Kethesh did not die in vain - Kohona

Ananth Palakidnar

COLOMBO: We must all ensure that Kethesh did not die in vain, said Secretary General of the Peace Secretariat Dr. Palitha Kohona while paying his last respects to his slain deputy, Kethesh Loganathan, at the General Cemetery, Kanatte yesterday.

A large and distinguished gathering of academics, diplomats, politicians and journalists were present at the cemetery.

Dr. Kohona in his speech said: "Kethesh was a friend and a loyal colleague. He was gunned down in an act of appalling barbarity.He had no time to defend himself-no time to explain.

He was just shot. He would have explained his views convincingly. He thought clearly.

He spoke eloquently and he was an intellect. However, he was made to pay the ultimate price for just being that.

"The only sin that Kethesh committed was to be different-he chose to be a dissident.

He had his own political views. For this he paid with his life and he joined a long list of Tamil dissidents who have sacrificed their lives and who have been hunted down to satisfy the remorseless blood-lust of the LTTE.

"We must protect the right to dissent-freedom of thought must be upheld. We must all ensure that Kethesh did not die in vain. He was a brave man who stood for what was right, for democracy and yearned for peace in Sri Lanka".

After the Hindu last rites were concluded, with the blowing of the conch shell the remains of Kethesh Loganathan left the funeral parlour to the cemetery at 4 pm.

The surrounding area of the cemetery was heavily guarded with police and Army personnel when the funeral procession was heading towards the crematorium. Bawani, the widow of Kethesh Logananthan was accompanied by her brother who lit the remains.

A close relative of Kethesh who was at the crematorium told the Daily News that C. Loganathan the late father of Kethesh, who was the first Sri Lankan General Manager of Bank of Ceylon was an ardent devotee of Thiru Ketheshwaram, in Mannar which is one of the foremost temples of Hindu God Siva in Sri Lanka.

It was late Loganathan's devotion to the temple that made him to name his son as Ketheshwaran, who was later known as Kethesh among his kith and kin.