(MANO) MASTER.
D.B.S.JEYARAJ
The reported disappearance under mysterious circumstances in Colombo of a senior anti - tiger Tamil
politician has aroused strong suspicion of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam being involved in the
act. Packianathan Rajaratnam alias Mano Master went missing from his temporary residence in
Maligawatte since Nov 24th.. There is no conclusive evidence of tiger involvement in the matter at this
juncture but the information available so far plus the track record of the tigers in cases like these helps
point the finger of suspicion in that direction.
Fifty year old Mano Master was at one time a minister in the North - East Provincial administration led
by Annamalai Varatharajapperumal. He was living in Kodambakkam, Chennai and functioned as the
Secretary of the Eelam National Democratic Liberation Front led by Gnapiragasam Gnanasegeram
alias Paranthan Rajan. He was a founder member of the ENDLF. Mano master however shot into the
limelight when appointed recently as coordinator and chief spokesperson of the newly formed Tamil
Eelam United Liberation Front.(Tamil Eelam Ikkiya Viduthalai Munnani)
The new front comprised the ENDLF and the political party - Tamil Eelam Peoples Liberation Tigers
(Tamil Eelam Makkal Viduthalai Puligal) - launched by former Eastern Tiger commander
Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias "Col" Karuna. While Karuna and Paranthan Rajan were the joint
leaders Rajaratnam alias Mano Master as coordinator became the active and visible functionary of the
new party.Gnanasegaram's brother Gnanarajah was the secretary of both Karuna's party as well as the
new joint front.
The ENDLF had virtually become defunct in Sri Lanka from the mid - nineties. The leader Paranthan
Rajan was in Bangalore with some stalwarts running a school and orphanage. Other ENDLF cadre
were living in camps in the state of Orissa and in Salem district of Tamil Nadu. Many ENDLF members
scattered and were living in various parts of Tamil Nadu and in different countries of the world. Former
ENDLF secretary Veeraiya Ramaraj alias Mustapha for instance is in London running the Tamil
broadcasting corporation radio station.
After the tie - up with Karuna the ENDLF decided to re-enter active politics in Sri Lanka and set about
reactivating and reorganizing the party. Mano master arrived in Colombo some weeks ago with a group
of ten senior ENDLF members from India. The group dispersed in Sri Lanka and began party work
establishing contact with former ENDLF members as well as those Eastern tigers supporting Karuna.
Mano apparently was residing temporarily at Maligawatte.
While in Colombo Mano master was in close touch with his friend and comrade Rangappa. 49 year old
Rangappa whose real name was Anneston Ellison Ockersz hailed from the tiny Burgher community in
Batticaloa. He was popularly known as "Sonnaboy" in the land of the singing fish.
Rangappah or Sonnaboy joined the Peoples Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) in 1983.
He joined the Eeswaran faction of Batticaloa that rebelled against Umamaheswaran's leadership in
1986 and went to India. Later this faction teamed up with another PLOTE splinter group led by
Paranthan Rajan and formed together the ENDLF. Rangappah had been staying in Chennai with Mano
master.
Sonnaboy or Rangappa was directed by the ENDLF hierarchy to go to Sri Lanka and establish contact
with Karuna about three months ago. He arrived in Colombo and stayed with his sister at Dematagoda.
His interaction with Karuna was succesful and the fruits of his mission became visible when the
Paranthan Rajan - Karuna merger took place. Rangappa remained in Colombo liaising between the
ENDLF and Karunas group. After Mano master arrived in Colombo Rangappa moved closely with him.
Rajaratnam alias Mano master too was formerly of the PLOTE. he is from Kilinochchi adjacent to
Paranthan where the ENDLF leader Gnasegeram alias Rajan is from. Mano joined the PLOTE in 1981
after the PIraba - Uma split in the LTTE.. When Paranthan Rajan broke away in 1987 he too followed
suit. They grouped themselves as the ENDLF and took a strident pro - Indian stance after the Indo -
Lanka accord.
The ENDLF along with the EPRLF (Eelam Peoples Revolutionary Liberation Front) was propped up by
India in the late eighties. The new N- E administration under Perumal had three EPRLF and one ENDLF
ministers. When Ganeshalingam of the ENDLF was killed by the LTTE Rajaratnam alias Mano master
succeeded him and became Agriculture minister. He fled to India after the Indian army quit Sri Lanka
in March 1990.
Mano stayed in Orissa, Salem, Bangalore at different times and finally ended up at Kodambakkam with
his family. His children are studying in India. Incidently Mano is a kinsman of Suppiah Paramu
Thamilselvan the LTTE political wing chief.
