Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (July 2020) |
Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students ஈழ புரட்சிகர மாணவர் இயக்கம் | |
---|---|
Leader | Nesan Shankar Raji[1] |
Secretary | Rajanathan Prabaharan[2] |
Founder | Eliyathamby Ratnasabapathy V. Balakumaran Shankar Rajee |
Founded | 1975 |
Headquarters | Jaffna[2] |
Ideology | Tamil nationalism |
Election symbol | |
Plough | |
The Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students (EROS), also known as the Eelam Revolutionary Organisers, is a former
Origins
The EROS was formed in
Links with Palestinians
In 1976, the EROS established links with the
Splinter groups
Despite being the most ideological of all the Tamil groups, and its strong revolutionary nationalism, the EROS never became as militarily active as later groups such as the LTTE or TELO, largely because its leadership continued to be based in London. Their most notable military actions was the bombings in Sri Lanka in 1984 and 1985, and the kidnapping of British journalist Penelope Willis.
Partly as a result of this, differences arose in 1979 among the cadre in Sri Lanka. The result was that the student wing of the EROS, the General Union of Eelam Students, split away from the EROS in 1980 to form a new organisation, the Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front. EROS was also one of the main forces behind the attempt to form a united front, the Eelam National Liberation Front, in 1984, and remained the major driving force behind the front until it fell apart in 1986.
Politics
EROS contested the
LTTE association
During the IPKF period, EROS was one of the few groups to support the LTTE and was in fact their main political advisory body as the EROS and LTTE worked in alliance with one another. In the late 1980s, differences arose amongst the EROS leadership over the question of whether or not they should militarily support the LTTE. In 1990, the group was effectively disbanded. One of its two top leaders, V. Balakumaran, together with a large portion of its members, left EROS to join the LTTE, saying it was a betrayal of the Tamil cause not to take up arms.[3]
The remnants of the group, led by Shankar Rajee, remained in Colombo and continued to call themselves EROS.[4] They have transformed themselves into pro-government, anti-LTTE paramilitary group and a political party.[5] Following the death of Shankar Rajee in 2005, his son Nesan Thirunesan took over as its new youth leader.
EROS in popular culture
Artist Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam, better known as
See also
References
- ^ "EROS GOAL IS TO SERVE THE TAMIL PEOPLE OF SRI LANKA".
- ^ a b "List of recognized political parties" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. 29 January 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 July 2014.
- Sunday Leader.
- ^ "EROS files nominations for PC elections". TamilNet. 7 December 1998.
- ISBN 9781134116065.