Death of voice of Tamil struggle a new blow to peace in Sri Lanka by Amal Jayasinghe

Fri Dec 15, 3:18 AM ET

COLOMBO (AFP) - Sri Lanka's moribund peace process suffered another setback with the death of the top Tamil Tiger negotiator who was regarded as a moderate among hardliners, analysts said.

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Anton Balasingham, 68, who had spearheaded the peace efforts of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), died of bile duct cancer at his London home on Thursday.

"Balasingham had an institutional memory and it would be very difficult for the LTTE to replace him," said Sunanda Deshapriya, a director at the independent think-tank Centre for Policy Alternatives.

"He was someone who was amenable to negotiations and was willing to show flexibility. To find a political figure like him would be a serious challenge to the Tigers. His death is a setback to the peace process."

Tiger chief Velupillai Prabhakaran mourned the death saying it came at a time when the LTTE needed Balasingham's skills more than ever.

"A source of unwavering strength in the political and diplomatic efforts of our freedom movement, and the light of our nation is extinguished," Prabhakaran said in a statement.

"It is an irreplaceable loss for our entire nation and for me," he said from rebel-held territory in the north of Sri Lanka.

"Bala Annai (elder brother) has a permanent historic place in the growth and the spread of our movement. He was its elder member, its ideologue, its philosopher and, above all, my best friend who gave me encouragement and energy.

"He was with me from the very beginning of our movement, sharing its challenges and hardships. He was the central figure in all our diplomatic efforts."

Prabhakaran conferred the title of Voice of the Nation' on Balasingham, whose funeral was to be held in London.

He was the main contact for peace broker Norway and others involved in attempts to solve the Sri Lankan conflict, which has claimed 60,000 lives since 1972.

His December 2002 offer to consider a federal state instead of full-blown independence marked a watershed in the guerrilla campaign.

Sources close to the rebels said Prabhakaran was upset that Balasingham had committed to such a drastic shift in policy, but never publicly chided him.

Balasingham described himself as "Mr. Prabhakaran's voice" and was regarded as the only member of the LTTE who could argue with the feared leader.

The avuncular Balasingham, who married an Australian, presented a bundle of contradictions in the movement.

He was never a combatant but rose to be the chief ideologue and negotiator, willing to talk to the journalists Prabhakaran shuns.

"He may have been responsible for restraining the Tigers to some extent," said defence analyst Namal Perera. "With his death, there could be more fireworks from the Tigers."

The last round of peace talks in October, which illness prevented Balasingham from attending, ended in failure and were followed last month by a vow from Prabhakaran to renew the struggle for independence.

Former rebel turned politician Dharmalingam Sithadthan said Balasingham's 30-year-plus association with the Tiger chief gave him unprecedented clout within the movement.

"They were so close that it was Mr. Balasingham who justified the crimes and the wrong-doings of Prabhakaran," Sithadthan said. "But, he was unable or unwilling to persuade Prabhakaran to go for a settlement."

The chemistry worked between Norway's senior peace broker Erik Solheim, Balasingham and then Sri Lankan chief negotiator G. L. Peiris.

Five years of diplomacy by Norway brought the LTTE and Colombo government into formal peace talks in September 2002. Balasingham, a student of Buddhism and Marxism, led the Tiger team.

Sri Lankan negotiators described Balasingham as a ferocious debater, who would threaten to walk out unless he had his way.

When Sri Lanka tried to talk tough and amend the 2002 Oslo-arranged truce, Balasingham resisted.

"What we told them is that this ceasefire is not just a document between two parties," Balasingham told AFP in an interview. "The international community is involved. We can't just tear it up."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061215/wl_st...am_061215081859

Is Eric being economical with truth in the name of very person Tamils are griefing about? Tamils should be prepared for more like this in future from the so called IC, Co-chairs & facilitators.

Balasingham death a setback to Sri Lanka peace, says Solheim

By: M.R. Narayan Swamy

Courtesy: IANS - December 15, 2006

Norwegian minister Erik Solheim, who last met Tamil Tigers ideologue Anton Balasingham only a week ago, says his death is a setback to Sri Lanka's tottering peace process.

"He was such a towering figure in the peace process. So it will now become more difficult without him," Solheim told IANS in a telephonic interview from Oslo, saying he was deeply saddened by Balasingham's death in London Thursday.

"I feel very sad," said Solheim, who enjoyed a close rapport with Balasingham and had more than 100 meetings with him, mostly in London, since Norway began taking interest in Sri Lanka some six years ago, leading to the 2002 ceasefire between Colombo and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Solheim, who for years was Norway's special envoy to Sri Lanka and still oversees the peace process, said Balasingham believed that only a negotiated settlement would end the violence in the island nation.

"He wanted to make peace. He saw the formula in Oslo in 2002 (agreement between LTTE and Colombo), exploring a federal solution, as the only way out in Sri Lanka," said the Norwegian minister. :angry:

"He was very, very sad to see that the situation in Sri Lanka had become more negative compared to three or four years ago. He was also confident that ultimately there would be a negotiated settlement.

"His wish would be that we should keep on where he left. I am clear about that. We need to remember this."

Solheim described Balasingham, who was a confidant of LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran, as someone who was "very dedicated to the Tamil struggle" although "he was very much looking forward to a negotiated settlement".

