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Tigers claim being trained by Army
Monday, 3 July 2006 - 11:52 AM SL Time
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The relationship between India and the Sri Lankan rebel army - the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) - has always been shrouded in secrecy.
On May 21, 1991 Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a suicide bomber from LTTE`s Black Tiger suicide unit to avenge the Indian Peace Keeping Force`s intervention in Sri Lanka.
LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran is still wanted in India for the assassination.
However, CNN-IBN Special Investigation Team reveals that the Tamil Tigers, including Prabhakaran, were trained by the Indian Army.
A rare photograph, available with CNN-IBN shows LTTE guerillas training at Kalathur in Tamil Nadu in 1984-85.
Senior LTTE leaders told have also CNN-IBN that they were recruited by Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) - India`s external intelligence wing - and trained by the Indian Army.
`In 1984, I was in Uttar Pradesh. They were training many Tamil groups there. I went in for training with many others. They gave us military training,` the head of Tamil Eelam Judicial Services, E Pararajasingham, says.
`My days in Madras are unforgettable. We had many friends at diplomatic, political and bureaucratic level. We had very good relationship at various levels and I wish we can get back to those days,` chief of Tamil Eelam Police B Nadesan says.
`We used to friends` houses. India is a multi-cultural country and we used to go to our friends` houses who were in Andhra and Delhi. I would move with them,` Nadesan adds.
A book written by LTTE ideologue, Anton Balasingham, available with with CNN-IBN, describes the entire chain of events.
In October 1983, Prabhakaran arrived in India and stayed at a secret location in Pondicherry.
The book says that RAW offered to train 200 LTTE cadres in Dehradun.
Tamizh Kavi, a well known voice on LTTE`s radio station, is also candid about the rebel army`s Indian connection.
`Indian Army gave us training when Indira Gandhi was the prime minister. She and MG Ramachandran extended full support to us and helped our organisation`s growth,` Kavi says.
The Indian Peace Keeping Force was initially welcomed by Tamils in Sri Lanka, but years of alleged atrocities later, it`s only the memories of brutality that remain.
`When IPKF landed in our homeland we were young, less than 10 years. But even now we can feel the pain and fear of the Indian army`s brutalities. It`s a nightmare that won`t go away. Even now we feel that we have an umbilical link with India,` a Sri Lankan Tamil, Aruna, says.
`You know the IPKF was sometimes worse than the Sri Lankan army. People suffered a lot. First they did not know the language, secondly they do not understand these people. I talked to some Majors and some higher ranked officers in Vanni and Jaffna and they didn`t understand why they are in a war here,` chairman of North East Secretariat of Human Rights, Tamil Eelam, Father Karunaratnam says.
A lady who fled Jaffna to escape the IPKF also has some terrible memories.
`I have been a witness to a brutal rape of a girl called Rani. We were helpless and could not protect her and after the IPKF people left, we rushed her to nearby hospital. We are completely shaken up this atrocity,` she says.
Pastor Emmanuel, a close associate of Prabhakaran, ran the Jaffna seminary during the IPKF intervention and recalls how his students were marched off to an IPKF camp.
`I could see that they had striped the boys naked and had pumped water on them and electrocuted them. This incidence shook and shattered the trust of the Tamil community towards India,` former rector of Jaffna seminary Pastor SJ Emmanuel says.
The pastor feels it was these atrocities that led to Rajiv Gandhi`s assassination.
`There were soldiers from north India who did not know the language, did not appreciate the fact that we had a common civilisation with India. They did not know why and for what they were fighting for, they had no idea of history. Ignorance was at the root of India`s misadventure in Sri Lanka. And along with the people we disliked them. I do not justify the killing of Rajiv Gandhi, but you can see how it started building up,` Emmanuel adds.
For many Sri Lankan Tamils, India`s policies at the time have remained a mystery.
`That`s why when I met Dixit, Ram and Narayanan, who was then the Indian intelligence chief, at a conference in Switzerland, along with the Sri Lankan team and Tamils, I told them openly of what had happened. The Indian form of assistance which started as protection and then turned against us was completely incomprehensible. India is after all has been a mother to us always. Sri Lankan Sinhalese have a recent relationship with India. Whether you kick us or want us to go away, India will always be Mother India. It`s in our blood,` Emmanuel adds.
As the situation in Sri Lanka takes a turn for the worse yet again, it is yet to be seen if lessons have been learnt from the shared bloody past.
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Asangalk
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 3 Jul 2006 05:54:14 GMT Report for Abuse
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But this shows Bala's rage towards India when Ltte got humiliated over his
ridiculous apology. I still can't understand why Bala made such a silly & idiotic comment on behalf of his organization. Maybe he was trying to be more well brought-up in the presence of a cute female journalist, NDTV's Noopur Tiwari.
