RAVISHAN'S UNEXPECTED DEATH

Ravishan who was to sit for his A/L today ...
 died in vain1

    Another student died yesterday in the clash that took place .... requesting foe drinking water in Welweriya. He was actually on his way to a revision class for his examination when he faced with his fate even without having got involved in this conflict.

   Ravishan is not someone who would get involved in arguments or fights. He was a clever student in class as well as a good musical artiste. Having heard that there was a commotion at Welweriya town at the time he was engaged in studies, he had come to Weliweriya town.He had so come also with the idea of proceeding to attend his classes.

   He had seen the confusion and on hearing gunshots, he had turned back and come home running from a shortcut. It was while running home like that that innocent Ravishan has had to face a gunshot, a friend of Ravishan confessed. Ravishan had first been admitted to Gampaha hospital and after that to Colombo National hospital. After being subjected to a surgery on the head, he had been undergoing treatment at the ICU when he passed away. Student H.Shamali Ravishan's (19) dead body was identified yesterday (4th) by his father H.Anthony Patrick (56) last morning at the mortuary of Colombo National hospital. 

   Student Ramli Ravishan living at No.22, Bandarawaththa of Nedungamuwa road was studying in grade 12 of St.Peter's College in Udugampola and was expected to sit for the A/L  examination in the Arts stream, today (6th).

   Ravishan has a younger brother who studies at Christ Church Vidyalaya in Weliweriya. Parents are government employees. Ravishan's father Anthony Patrick is an employee attached to the Archaelogical Department while mother is attached to the Gampaha Co-operative Society.  This is what the mother of Ravishan, Mrs.Lucian Margaret has to say about Ravishan who is the elder of the two sons in the family:
                                                                "He is clever at studies. He is someone who also engaged in a lot of extra-curricular activities. My son is in no way involved with the clash that took place that day. He is one who has a lot of patience. I can't believe his death. He was to go for the exam this time and his clothes were ironed and the tie also was ready. I heard that there was a clash at Weliweriya. After coming from work I changed my clothes and was to go to look for my son. I took a call to my son. My son said, 'Amme ... there's shooting going on here ... they are chasing behind us also .. I'll come home running in 10 minutes or I'll hide somewhere and come home tomorrow morning". Because he said so, we didn't panic but we kept on searching for him till morning .. but we couldn't find him. He neither answered our phone calls .. anyway we didn't find him. It was only in the morning that we came to know that he was in hospital. Later we heard that he was dead". 

   What the Principal of St.Peter's College Father Chaminda Wanigasekera said was that he was an outstanding student in college. The Father also said that not only in education but in sports too he had excelled. The Father himself could not bear the grief of Ravishan's death and further said that he was a student who constantly expressed his desire to pass his A/Ls with flying colours and thus bring honour to the school.

   Ravishan's friends said that he was popular also as a keyboard-player in the Weliweriya Quickflash music band.

   When Ravishan passed away day-before-yesterday at the National hospital, 29 year old Nilantha Kumara too breathed his last, last afternoon. The deceased Nilantha Pushpakumara was a resident at Udathalawila, Gampola and he had been lodging in a boarding-house in Weliweriya in Rathupaswala area. He was an employee of the Gampaha Stage Line Garment factory.

   What Deputy Director Dr.Cyril Silva of Colombo National hospital said was that there were 7 of those injured were taking treatment at that hospital. The Hospital Police said that 11 of thse injured were taking treatment at Gampaha hospital.