In the passing away of Rohan Daluwatte, Sri Lanka lost a dynamic thinking General who miraculously transformed the Army and brought honour to the country. Personally, I lost a dear friend who will be missed

For me, remembering Rohan Daluwatte (Dallu), Sri Lanka’s first Chief of Defence Staff was a poignant occasion recently in Colombo. He died three days before the Sri Lanka Army’s (SLA) eighth annual defence seminar to which I am a privileged invitee since its inception in 2011. The event commemorates the Sri Lankan Security Forces fantastic victory over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in May 2009 when its supremo Prabhakaran was killed in the last shootout on the northern bank of the Nandikadal lagoon by 53 Infantry Division. This military triumph is a turning point in the history of insurgency in the 21st century and it was made possible by military commanders of Daluwatte’s ilk, who miraculously transformed the Army, mostly on the run into a war-winning machine.

The war in Sri Lanka had been one of snakes and ladders, mostly snakes, morphing into the ladder to conquest. I recall the present CDS, Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne, writing modestly to me in 2009, after subduing LTTE: “The work that was started by you (Indian Peace Keeping Forces) has been completed by us.” My presence at the defence seminar ensured by the present Army Commander, Lt Gen Mahesh Senanayake, who spent three years training in Pune, reflects the special bonding between the two militaries.

In May this year, Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat visited Sri Lanka, laid a wreath at the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) memorial in Colombo, which recognises the sacrifices of 2,500 Indian martyrs of the first out-of-area peace enforcement mission. Rawat kept his promise to bring Sri Lankan soldiers, sailors and airmen for a Buddhist pilgrimage to Bodh Gaya by sending a Globemaster to ferry the troops. Next time, the Globemaster, instead of flying empty, will carry Indian soldiers to Colombo and return with Lankan soldiers in a religious and cultural exchange. Such are the enduring traditions of kinship and camaraderie passed on by commanders like Daluwatte.

The Daluwatte connection goes back to 1988 when as General Officer Commanding IPKF South in Batticaloa, the land of singing fish, I first met my Sri Lanka Artillery (SLA) counterpart located in neighbouring Ampara  in my headquarters at Manresa, the airy and leafy Jesuit retreat perched on the Batticaloa lagoon, not far from the LTTE commander Karuna’s hideout near Kiran. Six feet two inches tall and baptised in the Armoured Corps, Sandhurst-trained Brig Daluwatte proved extremely confident and professional. He became my intellectual and cultural guide, familiarising me with all I should know of the area of operations. Jayanthi Daluwatte reminded me when I went to condole her earlier this month, about one Indian naval helicopter pilot Rufus, who would fly me to Ampara and while returning to base, perform breathtaking aerial aerobatics over Ampara. For all the rules he broke, he was recalled overruling my praise for his courage and bravery in combat operations.

Just before the IPKF was to deinduct from Sri Lanka, after Prime Minister VP Singh chose to withdraw the force following the ultimatum from Sri Lankan President Premadasa to evict IPKF, thinning out of troops started. The areas vacated were occupied by a hastily assembled ragtag force called the Tamil National Army (TNA), which was later decimated by the LTTE. Daluwatte, somewhere near Kalmunai along with his security detail, was ambushed by TNA — pinned down with heavy mortar and small arms fire. Fortunately, he managed to contact me. I ensured no harm came to him or his soldiers after contacting Chief Minister of North East Province of Sri Lanka, Varadaraja Perumal to order the TNA to cease firing. Daluwatte and his escort were able to drive out of the ambush unharmed.

Dallu will be remembered for his gallant leadership, as overall commander of Operation Riviresa retaking Jaffna in 1995. On December 5, Dalluwatte, at a ceremony in Jaffna to celebrate what was deemed  unachievable, reported to Deputy Defence Minister and an uncle of President Chandrika Kumaratunga, Col Anuruddha Ratwatte of the SLA Volunteer Force: “Sir, Jaffna is liberated.” In his book, Road to Nandikadal: True story of defeating Tamil Tigers, Maj Gen Kamal Gunaratne, Goc 53 Infantry Division, which took out Prabhakaran, notes “under the great leadership of Maj Gen Dalluwatte, Jaffna was recaptured”. Soon he assumed command of the SLA and is remembered for reforms like banning the consumption of beef in the Army and starting the Army Command and Staff College.

The story not known to many is of an operational briefing that almost never happened at Welioya. Senior military and police commanders were scheduled to discuss an operation with Ratwatte on December 7, 1996. Two helicopters were to rendezvous secretly, one carrying Army Commander Daluwatte, Ratwatte and their aides. The second helicopter with other commanders landed at Welioya. The one carrying Ratwatte and Daluwatte lost its bearings and reached Pooneryn in a bad weather. By the time the pilot recovered his coordinates, he had run out of fuel and decided to fly back to Vavuniya but fell shy of it by 40 km force, landing in a jungle vegetable patch infested with the LTTE. The helicopter was disabled and soon blown up by the LTTE. Daluwatte decided the only salvation was to walk and run to Vavuniya as the LTTE was on the chase. 

As the portly Ratwatte, with an injury to one leg could not keep up, the athletic Daluwatte did a running fireman’s lift till miraculously communication was established and helicopters with commandoes plucked them to safety. In the operations room in Colombo, Chandrika Kumaratunga was crying with happiness. Had they been captured, she might have accepted any deal with the LTTE for their release. But Daluwatte, with his presence of mind and broad shoulders, saved the day facilitating the rescue mission. And the meeting was held at Welioya.

Daluwatte was an iconic figure in all the defence seminars and this year he was conspicuously missing, having breathed his last three days before it. The Army issued a special order of the day and performed his last rites at a solemn funeral at Borella cemetery, befitting a four star General. In the one hour I spent with Jayanthi, she recounted the time we spent together, bringing out albums, mementos and memories. It turned out that my driver, Lance Corporal Basanta, who brought me to the Sai Baba-blessed abode of the Daluwattes, was from the Armoured Corps, and was on his security staff when he was CDS. He filled in the gaps along with my LO, Col Anura Dissanayake. Sri Lanka has lost a dynamic thinker General, and I, a great friend.

(The writer is a retired Major General of the Indian Army and founder member of the Defence Planning Staff, currently the revamped Integrated Defence Staff)