Many Balachandrans

The article “The many Balachandrans of Jaffna” (April 3) throws light on the manner in which children were forcibly recruited by the LTTE to defend the onslaught of the Sri Lankan army. The nameless children deployed and trained by the LTTE to die fighting should indeed evoke the same horror as Balachandran’s killing by the Sri Lankan forces.

A. Ravi,

Palayamkottai

It is clear that the Tigers were responsible for killing innocent school children in their fanatical pursuit of a separate state. The narrative effectively brought out the anguish of parents. That many school-going Tamil children were made to sacrifice their lives by the LTTE to attain an elusive goal is unfortunate.

E. Rajakumar Arulanandham,

Palayamkottai

Had the photograph of the armed boy in LTTE uniform (April 3) appeared soon after the photograph of Balachandran’s killing, many jingoistic road-shows and chauvinistic resolutions could have been avoided. The unnamed boy’s photo is certainly an eye-opener.

R.K. Subramanian,

Madurai