MaaVeerar - மாவீரர்
அணையாத தீபங்கள் Col. Ramanan
[TamilNet, May 24, 2006 ]
Col. Ramanan, Deputy Head of the LTTE Military wing of Batticaloa district was shot dead on 21 May 2006, whilst inspecting the LTTE Forward Defence Line at Vavunathivu in Batticaloa. The battle-hardened Commander Ramanan, has served as the Military Intelligence Chief of the LTTE in Batticaloa Amparai districts, and later as the Head of the Military Wing of Maavadymunmari division. Ramanan is the most high ranking LTTE officials to be assassinated during the Ceasefire.
Kandiah Ulaganathan, alias Ramanan, born in 1966, is from Palukamam, 21 km south of Batticaloa. He was enrolled for training in LTTE in 1986 after completing GCE (A/L) at Palukamam Kandumani Maha Vidyalayam. One of his three brothers has already died in battle. Two of the remaining brothers and a sister, are all serving the liberation struggle at various levels.
Ramanan emerged as a talented military leader during the LTTE's war with the Indian Army. He served in Jeyanthan Brigade, one of the most feared infantry formations of the Liberation Tigers. His contribution was high in the Unceasing Waves operations against the Sri Lanka Army launched Jeyasikurui operation that was routed by the Tigers in Vanni.
Commander Ramanan's decision to leave the renegade LTTE commander Karuna was a major setback for the renegade's plans to hold his ground in the east. At a ceremony in Mullaitivu on 24 May 2006, after paying their respects, senior LTTE commander Colonel Jeyam and officials delivered speeches paying tribute to Ramanan, saluting his exemplary personal qualities and hailing his accomplishments during his twenty years dedicated service to the Tamil freedom struggle.
"Col. Ramanan was a great inspiration for the fighters in the east of the island. He skilfully liberated our territories from Karuna when he defected to the enemy. Ramanan then went on to build up a strong force there under Commander Bhanu,” Colonel Jeyam said.
“We remember how in 1987 we lost two of our District Commanders, Pulendran and Kumarappa, when the Indians, mediating between the Sri Lankans and us, failed to save the lives of our commanders who were abducted [by the Sri Lanka Navy] in the seas during that peace engagement.”
“That tactic didn't help the enemy quell our movement. In fact, few believed that we could resist the world’s fourth largest military might. But we did. We did so under the strategic guidance of our leadership and with the support base of our people. Even when we were forced to withdraw from Jaffna, the urban base, and lead the Tamil struggle from the remote jungles of Manal Aru, we achieved the unthinkable this way.”
“We have shaken hands with the enemy on four different occasions in a bid to resolve the conflict peacefully. During this latest internationally assisted four-year peace engagement, our representatives have gone around and shook hands with many diplomats in Europe.”
“The whole world has had the opportunity to come here during the peace process, if they truly wanted to understand our situation. Can we expect those who failed to understand our political plight during the last four years of peaceful engagement to ever be able to understand it? What do you think?" asked Colonel Jeyam.
“I can see the people of Tamil Eelam getting ready for the war. We know where we should stand –on the power of our people’s support, the guidance of our leader, on the sacrifices we have made for freedom in our own territory, be it Vavuniya, Jaffna, Mannar, Manal Aru, Batticaloa or Amparai.”
“Nobody can defeat us now when the Tamil people have resolved to decide our own destiny,” Colonel Jeyam further said.
"Two different but complimentary tactics have been adopted by the successive Sinhala regimes to quell the Tamil freedom struggle led by the LTTE. The peace process is the soft side of this strategy while the hard one is the systematic killings of our able commanders and talented Tamil activists.”
“But our enemies are wrong in assuming that they can weaken us. Experience shows that both the struggle and the LTTE grow in strength and power after each assassination and each peace process.”
“Ramanan's loss is of course irreparable. But he has dedicated his very life as a stepping stone in the direction of victory which we will taste soon," said Col. Jeyam.
The event in Vanni paying homage to Colonel Ramanan was held at Puthukudiruppu Sri Subramaniam Maha Vidyalayam Wednesday around 10.30 a.m. headed by the President of Mullaitivu District People Consortium, Mr. Vethavanam.
Thamilarasan, Col. Ramanan's brother and Odduchuddan Regional Head of the LTTE, lit the lamp before the late officer’s portrait while another brother, Parathan, an LTTE cadre, garlanded it.
Colonel Ramesh lit the flame of sacrifice at the event and garlanded Col. Ramanan's portrait. He was joined by Colonel Jeyam, senior LTTE member Mr. K. V. Balakumaran, Peace Secretariat Director, Mr. S. Pulidevan, Mr. Illanthirayan (Marshall) of the Peace Secretariat, Mr. Seeralan, Deputy Head of the political wing in Batticaloa District and Mr. S. Selvanayagam, the principal of the Maha Vidyalam.
Mr. Illanthirayan, former head of the LTTE Political Wing in Batticaloa, following Col. Jeyam, hailed the personal qualities of Col. Ramanan.
"Martyr Ramanan, knew every one in the southern Tamil Eelam and everyone there knew him. He was a master in translating our movement’s leader's political and military strategies into skilful techniques in practice,” Mr. Illanthirayan said.
“It was Colonel Ramanan who surmounted the efforts by the traitor Karuna to split the LTTE through the wedge of regionalism. Though he is no more with us, the techniques and tactics Colonel Ramanan developed will be with us in our struggle to achieve our desired goal," said Mr. Ilanthirayan.
Colonel Ramesh said: “Ramanan's feats in the fields of war and intelligence cannot be covered in a short speech. He comes from a family which has been in the forefront of resistance to Sri Lanka armed forces. He has nine siblings, out of which two brothers and a sister are members of LTTE.”
“All his feats in the struggle are not known because the victories he reaped and the way in which he achieved them cannot be openly revealed now.”
“He was a great source of strength and a talented fighter in southern Tamil Eelam and he was killed precisely for these incredible qualities," said Col. Ramesh.
Mr. K. V. Balakumaran said, "We already owe a great deal to the people of southern Tamil Eelam. I had admired Col. Ramanan for his wonderful personality which had two distinct sides. One was filled with spontaneous love and the other replete with military skill and intelligence. People possessing this unique blend of qualities rarely live long. Usually they die young. We have an exemplary model in Ramanan to be emulated in pursuing our liberation struggle."
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