Tamil nationalist leader Pazha Nedumaran’s claim that Velupillai Prabhakaran, the founding chief of the Liberation of Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), is still alive was quashed by Tamil nationalists and the Sri Lankan army.
On Monday, Nedumaran had said that Prabhakaran (who was reportedly shot dead by the Sri Lankan army in May 2009 during the last phase of a civil war) is alive and will emerge publicly.
Nedumaran, president of the World Confederation of Tamils, seems to have attempted to keep the plight of Tamil people in Sri Lanka a burning point in Tamil Nadu for which a huge section is sympathetic.
“The fierce Opposition to the Rajapaksas by the Sinhalese in Sri Lanka and the global situation has created a conducive atmosphere for the national president of Tamil Eelam (Prabhakaran) to emerge. At this juncture, I wish to announce the good news that he is alive,” Nedumaran had said in a statement. He followed the statement with a press meeting in Thanjavur.
Mahinda Rajapaksa was the president when Prabhakaran died. Having been with the Congress earlier, Nedumaran turned into a Tamil nationalist and claimed that he was in touch with Prabhakaran’s family.
Tamil nationalist S Seeman, head of the Naam Tamizhar Katchi and a known LTTE sympathiser, while responding to reporters’ questions in Erode, said, “You think such a brave heart would be in hiding? Let’s not debate this and leave it at that.”
G Vaiko, who had met the LTTE leader several times by sneaking into northern Sri Lanka, also dismissed Nedumaran’s claims. “Those who are in touch with me have confirmed that he is not alive,” said Vaiko.
Sri Lankan army spokesperson and director of media, Brigadier Ravi Herath, was also quoted by BBC Tamil that they have DNA evidence that Prabhakaran was killed on May 18, 2009 during the final battle.
The Sri Lankan army had announced that the 30-year war had come to an end on that day but they had officially declared Prabhakaran’s death the next day with photo and video evidence.
