Gajalakshmi Paramasivam – 12 March   2016

‘New Delhi: Assassinating former Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was the Tamil Tigers` biggest mistake, a new book quotes the late LTTE ideologue Anton Balasingham as saying.’ Zee news.

LTTE Killing Rajiv Gandhi – Mistake or Natural?

Mr. Balasingham - British Tamil was as per his own declaration part of the Tamil Tiger Leadership. How does one measure whether the act of killing a prime ministerial candidate was a mistake or the ‘right thing to do?’ As part of the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam )- did Mr. Balasingham have the moral authority to find fault with the LTTE leadership? In his own mind, did he lose support from that leadership and v.v.? What would the path of Truth reveal if one sought the Truth?

Given that the LTTE claimed to be Freedom fighters and given that majority Tamils accept that at public level – Truth is the measure that would satisfy all of us. Truth generates inner wisdom and when we are active with wider world, it becomes difficult to separate Truth from hearsay and more importantly knowledge through intellectual discriminative thinking. To most of us the earth is flat and is not global. Our investment in learning whether the earth is flat as our eyes tell us or global as the experts say - is the True base on which reliability is developed. Truth when manifested is the Level Playing Field that Equal Opportunity principles profess. Was this common to Mr. Balasingham and to the LTTE leaders – Mr. Velupillai Prabhakaran and Mr. Pottu Amman about whom Wikipedia reports as follows:

‘Pottu Amman was responsible for training Black Tigers for missions which kill them. Most notably, this occurred was when former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was killed by a woman Tiger who was allegedly raped by the IPKF. Another attack was against President Ranasinghe Premadasa, who was killed when a Black Tiger blew himself up also killing 23 bystanders on May Day.’

If LTTE leadership believed that they were fighting for freedom – then it means that they did not have knowledge of higher measures. As one LTTE leader said – ‘We do not know Civil Administration. We know to fight’. Hence as their Political advisor, Mr. Balasingham had the responsibility to take that as the start point/base on which information is measured. This is necessary not only for winning wars but also in business. When we are over-regulated we are like to lose wars / business. If Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa had retired as President after winning the war – he would still be a hero and would have saved Sri Lankan Government the threat of war-crimes inquiry. Similarly, if the LTTE within the current Tamil leadership retires from ‘fighting mode’  - LTTE would continue to be war-heroes to Tamils. I have not heard even one Tamil refer to any of the LTTE leaders in particular. Most of them speak of their own victories against their own enemies during the LTTE period.

As per the above article about Mr. Balasingham:

[In contrast, Balasingham had no hesitation in admitting that the LTTE assassinated moderate Tamil leader and academic Neelan Thiruchelvam - who was critical of the Tamil Tigers -- in July 1999 on a Colombo street.

When the Norwegians, Solheim included, confronted Balasingham on the killing, the book quotes the latter as saying point-blank: "Yes, we killed him and if you listen to me I will tell you why."]

If Mr. Balasingham, LTTE’s chief political strategist,   had invested in the Political system of Sri Lanka in common with the educated section of the Tamil Community, he would have felt the pain in us losing  Neelan Thiruchelvam.  That act of killing was an example of  brawn power killing brain power.   One who was part of such killing force – lost the right to represent the Tamil Community and its struggle for higher status for intellectual achievements and through such to establish  its Equal status to govern. The death of Neelan Thiruchelvam went towards strengthening our claim to Equal status in Parliament – as confirmed by  TNA (Tamil National Alliance) in Sri Lankan Parliament. With Mr. Balasingam as the political leader – our status in politics would have been far lower than it is now.

As per the article:

 [The book quotes Solheim as saying that Balasingham once referred to Prabhakaran as a "warlord" and said the LTTE needed to transform into a political entity.

Balasingham also told Solheim, who is now based in Paris: "You must never underestimate the capacity for violence of these guys (LTTE)."

According to Solheim, Balasingham "was very frank with us, including admitting to the LTTE`s mistakes.

