Contents

Comment by tamilnation.org
13 May 2005

We publish here a letter  that we received on 3 May 2005 from Mr.R.Jeyadevan's solicitors together with our response of the same date. The letters are self explanatory. It now appears that Mr.Jeyadevan's letters (non publication of which he had complained) were sent by email to the wrong address [email protected] instead of sathyam and that explains why we had not received them. Subsequent to our response to Mr.Jeyadevan's solicitors, these emails have been resent to us (to the correct address) and were received by us on 12 May 2005 - and are published herein.

As we mentioned on 14 April, it was after some reflection that we posted the articles concerning Rajasingham Jeyadevan.

The reason for our hesitation was that on the one hand, we felt that an open discussion of the issues, would strengthen the struggle rather than weaken it.  On the other hand, we were concerned to avoid serving the interests of those who may be  simply intent on undermining the struggle for Tamil Eelam, for which so many of our brothers and sisters have given not only their lives, but also of their lives.

At the same time, we were hopeful that those who may be critical of some of the actions of the LTTE cadres would also feel duty bound to give expression in a concrete fashion to their own commitment to the struggle of the people of Tamil Eelam to be free from alien Sinhala rule. We may be wrong, but we believe that nothing is gained by consorting with the enemies of the struggle.

However, it appears that we were somewhat naive in believing that an open discussion will  generate light rather than heat. Some of the emails that we received (and which we did not publish) were abusive and defamatory of those who had taken a different view. And in some emails that we did publish, we edited out the abuse, whilst retaining the main thrust of that which was said.

Clearly feelings have run high, as is evidenced by the step taken by Mr.Jeyadevan to instruct solicitors on the basis of the non publication of emails that we had in fact not received and which appear to have been sent to the wrong address. Mr.Jeyadevan has not found the need to express regret for the error that he had made in this regard.  Mr.Jeyadevan in his email of 1 May (received by us on 12 May) suggests that 'we use our influence' to arrange a live media debate on TV on the issues that have arisen, 'instead of dealing with them piecemeal' . tamilnation.org does not regard organising live media debates on TV as part of its remit.

In all the circumstances, it is with regret that we have decided to bring to an end the discussion in these pages on the Case of Rajasingham Jeyadevan and to close this correspondence.

Comment by tamilnation.org- 14 April 2005 -

It is after some reflection that we post here the articles concerning Rajasingham Jeyadevan - written by his brother Dr.Rajasingham Narendran, and by  journalist D.B.S. Jeyaraj.

We are mindful that these articles appeared in the Colombo based Sri Lanka Sunday Leader - and, admittedly, that is not without relevance. We are also mindful that the views of the writers as to the justice of the struggle for an independent Tamil Eelam, may have had some influence on that which they have written.

Again, it is true that an armed struggle for liberation is no afternoon tea party. And, it is also true that a guerrilla force will need to secure its own survival in order that the opposing forces are completely defeated - and that it is in that way that  it may truly protect the people whose cause, it is fighting.

But having said that, the matters raised in these articles and in the statement made by Rajasingham Jeyadevan himself,  are such that silence may not be an option. Some 4 years ago, in July 1999, we wrote in Sri Sabaratnam Revisited -

Wherein, then,  lies the answer?

One the one hand, the words of Regis Debray remain true. A guerrilla movement must, perforce, be directed from the inside by those who have been willing to commit their entire life to the struggle.

On the other hand, the success of the struggle requires the committed support of broader and broader sections of the Tamil people - including those who  have been unwilling to commit their life or for that matter put at risk their family, their children or their 'position in society'.

Here, the political reality is that the broad based support of a people and their unity of purpose can be built only around that which a people perceive to be right.

There is no quick fix. Unity will not be achieved by assassinating the character of those who may differ  from us. Unity will not be achieved by slandering as traitors those who are committed to the struggle for an independent Tamil state but who may differ (even wrongly) on the steps  to achieve that goal.  None of us is the font of all wisdom.

Here, something that we wrote in When Pirabakaran Triumphs in October 1998 may be relevant -

"The principles of natural justice demand that no one shall be punished without being heard, that those who judge shall be impartial and not moved by personal considerations. Again, justice must not only be done but must also be (publicly) seen to done. And the punishment meted out should be proportionate to the offence.

These are not matters simply of procedural law or social contract. They are deep rooted and seem to touch our innate (natural) sense of justice - and humanity. The Tamil people are a people not without common-sense and they will have no sympathy with those who are proven traitors and who have, by their actions, placed the lives of those who are struggling for freedom at risk. At the same time, they will distance themselves from a movement which offends against their innate sense of justice and humanity.

In the end, a guerrilla movement derives its strength from the people whose cause it represents - and it will need to place its trust on the wisdom of that people. Indeed, if it is to succeed, it has no other option. If it seeks blind support, it may end up only with blind supporters.

Unless the actions taken by the guerrilla movement are seen to be patently just, public support for the guerrilla movement may erode and the 'desire of waverers' to cross over to the enemy may increase. And the enemy will spare no effort to promote this movement - and in this way nurture 'factions'..."

As the leader of the struggle for an independent Tamil Eelam, the LTTE carries with it the onerous responsibility of securing that the actions of its cadres are patently just and fair - and are seen to be so - however difficult that task may be, acting as the LTTE  must, within the constraints of a guerrilla movement facing attacks from many fronts. Again, even guerrilla movements may not be immune to power struggles within sections of their ranks and the ensuing fall outs.  Be that all as it may,  in the case of  Rajasingham Jeyadevan, there may be a need for the LTTE to  set the record straight.

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam

The Case of Rajasingham Jeyadevan

March/May 2005

  D.B.S. Jeyaraj in the Sinhala owned Sri Lanka Sunday Leader, 13 March 2005
Dr. Rajasingham Narendran in the Sinhala owned Sri Lanka Sunday Leader, 20 March 2005
D.B.S. Jeyaraj in the Sinhala owned Sri Lanka Sunday Leader, 20 March 2005
Media report of British Pressure false says LTTE Chief Negotiator, Anton Balasingham, 22 March 2002
Verdict of High Court in London on Temple Transfer, 9 April 2005
Statement by Rajasingham Jeyadevan in British Harrow Times, 14 April 2005
A Tamil writes from USA 18 April 2005
Rajasingham Jeyadevan writes to International Red Cross, 19 April 2005
A Tamil writes from Colombo, 19 April 2005

"...Prabaharan dealt with the current Sinhala politicians who are more despicable than their predecessors in a language that they understood and that is how we are in this position. These Doctors and Professors have their own personal agendas ... To explain and make them understand that the Tamil Community is distinct and have a right to live in this country as equals is like teaching sartorial elegance to a nudist colony..."

On Caste, Avvayar & Dr.Rajasingham Narendran - Sachi Sri Kantha 20 April 2005

"...On Narendran�s first complaint about LTTE�s �resurrection of the caste system�, I�d remind him of poet Avvayar�s quatrain on two castes.

�Saathi irandoliya verrillai saarunggaal
Iddar uyar kulathor;
Idaathaar Thaal kulathor
Pattankil Ullapadi.�

...those who provided the military services voluntarily [poralikal] and the immediate family members [porali kudumbam] for Eelam liberation need to be recognized as belonging to the �higher caste� according to poet Avvayar�s maxim and need not be ridiculed by folks like Narendran..."

Response by Dr.Rajasingham Narendran, 21 April 2001

Sachi Sri Kantha Responds to Dr.Rajasingham Narendran - Indeed, We See an Astronomical Phenomenon in the Skies, after 500 Years, 22 April 2005

"If one reads the history of past five centuries, cultural and economic progress of Tamils were blunted and hindered because of loss of warrior values perfected in the preceding 1,500 years by the Tamils. ..It is to the credit of LTTE leader Pirabhakaran that he [among  more than 60 millions of living Tamils] thought of this curse seriously 30 years ago, and did make progress to �catch up on lost time� for Tamils. Indeed, Pirabhakaran�s army and the support force [Thunai Padai], to borrow Narendran�s cynical phrase, are �astronomical phenomenon in the skies�, which Tamils haven�t seen for the past five centuries. If one studies the history book line by line, this is a real fact and not sycophancy..."

Rajasingham Jeyadevan responds to Sach Sri Kantha, 23 April 2005 (received by tamilnation.org on 12 May 2005)

Ramachandran Raviraj from Chennai - 'Need for Healthy Debate' 23 April 2005

"An interesting forum for interaction of thoughts on the so called �case of Rajasingham Jeyadevan� has been created in your e-media. tamilnation.org's comment of 14 April 2005 on this matter, is well articulated and I take my hat off for stating your views so eloquently. Instead of your comments becoming the basis of a healthy debate, attempts are being made to subvert and sidetrack the subject matter by indulging in personal attacks."

E.T.Agnosticus - 'Need for the Tamil Community to have a vigorous internal debate about its values, its future, and the LTTE�s key role in its liberation', 24 April 2005

"To my mind, Dr. Rajasingham Narendran�s writings come off as heartfelt and authentic. Indeed, much of what he says makes sense. Dr. Satchi Sri Kantha�s effort to answer his criticism comes off as contrived .. for he ignores the central question: Are the facts of the case involving Mr. Jeyadevan and as reported by the media and collected by tamilnation.org true? If not true, why is the LTTE silent on the issue? Mr. Anton Balasingham�s explanations on TamilNet simply do not address any of the core issues..."

A Tamil from Canada - Blessed are the Peacemakers, 24 April 2005

"Almost all who had been to Wanni in the recent past had come out with nothing but praise and love for the people and the land, except what is known about Jeyadevan and his friend. Based on the information available to-date, it appears that a personal squabble with its source primarily between two brothers-in-law (Jey & Seeva)  has catapulted and/or been manipulated - thrusting a struggle into the struggle. Lapse is unusual and ought to be rectified and/or clarified..."

Rajasingham Jeyadevan responds to Sachi Sri Kantha, 25 April 2005 (received by tamilnation.org on 12 May 2005)

Sachi Sri Kantha Responds - Sifting Kernels from Chaff, 27 April 2005

"..It appears that my critics are barking at the wrong tree, in addition to misrepresenting my views. In my first communication [20 April], I had clearly stated that the Jeyadevan case has two inter-twined components;  (1) the Case Proper, and  (2) How the Case Proper was presented in the media by the Tamil journalists like D.B.S.Jeyaraj and K.T.Rajasingham [who runs the Asian Tribune service]. I also stressed that on the Case Proper, one cannot comment without being informed of all the delicate details. My focus was on how the Case Proper was presented to the media, with extraneous embellishments by the two cited journalists as well as by Jeyadevan�s brother R.Narendran...One should also wonder why in Jeyadevan�s statements to (1) British Harrow Times [14 April 2005 � James Brockett reporting] and (2) International Red Cross in Geneva [19 April 2005], .... (the) important role of his past links to LTTE had been completely omitted. Isn�t this some deception to mislead the Tamil public?..That (Narendran) comes out in the open to defend his younger brother, only after Jeyadevan�s recent detention smacks to me as some kind of Aesopian �sour grapes� syndrome. Am I wrong?.."

Esan Satkunarajah, Canada - Need for Cool Heads, 28 April 2004

Indunil Fernando on the Case of Rajasingham Jeyadevan

 ".Since only one side's (Jeyadevan�s) views have been exposed in the media, it may be good to bring the views of the other side as well. The anti-LTTE or anti-Tamil media found a lot of meat in the story and they have been covering it in detail. However there are some facts that were either not disclosed or purposely hidden from the readers..."

Rajasingham Jeyadevan responds to Indunil Fernando, 1 May 2005 (received by tamilnation.org on 12 May 2005)

Letter from Jeyadevan's Lawyers re tamilnation.org & Response on behalf of tamilnation.org 3 May 2005

Comment by tamilnation.org 13 May 2005

"...Clearly feelings have run high, as is evidenced by the step taken by Mr.Jeyadevan to instruct solicitors on the basis of the non publication of emails that we had in fact not received and which appear to have been sent to the wrong address. Mr.Jeyadevan has not found the need to express regret for the error that he had made in this regard.  Mr.Jeyadevan in his email of 1 May (received by us on 12 May) suggests that 'we use our influence' to arrange a live media debate on TV on the issues that have arisen 'instead of dealing with them piecemeal' . tamilnation.org does not regard organising live media debates on TV as part of its remit...In all the circumstances, it is with regret that we have decided to bring to an end the discussion in these pages on the Case of Rajasingham Jeyadevan and to close this correspondence."

D.B.S. Jeyaraj in the Sinhala owned Sri Lanka Sunday Leader, 13 March 2005 -

The arrest, detention, interrogation, duress, coercion, mental torture and criminal misappropriation of property suffered by a London based Sri Lankan Tamil, Rajasingham Jeyadevan at the hands of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam has exposed several fault lines of an organization claiming to fight for Tamil liberation. The pain and agony undergone by this British resident in the Wanni is all the more pathetic because Jeyadevan was a man who supported the LTTE wholeheartedly in the past and was never found wanting in espousing the Tamil cause. The Rajasingham Jeyadevan affair with its ramifications is indicative of the once proud Tamil liberation struggle deteriorating into opportunistic mafia like gangsterism.

"Will you come into my parlour" said the spider to the fly in the nursery rhyme. Grown up, mature, man of the world, types are enticed into the Tiger lair in the Wanni through attractive incentives. Once in Tiger clutches they are helpless victims as the felines "play" around with them as cats do to mice in their paws.

