Two decades later: Abilash (right) sharing a light moment with Jayarasa at his residence in Kurukkalmadam, Sri Lanka. — AP
Pulled from the mud as an infant after the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, and reunited with his parents following an emotional court battle, the boy once known as “Baby 81” is now a 20-year-old dreaming of higher education.
Jayarasa Abilash’s story symbolised that of the families torn apart by one of the worst natural calamities in modern history, but it also offered hope.