"Over time I came to regard Bala highly and to consider him as a great human being as well as a good friend."]

To the Tamil Community – Mr. Balasingham is a relative. We have the duty to take a position ‘internally’  until there is Public knowledge of particular aspects of a person within the family/community. On that basis – Mr. Neelan Thiruchelvam was a higher relative to Mr. Balasingham as per the core values of the Tamil Community. By killing Mr. Thiruchelvam he made an outsider of himself. By giving official recognition to Mr. Balasingham ‘as great human being’ – Mr. Solheim is diminishing the value of Norway’s contribution to the Tamil Community which values Mr. Neelan Thiruchelvam highly due to his total investment in values that are precious to our community.

As stated many times, I live in Thunaivi when I am in Northern Sri Lanka. Thunaivi is part of Vaddukoddai electorate that was represented legitimately by  Mr. Neelan Thiruchelvam. The following report highlights the value of the heritage we share with Mr. Neelan Thiruchelvam:

[After the Black July riots many TULF leaders went into exile but Tiruchelvam stayed in Colombo. Tiruchelvam was appointed as the TULF's National List MP in Parliament following the 1994 parliamentary election.  Tiruchelvam, and G.L.Peiris, were the main contributors to  President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s  1995 constitutional reform and devolution plan (also known as the "GL-Neelan Package" or "The New Deal"). The plan involved turning Sri Lanka from a  unitary state  into a "union of regions", merging of the Northern and Eastern , expanding the subjects devolved   to provincial councils, establishment of a mechanism to resolve disputes between the central and provincial governments and greater recognition of Sri Lanka's many minorities. The plan went beyond the Thirteenth Amendment   and was federalism   in all but name. The plan, which was released on 3 August 1995, was generally welcomed both in Sri Lanka and abroad but was attacked by Sinhalese nationalists  and Tamil militants. The plan was subsequently watered down so much that even the TULF refused to support it and the plan was never implemented.]

Both – Sinhala as well as Tamil Rebels  would act to ‘show’ wins above Service. Killing high profile persons is one way of ‘taking over’  the  opportunities in their territory – just as Vaddukoddai Resolution was taken over by the LTTE – as per ITS  purpose of fighting through arms. Whether this is right or wrong – depends on how common we are with them – by law for those in positions and in Truth for those ‘free’ of positions and their duties.

The People of Thunaivi cannot be measured by the same measure as the People of  Sanagarathai across the road. Both are part of Vaddukoddai. The last time I encountered problem with them – I did not report the matter to the Police for this reason. Instead, I reported the matter to the parents of the young ones who were acting in breach of our rules within our family temple. These young ones who are of the kind recruited by the LTTE – don’t even have the motivation to respect the Hindu temple practices known to majority. Isolation from Tamil leadership has led to them developing their own rules. I therefore have to use my actual ‘ownership’ credits with them to discipline them and maintain the sanctity of that area around our temple. Parents who worship at the temple usually manage to keep their children within the rules. Where I have knowledge of a young one not knowing / having parents – due to illegitimacy and/or death of the parent – I leave the matter to the Lord / Lady Kali. The Hon. Philip Ruddock, MP also said to the Australian Tamil community that he left matters that were beyond him to the Lord.

There is a saying in Tamil – that our evil comes back to us. Before this happens – we need to separate ourselves from them – so one gets her/his own. If we remain within one structure – we must be ready to accept the common verdict from outsider for better or for worse. Within us – so long as we live as per our Truth – we would never be wrong in our own Independent eyes. Given that Mr. Balasingham saw LTTE Leader Prabhakaran as War Lord – he had the duty to resign from the LTTE and not pollute it from within. That’s when Mr. Balasingham, would have earned the right to represent Tamil Rebels who lacked knowledge of wider laws. If he chose to remain within – then he had the DUTY to be silent and that would have been facilitated if he left behind the eyes of the more educated Tamil when he chose to be part of  Rebel leadership.