Has TNA’s Indian visit caused split with LTTE?

Right now, all indications are that a crack has already appeared between these two parties following the visit of TNA delegation to meet Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon and National Security Adviser M. K. Narayanan last week. Besides this, sharp divisions and fractions within the TNA have also become obvious, following the meeting a few TNA members had with the top Indian officials last week. Undoubtedly, the meeting itself had taken place amidst growing opposition from within the TNA and the LTTE. Two factors that have now surfaced are testimony to the latest rift. Though not directly, the LTTE, in a subtle manner has hinted that they are disappointed and angry with the TNA for going ahead with talks with the Indian officials. The expression of the LTTE’s anger was noticeable in the two prominent websites published by the LTTE, namely, ‘Puthinam’ and ‘TamilNet’ last week

R. Sampanthan M. K. Narayanan Menon Prabhakaran

By Wilson Gnanadass
Serious questions have been raised as to whether the recent visit of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to India, has brought about a possible split between the party and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Did the TNA delegation visit India with the LTTE’s consent, is a question that needs to be answered to clear this muddle.

Right now, all indications are that ,a crack has already appeared between these two parties following the visit of TNA delegation to meet Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon and National Security Adviser M. K. Narayanan last week. Besides this, sharp divisions and fractions within the TNA have also become obvious, following the meeting a few TNA members had with the top Indian officials last week. Undoubtedly, the meeting itself had taken place amidst growing opposition from within the TNA and the LTTE. Two factors that have now surfaced are testimony to the latest rift. Though not directly, the LTTE, in a subtle manner has hinted that they are disappointed and angry with the TNA for going ahead with talks with the Indian officials. The expression of the LTTE’s anger was noticeable in the two prominent websites published by the LTTE, namely, ‘Puthinam’ and ‘TamilNet’ last week.

While TamilNet abstained fully from publishing any news articles regarding the visit or the meeting of the TNA members with the Indian officials, Puthinam carried two different types of stories.

Puthinam carried a warning from the LTTE on Thursday morning which emphatically stated that whoever visits India from the TNA, will be considered ‘traitors’ of the Tamil speaking people.

However, within few hours after this news article was given prominence in the website, the article was removed.

Subsequently the website published a brief story about the TNA’s meeting with Narayanan. The website also later published with photos, the meeting the TNA had with Menon.

Strangely, the official website of the LTTE, the TamilNet, has so far not carried any news articles regarding the visit of the TNA delegation, or the meetings it had had with the Indian key officials. The website has not even made any mention of the visit of the TNA delegation led by its leader Sampanthan to date.

Disagreement

Many analysts believe that a disagreement between the LTTE and the TNA might have emerged from the recent visit, and that might have been the reason for TamilNet not publishing anything about the visit.

Serious questions are raised as to whether this particular visit by the TNA was with the sanction and blessings of the LTTE.

It was only recently that LTTE political wing leader S. Nadesan in an interview with a newspaper published by the Indian communist party called ‘Janashakthi,’ hinted that the people of Tamil Nadu should abstain from voting for the Congress.

In the same interview, Nadesan has constantly praised the opposition led by Jayalalithaa, giving the impression that the LTTE is not too friendly with the Congress, for not pushing Colombo to call for a ceasefire a request the LTTE has been making for many weeks.

The LTTE political wing leader has commended the commitment to the cause of the LTTE by the parties like the Patali Makkal Katchi (PMK) the largest pro LTTE party that has now extended support to Jayalalithaa, the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kalagam (MDMK) a small party led by Vaiko, that is not likely to win more than three or four seats, and is also supportive of the Eelam struggle, the Tamil National Movement (TNM) led by Nedumaran who has publicly espoused the cause of Tamil Eelam, and the Periyar Dravida Kalagam, a rather small splinter group that supports Jayalalithaa.

In this backdrop, the TNA’s decision to accept the invitation extended by the Congress appears to be leading to a conflict with the LTTE. One wonders whether the TNA has the power to take decisions on its own, despite LTTE’s critical stance on the Congress.

