Discovery Channel has a programme titled “Destroyed in Seconds”, which shows cars, planes, trains, etc, crashing, or tornadoes and floods playing havoc and causing much destruction. But you never see anyone die.
Every week, when my wife and I watch this programme, we think of Dilshan and say, “Why did he have to die that fateful day – April 20, 2008 – while motor racing in Nuwara Eliya?”
The scenes we see in “Destroyed in Seconds" are far more devastating than the accident that killed Dilshan.
Dilshan had only one hobby – motor racing. His love for cars went back to his childhood. He was very fond of the “dinky cars” his father would bring him.
Dilshan was a very gentle person who never hurt anyone during his short life. Perhaps he was too good, and that is why he left us so young. When he addressed someone, there was always love in his voice. You just could not get angry with a person like him. He also helped the less fortunate, regardless of race, caste or creed. And he never talked about any good he did.
Dilshan was an honest businessman. Anyone in or around Kandy, and elsewhere, would tell you that. He never sought money, and he served everyone alike. His parents, his wife Niroshini, son Nilesh and daughters Kawya and Yenara, his relatives and friends, are still in shock over what befell this true son of Sri Lanka.
Sunil R. Wickremaratne
(Sunil Baappa) |
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