Peace Moves Within TMVP as Karuna and Pillaiyan Bury Hatchet
by D.B.S Jeyaraj
The internecine warfare plaguing the Tamil Makkal Viduthalaip Puligal(TMVP) in the east may have come to an end at last! An uneasy rapprochement seems to have been effected according to knowledgeable sources.
TMVP supremo Karuna and military chief Pillaiyan have apparently buried the hatchet and reconciliatory moves are in progress.
Karuna remains the leader of the TMVP and Pillaian designated as Deputy leader. Pillaiyan will be in overall charge of operations and administration.
[Karuna seated at the meeting venue in his left Supreme Commander Pillaiyan and in his right Senior Commander Jeyam TamilGuardian]
The various regional commanders will continue to be in charge of their respective spheres of authority. Pillaiyan who was until recently in Trincomalee will now base himself in Batticaloa town and move around all parts of the East.
Iniyabharathi will be in charge of Amparai district and base himself at Thambiluvil;Veera based in Kaluwanchikudi will be in charge of littoral areas from Kalmunai to Aaraiyampathy; Sinnathamby based in Chenkallady will administer areas from Thandavanveli to Kiran and also the Karadiyanaaru area; Riyaseelan based in Vaakarai will be in charge of areas from Kiran to Verugal. Mangalan master will be responsible for Welikanda, Kudumbimalai/Thoppigala and interior Paduvaankarai areas; Markan will be in charge of Trincomalee district.
Pillaiyan will be in charge of Batticaloa town and suburbs and areas adjacent to the lagoon in the western hinterland. In addition he will co-ordinate TMVP administration in all parts of the East and also plan operations.
The TMVP reconciliation was made possible through efforts by concerned persons and groups abroad it is learnt. A series of telephone conversations between Karuna in London and Pillaiyan in Trimcomalee/Batticaloa resulted in both burying the hatchet.
It was agreed then that Karuna would base himself in Colombo and undertake periodic visits to the East while Pillaiyan remained on ground in the East. The detention of Karuna in Britain has caused some uneasiness within the rank and file but seniors are of the opinion that unity within the TMVP is the need of the hour.
According to informed sources the decision for Pillaiyan to move to Batticaloa had been taken prior to Karuna’s arrest . The move was fully approved by Karuna. But the timing had gone awry due to the unexpected arrest of the TMVP leader in London. Pillaiyan’s pre-planned re-location to Batticaloa had come in the wake of Karuna’s detention
Against that backdrop some of Karuna’s loyalists had resented the Pillaiyan take – over despite Karuna’s endorsement. Therefore the new “administrative changes” aroused controversy and a certain amount of strife.
This had resulted in a misunderstanding where Thileepan the political commissar based in B’caloa had consumed cynaide and died. The grenade incident where Sinnathamby was injured in Eravoor is also attributed to internecine TMVP conflict.
The “independent” Mangalan master who rebelled earlier has also accepted the new re-structuring of the TMVP now it is said.
A central committee of 27 people will be the premier decision making body in the TMVP.All regional commanders will be members of this along with others.
Karuna and Pillaiyan have also decided to concentrate on forming a political party. A new political party will be registered in due course with the Elections Commissioner. Though not finalised yet ,sources said that “Thamil Makkal Suthanthirak Katchi” (Tamil Peoples Freedom Party) was likely to be the name of the party.
While the TMVP will be the chief organization the party will be its political front. The LTTE registered the Liberation Tigers Political Front as political party; the PLOTE registered Democratic Peoples Liberation Front as its party. Eelam Democratic Front was the EROS Political party.Now the TMVP is following suit.
The TMVP will also revise its current political stance. It would call for the Northern and Eastern provinces to be recognized as the “Thayagam” (Homeland) of the Tamil speaking people; It would however emphasise that reconstruction and development be given urgent priority for the Eastern province.
The new unity and re-structuring has resulted in a few ‘casualties” too. The husband and wife duo of Mahesh and Padmini who were based in Colombo have called it quits and gone abroad with their family. Padmini is the daughter of Rajan Sathiyamoorthy the TNA candidate and Karuna loyalist killed by the tigers. Mahesh is the son of Sathiyamoorthy’s brother in law who was also killed in the same incident.
The Padmini – Mahesh duo was the political face of the TMVP and interacted with different circles in Colombo. It is said that the TMVP leader had intended rewarding Padmini with a top political post as a token of gratitude for services rendered by her father who paid the supreme price for his closeness towards Karuna.
