EROS in East

"The people deserve better and should be able to live in peace and harmony which is why were have painstakingly re-structured EROS and are participating in the local elections independently. India has abandoned us after signing the Indo-Lanka Accord and it is high time they stepped back in and continue from where they left. We want to see more Tamil speaking people (Eelavar's) within the police force, army, Government administrative departments etc and more additional funding for the people of the North-East for our community has suffered from decades of discrimination and neglect and the people are naturally angry and frustrated.”
by Our Special Correspondent

(February 20, Batticaloa, Sri Lanka Guardian) The Interim General Secretary of the Eelavar Democratic Front (EDF), the political wing of the Eelam Revolutionary Organisation (EROS) Mr Rajanathan Prabaharan and the EDF's candidates standing for the local Government elections in March paid a visit to the Batticaloa Municipal Council, local Education Department and visited and spoke with locals in Batticaloa and Amparai towns last week.

This much anticipated visit was organised by EROS's Media & Communications Wing in the run up to the elections so that candidates representing their political wing (EDF) would be able to speak with the locals about the forthcoming elections and gain their views and opinions of the work that needs to be done for the benefit of the local communities living in the East.

According to sources in EROS, “In total there are 129 EDF candidates participating in elections. Senior EROS leaders were quickly able to re-establish their popularity amongst the locals in Batticaloa town and the local Tamil speaking community folk were excited and jubilant on the return of former Batticaloa Municipal Councillor Rajanathan Prabaharan. During conversations with him many continually urged him to initiate EROS's administrative work in Batticaloa.”

The locals in Batticaloa also informed Rajanathan Prabaharan and other EROS members representing the EDF (Eelavar Democratic Front) that they had their full backing and support. The Tamil-Muslim community too were very pleased to hear and see the arrival of Rajanthan Prabaharan along with EROS candidates. They urged EROS leaders that the relations between the Tamil-Hindu's and Tamil-Muslims should improve and EROS should pave the way as they have always been instrumental in implementing good relations between communities.

EROS candidates informed the locals that they will work with them and for the interests of the local people. EROS candidates also explained to the local Tamil-Muslims that certain individuals within their community were angry about the return of EROS and were desperately trying to tarnish EROS's reputation. Nesan Shankar Raji, Senior Leader of EROS sent a message through Rajanathan Prabaharan to the locals stating that “these individuals were scared of the return of EROS and that these anti-Tamil individuals had different ulterior motives that were not in the interests of the Tamil speaking people (Eelavars)”. EROS candidates urged these anti-EROS individuals not to be frightened of their return and that EROS has always been a "Unifying Force" amongst the Tamil speaking community which they address as "Eelavar's". Rajanathan Prabaharan stated that "We do not care about their way of thinking or attitude, we are prepared to re-educate these individuals and our doors are always open. I urge these individuals to cease writing derogatory and slanderous articles about me or any other member of EROS", he added.

Nesan Shankar Raji, Senior Leader of EROS when spoken to challenged any individual with a Government/political background or capability living in Europe or America etc to return to their home-land (Sri Lanka) and debate or challenge EROS if they felt that EROS was not working for the interests of the local people. He also stated that “EROS was working towards establishing normalcy in the North-East and urged India to assist the Government of Sri Lanka and EROS in resolving the escalating violence and killings in the North-East”. EROS candidates participating in the local elections stated that India should no longer "drag her feet" any longer and that India had a moral duty to help resolve the situation for the Tamil speaking people (Eelavars)”, as they address.

Senior EROS leader Nesan Shankar Raji, stated that "the people deserve better and should be able to live in peace and harmony which is why were have painstakingly re-structured EROS and are participating in the local elections independently. India has abandoned us after signing the Indo-Lanka Accord and it is high time they stepped back in and continue from where they left. We want to see more Tamil speaking people (Eelavar's) within the police force, army, Government administrative departments etc and more additional funding for the people of the North-East for our community has suffered from decades of discrimination and neglect and the people are naturally angry and frustrated. The Government of Sri Lanka with the backing of India needs to do a hell of a lot more to re-build and win back the trust of the local people of the North-East".

Meanwhile it is learnt that the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) have dispatched their "Pistol Group” into Batticaloa and Amparai to target the Interim-General Secretary of the Eelavar Democratic Front (EDF) Rajanathan Prabaharan and other EDF candidates participating in the forthcoming elections. EROS is set to officially re-open its administrative office in Batticaloa after it successfully opened its branch in Amparai. It is planned that EROS will re-open its offices in Trincomalee, and the up-country after the elections in the East in March.