Let our experts on maritime law and Customs Ordinance take the lead to fill our government coffer as they did from small naval department in Talaimannar few scores of years ago.
by Admiral Ravindra C Wijegunaratne (Retired from Sri Lanka Navy) Former Chief of Defence Staff
As you know both Navy and custom officers wear white uniforms. The relationship between two old services also unique. When we caught contraband smuggled by sea routes, we handover to Customs for public auctions. We get a part of this income to government revenue as “ Catch money” or official appreciation to our good work. So, our relationship with Customs is unique.
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| Sri Lanka Navy Diving team with HNS Perera |
Sometimes in bigger raids on intelligence/ information received by Customs, we help Custom officers happily as we know our names also included in “ Catch money list”. most of the Senior Custom officers has sweet memories of their first posting at Talaimannar. Even though defunct today, Talaimannar was a busy landing point in Sri Lanka when India-Sri Lanka railway connection was there through ferry named “ Ramnujam” . Mostly the young Custom officers, specially new Cadets as their first appointment comes to serve in Talaimannar obviously due difficulty due rough living conditions in this remote posting. However I yet to meet an Customs officer who complained about harsh conditions. They all had happy and enjoyable posting at Talaimannar, which was very good for them when they rose up in ranks. You should love your job from very young age.
My. reading in to Talaimannar was the chapter on Naval Detachment Talaimannar by “Kalakeerthi “ Carl Muller, award winning writer and poet, our own ( he was in the Royal Ceylon and Sri Lanka Navy for very long time - serving in our Communications branch) in his hilarious episodes in his book on Navy life, “Spit and Polish.”
By the time we joined the Navy in 1980, Naval Detachment was withdrawn from Talaimannar, Ramnujam ferry has stopped coming and SL Customs also locked their properties and moved to Colombo. Obviously, as Indo-Sri Lanka ferry is not working, no point to have Customs officers stationed there.
On 19th March 1985, when I was serving as OIC of Naval Detachment Nagadeepa, I received a message to report to CO of our main base SLNS Elara, in Karinagar. I was a young Sub Lieutenant. What I have done wrong ? As far as I knew the Chief Incumbent of Nagadeepa Purana Raja Maha Viharaya, Most Rev Rajakeeya Panditha Brhammanawatte Dhammaketti Tissa thero gave a very high recommendation on my dedication to duty few days back. But why this sudden call on ?
When I met CO Elara, he explained, “ Ravi, as you have established Nagadeepa detachment so well, I can run it with some other Officer. Further, I can always visit there in short time. I want give you a bigger task. "
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| Sea Chart of Talaimannar |
“ Navy Headquarters want us to start a detachment in Talaimannar on request of Army. It’s a different area, much different living conditions. I want you to be the OIC of this new Naval Detachment in Talaimannar. Army will provide you food and other supplies. I will give you sixteen sailors and one senior sailor. Gunboat of Lt Commander S G Weerasinghe is ready to take you to Talaimannar.”
That’s how Navy re established at Talaimannar !
Thanks to Army I was provided with two brand new boats fitted with two 40 HP outboard mortars. I shifted to Custom housing Complex Talaimannar Customs Headquarters in Colombo has been very kind and handed over their properties on temporary loan. We got five fully furnished houses of Customs and one very big house by the side of beach owned by Immigration Department ( where earlier immigration officers housed) as my office/ Chalet cum Gymnasium. What a luxury ! Happily settled down, we started our work. Anticipating next Rugby Football season and intention of playing a full season for the Navy team without any injuries, my fitness regime started with Long Beach runs in the early mornings and weight training at my personal gym in the evenings. Fresh fish, shell fish and dry fish plenty with Army ration, we dined well. Time to time on Sundays had two glasses of Thal toddy. Wild boar in plenty. My point 22 gun had enough work during weekends. Army personnel were surprised to know I hunt Wild boar with point 22 caliber (.22 of inch caliber) gun. No sound - it’s a technique where to aim and shot down fully grown wild boar with single shot. Thanks my guru for your training.
At nights we laid our ambushes at sand banks, discreetly reaching in our boats like fishermen and awaited for boats loaded with smuggling goods to pass by. Within no time, our stores were filled with Indian sarees, sarongs, cloths bundles, zips ( which used for trousers - packed in thousands) smuggled from India and video decks, TVs , electronic goods, lux soap and sunlight soap ( packed in thousands) smuggled to India. The more sleepless nights you spent in sand banks of Talaimannar/ Danuskodi area, more you caught smugglers and punish them under Sri Lankan law with support of SL Customs. The smuggling goods, boats, outboard engines were confiscated and sold in public auction in Colombo by Customs.
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| Depleted Talaimannar pier - once bustling trading post of India-Sri Lanka |
Catch money? Yes, our Customs had been very efficient in getting us the catch money we were entitled as per Customs Ordnance, added into our monthly pay. I thanked my CO SLNS Elara profusely for sending me to such an enjoyable and well-paid job of catching smugglers.
