On the Footsteps of Krishanthi Kumaraswamy Draws Crowds at Colombo Book Fair

A Festival of Books, A Nation of Readers

The Colombo International Book Fair has once again turned the BMICH into a sea of readers, publishers, and stalls overflowing with new titles. Tens of thousands are expected over the course of the festival. While the fair offers a dazzling range of works, one book has risen above the rest to capture both attention and debate.

The Book That Everyone is Seeking

Veteran journalist Rathnapala Gamage’s On the Footsteps of Krishanthi Kumaraswamy has become the exhibition’s most hunted title. Readers queue, some impatient, others quietly determined, to secure a copy. The story revisits one of the darkest chapters in Sri Lanka’s recent history—the gang rape and murder of 18-year-old schoolgirl Krishanthi Kumaraswamy in Jaffna in 1996, along with the brutal killings of her mother, brother, and family friend.

Revisiting a National Tragedy

The crime shocked the island. Soldiers in uniform, entrusted with security, committed an atrocity that revealed the vulnerabilities of civilians trapped in a brutal conflict. The trial that followed, under the watch of then-President Chandrika Kumaratunga, led to the conviction and sentencing of the perpetrators. For many, it was a rare moment when justice broke through the fog of war.

Courage in Print

Rathnapala Gamage himself lived through troubled times, facing threats that forced him into exile. His return to this story is marked by fearless conviction. With clear-eyed reporting and a deep sense of moral urgency, he pieces together the tragedy and the silences around it. The book is more than history—it is testimony, an act of remembering that challenges those who would rather forget.

A Bridge Across Communities

Crucially, On the Footsteps of Krishanthi Kumaraswamy has been published in both Sinhala and Tamil. This ensures that readers across communities confront the cruelty of what happened. For Sinhala readers, it strips away layers of denial; for Tamil readers, it validates memories of suffering. Together, the translations underline that atrocity knows no language, only shared pain.

Why It Matters Today

In a nation still wrestling with the legacy of war, Gamage’s work reopens questions about truth, accountability, and memory. It is not an exaggeration to say that this book has forced festival-goers to look beyond the stalls and into the mirror of history.

At the book fair, amid children clutching storybooks and professionals browsing the latest non-fiction, clusters of people can be seen debating this title. The buzz is not just about literature—it is about conscience.