DARSHANA SANJEEWA BALASURIYA 
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Colombo, January 1 (Daily Mirror) - Outgoing Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Shavendra Silva yesterday asserted that he wanted to avoid civilian casualties at all costs caused by military fire during the ‘Aragalaya’ period in 2022, but the rulers misunderstood his strategy, which put him at a disadvantage.
General Shavendra Silva, the 8th CDS of Sri Lanka retired from his position and active service in the Sri Lanka Army yesterday.
General Shavendra Silva was appointed as the 8th Chief of Defence Staff of effective from 01 June 2022.
General Silva has completed over 40 years of unblemished, distinguished, and victorious service in the Sri Lanka Army and served as the Acting Chief of Defence Staff and 23rd Commander of the Sri Lanka Army; the four-star General to command the Sri Lanka Army, prior to taking up the office as the Chief of Defence Staff.
"A four-star general who served as the second Commander-in-Chief in the history of the Sri Lanka Army, I had seven months left until my retirement on May 31, 2022. However, the authorities officially transferred me from the position of Commander of the Army to Chief of Defence Staff. After some time, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had to flee the country, and at that time I was abroad with the government's permission, attending a national security conference as the CDS," General Silva said in a Farewell message.
“The 2022 struggle was an internal civil unrest. I issued orders to utilise only minimal military force to control the protesters. I had no desire to become a ruthless murderer wielding official authority against unarmed civilians. My intentions were not vile or evil, nor did I seek to betray the state as power-hungry rulers might claim. I had no low aspirations to be a pawn for a foreign country or a pet in a foreign embassy. So, why would I deploy the Air Mobile Brigade to safely rescue then Prime Minister, the fifth Executive President of our country at that time, when he was ensnared by the protesters?” he asked.
General Silva said that former Presidents, who ruled the country in 2019 and 2022, had appointed him as the Deputy Adviser on National Security of Sri Lanka, recognising his discipline and law-abiding service.
He was also honoured with the title of Chairman of the National Sports Selection Committee and given the post of Chief Operations Officer of the Presidential Task Force on Green Agriculture.
He has had an illustrious career from the rank of Second Lieutenant to General and steadily elevated in the chain of command, covering all the salient appointments in the domains of staff, instructional, command, and diplomatic.
Key appointments he held during his career included Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army, Colonel of the Regiment for Gajaba Regiment and the two elite regiments of the Sri Lanka Army; Special Forces Regiment and Commando Regiment, Adjutant General and Director General Operations of the Army Headquarters.
General Shavendra Silva is a battle-hardened Infantry Officer known for his leadership in commanding the Air Mobile Brigade and possessing a legacy as the most successful Divisional Commander by commanding the victorious 58 Division along with the Commando Brigade which recorded the highest number of successful achievements during the Wanni Humanitarian Operation which culminated the three-decade civil war and brought peace to Sri Lanka in year 2009.
