{"id":62123,"date":"2012-11-27T18:11:26","date_gmt":"2012-11-27T18:11:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=62123"},"modified":"2012-12-03T11:59:48","modified_gmt":"2012-12-03T11:59:48","slug":"velupillai-pirapaharan-veera-maranam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/velupillai-pirapaharan-veera-maranam\/","title":{"rendered":"Velupillai Pirap\u0101haran: Veera Maranam"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Michael Roberts<\/a><\/span> –<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Dr Michael Roberts<\/p><\/div>\n

That the LTTE talaivar<\/em>, Velupillai Pirap\u0101haran<\/a><\/span>, died<\/a> a heroic death as a v\u012bra maranam <\/em>on the 18th<\/sup> or 19th<\/sup> May 2009 is now certain.[1]<\/a> <\/strong>Though Tamil sources claim that he shot himself with his pistol when he and his troops were trapped in the mangrove swamps on the eastern shoreline of Nandhikadal lagoon, the weight of evidence suggests that he was hit by a bullet \u201ctraveling diagonally across VP’s skull, probably from left forehead to right rear of skull \u2013 [a bullet that was part of] either a rifle round, or a rifle-calibre round\u201d <\/strong>(<\/strong>David Blacker<\/a><\/span>, email to Roberts, 14 February 2012).<\/p>\n

Whatever the verdict between these two alternative theories, there is little doubt that Pirap\u0101haran adhered to the Tiger devotion to cause and the LTTE<\/a><\/span>\u2019s credo of being ready to die by gun or kuppi <\/em>(cyanide pill). This fact should dispel the various strands of criticism levelled at Pirap\u0101haran for not biting a cyanide capsule.[2]<\/a> A young Tamil friend voiced this complaint in conversation with me in mid-November 2012; and a senior government official named Ganesh (no less than the G. A. Jaffna) is said to have expressed \u201cdisappointment that Prabhakaran didn\u2019t die fighting for his people\u201d (Mahindapala 2009). In the expressions of diehard Sinhala extremists such as HLD Mahindapala, such an alleged fact becomes fodder for derisive commentary on the manner in which the Tiger supremo failed to live up to the principles imposed on his fighting personnel.<\/p>\n

In an exchange in the vibrant web-journal TRANSCURRENTS, the knowledgeable editor, DBS Jeyaraj<\/a><\/span>, responded on 26 November 2011 to a blogger\u2019s comment with the note: \u201cPrabhakaran fought to the end and then shot himself on 18th. Army recovered body hours later on 19th<\/sup>.\u201d A similar verdict was recently conveyed to me by one of the civilians among the last cluster trapped at Vellamullavaikal in mid-May. He informed told me that Pirap\u0101haran placed his Glock pistol in his mouth and shot himself. Pirap\u0101haran\u2019s body guards thereupon hid his body and mostly proceeded to sacrifice their lives by their own hands in keeping with the ideals of the LTTE (Roberts 1996, 2005a, 2005b and 2006). But one or two bodyguards went back to the Last Redoubt at Mullivaikkal area and mingled with the civilians; when one was identified, he eventually led the SL Army troops to the area where the body was hidden.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Velupillai Pirap\u0101haran<\/p><\/div>\n

However, the facial photograph of the dead<\/a> Pirap\u0101haran does not support a right-handed action of this sort. In any event the opinion of a former soldier such as Blacker destroys this thesis. Responding to my direct query on this point on 14th<\/sup> February 2012, David Blacker went into riveting detail:<\/p>\n

\u201cMichael, DBSJ has steadfastly stuck to this story for a while now, but I disagree with him on VP’s death. I am attaching a picture of the latter post-mortem (which you have most likely seen before) for reference. That is most certainly not a self-inflicted bullet wound. A self-inflicted shot would have entered below the chin, through the mouth, or to the temple, if delivered to the head. And in pictures of VP in his underwear, there is no sign of a shot to the chest, which would be the most likely spot for a self-inflicted body shot.<\/p>\n

