Lt. Col. Bama, Deputy Commander of the Sea Tigers
Lt. Col. Bama, Deputy Commander of the Sea Tigers
Heroic birth 28.03.1971 – Veerachau. 12.11.1993
Bama, who carved out a distinct place for herself by contributing to many of the battles faced by the Women’s Wing of the Liberation Tigers, whether on land or sea!
We saw her as a complete fighter, highly skilled in all aspects. Her image, frozen in our hearts, and her determined actions often bring memories to any fighter.
“Is that our Bama?”
Many fighters tear up while speaking about her. Until yesterday, she roamed the southern plantations and the salty sea waters, stepping with long strides. Today, she remains deeply etched in our memories.
As a little girl, she played and collected shells along the beach of Paruthithurai’s Inparutti. She was mischievous. The fourth child of Mr. Shanmugasundaram and Mrs. Rathineswari, she brought joy to that household as Shyamala. When she was born on March 28, 1971, the house was filled with happiness. As a child, Shyamala would often playfully step into the sands of Inparutti’s shoreline. She would stand for long hours, gazing at the sky and getting drenched in the crashing waves. When her mother would come looking for her, Shyamala would hide, and her childhood antics are unforgettable.
During her school years, she was extremely naughty. While studying biology and medicine at Paruthithurai Methodist College, she never lagged in either academics or sports. She won numerous certificates in sports competitions.
The peace in her life was disrupted by the actions of the Indian army. When her brother, Sea Tiger Lt. Venkatesh, embraced martyrdom, her focus shifted from studies to national service. Shyamala joined the movement to continue her brother’s mission.
In March 1989, Shyamala joined the movement. At that time, the Indian army was everywhere in Tamil Eelam. The Tigers were being hunted day and night. Most operations were conducted in the forests, and the number of fighters was low, especially female fighters, who numbered only a few hundred. In this situation, Shyamala, taking the name Bama, trained in the fourth camp. Her talent in training and her strong physique led her to become a shooter with the 50-caliber gun. Carrying her heavy weapon on her shoulder, with ammunition belts slung across, she walked with a certain grandeur! Walking long distances through the jungle, carrying the supplies we needed, she would laugh even under the weight of the heavy loads on her shoulders, making our burdens feel lighter.
In early 1990, when the Indian forces withdrew from our land, a group of 200 fighters returned to Jaffna from the forests. Bama was among them. From that day on, she left her mark in many of the battles faced by the Women’s Wing of the Liberation Tigers.
Her footprints were firmly imprinted in places like Kottai, Palali, Karainagar, Silavathurai, Palavekya, and Manalaaru.
Bama! Her growth within a short period was extraordinary. Her firm actions and ability to achieve what she set her mind to led her to rise step by step.
When Bama stood at the Palali defense lines, her actions were unforgettable. We never saw her say, “I don’t know how to do this.”
“We learned everything from home. We’ve grown this far in the movement through effort,” she would often say.
We witnessed this firsthand in Palali.
It was the rainy season of 1990. The red soil of Palali was wet and sticky. Our feet sunk into the mud. The defense line in the middle of the mud was frequently under enemy attacks. The ground had turned black from the constant bombardment. Soldiers regularly tried to advance, and we would repel them. It became a routine occurrence.
During one such time, 14 people were injured in a fierce battle the previous day. As we looked for a responsible person to continue holding our position in the enemy’s target zone, Bama’s actions gave us confidence.
“I’ll take the group,” she said, standing up. She hadn’t yet seen large battles, but she possessed a unique talent. The way she skillfully led the group entrusted to her filled us with pride. Often, Bama’s job was to provide guidance to the soldiers. At that time, the enemy’s searchlights cut through the night in Palali’s palm groves, turning night into day. Whenever the lights shone close, Bama would take aim at them. We never heard of her missing a target, either in training or in battles.
After Palali, the Elephant Pass battlefield became a major arena for her, and even there, she didn’t fail to showcase her skills. She stood firm on the side of the women’s brigade in fierce combat during Operation “Aa ka Ve.” The intense clashes, the near-misses of arrows whizzing past as though brushing the ears, the relentless hail of bullets… many from Bama’s group were wounded. We remember Bama standing alone and fighting until the enemy retreated. When, in the end, she found a severely injured fighter in the dead of night and brought him back, and as she finally took a breath, she was all alone, collecting all the evidence left behind…
She was injured on the head in the Elephant Pass battle. We had no hope that she would survive. But it was her strong physique and determination that saved her and brought her back to full health.
We saw her as a battle-hardened fighter, a stealthy scout, and someone with a soft heart who helped everyone.
One day…
It was the Officers’ Training College led by Lt. Colonel Rajan. While she was training there, a little girl and boy came to her camp asking for food. At that time, there was no food available. Noticing this, she collected whatever money everyone had, which amounted to fifty rupees. When she went to give it to them, she asked the little girl:
“What’s your name?”
Seeing that the girl couldn’t open her mouth, she asked why. The girl gestured that a shrapnel hit her jaw during an airstrike, preventing her from opening her mouth. Seeing this, tears welled up in her eyes.
