Sri Lankan History

Sri Lankan History

Note = This essay provides a brief and non-linear overview of significant events, relying on existing data. It is not a definitive analysis and might lack exhaustive details. For a thorough understanding, readers are encouraged to refer to more comprehensive sources on the topic.

Plot

1. Introduction
2. Vijayan and Kuveni
3. The Curse of Kuveni
4. The Arrival of Vijaya Stamp
5. Pandyas on the Island
6. Cholas on the Island
7. The Island Kingdom
8. The Island Colonisation
9. Control of British
10. Post-British Period
11. Government of Sri Lanka
12. Thanthai Chelva
13. JVP Revolts
14. Civil Wars
15. Operation Poomalai
16. IPKF
17. Pathmanabha Assassination
18. Rajiv Gandhi Assassination
19. Tamil Nadu in Eelam Politics
20. Norway Peace Talks
21. LTTE
22. Tamil Ethnic Group
23. Conclusion
24. Subplot
25. Reference

// Subplot //

1. Behind the Rajiv Gandhi Assassination
2. Sivarasan
3. Haribabu
4. Human Bomb Dhanu
5. Bofors Connection
6. Investigation and Evaluation
7. Tit-bit

Introduction

The article "Eelam and Sinhalese" tells the story of Eelam Tamils fighting for their rights against the Sinhalese majority. In a nutshell, Eelam-Sinhalese politics resembles Aryan-Dravidian politics.

Vijayan and Kuveni

The historical beginnings of the Buddhist Sinhalese can be traced back to the Mahavamsa, a Pali book written by the monk Mahanama Thera. This text, promotes the Buddhist faith, has a mixture of factual information and inaccuracies. The Mahavamsa was written with the aid of the Dipavamsa, a preceding work that predates it by a period of a few centuries, with no proper archaeological evidence. According to the Mahavamsa, Sinhabahu was the ruler of Odisha (the Kalinga Region), and Vijayan was the eldest son of Sinhabahu. Sinhabahu received a plea from the citizens of the country alleging that his son Vijayan was carrying out a range of horrific acts against them. In response, Sinhabahu deported his son Vijayan along with seven hundred of his buddies on a ship. After halting at a few different locations, the sailors made it to the Island of Ceylon in the end.

Yakshini Kuveni, a Dravidian woman said to be a descendant of Ravana, offered Vijayan's crew asylum on the Island when they arrived. When Vijayan arrived on the Island, it became evident that Dravidians had been residing there. Kuveni collaborated with Vijayan, who desired to establish authority over the ethnic groups residing on the Island, with the intention of overthrowing their autonomy. Vijayan eventually married Kuveni because he was captivated by her beauty and intelligence after she sheltered him. The Vijayan-Kuveni pair had one boy and one girl child.

Vijayan's friends divided and ruled over various parts of the Island. Friends demanded Vijayan to establish a throne and rule over the entire region as Emperor. So, Vijayan married a royal family woman from the Madurai Pandya Kingdom at the request of his friends at Madurai and returned to the Island to be crowned King. King Vijayan founded the Sinhalese Kingdom and ordered his first wife, Kuveni, to hand over their two children to him and to completely withdraw from his private life and authority. The Sinhalese are allegedly descended from the Aryan Indian Prince Vijaya and his followers, who arrived in Sri Lanka around the fifth century.

The Curse of Kuveni

King Vijayan disregarded Kuveni as an inferior caste woman, overlooked her contribution to the Island's prosperity, and married a royal family woman to be crowned as King. Kuveni opposed King Vijayan's aspirations and cursed King Vijayan's Sinhalese Kingdom in nine ways.

1. The Island would be destroyed in all four directions,

2. The Island would be devastated by natural disasters,

3. The Island would suffer from dreadful diseases,

4. The Island would be seized by foreign forces,

5. The Island would have an ignorant race,

6. The Island would lose its uniqueness,

7. The Island would sink into the sea,

8. The Island race will degenerate,

9. The Island leaders would perish.

Critics theorise in unscientific ignorance that Kuveni's curse is the root cause of many of Sri Lanka's problems. Furthermore, there is a generally held belief that Kuveni met her demise at the hands of her own kin.

The Arrival of Vijaya Stamp

The Sinhalese Kings were descended from Vijayan, the first Sinhalese King who governed the Island from 543 BC to 505 BC. The Government of Sri Lanka issued the "Arrival of Vijaya" stamp with a nominal value of 3 cents to reflect King Vijaya's prominence on 23rd May 1956 to commemorate the 2500th anniversary of the birth, enlightenment, and death of the Lord Buddha.

The stamp was declared void by the Government of Sri Lanka on 1st October 1966, for obscure reasons. Sinhalese delegates criticized the "Arrival of Vijaya" stamp for its implication that the Vijayan Kingdom, from which the Sinhalese race originated, was not indigenous to the Island by acknowledging the presence of Kuveni, a Dravidian woman, during Vijayan's arrival in Sri Lanka. In other words, the Vijayan vs Kuveni narrative can be viewed as the Aryan vs Dravidian theory.

Pandyas on the Island

The Pancha Pandyas ruled Anuradhapura in succession from 103 BC to 88 BC during the Sangam period. It is noteworthy that the last four Pandya rulers attained power by the act of assassinating their predecessors. After assassinating the fifth Pandya, Sinhalese King Valagamba took control of Northern Island.

