Gamini Kularatne
{{Short description|Sri Lankan soldier}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = Corporal
| name = Gamini Kularatne{{KIA}}
| honorific_suffix = PWV
| image = Gamini Kularatna (1966-1991).jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption = Kularatne at Elephant Pass Siege, 1991
| native_name = ගාමිණී කුලරත්න
| native_name_lang = lang-si
| birth_name =
| nickname = Hasalaka Gamini
| birth_date = {{birth date|1966|9|4}}
| birth_place =
| death_date = {{death date and age|1991|7|14|1966|4|9|df=y}}
| death_place = Elephant Pass, Sri Lanka
| placeofburial =
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| allegiance = {{flag|Sri Lanka}}
| branch = {{army|Sri Lanka}}
| serviceyears = 1987-1991
| servicenumber = (S/34553)
| unit = Sixth Battalion, Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment
| commands =
| battles = Sri Lankan civil war
| battles_label =
| awards = 23px Parama Weera Vibhushanaya
| memorials =
| spouse =
| relations = S.G Babanis (Father)
S.G Juliet (Mother)
| laterwork =
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| signature_size =
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}}
Corporal Gamini Kularatne PWV, SLSR (S/34553) ({{langx|si|ගාමිණී කුලරත්න}}; 4 September 1966 – 14 July 1991) (commonly known as Hasalaka Gamini or Hasalaka Sri Lankan Hero) was a Sri Lankan soldier. He was the first recipient of the Parama Weera Vibhushanaya, the highest award for gallantry awarded by the Sri Lanka Army for his actions during the Elephant Pass Siege, in which he was killed.{{Cite web |title=Hasalaka Gamini remembered on 29th death anniversary (pictures) |url=https://hirunews.lk/goldfmnews/248604/hasalaka-gamini-remembered-on-29th-death-anniversary-pictures |access-date=2025-05-27 |website=Gold FM News |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=‘Virusara’ presented to mother of Hasalaka Gamini - Caption Story {{!}} Daily Mirror |url=https://www.dailymirror.lk/caption-story/virusara-presented-to-hasalaka-gamini-s-mother/110-104145 |access-date=2025-05-27 |website=www.dailymirror.lk |language=en}}
Early life
Gamini Kularatne was the second son of a family of four brothers and a sister.{{Cite web |title=30 years for Hasalaka Gamini's courageous sacrifice |url=https://hirunews.lk/goldfmnews/276921/30-years-for-hasalaka-gaminis-courageous-sacrifice |access-date=2025-05-27 |website=Gold FM News |language=en}} He obtained his primary education at Ranasinghe Premadasa Madhya Maha Vidyalaya at Hasalaka (farming hamlet in the salubrious Kandy District of Sri Lanka). Some claim that he was a survivor of the Aranthalawa Massacre on 2 June 1987 as Mahiyangane Dhammajothi Thero.{{Cite web |title=Army commemorates 26th death anniversary of ‘Hasalaka Hero’ {{!}} Daily FT |url=https://www.ft.lk/news/army-commemorates-26th-death-anniversary-of-hasalaka-hero/56-629214 |access-date=2025-05-27 |website=www.ft.lk |language=English}}{{YouTube|UqKnSrh-lLs|Hasalaka Gamini was a survivor of the Aranthalawa Massacre as Dhammajothi Thero}} After seeing the brutality of the Tiger massacre he pleaded with the chief Thero and left robes to join the Sri Lanka Army on 27 August 1987 with the blessings of his father S.G. Babanis and mother S.G. Juliet.{{Cite web |title=Remembering Hasalaka Gamini |url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/190804/sunday-times-2/remembering-hasalaka-gamini-361230.html |access-date=2025-05-27 |website=The Sunday Times Sri Lanka}}
Death
File:Corporal Gamini Kularatne Statue at Hasalaka.jpg
On the night of 10 July 1991 over 5000 LTTE fighters surrounded the 600 strong army garrison located at Elephant Pass.{{Cite web |title=A War Hero of our time … |url=https://www.defence.lk/Article/view_article/2002 |access-date=2025-05-27 |website=www.defence.lk}} The base was known as the gateway to the northern Jaffna Peninsula. Enlisted to the Sri Lankan Army Sinha Regiment Sixth Battalion as a Rifleman, Lance Corporal Gamini Kularatne, along with the rest of his regiment, was tasked with watching for possible LTTE infiltrators.
As dusk fell the LTTE launched several human wave attacks. Flanked by hundreds of armed fighters, they surrounded the Army's fortifications. As the battle ensued a previously unknown armored bulldozer resembling a tank advanced on the military installation.
Equipped with a machine gun and containing a haul of arms and ammunitions inside, the armored bulldozer rumbled towards the southern entrance of the camp. Lance Corporal Kularatne recognized the heavily armored rolling weapon would be able to break through the garrison's defenses. Above all the fall of Elephant Pass to the enemy would be catastrophic and counterproductive at a national level.