Jeyadevan was incarcerated and held incommunicado by the Tigers from Jan 8th till March 9th. While suffering mental torture he was not allowed to communicate with his family in London. His father in law passed away in London from a massive heart attack after hearing about the shocking plight of his son in law. The LTTE did not release Jeyadevan even then. Finally appropriate pressure exerted by British authorities on the LTTE succeeded in getting the man released last Wednesday at 2. 30 pm.

49 year old Jeyadevan is an accountant by profession. Though a staunch supporter of the Tigers in Britain the independent firebrand had fallen foul of LTTE bigwigs in Britain and had been sidelined during recent times from the organizations activities in London. This had not dampened his spirits and Jeyadevan continued in his own way to serve the Tamil cause and community in Britain.

He had pioneered many Tamil oriented projects in the past. Among these was the Eelap Patheeswarar Sivan temple of which he was the managing trustee. Another of his projects was the Tamil Community Housing Association. Jeyadeva was working full time as its director until recently. Though a diehard LTTE supporter Jeyadevan was viewed by the Tiger leadership in Britain as an "enemy". The LTTE infiltrated the Housing Association board and got Jeyadevan's services terminated. He has filed legal action in this matter.

The Tigers were also keen on getting Jeyadevan out of the temple management. The LTTE has been eying Hindu temples in North - East Sri Lanka and abroad for quite some time now as a perennial cash cow. Almost all temples earning reasonable revenue through devotee donations are now paying a regular levy to the LTTE in Sri Lanka. The amount differs according to the revenue generating capacity of each temple.

Most Sri Lankan Tamil managed Hindu temples abroad are paying a levy too. In some cases Tiger stooges have taken over the temple management through fair and foul means. There has been resistance to these moves in the case of some temples resulting in even overt violence and covert intimidation. Ironically some temple managements resisting Tiger machinations are LTTE supporters too. They object to LTTE interfering in religion and also to their being ousted from temple control. On the other hand some of the outwardly pro - Tiger people trying to wrest control of temples in the name of the LTTE are neither "true" Tigers nor "pious" Hindus. It is very often a tussle for power, position, prestige and of course profit.

Jeyadevan was the pivotal force in establishing the Eelap Patheeswarar Sivan temple in 2000 at Ealing Road in Alperton ,Wembley, Middlesex. It was he who had insisted on the "Eela" to be included in the official name as a sign of Eelam patriotism. The temple had become quite popular over the years in spite of 17 Sri Lankan Tamil owned Hindu places of worship existing in Britain. By this time Jeyadevan was out of the LTTE loop in London due to various reasons. He put all his input into developing this temple while claiming to be a Tiger supporter despite the London LTTE hierarchy being estranged from him.

With the Eelap Patheeswarar temple becoming a successful temple the LTTE tried hard to gain control but Jeyadevan with his purported authentic Tiger credentials stood firm. Usually the Tigers brand anyone they dont like or who holds a different opinion or displays some independence as "traitor" and vilify him. They could not do that in the case of Jeyadevan because of his track record. Many people recognized that the attempts to infiltrate the temple and oust Jeyadevan was nothing but a profit - motivated exercise for power that had nothing to do with Tamil liberation.

The LTTE did manage to get hold of at least one temple trustee named Sivarajah but found others backing up Jeyadevan solidly. Most of them were ardent Tiger supporters but were opposed to these insidious moves. Finding that this kind of "paruppu" (lentil) will not boil in this type of "thanneer" (water) the London Tigers changed tactics. Instead of blowing hot they started blowing cool. Two persons "Bala" Master and "Paambu" Ajith started cultivating Jeyadevan.

Sudharsan alias "Bala" master was a German citizen involved in Tiger fund raising there. he had got into some difficulty and was asked to come over to the "Wanni". It is said that after some punishment he was rehabilitated. Bala master then moved to London and began collecting money for the LTTE. "Paambu' (Snake) Ajith was a former bodyguard of Tiger leader Velupillai Pirapakaran who came over to Britain with Sathasivampillai Krishnakumar alias Kittu in 1989. It was suspected then that he had been sent to monitor the erstwhile Jaffna LTTE commanders movements.

Paambu Ajith and Bala master convinced Jeyadevan that the problems he had with the London LTTE was basically "local" and had nothing to do with the LTTE hierarchy in the Wanni.. The Tiger leadership there was very much appreciative of Jeyadevan's patriotism and service to the community. The LTTE supremo himself wanted to meet Jeyadevan personally and iron out differences.

If Jeyadevan met the "Sungod" personally all his London - centered problems would vanish like the morning dew in sunshine they promised. He could return to London restored to former glory and put all his opponents in their places they suggested. Jeyadevan did not merely nibble the bait but swallowed it fully hook, line and sinker!

He made arrangements to go to the Wanni in late December. Jeyadevan was to take with him about 8500 pound sterling to be donated on behalf of the temple to the Navam Arivukkoodam. This is a rehabilitation project for maimed Tigers run in the name of Lt. Col Navam who sacrificed his life voluntarily to save Pirapakaran during the IPKF days in the Wanni. Navam a youth of up country Tamil origin was himself without a whole arm but managed very efficiently and effectively. Jeyadevan was scheduled to reach Colombo on Dec 27th.

The tsunami on Dec 26th did not change his plans but Jeyadevan made a special arrangement on behalf of the temple for tsunami relief. It was announced that the temple collection on Jan 1st would be donated in full to tsunami relief. Jeyadevan proceeded as planned to Colombo on Dec 27th and stayed with his sister in law. The Ealing road temple collected over 15, 000 pounds on new year day. Another trustee and secretary to the temple board Vivekanandan took this money and reached Colombo on Jan 3rd of this year.

Both Jeyadevan and Vivekanandan are close friends and firm supporters of the LTTE. While Jeyadevan is a British permanent resident but holding a Sri Lankan passport Vivekanandan is a British citizen. He works as a sales assistant. Jeyadevan and Vivekanandan reached Kilinochchi on Jan 8th morning and met the LTTE official in charge of overseas Tiger branches Veerakathi Manivannan alias Castro. He is a native of Poligandy and an old student of Hartley College, Point Pedro.

Injured in the Elephant pass battle of 1991 Castro is paralysed and confined to a wheel chair. His role has increased in scope and power after the 2002 ceasefire. The supervisory role of chief procurer KP has been done away with and Castro is now in sole charge. He exercises control over overseas branches directly through phone, fax, e - mail and personal courier. Castro has removed many old hands and packed the Tiger offices with his own lackeys.

In typical LTTE duplicity Jeyadevan and Vivekanandan were welcomed profusely. The money they took was handed over officially to the LTTE in two ceremonies where former LTTE international spokesperson and current Tamil Rehabilitation Organization planning director Lawrence Christie (Thilagar) was present. After a sumptuous lunch both were told that Pirapakaran is awaiting them and led to a vehicle. They were blindfolded for security purposes - they were told - as the LTTE leaders whereabouts were top secret. Thrilled at the prospect of seeing their "Sooriyadevan" face to face and being blinded by his dazzle the unsuspecting men sped along blindfolded into the trap.

Instead of the supremo's abode they were taken to what seemed an old , virtually deserted house. They were locked up in fortified, darkened rooms. They were kept in solitary confinement. They were periodically taken out for "interrogation". Made to sleep on the bare floor they were plagued by rodents and insects. Rats, cockroaches, red ants, white ants, lizards, centipedes and scorpions were abundant in the darkened room.

Vivekanandan a vegetarian from childhood was horrified when he saw two dead mice floating in the earthen jar from which he was drinking water. Later a nephew of Vivekanandan working in the LTTE medical unit stood guarantee for his uncle and got Vivekanandan out. He had to present himself regularly for interrogation but Jeyadevan the chief target languished in the "prison".

The interrogation was spearheaded by Castro himself. Jeyadevan was shown a "petition" signed by three people. One was Sivarajah from the temple trust. The other two were Navanayagam and Ramaraj from the housing association. Castro told him that the petition was handed over to him personally by a London based businessman Mathanarajan. It soon became obvious that the LTTE's objective was to pressurise Jeyadevan into transferring control of his money spinning temple to other Tiger agents in London. The "gentle" Vivekanandan cracked soon and was willing to relinquish control but Jeyadevan was made of sterner stuff. After weeks he too gave in.

So Vivekanandan was given power of attorney through a document purportedly drafted by a London solicitor. Another deed also drafted in London transferred ownership and control of the Eeelap Patheeswarar temple to the Sivayogam trust in Tooting, London. This trust originally set up in the name of Sri Lankan Tamil sage Yogar Swamigal was now controlled by Nagendran Seevaratnam on behalf of the LTTE.

In another bizarre twist Seevaratnam happened to be married to Jeyadevan's younger sister. Since that marriage itself was amid controversial circumstances both Seevaratnam and Jeyadevan were estranged and were not on speaking terms. Vivekanandan returned to London with necessary documentation to transfer temple control to Seevaratnam.

The fall and rise of Seevaratnam in LTTE circles makes an interesting study. This native of Myliddy is an accountant too. While working in Nigeria he accompanied Kumaran Pathmanathan alias KP of the LTTE on a fund raising campaign in Africa. KP too is from Myliddy. Later Seevaratnam went on a fund raising campaign to the US for the specific purpose of buying anti - aircraft missiles. While Seevaratnam's family was in India the man moved to London. He started the English fortnightly "Tamil Voice International" in London to compete with the independent "Tamil Times".

This was during the IPKF period. Anton Balasingham the LTTE political adviser also returned to London during this period. Soon there was an undeclared battle between Balasingham and Seevaratnam to be numero uno Tiger in the UK. The famous intra - Tiger London battle between " Sinna" Kugan and "Periya" Kugan in those days was actually a proxy war between Bala and Seeva. This was resolved when Pirapakaran removed both the kugans and appointed Segar as London chief. Segar is the brother of "ideas" Vasu, James and Sundari all of them LTTE leaders who died in the conflict.

Seevaratnam also organized two international conferences in London during 1988 and 1989. This writer too presented a paper at the 1989 Conference . Some of the attendees were A.P. Venkateshwaran, P Upendra, S. Unnikrishnan, NVN Somu, Aaladi Aruna, Prof. A.J Wilson, Samantha Datta Ray, Viduthalai Veeramani etc. When Kittu took over in London he found the TVI magazine a heavy drain on the Tiger purse. He also found Seevaratnam's accounts flawed. Moreover Seevaratnam was involved romantically with a TVI employee who was half his age while his wife and family remained in Chennai.

The puritanical Praba wanted Seevaratnam out because of this. While Kittu was planning to get Seeva out, the TVI made a great blunder. Jeya Wilson the former Oxford Union President and Prof. AJ Wilsons niece was then writing an "ask Rani" column for the TVI. Instigated by Seevaratnam a question was posed in the magazine whether Balasingham had a Ph D. She answered with substantiated facts that he did not have one. Until that time everyone was addressing Bala as "Dr Bala". The myth was blown ironically enough in a Tiger journal. This was enough pretext for Kittu. The TVI was stopped and Seevaratnam put in cold storage.

Subsequently Seevaratnam obtained a divorce and married the girl with whom he had a liaison. She was none other than Jeyadevan's sister. There was no love lost between the brothers in law. While Seevaratnam went off the Tiger radar in London, the stock of Jeyadevan was rising high in British Tamil circles. Apart from the Wembley temple Jeyadevan was also a founding member of the International Federation of Tamils, The Confederation of Tamils, the Tamil Refugee Action council, the Tamil Community Housing association, the Kingsbury Tamil school etc. He was also the administrator of the LTTE English journal "The Tamil Guardian". Jeyadevan was then the virtual head of the LTTE supporters in Britain.

Jeyadevan was also active in Labour party politics. Till he moved recently to Millhill he was an active member of the party in Brent North. Jeyadevan was closely associated with the sitting MP Barry Gardiner. It was Jeyadevan who was responsible for getting Gardiner involved in Sri Lankan Tamil affairs. The Tiger activist enjoyed personal rapport with many Labour MP's and has organized several conferences, mass meetings, processions and demonstrations in Britain with these politicos in attendance.

Jeyadevan has also contested local authority elections on the Labour party ticket in the 2002 poll he contested Edgware in North - West London and got 897 votes.

The family members of Jeyadevan were Tamil nationalists in Jaffna itself. His father Rajasingham was a well - known writer. Their house in Temple road, Nallur "Kanthan Karunai" was a Tiger base in the eighties. The family moved to Navatkuli where Jeyadevan's mother and a younger brother were shot by the Indian Army. His elder brother Dr. Narendran went public with what happened and in an open letter and provided full details of that atrocity. It is said that Jeyadevan became a full fledged Tiger supporter after that tragedy.

Jeyadevan was of great service to Anton and Adele Balasingham when the couple left Sri Lanka in 1999 and were stranded in South East Asia without passports or visas. It was Jeyadevan who used his "pull" with the British establishment and got new passports and other documents for both. They were able to relocate to London and obtain medical treatment mainly due to Jeyadevan's efforts.

Relations between Balasingham and Jeyadevan soured as the latter being a "Vanangaamudi" (unbowed head) refused to be a sycophant of Bala "Annai". It is also well - known that Balasingham wants to be the solitary "moon" reflecting the "Sun" Pirapakarans lustre and ruthlessly cuts down any potential rival cut down to size. Another problem was that the scrupulously honest Jeyadevan was having friction with AC Shanthan the LTTE man in charge of finances in London. Balasingham and Shanthan however got on famously.

