'Deeply honoured and moved to tears': Sri Lanka army chief returns to IMA three decades later to review passing out parade

Once himself a cadet at the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun, the Commander of the Sri Lankan Army, Lieutenant General BKGM Lasantha Rodrigo on Saturday reviewed the passing out parade for the latest batch of newly commissioned officers to step out from the Indian Army’s ‘cradle of leadership’. “Deeply honoured and moved to tears,” he said while describing his experience. He was commissioned from the IMA in December 1990 as part of the 87th Course.

Lt Gen Rodrigo is on an official visit to India (from June 11 to 14), aimed at enhancing bilateral military cooperation and exploring new avenues for collaboration, particularly in the areas of training and capability enhancement.

Besides meeting top Indian military and civilian dignitaries, including the three Service Chiefs, his itinerary includes visits to important military establishments. “The visit underscores the ongoing commitment by both Sri Lanka and India to deepen their robust defence cooperation, which has been built over decades of shared history, mutual trust, and regional partnership. It also served as an important step towards strengthening the camaraderie and personal bonds between the two armies, capacity-building, military training exchanges and coordinated response to regional challenges,” an official statement by the Ministry of Defence said.

Lt Gen Rodrigo had joined the Sri Lankan Army as an officer cadet in January 1989 as part of the under Regular Intake – 31, and upon successfully completing officer cadet training in the Sri Lanka Military Academy and the Indian Military Academy, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant.

A gunner, he later attended the Artillery Young Officers Course in India and has commanded Sri Lanka’s '18 Field Regiment Artillery. He is an alumnus of the National Defense University of the United States and has also undergone a short training course in Pakistan.

Addressing the cadets at the IMA, he said, “I am deeply honoured and moved to the point of tears to stand before you as the first IMA alumnus to return as the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army and review this parade. Looking at your faces, I see my younger self. This place doesn’t just train officers; it forges bonds that last a lifetime.”

He told them that they would not only wear a rank, but embrace a new way of life with three unshakable responsibilities which they must uphold – first to the nation, second to the soldiers and third to the families of the bravehearts. He also said that the foreign officer cadets were the brand ambassadors of the values imbibed by the IMA that will transcend borders.

A total of 451 gentleman cadets of the 156 Regular Course, 45 Technical Entry Scheme and 139 Technical Graduate Course, forming the Spring Term – 2025, passed out from the IMA today. This was the 156th passing out parade since its inception in 1932.

The newly commissioned officer included 32 from nine friendly foreign countries. Among them were two from Sri Lanka. Also present on the occasion was another senior Sri Lankan Army officer, Brigadier RMSP Rathnayake, whose son was among the newly commissioned officers.

Lt Gen Rodrigo presented the Sword of Honour to the “overall best cadet” to Academy Cadet Adjutant Anni Nehra, who also received the silver merit for standing second in the order of merit.

The gold medal for standing first in the order of merit went to Academy Under Officer Ronit Ranjan Nayak, while the bronze medal went to Battalion Under Officer Anurag Verma. The silver medal for standing first in the order of merit among technical graduates went to Sergeant Akash Bhadouriya, while the award for standing first amongst foreign cadets went to Nishan Balami from Nepal.