Jumper’ for General; not even a mat to sleep; coir pillow for his head: ‘I am a good soldier: So I am used to these’ -General says
(Lanka-e-News, Oct.02, 2010, 10.30AM) This not Ripley’s ‘believe it or not’, it is SL’s ‘believe it or not’ -the former Army Commander General Fonseka who won a 30 year war for the country (not for his self advancement) was sentenced to a 2 ½ year rigorous imprisonment by the very Head of the country who described him as the greatest war Hero and a patriot after the victory. Yesterday night (30), he had to sleep on the cement floor with a coir pillow for his head and Fonseka had to enter his ward after removing his clothes and wearing the prison ‘jumper’.
This war Hero who fought for the country, nearly died for the sake of the country, who won a 30 year old war defeating the terrorists who were considered as invincible, and freed the country from the fear psychosis the nation was gripped in, and contributed to usher in peace for the country had now been denied even a proper pillow to lay his head on, a proper place to sleep, a proper dress to wear by his own countrymen who are at the top intoxicated with power. According to informed sources from the Prison, he will have to wait for six months after imprisonment if he is to get a cloth to spread on the floor where he sleeps.
When this Army Commander with exceptional skills who was a victim of a LTTE suicide bomb attack and who nearly died in the battlefield was asked about his food preferences by a Prison officer, he had said, he is now a prisoner, and therefore to give him the same meal that is given to the prisoners. He doesn’t need special attention.
The ward in which Fonseka is imprisoned has only a wooden door. Hence when the door is closed, the ward has no ventilation. The Prison officers had therefore asked him whether to fix another door with metal grills replacing the existing one. He had replied, only if that action will not cause any problems to the officers, he will authorize. When the officers have said, issuing a pillow to him has been authorized. He had told them instead of a pillow, if a door that can be opened can be fixed for his ward that would be preferable to enable him to sleep, according to reports.
It is also learnt that he had told the officers to give him also work in the same way as for other prisoners.
Knowing that Fonseka is a sick person, the officers have told him that they could provide him with the necessary medicines. But Fonseka had told them there is no such necessity. He too could wait in the queue and collect his medicines from the dispensary in the same way as other prisoners.
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