Around this time occurred another incident that shocked Tamil circles in London. The British Government was about to pass the Anti - Terrorism Act. Jeyadevan and another lawyer Neminathan wanted to challenge that law and the ban on LTTE legally. But unknown to them Balasingham had made a clandestine deal with the British authorities. There would be no crackdown on the LTTE in Britain if the Tigers closed down their offices including the international secretariat formally and adopted a low key presence. The Tigers should not contest the anti - terrorism law or ban. Balasingham fearful of being targeted first if London did come down hard on the Tigers agreed to play along.

Jeyadevan and others went ahead with their plans. This put Balasingham in a fix. He intervened and asked Jeyadevan to stop the legal challenge plan without divulging the real reasons. This resulted in an intense argument. Balasingham began scolding Jeyadevan in filth. Shocked beyond belief Jeyadevan responded by drafting a letter outlining what had happened including Balasingham's recourse to profanity. He circulated it among Tamil circles in Britain, Europe and also sent it to the Wanni. No action was taken against Balasingham but LTTE circles abroad particularly the educated professionals were aghast at the ideologue's conduct. Balasingham was furious and began blacklisting Jeyadevan from LTTE activity . He was aided by Shanthan in this.

The next twist in this sordid game of byzantine (or should we say Thamilian?) intrigue was Seevaratnam coming out of the woodwork to patch up with Balasingham. Both forgot their old enmity and closed ranks against their common foe Jeyadevan in true "Panchathanthra" style. Balasingham needed a counterfoil to Jeyadevan. Seevaratnam wanted rehabilitation and also an opportunity to avenge himself against his brother in law who had hurt him immeasurably in personal relations.

Seevaratnam also had a close relationship with Castro who was at one time tipped to be his future son in law. With Castro gaining greater power over all overseas branches after the ceasefire and mending fences with Balasingham, Seevaratnam was now on the ascendant and getting ready to take on Jeyadevan. This led to the next round of intra - Tiger strife in London.

Seevaratnam took control of the Tooting based Sivayogam trust and set up the Muthumaariyamman temple. Authorised by Castro and backed by Balasingham he began intimidating other Tamil managed projects into accepting his authority. Among these was the well established Tamil school run by Dr. Nithianandan in Wembley. Seevaratnam's priority target however was the Alperton Siva temple for monetary and personal reasons.

Finding Jeyadevan a tough opponent his enemies changed course. The crocodile is strong in water but weak on land. So croc hunters entice it to land by tying up dogs on the bank. Canine flesh is a favourite delicacy of the crocodile. Likewise Jeyadevan's enemies succeeded in getting him way from London where he was strong into the Wanni where he was weak. The bait was a prospective "Dharshan" with the divine leader and a possible opportunity of being restored to his former position in London Tiger circles. This was how Jeyaevan got bamboozled!

Vivekanandan was told by Castro personally that the temple should be transferred to Seevaratnam. As soon as that was done Jeyadevan would be released. No one should talk about this matter or complain to authorities. If that were done Jeyadevan will not be released. Vive returned to London with the documents.

He met other trustees like Koneswaran and Sounthararajan and informed them of the position. The trustees agreed to give up the temple so that Jeyadevan could return safely to Britain. Vivek also talked to Jeyadevan's wife Manchuladevi on the telephone and told her of the position but assured her that Jeyadevan would be release once the temple was transferred to Seeva. So Seevaratnam was asked to come over.

He promptly did so with a solicitor accompanying him and walked in with a swagger to the Alperton temple. The trustees placed their signatures and formally handed the temple over. Seevaratnam left with the sneering remark that he would be back tomorrow to take possession. When asked about Jeyadevan he replied non - committally : I don't know. You all inform Castro that you have transferred temple ownership to me and see what happens".

Vivekanandan who was also the trustee telephoned Castro and informed him of the transfer. But Castro shocked him into silence by saying that the inquiry into Jeyadevan's conduct on the basis of the petition submitted by the London based trio was not over yet. "We have to see whether he is guilty or not. There are so many allegations of financial impropriety and ethical misconduct. If he is found guilty then he will undergo punishment here. Do not bother us with Jeyadevan's matter hereafter, We will take care of it".

The LTTE once again was at its duplicitous worst. Promising Jeyadevan's release the temple had been taken over but now Castro was reneging on his pledge. Too dazed by this Tiger treachery to even speak the spiritual Vivekanandan put down the telephone. He went off into self - imposed seclusion not daring or wanting to speak to anyone.

Worried about the situation Manchuladevi's aged father Ponniah Markandu came over to meet Vivekanandan. Unable to lie or cover up Vivekanandan came out with the whole truth about Jeyadevan's situation. A shocked Markandu broke the news to his daughter. Deeply troubled by the plight of his son in law, the old man suffered a massive heart attack a few hours later and passed away on March 3rd. The LTTE at "Nanthavanam" office in Kilinochchi was informed and entreated to release Jeyadevan to attend the funeral. The Tigers refused to do so.

It was at this stage that housewife Manchuladevi plucked up enough courage or worked up ample anger to go to the Police. Hard as it may be to believe neither family nor friends had gone to the Police earlier. This was due to many reasons. Chief among them was the fear of provoking the Tigers into harming Jeyadevan. Besides they had been devout Tiger supporters throughout and one does not complain about ones "gods" to others easily.

Until Vivekanandan returned the actual situation about Jeyadevan was not known. All that the family knew was that he was last seen going to meet the LTTE leader. The family through several contacts had asked the Wanni Tigers for more information. They were told that he was safe and that he would return soon safely. The family and relatives were asked to keep quiet without creating a fuss as the LTTE does not like that and Jeyadevan may be jeopardised.

With her husband incarcerated and her father dead, Manchuladevi formally lodged a complaint to the British police on March 4th. Jeyadevan and Manchuladevi though living in England for two decades were only permanent residents. They had very recently applied for citizenship. But their three children aged 18 and 14 (twins) were British subjects. So the worried children too formally complained. The Police told her to give them five days time.

Members of the family had been disappointed with the British High Commission in Colombo. The BHC had been very indifferent to Jeyadevan's plight allegedly taking up the position that he was carrying a Sri Lankan passport. The relatives feel that British diplomats in Colombo who are often visiting the Wanni and trying to curry favour with the LTTE may have been hesitant to ruffle Tiger feelings by raising the Jeyadevan issue with Kilinochchi.

Jeyadevan's elder brother Dr. Narendran now in the middle - east also got into the act and used his considerable influence to get the sibling released. A brother in law from North America Thevathasan also went to Colombo and work from that end. Through the help of concerned third parties several Tiger leaders like Thamilselvan, Soosai, Balakumar, Nadesan etc were contacted. They promised to look into the matter but nothing happened. Castro became inaccessible. Shanthan, Balasingham, Seevaratnam etc washed their hands off saying it was a matter for Castro to decide.

The bulk of Tamil media in London too refused to publicise the issue. Even the supposedly independent "Theepam" TV remained silent. Only the Tamil Broadcasting Corporation run by ENDLF stalwart Ramarajan highlighted the issue through several broadcasts. This created a stir among London Tamils. Many could not believe that the Tigers were doing this to a man like Jeyadevan who had identified with the LTTE cause for so long.

The family and friends also sought Brent North MP Barry Gardiner's help. Gardiner proved a true friend. While being reluctant to confront the LTTE openly Gardiner used all his clout to get the authorities working. Gardiner was immensely helpful to Jeyadevan once to get the Balasinghams into Britain. Now he was involved in getting Jeyadevan from LTTE clutches.

A public petition to the Foreign office was drafted by a Tamil lawyer on a humanitarian basis. The Norwegian Embassy in London too was pressurised. Ironically many Tamils coming to Jeyadevan's aid were those dubbed as traitors by Jeyadevan himself. All the pseudo patriotic Tamils were silent. With the ruling Labour party moving in quietly but effectively things began to hum.

The Alperton temple itself was housed in a building that was formerly a Labour party office. Jeyadevan had personally leased it. Seevaratnam had lost no time in establishing his writ and had repainted the old sign with Sivayogam trust. He had also summarily fired eight employees including the Brahmin priests. Now the landlord egged on by some powerful forces went to the "new" temple owners and warned them that their possession was illegal as the temple could not be sub - leased and that they were trespassing. The sacked employees began resorting to legal action.

Vivekanandan was grilled by a special unit at Scotland Yard for four hours. With a definite case being established "other " British authorities got into the act. On March 8th British intelligence officials "invited" Balasingham for a "tea and biscuits" meeting. It was then suggested to him "unofficially" that it would be in the best interests of the LTTE and Balasingham himself to ensure the immediate release of Jeyadevan. It was hinted that British "weather" could turn "nasty" if Jeyadevan did not return safely.

Bala Annai took the hint. It is presumed that he was on the phone with his beloved "Thamby" Velupillai Pirapakaran informing him of the situation. Each LTTE sectional or divisional leader is "God" in the area under purview. But the supreme leader is the all - powerful God. So the LTTE supremo pulled rank with Castro and ordered him to release Jeyadevan. After 59 days of incarceration Jeyadevan was brought to the "Nandavanam" office on March 9th and released officially at 2.30 pm.

It was apparent that some physical force too had been used in the interrogation. In an exhibition of crass hypocrisy the Tigers bade a tearful" farewell publicly and in voices choked with "emotion" asked Jeyadevan to visit again with his family. Privately he was advised to keep a low profile and keep mum about his experience in Tiger land. Jeyadevan returned to Colombo and stayed at an undisclosed location for two days before boarding a plane for Britain on 11th evening. The family was quite nervous as they feared a Tiger squad in Colombo might just "abduct" him to prevent his talking.

This then is the tragic tale of Jeyadevan. He was luckier than most in getting released. Many others are in the realm of the missing still. The Jeyadevan affair has exposed all the duplicitous nature of the LTTE in several dimensions. It also throws light on what many Tamil expatriates are undergoing at the hands of the LTTE. The Jeyadevan affair also illustrates the "intermystic" state of the LTTE and the relationship between the Wanni and the Diaspora. Above all it shows that the so called Liberation movement is now akin to the mafia making "offers hard to refuse". This mafia like control is all the more frightening when one recalls that Mafia origins were in the Sicilian freedom movement.

With the safe release and return of Rajasingham Jeyaevan a tremendous burden is placed upon him. He has been exposed to the real nature of the LTTE. If he is genuinely concerned about the future of the Tamil people then it is his duty to resist the Tiger terror to the best of his ability. This could commence with exposure of the LTTE in the same way that his family exposed the IPKF in the past. He also has a duty to fight legally against those who conspired to deprive him of temple control through duress.

There is also another course open to him. He could like many Tiger victims keep silent and go on as if nothing has happened. He could start another temple instead of reclaiming the misappropriated one. Worse still he could even go along as a Tiger fellow traveller and growl menacingly against all those who rushed to his aid calling them traitors. Of course all these could be purportedly justified in the name of the "larger picture" and safety of his family. Personally I have heard that he is a courageous honourable person with a great deal of integrity. Lonely and difficult as it may be there is only one path to be followed for such persons. I am hopeful that Rajasingham Jeyadevan will - in the words of Spike Lee - do the right thing!

Dr. Rajasingham Narendran in the Sinhala owned Sri Lanka Sunday Leader, 20 March 2005 -

In the Sunday Leader (13th March�05), [and TamilWeek ] D.B.S. Jeyaraj has described in graphic detail (with very few inaccuracies), the extremely worrying episode involving the kidnap and incarceration of my youngest brother, Jayadevan- a British businessman, while on a visit to the Vanni, by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE). This episode has brought into sharp focus the misuse of arrogated power by the LTTE, the sad plight of the Tamils living under its authoritarian rule and the urgent need for immediate resolution of the Sinhala Tamil conflict, reforms in the LTTE and democratic civil governance in the Tamil homeland.

The LTTE are the most effective militant movement to arise from the ferment of the Sinhala- Tamil conflict in Sri Lanka. The rise of militancy among the Tamils in Sri Lanka was the result of the short sightedness, parochialism; lack of vision, political maturity and statesmanship, and political expediency that has characterized the Sinhala political leadership. The Sinhala political establishment was the father, mother, mid-wife and the cradle of the Tamil militancy. Sinhala politicians of all hues, including the recent phenomenon of monk- politicians are still carrying on in their merry old ways to this day, providing sustenance for the strengthening and institutionalization of Tamil militancy. The LTTE was the ultimate response of the Tamil people to the injustice, discrimination, inhumanity and brutality that were being progressively embedded in the socio-political fabric of Sri Lanka against the minority communities- particularly the Tamils.

The progressive strangulation and asphyxiation of the traditional political leadership of the Tamils by the machinations of the Sinhala political establishment, created the space for the militancy to germinate, grow and thrive. Majoritarianism that was practiced in Sri Lanka in its most rabid form, rendered the democratically elected leaders of the Tamils totally impotent in the face of the threats confronting the Tamils and did not permit Tamils of stature to participate in the political process. This vacuum was quickly filled by fortune seekers and, youthful, fiery and idealistic Tamil militants. The Tamil militancy was an expression of the anger and frustration deeply felt by the Tamils. While the Tamilian culture and traditional values precluded the mass participation of the Tamils in the militancy, a majority of the Tamils empathized with the militants and provided them the legitimacy that contributed to their phenomenal growth and strength.

