Like Supermen they go the distance

Ishara Jayawardane

Heroes have been present from the dawn of time. Who can forget the tremendous feats of Achilles the Grecian hero during the Trojan War? Who can forget Prince Hector of Troy for his feats in the battlefield were as great as Achilles. However bravery on the battlefield is just one form of bravery. There is another form of bravery and that is bravery in society and this bravery is often connected to ordinary men and women who do extraordinary feats of courage.

And it was these special men and women who were honoured at the Civilian Bravery Awards at the BMICH recently.

The Budal Na Gold Award (Gold Medal for Civilian Bravery) went to W K Prema Kumara for braving a river full of crocodiles in order to save a woman who attempted to commit suicide by jumping into the Nilwala River. The woman survived after receiving treatment at the hospital.

Disabled Police Constable Anura also did a similar act of bravery except this time it was at the Athurumodara river when he saved a woman.

This woman also survived after receiving treatment at the hospital. He was awarded the Silver Medal for Civilian bravery. Another such man was Lance Corporal Kapila Kumara of the 20th Gemunu Balakaya who received the Silver Medal for Civilian bravery.

“I experienced a great happiness when I saved that life. As an officer in the Army sometimes you have to save your fellow cadres on the battlefield. Saving that life gave me greater happiness than any act of selfless heroism on the battlefield. Winning an award for bravery made me remember that happiness.

“As an officer in the Army I am honoured to have received this award”, said Kumara. The ceremony is the 17th annual event held by the Foundation for Civilian Bravery. “We are meeting to recognize Civilians who saved the lives of others risking their own lives. Sometimes these ‘heroes’ themselves are in need of various things and uplift of their welfare. Sometimes these heroes face death as they risk their lives for others leaving their families without any support. This association for Civilian bravery is still in their infancy and hope to provide ways and means of support and strength,” said Organising Committee Chairman Kasun P Chandraratne.

One of the highlights of the ceremony was the release of a booklet on bravery by schoolboy Sanjeewa who saved 200 human beings including his schoolmates and who won the Gold Star of Civilian bravery in 2009.

The Asian award this year for 2010 was given to Malyasian Krishnamoorthy Sandaran.

In October 2008, he and a group of 22 others (comprising his former boss Pang Kee Chuan) were part of a group of 106 holiday goers/passengers heading to the Tioman islands by ferry.

Sudddenly there were screams of fire chaos broke out and Krishnamoorthy struggled against the crows to get life jackets. As the ferry exploded into flames everyone jumped into the sea.

Other ferries came to the rescue throwing inflatable rafts into the waters. Krishnamoorthy dived repeatedly into the South China Sea saving total of 18 people, seven of them children.

Civilian Bravery Certifications of Merit were given to B H Jayantha Crusz who saved a mother and daughter from a raging bull and L Admon Somasiri who saved the life of a man walking along the railway track without noticing the train approaching from behind.

The Nur Aleem Civilian Bravery Media Award was presented to Arun Dias Bandaranaike in recognition of his selfless services to the Foundation of Civilian Bravery.

These are the human beings from Sri Lanka who put the desperate needs of someone else before their own safety.