Saman Piyasiri Fernando

Sellapperumage Saman Piyasiri Fernando (23 March 1958 – 29 December 1989: සමන් පියසිරි ප්‍රනාන්දු: nom de guerre: Keerthi Vijayabahu), was the military wing leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna during the 1987-89 insurrection in Sri Lanka, the JVP's military wing also known as Deshapremi Janatha Viyaparaya (DJV).

His position in the JVP as the military commander was organizationally higher than the position of Rohana Wijeweera, the founder of the JVP.

Saman Piyasiri a graduate of the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka later joined the JVP and promoted to the higher ranks of the party, appointed as the military wing leader and finally led the party after the death of the founding leader Rohana Wijeweera.

He was also known as Kabraal, Mendis, Bappa, Mudiyanse, Mahinda, Dhammika and Janaka.

He was born on 23 March 1958 in Lunawa, Moratuwa, Sri Lanka as the third child in a Karava ethnic family with four siblings.

His father Ebert Fernando was an inspector at the Ports Commission.

His mother, T. Josie Engalsina Peiris was a teacher.

The elder brother was a sick child and died in 1970 at the Angoda Hospital.

Due to the financial difficulties of the family, his body was even buried at the hospital cemetery at the expense of the government.

Although Piyasiri's father was a supporter of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) and helped everyone, the childhood of his children was very sad due to his excessive alcoholism.

Meanwhile, they had to leave the Egoda Uyana in Moratuwa and move to Ganemulla, which belonged to a relative of his mother, due to disputes with neighbors and relatives.

Piyasiri, who until then had been educated up to grade 5 at Egoda Uyana Junior School, entered grade 6 at Kuda Bollatha Primary School.

He entered Hemamali College, Galahitiyawa in Grade 8 and later entered Galahitiyawa Central College.

He passed the GCE Ordinary Level Examination with 6 marks.

In the meantime, the JVP Socialist Students' Union was formed in Kelaniya University as a force against the UNP's Socialist Students' Union in the late 1970s under the leadership of Sudarshana Ponnaweera, Saman Piyasiri Fernando, Sirimevan and others.

Piyasiri is the second best student in the history of the university with the highest number of marks.

After graduating as a Commerce graduate, Piyasiri opted for full-time JVP politics instead of a job.

He later became a JVP organizer for the Kolonnawa and Ratnapura electorates.

He entered the University of Kelaniya in 1978 after completing his Advanced Level in Commerce in 1977 with 1 Excellence, 1 Award and 2 Excellence.

Piyasiri was 5 feet 2 inches tall and slightly fat.

There was a black spot on the left hand and a similar spot on the back of the right ear.

Piyasiri's parents and family members, who were staying in the Moonagama area in Horana when Piyasiri became the military leader, later went to Poruwadanda.

Later he went to Panadura and Nugegoda Ekawatte to several places including Udahamulla.

Piyasiri joined the JVP through Ragama Some after listening to a speech by Upatissa Gamanayake at a JVP rally in Veyangoda in 1978.

He participated in the education camp held at Pallewela Muddaragama in the Mirigama electorate which was conducted by Wickramarala Jayatilleke.

Piyasiri's elder sister, a resident of Ganemulla, once worked as a nurse in a government hospital and was married in 1981 and later became a mother of two.

His younger sister Ranjani later became a full time member of the JVP.

After the JVP was banned in July 1983, he became a member of the Central Committee in mid-February 1984.

His commitment to rebuilding the JVP was appreciated and in October 1985 he was appointed to the JVP Politburo.

The first formal discussion on the formation of the Deshapremi Janatha Viyaparaya (Patriotic People's Movement), the armed wing of the JVP, was held for two days on March 4 and 5, 1986 at the Ratnapura canal and Piyasiri was appointed as the leader of the military wing at the Politburo meeting held there.

As Wijeweera was ill, it was chaired by Piyadasa Ranasinghe and the meeting was held at the house of Podi Mahaththaya, a businessman in Kudugalwatta, Ratnapura.

Saman's sister Ranjani was among those who had been with Wijeweera's wife and children for a short time to help with the house when Wijeweera was staying at the Haldummulla rice field in Haldummulla 1987 and the houses in Neluwa Lewgodawatte, Bandarawela since July 1987.

On the day of Piyasiri's arrest, he was ready for the marriage with his girlfriend Indrani, the sister of Daya Wanniarachchi, the son of former JVP secretary Weeraketiya Heenbunne.

Later, Piyasiri's mother, his younger sister Ranjani, girlfriend Indrani and her younger brother Saman Bandula (who was 18 years old) were arrested by the security forces.

Saman's mother was released a few months later.

Saman's sister and girlfriend were interrogated at various locations, including the 6th floor of the CID headquarters, and were eventually released after two years of rehabilitation at the Ranmutugala home.

But Saman Bandula Wanniarachchi was killed two days after his arrest.

On March 12, 1988, while at a house on Embillawatta Road in Boralesgamuwa, Piyasiri managed to escape by hiding in a pile of jackfruit leaves in front of his house.

Piyasiri led the JVP in five major attacks on army camps and police stations, and had planned 12 more.

They resided in his Nawala home since December 25, 1989.