The Pandu family arrived on the Island from Madurai's Pandya Kingdom during the period when the Kalabhra governed Tamil Nadu, according to the Chulavamsa Book (This book covers Sri Lankan monarch history from the 4th to the 18th centuries). Pandu established his power in Anuradhapura after defeating the Sinhalese King Mittasena, who had dominated the Rajarata region. The Pandya Kingdom, consisting of six Dravidians, ruled over the Island from 436 AD until 452 AD. Dhatusena, a descendant of the Mauryan Kingdom, assassinated the last Pandya King, Pithiya, so bringing an end to the reign of the Pandyas and establishing his authority over the Island.

According to the Mahavamsa book, during the 10th century, the Anuradhapura Kingdom provided refuge to the Pandyas during the Chola invasions in the Pandya nation. Collaborating with the Sinhalese, the Pandyas evaded Chola empire persecution until they found an opportunity to restore their authority against the Chola empire. The Cholas declared war in retaliation for the Sinhalese Kingdom's support of the Pandyas and eventually captured Anuradhapura. Later, in accordance with typical Kingdom tales, the Sinhalese Kingdom was engaged in conflict with the Pandyas. As an example, in 1263, Sadayavarman Veerapandian II, the monarch of the Pandya Kingdom, successfully defeated Chandrabhanu of the Jaffna Kingdom and placed the Pandya flag at the Koneswaram temple in Trincomalee.

Cholas on the Island

Various Chola Kings fought against the Sri Lankan rulers at different times. Notably, Rajaraja Chola I conquered Sri Lanka and named the region “Mummudi Chola Mandal”. In 1070, Kulothunga Chola I took control and, engaged in multiple wars with the Chalukyas, Kalingars, Pandyas, and Cheras, sent his brother-in-law Rajendran to lead the Chola forces in Sri Lanka. In response, Vijayabahu I mobilized Sinhalese forces to defeat the Cholas. Recognizing that a direct confrontation would be challenging, he opted for a strategy involving sneak attacks on one front while launching direct assaults on another. Civil unrest caused by internal conflicts ultimately compelled the Chola soldiers to abandon their campaign in Sri Lanka and return home. Following this, the Mummudi Chola Mandal region was named the Polonnaruwa Kingdom by the first Vijayabahu I, thereby establishing the independent Sri Lankan Kingdom.

Subsequently, Parakramabahu I of the Polonnaruwa kingdom supported Parakrama Pandya I in a dispute over the Pandya throne. In opposition, Rajaraja Chola II backed Kulasekhara Pandyan. Before the Sinhalese forces could respond, Kulasekhara Pandyan ascended the throne with Chola support after killing Parakrama Pandyan I. Later, Virapandyan III, the son of Parakrama Pandyan I, sought assistance from Parakramabahu I to reclaim the throne. Meanwhile, Kulasekhara Pandyan took refuge with the Cholas. Ultimately, Vikrama Pandyan, the son of Virapandyan III, defeated the Sinhalese forces and ascended the throne with Chola backing. Later, the Polonnaruwa kingdom was ruled by the Parakrama Pandyan III. During this time, the newly formed "Kingdom of Jaffna" rose to prominence by driving the Pandya's out of the region, contributing to the decline of the Polonnaruwa Kingdom.

The Island Kingdom

Rule by successive generations of heirs is a fundamental characteristic of a kingdom. In this context, Sri Lanka has been governed by various royal lineages, including the Sinhalese, Cholas, and Pandyans. Over time, the Island experienced multiple divisions, leading to the emergence of distinct Kingdoms with different names.

# Jaffna Kingdom = Capital - Nallur, Primary Language - Tamil, Period - 1215 to 1619.

# Kandy Kingdom = Capital - Kandy, Primary Language - Sinhala, Period – 1469 to 1815.

# Kingdom of Kotte = Capital - Kotte, Primary Language - Sinhala, Period - 1412 to 1597.

The Island Colonisation

Early in the 15th century, European nations initiated trade and established authority over regions beyond their territory. Thus, a rough summary of Sri Lanka's colonial regimes is as follows,

# Portugal (1505 - 1658) = Ruled Kotte from 1518 and Nallur from 1591.

# Dutch (1658 - 1796) = Ruled Kotte and Nallur from 1658.

# British (1796 - 1948) = Ruled Kotte and Nallur from 1795 and Kandy from 1815.

Control of British

Kandy was initially a portion of the territory of the Kingdom of Kotte. In the 16th century, it established a separate territory and formed a partnership with foreign traders to help govern Kotte and Nallur. In 1815, the British gained direct authority over the Island through the Kandyan Convention treaty. This treaty was signed between Sir Robert Brownrigg, the British Governor of Ceylon, and Sri Vikrama Rajasinha (member of Madurai Nayak), the Kandyan King. The contract resulted in the British Crown taking control of the Kingdom's territory.

In 1833, the British merged the three regions of the Island, namely Nallur, Kotte, and Kandy, into a unified province called Ceylon for administrative reasons. Colombo was chosen as the capital city of Ceylon because to its advantageous seaport logistics. Upon the unification of the three regions by the British, the Sinhalese population surpassed the Tamils by a ratio of 75 percent to 25 percent, establishing the Sinhalese as the majority and the Tamils as the minority. Consequently, the Sinhalese gained authoritarian control over the Tamils. On February 4, 1948, the British gave dominion status to Ceylon, resulting in the transformation of British Ceylon into the Dominion of Ceylon, despite ongoing racial tensions that remained unsolved.

