Let Kindness, Love, and compassion prevail so that peace can prosper on Earth.

The History of the Creation of Hamas and Israel's Collusion with Hamas for Its Political Strategies and Expansion Ambitions

Israel’s political strategy of involving a Palestinian Militant group to fulfil its ambitions for being the sole dominant state and expansion of its borders began long before anyone could have imagined – in the 1970 – 1980 period, Israel established contacts with Sheik Ahamad Yasin, a Muslim Brotherhood leader in the Gaza Strip, who controlled a network of Islamic schools, mosques, and clubs, to weaken the secular nationalist Palestine Liberation Organization.^[2] It continued to encourage the expansion of Yassin's network during the first year and a half of the First Intifada, as the network reorganized itself to become the present-day Hamas, an acronym for Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya (Islamic Resistance Movement).  The founder and leader of Hamas, Yasin, grew up in a refugee camp in Gaza, a handicap of quadriplegic and half blind, Sunni Muslim, and Israel was able to coax him into a concealed charity for Gazan refugees. There is no way Iran could have funded a Sunni Muslim militant group for secular reasons. Though it was reported that Israeli support for Hamas concluded in 1989, after its major attack on Israelis, only apparently- for decades, Israel has hammered Hamas in Gaza — regular airstrike campaigns, targeted assassinations, a decades-long blockade — with its efforts often backfiring by strengthening support for the group; but even more sinister is the way that Israeli authorities have, to this day, continued to enable Hamas deliberately, as its influence grew, and it eventually morphed into Hamas as we know it today.

By this maneuvering by the Israelis, Israel has a cover to avoid negotiating with the Palestinian Authority, as the group doesn’t represent all Palestinians.

In the late 2010s and early 2020s, Israeli officials encouraged Qatar to give aid to Hamas ^[8] and approved the transfer of money from Qatar to the organization.^[9] Politics does not have a permanent friend or foe, but international politics does have fire beneath it always. 

Later, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu justified the aid transfers as allowed for humanitarian reasons;^[10] Israeli intelligence officials believe that the Qatari money contributed to the success of the October 7 attacks, and this became a convenient rhetoric for Israel internationally, particularly against neighbors and locally.

A recent column in Haaretz, one of Israel’s biggest newspapers, takes the prime minister to task for his “destructive, warped political doctrine that held that strengthening Hamas at the expense of the Palestinian Authority would be good for Israel.” Another recent Haaretz column describes how the Netanyahu-Hamas “alliance” and the Oct. 7 “pogrom…helps the Israeli prime minister preserve his own rule.” The more conservative Times of Israel, too, published an op-ed after Hamas’s attacks entitled “For years, Netanyahu propped up Hamas. Now it’s blown up in our faces.”

Meanwhile, as former IDF member Benzi Sanders explains, Netanyahu’s new bombing campaign and expanding ground offensive will only continue to strengthen and perpetuate Hamas — and stave off a just resolution to this crisis.

Netanyahu gloated in a 2019 Likud party meeting to his compatriots: “Anyone who wants to thwart the establishment of a Palestinian state has to support bolstering Hamas and transferring money to Hamas. This is part of our strategy — to isolate the Palestinians in Gaza from the Palestinians in the West Bank.”

Hamas has become a convenient foe for Israel, in contrast with the diplomatic success of the Palestinian Authority during the 1990s. In a 2015 interview, Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich explained that Hamas’s militancy, and therefore its illegitimacy on the world stage, was a boon for his government’s political strategy.

“The Palestinian Authority is a burden, and Hamas is an asset,” Smotrich said. “It’s a terrorist organization, no one will recognize it, no one will give it status at the [International Criminal Court], no one will let it put forth a resolution at the U.N. Security Council.”

Indeed, Netanyahu has been intent on keeping the Palestinians divided under two ruling groups: the diplomatically successful Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and the militant Hamas in Gaza. (The Palestinian Authority, led by the vestiges of the PLO, was created as an interim self-governing body meant to pave the way for an independent Palestinian state, but that has not happened.)

Since 2009, Netanyahu’s political strategy has revolved around keeping Hamas alive and kicking — even if it hurts his “chosen land people.” While Israel and Netanyahu give lip service on the international stage in seeking a two-state solution, Hamas provides a convenient excuse to avoid pursuing one. The Qatari government let this Israeli connivance be known to the other Islamic nations through their conventions, and that is the reason for the Islamic States to have reservations about the Two-State solution or to reject it. All Islamic countries foresaw the danger of Israeli ambitions and understood that the two-state solution wouldn’t bring viable peace in the Middle East unless the impunity enjoyed by Israelis is curbed by some means.    

The Israeli Head of Religious Affairs in Gaza, Avner Cohen, described the Israeli action in a 2009 Wall Street Journal article called “How Israel Helped to Spawn Hamas.”  “Hamas, to my great regret, is Israel’s creation.”

