Captain Viknam
Captain Viknam 07.08.1968 – 05.08.1990
In 1984, he was one of the top students studying at the Uduthurai Maha Vidyalayam in the general education standard. He had secured a place for himself in the Uduthurai Maha Vidyalayam in those days, having excelled in academics and discipline.
In October 1984, when the armed struggle of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam adopted the ideal of Tamileelam, and when the movement was being intensified militarily and politically, Viknam left home one night said that he would sleep in the beach but disappeared. Carrying the desire for freedom in his heart, he went to Vetrilakeni on a boat with many other young men and sailed to India.
He had completed his basic training at the LTTE’s 06th training camp in Tamil Nadu, India, and was called to another training camp. 45 fighters with maritime experience who had been trained in the LTTE’s fifth, and sixth training camps were selected and given under the supervision of Colonel Shankar and trained in underwater swimming training in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Viknam was also included in these 45 fighters. This team evolved into the Naval Team of LTTE.
Having successfully completed the Sea Commando training, he continued to stay in Tamil Nadu and continue his national liberation work. In those days, all movements including the LTTE had carried out their liberation struggle based on Tamil Nadu. The transportation between Tamil Nadu and Tamileelam was done by boats. In those days, the fighters and the public would refer to these boats as vandi. In these boats, he would occasionally send letters home. In some letters, he would send photos. In those days, when we had never seen weapons in person, we used to look at those photos with interest and wonder. I remember that letters also came by post.
I think it was September 1987, three years after he joined the freedom struggle. I remember the days when Thileepan was fasting on the day of his martyrdom. One day, he came to his homeland from Tamil Nadu in a vandi. Then he came home and stayed for a few days on vacation. Then he left again for his national duty. In the period after this, the war between the LTTE and the Indian Army had begun and intensified. During this period, his letters were received home very rarely. In his letters, he had mentioned that he was stationed in India. The rare letters later stopped coming.
Time passed. I remember it was the middle of 1989. During this period, the Indian Army had set up camps near our area in Thalayadi and Kattaikadu.
The areas from Maruthankeni to Vetrilakeni were the places where the soldiers from these two camps would patrol and conduct searches. No one knew when they would come and conduct searches. In these critical days, a boat that was on a sea voyage dropped Viknam off on a beach one night when no one expected it. Although everyone was happy to see him after a long time, they were scared inside. This time he had come with a gun. Everyone knew that if the Indian army carried out a search on this occasion, the consequences would be disastrous. Everyone prayed to the Lord in their hearts that the Indian army would not carry out searches while he was standing.
The next day, the same boat came and picked Viknam up in the evening. Only then did everyone breathe a sigh of relief. After that, there was no contact with him for a certain period.
Early 1990s. The days when the Indian army started leaving the homeland. It was the time when the LTTE started roaming among the people with the uniform. One day, Viknam also came with the uniform and a gun and a communication device. This time, he did not come alone. He came with many more fighters. All were armed. He came and left again the next day.
During this period, the LTTE’s political wing, the LTTE People’s Front, had expanded its activities among the people. I think it was only a couple of weeks since Viknam came home with the fighters. We heard that he had been appointed as the LTTE’s North Marathi East Regional People’s Front in-charge and had come to the Thalayadi Political Secretariat.
After taking charge of the North Marathi East Regional in-charge, Viknam went to every village to gather the people and hold seminars. His seminars created a great stir among the people. In those days, there was no Tamileelam Police Department. (The Tamileelam Police Department was formed in November 1991) Therefore, the regional political department had to handle all the family problems, land problems, money transactions and other issues coming from the public. People flocked to his secretariat every day. Viknam calmly dealt with everyone’s problems and provided solutions. His reputation among the people rose. The punishment he gave to correct the wrongdoers was a dark room in his secretariat. In that dark room, the convicts were kept and three meals a day and tea were served regularly. This was the ultimate punishment he gave. Even those who were convicted by him respected him highly.
After doing political work in this way, military duty called him back. When Viknam heard that he was going to be transferred from political work, many letters were sent to the then North Marathi in-charge from the people of the East region and public organizations requesting that him not be transferred. Respecting the demands of the people, Soosai delayed for two or three weeks and explained to the people the importance of his need and appointed Mahavir Rajeeva as the North Marathi in-charge.
After this, the second phase of the Eelam War with the Sri Lankan forces had begun. During these days, Viknam´s duties were mainly military duties such as organizing training programs for new fighters and leading the ranks. His role was also prominent when the first sea tiger attack was carried out by Major Kantharoopan, Captain Collins and Captain Vinoth on the Sri Lanka Navy’s Edithara command ship, which was stationed in the Valvettithurai waters on 10.07.1990.
After this, the primary responsibility of the teams consisting of fighters who had completed basic training was to set up a base for them in the deep sea and stabilize the teams. On Sunday, 05.08.1990, the LTTE launched a massive attack on the Yarlpanam Fort military camp in the early hours of Sunday. He oversaw a team in this attack and lost his life in the battle that took place at the entrance to the fort.
Many efforts were made to rescue Viknam´s body and he died a hero’s death. It was only on the second day, i.e. the night of the 6th, that the body was recovered, and he was cremated with military honors at the Manipay Pipilimayanam according to the regulations of that day. His ashes were immersed in the sea of Uduthurai, his native place.
Even though 35 years have passed since he died with the dream of liberation, his name continues to blow like a relentless storm in the air of Tamileelam. He lives forever in the hearts of the people of North Marathi-East.
(Translation by Tamilpriya)
0 Comments