Posts Categorized: Biography

Pirapaharan: Vol.2, Chap.32 Frog-Marched to Thimpu

by T. Sabaratnam, January 28, 2005 Chapter 31 Original index to series Original Chapter 32 I was with Indian Foreign Secretary Romesh Bhandari in his office in South Block doing an interview for the Daily News on 23 May 1985 when the door opened and a short person peeped in.  “Excuse me for two minutes,” Bhandari told… Read more »

Pirapaharan.Vol.2, Chap.31 Unity Moves

by T. Sabaratnam, January 21, 2005 Chapter 30 Original index to series Original Chapter 31 On 10 April 1985, the day the Jaffna police station was flattened, the LTTE joined the Eelam National Liberation Front (ENLF), an umbrella organization of Tamil militant groups formed exactly a year earlier.  The three groups, TELO, EPRLF and EROS,… Read more »

Pirapaharan: Vol.2, Chap.30 Jaffna Police Station Attack

by T. Sabaratnam, December 24, 2004 Chapter 29 Original index to series Original Chapter 30 The Kokkilai attack of 13 February 1985, which Jayewardene acknowledged had changed the character of the Tamil armed struggle and had been timed to coincide with the Rajiv – Gandhi – Athulathmudali meeting, was not a total success.  It failed… Read more »

Pirapaharan: Vol.2, Chap.29 JR’s Trap for Rajiv’s Backtracking

by T. Sabaratnam, December 17, 2004 Chapter 28 Original index to series Original Chapter 29 Indira Gandhi’s assassination on 31 October 1984 provided President Jayewardene an opportunity to wriggle out of the peace process and pursue the military option he had carefully mapped out.  He abruptly discontinued the All Party Conference on 26 December 1984… Read more »

Pirapaharan: Vol.2, Chap.28 The First Interview

By  T. Sabaratnam, December 10, 2004 Chapter 27 Original index to series Original Chapter 28 On the Cover Page Sunday, India’s leading news magazine in 1984, created a sensation in India and Sri Lanka by featuring Pirapaharan’s first media interview in its 11-17 March issue. The cover carried a colour photograph of a wide-eyed, chubby-cheeked… Read more »

Pirapaharan: Vol.2, Chap.27 MGR’s Role in the Tamil Struggle

by T. Sabaratnam, December 3, 2004 Chapter 26 Original index to series Original Chapter 27 Massive Fund In April 1984 Pirapaharan met for the first-time Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. G. Ramachandran, idol of legions of Tamils. The meeting bonded them and brought about a historic change in the freedom struggle of the Sri Lankan… Read more »

Pirapaharan: Vol., Chap.26 Foundation for Tamil Eelam

by T. Sabaratnam, November 25, 2004 Chapter 25 Original index to series Original Chapter 26 Three Factors 1984 is a milestone in the life of Pirapaharan and in the history of Tamil freedom struggle.  In that year, as I indicated in Chapter 21, Pirapaharan switched over from hit-and-run guerrilla combat to sustained guerrilla warfare, and… Read more »

Pirapaharan: Vol.2, Chap.25 Militants Acquire Territory

by T. Sabaratnam, November 19, 2004 Chapter 24 Original index to series Original Chapter 25 Dear Editor, This is my personal experience with Lalith Athulathmudali regarding the Jaffna violence in reference to the ongoing articles by Mr. Sabaratnam.  It was 1986 and I was the vice-president of the Government Medical Officer’s Association (GMOA).  Dr. Stanmore… Read more »

Pirapaharan: Vol.2, Chap.24 Sri Lanka Turns into Killing Field

by T. Sabaratnam, November 15, 2004 Chapter 23 Original index to series Original Chapter 24 Bus Massacre  I traced in Chapter 21 the events that led Pirapaharan to switch the mode of struggle from hit and run guerrilla warfare to sustained guerrilla combat and the manner in which the country slipped into the First Eelam… Read more »

Pirapaharan: Vol.2, Chap.23 Manal Aru Becomes Weli Oya

by T. Sabaratnam, November 5, 2004 Chapter 22 Original index to series Original Chapter 23 On the Sly The Yan Oya settlement that would break the territorial contiguity of Tamil Eelam between Trincomalee and Mullaitivu districts was started on the sly.  The planners of the project wanted to settle Sinhalese along the Yan Oya (river)… Read more »

