Hero of the Elephant Pass (1991)

Nickname Hasalaka Hero

Place of birth Hasalaka, Sri Lanka

Place of death Elephant Pass, Sri Lanka

Allegiance Sri Lanka Army

Years of service 1987-1991

Rank Corporal Unit Sixth Battalion, Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment

Battles/wars Sri Lankan civil war

Awards Parama Weera Vibhushanaya

Gamini Kularatne was the second son of a family of four brothers and a sister. He obtained his primary education at Ranasinghe Premadasa Madhya Maha Vidyalaya at Hasalaka (farming hamlet in the salubrious Kandy district of Sri Lanka) and later joined the Sri Lankan Army on August 27, 1987 with the blessings of the father S.G Babanis and mother S.G Juliet.

The bulldozer that he lobbed two grenade and destroyed on his fate night.

On the night of July 10, 1991 over 5000 LTTE carders surrounded the 600 strong army garrison located at Elephant Pass, i.e., Alimankada, in Sri Lanka. Elephant Pass was known as the gateway to the northern Jaffna Peninsula. Enlisted to the Sri Lankan Army Sinha Regiment Sixth Battalion as a Rifleman, Lance Corporal Gamini Kularatne, along with the rest of his regiment, was tasked with watching for possible LTTE infiltrators.

As dusk fell the LTTE carders launched several human wave attacks. Flanked by hundreds of their armed cadres, they surrounded the Army's fortifications. But the sight of a hitherto unknown bulldozer covered with armour plates looking like a huge tank sent shock waves among soldiers at all sentry points as the huge bulldozer tank was a mystery to all on guard.

Equipped with a machine gun atop it and containing a haul of arms and ammunitions inside it rumbled towards the southern entrance of the camp and Lance Corporal Kularatne in his pensive mood thought this new rolling weapon would definitely be able to swarm the garrison within seconds taking a heavy toll of his fellowmen. Above all the fall of Elephant Pass to the enemy would be catastrophic and counterproductive at national level, and there was hardly any time to waste, Kularatne pondered.

Although the LTTE began pounding the Army camp with heavy mortars and weapons to the cries of injured and dying soldiers amidst deafening explosions, all eyes were still centered on the enemy's approaching mysterious bulldozer laden with sophisticated weapons.

Suddenly Lance Corporal Kularatne, holding two grenades in his hands, dashed out towards the oncommig bulldozer tank, clambered up the tank's ladder and tossed the two grenades inside it, disregarding the numerous injuries he himself had suffered by then from the bullets of LTTE. Within seconds, fiery bursts of fire accompanied by a series of explosions occurred. Lance Corporal Gamini Kularatne was flung to the ground lay motionless.

Thus the siege of Elephant Pass Army Camp was broken and one of the most ferocious battles in Sri Lanka's modern history ended. The camp was finally saved from the LTTE.

Lance Corporal Kularatne's supreme sacrifice, dedicated for the sake of Sri Lanka's territorial integrity and sovereignty was well received with admiration and honor by all segments of masses across the island.

In recognition of his act of gallantry Lance Corporal Gamini Kularatne was promoted to the rank of Corporal posthumously and honored with the award of "Parama Weera Vibhushanaya", the highest gallantry award in Sri Lanka for the first time in the history of Sri Lanka Army.

Later he came to be known as the "Hasalaka Weeraya"(Hasalaka Hero)

Corporal Gamini Kularatne's valiant action marks a milestone in the annals of military gallantry. No doubt, the nation salutes this valiant soldier as long as they could breathe. He also leaves an indelible memory of patriotism and valor not only in the minds of his own countrymen but also among millions of Sri Lankans whose today is sacrificed for the sake of tomorrow's betterment.