Post-British Period

The Dominion of Ceylon (1948-1972) became the Republic of Sri Lanka on May 22, 1972. (Sri means Resplendent and Lanka means the Island). Sri Lanka's current constitution was incorporated on August 31, 1978. Numerous political parties emerged in the twentieth century with the purpose of advocating Sinhalese and Tamil nationalism. UNP, SLFP, SLPP, and JVP are significant political parties in Sri Lanka. Most Governments are formed by coalitions of the UNP, SLFP, or SLPP. Internal political tensions in Sri Lanka tend to trigger political crises. Put simply, political parties in Sri Lanka undergo frequent formation and dissolution, mergers with other parties, alliance formation and dissolution, Government overthrows, and loss of positions of power, all while denying any tangible advantages to the Sinhalese and Tamil populations. While there are numerous registered and unregistered political parties in Sri Lanka, I shall highlight a few parties and alliances.

# Ponnambalam Arunachalam founded the Ceylon National Congress (CNC) in 1919 to unite Tamils ​​and Sinhalese.

# Leslie Goonewardene founded the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) in 1935 to represent Trotskyism.

# Savumiamoorthy Thondaman founded the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) in 1939 to represent the Tamils.

# S.A.Wickramasinghe founded the Communist Party of Sri Lanka (CPSL) in 1943 to represent communism.

# G.G.Ponnambalam founded the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC) in 1944 to represent the Tamils.

# D.S.Senanayake (Father of Sri Lanka) broke away from the CNC in 1946 and founded the United National Party (UNP) to represent the Sinhalese.

# S.J.V.Chelvanayakam broke away from the ACTC in 1949 and founded the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) to represent the Tamils.

# S.W.R.D.Bandaranaike founded the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) in 1951 to represent the Sinhalese.

# Rohana Wijeweera founded the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) in 1965 to represent communism and socialist interests for the Sinhalese.

# Savumiamoorthy Thondaman, Chelvanayakam, Ponnambalam merged CWC, ITAK, ACTC parties and founded Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) in 1972 to represent Tamils.

# EPRLF, PLOTE, TELO, ITAK, ACTC organizations founded Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in 2001 under the leadership of R.Sampanthan with indirect LTTE support.

# ACTC under the leadership of Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam broke away from the TNA in 2010 and founded the Tamil National Peoples Front (TNPF).

# Mahinda Rajapaksa supporters founded the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) in 2016.

Government of Sri Lanka

The political landscape of Sri Lanka is characterized by a dual system of governance, which is centralised and comprises both the presidential and parliamentary systems. Members of the Government are elected for a term of five years. The Government of Sri Lanka is composed of the three branches listed below.

Executive - The President of Sri Lanka is Head of State, Head of Government, and Armed Forces Commander. The President appoints Cabinet Ministers from Parliament. The President is elected for five years by the people and answerable to Parliament. The President is the most powerful person and can serve two terms. The President may convene, suspend, or dissolve Parliament at any time after four and a half years.

Legislative - Sri Lanka's unicameral Parliament has 225 members. A proportional representation elects 29 members, whereas regional voting elects 196. All legislation resides in Parliament. As the President's representative, the Prime Minister leads Parliament's primary party and oversees major domestic reforms. The Prime Minister is the second powerful person, who leads cabinet ministers.

Judicial - The Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, High Courts, and Subordinate Courts comprise the Sri Lankan judicial system. Criminal law is based on British law, while basic Civil law is based on Roman - Dutch law.

Thanthai Chelva

The UNP-led Senanayake Government passed the contentious Sri Lankan Citizenship Act in 1948. This Act denied Tamils citizenship. Ponnambalam voted against the Citizenship Act, asking equitable 50:50 representation for Sinhalese and Tamils. Ponnambalam labeled Senanayake a racist for passing the Citizenship Act. However, Ponnambalam later joined Senanayake's UNP Government and became Minister of Industries and Fisheries in 1948.

Due to issues with Ponnambalam's association with the UNP, Chelvanayakam left Ponnambalam's ACTC party and founded the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) in 1949. Chelvanayakam, often known as Thanthai Chelva, continued to fight for Tamil political rights through non-violent means, playing an important role by signing the Bandaranaike–Chelvanayakam Pact in 1957 and Senanayake-Chelvanayakam in 1965. The pact aimed to address Tamil rights in Sri Lanka by recognising Tamil as an official language and proposing regional councils for Tamil-majority areas. However, the pact was cancelled in 1958 due to protests by the Sinhalese, and the delay in resolving ethnic issues increased ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka.

Chelvanayakam, who had close ties to Dravidian politicians in Tamil Nadu, passed away in 1977 at the age of 79 due to health issues. It is not an exaggeration to say that the Tamils suffered a significant setback in accomplishing their political goals due to Chelvanayakam's demise.

JVP Revolts

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) carried out an armed rebellion (April 1971 - June 1971) against the Government when Sirimavo Bandaranaike was Prime Minister of Sri Lanka in 1971. JVP Revolters captured several towns until the Sri Lankan Army reconquered them and put an end to the rebellion. When the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) was in Sri Lanka, the JVP mounted another unsuccessful military insurrection with the goal of taking over the Sri Lankan Government in 1987 (April 1987 - December 1989). The JVP's armed faction during the 1987 revolts was called Deshapremi Janatha Vyaparaya (DJV). Thousands of people were killed in two insurgencies involving the JVP. Finally, on November 13, 1989, JVP founder Rogana Wijeweera was assassinated; but the circumstances surrounding his death remain unknown.