Now that is clear that October 7th 2023 holocaust which Israel itself allowed Hamas to run its way of horrendous, the magnitude of which Israel prefers to call it as holocaust within its territory without any resistance, as a "prerequisite justification" for the eliciting of the ethnic cleansing to follow, that began within days and continues to date. All at the concurrent commitment of those countries, who fund and empower the Israeli government with heavily destructive weapons, including access to nuclear ammunition freely, at the behest of those countries' current leadership's religious fanatical beliefs as a tool for their greedy hegemonic intentions over the resources of Middle East countries.

As already planned, invariably all Western propaganda machines, CNN, Fox, BBC, etc, interviewed the Palestinian leaders during that week, and all those media began the conversation with invariably the same one question, “Do you condemn(ed) the 7th October Holocaust?"  What a coordinated effort it was! Therefore, Israel is an agent in the Middle East, to implement the hegemonic policy of the West to the tune of religious fanaticism in Israel.  Israel's negligence towards its people - people of the so-called chosen land, who Israel Itself allowed to be captured by Hamas - never prioritized getting the release of those from Hamas, why should they - when they cunningly foresaw such a release effort would drastically hinder the rapidity of the destruction and demolition in rendering Gaza land to be unfit for living anybody, but for Trump's Golf Course. This attitude of Israel and its allies cannot be explained other than by a modus operandi via the demolition of Hamas for the Ethnic Cleansing of Palestinians.

All these cascading chains of unpeaceful or rather volatile reactions are offshoots of the British Empire establishing Israel as a State for Jews, with the clear intention of future expansion, beginning with arrogantly chasing out 700,000 Palestinians in 1948, already inhabitants of a Peaceful State of Palestine since the Ottoman Empire period. 

Palestine before the Nakba, 1948

After this expulsion of 700,000 Palestinians, Zionists posed the question of why Arab Countries did not open the door for the expelled people, what an arrogant program to relieve the primitiveness, despite knowing that the City of Jerusalem is believed to be a Holy City for three different religious groups, Christians, Islamic and later for Jews who believes Judaism it is an absolute fanaticism of uncivilized. Why not make Israel live in coexistence with others? Impunity conferred on Israel has proven otherwise for 78 long years.  Israel's pretentious fear since its inception does not mean its neighbours are aggressors.                                                        

 A Palestinian wearing a shirt with "1948 during the Pope's Visit to Palestine and the declaration of State  Palestine. 

Let Kindness, Love, and compassion prevail so that peace can prosper on Earth.

 

Sri Lanka Railways: SLR A Classic Example of Backward Travel and Negative Contribution towards National Transport Demands

 

The above heading is not new to Sri Lankan commuters, and the general public is well aware of Sri Lanka Railways’ activities that negatively impact national demands; who are not aware is the section who are supposed to harness the negatively impacting Government Department (if not inducting SLR into an integrated National development contributor) the governing system. They are either ignorant of the facts or ill-informed of the current situation, worsening it into a colossal burden to the government coffers.  

Sri Lanka Railways is burdened with one of the highest numbers of Trade Unions, with the trade unions outnumbering the locomotives available for commuting and goods transport. Here lies the core of the negative impact issues.  

The historical Northern Railway Commuter service, which had been said to be the highest revenue earner for the Sri Lanka Railways, without any doubt with some profit as well, has been virtually annihilated after suspending for the reasons such as repairs/replacing railway tracks, these reasons becomes too flimsy due to the prolonged time taken to complete and sabotaging signal system, while repairing- and is clear SLR management including the ministers in charge working for the self-interests rather than for convenient public commuter service. Here, the suspicion arises as to whether Sri Lanka Railways is collaborating with huge profit-seeking Private Bus Companies, each owning more than half a dozen luxury buses, and wanted each bus to fill their full quota of seats.

Until July 2022, when Northern Railway operations were 1st stopped, all trains to the Northern Line commenced from Mount Lavenia (Gal Kissa), and some trains finished the journey at Mount Lavenia. All those trains that started and finished the journey at Mount Lavenia (Gal Kissa) were very popular among the population living between Moratuwa and Colombo Fort as they eased the traffic pressure travelling to Colombo Fort, and Moratuwa did a splendid service in commutating. I reliably understand that some trade unions strongly opposed the northern operations starting from Mount Lavenia; this is where the insubstantial reasoning of Track Relaying emerges, which was newly laid in on the completion of war. With that, Sri Lanka Railways lost its revenue and contribution towards reducing the pressure on road traffic congestions, especially in the western province.   

It has also been eagerly noted that railway schedules and timetables were prepared to unpopularize and to push the Passengers for alternatives. One such example was before the first suspension in July 2022 for a period spanning for months, an intercity train starting the journey as early as 03.55 AM from Kankesanthurai (KKS), never intended for catering the service to the peninsula people, but may be a convenient travel for commuters beyond Kilinochchi towards south, this intercity halted its journey at Colombo Fort another setback.  

