Velupillai Prabhakaran
Velupillai Prabhakaran | |
---|---|
வேலுப்பிள்ளை பிரபாகரன் | |
Born | |
Died | 18 May 2009 Mullaitivu, Sri Lanka | (aged 54)
Cause of death | Killed in action on 18 May 2009[4] |
Other names | Karikalan
|
Occupation(s) | Founder & leader of the Tamil New Tigers in 1972 and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. |
Known for | Tamil nationalism, National Leader of Tamil Eelam, Military Tactics.[5] |
Criminal charge(s) | Planning assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in 1991[6][7] Colombo Central Bank bombing of 1996[7] |
Criminal penalty | Arrest warrant issued by Colombo High Court[8] Death warrant issued by Madras High Court, India.[9] Sentenced to 200 years imprisonment by Colombo High Court.[7][10] |
Spouse | Mathivathani Erambu (1984–2009) |
Children | Charles Anthony (1989–2009)[11] Duvaraga (1986–2009)[12] Balachandran (1997–2009)[13] |
Signature | |
Part of a series on |
Sri Lankan Tamils |
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Velupillai Prabhakaran (ⓘ; Tamil: வேலுப்பிள்ளை பிரபாகரன்; [ˈʋeːlɯpːiɭːaɪ pɾaˈbaːhaɾan]; 26 November 1954 – 18 May 2009) was an Eelam Tamil revolutionary. Prabhakaran was a major figure of Tamil nationalism, and the founder and leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The LTTE was a militant organization that sought to create an independent Tamil state in the north and east of Sri Lanka in reaction to the oppression of the country's Tamil population by the Sri Lankan government.[14][15][16] Under his direction, the LTTE undertook a military campaign against the Sri Lankan government for more than 25 years.
Prabhakaran was the youngest of four children, born in
Founded in 1976, the LTTE came to prominence in 1983 after
Prabhakaran, who had said, "I would prefer to die in honour rather than being caught alive by the enemy",[19] was killed in a firefight with the Sri Lankan Army in May 2009.[20] Charles Anthony, his eldest son, was also killed.[20] Additionally, the bodies of his wife and daughter were reportedly found by the Sri Lankan army; the Sri Lankan government later denied the report.[21] His 12-year-old second son was executed a short time later.[22] Prabhakaran's reported death and the subsequent ceasefire announcement by Selvarasa Pathmanathan, the Tigers' chief of international relations, brought an end to the armed conflict.[23]
A significant figure of Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism, Prabhakaran is often seen as a martyr by Sri Lankan Tamils. However, he is acknowledged to have created one of the most ruthless and sophisticated insurgencies of the modern era, with many of the tactics he pioneered influencing political militant groups globally.[24] Prabhakaran himself argued that he chose military means only after observing that nonviolent means were ineffectual and obsolete, especially after the Tamil Eelam revolutionary Thileepan's fatal hunger strike in 1987 had no effect. Influenced by prominent Indian nationalists Subhas Chandra Bose and Bhagat Singh, who fought the British Empire, Prabhakaran declared that his goal was 'revolutionary socialism and the creation of an egalitarian society'.[25]
Early life
Velupillai Prabhakaran was born in the northern coastal town of Valvettithurai on 26 November 1954, the youngest of four children,[26][27] His parents, Thiruvenkadam Velupillai and Vallipuram Parvathy, belonged to the Karaiyar community.[28][29][30] Thiruvenkadam Velupillai was the District Land Officer in the Ceylon Government.[27][31] He came from an influential and wealthy family who owned and managed the major Hindu temples in Valvettithurai.[32][33]
Angered by the discrimination and violent persecution against Tamil people by successive Sri Lankan governments, Prabhakaran joined the student group Tamil Youth Front (TYF) during the standardisation debates.[34] In 1972, he founded the Tamil New Tigers (TNT),[27][35] a successor to many earlier organizations that protested against the post-colonial political direction of the country, in which the minority Sri Lankan Tamils were pitted against the majority Sinhalese people.[36][37]