After the Karuna - Rajan tie - up Mano became politically active again. He went up to New Delhi
personally and handed over a memorandum to the Norwegian envoy to India demanding that Oslo quit
the Sri Lankan peace process. He then spent several days lobbying Indian officials to obtain support
for the new Karuna - Rajan front.
Once Mano masters link with Karuna became known the LTTE went to his aged mothers house in
Jaffna. The tigers went to 96/ 6 Station lane Jaffna and threatened Rasamani Packiyanathan on Oct
3oth. They wanted her to reveal details about her sons whereabouts. They also warned her of dire
consequences befaling Mano master. Rajaratnam sent a formal letter on Nov 4th complaining about
the harassment of his mother and threats issued to the Norway led Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission.
Mano master had by then arrived in Colombo to begin his political activity. He participated at a
seminar organized by the JVP at the BMICH and spoke out against Norway and the LTTE. He was also
scheduled to attend the Lipton Circus protest demonstration but failed to turn up.It was only when Mano
failed to turn up for the protest that ENDLF circles became fully aware of his disappearance.
One place that both Mano as well as Rangappa frequented often was a barber saloon on Borella road
in Maradana. This was "managed" by Mano masters cousin brother. Another employee at the saloon
became Mano masters trusted guide and confidante in Colombo. He was highly recommended as
trustworthy by Mano's cousin brother.
On Nov 24th Mano master left with this trusted youth to inspect a house in Colombo Seven. The party
wanted to set up an office in Colombo. He never returned. Neither did the man who accompanied
him..Intriguingly Mano master did not take his confidante Rangappa with him on that mission.
According to ENDLF sources Mano master's cousin was none other than the son of Ganesh alias
"Vellai"(Whitey) the well - known barbser saloon owner in Kilinochchi. "Vellai" is considered very
influential with the LTTE. Several Tamil expatriates had used him as a middleman to negotiate with the
LTTE and get their seized property back. Mano masters mother is Ganesh's sister.
Both Vellai's twin sons were in the LTTE. One of these came to Colombo some years ago to Colombo
saying that he had left the movement . After working for a while at the Maradana saloon he soon
acquired a controlling interest in the saloon and became its manager. He had been immensely helpful
to Mano master upon the latters arrival in Colombo. Despite the tiger past Mano master got along well
with his cousin and apparently had no cause to mistrust him.
Meanwhile the other twin brother Ananthan was an active member of the LTTE and acknowledged to
be a member of Pottu Ammans dreaded intelligence wing. This person had subsequently visited this
saloon and met Mano master. He had also quietly gathered information about his ENDLF cousin..
Strange are the ways of Tamil militancy. There are instances of family ties and caste affiliations
transcending political loyalties. Likewise political loyalties have been paramount to personal
relationships too.It is now felt that both Mano masters cousins were operatives of Pottu Amman. One
was openly known while the other seems to have been a secret agent. With the wisdom of hindsight
Mano master seems to have erred grievously in trusting his cousins. Blood has certainly not been as
thick as water.
While in Colombo Mano master had also been sent a "feeler" by the tigers through the cousin that
LTTE supremo Velupillai Pirapakaran wanted to meet him personally over an important matter. Mano
was guaranteed personal safety When he contacted the ENDLF in India the Bangalore hierarchy
suspected a trap. Mano was asked to return to India. Thereafter Mano made arrangements to go back
and according to ENDLF sources was expected to take flight to India on November 25th.
After Mano master went missing his friend Rangappa was murdered in Colombo on the 25th. According
to ENDLF sources the LTTE killer squad known as the Akhilan group had gone to Rangappas sister's
house and were waiting for Rangappa. The sisters family too were held at gunpoint. The killers had
then taken Rangappa out and shot him dead.
ENDLF sources now suspect that once the LTTE realised that Mano master was unwilling to travel to
Kilinochchi and had decided to return to India the tigers were compelled to strike. Rangappas murder
and Mano's disappearance suggests that the LTTE wanted the new party's coordinator alive. Had the
tigers wanted to kill Mano gunning him down like in the case of Sonnaboy would have been simple.
Mano master was extremely valuable to the LTTE alive because of the wealth of information in his
possession.
Being a senior ENDLF hand and long resident in India Mano master will be suspected of having
intimate relations with India's RAW. He will also know everything about the ENDLF. Moreover he may
also be knwledgeable about Karuna's men and whereabouts. The LTTE's primary obsession is about
Karuna. The ENDLF and Mano master became vulnerable on account of the tie - up with the Eastern
tiger renegade. The conjecture therefore is that Mano was drugged and taken alive to the Wanni via
the Negombo sea route or the Cheddikulam land route.