Solheim added: "He was one of the persons in the peace process who never lied to me. He always spoke the truth as he saw it. I had great amount of respect for him... He was a very tall figure."

While Norwegian leaders kept in touch with their Sri Lankan counterparts, Solheim remain in contact with the LTTE primarily through Balasingham, a British citizen living in London with his Australia-born wife Adele.

Solheim last met Balasingham a week ago at his London home. By then, Balasingham, who for years has suffered from diabetes and resultant complications and had became a patient of cancer, had stopped eating and knew that his death was not far off.

Solheim said: "He told me: 'It will be a matter of weeks (for me to die)'."

Eventually he died Thursday.

http://www.tamilcanadian.com/page.php?cat=572&id=4648

Edited December 16, 200619 yr by kurukaalapoovan

Praba dubs Bala Annai as Voice of the Nation (Thesathin Kural)

December 15th, 2006

By D.B.S. Jeyaraj

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) ideologue Anton Stanislaus Balasingham passed away peacefully in his South London residence at 1. 45 pm (British time) on Thursday December 14th. His loving and devoted Australia - born wife Adele Anne was by his side as the 68 year old Tamil leader breathed his last. Tiger supremo Velupillai Pirapakaran has honoured Balasingham by bestowing the title “Voice of the Nation” post - humously on him.

His death was not unexpected ever since it was known the doctors had given him 4 - 6 weeks to live. Balasingham or Bala “Annai” (elder brother) as he was generally known among Tamils was diagnosed with bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma), a rare and aggressive malignancy of the biliary system. The cancer was in an advanced stage and spread to his liver, lungs, abdomen and bones.

Bala Annai was a sick man even before cancer afflicted him.He was suffering from diabetes for 35 years and in the late nineties developed renal disease, for which he underwent a kidney transplant in 1999.

When diagnosed as having cancer Balasingham made the following comment to the media on Nov 22nd this year. “it is an unfortunate personal tragedy. However, when compared to the vast ocean of the collective tragedy faced by my people, my illness is merely a pebble. I am deeply sad that I am crippled by this illness, unable to contribute anything substantial towards the alleviation of the immense suffering and oppression of my people.”

Balasingham was chief negotiator of the LTTE and its political strategist. He was called “arasiyal madhiyurainjar” (political adviser.

LTTE chief Velupillai Pirapakaran issued a special statement after Balasingham’s death. In that statement Praba announced that Bala annai had been conferred the “Thesathin Kural” or “”Voice of the nation” title. Usually the LTTE confers “Naattup Patraalar” (patriot) or “Maamanithar” (great human) titles on departed civilian supporters. Cadres dying in combat are made “Maaveerar” or “great heroes”. In the case of Balasingham whose “status” was special in the tiger hierarchy a new honour has been created.

The LTTE leader’s statement is repproduced below -

“A source of unwavering strength in the political and diplomatic efforts of our freedom movement, and the light of our nation is extinguished. Bala Annai, from whom I sought advice and solace, is no more with us. It is an irreplaceable loss for our entire nation and for me.

Bala Annai’s life has been much too short. His death comes at a time when we needed him most, as our freedom struggle intensifies. I cannot find words to express my grief and loss.

From the beginning of our struggle, when we first met, there was a deep mutual understanding. The fondness that rose from that understanding developed into a rare friendship. We thought and acted in unison. Our friendship grew in strength through our shared day-to-day experiences. This friendship stands apart from ordinary human relationships. It matured with time and was shaped by our shared history.

I was deeply fond of Bala Annai. In the great family that is our movement he was its eldest son and its guiding star for three decades. That is how I looked up to him. During the time we lived together as one family, I came to realize that he was no ordinary human being. He was strong and unshakable even during the illness that threatened to take his life and the severe pain that illness brought him. The strength of his soul was inspirational. I grieve for him.

Bala Annai has a permanent historic place in the growth and the spread of our movement. He was its elder member, its ideologue, its philosopher and, above all, my best friend who gave me encouragement and energy. He shared my sorrows, my anxieties and my travails. He was with me from the very beginning of our movement, sharing its challenges and hardships. He was the central figure in all our diplomatic efforts.

Saluting the immeasurable service he rendered our nation in the political and diplomatic arenas and the efforts by which he put our national freedom movement on the world stage, allowing our nation to stand with dignity, I am proud to bestow the title of ‘Voice of the Nation’ on Bala Annai.

Bala Annai has not left us. He will live permanently in our thoughts. ”

Meanwhile a three - day period of mourning has been declared in North - Eastern Sri Lanka and amidst Tamil diaspora sections abroad. It will be effective from Dec 15th to Dec 17th.

Anton Balasingham: The Early Years of Life

December 15th, 2006

By D.B.S. Jeyaraj

Anton Stanislaus Balasingham was born in 1938. He was a blend of many strands. His father was from the East and Mother from the North. His mother was a Christian and father a Hindu. His parents were also of different castes.Though raised as a Catholic Balasingham soon became a rationalist and agnostic. Yet he was deeply moved and inspired by the teachings of Lord Buddha. Balasingham’s first wife was a Jaffna Tamil protestant. His second wife was an Australian woman of anglo - saxon extraction. He was a British citizen but yearned for his homeland - Tamil Eelam - which he believed was a state in formation.