In 1975, after becoming heavily involved in the Tamil movement, he carried out the first major political assassination by a Tamil group, shooting Alfred Duraiappah, the mayor of Jaffna, at point-blank range in front of the Hindu temple at Ponnaalai. The assassination was in response to the killings of Tamils in the 1974 Tamil conference incident, for which Duraiappah was blamed[38] due to having backed the then-ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party.[39]
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
Founding of the LTTE
In the early 1970s, United Front government of
Prabhakaran along with
On 5 May 1976, the TNT was renamed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), commonly known as the Tamil Tigers.[49]
Eelam War I
The LTTE by the 1980s operated in more attacks against police and military forces. On 23 July 1983, the LTTE ambushed an army patrol and killed 13 Sri Lankan soldiers in Thirunelveli, Sri Lanka.[47] As a response to this were one of the worst government sponsored anti-Tamil riots held (the event known as Black July) resulting in the destruction of Tamil houses and shops and death of hundreds of Tamils and making over 150 000 Tamils homeless.[50][51] As a result of the riots were several Tamils joining the LTTE and the LTTE marked the beginning of the Eelam War I.[52] With Prabhakaran being the most wanted man in Sri Lanka,[53] he had said in 1984, “I would prefer to die in honour rather than being caught alive by the enemy.”[54] Prabhakaran held his first speech on 4 August 1987 at the Suthumalai Amman temple in front of over 100 000 people explaining the position of the LTTE.[55] This speech is seen as a historic turning point in the Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism.[56] In the same year, Asiaweek compared Prabhakaran to revolutionary Che Guevara, while Newsweek called him "the stuff of legend".[57]
Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi
The LTTE were allegedly involved in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, the ex-prime minister of India in 1991, which they denied involvement and alleged the event as an international conspiracy against them.[58][59] However, in a 2011 interview, Kumaran Pathmanathan, who was the Treasurer of LTTE and its chief arms procurer, apologized to India for Velupillai Prabhakaran's "mistake" of killing former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. He further said Rajiv's assassination was "well planned and done actually with Prabhakaran and (LTTE intelligence chief Pottu Amman). Everyone knows the truth".[60] The TADA Court issued an arrest warrant for plotting of the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. In October 2010 the charges against Prabhakaran were dropped by the TADA Court after the Central Bureau of Investigation filed a report stating that he was dead and the case was closed.[61][62][63]
Peace talks
Prabhakaran's first and only major press conference was held in
During the interview, he stated that the right condition has not risen to give up the demand of Tamil Eelam. He further mentioned that "There are three fundamentals. That is Tamil homeland, Tamil nationality and Tamil right to self-determination. These are the fundamental demands of the Tamil people. Once these demands are accepted or a political solution is put forward by recognising these three fundamentals and our people are satisfied with the solutions we will consider giving up the demand for Eelam." He further added that Tamil Eelam was not only the demand of the LTTE but also the demand of the Tamil people.[64]
Prabhakaran also answered a number of questions in which he reaffirmed their commitment towards the peace process, quoted "We are sincerely committed to the peace process. It is because we are sincerely committed to peace that we continued a four month cessation of hostilities" was also firm in de-proscription of the LTTE by Sri Lanka and India, "We want the government of India to lift the ban on the LTTE. We will raise the issue at the appropriate time."