This scheduling was made to portray that the Jaffna commuter train service is unpopular and to cater to the other mode of transport. At present, two trail services, which were initiated by the ill-informed newly appointed minister, operating from KKS to Colombo Fort and from Colombo Fort to KKS, portrayed as utter failure by all standards, clearly Sri Lanka Railways never considered the commuting the commuters living around Koll-pity to Moratuwa. Unless Sri Lanka Railways commences all northern trains, including the Mail Train from Mount Lavenia and at least two trains up to Mount Lavenia (a status before the first suspension in July 2022), Sri Lanka Railways can take measures to close down all the Railway Stations and save the government coffers sooner or later.

Station	Departure Time	Station	Departure Time
Mount Lavinia	05:10	Kankesanthurai	13:15
Dehiwala	05:14	Chunnakam	13:23
Wellawatta	05:22	Kondavil	13:28
Bambalapitiya	05:27	Jaffna	13:45
Colombo Fort	05:45	Kodikamam	14:02
Polgahawela	07:00	Kilinochchi	14:38
Kurunegala	07:25	Vavuniya	15:36
Anuradhapura	09:17	Anuradhapura	16:32
Vavuniya	10:06	Kurunegala	18:23
Kilinochchi	11:01	Polgahawela	18:48
Kodikamam	11:32	Maradana	19:56
Jaffna	12:00	Colombo Fort	20:05
Kondavil	12:05	Bambalapitiya	20:14
Chunnakam	12:10	Wellawatta	20:23
Kankesanthurai	12:17

 

Why were there were 2 suspensions within a space of less than 2 years for prolonged time? Doesn’t it appear as a move for permanent sabotage? Why are these prolonged suspensions only for the Northern Line?  Isn’t it an ignorance born out of racism because Northern Railways serves chiefly Tamils of Colombo Galle Road Adjacent areas and Northern province?  

As long as Sri Lanka Railways dances to the tune of Trade Unions and the Ministers’ shortsighted ambitions, it cannot contribute positively to the National Integrated Development demand.     

  Can the dawning Sinhala and Tamil New Year enlighten the Sri Lanka Railway Authorities on wasting resources of the Northern Railway System maintained wastefully and induct serving the commuters as of before the first suspension 2022 July?  

         

தமிழர் பண்பாடும் காதலும்

தமிழர் பண்பாடும் காதலும்

"காதலுக்கு காத்து கிடப்பது சுகமெனில் காதலை காக்க வைப்போரும் உத்தமரே"

"காதலுக்கு காத்து கிடப்பது சுகமெனில் காதலை காக்க வைப் போரும் உத்தமரே” 

இதுதான் தமிழர் பண்பாட்டின் அடிப்படை. அதனை விடுத்து கூடிக் கலந்தால் தான் காதலென எண்ணி உண்மைக் காதலுக்கு இரும்புத் திரை போட்டு, கட்டு அறுத் தோடுவதும் (தமிழர்) பண்பாடு ஆகாது.

 

Having described the culture of Tamils (தமிழர் பண்பாடு), it is quite interesting to research the alliance-making towards a successful marriage among the Sri Lankan Tamils in the present context. There are few methods of alliance-making within the Tamil Community,

1.    Inducting the major son and going to be daughter-in-law, vise-versa to understand each other /arranging to love towards marriage- widespread among very close relatives – mostly siblings of parents.  

2.    Arranging the possible life partners for loving toward marriage – mostly found among distant relatives and family friends

3.    If one and two are not possible call in a 3^rd person to help find an alliance as a friend or

4.    Through the paid hirer, that is how Marriage Brokerage began and burst into a booming business that devasted the Sri Lankan community for a long particularly the Tamil community.      

It has been evident even from our ancestral practices that the system 1. And 2. which prioritized lifelong partners understanding each other and encouraged marrying the direct cousins. This way the parents direct their children to marry a cousin who would fall in love with marriage. If there are no suitable direct cousins, they will go to the next option 2, seeking close relatives or friends and making their children free to move toward understanding each other. In both ways, it is evident that our ancestors have encouraged cultured love (பண்படான காதல்)- It is very awe-inspiring to observe that even in this modern techno period most families resort to this cultured method for respect and economy of involved parties. During our ancestral period, children were very obedient, and social challenges and demands were much less for 1 and 2 were very successful in contrast, in the modern techno period Tamil youths of both genders are exposed to matrimonial websites and Dating Websites, and even worse is those websites are being considered as the only method for seeking their life-partners, by them.

This attitude of Tamil youths born out of youthful exuberance for exploring undoubtedly challenges the psychic characteristic of Tamil girls/women and hence very antic to Tamil Culture (தமிழர் பண்பாடு). Here the youthful exuberance for exploring overruns the parental control for cultured love (பண்படான காதல்), inducted for accomplishing the methods 1and 2 of alliance making.  

When considering the method of hiring an alliance maker comes into play when the parents do not have avenues for the first 3 options, this also confers parental control and inducts love as well - if marriage is not hurried for other reasons. For a long, print media also has been serving the purpose very well through matrimonial advertisements. The brokerage became a booming business in the 1970s and 1980s and middle-class families faced the impact of it since the dowry system was in place that decided the brokerage fees, even made an impact on the birth rate as well, as families feared the consequences of bigger families later in their lives.  