Azad Moulana will be spokesperson. Rudra alias Thooyavan the former spokesperson may be made political chief in place of Thileeban who bit the cynaide capsule. Thileeban had left Paris and returned to Batticaloa last year.
The buoyant mood within the TMVP as a result of the Karuna – Pillaiyan rapprochement has dampened to some extent after Karuna was arrested in London. If Karuna gets stuck in Britain Pillaiyan will be acting leader. This may not be to the liking of other seniors like Mangalan master, Iniyabharathy and Sinnathamby.
Another unknown factor is the attutude and approach of the different intelligence operatives handling the TMVP. The divisions within the TMVP were widened and sharpened by these elements in a re-play of colonial “divide and rule” tactics. Their response will determine the future of unity within the TMVP.
eesan said,
November 10, 2007 @ 7:52 pm
From the general tone of this article, it seems DBS actually likes these guys. It was DBS who wrote a piece on the abduction, rape, and killings of the TRO members by these same people.
Rohitha said,
November 10, 2007 @ 8:27 pm
Good luck. How can the ruthless Karuana control the others when he can not return. Remember, this is the guy butchered 600 Sinhalese policemen without even knowing to the head office. SL used him to its advantage and dumped him. SL government should do the same with other dogs or smoke these morons.
Humanrights said,
November 12, 2007 @ 12:57 am
East needs Karuna’s leadership no matter what. Even Karuna could rule from UK while he is in exile. TMVP should unite and SL should encourage TMVP to unite. SL should build good relationship with TMVP. East is different from north and other parts of the country. Please leave them alone to rule themselves. Yes, of cause most of them speaks Tamil in EAST and North but North still see east as lower. LTTE should have negotiated with Karuna and let him control east. Karuna did not have more places to go except SL Government’s support. SL government should have used him to get him elected as Chief Minister for east and East would have been supportive with any Government. Now both missed the boat. LTTE and SL lost their chances to capture Eastern people’s hearts
Miss Malar said,
November 12, 2007 @ 4:40 pm
Dear DBS, can you write a story about state sponsored people smuggling (Karuna ).
Kumar said,
November 14, 2007 @ 11:31 am
This refers to Humanrights comments on 12/11. He states that East needs Karuna’s leadership no matter what. Even Karuna could rule from UK while he is in exile. TMVP should unite and SL should encourage TMVP to unite. He must be crazy? Everybody knows that SLG intelligence operatives handling the TMVP created this divide as instructed by their political leaders for two reasons to weaken the East Tamils bargaining power and to satisfy Muslim supporters in the east .The Sinhalese refer minorities from the east as ‘Madda Minisu or Maddayo’-people with less brain. The TMVP has confirmed this.
He also states thatLTTE should have negotiated with Karuna and let him control east.
Karuna has planned to leave LTTE for his own benefit not the East Tamils .His investments and his family living abroad clearly demonstrates .He cleverly used the North, East divide among Tamils. As politicians like Nalliah to Devanayakam used the cast difference (predominately Mookuwar cast in East and Vellar cast in the North).I have worked, married and lived in the East for 15 years. I have experienced this divide in my own family. I have married to a distant relative of Rajan Sathiayamoorthy .His father was from Jaffna. He worked as an Apothecary in Sammnathurai Hospital .Rajan’s only daughter is married to a sinhala policeman. I have noticed and heard from my friends that siblings of mixed parents of North and East are anti LTTE or anti North.
Surya said,
November 14, 2007 @ 5:21 pm
Every body wants DBSJ what they want to hear. They even want “story”
Lakmal said,
November 16, 2007 @ 8:28 am
“The Sinhalese refer minorities from the east as ‘Madda Minisu or Maddayo’-people with less brain. ”
I’m Sinhalese and I have never heard of this nonsense. Please do not spread lies.
Devinda Fernando said,
November 19, 2007 @ 5:01 pm
Good! Any Unity among Tamils against the LTTE is a GOOD THING for Sri Lanka, and a GOOD THING for Tamils. The LTTE are the curse of the Tamil ethnic group, – and shame on all you who Blindly support the LTTE as you support the Systematic Oppression of your own ethnic group. Dont sit there complaining about the wrong doings of Karuna when you all Willingly Turn a Blind Eye to the LTTE’s atrocities against the LTTE.