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violence
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj
The killing of "Taraki" Sivaram in Colombo was not an isolated event. It is part of an
endless cycle of violence that has been plaguing Batticaloa Tamils. Though he was
killed in Colombo Sivarams death is linked to the on going Eastern violence caused by
the Karuna revolt. Manifestations of violence take different forms at different times in the
East.. The latest is the internecine warfare between the Karuna faction and the
mainstream LTTE. Again the hapless victims are the Tamils of Batticaloa - Amparai.
The Tamil people of the Eastern Province particularly those of Batticaloa and Amparai
districts are fast becoming the wretched of the Sri Lankan earth. A continuous and
consistent pattern of inter - ethnic and intra - ethnic political violence directed against
them over the years has seriously debilitated them. This systemic violence was
compounded and institutionalised in military campaigns conducted by the state and its
agents. Adding to their woes has been Mother nature herself. Massive floods, cyclones
and now "tsunami" killer waves. This agony is now being aggravated by the fratricidal
bloodshed caused by the vertical and horizontal split in tiger ranks.
The Tamil Easterners strong sense of Tamilness, committed devotion to the Tamil
Language and _expression of vibrant Tamil nationalist militancy are all attributes that
any nationality or sub - nationality can be proud of.The Tamil consciousness and
political courage displayed by the "Kilakkuthamilar" (Eastern Tamils) in the post -
independence period is a heroic saga indeed. There was moreover a cultural
renaissance that paralleled or even outdid Jaffna.
The scholar - poet Swamy Vipulanantha was the epitome of this Eastern Tamil culture
and refinement. In later years Tamil scholars and poets like "Pulavarmani"
Periyathambypillai., VC Kandiah, FXC Nadarajah, Eelathuppooraadanaar, Neelavanan,
Kasi Anandhan, Thimilaithumilan, Vaaharai Vaanan etc contributed to and helped form
a powerful Tamil consciousness. The journalistic writings of ST Sivanayagam during his
"Suthanthiran" era was a very powerful influence in this respect.
The fiery oratory of "Sollin Selvar" Selliah Rajadurai spearheaded this Tamil nationalist
renaissance in the East.Further help in stirring this nationalist cauldron was provided by
political activists like former MP's Rasamanickam, Manickavasagar, Senator
Manickam, "Arappor" Ariyanayagam, "Notharis" Kandiah, Velmurugu master,
Sivagnanachelvam Kurukkal, Mala Ramachandran, Sam Thambimuthu, Kala
Thambimuthu and the inimitable Kasi Aanandan. Eastern Tamils participated far in
excess of their population ratio in all non - violent protests of the past ranging from
Satyagrahas to long marches.A large number of Batticaloa Tamils were under house
arrest in Panagoda.
When youth rebellion began in the Tamil polity Batticaloa youths were not lagging
behind though standardisation was not an issue that hit them badly. Kasi Anandan,
"Mandoor" Mahendran, Nadesanantham, Alphonse Mary, Pa. Sinnathurai etc were in
the original batch of Tamil youths detained without trial under Mrs. Bandaranaike in the
seventies. In later years an innumerable number of Eastern Tamils were arrested,
tortured, incarcerated and even killed.
Batticaloa Tamils were in the forefront of Tamil resistance. The first instance of
Independent Ceylon's armed forces being routed anywhere was in Thuraineelaavanai
in the fifties when two vehicles of the army was ambushed and burnt.. Batticaloa Tamils
also thwarted Police backed Sinhala mobs in Eravoor and even derailed trains bringing
in reinforcements. The Eastern Tamils fought back hard in self - defence when armed
settlers were let loose on helpless cultivators in the Amparai district colonisation
schemes..
When armed militancy began rising Eastern youths too were a part of it. An indigenous
militant group "Naagappadai" or Cobra force emerged. Later Batticaloa - Amparai
youths began joining almost all the Tamil militant groups. An impressive sign of early
Eastern militancy was the Batticaloa jailbreak of 1983. It was the assistance and help
provided to the escapees by Tamils and Muslims that was of crucial importance. The
Eastern Muslims backed the Tamil struggle overtly and covertly in the past. Recent
events have transformed that situation.