The LTTE stood out as the most dedicated, honest and able movement among the multitude that arose in the wake of the birth of Tamil militancy and Velupillai Prabhaharan�s (affectionately called �Thamby� in the early days) leadership qualities, organizational abilities and military prowess became legendary and a matter of pride for the Tamils. A majority of the Tamils placed their absolute faith in Prabhaharan and in his ability to deliver the utopia in which they will be able to live in freedom as proud citizens, protected by the law and empowered by their inherent abilities.

However, the LTTE as an organization, mistook the apparent passivity of the Tamil people and their absolute faith in Prabhaharan, to be akin to a flock of sheep, which will passively follow a solitary goat in its meandering. The skills that were successfully developed and deployed to confront the Sri Lankan armed forces in the battle fields, were turned against the Tamils themselves during interludes of relative peace by the LTTE, for the personal benefit of their cadres. The deep seismic rumbles that are beginning to stir amongst the Tamils in the face of LTTE misdeeds and which are not yet being sensed by the LTTE, will prove to be their Waterloo, unless rectified. What the Sri Lankan army could not achieve in the battle fields to tame the Tigers, is very likely to be achieved by an irate Tamil community that is just beginning to stir.

The LTTE have begun to believe that they have a life beyond that of the Tamil people and it is their divine right to rule the Tamils and tell them how to conduct their affairs. Instead of the LTTE being for the Tamil people, it is perceived by the LTTE that the Tamil people exist only to sustain them. This topsy-turvy perception has led to the situation where the Tamil people are being forced to realize that the LTTE may be the fire in to which they have consciously fallen, from the frying pan of Sinhala misrule.

The Tamil people are beginning to feel the weight of the LTTE jack boot and are simmering at their impotence in the face of LTTE transgressions. The LTTE is currently playing the combined role of the thief, policeman, judge, executioner and undertaker, without any framework to govern their conduct. The Tamil people have no recourse to justice either in Sri Lanka or in the foreign lands they have migrated against the LTTE transgressions.

The story of my family in the past fifty years in independent Sri Lanka vividly illustrates the plight of an average Tamil. I was a twelve year old boy, when the 1958 ethnic riots were engineered. I witnessed the horrific incidents that took place in Kurunegala, where we lived and read about similar incidents that took place in other cities and towns. I yet vividly remember clinging to my mother along with my other six siblings, on hearing that a Sinhala mob was approaching our house. Luckily my father who was at that time a senior official in the Excise Striking Force and a man of considerable courage, with the help of his rifle and the personal body guard who was a Sinhalese, was able to deter an attack.

Our house became the refuge for many Tamil families in the following days. In 1977, soon after returning to the Peradeniya University as a young Lecturer with a Ph.D from Canada, our home in Pilimatalawa was attacked by a Sinhala mob, during the riots organized by Jayawardena, Cyril Mathew & other racist thugs. My wife, son , two brothers ( Manoharan and Jayadevan) and I had a miraculous escape , but all our possessions including my wife�s thali were looted. We experienced the horrors of running chased by the mob and the life in a refugee camp for several days. Thereafter, I resigned my position at the Peradeniya University and sought employment abroad.

However, the deeply felt desire that my children grow up with the Tamil identity in Sri Lanka, made me admit my nine year old eldest son to an International School in Colombo in 1983. On the day we left Sri Lanka, leaving behind our son with a sister-in law in Colombo, the 1983 riots broke out and our son witnessed and experienced the horrors of a riot , a second time in his short life and became a refugee along with his aunt and other relatives. The anxiety and fear we as parents suffered, until we were able to establish contact with our son and relatives are deeply etched in our memory.

In 1987, the Indian Peace keeping Force (IPKF), shot and killed my mother and brother (Manoharan) in Navatkuli, Jaffna in a cold blooded manner for the only reason that someone had alleged they were LTTE supporters. Valuables were looted from the house by the IPKF over their dead bodies.

It took me a week after their killings to reach the house with the assistance of the Sri Lankan army and air force and cremate their rotting remains. My brother�s young wife became a widow and a few years later a semi- invalid. His young children, a daughter (5 years) and son (1 year +), lost their devoted father and have grown up not knowing a father� s love. We as a family were yet able to withstand this tragedy and expose the misdeeds of the IPKF and the Indian government very vigorously and vociferously.

In 1990, the LTTE chased the watchman who was employed to take care of our house in Navatkuli and looted the contents and fittings. The most valuable and irreplaceable (& unforgivable!) loss were the books that were collected over three generations and the collection of my father�s writings.

There after the LTTE occupied our house, without our permission and proceeded to cut down valuable fruit trees that were painstakingly established and construct buildings on the property. Following the ouster of the LTTE from Jaffna in 1995, the Sri Lankan army occupied the house and vandalized it further. In many a battle fought in the vicinity, the house that was built with my hard earned money was badly damaged.

The ingrained desire to hold on to our Tamil and Sri Lankan identity yet remained so strong (many would call this fool hardy!), that I once again settled my family in Colombo in 1989 and had my children complete their education there. After the current ceasefire agreement, I have initiated the process to rehabilitate the Navatkuli house, with the dream of living there after my retirement.

My youngest brother, Jayadevan, who had migrated to the United Kingdom has become the latest victim of LTTE intrigue , machinations and brutality. He has narrowly escaped death while in the custody of the LTTE for sixty days in Kilinotchi, as he has undergone surgery on his pituitary gland twice and requires sophisticated hormone replacement therapy regularly, which was unavailable in Kilinotchi. His father- in-law suffered a massive heart attack soon after hearing the difficulties my brother was in and died immediately.

We have been the victims of the Sinhala-Tamil conflict in Sri Lanka, as very few have been and have experienced the brutality of this conflict in its many facets from both ends of the stick- the Sinhala mob and the LTTE. It will be unfair if I also do not acknowledge the kindness and support we have received from men and women from both ethnic groups, irrespective of their position or affiliations, during our travails.

This decent and humane face of Sri Lanka, has given us the strength to overcome the pain of our travails and be hopeful that one day Sri Lanka (�Serendib�) would provide the �Serendipity� for all her citizens, always. Our loyalty to our identity as Tamils and the land of our birth, is unquestionable and our credentials on this score are impeccable and unchallengeable. Our only desire is to live as equal citizens, with equal rights, equal opportunities and equal protection from the law, in the land of our birth. How this will be ultimately achieved, whether within a united Sri Lanka or an independent Ealam, only the future and fate will decide. This is the desire of all Tamils, although many being not as fool- hardy as I have been, have migrated to safer locales.

The empathy and support for the LTTE by the Tamils is based only on the premise and belief that they will be instrumental in achieving our cherished goals. If for any reason, the present realities indicate many, the LTTE becomes a hindrance to achieving our goals, they will be condemned to the scrap heap of history, despite their military might. Without the whole hearted support of the Tamil people, the LTTE will not succeed in the mission they were expected to fulfill. This is a lesson the LTTE have to learn very fast, if they are to remain relevant and have a respectable place in history.

The militancy amongst the Tamils began to rise in the 1970�s, when the caste system was already in steep decline. However, the LTTE has resurrected the caste system in two ways. Firstly, by favoring its cadres (Porralis) and their families (Porrali Kudumbams) in day to day affairs over other Tamils. The LTTE does not acknowledge the immense suffering undergone by the Tamils as a people because of the conflict and civil war, and as a consequence of having been supportive of the outfit. The LTTE was born from the loins of the Tamils amidst unbearable labour pains! This fact has been conveniently forgotten by the LTTE. If not for the whole hearted support of ordinary Tamils the world over, financially and other-wise, the LTTE would not have become what it is today.

Secondly, by quite blatantly discriminating against the so-called �Higher Castes� of old, the LTTE has alienated many Tamils with considerable talent and abilities. At the helm of the new social order being engineered by the LTTE are their cadres and their families. This is a matter of serious concern and has to be challenged by the Tamil people. An old evil can not be permitted to be replaced by a new one.

The LTTE although primarily a military organization, is desirous of playing a dominant and exclusive political role in the affairs of the Tamil people. Unlike in most struggles of a similar nature, where the military wing is subordinate to the political leadership, the Tamil militant outfits in Sri Lanka, the LTTE included, arose primarily as military movements that were inspired by political grievances. There was no mature, experienced, statesman-like political leadership to provide an overarching guiding philosophy. The LTTE, with its primary focus on military confrontation and primacy of military leadership, had to evolve a political component, from within its own cadres. This apparently is its Achilles heel.

The teenage Tamil boys who resorted to arms to resist the aggression of the Sri Lankan governments, have grown in to mature men, who are now desirous of becoming the political masters of the Tamils. Unfortunately, the circumstances that led them to join battle, precluded these men, some undoubtedly highly intelligent, from acquiring the knowledge, experience and wisdom that are necessary for leaders who want to lead a people to their destiny. The brain washing, blind obedience, hero worshipping, rebellion against established social norms and brutality that are drilled in to cadres of guerrilla outfits, which are absolutely essential for their survival and success, become liabilities in the political life of a nation, in times of peace.

This is the dilemma of the LTTE and the Tamil people. Intelligence in the absence of education becomes cunning. Political power exercised with the gun in one hand becomes a dictatorship. Battle field tactics translated in to civilian life lead to fascism. The desire for financial gain and personal comfort, when combined with the above failings, will lead to mafia-like tendencies. The LTTE at present is displaying all these symptoms to the discomfiture and disgust of the Tamils.

The LTTE at the present juncture is an organization trying to find its feet in very unfamiliar terrain. It is trying to be both fish and fowl at the same time! Interactions with some of their senior cadre have shown them to be highly intelligent and motivated individuals. However, their limitation is their arrogance and belief that they are all knowing and omnipotent. Whereas, in fact, they turned out to be half baked, ignorant, cunning, parochial and extremely dangerous individuals.

The fact that every single LTTE cadre that the public has to deal with operates only under a nom de plume, further makes them immune to public opinion and is quite menacing. They are very suspicious of any one outside their circle in the organization. All Tamils outside the LTTE circle, have a standing only as contributors to their coffers and are cynically manipulated to achieve that end.

When manipulations fail, strong arm tactics are resorted both within and outside Sri Lanka, to achieve compliance. Traditional values that governed the life of the Tamils are scorned and as in the case of temples, cynically manipulated to obtain funds and establish control over independent individuals and groups. The LTTE would rather bungle through state craft, and learn from this experience, than learn from experienced individuals from outside their circle.

This is the tragedy of the Tamil people at present. Experience from the battle field, the power of the gun, the methods of the fascists and the mafia, virulent Tamil nationalism and scraps of communism are being combined in to a very dangerous concoction by the LTTE to establish a Tamil state that would become in reality LTTE and Company (Ltd.). The only share holders in this entity would be the LTTE cadres, with the Tamil public being treated as voiceless, non-voting contributors.

The LTTE has already embarked on establishing control over several successful Tamil-owned business enterprises in the island and the world over, and in its own right has established several successful enterprises under the cover of pliant nominees. These trends have to be immediately challenged by the Tamils and reversed, if a decent peace is to descend on our embattled land and responsive governance established.

The LTTE has to be forced by the Tamil people, to separate its political and public affairs wings from its military formations and open the former to participation by non-cadre Tamils. The present democratic charade being orchestrated by the LTTE in the Sri Lankan parliament through pliant Tamil members of parliament should be exposed for the farce it really is.

Prabhaharan, whom I yet consider a rare individual born to accomplish a historic mission, should immediately set about revamping the political and public affairs divisions in his organization and make them more responsive to the real needs and desires of the Tamil people.

Every individual manning these positions should be screened for probity, as there is no legal frame work to govern their conduct at present. The Tamil people should assert themselves and vociferously demand these changes. The LTTE must become what the Tamil people want them to be and not try to be an organization that wants to mould the Tamils to meet their designs and plans. This would add a Nazi dimension to the current cocktail. If not ,the Tamil people are in serious danger of losing the gains that have been made in the past decade and be embroiled in fresh blood letting from an intra-Tamil conflict that is imminent.

The Sinhala polity should for its part immediately come out with the outlines and details of a constitutional and institutional reform package designed to settle the Sinhala- Tamil and Majority-Minority conflicts for ever and set the country on the path of development and progress. Everyone knows what needs to be done and there is no need for prolonged negotiations and cynical international representation, authorized by a majority in parliament, to propose the necessary constitutional and structural changes, which would be binding on all parties. This would overcome the problem of the intrusion of partisan politics even in matters of acute national importance- the curse of Sri Lanka. When there is a will, a way can always be found. Consensus can be arrived at to create a non-partisan commission with national and be found. The international community on its part should unhesitatingly use its muscle to force the parties to the current conflict to settle their problems promptly.

The LTTE for its part should change its spots to suit the times and immediately set in motion the process to democratize its interactions with the long suffering Tamil people. For a start the LTTE should launch a high level inquiry, with independent professional participation, in to my brother Jayadevan�s recent kidnapping and incarceration by high ranking cadres and bring to book all the miscreants who engaged in this criminal activity, including those who sponsored it from London.

This incident is reverberating around the world and the international public- certainly the Tamil diaspora, non-governmental organizations and governments, particularly in the west, are looking forward to this self-critical examination by the LTTE before they will accept its bonafides as a civilized and mature organization that truly represents the interests of the Tamil people both in times of war and peace.

