First the elephants, now the Tigers: Madushani in tears

By Poornima Weerasekara

A weeping Colombo University student Anusha Madushani is still waiting for the return of her father allegedly abducted by the LTTE two days ago, while keeping watch over his paddy field adjoining the Wilpattu National park.The man identified as 48-year-old U.P. Karunaratne is a father of four and a resident of Pemaduwa, Villachchiya.

“The police launched an extensive search in the adjoining Vilpattu jungle, with the aid of villagers. But were unable to make headway. The police have given up the search now,” Anusha Madushani, the abducted farmer’s eldest daughter said.

The third year student is to sit for her mid semester exams at the university on Monday.

She said at about 10.30 pm some farmers in the adjoining fields had heard her father screaming saying Tigers were attacking him.

“They have fled the area in fear but though there is a home guards’ post nearby no one came to his assistance,” she added with a lump in her throat.

Madushani said her father was completely unarmed at the time with only an arecanut cutter in his hands. “He did not even have a knife to defend himself. The villagers who fled the scene say my father had put up a fight with the abductors for about 20 minutes.

He was attacked by an elephant about a year ago and is still under medication,” Madushani said.

“We don’t have any enemies in the village. My father can identify the abductors if they are villagers. My sister is sitting for her AL exams these days. We forced her to go for her exam today. She was distraught and traumatised by this unexpected tragedy,” she added.

One of Madushani’s brother’s is due to sit for his OL exam this December, while her youngest brother is in grade 8. Her father is the only bread winner of the family.

“I was only able to go to university because of a scholarship. My family has worked very hard to educate us. I didn’t even have money to return to the village when this happened. The students and the faculty collected Rs. 5,000 to help me come home,” she said.

“We have asked the Red Cross, the embassies and other NGOs for assistance in pleading with the LTTE for my father’s safe return. But we have got no response so far. I urge both the government and NGOs to have sympathy for our plight and to negotiate with the LTTE so that our father can come back home,” she said

According to Willachchiya Police Chief Inspector Kapila Abeynayake who is handling the inquiry there were signs of LTTE movement in the Vilpattu jungle in recent times. He said that they had found sufficient evidence to conclude that this abduction could have been carried out by the LTTE.

The three home guards that were on duty at the time of the abduction have also been interdicted due to their inaction.

According to Senior Student Advisor Kamal Waliyaboda, the Colombo University Chancellor had made a request from the Archbishop Dr. Oswald Gomis who in turn had requested the Mannar Bishop to assist the family in obtaining their father’s release.