Balasingham’s grandfather was a “saiva kurukkal” (non - brahmin priest) from Mandur in Batticaloa district. His father was an electrical foreman at the Batticaloa hospital. Bala annai’s mother was from Jaffna town and a former resident of Martins road. She was a midwife by profession and was working at the Batticaloa hospital when she met. loved and married Bala annai’s father.

She was later separated and then widowed at an early age. Balasingham along with mother and elder sister moved to the North as a child. They settled down at Karaveddy in the Vadamaratchy sector. Bala Annai’s mother worked as midwife at the “Ambam clinic” in Karaveddy near the Athulu water tank. They rented out a house near the clinic which belonged to former Palaly Training College Principal , Kandasamy.

In his childhood and early youth Balasingham was known as AB Stanislaus. He attended Sacred Heart College in Karaveddy and Nelliaddy Central College (later MMV) in Nelliaddy. Karaveddy - Nelliaddy was a leftist bastion those days. The legendary Pon. Kandiah and many other “communists” hailed from there.Young Stanny as he was known then was also subscribed to leftist ideologies. Another of his favourite pastimes was to sip tea and play cards at the tea boutique at Nelliaddy junction run by “Sangunni” who was a Malayalee from India.

One man who profoundly influenced Stanislaus those days was the doyen of Tamil cartoonists Sivagnanasundaram who ran the reputed magazine “Sirithiran”later. Cartoonist “Sundar” as he was known was famous for his “Savari Thambar”strip. He too was from Karaveddy.It was due to Sivagnasundaram’s efforts that Stanislaus was apponted sub - editor at the Colombo Tamil newspaper “Virakesari” in the early sixties.

Stanny stayed in a grandpass chummery close to the “Virakesari” those days.Former colleagues at the “Virakesari” speak of him as a man engrossed in reading most of the time. He was not concerned about his appearance and not very particular about clothes. Meals too were not at regular times. At the “Virakesari” Stanislaus was soon put in charge of foreign news. This entailed translation of Reuters copy and other articles on foreign affairs. Balasingham however was keenly interested in philosophy and psychology. He also dabbled in hypnotism.Ex - colleagues descrbehim as Spiritual but not religious.

Things changed soon as Stanislaus got a job as Translator at the British High Commission. There was a transformation in his appearance as he opted for smart clothes now. This was not entirely due to the new job alone. Cupid too had struck. He was enamoured of a beautiful Tamil woman at the Britiish Council adjacent then to the HC. There was a romance . They married .

But their happiness was short - lived test when his first wife became extremely ill requiring advanced treatment abroad. British authorities were very sympathetic and generous . Both were allowed to go to England. Balasingham continued his higher education in England. But his wife’s condition deteriorated. She had chronic renal failure, ending with her requiring life sustaining haemodialysis. Balasingham discovered in London that he too had diabetes.

It was a life of hardship and sacrifice then with Balasingham having to work, study and care for his ailing wife. After six years she died. By this time Balasingham had become acquainted with a trained hospital staff nurse who also a “stranger” in Britain as she was from Australia. A second romance flourished between the young widower Anton and the nurse Adele Anne. They married very simply at the registrar’s office in Brixton , South London on Sep 1st 1978.

Balasingham’s MA dissertation at the South Bank London Polytechnic was on the psychology of marxism. Later he began reading for his PhD on alienation under John Taylor.He never completed his Ph D. But the media generally refer to him as “Dr” Balasingham.Why did he not complete his Ph D? Adele says in her book “The will to Freedom”.thus -” But the demands of the revolutionary politics of the national liberation struggle of his(Balasingham’s) people constantly intervened in his research and teaching. A time came when he was compelled to choose between an academic life and revolutionary politics. He chose the latter for he viewed the cause of his people as just and to serve that cause was meaningful”.

Both Adele and Anton Balasingham served the Tamil people to the best of their ability. While he was called Bala annai she was called “Anty” (Aunty)/ In her book Adele speaks of her life with Anton in the following manner -

“…It all began when I married a Tamil man, Anton Balasingham, from the island of Sri Lanka, in 1978. In that union, I married the collective consciousness and history of a people: a man who embodied the Tamil psyche with all its strengths and weaknesses. greatness and failings. That history took me to live in the society and culture of one of the world’s oldest Eastern civilisations: in the land of the ancient historical origins of his people, Tamil Nadu, the Southern Dravidian state of India.

For many years too I lived in his birthplace, Jaffna, the cultural capital of the Tamil people in tile Northeastern part of Sri Lanka, otherwise known as Tamil Eelam. I became immersed in the trials and tribulations, joys and celebrations of a people in the throes of a struggle to survive against a sophisticated manifestation of genocide. Subsequently, for the past twenty-three years of my life I have been exposed to extraordinary and unique experiences.

Balasingham and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam

December 15th, 2006

By D.B.S. Jeyaraj

Anton Stanislaus Balasingham began dabbling in politics after he moved to London. He was essentially a marxist then and identified with progressive causes like anti - apartheid activism. The Tamil Eelam cause was becoming fashionable among Tamil youths and students in Lonmdon then. Balasingham was initially involved with the Eelam Revolutionary Organization of Students (EROS) founder Eliyathamby Ratnasabapathy. who also passed away on Dec 12th in London. Bala annai also interacted with Padmanabha the EPRLF leader then a student in London.

