Is Thol Thirumavalavan a Tamil Tiger activist?

By: R. Jayadevan

(October, 18, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) The Freedom Leopards Party leader in Tamil Nadu (India) in a statement following arrest of his party activist Vanni Arasu (Vanni-LTTE controlled Vanni. Arasu-State), has claimed his party’s support for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was only moral and ideological and not material.

LTTE is a proscribed organisation in India under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act known as TADA. The Act became unpopular due to widespread allegation of abuse in the early years between 1986 and 1995 and later it became almost a dormant piece of legislation. The major drawback of the Act was it did not provide a definition for the term ‘terrorist’. Taking advantage of these drawbacks some of the Tamil Nadu politicians like Thol Thirumavalavan have become vociferous activists for the LTTE in India.

Their activities are funded by the LTTE and some of them are even accused of managing its funds by clandestinely investing in real estates and bank accounts. In the recent years, Thol Thirumavalavan had travelled to the European counties and Canada many times, supposedly with the funds provided by the LTTE through its international network. His travel, lodgings, upkeep and shopping expenses were claimed to be funded by the LTTE.

Thol Thirumavalavan was the guest speaker at LTTE’s Anton Balasingam’s funeral in London last year. He was given VIP treatment and had the exclusive privilege of delivering a speech at the main hall and attending the cremation ceremony which was only permitted to Mr & Mrs Balaingam’s relatives and trusted LTTE activists.

These diehard Tamil Tiger supports in Tamil Nadu wolf cry Sri Lankan government is the only party carrying out violent campaign against the Tamils people but are limited in their ability to forthrightly condemn and campaign against the colossal human rights violations by the Tamil Tigers against its own people. They are constrained to take a common stand and do not to condemn the LTTE equally due to their dependency on them.

When A K Vivekananthan and I were taken into captivity by the LTTE in Vanni in January 2005, we were irregularly investigated by the intelligence men of the LTTE for almost seven days. At the tail end of their bizarre investigations, we were met by Sri who was introduced to us as a senior member of the Pottu Amman’s intelligence unit. At one point Sri told both of us ‘LTTE expect absolute loyalty of our people for our cause’ quoting another LTTE front runner in Tamil Nadu V Golpasami known as Vaiko as an example. He was praising Vaiko for the overwhelming support he is giving to the LTTE. He was saying ‘even during long imprisonments in Tamil Nadu, Vaiko did not let us down by telling about his involvement with us’.

This absolute loyalty for a violent LTTE does not come because of ideological reason or passion for the suffering Tamil people. These Tamil Nadu leaders have subscribed to the unbending rules of the LTTE by observing silence like the LTTE’s cyanide carrying cadres made to take oath under the LTTE’s ten ardent commandments to maintain silence. The Tamil Nadu political support base of the LTTE is an extension of the strict regime of observing silence expected by the LTTE in Vanni and the loyalty in Tamil Nadu comes with the backing of financial rewards.

Tamil people have lost very many political friends in India who were sympathetic to our political cause due to terrorist campaign by the LTTE there. The present day campaigners in Tamil Nadu are opportunistic and limit their activities only to espouse the violent cause of the LTTE.