CSD is gaining its former glory - Defence Secretary
December 07, 2020- CSD defended the terrorists threatened frontline villages
- CSD cadre were utilized for nation building during post war
The Civil Security Department (CSD) is regaining its former glory following the election of the present government into power, said Defence Secretary Maj. Gen. (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne.
Defence Secretary said, the former Director General Rear Admiral (Retd) Ananda Peiris was recalled and reinstated at the helm envisaging a greater height of its role again with a productive sense of duty to the nation.
Following my retirement in 2016, I noticed that the deploying of CSD personnel for some unethical sense of duties and it was saddened to see that the department had also engaged in unprincipled work during a bygone period, he said.
Recalling its former glory during the post war period, he said “On successful conclusion of the battle, the strength of CSD was utilized for the development and nation building process”.
Highlighting their contribution extended immensely during the battle, the Defence Secretary said, “CSD staffers defended all the terrorist-threatened frontline villages, sacred religious places and innocent peasant communities allowing us to deploy our battle hardened military to the war zones”.
The Defence Secretary expressed these remarks while addressing CSD personnel and their children, during an event organised to gift stationery packs to their children, at the Defence Services College Auditorium last evening (Dec 6).
The event of awarding stationery, laptop computers and financial rewards to the students excelled in examinations was organised by the CSD’s Seva Vanitha Unit (SVU) under the directives of CSD SVU Chairperson Kumudini Peiris.
Recollecting the memories of the 1980s, Maj. Gen. Gunaratne said, when he was a young military officer, “both late Lt. Gen. Denzil Kobbekaduwa and Maj. Gen. Wijaya Wimalarathne were desirous to deploy more troops for the operational duties and they had to discover new methods to defeat the terrorists, but it was barely managed since we were a small Army at that era”.
“Meanwhile, terrorists practiced the ‘Force Multiplier’ tactic against us while attacking the rural frontline villages”, he said adding that “I also have accompanied my troops to the places of such attacks to protect the villagers”.
The Defence Secretary stated “Though we were able to save some of them, I have witnessed the loss of precious lives of helpless poor villagers” and he said they continued to attack several other frontline villages in the same vein, compelling the military to deploy troops for village protection.
Since there were not enough soldiers to defend the threatened villages, the government formed the ‘Home Guard Militia’ to safeguard their own village, the Defence Secretary said while adding, “Afterwards the challenging effort was to transform these village dwellers into a fighting force to battle against the cruellest terrorists”.
While citing the maiden book he authored ‘Road to Nandikadal’, he stated “I have mentioned the services of ‘Home Guards’ in a separate chapter in this book illustrating the strenuous efforts taken to train them and eventually their accomplishments”.
The Defence Secretary said, Rear Admiral (Retd) Dr. Sarath Weerasekara, the current Minister of Public Security, was appointed as the founding Director General of the CSD under the directives of the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa who is the current President.
Along with the reforms introduced thereafter, they were given uniforms with weapons and transformed into CSD that we see today and thereby they were converted to a fearless force against the ruthless terrorists which became an immense support to the tri-forces, he also recalled.
All the Army troops deployed for frontline village protection were absorbed back to the operational areas, he added while mentioning it was a great relief to the military.
Maj. Gen. Gunaratne stated, the current President Gotabaya Rajapaksa when he was the Defence Secretary, restructured the CSD and now it provides an outright service to the nation.
Eventually, they performed their duty in a way similar to an Army while defeating the ruthless terrorists at the village front, he added.
Meanwhile, the Defence Secretary expressed his gratitude to the CSD SVU Chairperson Kumudini Peiris for organizing this fruitful event for their students.
CSD staffers’ children who excelled in ‘Grade Five Scholarship’ and ‘Ordinary Level’ exams were received gifts with financial benefits at the ceremony.
Further, the children enrolled to the universities were also given books, laptop computers and financial benefits during the session.
CSD Director General Rear Admiral (Retd) Ananda Peiris, Defence Ministry's SVU Chairperson Chithrani Gunaratne, Navy SVU Chairperson Chandima Ulugetenne, Air Force SVU Chairperson Charmini Pathirana, Philanthropists, Senior CSD officers, CSD staffers and their students were present at the occasion.
