Vijitha Rohana
Encyclopedia
Vijitha Rohana was a Sri Lanka
n sailor and political activist. He is noted for his assault on Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi
on July 30, 1987 at President's House, Colombo
. It was claimed some as an attempted assassination. He later contested a general election under the Sinhala Urumaya party in 2000.
and specialized as a radiomen. He was stationed at SLNS Elara in Karainagar
, Jaffna
taking part in the Vadamarachchi Operation
. In July 1987 he was a Leading Rate and transferred the Colombo and assigned to the Guard of honour
for the visiting Indian Prime Minister, who was in Colombo to sign the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord
that would result in the deployment of the Indian Peace Keeping Force
.
and its direct interfacing in Sri Lanka with Operation Poomalai
and forcing the conclusion of the successful Vadamarachchi Operation
before all its objectives were met. These were sentiments felt thought out the country and continues to this day.
The Guard of Honour was commanded by Lieutenant Mendis who invited the Indian Prime Minister to review the guard as per tradition. Rajiv Gandhi was escorted on the by Lieutenant Mendis along with Sri Lankan Finance Minister Ronnie de Mel
, and Srilankan security personnel. Vijitha Rohana threw his Lee-Enfield
rifle at the Indian Prime Minister aiming at the back of his neck. Gandhi managed to duck and miss the full brunt of the blow, even though the rifle hit him. Rohana was quickly restrained by Lieutenant Mendis and the Chief Petty Officer of the detachment along with other security personal. He was arrested by the CID
.
. He was charged with attempted murder and acting contrary to navy discipline and insulting a state leader. Prosecuted by Senior State Counsel Captain Raja Fernando, his defense team was made up of Sarath Wijesinghe
, Susil Premajayantha, Stanley Thilakaratne, Brigadier (Rtd.) Donald Hewagama, D.S. Wijesinghe, Tivanka Wickramasinghe, Jayantha Weerasinghe, M.L.M. Ameen, Mahinda Jayawardena, WW. Somaratne, Kitsiri Jayasuriya, Geetha Jayasekera, Dimal Philips, Priyantha Fernando, Sandya de Silva, Rohana Jayasekera and Nalin Laduwahetty. The defense implied that Rohana was not aiming to kill since he could have stabbed the premier with the bayonet
affixed to his Lee-Enfield
rifle at the time. The court martial found him guilty of attempted culpable homicide not amounting to murder and insulting the Indian Prime Minister. He was sentenced to six years in prison, however President Premadasa gave him a presidential pardon after two and a half years later.
and started his own business. In 2000 he contested the general election under the Sinhala Urumaya party.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n sailor and political activist. He is noted for his assault on Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Ratna Gandhi was the sixth Prime Minister of India . He took office after his mother's assassination on 31 October 1984; he himself was assassinated on 21 May 1991. He became the youngest Prime Minister of India when he took office at the age of 40.Rajiv Gandhi was the elder son of Indira...
on July 30, 1987 at President's House, Colombo
President's House, Colombo
President's House is the official residence of the President of Sri Lanka, located in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It used to be the Queen's House until Sri Lanka became a Republic in 1972.-History:...
. It was claimed some as an attempted assassination. He later contested a general election under the Sinhala Urumaya party in 2000.
Early life and naval career
Born in the southern province of Sri Lanka, he studied at Gintota Maha Vidyalaya and passed the O Level examination. Thereafter he joined the Sri Lanka Navy received his weapons training at the Naval and Maritime AcademyNaval and Maritime Academy
Naval and Maritime Academy , Trincomalee, is the location of initial officer training in the Sri Lanka Navy, and is located within SLN Dockyard, Trincomalee. It received university status in 2001...
and specialized as a radiomen. He was stationed at SLNS Elara in Karainagar
Karainagar
Karainagar is located 20 km from Jaffna, Sri Lanka, on the Karaitivu . In Tamil, it translates to Coastal-Town .Karainagar island is about area and the registered voters 20,000 voted in 1977 national election....
, Jaffna
Jaffna
Jaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna district located on a peninsula of the same name. Jaffna is approximately six miles away from Kandarodai which served as a famous emporium in the Jaffna peninsula from classical...
taking part in the Vadamarachchi Operation
Vadamarachchi Operation
The Operation Liberation or Vadamarachchi Operation, the military offensive carried out by the Sri Lankan military during May to June 1987, to re-gain the territory of Vadamarachchi in Jaffna peninsula from the LTTE control...
. In July 1987 he was a Leading Rate and transferred the Colombo and assigned to the Guard of honour
Guard of honour
A guard of honour is a ceremonial event practice in military and sports as a mark of respect.-Military:In the military a guard of honour is a ceremonial practice to honour visiting foreign dignitaries, or the fallen in war, or a ceremony for public figures who have died.The commander is three paces...
for the visiting Indian Prime Minister, who was in Colombo to sign the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord
Indo-Sri Lanka Accord
The Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord was an accord signed in Colombo on July 29, 1987, between Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sri Lankan President J.R. Jayewardene. The accord was expected to resolve the ongoing Sri Lankan civil war...
that would result in the deployment of the Indian Peace Keeping Force
Indian Peace Keeping Force
Indian Peace Keeping Force was the Indian military contingent performing a peacekeeping operation in Sri Lanka between 1987 and 1990...