This Eastern Tamil militancy has not been without sorrow and sacrifice. Sinhala
dominated governments deliberately deprived the already impoverished and
underdeveloped areas of the Eastern Tamils. While Sinhala colonization was
encouraged and Sinhala residents given preferential treatment Muslim areas too were
relatively looked after well by Colombo regimes at the expense of Tamils. Muslim
Parliamentarians being aligned to Governments in power in contrast to Tamil MP"s
being in opposition helped this situation further. Politicians like KW Devanayagam,
Rajan Selvanayagam. SU Thambirasa, S. Rajadurai, M Canagaratnam, Ranganayaki
Pathmanathan etc also joined Govt ranks and attempted to reverse this but the
escalation of the ethnic conflict negated these efforts.
The Eastern Tamil problems were further exacerbated by two other factors. A dynamic
Muslim minority excelled in trade, small industry and large scale agriculture and
fisheries. The Muslims of the East virtually eclipsed their Tamil counterparts in these
spheres.This helped fuel resentment.
The second factor was Jaffna Tamil domination and exploitation. The Top Government
and semi - government jobs as well as clerical andteaching jobs were monopolised by
the "Jaffnese" for a long, long time.. So too were vast segments of transport, trade ,
manufacture and large - scale farming. Many professionals too were from Jaffna. It was
only after the seventies that Batticaloa Tamils began asserting themselves forcefully in
these fields. Unfortunately the ethnic conflict fall - out prevented positive gains. Today
like that of Jaffna the Eastern Tamil elite is scattered in Southern Sri Lanka or is abroad
as part of the wider Tamil Diaspora.
It was the ruthless manner in which the Sinhala dominated state responded to legitimate
Tamil agitation in pursuance of their rights that affected the Eastern Tamils most. The
question of a North - Eastern linkage in the envisaged Thamil Eelam or a greater unit of
devolution was anathema to successive Colombo regimes. Dissent had to be
suppressed in the East. So attempts were made to bring Eastern Tamils under the state
jackboot.
The Special Task Force was almost exclusively located in the East. These STF
personnel described as the cream of the armed forces were nasty, brutal and cruel. A
well - designed and cunningly camouflaged scorched earth policy was practised in
stages at various times in various places. Villages were destroyed, paddyfields
ravaged, fishing boats demolished, people massacred. The bread winners of many rural
families were killed or indefinitely incarcerated. Youths were arrested and tortured.
Women violated sexually. People were driven out of strategic areas.
Today the largest number of orphans, children with single parents, young widows etc
are proportionately higher among Eastern Tamils than in Northern Tamil areas.
Malnutrition, illiteracy, lack of gainful employment, infant mortality, lack of proper
sanitary and medical facility etc are also relatively higher in the East than elsewhere. A
foreign tourist without any preconceived opinion traveling through the East will definitely
be struck by the visible uneven development between Tamil and other areas.
Another device adopted by the state has been playing the Muslim card. The existing
differences between Tamils and Muslims were widened. Cracks became chasms. Inter -
ethnic strife between Tamils and Muslims was promoted. A case in point was the
notorious Richard Dias of military intelligence who masqueraded as the Muslim Capt.
Munas and coordinated Tamil civilian massacres. No action has been taken against this
war criminal despite his name being implicated in the Soza Commission report as well as
the killing of Tamil youth in Colombo.
The Tamil - Muslim violence where the state instigated, aided and abetted mob violence
inflicted much harm on the Tamils in the eighties. But Tamil militants themselves were
not blameless. Many Muslims were killed, abducted and held for ransom. Their property
was seized. Later on massacres like those at Kattankudi. Eravoor, Sammanthurai etc
were conducted against the Muslims by the LTTE. The tigers fortified by strength of
arms have oppressed the Muslim people.
There has been anti - Tamil violence by some sections of Muslims too. Though not very
desirable at this point of time an impartial survey of Tamil - Muslim violence in the East
will certainly reveal that both communities have suffered. Quantitatively the Muslims may
have suffered more. This does not obliterate the fact that Tamils have also suffered.
