TOAST – CAPT THILINA AND DILHARA

Major General UD Wijesekara RWP RSP USP rcdsc psc, snr offrs,
offrs, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Good Morning.

I am Lt Col Janaka Perera, as the Commanding officer of 7 th

Battalion Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment, I would like to take a couple
of minutes from your happy hours for a traditional event done by
the Services.
Ladies and Gentlemen, as we all are aware, today we have gathered
here, to witness the one page of an impressive love story of Thilina
& Dilhara.

As the Commanding Officer of 7th Battalion Sri Lanka Sinha

Regiment, it is a great privilege and a pleasure to discharge my duty
of proposing toast in honor of the newly wedded couple.

Ladies and gentlemen, this smart groom here is Captain Thilina

Bopitiya. He is hailing from a respectable family from Gampola,
and is the elder son among two childrenin his family. Captain
Thilina is a proud product of Wickramabahu National Collage
Gampola. During his school days, he has been recognized by
students and teachers of the college for an array of talents he
possessed. He has been a very good companion among his mates.
He is the member of School Judo, Wrestling as well as the Athletic
Team and he has achieved many national awards.
He was fortunate to represent Sri Lanka in international judo
tournaments during his school tenue. With all the courage and fine
qualities inculcated by his parents and teachers, Thilina decided to
take the noblest path of all, which is the path of warrior as such, he

1
joined the Army as an Officer Cadet to Sir John Kotelawala
Defense University under Intake 31, and upon completion of his
basic Military training from Sri Lanka Military Academy
Diyathalawa and he completed his degree under the bachelor of
science in Social science. Then he commissioned as a Second
Lieutenant and joined to the family of the Lion Hearted men, which
is the prestigious Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment, an eminent Regiment
under Sri Lanka Army. There upon, he has been serving with
utmost dedication in defense of the interests of the motherland. As a
young officer his dedication and enthusiasm brought him all the
way up to the rank of a Captain. During his herculean journey he
followed Local Young Officers’ Course, junior staff course
Buththala, counter insurgency and jungle warfare course
Maduruoya and presently, he is serving as theinstructor officer at
Battalion training school Pampemadu.

It is surely unfair if I don’t speak about Charming bride Dilhara.

This beautiful bride here is Dilhara Senawirathna. She is hailing
from a respectable family from Saliyapura, and she is the elder
daughter of a respectable family from Anuradhapura. She is an
alumnus of Swarnapali National collage at Anuradhapura. She has
been a very good companion among her friends and She was very
good in academics as well as the sports, she was vice captain of
sports and Captain of School Judo team. She also won a number of
national titles representing the sports of Judo. Due to extra
curricular activities and high mark obtained in their A/L
Examination, as well as the desire to become a Teacher she got
entered to the Pulathisipura national collage of educationand

2
complete her National diploma in teaching. Presently she works as
a Teacher.
To tell this love story in brief, when these two young people met
and they made a friendship each other with the sport judo and the
friendship turned in to a beautiful love story. they fell in love at first
sight and decided that they should be each other’s forever and this
love story pourup to 5 years with fly in the ornament,
Dilhara, on behalf of all officers present here, let me warmly
welcome you to the Sinha family. From this moment onwards, you
are one of us. Know that you are not an ordinary wife, but a wife of
a military officer. Know that is one of the highest privileges that
can be downed upon a very lucky lady, indeed.
Having said all about, Now, I would like to tell you about the
journey ahead of you, which you have chosen to travel together -
forever. Married life is a not a smooth drive on a paved road, but a
sail in the rough sea. It has its own ups and down. That is why two
persons, a man and a woman are needed to sail together. In all ups
and downs, you two need to stay closer to each other in your souls.
You need to be the strength of each other.
Dilhara, married life in the Military is not a bed of roses. Your
husband has sworn to put everything behind duty. Do understand
and tolerate this fact, for he is making a sacrifice no other man is
making. Thilina, in the other hand, understand and have respect for
the sacrifice that your wife is making, for she is bound to do
something no other ordinary wife could do. Let me refer to
something said by Martin Luther on married life.
‘‘Let the wife make the husband glad to come home, and let
him make her sorry to see him leave’’
3
Such should be the affairs between you two.
Remember, in time to come you will rise higher and earn much
respect from people around you. Higher you go, the more humbler
you need to be as an Army Officer and an Officer’s wife.
At the last not the least I should be thankful to Dilhara’s parents for
granting their lovely daughter to a military officer, knowing the
risky existence in the profession.
You have really shouldered a gigantic responsibility indeed purely
for the betterment &uplfitment of the nation.
CaptainThilina and Dilhara, I wish you health, wealth and
happiness.