JACKSON'S TAMBOURINE ROBBERY

Jakckson robs
a Tambourine

Could you believe that the popular actor Jackson Anthony had robbed a Tambourine from a “Viridu” singer who makes his livelihood by singing ‘Viridu”?
This story is not fabricated bur a true story. This was published in the ‘Lakbima’ newspaper. He was not caught when he robbed the Tambourine. However the story was unfolded by him to a recent ‘Lakbima’ newspaper. How is after 10 years recollecting the robbing of a Tambourine and buying a Tambourine for an innocent ‘Viridu’ singer remembering this incident he had disclosed.
This incident had occurred during his school days. During a ‘Poson’ Poya season he had with some friends in the Ragama area had decided to visit Anuradhapura and Mihintale. They all had congregated at the Ragama Railway station at 4 a.m. As Jackson never fails to bring along his Tambourine, one friend had inquired as to where is your Tambourine. As I had failed to bring it along all his friends had blamed for his failure to bring it. He was upset and was walking on the platform thinking what to do. He had seen a ‘Viridu’ singer sleeping in a corner and had seen his Tambourine.
Without having any pity to him he had robbed the Tambourine, when one of his friends had told ‘Machang’ shall we lift it. The group of friends had loitered in Anuradhapura and Mihintale areas for three days and had exhausted all their money except the train fares back to Ragama. They had felt really hungry. They had decided to take a meal at a ‘dansela’ and stayed in the queue. By the time they reached the’ dansela’ all food had been over. They had pleaded for food. They were lucky to have found some plain rice and some onions. They managed to get over their hunger. For them at that moment the meal felt like a ‘King’ meal. He recollected that it was god’s retribution for stealing the poor ‘Viridu’ singer’s Tambourine.
This incident had remained in Jackson’s mind for about a decade. While working at the Swarnavahini he had seen a ‘Viridu’ singer who earned a living by collecting money by singing ‘Viridu’. His Tambourine contained a x-ray sheet bound around a wooden frame. Jackson had asked him why you do not possess a Tambourine. He had said he has no money to save and buy one as he has to spend on his family. Jackson had remembered the incident which was haunting me and gave him money to buy a new Tambourine. The following day he had come to see him to give his blessings for having given him money to buy a Tambourine.

Newspaper article- Gemunu Ratnayake.