Rebuttal to “It was based on slanderous and derogatory facts” – EROS

"Mr.Segu Dawood Basheer also alleged that the Chandrika government was responsible for the killing of Mr.Ashroff when he addressed election meetings during the last general elections. Given the history of the LTTE one can not also rule out any possible conspiracy theory implicating the LTTE in political killings, such as that of Mr.Ashroff. There could have perhaps been some “self-donors”( LTTE’s nomenclature) to scarify their lives for the death of their sworn enemy in order to destabilise the party of one powerful man who wittingly or unwittingly contributed to the resolute identity of the North East Muslims."

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- EROS Reply to Writer

-Writer’s First Article

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by S.M.M.Bazeer

• "I have seen better faces in my time
  Than stands on any shoulder that I see
  Before me at this Instant"
  William Shakespeare (King Lear: II.ii.90)

(February 27, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) Soon after my article was published on the Sri Lanka Guardian, Nesan Raj, telephoned me to question me among other things, why had I written about the history of EROS instead of writing about Jihad.

On enquiring, whether he was warning me, he candidly replied that he was. I remarked that his warnings were better contested on paper instead of on the telephone. I was surprised that a young boy who had left Sri Lanka as a child, who had had only recently immersed himself in politics some five years ago, could have a first hand knowledge about Sri Lankan Politics.

He is said to have worked as an officer in the RAF (Royal Air Force) in England and so I expected him to talk like a gentleman. He may be an officer but he is certainly not a gentleman. Due to my past experiences, I have become quite used to these kinds of threats, the first threat that I received was from EROS in 1989. Segu Dawood’s henchman, Hussain and a few other boys threatened me with death if I criticized their EROS party. They even set a death date for me. I retorted that it was not their decision but God’s. I have a list of people who were beaten up by the EROS in their “Torture Chambers”. If the former EROS and their leadership in Eravur are prepared to challenge it, I request Yogarasa to let me know whether I should bring the list into the limelight. I wonder if they are ready for that!

Nesan Raj, the new leader of EROS used to encourage me to write for the website and also claimed that he had chosen an appropriate photograph to accompany an article that I had published for the Sri Lanka Guardian under the title “The persecuted to be prosecuted”. He also fruitlessly endeavored to persuade me to keep in touch with a key Muslim member of his party in Colombo.

I am happy to learn that Nesan has not denied that he contacted Segu Dawood Basheer as to their revival of the EROS in the East. This information was passed on to me by a European member of the EROS. Nevertheless, I leave it to the readers to adjudge who tells the truth . The only other witness who can account of what happened is Balakumar , whom I invite to bear witness. I have written about my meeting with Balakumar and the murder (political assassination) of Ramlan in my article “Political Killing” which appeared on the Uthayan website in Australia some four or five years ago. At that time no one came forward to deny my allegations:-

“In the context of political killings in Sri Lanka, we cannot simply rule out the allegation that the late leader of the SLMC, Mr. M.H.M. Ashroff could have been killed by the LTTE. It has also surfaced that how Mr. Segu Dawood Basheer introduced people like Periyathamby to Mr.Ashroff when Mr. Ashroff had apparent threat from the LTTE. Mr.Segu Dawood Basheer had been one time the EROS leader for Eravur. He tucked his pistol under his shirt and sarong when he started his politics with EROS. I recall how I bumped into Segu Dawood’s former leader of EROS Mr.V. Balakumar (presently confidante of LTTE leader, Mr.V.Priphaharan ) when I went past his house in Eravur. It was the time Mr.Segu Dawood Basheer vowed to defeat the SLMC by all means as it was a dire threat to the struggle of the “Tamil speaking people”. Despite being defeated in the general elections in 1989, he later became an EROS M.P under Mr. Sanger Raj’s EROS, who later became a prisoner of Indian Government for kind of money laundering. Mr.Segu Dawood Basheer also alleged that the Chandrika government was responsible for the killing of Mr.Ashroff when he addressed election meetings during the last general elections. Given the history of the LTTE one can not also rule out any possible conspiracy theory implicating the LTTE in political killings, such as that of Mr.Ashroff. There could have perhaps been some “self-donors”( LTTE’s nomenclature) to scarify their lives for the death of their sworn enemy in order to destabilise the party of one powerful man who wittingly or unwittingly contributed to the resolute identity of the North East Muslims. No body would have forgotten as to how Gen.Zia ul Hag , the former President of Pakistan was killed in the air; leaving minimal impact on his supporters to react violently on his death”