Anyhow the warring situation within North and East of Sri Lanka changed the pattern of this, as families became dependent on each other for social needs and methods 1 and 2 came to the forefront for alliance-making irrespective of what class they were in economically and still intact; the rebellion groups also banned the dowry demanding for marriages. In the present situation, dowry demand is fading out as an obstruction to marriage alliances through whatever method it was inducted.

The overall observation is that matrimonial websites and Dating Websites are contracted from Western culture, and their infiltration into the alliance-making for marriages within the Tamil community is a serious threat to the Tamil Culture (தமிழர் பண்பாடு) – since those websites carry all the aspects of Western culture practices that would take place before the actual marriages, and demolishes the psychic characteristic of the Tamil girls/women.                

The Need for Constitutional Power Devolution for Provinces in Sri Lanka 

 

Disregarding National Anthem and National Flag

1.   Most Ven. Mahanayaka Thera of Asgiri Chapter, Most Ven. Mahanayaka Thera of Malwathu Chapter, Most Ven. Mahanayaka Thera of Ramagnya Mahanikaya and Most Ven. Mahanayaka Thera of Amarapura Mahanikaya has agreed in unison that bhikkhus should not be required to stand up while hoisting the national flag and playing the national anthem, here and abroad.

2.   The policies for the bhikkhus according to the Buddha Sasana, are to remain in the seating posture and respect the hoisting of the national flag or the playing of the national anthem.

3.   The claim by another fundamental Theravada Buddhist monk, “Bhikkhus are worshipped, they are only second to Buddha and Dhamma, therefore will not worship anything else. “Nothing in the whole universe is worthy of it. They stand up only in the presence of the Buddha and senior bhikkhus” (Impact SundayObserver.lk)

Therefore, whatever is created by the Sasana stands for elevated status which as well seeks and expects to infuse into all the aspects of the national ruling in order to sustain that elevated status (that emanates a dangerous notion of impunity for monks among law enforcing setup). The fact that the creators of such a piece of Sasana do not understand due to the insinuated euphoria offered by that portrayal of elevated status is without a nation and its inhabitants the Sasana (members) cannot exist.

This is a status that amply contradicts the Lord Buddha's vision of spreading peace through equality applications – and giving up his opportunity for the throne and luxurious life that could have been incurred by that throne because Lord Buddha understood that power and hence the force and inequality born by that power may is a hindrance to his visionary Mission.      

The well-educated eminent monks the like of Chancellor of the Sri Jayawardhanapura University, Prof. Ven. Bellanwila Wimalarathana Thera , and Prof. Ven. Kamburugamuwe have overwhelmingly disputed the above statements as stated in paragraphs 1, 2, and 3. The later Thera further explains that even the Buddha had advised us to abide by the law of the country they originate. “The National anthem and flag which are symbolic of the law of the country and Nation and race – (the entire Sri Lankan identity) must come before anything else.”

Thus, monks who would prefer to be attached to their seats while the National Anthem is recited or when the National Flag is hoisted shall as well be silently seated while enacting or changing the constitution for better governance of the entire Sri Lankan Community as done by Prince Siddhartha for the accomplishment Spiritual journey.  The monks who be seated when National Anthem is recited hold no moral right to interfere in (for the best of) Governing System. It is deeply disturbing to observe that the majority of Sri Lankan Theravada Buddhist Monks, are actively involved in isolating the non-Buddhists – from Sri Lankan identity by falsely claiming that Sri Lanka belongs only to one Race the so-called “Sinhala Buddhists”. This dangerous notion has been well spread into the defense and law enforcement systems by the portrayal of “be seated monks” against reciting the National Anthem and hoisting of the National Flag – as of up above all.        

 

The same dangerous notion is the core issue responsible for the entire mayhem of Sri Lanka’s post-independence history – and still worsening, as the notion of “one race” owning the island has been the Political Rhetoric for winning the gullible constituency even after the – so-called war against terrorism – now truly turning to be an against of Tamils, particularly Saivism followers – by the actions of State machinery working for that political Rhetor.  

Contradicting the Constitution or Constitutional Contradiction

Sri Lanka’s Constitution  

“9. The Republic of Sri Lanka shall give Buddhism the foremost place and accordingly, it shall be the duty of the State to protect and foster the Buddha Sasana while assuring to all religions the rights granted by Articles 10 and 14(l)(e). Freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.”

“10. Every person is entitled to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, including the freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice”

 The wording, The Republic of Sri Lanka shall give Buddhism the foremost place and accordingly, it shall be the duty of the State to protect and foster the Buddha Sasana – coupled with arrogance of disregard for National Anthem and the National Flag hoisting by Sanga members has thrown-away any chance of natural Justice – for Saivism, Christian, and Islamic followers – that has been presumably included to portray that the constitution is inclusive within– by the wording “while assuring to all religions the rights granted by Articles 10 and 14(l)(e). Freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.”