Apart from inter - ethnic violence and state - sponsored, state - aided violence the
Eastern Tamils have undergone and continue to undergo massive intra - Tamil violence
too. The internecine warfare among various groups resulted in a lot of bloodshed. The
tigers are the chief culprits in this. The onslaughts against TELO and EPRLF saw many
Eastern Tamils killed. Eastern cadres were murdered not only in Batticaloa or Amparai
but in Jaffna too where many were deployed. While northern cadres managed to evade
capture the Eastern cadres were virtually stranded in the North and proved easy prey to
the LTTE.
With the advent of the Indian Army the situation reversed to some extent. Tamil groups
allied to the Indian army took revenge against the LTTE. The tigers retaliated wherever
they could. This resulted in phased out carnage. Then came the infamous conscription
campaign encouraged by the Indian forces. Thousands of youngsters were dragooned
into the Civilian Volunteer Force known as the Tamil National army. When the Indians
were leaving the LTTE aided by the Sri Lankan forces attacked and decimated these
poor Eastern conscripts. Witnesses saw truckloads and tractor loads of bodies
beingtaken away for disposal
With war erupting another series of massacres took place. The LTTE had formed its
political party the Peoples Front of Liberation Tigers and held its first convention in
Vaaharai in the East. Many Tamil civilians openly identified themselves as being pro -
LTTE. The Sri Lankan armed forces with the aid of some Sinhala and Muslim
homeguards and anti - social elements conducted a series of massacres where most
victims were civilian tiger supporters or those suspected of being so. People were taken
out of refugee camps as in the cases of Vantharumoolai and Sathurukondaan and
made to disappear.
The violence continued. Though the tigers were stronger than before the suffering of
the Eastern Tamil people did not cease. A war of attrition took place. Tamil civilians
were regularly rounded up and detained. People went missing. Restrictions were placed
on agriculture and fishing. The worst was the slow and systematic killing of civilians in
singles and twos instead of wholesale massacres as in the past. This regular killing of
people in seemingly negligible numbers did not cause an outcry. Yet the cumulative
number of those killed was massive.
The East also became the theatre of war for anti - tiger groups to combat the LTTE.
The Razeek unit of the EPRLF, the Mohan group of the PLOTE, the Varathan group of
the TELO were all active here. The killings unleashed by these outfits against those
suspected of being tiger supporters was great. LTTE retaliation was equally
horrendous. The ultimate victims as is the case always were the Batticaloa - Amparai
Tamils.
The ceasefire brought some relief to the Tamil people but not to the Eastern Tamils.
Several things happened. The LTTE conducted a campaign of murder and abduction
against members and those it suspected of belonging to other Tamil groups . Even past
members were targeted. Several Tamils suspected of being collaborators were
assassinated in Batticaloa and even in Colombo.
The tigers also stepped up a widespread conscription campaign where thousands of
youngsters were abducted or forcibly recruited in the East. It is also a fact that several
children and youths affected and in many instances impoverished by the war also joined
the LTTE.The greater number however was conscripted through force and intimidation.
Many people left their children as domestics outside Batticaloa to save them from tiger
clutches.
Furthermore the LTTE used the ceasefire to infiltrate Government controlled areas to
conscript youths and also raise funds. People were often abducted for ransom. Few
people were spared withBusinessmen, doctors, lawyers, school principals and ex -
Mayors being detained till the demanded sum was paid. The most notorious example
being that of the abduction of an 82 year old retired notary public. This diminished the
Eastern Tamil economy further. The seizure of paddy lands, livestock, coconut
plantations , vehicles, tractors and fishing boats earlier had affected the East greatly.
The cycle of violence worsened in the East after the Karuna revolt. The LTTE's Eastern
regional commander Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias "Col" Karuna revolted against
Velupillai Pirapakaran and struck out alone. The tigers sent forces from the North to
quell this rebellion. Around 175 Cadres supporting Karuna who were either captured or
had surrendered were massacred in cold blood. Karuna came to an agreement with the
leadership to avert further bloodshed and left Batticaloa.
