Sivaram Dharmeratnam: a Man with Rare Charisma

Dharmeratnam Sivaram (Taraki)

Siva - a Man with Rare Charisma
Sunday Leader Appreciation - Gamini Weerakoon

".... I offered him the highest payment made for a free-lance contribution at that time by my paper.He had left it to me to find a nom de plume and since both of us wanted his identity to be kept confidential, I on my own decided on the feminine name of 'Tharakki'. But the best laid plans of editors are blown sky high by sub-editors who want to make their own contributions. When I saw the article in print, the name was Tarraki, the name of the former deposed Afghan dictator! Siva was amused and so we let it be and later it took various forms until the present name of 'Taraki' came to be..."

The expression of grief from most quarters of the Colombo media over the tragic death of Dharmaratnam Sivaram alias Taraki is remarkable in that his political ideology differed very much from that of his Sinhalese sympathisers. Yet, this man of a few words had an indefinable quality that captured the rapt attention and respect of his readers even though some of them did not go along with his thinking, especially on what he wrote in the last few years.

But there was affection and admiration for him, who in his own way, openly backed an anti- Sinhalese, ruthless terrorist organisation while living among the Sinhalese. Whether it was his macho past-a former guerrilla fighter, military commander of PLOTE having opted for democratic politics- his plain sincerity and honesty or his ability to understand a point of view different from his is hard to guess. Siva, the swarthy, bespectacled man of medium stature, certainly had a rare charisma.

It was sometime in 1989, that to my surprise, I received a call from Richard De Zoysa, who met with his tragic death in the same way as Siva. He asked me whether The Island would like to have a columnist who was extremely knowledgeable about the north-east conflict. I was surprised because Richard and I were mere acquaintances and had nothing in common, but he cleared my doubts.

He said something like this: "I know you and I will not agree on many things and this columnist too does not go along with your thinking, but we are aware your paper publishes many points of view- even those that go against your editorial views," he said.

We met a few days later at the Art Centre Club. It was about 18 years ago and Siva looked almost a youth. He was not over effusive and canvassing for a job. He was terse and said he could write a weekly column for the Sunday Island on matters concerning the north and east. We spoke about the prevailing situation in the north and east at that time and I was very much impressed by his knowledge and interpretation of events. I offered him the highest payment made for a free-lance contribution at that time by my paper.

He had left it to me to find a nom de plume and since both of us wanted his identity to be kept confidential, I on my own decided on the feminine name of 'Tharakki'. But the best laid plans of editors are blown sky high by sub-editors who want to make their own contributions. When I saw the article in print, the name was Tarraki, the name of the former deposed Afghan dictator! Siva was amused and so we let it be and later it took various forms until the present name of 'Taraki' came to be.

His first article - if I remember right - "Military Strategies of the Tamil National Army" - caused consternation amongst political, military, diplomatic, journalistic, and NGO circles including paid informants to some of these organisations. There were many inquiries made including one whom I suspected to be a paid informant to the military who was working in our office. He was not a journalist and was called the 'Colonel Blimp.' He asked me for the columnist's identity and I laughed in his face reminding him about the journalistic practice of keeping identities secret. He walked off in a huff. But he had enough resources to 'spy' on me and have those who came to my office watched. In a few weeks, he identified Siva who used to come in with his column every week. That was how Taraki's cover was blown, although some with fevered imaginations now have produced their own versions involving themselves.

I had no problems with Siva's column. He obviously read my mind and knew my limitations under the law and my feelings towards the LTTE and the Indian involvement. He, most of the time kept away from writing about ideology and instead wrote on military strategies and operations. This was sailing very close to the law such as the Prevention of Terrorism Act, Official Secrets Act, Public Security Act etc. but I was willing to take that risk. During his entire stay with The Island, I had no problem and I cannot recall a single instance of drastically editing a column of his.

In the few years he was on The Island, Siva came to be regarded as an oracle on north- east affairs. He was much sought after. Siva was offered an IVP travel grant by the American government which he accepted and took off promising to return and write about his American tour. But that was not to be.

After his US tour he crossed over to Canada. One night I received a call from Canada from a former journalist of The Island, D.B.S. Jeyaraj, who had a rendezvous with Siva in Ottawa. They were in high spirits and were deeply appreciative of the good times they had working together with me. I was delighted that they appreciated working together with me - two Tamil colleagues. This was indeed a refreshing change from those namby- pamby, half -baked Sinhalese who are still hell bent on calling me a 'chauvinist' because I write in support of all Sri Lankans including the Sinhalese and do not spit on my own people

Siva then went over to London. There I believe he met another Tamil journalist, a very strong LTTE activist working for a British TV organisation. Siva had introduced this journalist to me in Colombo and this person appeared to have a very strong influence over Siva's political thinking. I believe that Siva, in London, swung over to the LTTE from the neutral stance he had taken earlier towards this organisation.

He came back to Sri Lanka and joined another organisation and his writing by then was positively pro-LTTE. He later edited the North-East Journal and finally Tamilnet.

Siva died poor as it happens almost to every good journalist. The whole nation weeps when journalists die in a tragic manner, but forgets about them the next day. Siva was a free-lance journalist, one who was paid by the article. There was no pension or provident fund for him. He leaves behind only his writings, which surely will become a part of the history of this country and of course the profits he earned for his newspapers to those institutions. But nothing for his family.

Let those funeral orators and obituarists who wept for him also give a thought to his wife and three children he has left behind.