This is because of the falsified notion that Sri Lanka belongs only to Theravada Buddhism and has been well infiltrated into the ruling system, as well as while enacting the constitution that only - ostensibly tries to guarantee the practicing of other religions – a fact proven by turnover of happenings to North – East Saiva temples being worshiped by the second-largest population of Sri Lanka for centuries.

Sri Lanka is a multinational multiethnic nation, and this wrong notion led to all the civil commotion and consequently coaxed the 30-year-long war, and the system has miserably failed to fertilize to cultivate Sri Lankan Identity inclusive of all ethnic communities' which is simply referred to as national unity, instead of the ruling system has been fertilizing and fueling hatred since independence and cultivating abhorrence abundantly to cripple Sri Lanka economically, and all are decrying today for a reconciliation, within Sri Lanka without understanding the core issues of hindrances for National Unity.  

It is very hilarious that those who cultivated abhorrence – a permanent hatred of each other within society, are the same people shouting about reconciliation without understanding the difference between psychological binding and physical bonding. The Sanga members are very much attached to sustaining the elevated status and the defense personnel are very much prejudiced that reconciliation can be brought by gunpoint – and sights that 30-year war is constructed for that purpose.  This is what is referred to as physical bonding.     

That is why Ven. Ellawala Medhananda Thera who strongly advocates being seated while National Anthem is recited commented that the devolution of power is creating a new problem, and is responsible for targeting Hindu temples as Buddhist Archeological sites disrespecting whatever constitutional guarantee provided for adopting religions other than Theravada Buddhism – using Department of Archeology as a weapon. This is not reconciliation but continuously subjugating minorities by majoritarian rule.   

The psychological binding of a community to the rest of society is inevitable where a permanent hatred has been seeded for 76 years.         

This is where meaningful devolution of power interlaces with natural justice for minorities of this multi-ethnic nation and ensures attraction to central majoritarian governance. This also ensures effective minority participation in the governing system.  

From the learned lessons, land and policing power must be optimally devolved, for the effectiveness of the devolution, without central subjugating clauses found in the present 13^th Amendment for each devolved unit.

Each devolved unit shall have a Deputy Solicitor General under one Central Attorney General. Upcountry Tamils and Muslims shall have borderless cantons within the Central and North-Eastern Provinces respectively, hence North and Eastern provinces shall become one devolved unit.  

Tamil translation of the Sri Lanka National Anthem shall be primarily recited wherever applicable.   

 

National Security Council - As A Political Tool

 

National Security Council - As A Political Tool

The following Article compiled and published by renowned Journalist D.B.S. Jeyaraj upon completion of  40 years of Tamil Pogrom by the State Machinery - Amply proves how the Sri Lankan National Security Council (NSC) has been used by political parties in power to incite the holocausts against all the minorities - just to portray that the political party in power are protectors of Sinhalese Majority. 

This attitude still continues, as has been proved by the fact that a former cook of the Sri Lanka Navy overseeing Parliamentary Affairs of National Security, qualifies for that status only by his attitude of terrifying the minorities and racist. 

NSC is continuing to waste resources by inciting atrocities by the majority community for political gains - rather than infusing psychological harmonic ideas toward national unity. NSC shall understand that as long as its' machinery functions as a political tool - national unity will not be achieved - and it will in turn continue to plunder the National Economy.  

"all the citizens of this country have the equal right to worship in any place they think fit to be worshiping, in any mode of their choice"   

Beginning of "Black July"; 15 July Meesalai Army Attack and 23 July 23 Thinnavely LTTE Ambush.

Posted by Administrator on 22 July 2023, 3:33 am

By

D.B.S.Jeyaraj

The first part of this article published last week titled “Black July; Anatomy of an Anti-Tamil Pogrom” was a brief overview of the horrific anti-Tamil violence that engulfed the Sri Lankan nation in July 1983. The second part of this article being published this week will focus primarily on how “Black July” began in 1983. This detailed article is written with the aid of earlier writings to denote the 40th anniversary of the 1983 July anti-Tamil violence.

As stated earlier the anti-Tamil violence of July 1983 was not a spontaneous mass uprising of the Sinhala people against the Tamil people. Prior to the outbreak of violence, there existed a pre-planned conspiracy to launch a widespread attack against Tamil life, limb and property on a massive scale. All it required was a powerful incident to be the provocative pretext to justify such an attack.

The ambush of an Army patrol in the north on the night of Saturday 23 July by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) resulting in the killing of 13 soldiers by the Tigers provided the excuse to trigger off the violence , beginning from Sunday 24 July. The LTTE’s attack itself had been in the pipeline and was expedited due to a successful Army attack on 15 July that resulted in the death of a key Tiger operative. The violence in July 1983 was in a sense a tale an attack on the LTTE by the army and an ambush of the army by the tigers followed by an Anti-Tamil pogrom.