Civil Wars

After many years of non-violent resistance with no success, militant ideological upsurge was formed demanding regional autonomy for Tamil Eelam. Although there was periodic violence between Tamil insurgents and the Sri Lankan Government until the 1980s, on July 24, 1983, members of the ruling UNP instigated riots against Tamils in Colombo, which swept throughout the country, attracting international attention. This event, known as Black July, triggered a full-fledged civil war in Sri Lanka. Following the outbreak of war, many Tamils fled to other countries as refugees, and many Tamil youngsters joined militant groups.

Militant groups and political groups functioned to represent the Tamils. The five largest militant groups were the LTTE, EROS, TELO, ERPLF, and PLOTE, with the LTTE being the dominating group. The LTTE was widely criticised for suppressing the activities of other Tamil Militant groups. Some Tamil Militants were trained alongside Palestinian Militants in Lebanon, Libya, and Syria. It is noteworthy that they were also trained by RAW at Sirumalai near Dindigul when Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister of India.

 Some important Tamil Eelam groups are as follows,

# Rajaratnam founded the militant group Tamil Tigers (TT) in 1961. Later, it collaborated with the LTTE.

# Nadarajah Thangathurai and Selvarajah Yogachandran founded the militant group Tamil Liberation Organisation (TLO) in 1969 which later became Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO) in 1979. Now, it functions as a political party.

# Vellupillai Prabhakaran founded the militant group Tamil New Tigers (TNT) in 1972 which later became Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 1976. Now, its presence is uncertain.

# Eliyathamby Ratnasabapathi, Shankar Rajee and Vellupillai Balakumar founded the militant group Eelam Revolutionary Organization of Students (EROS) in 1975. Now, it functions as a political party.

# Pathmanabha, Douglas Devananda, Suresh Premachandran and Varadaraja Perumal founded the militant group Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) as a breakaway from EROS in 1980. Now, it functions as a political party.

# Uma Maheswaran founded the militant group People's Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) as a breakaway from LTTE in 1980. Now, it functions as a political party.

# Douglas Devananda founded the political party Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) as a breakaway from EPRLF in 1987.

# Karuna Amman founded the militant group Tamil Peoples Liberation Tigers (TPLT) as a breakaway from LTTE in 2004. Now, it operates as a political party.

Note - In 1988, businessman Abdullah Luthufi organized a coup attempt in the Maldives, aided by armed mercenaries from the People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE). The coup was defeated through Indian intervention in Operation Cactus, following an order from Rajiv Gandhi, which was based on a request from Maldives President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

Operation Poomalai

The Sri Lankan Armed Forces launched the Vadamarachchi Operation in 1987 with the goal of conquering the Vadamarachchi area in Jaffna from the Tamil Tigers. Tamils were subjected to torture by Sri Lankan troops. Dravidian politicians urged Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to intervene in the ongoing civil conflict on humanitarian grounds. Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi ordered the Indian Navy to provide essential supplies to the Jaffna region during Sri Lanka's siege of Jaffna. As an act of support for the LTTE, the Indian Navy decided to send aid to Jaffna on June 2, 1987, on orders from Rajiv Gandhi. Nonetheless, the Sri Lankan Navy ordered the Indian Navy to retreat and prohibited them from entering their territorial sea.

Two days later, on 04-06-1987, on Rajiv Gandhi's orders, the Indian Air Force successfully carried out Operation Poomalai to airdrop crucial supplies such as food and medication to Jaffna in support of the LTTE in the Sri Lankan Civil War. According to reports, Sri Lankan President Jayawardene stated that India's aerial action is a flagrant breach of Sri Lanka's independence and that the country will resist till the last shot is fired. However, in the aftermath of Operation Poomalai and in the absence of substantial external assistance, President Jayawardene stepped up to negotiate future actions with the Rajiv Gandhi Government, resulting in the signing of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF).

Meanwhile, on July 30, 1987, during a military parade at the Sri Lankan President's House, Sri Lankan soldier Vijitha Rohana attempted to assassinate Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi for carrying out the Poomalai operation in support of the LTTE, which had ended the Operation Vadamarachchi of the Sri Lankan Army.

IPKF

The Nehru-Kotelawala Pact, the Sirima–Shastri Pact, and the Sirima–Gandhi Pact were agreements signed between the Governments of India and Sri Lanka to address the concerns of the Tamil community in Sri Lanka. These agreements focused on the repatriation of stateless Tamils from Sri Lanka to India and aimed to address the concerns of the Tamil minority in Sri Lanka. However, they later faced challenges in implementation. The issue escalated into a civil war in the later 1970s and early 1980s.

In an effort to end the Sri Lankan Civil War, Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sri Lankan President Jayawardene signed the Indo-Lanka Peace Accord in Colombo on July 29, 1987, following the impact of Operation Poomalai. Rajiv Gandhi's Accord differed from previous pacts as it not only outlined the devolution of powers to the provinces but also included the deployment of the Indian Army in Sri Lanka to end the civil war. In compliance with the agreement, the Union Government of India deployed the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in Sri Lanka.