Some might argue that the visible wound was inflicted post-mortem to cover a fatal self-inflicted exit wound. But if VP had shot himself under the chin or through the mouth, the hydrostatic damage to his eyes would have been visible. They would have been blown out of their sockets or at the very least very bloodshot. There is no such sign.<\/p>\n

Another argument is that the wound is from shrapnel, but there is no sign of his head or face having been hit by fragments other than the one that delivered the wound. While this is not impossible, it is unlikely, and anyway not in line with DBSJ’s theory of suicide.<\/p>\n

Yet another story is that the wound is from an axe or mammoty, inflicted by a senior Army officer. This too is unlikely, given that there’s no bruising around the wound.<\/p>\n

I have seen many gunshot wounds close up, and I believe this to be inflicted by a high-velocity bullet traveling diagonally across VP’s skull, probably from left forehead to right rear of skull. That would be either a rifle round, or a rifle-calibre round. The angle rules out self-infliction.<\/p>\n

I have posted my view on DBSJ’s blog but he has not allowed the comment through. He has previously asked me for my opinion via email, and I have given it; but he has not changed his view. He has also refused to give detailed answers to queries on how VP died; nor has he written an “expose” on it; leading me to believe that he doesn’t know for sure, but has been told his version by a trusted source.\u201d<\/p>\n

To those unfamiliar with warfare, let me stress that Pirap\u0101haran would not have been shot as Pirap\u0101haran. In contrast with snipers shooting at long range, in gunfights in jungle terrain good soldiers shoot at enemy bodies across the way in instinctive bursts without identifying officers or individuals. Pausing to identify is deadly for self and is bad soldiery. The information trickling in from friends of military men is that the army platoons simply \u2018inundated\u2019 the mangrove areas where the last Tiger units had taken refuge with concentrated volleys of automatic fire and the odd RPG round.<\/p>\n

With access to the highest authorities HLD Mahindapala gained entry to the arena of the talaivar\u2019s<\/em> last stand as well as the troops involved in this final set of gun-battles. His essay on the topic is mandatory reading for those interested in the debate because it provides details on the context (though one has to siphon off his disparagement and his gloating).<\/p>\n

Fierce fighting broke out on the evening of May 17th<\/sup>. According to Army sources, Prabhakaran, surrounded by his bodyguards, was moving across the waters, shifting among the mangroves. The fighting went on till 3.30 a.m. on May 18th. Sgt. Banda, who was in one of the islets, encountered fierce attacks. He called for reinforcements. They suspected that Prabhakaran must be among the Tiger cadres moving across. With the arrival of new reinforcements fighting went on till 5.30 am.<\/p>\n

Col. G. V. Ravipriya told me that nearly 100 terrorists had surrounded them [Sgt Banda\u2019s unit].\u201d He added: \u201cI sent another team to assist them. The Tigers then escaped to a mangrove in the left of the island.\u201d<\/p>\n

Col. Ravipriya then planned to clear the mangrove at dawn. Before that he brought down artillery, armoured tanks, infantry mortars and RPGs. From this base he kept firing till 11 a.m. of May 18th. Col Ravipriya then sent commandos to clear the mangroves. Over 100 bodies were found there. Clearing was over by 6.30 p.m. It was getting dark. Clearing began next morning at 7.30 a.m. Suddenly, they were confronted by a group of Tigers. The Forces asked for help and more troops were sent by Col. Ravipriya.<\/p>\n

Clearing began again on the 19th. Firing had stopped. The Forces started collecting bodies again around 9.30 a.m. Sgt. Muthu Banda then cried that he found a body similar to that of Prabhakaran. He was asked to bring the body out of the mangrove bushes. Brig. Commander Col Gamage was the first to identify the body. He found the identity t<\/strong>ag: 001.<\/p>\n

Nobody knows who fired the fatal bullet. It seems to be a gun shot fired within a range of about 10 metres [emphasis added by Roberts].<\/p>\n

This evaluation must be supplemented by a study of photographs of the mangrove swamp terrain. It is with attention to such details and this context that one must review Blacker\u2019s considered verdict and ask medical personnel familiar with war wounds whether the image of Pirapaharan\u2019s visage-in-death supports Blacker\u2019s argument and is consistent with a relatively close range shot of a rifle bullet (itself, presumably, part of a burst).<\/p>\n

