The police was called in to intervene in case any fighting erupted at the annual Ananda-Nalanda cricket encounter that took place last week. A tense situation has erupted at the venue when supporters of General Sarath Fonseka had raised objections to a proposal made to acknowledge the services rendered by three old Anandians and Army Majors General Prasanna Silva, Chagi Gallage and Kamal Gunaratne at the annual Ananda-Nalanda cricket encounter.
It is learnt that while the cricket match was in progress, the organizers have stopped the band that was playing in the Anandians’ tent and had called on the three distinguished old boys, Army Majors General Prasanna Silva, Chagi Gallage and Kamal Gunaratne, to come on stage for everyone to thank them for their services rendered in defeating the LTTE.
At that time a senior police officer who had arrived at the venue before the three majors general had said, “The ‘four star’ general, who always came for the match when he was in Sri Lanka is not here today. The most distinguished old boy, who completely wiped out the LTTE is today in jail. It is this ‘four star’ general whop made these three majors general. These three betrayed that great leader. Did Ananda produce only these three? How many other war heroes have been produced by the school? How many have sacrificed their lives for the country? Therefore, we are not ready to show our acknowledgment to these three majors general who betrayed the general. The true hero is in jail and these are just cardboard heroes. Long live our ‘four star’ general.”
Interestingly, no one had disturbed the speech made by this senior police officer and even the four “papare” bands that were playing in the tent had stopped. After hearing the speech, the three majors general had returned to their seats as if nothing had happened.
The match organizers had requested that all old boys from the two schools who are also forces personnel to not bring any fire arms into the match venue and had also requested the police to be on alert.