Initially, there was cooperation between the IPKF and the LTTE. However, as time passed, tensions escalated, leading to conflicts and significant losses, resulting in horrible experiences. This fueled the raging fires of the ongoing civil war. Subsequently, on March 24, 1990, under the orders of Indian Prime Minister V.P.Singh, the IPKF withdrew from Sri Lanka and returned to India.

Pathmanabha Assassination

As part of the IPKF efforts, the northern and eastern provinces were merged to form the North-Eastern Province. In the elections held in 1988, Pathmanabha's EPRLF won, leading to Varadaraja Perumal becoming the Chief Minister. As the influence of the EPRLF began to grow with the Sri Lankan and Indian Governments, the LTTE started to engage in conflicts with the EPRLF.

Sudhanthira Raja, also known as Chinna Santhan, was an informant who had come from Sri Lanka and stayed in Chennai. He joined an industrial training center in Kodambakkam as a student, where he observed Pathmanabha’s daily activities. His information led to the assassination of Pathmanabha, the leader of the EPRLF, on June 19, 1990, by a group led by Sivarasan in Chennai. This assassination shocked the city. After the killing, Sivarasan's group escaped to Sri Lanka via Pillaiyar Thidal.

Kalaignar remarked that the Eelam struggle had turned into a brotherly war and expressed condolences for Pathmanabha's demise. A condolence meeting for all parties was held in Chennai. Notably, during Pathmanabha’s assassination, Kalaignar was in Delhi, and he was not in power during Rajiv Gandhi's assassination. Furthermore, Rajiv Gandhi, who expressed condolences for Pathmanabha's death, noted that both Pathmanabha and his mother, Indira Gandhi, shared the same birthday.

Note - After the IPKF withdrawal, the Sri Lankan court ruled in 2006 that the merged North-Eastern Province was not legally valid, leading to its division back into the Northern and Eastern Provinces.

Rajiv Gandhi Assassination

On May 1, 1991, One-Eyed Sivarasan and eight others, including Dhanu, arrived in Kodyakkarai from Sri Lanka, where Shanmugam welcomed them. Sivarasan acted as the mastermind behind the plot to assassinate Rajiv Gandhi and coordinated the assassination activities. The same group, as part of their plan, was found to have conducted a rehearsal by draping a garland around V.P.Singh during a meeting held in Chennai on May 7, 1991, according to the investigation.

As part of the 1991 parliamentary election campaign, Rajiv Gandhi arrived in Chennai at 8:30 PM on May 21, 1991, after his flight was delayed due to a technical issue following his campaign in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. After receiving information about the flight delay from a "mysterious person," Sivarasan's team arrived in Sriperumbudur on time. Led by Sivarasan, the group included Nalini, Subha, Murugan, Dhanu, Chinna Santhan, and Haribabu. The SPG security for Rajiv Gandhi had been revoked by the V.P.Singh Government, and this policy was continued by the Chandrasekhar Government, leading to a lack of adequate protection when Rajiv Gandhi arrived at a public meeting in Sriperumbudur to campaign for Congress candidate Maragatham Chandrasekhar at around 9:50 PM. At that time, many people surrounded Rajiv Gandhi as he approached the stage from the campaign ground. At that moment, while the young Kokilavani was reciting Hindi poetry to Rajiv Gandhi, he called Dhanu, who was standing nearby adorned with a sandalwood garland, to come closer, disregarding the objections of the security personnel. As Dhanu approached, she draped the sandalwood garland around Rajiv Gandhi's neck and touched his feet in reverence while pressing a button hidden in her clothing. Immediately, a powerful explosion occurred, leading to the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi at approximately 10:10 AM. Alongside him, 16 others were killed in the blast, and 43 were injured. After the assassination, the members of the Sivarasan group managed to escape from the campaign ground.

It was reported that Sivarasan instructed the photographer Haribabu to take pictures at the Sriperumbudur campaign rally. At the rally, Haribabu took only ten photographs before he was killed in the blast. The Chinon camera belonging to Haribabu, which was discovered by the investigative team at the assassination site, served as a crucial piece of evidence in the investigation. At the same time, the manipulation of video footage from the rally and the manner in which Kodyakkarai Shanmugam committed suicide sparked significant controversy during the investigation.

Following the bombing, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) appointed Karthikeyan as the head of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the case. During the intense investigation, many were interrogated, some were arrested, and a few committed suicide. Ultimately, the SIT reported that Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated according to a plan devised by Sivarasan under the directive of the LTTE. The assassins of Rajiv Gandhi, including Sivarasan and Shuba, took refuge in the residence of J.Ranganath in Konanakunte, Bengaluru. After receiving this information, the SIT attempted to apprehend them alive. However, before they could be apprehended, they committed suicide on August 20, 1991, the birthday of Rajiv Gandhi, at the Konanakunte residence.

The case was argued in a special court using the collected evidence, resulting in the death penalty being imposed on several defendants. Following the defendants' appeals, the death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment. Notably, all the assassins of Rajiv Gandhi were released in 2022.

Tamil Nadu in Eelam Politics

Since the time of Perarignar Anna, the DMK has advocated for Eelam's independence. Chelvanayakam, who advocated for political reform through nonviolence, earned the DMK's support, particularly in the 1950s. Even after Perarignar Anna expired, Kalaignar worked tirelessly to liberate Eelam. On May 13, 1985, Kalaignar founded the Tamil Eelam Supporters Organisation (TESO) to advocate for Tamil Eelam's liberation. It's active members included Anbazhagan, Veeramani, Nedumaran, and Ayyanan Ambalam. The DMK has campaigned for Tamil Eelam's liberation through numerous means, including the human chain, protests, conferences, legislative resolutions, negotiations, and fundraising. 

