Ananda Hamangoda

Major General Ananda Hamangoda RWP, RSP, USP, Msc, Psc, SLA (1 November 1950 – 4 July 1996) was a Sri Lankan soldier, and former Commanding Officer of 51-2 Brigade based in Jaffna.

Early life and family
Born on 1 November 1950, Kalutara north, Sri Lanka, Ananda Hamangoda is a proud product of Maliyadeva College, Kurunagala, Sri Lanka. A son of a prominent police officer, Ananda Hamangoda had 3 brothers and a sister. Ananda Hamangoda's wife Indrani Hamangoda is a teacher by profession, and he was a father of 2 daughters (Buwani Hamangoda & Maheshni Hamangoda) and one son (Dulshan Hamangoda).

Alma matter
Ananda Hamangoda's attraction to the Army was vivid since his early days in school at Maliyadeva College, Kurunagala. At school Ananda was an all rounder who excelled both in academic pursuits and in curricular activities. He was a science student and was always seen moving about with a pleasant smile on his face in the classroom as well as on the playground. A keen sportsman and a brilliant student at college Ananda Hamangoda was judged as the best orator and best overall student in the year 1971. He served his alma mater as the deputy head prefect in the same year and was the house captain of the school. During his multi-faceted school career his commitment towards the school cadet team was praiseworthy. He began his initial army training as a junior cadet. Ananda was a lance corporal and later a corporal of the Junior Cadet Platoon of Maliyadeva College, which won the "All Island Junior Cadet Championship" continuously for several years from 1965. Later he graduated to the senior cadet platoon ending up as sergeant. In 1969 he was the leader of school western music band. His talents in sports showed great excellence. He received school colours on many occasions for his success in sports. In 1971 he played for the school badminton team. He won the coveted prize for the "Best Cadet" and the Gold Medal for the "Best All Round Student" in the year 1971.

Military career in the Sri Lankan Army
Ananda Hamangoda RWP, RSP, USP, Msc, Psc joined the Sri Lanka Army as a second lieutenant on January 1, 1973. He received the following promotions while serving in the Sri Lanka Army Artillery regiment.


 * 1976 January 5 - Lieutenant
 * 1976 January 5 - Captain
 * 1983 March 1 - Major
 * 1990 June 15 - Lieutenant colonel
 * 1994 April 20 - Colonel
 * 1995 November 15 - Brigadier

He received the below mentioned training and military education during his career.


 * Basic officer cadet training - Sri Lanka Army training school, Diyathalwa, Sri Lanka.
 * Senior tactics course - Sri Lanka Army academy, Diyathalwa, Sri Lanka.
 * Young officers course - Devlali artillery school, India.
 * Regimental signal officer course - Army academy, Pakistan.
 * Senior officers artillery course - School of artillery, Nawashera, Pakistan.
 * Defence services course - Defence services staff college, wellington, India.
 * Senior commanders course - Devlali artillery school, India.

Brigadier Ananda Hamangoda was appointed as commanding officer of 51-2 Brigade in Jaffna in 1995. During this time he gained the respect of the people of Jaffna and was much loved by them.

His sporting prowess in cricket, volleyball as well as in boxing contributed immensely to the promotion of sports activities in the Army while helping the Army produce a number of sportsmen of national and international standards.

Awards
He has been honoured with the following gallantry and service medals during his career & following his death.

Gallantry decorations & medals
 * Rana Sura Padakkama bar.GIF Rana Sura Padakkama
 * Rana Wickrama Padakkama Bar.png Rana Wickrama Padakkama

Distinguished service decorations & medals
 * Uttama Seva Padakkama Bar.gif Uttama Seva Padakkama
 * Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal

Campaign medals
 * Purna Bhumi Padakkama
 * Vadamarachchi Operation Medal
 * Riviresa Campaign Services Medal.jpg Riviresa Campaign Services Medal

Presidential commendation & medals
 * President’s Accession Medal

Death
Brigadier Ananda Hamangoda RWP, RSP, USP, Msc, Psc was targeted and killed by a LTTE female suicide bomber on 4 July 1996, at Stanley road, Jaffna, Sri Lanka, while he was the commanding officer of the 512 brigade of the Sri Lanka army.

Winning the hearts and minds of the Jaffna civilians was Major General Ananda Hamangoda's only goal. Maj. Gen. Hamangoda had firmly believed that no one would harm him, as he had been able to build a strong bond between the people and the troops. He paid the price on Thursday 4 July 1996 in Jaffna for the goodwill he had brought about in the peninsula.

He was posthumously promoted to the rank of Major General. Major General Ananda Hamangoda RWP, RSP, USP, Msc, Psc remains the most senior officer belonging to the artillery regiment of the Sri Lanka army to be killed in action till the end of the Sri Lankan civil war (2009).

LTTE Suicide bomb attack
At least 20 people, including Jaffna military commander Brig. Ananda Hamangoda, Ranjith Godamuna (Chairman, Lanka Cement) were killed and approximately 60 others sustained injuries when a female suicide bomber detonated explosives strapped to her waist as a minister’s motorcade stopped on the Stanley Road in Jaffna town. The Tigers’ target, Housing and Construction Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, escaped with minor injuries.

Further sources

 * Lance Corporal WIM Seneviratne (7th Light Infantry) by Ministry of Defence and Urban Development - Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
 * The Suffering Goes On by Ron Gluckman / Jaffna
 * ONLY THE GOOD DIE YOUNG
 * Maj. Gen. Hamangoda remembered
 * Noble in death as in life
 * SLAF feared missile attack on plane carrying wounded minister: A tough 30-year-long political journey