Some have doubts. There is one school of thought which believes that Mano master went willingly to
Kilinochchi. Rangappa is cited in support of this contention. This viewpoint is that Mano went to
Kilinochi willingly to meet the LTTE supremo and Rangappa knew about it. Hence his business as usual
attitude. Later Rangappa may have been killed due to two reasons. Mano master may not have been
cooperative as expected in Kilinochchi and so his confidante had to be silenced to cover up tracks.
With Rangappas death there is no credible witness capable of testifying the exact truth about what
befell Mano master. Secondly a tiger hit squad acting independently may have discovered Rangappa's
presence in Colombo and eliminated him.
Meanwhile the well - oiled LTTE propaganda machine went into full gear. Tiger propagandists have in
recent times embarked on a campaign to blame "others" for their killings. The murders of EPDP
stalwarts like Sinna Bala, Bawan, Singham etc are being depicted as "internal" killings. The Tamil media
in Sri Lanka collaborate in this disinformation campaign through acts of omission and commission.
While ENDLF circles were trying to trace what had happened to Mano master the tigers planted an
identical story in some Tamil newspapers. This story charged that Karuna and Mano master had fallen
out over an alleged EPDP connection. So it was Karunas men who had abducted Mano master it was
alleged. Once these news stories appeared Mano masters aged mother in Jaffna was "pressurised" to
complain to the Human Rights Commission to investigate her sons alleged abduction at the hands of
Karunas men.
This prompted ENDLF leader Paranthan Rajan to write to Norway and the Colombo government
alleging that Mano had been abducted by the tigers. He urged that the matter be urgently investigated
and that Mano master be rescued from tiger clutches. Later Gnanarajah the secretary of Karuna's
party also issued a statement refuting LTTE propaganda. He too urged that action be taken to secure
the release of Mano master .
According to ENDLF circles the man who accompanied Mano master on a house hunting mission has
been taken into custody by the Police. He claims that he and Mano master returned safely after
inspecting the house and that he is not aware of what had happened to Mano master thereafter.
ENDLF sources also said that the Maradana saloon was temporarily closed and people employed had
disappeared. It is obvious that only a genuine, efficient and speedy investigation could ascertain the
truth about Mano masters disappearance.
So Mano master is all alone now. The absence of firm proof that he has indeed been abducted by the
LTTE is likely to mute protests . Charging the LTTE with abduction is only a conjecture at present.So
like many others before him who were taken by the LTTE and merely vanished from the face of the
earth Mano master too could disappear without a trace. Only a mracle could save him.
Given Mano masters relationship with Thamilselvan and Vellai some feel that Mano will not be harmed
in Kilinochchi. If he is indeed in tiger clutches and cooperates well the possibility of his surfacing safely
at some time is not ruled out by these circles. Others however doubt it. Relationship will not count they
say and point to Mano's own cousin being the decoy. Also the ENDLF may not get off lightly as the
tigers are furious with anyone perceived as having helped Karuna. Mano's high profile visibility as
Karuna - Rajan front spokesperson will doom him it is felt.
If Mano is really abducted by the LTTE and is in tiger custody the chances of his ever being released
seem highly unlikely . The LTTE will not want international pressure on them to get him released and so
will keep mum. Norway is unlikely to lift a finger to help a man who wants the Scandinavians out. After
all we are all witnesses to the blatant partisanship displayed by Norway towards the LTTE in the Karuna
affair. India will not want to be accused of any "clandestine" activity in Sri Lanka and so will keep aloof
from this matter.
There is a tragic element of pathos in all this. Here are two old warhorses one fifty years of age and the
other a forty - niner leaving the comfortable safety of Chennai and returning to the land of their birth to
do what they believe was their duty. They arrive in Colombo and within weeks one goes missing and
the other is killed. Nobody seems bothered and both will soon become two statistics in the endlessly
increasing lists of the disappeared and executed.
Another man whose organization is suspected of being responsible for these acts is also in the age
group of his victims. Happily for him he is in the right place at the right time. Even as the loved ones of
Mano master and Sonnaboy worry and lament over the fate of these men Velupillai Pirapakaran
celebrates his fiftieth birthday. Thousands of sycophants heap obsequeisies in a obscene manner
praising his life and wishing him a long life. While poojas and functions are held all over the globe
highlighting the "life" of Pirapakaran others who dared to hold different political opinion are being
mercilessly deprived of "life".
An overwhelming sense of sadness envelopes one as idealistic Tamils who once took up arms to
liberate their people are destroyed in the name of that very liberation. The greatest of all human rights
is being crushed ruthlessly and ceaselessly. With drums of war threatening to reach a crescendo again
the endless procession of coffins can only go on and on. [The Sunday Leader]
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