Answering my query, Dr Susiri Weeraskera cautiously noted that the killer-bullet is very \u201cunlikely to be [from]a pistol. \u2026 Far more likely blasted off from a distance.\u201d The image displayed by the GSL Army, he stresses, is \u201cafter a stitching-up which hides the damage within.\u201d[3]<\/a><\/p>\n

Be that as it may, from the Tamil perspective Pirapaharan is surely a m\u0101v\u012brar <\/em>who died v\u012bra maranam<\/em>.<\/p>\n

As recognised in critical reflections by one Nillanthan in his poem KAARTHIKAI MUNIRAVU<\/p>\n

The rain sparrow\u2019s<\/p>\n

cool, weightless song<\/p>\n

wanders tiredly<\/p>\n

In the forest<\/p>\n

Where heroes are buried<\/p>\n

The November moon<\/p>\n

lights up the<\/p>\n

funeral urn<\/p>\n

Neither prayers<\/p>\n

Nor words of respect<\/p>\n

Neither a leader<\/p>\n

Nor his great speech<\/p>\n

Neither is there<\/p>\n

the fragrance of<\/p>\n

glowing flame<\/p>\n

as it melts and dissolves<\/p>\n

in the wet wind<\/p>\n

The hero-stone wrenched –<\/p>\n

A great dream wanders<\/p>\n

Sleepless<\/p>\n

In the forest<\/p>\n

where iron merchants wander<\/p>\n

blooms a karthigai flower<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

BIBLIOGRAPHY<\/strong><\/p>\n

Albert Axell and Hideaki Kase <\/strong>2002 Kamikaze. Japan\u2019s Suicide Gods,<\/em> London: Pearson Education.<\/p>\n

Iyer, Ganeshan<\/strong> 2012 \u201cMilitary Training in the German Nazi Mould amidst Internal Dissension in the Early LTTE, late 1970s,\u201d trans. by Parames Blacker, 30 January 2012, http:\/\/thuppahi.wordpress.com\/2012\/01\/30\/military-training-in-the-german-nazi-mould-amidst-internal-dissension-in-the-early-ltte-late-1970s\/<\/p>\n

Jeyaraj,<\/strong> D. B. S. <\/strong>2006 \u201cNo Public Speech Ceremony for LTTE Chief This Year?\u201d 26 November 2006, http:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbs\/archives\/650.<\/p>\n

Jeyaraj, D. B. S.<\/strong> 2012 \u201cSea Tiger commander Soosai\u2019s wife Satyadevi speaks out,\u201d 30 January 2012, http:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/archives\/3891<\/p>\n

Mahindapala, H. L. D. <\/strong>2009 \u201cHow Prabhakaran went down in Nanthi Kadal \u2013 the last battleground,\u201d 10 July 2009, http:\/\/lrrp.wordpress.com\/2009\/07\/10\/how-prabhakaran-went-down-in-nanthi-kadal-%E2%80%93-the-last-battleground-by-h-l-d-mahindapala\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Narayan Swamy, M. R<\/strong>.2003 Inside an Elusive Mind<\/em>. Prabhakaran<\/em>, Colombo: Vijitha Yapa Publications.<\/p>\n

Natali, Christiana <\/strong>2008\u201cBuilding Cemeteries, Constructing Identities: Funerary Practices and Nationalist Discourse among the Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka,\u201d Contemporary South Asia<\/em> 16: 287- 301.<\/p>\n

Ohnuki-Tierney, Emiko <\/strong>2002 Kamikaze, Cherry Blossoms, and Nationalisms: the Militarization of Aesthetics in Japanese History<\/em>, Chicago: University of Chicago Press. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Roberts, Michael <\/strong>1996 \u201cFilial Devotion and the Tiger Cult of Suicide,\u201d Contributions to Indian Sociology<\/em>, 30: 245-72.<\/p>\n