It was the tiger representative in London Krishnan who enticed Balasingham into the LTTE.The Prabakharan - Umamaheswaran clash leading to the LTTE split resulting in the formstion of the PLOTE. Initially Balasingham was commissioned to write tracts, leaflets, pamphlets etc for the LTTE in English and Tamil. Later he did a lot of translation for the tigers. The Balasingham’s made frequent trips to Tamil Nadu where they met LTTE leaders like Uma and Prabha.

Balasingham and Praba drew close. when the LTTE split occurred Balasingham was requested initially to reconcile the factions. He failed to do so. After the split became permanent Balasingham threw in his lot with Prabakharan though the Praba loyalists were very few when compared to the Uma group.The marxist made the transition into Eelam Tamil nationalism.

The 1983 July anti - Tamil pogrom was a watershed. The Tamil guerillas backed by New Delhi became a visible presence in Tamil Nadu. The Balasinghams re- located to Chennai. “Dr. A. S. Balasingham” became the LTTE’s theoretician, chief propagandist and premier spokesperson.The Balasingams stayed in Pattinapakkam, Thiruvanmiyoor and later Adaiyar.

The Tamil militant groups were kept in the background by Mrs. Indira Gandhi who relied on the TULF for negotiations with Colombo. Rajiv Gandhi changed all that by compelling five Tamil groups including the LTTE to participate in the Thimphu talks in Bhutan in 1985. Sections of the media including the LTTE’s own “Tamilnet” are erroneously stating that Balasingham was at the Thimphu talks. This is incorrect. The LTTE representatives were Lawrence Thilagar and Anton Sivakumar. Balasingham was in constant communication and directed them.

The refusal of the Tamil militants in toeing New Delhi’s new line made Rajiv Gandhi angry. He ordered the removal of Anton Balasingham and SC Chandrahasan from India. Balasingham was sent to London. Subsequently Tamil Nadu pressure made Rajiv relent. Balasingham returned to India triumphantly. There was also an assassination attempt on Balasingham’s life allegedly masterminded by Sri Lanka intelligence. Former Policeman and up Country Tamil politician Kandasamy Naidu was arrested on suspicion of planting an explosive device in Balasingham’s house.

Balasingham described as tiger ideologue accompanied Prabakharan for important meetings in his dual capacity as translator /interpreter and political adviser.He was present with Praba at the Bangalore meeting with Rajiv Gandhi in 1986. The year 1987 saw Praba moving to Jaffna leaving Bala annai to oversee political work in Chennai. In July Praba himself was brought to India by helicopter. Together with Balasingham, Yogi, and Thilagar, Prabakharan went to New Delhi. Despite the LTTE’s refusal to India decided to go ahead with the Indo - Lanka accord.

The Balasinghams now went to Jaffna. Balasingham himself was in the Thirunelvely office organizing political work. But war erupted soon. Both husband and wife were targets of the Indian army. Adele being a white woman would have been conspicuous in Jaffna. Yet they eluded capture being constantly on the move and staying with different people at different times.There was a time when both lay flat on their faces for hours in a paddy field. At one stage they had to go to “toilet” in the dark and in the open. Balasingham would stand guard over his wife. Adele B writes of these experiences vividly in her book “The will to freedom”.

The Balasinghams made their way back to India and from there to Britain. But Balasingham was back in Colombo again for talks with Ranasinghe Premadasa.The Govt - LTTE talks started and Balasingham led the tiger delegation.An understanding was arrived at and soon the Indian army was forced to withdraw from Sri Lanka. Once the Indians left the Colombo - Jaffna relationship collapsed. War broke out again.

The Balasinghams were now resident in Jaffna with the greater part of the North being under LTTE control. While Adele Anne helped out with the medical unit and the womans wing Balasingham attended to political matters. The Jaffna media too came under his indirect control.Old acquaintances and friends were entertained well by Balasingham who had a nostalgic yearning for re - living the past.He also wrote extensively . Among these were many metaphysical articles under the pseudonym “Brahma Gnani” for the “Velicham” journal.

It was during this period that deputy - leader Mahathaya was removed from office by Prabakharan for alleged treason. Potu Amman “interrogated” him and obtained a “confession”.Yogi the political wing head was also removed.The LTTE chief wanted to appoint trusted confidante Sornalingam alias Shankar as Political chief.Balasingham had deep differences with Shankar and discouraged Praba. Instead of Shankar Balasingham got Suppiah Paramu Thamilselvan as political commissar.Thamilselvan known as Dinesh earlier had been injured in the Pooneryn battle and needed a walking stick.

The advent of Chandrika Kumaratunga saw peace talks on the horizon again. The team led by Chandrika’s secretary Balapatabendhi met the LTTE delegation led by Thamilselvan for talks at Chundikuli. Balasingham himself was in another room monitoring and advising Tamilselvan. A flurry of notes were exchanged between “visible”Thamilselvan and “invisible” Balasingham.The game was given away when “Jimmy” the Balasingham’s pet dog emerged from the “control” room. But the very same Thamilselvan “grew” with the years and in a later development backstabbed Balasingham. But that’s another story.