Splits within

On the other hand, a split within the TNA has also become obvious following the visit by the senior members of the TNA to India last week. Earlier, some TNA MPs held a meeting at the MPs quarters in Madiwela, to discuss the invitation from Menon and the plight of the displaced people of the Wanni. Senior stalwarts like Sampanthan, Suresh Premachandran and Selvam Adaikalanathan had already gone to India a few weeks ago to attend to their families. They were not in the island when the invitation came from India, and this compelled the others in the country to gather together at an urgent meeting at Madiwela, to sort out the problem.

The lengthy meeting held at Madiwela, ended with the majority insisting that the TNA should not meet Menon, with only Mavai Senadhirajah adamantly declaring that the TNA should meet Menon. The following members: Mavai Senadhirajah, Gajen Ponnambalam of ACTC, Sivanathan Kishore Vavuniya District MP, T. Kanagasabai, Batticaloa District MP, K. Pathmanathan, Ampara District MP, P. Ariyanendran, Batticaloa District MP, K. Thangeswari, Batticaloa District MP, and MP’s Thurairatnasingham and N. Srikantha, met on April 8.

Except for Mavai Senadhirajah, almost all the others took up the position unanimously that it was not the most opportune time to meet Menon at present, and to meet him after the Indian elections were over. Almost everybody had expressed concern about the Indian role played in the present military conflict between the government Forces and the LTTE. Members present even pointed out that meeting Menon and Narayanan would only help the Congress collect additional votes, and that the TNA should not become subject to the Indian political manoeuvring.

The MPs had also said that if India was sincerely interested in a ceasefire, she could have forced the UPFA Government to implement the same. But as India has failed to mount pressure on the government for a ceasefire, and as the invitation to meet the Indian top officials had come on the eve of the elections, the TNA MPs who met in Madiwela, decided that the TNA should not accept the invitation. However, Senadhirajah who had already been appointed as one of the delegates was adamant. He wanted to meet Menon. As the members could not persuade Senadhirajah to change his mind, the members finally decided to convey a message through Senadhirajah to the other leaders who were already in India, that they were not in favour of meeting Menon, but however if the seniors so decided, they could go ahead.

Influence

With this message, Senadhirajah departed for India, and joined the others in Chennai. It is not certain whether the other members who did not want the TNA to talk with India at present, were influenced by the LTTE. However since their action corresponds with that of the LTTE, it has now begun to appear as if these members too have been well informed or influenced by the LTTE vis a vis the future relationship with India.

Belated invitation

The invitation that the TNA received last week was in response to a request the TNA itself made to the Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, during his visit to attend the SAARC summit in Colombo. During the Summit, the TNA was given a slot to meet with the Indian premier. The Premier who spoke with the TNA delegation for nearly five minutes, told them that he would invite them to New Delhi for a lengthy discussion, after he returned to India. However, the much anticipated invitation came to the TNA only last week –and that too, when India was getting ready for the polls. One of the principal accusations the LTTE and the TNA have levelled against India recently has been that New Delhi could have pressurised the UPFA Government to call for ceasefire, but failed to do so.

In this context, calling the TNA for a discussion on the eve of the Indian polls, was also interpreted by the majority of the TNA members as an election gimmick, rather than the good intention to solve the present crisis. Majority of them also now feel that the TNA senior delegation which already met the Indian officials, has only honoured India’s invitation by visiting India, and that nothing positive would come out of the series of discussions they had with the Indian officials. They have interpreted the visit of the TNA leaders as a mere obligation on its part, and not something that will make any impact to the party in particular, or the Tamils in general. With this the party stands divided and once the leaders arrive in Sri Lanka this week, there is bound to be a couple of further hiccups within the party.

If on the other hand, the visit of the TNA does produce positive results, then there will be a celebration. If not, these leaders will most certainly be branded as ‘traitors’ by the LTTE, many political analysts have pointed out.