D.B.S. Jeyaraj in the Sinhala owned Sri Lanka Sunday Leader, 20 March 2005

The Castro - Shanthan - Seevaratnam axis with backing from Anton Balasingham began a campaign -  both overt and covert in nature -  aimed at bringing several Tamil administered British institutions under direct LTTE control. Seevaratnam was to be the "front person" under whom  most of these were" legally "acquired. Given the fact that the LTTE is banned as a terrorist organization under British law the Tigers were bold indeed in embarking on such a course. This brazen cocksureness is due to an impression that there wont be a crackdown on them in Britain as long as that peace process continues.

The mixed and confusing signals emitted by Britain has strengthened this confidence. Britain has refused to admit people like SP Tamilselvan or KV Balakumaran of the LTTE into the Country so far. Attempts by the Tigers to stage their "constitution - making" exercises in Britain have been unsuccessful so far. Yet British officials and diplomats have often visited the Wanni and met Tiger leaders in Kilinochchi. Whatever the motive for this conduct the end result is that the LTTE feels confident that it can go an as usual without fear of repercussions.

Seevaratnam began his "nationalization" project in London mainly through the Tooting based Sivayogam trust. The Muthumariamman temple is directly under this trust. Authorized by Castro and backed by Shanthan, Seevaratnam began intimidating other Tamil managed projects into accepting his authority. Among these was the well established Tamil school run by Dr. Nithianandan in Wembley. Seevaratnam's priority target however was the Alperton Siva temple for monetary and personal reasons.

Finding Jeyadevan a tough opponent, his enemies changed course. The crocodile is strong in water but weak on land. So croc hunters entice it to land by tying up dogs on the bank. Canine flesh is a favourite delicacy of the crocodile. Likewise Jeyadevan's enemies succeeded when he left London where he was strong and went into the Wanni where he was weak. The bait was a prospective "Dharshan" with the divine leader and a possible opportunity of being restored to his former position in London Tiger circles. This is how Jeyaevan seems to have got bamboozled!.

The sequence of events as related in these columns last week had some discrepancies that need to be corrected. Apparently Jeyadevan and Vivekanandan the secretary of the temple board had gone to Kilinochchi initially on Jan 3rd. They were unable to meet Castro or Tiger supremo Pirapakaran on that occasion. The high rankers they met then were LTTE office administrator and spokesperson Daya Master and Lawrence Christie (Thilagar) of the TRO. The money taken by them to be given for the Navam arivukkoodam and tsunami relief projects were handed over formally in two ceremonies while there.

They returned to Colombo on the 5th as prospects of meeting Piraba or Castro seemed remote despite staying in Kilinochchi for two days. On Jan 6th Perinbam of the LTTE secretariat in Kilinochchi rang Jeyadevan in Colombo and invited him to come to the Wanni as soon as possible. Meetings with the LTTE hierarchy had been arranged he promised. So Jeyadevan and Vivekanandan changed their plans again and went to Kilinochchi on Jan 8th.

They were housed by the LTTE at the Tiger run guest house "Pandithar" first. On the 10th they were transferred to another Tiger owned guest house " Niranjan". Both had been asked not to go out anywhere as they could be summoned at very short notice to meet the LTTE leaders. Three days passed and still no sign of that much anticipated rendezvous. Finally on the 11th morning Jeyadevan and Vivekanandan got out of the guest house to walk to the LTTE run communication centre nearby and make some overseas calls to London.

An agitated guest house manager inquired frantically from both" Where are you going? You have been asked not to go out". Jeyadevan said they were going to make telephone calls and will return soon. As they went out they saw the "manager" calling somebody on the walkie - talkie. As they walked to the communication centre and were about to enter it two Tigers on a motor cycle came rapidly towards them.  Introducing themselves as  "intelligence" they inquired angrily where and why they were going out instead of remaining indoors as instructed.  When Jeyadevan explained they spoke to someone on their walkie - talkie and gave Jeyadevan the go ahead to proceed.

The intelligence guys lingered outside while the two London Tamils tried to make their calls. Due to some mysterious reason their calls did not get through. The communications people were not bothered. It looked as if their calls had been deliberately blocked. After several unsuccessful attempts they returned to the guest house under Tiger "intelligence" escort. It was only now that both realized something was amiss and that they were possibly caught in a trap.

Jeyadevan then informed the guest house manager that his return flight to London was booked for Jan 13th and that they had to return to Colombo without meeting the LTTE high command because time had run out. The manager spoke to someone on the walkie - talkie and assured them "You will get to see both Castro Anna and the Thesiyathalaiver this evening". In the afternoon a van with tinted glass windows and without number plates called over at "Niranjan". Jeyadevan and Vivekanandan got in. The van made its way to an old bungalow in the Puthukudiyiruppu area in Mullaitheevu district.

Nilavan the LTTE operative who took them to this place informed them pleasantly that Tiger intelligence wanted to screen them before the meeting and asked them to stay in that place. Nilavan also told them cheerfully that they had been given first class accommodation . When intelligence wanted to question people at some length of time they are placed in bunkers or detention camps. "But in your case you all are given first class accommodation".

Four LTTE guards were placed at the house. The house had an old. musty, deserted look. There was no electricity and the house was fully dark at nightfall. Even during daytime the interior was dark. There were no books or radio or newspapers. They had to sleep on mats on the ground. Water had to be drawn from a well. The house was full of insects, ants, spiders, termites, mice, rats and even scorpion. An old woman came three times daily with meals for the detainees and guards.

Jeyadevan and Vivekanandan realised that they were now "prisoners" but decided to cooperate as much as possible and secure an early release. They were not keen on meeting any Tiger leader now. All they wanted was freedom and a return to Jolly old England! The guards spoke to them cordially but firmly. They were not to step outside the compound. If that happened they would be manacled and handcuffed they warned. They also told both that they were very fortunate to be treated like this because they were from London. "Others would have been put in bunkers. At least you can see the sun".  Even if they couldn't see the Sungod they could see the sun at least. Talk about small mercies!

Thamilkumaran from the intelligence came to interrogate them after three days on the 14th. They were told that they could go after they cleared up a few routine matters. Thamilkumaran came daily till up to the 18th. Armed with a tape recorder he would ask pointed questions about life in England and about activities of the Tamils. After the cassette was over in 90 minutes he would depart. On the 18th Thamilkumaran informed them that intelligence headed by Pottu Amman was quite satisfied and that their inquiry was over.

The ordeal was not over. Castros overseas branches department took over. An operative named Nediyavan came with a tape recorder and ask them " Sollungo; Sollungo" (Tell, tell). The prisoners did not know what to say. "Summa sollungo (Just talk) he would say.  This charade went on for two or three days. Thereafter a five page petition signed by former temple trustee board chairman Sivarajah was shown them. They were asked to explain.

Both pointed out during the staggered interrogation that these were false allegations and demanded that Sivarajah be brought down to the Wanni so that they could defend themselves. This led to a lull in the interrogation. After some days they were told that Sivarajah was not in a position to travel down to Sri Lanka at that juncture. So both demanded that they be released. There was no response. Even the so called interrogation was sporadic. At best it amounted to about 90 minutes every three days.

Castros minion Nediyavan also emphasised with regularity that since there was dissatisfaction over   Jeyadevan's management of the temple it should be handed over to Seevaratnam's trust. Jeyadevan bristled at this and refused point blank. Vivekanandan however gave in at some point and said he was willing to transfer temple control to Seevaratnam. Much of Sivarajah's petition alleged temple mismanagement and siphoning of funds by Jeyadevan.  

One of the allegations was that Jeyadevan had used temple funds to buy a house for his sister in law in Colombo. This was the widow of Jeyadevan's brother killed by the Indian army at Navatkuli in 1987. Jeyadevan explained with documentary proof that this house had been bought by himself and other family members abroad from their private funds.

On the 19th of February Vivekanandan's wife who had come down from England was brought to see her husband. She also brought a letter from Jeyadevan's wife to her husband. The letter was quite sad reiterating how the children and she were missing him and pleading with him to do whatever possible to return home as soon as possible. She stated in the letter that the family wanted his safe return and that money or property was of no consequence in comparison. She also pointed out that Jeyadevan's health was in a fragile state and urged him to return.

Jeyadevan was suffering from a number of health related problems and had had two surgeries in the past four years. He was also under daily medication. Furthermore regular neuro - analysis was required to aid monitoring of his health. Jeyadevan's daily medication was exhausted after a few weeks of imprisonment. When he gave the LTTE his prescription he was told that the required medicine was not available. After repeated entreaties some of the para - medics from the LTTE medical unit came and examined him but could provide no treatment.

Jeyadevan then wrote a two page report about his medical condition and asked the para medics to give it to a proper qualified doctor. This was done and one day Jeyadevan was taken to Dr. Ponnambalams clinic at Puthukudiyiruppu. He was examined there and given some substitute drugs. It was at this stage that Mrs. Vivekanandan arrived in Puthukudiyiruppu.

She had brought along with her a legal document drafted by a Tamil solicitor firm in London. This document provided for the transfer of Eelap Patheeswarar temple to Seevaratnam's Sivayogam trust. Now Castro's sidekick Nediyavan wanted  Jeyadevan to affix his signature to the document. One of Vivekanandans nephews was working in the LTTE medical unit. He too was brought into the scene now. This nephew was to stand guarantee for the uncles release.

Vivekanandan was asked to take the document back to London and explain matters to the other trustees and important devotees of the temple. He was to secure their consent and transfer the temple to Seevaratnam's control. Once that was done Jeyadevan would be released and allowed to return to British "civilization". After a heated argument with the Tigers both Vivekanandan and Jeyadevan conferred between them and decided they had no choice in the matter. Reading his wife's pathetic letter had somewhat unnerved Jeyadevan. He to wanted to call it quits and get back to his family. So Jeyadevan affixed his signature and Vivekanandan left the Wanni on Feb 20th.

After Vivekanandan's departure a terrible sense of loneliness and frustration besieged Jeyadevan.  In his own way he began defying the LTTE and protesting his illegal imprisonment. Jeyadevan began a protest fast in stages skipping first one meal then two and finally all three. He also stopped taking his medication. It appeared that the mental torture had taken its toll and Jeyadevan now had a death wish. He requested his guards to send his body to London for last rites with the well founded doubt that even his last wish would not be honoured.

The Tiger guards did not realise the seriousness of Jeyadevan's protest fast first. When he skipped his meals they simply joked about it and started sharing among themselves the extra meal. None of the LTTE seniors were informed and no one took notice of this defiant protest. Gradually Jeyadevan's health deteriorated and the guards got alarmed. They informed their superiors and finally a Tiger doctor came on Mar 5th to examine him. On his instructions Jeyadevan was taken to Ponnambalams clinic on the 6th. Where two or three "accredited" medicos examined him. They were thoroughly perturbed and told the LTTE men that Jeyadevan should be taken immediately to Colombo. Still nothing happened.

Meanwhile Vivekanandan left for England. Prior to leaving the Wanni he was told by Castro personally that the temple should be transferred to Seevaratnam. As soon as that was done Jeyadevan would be released. No one should talk about this matter or complain to authorities. If that were done Jeyadevan will not be released. Vive returned to London with the  signed documents.

He met other trustees like Koneswaran and Sounthararajan and informed them of the position.  He also consulted important temple well - wishers.  Reluctant at first, the trustees agreed to give up the temple so that Jeyadevan could be return safely to Britain.  Almost all the temple trustees were pro - LTTE too. What shocked them was that the Tigers could behave so cruelly to Jeyadevan a man who devoted himself to the Tamil cause. What rankled further was the demand that the temple be handed over to Seevaratnam whose track record in financial integrity left much to be desired.

What many people don't realise is that contrary to its projected image of being free of corruption the LTTE is today riddled with corruption and is quite comfortable in working together with crooks and charlatans. This is most pronounced in the overseas branches. Vivek also talked to Jeyadevan's wife Manchuladevi on the telephone and told her of the position but assured her that Jeyadevan would be release once the temple was transferred to Seeva. Deeply worried she sent an urgent personal letter to Velupillai Pirapakaran pleading with him to release her husband.

So Seevaratnam was asked to come over. He promptly did so on March 1st with a Tamil solicitor accompanying him and walked in with a swagger to the Alperton temple. The trustees placed their signatures and formally handed the temple over. Seevaratnam left with the sneering remark that he would be back tomorrow to take possession. When asked about Jeyadevan he replied non - committally: "I don't know. You all inform Castro that you have transferred temple ownership to me and see what happens". Seevaratnam took possession formally on March 2nd.

Vivekanandan who was also the trustee board secretary telephoned Castro and informed him of the transfer. But Castro shocked him into silence by saying that the inquiry into Jeyadevan's conduct was not over yet. "We have to see whether he is guilty or not. There are so many allegations of financial impropriety and ethical misconduct. If he is found guilty then he will undergo punishment here. Do not bother us with Jeyadevan's matter hereafter; we will take care of it".

The LTTE once again was at its duplicitous worst. Promising Jeyadevan's release the temple had been taken over but now Castro was reneging on his pledge. Too dazed by this Tiger treachery to even speak the spiritual Vivekanandan put down the telephone. He went off into self - imposed seclusion not daring or wanting to speak to anyone.

