Is GR a war hero?

Even now, when the present status of the country is discussed, Ex-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is identified as a ‘War Hero’. The reason given for that by his followers is – “He directed the final assault on the LTTE”. This was greatly used in his campaign for presidency, and he was also named as the ‘Hero’ to save the country. Some of his adversaries say he was a coward who abandoned the Army many years before the four-year long, last battle started.

During that period, Gotabaya was only the civilian Secretary of the Defence Ministry and did not have any say in the battlefield commands. According to then Army Commander, Gen. Sarath Fonseka, Gotabaya helped them by providing all necessary manpower and material. When judging his performance as the all-powerful Executive President and his exit from the country after completing only two and a half years of his term one may wonder whether he had the capacity to “direct the final assault on the LTTE”. Could somebody in the know about the war against the LTTE, tell the people whether Gotabaya was the “hero of the victory against the LTTE”.

K Siriweera