Simple, austere to the end, he would like to be remembered as the unknown soldier

Ravi taught us how to die. He died like a soldier and mendicant, meditating, having renounced all worldly possessions. He gently declined all the bequests of his father and mother, valuable houses in Ward Place, Dharmapala Mawatha and plantations in Mirigama. He left the Intensive Care Unit of his own volition.He knew the end was near.He wanted to leave the stage the way he lived without fanfare and suffering. He meditated to the end.

There is a silent and perhaps unknown message in his life.He built his home in Piliyandala with his own funds borrowed from banks. He retained this house. Perhaps he left a message in this action of his. ‘I leave behind only what I have created with my sweat and toil and not legacies bequeathed to me by my parents’.

That was the man. The quintessential Ravi Jayewardene. He was an airline pilot and a Captain of the Ceylon Light Infantry.

He was also a crack marksman. Not many people care to know that the Special Task Force that he created liberated this country from LTTE dominance long before the final battles where Prabhakaran was comprehensively defeated. No one knew of this because Ravi avoided the spotlight.He did not talk about himself.

He was the first to visit a battle zone.I remember visiting Kokadicholai with him, when an intensive battle was being waged. He was a prime target not only of the LTTE but also for the JVP. At Kokadicholai the STF was monitoring the LTTE radio transmissions.It was evident that an important man was marching into the battle area, and the LTTE were trying desperately to find out who he was but no one had seen Ravi Jayawardene.

That was his secret! nobody knew who he was.His security was no security! On another occasion NIB reports found that the JVP was working overtime to assassinate him. They had a spy in Ward Place who was trying to monitor his every movement. They finally learnt that he had his lunch daily at the Pagoda with his friend Vohara de Silva. They were planning to assassinate him at the Pagoda.

When Ravi heard about this attempt, he told the STF that he will consciously sit in as the target and he will take on his assassins himself.The STF would not hear of this. He insisted and he felt absolutely confident that he could take on any assassin with his Colt 45,( in fact I would not have liked to be in the assassin’s shoes for anything in this world,with Ravi drawing his weapon and shooting at me). He was going to follow the rules of engagement to the letter. So they (STF) set up a mock Pagoda restaurant at their training camp and staged an assassination attempt, with Ravi sitting at his usual seat.

Ravi drew his gun and was on the mock assassin before he could even think of firing the first shot. Thus he gave a classic example of leading from the front.

He deeply loved his country and did not agree with his father when the Indo -Lanka accord was to be signed with Rajiv Gandhi. Though JRJ asked him to come for the signing ceremony and the banquet thereafter, he flatly refused.He had dinner with us instead.

Ravi’s most enduring legacy was the example he set to sons of political leaders not only in Sri Lanka but all over the world. He was never seen with his father, never used JRJ’s name, lived a very simple and austere life.

He was loyal and helpful to his friends who came from all walks of life. He shunned politics, knew of the betrayals and the sharks swimming in the political waters. And more than anything else, he knew the impermanence of life. He realised very early that ‘ Paths of glory lead but to the grave.’

He would like to be remembered as the unknown soldier. Brave, fearless and deeply committed to his country. Goodbye.We, who have known you, will always remember you. Malinga Herman Gooneratne