Posts Categorized: Biography

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

by T. Sabaratnam, August 20, 2004 Chapter 11 Original index to series Original Chapter 12 The Training In September, 1983 Chennai was full of Sri Lankan Tamil boys.  They were taken to Delhi in batches in luxury buses by RAW officers. “It was a tiring, long journey,” Nirupan (not his real name), a youth from… Read more »

by T. Sabaratnam, August 2004 Chapter 10 Original index to series Original Chapter 11 Training Militants  Indira Gandhi always called President Jayewardene ‘the old fox.’  Her assessment of him was that he could not be trusted.  Her opinion of Jayewardene was based on the information given to her by her friend Sirimavo Bandaranaike, the lady… Read more »

By T. Sabaratnam, July 19, 2004 Chapter 9 Original index to series Original Chapter 10 The Overt Track The second fortnight of August 1983 is as important to the Tamil freedom struggle and the history of Sri Lanka as the last ten days of July and the first 17 days of August.  Indira Gandhi put… Read more »

by T. Sabaratnam, June 2004 Chapter 8 Original index to series Original Chapter 9 India’s Solution The Sixth Amendment produced two immediate results. Firstly, Indira Gandhi made her second telephone call within 12 hours of its passage. Secondly, the TULF decided the next day, 6 August, to quit parliament and take refuge in India. These… Read more »

by T. Sabaratnam, June 2004 Chapter 7 Original index to series Original Chapter 8 Finding Scapegoats  Jayewardene was disturbed by the criticism of the attacks on Tamils by many Western countries and international human rights watchers. Indira Gandhi’s telephone call on Thursday, 28 July evening upset him more. As mentioned earlier he, asked Ranil Wickremesinghe… Read more »

by T. Sabaratnam, June 2004 Chapter 6 Original index to series Original Chapter 7 Indian Factor President Jayewardene realized on Wednesday evening, after answering Indira Gandhi’s telephone call, that the riots had spawned unintended results. Firstly, it had, while weakening the Tamils, also weakened him and the Sinhala people, mainly by damaging their international image…. Read more »

by T. Sabaratnam, June 11, 2004 Chapter 5 Original index to series Original Chapter 6 Tamil Nadu Erupts Tamil Nadu erupted in anger on Tuesday, 26 July 1983, when news spread that atrocities had been committed on Tamils in Sri Lanka. Thousands of Tamils poured onto the streets in Chennai, Madurai and other cities denouncing… Read more »

by T. Sabaratnam, June 2004 Chapter 4 Original index to series Original Chapter 5 The prison massacre on Monday, July 25, 1983 that killed 35 of their colleagues made the 28 prisoners in C3 feel insecure. They felt that they would be the next target. Three of them – Panagoda Maheswaran, Paranthan Rajan and Douglas… Read more »

by T. Sabaratnam, May 31, 2004 Chapter 3 Original index to series The Talk In the last chapter, I referred to the information that my friend in the Jathika Seva Sangamaya (JSS) gave me about the final solution. I also said that at that time I did not realize the actual meaning of that phrase…. Read more »

by T. Sabaratnam, May 20, 2004 Chapter 2 Original index to series I was upset when I saw flames leap up in the direction of Borella. I was deeply troubled when more tongues of flame rose threateningly in that vicinity. Was the information Piyadasa had given me coming true? Telephone calls further disturbed me. Tamils were… Read more »

by T. Sabaratnam, published April 30, 2004 Introduction to Volume 2 Original index to series The Ambush Pirapaharan and his men alighted from the minibus which Sellakili parked along the crossroad that connected Point Pedro Road with Palaly Road. They walked up to the junction, in small groups of two or three, turned towards Jaffna and… Read more »

by T. Sabaratnam, April 21, 2004 Volume One Index Original index to series Introduction In the first volume, I chronicled the birth, childhood, growth and the political environment which conditioned the thinking of Pirapaharan. His was a conservative family. His father, Velupillai, was a land development officer in the Sri Lankan government whose ambition was to… Read more »

by T. Sabaratnam; published April 15, 2004 Volume 1, Chapter 36 Original index of series Dear Readers, With this Chapter I am concluding the first of this 3-volume series. Pirapaharan has entered the scene. From the Thirunelveli ambush Pirapaharan asserts his superiority and gives a new direction to the struggle. At this stage I seek your… Read more »