Prabhakaran also insisted firmly that only de-proscription would bring forth an amenable solution to the ongoing peace process mediated by Norway: "We have informed the government, we have told the Norwegians that de-proscription is a necessary condition for the commencements of talks."[66][67]
Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive and death
When the Sri Lankan military rapidly advanced into the last LTTE held territory in the final days of
At 12:15 pm army commander
Alleged claims of survival
Despite the announcement of his death by both the Government and LTTE remnants, certain groups and media have claimed that Prabhakaran survived the war and managed to escape. In 2009 a Tamil website showed an image showing Prabhakaran viewing a news report of his death in TV which was sent to France 24 as proof of his survival. But France 24 noted that the photo appeared to be photoshopped.[76] In 2010 Pro-LTTE website TamilWin claimed that the body of Prabhakaran shown belonged to a Sri Lankan soldier showing images of a Prabhakaran look-alike in the Sri Lankan army.[77] The theory of Prabhakaran's survival is also supported by Tamil Nadu politician Vaiko who claims Prabhakaran would emerge from hiding at the right time.[78] The claim of Prabhakaran's survival was reiterated in 2023 by Indian activist Pazha Nedumara, who declared through a press conference held at Thanjavur that the slain leader of LTTE is "still alive and doing well" and that he has been in contact with Prabhakaran's family. The claim was rejected by Sri Lanka which issued a statement stating that Prabhakaran's corpse had been confirmed by his close associates as well as DNA testing.[79][80]
Philosophy and ideology
Prabhakaran was influenced by prominent Indian nationalists
Eelam Tamil nationalism
Prabhakaran is often seen as a
Militarism of the LTTE
Prabhakaran explicitly stated that an armed struggle is the only way to resist
Tactically, Prabhakaran perfected the recruitment and use of
Personal life
Prabhakaran was married to Mathivathani Erambu on 1 October 1984.[91][92] The military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara said in May 2009 that there was no information about the whereabouts of the remaining members of Prabhakaran's family. "We have not found their bodies and have no information about them," he said.[93] It is thought that the entire family was wiped out; the bodies of Mathivathani, Duvaraga and Balachandran reportedly were found in a bushy patch about 600 meters away from where Prabhakaran's body was found.[94] It is now alleged that his 12-year-old son was executed.[95]
Prabhakaran's parents, Thiruvenkadam Velupillai and Parvathi, both in their 70s, were found in the
Other names
Prabhakaran had over the years built up the LTTE into a powerful movement running a shadow state and had acquired the status of being “Thesiya Thalaivar” (National Leader of the Land).
In popular culture
Films
Title | Played by | Year | Language |
---|---|---|---|
Madras Cafe | Ajay Rathnam (Based on Velupillai Prabhakaran's character) | 2013 | Hindi |
Methagu | Kutti Manni | 2021 | Tamil |
Methagu 2 | Gowrishankar | 2022 | Tamil |
800 | Narain | 2023 | Tamil |
See also
- LTTE Commanders
- Nadarajah Thangathurai
- Ponnuthurai Sivakumaran
- Selvarajah Yogachandran
- Seeman
Notes
References
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Further reading
- UTHR(J), Colombo.
- Pratap, Anita. Island of Blood: Frontline Reports From Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Other South Asian Flashpoints (2001).
- Chellamuthu Kuppusamy (2009). Prabhakaran – The Story of his struggle for Eelam. New Horizon Media Pvt Ltd. ISBN 978-81-8493-168-6. Archived from the originalon 17 November 2012.
- Chellamuthu Kuppusamy (2008). பிரபாகரன்: ஒரு வாழ்க்கை. New Horizon Media Pvt Ltd. ISBN 978-81-8493-039-9. Archived from the originalon 26 December 2012. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
External links
- United States Pacific Command Assessment of Prabhakaran
- BBC Profile – The enigma of Prabhakaran
- BBC News Report – Reclusive Tamil rebel leader faces public (2002)
- The Pirabaharan Phenomenon
- Final Showdown for Tamil Tiger Chief Prabhakaran The Times of India, 23 April 2009
- Claims of Massacre as Tamil Tiger Leaders Die by Robert Bosleigh, The Times, 19 May 2009
Interviews and speeches
- "Veluppillai Prabhakaran's interviews". Archived from the original on 24 October 2007. Retrieved 31 December 2005.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - "A short assorted list of his interviews". Archived from the original on 22 August 2008. Retrieved 7 March 2011.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - Prabakaran in First Person – T.S. Subramanian – April 2002 – Press Meet