Once again war broke out in April 1995. “Operation Riviresa” saw the LTTE withdrawing from Jaffna peninsula into the Northern mainland Wanni. Anton and Adele too re- located. They stayed at Thiruvaiyaaru near Kilinochchi town initially. Later they moved to a house in Puthukudiyiruppu with a large compound of shady trees. It was like blissful retirement for Balasingham. But soon a fresh problem surfaced.

Years of diabetes and an unorthodox life- style had taken their toll. Balasingham was sufferring from acute renal afflictions. Medical doctors in the Wanni felt that he had to go abroad for advanced treatment. Otherwise he was a goner they said. LTTE leader Pirapaharan thereafter initiated an uncharacteristic move. He enlisted the services of the ICRC, sections of the Catholic Clergy and Norway to make a direct appeal to his arch enemy Chandrika Kumaratunga on humanitarian grounds. She was requested to grant permission for Balasingham to travel abroad through Colombo for medical treatment.

Kumaratunga’s initial response was positive. The course of events altered drastically after former Foreign Affairs Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was also consulted by Kumaratunga on the issue. While the LTTE awaited a favourable concrete response from Kumaratunga, Balasingham’s situation got worse.

Finally, Norway informed the LTTE that the Kumaratunga - Kadirgamar duo had worked out a list of demands titled ’significant reciprocal humanitarian gestures’ that were to be fulfilled by the LTTE if Balasingham was to be sent abroad with Sri Lankan governmental assistance. These conditions were of a military nature.

It was clear that Kumaratunga was seeking to exploit Balasingham’s vulnerability and trying to extract major concessions in return. The Balasinghams told Pirapaharan to reject the demands outright. Balasingham reportedly stated that he was ‘prepared to die with honour and self-respect rather than acceding to these humiliating demands.’ Pirapaharan was furious at the demands stipulated by Kumaratunga and Kadirgamar.

Pirapaharan assured Mrs. Balasingham that he would do everything possible to send Balasingham abroad for medical treatment. A new option was pursued.

Balasingham and wife were taken on January 23, 1999 by a Sea Tiger boat personally driven by Sea Tiger Commander Soosai to a LTTE ship at mid sea. Thereafter, the ship proceeded to Phukhet in Thailand. After recovering from the strenuous journey that itself could have been fatal, Balasingham was admitted to a hospital in Bangkok for examination and treatment. This indicated that an enlarged kidney had to be removed soon.

They moved to Singapore and proceeded to London. After interacting with Norwegian officials, Balasingham relocated to Oslo for surgery and kidney transplant.

A young Sri Lankan Tamil in Norway ‘Donald’ volunteered to donate one. After recuperation and recovery Balasingham plunged in zestfully into promoting the peace process. His first public appearance in London was on December 2 1999 , at the Arena in London docklands of the Maaveerar Naal observances. He represented the LTTE in all discussions with Norway while communicating regularly with Pirapaharan.

The LTTE political adviser established very good relations with Erik Solheim.Balasingham was primarily responsible on the LTTE side for getting the ceasefire adopted.It came into force from Feb 23rd 2002. The ceasefire was very much to the favour of the LTTE and afforded much scope for resolving the national question.

Balasingham then made a triumphant re- entry into the Wanni by travelling on a sea plane from Maldives that landed on the Iranaimadhu tank. He was at Praba’s side in meetingss with the Muslim Congress, Up Country Peoples Front and Ceylon Workers Congress. Balasingham was also at the press conference where he said that he and the LTTE chief were of the “Same mind ” and “spoke with the same voice”.

An unforeseen development was the Karuna revolt. Once again Balasingham tried hard to patch up the split as he realised the long - term consequences of a North - East divide and an alignment of Karuna with the state. A temporary truce was effected and Karuna was prepared to quit the Country.But the mainstream LTTE adopted a hard - line thereby driving Karuna into the arms of the state. The rest is recent history.

Due to health conditions Balasingham could not stay for prolonged periods in the Wanni but he made occasional visits for consultations. He also led the LTTE delegation at talks with the Govt in Thailand, Norway, Germany and Japan. With the LTTE adopting a change of course in the talks Balasingham began adopting a low profile. Deteriorating health also contributed to this state of affairs.

Presidential polls saw Mahinda Rajapakse win mainly due to the LTTE enforced boycott.Yet Balasingham was back again to lead the LTTE again at talks in Geneva early this year. Once again Balasingham obtained a major concession from Colombo when the Govt agreed to disarm “paramilitaries”. But the assurance was not honoured. The situation got worse and there is a war going on right now.

Meanwhile Balasinghams condition got worse. He was diagnosed with cancer and given 4 - 6 weeks to live. Despite the terminal illness he wrote the great heroes day speech for Praba this year. That was his swansong. He got worse day by day. Still he met people personally and also talked on the telephone to people. He renewed his friendships and made his peace with those old but estranged friends of his. He waited quietly for Yaman the god of death. On Dec 14th he died.

