Forgotten war veterans

“IN times of war and not before, God and the soldier we adore. But in times of peace and all things righted, God is forgotten and the soldier slighted” is a quote attributed to the famous English novelist and poet Rudyard Kipling which vividly describes the attitude of the society towards soldiers and armed forces in times of normalcy.

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Last Monday, the island observed its Remembrance Day also known as National War Heroes Commemoration Day which commemorates the war heroes who fought and sacrificed their lives to defeat the LTTE rebels as well as the civilians who were killed during the armed conflict. This year’s event generated a considerable amount of controversy as it was apparent that the commander-in-chief was not scheduled to grace the occasion initially. Coincidentally, this was the first Remembrance Day event since the NPP gained political power at the Centre last year.

As soon as the news began to spread that Remembrance Day would be conducted under the patronage of Deputy Defence Minister Major General Aruna Jayasekara instead of President Anura Kumara Disanayake, a tremendous backlash occurred against the Government particularly among social media platforms. In order to control the loss of grace, the President later visited Mihindu Seth Madura, a care home for war veterans who were critically injured during the offensive against the LTTE.