Most of his cadres were disbanded and went home. But the problem did not cease.
Hundreds of pro - Karuna cadres including seniors like Robert, Jim Kelly, Visu, Thurai,
Thirumal etc were taken to the Wanni. Many are presumed dead. Several others were
taken to a tiger camp and tortured. Many were killed. LTTE assassins started tracking
down pro - Karuna cadres in all parts of the East and the South including Colombo and
killed them. Even people in jails and courthouses were bumped off. The vicious
campaign goes on with some youth or youths suspected of being pro - Karuna being
killed. Furthermore the tigers are also targeting cadres and ex - cadres of the EPDP,
EPRLF, PLOTE and TELO in the East.
This killing spree is not a one - way street now. The Karuna faction now aligned with the
ENDLF led by Paranthan Rajan is targeting the mainstream LTTE. Several tiger leaders
of the political wing like Kausalyan, Senathy, Bawa etc have been killed. An unknown
number of tiger military wing cadres have been killed too. This cycle of violence where
both sides are gunning each other down goes on and on in the East.Many innocent
civilians having nothing to do with either faction have been caught up fatally in the
violence.
One consequence of the Karuna revolt has been the killing of people like Prof.
Thambiah, Journalist Nadesan, Politician Rajan Sathiamoorthy, Ex - Parliamentarians
Kingsley Rajanayagam , Ariyanayagam Chandranehru etc. Others like Professor.
Thiruchelvam, Government Agent Mounagurusamy etc were injured seriously. If one
were to examine this violent history one finds that the Eastern Tamils are being
victimised for decades. Eminent people like former MP Nimalan Soundranayagam, ex -
DDC chairman Sambandamoorthy, ex - DDC member Velmurugu, Former MP Sam
Thambimuthu and wife Kala, Rev Fr, Chandra Fernando, Tamil teachers union stalwart
Wanasingha Master (a Sinhalese), Government agent Anthonymuttu...... the list is
endless.
The cumulative effect of all this violence is the progressive weakening of Eastern Tamil
society. The killings and extortions have demoralised and undermined the elite and
people capable of providing leadership. The killing of every individual regardless of his
age, occupation, position or political belief deserves condemnation. Every mans death
diminishes mankind. The killing of politically conscious people and action oriented
intelligentsia causes much damage. Society at large is leaderless and rudderless. This
can only weaken the Eastern Tamil people further and reduce them to subservience in
the future,
The fratricidal intra - tiger violence is debilitating the Eastern Tamils greatly. When
Karuna revolted Pirapakaran promised that he would resolve it without bloodshed.
When Karuna withdrew from the East he too stated he was doing so to avoid an armed
confrontation where the casualties were going to be Eastern Tamils on either side. How
true! But what is happening now?
Eastern Tamils are being killed almost daily. There is a climate of fear. Both sides are
hell bent on killing each other. In the final analysis it does not matter whether the LTTE
hierarchy prevails or the Karuna faction wins. The casualties are all Eastern Tamils.
Either side can only score a pyrrhic victory.As Mahatma Gandhi said "an eye for an eye
can only make the whole world go blind".No one can predict the ultimate victor in this
fratricidal fighting. The losers however will be the Eastern Tamils in particular and the
Tamil people in general.
The Eastern Tamils have been affected adeversely in the past through several natural
calamities like floods, cyclones and now the tsunami. Furthermore the endless cycle of
war related violence has diminished them further. The present man made crisis of intra -
tiger fratricide is weakening them further. There is every reason to believe that Karuna
is now a pawn in the hands of Colombo. In a not so subtle game of "divide and destry:
the Eastern Tamils will be victimised further.
Unless there is a public outcry on the part of the people there will be no end to this
seemingly endless agony. Is is not time to cry out "Stop in the name of your homeland!
stop in the name of your people!! Batticaloa is known as "Meen Paadum Then Naadu"
(The land of honey where fishes sing) Let the land be sweetened with flowing honey
again! Let the singing fish ring out the sound of concord again and again!!
[Sunday Leader]
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