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| Monday, 9 August 2004 |
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Remembering a national hero On the occasion of the 12th death anniversary of Major General Denzil Kobbekaduwa which fell yesterday August 8, we remember this war hero who was also known for his human qualities that are not normally identified with the military uniform. It was reported that he showed great concern for the immediate despatch of his fellows for medical attention while he lay thrown off the jeep as a result of the explosion at Araly Point on that fateful day which eventually claimed his life too.
Major General Denzil Kobbekaduwa, who was due to takeover as the Sri Lankan Army's Chief of Staff in January next year, was killed on August 8 aged 52, when a pressure mine exploded under a vehicle in which he was travelling. He was born on July 27, 1940. Denzil Kobbekaduwa was General Officer Commanding of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka at the time of his death, and was in charge of the operation to defeat one of the fiercest terrorist groups in the world, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which the Indians accused of killing of Rajiv Gandhi last year. Kobbekaduwa was trained in Britain, at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, at the Royal College of Defence Studies and at the Staff College, Camberley. He joined the Sri Lankan Army in 1960 and rose rapidly to become a troop commander in its armoured corps. A master strategist He was respected as a courageous man who led from the front and was a source of encouragement to all. A master strategist, he proved his skills as a commander when he was given a free hand to operate against the LTTE. He was unique among his fellow commanders in demanding that the army should warn civilians a few hours prior to launching an operation or bombing rebel areas. Leaflets were dropped from the air identifying safe places for civilians to seek shelter. This was because of his belief that the secessionist war of the LTTE in the island's north could only be solved politically, by winning the hearts and minds of the population. He cared deeply for those who suffered innocently because of the war. However, he was tough as far as the LTTE was concerned, and felt that the organisation must be weakened militarily to bring it to the negotiating table. The successes that the Sri Lankan Army has had over recent months in the north are mainly attributed to his style of leadership. His credo was: "We are not fighting the Tamil people, but the LTTE. The Tamil people do not want war." Indeed, five former Tamil guerrilla groups who renounced violence in 1987 and joined the mainstream of politics had praised his leadership and his general outlook, which stood above racial, religious and political differences. Rugby player Kobbekaduwa was short and stout, but on the playing field was known as one of Sri Lanka's best scrum halfs. He continued playing rugby in the army and was a coach of the army rugby team. His death was caused by a pressure mine buried on a road at Araly Point in Kayts, in the northern province. He had been inspecting the front lines before an attack to be launched the following day. A colleague had suggested that all the senior officers, instead of travelling in different vehicles, should get into one, as the LTTE might have been observing their movements. It was a fatal error, because the weight of the vehicle, it is believed, triggered the explosion, which also killed the colleague, Brigadier Vijaya Wimalaratne, and the commander of the Northern Naval Sector, Commodore Mohan Jayamaha, as well as a number of other senior officers. Kobbekaduwa was the most senior army officer to be killed in a war that has claimed the lives of over 2,500 service personnel in the past two years. White flags strung from many houses in all parts of Sri Lanka on the day after his death attest to the esteem in which he was held by the population, and his funeral was attended by over 100,000 people. Indeed, there was public anger that he was not given a State funeral. For many in Sri Lanka, he represented hope of salvation from the island's many problems. |
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Produced by Lake House |
Here we carry the obituary that appeared in the 'London Times' of
August 15, 1992 in fond memory of Denzil Kobbekaduwa, a national hero.
