“MR KADIRGARMAR WAS A HERO OF OUR TIMES”

As the Nation was plunged into shock, anguish and horror in the aftermath of the assassination of Hon. Foreign Minister Mr LAKSHMAN KADIRGARMAR late night on Friday (12), an intensified security network of the Security Forces and the Police is now on in COLOMBO and elsewhere to trail the suspected LTTE sniper who murdered him while he was at his home compound on BULLER'S Lane, COLOMBO 7.

Security Forces and the Police cordoned off the area and apprehended two suspects from the area on suspicion from a neighbouring home, where the Police later found ammunition and a tripod, believed to have been used for the attack on the Minister.

Mr LAKSHMAN KADIRGARMAR with serious gunshot injuries was evacuated to COLOMBO National Hospital but succumbed to injuries after about an hour.

Security in the areas was intensified after a massive cordon and search operation was mounted in the city while simultaneously alerting all check points in the city and elsewhere in an attempt to nab fleeing culprits.

Hon Minister KADIRGARMAR, a statesman cum gentleman par-excellence was a distinguished product of Trinity College, Kandy who won Trinity's richest Prize – the coveted by Dr.Andreas Nell Memorial Prize for Ceylon history and the Napier Clavering Prize for English. He was the editor of the college magazine and captained the cricket team.

The slain national leader, a Tamil Christian carried out an intense overseas campaign against LTTE terrorism to get the LTTE organization banned in the UK and several other Western countries. He obtained Bachelor of Laws (Honours) Degree from the University of Ceylon.

He also has a B.Lit. from Oxford University. He practiced law at the Ceylon bar and in London until 1974 and later proceeded to Balliol College, University of Oxford where he read for a degree in Letters. At Oxford he became the President of the Oxford Union and won the august seat of learning's Cricket Blue. He also worked as a consultant to the International Labour Organization Geneva. Recently, he was honoured by the Oxford Union when the prestigious university unveiled his portrait. He was also a president's counsel.

The 73-year-old eminent scholar cum orator, widely acclaimed for his intellectual vigour and political maturity of the highest standards stood for Sri Lanka's unitary status and its territorial integrity at all times and did a yeoman service in the sphere of foreign relations from 1994 to 2001 and again from April last year.

Hours before he was felled, he attended a function at the BMICH where he presented the first copy of a journal which he described as his “dream project” to Colombo-based Indian High Commissioner Nirupama Rao

President CHANDRIKA BANDARANAIKE KUMARATUNGA in a special communiqué hailed Mr LAKSHMAN KADIRGARMAR as a hero of our times who waged a relentless struggle against terrorism in all its forms, despite continuous threats to his life and declared a period of national mourning in honour of the late Minister.

“LAKSHMAN KADIRGARMAR was a national leader who combined intellectual vigour, political courage and personal integrity of the highest caliber. He was deeply committed to a political settlement that upholds pluralism and democracy within a united Sri Lanka. During the eleven year tenure of his leadership of Sri Lankan foreign policy, the nation achieved incomparable success in its international relations, which culminated in the LTTE being proscribed in many foreign countries. He was felled by political foes opposed to the peaceful transformation of conflict and who were determined to undermine attempts towards a negotiated political solution to the ethnic conflict.”

Post-mortem plus judicial inquiry into his death was conducted late last night at the National Hospital before his remains were taken to the funeral undertakers.

President Chandrika Kumaratunga as well as Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse rushed to the Hospital minutes after the incident and shared in the sorrow with Mrs. Kadiragarmar and members of his family.

A funeral committee headed by Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake has been appointed by the President in order to organize his state funeral. His funeral will take place on Monday (15) at Independence Square.