Captain Ranjan (Lala)

This is ‘people’s struggle’. Not everyone knows what it means. The LTTE do it without thinking about whether what they are talking about is practically possible. It became a guerrilla struggle. Ranjan was the first to implement a military attack that directly involved the civilians. The civilians should know it is their struggle, “people´s struggle.”

Through the attack on the Pauthirurai police station, Ranjan was the one who taught us a lesson by saying, “Understand that this is also a people’s struggle!”

Today, when these people see the uprising, I feel like I should tell you that your sacrifices were not in vain. Your name will be engraved in golden letters by today’s children in the history of Tamileelam tomorrow. Even though you are not in front of me, I never hesitate to share my thoughts with you, who are filled with my heart.

I always remember you on January 1st of every year. The day you stepped into the movement as a full-time fighter in the 78th year. You were introduced to the movement in the morning and had been doing work like distributing notes, recruiting people for the movement, and gathering information about the enemy’s movements for us. Your work was very necessary for the movement during that period when even the smallest movement had to be implemented very systematically. Those who see your solid black figure will never think that you are from the movement. Your physique was very suitable for you to do secret work through you.

The difficulties you faced in the early days of joining the liberation struggle are things that all the fighters who want to step on the path of liberation today must know. Only then will they be able to understand the value of freedom.

You and I set out to set up a shed in a certain forest and do farm work. We went there from Jaffna with some essential supplies in a bucket. The road was damaged by rain and storm, and we made our journey during great difficulty. We had to walk the last eight miles of our journey. We reached the house of the person, we were supposed to meet at around ten o’clock at night. Finally, we said. We informed him of our intention. But what was on the mind of the person? He would not help us.

We turned back, walked eight miles and returned to Jaffna by bus. Our journey continued for three days, and at night the pavement was our bed.

At the end of the journey, we built a shelter for ourselves and slept there. We started cultivating an acre of land. In the meantime, I had come to Jaffna for other matters of the movement. You, along with some others who came after you, turned that land into a good farm. You had enough experience to teach chilli cultivation to those who did not know what agriculture was.

The group that set out to destroy the movement in the name of ‘ideological difference’ made a great effort to separate you from the movement. You told them to come and eat. They could not convert you, so they left the place without any result.

The youth who asked questions in the meeting were labeled as troublemakers and government agents by the federation who did not know how to answer. You, Shankar, and Seelan carried out resistance activities in the way you knew how. The federation’s cadres, who were yearning for S.S.O. posts and job bank certificates, hugged Seelan. When you went behind the one who hugged Seelan, lifted your slippers on his back and said, “Hands up,” those brave warriors lost their balance. Without even looking back at what you were holding, they rushed towards their masters. Your cleverness saved Seelan that day.

The difficulties you took in saving the Neeraveli bank money cannot be expressed in writing. You removed it from there a short time before the military had gone to the specified place. You were one of the three who attacked the military for the first time in the history of the Tamileelam liberation struggle. You carried out the attack with a handgun under the leadership of Seelan in the crowded Jaffna city.

When we left the military in safety and came towards the place where we were staying, the sister of the neighbor said, “I saw the incident over there.” You asked her more about the incident as if you were not involved. She did not see the persons in the incident, and she did not see you. Then there was no need to leave that place for us.

You went to India for training. You are the ‘Kothurotti Specialist’ of the training camp. With your agility, courage, and determination you already had made your skills glow through in the training camp.

You came to Tamileelam again with Pulenthiran, and on your way, the robbers dropped you off on the shore of Pesalay. When you were there, the Sinhala gangsters living there caught you. We all grumbled that those who came to live in our land were taking over and treating us, the owners of this land, as slaves.

You played with a 30-cabinet rifle during the Savakachcheri police station attack. When the attack was over, you hugged each of the injured and cried. That was the first time I saw tears welling up in your eyes.

The Umayalpura attack and the Kandharma attack also made your skills shine. When the security conference for the army and the allies was held in Jaffna, we expressed our opposition through various measures, including bombing the hall where the conference was to be held on the first day and night. You had written this on the inner walls of the hall with garlands of leaves and flowers: “Whom should the Security Council protect?” Your question made people think, and the newspapers gave it importance. That day, the allies who had gathered for the Security Council slowly returned after long intervals and sought safety in the bunker.

Ratnasingam, who was the chief candidate of the UNP in the local government elections in Paruthithurai, was your teacher. However, in your eyes, he was still a traitor. You also contributed your share to send him to the right place.

The pain of losing Seelan in Meesalai had been living within you for a few days. The ‘Tirunelveli attack’ gave you an opportunity to give vent to your feelings.

You were the one who stood alone next to the leader. You panicked when the grenade fell near the leader. The luck of the Tamil people the grenade did not work. You actively roamed everywhere in that day’s attack.

The following ethnic troubles drew thousands of youths into the struggle. Considering control, we only recruited a few hundred people. Ponnamman was responsible for the first training camp, and you were responsible for the second. After the training camp was over, you led an attack on the task force in Paruthithurai. You chased the task force all the way to the Paruthithurai police station.

After that, the Paruthithurai police station fell to you in the civil protest led by you. We got the weapons, police station documents, and our motorcycle taken by the police.

I will remember the incident of the motorcycle theft. You and I were traveling to take protection to travel by sea. On the way, we were stopped by the police. The police who searched our bag and show the grenade. At that moment, you snatched the film rolls and pictures from the police and say, “Run away,” and took me with you and ran away. We escaped. Now we got the motorcycle.

According to the details obtained from the police station documents, you also accepted the responsibility of giving the right punishment to the traitor Navaratnam.

Unfortunate, the fate took you and your service away from us the Tamil nation. You were coming with Vicky on a motorcycle as a guide to Kittu’s car, carrying Seelan’s poster in your vehicle. When the task force blocked your path at Thondaman, you tried to show them the way and escape. The task force tried to hit you with a jeep. You turned the motorcycle in the open area, and it unexpectedly got stuck in the mud. You got up from the mud and fled. The task force shot you. When you took a bicycle, the owner of the bicycle stopped you. Even when you explained the situation, he did not give it to you. The end was advancing you. You fell to the gunfire of the task force. You saved the lives of everyone who was coming behind you in the car by giving your life. You made your sacrifice meaningful. The task force who took your life was killed by our landmine in the big forest. Ranjan is always filled with in everyone’s heart.