Scowling
Nadesan Succeeds Smiling
Thamilchelvan as Commissar
November 10th, 2007
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj
?Brigadier? Thamilchelvan of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (
LTTE) was known as the ?smiling? face of the tigers. His successor Nadesan may very well become the ?scowling? face of the LTTE.
If Thamilchelvan could not wipe that perpetual, insincere grin off his face the new Political commissar is eternally seen with a grimace.
Nadesan , the man in charge of the tiger police known as ?Kaaval thurai? was also made Political wing chief by tiger supremo Prabakharan within 24 hours of Thamilchelvan`s death.
Nadesan like Prabakharan is a native of Valvettithurai and a distant relative of the LTTE leader. Nadesan cut his teeth as Political commissar on Thurday Nov 8th when he met Monitoring Mission head Maj Gen Lars Johann Solvberg for a 75 minute pow - wow at Kilinochchi.
Nadesan conducted a press conference after the meeting. I listened to it over a Tamil radio. Unlike Thamilchelvan who was garrulously verbose, Nadesan`s answers were terse and to the
point.
Of course LTTE press conferences in Kilinochchi are not media scrums but Nadesan`s replies were was crisply incisive. I was impressed.
The be - spectacled Police chief cum Political commissar is in his mid - fifties. Nadesan is his nom de guerre.His real name is Balasingham Mahendran.
Nadesan`s father Balasingham was a dyed in the wool Trotskyite known generally as ?Comrade Balasingham?. The senior clerk was made a staff officer at the CTB when LSSP stalwart Anil Moonesinghe was chairman.
One brother of Nadesan`s father - Panchalingam - was senior vice principal of St. Johns College, Jaffna. Another paternal uncle Sevatkodiyon was a pedagogue too. Ganeshan, another uncle was a postmaster while an aunt was a senior bank executive at Nelliaddy.
Nadesan lived for some years in Colombo in Havelock town.. During this time he used to go for rugger practice at Havelocks.. Being an old boy of Chidambara College in VVT he had not played rugby before as the sport does not flourish in Jaffna.. Some old friends of his say Nadesan played for Havies ?Bambaras? and later Police ?Griffins? but I cannot vouch for this.
Nadesan`s younger brother who studied at Issipithana MMV for a while was a first batch recruit of the LTTE. His nom de guerre was Lucas and is living abroad now.
After seeing the world as seaman aboard merchant vessels, Balasingham Mahendran returned to Lanka and joined the Police Force as a Constable. He later became sergeant I think.
Nadesan was a few years older than Prabakharan but associated with ?Thambi? at VVT and while in the Police force. He was serving in Jaffna when the LTTE attacked the Jaffna Police station in April 1985 during Maragaret Thatcher`s visit. Sathasivampillai Krishnakumar alias Kittu was the LTTE commander for Jaffna then.
Nadesan apparently drew up a diagram of the premises that helped the LTTE greatly in planning and executing the attack. Tiger cadres crawled through drainage canals and drains to surprise the Police. Having prior knowledge of the attack , Nadesan and his policewoman wife kept away from work on D - day.
Their absence aroused suspicion so the LTTE clandestinely took them across to
India by boat. Nadesan began working at the LTTE political office in Chennai.
Nadesan`s wife is a Sinhala woman from Morawaka in the Matara district. She too has a left background as her family members were long standing supporters of Communist party leader and former Akuressa MP Dr. SA Wickremasighe. She now lives in the Wanni with Nadesan.
Nadesan returned to Jaffna in 1987 and worked in the political office. But during the Indian atmy period Nadesan also took up arms and fought. He was injured badly n a battle and thought dead by the LTTE.
The IPKF took the wounded Nadesan to India and treated him. After recovering he was detained at Kankesanthurai.
When the LTTE started a fledgling Police force, Nadesan was placed in charge. He was jokingly referred to as the IGP of Tamil Eelam. Nadesan emulated various international Police force models and developed his own one.
A visiting Amnesty delegation was highly impressed b its efficiency and discipline.
Nadesan speaks Tamil, English and Sinhala. He is a trusted confidante of Prabakharan. This is the primary qualification to be political commissar of the LTTE.
Nadesan being appointed political commissar was hardly a surprise to seasoned observers of the LTTE. He had been slowly groomed for this role by Prabakharan. The past years have seen Nadesan participating in many political meetings with visiting dignitaries in Kilinochchi.
He was also part of LTTE delegations going abroad for talks. Once he left Switzerland suddenly and returned home after serious disagreement with Thamilhchelvan.
There has been speculation in sections of the media about people like Pulidevan, Thangan, Daya master etc being overlooked as Political wing chief and Nadesan being given a dual role
The reason is simple. The criteria was not seniority, experience or ability though Nadesan is certainly a veteran. The chief criterion was that of enjoying the trust of Prabakharan.
