhakaran?
       Yes ... I saw. Then those were the last days of the War. The Major who was with us received the message that the dead body of Prabhakaran had arrived. We then went there and there was quite a crowd there. It was the day-before that the LTTE launched their final attack. The LTTE tried to break our line from the side of Vattuwan Lagoon. Prabhakaran's elder son also was there. When we went, the ambulance was in flames and it was suspected that Prabhakaran was inside it at that time. When we were waiting like that we saw Prabhakaran's dead body being brought kept on a sort of scaffolding.

     *With the end of the War on May 18th, reporting of the War too came to an end, isn't it?
       Now there's no war to report on.When we came to the institute after the War, we were welcomed on red carpets. I decided to function as a Producer right along without accepting any administrative posts. I received the opportunity of learning about this subject from a number of countries. After that I presented a programme called 'War Correspondent'. I received a National Award for that programme. At present I work as a Senior Producer.

-- Wasana Surangika Vithanage --