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The Pirabhakaran Phenomenon
Part 19
Sachi Sri Kantha[20 October 2001]
Repercussions of Rajiv-Jayewardene Accord
 Note to the Readers
In this part, I make liberal use of interviews and opinions, which haveappeared in the open sources of information since 1997. Lest some readersthink that I’m more or less using the ‘cut-and-paste’ version of writinghistory, for reasons of accuracy, I prefer citing direct quotes (even if theyare lengthy!) from the main participants of the events under discussion,rather than trying to paraphrase what they have described.
An [unidentified] Indian Intelligence Agency’s Assessment
Apart from J.N.Dixit, even the operatives of Indian Intelligence Agencieshad recorded the benefits of MGR’s patronage to Pirabhakaran and LTTEin one of their reports in mid-1980s. Ten years later, the 1997 JainCommission Report on Rajiv Gandhi Assassination had made this public by reproducing an excerpt of an unidentified Indian Intelligence Agency,relating to Pirabhakaran and ‘other prominent personalities of the LTTEduring the period of 1981-86’.This report makes interesting reading in that, it was written from the angleof a spy (field officer) who was keen to find a ‘mole’ among the leadingLTTE members. I reproduce the relevant paragraphs.“What helped Prabhakaran most in the early stages was the totalsupport given by the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister [i.e. MGR].Prabhakaran was always very respectful towards MGR and used theright phrases and right gestures. He admired MGR for the immense popularity he evoked in the Tamil masses and wanted to emulate him.On the other hand, Prabhakaran was seen as a real hero. Enormousfunds were made available which helped LTTE to sustain themselvesuntil they were in control of Jaffna peninsula and started collectingtaxes. On one or two occasions arms shipments were reportedly
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cleared and this gave a decisive edge to the group by the end of 1984.This support added to the edge Prabhakaran had in his leadership andthe ability to invoke a kind of mad and total loyalty in his followers.He has a self-constructive strain in him which he has successfully passed on to some of his close followers. If driven to a corner,Prabhakaran is capable of committing suicide rather than facehumiliation. He has a love for guns and his face is said to glow whenhe sees a good weapon. He would always carry the latest pistolavailable in the world market, and is a good shot too. [
 JainCommission Report 
, vol.5, chapter 16] Now, to the assessment on Pirabhakaran’s closest company within LTTEand search for a ‘mole’ amongst them. From the cited evidence of Kittu being in Madras, it appears that this spy report was originally written after the attack on Kittu, which happened on March 31, 1987. One shouldoverlook the stilted English description, since it probably was written by afield officer of RAW who was on a mole hunt.“At the moment, Prabhakaran does not carry any threat to hisleadership. Only two persons could have posed a threat. Of those,Kittu is now in Madras to get an artificial leg, and though he isconsulted on all matters his disability and absence from the scene are big handicaps. In the early days when Kittu wanted to marry hisgirlfriend, Prabhakaran prevented it on the ground that a revolutionaryshould be wedded to the revolution, though he himself fell in lovewith one of the fasting girls of Jaffna University who was brought toMadras by the LTTE, and got married to her. Kittu continues to holdthis against Prabhakaran.Mathiasri [referring to Mahendrarajah alias Mahathaya] could claimseniority even over Prabhakaran as he has continued with the Tigerswhile Prabhakaran briefly joined TELO. Unlike Prabhakaran,Mathiasri is very ambitious and the way Mathiasri has taken precedence over Dileep Yogi (who joined the movement only after 1983) has not gone unnoticed. Other persons who are considered to be very close to Prabhakaran would include Raghu, personal bodyguard of Prabhakaran, and Thilagar, a political adviser, andShankar alias Swarnalingam who helped the LTTE in procuring armsand other equipment from abroad. Anton Balasingham, the politicaladviser (he is no doctor and does not hold a Ph.D.) is more aspokesman who, as he himself had remarked, is there to justify theaction rather than advise on actions to be taken. Balasingham, after taking his post-graduate degree in Jaffna, briefly dabbled in
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 journalism before taking up a regular job in UK High Commission. Inthe 1970s he went over to UK and in due course obtained Britishcitizenship. He lost his wife in London and married the Australiannurse who was attending to her in the hospital. He is known to beshrewd and has slowly eliminated all other intellectuals who couldhave given sensible advice to Prabhakaran. Except for Balasingham,Prabhakaran is surrounded by a group of school and college dropouts.At this moment the rank and file is well-knit as the LTTE has themuscle and money which would over to over an estimated 15 crores of Sri Lankan rupees. The powerful motivation for attainment of Eelamis no longer present and the problem would be how to keep the cadrestogether with an alternative motivation. This is a major problem for the group.” [
ibid 
]Readers should take note of Mahathaya’s profile as presented in this IndianIntelligence wallah’s description and especially the comment ‘only two persons’ (Kittu and Mahathaya) could pose a threat to Pirabhakaran. Byaligning this field report which was made public in 1997 via the JainCommission Report, with the already exposed fact that in July 1989, theRAW officials had planted a news report in the
 Hindu
newspaper about thedeath of Pirabhakaran in the jungles of Vanni [see, The PirabhakaranPhenomenon – part 1], it appears difficult to contradict the accusation onMahathaya that he did turn into a Benedict Arnold of Eelam.
Col. John Taylor’s Assessment:
Col.John Taylor was one of the first officers assigned to the IPKF, and in1997 he reminisced to the Rediff.Com.India his impression on theconfrontation with LTTE to the Rediff.Com.India.Col. John Taylor’sobservation is interesting in that he describes how the Eelam Tamil public provided ‘tremendous mass support’ to the LTTE. His words on the qualityof RAW’s intelligence (both in literal and figurative senses) speak for themselves.Excerpts from the website of Rediff.Com are as follows:“By the time the Indian Peace Keeping Force was inducted after theIndia-Sri Lanka Accord, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam hademerged a strong militant group on the island. They had wiped out allopposition, both Tamil and Sinhala. They had full control of the North and East. They were running a parallel government. Theadministration and judiciary were with them.The LTTE was both loved and feared by all. When I was in Sri Lanka,the only Sinhalas north of the Elephant Pass were the Sri Lankantroops stationed there. Only Tamils were safe in the area. Such was
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