To cover the shame, now they try to justify Rajiv gandhi's asanination by giving some equally idiotic reasons like
(o) You know the IPKF was sometimes worse than the Sri Lankan army.
(o) I have been a witness to a brutal rape of a girl called Rani by IPKF.
(o) I could see that they had striped the boys naked and had pumped water on them and electrocuted them.
(o) even now we can feel the pain and fear of the Indian army's brutalities. It's a nightmare.
Edited By - Asangalk - 3 Jul 2006 05:56:15 GMT |
dada555
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 3 Jul 2006 06:54:17 GMT Report for Abuse
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It is a well known fact that not just LTTE all the other groups were trained by India under Indira Ghandhi's guidance
and support. In Tamil Nadu, MGR was the biggest supporter of LTTE, he liked Pirapakaran and his policies.Indira decided to arm the Tamil groups, to help Tamils help themselves against the racist Sinhalese governments who would not listen to reasonable advice; just like now Manmohan keeps saying go ang talk to LTTE and find a solution within federal framework, what do they come up with? Unitary state!
IPKF initially came to help the Tamils but ended up killing Tamils, because they under estimated the LTTE and LTTE was not prepared to play dirty politics, they had an aim and ambition; Freedom of Tamil people, whereas other groups could be bribed and bought over by anyone. LTTE ended up fighting the IPKF and defeated them.
Yesterday when Kalkat the army commander was interviewd he proved the point that he is an ignorant man did not understand the political and the groud realities of Tamils in Sri Lanka; as such they paid the price of defeat and humiliation.
Throughout these episodes Pirapakaran proved that he would not negotiate or surrender Freedom of Tamil people in Sri Lanka for money , status, or bribes etc from anyone even if it is the Indian Government itself or4 Rajiv Ghandhi himself. Just imagine Sangaree Douglas or Karuna in Pirapa's position. They even surrender when they got nothing to offer just like now.
Balasingham's statement has raised awareness of what happened in 1987 when Rajiv got involved, Newsmen are investigating, people are asking questions. Rajiv could have got killed by the soldier who beat him with the gun in the parade in Colombo right in front of JR. I bet the soldier was promoted for this!!
Edited By - dada555 - 3 Jul 2006 07:01:51 GMT |
shameerf
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 3 Jul 2006 07:10:13 GMT Report for Abuse
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| Tell us something we don't already know...old news blah blah |
MorafiNes
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 3 Jul 2006 07:32:48 GMT Report for Abuse
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Although the forgoing has no relevence to the Subject matter, a self proclaimed crusader wrote:
''India lost its Buddhism , Sinhalese protected that resavoier of truth and higher conciousness to the world.
Those who dont know about the great Sinhala civilization must read and see the archolological entities, ancient ruins learn the great epics and sacrifice of our heros.
There is no country that has been bombed, Sucide attacked and disaters striken by LTTE Tamils like ours. London, New York, Paris, Tokyo all developed at peace times. Yet SL has a 8.1% growth in war times. No matter what was attacked we rebuit even stronger.
Look at Vannie in comparrison. Is there a 2 story building. Our World Trade center is still standing after being LTTE Bombed. We have prestigious universities. Vannie dint even have Kindergartens. Sinhalese mix with all races hapily and do business and play cricket. Singalese are too noble to be racist.'
MY REPLY:
India lost its Buddhism because Buddhism is considered an off-shoot of Hinduism. There is nothing to prove in any of the discourses of Gautama Siddhartha that he preached a 'new religion'. His teachings are based on Hindu edicts like the 'dhamma Chakkaraya, re-birth, cruelty to animals etc..etc..and there is no change in any of the above. And I don't realise nor would any other person with a sense of 'thinking', would either, that the Buddha had any idea as to who were the 'Sinhalese' when he was preaching in the Magadha Country. He opposed the 'cast system' and introduced the eight Fold path, which in reality was due to the circumstances of the time he lived.
There are enough of other Civilizations in this World which had crumbled with the passage of time. Like it is said 'time and tide waits for no man'...so has time passed Lanka as well. Ruins are found all over the World in which ever country we may tread. There is nothing to marvel about this.
The Northern Province of Sri Lanka had been a neglected area since Independence and before. The causes are many and it is not necessary to into details. It is the most foolish thing to talk about 'RACE & CULTURE, when actually the ISSUE is about the so-called 'grievances of the Minorities.
'Grievances' are there, whether we like to believe it or not and we should look into the CAUSE & EFFECT and not delve into RACE & CULTURE which has no relevence. Anagarika Dharmapala was talking Mumbo-Jumbo during his time so as to gain popularity and to confront the British rulers who ultimately had enough of him. His 'ideas although based on Fiction rather than tangible truth', has influence even today.
