UK's deadly Brethren of the Stripes

By: Veera Pandyan covering Essex, Sussex, Wessex and Middlesex

Like Birds of the Feather flock together, felines with the stripes have got to stay together. Otherwise, they will strip each other stripe by stripe.

This was the problem Rupert Soosaipillai alias Thanam faced until some ten years ago in his relationship with the LTTE chief in the United Kingdom, Arunachalam Chrishanthakumar alias Shanthan now in custody on five charges under the country’s Terrorism Act. He was charged along with Golden Lambert, the head of the UK Tamil Youth Organization, who faces one charge for organizing a pro-LTTE demonstration at Central London’s Hyde Park.

Both appeared in court last week and further hearing has been put off for November 2, 2007.

Shanthan is a ruthless advocate of Tiger Terrorism who is also known to personally benefit from his involvement with the LTTE. Those familiar with him claim that the LTTE is more a cover up to his activities than a commitment to the Tamil course.

While Shanthan awaits his fate in custody, Thanam who compromised with Shanthan in his own survival interests and became the second in command of the LTTE in the United Kingdom has had his house at Northolt, Middlesex raided by London’s Metropolitan Police a few days ago. Thanam was away in Liverpool at that time. Over a course of time both Shanthan and Thanam have learnt to accept each other as essential for their strength and survival.

Thanam is the head of LTTE’s prominent organization that handles it finances. He is the key person in respect of meetings and demonstrations. Proactive Tiger Tamils in the UK are concerned they are being increasingly under police surveillance more because of the activities of these two people.

There is a feeling that it is a matter of time before they are neutralized. It is unfortunate that the genuine Tamil cause has been sullied by Tiger gangs and activists not only in the United Kingdom but in other parts of the world too where Tamils have settled down since 1983. Many Tiger enthusiasts have thrown their felines caps away and have virtually disappeared from the London day time scene; no wonder the Tamils are called the Nocturnal Creatures (Iravup Piranihal).

Harrow’s local council activists and Satyagraha jokers have also become a spent force and are delivering door to door advertizing literature and sample products having been experienced in delivering LTTE literature and collecting funds under various pretexts. Some hang around with the missionaries of the Church of the Latter Day Saints and earn a pound or two per hour of preaching the Word of God according to this highly suspect and fundamentalist US church organization.