It was a blazing Wednesday afternoon in Rajasunderam’s cell when he heard the piercing sound of screaming outside his window. Immediately shaken by the screams and whistles, a nearby priest went to peek out the window to find the source. The scene was that straight out of a horror film. Prisoners wielding axes, iron bars, firewood, and anything else they could find. The rage and anger in their eyes seared through the bars of the cell window and sent shivers through Rajasunderam’s veins. To make matters worse, prison guards were nowhere to be seen. Rajasunderam was petrified, and this hectic scene was only made more frightening when the mob broke into his compound.
He sat in his cell, clueless of how to protect himself from the dangerous mob of prisoners when he heard their deafening voices growing louder and louder. As he ran over to the cell door, his blood froze as he saw the crowd turn the corner down the hall. He frantically ran around in a panic, confused about their motives, and having to make a split-second decision that would determine his faith. As the mob got closer to his cell, Rajasunderam ran over to the door, yelling “Why are you trying to kill us? What have we done to you?” However, these pleas came to no avail, and within seconds the fragile barrier separating the manic prisoners and Rajasunderam and his cellmates burst open.
As a length of iron made its way to the side of Rajasunderam’s neck, he reflected on the events that led up to this moment. Reflection on the pain and suffering he went through throughout the longevity of the bloody war. Reflection on the struggle and perseverance that he upheld to survive up to this point. Reflection on everything he lost and sacrificed over the years at the hands of those in authority, only for his end to come at the hands of a fellow prisoner.
Dr. S Rajasunderam was found dead alongside 9 other prisoners, including 2 priests and one methodist minister on the afternoon of Wednesday, July 27th, 1983. Official reports state Dr. Rajasunderam’s blood was seen to spray several feet from impact.
-Anonymous