Tab Article

Ratings: ★★★★☆ (4.5/5)
Genre: Memoir, Military History, Sri Lankan History, Politics

Book Review:
General Cyril Ranatunga's ''Adventurous Journey: From Peace to War, Insurgency to Terrorism'' is a landmark publication in the military and political history of Sri Lanka. For the first time, a high-ranking Army General breaks his silence to offer a first-hand account of the country's darkest years, a period marked by a brutal ethnic conflict, a deadly insurgency, and high-profile political assassinations.

Ranatunga, a key figure in the Joint Operations Command, writes with the authority of someone who was at the center of the storm. He takes us back to the Vadamarachchi operation, when the Sri Lanka Army had cornered the LTTE leadership, only to be forced to call off the offensive due to Indian intervention—a decision he clearly views as a tragic mistake that had far-reaching consequences. He argues that this intervention not only handed victory to the LTTE but also set the stage for the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi and many Sri Lankan leaders.

The book is filled with previously undisclosed details and anecdotes. Ranatunga reveals his attempts to warn the government about LTTE cadres being trained in India, only to be brushed aside. He provides a behind-the-scenes look at the relationship between President Premadasa and the LTTE, detailing his own warnings against arming the Tigers—warnings that proved tragically accurate when the LTTE turned those same guns on Sri Lankan forces, massacring over 600 policemen who had surrendered under a white flag.

But the book is not just about the war. Ranatunga also recounts his struggles against the JVP insurgency and his personal battles against character assassination, when he was falsely accused of corruption in arms deals. His story is one of a soldier who saw the ceremonial army he inherited transformed into a formidable fighting force, a transformation he chronicles with justifiable pride.

''Adventurous Journey'' is an essential, if sometimes controversial, contribution to the historical record. It offers a unique and invaluable perspective on a tumultuous period, filling in many gaps and challenging conventional narratives. A must-read for anyone seeking to understand Sri Lanka's recent past.