The making of a martyr

Since the day Mr. Kumar Ponnambalam in a TV interview made statements which are said to be in support of the proscribed LTTE, there has been consistent loud calls made for Mr. Ponnambalam's head from many quarters.

The LTTE is an illegal organisation. But more so it is fanatical and fascist. Its cold-blooded killings of civilians should make any civilised and sensible person shun and abhor it. But it is true that the LTTE is being looked upon favourably and as an organisation representing Tamil interests by many Tamils both here and abroad. This is partly because these Tamils hold Sri Lankan governments, both of the UNP and now the PA, responsible for their plight. The argument that their miseries have been brought about by the LTTE violence which Sri Lankan armed forces have been compelled to challenge is not accepted by these Tamils. Thus, when it comes to a choice between the LTTE and these Lankan governments, these categories of Tamils back the LTTE to varying degrees even though their own kith and kin may have been slaughtered by those whom they support.

These are some of the main reasons why LTTE terrorism has continued to survive for almost 15 years. When Northern terrorism was at its infancy, Tamil politicians used them as a bargaining chip with the government. The TULF leaders called the terrorists ' our boys' but soon the boys turned their guns against their ' uncles'. It was a typical example of the Lady who went for a ride on the Tiger. This attitude persists among most Tamil politicians even today although the TULF of late has come out against the terrorists after the recent killings of their mayoral nominees for the Jaffna municipality.

Not only Mr. Kumar Ponnambalam but even Mr. Saumyamoorthi Thondaman , a member of the cabinet, is openly supportive of the LTTE. Even though the president of the government of which Mr. Thondaman is a cabinet minister is waging a bloody war against the LTTE, which is proscribed, and its leader Prabakaran, a wanted man, Mr Thondaman has the gumption to suggest that the LTTE be given the Northern and Eastern Provinces for five years. Neither the president nor anyone in the government is known to have questioned Mr. Thondaman about this audacious statement.

Mr. Kumar Ponnamabalam has been playing about with the Tigers as well as with politicians of southern parties on and off. As a member of the now defunct Democratic Peoples Alliance, he once specialised in taking southern politicians deep into the jungles of Vavuniya for talks with the terrorists. Mr. Ponnambalam lives in the exclusive Queens Road of Colombo in a palatial bungalow with a fleet of antique Mercedes Benz in his garages and other possessions of the affluent. He practices in the Colombo courts, getting on quite well with his Sinhalese counterparts. In his spare times he lambastes the governments and Sinhalese and Buddhists at seminars and TV talk shows. On and off he takes wing to distant lands where he once again derides the Sri Lanka government and Sinhalese - Buddhists to cheering Tamil expatriates who collected funds for the LTTE.

Mr. Ponnambalam, who has lived most of his life in Colombo has many friends among the Sinhalese whom he derides. Despite his harsh and provocative pro-LTTE rhetoric, Mr. Ponnambalam is not taken seriously by those who know him. He contested the Presidential Elections in 1982 and polled 173,934 votes (2.67 pc of the total poll). Some call him a representative of the Colombo Tamils but some Colombo Tamils contest even this point of view. Mr. Ponnambalam, they say, has not visited Jaffna for long years. This has given rise to speculation that despite Mr. Ponnambalam being a leading advocate for the LTTE, he may not be a LTTE favourite or even a counsellor for the LTTE !

Political analysts say that Mr. Ponnambalam may be having his own political agenda. He may be thinking in terms of being the Tamil candidate for the next presidential elections , like he did in 1982 and hoping for better support with his advocacy of the LTTE.What the fronts against terrorism both here and abroad, calling for Mr. Ponnambalam's head, may be doing is helping Mr. Ponmabalam achieve his political goals. They may be unwitting participants in the process of the cannonisation of a Saint Ponnambalam.

After many calls being made for his arrest etc. Mr. Ponnambalam has been questioned by the CID. This is indeed an ideal start in the process for the creation of a martyr. Now, Mr. Ponnambalam and his expatriate supporters can cry aloud to the world about the freedom of speech of Tamils being suppressed. Mr. Ponnambalam, the lawyer, can rally NGOs and many international legal associations to issue statements protesting against the denial of his fundamental rights etc. Those who know him, realise that this is a situation he will revel in.

Those who are calling for his blood should best remember the saying: 'The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church'.