.
Assault
Rohana was enraged by the Indian support for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil EelamLiberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was a separatist militant organization formerly based in northern Sri Lanka. Founded in May 1976 by Vellupillai Prabhakaran, it waged a violent secessionist and nationalist campaign to create an independent state in the north and east of Sri Lanka for Tamil...
and its direct interfacing in Sri Lanka with Operation Poomalai
Operation Poomalai
Operation Poomalai or Eagle Mission 4 was the codename assigned to a mission undertaken by the Indian Air Force to airdrop supplies over the besieged town of Jaffna in Sri Lanka on 4 June 1987 in support of Tamil Tigers during the Sri Lankan Civil War....
and forcing the conclusion of the successful Vadamarachchi Operation
Vadamarachchi Operation
The Operation Liberation or Vadamarachchi Operation, the military offensive carried out by the Sri Lankan military during May to June 1987, to re-gain the territory of Vadamarachchi in Jaffna peninsula from the LTTE control...
before all its objectives were met. These were sentiments felt thought out the country and continues to this day.
The Guard of Honour was commanded by Lieutenant Mendis who invited the Indian Prime Minister to review the guard as per tradition. Rajiv Gandhi was escorted on the by Lieutenant Mendis along with Sri Lankan Finance Minister Ronnie de Mel
Ronnie De Mel
Ronald Joseph Godfrey de Mel, CCS is a Sri Lankan politician, civil servant and currently Senior Adviser to President. He was Cabinet Minister of Finance from 1977 to 1988 and was instrumental in the establishment of the free market economy in Sri Lanka...
, and Srilankan security personnel. Vijitha Rohana threw his Lee-Enfield
Lee-Enfield
The Lee-Enfield bolt-action, magazine-fed, repeating rifle was the main firearm used by the military forces of the British Empire and Commonwealth during the first half of the 20th century...
rifle at the Indian Prime Minister aiming at the back of his neck. Gandhi managed to duck and miss the full brunt of the blow, even though the rifle hit him. Rohana was quickly restrained by Lieutenant Mendis and the Chief Petty Officer of the detachment along with other security personal. He was arrested by the CID
Criminal Investigation Department (Sri Lanka)
The Criminal Investigation Department of the Sri Lanka Police Service is responsible for carrying out investigations throughout the island into serious crimes, including murders, rape and organized crime cases of a very serious nature that require special skills and complex detection...
.
Court martial
Vijitha Rohana faced a court martial headed by K.R.L. Perera, Group Captain Buddhi Siriwardhen and Colonel Vijaya WimalaratneVijaya Wimalaratne
Major General Vijaya Wimalaratne RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, psc, GR was a Sri Lankan army officer and one of the most distinguished generals in Sri Lanka.-Education:...
. He was charged with attempted murder and acting contrary to navy discipline and insulting a state leader. Prosecuted by Senior State Counsel Captain Raja Fernando, his defense team was made up of Sarath Wijesinghe
Sarath Wijesinghe
Senator Sarath Wijesinghe was a Sri Lankan politician and businessmen. He was Cabinet Minister of Nationalised Services of S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike Government and was a member of the Senate of Ceylon from 1956 to 1965....
, Susil Premajayantha, Stanley Thilakaratne, Brigadier (Rtd.) Donald Hewagama, D.S. Wijesinghe, Tivanka Wickramasinghe, Jayantha Weerasinghe, M.L.M. Ameen, Mahinda Jayawardena, WW. Somaratne, Kitsiri Jayasuriya, Geetha Jayasekera, Dimal Philips, Priyantha Fernando, Sandya de Silva, Rohana Jayasekera and Nalin Laduwahetty. The defense implied that Rohana was not aiming to kill since he could have stabbed the premier with the bayonet
Bayonet
A bayonet is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit in, on, over or underneath the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar weapon, effectively turning the gun into a spear...
affixed to his Lee-Enfield
Lee-Enfield
The Lee-Enfield bolt-action, magazine-fed, repeating rifle was the main firearm used by the military forces of the British Empire and Commonwealth during the first half of the 20th century...
rifle at the time. The court martial found him guilty of attempted culpable homicide not amounting to murder and insulting the Indian Prime Minister. He was sentenced to six years in prison, however President Premadasa gave him a presidential pardon after two and a half years later.
Later life
After his release from prison he gained a degree from the University of Sri JayewardenepuraUniversity of Sri Jayewardenepura
The University of Sri Jayewardenepura is one of the Universities in Sri Lanka. It is located in Gangodawila, Nugegoda, near Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte, the capital city of Sri Lanka...
and started his own business. In 2000 he contested the general election under the Sinhala Urumaya party.