Basheer’s denial, demonstrates that he did not bother consulting Ulamas and has accepted the title of “Eelavar”. When Basheer contested elections in 1989 he vowed to eradicate the SLMC from the East. He never wanted to be identified as a Muslim. When his first parliamentary time was ending he established a relationship with Mr.Ashroff and used Asrhoff’s weakness in Sufism (www.thenee.com) and utilized it to secure a M.P post in the successive parliament.

“Eelavar” Basheer became a Muslim for the post of M.P. in the Sri Lankan Muslim Congress. This is the history. As far as the East is concerned Balakumar was identified as the original leader among the Eastern people instead of Ratnasabpathy and others. I am also aware that some even called it EROS to abbreviate Organization of Elayathamby Ratna Sababathy .

Yogarasa claims in his article that the EROS does not endorse the entries placed on the Wikipedia Encyclopedia as any member of the public can place them. My article, has given an opportunity to discount their connections to the Wikipedia Encyclopedia in an account of its validity.

In respect of the Board of Quazis I appeared before the Board of Quazi myself and if my former clients permit I would let the cat out of the bag, but until then I am bound to protect the confidentiality of my clients.

I am happy to know about Basheer’s popularity among the Eelavars but am saddened as to why these Eelavars (Muslims) were killed in Kattankudy mosques, Eravur , Akkaraipattu and Alinchipothanai by the LTTE and expelled from the Northern province. It is the EROS that was alleged to have first killed Muslims in the mosques at Mannar.( "Uyir Kollum Varthahal"- (Life killing words) by Cheran). The Eelavar leaders, Balakumar and key EROS members were with the LTTE when they took part in their atrocities against the Muslims. If Basheer, the former leader and the current SLMC leader (Chairman) are prepared for an open debate, I will put forward all the evidence of his method of violence from the time of his leadership of EROS to date. Are you prepared? I wish to display some of my work relating to human rights in the Batticaloa District in late 1990's as a prelude to my invitation.

A human rights lawyer sought after by Nesan Raj has now become a racist after publicizing an article criticizing their party. How can I be a racist against my own race? I feel sorry for those who are living in an idealized dream world:- “It is clear that Mr S.M.M. Bazeer is a racist and does not wish for Tamil speaking Muslims to be identified as Eelavars. A majority of Sri Lankan Tamil speaking Muslims to not have any problem identifying themselves as Eelavar's. However Mr S.M.M. Bazeer’s agenda is totally different and his thinking and motives are radical”

The pro-LTTE media attempted to portray me as an extremist whilst EROS portrays me as a radical and a racist. This consolidates my position as to who I am and who they are.

Arular also claimed that the demerger of the North and East was illegal and Yogarasa reaffirms this stance. Is Yogarasa aware that the Supreme Court’s decision is legal and so it is an insinuating comment on the Sri Lankan Judiciary and the Sovereignty? I should thank Yogarasa to have given me this opportunity and would be more pleased if he would accept my invitation to stomach the revelations.

I do not know why Nesan Raj could not write a response when he had the guts to speak to me on the phone and warn me:-

“Again Mr. S.M.M. Bazeer seems to purposely mis-interpret what was written and claims that we a racist which is not the case. We consider Tamil speaking Muslims as Eelavars and that will remain.”

I believe the readers will understand Nesan Raj’s use of language in the speech that he delivered in Canada and I do not know of any Tamil speaking Muslims whether in the Eastern Province, Northern province and any other part of Sri Lanka calling themselves as “Eelavar” and any attempt to impose an identity on them by EROS or any interested parties will be resisted by the Muslims. This can be learnt from the history of Sri Lanka, from the time when Sir. Ramanathan made a speech denying the Muslim’s ethnicity and/or identity in the Royal Asiatic Society meeting in 1889. The LTTE coined the Muslims as “Islamists Tamils”; the Tamil democratic parties called the Muslims, “Tamil speaking People” and the EROS call us “Eelavar”. “The war of the giants is over” The war of pygmies has begun.