Meesalai Army Attack

In early July 1983 the Sri Lankan security forces stationed in the north received a tip- off that some Tigers were staying in a house within a coconut plantation at Allaarai, Meesaalai in the Thenmaratchy sector of the Jaffna peninsula. After verifying the information received, the Army launched an ambush. The soldiers commandeered a private mini-bus, concealed themselves inside and ventured into the interior of Meesalai.

This was at a time when the LTTE had only 32 members. Four of these namely Seelan, Aruna, Ganesh and Ananth were in the Meesalai safe house and taken by surprise when the Army attacked. After an exchange of fire, the Tigers began fleeing with their arms.

The soldiers gave chase and opened fire. Two of the four Tigers were hit. However they managed to take cover in a palmyrah grove. Ananth lost consciousness while Seelan who was then the Military Commander of the LTTE kept bleeding profusely. Seelan then ordered Aruna and Ganesh to shoot and kill him and Ananth and escape with the arms.

At that point of time the LTTE had a limited arsenal and regarded their fire-arms as very valuable assets. Aruna and Ganesh obeyed orders and shot dead both Seelan and Ananth. They fled from the spot and eventually evaded capture by hijacking a motor cycle and escaping.

Charles Anthony alias Seelan

The Army retrieved the two bodies and left. Subsequently the two Tigers were identified as Lucas Charles Anthony alias Seelan a.k.a. Aaseer of Trincomalee and Ramanathan Arulnathan alias Ananth of Myliddy. The security forces were jubilant over the death of Charles Anthony alias Seelan who was responsible for several attacks including the killing of two soldiers on Stanley Road in Jaffna town. He also led the successful Tiger assault on the Chavakachcheri Police station. Seelan had been appointed LTTE Military Commander by the Leader Veluppillai Prabhakaran.

The death of Seelan saddened and angered Prabhakaran very much. Not only was Seelan a comrade at arms but also a trusted confidante and friend of the Tiger supremo. Prabhakaran’s affection and regard for Seelan could be fathomed by two acts. Though a Hindu, Prabhakaran named his firstborn son Charles Anthony in honour of his friend. Also when the LTTE expanded and formed its first Infantry Division, it was named by Prabhakaran as the Charles Anthony Infantry Division.

It could be seen therefore that the death of Seelan hurt and infuriated Prabhakaran. The LTTE had been planning to stage a guerrilla ambush on an Army patrol for a long time. So when Seelan died, Prabhakaran ordered the Tigers to expedite the envisaged Army ambush. After hearing of Charles Anthony’s death , Prabhakaran told his men on 16 July that an attack on the Army must be launched within a week to avenge Seelan. Exactly a week later on 23 July the LTTE struck.

Thinnavely LTTE Ambush

After doing “recce” (reconnaissance) the LTTE had discovered some routine movements of the Army night patrols. It was decided to launch the attack in Thirunelvely called Thinnavely about two miles away from Jaffna town. The spot picked was about 150 metres south of the Post Box junction along the Jaffna-Palaly Road. The road had been already dug up for telecommunications wire laying. This made it convenient for the Tigers to bury land mines.

After Seelan’s death LTTE supremo Prabhakaran appointed Sathasivam Selvanayagam alias Sellakkili of Kalviyankaadu as the Tiger Military Commander. The Thinnavely ambush was planned and supervised by Sellakkili with the support of Prabhakaran.

After Seelan and Ananth died the LTTE had only 30 full-time members including Prabhakaran. Of these 19 were involved in the T’vely attack. They were Prabhakaran, Sellakkili, Pulendran, Ponnammaan, Reggie, Ranjan Lala, Kittu, Santhosham, Victor, Appiah, Ganesh, Lingam, Albert, Basheer Kaakaa, Rajesh, Suppanna, Ramu, Gnanam and Raghu (Kundappa).

The four landmines were laid and the wires linked to the exploder were concealed on the back of the roof of a boutique facing the road. Sellakkili perched himself on the roof to explode the mines at the right time. The other Tiger cadres hid themselves behind brick walls in two groups on either side of the road.

The ‘Four Four Bravo’ patrol that had proceeded from the Mathagal military base consisted of 15 men travelling in a jeep and a TATA Benz half truck. The men were all from the 1st battalion of the Sri Lanka Light Infantry (SLLI). They were commanded by an old Anandian, 2nd Lt. Vass Gunawardane who had a sub-machine gun. The others had s elf -loading rifles and grenades.

When the two vehicles came near the landmines were set off by Sellakkili. They exploded on the right side of the jeep and in between the jeep and truck. Thereafter the Tigers started firing and lobbing grenades. The soldiers also retaliated. At the end of it all, 13 soldiers including Lt. Vass Gunawardane were dead. The only two Army survivors were Cpl. Perera and Lance Cpl. Sumathipala. From the Tiger side the sole casualty was Sellakkili, the newly-appointed Military Commander.

Sri Lanka Light Infantry

Once the news of the ambush became known soldiers of the SLLI went on the rampage. The then SLLI Commanding Officer Lt. Col Upali Dharmaratne was either unwilling or unable to control them. The overall Jaffna Commander Brig. Lyle Balthazar too was unable to exert his authority and instil discipline.