The Epics in Lankan History are epics which are all inter wined with Southern India History. First and foremost it is expedient that all 'jaundiced' individuals should try to understand that there is no Lankan History without South Indian 'adventurers'. Vijaya himself had been an adventurer!.
The Sri Lankan Government fighting a 'war' with a terrorist organization is a necessity. But, this also requires the general public to 'tone down' their rhetorics with un-wanted
issues. Sinhalese talking about 'past glories'(?!!)in-cults in the minds of the other people of Sri Lanka as 2nd class citizons, which I presume they are not. It is not only the Sinhalese who have a history ,but India has a History which stretches far in to previous centuries far over-shadowing that of Lanka.
Greatness of any Nation lies in its people. In Sri Lanka it is the people themselves who had been the cause of its decadence.This trend is still continueing
by people who have this 'foolish idea ' that they are ' A SPECIAL PEOPLE WALKING ON EARTH'.
Edited By - MorafiNes - 3 Jul 2006 09:32:36 GMT |
sanab
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 3 Jul 2006 07:42:42 GMT Report for Abuse
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Is not this ironic. The lesson is that if you train people to bear arms, then no one is safe including the person who trains.
Indira trained the tamils to bear arms and her son had to pay the price for it. It is so good that Indira was not arround to see the so called monumental tradegy
I am a sinhalese and I witnessed first hand how Tamils were brutaly treated during 1983 by my own race...I know for a fact even if I apologise for several neighbours we protected during that sad time, they will never ever fogive Sinhalese for what happened....it is the same with Raul and Priyanka Ghandhi.
Comming back to the point, India did the wrong thing by using the boiling hot temper of Tamils to get back at Sri Lnakan government for aligning itself with USA by making militants/ terarrists out of innocent god fearing tamils. Wrong solution for a genuine problem!
The so called worlds largest democracy never tried to presurrised the SL government to ensure rights of tamils in Sri Lanka diplomatically. Instead filled with hate for SL government they used tamils as test rats to get back.
now all of us are paying the price for it. What started as a fight for rights have turned into a 'freedom fight gone terribally wrong' with a war mongering blood thirsty butcher killing everything that moves making a living hell out of all Sri lankans!
still it is not late for India to redeem itself of its past sins. India should pressurize the SL government to put forward a solution that provide equal rights and freedom of choice to Sri lnakan tamils within one Sri Lanka, that is amicable to free thinking unbiased tamils
Then India should help the SL government to destroy terrarism that has made the social fabric of this country evil over the last 20 odd years once and for all. Remember only terrarism not the spirit or tamils as a nationality. The help should take the form of military as there seem to be no other way to go about doing this!
Unfortunatley the MR (the very man I voted) does not seem to be doing either i.e. providing a solution on the table at least for discussion and trying to beat the teror. THat is why India has a responsibility.
finally if you take those who bear arms at LTTE, some may have many valid reasons for doing so, and some may not as they might have been recruited forcefully. Sad but it seems there is no other way to sort this without getting rid of Prabakaran and at least his ardent war mongering henchmans! |
Pera
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3 Jul 2006 08:14:22 GMT Report for Abuse
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India is using the LTTE paws to remove the 'Kos eta' from the fire....
Cheers
PERA |
tigeress19
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3 Jul 2006 08:26:29 GMT Report for Abuse
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india is using tiger paws to move the cos-eta from the fire? this news is not new, recycling for the pleasure of Southerners in the hope of undermine India. what the southerners failed realize is that the world biggest democracy is fully aware the state terrorism must be answered with the language it understand better. please southerners do not blame others blame your self. it has been more than 20 years ,time to move on.
Rajive assassination investigation should not be stopped with ltte but it must be extended to investigate to find out if there is any foreign intels involvement including srilanka,Pakistan,Israel and the USA.
as we all know premadasa had a secret pack with ltte to get the indian's hand off lanka. the same time premadasa was worried over repeat invade by india if Rajive won the election in 1991. the same time premadasa blackmailed india if india invade again by using the indo-lanka accord the USA will be called inn. so the rest we all know.
who used who to move the cos-eta here? is the billion$ Q. THE TIGER PAWS ONLY FILMED THE EVENTS!!
Edited By - tigeress19 - 3 Jul 2006 08:36:56 GMT |
Pera
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3 Jul 2006 08:43:45 GMT Report for Abuse
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'Dukata kiyana pel kavi'.
Great stuff India. Take LTTEens for longer rides and drop em like hot potatos.
Cheers
PERA |
jehan
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 3 Jul 2006 08:53:19 GMT Report for Abuse
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Who trained Buddhists monks to hate, beat and even kill Tamils.
Indians Indians Indian buddan.
Edited By - jehan - 3 Jul 2006 08:54:12 GMT |
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