Maheswary Velayutham: A Unique Tamil Woman

“ For the past thirty years, murdering innocent men, women and children has been part of the brutal agenda for the LTTE. From the 1980s to date, they have eliminated the opposing political parties EPRLF, PLOTE, TELO, and their own cadres such as Mathaiya's group and Karuna's group by their hundreds. Their victims include not only Tamils, but Sinhalese and Muslims as well. The LTTE have eradicated educated people, such as Neelan Thruchelvam, Luxman Kathirgamer, Mr Amrthalingam MP and many others from Jaffna society, and from the East, including Mr Sathiyamoorthy, in the name of 'liberation' for Tamils.”
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by Rajeswary Balasubramaniam in London to Sri Lanka Guardian

(May 24, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) “Paranoia-Functional Psychosis is characterised by delusions of grandeur and persecution, but without intellectual deterioration. In classic cases of paranoia, the delusions are organised into a coherent, internally consistent delusional system on which the patient is prepared to act.''
- Charles Rycroft, 'A Critical dictionary of Psychoanalysis' 1979, page 111.

When one examines the acts of the LTTE leader, there is no doubting his evil mindset and callous ability to order, and have the murder of innocents, carried out. The delusions of the LTTE leadership are well known; it will not tolerate any individual who does not support its philosophies, and has no understanding of civilised dialogue with which to communicate with those who oppose them. The LTTE's actions speak louder than any words: this organisation is deadly, and capable of mindless atrocities.

It is not an organisation with any coherent political views, ideologies, visions or philosophies. They are a fascist organisation, who believe in destroying all who stand in the way of their quest for power. The fascists, worship, follow and die for their leadership with great commitment. They will never agree with any democratic process. They will attempt to justify their actions in the name of their nation and will label anyone who opposes them as traitors.

So, they chose Ms Maheswary Velayutham as their another victim. She was a woman who had lived and worked for poor and underprivileged Tamils in Sri Lanka since the late 1970s, as advisor to the Social Service and Social Welfare Minister Douglas Devanantha, leader for the Ealam People Democratic Party (EPDP).

On the evening of 13th May 2008, three men dressed in Sri Lankan army uniform entered the house where Ms Velayutham was visiting her sick mother, with a number of her relatives. She came forward to confront the intruders, but was shot dead instantly by these soldiers, members of the LTTE, who warned the horrified, helpless relatives to “keep your mouths shut or we will kill you all too!” Maheswary Velayutham was murdered in cold blood.

Ms Velayutham was an Attorney at Law, and a human rights campaigner. She worked with K.C. Nithiyananthan, who set up a Tamil refugee rehabilitation organisation after the 1977 riots, and with the late Mr Kanthasamy at the Tamil Information Centre (TIC) in Madurai, India in the late 1970s. She was also a member of the Tamil Liberation Organisation (TELO). She joined Douglas Devanantha as an advisor, and campaigned for equality for women, with the aim of achieving a greater number of female representatives in the 13th amendment All Party Representation Committee (APRC). She was an exceptional lady, willing to help anybody regardless of their political affiliations. She was a multi-talented, focused human being who was able to disassociate the suffering of an individual from their religion, race or caste within Sri Lanka. We send our deepest condolences to her family and friends.

Since 1983, she worked for the Tamil refugees in India, and in 1992 set up an organisation called 'Forum for Dignity'. She worked tirelessly for the youths who disappeared while Mr Rathwatte was in military power in Jaffna Peninsula, campaigning to set up a commission to inquire into the 'Chemmany' cometary murders. As an Attorney at Law, she worked for practically nothing for poorer clients who were seeking her help. She helped enormous numbers of LTTE cadres and sympathisers, and campaigned for their release when they were arrested. Ms Velayutham was also a strong believer in Spiritualism. She was deeply involved with Hindu philosophy and the issues regarding Saivam, Vaishnavam and Bhakthi. She promoted the ideologies and the connection of Tamil culture and way of life, advising on 'art of living' for some of the dignitaries who are in various political spectrums at present.

For the past thirty years, murdering innocent men, women and children has been part of the brutal agenda for the LTTE. From the 1980s to date, they have eliminated the opposing political parties EPRLF, PLOTE, TELO, and their own cadres such as Mathaiya's group and Karuna's group by their hundreds. Their victims include not only Tamils, but Sinhalese and Muslims as well. The LTTE have eradicated educated people, such as Neelan Thruchelvam, Luxman Kathirgamer, Mr Amrthalingam MP and many others from Jaffna society, and from the East, including Mr Sathiyamoorthy, in the name of 'liberation' for Tamils.

It seems that the LTTE do not approve of educated, able, charismatic Tamil women. They have murdered many well educated, socio-political activist Tamil women in the past, including the award winning young poet Selvy from Jaffna University, and Doctor Rajani Thiranagama, for writing about their fascist regime and the part Mr Balasingam played in it. She was one of the best medical faculty lecturers in Jaffna at that time, and was praised highly for her anatomical research while she was studying in London for her Ph.D. .

Mrs Sarojini Yogeswaran was another of their victims, murdered for standing against the LTTE when she stood for election after they killed her husband, Mr Yogeswaran MP. They murdered the journalist Relanki Selvaraja in 2005 in Colombo, for reporting about the political situation on the radio, and a woman named Leelawathi for being 'friendly' with a soldier. They killed a mother and child in Jaffna, accusing them of being informers to the military.

This killing frenzy will not stop until the LTTE is eliminated. The Tamil community may have to sacrifice other powerful, intelligent women like Maheswary Velayutham if they continue to support these barbarians. The LTTE is not a liberation organisation, they do not have any political ideology or wisdom for the future. In recent years the IRA in Ireland and Maoists in Nepal have gone to the table to discuss similar affairs. Why is that impossible for the LTTE? Why do they think that they are above the law?

Where God has given life, man has no right to take it away. The LTTE is a group of cold blooded murderers and they must be punished for their crimes. People who fund them must also be tried for their connection to the organisation. Those who fund the LTTE mainly live abroad and work as doctors or lawyers, enjoying the freedom of their host countries, yet they are not allowing their kith and kin at home to live peacefully. The people who really care for peace and freedom must stop funding the LTTE.

The loss of Maheswary Velayutham is not only her family’s, it’s also a great loss for our country. We have lost many great men and women to the LTTE - nearly 100,000 lives lost in the past thirty years - they must be stopped. It is unacceptable for the nation to continue this madness.
We have to unite and defeat the fascists who are destroying our country. Unity and reconciliation must be considered by the progressive people of Sri Lanka. We must pledge to rebuild our country.

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A Memorial Meeting for Ms Maheswary Velayutham

Attoney at Law, Human Rights Campaigner, Founder of ' Human Dignity', Advisor to Minister Douglas Devanantha of Social Service and Social welfare, and the leader of EPDP, brutally murdered on the 13th of May 2008 in Karaveddy, Jaffna, Sri Lanka.

Date: Sunday 1st June 2008
Time: 2.00pm to 6.00pm,
Place: The London Sivan Kovil, 4A Clarendon rise, Lewisham, London SE13

Speakers: family, friends, Human Rights campaigners, political activists, representatives from Various Tamil Organisations in London.

Organised by: Rajeswary Balasubramaniam, Writer, Human right campaigner

For further Information Please call: 0208 889 7827, 07932635395

- Sri Lanka Guardian