Smugglers also became smart to find out what we were up to and to avoid us, but I had my informants well planted, to whom I used to pay lavishly from my share of catch money. Please do not ask me the amount I received , because you may feel jealous. I can assure its lot of money at that time. As OIC of Naval Detachment Talaimannar during this eventful 15 months of my junior Naval career, I became very rich. However money was not that important for us during those young ages, it was the self satisfaction and pride in catching the wrongdoers which make us very happy. Anyway, being only person employed among our classmates in 1985, I spent lavishly when we met during leave periods and during Rugby season. It is irony that this small detachment which Navy restarted in 1985, became a Commissioned Naval base(SLNS Themmena) in 1996. I was fortunate enough to Command it in 1997/8 as a Commander and today it’s Headquarters of North Central Naval Command, Commanded by a senior officer of rank of Rear Admiral. I firmly believe in SBS motto “ Fortune favor our Brave”.
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| Indian PM Hon. Narendra Modi opened new Railway station , Talaimannar In 2015 |
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| Godawaya stone inscriptions-probably the oldest Customs document in the World |
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| Godawaya granite bench |
Do you know probably the first Customs Ordinance in the World established by Sri Lankan King ? The Godawaya inscriptions by King Gajabahu ( 114 to 136 AD) stated at Stone tablet inscriptions in Ancient Godawaya harbour ( closer to Hambantota near the mouth of Walawe River) ordering that all dues from ships to be given to Godawaya temple as donations to maintain this temple. This ancient harbour functioned from 2nd Century AD to 12th Century AD on ancient maritime silk route. The replica of this historical stone tablet is available in beautifully built new SL Customs Museum in their Headquarters, Colombo.
In 2008, when I was the Commander Southern Naval Area, Sri Lanka Navy with intention to helping newly formed Maritime Archeology unit of Archeological department, loaned one of Navy’s most qualified diving officer, Lt Commander ( then ) H N S Perera, US
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| Godawaya ancient clay pots |
( Florida) and China trained ship salvage diving officer and who has done a tenure at Royal Malaysian Diving School as an diving and salvage instructor, to Maritime Archeology unit in Galle. One of their missions was to find a wreck of very old (Anuradhapura period) ship at seas two miles off Godawaya ancient port, at depth of 100 feet. They used SCUBA diving sets, which carry normal air. It is always advisable to use Helium- Oxygen mixture diving sets as 90 meters (where four atmospheric pressure) is the maximum depth a SCUBA set can used.
HNS with two civilian Marine Archeologists went in a civilian fishing boat to do the dive at probable place of the ancient shipwreck on 21st October 2008 afternoon. Boat anchored at location and they started diving without a lifeline from boat and surface supervisor, who is supposed to hold the boat end of life line. Our competent divers able to reach the wreck for the first time. It was a invaluable finding for our Nation’s Maritime Archeology!
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| Captain (SSD) HNS Perera |
They found ancient pot and when they surfaced after proper decompression stops in various depths to avoid “Bends” , the boat was missing.
The untrained civilian boat operator has drifted away due to rough sea and he has not dropped his anchor and he could not locate the surfaced divers!
HNS took command over two other divers, they ditched their diving equipments and start floating on their inflated emergency life vests.
The emergency SOS was sent to all. We deployed all available boats, Navy and civilian for search and rescue of three divers. Air Force also being informed and bell 212 helicopter from Rathmalana took off.
Luckily we were able to detect HNS and two other divers few minutes before Sunset and to brought them to safely ashore. They brought this priceless artifact ( clay pot), which they did not ditch with their diving equipments, knowing the historical value of this pot, to research into unknown area of our Nation’s early Maritime history. Later we found after carbon dating ( C- 14 dating test) that it is belongs to 2 nd Century AD period.
HNS was very lucky. We would have lost him out at sea with other two that day. When ever we meet, he always mentioned this incident and thank me for prompt SOS operation that day. So, our Customs has long history and being on ancient silk route and later international shipping network hub, earned major potion of our State income.
It is sad to see today we argue about shipping laws and compensations from ship wrecks on electronic media. Some who appear in these programs do not know what they talk about.
We are a maritime nation. Our forefathers came to Sri Lanka from India by sea. Prince Vijaya’s arrival by sea was our start, but now we act like completely aliens to sea.
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| Nagapoosan Amman Hindu Temple , Nayanativu Island , Jaffna |
Our King Parakramabahu 1, (1123 to 1186 AD) wrote in stone tablet how ships become wrecks should pay dues to ancient port Urattuturi ( port of Kytes) as per the cargo they carry (elephants, horses or general cargo). This ancient stone tablet now kept at Nayanativu Naga Poosan Amman Koviil Museum. Not now, thousands years ago we had laws and King’s orders how to obtain compensation to government coffer from wrecked ships closer to our harbors. History teaches us, but we should be prepared to learn from the history.
Let our experts on maritime law and Customs Ordinance take the lead to fill our government coffer as they did from small naval department in Talaimannar few scores of years ago. Let every single cent tickle down to government coffer which is almost empty now. As per Annual Performance Report of Sri Lanka Customs 2018 ( available in open sources) former SL Customs Director General , Mrs PSM Charles said in her message, “ During the year under review, (2018) SL Customs able to secure tax revenue of Rs 919.05 billion. This is 53.7% of total tax revenue of the government.
I am failing in my duty if I do not mentioned Ravi junior for his diligent research work in to Historical details.
Well done! Bravo Zulu to SL Customs !
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