Although the LTTE began pounding the Army camp with heavy mortars and weapons to the cries of injured and dying soldiers amidst deafening explosions, all eyes were still centered on the enemy's approaching bulldozer.{{Cite web |title=Special programme to commemorate 25 years after Hasalaka Gamini sacrificed his life at Elephant pass |url=https://hirunews.lk/goldfmnews/137947/special-programme-to-commemorate-25-years-after-hasalaka-gamini-sacrificed-his-life-at-elephant-pass |access-date=2025-05-27 |website=Gold FM News |language=en}}
File:CorporalGaminiKularatneMemorial.JPG
Lance Corporal Kularatne, holding two grenades in his hands, dashed out towards the oncoming bulldozer tank, clambered up the tank's ladder and tossed the two grenades inside it, disregarding the LTTE bullets hitting him. The grenades disabled the bulldozer amidst bursts of fire accompanied by a series of explosions. Lance Corporal Kularatne was flung to the ground and lay motionless.
As the siege of Elephant Pass Army Camp was broken, one of the most ferocious battles in Sri Lanka's modern history ended. The camp had been saved from being overrun by the LTTE in part by Corporal Kularatne's bravery.{{Cite web |title=Our war heroes merit temples in their name |url=https://www.sundaytimes.lk/081130/Plus/sundaytimesplus_03.html |access-date=2025-05-27 |website=www.sundaytimes.lk}}
In recognition of his act of gallantry Lance Corporal Gamini Kularatne was promoted to the rank of Corporal posthumously and honored with the award of "Parama Weera Vibhushanaya" on 10 October 1991, the highest gallantry award in Sri Lanka for the first time in the history of Sri Lanka Army.{{Cite web |title=Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment |url=https://alt.army.lk/slsr/content/parama-weera-vibushanaya |access-date=2025-05-27 |website=alt.army.lk}}
Later he came to be known as the Hasalaka Weeraya (Hasalaka Hero).{{Cite web |title=‘Hasalaka Hero’ remembered… |url=https://www.adaderana.lk/news.php?nid=3612&mode=head |access-date=2025-05-27 |website=www.adaderana.lk |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Corr |first=Rasula Dilhara Gamage Northern Province Special |title=‘Hasalaka Hero’ commemorated at Elephant Pass |url=https://archives1.dailynews.lk/2019/07/16/local/191231/%E2%80%98hasalaka-hero%E2%80%99-commemorated-elephant-pass |access-date=2025-05-27 |website=Daily News |language=en}}
Memorial
After the war was over, a memorial to Corporal Gamini was later set up in Elephant Pass with the remains of the bulldozer he destroyed. The memorial, as well as the destroyed vehicle, can be seen on the A9 road on the way to Jaffna. A statement made by Dambara Amila Thero{{YouTube|PUkHZD6e7Ww|Hasalaka Gamini Statue Remove - Dambara Amila Himi}} in March, 2015 in recommending the removal of this memorial sparked massive public outcry and widespread condemnation.{{cn|date=April 2015}}
The Sri Lankan baila music singer Dhanapala Udawatta sang "Hasalaka Gamini", a song tribute to the famous war hero.{{Cite web |title=Hasalaka Gamini Danapala Udawaththa Sinhala Song - SARIGAMA.LK |url=https://sarigama.lk/sinhala-song/danapala-udawaththa/hasalaka-gamini/da7a40cd-2db1-4a00-b531-a2418b62b01e |access-date=2025-05-27 |website=sarigama.lk}}
Honours and decorations
| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto;" |
| Parama Weera Vibhushanaya |
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
- [http://www.esrilankans.com/page.do?id=40 Hasalaka Gamini Kularatne - Supreme Sacrifice]
- [http://sundaytimes.lk/001008/plus3.html No one told him - he knew what had to be done: Sunday Times Article]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20060208004800/http://202.51.141.138/news_archive_July.htm Sri Lankan Army Website Article]
- [http://landlikenoother.blogspot.com/2006/07/13th-july-day-of-history.html Created by using Blogspot Article that released under the GNU Free Documentation License]
- Army, Sri Lanka. (1st Edition - October 1999). "50 YEARS ON" - 1949-1999, Sri Lanka Army. {{ISBN|955-8089-02-8}}
External links
- [http://www.army.lk/ Sri Lanka Army]
- [http://www.defence.lk/ Ministry of Defence : Sri Lanka]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20060822050721/http://www.nationalsecurity.lk/ Media Centre for National Security : Sri Lanka]
- [http://www.spur.asn.au/ SPUR]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kularatne, Gamini}}
Category:Sinha Regiment soldiers
Category:Sri Lankan military personnel killed in action