After giving the money and sending them off, she said, “What did this little child do to deserve this? We need to teach them a proper lesson for this,” her voice choking with emotion. She often said, “All this hardship must end with us. Our little ones should not have to endure it. They should live happily with their mothers and fathers.” Thinking back to how her eyes filled with tears as she said this…
That day at the military college, there was a class on telecommunications. The new devices, new functionalities, were explained in detail. Finally, the lecturer said, “This new (ci 25) walkie-talkie is new. I won’t explain its functionality to you. You must figure it out. I’ll give you a set time.” When the lecture ended, Bama, with full concentration, delved into understanding its workings, without wasting a moment, as if she was one with the device.
She succeeded in her efforts. She was the first to figure out how it worked and explained it to others. It was then that her skills became evident among all the fighters. We marveled among ourselves at her relentless effort.
Chess was one of her favorite games. The way she played, with finesse and skill, amazed everyone. Watching her play made you feel like standing in awe. There’s no history of her king or queen ever being defeated. She had an uncanny ability to outwit her opponent. Another of her favorite sports was volleyball. Whenever she came to play in the evening, the field would come alive with energy. The way she would run, hit, and play with precision was an art in itself.
Her mischievous nature knew no bounds. At all hours, she would make those around her laugh until their bellies ached and then slip away unnoticed.
Once, she and a friend were traveling on a motorcycle around 9:30 PM, heading from Vadamarachchi to Jaffna. The light on her motorcycle was very dim, and the path wasn’t clear. As they were passing through Puraappurikkadi, a heavy vehicle approached from the opposite side, blinding them with its bright headlights. Bama immediately turned off her light and raised her hand, signaling upwards. The driver of the heavy vehicle, thinking a helicopter was approaching, turned off his lights and pulled over. She then quickly sped away on her motorcycle. She did this to four or five vehicles, using the gap to drive on. When she reached Muniappar Temple, another vehicle approached, and she signaled it to stop. Only then did she realize it was one of our fighters’ vehicles. Though she was shocked for a moment, she sped past with a sly grin and joined the group, laughing as usual. That laughter of Bama still lingers before my eyes.
Making her angry by saying something mischievous was one of our favorite pastimes. If she got mad, she would speak angrily and then forget about it the next minute, laughing again. She always spoke in layers, and because she spoke so fast, it was hard for others to understand her. That’s why we used to tease her, calling her “Nadungal”. If teased, she would chase us and hit us.
On March 1, 1992, the women’s brigade of the Liberation Tigers laid the foundation for its next phase of growth. It was the day the women’s naval unit was formed. Bama played a significant role in the development of the naval unit, fulfilling the dreams of our leader with immense confidence.
In the latter part of 1992, Bama joined the naval unit. From that day onward, she was deeply involved in the development of the women’s naval brigade. She took part in everything from training fellow fighters in marching drills to leading critical classes. She took charge and led.
We remember the days when she and a group of us participated in security operations to protect the people of Kilaly. In the pouring rain and the freezing salt winds that pierced like needles, she stood guard night after night. We could see the boats in the distance as dots on the horizon. The boats of the people swayed across the ocean. The battles at sea that gave hope to the terrified people left her heart dry, her eyes wide with fear.
“Were you very stubborn at home? The same stubbornness that made you achieve what you wanted, and get what you wanted, helped you succeed at sea too…”
When Bama’s uncle asked, “Why didn’t you take the water jet?” she replied, “Uncle, I’ll come back with it, then we can talk.” Her uncle, teary-eyed, shared this. That drive to achieve what she set her mind to was born with her, as we saw in many events.
That determination is what held her tight even in the final moments of her life.
An attack was planned on the Poonakari combined military base. The women’s brigade of the Liberation Tigers played a key role in this assault, and the role of the naval unit was immense.
For the attack on the naval base at Nagathevanthurai, Bama was sent as a boat leader. As she prepared her boat for battle, she confidently told the fighters standing on the shore in the dark where faces could hardly be seen, “In this battle, we’ll bring back a water jet.” She set off after saying those words. As she destroyed the Nagathevan naval base and returned to shore with a smile on her face, she brought back a captured speedboat as promised.
At dawn, she was called to return. With all her weapons, her boat set off like a bird, disappearing into the distance. Something about her seemed different. Her hand movements in the darkness were blurry, as though she wanted to say something unusual. The whizzing bullets tore through the air, the sound brushing our ears. We watched her boat fade into the distance amidst the roaring waves. The waves covered the boat, and in the sky that swallowed the moon, the stars flickered faintly. The sky was quiet. The sound of heavy bombs rang out continuously.
“Bama… Bama…” the walkie-talkie called her. We tried to get a quick response but failed…
A bullet pierced deep into her leg. As blood gushed out, Bama fell…
But even then, in her faint voice, she continued to issue orders. Slowly, her voice faded, her pulse stopped…
Our hope that it was just a leg injury… that it wasn’t serious… turned out to be false as she slowly slipped away. That stubborn one. She merged with the saltwater of the sea. The sea of Kilaly, soaked in blood, rose again and again.
Alongside thousands of martyrs, our Bama, inhaled the great fire of liberation. Let her rest peacefully as the root of our victory.
Memory Tribute: Sudhamathi, Kalam Ithal Issue (16.09.1994)
Translation by Hari (29.9.2024)
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