Another tragedy struck the Jeyadevan family. Worried about the situation, Manchuladevis aged father Ponniah Markandu had gone over to meet Vivekanandan and inquire the reason for his son in laws non - return. Unable to lie or cover up Vivekanandan came out with the whole truth about Jeyadevan's situation. A shocked Markandu broke the news to his daughter. Deeply troubled by the plight of his son in law the old man suffered a massive heart attack a few hours later and passed away on March 3rd.

The LTTE at "Nanthavanam" office in Kilinochchi was informed and entreated to release Jeyadevan to attend the funeral. The Tigers refused to do so. Furthermore the LTTE did not even inform Jeyadevan. It was only after Jeyadevan was released and left the Wanni that he learnt of his father in laws death.

It was at this stage that housewife Manchuladevi plucked up enough courage or worked up ample anger to go to the British Police. Hard as it may be to believe neither family members nor friends had gone to the Police earlier. This was due to many reasons. Chief among them was the fear of provoking the Tigers into harming Jeyadevan. Besides they had been devout Tiger supporters throughout and one does not complain about ones "gods" to others easily.

Until Vivekanandan returned the actual situation about Jeyadevan was not clearly known. All that the family knew was that he had been going to meet the LTTE leader. The family through several contacts had asked the Wanni Tigers for more information. They were told that he was safe and that he would return soon safely. The family and relatives were asked to keep quiet without creating a fuss as the LTTE does not like that and Jeyadevan may be jeopardised.

With her husband incarcerated and her father dead Manchuladevi formally lodged a complaint to the British police on March 4th. Jeyadevan and Manchuladevi though living in England for two decades were only permanent residents. They had very recently applied for citizenship. But their three children aged 18 and 14 (twins) were British subjects. So the worried children too formally complained. The Police told her to give them five days time.

Members of the family had been disappointed with the British High Commission in Colombo. The BHC had been very indifferent to Jeyadevan's plight allegedly taking up the position that he was carrying a Sri Lankan passport. The relatives felt that British diplomats in Colombo who are often visiting the Wanni and trying to curry favour with the LTTE may have been hesitant to ruffle Tiger feelings by raising the Jeyadevan issue with Kilinochchi. When this column contact the British High Commission in Colombo for further information about Jeyadevan all queries went unanswered. It is learnt however that after his release the High Commission in Colombo had interacted with Jeyadevan.

Jeyadevan's elder brother Dr. Narendran now in the middle - east also got into the act and used his considerable influence to get the sibling released. A brother in law from North America, Thevathasan also went to Colombo and work from that end. Through the help of concerned third parties several Tiger leaders like Thamilselvan, Soosai, Balakumar, and Nadesan etc were contacted. They promised to look into the matter but nothing happened. Castro became inaccessible. Shanthan, Balasingham, Seevaratnam etc washed their hands off saying it was a matter for Castro to decide.

The bulk of Tamil media in London too refused to publicise the issue. Even the supposedly independent "Theepam" TV remained silent. Only the Tamil Broadcasting Corporation run by ENDLF stalwart Ramarajan highlighted the issue through several broadcasts. This created a stir among London Tamils. Many could not believe that the Tigers were doing this to a man like Jeyadevan who had identified with the LTTE cause for so long.

The family and friends also sought Brent North MP Barry Gardiners help. Gardiner proved a true friend.  Gardiner used all his clout to get the authorities working. Gardiner was immensely helpful to Jeyadevan once to get the Balasinghams into Britain. Now he was involved in getting Jeyadevan from LTTE clutches. Around 15 Labour party MP's now set up an adhoc support group to secure Jeyadevan's release. The bloc made quiet representations to the Foreign and Home office. They also conveyed a message to the LTTE in London through an "unofficial channel" that if Jeyadevan was not released the British MP's will conduct a press conference in Parliament and inform the national and international media about the Rajasingham Jeyadevan affair.

A public petition to the Foreign office was drafted by a Tamil lawyer on a humanitarian basis and sent with signatures of well -wishers and representatives of human rights organizations. The Norwegian Embassy in London too was pressurised. Ironically many of the Tamils coming to Jeyadevan's aid were those dubbed earlier as traitors by Jeyadevan himself. All the pseudo patriotic Tamils in London were shamefully silent.  But it was well known that they were deeply troubled. "If this could happen to Jeyadevan what chances have we?" was their worry.

With the ruling Labour party moving in quietly but effectively things began to hum. The Alperton temple itself was housed in a building that was formerly a Labour party office. Jeyadevan had personally leased it. Seevaratnam had lost no time in establishing his writ and had repainted the old sign with Sivayogam trust. He had also summarily fired five employees including the Brahmin priests. Now the landlord egged on by some powerful forces went to the "new" temple owners and warned them that their possession was illegal as the temple could not be sub - leased and that they were trespassing. The sacked employees began resorting to legal action.

Vivekanandan was grilled by a special unit at Scotland Yard for four hours. With a definite case being established about Jeyadevan's imprisonment �other� British authorities got into the act. On Mar 8th British intelligence officials "invited" Balasingham for a "tea and biscuits" meeting. It was then suggested to him "unofficially" that it would be in the best interests of the LTTE and Balasingham himself to ensure the immediate release of Jeyadevan. It was hinted that British "weather" could turn "nasty" if Jeyadevan did not return safely.

Bala Annai took the hint. It is presumed that he was on the phone with his beloved "Thamby" Velupillai Pirapakaran informing him of the situation. Each LTTE sectional or divisional leader is "God" in the area under purview. But the supreme leader is the all - powerful God. So the LTTE supremo pulled rank with Castro and ordered him to release Jeyadevan. After 59 days of incarceration Jeyadevan was brought to the "Nandavanam" office on March 9th and released officially at 2.30 pm. Nilavan who took him into custody supervised the release. A friend "Kishore" had come from Colombo to take Jeyadevan home.

The LTTE told Jeyadevan that he was being released because of an appeal made by his wife Manchuladevi to the leader. In an exhibition of crass hypocrisy the Tigers bade a "tearful " farewell publicly and in voices choked with "emotion" asked Jeyadevan to visit again with his family. He left the Wanni without meeting Praba or Castro.

Jeyadevan returned to Colombo and stayed at an undisclosed location for two days before boarding a plane for Britain on 11th evening. The family was quite nervous as they feared a Tiger squad in Colombo might just "abduct" him to prevent his talking. He also sought medical treatment and was advised that his situation was quite critical.

When Jeyadevan arrived in London on Mar 12th there was a crowd of more than 75 people at the airport to welcome him. He is now taking medical treatment and quietly contemplating his future course of action.

This then is the tragic tale of Jeyadevan. He was luckier than most in getting released. Many others are in the realm of the missing still. The Jeyadevan affair has exposed the duplicitous nature of the LTTE in several dimensions. It also throws light on what many Tamil expatriates are undergoing at the hands of the LTTE. Already there is talk in London of another Tiger stalwart in London Ramachandran alias Ramsar alias Anton Rajah being "held" in the Wanni. The Jeyadevan affair also illustrates the "intermestic" state of the LTTE and the relationship between the Wanni and the Diaspora. Above all it shows that the so called Liberation movement is now akin to the mafia making "offers hard to refuse". This mafia like control is all the more frightening when one recalls that Mafia origins were in the Sicilian freedom movement.

With the safe release and return of Rajasingham Jeyadevan a tremendous burden is placed upon him. He has been exposed to the real nature of the LTTE. If he is genuinely concerned about the future of the Tamil people then it is his duty to expose the Tiger terror to the best of his ability.  Personally I have heard that he is a courageous honourable person with a great deal of integrity. Lonely and difficult as it may be there is only one path to be followed for such persons. I am hopeful that Rajasingham Jeyadevan will -  in the words of Spike Lee - do the right thing!
 

Media report of British pressure false -Balasingham, [TamilNet, March 22, 2005 10:52 GMT]

The Liberation Tigers' Chief Negotiator and Political Advisor, Mr. Anton Balasingham Tuesday dismissed claims in a Sri Lankan newspaper that British authorities had pressured him to secure the release of a Tamil resident of the UK which the paper also claimed had been detained by the LTTE in northern Sri Lanka. A columnist in The Sunday Leader claimed this week that British intelligence officials had threatened Mr. Balasingham on behalf of Mr. Rajasingham Jeyadevan after the latter was detained by the LTTE.

"British intelligence officials invited Balasingham for a 'tea and biscuits' meeting. It was then suggested to him 'unofficially' that it would be in the best interests of the LTTE and Balasingham himself to ensure the immediate release of Jeyadevan," the Sunday Leader columnist, Mr. D.B.S Jeyaraj wrote.

"It was hinted that British 'weather' could turn 'nasty' if Jeyadevan did not return safely," Mr. Jeyaraj wrote.

But Mr. Balasingham dismissed Mr. Jeyaraj�s claim as a malicious disinformation campaign when contacted by TamilNet over the weekend report.

"At no stage has Jeyadevan's activities here or Sri Lanka or anywhere been raised with me by British officials," Mr. Balasingham said.

"As the chief negotiator involved in Sri Lanka�s peace process, I have contacts with British government authorities, but at no stage has Jeyadevan's affair been raised with me by British officials," Mr. Balasingham added.

Asked if the Sunday Leader had contacted Mr. Balasingham before publishing the reports, Mr. Balasingham replied in the negative.

"Recently the Sunday Leader editor conducted a lengthy interview with me, and they have my contact details," he said. "I am surprised and disappointed they did not raise the matter with me before publishing."

"Since leaving Vanni [in 1999 due to ill health] Britain has been my home and I have cordial relations with the authorities here," Mr. Balasingham said.
 

Statement by Rajasingham Jeyadevan  in British Harrow Times, 14 April 2005 - James Brockett Reporting

"The chairman of a Hindu temple in Wembley who was kidnapped by the Tamil Tigers and held hostage for two months has spoken this week of his ordeal. Rajasingham Jeyadevan, 50, who runs the Eelapatheeswarar Aalayam Temple in Union Road, Wembley, visited his native Sri Lanka with a friend in January to help with the tsunami relief effort. A qualified accountant from Edgware who has lived in Britain for 30 years, Mr Jeyadavan contacted the leadership of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) hoping to discuss aid to the Tamil-administered areas of the island. Mr Jeyadevan and his friend, AK Vivekamanthan, were staying in a guest house with LTTE minders when events took a turn for the worse.

He said: "We were promised a meeting with Mr Castro - The Tigers' spokesman on Finance and International Affairs but we were told he was too busy and after days of waiting, nothing was happening. Then at about 4pm, a car pulled up with dark windows and a man got out and told us Castro would now see us. We got in and they took us on a long drive of 35 or 40 miles. We knew his office was only nearby, so were feeling more and more uneasy."

What the pair did not know was that a rival faction at home, jealous of Mr Jeyadevan's wealth and his successful temple, had complained to the Tigers' leadership about him in advance of his visit. Although Mr Jeyadevan is a Tamil nationalist, he had resisted LTTE influence on his temple after the party were declared illegal by the Terrorism Act.

He said: "We were taken to a derelict compound with a high fence. We got out and had no idea where we were. The man told us to co-operate and that he had heard of our conduct in London. He kept on asking us for a statement, but I had no idea what he meant. Then he went away again and left us under the guard of four soldiers."

With no contact to the outside world, the two men were left for 42 days, and were repeatedly grilled by interrogators from Tamil intelligence. They slept in small rooms with holes in the roof infested by grubs and insects, and the water tank they had to drink from had a dead rat in it. Mr Jeyadevan was denied the drugs he needs for his gland problem, and became very ill.

"It dragged on and on. On February 16 five weeks into their captivity we were told we would be released but there would be conditions. They wanted the temple transferred to a nominee's name and we both had to give our consent. It was evening and we were sitting there in lamplight, so I could hardly read the document. But I knew it would have no legal standing and by then I would have signed anything. They said they could not shoot me because of the Geneva Convention, but they threatened that they would put a snake on my body and let it bite me, so no-one could ever prove anything."

The document Mr Jeyadevan signed handed over his Wembley temple to a trust run by Nagendram Seevaratnam, a Tiger-supporting owner of another temple in Tooting. Mr Vivekamanthan was then released and told to carry out the order, while Mr Jeyadevan was kept in solitary confinement for a further 20 days. During this time he went on hunger strike and took overdoses of steroid pills because he was "literally crying with pain" from his chest. He ate only one meal in almost three weeks. Eventually, after the temple was transferred and the British Foreign Office applied pressure, he was driven to a border post and set free after 62 days.

He said of his ordeal: "I don't think I can ever return to Sri Lanka, at any rate, not without a UN escort. I went with good intentions to see those fellows - I am patriotic to my community and my mother and brother died in the war. But the Tamil Tigers want to take over all Tamil organisations, wherever they are. We cannot let them do this and I do not want to see this happen to another Tamil."

Last Thursday (April 7) the High Court ruled that the document Mr Jeyadevan signed under duress was invalid, and Mr Seevaratnam's supporters were made to hand back control of the temple to him and the other trustees. A police investigation is ongoing. "
 

"After some time I got fed up and have given up reading the London Temple saga � which had become the lifeline for D.B.S Jeyarajah and anonymous writers invited into Asia Tribune, promptly splashed in �well meaning� websites like (Sinhala controlled)  Lankaweb and so called �independent� newspapers in Ceylon, including the (Sinhala owned)  Island. I really feel sad about the whole episode. While I can understand the dirty dog fight in London, I really cannot fathom why these two fellows were incarcerated in Vanni so long � not that I understand many other happenings in that part of the world."