The person most appropriate to sum up Balasingham is none other than his wife. This is what she wrote earlier in her “Will to Freedom” book. - ” Bala was, when I met him, most things I hoped the man I married would be; mature, wise, mentally strong and most importantly, caring. By wise I did not mean an intellectual and by mentally strong I did not mean ‘macho’, overbearing or aggressive. I was hoping to meet that exceptional human being who is humble but not weak: who is simple but yet deep; who is assertive but not egoistic; who is confident but not arrogant; who was generous; who is proud but not vain; a person who is not selfish and thoughtless. That was the man I met all those years ago, and I knew Balasingham was for me within a few weeks of our first meeting”

And what better epitaph than what she wrote about her “new” life in her book ” It all began when I married a Tamil man, Anton Balasingham, from the island of Sri Lanka, in 1978. In that union, I married the collective consciousness and history of a people: a man who embodied the Tamil psyche with all its strengths and weaknesses. greatness and failings.”

Selected Writings by Sachi Sri Kantha

Anton Balasingham: the Articulate Bandmaster

15 December 2006

[see also Anton Balasingham - One Hundred Tamils of 20th/21st Centuries]

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Anton Balasingham served as the articulate bandmaster of Eelam Tamil nationalism for nearly 28 years (since 1978) with distinction. He has had his highs and he has had his lows. But he stood his ground without shirking his responsibilities. More importantly, he couldn’t be bought by our adversaries in Colombo, New Delhi and by the mandarins functioning in other capitals of the world. with perks and promises. Sure he was ravaged by disease and physical deformities. But his mental and moral health was faultless for an average human.

Twenty two years ago, when the current Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa was a non-entity in international media (though he had anointed himself as the President of the Sri Lanka Committee for Solidarity with Palestine since the early 1970s), Anton Balasingham was quoted in a Wall Street Journal editorial (June 22, 1984) entitled, ‘Indira’s Tigers’, as follows:

“ ‘Our basic alliance is still with the PLO’, admitted A.S.Balasingham, a Tiger leader. ‘But we maintain active contact with the other groups like the Zimbabwe African People’s Union…and the African National Congress (the South African guerrilla group)”

This was one of the earliest press notices for Balasingham, as the prime spokesman for Tamil Tigers. In this particular editorial, the Wall Street Journal, the prime mouth piece of American moneybags, was highly critical of the then Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi. It’s chief gripe was that, Indira Gandhi has permitted Tamil militants for military training in Tamil Nadu. Just think about it now. Balasingham’s name in a Wall Street Journal editorial, acknowledged as “a Tiger leader”. This was when, a mention of PLO and African National Congress meant like showing red flag to a raging bull. In 1984, the now-revered leader and visionary Nelson Mandela was still serving his long sentence in prison and he was a terrorist to the moneybags in Washington DC and their servile Sinhalese political crackpots in Colombo.

As such, it is no surprise that during the last two decades, Anton Balasingham has been a target of (1) arrogance of the upper class Tamil snobs with tertiary degrees and academic tails from Western brand name universities; and (2) derision of journalist coolies who embedded themselves with the Sinhalese party mandarins for their wages and perks. Prevailing views on the functional relationship that existed between Balasingham and LTTE leader Pirabhakaran are mostly banal and subjective to the whims of the proponents. The authors of the much hyped Broken Palmyra (1990) book had written in mildly pejorative phrases, this Balasingham-Pirabhakaran bond. It largely reflected their puffy, putrid minds. However, M.R.Narayan Swamy, in his Tigers of Lanka – From Boys to Guerrillas (1996), had presented a balanced, common sense view held by Eelam Tamils on the Balasingham-Pirabhakaran bond.

I should acknowledge that in my book, Pirabhakaran Phenomenon (2005), Balasingham’s contributions to Eelam Tamil nationalism had been relatively muted. This was because, by choice, I wanted to give preference to the thoughts and deeds of (1) ranked LTTEers who were not living, as of 2004 (such as Col.Kittu, Lieut.Col.Victor, Lieut.Col.Kumarappa and Black Tigers who had died in action), and (2) a couple of ranked LTTEers (Mahathaya and Col.Karuna) who turned into traitors to the organization. Nevertheless, Balasingham’s thoughts were not completely obliterated in my book. I had highlighted specifically an interview he gave to John Colmey for Asiaweek magazine in 1990.

Students of Eelam Tamil history has one specific reason to mourn the death of Balasingham. He will be taking with him to grave some vital secrets about LTTE’s vibrant history, to which only he is privy to. But as one who stood by Pirabhakaran for almost three decades in fair and foul weather, Balasingham is entitled to take some secrets with him to the grave. If the diabolic plans of Lalith Athulathmudali’s (the then Sri Lankan Minister of National Security) gumshoes of planting a bomb in his residence had worked to perfection, Balasingham’s life would have come to a premature end in Madras two decades ago. But, we Eelam Tamils are fortunate that Providence protected Balasingham and his Adele from that tragedy.

To celebrate the life of Anton Stanislaus Balasingham (1938-2006) and for electronic record, I provide below two interviews he gave to Jon Lee Anderson and Amarnath K.Menon in 1987 and 1991 respectively. J.L.Anderson’s interview took place while Balasingham was residing in Madras. When Menon came to interview him in 1991, Balasingham was at Kondavil, Jaffna. Though more than 15-19 years have passed since these appeared in print, they still are worth reading.