The enraged soldiers went on a violent spree killing 51 civilians in Thinnavely and surrounding areas. This included a university lecturer Kala Parameswaran who was known to me personally. A mini-van carrying seven passengers was stopped at Manipay and all eight including the driver were lined up and shot dead in cold blood. Among these was my friend Wimalathasan, a human rights activist and Editor of the journal ‘Manithan’. Later on the then Army Commander Gen. Tissa “Bull” Weeratunga transferred the SLLI 1st battalion out of Jaffna. Lt. Col. Dharmaratne was replaced by Lt. Col. A.M.U. Seneviratne.

Senior DIG Sundaralingam

Meanwhile what was happening in the corridors of power in Colombo? I shall answer the question by reproducing an electronic mail sent to me by former DIG of Police Ramachandra Sundaralingam. Sunda, as he was known, was a very good friend to journalists of my generation in Sri Lanka. If we wanted a good law and order story, all we needed to do was to contact him.

Sundaralingam was serving as Senior DIG in charge of ranges at the time of the 1983 July anti-Tamil violence. Sunda later took up a post at the INTERPOL in Paris and became known as an expert in combatting the narcotics trade. After retirement he took up residence in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Sunda and I were in regular contact via e-mail and telephone until his demise in December 2018.

While researching for an article in July 2020, I came across an e-mail sent by Sunda in July 2017. What happened then was that he wanted to talk to me about the 1983 July violence and telephoned my land line. I was away and did not respond promptly. An impatient Sunda then sent an e-mail summarising his thoughts. However, we did converse on the phone subsequently and discussed in detail the points mentioned in the e-mail. I also published the e-mail. However, I feel it is worthwhile reproducing that e-mail again as it sheds much light on what had happened then. Here it is:

Sunda’s E-mail

Dear DBS,

In case we miss each other’s call. Briefly the facts on the Darkest Chapter of the History of Sri Lanka July 1983;

1) Thinnavely LTTE ambush killed 13 soldiers 23 July 1983. Army Hq informed, Pres JR via Gen Attygalle ordered Army Com Weeratunge get to Jaffna immediately.

2) DIG Rajaguru in charge of NP called Rudra Rajasingham IGP and myself stating Army running berserk, Police were helpless.

3) Security Council meeting with all Service Chiefs, Air Force, Naval Commander except Army Chief already in Jaffna to monitor the happenings in Jaffna and elsewhere. IGP Rudra requested my presence at the meeting as Senior DIG Ranges overseeing NP DIG Rajaguru.

4) Gen Attygalle hourly discussion (3pm/7pm) with Army Chief Gen W in Jaffna situation deteriorating with Army revolt in Jaffna, damage to property and injury to several persons, Commander W unable to exercise any control .Gen Atty informs Pres JR on the ground situation, JR who in turn informs Gen Attygalle that Army soldiers be buried in Jaffna, as it happens in a war situation. When this message was conveyed to Gen W, his prompt reply, “Sir I will also be buried here, make arrangements to shift the bodies to their native places early.”

5) Security Council decides the bodies be flown to Katunayake Air Force base, after embalming be despatched to the 13 villages of the 13 soldiers. Police were instructed to organise 13 air conditioned Ambulances be in readiness at Katunayake on arrival of bodies from Jaffna. This arrangement was approved by Pres JR in his conversation with Gen Attygalle, I am an eye-witness to all these arrangements.

6) Direction received at Police HQ ambulance plan has been cancelled, the bodies will be brought to Ratmalana by air for common burial at Kanatte. In the meantime tension mounting in Colombo with large crowds heading for Kanatte.

7) IGP Rudra, DIG Ernest Perera and myself visited Kanatte, everything looked tensed up. I was able to sense the situation as serious. DIG Ernie P and I strongly advised IGP Rudra R to meet Pres JR immediately to impose curfew time around 9 p.m., otherwise the situation will get out of control. IGP left Kanatte to meet Pres JR at Ward Place. Curfew never declared until next evening by which time serious damage to Tamil persons and their property. Worst in the history of country. JR could have averted this situation but he failed to declare curfew. The big question is, who made the decision to bring the bodies to Kanatte for a common burial???? Minister Thondaman told me later it was Mr Cyril Mathew who insisted on Kanatte funeral. All this is history.”

DIG (retd) Sundaralingam’s e-mail provides an insight into what happened then. The UNP Government headed by J.R. Jayewardene conducted a mass funeral at Kanatte for the 13 soldiers killed by the LTTE. Large crowds gathered at Kanatte on Sunday 24 July. Many were brought there in Government vehicles. The mood in Kanatte began turning ugly.This situation was further exacerbated by the speeches of prominent Buddhist monks.

Esala Poya Day

The situation took a violent turn around dusk. Mobs began moving in the direction of Borella and Thimbirigasaya from Kanatte. Tamil homes and businesses were attacked and set on fire. As the Esala full moon shone brightly from a not-so-cloudy sky, clouds of smoke from burning Tamil establishments spiralled upwards.