After the assassination of EPRLF leader Pathmanabha, LTTE activities in Tamil Nadu intensified, leading to allegations from Subramanian Swamy and Jayalalithaa that prompted Prime Minister Chandrasekhar to dissolve the DMK Government on January 30, 1991. The DMK is the only party that lost power in Tamil Nadu due to the Eelam issue. Furthermore, after the dissolution of the DMK Government, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in a human bomb attack in Sriperumbudur on May 21, 1991. It is noteworthy that during Pathmanabha's assassination, Kalaignar was in Delhi, and during Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, Kalaignar was not in power.

MGR, the Chief Minister and ADMK leader, openly and unconditionally supported the LTTE. MGR sent 4 crore rupees of his own money to Prabhakaran, the LTTE leader, for the Eelam battle. MGR has met with various Tamil Eelam supporters, including Prabhakaran, Kittu, Baby Subramaniam, and Nedumaran, in his office to discuss the Tamil Eelam movement. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and MGR shared concern for Tamil Eelam, hence the Union Government gave military training to the LTTE in Sirumalai, Dindigul District. It is noteworthy that Prabhakaran published a tribute to MGR's death in the press. However, upon MGR's death and Jayalalithaa's elevation as Chief Minister on behalf of ADMK, there was a rift in the relationship between ADMK and LTTE as she stated several opposing viewpoints on the Eelam issue.

Vaiko, the leader of the MDMK, is an ardent advocate for Tamil Eelam and the LTTE. It is worth mentioning that Vaiko, Pala.Nedumaran, Suba.Veerapandian, Dr.Thayappan, Bhavannan, and Shahul Hameed were imprisoned under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) by then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Jayalalitha in 2002 for their support of the LTTE. However, after the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, the level of support for Tamil Eelam rebels and the formation of Tamil Eelam significantly dropped in Tamil Nadu.

Norway Peace Talks

Many negotiations took place between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan Government, but the most notable one after 2000 was the Norway peace talks. In 2002, Norway mediated between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan Government with the aim of ending Sri Lanka's 20 year civil war. This resulted in a Cease Fire Agreement (CFA), which went into force on February 23, 2002. However, negotiations came to a stalemate in 2003 when the LTTE pulled out after turning down the concept of regional autonomy and proposed an Interim Self-Governing Authority (ISGA). Although the mediators acknowledged the feasibility of this proposal, the Government of Sri Lanka rejected it. As a result, CFA was halted without any other options. Following the failure of negotiations, the fourth and final civil war broke out.

According to available reports, the LTTE had a significant opportunity to end the civil war during the 2002 peace talks, but it ultimately failed due to the LTTE’s unexpected plan change. It has been widely argued that the LTTE should have initially accepted the Government of Sri Lanka's proposal for decentralisation and then in subsequent years should have moved to fully self-governing campaigns.

LTTE

LTTE's primary activities in regions under its control include banking, taxation, commerce, court work, police force, arms movement, television/radio/print media, and the collection of funds from Tamil emigrants. The LTTE was the first militant organization in the world with a three-tiered administration: army, navy, and air force. Selvarasa Pathmanathanwas in charge of obtaining arms for all three forces. The death of Anton Balasingham, the LTTE's top negotiator and political adviser, was Prabhakaran's biggest political setback in 2006.

Initially, the LTTE had strong external support, but after it were charged in the assassinations of two world leaders (Rajiv Gandhi and Ranasinghe Premadasa), it suffered a major setback and was condemned as one of the world's most notorious terrorist groups. In such a situation, when questioned by a reporter at a press conference in 2001 about Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, Prabhakaran responded, "This terrible tragedy occurred 10 years ago. I would like to make no additional comments.”

The LTTE is accused of maintaining global ties with extremist groups such as HAMAS, Naxals, Khalistan, and Mujahideen in order to trade arms, intelligence, and technology on the black market in Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia. Following Al-Qaeda's 9/11 attack on the United States on September 11, 2001, the United Nations Security Council was urged to take greater measures against armed extremist groups. In response, the intelligence service compiled a list of terrorist organizations for the UN Counter-Terrorism Office. This list also contained the LTTE, which is regarded one of the world's most dangerous terrorist groups. Furthermore, since the LTTE was blamed for Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, the Union Government of India suspended its aid to the LTTE.

On May 18, 2009, the Sri Lankan Army eliminated key leaders of the LTTE, including Prabhakaran, and regained control of the territories held by the LTTE in Eelam. Ultimately, it concluded three decades of civil war without attaining a definitive resolution.

Tamil Ethnic Groups

The projected overall population of Sri Lanka is 22 million, which includes 16.5 million Sinhalese, 5.5 million Sri Lankan Tamils, Muslim Tamils, and Hill Country Tamils. Disunity among Sri Lankan Tamils, Muslim Tamils, and Hill Country Tamils, including militant groups, is frequently attributed to caste-religious differences.

Sri Lankan Tamils - Aboriginal Tamils include descendants of the Jaffna Kingdom and tribes around the coast.

Muslim Tamils - Arab traders traveled to Sri Lanka for business and settled by marrying Tamil women.