---

1. With the view to circumvent the Geneva Convention they intend throwing a snake on me so that there won�t be evidence that LTTE killed me.

2. If item 1 does not happen they will make me mentally incapacitated so that I will not remember at all what had happened to me in Vanni.

Luckily either of the above did not take place. I am ever so grateful for the kindness shown by the British government to put pressure on the LTTE for my release.

Having gone through a painful experience, it is my position that these types of harassment and intimidation by the LTTE is brought to an end forthwith.

I note that ICRC is in a unique position to help implement international standards in this regard in view of its involvement in the LTTE controlled areas. Therefore, I request you to use your good offices to get the LTTE to abide by the international standards while people are taken into custody. They should report any arrest and/or detention to the ICRC within a specified time limit. The detainees also must have basic safeguards and access to the family and legal representation. If these standards are not strictly followed very many people will fall foul to the LTTE�s unacceptable conduct.

While I was in custody, I came to know through the Tamil media that ICRC gave its approval to a newly established LTTE police interrogation centre in Vanni on the grounds that it meets all the required standards. It is with concern I note that there are many other detention centers in the LTTE controlled area where people are held captive and are being tortured. In some cases people are detained indefinitely. The LTTE must be made accountable for its conduct and controls must be placed to safeguard human rights violations by the LTTE. I request the ICRC to facilitate a process to carry out an inspection of all these centers with the support of other international NGO�s such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch etc.,

I note with regret that ICRC offices in Vanni are not informed about the arbitrary arrests and detention of persons by the LTTE. It is also important to note that one of ICRC offices in the LTTE area was stone throw away from where we were held captive. Our attempt to contact the said office by clandestine methods did not succeed due to circumstances prevailing there. This would confirm the dire need for procedural change for LTTE to report the details of captives under its control to the ICRC.

I consider my experience, and sufferings of others in similar circumstances should not go in vain.

If you need a detailed report from me of my experience please do not hesitate to contact me. I am also prepared to forward to you various newspaper articles if you require in this regard.

I am forwarding copy of this email to the Amnesty International.

Yours faithfully

Rajasingham Jayadevan
 

Dr. Narendran is not the last and there will be many more to write r�sum�'s and what contribution they have made to the Tamil Community as a whole. Today my house at Tellippalai is under HS Zone and if not for Prabaharan the whole of Jaffna will be under HSZ. Prabaharan would of course had made mistakes with untrained, indisciplined, ill-informed group of persons but which army has not made mistakes?. There will be detractors whatever you do and these things will fade and not even  Government props can hold it for long. Kadirgamar, Devananda, Sangaree and others are necessary evils, which we have to live with however much we may dislike.

On Caste, Avvayar & Dr.Rajasingham Narendran - Sachi Sri Kantha 20 April 2005

I have been reading the file �The Case of Rajasingham Jeyadevan�, with keen interest. There are, at least, two major issues, which are inter-twined, and which need to be distinguished clearly.

The first is, the �Case proper�, on which an outsider like me cannot comment without being not informed on all the delicate details, including the family connections [and squabbles] of Rajasingham family members.

The second issue, is how the �Case proper� is being presented to the Sinhalese-owned media by a few journalists like D.B.S.Jeyaraj, who are well known for their fiction-writing skills and extraneous embellishments to the main plot.

Now it seems one member of the Rajasingham family, Dr.Rajasingham Narendran, also has thrown in his hat as a crusader for human rights �against the LTTE transgressions�.

One of his peeves is as follows: �the LTTE has resurrected the caste system in two ways. Firstly, by favoring its cadres (poralis) and their families (porrali kudumbams) in day to day affairs over other Tamils�Secondly, by quite blatantly discriminating against the so-called �higher castes� of old, the LTTE has alienated many Tamils with considerable talent and abilities�� [Sunday Leader, March 20, 2005]

As a contributor on Tamil issues for over three decades, I�m inclined to state that R.Narendran speaks only for himself or only for his immediate family. His second complaint that LTTE is discriminating against the so-called �higher castes� is arrant nonsense.

There are thousands of Eelam Tamil individuals of all ages belonging to the �so-called higher castes�, who sympathize, support and work for LTTE�s ideals. For reasons of political harassment and even threat to life and limb, from the racist Sri Lankan government as well as the wily Indian Poo-Bahs, large percent of these Tamils �with considerable talent and abilities� do not identify themselves openly in the Sinhalese-owned press in Colombo, like R.Narendran.

On Narendran�s first complaint about LTTE�s �resurrection of the caste system�, I�d remind him of poet Avvayar�s quatrain on two castes.

�Saathi irandoliya verrillai saarunggaal
Iddar uyar kulathor;
Idaathaar Thaal kulathor
Pattankil Ullapadi.�

சாதி இரண்டொழிய வேறில்லை சாற்றுங்கால்
நீதி வழுவா நெறிமுறையின் - மேதினியில்
இட்டார் பெரியார் இடாதார் இழிகுலத்தார்
பட்டாங்கில் உள்ள படி.

In translation, the centuries-old quatrain states that there are only two castes; the higher is those who provisioned, and the lower is those who did not provision, and that�s the mark of division. In the civil war of Sri Lanka, between the LTTE and the ruling Sinhalese government or their proxy � the Indian army - which lasted from 1983 to 2002, those who provided the military services voluntarily [poralikal] and the immediate family members [porali kudumbam] for Eelam liberation need to be recognized as belonging to the �higher caste� according to poet Avvayar�s maxim and need not be ridiculed by folks like Narendran.
 

I am yet a Tamil and a Sri Lankan, and my home is in Colombo. I work in Saudi Arabia to earn a living and have not sought residence or citizenship elsewhere, to escape the situation in Sri Lanka. We have also sacrificed life and property, and risked our lives as a result of the situation in Sri Lanka, as thousands of Tamils have. Being a doctor (B.V.Sc, MSc and Ph.D) and a one time professor, does not disqualify me from being a Tamil or holding and expressing my opinions on the subject matter under debate.

Auvaiyar's Ittar Periyar, Iddathar Illikulathor , refers to those who 'give' (Ittar) as 'the great people' (Periyar ) and those 'who do not give' (Iddathar) as 'low grade people' (Illikulathor) .

Giving means many things, including outright sympathy, for those who cannot do more and does not refer specifically to those who sacrifice their lives in a war. Every one is not capable by nature of carrying a gun to fight a war or dominate their own fellowmen.

Auvaiyar while saying Saathi Irandoliya Verrillai - there are no castes but two: Ittar and Iddathar , also said Kulathukketra Kunam - human nature is determined by background or origins. Scientifically, a person's nature or performance is determined by genetic and environmental factors and their interactions. Swabhawa (inborn nature) and Swadharma (acquired values) determine a person's overt nature, according to the Vedantic school of thought.

The Tamil people have sacrificed and given more than the Poralis or their Kudumbams over the past fifty years or so, for the cause democracy, freedom and human rights. Porali s (LTTE cadres) and their kundumbams (Families) are also a part of the Tamil nation and are not a astronomical phenomenon in the skies. This aspect should not be underestimated or soft peddled, in any attempt to glorify the LTTE.

Further, I was not promoting the caste system or its merits. To the contrary, I was emphasizing that a new caste system should not be permitted to develop to replace the old. Great pearls of wisdom, such as those of Auvaiyar, should not be misquoted for the sake of sounding profound or creating confusion.

Facts must be separated from fiction and reality from myth, if we as a people are to correct course and embark on a new era.

Marathil Marainthathu Maamatha Yaanai;
Parathil Marainthathu Paar Muthat Pootham ( Saiva Sithantham)

As the tree is lost in the illusion of the wooden elephant;
The Universal Spirit is lost in the illusions of creation.

What is applicable spiritually (Mayai / Illusion vs Truth), has to be also applied in our mundane life, if we are to progress and catch up on lost time. I also suggest that readers refer to two of my other articles titled,  A9 Road to Nowhere and Whither Tamils? that were published in recent weeks ...before embarking on any debate on my loyalty to my identity as a Tamil and on my opinions on the LTTE, the Sinhala people and the Sri Lankan governments.
 

R.Narendran [Let�s leave out the honorific prefixes and not indulge in a game of one-up manship to assert pseudo-academic dominance over those who don�t have prefixes like professor and Dr.], in his sneering response, sounds to me like a self-righteous, smugly virtuous goody two shoes. I have neither denied his identity as a Tamilian nor his loyalty. I have only critiqued his jaundiced views on LTTE, for which Narendran tags his critics as indulging in �hypocrisy and sycophancy.�

If one has to believe every sentence of what D.B.S.Jeyaraj has written to the Sunday Leader on the recent plight of his kid brother Jayadevan, his younger sibling should have indulged in such �hypocrisy and sycophancy� since he was an �LTTE insider�, until last year.

Only when one�s nearest kin is at a receiving end... guys like Narendran are released from mayai [illusion] to preach safety from LTTE, a la V.Muralitharan [aka Karuna].

I have not demeaned or misquoted the great pearls of wisdom offered by poet Avvayar. Isn�t it self-evident for anyone � even without a Ph.D. � that offering one�s most precious life for an altruistic cause is the greatest gift, which cannot be equalled. How can one equate the courage and the fortitude of more than 250 Black Tigers [who volunteered their service for causing military setbacks to the enemy front] to the services [whatever meritorious] rendered by the rest of the Tamils, who live with some dignity because of the supreme sacrifice of those young warriors? In Narendran�s book of logic, since both diamond and coal are basically made of carbon atoms, both should have the same value. That may be true for semantic piffle. But, diamond is a diamond and coal is just coal.

Indeed hypocrisy is oozing from Narendran�s heart when he cynically asserts first that �poralis (LTTE cadres) and their kudumbams (families) are also part of the Tamil nation and they are not an astronomical phenomenon in the skies.� and secondly wish for Tamil �progress and catch up on lost time�.

If one reads the history of past five centuries, cultural and economic progress of Tamils were blunted and hindered because of loss of warrior values perfected in the preceding 1,500 years by the Tamils.

Concurrently during the past 500 years, the other �Western cultures� [tag any name here; Portuguese, Dutch, British, French, Spanish, German, American and Russian] made progress [both intellectual and economic] mainly because they had guns to punish their adversaries.

Incidentally, isn�t this year marks the quincentenary of the first landing of Portuguese in Ceylon? It is to the credit of LTTE leader Pirabhakaran that he [among  more than 60 millions of living Tamils] thought of this curse seriously 30 years ago, and did make progress to �catch up on lost time� for Tamils.

Indeed, Pirabhakaran�s army and the support force [Thunai Padai], to borrow Narendran�s cynical phrase, are �astronomical phenomenon in the skies�, which Tamils haven�t seen for the past five centuries. If one studies the history book line by line, this is a real fact and not sycophancy.
 

I find the comments about me in Satchi Srikantha's letter dated 22 April 2005, very offensive, unwarranted and very hurtful...

It is with interest I now detail the following extracts which I was able to pull out from my archives. Will Satchi Sri Kantha use his influence with the LTTE  and provide a categorical response for  Eelam Tamils to make clear the LTTE�s commitment to safeguard human rights. This will find the answer to your editorial comment and will also help instil confidence among the Eelam Tamils that there will be fairness in the LTTE dealings in the future. In their letter dated 10/7/95 sent to the Amnesty International the LTTE stated that: 

'In February 1988 LTTE publicly declared its commitment to act, at all times, in accordance with the humanitarian law of armed conflict and the LTTE has taken care to instruct its cadres accordingly'.

Isn�t this a clear statement of commitment given by the LTTE leadership to the international community? It is 17 years since this undertaking was given, unfortunately LTTE is not adhering to its own commitment. There is an urgent need to follow the standards in view of the ceasefire agreement in force. LTTE remains to justify its conduct of keeping us incommunicado.

The quote below is from the Amnesty�s letter to Lawrence Thilagar of the LTTE dated 11 September 1995.

"Article 3 common to the Four (Geneva) Conventions of 1940 forbids governments and their opponents alike to torture, to deliberately kill civilians taking no part in hostilities, to harm those who are wounded, captured or seeking to surrender, or take hostages.

We have noted the LTTE's announcement in February 1988 that it would abide by the provisions of the Geneva Conventions and its Optional Protocols I and II. Despite the LTTE's continuing pledges, we have received consistent reports that it fails to do so.

We have also appealed for an immediate halt to incommunicado detention and have asked to be informed of the fate or whereabouts of individual persons held by the LTTE some of who have reportedly been tortured and killed.

We have also continually urged that all people held in LTTE custody, including members of the Tamil community seized on suspicion of being sympathetic to other Tamil armed groups or organisations, are seen promptly and regularly by representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)."

 

Instead of your comments becoming the basis of a healthy debate, attempts are being made to subvert and sidetrack the subject matter by indulging in personal attacks. I take considerable exception to Satchi Srikantha�s personal tirades against Dr Narendran...

Facts are sacred and any attempt to vilify it with venom could only transgress the real issues being considered. I appeal to you to use your editorial skills to take this debate in a healthy direction without allowing it to become a campaign forum for sectarian and conditioned minds to mislead...

Your comment in the concluding remarks of your editorial is very apt in asking the �LTTE to set the record straight� on the Jayadevan affair... Let us put our loyalties and animosities aside and discuss the issues involved.