The following Monday 25 July saw anti-Tamil violence spreading like wildfire. The plantation Tamil patriarch Saumiyamoorthy Thondaman known for his pithy comments later described the violence that followed Poya on Sunday as – “Sunday Sil, Monday Kill.”

Despite repeated entreaties by the then IGP Rudra Rajasingham to declare a curfew, President Jayewardene delayed imposing one until the following Monday evening. Even after a curfew was supposedly in force, the violence went on for three days peaking on Wednesday 27 July, and ebbing on Thursday 28 July, the day that Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi sent then-Indian Foreign Minister P. Narasimha Rao as her Special Emissary to Colombo.

Friday 29 July saw Colombo and its suburbs being terrified by the rumour that the Tigers had come to town. The afternoon of that fateful ‘Koti Dawasa’ (Tiger Day) saw the goon squads massacring Tamils again after being ‘sure’ that no Tigers were in town. Finally, 30 and 31 July saw the violence diminish gradually. By August the violence had ceased as international opinion and pressure compelled the J.R. Jayewardene regime to “normalize” the situation.

IGP Rudra Rajasingham

The then IGP Rudra Rajasingham a Tamil himself was distraught at the turn of events especially JR’s obstinacy in refusing to declare a curfew. According to family members, Rudra’s aged mother had urged her son to resign as a mark of protest but Rudra refused saying “he could not abandon the police force when the country was in its worst crisis.”.

It may be recalled that Rudra Rajasingham should have been appointed IGP when Stanley Senanayake retired in 1978 after serving for long since 1970. Next to Rudra in terms of seniority was AC Lawrence. Both senior DIGs were Tamils. President JR Jayewardene appointed the third-ranking senior DIG G.A.D.E.A. Seneviratne instead. It was only after Ana Seneviratne retired in 1982, that Rudra Rajasingham was appointed IGP.

“Sri Lanka: The Holocaust and After”.

In this article’s first part published last week, I had written that one of the best books that came out in the aftermath of the July ’83 violence was “Sri Lanka: The Holocaust and After”. It was written by C.R.Hensman under the pseudonym L.Piyadasa. It was published by Marram Books in 1984. The following are excerpts from that book highlight some aspects of the Black July violence –

”In Kelaniya, Industries Minister Cyril Mathew’s gangs were identified as the ones at work. The General Secretary of the government “union” the Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya (J.S.S.) was identified as the leader of gangs which wrought destruction and death all over Colombo and especially in Wellawatte, where as many as ten houses a street were destroyed. A particular U.N.P. municipal councillor of the Dehiwela-Mount Lavinia Municipality led gangs in Mount Lavinia. In the Pettah (the bazaar area, where 442 shops were destroyed and murders were committed) the commander was the son of Aloysius Mudalali, the Prime Minister’s right-hand man. And so on. “

“Thugs who worked regularly for the leaders of the U.N.P., the Ministers of State and Party Headquarters, and in some cases uniformed military personnel and police, were seen leading the attack. They used vehicles of the Sri Lanka Transport Board (Minister in charge, M. H. Mohammed) and other government departments and state corporations. Trucks of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation’s Oil Refinery came from many miles away bringing the men who destroyed so much of Wellawatte. There is much other evidence of this sort. “

“In view of the quasi-governmental nature of the “action,” the killings that took place may have been difficult for the eye-witnesses to resist … …….We have talked to people who were eye-witnesses of the killings – the beatings-to-death and burnings-alive in cold blood of individual Tamils seized, with never a case of police opposition, on the streets and in vehicles. Most people have read or heard the account, which we are convinced is authentic, of the Norwegian tourist who saw twenty people burnt alive in a minibus by one of these gangs. One of the most remarkable exploits of the “heroes” was the massacre, that day, in Welikade Prison of 35 detainees. All were Sri Lankan Tamils. “

“The pogrom continued less intensely in Greater Colombo for three more days, in spite of the curfew. On Tuesday, July 26th, some of the action squads were transported to Kandy, some 70 miles away, and that afternoon there was a similar sharp and quick action there before the curfew was declared at 6 p.m. It then moved further up-country, past towns like Matale (devastated) and Nawalapitiya towards Badulla and Nuwara Eliya. Hindu temples had been added to the hit list. Army action had resulted in over 60 percent of Badulla’s city centre being reduced to rubble. “

“On the 27th, incredibly, the second massacre of Tamil political detainees and remand prisoners was successfully carried out. This time 18 were killed. There was more to come. For, as some of the Tamils began to trickle back to work towards the end of the week, their fellow countryman, J. R. Jayewardene, spoke publicly for the first time on Thursday evening, justifying what had been done to the Tamils in South and central Sri Lanka, and uttering not a word of sympathy. On Friday, this provocative speech, and other actions, led to further arson and many more killings.”

D.B.S.Jeyaraj can be reached at dbsjeyaraj@yahoo.com