The Strength Behind Victories... Colonel Raju,

The Strength Behind Victories

We sent you forth, knowing this storm would come.
Yet even after the war has ended,
Thunder still crashes in our hearts.
Blood turns cold in our veins,
A sharp pain pierces our chests.

Colonel Raju,
They called you the “Singing Cuckoo.”
A man of few words, fewer smiles,
Yet a miracle in action.
Sharpened under his leader’s gaze,
A mind brimming with strategy and wisdom.
A warrior who thought only of freedom,
A hero who planted the seeds of new beginnings.
Behind every great victory,
There stood this fearless son of the land.

The bullets that cut through enemy lines,
Were silenced by his very hands.
After winning battle after battle,
Why did death come so suddenly for you, Raju?

You could have fallen in war,
Yet illness claimed you instead.
Without even a final farewell to your brother,
Like a flickering lamp, you faded away.

But we will keep your dream alive.
With the fields you nurtured, we shall build your vision.
Wiping away our sorrow,
We will fulfill your dreams—our tribute to you.
Yet, the pain of your absence
Will linger in our hearts forever.

Poet Puthuvai Rathinadurai, 2003, for the magasin “Sooriya puthalvarkal “.

Translation by Hari