Violent Adventurisms of the Black Tigers

Geostrategic location of the island country can help it to emerge leading economic power in the region but volatile law and order situation created by the Tamil suicide bombers is a major barrier in the way of tapping its economic potential. India is in a fix because it has badly failed to play its meddling role in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka to serve its hegemonic designs. The Sri Lankan government dislikes its nosy parker role in its internal affairs while India has declared LTTE a terrorist organization subsequent to assassination of PM Rajive Gandhi by a female suicide bomber.1 Several secessionist movements including the state of Tamil Nadu has created an embarrassing situation for India that project itself the largest democracy of the world. These secessionist movements have made it the most susceptible country on the planet that can fracture at any time. Apparently it looks very strong giant but internally it is like an elephant suffering from incurable disease. The natives of Tamil Nadu are the leading their own separatist movement despite being Hindus.

Sinhalese and Tamil Kingdoms ruled Ceylon till the colonial white masters established their foothold in 1500s to suck resources of the Island country that remained in the grip of Portuguese from 1517 to 1658, in the clutches of Dutch from 1658 to 1796, and in the tentacles of British from 1796 to 1948. Ceylon achieved freedom from the clasp of British in 1948.The 1972 constitution renamed Ceylon as Sri Lanka. Before the eruption of civil war in 1983 there was multiparty democratic system in Sri Lanka. Tamils are the largest minority group that comprised about 19 percent of the population that has been trimmed down in 2000 only to 11 percent due to their massive outflux in the Tamil Nadu state of India. Majority of the Tamils practice Hindu religion while only a very small number practice Christianity. The Buddhism following Sinhalese comprises more than 70 percent of the populace. Muslim Arab traders known as Moors constitute 8 percent of the population who settled in the coastal areas from 700s to 1400s.In addition to this, Malayan peoples whose ancestors settled in 1600s comprise small percentage of the Muslim populace. Burghers (Dutch and Portuguese) and indigenous people of Sri Lanka known as Veddas make up less than one percent of population.2

Black Tigers of the LTTE (The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) is the fierce group that resorted to terrorist activities since the eruption of civil war between the Sri Lankan security forces and the LTTE in 1983.After the TULF (Tamil United Liberation Front) gave up the separatist policy after deliberations with the regime in place then the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (Eelam is an old Tamil name for Ceylon) emerged the foremost secessionist group. The highly charged and well-equipped LTTE wanted to establish an independent state comprising Northern and Eastern Tamil dominant areas of Sri Lanka.3

The LTTE was established by Vellupillai Prabhakaran in 1972.The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE), Eelam Revolution Organization of Students(EROS),People's Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam(PLOTE) and Eelam People's Revolution Liberation Front(EPRLF) found Eelan Nation Liberation Front(ENLF) in April 1984.TELO(Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization) always followed Indian dictations during deliberation with Sri Lankan government. LTTE denounced TELO for working to safeguard Indian interests that driven a wedge between the two factions and consequently LTTE parted from ENLF. In 1987 LTTE established a suicide unit that was named Black Tigers. They have been targeting political, economic and military targets to wreak havoc. Its members carry cyanide capsule that they consume on capturing that leaves little traces.4

In the electoral process of 1982, Jayewardene was elected president of Sri Lanka for second six-year term. A fierce ethnic upsurge cropped up in August 1983 when clashes erupted between the two mainstream ethnic groups. The violent Sinhalese mobs taken lives of more than 300 Tamils and smashed their possessions. These furious ethnic clashes resulted in influx of more than 100,000 Tamils in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu that provided a handy excuse to India to prod its snout in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka. India used similar excuses during 1970 when Makti Bahni leaders ensnared by the largest democracy of the world encouraged Bengalese of East Pakistan to immigrate to India that provided it pretext to send its troops in East Pakistan. Thus India succeeded in its devious intentions of dismembering Pakistan on December 16, 1971.But here situation was round the clock because Tamils of Tamil Nadu are also struggling for independence from the clutches of India.

India openly got involved in the affairs of Sri Lanka in 1987 due to flood of refugees owing to ignition of civil war among the rival ethnic groups and mounting fury amongst Tamils of Tamil Nadu. India and Sri Lanka signed an agreement whereby Sri Lanka accepted federal structure of government and pledged to grant maximum autonomy to Tamils if the militant Tamils lay down their arms. However, the LTTE refused to accept the accord because they were of the view that they have no role in signing the accord. India misjudged the situation and sent Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) to Sri Lanka to endorse the agreement. Indian troops launched Operation Pawan 5to seize control of Jaffna peninsula from LTTE. The brutal campaign generated resentment in Tamils against the Indian Army. Their fierce retaliation coerced 50,000 Indian troops to lick the dust that compelled it to withdraw its forces in 1990.Fierce fight continued throughout the decade of 1990s.India declared the LTTE a terrorist organization after assassination of Indian PM Rajive Gandhi in 1991 by a female suicide bomber belonging to Tamils. In 1993 President of Sri Lanka Ranasinghe Premadasa was assassinated by a suicide bomber of Tamil Tigers. However, peace talks resumed after the success of Chandrika Kumaratunga in the presidential elections of 1994 but fighting recommenced subsequent to slumping of two Sri Lankan Navy boats by the LTTE.