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Balasingham’s Interview with Jon Lee Anderson in 1987

[courtesy: War Zones, by Jon Lee Anderson and Scott Anderson, Dodd Mead, New York, 1988, pp.198-201. The dots indicating editing of the interview tape by the authors, and words within parentheses in the text are as in the original. The introductory sentences in italics also are reproduced, as in the original.]

The enigmatic ‘theoretician’ of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) coyly shrugs off suggestions that he is its real powerbroker, but he seems clearly that. Anton Balasingham, 48, is a ruggedly handsome man with deep-brown skin, a resonant actor’s voice, and piercing eyes.

In an upstairs conference room at the Tigers’ Madras office, Balasingham, freshly bathed and relaxed in a white dhoti and cotton shirt, elegantly smokes a British brand of cigarettes. A young Tiger disciple at the end of the table listens raptly. On the wood-paneled wall there is an early photograph of Fidel Castro, a pro-Palestinian poster, and, prominently, a framed photograph of a ‘martyred’ Tiger commander. His building is both an office and a home. At one point, Balasingham’s Australian wife, wearing a colorful Indian dress, comes to take out the pudgy yellow dog that lies at her husband’s feet.

Our organization was formed in 1972 to fight back the ever-mounting state repression against our people. From the beginning, the Tigers were an armed organization. Of course, the movement emulates Marxism and Leninism, but we have…charted our political program not on orthodox Marxist principles. It is a combination of nationalism and socialism, intermixed together to mobilize people. Our objective is to liberate not only our repressed Tamil people from state repression but also to create a socialist society where there should be economic equality, and so on and so forth.

From 1976 onwards, we have expanded gradually our military activities. First, against the state intelligence in Tamil areas. We…assassinated political traitors who colluded with the Sinhala government. We killed police agents who were rounding up our members. And finally, we eliminated the police secret service in Tamil areas. Then we launched attacks on police stations, hmm? And, in the meantime, the Sri Lankan [government] sent its military forces to the north and east and we had to confront the armed forces.

July ’83 marked a turning point in the history of our struggle. There was a massive racial violence, as you know, in which hundreds of Tamil people were massacred. This gave a new momentum to the struggle. It led hundreds and thousands of young men to join the liberation organizations, and it also gave birth to other liberation groups of different ideological perspectives.

And the cycle of violence, or rather the cycle of repression and resistance…was aggravated. The Tamil political parties became defunct, their leaders sought refuge in Madras, and there are no political, democratic institutions, as you would put it, but rather…national liberation movements with socialist ideologies emerged and, among us, contradictions emerged.

You would have heard about conflicts between our organizations and how we were…compelled to take action against certain groups who turned against the public…Finally, the Tigers emerged as the dominant military organization.

Apart from the armed trained guerrillas we have, you find supporters, sympathizers, carriers, people doing various sorts of work. And also, vast, vast numbers of the civilian masses are also involved in the struggle now, hmm? We are constantly recruiting, strengthening ourselves, mobilizing, because of the fact that the Sri Lankan Army is constantly expanding, strengthening its forces. We know the struggle is going to expand and we have to fight a very long battle, a long war.

It’s not a question of numbers; it’s a question of commitment, courage, dedication. You know, our fighters carry cyanide pills. When they’re cornered or about to die, they swallow the pill. That signifies the commitment of our fighters, that they are prepared to die for a cause. Whereas the Sri Lankan soldiers are paid servants of the state; they fight for wages. And when they see a few casualties, they withdraw to the camps. That’s the situation. So even though they are large in number and are using highly sophisticated weaponry, they cannot match an iron-disciplined organization like ours.

J.L.Anderson: So the peasants were repressed. But you don’t seem to be a man of peasant origin. What happened to you to bring you where you are today, in exile, involved in an armed group?

Balasingham: I come from a very poor family in Jaffna and, of course, we were subjected to various forms of repression. It was extremely difficult for a man like me to enter universities there or study. We are self-made people.

But my generation of Tamils are lucky, in the sense that we didn’t experience the horrors of state violence as the present generation of young people are. They have no access to education; their lives are threatened. They have two choices; either to join a liberation movement or to go to Western Europe as refugees. There is no other way for a Tamil youth. If they are rounded up by the military, they are put into camps, tortured, and sometimes put to death. There are nearly three thousand innocent Tamil youths kept in army camps. So that is why you find large numbers of youth joining the liberation struggle. And, of course, we have to politically guide them, channel the revolution, liberate the people so that the older generation, like me, are also involved.

J.L.Anderson: So you went from being in a poor family to being here, but what happened in the interim? You say it was difficult for you to get into university, but you did get in, didn’t you?

Balasingham: (sighs) I had a long, complex personal history, but, uh…it’s not that important. I went to foreign countries, studied, and then came back in 1978. But I can tell you one thing. I…at the early stage, I was a journalist, a writer, so I had an acute perception of the complex realities of the struggle. And…yes, I had a perception of a life that is entirely different, and a background that was different, but, spiritually, I am with my people.

I came to Madras in 1978, met Prabakaran [Tiger leader] and…became their political advisor, theoretician, and the spokesman of the movement. And, since July ’83, I gave up everything and came to Madras, and since then I am permanently working for the movement.

Sri Lanka is carrying out a campaign, that they are confronted with terrorism, instead of characterizing our struggle as an ethnic problem. They are simply reducing the whole complexity of the ethnic problem into a phenomenon of terrorism. And they say, ‘These Tamils are Marxists and they want to destroy the state and bring about a communist regime here.’

