A Face To Remember(Draft5)

“Although we are not born in the same day, same month and same year,” shouted Rajasekaran, Kannan and Adalvallan at the open field, “we shall make a vow to die on the same day, same month and same year!”
When the three of them were still young, they were very close together. They made a vow to promise that they will be together for the rest of their lives and die together. The three of them were Tamils and their grudges started in 1948.
In 1948, when Sri Lanka achieved independence from British, the Ceylon Citizenship act started. Citizenships were only granted to those born in Sri Lanka and those whose fathers and grandfathers were born there. This act caused many Tamils to be stateless and they do not have the basic right to even vote.
Rajasekaran and her family were very angry. They hid their feelings and continue working as tea plantation to contribute to Sri Lanka as they thought that the government would be touched by their contribution and allow them to gain basic right such as voting. However, they were very wrong.
In 1950, there was a notice stating ‘with effect from the end of this month, not only the Sinhalese peasants would live in Jaffna and Batticaloa, Buddhist monks and Sri Lankan army which comprise mostly Sinhalese would occult this land.’ Rajasekaran’s mind was totally blank at that moment.
“I think we should prepare ourselves for even more disappointing and bad news.” said, Rajasekaran’s father who was about to burst into tears.
In 1956 Sinhala was declared as the country's official language under the official language act, Tamils in the government service had to learn Sinhala within three years. If they did not do so, they would be dismissed. Although Rajasekaran usually helps her father in tea plantation, he already had plans to find a job with more prospects. The official language act upset the Tamils in government as well as others because it would be even harder to find jobs or be promoted.
“How can they do this to us? They gave us only three years to learn Sinhala or we will get dismissed from our current position? This is totally unfair!” said Perundhevan to the rest of the Tamil governments.
Adalarachan, a fellow colleague of Perundhevan who is also a Tamil government, said, “What can we do? We can’t fight with the Sinhalese government too.”
“We have no choice but to accept this and learn Sinhala in three years”, said the leader of the Tamil government, Agilan.
Before 1970, the university admissions were fair to both Tamils and Sinhalese. In 1972, there was a notice saying that Tamils students need to score better than Sinhalese students. Rajasekaran who was a Tamil studied day and night for her future of getting into a university. Rathatima got 4 A2s and 2 B3s, while her best friends, Ravanan who was a Sinhalese got 4 B3s and 2 A2s.
Both of them went to apply for the same university, but Rajasekaran was told that Ravanan got in the university while she did not. After hearing the news, Perundhevan said, “How can they do this to us? You got much better grade than that best friend of yours, and she got in the university just because she is a Sinhalese?? This is totally unfair!”
“Brother, you yourself also know how bad the Sinhalese government is right? What can we do? We don’t have the power to fight back”, said Rajasekaran
In 1976, Rajasekaran gave up on studies as she knew that she there is no future for her. Rajasekaran, Adalvallan and Kannan built an army called the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to fight against the Sinhalese as they thought that it was the only way to make the Sinhalese government treat the Tamils fairly and equally. The war stared and bombs were flying around in the air; the sound of gunshot was heard from a large area of distance up to one kilometre. There was blood everywhere, in the surrounding. It was a horrifying scene that causes the whole place to be stanched with the smell of blood.
“Run while you still can! Rebuild the Tamil Tigers army and avenge our death!” shouted Adalvallan who was desperately fighting in a losing war as the last few survivors.
Rajasekaran cried out, “No! I can’t leave now; we made a vow when we were kids!”
“There is no time for such thing now Rajasekaran! Flee with Kannan immediately!” shouted Adalvallan with Tears rolling down his cheek but still smiling, “Live on my friends!”
Kannan held Rajasekaran’s hand and fled. 5 years later, Rajasekaran remembered the face of Adalvallan and always cried when she thought of the war. However, will they give up preventing more casualties? Or will the peace be temporary?