Does a person sentenced to death have any hope for the future? This is a strange question. But a person with such an expectation is in a prison in Sri Lanka. His name is Lakmina Indika Bamunusinghe.
Indika, who has turned a new page in the history of the prison, is now close to the degree of philosophy. In the oppressive life spent in prison, he is left with only a jumper, a plate and a cup. “Prisoners are human too.” He has managed to give a meaningful meaning to that phrase in an era when the introduction was only limited to the word.
A heart of light
The way in which Lakmina Indika Bamunusinghe manages his bright mind in a situation where death appears and has to submit to that punishment at a certain moment is a great example for the world. In it, he tells the world that man has much to learn until death is certain. Indika completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in 2015 while still in remand prison when the court sentenced him to death. Undeterred by that, he decided to study for a master’s degree, and he obtained the same degree in 2019 with high marks. The completion of the Indika Philosopher’s degree, which focuses on further education, will begin from there, and the related degree thesis has also been submitted now.
Accordingly, he is going to receive the degree of Philosophy in a few days. This action of Indika has become an example to the world, and he will join history as the first person in Sri Lanka to attain the degree of Doctor of Philosophy while in prison under the death penalty. Also, he will join world history as the sixth person in the world who reached that goal while in prison, says the prison department.
The death penalty will be imposed in 2015
By 2013, he had completed ten years of service as a sub-inspector and was sentenced to death after a trial. The incident of abducting and killing Mohammad Shyam, a millionaire businessman who lived in Bambalapitiya, had become a matter of great attention in society. In relation to that, Vas Gunawardena, a former Deputy Inspector General of Police, had taken judicial action against four policemen including his son, and the final verdict sentenced them to death. Indika is also a member of that group. The decision was given in 2015.
Even when he was named as a suspect, Indika, who was registered as an external undergraduate candidate at the University of Sri Jayawardenepura, continued to study. Then, with the agreement of the prison officials, he appeared for the university exams and was on his way to the highest pass in education.
His wife also supports him in his studies. His wife often attends lectures held at Sri Jayawardenepura University. The recorded lectures are then handed over to Indika by prison officials. His educational process was launched under such conditions. It was not a comfortable journey and a harvest of experiencing oppression and the mental conditions of the prisoners.
Studied after 10 pm.
Indika can listen to lectures and study after 10 pm. The husband studies only after the other prisoners go to sleep. Despite that, he passed the Bachelor of Arts degree. And he was given permission from prison to go to the graduation ceremony. He himself said that he will complete his master’s degree next. It required seventy per cent completion of lectures. Several judges also helped Indika by making humane decisions. Indika’s wife commented, shedding tears of joy, “Thank you to all of them.”
20 lakh rupees to learn from the government
By now, Indika has completed the degree of Philosophy, confirming the saying that if there is a mind, the path is small. Paying attention to the reports received about Indika’s good behaviour, the President’s Fund has also released an amount of 20 lakh rupees for his education. That was according to the instructions of the then President Maithripala Sirisena.
The dissertation for the degree of philosophy from Indika is also based on a very important topic. The thesis has been compiled as “New Trends in Gang Crimes in Sri Lanka”. It consists of three hundred pages.
Also, he was given the opportunity to work in the afternoon when he graduated as a Doctor of Philosophy. He studied sitting in the temple grounds of the prison. Also, the prison officials had given permission to use the laptop. The wife recalled.
This is the first time in the history of Sri Lankan prisons that an inmate has completed his philosophy degree. Lakmina Indika Bamunusinghe is also the first to hold a Doctor of Philosophy degree in “New Trends in Gang Crimes in Sri Lanka”. Commenting on this, Additional Prison Commissioner Mr Chandana Ekanayake said that this is a unique moment in the history of prisons. He also pointed out that Indika’s example has a strong positive impact on the future development and welfare of the prisoners.
