LTTE continues to be most lethal - India tribunal

India believes that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) continues to be an extremely potent, most lethal and well-organised terrorist outfit in Sri Lanka.

Justifying its decision to impose the ban on the LTTE on May 14, 2008, the Government of India submitted to a tribunal that the separatist outfit has strong connections in Tamil Nadu and certain other pockets of southern India.

The tribunal, set up under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, has accepted the government’s arguments and upheld the ban.

Delhi High Court’s Justice Vikramjit Sen, who is on the tribunal, agreed with the Indian Government’s submission that “the LTTE continues to use Tamil Nadu as the base for carrying out smuggling of essential items like petrol and diesel, besides drugs, to Sri Lanka.”

The government submitted that Kalpakkam and Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu, where some of the major nuclear plants are located, are close to LTTE bases in Sri Lanka. The government is apprehensive that, “unless the ban on the LTTE continues, acts of aggression on Indian soil are likely to occur.”

Enquiries on the activities of LTTE cadres or dropouts who have recently been traced in Tamil Nadu suggest that they will ultimately be utilized by the outfit for unlawful activities, the government further submitted to the tribunal.

Upholding the ban, the tribunal noted that LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and his intelligence chief Pottu Amman, wanted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, are still absconding and declared proclaimed offenders.

Justice Sen took into consideration the government’s submission that the LTTE “will continue to remain a strong terrorist movement and stimulate the secessionist sentiments to enhance its support base in Tamil Nadu as long as Sri Lanka continues to remain in a state of ethnic strife torn by the demand for Tamil Eelam, which finds a strong echo in Tamil Nadu due to the linguistic, cultural, ethnic and historical affinity between the Sri Lankan Tamils and the Indian Tamils in Sri Lanka.”

The judge said: “Each of the submissions is fortified by instances and documents. Examples have also been given of the cases which were registered earlier and are still alive, and in many cases, some of the LTTE cadres and members of the Tamilar Pasarai, the Tamil National Retrieval Troops and the Tamil Nadu Liberation Army, who are accused in these cases, are at large and efforts are on to secure them.”

The Government of India was represented before the tribunal by Additional Solicitor General PP Malhotra, while counsel S. Thananjayan represented the Government of Tamil Nadu. However, the LTTE was not represented by counsel.

Justice Sen wrote in his verdict: “In the absence of any representation from the LTTE, the entire material placed by the Central Government as well as the State Government, including deposition of their witnesses, remains un-rebutted and is taken as having been proved.”

The LTTE was first banned in India on May 14, 1992 after a special investigation proved its complicity in the brutal assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at an election rally in Tamil Nadu on May 21, 1991. The ban is being renewed after every two years.