03-31-2004, 06:04 PM
[b]<span style='color:red'>Karuna's Eastern Rebellion: A Lost Cause
By: Prof P. Ramasamy
Source: TamilCanadian - March 31, 2004
It would be foolish to accept the arguments of some anti-LTTE journalists that Karuna's breakaway from the main LTTE would spell disaster for the Tamil liberation struggle. On the contrary, I would argue that the Karuna factor would in the long run re-vitalize the LTTE to rectify some of its mistakes so as to further the struggle of Tamils for freedom, dignity and honour. I quite concur with the position of Anton Balasingham that the secession of the Karuna's eastern command will be a temporary one; it will be resolved sooner rather than later. Since the LTTE high command has taken a careful decision to remove Karuna, he might not be force to be reckoned with in the future. Karuna might have rebelled against the LTTE for his personal reasons, but in doing so, he undermined and questioned the validity of the Tamil struggle for a separate Eelam. What is unpardonable is that he is openly consorting and scheming with the enemy forces to wreck the very struggle that he and others sustained over the last two decades or so.
Karuna selfish actions might have caused some damage to the LTTE, but at the same time they have provided grounds for the outfit to seriously review its mistakes to ensure that such things do not happen in the future. Years of hardship, misery, exploitation and betrayals have provided valuable lessons to the LTTE to strengthen and renew its determination to serve Tamils in the country. Karuna's fought bravely for the ideals of Tamil freedom, but then in a matter of few seconds he has betrayed the hopes and aspirations of millions for Tamils for dignity and pride. He might have been a brave fighter and was rewarded for his deeds. However, the struggle for Tamil freedom is a collective one and no one individual could make a claim. Karuna should not forget the sacrifice of thousands of Tamils from various districts who laid down their lives under the brilliant and collective leadership of the LTTE. Eastern fighters as well fighters from other areas equally contributed to the various victories. At the same time, Karuna should not forget the fact that it was the leadership provided by Vellupillai Prabakaran that cultivated moral and material support from the millions of Tamils all across the world. The Tamil Diaspora considers Prabakaran as the leader of world Tamils
Karuna's misguided rebellion is a temporary setback for the Tamil liberation movement. He might have had some grievances, but he unable to articulate them to the national leadership. He refused to answer the charges leveled against him. But instead went ahead to strike a peace deal with Chandrika Kumaratunga through the Norwegians. More than this, it is also rumored that he might have some secret dealings with the Sri Lankan armed forces. Having openly and secretly colluded with the enemy forces, he still has the temerity to claim that his faction constitutes the LTTE's eastern command. For unpardonable treacherous acts, the LTTE leadership has stripped him over his ranks and removed him form the eastern command. Lately, when he refused to accept the amnesty offer, he was ordered to be removed.
Karuna's treachery knows no limits. Following the split, he went public to criticize the leadership and to question the very basis of Tamil nationhood. It was the same Karuna who briefed the LTTE's Constitutional Affairs Committee that was instructed to come up with an interim administration proposal for the north and east. But today, he is saying that the east should not be linked with the north to constitute the homeland for Tamils. Karuna has played right into the hands of those reactionary forces that have long denied east as part of the Tamil homeland. Why this double-talk now? Why is he abandoning all that he said during the discussions on the interim administration proposal? What did he receive from the enemy forces that were so enticing and seductive that he would not think twice of abandoning the historical Tamil cause? It is obvious that more than two decades of political and military struggle have not endowed him with any degree of political maturity to fathom the larger cause of Tamil nationalism. Perhaps this one of the weaknesses of the LTTE; it has not only produced magnificent fighters but also political pigmies like Karuna.
Enemies of the LTTE are rejoicing; they can't wait for the ultimate destruction of the outfit. The Karuna factor provides with all the meat they need to dish our juicy stories to the world about the ill-fated nature of the Tamil liberation movement. Some of the famous anti-LTTE publications are reverting back to reality testing; caste-considerations blind them to anything worthwhile in a Dravidian-based national liberation movement. They cannot stomach the fact that world Tamils are not looking at Tamil Nadu but Tamil Eelam for a new inspirations. In a more particular sense, they are horrified to see Vellupillai Prabakaran as the new emerging Tamil hero! Once the LTTE Supremo was lambasted with all kinds of accusations, today with the Karuna factor capturing the headlines, he is castigated as the promoter of regionalism. Alternatively, Karuna is depicted as person who scarified much but blatantly wronged by Prabakaran. In a typical fashion, anti-LTTE forces are bent on resuscitating Karuna not because they love him but because they cannot stand the LTTE hierarchy in general and Prabakaran in particular.
