LTTE more dangerous than Al-Qaeda, says Indian Govt

(November 25, New Delhi, Sri Lanka Guardian) The Indian Government has described the LTTE as a lethal terrorist outfit more dangerous than Al-Qaeda and warned Tamil Nadu politician that any dealings with such a terrorist groups could be deadly counterproductive to democracy.

The Indian Government in an important submission made to a Delhi Tribunal regarding LTTE terrorist activities, said Tamil Nadu politicians should be mindful of the LTTE killing machine.

It had committed an international crime as terrible as the killing of the former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi while the two main accused were still leading arrest and leading a deadly terrorist group threatening this democratically elected Government of Sri Lanka. There is also the threat of the increasing complexity of “extremism” and “terrorism” in India which the Indian media had highlighted recently.

Many editorials in the leading Indian English dailies had repeatedly warned of this dangerous trend threatening the very foundations of the Indian union, it said.

The Tribunal set up under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act on May 14, 2008 extended the ban imposed on the LTTE terrorist organisation for another two years after giving consideration to the facts placed before it. The LTTE was first banned on May 14, 1992 for assassinating former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in the Indian State of Tamil Nadu on May 21, 1991.

Since then the ban was extended every two years although on each occasion interested groups attempted to get the ban lifted.

LTTE leaders and supporters in the Tamil Diaspora including Tamil Nadu do not seem to have given this years effort to get the ban lifted although they have levelled allegations recently regarding the “genocide” of “innocent Sri Lankan Tamils”.

However a fact that stands out refuting any such erroneous and misguided claims is that the Tamils prefer to live among the majority community than live under the ‘jackboot’ of the LTTE.

In extending the ban, the Delhi Tribunal led by Justice Vikramjit Sen made a critical observation which has for some reason seem to gone “unnoticed”. The Government submitted important material to the Tribunal regarding LTTE terrorist activities when stating the case to extend the ban.

It stated: “The LTTE continues to use Tamil Nadu as the base for carrying out smuggling of essential items, like petrol and diesel, beside drugs to Sri Lanka”. These facts were known to authorities in Sri Lanka and should have been known to the political leaders in Tamil Nadu and the majority of people in Tamil Nadu.

But what was perhaps the most important was that the Government submitted “that Kalpakkam and Kudankulam” contained “nuclear plants” which “were proximate to LTTE bases in Sri Lanka”.

It may be reminded that the former Indian Prime Minster was also killed in Tamil Nadu and investigations reveal that the plot was launched and undertaken by LTTE activists in Tamil Nadu.

Counsel for the Government submitted that “the Government of India is apprehensive that unless the ban on the LTTE continues, acts of aggression on India soil are likely to occur”.

They also pointed out that “the LTTE leaders had been cynical of India’s policy on their organisation and action of the State machinery in curbing its activities”.

They also emphasised that the “activities of the LTTE cadres/dropouts who had recently been traced in Tamil Nadu suggest that they would ultimately be used by the outfit for unlawful activities”.

This too amounts to a serious warning regarding security regarding unity. They also noted that LTTE leader Prabhakaran and his Intelligence Chief Pottu Amman who are wanted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, were still absconding and declared “proclaimed offenders”.

It may be added that there is warrant on them issued by Interpol. Some former LTTE sympathisers and supporters of the Tamil Retrieval Army (TRA) and other extremists groups sympathetic are still alive. There exists substantial evidence regarding the infiltration and the training of TRA members by the LTTE who supported the notorious “Sandalwood” bandit Verrappan who was finally tracked down and killed by the Indian Police almost a decade earlier.

There are also instances of the LTTE providing ‘expertise’ to the ‘Naxalites’ and extremist groups in the sub continent as well as their hand in the narcotics trade.

Serious note should also be taken to the observations as stated by the Delhi Tribunal on matters regarding nuclear facilities located in Tamil Nadu- Kalpakkam and Kudankulam.

Tamil Nadu has a special obligation to combat terrorism with the construction of Sethusamudra across the Palk Straits at a time of growing sea piracy in the Arabian sea to prevent a real humanitarian disaster. Good sense, not emotion should finally prevail as both India and Sri Lanka have been at the receiving end of terrorism in the past two decades. - Sri Lanka Guardian