Roberts, Michael <\/strong>2005b \u201cSaivite Symbolism, Sacrifice and Tamil Tiger Rites,\u201d Social Analysis<\/em> 49: 67-93.<\/p>\n

Roberts, Michael<\/strong> 2005a \u201cTamil Tiger \u2018Martyrs\u2019: Regenerating Divine Potency?\u201d Studies in Conflict & Terrorism<\/em> 28: 493-514.<\/p>\n

Roberts, Michael <\/strong>2006 \u201cPragmatic Action and Enchanted Worlds: A Black Tiger Rite of Commemoration,\u201d Social Analysis<\/em> 50: 73-102.<\/p>\n

Roberts, Michael <\/strong>2012 \u201cInspirations: Hero Figures and Hitler in Young Pirap\u0101haran\u2019s Thinking,\u201d 30 February 2012, <\/strong>http:\/\/thuppahi.wordpress.com\/2012\/02\/13\/inspirations-hero-figures-and-hitler-in-young-pirapaharans-thinking\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Roberts, Michael<\/strong> 2011 \u201cDeath and Eternal Life: Contrasting Sensibilities in the face of Corpses,\u201d 29 June 2011, http:\/\/thuppahi.wordpress.com\/2011\/06\/29\/death-and-eternal-life-contrasting-sensibilities-in-the-face-of-corpses\/<\/p>\n

Roberts, M. and Arthur Saniotis <\/strong>2006 \u201cEmpowering the Body and Noble Death,\u201d Social Analysis<\/em> 50: 7-24.<\/p>\n

Sax, William Bo<\/strong> 1992 \u201cPilgrimage Unto Death,\u201d in James Veitch (ed.) To Strive And Not To Yield. Essays in Honour of Colin Brown<\/em>, Victoria University of Wellington, pp. 200-12.<\/p>\n

Schalk,<\/strong> Peter <\/strong>1997a \u201cResistance and Martyrdom in the Process of State Formation of Tamililam,\u201d in Joyce Pettigrew (ed.) Martyrdom and Political Resistance<\/em>, Amsterdam: VU University Press, pp. 61-84.<\/p>\n

Schalk, Peter<\/strong> 1997b \u201cHistoricization of the martial ideology of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)\u201d, South Asia<\/em> 20: 35-72. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Schalk,<\/strong> Peter <\/strong>2003 \u201cBeyond Hindu Festivals: The Celebration of Great Heroes\u2019 Day by the LiberationTigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Europe,\u201d in Martin Baumann et al<\/em>. (eds.) Tempel und Tamilien in Zweiter Heimat<\/em>, Wurzburg: Ergon Verlag, pp. 391-411.<\/p>\n

\n
\n<\/div>\n

[1]<\/a> This essay is deliberately cast for 27th<\/sup> November. From 1989 the LTTE initiated commemoration ceremonies called M\u0101v\u012brar N\u0101l to pay homage to their dead and thus to inspire commitment to the cause of Thamil\u012blam <\/em>and to mobilize wider support among Tamils across the world (see Jeyaraj 2006). The 27th<\/sup> November 1982 was when Shankar, Pirap\u0101haran\u2019s mate from early days, died from a wound. He was the first Tiger fighter to die. That this took place one day after Pirap\u0101haran\u2019s date of birth is pure coincidence. The figure 26, with a 2 and a 6, adds up to 8 for those guided by the mystical force of numerology. Pirap\u0101haran is said to have been so guided (for e.g. by Anita Pratap) and avoided dates that could be divided by 8 or included an 8, when launching major offensives. If he was hit by a bullet on the 18th<\/sup> May (see below) then his fears could be said to have received confirmation.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> In surmise I note that it is likely that the LTTE\u2019s stock of kuppi <\/em>had run out and could not be easily replenished over 2008\/09.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> He added: \u201cOn the first TV view that we got from home, a soldier inadvertently lifted his head and it came upwards like an empty shell, weightless. I noticed it. The brain is likely to have been blasted off almost fully. There would be tell tale signs from the mouth too [if he inflicted the wound himself]. The army doctor who did the PM would easily know how he died\u201d (email to Roberts, 27 November 2012).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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