It is clear that the victim duos Mr Jayadevan & Mr Vivekananthan were incarcerated in Vanni. The motive is also definite .. that a temple in London must change hands to a LTTE front organisation. The hostages have also confirmed that their lives were threatened if they did not execute the transfer...This must be the basis of any discussion and your editorial comments have given the direction for such a healthy debate...

I am aware of the immense work done by many expatriate brethrens to promote and internationalise the �Tamil cause�. I am also aware of the hostilities they faced and the constraints under which they were working to espouse this onerous task...

Unless we go forward to build an inclusive society we will see further deterioration not only in Eelam and also will be transposed in the Tamil Diaspora... The Vanni debacle involving Jeyadevan and Vivekananthan cannot be considered as a destabilising factor for the LTTE. It is time for right thinking Tamils to take stock..

...It is my contention that the exposure of Jayadevan�s experience has given a wake up call to the Eelam Tamils and the LTTE... Any amount of justification by  persons who give overt support without attempting to rationalise issues will only erode the very meaning and the support for the Tamil national struggle. I regret, I cannot concur with the rationale of Satchi and once again he is only reflecting his unquestioning support for the LTTE..."

I read the case of Rajasingham Jeyadevan with interest. I must congratulate tamilnation.org for having a section on this case. It appears to me that your comments come only after a long and tortured reflection and I can understand it.

I have argued privately for years that the Tamil community needs to have a vigorous internal debate about its values, its future, and the LTTE�s key role in its liberation. While the LTTE cadres deserve respect, recognition and admiration from the Tamil people for what they have accomplished in the military domain, some of the LTTE�s actions have indeed created a climate of fear within the Tamil community in voicing any opinion critical of the LTTE, which does not bode well for the future of the Tamil community, and indeed the future of the LTTE itself.

An organization like the LTTE, depending as it does on the support of the people, cannot antagonize the very people whose support is critical to its survival. In staking a claim to a glorious tradition as liberators of the people, the same liberators must not be the cause of pervasive fear within the community. What use is fighting for freedom if there is no freedom from fear in something as basic as simply expressing an objective opinion that may be critical of the movement?

To my mind, Dr. Rajasingham Narendran�s writings come off as heartfelt and authentic. Indeed, much of what he says makes sense. Dr. Satchi Sri Kantha�s effort to answer his criticism comes off as contrived .. for he ignores the central question: Are the facts of the case involving Mr. Jeyadevan and as reported by the media and collected by tamilnation.org true? If not true, why is the LTTE silent on the issue?

Mr. Anton Balasingham�s explanations on TamilNet simply do not address any of the core issues.

No one can deny that the LTTE�s cadres have made the ultimate sacrifice for what they believed as Tamil people�s liberation. Indeed, the man at the center of the controversy in the Jeyadevan affair, Mr. Castro, was paralyzed in the battle at Elephant Pass. Such sacrifices are reason enough to tread gingerly on the allegations.

But the fact is, incidents like these reflect poorly on the LTTE and its leadership�s ability to guide the Tamil people to their liberation. Can such an organization go on as nothing has changed, present a genial face to the international community, and assume no one has noticed?

In the face of mounting evidence about the movement�s high-handed actions, of which the Jeyadevan affair is the latest, it would be short sighted for the Tamil community to remain as if everything is fine with the struggle.

Not only is such silence dangerous to the future of the Tamil people, but blind support, sycophancy and a state of denial among the people about the nature of the LTTE have the potential to eventually cause the implosion of the LTTE itself, with disastrous consequences to the Tamil people. It will set the Tamil struggle back by several decades.

It is critically important that those influential with the LTTE leadership begin to demand that the LTTE show a measure of accountability to the Tamil people, whose freedom it purports to champion. I for one would encourage this forum to take the discussion further so that a vigorous exchange of ideas about the future of the Tamil struggle can take place.

It is also important that such an exchange of ideas take place with a view to creating true reforms from within, in a forum committed to Tamil values and unity, and not in a forum like AsianTribune.com, whose publisher was a Tamil organizer for the Sinhala-nationalist SLFP. Sinhala chauvinists like H.L.D. Mahindapala reign supreme at that site and it appears to have connections to Sri Lankan and possibly Indian intelligence services and the renegade Karuna group.

In a situation where many Tamil-related sites are reluctant to carry anything critical of the LTTE, I can understand why people like Dr. Narendran felt compelled to write to Asian Tribune. That is why I congratulate tamilnation.org again for giving a forum to open up an exchange of ideas. Thank you.

Rajasingham Jeyadevan responds to Sachi Sri Kantha, 25 April 2005 (received by  tamilnation.org  on 12 May 2005)  [ [email protected]  ]

I wish to respond to Satchi Srikantha's serious accusation, 'whatever alleged intrigue, alleged misdemeanour and alleged lapses for, the income from the temple facilities'. This cannot go unchallenged as, it has been brought to the public domain...

The legal norm 'person is innocent until proven guilty' should be, followed, if we are to deal with matters in a civilized way. I need not, be crucified by sycophants... who suffer from an inability to deal with facts.

I wish to say categorically and emphatically, that the temple revenue, is not my bread and butter nor the source of my so- called 'wealth' (to, use a convenient term) and I have proved my credentials through due process in the UK.. If anyone feels he has genuine grievances or complaints, he should seek, justice in the U.K- the location of the alleged offences, where there is, due process and rule of law ...
 

I have to respond to the criticism made by Ramachandran Raviraj [23 April] and E.T.Agnosticus [24 April], on my previous two communications about the R.Jeyadevan case.

It appears that my critics are barking at the wrong tree, in addition to misrepresenting my views. In my first communication [20 April], I had clearly stated that the Jeyadevan case has two inter-twined components;

(1) the Case Proper, and

(2) How the Case Proper was presented in the media by the Tamil journalists like D.B.S.Jeyaraj and K.T.Rajasingham [who runs the Asian Tribune service].

I also stressed that on the Case Proper, one cannot comment without being informed of all the delicate details.

My focus was on how the Case Proper was presented to the media, with extraneous embellishments by the two cited journalists as well as by Jeyadevan�s brother R.Narendran. Of course, I had critiqued Narendran, because neither he nor his brother Jeyadevan had explicitly stated in their interviews and write-ups, how close Jeyadevan was to LTTE hierarchy until December 2004. Why this component was omitted, until Jeyadevan fell out with LTTE this year, is worthy of introspection.

One should read Jeyaraj�s two features in the Sunday Leader [13 March and 20 March] to comprehend, how Jeyadevan functioned as a society leader of Tamils in London by identifying with LTTE and also with the implicit backing of LTTE.

Jeyaraj in his 13 March feature notes in one sentence, �Jeyadevan was then the virtual head of the LTTE supporters in Britain.� In another sentence, Jeyaraj noted, �Many could not believe that the Tigers were doing this to a man like Jeyadevan who had identified with the LTTE cause for so long.� Couldn�t Jeyadevan then have gained �status� [for how many years?] among the British Tamil expatriates, as being identified as an �LTTE insider�?

One should also wonder why in Jeyadevan�s statements to (1) British Harrow Times [14 April 2005 � James Brockett reporting] and (2) International Red Cross in Geneva [19 April 2005], this important role of his past links to LTTE had been completely omitted. Isn�t this some deception to mislead the Tamil public?

Also, why has R.Narendran  in his critiques on LTTE�s actions relating to Jeyadevan�s detention in Kilinochchi, not mentioned prominently [for example, in his report published in the Sunday Leader, 20 March] about how many years Jeyadevan functioned as an �LTTE insider� in Britain, though he had mentioned the plight of his family in1958, 1977, 1983 and 1987? If Narendran had voiced his doubts openly about LTTE�s alleged misdeeds few years ago, or even an year ago � when his kid brother was in the good books of LTTE, then one would understand Narendran�s concern for Tamil society at large. That he comes out in the open to defend his younger brother, only after Jeyadevan�s recent detention smacks to me as some kind of Aesopian �sour grapes� syndrome. Am I wrong?

Having stated these acts of omission, I emphasize that my criticism was mainly focused on the self-serving anti-LTTE diatribes propagated by journalists D.B.S.Jeyaraj and K.T.Rajasingham.

Of course, I have �reflected my unquestioning support for LTTE�, as stated by correspondent Raviraj. Yes, I speak for a constituency of more than 17,000 young Tamils [who are not with us now, to defend themselves] whose actions have been twisted and maligned in the kept presses of Colombo, Chennai and the web blog-sheets emanating from Bangkok and London.

The two features presented by Jeyaraj to the Sunday Leader [13 March and 20 March] also show that his coverage was dripping with outrageous anti-Hindu mockery. Please check his 13 March feature  �The bait was a prospective �Dharshan� with the divine leader�� [referring to a meeting with the LTTE leader Pirabhakaran].

In his 20 March feature, Jeyaraj noted that �Around 15 Labour party MPs now set up an adhoc support group to secure Jeyadevan�s release��

I would have liked to know the names of these 15 Labour Party MPs. But Jeyaraj has not provided this information. If the names were provided, I�d have verified this fact independently with those 15 MPs and received some kind of their insights on the details which were made known to them.

Why could not Jeyaraj state the names of these 15 MPs? Is it because the MPs were not keen to identify themselves openly or is it because Jeyaraj was not provided with the names of these MPs? Even now, it is not late for Jeyaraj or for R.Narendran to inform the Tamil readers who are these 15 MPs. If Jeyaraj cannot provide the names that will be another proof of his third degree journalism.

Expecting high-quality journalism sympathetic to Eelam Tamil interests from the Asian Tribune is like expecting a latrine dwelling house-fly to bring up honey....

..The  roles played by journalists like D.B.S.Jeyaraj and K.T.Rajasingham (in the Asian Tribune) have been admonished by our forefathers in the Tamil proverb, �Padikkirathu Thevaram � Idikkirathu Sivan Kovil� [Singing Thevaram, while sinning Sivan Temple].
 

When a one time ardent supporter of LTTE, Mr. Jeyadevan was accused of some dispute in his involvement of Temple fund which he administered, he should have passed his responsibilities to some one else and cleared his name from that accusation. This is how things should have been taken place.

But, unfortunately in this case, Mr. Jeyadevan and his brother Dr.R.Narendiran, have gone all  out to discredit the LTTE and are aiding blindly the enemies of our struggle - this will not do any of us any good or the Tamil Struggle any good - a struggle for which Mr.R.Jeyadevan and Dr.R.Narendiran (as they claim) worked for so long as supporters. Dr. R. Narendiran's views on the LTTE after his brother�s episode, appear to me to be more of a personal nature rather than directed to guiding the LTTE  to better lead the Tamil people which LTTE represents.

Dr.R.Narendiran should have written his views about the LTTE during the last three years of peace time if he found the LTTE was not going in the right direction or at least made some attempt to talk to the LTTE leadership about it since he was a supporter of LTTE until this episode.

I know too well how sensational fictionist writer D.B.S and people like him very quickly fish in troubled waters when it comes to the LTTE. I request all the parties here to keep their cool heads down and make an appeal to our faithful National leader Hon. V. Prabakaran to investigate thoroughly this matter and set the record straight for the benefit of our Tamil Struggle.

It is also my view that without doing this and falling prey to anti Tamil and anti LTTE forces who are hell bent to discredit our legitimate struggle will only weaken our hard earned position at the current decisive time of our struggle for Tamil Eelam.
 

1) What was the purpose of setting up this temple and how did Jeyadevan and Co raised the funds for the initial set-up?

2) The relationship of some of the people involved in the affairs has been explicitly written in the articles (especially in the articles written by Jeyaraj). What are the relationships between the current directors?

3) I learn that 3 out of the 4 directors of the Temple are closely related. So is the temple a family owned establishment?

4) UK Company House lists the temple as a profit making company (not even a company limited by guarantee). Would it be profit making venture?

5) If the temple is a profit making company, would it be appropriate to call the directors as trustees?

6) In the year 2000, the charity commission conducted an enquiry about the financial handlings of the temple. And it has recommended that the temple cannot be considered as a charitable organisation. One of the reasons it gave was the there were donations to local political parties from the income of the temple. Which are these political parties? How much money has been donated? Were the devotees informed about this donations?

  Rajasingham Jeyadevan responds to Indunil Fernando, 1 May 2005 (received by  tamilnation.org  on 12 May 2005)  [ [email protected]  ]

I respond to the so-called Indunil Fernando's letter- an anonymous, invader writing under a cloak of an intriguing pseudonym name...

I invite the so called Indunil Fernando for a radio and television, debate when I and my colleagues will openly answer his questions with, his clear identity in public...

Let the LTTE media's TTN, IBC radio, Tamil Guardian and the other, Tamil medias such as TBC, Deepam, Puthinam Tamil newspaper and scores of other worldwide media including the e-medias come forward for a debate. This offer is there since I made public my incarceration in Vanni by the LTTE.

Any broadcasts must be live to avoid editing and the debate must cover my conduct since I started to espouse the Tamil struggle and my incarceration in Vanni by the LTTE and the temple matters...  I trust that you will use your influence to arrange the above Medias to come forward for the interview. Once all the matters are discussed fully and thoroughly,  a full account, of the events and the answers to the intriguing Indunil's questions can, find its way into your website.

I trust that I have given a good opening for you to deal with all the
matters, instead of dealing with them piecemeal ...