Having met and discussed with various leaders of the Tamil national liberation movement including Karuna himself, I do not think that Karuna actions would pose a major problem for the Tamil nationalist movement. Karuna might be ambitious and has all the trapping of a feudal Gomindang warlord, but lacks the political credentials to inhibit or further the Tamil cause. His blatant sectarianism and regional chauvinism will hamper the political, social and economic advancement of Tamils. He might have some loyal adherents for a while, but sooner than later, he true intentions will be exposed. Initially, I like many others was puzzled as to why he made the decision to quite the outfit, but subsequent investigations revealed that his complaint of regional bias was not the real cause of the split. Rather it was merely invoked to hide his gross financial misappropriations, immoral conduct and not to speak of his vaulting ambition to be a leaders of a sort.
It really saddens me and millions of Tamils all over the world that one-time great Tamil commander and a close confidante of Prabakaran would stoop so low to betray the long and difficult struggle waged by ordinary Tamils in Tamil Eelam. Today, he is giving countless press interviews to perpetrate the view that Prabakaran gave up his ideal of separate Tamil Eelam. Having closely followed developments in Tamil Eelam for more than a decade, I certainly find this lie extremely nasty and objectionable. There is no iota of evidence anywhere to indicate that Prabakaran gave up the idea of a separate state. Prabakaran has always consistently maintained the argument from the time of the ceasefire agreement to the present that if substantial autonomy were not granted to Tamils in the north and east, the LTTE would not have no choice but seek the solution of a separate Eelam. The eagerness to separate and to seek political accommodation with the enemies of Tamil people has clouded the mind of Karuna to a point where he is unable to exercise his judgment.
I believe that the LTTE leadership will surmount the present crises without much difficulty in the near future. Karuna's boast of having a few thousand cadres to meet any challenge from the north should not be taken very seriously. Desertions from his camps are frequently taking place. Elections in the country will have to be concluded before the LTTE takes a more decisive action to weed the Karuna element before the cancer of treachery spreads. Meanwhile, the Sinhala establishment should maintain its neutrality in the present internal conflict within the LTTE. Overt or covert attempts to support the renegade Karuna would be interpreted as a hostile act by the LTTE with serious implications for the maintenance of peace.</span>
By: Prof P. Ramasamy
Source: TamilCanadian - March 31, 2004
It would be foolish to accept the arguments of some anti-LTTE journalists that Karuna's breakaway from the main LTTE would spell disaster for the Tamil liberation struggle. On the contrary, I would argue that the Karuna factor would in the long run re-vitalize the LTTE to rectify some of its mistakes so as to further the struggle of Tamils for freedom, dignity and honour. I quite concur with the position of Anton Balasingham that the secession of the Karuna's eastern command will be a temporary one; it will be resolved sooner rather than later. Since the LTTE high command has taken a careful decision to remove Karuna, he might not be force to be reckoned with in the future. Karuna might have rebelled against the LTTE for his personal reasons, but in doing so, he undermined and questioned the validity of the Tamil struggle for a separate Eelam. What is unpardonable is that he is openly consorting and scheming with the enemy forces to wreck the very struggle that he and others sustained over the last two decades or so.
Karuna selfish actions might have caused some damage to the LTTE, but at the same time they have provided grounds for the outfit to seriously review its mistakes to ensure that such things do not happen in the future. Years of hardship, misery, exploitation and betrayals have provided valuable lessons to the LTTE to strengthen and renew its determination to serve Tamils in the country. Karuna's fought bravely for the ideals of Tamil freedom, but then in a matter of few seconds he has betrayed the hopes and aspirations of millions for Tamils for dignity and pride. He might have been a brave fighter and was rewarded for his deeds. However, the struggle for Tamil freedom is a collective one and no one individual could make a claim. Karuna should not forget the sacrifice of thousands of Tamils from various districts who laid down their lives under the brilliant and collective leadership of the LTTE. Eastern fighters as well fighters from other areas equally contributed to the various victories. At the same time, Karuna should not forget the fact that it was the leadership provided by Vellupillai Prabakaran that cultivated moral and material support from the millions of Tamils all across the world. The Tamil Diaspora considers Prabakaran as the leader of world Tamils
Karuna's misguided rebellion is a temporary setback for the Tamil liberation movement. He might have had some grievances, but he unable to articulate them to the national leadership. He refused to answer the charges leveled against him. But instead went ahead to strike a peace deal with Chandrika Kumaratunga through the Norwegians. More than this, it is also rumored that he might have some secret dealings with the Sri Lankan armed forces. Having openly and secretly colluded with the enemy forces, he still has the temerity to claim that his faction constitutes the LTTE's eastern command. For unpardonable treacherous acts, the LTTE leadership has stripped him over his ranks and removed him form the eastern command. Lately, when he refused to accept the amnesty offer, he was ordered to be removed.
