JAFENA: The LTTE leaders met early this week in Jaffna and threatened to seek an indictment the International Court of Justice for “a larger crime” atrocities against Tamils by the Indian Peacekeeping Force (IPKF) sent to Sri Lanka by the Rajiv Gandhi government. But during the interview the LTTE ideologue Dr. Anton Balasingham hinted the organization was eager to make friendly overtures to the Indian government.
The LTTE leaders stuck to their stand that the organization was not involved in last Mays assassination but seemed to “justify” the killing. Dr. Balasingham talked about the several Tamils “killed maimed and raped” by the IPKF He said the Sri Lankan Tamils could ask “You are worried about Rajiv Gandhi. What about the 10000 people who were murdered here by the Indian Army. Who is responsible for that?”
Dr. Balasingham blamed the Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithas “political compulsions” for the change in the Indian attitude. But he claimed the LTTE still had the support of a section of the people of Tamil Nadu. Despite the Indian crackdown after the assassination the LTTEs “underground links” with Tamil Nadu still existed.
“We have not closed the door to rebuilding our relationship with India.” Dr. Balasingham told visiting journalists. He was short on details but said the LTTE might “seek avenues” to talk with the Indian authorities. Yogaratnam Yogi of LTTEs political wing and Baby Subramanian whose name figures prominently in the assassination probe were also there at the meeting.
The LTTE wants India to “review and reorient” its post-assassination policy. India’s foreign policy “should not be determined by emotional factors. It must have a realistic approach.”
It is in LTTEs interest that the people of Jaffna keep asking that Question. And there is enough happening in Jaffna now to keep the memory of the IPKF-period alive. The LTTE has organized a month-long series of ceremonies to mask the death of a Batticaloa woman Poopathy Kanapathipillai after a protest fast against the Indian Army four years ago. A Jaffna university professor has recently begun compiling a list of civilian victims of the Indian and Sri Lankan military operations The Tamil tigers may find it useful.
If it actually carries on with the claimed plan the LTTE expected to rely on legal expense among its sympathizers in western countries to prepare a case against “larger crime.” Asked whether the LTTE had the locus stand to move the World Court Balasingham said the organization may not directly do it. “So many people are interested in bringing this matter to the notice of the world so the LTTE may not do it”
The LTTE criticized as “very unfair and inhuman” the ongoing. Indian program to repatriate Sri Lankan Tamil refugees about 10000 of the over two lakh refugees in Tamil Nadu are back. The militants claimed refugees sent t0 Trincomalee and Mannar were being harassed and some had been picked up from their camps by the Sri Lankan army never to be seen again.
“I you send them back to Jaffna it is different thing But you are sending back these refugees to an area controlled by the Sinhalese army” Dr. Balasingham said. The United Nations was not involved in the reparation and his security of the returning refugees was not guaranteed. India was simply pushing out innocent people “in the hands of a brutal army.” he claimed.
The LTTE is perhaps also worried about the fallout in the west from where many Sri Lankan “Tamils help fund the organization Dr. Balasingham said he European countries too had begun considering sending back Tamils who had fled there because India had taken this lead.”
Balasingham acknowledged Indian help in “very many forms” to the LTTE but the IPKF offensive caused tremendous destruction of our men and materials.” The LTTE had managed to set itself up in India not just because of active government help but with the backing of the people of Tamil Nadu:
Article extracted from this publication >> April 10, 1992