We are trying to put across our case, that we are not terrorists, but patriots defending…involved in a defensive struggle for our people. And our objective is to find freedom, security for our people, and if a viable alternative political solution is offered, we are prepared to reconsider our struggle for secession.

J.L.Anderson: What about the bloody clashes between the Tigers and other Tamil groups, like the EPRLF [Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front]?

Balasingham: It’s a struggle for supremacy. They want to destroy us politically and, to our shock, we found, uncovered, some documents from an EPRLF comrade, that there was a plan, a plot was worked out, in which they were planning to launch a sudden, unexpected attack on the Tigers. And all the details of the plan we have got. So what happened was…we had no other alternative but to take immediate action, because otherwise they would launch an attack on us. We decided to strike back. For self-defense. Now we have taken control. We have arrested almost all the EPRLF; most of them have surrendered without much resistance in the north and east. There are pockets of resistance here and thee, but these will…fizzle out.

So, as a consequence, the Tigers have emerged as the sole politico-military organization in Tamil Eelam. And all the other tiny groups, like EROS [Eelam Revolutionary Organization Struggle], are falling in line with us. EROS doesn’t want to have any conflict with the Tigers. They are more mature politically, and militarily very wise. (chuckles) Now, they have accepted our leadership and (uproarious laugh) we have built up a very cordial relation.

Say, for example, there are four or five groups, each imposing various taxes, getting money. Somebody will come and ask you for money and you give money to the Tigers, and then EPRLF will come and demand money, then the other organizations will demand – then you will get frustrated. What the people here want is a single movement, committed to the struggle. That is the general opinion among the Tamils.

So now, a single movement has come. The fight is over. It is true it is unfortunate – it’s a tragedy – that we had to fight, but it is inevitable and unavoidable in our situation.’

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Balasingham’s Interview with Amarnath Menon in 1991

[courtesy: India Today, Oct.15, 1991, p. 98; interview by Amarnath K.Menon. The introductory sentences in italics are reproduced, as in the original.]

In the heart of Tiger territory at Kondavil in Jaffna, visitors are a rare sight. Last fortnight, Principal Correspondent Amarnath K.Menon spoke to LTTE ideologue, Anton Balasingham, in the bomb-ravaged town. Also present was Yogaratnam Yogi, secretary of the LTTE’s political wing, who broke into the conversation occasionally to attack the Indian media. Balasingham spoke at length on the LTTE’s role in Jaffna, but skirted the issue of its involvement in Rajiv’s assassination with remarkable finesse, arguing they didn’t even know “who some characters described as LTTE men are”.

Excerpts:

Q: Have the post-Rajiv assassination developments in India caused a setback to the LTTE?

A: Why are our supporters being held in Tamil Nadu?

Q: You didn’t answer my question.

A: Our image has been damaged. There are international repercussions. But we have sympathy among people in Tamil Nadu due to the legitimacy of our cause and our cultural links. If Jayalalitha tries to cut those links, it will be counter-productive. Since we are a major politico-military force, India must revise her position.

Q: There are reports of your selling arms to Naxalites in India.

A: These stories are rubbish. We desperately need the arms. We are confronted with a big war here.

Q: From where do you get arms?

A: In ambushes. China is giving arms to Sri Lanka in order to contain India. Ultimately we get them.

Q: What are the LTTE’s strengths and weaknesses?

A: We have thrown the Sri Lankan Army out of Jaffna Fort, Mankulam and Kokkuvil. A few camps are left and we are trying to get rid of them. Vast areas are under our control. Politically, we are for negotiations. But Sri Lanka has put stumbling blocks like asking for Pirabhakaran’s presence at the talks. There is also an economic embargo on since June. People are suffering and the economy is crippled.

Q: Have you improved your fighting capability?

A: Yes. The Elephant Pass battle is a demonstration of our ability to fight a regular war. It took 10,000 Sri Lankan troops 24 days to advance 5 km with tactical naval and aerial support. We have introduced an anti-aircraft system and also use locally-produced mortars that can carry 1,000kg of explosive over a mile.

Q: Do you have popular support?

A: More and more people are backing us. Coping with hardship is now part of their life. The economic embargo has made them feel that Colombo doesn’t view them as Sri Lankan citizens. Food prices are high and unemployment is soaring. We are trying to develop a self-sustaining economy through cooperative farming and cottage industries.

Q: How do you choose your cadres?

A: There is a six-month political and military training before commissioning. The cyanide pill they carry is a symbol of the willingness and courage to sacrifice one’s life for a cause.

Q: How do you motivate recruits?

A: Our army commanders move forward and set an example, unlike generals in traditional armies. We are a small nation fighting a big enemy. We must have motivation. We are unique in our fighting ability.

Q: What is the administration’s role in LTTE-controlled areas?

A: We have not eliminated it. But we have our own system and collect our own taxes. The party looks after law and order in the absence of a court. If there is a major problem, appeals can be made to Pirabhakaran.

Q: How about funds?

A: People who have money contribute. We also get money from Tamil expatriates. But, since banks don’t allow over Rs.1,000 to be withdrawn at a time, we have a clandestine system to convert foreign currency.

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