Hill Country Tamils - Tamilians traveled to Sri Lanka for plantation employment and settled in Sri Lanka.

Conclusion

The Sri Lankan civil war has been estimated to have caused an economic loss of 200 billion, led to the deaths of 2.5 lakh people, prompted 5 lakh people to be internally displaced, and forced 15 lakh individuals to become refugees. Despite the tragic conclusion, let’s hope that the ongoing disputes between the Sinhalese and the Tamils will be amicably resolved in the foreseeable future.

// Subplot //

The subplot examines the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, which strained the relationship between India and the LTTE in the context of the Sri Lankan - Eelam conflict.

Behind the Rajiv Gandhi Assassination

The assassination of Rajiv Gandhi is one of the world's most investigated assassination cases. According to the SIT, Sivarasan planned the assassination on the direction of the LTTE. The Jain Commission, led by Justice Milap Chand Jain, probed Rajiv Gandhi's assassination. Importantly, the Jain Commission investigation concluded that Rajiv Gandhi's killing may have been the result of an international plot.

There exist several theories regarding the LTTE's involvement in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case: that it was blamed to save someone from the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case; that it was acting as a contractor to assassinate Rajiv Gandhi for someone; or that it was retaliating against IPKF activities by assassinating Rajiv Gandhi. On the other hand, there is a prevalent argument that the LTTE, which at the time was fighting for a separate Tamil State, would not have executed Rajiv Gandhi due to its reliance on international assistance. A greater depth of knowledge regarding the assassination could have been revealed had the video recording of the Sriperumbudur campaign gathering not been distorted.

Sivarasan

It is widely argued that when Pathmanabha was assassinated, Sivarasan was a key figure in the LTTE, but at the time of Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, he was not a member of the LTTE. Additionally, there are widespread allegations that the SIT showed hesitation in capturing Rajiv Gandhi's assassins during the siege of Konanakunte's house. As a result, it is alleged that Sivarasan's group committed suicide before they could be captured alive.

Haribabu

Officials stated that Haribabu, who might have intended to return home from the gathering after taking photographs, was killed during the explosion. The photographs recorded on Haribabu's camera became the first foundation for the investigation. Meanwhile, in May 2016, two doctors named Ramesh and Pugazhendi accused the forensic department of inconsistencies in the autopsy report regarding Haribabu's death in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. This led to arguments suggesting that Haribabu might still be alive. It was also noted that the medical report indicated that Haribabu, who belonged to the Hindu faith, had undergone circumcision, and there were claims that his identity did not match the details in that report, which sparked controversy. Following this, an explanation that circumcision could be performed for medical reasons regardless of religion brought a conclusion to the debate.

Human Bomb Dhanu

After the Tamil resistance was suppressed by Sinhala forces, A.Rajarathinam lost hope in finding a non-violent solution to the Tamil Eelam issues. He explored strategies for building the Tamil Eelam military. Known as the Tamil Eelam Netaji, A. Rajarathinam founded the Tamil Tigers in 1961 and served as a role model for many young Tamil Eelam fighters. In the 1970s, during the period when the Tamil Eelam revolutionary movement began to flourish, he played a significant role in defining the policies of the Liberation Tigers from 1972 to 1975. A.Rajarathinam passed away in 1975. Following Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, there are uncertain reports that during a public meeting in Jaffna, the Liberation Tigers honored the memory of the late A.Rajarathinam.

Dhanu, also known as Thenmozhi @ Kalaivani Rajarathinam, acted as a human bomb in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi and is the daughter of Rajarathinam. Dhanu studied at a neutral school in Batticaloa and was initially inspired by her father and other fighters associated with the Tamil Eelam revolutionary movement. Through the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, Dhanu (1974-1991) became known as the first human bomb of the modern era. Film enthusiasts have compared the conspiracy to assassinate Rajiv Gandhi to the opening scene of the Tamil film "CID Shankar," which was released in the 1970.

Bofors Connection

In 1980, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi planned to purchase heavy weapons from Austria. However, before the deal could be finalized, Indira Gandhi was assassinated on October 31, 1984. When Rajiv Gandhi took office later that year, he removed Austria from the list and instead signed a contract worth ₹1,437 crore with the Swedish defense company Bofors for heavy weaponry, with the support of the Swedish government. To facilitate the smooth execution of the contracts, both Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme and Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi made efforts. However, the opposition accused Rajiv Gandhi's side of receiving ₹64 crore in bribes to finalize the arms deal with Sweden. Notably, later courts found no evidence to substantiate any charges against either Rajiv Gandhi's side or the Swedish company, leading to their exoneration.

Before the Bofors deal was signed and the Bofors scandal became public, Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme was assassinated on February 28, 1986. Following the exposure of the Bofors scandal, Rajiv Gandhi was also assassinated on May 21, 1991. Notably, investigations did not link the assassinations of Rajiv Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, and their close friend Olof Palme to the arms deal. It is also significant that there were no inquiries into the political beneficiaries who gained from Rajiv Gandhi's assassination.

Investigation and Evaluation

In 1998, in an effort to thoroughly investigate Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, the Indian Government established the Multi-Disciplinary Monitoring Agency (MDMA). To date, the documents related to the MDMA's investigation into this case have not been made public.

