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.”
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