The sensational claim by veteran Tamil nationalist Pazha Nedumaran that Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leader V. Prabakaran is still alive has evoked a wide range of responses from observers of the Sri Lankan Tamil ethnic question.
“There is nothing new in what Mr. Nedumaran has said. He said it in the past, too. But there are compelling reasons now for him to make the statement again,” says K.S. Radhakrishnan, a former spokesperson for the DMK and a long-standing sympathiser of the LTTE.
Mr. Nedumaran told The Hindu that the turn of events in the domestic political situation in Sri Lanka against the Rajapaksa siblings (former Presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa and Gotabaya Rajapaksa) and the current international situation were the factors that provoked him to make such a statement. He denied that local political considerations of Tamil Nadu had anything to do with his claim.
Contending that Mr. Nedumaran’s move marked only a ‘beginning’, Mr. Radhakrishnan said that as the ban on the LTTE was in force, the development may pave the way for further steps to be taken [for getting the ban lifted] as per the due process of law.
Concurring with Mr. Radhakrishnan that this was not the first time that Mr. Nedumaran had made such a claim, Col. (retd.) R. Hariharan, a military intelligence specialist on South Asia, who served as head of intelligence of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka during 1987-1990, however, said the observation will only help keep the Tamil nationalist and LTTE leaders ‘relevant’ in the context of Tamil Nadu.
Tired of conflict
Emphasising that the Sri Lankan Tamils were ‘tired’ of getting involved in armed conflict, Col. Hariharan said the statement may have been made to influence the local authorities’ elections to be held in Sri Lanka on March 9.
However, a Colombo-based senior Tamil journalist, V. Thanabalasingham, expressed concern about the possible adverse impact of the statement on the politics of Sri Lanka.
“This statement can strengthen the hands of racist forces here, which are opposed to the efforts of President Ranil Wickremesinghe in reducing the strength of the Sri Lankan armed forces and in resolving the Tamil question. In no way will it have any beneficial impact on the Tamils,” he added.
