Located in the heart of the Anamaduwa town is a restaurant owned by Mohamed Naufer, a gentleman who peacefully catered to the needs of all his customers for 30 long years. Popular among the residents in the area for his humbleness, Naufer always ensured his customers wore a broad smile of satisfaction when they stepped out of his restaurant. Needless to say, one can hardly find any who hadn’t sipped a cup of tea or enjoyed a meal from his restaurant. 

However, an unruly mob had thrown a petrol bomb at the restaurant on March 11 at the most ungodly hours of 2.00 a.m. It was surprising that the fire was doused by the villagers even before the restaurant owner arrived at the scene. The adjoining communication centre had also caught fire. Yet, what intrigues us the most is Naufer’s silence against this heinous act.  

While the security forces made themselves busy with arresting those responsible, trader associations and residents in the area united to rebuild the restaurant. The Sinhalese, Tamils and the Muslims got together for this worthy cause. Anamaduwa Police arrested seven individuals including a schoolboy and the son of a police officer and produced them in court.