Karuna's treachery knows no limits. Following the split, he went public to criticize the leadership and to question the very basis of Tamil nationhood. It was the same Karuna who briefed the LTTE's Constitutional Affairs Committee that was instructed to come up with an interim administration proposal for the north and east. But today, he is saying that the east should not be linked with the north to constitute the homeland for Tamils. Karuna has played right into the hands of those reactionary forces that have long denied east as part of the Tamil homeland. Why this double-talk now? Why is he abandoning all that he said during the discussions on the interim administration proposal? What did he receive from the enemy forces that were so enticing and seductive that he would not think twice of abandoning the historical Tamil cause? It is obvious that more than two decades of political and military struggle have not endowed him with any degree of political maturity to fathom the larger cause of Tamil nationalism. Perhaps this one of the weaknesses of the LTTE; it has not only produced magnificent fighters but also political pigmies like Karuna.
Enemies of the LTTE are rejoicing; they can't wait for the ultimate destruction of the outfit. The Karuna factor provides with all the meat they need to dish our juicy stories to the world about the ill-fated nature of the Tamil liberation movement. Some of the famous anti-LTTE publications are reverting back to reality testing; caste-considerations blind them to anything worthwhile in a Dravidian-based national liberation movement. They cannot stomach the fact that world Tamils are not looking at Tamil Nadu but Tamil Eelam for a new inspirations. In a more particular sense, they are horrified to see Vellupillai Prabakaran as the new emerging Tamil hero! Once the LTTE Supremo was lambasted with all kinds of accusations, today with the Karuna factor capturing the headlines, he is castigated as the promoter of regionalism. Alternatively, Karuna is depicted as person who scarified much but blatantly wronged by Prabakaran. In a typical fashion, anti-LTTE forces are bent on resuscitating Karuna not because they love him but because they cannot stand the LTTE hierarchy in general and Prabakaran in particular.
Having met and discussed with various leaders of the Tamil national liberation movement including Karuna himself, I do not think that Karuna actions would pose a major problem for the Tamil nationalist movement. Karuna might be ambitious and has all the trapping of a feudal Gomindang warlord, but lacks the political credentials to inhibit or further the Tamil cause. His blatant sectarianism and regional chauvinism will hamper the political, social and economic advancement of Tamils. He might have some loyal adherents for a while, but sooner than later, he true intentions will be exposed. Initially, I like many others was puzzled as to why he made the decision to quite the outfit, but subsequent investigations revealed that his complaint of regional bias was not the real cause of the split. Rather it was merely invoked to hide his gross financial misappropriations, immoral conduct and not to speak of his vaulting ambition to be a leaders of a sort.
It really saddens me and millions of Tamils all over the world that one-time great Tamil commander and a close confidante of Prabakaran would stoop so low to betray the long and difficult struggle waged by ordinary Tamils in Tamil Eelam. Today, he is giving countless press interviews to perpetrate the view that Prabakaran gave up his ideal of separate Tamil Eelam. Having closely followed developments in Tamil Eelam for more than a decade, I certainly find this lie extremely nasty and objectionable. There is no iota of evidence anywhere to indicate that Prabakaran gave up the idea of a separate state. Prabakaran has always consistently maintained the argument from the time of the ceasefire agreement to the present that if substantial autonomy were not granted to Tamils in the north and east, the LTTE would not have no choice but seek the solution of a separate Eelam. The eagerness to separate and to seek political accommodation with the enemies of Tamil people has clouded the mind of Karuna to a point where he is unable to exercise his judgment.
I believe that the LTTE leadership will surmount the present crises without much difficulty in the near future. Karuna's boast of having a few thousand cadres to meet any challenge from the north should not be taken very seriously. Desertions from his camps are frequently taking place. Elections in the country will have to be concluded before the LTTE takes a more decisive action to weed the Karuna element before the cancer of treachery spreads. Meanwhile, the Sinhala establishment should maintain its neutrality in the present internal conflict within the LTTE. Overt or covert attempts to support the renegade Karuna would be interpreted as a hostile act by the LTTE with serious implications for the maintenance of peace.</span>
<img src='http://kuruvikal.yarl.net/archives/PETBIRD1.gif' border='0' alt='user posted image'>