Rajiv Gandhi's assassination was linked to a 9V battery used to detonate the bomb, which was alleged to have been purchased by Perarivalan. Former CBI officer Thiagarajan stirred controversy by stating that the statement from Perarivalan, which indicated that "the true purpose of the 9V battery purchased by Perarivalan was unknown to him," was omitted. Thiagarajan's remarks, along with reports from former CBI officials like Ragothaman, significantly undermine the credibility of the investigation into Rajiv Gandhi's assassination. Meanwhile, in 2022, the Tamil Nadu Government released Perarivalan, Nalini, Murugan, Chinna Shantan, Jayakumar, Ravichandran, and Robert Payas—who had been imprisoned for over 25 years in connection with Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, following the guidance of the Supreme Court.

The Jain Commission report confirmed that Rajiv Gandhi faced a coordinated threat from various domestic and foreign organizations, including the Kashmir Liberation Front, the Sikh Liberation Front, the Assam Liberation Front, the Tamil Tigers, and groups associated with the Nepalese monarchy. While there has been ongoing debate about the involvement of the LTTE in Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, it is notable that the LTTE generally accepts responsibility for its actions but has denied any connection to Gandhi's death, claiming it was a tragic event unrelated to them.

Additionally, various individuals have been accused in connection with Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, including LTTE leader Prabhakaran, M.K. Narayanan (suspected of destroying video evidence), Chandrasamy (a priest rumored to have ties to Narasimha Rao, who became Prime Minister after Rajiv Gandhi's death), Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi, R.K.Raghavan (the security officer at Sriperumbudur), and Subramanian Swamy, who allegedly viewed Rajiv Gandhi as a political rival. However, it is significant to note that no thorough investigation was conducted into these individuals, and the investigation has not moved beyond the LTTE, as remarked by K.Ragothaman, one of the officials of the special investigation team.

The investigation into Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, which could have political implications, has been subjected to extensive analysis. Therefore, the question of whether the investigative team successfully uncovered the truth or failed to do so remains a topic of debate.

Tit-bit

In 2004, Veerappan, suffering from eye cataract, decided to undergo eye surgery in Sri Lanka and meet LTTE leader Prabhakaran. It is widely alleged that if the two had collaborated, it would have posed a new challenge for the Governments in dealing with Veerappan and Prabhakaran. However, Veerappan was shot dead on October 18,2004, while being taken in an ambulance for his scheduled trip to Sri Lanka as a result of an operation by a special task force called Operation Cocoon.​

Reference

FBI about LTTE

https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/news/stories/2008/january/tamil_tigers011008

Sri Lankan History - 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DH3lEbQkOzk

Sri Lankan History - 2

http://www.torontoslcg.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=185

Sri Lankan History - 3

https://www.britannica.com/place/Sri-Lanka

Who got the Bofors Money?

https://www.rediff.com/news/column/who-got-the-bofors-money/20181023.htm

Norway Peace Talks

https://www.ipcs.org/issue_select.php?recNo=424

Vijitha Rohana Attacks Rajiv Gandhi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dV-A9BDd1HY

Sri Lankan Civil War Timeline Chart

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_YKJgj1_jc

Economic Damages due to Sri Lankan Civil War

https://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2016/dec/13/sri-lankas-internal-war-cost-us-200-billion-1548433.html

Father of Rajiv Gandhi’s assassin Dhanu

https://thesouthfirst.com/tamilnadu/father-of-rajiv-gandhis-assassin-dhanu-was-a-fan-of-nehru/

Veerappan and his Sri Lanka Dreams

https://www.news18.com/news/india/recounting-indias-most-famous-bandit-manhunt-veerappan-and-his-lankan-dreams-1366908.html

ஈழமும் கலைஞரும்

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23dqX08sPeI

தமிழீழம் அழிந்த கதை

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iSWroJpKgM

வைகோவின் ஈழப் பயணம்

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjwh7LcOKms

இலங்கை உள்நாட்டுப் போர்

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NG8tF1oW2Y

ஏன் கொல்லப்பட்டார் ராஜீவ் காந்தி?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-8Ri7-HO2Q

ராஜீவ் காந்தி படுகொலை ஒரு துன்பியல் சம்பவம்

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moVkGtFkneE

ராஜீவ் காந்தி படுகொலையின் தடயவியல் அம்சங்கள்

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGOfzHlIILY

ராஜீவ் காந்தி படுகொலையில் சொல்லப்படாத ரகசியங்கள்

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lZa_wX9Gk8

Few books published about Rajiv Gandhi's assassination

# ராஜீவ் கொலை - நளினி முருகன்

# ராஜீவ் காந்தி கொலை - செ.துரைசாமி

# ராஜீவ் கொலை வழக்கு - கே.ரகோத்தமன்

# முதல் மனித வெடிகுண்டு - பி.சந்திரசேகரன்

# தூக்குக் கயிற்றில் நிஜம் - திருச்சி வேலுச்சாமி

# விடுதலைப் புலிகளுக்கு அப்பால் - ராஜீவ் சர்மா

# சிவராசன் டாப் சீக்ரெட் - இரா.பொ.இரவிச்சந்திரன்

# ராஜீவ் படுகொலையில் சர்வதேசக் கூலிகள் - நக்கீரன் புலனாய்வு குழு

# Beyond the Tigers - Rajiv Sharma

# First Human Bomb - P.Chandrasekharan

# Conspiracy to Kill Rajiv Gandhi - K.Ragothaman

# Rajiv Gandhi Assassination: The Investigation - D.R.Karthikeyan / Radhavinod Raju

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