Pirapaharan: Vol.2, Chap.22 JR’s Third Track

by T. Sabaratnam, October 29, 2004 Chapter 21 Original index to series Original Chapter 22 Smashing the Basis Home Minister K. W. Devanayagam’s coordinating secretary K. G. John telephoned me in the morning of 8 September 1983 and said the minister wanted to meet me on an urgent matter.  I met him in his ministry…. Read more »

Pirapaharan: Vol.2, Chap.21 First Eelam War

A reader sent the following information to add to this series on the life and times of Pirapaharan. We encourage all readers to send us their understanding of this history of us all. It is no exaggeration Pirabakaran’s life is also the history of the heroic Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.  Pirabakaran joined the Tamil Students Forum… Read more »

Pirapaharan: Vol.2, Chap.20 Violence Brought to the Fore

by T. Sabaratnam, October 15, 2004 Chapter 19 Original index to series Original Chapter 20 Shift in Allegiance 1984 is a milestone in the Tamil freedom struggle.  In that year, Tamils finally abandoned their faith in non-violence and peace talks.  In that year, they shifted their allegiance from the ‘non-violent leaders’ to the ‘violent boys.’ And… Read more »

Pirapaharan: Vol.2, Chap.19 Burying the TULF

by T. Sabaratnam, October 8, 2004 Chapter 18 Original index to series Original Chapter 19 In Lake House, there was jubilation when the story of the TULF satyagraha held in Jaffna on 25 July spread. The joy infected the Sinhala people as radio and television broadcast the news. I was at the weekly press briefing at the… Read more »

Pirapaharan: Vol.2, Chap.18 Tamils Lose Faith in Talks

by T. Sabaratnam, October 1, 2004 Chapter 17 Original index to series Original Chapter 18 Three Lessons Tamil people drew three important lessons from the All Party Conference (APC) of 1984.  They were: the Sinhala leadership and the Buddhist clergy are unwilling to accommodate Tamil aspirations; Sinhala leaders are not interested in a political settlement; the… Read more »

Pirapaharan: Vol.2, Chap.17 All Party Conference

by T. Sabaratnam, September 24, 2021 Chapter 16 Original index to series Original Chapter 17 JR’s Mischief Until the invitation for the All Party Conference (APC) reached the TULF, everything looked fair and fine.  Jayewardene met the leaders of all recognized political parties, except the JVP and NSSP which were under proscription, and briefed them… Read more »

Pirapaharan: Vol.2, Chap.16 JR’s Second Track

by T. Sabaratnam, September 19, 2004 Chapter 15 Original index to series Original Chapter 16 Endless Talking Curiously, Indira Gandhi’s Track One fitted perfectly into Jayewardene’s Track Two.  Indira Gandhi utilized her Second Track of arming Tamil militants to achieve the objectives of her First Track: to obtain for the Tamils a self-governing unit within… Read more »

Pirapaharan: Vol.2, Chap.15 JR Visits China and the US

by T. Sabaratnam, September 10, 2004 Chapter 14 Original index to series Original Chapter 15 The Chunnakam Massacre Trade and Shipping Minister Lalith Athulathmudali was appointed Minister of National Security and Deputy Defence Minister on 23 March 1984. An Oxford educated lawyer-politician with an unbridled ambition to succeed Jayewardene as the president of Sri Lanka,… Read more »

Pirapaharan: Vol.2, Chap.14 JR’s Three Track Policy

by T. Sabaratnam, September 3, 2004 Chapter 13 Original index to series Original Chapter 14 Building a Military Machine President Jayewardene, his fans and critics readily admit, was a grandmaster in political chess. He schemed three moves ahead when his opponent planned only two. He played the same game with Indira Gandhi. He countered her double… Read more »

Pirapaharan: Vol.2, Chap.13 The Love Story

by T. Sabaratnam, August 28, 2004 Chapter 12 Original index to series Original Chapter 13 Adele’s Influence The third and fourth matters on which Pirapaharan’s attention was focused during the closing months of 1983 were interestingly intertwined.  They involved the theoretical issue of the role of women in the freedom struggle and Pirapaharan’s personal life…. Read more »